Arrow Season 8: 10 characters who need to return for Arrow’s final season

Arrow — “Blood Debts” — Image AR410B_0243b.jpg — Pictured: Katie Cassidy as Black Canary — Photo: Katie Yu/ The CW — © 2015 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

1. Laurel Lance

Laurel Lance was, in many ways, the linchpin of Arrow‘s story. She was Oliver’s girlfriend at the time of the Queen’s Gambit sinking and she was the first person he sought out when he miraculously returned. More than that, she was the driving force behind that return, as the thought of reuniting with her was the only thing that kept Oliver going during his time in hell.

A more grounded take on the Dinah Laurel Lance from DC Comics, the character was always destined to become the Black Canary, but the most impressive thing about this version of her was the development that she underwent during that journey – overcoming grief, guilt and alcoholism to find the hero within.

In a show full of vigilantes, metahumans and unhinged criminals, Laurel was just unapologetically human and, thanks to Katie Cassidy Rodgers’ endearing performance, it was impossible not to feel everything that she felt throughout her journey.

While the show’s development of her Black Canary arc left a lot to be desired (because most of the important stuff took place off-screen and ultimately made it seem rushed), the character was always going to be Arrow‘s greatest hero because she saved Oliver in a way that nobody else ever could – which is what made the ridiculous decision to kill her off in Season 4 all the more frustrating.

Laurel’s return is arguably the easiest one to make happen, given that Katie Cassidy Rodgers is currently a regular part of the cast (portraying Earth-2 Laurel/Black Siren), which is undoubtedly a great thing because, at the end of the day, Laurel Lance was more integral to Arrow‘s progress than the vast majority of its characters and it would be preposterous to honor the show’s greatest achievements without honoring the Arrowverse’s original leading lady.

Arrow returns to The CW for its eighth and final season in the fall of this year. Which characters would you like to see make a comeback for the special occasion? Let us know in the comments below!