I’ve noticed a lot of confusion in the DC fandom about Wally and Barry and I want to clarify their differences so people can tell which one is which as their differences are very important to each character!! This post will be long but I’m going to cover each of their personality and physical characteristics, as well as some common fandom misconceptions
- Wally is a very smart guy, but is prone to being impulsive and hotheaded
- He often acts cocky and somewhat immature, especially early in his flash career
- Wally is very extroverted and has no problems making friends or boasting to large crowds
- Wally has a very quippy and sarcastic sense of humor that he shares with everyone none stop
- Wally likes to project his own problems onto others and take out his frustrations on them rather than look inward on himself. This trait can cause him to be quite a jerk to those around him when he’s feeling insecure
- While very capable of thinking his way out of issues, Wally’s first reaction is often to either run faster or punch harder. For the fastest speedster, this mentality makes a lot of sense
- Wally is undeniably cool. This is a fact lol
- Wally is also a very empathetic character who often uses his ability to relate to others to form meaningful connections
- Wally is a red head with green eyes, and is very muscular as an adult. Wally actively works out to make sure he is able to carry anyone out of any situation. This build makes sense for a character who tends to brute strength his way through problems
- Wally has plenty of suits, and if there is ever a flash in a less recognizable suit, it’s going to be Wally. Despite this, Wally started with his uncles old suit and made slow changes to it, eventually branching out into his own designs
- Wally’s suits have a couple of common features however, from dark reds, nose and eye covers, and a lighting logo with 2 zigzags
- Wally’s suit changes from Barry’s suit represent him growing into his role as the flash after his uncles death, and were something Wally was very self conscious about until he got reassurance about the changes
- Wally is very fashionable, though takes a more casual style, and was often seen wearing crop tops throughout the 80s and 90s
- Barry is a very analytical character who thinks his way through any problem. This mentality helps keep him very competent and reasonable, but also causes him to be an over-thinker at times
- Barry is also introverted and soft spoken. He isn’t one to make conflict, and despite enjoying his own space, he enjoys being around his family and friends
- Barry is well respected for being well rounded and dependable, although don’t expect him to be on time
- Barry also has a good sense of humor, however he is more corny than quippy. He thinks puns are the pinnacle of comedy
- Barry bottles his problems up rather than ever confront them, and as so, often has quite a guilt complex going on.
- Barry is blonde with blue eyes, and has a much leaner build than any other flash. Barry’s tendency to think his way through problems doesn’t lead him to build as much muscle as his other family members
- Barry basically has two suits, one with lightning etches and one without. Barry is not the most creative man.
- Barry’s suit is often defined by having no nose or eye covers, as well as being a lighter and more saturated red.
- Barry’s logo has three zigzags instead of two.
- Barry is very capable of being fashionable, but often dresses more formal and loves bow ties
- A lot of fandom stuff depicts Barry as younger than the rest of the league, which is incorrect. Barry is a league founder and is the same age as all his teammates, and treated as such. Wally, Barry’s nephew, is not however, and is much younger than the other leaguers. When Wally took up his uncles mantle, and joined the league, it was bittersweet for the other leaguers, as they were essentially working with their dead friend’s kid. There is definitely times when the older leaguers act a bit more like mentors to Wally knowing his uncle isn’t around anymore. This goes away quickly as Wally proves himself to be capable of taking care of himself
- The flash family, which consist of so many fun characters, is one of the closest family’s in DC and regularly have barbecues with each other.
- Both Barry and Wally are technically legacy characters, as Barry is the second flash and Wally is the third. Barry is the first legacy character for dc, and his creation in the 50s started the silver age of comics, and helped saved DCs popularity at the time. Wally on the other hand is often regarded as having the best written story of a legacy character after taking up his mentos mantle and making it his own
- Barry is considered the best chemist in the DC universe, and Batman himself has admitted to not knowing who’s the better detective between the two.
- Wally is a founding member of the teen titans, but currently has more stories working with the league
- Despite their optimistic demeanors, both are very capable of killing. Barry has actively killed multiple characters, and wally is more than capable of being even more brutal.
- Barry lives in Central City and Wally lives in Keystone City, two cities right across from each other on the Missouri River in Kansas and Missouri. These cities are often called the gem cities.
- Barry is often considered as one of the best mentors in the league, and other leaguers often went to him for help
- Barry and Bruce’s friendship is a key part of Wally and Dicks friendship, as the duos working together helped build their relationships
- Gotham villians, such as the joker, have tried their luck in Central and Keystone city, only to get their butts so kicked that they vowed never to return. Getting dropped in a desert after a thwarted bombing attempted will do that to you
- Wally is married to Linda Park, a professional author. Together they have 3 kids, two named after Iris West and Jay Garrick, and one named after Mark Waid, one of the most famous flash writers
- Wally and Barry see each other as father and son despite only being uncle and nephew
- Speedsters are very cryptic! Their connection to the speed force, one of the building blocks of the DC multiverse, allows them to operate on planes of existence unreachable by most heroes, as well as ignore major mortal things like death and aging.
