After 9 seasons and 184 episodes, The Flash has officially come to an end. The Flash series finale also marks the end of the Arrowverse.
Throughout The Flash, Barry Allen has faced numerous villains and fought alongside some hero friends like Green Arrow and Supergirl. We have seen Barry learn to master his powers along the way and become the hero Central City needs.
So, how does the story of Barry Allen/The Flash end? This article provides a recap and explains the ending of The Flash series finale.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Flash series finale. Read at your own risk!
Table of Contents
- Cobalt Blue Resurrects Savitar, Godspeed, Zoom, and Reverse-Flash
- How Does Barry Defeat the Negative Speed Force?
- Did Caitlin Really Die? Khione’s Ascension and Caitlin’s Return Explained
- Team Flash Celebrates and Joe West Proposes to Cecile
- Who Are the New Speedsters of the Arrowverse?
- Is the Arrowverse Really Over After The Flash Season 9?
Cobalt Blue Resurrects Savitar, Godspeed, Zoom, and Reverse-Flash
In The Flash Season 9, the Negative Speed Force resurrects Eddie Thawne and chooses him to become its Avatar. While Eddie initially rejects this, he’s angered by the fact that his sacrifice meant nothing because the Reverse-Flash wasn’t really erased.
He thinks he was forgotten and that Barry repaid him by stealing his then fiancé, Iris. After realizing all these things, he chooses to accept the power of the blue crystal and become Cobalt Blue.
In The Flash series finale, Cobalt Blue forms the “Legion of Zoom” by resurrecting the evil speedsters Savitar, August Heart/Godspeed, Hunter Zolomon/Zoom, and Reverse-Flash/Eobard Thawne. While initially, they all verbally attack each other (Eobard even calls Eddie the “dumbest branch on my family tree"), they agree to work together to defeat their common enemy: The Flash.
Cobalt Blue reveals that he wants to kill Barry and end his bloodline so that the Speed Force dies and the timeline falls. Eddie will then create a new timeline where he’s the hero, as part of having his life back.
When Eddie asks Barry and Iris if they have any last words, Iris responds “I’ve got three. Run, Barry. Run.” Barry then takes on Cobalt Blue, while his team squares off with the rest of the Legion.
It’s Chillblaine and Khione vs. Zoom; Nora Allen/XS vs. Savitar, Allegra/Wavelength vs. Reverse-Flash, and Cecile Horton/Virtue vs. Godspeed. The Legion is defeated and Jay Garrick arrives and steals Cobalt Blue’s speed.
RELATED: The Flash Season 9: The New Multiverse Explained
How Does Barry Defeat the Negative Speed Force?
In order to win, Cobalt Blue goes back to the Negative Speed Force to gain more speed. Barry realizes that Eddie is repeating Eobard’s death where absorbing all the energy from the Negative Speed Force would kill the speedster.
Barry refuses to let Eddie die because the latter once saved him. While Jay says it’s impossible to save the timeline and Eddie’s life, Khione thinks otherwise.
She tells Barry that she can get him into the Negative Speed Force but that his plan of stopping Eddie from killing himself won’t work because a new avatar would just be picked. She then suggests that Barry should change Eddie’s point of view and stop the never-ending cycle of violence and death.
Khione explains that balance doesn’t have to be about violence and death. “Nature is about more than balance. It’s about co-existence. All things living together. Not in conflict, but in mutual trust,” she says.
Barry says that co-existence is impossible, but Khione responds that he should believe in the impossible. Barry then confronts Cobalt Blue and tells him that he’s become the person he died trying to stop.
The Negative Speed Force gets in Eddie’s head and tells him to end Barry’s “pathetic existence.” But Barry tells Eddie that he has to remain as the avatar and that while Eobard gave in to hate, Eddie can fight.
Barry explains that with Eddie as the avatar, both sides can work together. Convinced by Barry, Eddie destroys the crystal.
However, he explains to Barry that just because he agreed, doesn’t mean they will always see eye-to-eye. “We’re still on opposite sides,” he says.
Barry says that they will find a way together. Barry and Eddie then shake hands, and Eddie asks Barry to tell Iris that he’s happy for her.
With Eddie Thawne as the avatar of the Negative Speed Force, balance between the two Speed Forces is achieved.
RELATED: Stephen Amell Weighs In On The Neglected Impact of DC's Arrowverse
Did Caitlin Really Die? Khione’s Ascension and Caitlin’s Return Explained
In The Flash series finale, the goddess Khione chooses to leave and ascend to become the natural order’s protector of all things. A version of Wells appears, and he explains that while it’s hard to say goodbye to family, “what matters is carrying a piece of the ones you love wherever and whenever you go.”
Khione says goodbye to Team Flash and explains that her time in “this mortal body is done.” Khione disappears, and Caitlin returns.
While this surprises Team Flash, they realize that when Khione ascended, she didn’t need her physical body anymore. Thus, Khione used her gifts to return Caitlin back to her rightful place.
While there may be questions as to why only Caitlin returned and not Frost, it can be recalled that Frost actually died, while Caitlin didn’t. Caitlin’s body was just taken over by the goddess Khione.
Later on, Barry and Caitlin talk, and Barry apologizes for how they left things. Caitlin then admits that her attempts to resurrect Frost were “just unnatural.” She will, however, carry Frost’s legacy with her always.
RELATED: Do Mark and Khione End Up Together in The Flash Season 9?
Team Flash Celebrates and Joe West Proposes to Cecile
In The Flash series finale, Team Flash celebrates one week after defeating the Negative Speed Force. During the party, Nora plays with her baby version and says that if Barry and Iris think that it was a crazy 24 hours before she was born, they should wait for Bart’s due date.
Later on, Joe addresses the room and announces that Iris won her first Pulitzer. He then praises Cecile for becoming a superhero and being the best mother to their daughter.
Joe tells Cecile that wherever their dreams take them, they will always keep loving each other. He then asks Cecile to marry him.
Who Are the New Speedsters of the Arrowverse?
At the end of the last episode of The Flash, Barry tells baby Nora a story and that she has to believe in the impossible.
He shares that he’s fast and that he lost people he cared about the most when he was just a kid. Barry then tells baby Nora that he doesn’t want the same to happen to her, and so he and Iris decided to do the impossible.
Barry Allen then narrates that his family’s speed shouldn’t just belong to them anymore. He explains that while Oliver Queen thinks that the lightning chose him, it’s time for him to do the choosing.
Barry picks new people to become the speedsters: Avery Ho, Max Mercury, and Jess Chambers. It can be recalled that Avery Ho was a love interest for Bart Allen in The Flash Season 8 Episode 6.
Additionally, in the previous season, Barry saw someone named “Max” in the Speed Force. But as for Jess Chambers, the character is a new one.
Barry then continues to narrate that by sharing a piece of themselves, they can break out of their old cycles of violence and pain. This also results in a new and better world for Nora, where nothing has to be impossible.
The Flash series finale ends with Barry Allen/The Flash running around Central City with a smile on his face.
Is the Arrowverse Really Over After The Flash Season 9?
Sadly, with Superman & Lois not being a part of the Arrowverse, The Flash series finale officially ends the Arrowverse. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Flash actor Grant Gustin shared his thoughts on ending The Flash after Season 9:
"It just felt like time. A lot of people wanted us to get to 10 seasons, but in my mind we did 10 years — it was 2013 when I was cast as Barry Allen, and we finished in 2023. We had done everything we needed to do, the characters were in a good place, and we had reached the conclusion.”
Additionally, showrunner Eric Wallace said that he’s “hopeful that the Arrowverse is not over” and revealed that he would tell Superman & Lois showrunner Todd Helbing to “sneak some Arrowverse” should the series be renewed for a fourth season.
But while we may no longer see The Flash characters of the Arrowverse, at least we got the chance to properly say goodbye.
RELATED: Arrowverse: John Diggle Actor Addresses Spinoff Cancellation News
The Flash is available to stream on The CW’s website and The CW app.