Arrow has seen Oliver Queen evolve and change in some of the best story arcs the series and Arrowverse has to offer; not every arc was good, though.
Audiences love to see characters evolve and change throughout the course of a series. Whether they be the main character or a side character, development is always nice to see in a character along with character arcs, especially with vigilante and hero Oliver Queen AKA The Green Arrow, one of the best superheroes without any special powers.
From being stranded on an island to traversing the multiverse, Arrow has seen Oliver evolve and change in some of the best story arcs the series and Arrowverse has to offer. Yet, alongside these great developmental moments, it can be said that a few have failed the series instead of saving it.
When audiences first met Oliver, they were introduced to a hardened man who'd been through hell and back. Over the course of the first season, Oliver ran around Star City as a brutal vigilante (and one of the best hand to hand combatants in the Arroweverse) known as the Hood, slaughtering criminals left and right. Although truthfully that's nothing compared to the things Felicity did.
After his friend dies and his entire world is uprooted though, Oliver realizes a change needs to happen and transitions from the Hood to a less violent vigilante. Putting his crusade and the list behind him, allowing the Hood to die and a new hero to emerge.
Due to the Green Arrow having a small rogues gallery, it wasn't surprising that he ended up taking on villains from other heroes, specifically Batman. When Oliver faces off against Ra's Al Ghul, the demon's head appoints Oliver as the new leader of the League.
It was definitely a character-defining moment that could've been big for the Arrow... if only it had stuck. Queen being the demon's head really only stuck for a few episodes before he went back to his heroic ways, muddying the arc and spoiling the potential.
For the longest time, the Green Arrow was continually a lone wolf, taking on the filth of the city without any backup besides Diggle, Felicity, or the occasional sidekick. When Ollie became the mayor though, he was in need of serious help.
Introducing a new team of Wild Dog, Mr. Terrific, Black Canary, Rag Man, and Artemis was a bold and intriguing move on the show's part that brought a new dynamic to Oliver. Instead of being a loner, he was a teacher and mentor, an interesting look for him.
There will always be an ongoing argument as to whether season two or five of Arrow was the best of the series and along with that, which villain was the best. Part of what takes away from Prometheus though was the fallout of his master plan.
After Prometheus blew up Lian Yu with all of Oliver's team on it, there was an opportunity for Ollie to move on his own without his team. Instead, his team survived, and everything, save for his son's mom's demise, moved on like it was business as usual.
Seeing a character like Oliver Queen in a role other than playboy or vigilante is always a welcome dynamic to the character, depending on how it's done. Of course, no one imagined that Queen would become the mayor of Star City.
There was always the off chance that the role of mayor wouldn't work or gel with the likes of Oliver and perhaps come off somewhat strange and stilted. Yet, seeing Oliver balancing his day and night jobs was a fascinating idea for the series that did have its moments.
Typically, superheroes have a chance of going over-the-top and being weird. Perhaps that's why Arrow was seen as such a great show, for having a realistic and grounded element to it despite some unrealistic bits. Such as the Crisis arc.
A mix between the final season and crossover with other shows, Crisis On Infinite Earths started with Oliver's death, one of the Arrowverse's more powerful ones, and then jumped the line by making him the Spectre and savior of the multiverse. It had some good moments to it but it didn't feel as fulfilling as others.
Again, the realistic element of Arrow is what makes it such a great show. So when season six came to a shocking finale with Oliver revealing himself as the Arrow, it set things up for a new perspective on vigilantes not normally seen.
For the first seven episodes of season seven, Oliver found himself behind bars and struggling for survival against the brutal inmates and uncaring guards. It allowed Queen to become a better character and move beyond the mask he'd hid behind for most of the series run.
Of course, like with most shows, the prison arc had to come to an end, and when it did, there was a new dynamic at play for him: a new world where everyone knew who's face lay beneath the hood.
In comparison to other arcs, Oliver continuing his vigilante run wasn't terrible. It just felt like a retread of other story arcs especially with the Emiko Queen, Oliver's other sister who helped showcase just how terrible of a brother Oliver really was, and the ninth circle thrown in. It took the focus away from Oliver as a character, unlike the prison arc.
Playboy to the castaway. Castaway to a survivor. Survivor to vigilante and vigilante to hero. The story of Oliver's journey home is one of the staples of the series, a five-year journey that despite a few bumps in the road, is consistent and amazing throughout.
Seeing Oliver evolve over the course of five years worth of flashbacks, making allies with Slade Wilson, facing down foes like Dr.Ivo, and joining the infamous Bratva makes the series rewatchable at times and showcases Oliver Queens character development in the best way.
Remember "the bumps in the road" statement? Well, out of all the years in Oliver's journey through Hell, years four was probably one of the least interesting and better ones. Despite a few cool moments (like using John Constantine), the fourth year didn't mesh well with the concept of magic, much like the rest of the fourth season which is considered to be the worst of the series.
Not only that but it didn't add to Oliver's character. All it did was drop him back on Lian Yu and give him a forced love interest who would die by the season's end.
