10 Awesome Smallville Characters The Show Did Nothing With
Smallville was one of the most important series ever produced in the DC Universe and introduced a number of incredible heroes and villains, some of which, regrettably, did not get nearly the amount of focus that they deserved. Across many rewatchable Smallville episodes, the series built an incredible and original version of DC canon. In retrospect, some parts of that canon were successful, while some other components never lived up to the potential they were set up for.
Smallville was planned to have a number of spinoffs, and almost launched a Justice League show. The series was an incredible influence on the shows of the Arrowverse, and was briefly revisited in that franchise"s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. With all of this in mind, it is notable how many characters were introduced in Smallville that not enough was done with. It is therefore worth looking back and reflecting on the enormous cast of characters that DC wound up letting down over the run of the series.
10 Mikhail Mxyzptlk Appeared in Season 4, Episode 7, "Jinx" Close One of the stranger villains in DC comics lore, Mister Mxyzptlk is often depicted as an imp from another dimension. Using strange interdimensional and reality-warping powers, the villain has remained a major part of Superman"s story for many years. With an inhuman design and odd but potent abilities, Mxyzptlk is an important part of Superman"s canon because he possesses power that often even supersedes Clark"s own, making him a worthy opponent for the Man of Steel.
In Smallville, however, the character is significantly toned down. Mikahil Mxyzptlk is not one of Smallville"s most powerful characters, but is instead a student with metahuman powers who gets into a football bet with Chloe. Using his powers to influence the actions of characters, he causes minor trouble for the heroes. However, this is done away with quickly and, while it is teased that Mikhail may regain his powers, the episode ends with Mxyzptlk powerless and defeated, never to return again to the series.
9 Maxwell Lord Appeared In Season 9, Episodes 18 & 20, "Charade" And "Hostage" Close Maxwell Lord appeared on Smallville to little fanfare in a small part in season 9. While the character has a long comics history, the character"s appearance on the show felt minor, as a member of Checkmate who wished to help uncover the identity of The Blur. With mind control powers that were not given enough focus, Lord was a major DC Comics character who was not used nearly to his potential on the series.
Fortunately, other DC media has embraced the character in far more meaningful ways since. Smallville was the first live-action iteration of the character, but it was followed in the Arrowverse, and with a version in Wonder Woman 1984, which saw Pedro Pascal playing the character as the film"s main antagonist. With Sean Gunn set to play the character in 2025"s Superman, it appears likely that Lord will be given the screentime he is due in the near future.
8 Morgan Edge Appeared In Several Season 3 Episodes Close Morgan Edge should have been a much more interesting character on Smallville. Introduced as an old friend of Lionel Luthor"s and featuring the performance of two different actors due to the character receiving plastic surgery, Morgan Edge could have followed his interesting comic book path as a media mogul who gets caught up in disturbing and crooked things. Instead, the show went a much more generic route, and turned the character into a crime lord.
Edge appears in a few interesting scenes, where he assists Lionel Luthor in taking down Lex in some disturbing ways. This eventually leads to Edge being killed by Lex, and Lex being sent to the sanitarium. In only a handful of episodes, the character seems to be set up to be something interesting and could have led into his strange and more eventful comic book stories. Instead, Edge’s story is cut short on Smallville, but is thankfully adapted with more detail in the Arrowverse and Superman & Lois.
7 Hawkgirl Appeared In Season 9, Episodes 11 & 12, "Absolute Justice" Close Hawkgirl is an important part of DC storytelling, but the character is never quite able to make a full appearance on the show. During Smallville"s season 9 episodes, Shayera Hall is alluded to many times, and appears in a number of visions. Carter Hall appears as Hawkman, who laments the loss of his wife, who will one day be born again. However, despite a number of hints, and even a look at Hawkgirl"s cowl and mace, the character does not have anything to do outside of appearing in visions here.
Introducing Hawkgirl, only to do nothing with her, is a strange choice for the series. With a whole team of heroes, almost all of which being men, the exclusion of Hawkgirl feels like a poorly aged Smallville moment. Hawkgirl"s story then only becomes a story point for Hawkman"s journey, and it is disappointing that Hawkgirl did not appear in the series. Fortunately, she was given a bit more focus in the Arrowverse and will appear in the DCU.
6 Aquaman & Mera Appeared Several Times Throughout The Series, Notably in Season 5 "Aqua" And Season 9 "Patriot" Close Aquaman seemed set to be a major part of Smallville"s universe, with a spinoff series setup to continue the character"s adventures. However, Alan Ritchson was recast as Aquaman in the failed series, which never went beyond the pilot stage. Instead of having his own exciting stories, and expanding the lore of the universe, Aquaman only made a scant few appearances in the run of the show, with his wife, Mera, only joining for a single episode.
Considering the incredible success of the DCEU’s Aquaman and its lesser but still decent sequel, this was a major mistake. If these impeccably cast versions of these characters had been used properly, they could have contributed to a more fleshed-out and exciting DC universe. Ritchson has since proven himself to be an incredible star with his turn on Reacher, and it is disappointing that Smallville and its universe did not make better use of him at the time.
5 Jason Teague Appeared As A Main Cast Member In Season 4 Close Following the departure of Pete Ross, the show brought in rising star Jensen Ackles to play a main role in season 4 of Smallville. The character was poised to be a significant character that eventually became an enormous threat. However, when Jensen Ackles was revealed to be leaving Smallville early, the show had to make adjustments. As a result, Ackles" villainous turn was too quick and not as effective as the character deserved.
With complex relationships in the series, including his romance with Lana Lang, there was much that could have been done with Teague. His villainous turn, too, could have been given more time and attention. With a star like Ackles, the character could have been one of the best on the whole show. Instead, season 4 of Smallville, which featured strange episodes like “Spell”, felt in some ways like a departure from the heart of the series that would only be regained in season 5.
4 Kyla Willowbrook Appeared In Season 2, Episode 10, "Skinwalker" Close Kyla Willowbrook was an original character on Smallville who would have been well-served by a longer story. Introduced in a strange episode of the series, Kyla is a native-American skinwalker who is able to transform into a wolf. She and Clark immediately bond, and share a deep and intimate connection. In addition to this, the two actors had great chemistry, to the point that the showrunners even discussed regret over not planning a larger arc for Kyla.
Kyla could have been an important part of Clark"s emotional journey during the early seasons of Smallville. Having someone with powers of their own, with whom Clark could connect, would have helped him on his journey. Instead, Kyla was killed by the end of her episode. The specter of her hung over Clark for the rest of the series, and he thought about her occasionally after this event. Unfortunately, Kyla never returned.
3 Deadshot Appeared In Season 10, Episodes 2 & 12, "Shield" And "Collateral" Close Floyd Lawton, also known as Deadshot, has become a more prominent DC character in the years since Smallville aired due to his status as a member of the Suicide Squad. Smallville attempted to do some of these Suicide Squad stories near the end of its run, and Deadshot was brought in for a couple of short appearances as a result. However, in his simple cowboy outfit and bionic eye, the execution of the character failed to make much of an impact.
As a famous Batman villain, seeing Deadshot appear here was an exciting prospect. The character even had some redeeming moments, in saving Chloe at the end of his story. However, there is simply much more to Deadshot that is diminished by shoehorning him in as a minor character. Without enough room to tell an effective story with Deadshot, the character wound up serving as only a minor contributor to the DC Universe.
2 Black Canary Appeared In Several Episodes In Seasons 7 Through 10 Close Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, made a number of appearances on Smallville, although the character never lived up to her full potential. The character, who has long been known as a romantic partner of Green Arrow in the comics, was introduced as a villain before changing her ways and joining the Justice League after learning she had been tricked. From here, Black Canary joined the side of the heroes, where she wasn’t given much to do.
Following her appearance in Smallville, different versions of Black Canary appeared in the Arrowverse, giving the character more time and focus. This comparison helps to illustrate how vastly underused Dinah Lance was in Smallville. While parts of Lance"s story were effective, she, unfortunately, felt like little more than an extra to an already bloated Smallville cast. Focus went elsewhere, and Black Canary wound up unfortunately underused in the series.
1 Adam Knight Appeared In Several Episodes Of Season 3 Close The showrunners for Smallville wanted to build a larger DC universe in the series, and from the introduction of Adam Knight, it seemed that they intended to reveal the character to be Batman. Pulling names from both Batman actor Adam West and the famous moniker The Dark Knight, Knight"s character was teased as a mystery for some time. With up-and-coming actor Ian Somerhalder in the Smallville role, the character seemed poised to be a major contribution to the show"s universe.
Instead, Adam Knight eventually turned out to be a resurrected teenager named Chad Nash who had been sent to spy on Clark and Lana. This eventual reveal felt strange and unearned, and caused many to speculate that the character"s path in the series may not have been what was originally intended. While it is probably for the best that Smallville never introduced a Batman to its series, Adam Knight seemed to be the greatest candidate for the role that was never fulfilled.
Smallville was planned to have a number of spinoffs, and almost launched a Justice League show. The series was an incredible influence on the shows of the Arrowverse, and was briefly revisited in that franchise"s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. With all of this in mind, it is notable how many characters were introduced in Smallville that not enough was done with. It is therefore worth looking back and reflecting on the enormous cast of characters that DC wound up letting down over the run of the series.
10 Mikhail Mxyzptlk Appeared in Season 4, Episode 7, "Jinx" Close One of the stranger villains in DC comics lore, Mister Mxyzptlk is often depicted as an imp from another dimension. Using strange interdimensional and reality-warping powers, the villain has remained a major part of Superman"s story for many years. With an inhuman design and odd but potent abilities, Mxyzptlk is an important part of Superman"s canon because he possesses power that often even supersedes Clark"s own, making him a worthy opponent for the Man of Steel.
In Smallville, however, the character is significantly toned down. Mikahil Mxyzptlk is not one of Smallville"s most powerful characters, but is instead a student with metahuman powers who gets into a football bet with Chloe. Using his powers to influence the actions of characters, he causes minor trouble for the heroes. However, this is done away with quickly and, while it is teased that Mikhail may regain his powers, the episode ends with Mxyzptlk powerless and defeated, never to return again to the series.
9 Maxwell Lord Appeared In Season 9, Episodes 18 & 20, "Charade" And "Hostage" Close Maxwell Lord appeared on Smallville to little fanfare in a small part in season 9. While the character has a long comics history, the character"s appearance on the show felt minor, as a member of Checkmate who wished to help uncover the identity of The Blur. With mind control powers that were not given enough focus, Lord was a major DC Comics character who was not used nearly to his potential on the series.
Fortunately, other DC media has embraced the character in far more meaningful ways since. Smallville was the first live-action iteration of the character, but it was followed in the Arrowverse, and with a version in Wonder Woman 1984, which saw Pedro Pascal playing the character as the film"s main antagonist. With Sean Gunn set to play the character in 2025"s Superman, it appears likely that Lord will be given the screentime he is due in the near future.
8 Morgan Edge Appeared In Several Season 3 Episodes Close Morgan Edge should have been a much more interesting character on Smallville. Introduced as an old friend of Lionel Luthor"s and featuring the performance of two different actors due to the character receiving plastic surgery, Morgan Edge could have followed his interesting comic book path as a media mogul who gets caught up in disturbing and crooked things. Instead, the show went a much more generic route, and turned the character into a crime lord.
Edge appears in a few interesting scenes, where he assists Lionel Luthor in taking down Lex in some disturbing ways. This eventually leads to Edge being killed by Lex, and Lex being sent to the sanitarium. In only a handful of episodes, the character seems to be set up to be something interesting and could have led into his strange and more eventful comic book stories. Instead, Edge’s story is cut short on Smallville, but is thankfully adapted with more detail in the Arrowverse and Superman & Lois.
7 Hawkgirl Appeared In Season 9, Episodes 11 & 12, "Absolute Justice" Close Hawkgirl is an important part of DC storytelling, but the character is never quite able to make a full appearance on the show. During Smallville"s season 9 episodes, Shayera Hall is alluded to many times, and appears in a number of visions. Carter Hall appears as Hawkman, who laments the loss of his wife, who will one day be born again. However, despite a number of hints, and even a look at Hawkgirl"s cowl and mace, the character does not have anything to do outside of appearing in visions here.
Introducing Hawkgirl, only to do nothing with her, is a strange choice for the series. With a whole team of heroes, almost all of which being men, the exclusion of Hawkgirl feels like a poorly aged Smallville moment. Hawkgirl"s story then only becomes a story point for Hawkman"s journey, and it is disappointing that Hawkgirl did not appear in the series. Fortunately, she was given a bit more focus in the Arrowverse and will appear in the DCU.
6 Aquaman & Mera Appeared Several Times Throughout The Series, Notably in Season 5 "Aqua" And Season 9 "Patriot" Close Aquaman seemed set to be a major part of Smallville"s universe, with a spinoff series setup to continue the character"s adventures. However, Alan Ritchson was recast as Aquaman in the failed series, which never went beyond the pilot stage. Instead of having his own exciting stories, and expanding the lore of the universe, Aquaman only made a scant few appearances in the run of the show, with his wife, Mera, only joining for a single episode.
Considering the incredible success of the DCEU’s Aquaman and its lesser but still decent sequel, this was a major mistake. If these impeccably cast versions of these characters had been used properly, they could have contributed to a more fleshed-out and exciting DC universe. Ritchson has since proven himself to be an incredible star with his turn on Reacher, and it is disappointing that Smallville and its universe did not make better use of him at the time.
5 Jason Teague Appeared As A Main Cast Member In Season 4 Close Following the departure of Pete Ross, the show brought in rising star Jensen Ackles to play a main role in season 4 of Smallville. The character was poised to be a significant character that eventually became an enormous threat. However, when Jensen Ackles was revealed to be leaving Smallville early, the show had to make adjustments. As a result, Ackles" villainous turn was too quick and not as effective as the character deserved.
With complex relationships in the series, including his romance with Lana Lang, there was much that could have been done with Teague. His villainous turn, too, could have been given more time and attention. With a star like Ackles, the character could have been one of the best on the whole show. Instead, season 4 of Smallville, which featured strange episodes like “Spell”, felt in some ways like a departure from the heart of the series that would only be regained in season 5.
4 Kyla Willowbrook Appeared In Season 2, Episode 10, "Skinwalker" Close Kyla Willowbrook was an original character on Smallville who would have been well-served by a longer story. Introduced in a strange episode of the series, Kyla is a native-American skinwalker who is able to transform into a wolf. She and Clark immediately bond, and share a deep and intimate connection. In addition to this, the two actors had great chemistry, to the point that the showrunners even discussed regret over not planning a larger arc for Kyla.
Kyla could have been an important part of Clark"s emotional journey during the early seasons of Smallville. Having someone with powers of their own, with whom Clark could connect, would have helped him on his journey. Instead, Kyla was killed by the end of her episode. The specter of her hung over Clark for the rest of the series, and he thought about her occasionally after this event. Unfortunately, Kyla never returned.
3 Deadshot Appeared In Season 10, Episodes 2 & 12, "Shield" And "Collateral" Close Floyd Lawton, also known as Deadshot, has become a more prominent DC character in the years since Smallville aired due to his status as a member of the Suicide Squad. Smallville attempted to do some of these Suicide Squad stories near the end of its run, and Deadshot was brought in for a couple of short appearances as a result. However, in his simple cowboy outfit and bionic eye, the execution of the character failed to make much of an impact.
As a famous Batman villain, seeing Deadshot appear here was an exciting prospect. The character even had some redeeming moments, in saving Chloe at the end of his story. However, there is simply much more to Deadshot that is diminished by shoehorning him in as a minor character. Without enough room to tell an effective story with Deadshot, the character wound up serving as only a minor contributor to the DC Universe.
2 Black Canary Appeared In Several Episodes In Seasons 7 Through 10 Close Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, made a number of appearances on Smallville, although the character never lived up to her full potential. The character, who has long been known as a romantic partner of Green Arrow in the comics, was introduced as a villain before changing her ways and joining the Justice League after learning she had been tricked. From here, Black Canary joined the side of the heroes, where she wasn’t given much to do.
Following her appearance in Smallville, different versions of Black Canary appeared in the Arrowverse, giving the character more time and focus. This comparison helps to illustrate how vastly underused Dinah Lance was in Smallville. While parts of Lance"s story were effective, she, unfortunately, felt like little more than an extra to an already bloated Smallville cast. Focus went elsewhere, and Black Canary wound up unfortunately underused in the series.
1 Adam Knight Appeared In Several Episodes Of Season 3 Close The showrunners for Smallville wanted to build a larger DC universe in the series, and from the introduction of Adam Knight, it seemed that they intended to reveal the character to be Batman. Pulling names from both Batman actor Adam West and the famous moniker The Dark Knight, Knight"s character was teased as a mystery for some time. With up-and-coming actor Ian Somerhalder in the Smallville role, the character seemed poised to be a major contribution to the show"s universe.
Instead, Adam Knight eventually turned out to be a resurrected teenager named Chad Nash who had been sent to spy on Clark and Lana. This eventual reveal felt strange and unearned, and caused many to speculate that the character"s path in the series may not have been what was originally intended. While it is probably for the best that Smallville never introduced a Batman to its series, Adam Knight seemed to be the greatest candidate for the role that was never fulfilled.
