The Arrowverse may be all about heroes, but even the greatest of heroes must sometimes lie to protect those around them. Secrets are really just a part of everyday life for a super and it's sometimes difficult for DC's greatest to even know who to trust.
No matter the character though, keeping secrets ends in disaster and serious trust issues amongst their teams every time. Regardless, there have been some major narrative arcs based around lying and keeping people in the dark, supposedly for the greater good. Whether it be concerning a hero's secret identity, or perhaps major information regarding the universe itself.
10 Honorable Mention: Secret Identities
The key part of any superhero's journey is the process of building up their secret identity. Each of the Arrowverse shows usually begins with the character trying to hide their alter-ego from their loved ones. This almost never holds up for the whole season though.
Sometimes the concept is flipped, with the villain's true identity getting hidden from the heroes. A classic foreshadowed example is that of the Reverse-Flash, masquerading as Harrison Wells for most of The Flash Season 1. The revelation scenes are always unmissable moments in this comic book universe and an alter ego is always crucial to a hero's overall character arc.
9 Flashpoint
Even for a hero, Barry Allen's backstory is especially tragic. The Reverse-Flash murdered his mother in front of the young hero, which was something Allen would constantly seek to change. Eventually, The Flash tried to turn back time, to alter the events of the day.
The result was Flashpoint, which completely shifted reality in the Arrowverse. Most characters didn't know anything different and Barry Allen carried the secret of what he had done for some time, before finally having to come clean about his actions. This caused a major fallout within the Arrowverse, with Allen ultimately having to face the consequences of his selfish actions, altering the trajectory of the speedster.
8 Alliance With The Monitor
The Monitor continues to appear as the oncoming Crisis gets ever closer. It appeared that he was working alone, but actually, Lyla Michaels had been partnered with him the whole time. As the head of A.R.G.U.S. and John Diggle's wife, it meant that Lyla was betraying a lot of people.
The news eventually got out and Lyla was transformed into the hero Harbinger. She managed to redeem herself through her actions, but there were a lot of broken relationships to mend considering she was assisting an intergalactic deity without ever telling anyone. Her marriage especially took some time to heal.
7 Bloodlust
Plenty of characters have died in the Arrowverse, although very few have been brought back to life. One way of achieving a resurrection is by using the Lazarus Pits famously owned by the League Of Assassins. These pits give the user a deep lust for blood though.
This dark personality is something that characters like Roy, Thea, and Sara have all had to overcome. Usually, they try to hide their temptation to kill and this secret always drives them down an even more sinister path. Ultimately, these lies allow further danger to come to innocent lives; the longer the secret is kept the more difficult it is to control this vicious streak.
6 Oliver's Past
Oliver Queen was really the hero to kick of the Arrowverse, but his past was a lot darker than most. Getting stranded on an isolated island, fans assumed he had been on Lian Yu for the five years he went missing. It turns out he was actually lying to everyone.
As Arrow progressed it became clear that he had plenty of secrets. He traveled around the world, from Japan to Russia and beyond, looking to hone his skills but never going back home. This secret would severely damage the trust both within his family and within his team. The origin was a core part of the Green Arrow's DNA, to shift it meant that no one truly understood the man behind the mask.
5 Keeping Lena In The Dark
While the cost of a secret identity within the Arrowverse has already been discussed, Kara's situation went far beyond that of the traditional alter ego drama. Her whole life was designed around protecting people and working for the DEO; her family was included in the mission.
Yet, Lena Luthor was kept in the dark constantly. Time and time again, information was withheld from her about Alex's plans with the organization, Kara's life as Supergirl as well as certain technologies becoming off-limits to the Luthor. They never truly trusted Lena, because of her last name. This would backfire with Lena learning the truth, distancing herself from the team, and almost becoming a villain herself.
4 Mary Hamilton's Clinic
Batwoman has already seen two heroines wear the cowl, but Mary Hamilton is a hero without ever donning a cape or mask. She runs an underground hospital and health clinic, providing free care to anyone in desperate need of help. This was a pastime that the student had hidden from her father.
While it was an illegal operation, the biggest reason for keeping this secret was that she knew Jacob Kane wouldn't approve of his daughter being in danger. When he finally found out he forced her to shut down the operation, only convincing Mary further she was right to tell so many lies.
3 Martian Manhunter's Family
Martian Manhunter had believed that his family was completely wiped out after the White Martians had destroyed his home. It turned out that both his father and his brother were still alive, but his brother's memory had been erased from his mind.
Branded a traitor and a criminal, when Jonn J'onzz was finally reunited with his sibling, he went on a vengeful path. Martian Manhunter's reunion with his father was a lot more heartwarming though and the trio would eventually become more of a family again. The core of the Martian Manhunter character was all about loneliness and isolation, but without this secret, J'onnz would have been a very different man.
2 The Queen Family
In regards to complex families, the Queens were more dangerous than most would have assumed. Both Oliver and Thea's parents were deeply troubled and involved in some incredibly nefarious business. The secret had also been kept that Malcolm Merlyn was actually Thea's father.
From the Undertaking to the role of the Dark Archer, the Queens and the Merlyns all kept secrets that would hide the deep corruption in their families. Ultimately, it took a great deal of time for Oliver and Thea to come to terms with all of this new information, considering their family represented the corruption they swore to fight against.
1 The Multiverse
The concept of the Multiverse might have actually have been the biggest secret of all, simply for the reason that the general public wasn't told about it. A select few heroes and villains know of the existence of other realities, but the majority of humanity does not.
While aliens are now commonplace and most notable cities have had some kind of superhero watching over them, the idea that there could be an infinite amount of Earths would clearly freak out the general population. For now, it's still the biggest secret in the Arrowverse.
source https://screenrant.com/arrowverse-biggest-secrets-characters-kept/
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