The CW's flagship superhero show Arrow may have ended several years ago, but it has gone on to create an entire DC television universe, spinning off everything from The Flash to Batwoman. Arrow made such an impression on fans that it still has a loyal following even years on.
Arrow left behind more than just multiple follow-up shows and a huge following though, it also brought some hilarious memes about the Emerald Archer and his exploits. Poking fun at everything from plot holes to character quirks to lackluster seasons, these Arrow memes sum up the best and worst parts of the show.
Oliver is Definitely NOT The Arrow
Source: Moviefone
One of the recurring jokes about any superhero's secret identity is how obvious it should be to everyone who is behind the mask. This was stretched even further by Arrow's first season when Oliver did a fairly poor job of covering up his nightly activities.
Not only did he barely disguise his face, he happened to return from the island with the exact same skills that would make him a great vigilante, at exactly the same time that a mysterious vigilante appears in the city. He was also covered in scars and bruises from his "motorcycle accidents". A few characters managed to catch on, but somehow not nearly as many as should have.
"Secret" Identity
Continuing with the theme of secret identities, for the first several seasons of Arrow, Oliver managed to keep his a closely guarded secret, reserved only for the few in the inner circle. John Diggle and Felicity knew early on, with even Thea and Roy being kept in the dark for a long time.
With season five however came a whole host of new supporting characters, crossovers with the other DC shows, and a massively expanded Team Arrow, all of whom quickly learned Oliver's true identity as the Green Arrow. In the later seasons, it was almost rarer to find someone who did not know who was behind the hood.
Nobody Stays Dead
Another common complaint against most superhero media, Arrow seemed to have trouble letting dead characters stay dead. Many characters that Oliver believed to be dead either inexplicably reappear very much alive, or are resurrected through some fairly convoluted means.
Malcolm Merlyn, Laurel and Sara Lance, Deathstroke, and many, many more heroes and villains refuse to stay dead throughout the show, and everyone seems surprised each time. Unfortunately, not everyone can get the second life treatment, and characters like Tommy Merlyn or Billy Malone who deserved much better simply have to stay six feet under.
The Three Powers of Arrow
Source: Memes.com
While later shows like Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow would add characters with all sorts of colorful superpowers, Arrow stayed more grounded through much of its run. Instead of heat vision or super speed, most of its heroes' abilities were a bit more street level.
That fact leads to this great meme though, as it sums up just about every character's powers in a single image. Much of the action the leads found themselves in boiled down to the archers shooting arrows, the tech wizards typing really fast, and the Canaries yelling. Obviously it is much more varied in the show, and much more interesting, but this meme does a pretty good job of humorously breaking down admittedly strange crime-fighting tactics.
The Olicity Controversy
Oliver and Felicity's relationship was easily one of the most controversial and polarizing things about Arrow. Some fans enjoyed the two's chemistry and tender moments, while others hated the fact that Oliver ended up with someone other than Laurel.
Whatever fans thought about the pairing, this take on the infamous ending of Knock, Knock poked fun at the controversy in hilarious fashion. Keanu Reeves, evidently not a Felicity fan, screams as he is forced to see her and Oliver together. Fans can either sympathize with Keanu or revel in him having to deal with it in this send up of Arrow's best or worst relationship.
Timeline Troubles
While the events of Flashpoint was technically an issue for the Flash instead of Team Arrow, everyone across the Arrowverse still had to deal with its consequences. Since Arrow had already run through multiple seasons by then, it obviously had the most to lose.
This meme perfectly captures Oliver's likely frustration at having so much of his hard work undone or altered by Barry Allen messing with the timeline. He went through so much to try and save his city, and suddenly everything gets flipped on its head because Barry messed with time. Thankfully it still mostly worked out in the end.
Arrows Versus Bullets
With several bow and arrow themed protagonists in the past few decades, the common question between them is usually why they would use a bow over a gun. Arrow answers this question in Oliver's backstory, and his bow has more uses than a regular gun would, but it does still have its drawbacks.
Multiple characters throughout the show have proven themselves able to simply catch Oliver's arrows out of the air. Most of these have some form of superpower to help them, but it still begs the question of whether Oliver would have been better off stooping to simple firearms like several of his colleagues every now and then.
The Four Seasons
Source: Memes.com
After season one of Arrow set a high bar for the series, and season two blew it out of the water, season three was a bit of a letdown. Taking several new, unpopular routes with characters and story arcs, it was not nearly up to par with the previous two seasons.
When season four released however, some fans longed for the days of season 3. Season 4 is almost universally considered the low point of the series, adding some ludicrous stories about bee-themed villains and underground cities, introducing subplots that would be completely ignored later, and just generally not coming together as well as previous seasons. There were still some good moments, but the season was a definite dip in quality.
Deathstroke of Genius
This meme is not only scientifically accurate, it is accurate to the show as well. Starring as a recurring ally in the season one flashbacks before his legendary villainous turn in season 2, Deathstroke, A.K.A. Slade Wilson, was Arrow's coolest villain, as well as one of its most interesting.
With a long history with Oliver, some incredible fighting skills, and a performance for the ages by Manu Bennett, it is easy to see why fans love Deathstroke so much. Even after eight seasons he still held a special place in fan's hearts, and pupils were definitely expanding every time he returned to the show.
You Have Failed This City
One of the most enduring and memeable parts of Arrow has proven to be Oliver's famous catchphrase of "you have failed this city". Spoken to his targets just before being brought to justice, Oliver terrified many a supervillain with the line. Being one of the most popular quotes from the show, it was only fair that this line would also have one of the best memes.
A parody of an often memed scene from The Social Network, the thought of the Arrow infiltrating other media to continue his crusade for justice is a hilarious concept. Plus, considering that it is Mark Zuckerberg he is giving the note to, it is not all that unreasonable of a plot point either.