The 7 best (and 6 worst) Arrowverse villains

Deathstroke

Arrow might have gotten a bit of a reputation for using Batman villains, but when we saw how well Deathstroke worked in this world, it’s really quite easy to understand why.

Slade Wilson’s arrival in Star City was the culmination of a gripping two-season story that played out across the flashbacks of seasons 1 and 2, as viewers learned how he and Oliver Queen were once allies on Lian Yu before tragedy pitted them against each other in a battle that had seemingly killed the former. That was only the beginning of their story, however, as Slade returned to make Oliver’s life a living hell, destroying him by killing his mother and very nearly taking Starling City down.

Deathstroke was the perfect villain for a show like this, not only because he was a grounded antagonist but because he was equally matched with the Arrow, making their hand-to-hand-combat scenes a gripping watch. Moreover, his personal vendetta with Oliver raised the stakes immensely, taking the best of what worked in season 1 with the Dark Archer but making it that much more personal.

Arrow‘s portrayal of Deathstroke wasn’t just true to the character, it was the very best live-action version of him yet, and Manu Bennett’s performance as a grief-stricken (and Mirakuru-crazed) assassin was nothing short of incredible.

Verdict: BEST