An Illustrated Guide To 'The Flash' 'Ships

Here's a universal truth: if you don't want to be Barry Allen, then you want to date Barry Allen. The bumbling adorkable speedster on The Flash has zoomed into all of our hearts, and it's no wonder he's such a hit with the ladies of Central City. OK, maybe not all the ladies, because Linda Park was totally not feeling Barry's vibe after a while, but that's her loss. In her place, let's throw back into the ring Felicity Smoak. Every time The Flash and Arrow crossover and let those two share scenes it's cause for celebration, but Barry/Felicity is not the only 'ship sailing through The Flash. There's another one out there, and it's for all those still really rooting for Barry and his childhood best friend/soulmate, Iris West.

You might think that these two 'ships — commonly known as WestAllen and Smoaken, because the Internet is great — are vastly different. But actually, they have quite a lot in common. For starters, both prominently feature Barry (duh) and both have strong, independent women involved. However, to really illustrate this Flash lesson, it might be best to turn to some visual representation.

The Barry/Irish and Barry/Felicity 'ships are different, but still alike in so many ways. Don't believe me? Check out this nifty venn diagram to clearly answer all your Flash 'shipper questions.

So whether you're rooting for WestAllen or Smoaken (or a completely different 'ship all together, ahem, SnowBarry fans), they're not all that different. But as long as all three of these great Flash characters end up happy, I'm sure fans will, too.

Images: The CW; Caroline Wurtzel/Bustle