Although Roy Harper was only a supporting character on Arrow, he still managed to leave a strong impression on the audience — even if it wasn't always positive. Many fans liked Roy but others didn't and were quick to point out the lacking aspects of his character online.
These fans took to Reddit to share their unpopular feelings about Roy. They discussed his romance with Thea, his relationships with other characters, as well as his personality, and his character arc on the show. What are the biggest hot takes?
Roy Is The Only Good Field Member
Oliver has built a large team around himself, despite his initial desire to fly solo. However, one Redditor believes that "Roy was the only field member I ever approved of. Diggle was good as a backup and investigating leads. Sara was good as well but she was a part-timer."
It could be argued that the other team members were just as valuable as Roy. Diggle had previous fighting experience from his days with the army, while Sara was one of the best at hand-to-hand combat in the entire Arrowverse thanks to her training with the League of Assassins.
Roy Is A Boring Character
Roy is one of the more popular characters of the show but not everybody was charmed by him. All_this_hype simply noted that "I found Roy to be kinda boring."
It's true that Roy didn't get as much attention as other characters. On the other hand, he had a lot going on and changed as a character from Arrow's first season to the show finale, going from criminal to hero.
Roy Shouldn't Have Gone To Prison
One of the lowest points for Roy was when he came to prison for Oliver. He wanted to persuade the world that Oliver wasn't the Green Arrow, and he risked his life for it. LordCadeus13 believes that "Most of Season 3 was great, the notable exception being Roy going to prison."
While it's true that Roy risked a lot by going to prison, it was a good way how to demonstrate his personal growth. The Roy of the past never would have sacrificed himself for Oliver in this way. Roy became more selfless as the show progressed and taking the blame for Oliver's actions was a good way how to demonstrate that. Plus, Roy's plan worked out fine in the end and he managed to clear Oliver's name for the time being.
Other Versions Of Roy Are Better
Even though it's his first major live-action portrayal, Roy Harper has a rich history in comics. rovanz thinks that his previous versions were better: "I don't think TV Roy is that great, as people make him seem. Sure, he is far better than the OTA (not a hard task to pull), but, if you compare him to the Arsenal in Young Justice, that's the real Roy Harper for me (including his relationship with Chesire or him being related to Guardian)."
While Roy is very different on Arrow, his character fits well with the team. Comparing this version of Roy with his Young Justice counterpart isn't absolutely fair. To bring this version of Roy into Arrow would require working with additional characters, or changing the characterization of already established heroes, and that was something Arrow simply couldn't do.
Roy's Development Didn't Work
Roy changed a lot as a person during the show. VforVera wasn't impressed with his development, though: "I think the development for Roy was s***. Like, he did nothing for me. Just a pretty boy face. They didn't do a good job showing a mentor/mentee relationship for him and Oliver. The way they wrote him out of the show was lame too."
The bond between Oliver and Roy is definitely more complex in the comics where Roy both likes and hates Oliver, depending on the circumstances. However, considering the limited space Roy has in the show in comparison to the comics, the mentor/mentee relationship was characterized sufficiently.
Roy's Storylines Are Bland
Roy's personality, or at least the way the show portrayed him, didn't work with all of the fans. herobag noted that "Roy is a good character but he can be bland. I miss him but I don't at the same time."
Just like all characters on the show, Roy had his stronger and weaker moments. However, one could argue he was never bland. Roy struggled a lot with himself, especially when he faced Oliver's expectations or had to deal with his own blood lust or the aftereffects of the Mirakuru serum. All of this made him a compelling character whose journey was engrossing to watch. Someone else might have given up under such circumstances but Roy persevered.
Roy Just Isn't There
Arrow ran for eight seasons, which is a long enough time for some characters to eventually take their leave. As sammylaco noted: "After 3+ seasons, Roy is/was barely a character."
Roy was definitely less present in the later seasons of the show. However, he still came back when the team or Thea needed him. His storyline was also closely connected to Thea's. And as Thea gradually departed from the show, so did Roy. The ultimate proof of how close these two characters were is that Roy and Thea's last major moment on Arrow was when they finally decided to move their relationship to the next level and got engaged.
Roy And Thea Don't Work
Roy and Thea are by far one of the most prominent couples on Arrow. Despite their rocky start, they managed to work things out in the end. However, BearSpeak thinks that "Thea/Roy were fine early on but they should have stayed apart."
Had Thea and Roy stayed away from each other, it wouldn't have changed the plot of the show to a large degree. They spent most of the time apart until they reunited to search for the Lazarus Pits and destroy them. Despite that, they seem to be happy together and well-matched. Keeping them apart could very well hinder the future happiness that both of them deserve after they had been through so much.