List of Arrow characters
Arrow is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other Arrowverse television series. The series premiered in the United States on The CW on October 10, 2012, with international broadcasting taking place in late 2012 and primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Arrow follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, who claimed to have spent five years shipwrecked on Lian Yu, a mysterious island in the North China Sea, before returning home to Starling City to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow.
Throughout the series, Oliver is joined by others in his quest, among them former soldier John Diggle, I.T. expert and skilled hacker Felicity Smoak, former assassin Sara Lance, aspiring vigilante Roy Harper, Oliver's sister Thea, and attorney-turned-vigilante Laurel Lance. The group also receives support from Laurel and Sara's father Officer Quentin Lance. During the first five seasons of the show, characters from Oliver's past appear in a separate story arc based on Oliver's flashbacks, which highlight parallels from Oliver's history that shape events in the main story. Starting with season seven, a series of flash-forwards focus on Oliver's children William and Mia, exploring how present events would affect their future and Green Arrow's legacy. In season eight, Oliver's future has collided with his present as William and Mia, along with Connor Hawke, have time traveled to 2019, leading Team Arrow to learn about Star City's dystopian future.
The following is a list of main characters who have appeared in the television series; for a list of supporting characters see List of supporting Arrow characters. Many of the characters appearing in the series are based on DC Comics characters.
Overview
;LegendMain characters
Oliver Queen / Green Arrow
Oliver Jonas Queen is the main protagonist in the series. He is a billionaire playboy who returns to his home of Starling City after being apparently stranded on a desert island for five years and presumed dead. On his return, he embarks on a secret double life as a masked vigilante known as 'The Hood' and the Green Arrow. He also appears in Arrowverse spin-off shows The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, as well as animated web series Vixen. He also plays a central role in the annual Arrowverse crossover events.In The Flash season two episode "Welcome to Earth-2", it is revealed that his Earth-2 doppelganger died on the Queen's Gambit.
The character is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow.
Laurel Lance / Black Canary (Earth-1)
Dinah Laurel Lance is an assistant district attorney and Oliver Queen's ex-girlfriend. She later becomes a vigilante known as Black Canary. The character also appears in Arrowverse spin-off shows The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow as well as animated web-series Vixen.The character is based on the DC Comics character Black Canary.
Tommy Merlyn
Thomas "Tommy" Merlyn is Oliver Queen's best friend and Malcolm Merlyn's son, as well as revealed to be Thea Queen's half-brother. Tommy is an original character for the show, not based on anyone in the comics. He was adapted for comics in 2012.Other versions
Donnell also portrays two other versions respectively from Earth-X and Earth-2.- The Earth-X doppelgänger appears in the crossover Crisis on Earth-X as the serial killer Prometheus. However, Tommy dies from a suicide pill after taunting Oliver.
- The Earth-2 doppelgänger appears in the final season's premiere as the vigilante Dark Archer. When Oliver is sent by the Monitor to Earth-2, Oliver is conflicted with the Dark Archer whose plan is to use Dwarf Star particles to level the Glades in his own Undertaking, although Tommy is stopped by Oliver's convincing.
John Diggle / Spartan
While John Diggle was originally a character created for the show, his popularity led to a character of the same name modeled after Ramsey's appearance to be created for the Green Arrow comics in The New 52. While elements from the Arrow TV series were removed after issue 40, John appeared again following the relaunching of the series as part of DC Rebirth.
Thea Queen / Speedy
Thea Dearden Queen is the daughter of Moira Queen and Malcolm Merlyn, though both Malcolm and Thea were unaware of their relation to each other until season two, and the younger half-sister to Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn. She goes on to become a vigilante known as Speedy.Her brother's nickname for her and later hero persona, her middle name of Dearden and the alias "Mia" she used during her time at Corto Maltese, are Easter egg connections to Mia Dearden, one of the Green Arrow's sidekicks in the comics.
The Earth-2 Thea Queen has overdosed on Vertigo, causing Tommy to become Dark Archer and plan revenge on the Glades by destroying it.
Moira Queen
Moira Dearden Queen is the mother of Oliver and Thea, the former acting CEO of Queen Consolidated, mayoral candidate and wife of Robert Queen and later Walter Steele. She also had a brief affair with Malcolm Merlyn after his wife's death, which resulted in Thea's birth. Moira is revealed to be part of Merlyn's Undertaking and is imprisoned until bail. She is later killed by Oliver's nemesis Slade Wilson after pitting Oliver in choosing whether Thea or Moira dies. Following the Crisis event, the formation of Earth-Prime brings back Moira who attends Oliver's funeral after the latter's death during Crisis and becomes the guardian of Oliver's son, William.Other versions
Thompson also portrays the Earth-2 doppelgänger where she is married to the Earth-2 version of Malcolm Merlyn. She is then seen to be erased after a wave of the anti-matter destroys Earth-2.Thompson also voiced Wellenreiters A.I. system in the crossover Crisis on Earth-X. She was Gideon's Earth-X equivalent aboard a timeship owned by the Dark Arrow and designed by Eobard Thawne.
Quentin Lance
Quentin Larry Lance is a mayor, former police detective, captain, and deputy mayor, the father of Laurel Lance and Sara Lance, and former husband of Dinah Lance. Quentin has a grudge against the Queen family, blaming Oliver for Sara's apparent death. However, Quentin reconciles with Oliver after knowing Sara is alive and a vigilante, eventually joining Oliver's crusade. Quentin dies in the sixth season when Ricardo Diaz wounds him and becomes hospitalized. Shortly after, Quentin dies due to his brain not getting oxygen. The Monitor uses a mental déjà vu on Oliver to convince Oliver he can't save everyone when it comes to the different deaths of Quentin. After the Crisis, Quentin is alive after a timeline change.Other versions
Blackthorne also portrays the Earth-X doppelgänger of the character during the Crisis on Earth-X crossover in which he is Sturmbannführer of the Nazi's paramilitary rank. On this Earth, Quentin had killed Sara after learning she was bisexual. He is also the father of the Earth-X version of Laurel, who is known as Siren-X.An Earth-2 version of the character is mentioned several times by Black Siren, although this version is said to be deceased.
Quentin Lance is based on the DC Comics character Larry Lance.
Felicity Smoak / Overwatch
Felicity Megan Smoak is an I.T. expert, partner and later wife of Oliver Queen. Felicity is a MIT graduate with a master's degree in cyber security and computer sciences. The character originally appeared as a one-episode guest star in season one, later becoming recurring and was promoted to series regular from season two onwards. The character, also portrayed by Rickards, appears in Arrowverse spin-off shows The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, as well as animated web-series Vixen. She plays a significant role in the annual Arrowverse crossover events.In season eight, Felicity returns after the Crisis following Oliver's death. She does meet the future version of her daughter Mia.
In a flash forward to 2040, Felicity is rescued from Galaxy One by her children and joins their resistance movement against the company that has hijacked her Archer security program. After Galaxy One is defeated, Felicity leaves Star City in her children's hands and leaves with the Monitor to a place from which there is no return. The final episode "Fadeout" revealed that this location is the afterlife as she reunites with Oliver Queen.
An alternate version of Felicity, again portrayed by Rickards, from Earth-X appears in the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover event, where she is shown to be interned in a concentration camp.
The character is based on the DC Comics character Felicity Smoak, who in the comics is Ronnie Raymond's stepmother and the head of a software company. A version based on Rickards' portrayal was introduced in the DC Comics universe in Green Arrow #35.
Roy Harper / Arsenal
Roy William Harper Jr. is a former street criminal, Thea Queen's boyfriend and a supporter of the Arrow.In season one, Roy is a small-time criminal who falls in love with Thea after robbing her, and is arrested multiple times by Quentin Lance. He does not see any other way to live until the Arrow saves him from a kidnapping, after which Roy attempts to find the Arrow to help him. Roy later works as a waiter at Verdant.
In season two, Roy often goes out to clean up the streets, until the Arrow convinces him to gather intelligence instead. After being injected with Mirakuru, Roy gains super strength but slowly loses his sanity. The Arrow reveals his identity when Oliver convinces Roy to stop Bronze Tiger. Roy trains with Oliver to control his strength, but is forced to break up with Thea. Slade kidnaps Roy to use his blood to create his army, leaving Roy completely insane and causing him to go on a rampage, killing a cop. Roy takes part in the season finale's battle, with his own mask, but he is slightly amnesiac, not remembering anything after breaking up with Thea.
In season three, Roy is Oliver's partner and participates with him in the field. He takes on the alter-ego "Arsenal", though the media also refers to him as "Red Arrow". Thea makes Roy her assistant manager at Verdant, and they eventually get back together. Sara's murder brings the repressed memories of his rampage to the surface and Roy supports the family of the police officer he killed. When Oliver is presumed dead, Roy takes his place as the team's head archer, often teaming with Laurel on missions. After Quentin Lance resumes his manhunt against Arrow, Roy subsequently impersonates Oliver's alter-ego and fakes his own death, leaving Starling City to assume that Arrow is dead so that Oliver can be free. Roy passes on his Arsenal suit to Thea after leaving town.
In season four, after building a new life in Hub City, Roy returns to his vigilante role after the Calculator extorts him to steal technological components and Thea is out of commission. In season five, Roy appears as a hologram when Oliver is about to leave the Dominators' simulated dream world.
In season six, Roy is brought back to Star City by Ricardo Diaz, in an attempt to make him testify that Oliver is Green Arrow in court. As he refuses to betray his friend and former mentor, he is tortured by dirty cops and by Diaz himself. He is then rescued by Oliver and Thea, who put back their shared red hood suit for this. He helps Thea and Team Arrow to fight against Thanatos Guild and leaves the city with Thea and Nyssa al Ghul to find and destroy the Lazarus Pits around world. Later, after Christopher Chance disguised himself as Tommy Merlyn and tells Star City that he was Arrow and is Green Arrow, Roy is now cleared of all charges of being the vigilante. When Oliver revealed to Star City that he was both the Arrow and the Green Arrow, Roy's name was permanently cleared.
Haynes returns as a regular for season seven. He returns to Star City to help Team Arrow battle the Ninth Circle. Due to the Ninth Circle being led by Oliver's half-sister Emiko, he feels he could not ask for Thea's help and instead contacts Roy. Roy reveals that he died battling the Thanatos Guild and was revived by Thea and Nyssa with a Lazarus Pit, which results in bloodlust that leads to him killing two innocent security guards. After Emiko's plan is thwarted, Harper leaves Star City to atone for killing two innocent people.
Harper is also featured in the season's flash-forwards, set in 2040, where William finds him in exile on Lian Yu. The two follow clues left by Felicity and return to Star City to regroup with local vigilantes against the threat of the Archer program and Galaxy One. After Galaxy One is defeated, the older vigilantes, Roy included, take the blame for what happened and leave Star City to live as fugitives
In season eight, Roy is recruited by Diggle in preparation to make a stand against the upcoming "Crisis." During the fight Roy loses an arm while on Lian Yu. In "Fadeout," Roy gets a cybernetic arm and assists in finding a younger William. Roy later proposes to Thea and she accepts.
The character is based on the DC Comics character Roy Harper.