A display substrate and a display panel are provided. The display substrate includes: a base substrate; and a plurality of sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel includes a light-emitting element and a pixel circuit; the pixel circuit includes a driving circuit, a data writing circuit, a first control circuit, a second control circuit, and a light-emitting control circuit; the driving circuit is configured to control the driving current flowing through the light-emitting element; the light-emitting control circuit is configured to apply the driving current to the light-emitting element; the first control circuit is configured to write a reference voltage into the driving circuit; the second control circuit is configured to write an initial voltage into the first electrode of the light-emitting element; and orthographic projections of at least part of pixel circuits of every two adjacent sub-pixels in a same row of sub-pixels on the base substrate are mirror-symmetrical.