His name is Oliver Queen. After five years in Hell, he came home with only one goal: to save his city. Starting on his crusade alone, he gave birth to an entire universe. Returning from the Island, the playboy billionaire died to see the rise of something else. To many, Oliver Queen is a Mayor, a husband, a brother, and a father but to those who know him, he’s someone else. He’s something else.
The Green Arrow: a Hero.
Before he’s stranded on the island of Lian Yu, Oliver Queen was a billionaire playboy who cheats on his girlfriend with her younger sister. He takes Sara Lance onto the Queen’s Gambit and becomes the reason she apparently dies. The Police were also familiar with him due to how much he was arrested for fighting.
After the crash, Oliver ends up on Lian Yu and quickly realizes he needs to change to survive. It takes him a while but under the guidance of Yao Fei, Shado and Slade Wilson, he becomes stronger. His time on the island strengthens his resolve and pushes him closer to his destiny. He fights mercenaries and men looking to create supersoldiers but finds out all of it was because of a woman named Amanda Waller.
It’s his meeting with Waller that pushes Oliver to control his darkness. The Hood is born through the darkness and his journey to crossing off his father’s list. After five years of Hell, Oliver finally goes home and finds out his mother and his best friend’s father are the reason his father died. His next step to becoming a Hero is him stopping Malcolm Merlyn, but unfortunately, Oliver fails to save his city.
Season 2 is his redemption story. It’s all about Oliver overcoming his past and making up for his supposed sins. He betrays his friends to take down the head of League of Assassin. Oliver sees a city in panic as Damien Dhark, a magic-user, tries to take over Star City and gives a rousing speech. It’s this speech that highlights his growth.
The Green Arrow is finally born. Over the next couple of years, Oliver continues to defend Star City in the light too. As the Mayor of Star City, Oliver struggles with his two lives. He faces impeachment and to save his team, he outs himself as the Green Arrow. Putting the needs of his team in front of his own isn’t what the old Oliver would do.
After serving his time in prison, Oliver returns to help Star City. However, the Green Arrow works with the Star City Police Department and tries to play by their rules. During a crisis created by a God-like being The Monitor, Oliver makes a trade. His trade means The Flash and Supergirl live while he balances the scales. In doing so, he has to help The Monitor with a larger crisis that’s coming.
Pre-crash Oliver would never have given up his life to save others. However, over his time he’s matured and realizes who and what is important. When the Crisis on Infinite Earths comes Oliver knows his time is up. While some only sacrifice their life once, Oliver Queen gives up his life twice.
The first time he dies Oliver faces off an army of Shadow Demons and forces The Monitor to stay away. Oliver refuses to leave Earth-38 to the mercy of the Anti-Monitor’s wave. In doing this, he gives up his family, his friends but behind him, he leaves a legacy. That legacy is what spurs on the heroes to not let the Anti-Monitor win.
His body is resurrected through the Lazarus Pit but his soul becomes one with the entity known as The Spectre. This new version of Oliver saves the final seven people in the entire Multiverse and faces off against The Anti-Monitor. It’s his stand that gives the seven Paragons the ability to rebuild the universe.
Oliver Queen died a second time to reboot the Universe and bring forth an entirely new Multiverse. That’s right: the billionaire playboy who cheated on his then-girlfriend with her younger sister saved the Multiverse. And it isn’t only Oliver Queen who is a Hero.
The man behind the mask, Stephen Amell, is also one. Over the years he’s been an ambassador to Arrow. There is the case of Sarah; a young Arrow fan who was battling cancer. In 2017, at San Diego Comic-Con Stephen Amell loaned an arrowhead necklace his friend made him. The following year, she brought the necklace back and Amell exchanged it for the original bow from Season 1.
That’s right, Stephen Amell gives his original bow to the young girl and promises she’ll see him again the following year. 2019 comes and for the final time, Stephen and Sarah come face to face. Stephen takes the bow back but gives Sarah a new item for her to keep forever. Making an Arrow fan jealous, Stephen gifts Sarah the original Hood jacket.
How amazing is that? While some celebrities are busy using their platform to promote danger, Stephen Amell uses his to be Heroic. He also started his own campaign to fight cancer where fans could get Arrow & Stephen Amell-centric merchandise. Along with the campaign, he attacked Facebook for trying to hide his fundraising posts.
A Hero is someone who we admire for their courage, achievements or their noble qualities. Its someone who uses their platform to do good and raises money for charity. A Hero is an inspiration to a generation and gives them a reason to stand up.
With his time over, the Green Arrow leaves behind a Heroic legacy that inspires more Heroes to rise up. However, Stephen Amell’s legacy continues as he daily inspires his fans to rise up in the fight against horrible illnesses. That is the mark of a true Hero, and it’s great for the Green Arrow that the man who plays him is one too.
