Content Warning: This article contains references to drug misuse
If there's one thing Oliver Queen never lacked, it's the large multitude of various villains, both special powered and not. Oliver and his team took on many enemies, with some of them being more notable than others.
Despite the overall popularity and solid performances from the actors involved, not every fan was thrilled with what Arrow did with its villains, how it presented them. The fans shared their sometimes unpopular opinions on Reddit and commented both on the quality of individual villains as well as the strength and weaknesses of their character arcs.
Diaz Is Better Than Other Villains
Ricardo Diaz never got as much appreciation from the fans compared to other major villains on the show. However, Reddit user Vadermaulkylo noted that: "I really liked Diaz, way more than Ra’s or Darhk."
While Diaz had his strong moments, the reason why he might not have scored so much with the audience is he didn't have such a strong connection to Oliver. Ra's almost killed Oliver and took him from his home. Darhk was then responsible for killing Laurel. Both of these events had a bigger impact on Oliver than Diaz's original actions against him.
Adrian Chase Shouldn't Have Been A Villain
One of the major twists of the show was that Adrian Chase was the villain known as Prometheus. This Reddit user wishes that: "Adrian wasn't a villain because [they] liked their friendship in the beginning and didn't really care for the recruits."
While it would have been interesting to see a genuine friendship between Oliver and Adrian, the show had very little choice since the comics also follow a similar route. Adrian was always destined to become a villain.
Slade Was Overdoing It
Even though they used to be friends, Slade Wilson ended up as Oliver's sworn enemy. Reddit user stanleyu2 noted that: "Slade felt like he overexaggerated about Shado's death and his revenge against Oliver, even with the Mirakuru."
Considering what the Mirakuru can do to someone's mind, Slade's actions were accurate. The serum affected his mind. Slade saw Oliver as the reason for all his pain and he was willing to do anything in his power to get revenge.
Malcolm Shouldn't Have Come Back
Arrow had introduced many villains over eight seasons. Malcolm Merlyn was one of the most popular ones. However, Reddit user All_this_hype believes that: "Malcolm should have stayed dead."
The fact is that if Malcolm hadn't come back, the show would be very different. For one, Sara wouldn't have died and possibly stayed with the team. Thea might not have learned how to fight. And finally, she would never get the chance to get closer to her biological father. While Malcolm wasn't the best parent in the Arrowverse, his relationship with Thea still humanized him to a certain degree.
Tommy Should Have Followed In His Father's Footsteps
Tommy Merlyn was shocked when he learned the truth about his father's secret identity and wanted to have nothing to do with him. Reddit user Icepickthegod nevertheless believes that: "Tommy should be big bad Dark Archer for the future season."
Something like this actually happened in the series. An alternate Tommy Merlyn from Earth-2 turned out to be the Dark Archer, not his father Malcolm. But if the original Tommy turned out to be a villain, it would have undermined his sacrifice in the first season's finale. Tommy sacrificed his life to save Laurel and his heroic death remained one of the most significant moments in the Arrowverse
The Fight Between Oliver And Damien Darhk Worked
For quite some time, Oliver was unable to defeat Damien Darhk because Darhk was using magic. However, user Dr-Agon liked the moment, stating how they really liked the fight and thought: "it was built up and paid off super well." They also added how "it was so satisfying seeing Darhk finally get his ass handed to him after being basically untouchable all season."
Yet, this is an opinion not shared by all fans. One of the reasons why people might not be so keen on the scene is that Damien Darhk later came back. He returned as a villain in Legends of Tomorrow and continued to make trouble for the team until he died again. Had he stayed dead, his death scene might have possibly had a bigger impact on the audience.
Ra's Al Ghul Is Dull
As one of the major villains of the show, Ra's al Ghul got a lot of space in the third season. However, Reddit user Galaxy_Megatron didn't like him so much, stating how they: "don't care for Ra's al Ghul in season 3 [since] he's rather bland and non-intimidating."
Some fans may argue that Ra's was a much bigger threat than the fans give him credit for. He had a League of Assassins at his disposal and came very close to killing both Oliver and Thea. So as far as being intimidating is concerned, he did well in this area.
Evelyn Should Have Stayed Good
Oliver has had many teammates during the show's run. However, Evelyn was one of the few people who turned against him. Reddit user ThomAngelesMusic didn't enjoy this twist, stating how they think that: "Evelyn Sharpe was the best recruit when she was a good guy." and how they "were really hoping they would’ve kept her good [so she could] be like a daughter to Oliver."
It made sense to make Evelyn one of the bad guys. It was clear from the beginning she saw the world in a way very different from Oliver's. He also didn't make the best decision when he didn't trust his new team and mistreated them. So when Evelyn turned out to be a villain, it felt like a natural progression of her character.
Helena Bertinelli Wasn't So Great
As one of the villains initially walking the fine line between good and bad, Helena Bertinelli was an intriguing addition to the show. However, Reddit user VEqual didn't like her, stating that "Helena is not a good character."
While this comment doesn't provide further details, one reason VEqual could think this is because Huntress of the show isn't entirely comic accurate. Nevertheless, there were still some intriguing qualities to Helena, particularly how she was one torn between honor and revenge. And had she stayed on the show longer, she could have become even more influential since in the comics, Huntress sometimes works with other superheroes.