The CW's Arrow series finale quietly killed off Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen's love interest, in its final scene, leaving many Arrowverse fans confused. Emily Beck Rickards debuted as Felicity Smoak in Arrow season 2, and her time on the show saw her eventually become Oliver's wife, and one of the series' most important main characters. However, Felicity was absent for The CW's crossover event, "Crisis on Infinite Earths," as Rickards departed from Arrow after season 7. Arrow's series finale, "Fadeout," saw the lovers reunite in the year 2040, but with the dark implication that they were both in the afterlife.

During Arrow's season 7 finale, the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) told Felicity that he'd take her to see Oliver, but with the caveat that they would have to go to a place that she could never leave. After Felicity accepted the terms, the two left together to destinations unknown, though the Arrow series finale gave the couple some much-needed closure. Arrow season 8, episode 10, "Fadeout," concluded several storylines, as well as setting up a now-canceled spinoff focusing on the adventures of Oliver's daughter, Mia Queen. The emotional high of the series finale, however, was Felicity and Oliver's reunion.

Where Felicity Goes In The Arrow Season 7 Finale

After Oliver's funeral in the Arrow series finale, following his sacrifice to save the universe in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" storyline, the narrative shifted to the year 2040, reprising the scene of Felicity's exit in season 7. However, it was then revealed what happened after that mystery ending. After passing through, Felicity found herself in Moira Queen's office, where she and Oliver are reunited. As revealed by the pair's conversation, this is the afterlife, meaning both Felicity and Oliver are dead. Since Felicity was alive prior to talking to the Monitor, the Monitor essentially killed her in order for her to be reunited with her beloved Oliver.

Why Arrow Killed Off Felicity Smoak

Though it's true that Felicity won't technically die until 2040, her death still carries a huge amount of weight. At the time of her death, Felicity would have been just over 50 years old, and much of that time had been spent without Oliver. This made their reunion in Arrow's series finale all the more emotional. It was speculated that Felicity could have returned in future Arrowverse shows, but in April 2022, Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow were canceled, and in August of that year, The Flash was confirmed to be concluding the Arrowverse after its ninth and final season, so Felicity's journey ended in the afterlife with Oliver.

By killing off Felicity, Arrow finally brought her story to a satisfying conclusion. Rickards opted to leave the series after season 7 as she wanted a break from acting in television. Though it may have seemed odd for Felicity to willingly give up her life, the choice is a fair compromise between tragically killing her in the present — which would have been controversial — and leaving her story unfinished. The Arrow series finale culminated in a long-awaited happy ending for both Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen, though the latter reprised the role for The Flash's final season, bidding one final farewell to the Arrowverse.