Who Is Savitar in The Flash and How Fast Is He?

Savitar is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe who has appeared as a villain in “The Flash” comic books and the television series The Flash. In the TV series, Savitar is portrayed as a speedster and a major antagonist in the third season of the show.

In terms of speed, Savitar is depicted as one of the fastest speedsters in the “Arrowverse” (the shared DC Comics television universe that includes “The Flash”). He is said to be even faster than the most acclaimed speedsters like Barry Allen and Wally West. His incredible speed allows him to perform a wide range of superhuman feats, including time manipulation and the ability to create speed-force-infused armor and weapons.

How was Savitar Created?

Savitar’s origin story is a captivating narrative intricately woven into The Flash series, a tale that underscores the complex ramifications of time travel within the show’s universe. In the TV series The Flash, Savitar’s origin story is revealed in the third season. It’s revealed that Savitar’s creation is a complex result of time travel and the consequences of altering the timeline. This multifaceted story begins with the emergence of a formidable adversary in the future, one who not only poses a grave threat to the main character, Barry Allen, but also endangers the lives of those he holds dear.

As the story goes, in the distant future, Barry Allen, as The Flash, confronts a menacing adversary who poses a grave threat to both his existence and the well-being of those he holds dear. Faced with this dire situation, Barry takes a drastic and desperate step: he resolves to create time remnants of himself, essentially duplicates, to join forces in the epic battle. These time remnants are, in essence, distinct iterations of Barry Allen, all brought into existence simultaneously.

It’s crucial to understand the unique nature of these time remnants. They are the byproducts of discarded timelines, born of the intricate interplay between speedsters and the enigmatic Speed Force, a fundamental element in their world. These remnants serve as spectral echoes within the timeline, almost like “ghosts” linked to the speedsters’ actions. They can be summoned at the discretion of their “primary” versions for a myriad of purposes.

So, following the climactic battle between Barry Allen’s forces and his adversaries, all the time remnants were killed except one. Later, Barry and his comrades were faced with a heart-wrenching and morally fraught decision to make: to either spare or eliminate the surviving time remnant. They eventually opted to sacrifice the time remnant, the one that eventually becomes Savitar, while sparing the “original” Barry. This rejection had a very profound impact on the discarded time remnant, leaving him traumatized, embittered, and overwhelmed by the feelings of abandonment and betrayal.

Over time, the rejected time remnant’s fixation on his identity intensifies. Consumed by an immense anger and an insatiable thirst for vengeance, he adopts the moniker Savitar, a name that evokes the power and swiftness of the Hindu god of motion. Fueled by advanced knowledge of the future and access to cutting-edge technology, Savitar relentlessly enhances his speed and powers. He dons a distinctive suit of armor, not only to conceal his identity but also to amplify his already formidable speed abilities. In doing so, he transforms into a speedster unlike any other, driven by a relentless ambition to assert dominance over all speedsters and become a god of speed.

Savitar’s existence becomes a perplexing temporal paradox firmly rooted in the web of time itself. He is a remnant from a potential future, one that was rejected and subsequently molded into a fearsome adversary. This paradox, intertwined with the intricacies of time travel and its manifold implications, takes center stage in “The Flash” storyline.

Savitar
Savitar

Is Savitar Barry Allen?

Yes! Interestingly, in the TV series The Flash, Savitar is ultimately revealed to be a twisted version of Barry Allen, the main character who becomes The Flash. Savitar is a time remnant of Barry Allen, created during a desperate battle with the villain Savitar in the future.

The rejection and trauma experienced by this time remnant led him to adopt the identity of Savitar. He believes himself to be the “true” Barry Allen and becomes a powerful and vengeful adversary, intent on asserting his dominance over all other speedsters. So, while Savitar is Barry Allen in a sense, he is a version of Barry driven to villainy by emotional trauma and a desire for recognition and revenge.

How Did Barry Become Savitar?

As earlier highlighted, during a major battle with the villain Savitar, Barry Allen decides to create duplicates of himself called time remnants to help win the fight. After the battle, Barry and his friends were faced with the task of choosing which Barry Allen to keep and which one to sacrifice. They pick one and leave the other behind, feeling rejected and abandoned.

Barry Allen, who is left behind, experiences intense emotional pain, anger, and a sense of betrayal. Over time, these feelings lead him to adopt the name Savitar and desire to be faster and more powerful. As Savitar, he enhances his speed and creates a special suit of armor that makes him even faster. He becomes a powerful adversary with a need for dominance over all speedsters.

So, the transformation into Savitar is not a direct result of Barry Allen’s actions but rather a consequence of one of the time remnants created during the climactic battle being rejected and abandoned. This intricate narrative is a defining storyline in the third season of The Flash, exploring the repercussions of time travel, moral dilemmas, and the complex nature of identity within the context of the series.

In simple terms, Barry became Savitar when he created a duplicate of himself to help in a battle, and that duplicate felt rejected and became a powerful villain named Savitar.

How Fast Is Savitar?

In the TV series The Flash, Savitar is presented as a speedster of extraordinary prowess, ranking among the swiftest in the Arrowverse, a shared universe encompassing various DC Comics television shows. His velocity is not just impressive; it borders on the exceptional, and in many instances, it appears peerless, surpassing not only the show’s protagonist, Barry Allen (The Flash) but also other esteemed speedsters like Wally West.

Savitar’s remarkable speed endows him with a wide array of superhuman capabilities, each more awe-inspiring than the last. For instance, he has supernatural velocity. Savitar boasts the gift of super speed, a capability that enables him to dart at velocities so astonishing that he becomes all but invisible to the unaided eye. His movements are executed with such alacrity that they defy human comprehension.

Also, in addition to sheer speed, Savitar possesses a limited mastery of time manipulation. This extraordinary power permits him to conduct actions at breakneck speeds and, perhaps even more impressively, to generate temporal duplicates of himself known as time remnants. These remnants are strategic assets and add an extra layer of complexity to his powers. Like his fellow speedsters, Savitar benefits from accelerated healing abilities, enabling him to mend injuries with remarkable celerity. This resilience is a potent tool in his arsenal, as it allows him to recover swiftly in the midst of intense confrontations.

Apart from this, Savitar’s heightened speed extends to his reflexes, conferring upon him the ability to react to circumstances with uncanny precision and rapidity. This advantage not only bolsters his defenses but also amplifies his offensive capabilities. Also, a distinctive facet of Savitar’s power is his aptitude for crafting weapons derived from the Speed Force, the fundamental energy source behind speedster abilities. Among these weapons, the “Speed Saber” holds particular significance, serving as his signature armament. This unique talent allows him to wield devastating instruments in combat.

Savitar’s dominion over speed extends beyond the terrestrial realm. He can traverse different dimensions and explore alternate realities, broadening the scope of his powers and diversifying the potential strategies he can employ. Savitar’s superlative speed and multifaceted abilities coalesce to make him a formidable and menacing opponent. When he harnesses the full extent of his powers, he emerges as a force to be reckoned with, capable of challenging even the most accomplished speedsters.

Savitar and the Flash firing massive bolts of lightning at each other.

Is Savitar the God of speed or Godspeed?

In the TV series The Flash, Savitar is often referred to as the “God of Speed,” a title that underscores his position as a character with god-like speed and abilities. Savitar’s character embodies the aspiration to reach the pinnacle of speedster power, and he is portrayed as an immensely formidable and menacing adversary. His storyline revolves around his ambition to not only be the fastest speedster but to ascend to a god-like status within the domain of speed.

However, he is not to be confused with another character known as “Godspeed.” These are two different entities. For the record, Savitar’s moniker, “God of Speed,” is symbolic of his belief in his own invincibility and the extent of his power. He sees himself as the ultimate speedster and aspires to be the speedster to end all speedsters, often emphasizing his desire for dominance in the Speed Force.

But, on the other hand, Godspeed is a separate character who comes from the comic books and also makes an appearance in The Flash TV series. In the show, Godspeed is known as August Heart, and he possesses a unique power: the ability to siphon speed from other speedsters, making him a formidable and deadly adversary. Unlike Savitar, Godspeed’s abilities are centered around speed manipulation rather than a god-like status.

While both Savitar and Godspeed are speedsters in The Flash TV series, it’s important to note that they have distinct powers, backgrounds, and motivations. Savitar seeks to be a god of speed, while Godspeed has a different set of abilities and motivations, which include his own quest for justice and retribution. These two characters represent unique and complex facets of the broader “Flash” universe, each contributing their own challenges and dynamics to the storyline.

Is Savitar Faster Than Flash?

In the TV series The Flash, Savitar’s speed is a key aspect of his character, and it often becomes a central point of tension within the storyline. Savitar is portrayed as an extremely fast speedster, and at times, he is depicted as faster than the show’s main character, Barry Allen, who is also known as The Flash.

Savitar’s incredible speed is not just a narrative convenience but a defining characteristic that sets him apart as a formidable antagonist. His swiftness is showcased in various ways, from his ability to move at near-instantaneous speeds, making him appear as a blur to the naked eye, to his capacity to manipulate time to some extent. This manipulation allows him to perform actions at astonishing speeds and even create time remnants of himself, which adds a layer of complexity to his powers.

The portrayal of Savitar as faster than Barry Allen creates a constant source of tension and conflict within the series. Barry, as The Flash, is accustomed to being the fastest speedster, and his position as the Scarlet Speedster is a central element of his identity. Savitar’s emergence as a speedster who rivals or even surpasses Barry in terms of speed challenges this position, leading to dramatic confrontations and a continuous drive for Barry to further enhance his own abilities.

The rivalry between Savitar and Barry, with the question of who is truly the fastest, adds depth to the narrative and serves as a driving force behind many of the plot developments in the series. Savitar’s impressive speed is not only a demonstration of his power but also a catalyst for the character dynamics and conflicts that make “The Flash” an engaging and complex superhero series.

Savitar empowered by the Negative Speed Force.

FAQs

Who is Savitar in the Comics?

Savitar is a fictional supervillain who appears in DC Comics. He is an incredibly powerful speedster and is known for leading a cult that worships the Speed Force. Savitar has crossed paths with notable speedsters like Wally West, Jay Garrick, and Barry Allen in epic battles.

Is Wally West Savitar?

In the TV series “The Flash,” Wally West is not Savitar. Savitar is a separate character and is ultimately revealed to be a time remnant of Barry Allen, the show’s main character, in the third season of the series. Wally West is another speedster known as Kid Flash in the series, and while he plays a significant role, he is not the character behind the identity of Savitar.

Is Savitar the Future Flash?

Yes! In the TV series The Flash, Savitar is revealed to be a time remnant of Barry Allen, who is often referred to as the “Future Flash.” Savitar’s true identity as a time remnant of Barry Allen from the future is a central plot twist in the series. This revelation adds complexity to the character dynamics and explores the consequences of time travel within the show.

How Did Savitar Get His Scar?

There are many versions of how Savitar got scars on his face. One of those versions is that during one of his battles with Barry Allen (The Flash), Savitar was imprisoned in a special Speed Force prison. As a part of his confinement, he was trapped within an energy sphere, which slowly scarred his face due to the intense energy and speed force contained within the prison.

The scar on Savitar’s face serves as a physical reminder of the suffering and imprisonment he endured. It becomes a prominent feature of his appearance, further fueling his anger and desire for revenge, which ultimately contribute to his transformation into a formidable adversary known as Savitar.

What Made Savitar Evil?

Savitar became evil after he was cast aside by those he considered friends and family and was labeled as “expendable.” This led him down a different path. Fueled by his profound anguish and rage, he made the fateful decision to transform into the very evil monster that devastated his life—Savitar.

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