So here we are. The day has finally come. We finally learned the identity of Savitar and he is…
[Spoiler Alert]
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Future Barry Allen. It’s a fine answer to the Savitar question albeit slightly predictable. So now that we have more information about Savitar, we can start looking ahead to the last three episodes of the season and Savitar’s eventual defeat. Based on what we know now, here are the eight possible ways Barry and the gang can defeat Savitar.
Time Travel Responsibly
Listen. I heard what Jay said. He made some good points. On the other hand,Barry has solved A LOT of problems with time travel and there have been barely any consequences. By going back in time and stopping Thawne from killing baby Barry, Flash saved his own life. By accidentally going back in time, Barry also learned where to find the Weather Wizard and stopped the tsunami from destroying Central City. Flash was able to go back in time and learn the Tachyon solution from Thawne when he couldn’t beat Zoom. (Also it may have turned Hartley good but who even knows anymore?) And most importantly, Barry was able to successfully create a time remnant to ultimately defeat Zoom.
Barry should be allowed to time travel every so often. If the situation is dire and the team needs specific information, like Savitar’s identity and weaknesses, time travel is still worth considering. He can go back and leave a post-it note instead of talking with everyone. (It look like Future Barry tried this with the Legends and it didn’t work so maybe the next warning should go straight to Barry.) From past experience time travel can be helpful as long as it isn’t done recklessly
Time Travel Recklessly
I know what I just said but we know that this method works. Barry should go back in time as far as he wants. Jam with Elvis. Sign the Declaration of Independence. Beat up a dinosaur. It really doesn’t make a difference. He just has to make sure to time travel so much that he gains the attention of a certain someone.
Eventually, the Time Wraith will show up and when it does, Savitar is toast. Since Savitar is Future Barry, no matter how much Barry time travels, Savitar will have time traveled at least one time more than Barry. Looking at the events of the Zoom finale, we can infer that if a Wraith finds two speedsters, regardless of which one it came for, it will go after the one who has time traveled the most. It’s safe to say that the Time Wraith will wreck Savitar and the team can go about their business.
Use the Tracy Brand Plan
I still don’t completely understand it but it looks like Tracy knows what she’s talking about. Something to do with the suit reflecting light differently leads her to believe that it allows Savitar to run without generating a deadly amount of electricity. Don’t quote me on that one. And she has a plan to use the suit’s materials to trap Savitar in a cube. I have a feeling it’s going to go differently.
They will more than likely use Brand’s Plan to destroy the suit. It gives Savitar a huge edge over Barry that seems impossible to overcome. By destroying the suit, they should be able to even the odds. It does, however, stand to reason that since Future Barry is older and Current Barry doesn’t believe in himself, that Future Barry will still be faster out of the suit. Still, destroying the suit is a good first step.
Use Savitar’s Suit Against Him
Jessie nearly got killed to accidentally learn a very important bit of information. The only thing that can break through the suit is itself. Think Omnidroid from The Incredibles. That means if for some reason, you can’t get Savitar out of the suit, you may have to break off the suit and use it against him. This would require assistance from another speedster. Wally could use something to do. Jessie could also help. This also may be something that Cisco can do since vibrating and frequencies are the fancy science terms that the show loves to use to explain how speedsters actually work and vibrations are Cisco’s thing.
Also in the Use Savitar’s Suit Against Him argument, maybe it would help if the team could get Savitar out of the suit and Barry could get in. This would give Barry the edge he needs to beat Savitar. Now, this could also be part of Savitar’s plan, but it’s still worth a try since the suit is the only thing we are aware of that gives Savitar an advantage.
Find the Philosopher’s Stone
I don’t know why this hasn’t come up yet. The team has had multiple Savitar related brainstorming sessions, yet they have completely ignored the obvious answer. The first thing we learn about Savitar is that he has a strong connection to the Philosopher’s Stone. If you take it out of a box, he returns. If you put it back in the box, he disappears. There is probably more to it than that and maybe that was just a lie to lull the team into a false sense of security but still; Find That Stone!
It’s in the Speedforce somewhere. Check on it. And defeating Savitar might not be as simple as putting the stone back in the box but it could help. Maybe the stone only controls the metal around the suit. Closing the box could potentially force the suit to disappear, evening the odds in some sort of race/fight. It could also neutralize Future Barry’s speed advantage. And maybe famous archaeologist Julian Albert could try and find a new stone that could give Current Barry his own suit. That last one’s a stretch but is worth a look.
Freeze Savitar
The team has beaten Savitar all of three times. Once was the result of Jessie stabbing the suit. The second involved the stone. The third was all Caitlin. In Episode 6, she was able to freeze Savitar and stop him from murdering Barry. This all happened so quickly that it is easy to forget but Savitar is clearly weak against ice. It tracks with what we already know about all of the other speedsters on the show thus far.
Barry’s only significant non-speedster villains are Killer Frost and Captain Cold. Killer Frost has been a huge driver of the current season, especially the last few episodes. There have even been rumors floating around that a certain tiny marshmallow loving Rogue may be back in the finale. If so, freezing Savitar is a good move. You could kill him then and there or just stall. It would also serve as a good moment for Killer Frost to either turn into a hero or heroically sacrifice her humanity for the good of the team. It’s a writing win.
Free Jay Garrick
Jay is the one who told Barry not to time travel. Jay is the one currently holding the Speedforce together. He’s a smart guy and the best Speedforce resource on the show by a light year. Barry should use him to win the fight.
It is unclear what exactly Jay would be able to lend to the conversation but he is clearly more valuable than Jessie and maybe even Wally. Sure Wally might be faster but Jay has experience. When Jay told Barry not to mess with time travel, he seemed to be speaking from experience. Maybe he has tangoed with a time traveling version of himself before. He needs to be a part of at least the planning for the big fight.
Apologize
Savitar may be evil but deep down he’s still Barry Allen. He clearly has some sort of vendetta against the team. Perhaps they accidentally wronged him. Team Flash does, as most superhero groups do, have a tendency to unintentionally make things a lot worse for everyone i.e. wormholes, creating their own villains, alternate timelines. Underneath all of that crazy, Savitar could have a legitimate gripe.
That’s why maybe…juuuuust maybe…the final battle will involve an apology from whoever Savitar blames for his misfortune. Maybe it’s Barry but it could also be Joe or even Iris herself. I doubt the apology will work on its own but it could be enough to catch Savitar off guard and give our heroes the edge.
What do you think? Let us know, in the comment section below, how you believe the gang will defeat Savitar in the finale.
