Best of the Best: Top Green Lanterns Day Three

A simple question: who is the greatest Lantern? I mean, even Hal Jordan couldn't earn that title. Before that, I would like to give a shout out to one member of the Corps who didn't make this list: Abin Sur. Sure, he was a noble warrior, but he's never been in a story for more than five seconds before getting killed. That's a piss poor track record if you ask me. Still, the mythos as we know it couldn't technically exist without him. Now on to the top two!

2. Thaal Sinestro
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??? Isn't he the archenemy of the Green Lanterns? Hasn't he lead to more deaths in the Corps than space polio? Well, for a brief moment he was hailed as the greatest Lantern, and that's a title he has refused to let go. Even as their most hated foe, he still believes he's fighting for their cause. Y'know, even as he's murdering them.

You see, Sinestro realized that order is needed for a peaceful universe. And if you want order, you need fear. To protect the galaxy, he'll go to any length and any cost to achieve it. Hell, the entire point of waging a massive war against the Lanterns was purely to convince the Guardians to change their rules and become feared. Even if he's hated, even if it leads to his death, Sinestro will fight to be considered the greatest. The most complex character in the comic, Sinestro gives the Lanterns not only an archnemesis, but a foe who forces them to be better.

1. Kilowog
The Green Lanterns chose only those capable of overcoming great fear and spreading light to the darkest reaches of the universe. Each and every one of them is a hero beyond compare. But to be the greatest of the great? That takes someone special. And no one but the gruff, unrelenting drill sergeant of the Corps could ever earn that title. Kilowog of Sector 674, you are the greatest of the Green Lanterns.

"Greatest". I never said prettiest.

In battle, Kilowog is ferocious. Unrelenting, Kilowog is like a well trained boxer. Powerful and tough while always thinking tactically. Few can claim to understand how to unlock the mysteries of the ring quite like the Wog. He sets an example in battle, frequently serving as a defacto leader for his brothers in arms.

Yet where Kilowog truly shines is as a training instructor. I'm almost shocked he hasn't killed half of his recruits. He's more than willing to put them through the most brutal of conditions, chewing them our for being such utterly worthless Poozers. Despite this grim facade, Wog deeply cares for each and every one his recruits. It's tough love at its finest. Every death haunts him, and he makes the strongest recruits to keep them alive as long as possible.

Kilowog brings more than just an infectious, loveable attitude to his role. He forges the Corps. into what it is. He represents the best of what they have to offer, embodying their spirit, their sense of right and wrong, and their unrelenting will to guard the universe. Kilowog might not be the strongest, the most powerful, or even the most committed to the cause. He has weaknesses and imperfections and stubbornly pushes past them, showing a courage possessed only the greatest Green Lantern could wield. Truly, no evil could ever escape his sight.