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

Michael Patterson

Arrow — “Uprising” — Image AR312B_0194b — Pictured (L-R): Bex Taylor-Klaus as Sin, Katie Cassidy as Black Canary and Colton Haynes as Arsenal — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2015 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Arrow’s final season is almost upon us, but just which of its classic line-up of characters should return before it bows out once and for all?

It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years since the Emerald Archer made his debut on our screens in the premiere season of The CW’s Arrow. A show that focused on legendary DC Comics character Oliver Queen, it delved into the former billionaire’s return from his five-year hell on the island known as Lian Yu, highlighting how it ultimately changed him into the hero that Starling City needed: The Green Arrow.

Seven years and over 150 episodes later, and that gritty vigilante is set to take on the multiverse itself as Arrow prepares to bid us all farewell in a 10-episode final season. However, though Oliver may have been dragged into the multiverse madness going down in the wider Arrowverse (due to the upcoming Crisis), we shouldn’t overlook the fact that Season 8 is still the show’s swan song.

As with most final seasons, Arrow‘s last offering will undoubtedly pay homage to everything that made the show the unforgettable universe kick-starter that it has been. And none of its success would have been possible without some of the characters who are no longer on the show.

With that in mind, let’s take a trip into the show’s earlier days and look at some of the characters who must return at some point throughout Arrow‘s final season.

Note: This list won’t look at characters like Felicity Smoak, Roy Harper and Earth-2 Laurel Lance/Black Siren/Black Canary who alluded to their departures, as they are more than likely to be featured in some capacity next season.

10. The Huntress

Arrow has seen a lot of great costumed vigilantes come and go over the years, but few of them made an impression quite like The Huntress.

Making her presence felt during the show’s first season, Helena Bertinelli was the vengeful daughter of crime boss Frank Bertinelli, and set out to destroy everything that her father had built. In order to do that, she became the reckless, violent and revenge-driven vigilante known as The Huntress. Naturally, she crossed paths will Oliver and, after a brief love affair, the pair’s differing views tore them apart and saw her become a fully fledged villain.

Despite never being a regular part of the show, actress Jessica De Gouw quickly became a fan-favorite, as it was nothing short of exhilarating to watch her become the illusive Helena, and the comic-accuracy of her strong portrayal earned her a ton of praise. More than that, it left fans baffled as to why the showrunners never found another way to incorporate her into the show after Season 2.

It’s hard to say what’s more frustrating – the fact that Helena hasn’t shown up in nearly six years, or the uncertainty surrounding the character’s fate. Despite not appearing on-screen in the show’s 150th episode, her mask (along with Rory Regan’s Rags) was seen in a display case owned by the vigilante hunter known as Chimera. Was this alluding to the possibility that she and Ragman were killed off-screen?

Helena certainly deserves better than that (as does Rory) and, quite frankly, the fans do too. With Arrow now set to bow out for good, it’s imperative that writers give us some much-needed answers in regards to Helena’s fate and, in doing so, let us see how she would fit into the modern-day superhero-centric version of the show.

Before Arrow ends, Huntress must rise.

9. Adrian Chase/Prometheus

Oliver’s past sins caught up with him in Season 5 when the son of one of his long-dead victims emerged with a deadly vendetta that promised to turn the Green Arrow’s life upside down – and considering what he’d been through in the past, that’s really saying something.

It’s impossible to praise Prometheus without mentioning just how badass he looked. He was clad in dark leather (like most of the show’s archers) and wore a grim-looking burlap mask which, quite frankly, was the most frightening thing to ever show up on the streets of Star City.

However, the most frightening thing about him was the reveal that he was really Oliver’s close friend, District Attorney Adrian Chase, because it meant that all of the expert planning had been done right under Oliver’s nose the whole time.

While Prometheus was undoubtedly the best villain that Arrow has produced since Deathstroke, there were still some plot holes here and there (he simply couldn’t have known everything). The thing is that Josh Segarra was just so damn good that it was easy to overlook any glaring issues with the character’s overall arc. And a performance that great simply can’t be overlooked by a season that will celebrate everything great the show produced.

While the character’s death obviously rules out any kind of physical return, the writers expertly managed to weave Segarra into a Season 6 episode through Oliver’s Vertigo-induced hallucination so fans are understandably holding out hope for Chase to make an equally creative return at some point in the final season.

8. Malcolm Merlyn/Dark Archer

From a business tycoon to one of the deadliest assassins on the planet, Malcolm Merlyn went through a lot during his Arrow journey and, in doing so, he became one of the greatest villains that the Arrowverse had ever seen. Oliver Queen’s first major test as a vigilante, the Dark Archer was a starting point for The Hood in many ways as, in order to become the hero that Starling City needed him to be, he had to overcome its biggest threat.

But to only speak of Merlyn’s time under that League of Assassins armor would be a major disservice to John Barrowman, who expertly switched from charming to chilling at the drop of a hat and ultimately managed to convey how the tragedies in Malcolm’s life were what led him to this point.

Though the character would stick around far too long (four and a half seasons) and eventually see himself become a comical caricature of the intimidating threat that he once was, there is no denying the impact he made during those glorious first two seasons. His apparent death in the Season 5 finale was a fitting farewell because, when all was said and done, he achieved some kind of redemption as he sacrificed himself to save his own daughter, proving that there was at least a shred of humanity left within him.

You can’t bring Arrow to an end without looking back at how it all started, just as Oliver can’t disappear into the great Crisis beyond without coming face-to-face with his first real challenge one more time. So, of course, Merlyn should be an integral part of the final season. The only question is: Is he really dead?

Well, they don’t call him The Magician for nothing.

7. Tommy Merlyn

If Arrow‘s final season is all about honoring its past (as it should be), then you won’t find a more suitable candidate to feature than Tommy Merlyn. Oliver Queen’s lifelong best friend, Tommy was a major factor in the show’s first season as the former returned from Lian Yu a changed man.

From there, Oliver’s character growth would in turn influence Tommy, who also kicked the playboy life to the curb and attempted to earn the trust and affection of long-time on-again/off-again flame, Laurel Lance – proving that there was more to him than his rich-kid reputation gave him credit for. And this was something that he cemented when he rescued her from the collapsing CNRI, sacrificing his own life in the process.

Though he hasn’t been a regular part of the show since Season 1, Colin Donnell has made sporadic returns to the show in Seasons 2, 3, 6 and 7 through flashbacks, hallucinations and impersonations. Those, however, were never enough to fill the hole that his absence left in all of our hearts.

Tommy’s rapport with Oliver was one of first season’s most important narratives, as they both learned to make each other better men and, as a result, the former eventually learned to accept his best friend for the vigilante he had become. Unfortunately, we never got a chance to fully see how Tommy would adapt to having that new heroic version of Oliver in his life before he was killed and, as a result, we’ve spent the past six years wondering what Arrow would look like now if Tommy was still in it.

Oliver Queen can’t bid us all farewell without sharing one final sweet moment with his best friend.

6. Sara Lance

We already know that Sara Lance will be making her presence felt on Arrow‘s final season as part of the five-way Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover, but it’s important that Caity Lotz’s role goes beyond just guest-starring with the rest of the Legends of Tomorrow cast. While it’s true that Sara is currently the captain of the Waverider and, like the leads of the other Arrowverse shows, will have a significant part of play in the Crisis, she’s more important to Arrow‘s history than Supergirl, Batwoman and even The Flash.

Oliver’s journey towards heroism began with the sinking of the Queen’s Gambit; an event that was thought to have killed Sara. This in itself greatly influenced the first two seasons, as Laurel would spend Season 1 switching between mourning her sister’s death and coming up with conspiracy theories to convince everyone that she was actually alive, while Season 2 would indeed reintroduce Sara as the League of Assassins-trained vigilante known as The Canary.

She would later go on to become a huge asset to Team Arrow, helping them battle foes like Deathstroke, the Dollmaker and Count Vertigo, while also repairing her relationship with her family (her bond with Laurel became a highlight of the show) before she would be killed off and resurrected again.

As great as Sara is on Legends of Tomorrow, those time-traveling shenanigans simply wouldn’t exist without her darker beginnings on Arrow so that, more than anything, ensures that she deserves to be significantly featured in at least one of the show’s final 10 episodes.

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.

4. Quentin Lance

Oh Quentin Lance, how we miss you.

Star City’s resident detective, captain, mayor extraordinaire has been at the heart of the vast majority of Arrow‘s most important storylines – most of which revolved around his daughters and their relationships with Oliver Queen and, as a result, he suffered more heartache in 15 years than anyone should ever have to face in a lifetime.

The beloved character lost one daughter, only to discover that she was actually alive, until she was subsequently killed (for real, this time), only to be resurrected by his other daughter – who was then killed permanently (because plot convenience) as her sister embarked on a mission that would allow her to travel through time. And just when he had accepted the fate of his beloved deceased daughter, he was confronted by her evil doppelgänger from another Earth. Yeah, what can we say, Arrow‘s complicated.

Quentin’s constant heartbreak saw him become one of the show’s most resilient characters, as he faced (and subsequently overcame) a number of major obstacles, including grief, alcoholism and his feelings of resentment for Oliver Queen. In doing so, he learned new things about himself and ended up becoming one of Team Arrow’s most reliable allies.

Quentin may not have been gone that long, but his death in Season 6 marked the end of another era for Arrow and, quite frankly, the show hasn’t been the same since. Paul Blackthorne was nothing short of phenomenal in the father figure role and, with the show about to bid us farewell, it’s only fair that the writers figure out some way to incorporate the former SCPD Captain one more time.

3. Thea Queen/Speedy

Like Quentin, Thea Queen is also one of the show’s most recent major departures. The only difference is that it feels like she’s been gone for a lot longer than one season.

One of Arrow‘s original core characters, Oliver’s beloved sister played a major role throughout the show’s first couple of seasons, as she progressed from juvenile delinquent to hero and, in the process, became one of its most mature characters. However, around midway through Season 4, she was strangely written into the background, becoming Oliver’s Chief of Staff (and thus, separated from everything else that was happening) before she was ultimately written out of the show altogether.

Like many of Arrow‘s strongest female characters, Thea was constantly overlooked in favor of much less-interesting ones and, because of this, her last few seasons were entirely forgettable. That in itself is reason enough to bring her back for the final season because, the writers owe both Thea and actress Willa Holland that long overdue chance to shine one more time.

All that aside, Thea is a fan-favorite character and, if you look back at her journey in the show’s first few seasons (when she was given the attention that she needed) it’s easy to see why. For essentially being an original character, she quickly earned her place on a show full of comic book characters and a large part of that was down to Holland’s engaging portrayal. And her romance with Roy Harper was the show’s only near-perfect attempt at a relationship.

The final season of Arrow simply wouldn’t be complete without the return of Speedy.

2. Moira Queen

The matriarch of the Queen family, Moira was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. Hardened by the untimely death of her husband Robert, Oliver and Thea’s mother was, at times, impossible to read and, as a result, ended up becoming one of the first season’s unexpected villains. This, however, set up one of the Arrowverse’s finest redemption arcs as the character slowly won back the trust of her family, friends and Starling City itself as she went on to become the Mayor.

Though a morally questionable character, it was clear that she was willing to do anything for her children, which she proved beyond a shadow of a doubt when she allowed Deathstroke to claim her life so that both Oliver and Thea would live.

Moira’s death did save the character from suffering through some of the less-than-stellar writing that would follow in subsequent seasons, but it did rob us of countless opportunities to see Susanna Thompson steal the show. Her performances were undoubtedly one of the strongest aspects of Arrow‘s already strong glory days while Moira’s turbulent relationships with Oliver and Thea proved to be among the show’s most engaging.

One of the reasons why a Moira return would be refreshing is that, following her death way back in Season 2, she has only returned to the show twice – both times in the fifth season. On that note, her cameo in the show’s Season 5 finale was easily one of the best unexpected TV returns in recent memory and it was a fitting reminder of just how integral her bond with her beloved son was to the show’s early days.

If the final season can produce anything as genuinely emotional as that, then it will have done both characters justice.

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!

Michael Patterson

Michael Patterson is the Editor of Bam Smack Pow. An experienced writer and entertainment journalist with an affinity for all things superhero, he has previously written for Movie Pilot, WhatCulture, WrestleZone and Screen Rant. A part of FanSided since 2018, you can probably find him rambling about the Marvel Cinematic Universe or reflecting on the good old days of The CW's Arrowverse. A longtime fan of both Marvel and DC, his knowledge ranges from the classic Batman movies to the modern day MCU films, along with the mutltiude of superhero TV shows that have come in between. He's been a trusted entertainment journalist for over a decade, interviewing the likes of Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, and Elizabeth Tulloch. He's also an avid TV and film fan who firmly believes that Michael Keaton is the best Batman we'll ever have and that Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the greatest movie of all time.