He wasn't supposed to be a hero. Honestly, Leonard Snart—the man known as Captain Cold—started as a somewhat campy villain with a parka and a freeze gun on The Flash. But then something shifted. When Wentworth Miller brought that slow, deliberate drawl to the Waverider, Legends of Tomorrow Snart became the beating heart of a show that, at the time, was still trying to find its own identity.
It’s been years since he sacrificed himself at the Vanishing Point. People still talk about it. Why? Because the transition from a career criminal to a guy who died for a team he barely liked at first is one of the most cohesive character arcs in modern superhero television. He didn't just change; he evolved without losing the edge that made him dangerous.
The Cold Logic of Leonard Snart
Most "redemption" stories in DC TV feel a bit forced. You have a bad guy, they see the light, and suddenly they’re wearing a cape and giving speeches about justice. That’s not how it worked with Snart. On Legends of Tomorrow, Leonard Snart remained a thief. He remained cynical. He remained a man who looked out for himself and his partner, Mick Rory (Heat Wave).
The brilliance of the writing in Season 1 was how they utilized his selfishness. Rip Hunter recruited him by promising he could steal things throughout time. Snart agreed because it was a "big score." But as the episodes progressed, his definition of what was worth "stealing" changed. He started stealing lives back from the clutches of Vandal Savage. He started stealing time for his friends.
Miller’s performance is what really sold it. He has this way of chewing the scenery without it feeling fake. Every word is calculated. Every smirk feels like he’s three steps ahead of the person he’s talking to. Even when he was surrounded by gods, aliens, and assassins, Snart was often the most formidable person in the room because he was the only one who truly understood how the world—and the people in it—actually functioned.
Why Legends of Tomorrow Snart Worked Better Than the Villain Version
On The Flash, Snart was a foil for Barry Allen. He was the "honor among thieves" guy. However, the constraints of being a "villain of the week" meant he couldn't grow much. Moving him over to the Waverider changed the stakes.
Suddenly, he had to interact with people like Sara Lance. Their chemistry was electric, mostly because they were two sides of the same coin: killers trying to figure out if they were capable of being something more. Sara was the White Canary, trained by the League of Assassins. Snart was a product of a broken home and a life of crime. They recognized the darkness in each other.
📖 Related: Big Brother 27 Morgan: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
The Dynamic with Mick Rory
You can't talk about Snart without talking about Dominic Purcell’s Mick Rory. Their partnership is the emotional backbone of the first season. Watching Snart have to choose between his loyalty to his oldest friend and his growing sense of responsibility to the team was gut-wrenching. When Snart had to "take Mick out" into the woods (a classic Of Mice and Men reference), it wasn't just a plot point. It was a character defining moment that showed Snart was willing to do the hard thing, even if it cost him his soul.
Of course, we later found out he didn't actually kill him, but the intent and the struggle were real.
The Sacrifice at the Vanishing Point
Let's get into the heavy stuff. The finale of Season 1 is where Legends of Tomorrow Snart cemented his legacy. The team was trapped by the Time Masters. The "Oculus"—the device the Time Masters used to control history—needed to be destroyed. Someone had to stay behind to hold the trigger.
Ray Palmer (The Atom) volunteered. He’s the boy scout; it makes sense for him. But Snart knocked him out. He took his place. In his final moments, he told Mick, "There are no strings on me."
It was a perfect callback to his disdain for being controlled. He didn't die for "the greater good" in a generic sense. He died because he refused to let some cosmic entity dictate his choices. He died as a free man. That’s why that death hit so hard. It wasn't a tragedy in the sense that he failed; it was a victory because he finally won the battle for his own agency.
The Multiverse Confusion: Leo Snart vs. Leonard Snart
One thing that confuses a lot of fans when they look back at the show is the appearance of Leo Snart from Earth-X. This wasn't the same guy.
👉 See also: The Lil Wayne Tracklist for Tha Carter 3: What Most People Get Wrong
Leo Snart was the "Citizen Cold" version—a literal hero from a Nazi-dominated world who was openly gay and deeply empathetic. While Wentworth Miller played him beautifully, and his relationship with The Ray was a highlight of the Crisis on Earth-X crossover, he wasn't "our" Snart.
The original Legends of Tomorrow Snart was a different beast. He was grittier, meaner, and had a much deeper history with the Arrowverse. While Leo provided some closure for the team, especially for Mick, the absence of the original Leonard Snart left a void in the show that was never quite filled. The series eventually pivoted into a wacky, genre-bending comedy (which was also great), but it lost that grounded, heist-movie tension that Snart provided.
How to Watch the Best Snart Moments
If you're looking to revisit this era of the Arrowverse, you don't necessarily need to watch every single episode of The Flash. To get the full Leonard Snart experience, you should focus on a specific path.
Start with The Flash Season 1, Episode 4 ("Going Rogue"). This establishes his kit and his vibe. Then, jump straight into Legends of Tomorrow Season 1. Pay close attention to the episode "Star City 2046." It shows how Snart handles a lawless future and his internal conflict about whether he belongs in a world of order or chaos.
Key Episodes for the Snart Completionist:
- The Flash 1x10 "Revenge of the Rogues": The first real team-up with Mick.
- Legends 1x06 "Star City 2046": Peak "cool under pressure" Snart.
- Legends 1x12 "Last Refuge": Seeing Snart interact with his younger self explains a lot about his daddy issues and why he became a thief.
- Legends 1x15 "Destiny": The big sacrifice. Bring tissues.
- Legends 2x17 "Aruba": A past version of Snart returns as a villain. It’s a great reminder of how far he actually traveled emotionally before he died.
The Lasting Impact on the Genre
We see characters like Snart everywhere now. The "snarky anti-hero who eventually does the right thing" is a staple. But few do it with the nuance found in Legends of Tomorrow Snart. He didn't have superpowers in the traditional sense. He had a gun that slowed things down and a brain that worked faster than anyone else’s.
The show eventually leaned heavily into magic and puppets and musical numbers (which, again, was fun), but the high-stakes character drama of the early seasons was anchored by Snart. He kept the show honest. He was the one who would point out how ridiculous their plans were. He was the audience surrogate, if the audience was a highly trained master thief with a heart of gold hidden under layers of ice.
✨ Don't miss: Songs by Tyler Childers: What Most People Get Wrong
Even when Miller left the series to pursue other projects and because his character’s story had reached a natural conclusion, his presence was felt. Mick Rory spent the next several seasons trying to live up to Snart’s memory, even becoming a celebrated romance novelist under the pen name "Rebecca Silver." That kind of character growth for Mick wouldn't have been possible without the influence of Leonard Snart.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Writers
If you’re a writer, study Snart. He’s a masterclass in "Voice." You can read a line of dialogue and know exactly who said it if it’s written for him. If you're a fan, appreciate the fact that the Arrowverse took a C-list villain and turned him into a top-tier protagonist.
To get the most out of the Snart legacy today:
- Watch the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover to see the contrast between the Leonard we knew and his altruistic doppelgänger. It highlights just how much "our" Snart overcame to become a hero.
- Analyze the lighting and costume design in Season 1. Notice how Snart is almost always in shadows or cool blue tones, emphasizing his detachment, until the very end where he’s bathed in the orange light of the Oculus explosion.
- Listen to the score. Blake Neely composed a specific, ticking-clock style theme for Snart that perfectly matches his methodical nature.
Leonard Snart proved that you don't need a cape to be a legend. You just need a plan, a partner you can trust (mostly), and the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice when the clocks are all running out. He was a thief, a criminal, and a villain. But by the time he left the Waverider, he was undeniably a hero. That evolution is exactly why he remains a fan favorite years after his final "ice" pun.
Keep an eye on the digital storefronts or streaming platforms like Max where Legends of Tomorrow usually lives. Re-watching the first season with the knowledge of Snart's end makes his small acts of kindness throughout the earlier episodes stand out much more clearly. He was leaning toward the light long before he actually stepped into it.