Arrow, the series that began the massive Arrowverse franchise for The CW, will be closing the curtains on Tuesday, January 28, when it ends its 8-year run. The Stephen Amell-led drama is currently in the midst of the ongoing Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover that will be followed by a backdoor pilot for Green Arrow and the Canaries and then the series finale. As the series has progressed since its start in 2012, several characters have made their way from the DC Universe onto the television screen. From heroes to villains, many characters will most likely never be seen again after the show ends. Some will probably pop up on the other series in the coming seasons.
As the series finale approaches, it’s time to look at characters that aren’t Oliver Queen that will and will not be missed. Disclaimer: because Mia Smoak (Kat McNamara), Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) and Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy) will be leading the Green Arrow and the Canaries spin-off, they’re not part of this list as they will be seen again.
Will Miss: Mister Terrific
Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum) became one of the prominent LGBT heroes in the Arrowverse when he made his way into Arrow in season 4. The show has in many ways been one of the darker DC TV properties of all time. That’s why someone like Curtis was always so welcome to have on-screen. With his wit and charm, he helped light up the series, which was needed from time to time.
Won’t Miss: Cupid
The show has had plenty of villains in the last 8 years. One of them was Cupid (Amy Gumenick) who was not one of the baddies audiences found particularly memorable. Throughout her appearances, she was nothing but a Harley Quinn-esque character with a bow and arrow. There have been plenty of foes that have gone down the psycho road. While Cupid was one of them, she is not someone that many will miss when the show comes to an end.
Will Miss: Wild Dog
Rene Ramirez (Rick Gonzalez) became one of the new recruits in season 5 when Team Arrow was being rebooted. He started as a vigilante with a big mouth before becoming one of the voices of reason in the team, but still with a big mouth, which we love. This became the live-action debut of Wild Dog and throughout his run in the show, Rene has become a fan-favorite. Hopefully, the series finale won’t be the last time Wild Dog is seen as other shows would ideally bring him back in some capacity from time to time.
Won’t Miss: Talia Al Ghul
When it comes to choosing the best Al Ghul in Arrow, it will always be Nyssa (Katrina Law). While Nyssa is someone that fans always wanted to see more of, the same can probably not be said for her sister Talia (Lexa Doig). While season 8 set her character on a new path with Thea Queen (Willa Holland) by forming the League of Heroes, Talia is still someone better to just stay off-screen after the show comes to an end.
Will Miss: Speedy
Even if Talia won’t be missed, Speedy is someone that is part of the show’s DNA. Since the start, Thea was the hero whose journey many wanted to see more of. While she did eventually evolve into her hero persona, later seasons didn’t give her a lot of material to play with. Even though she didn’t exist in the comics, having Thea as an original character take on the Speedy mantle was still one of the better arcs in the show’s run. Hopefully, Green Arrow and the Canaries will have room for a guest spot or two every once in a while for Oliver’s little sister.
Won’t Miss: ARGUS
Since Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) will probably not be seen again after Crisis on Infinite Earths, ARGUS still earns a spot on this list. In many ways, the organization has served as a character in its own way and not always in the greatest way. For many episodes throughout Arrow’s run, ARGUS was a bit of an antagonist to the heroes by getting in the way sometimes. There were even times when ARGUS was on the show too much because of Diggle’s job. With the show ending, we hope this will be the only DC series to feature ARGUS as much as they did.
Will Miss: Felicity Smoak
Everyone’s favorite hacker Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) became a major player after what was meant to be just a guest spot in season 1. Over her 7-year journey, Felicity has gone through an insane amount of adventures, to say the least. From starting as the team’s IT-master to becoming Oliver’s wife and one of the biggest voices in the show, Felicity made a huge impact on Arrow’s journey. While she didn’t take part in season 8, it’s still great that Felicity will be back for the series finale.
Won’t Miss: Joe Wilson
While many good things can be said about Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett), the same can’t be said for either of his sons. In the case of Kane Wolfman f.k.a. Joe Wilson (Liam Hall), it was just a bizarre adaptation of one of the iconic Teen Titans characters. His father will be missed, but Kane/Joe certainly won’t be as it has so little to do with the DC version of the character. For a more accurate representation of Jericho, Titans season 2 did the character more justice with Chella Man playing him.
Will Miss: John Diggle
Who could even imagine Arrow without John Diggle (David Ramsey)? If it hadn’t been for Diggle, this version of Oliver wouldn’t have lasted as long as he did. What could have easily been a typical sidekick, the show took advantage of the Diggle character and made him as integral to the series as Oliver was. Aside from his partnership with Oliver, Diggle had his own stories, his own mythology and even his own path to becoming one of the prominent superheroes in the Arrowverse. Diggle’s place in the DC TV world became so imperative that DC Comics made him a character in the canon. Whatever happens in the series finale, hopefully, that won’t be the last time Diggle is seen on The CW.
Won’t Miss: Evelyn Sharp
Evelyn Sharp (Madison McLaughlin) was always one of the show’s weirdest creations of all time. She started as a Black Canary copycat before becoming a member of Team Arrow only to betray them for Prometheus (Josh Segarra), Evelyn was a pain in the butt from the beginning. To go as far as making her this show’s version of Artemis is one of the most questionable decisions of all time. Despite her MIA status after the season 5 finale, Evelyn won’t be missed by even 1%.
