Legends Of Tomorrow Character Exits, Ranked

The CW's Legends of Tomorrow is no stranger to cast shakeups. TVLine revisits the biggest character departures from the Waverider team, and ranks them from least to most significant. Read on to find out which goodbyes shook the time-ship.

5. Amaya Jiwe aka Vixen (played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers)

First Episode: Season 2, Episode 1

Last Episode: Season 3, Episode 18

The former Justice Society of America member joined the Legends to track down her boyfriend Rex Tyler's killer, but she stayed onboard well beyond that mystery's conclusion and fell in love with Nate. However, if she didn't want to screw up her offsprings' futures, she had to return to her own time in 1942 — and so she did, leaving behind a brokenhearted beau. The rest of the team also missed her so much that the fugitive shapeshifter Charlie took on Amaya's form to appeal to their softer sides — and ended up getting trapped that way. Charlie wasn't thrilled, but it was a very clever way to keep Richardson-Sellers on the show.

15. Carter Hall aka Hawkman (played by Falk Hentschel)

First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1

Last Episode (as a series regular): Season 1, Episode 2

The show smartly did away with its weakest character just two episodes into its first season. And while we can't say that we miss Hawkman, at least his death gave the series a dramatic start. (A reincarnated version of the character later reunited with his lady love Hawkgirl as the two said goodbye to the Waverider.) 

7. Jefferson "Jax" Jackson aka Firestorm (played by Franz Drameh)

First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1

Last Episode (as a series regular): Season 3, Episode 9

After losing both his powers and his surrogate father when Martin Stein died, there wasn't much of a Firestorm to be had anymore. It was only natural then that Jax opted to say goodbye to the Waverider. He later returned in the Season 3 finale to reveal that he's now married, with a child. Aww, "Grey" would be so happy!

13. Kendra Saunders aka Hawkgirl (played by Ciara Renee)

First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1 

Last Episode: Season 1, Episode 16

Unfortunately, this character never quite gelled with the rest of the team, and it certainly didn't help that she was saddled with an ill-fated romantic storyline with Ray Palmer. So we were more than OK with her and a reincarnated Hawkman flying off into the sunset, so to speak, to pursue a new life together after defeating Vandal Savage once and for all.

2. Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold (played by Wentworth Miller)

First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1

Last Episode (as a series regular): Season 1, Episode 15

Who could have imagined that when Snart was introduced as a villain on The Flash that he would go on to heroically sacrifice his own life to save his Waverider crewmates? His shocking death, which was the show's first major casualty (that we cared about — sorry not sorry, Carter Hall), left us wondering what might have been between Snart and Sara. And his buddy Mick was so rocked by his pal's demise that he started to hallucinate him!

10. Leo-X aka Citizen Cold (played by Wentworth Miller)

First Episode: Season 3, Episode 8

Last Episode: Season 3, Episode 10

Miller always brought a certain panache to his portrayal of Leonard Snart, so what a treat it was when his Earth-X doppelgänger decided to stick around following the conclusion of the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover. We wish he had stayed on the Waverider longer, but we totally get why he wanted to hurry home and propose to Ray Terrill aka The Ray after helping the Legends come to terms with Martin Stein's death.

3. Dr. Martin Stein aka Firestorm (played by Victor Garber)

First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1

Last Episode: Season 3, Episode 8

The physicist's death during the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover was, simply put, crushing. As the Waverider's elder statesman, Stein was a source of wisdom and guidance, especially for his superhero partner/surrogate son Jax, who was so affected by the loss that he left the Legends.

9. Nora Darhk (played by Courtney Ford)

First Episode: Season 3, Episode 5

Last Episode: Season 5, Episode 7

Let's pause for a second to observe the fact that Felicity Smoak's ex-boyfriend ended up marrying the grown-up daughter of Damien Darhk, Oliver Queen's Season 4 Big Bad.

[Pause]

It's a testament to the chemistry between real-life spouses Brandon Routh and Ford that Ray and Nora's unlikely romance not only worked, but also transformed Nora into a hero in her own right (as a hilariously reluctant fairy godmother). Their happy ending as newlyweds embarking on their own life was more than earned, bittersweet for us as it was.

1. Ray Palmer aka The Atom (played by Brandon Routh)

First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1

Last Episode: Season 5, Episode 7

As one of the very few remaining original members of the Waverider crew, the extremely big-hearted hero's farewell was particularly difficult — and knowing ahead of time that Routh and his on- and off-screen partner Courtney Ford were leaving the show didn't make things any easier. When Ray chose to start a new life with his bride Nora, the tears flowed freely, especially during his goodbye with best bro Nate. The Waverider just hasn't been the same without Haircut's good-natured optimism.

11. Rip Hunter (played by Arthur Darvill)

First Episode: Season 1, Episode 1

Last Episode: Season 3, Episode 18

Much like a child and their absentee dad, it was hard to get attached to Rip when you never knew how long he was going to stick around. After bringing the Legends together in the first place, he proceeded to pop in and out of the their lives. Convinced he had nothing left to teach the team, he left the Waverider in the hands of Sara, then resurfaced during Season 3 with the Time Bureau... and later traveled to China to recruit Wally West. He finally sacrificed his own life to help the superhero team he built, in their fight against Mallus.

12. Wally West aka Kid Flash (played by Keiynan Lonsdale)

First Episode (as a series regular): Season 3, Episode 11

Last Episode: Season 3, Episode 18

When it was announced that the Flash speedster would be joining the Legends, it certainly made sense: his personality and powers make him a natural fit for the ragtag group. But sadly, Wally's time on the Waverider was so brief that it almost feels like a fever dream. 

4. Zari Tomaz "1.0" (played by Tala Ashe)

First Episode: Season 3, Episode 3

Last Episode: Season 4, Episode 16

A late addition to the ever-revolving Waverider lineup, the 2042 hacktivist quickly made her mark thanks to a wry sense of humor, standout episodes ("Here I Go Again," and that amazing Bollywood musical number) and a surprising connection with Nate. Zari became so ingrained as a team member that her erasure from the timeline after the events of Heyworld! had us seriously worried — but thankfully, Ashe returned to make us fall in love with a new, even more hilarious version of the character. (She also reprised her role as OG Zari during a couple of Season 5 episodes.)

14. Mona (played by Ramona Young)

First Episode: Season 4, Episode 3

Last Episode: Season 5, Episode 7

The former food delivery gal quickly went from quirky side character to the Time Bureau's creature keeper, a member of the Legends and a "wolfie" herself. It was a lot. Mona then added another title to her resume when she took over Mick Rory's pen name, Rebecca Silver. That new gig has kept her off the time-ship for much of Season 5.

8. Behrad Taraz (played by Shayan Sobhian)

First Episode: Season 4, Episode 16

Last Episode (before he was resurrected): Season 5, Episode 9

Zari's younger brother unexpectedly became a part of the team after the Legends altered the timeline, and yet, it felt as if the likable totem-wielder had been there the whole time, even to viewers who knew better. So when Fate Atropos killed Behrad, it really hurt. (Thankfully, Charlie/Clotho eventually brought him back to life in Season 5's penultimate episode.)

6. Charlie (played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers)

First Episode: Season 4, Episode 3

Last Episode: Season 5, Episode 15

Richardson-Sellers made her debut on the series as former Justice Society of America member Amaya (aka Vixen), but she most recently played the rebellious shapeshifter Charlie, who was later revealed to be one of the Greek Fates, Clotho. After helping the team defeat her dastardly sister, Charlie opted to stay in 1970s London with her punk band The Smell. But her outcast spirit will forever make her one of the Legends.