Is Wally West Really Savitar? Theory Explained

While we often look at Flash as the fastest man alive, with Wally West being the fastest person to carry the name, there are a lot of other speedsters in the world of DC. Most of them are connected to the entity called the Speed Force, which is what grants them superhuman speeds. Savitar is one of the strongest speedsters in DC, but some people theorized that he could actually be Wally. So, is Wally West Savitar?

Wally West and Savitar are entirely different people. In the comics, Savitar was a Cold War pilot who obtained the powers of a Speed Force conduit. On the other hand, Wally West used to be Kid Flash after he obtained his powers through the same process that gave Barry Allen his powers.

It might be true that Savitar is fast and powerful. Still, it is also true that he is an entirely different character from Wally West, whose origins and storyline have always been well-documented in DC. There is no truth about the theories that say that Wally and Savitar are the same people. So, with that said, let’s look at this theory in greater detail.

Wally West and Savitar theory explained

The world of DC is home to many different speedsters with their own powers and capabilities. However, the fastest ones tend to be the characters that serve as conduits to the Speed Force, which is a cosmic energy field that grants its conduits the ability to use its energy to move at unimaginable speeds. In that regard, the Flash and most of his opponents have access to the Speed Force’s powers.

Regarding the Speed Force conduits in DC, Wally West is often considered at the top of the ladder because he is the fastest person to ever carry the mantle of the Flash. He is even faster than Barry Allen, who is the source and creator of the Speed Force. But other beings have access to the Speed Force, and some of them aren’t nice people. One such character is Savitar.

Savitar has shown the ability to use the Speed Force incredibly well, as he has always been portrayed as one of the most dangerous Flash villains. He can move at speeds that other Speed Force conduits cannot. There were also instances wherein he showcased powers that not even Barry Allen could access. And it is the fact that Savitar is so strong in the Speed Force that some fans point to the possibility that he may be Wally West.

The theory is rooted in the fact that Wally West was only one of the few people that could see Savitar in the Arrowverse’s ‘The Flash’ series. But while that may be true in the TV series, this wasn’t the case in the comics. Of course, in the comics, Wally and Savitar are some of the few speedsters who actually became one with the Speed Force.

However, Wally West and Savitar are entirely different people with different origins. Wally’s origin is one of the most well-documented storylines in the world of DC, as he had an origin similar to Barry Allen’s. After becoming a Speed Force conduit, Wally eventually learned how to be a hero under Barry Allen while operating as Kid Flash.

On the other hand, Savitar’s story is entirely different from Wally West’s origin. He was once a person that piloted for a third-world country during the events of the Cold War. However, when lightning struck him while he was flying, he became a Speed Force conduit. Believing himself to be a god, he called himself “Savitar,” which came from the Hindu God of Motion, Savitr. And Savitar became a villainous being that started his own cult and became obsessed with the Speed Force.

As such, they are entirely different people that come from different backgrounds in life. Wally went on to become Kid Flash before earning the mantle of the Flash. Meanwhile, Savitar became a self-proclaimed god that wanted to become one with the Speed Force.

Why could only Wally see Savitar?

As to the fact that only Wally could see Savitar in the Arrowverse ‘Flash’ series, this is because Savitar was trapped in the Speed Force during the earlier part of his history in the series. This is similar to how he was also trapped in the Speed Force in the comics.

Only the Speed Force conduits could see Savitar in both the series and the comics because they had the same connection to the Speed Force. That is why Wally was the only one that could see Savitar in the TV series. But Barry, as a conduit himself, could also see him. 

Meanwhile, Savitar targeted Wally West in the comics by tricking him into becoming one with the Speed Force. Savitar, who was trapped in the Speed Force, wanted Wally to replace him in the Speed Force so that he could escape into the material world. That is why there was a weird connection between Savitar and Wally West in the comics.

Is Wally West faster than Savitar?

Technically speaking, Wally West is faster than Savitar regarding raw speed. He became faster when he became one with the Speed Force and strengthened his connection with this cosmic entity. Wally worked hard enough that he became faster than even Barry Allen himself, even though Barry is the one that created the Speed Force.

But Savitar’s powers are more versatile than the other Speed Force conduits. He was obsessed with the Speed Force and studied this entity hard enough to try to become one with it. As such, he had access to powers neither Wally nor Barry had.

For example, Savitar can steal the speeds of other Speed Force conduits, except for Wally and Barry, due to how pure their connection to the Speed Force is. Savitar could also give other people superhuman speeds by granting them a portion of the energy he could get from the Speed Force. Another notable power he has is his ability to heal wounds by using the Speed Force’s energy to accelerate his body’s healing rate.

In that regard, Savitar is one of the most powerful Speed Force conduits, even though he isn’t necessarily faster than Wally West. But regarding raw speed, Wally reached speeds that only a few other speedsters have ever reached.

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