John Diggle Didn't Even Exist in the Comic
[ranking: 1]
TV Show: Actor David Ramsey??s character John Diggle was created for the show and has proven to be a fan favorite. The character was originally introduced as Oliver??s bodyguard and eventually went on to become an older brother figure of sorts and occasionally a member The Suicide Squad.
Comic: Oliver??s trusty bodyguard didn't exist in the comic. However, Green Arrow: Year One writer Andy Diggle??s last name was borrowed for the show as an homage to the creator. Diggle was introduced to the comics during Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino??s run.
More John Diggle
#45 of 59 on The Best Male Characters on TV Right Now #5 of 53 on The Coolest Characters from CW's Arrow #13 of 18 on Comic Book Characters That Debuted Outside Comics #17 of 30 on The Best Black TV Characters In 2019
Felicity Smoak Wasn't the Computer Genius on Team Arrow
[ranking: 2]
TV Show: Felicity Smoak, as portrayed by Emily Bett Rickards, was first introduced as an IT rep at Queen Industries with whom Oliver would consult when he needed some help on the technical side of things. Eventually, she joined Ollie and Diggle in their war on crime in Starling City. She is the unrequited love of Oliver and usually breaks the tension with a self deprecating joke or two.
Comics: The name Felicity Smoak was actually used for a DC Comics character that appeared in Firestorm comics in 1984 and bears little resemblance to the character on Arrow. This fierce, dark-haired, version was the manager for a software firm and a constant foil to both Firestorm and his civilian identity of Ronnie Raymond. Recently, Arrow executive producer Andrew Kreisberg has introduced a version of Felicity to The New 52 that more resembles Emily Bett Rickards incarnation of the character to the Green Arrow comic.
More Felicity Smoak
#20 of 93 on The Best Female Characters on TV Right Now #28 of 104 on The Greatest Geeks in TV History #18 of 21 on The Worst Hackers in Film and Television #69 of 98 on The Best Dressed Female TV Characters
Thea Queen Is TV Exclusive
[ranking: 3]
TV Show: Willa Holland's Thea Queen is the chronically troubled younger sister of Oliver Queen. Thea spent the majority of Oliver's disappearance and return partying and enjoying the social life of a spoiled heiress. Fall out from the first three seasons pushed Thea into the arms of her (recently discovered) father, Malcolm Merlyn, where he trained her in the ways of The League of Assassins.
Comics: Thea Queen does not exist in the traditional Green Arrow comic books. However, the creators of Arrow have dropped several hints as to whom Thea might one day become. Oliver's nick name for his little sister is Speedy which alludes the comic book-verison of Green Arrow's sidekick. While training with Malcolm on Corto Maltese, she goes by the first name 'Mia' which could be a reference to Mia Deardon, who took on the Speedy mantle in the comics.
Quentin Lance Was Gotham Beat Cop
[ranking: 4]
TV Show: Captain/Detective/Sergeant/Officer Quentin Larry Lance, as played by Paul Blackthorne, is the father of Laurel and Sara Lance and the hot-tempered cop who usually has deal with the vigilante Arrow. Although originally out to stop the vigilante, he comes to trust the Arrow and will assist him in stopping the bad guys when he can.
Comic: Larry Lance is still the father of Dinah Lance but does not have much of a role beyond that.
Black Canary Redux
[ranking: 5]
TV Show: Sara Lance, as played by Caity Lotz, is the younger sister of Laurel and thought lost at sea with Oliver when their boat sank. After being taken captive by Anthony Ivo, she is once again ripped away from Oliver and takes up training with Nyssa al Ghul in the League of Assassins. When she returns to Starling City, she assists Oliver on his crusade to clean up the Glades and stop Slade Wilson.
Comics: Sara Lance does not appear in the comics at all. However, Sara being the first Canary and then handing the mantle to Laurel might be an homage to how Dinah Drake trained her daughter, Dinah Lance, to become the next Black Canary. More Black Canary
#63 of 324 on The Best Comic Book Superheroes of All Time #11 of 200 on The 100+ Best DC Comics Heroes of All Time, According to Fans #13 of 102 on Comic Book Characters We Want to See on Film #15 of 396 on Best Comic Book Superheros
Slade Wilson Gets A New Backstory
[ranking: 6]
TV Show: Slade Wilson, as played by Manu Bennett, is originally a friend of Oliver during his time on Lian Yu. The pair grow to be as close as brothers and help foil Edward Fyers' plot. When Anthony Ivo kills his love, Shado, Wilson blames Oliver and seeks revenge when he returns to Starling City. Although at one point he was given super strength and reflexes from the Mirakuru serum, Slade relies on his expert martial art skills that he learned as part of both ARGUS and ASIS. It's Ollie that jams an arrow into the solider's eye leaving him blind on his left side.
Comics: Although similar in both version, comic book Slade Wilson is actually known my the overly long moniker Deathstroke the Terminator. The blue and orange clad mercenary made his first appearance in Teen Titans and is at odds with Green Arrow, Batman and most of the heroes in the DC Universe. He is a master weapons expert and carries with him a variety of guns, swords and grenades that he uses to fill his contracts. The silver fox actually looses his eye when his wife attempts to shoot him in the head.
Moira Queen Has Way More To Do on the Show
[ranking: 7]
TV Show: Moira Queen, as played by Susanna Thompson, is the matriarch of the Queen family, CEO of Queen Industries, and one-time mayoral candidate of Starling City. Ever at the center of conflict for Oliver and the Arrow, Moira has plenty of secrets to keep and attempts to act in the best interest of her family.
Comics: Moira has had little to no presence in the comics. Both she and her late husband, Robert Queen, spend the majority of Green Arrow's stories as only memories to the orphaned crime fighter.
Lian Yu Get's More Screen Time
[ranking: 8]
TV Show: The island that Oliver originally washes ashore too when he is first missing has taken on an identity of it's own over the course of the series. Initially, it is where Oliver learns to survive in the wilderness with the help of Yao Fei and Slade Wilson. Since his return to Starling City, Oliver has taken several trips back to the island; whether it be to visit the ARGUS prison facility or to seek solace from his defeats.
Comic: The island is more of a concept in the characters past then an active role in his present. Although called Lian Yu on the show, the island has gone by several names including Starfish Island. Oliver's time on the island was one of hardship and struggle- something he is not excited to revisit.
Malcolm Merlyn Becomes More Important To All The Characters
[ranking: 9]
TV Show: Expertly played John Barrowman, Malcolm Merlyn, also known as the Dark Archer, is a constant foil to Oliver Queen as well as being the father of Thea Queen. First introduced as a wealthy business man leading the cabal to demolish the Glades, Merlyn reemerges to transfer the blood debt set by the League of Assassins from himself onto Oliver's family.
Comics: Merlyn, real name Arthur King, is the arch nemesis of Green Arrow. Originally, Merlyn was one of the Emerald Archer's teachers whom Ollie eventually surpassed in archery expertise. He has appeared in the New 52 looking like his past incarnations except with a face now covered in burn scars.
Green Arrow's Costume Get's An Upgrade
[ranking: 10]
TV Show: Oliver Queen's uniform consists of his iconic hood (that he acquired while on Lian Yu), a green leather jacket and pants and combat boots. It's a more realistic approach to a super hero costume that is both practical and pays homage to the source material. The addition of a green mask from Barry Allen comes late into season two.
Comics: Green Arrow has had several costumes over his 74 years but his most popular version features a sleeveless tunic, bracers, large quiver and Errol Flynn styled cap. The look of this costume inspires Robin Hood, whom the character is inspired by and features head-to-toe shades of green. This classic look might not work in the real world but sure looks great on the page!
Green Arrow Shoots Way More Trick Arrows
[ranking: 11]
TV Show: The first season of Arrow saw Ollie using arrows for their intended purpose- to kill and maim. However, later on Oliver has been known to employ smoke screens and explosives to the tips of his arrows to make them less lethal. That being said, TV's Arrow still has a quiver of sharpened points that he creatively implements to slow down adversaries.
Comics: It's a bit of a running gag in the comics that Green Arrow has such a varied and unique arsenal. The hero employs everything from net arrows, handcuff arrows, explosive arrows and even the famed boxing glove arrow. These nonlethal alternations assure that the Emerald Archer can fight crime without racking up a body count.
The Suicide Squad Gets Some New Faces
[ranking: 12]
TV Show: Known as Task Force X and lead by Amanda Waller, this group of criminals execute dangerous missions for ARGUS in return for reduced jail times. The TV version of the Squad includes Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, John Diggle, Lyla Michaels, and Bronze Tiger.
Comics: Although similar to the TV show in that it's criminals, under direction of Amanda Waller, working forcommuted prison sentences, the comics have had several more members on the team. Past incarnations have included Deathstroke, Black Manta, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Plastique, Killer Frost, Speedy, Captain Cold, and even Batman.
Starling City Got A New Name
[ranking: 13]
TV Show: Called Starling City, the hometown of the Arrow and Queen Industries is the main set piece for the series. The city shares similar GPS coordinates with Seattle and features both the Queen's lush mansion and the dangerous Glades neighborhood. New resident Ray Palmer has presented plans to rebrand the city "Star City" to rehabilitate the metropolis' image.
Comics: Green Arrow's base of operations is originally called just Star City although he has also called Seattle home. The city is located in northern California, somewhere above San Francisco, and has been a port city since the hero's golden age appearances.
Where is Speedy?
[ranking: 14]
TV Show: Although Oliver uses the name 'Speedy' as a cute nickname for his sister Thea, no hero on the show officially use this code name.
Comics: Speedy is the long time sidekick of Green Arrow dating all the way back to the Golden Age of comics. Originally it was Roy Harper's first super hero name during his time as Green Arrow's ward. After Roy became Arsenal, Mia Dearden took up the mantle as Green Arrow's new partner. More Speedy
#75 of 200 on The 100+ Best DC Comics Heroes of All Time, According to Fans #40 of 55 on The Best Teenage Superheroes #54 of 55 on The Most Ridiculous Superheroes Ever
Green Arrow's Van Dyke Beard
[ranking: 15]
TV Show: Sure, Stephen Amell rocks the 5 o'clock shadow, and the argument could be made that there is a bit of a goatee there, but no van dyke with it's curled chin whiskers and stylized mustache.
Comics: Artist Neal Adams added the now iconic facial hair back in the 1970s so that the character looked a little more like his inspiration Robin Hood. Green Arrow had some of the most notable facial follicles in comics before getting the clean shave for the New 52.
Green Arrow: The Social Crusader
[ranking: 16]
TV Show: During the first season, Oliver's quest is take out the people in his father's notebook for their hand in the destruction of Starling City. After that, Oliver turns over a new leaf, renounces killing and acts as a vigilante to stop larger crimes in Starling City. Although the Arrow protects the citizens of Starling City, the show does not delve into larger Sociopolitical issues.
Comics: During the 1970s, under the stewardship of Neal Adams and Dennis O'Neil, the character became an outspoken advocate of liberal ideals (and sometimes anarchy). While sharing a book with Green Lantern, the two hard-traveled heroes embark on a journey that tackles race, corruption, the environment and overpopulation. Since then, Green Arrow has been written as a voice for the leftist ideals and change to established institutions.
Batman #244 was Season 3's Mid Season Finale
[ranking: 17]
TV Show: Arrow writers lifted the iconic Batman story for their season 3 mid-season finale in which Oliver faces Ra's al Ghul to a sword fight to the death atop a mountain. The battle leaves Ollie with a sword wound in the chest and kicked off a mountain.
Comic: Instead of Green Arrow, it's Batman that challenges Ra's al Ghul to a sword fight to the death in this pivotal Dennis O'Neil/Neal Adam's Batman story. The classic images and plot points were lifted and used mid way through Arrow's third season.
Count Vertigo Gets A New Job As A Drug Dealer
[ranking: 18]
TV Show: The original Count was a young, cackling, sociopath who was pushing his Vertigo drug on the club scene in Starling City. The second incarnation was the more refined Werner Zytle who, along with being a gifted chemist and martial artist, is able to throw Vertigo-filled darts at his victims
Comics: DC Comic's Count Vertigo emits a powerful vertigo-inducing effect from his mind onto his targets. Traditionally, he is depicted more as a super villain or warlord than drug baron. In his New 52 incarnation, Count Vertigo uses an electronic device embedded in his skull to emit his vertigo effect.
Ray Palmer Becomes A Smooth Billionaire
[ranking: 19]
TV Show: Brandon Routh's enterprising Ray Palmer comes to Starling City in an attempt to bring in a flux of new money that could revitalize the devastated city. Not only is Palmer an amazing business man but also a technological genius who is topped only Felicity Smoak. Having lost his fiance, Anna, to a violent crime, Palmer has been developing a hero powered suit so that he can use stop crime himself.
Comics: Ray Palmer is more scientist than business man when he first appeared in DC Comic's Silver Age of publishing. His powers include being able to shrink to the subatomic level and control his strength. The source of his power stems from a white dwarf star that he fashioned into a tool on his belt.
New Random Display Show all by ranking(20 items)