32 greatest Arrowverse superheroes, ranked

3. The Arrow/Green Arrow

This list of rich superheroes would not exist without Oliver Queen. The Emerald Archer exploded onto our screens back in 2012 with the debut of Arrow, and it’s hard to imagine what the landscape of superhero television would look like without him. But just what makes this guy so special?

After spending “five years in hell,” Oliver Queen returned to Starling City with a purpose: to purge the city of its corruption and dispose of all of those who had failed it. Motivated by his father’s death (and admission of guilt), the former playboy put on his green hood, strung up his bow and took to the streets as the vigilante known as The Arrow.

For three years, he would dish out his own violent brand of justice upon some of the evilest criminals imaginable. However, after The Arrow’s “death,” Oliver re-branded himself as the Green Arrow and took a less-violent approach, becoming the hero that his loved ones knew he could be.

Though the TV show’s grim version of the character may be a significant departure from his comic book origins, he is undoubtedly an incredibly compelling character. From his dark motivations to his own internal struggles, Arrow‘s iteration of the Green Arrow is equally as strong as his comic book counterpart, and Stephen Amell did a superb job with the character throughout all eight seasons of the show.

Without the Green Arrow, there would be no Arrowverse and that says more than any words ever could. His mission started it all, and for that, every showrunner, producer, actor and fan owes him a debt of gratitude. The Arrowverse starts and ends with the Green Arrow.