These heroes have not failed this city. Since the release of Arrow in 2012, the series has set up shows for some of DC Comics best heroes. As the forerunner of the self-titled Arrowverse, many heroes from the show have gone on to star in their own shows or spin-offs. Whether it’s The Flash or Legends of Tomorrow, several heroes owe their existence to their introduction on Arrow. Others, however, have been forgotten about or quickly kicked to the curb after a few episodes. Let’s see which heroes introduced on Arrow managed to hit the mark, and which ones failed to leave an impression.
16. Wildcat
The Arrow version of Ted Grant is definitely more house trained than his comics counterpart. His biggest appearance and contribution to the show was training Laurel Lance how to fight, a nod to his characters comic history of training Black Canary. As a former vigilante, there was great potential for him to join Team Arrow. However, the Ted Grant we see is just a decently good fighter, instead of the expert boxer and martial artist we see in the comics.
15. Huntress
Helena Bertinelli may be more villain than anti-hero on Arrow, but she certainly makes an attempt to do good. However, her quest for vengeance means that we see her carted off in season two, and never see her again. While she was an interesting foil for Oliver Queen romantically and thematically, it seems the show decided against bringing her back. Fans will have to wait and see if she’ll return for the final season, but despite Arrow’s producer wanting her back in the show, the likelihood seems fairly low after five seasons of silence that she’ll return.
14. Ragman
Despite having the worst superhero name in history, Arrow’s Ragman has some interesting powers and an engaging backstory. The only survivor of a nuclear blast that destroyed his town, his magical wraps and rags give him almost Doc-Ock like abilities. However, we only get to see him in action for a little bit before he loses his powers and leaves to get them back in season five. He has yet to return, meaning we cannot say for certain whether or not he’ll make a triumphant reappearance in season eight.
13. Mr. Terrific
Curtis Holt has long appeared as a background character in the show, eventually becoming Mr. Terrific in season five of the show. With Olympic-level endurance and his high-tech T-Spheres, he should be one of the heavy hitters of the team. However, almost all of Mr. Terrific’s storylines involve him getting injured or hurt due to his carelessness. There’s also very little he can do that Felicity and Oliver can’t. Simply put, Mr. Terrific is more of a Mr. Ok.
12. Wild Dog
As a former Marine, Rene Ramirez is already at the peak of physical fitness. Add in his training with Oliver, and he becomes the vigilante Wild Dog. He has a high pain tolerance and is quick to pick up martial skills and abilities. However, he’s shown to be a loose cannon and to fly off the handle in the middle of a fight. And again, there’s nothing he can do that Oliver or Diggle can’t. So despite being just as skilled in combat, he’s less reliable and therefore less capable.
11. Spartan
We’ve gotten to see John Diggle’s slow rise to becoming a superhero since the beginning of the show. While initially reluctant, he’s quickly become a capable and skilled hero. But while Spartan may be a core Team Arrow member, at the end of the day he falls short compared to the others. Lacking any sort of superpowers or special skills (in this reality, anyway) beyond his aim and fighting skills, he’s just a bit under classed as a hero.
10. Overwatch
As the resident hacker and tech genius of the group, Felicity was bound to get a superhero identity sooner or later. Brilliant with computers and possessing a genius level IQ, she has saved the day on more than one occasion. However, when presented with any sort of physical danger, she is immediately defenseless. Should anyone breach Team Arrow’s defenses, she would be unable to defend herself in any way.
9. Green Arrow (Emiko Queen)
One of the larger mysteries in season seven was who the person pretending to be Green Arrow was. Eventually, the faux Emerald Archer’s identity was revealed to be Emiko Queen, half-sister of Oliver Queen. While it’s not clear exactly how and where she learned her skills, she’s certainly done an impressive job. However, despite holding her own a few times, it’s clear she has a lot of work in order to earn her brother’s title.
8. Arsenal
The first of Oliver’s sidekicks/partners, Roy Harper becomes a force to be reckoned with once he becomes Arsenal. Add that with his dosing of the Mirakuru drug, and Roy became nearly unstoppable. Since being cured though, he has reverted to his former abilities and power level. While still a capable and physically impressive fighter and archer, it’s a far cry from what he was capable of under the effects of Mirakuru.
7. Speedy
One of Arrow’s more unique twists on their take of Green Arrow’s story was gender-bending his classic sidekick Speedy. As his younger sister Thea Queen, her inclusion into the group is a slow burn, but eventually, she learns the skills necessary to become part of Team Arrow. After her death and resurrection in the Lazarus Pit, she gained an increased ferocity and dedicated focus, especially after her training from her father Malcolm Merlyn. Speedy is currently M.I.A., on a quest to destroy the Lazarus Pits, so it’s unknown how much her skills have grown in that time.
6. Black Canary (Laurel)
After the death of her sister Sara, Laurel Lance become focused on revenge. After training with Ted Grant and given a Canary Cry device from Cisco and Team Flash, she became the new Black Canary. With her cry and her combat skills, she quickly proved invaluable to Team Arrow. However, she ultimately met her match in Damien Darhk, who stabs her with one of Oliver’s arrows. She eventually succumbed to her wounds, her death profoundly affecting the team.
5. White Canary
The original Black Canary, Sara survived her time on Lian Yu and was trained by the League of Assassins. A fearsome fighter and warrior, she took on the Black Canary persona shortly after reuniting with Oliver. When she was killed, she was resurrected in the Lazarus Pit, becoming savage and feral. When her mind was restored by John Constantine, she left the group to better understand herself. She took on a new identity, the White Canary, and left to travel with the Legends, quickly becoming their leader.
4. The Atom
Initially shown as a grand-standing and ego-centric CEO and billionaire, Ray Palmer eventually becomes so much more. As The Atom, he has become a true hero (or even a Legend, one might argue). With his suit and powers, there is no problem too small that he can’t handle. Plus, as an Arthurian Knight, he’s got a level of street cred that puts him above most others.
3. Black Canary (Dinah)
A metahuman with a natural sonic scream, detective Dinah Drake has made for a perfect new Black Canary. With her police training and powers, she has naturally fit the role of Black Canary, more so than her predecessors. She quickly found a home for herself in Team Arrow, and has become an invaluable asset to the team. It is unclear how her powers have fared since her throat was slit by The Star City Slayer. Given that we’ve seen a future where Dinah is still Black Canary, it’s clear that powers or no, she’s still capable of saving the day.
2. Green Arrow
Oliver Queen has come a long way since his first foray into crime fighting as “The Hood”. He has become stronger, faster, smarter, and tougher. With his expert marksmanship and League of Assassin training, Green Arrow is an unstoppable fighting machine. Even more than that though is his ability to inspire and lead those around him to act and be better. Just like in the meta sense that Arrow is responsible for the Arrowverse, Oliver is responsible for so many others heroic actions and rises to glory.
1. The Flash
While Oliver is the face of the Arrowverse, Barry Allen as The Flash is its heart. The fastest man alive may not have debuted his powers until his own show, but we first met young Barry Allen in season two’s “The Scientist”. This episode gave Barry the accident that turned him into The Flash and gave us the more hopeful and lighthearted Barry to root for. Oliver and Barry have since gone on to become close friends. While it’s clear that Barry looks up to Oliver, Barry is certainly one of the most powerful heroes in the entire Arrowverse, more so than any other hero introduced on Arrow.
