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I spent the last few months binge-watching Arrow on Netflix (seasons 1-3). I’d watch a few episodes every night until I finished season 2; then, I had to wait for Netflix to stream season 3. Once that was out, I spent the week watching that. Before I dive into season 4, which is currently airing, I’m ruminating on all of the great characters I’ve encountered. Here’s my list of my personal favorites from seasons 1 through 3. Fingers crossed that most of them survive the series.

Felicity Smoak

• Felicity Smoak is one of my favorite female characters in any comic book tv or film adaptation. Unlike other female love interests in superheroes’s lives, she is awkward, sometimes gawky, and not traditionally pretty (compared to, say, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy in Spiderman or Candice Patton as Iris West on The Flash). She is hyper intelligent with a backbone of iron. It is easy to identify with her schoolgirl crush on Oliver that blossoms into love. Her loyalty to her friends, her relationship to her mom, and her growth of confidence in herself as the seasons progressed have made her a female character that any young girl (or adult woman!) can admire and want to be friends with. Plus, she has some of the best one-liners on Arrow (like in S1E21:”‘It feels really good having you inside me. And by ‘you,’ I mean your voice. And by ‘me,’ I mean my ear. I’m going to stop talking right now.”).

John Diggle

• Who is more dependable than John Diggle? No one. He has Oliver’s back at every turn (they’re basically brothers at this point), and, oftentimes, is his voice of reason as well. He has a strong sense of right versus wrong, is quite handy with weapons, and looks out for his family. Although the end of season 3 has left Diggle and Oliver’s relationship a bit rocky—and very much in question—I’m hoping they make amends.

Ray Palmer

• Super stud crossed with super nerd. How could any woman not find themselves melting at his pursuit of Felicity? Not to mention his focused drive to become someone who fights evil by creating a high-tech superhero suit and lending a helping hand to Oliver when he needs it. Unfortunately, the end of Arrow‘s season 3 has perhaps written off Ray Palmer, but I’m assuming (and hoping) that he won’t be. My guess is that (like with most superhero stories) Ray actually may gain a superpower from the building’s explosion we saw. I’m reeeeaaaally hoping he stays good to his absolute core and doesn’t turn into a villain.

Deadshot / Floyd Lawton

• Deadhot is one of the best villains with a heart on Arrow. I love that I started off crying for him to be defeated by Diggle and Oliver because he was a cold-hearted killer…only to have the tables turn once I learned his back story. Finding out about his wife and child and what happened with his relationship to them brought a lot of heart to his character. I have a soft spots for people who have soft spots.

Arrow / Oliver Queen

• No words are really needed to describe why Arrow slash Oliver Queen is one of my favorites. The first season of Arrow spent about 40% of the time showing scenes of Oliver/Arrow shirtless. I was ok with that…as I am sure legions of other fans were as well! His great physique aside, Oliver’s intense need to protect his loved ones (see the loyalty/family theme with most of these characters?!) and keep the city he loves safe are the winning combination of every hero. In Arrow, however, Oliver’s very un-pompous public persona and quiet nature make him even more appealing. Also, he has a background of brutality that other superheroes lack (at least compared to The Flash or Superman) which gives his character a little more depth.

 

Header Photo Credit: Marcel Williams/The CW
Felicity, Diggle, Deadshot, Oliver Photo Credit: Jack Rowand/The CW
Ray Photo Credit: Dean Buscher/The CW