Arrow Season 8: 10 characters who need to return for Arrow’s final season
Arrow — “Promises Kept” — Image AR606b_0065b.jpg — Pictured: Manu Bennett as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke — Photo: Robert Falconer/The CW — © 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
5. Slade Wilson/Deathstroke
Few villains have ever made an impression on their respective TV series/film quite like Slade Wilson did. The sword-swaying assassin showed up in Starling City during Arrow‘s second season, driven by the thought of getting revenge on one man.
What made Slade’s vendetta against Oliver all the more gripping was the fact that it had nothing to do with his late-night vigilantism and, instead, was all about his history with the man behind the mask; he didn’t want The Arrow, he wanted Oliver. And the one thing that elevated this entire personal saga was that we got to see it all unfold before our eyes long before Deathstroke ever hit the streets of Starling City.
Slade was a regular presence in the flashbacks throughout the show’s first two seasons, as he and Oliver worked together, becoming close friends in the process. Though we were unaware of it at the time, we were watching the backstory for a wonderful rivalry that wouldn’t take form until the second season.
Manu Bennett was nothing short of phenomenal in his performance as Slade, bringing both sides of the character to life with ease.
As a friend, he was both affirming and subtle, ensuring that we’d all trust the character like Oliver did, while as a villain, well, let’s just say that no Arrow Big Bad has come close to capturing our attention in the way that Slade did. That alone is reason enough as to why Bennett must return during the final season.
It’s not like there isn’t more story to tell. After purging himself of the mind-twisting Mirakuru drug and earning his redemption, Slade sought out one of his children, only to discover that he has another. Though he set out to find him in Season 6, we’ve yet to hear back from him.
Time for a comeback, kid.