Arrow: 10 Favorite Storylines, According To Reddit | ScreenRant
Content Warning: This article contains discussions of drug and alcohol misuse.
As the first show in the Arrowverse franchise, Arrow introduced new and old fans of the DC universe to a live adaptation of one of its best heroes. During the eight-season span, the show delved deep into Oliver's life and that of the people around them through storylines that were sometimes good, bad, and at times heartbreaking.
Whether the heroes of Arrow were fighting villains, falling in love, or mourning a loved one, the audience joined in on their journeys, following these interwoven storylines. Of course, the fans loved some storylines more than others and shared the best ones that kept them watching until the end on Reddit.
10 Oliver Queen's Evolution
The first season of Arrow portrayed Oliver's current life as a ruthless, killer, vigilante, concurrently with flashbacks to his past. Fans loved watching his journey to becoming someone and something else, as one Redditor commented on the excellent execution of Oliver's past and present.
It's no surprise that this storyline is a fan favorite as it shows the origin story of the beloved Arrowverse hero. Even knowing what his future holds, viewers were enthralled by the flashback scenes and watching how Oliver survived all the terrible things life threw at him, how he trained and became The Arrow.
9 Olicity
Oliver and Felicity—or Olicity as fans call them—had one of the best love stories on Arrow and in the Arrowverse. Their relationship was a slow-burn one, developing gradually over the seasons as they went from acquaintances to friends working together on Team Arrow, and eventually lovers.
One fan on Reddit stated that Olicity was one of the storylines that got them hooked on the show and any fan can see why. They had their ups and downs like any other couple, but their love for each other was awe-inspiring right up to the end when they met again in the afterlife.
8 Thea Discovering Oliver's Identity As The Green Arrow
Oliver managed to keep his vigilante/superhero alter ego secret for quite a while from the public, including his own family. In season 3, he finally revealed the truth to Thea so they could work together to fight Ra's al Ghul.
Such big reveals can go either way but lucky for Oliver, Thea's reaction was positive. Not only was she proud of him for saving lives, but she also apologized for being mad whenever he lied or disappeared without explanation. The scene was one of the most heartwarming moments of Arrow, making it a fan favorite.
7 Thea Becoming Speedy
What started out as a childhood nickname from her brother became Thea's superhero alias when she joined Team Arrow. Thea's evolution to Speedy was a long-awaited event, especially for fans of the show who were well-versed in the comic books it's loosely based on.
Although the show kept some aspects of the character Speedy similar to the comic books, the changes worked out well and created an origin story for the Arrow's sidekick that the audience enjoyed.
6 Thea And Roy's Love Story
As far as meet-cutes go in the Arrowverse, Thea and Roy had one that wasn't quite that cute, but definitely memorable. They met when he snatched her purse and couldn't seem to stay away from each other after that. On more than one occasion, they saved each other's lives and their relationship grew into one of many Arrow fans' favorites.
Both Thea and Roy had intriguing characteristics individually that watching them come together and fall in love was a satisfying development in the series. Fans love having a good relationship to ship and this pairing was one of the best couples on Arrow.
5 Roy On Mirakuru
When Roy was abducted by a Mirakuru Cult, he was injected with Mirakuru, a super-soldier serum that enhances physical abilities. Other adverse effects of the serum were death, hallucinations, and increased aggressiveness. Roy became stronger with the serum in his system but it also affected his mind, causing him to attack Thea at one point.
One fan on Reddit posted that the storyline of Roy fighting the effects of Mirakuru and eventually getting cured was their favorite. The storyline had an emotional aspect to it that made it endearing, as Roy wrestled his Mirakuru-induced desire to harm Thea with his natural instinct to protect the woman he loved.
4 Slade Wilson/Deathstroke
Slade and Oliver were allies during his time on Lian Yu where he taught him the combat skills he ended up using as The Arrow. After being injected with Mirakuru, he went on a mission to avenge Shado. This led to him turning against Oliver when he discovered he had a hand in Shado's death and becoming one of the most powerful Arrow villains.
A Reddit user commented how much they enjoyed Slade's villain storyline, stating that no other antagonist on Arrow was as fulfilling as him. The evolution of Slade from Oliver's ally to his worst rival certainly added to the intrigue of this storyline. Especially with the terrible things Slade did, from abducting Thea to killing Moira right in front of him.
3 Diggle's Whole Story
Diggle's journey on Arrow began as Oliver's bodyguard, hired by Moira to keep her son safe. With time, Diggle and Oliver became partners on Team Arrow, close friends, and brothers. They were at each other's side through most big events in their lives, such as their marriages.
There were lots of ups and downs throughout his story, including the tension between him and Oliver. Fans loved everything about Diggle and enjoyed watching his evolution on the show.
2 Damien Darhk
Each season of Arrow featured a major villain but some, like Damien Dahk lasted longer than a single season. In a comment on Reddit, one fan expressed excitement over the storyline of Damien wreaking havoc on Star City.
Like many of the best antagonists on Arrow, Damon added intrigue and suspense to the show, especially because of his unique abilities and dark magic. One of his biggest impacts was when he killed the original Laurel Lance.
1 Laurel Lance's Season 2 Storyline
After Tommy's death, which Laurel felt partly responsible for, Laurel began to use drugs and alcohol to help her cope with the pain. At the time, she was struggling with a lot of emotional dilemmas and began to distance herself from her family and friends, and lost her job.
Her portrayal of someone dealing with addiction resonated with viewers, making it a favorite storyline of some fans. As the Redditor pointed out, Katie Cassidy and the writers handled the storyline very well as they provided an accurate representation of someone who may also be living with addiction.
Another commentator also agreed that the storyline was written well, stating that Laurel's recovery was also inspiring and relatable too.