They say that a hero is only as good as his villain. They also say you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Luckily, Tom Cavanagh’s performances in The Flash allow him to embody multiple sayings at once. Cavanaugh was originally cast as the Reverse-Flash in season 1.  Reverse-Flash was then masquerading as Dr. Harrison Wells in order to train and get closer to Barry Allen. Since then, Cavanagh had the opportunity to play a variety of Harrison Wells from different universes. Each Harrison Wells has had a distinct personality, background, and fashion sense. Since no two Harrison Well’s are alike, let’s figure out which versions of Harrison Wells ranked the highest.

Lothario Wells

We’re fine leaving this version of Wells in an alternate universe. H. Lothario Wells hails from Earth-47, and is known for being quite… vocal about his desires. And he has several of them.

Speaking in an uncomfortable whisper of a voice, Lothario Wells is first introduced in Season 4’s “When Harry Met Harry” as a member of The Council of Wells. Due to his inability to contribute positively to the group’s scientific contributions, he was removed from the group. He now finds himself as a member of the more feelings-minded Council of Harrisons due to his more emotional nature. Even though we only see Lothario in brief moments, each time is uncomfortable enough to never want to see him again. Whichever council he finds himself on, we can definitely do without a mustachioed and soul-patch wearing Cavanagh whistling and winking at us with his unnerving whisper.

Wolfgang Wells

When we first meet the Council of Wells, one of the more defining figures is that of Harrison Wolfgang Wells. This version of Wells is a German author and scientist from Earth-12. Wolfgang has four PhDs and is the author of the best selling book Everything is Meaningless, so Why Did I Buy This Book? 

Wolfgang Wells believes that the events of the multiverse are pointless, and larger problems do not concern him. This Wells can feel a caricature at times, often feeling more like a cliche German scientist than a real person. He is not fond of individuals he feels are inferior in some capacity, such as Harry Wells and Cisco. Alternatively, he shows a great appreciation and admiration for Barry’s powers and heroics, as well as the West family. He ultimately ends up aiding Team Flash in finding another Wells to solve a problem he cannot. Despite his snooty and nihilistic demeanor, this version of Wells is more layered than he seems at first glance.

H.R. Wells

When Team Flash found themselves needing a new Harrison Wells to assist the group, they settled on H.R. Wells of Earth-19. This version of Wells claimed to have saved his universe from a monumental disaster where he was regarded as a hero. It quickly became apparent that his story was bogus; this version of Wells was not a genius, but was instead a writer. He traveled to Earth-1 to get a new story out of his adventures with The Flash.

While he is far simpler and less helpful than the other versions of Wells, H.R. ultimately proved himself to Team Flash. H.R. sacrificed himself to Savitar in order to save Iris West, showing himself to be a hero who had saved the world after all.

Harrison Wells

The original Harrison Wells of Earth-1 was a quiet, humble scientist with a kind heart. Married to fellow scientist Tess Morgan, the two dreamed up the research and development laboratory that would become S.T.A.R. Labs. In his original timeline, Harrison Wells and his wife debut a successful accelerator to the public in the year 2020. He and his wife would go on to change the world forever with their scientific discoveries.

Unfortunately for Wells, timing proved to be his downfall. Eobard Thawne, now stuck in the year 2000, needed Wells to create the particle accelerator sooner than 2020 so he could return home. He laid out a spike trap on the road leading back to Wells home, causing a car accident that killed Tess and wounded Wells. Thawne then attached a futuristic device to Wells that killed and dehydrated his body in a matter of seconds, giving Thawne the appearance of Wells. This would be the Harrison Wells that Barry Allen meets at the beginning of The Flash, while the original Harrison Wells was left to rot in a grave somewhere in Starling City.

Sherloque Wells

The Harrison Wells of Earth-221 is not a scientist, writer, or (thank god) lothario. Instead, Harrison Sherloque Wells is an esteemed detective, gaining the respect of other Harrison Wells from across the multiverse. Sherloque is observant and insightful, able to glean important details from the smallest of clues. While not as technologically minded as previous versions of Wells, Sherloque provides a brilliant analytical perspective nonetheless.

In addition to being a detective, Sherloque may be one of the more interesting versions of Wells. Sherloque has apparently been married seven times (twice to the same woman), and is quick to fake his death in order to avoid paying them all alimony. He is smug and quick to point out a person’s flaws or bad behaviors, but is also quick to admit when he is wrong and give credit to those who are correct. While still not as fleshed out as other Wells, Sherloque is still a fun and developed character, and is a welcome addition to the Harrison Wells we’ve met.

Reverse Flash

Despite having stolen Harrison Wells’ identity, Eobard Thawne (aka Reverse Flash) makes for a compelling and engaging version of Harrison Wells. After killing and stealing the identity of Wells, Eobard Thawne plays the long game and pretends to be Harrison Wells for 13 years in order to train Barry Allen as The Flash. Those who were close to the real Wells are quick to notice the difference in behavior, but chalk it up to the death of his wife. After the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator explosion, he comes across as the humbled and wounded scientist in order to trick others into not looking too closely at his intentions.

Despite being The Flash’s mortal enemy, Thawne’s time as Wells changes him slightly. He comes to see Barry not as an enemy, but as an ally and friend. When he thinks he’s about to return to the future, he leaves behind a taped confession that allows Barry’s father to be released from prison. Ultimately, he still uses The Flash in order to get back home, and doesn’t hesitate to murder Cisco when Cisco discovers who he is. While pretending to be a better person did change Eobard Thawne for the better, he still remained the cold-blooded Reverse Flash.

Harry Wells

The Wells that introduced the concept of multiple universes, Harry Wells of Earth-2 is a scientist and strategist. His Earth is a more scientific and industrial world than ours, with him at the charge of scientific progress. In his world, the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator still exploded, but he seemed to face less of the backlash than Reverse-Flash did. This version of Wells also comes with a daughter Jesse, who becomes the superhero and speedster Jesse Quick. While attempting to outthink the supervillain The Thinker, Harry experiments with a brain accelerator “Thinking Cap”. Doing so ends up draining Harry of his intelligence, but he now accepts his more equal balance of intellectual and emotional intelligence.

Harry is easily the most engaging of the Wells. Sarcastic, brilliant, and fiercely loyal to his daughter and Team Flash, Harry sends viewers on a roller coaster of emotions with his story and journey in season two and beyond. Given that he is the version of Harrison Wells that Team Flash has known the longest, it makes sense they’ve come to him the most when they need help. Now that Harry is no longer their go-to Wells to fix scientific problems, it will be interesting to see how else Cavanagh can continue to make this version of Harrison Wells stand out. Compared to the countless other versions he’s played and will play, Harry Wells still stands as the best version of Harrison Wells we’ve seen to date.