Lanterns is letting the world know something that DC Comics fans have known for decades – Hal Jordan is an amazing superhero. The fearless test pilot became Green Lantern after the death of Abin Sur, the first human to ever put on a power ring, but not the last. Hal quickly made a name for himself, creating simple yet unbreakable constructs with a cocksure smile. He traveled the universe, saving the day on his own, with the Green Lantern Corps, and the Justice League. He opened the doors for numerous human Lanterns and some of them have even been said to be among the best Lanterns to join the group. However, none of them, human or alien, can hold a candle to Hal.
Jordan has been battling evil for decades and he has the scars to prove it. He’s lost so much in his life and it has affected him greatly. Hal is only human in a world of gods who try to men and men who try to be gods, constantly fighting to protect the people of the universe. There are lots of great Green Lanterns in the DC Multiverse, ringslingers who have become legends over the years, but none of them can match Hal; he’s become an icon thanks to his battles against evil.. These five reasons prove that Hal is the best Green Lantern, a hero who has faced everything thrown at him with a smile and giant green boxing glove.
5) His Recklessness Makes Him Unpredictable
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Hal Jordan is one of DC’s great cosmic heroes, out there in the depths of space battling threats that boggle the mind. He’s faced off against every kind of bad guy you can imagine, from anthropomorphic representations of concepts like death to intergalactic criminals, enemies who have a lot of experience taking on all comers. However, Hal is always able to beat them and a big reason for that is his unpredictability. You never know what Hal is going to do next and there’s a simple reason for that – he’s one of the most reckless heroes out there. Hal is a trained fighter pilot and he was known for doing things that no one expected because they were honestly pretty crazy. He’s brought this recklessness into space with him and it has allowed him to stay a step ahead of just about everyone he’s fought. While it has sometimes cost him at times, it’s also allowed him to defeat every threat out there.
4) He’s Tasted Failure
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Failure is an important part of growth. It shows you where you need to improve, allowing you to get stronger and better. While every hero and Green Lantern has tasted failure to an extent, Hal has seen his life completely destroyed by his career as a superhero. He’s had failed relationships, he’s lost battles against various enemies, and, most infamously, lost Coast City. He’s seen everything he’s loved end because he couldn’t save the day. These failures have helped mold him into the hero he is today. Hal knows what it means to lose, he knows what can be lost. This experience has made him into one of the greats, fighting that much harder because he knows what can happen. In fact, his experiences with failure are part of what has made him such an amazing Green Lantern. He’s not afraid of the worse happening, because it’s already happened and he’s survived it.
3) He’s Become a Great Leader
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The Green Lantern Corps is the most powerful force in the universe, holding the line against chaos and fear with the power of will. Hal was already in the military, so joining the Corps was just him doing what he always did in a different uniform. Hal was never a leader and for a long time, no one ever expected him to be. He was the mouthy guy who worked best alone and it took time for him to create the relationships that would define his time in the Corps. As the years went on, he became more and more of a team player and that would pay off, with the Guardians trusting him to lead groups of Lanterns in battle. During the War of Light, Hal led the fight numerous times, showing just how much he’s grown as a hero and saving the living from the terror of the Black Lanterns. He’s even led the entire Corps in DC Rebirth’s Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. No one ever expected Hal to go as far as he has, but that’s just how Jordan rolls – everyone else is flying too, but he’s soaring to new heights.
2) He Understands the Power of Friendship
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Hal Jordan can sometimes be a bit insufferable, but he’s also someone who understands the power of friendship. Hal has close relationships with fellow heroes Barry Allen and Oliver Queen, the three of them forming a little subgroup of B-list (only in DC could Green Lantern and the Flash be considered B-list) heroes within the Justice League. In the Corps, he made fast friends with Kilowog and Sinestro, the latter relationship becoming one of the most complicated in comics (they hate each other in a way that only people who really love each other can). As the years went on, he became best friends with John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner, as well as numerous alien Lanterns. Hal’s love of his friends has made a much better Green Lantern. He’s willing to give his all to make sure his friends survive, taking on the biggest threats. Conversely, his relationships have given him numerous people who will risk their lives to allow him to survive. Friendship is one of the most important aspects of being a superhero, and Hal knows how to use its power to his advantage.
1) He’s Faced Every Kind of Threat You Can Imagine
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The Green Lanterns face the deadliest villains in the cosmos and Hal Jordan has been on the frontline against the worse of them. He’s faced off against rogue Lanterns like Sinestro and Star Sapphire, battled numerous alien supervillains like Evil Star, and tested himself against the power of death itself in the guise of Black Hand and Nekron. Beyond all of that, he’s faced the greatest threats to the multiverse ever alongside the Justice League of America, helping save creators from some of the worst cosmic predators out there. These experiences have put him on a level that other Lanterns can’t match. Every Lantern has faced off against powerful threats, but few of them have faced off against what Hal has and lived to tell the tale. He’s been able to survive everything out there, helping the Corps and the Justice League snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He’s the Lantern you want out front when the worst bad guys show up, leading the fight against evil with style and aplomb.
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