15 Little Known Facts About The Green Lantern Corps
3. Green Lanterns And The Use Of Lethal Force
From their creation, the Green Lanterns were forbidden from taking a life regardless of the circumstances. While this is understandable given how unstoppable the ring makes them, it has also led to their losses while facing similarly-powerful foes.
In addition to being unable to kill, the ring's user cannot turn on a Guardian of the Universe regardless of the situation. However, this fixed rule became a lot more flexible after the destructive Sinestro Corps War began.
The Yellow Lanterns had no such qualms with taking a life, and many Green Lanterns lost their lives going up against their polar opposites. Because of this, the Guardians were forced to lift the limitations placed on their creations to give the Lanterns a fighting chances against their foes.
Even the Guardians were not safe, as Hal Jordan was able to kill rogue Oan Krona during the War of the Green Lanterns saga.