Arrow’s fourth season dealt a major loss to longtime fans of the series. Katie Cassidy’s Laurel, who was also the Black Canary, was killed off late into the season by the Season 5 big bad Damien Darhk, played by Neal McDonough, which sent Team Arrow into a tailspin. It had a similar impact of fans of the series. The episode following her death featured a young girl who took up the mantle of the Black Canary to get revenge on her enemies. Some believe Felicity Smoak is being positioned to take over for Laurel. She was seen using the Black Canary’s baton during a fight and her mother’s relationship with Laurel’s father could result in her becoming his new daughter. In-Law of course!

We are suggesting a different option: a new female hero. Arrow has lost a major character in the world of the Green Arrow and, more importantly, an incredible female character. Laurel was a strong and complex character who fans watched earn her hero status the hard way. While we're not too upset about someone else taking on the mantle of Black Canary, it should not happen for some time. In the meantime, a new female hero would add some balance to the currently heavy series while not tarnishing Laurel’s legacy.

Here are 13 Female Characters Who Could Become The New Heroes Of Arrow.

13. Night Girl

DC's Night Girl

From the planet Kathoon, a planet encased in complete darkness, Lydda Jath comes to Earth and tries to join the Legion of Superheroes. The only problem is her powers only work in the dark, which leaves her without her abilities during any daytime battles. As a result, the team of heroes rejects her. Determined to fight for justice, Lydda decides to learn to fight. The training is successful and Night Girl is born!

Supergirl heading to The CW could mean aliens start showing up across the Arrowverse. Lydda Jath could track a villain from her planet and it would be the perfect time for a crossover of the four shows. Night Girl’s only ability is super strength, which might jive with reports that Arrow is going back to the basics in Season 5. Regardless, we would love to see how Oliver Queen handles the addition of aliens to his world. Plus, Team Arrow fights at night, so she won’t have the same issue she did with the Legion of Superheroes.  

12. Hawkfire

DC's Hawkfire

Hawkfire is the New 52 version of Bat-Girl. Bette Kane is the niece of Kathy Kane’s Batwoman. Her comic book counterpart was first Bat-Girl, then become Flamebird before taking up the mantle of Hawkfire. Estranged from her father, the aspiring hero meets her aunt, the current Batwoman, and asks to be trained. Their training results in her stint as the young, ass-kicking hero Hawkfire.

Understandably this is an odd choice, but Arrow should use underutilized characters like Hawkfire. After the upcoming DC film Suicide Squad took several characters away from the series, using these smaller heroes makes much more sense in the long run. Hawkfire’s connection to Batwoman and Robin may not make it to Arrow, even though that world should be introduced, but the role of an enthusiastic sidekick is not something Arrow has done during its run. Hawkfire wanted to work with her aunt, Batwoman, and made it her dream to meet Robin. Those feelings could transfer to Team Arrow and give Oliver a sidekick who brings out the “light” he was talking about throughout the fourth season.

11. Gypsy

DC's Gypsy

Cynthia Reynolds is a young woman with metahuman abilities who leaves her traumatic past to head for Detroit. There, she decides to put her talents to use and become the DC hero Gypsy. With her martial arts skills, Cynthia can take care of business. Gypsy’s powers include the ability to create illusions and have premonitions that tell the future.

Stephen Amell may want Arrow to go back to its roots next season, but it still lives in a universe with metahumans, time travel and magic. Gypsy has some metahuman abilities. yet she can also kick ass with the best of them. The illusions she casts would be a cool addition to Arrow. Maybe she is a friend of Vixen’s who heads Oliver’s way to help, which he could use after losing several members of Team Arrow in the season finale. While Gypsy does have magical powers, her abilities are not serious game changers. She’s no Damien Darhk, but her involvement still acknowledges the vast world the Arrowverse has become.

10. Manhunter

DC's Manhunter

Kate Spencer is one of the various individuals who takes up the mantle of Manhunter. She’s a lawyer by day and a violent crusader for justice at night. As the district attorney, she puts criminals away, but when a villain escapes, Kate takes matters into her own hands. Manhunter works on her own, but also spends some time with the Birds of Prey.

On Arrow, Kate Spencer has appeared as Laurel’s boss, but we never got a female Manhunter. If Arrow goes the same route as Mark Shaw's Manhunter, we could potentially have another A.R.G.U.S. operative on our hands. Throwing a spy into the mix could bring Lyla and A.R.G.U.S. into play more often. At the very least it will give us a look into that world. Oliver worked for Amanda Waller in the past and Lyla has her job, so clearly Arrow is no stranger to spy games. 

9. Arrowette

DC's Arrowette

Cissie King-Jones chooses to become a hero because it is the family business. Her mother is Miss Arrowette and her father has never been identified, but there has been speculation that it could be the Green Arrow himself. She worked hard to achieve her goal and succeed. Her stint as Arrowette included some time with the Young Justice team. When an important figure in her life was killed, however, she went off the deep end, almost killing the murderer. Although she didn’t cross that line, it was enough to send Arrowette into retirement for good.

Revealing that Arrowette is Oliver’s long lost sister would be a great way to use the character. Robert and Moira Queen were full of secrets and, after Moira sent a pregnant Samantha Clayton on her way and had a secret affair with Malcolm, anything is possible. Cissie could head to Star City to learn about her family and end up getting involved in Team Arrow’s fight. Thea could use someone closer to her age and Cissie would complicate things in a brilliant way. Also it would be amazing to bring in an older actress to play Cissie’s mother, Miss Arrowette! A few more archers never hurt anybody.

8. Misfit

DC's Misfit

Charlotte “Charlie” Gage-Radcliffe is a young girl with a few powers and a love for Bat-Girl. Making her own version of the hero’s costume, Charlie went out into the world trying to save the day. Barbara Gordon attempts to stop her from the dangerous line of work she has chosen, but while the girl quits playing Bat-Girl, she decides to continue using her powers for good. Those powers are super strength, teleportation and accelerated healing. Misift’s reckless behavior does put her at odds with her teammates, occasionally.

This would be an amazing way to put Madison McLaughlin’s Arrow character, Evelyn Sharp, to use. The young girl decided to become the Black Canary in order to get revenge. Oliver convinced the young girl to give up before she tarnished Laurel’s name, but she could make the same decision as Misfit. Evelyn could give up Black Canary and take up a new mantle. Throw in an accident that results in metahuman abilities and Oliver has a young girl he has a vested interest in on his hands. While her comic counterpart takes up the mantle of Starlight, the Arrowverse has taken characters in different directions before. Just look at the next hero on this list.

7. White Canary

DC's White Canary

The White Canary is a villain who takes on the Birds of Prey. While before she surfaces, Lady Shiva is considered the best fighter, the heroes discover that the White Canary is better. The Black Canary deduces that the vigilante is a figure from the team’s past. Fans of Arrow know that Sara Lance has taken up the mantle in the universe. The character is currently saving all of time on Legends of Tomorrow.

Arrow could use Legend of Tomorrow’s time travel to its advantage. Sara Lance is traveling around time saving the day, so what would happen if she inspired someone she saved? The young girl she saves could be the new hero to take up the mantle of the White Canary. While two of the same hero may seem odd, this would be a nice way to honor the legacy the Lance sisters left behind. Also, there is a young and violent girl from the comics just waiting to be used by Arrow. A violent present left on Oliver’s doorstep by Sara.

6. Wildcat

DC's Wildcat

Given drugs by an evil doctor, Yolanda and her sister become experiments. They escape from the doctor and Yolanda goes on to live a very full life. Interestingly, Yolanda’s godfather is Ted Grant, Wildcat himself. When Ted is injured, Yolanda uses her superhuman abilities, which include super-agility, to take up the mantle. Ted is annoyed that someone else became Wildcat, but changes his tune when he discovers his goddaughter is the one doing the fighting.   

JR Ramirez’s Ted Grant had a very short stint on Arrow and it was definitely not enough Wildcat. The actor went on to become a series regular on Arrow, but now that Laurel is gone, he is unlikely to return. A more effective use of the character would be to use the Yolanda Montez version of the character. Adding a strong Latina to the mix would further diversify the cast, which is definitely a good thing. If she were trained by Grant, then she should come to Star City a full-fledged hero. It would be nice for Oliver to have someone on his team that is an equal and doesn’t need his training sessions to become a hero. Also, adding Yolanda to the series would create a great opening for guest appearances from Ramirez.

5. Huntress

Huntress on Arrow

Helena Bertinelli is the daughter of a crime boss. When her father’s actions become way too much to take, Helena decides to make her stand. The vendetta she begins crosses the line from potential villain to killer very quickly. After hitting rock bottom, the troubled woman meets The Question, who guides her on a new path. In the end, she becomes the hero. On Arrow, the character was played by Jessica De Gouw, but she never quite made it to the redemption stage. Helena was sitting in an interrogation room on her way to prison last time we saw her.

Several members of Team Arrow blamed themselves for Laurel’s death and they cannot change that, so in the next season they could aim for a problem that can actually fix. Springing Helena from prison won’t be hard. Honestly, she could have escaped by this point if she’s in Star City. Oliver could work with his former flame and help her get her redemption. We saw the bad in the Huntress but we think we deserve to see the good.

4. Judomaster

DC's Judomaster

Sonia Soto becomes the first woman to take up the mantle Judomaster. Her power allows her to prevent attacks being directed at her from landing. The same does not work for accidental actions or projectiles, like bullets, so she can still be hurt. Judomaster fights alongside many heroes and even spends some time as part of the Justice Society of America.

Like Gypsy, Judomaster’s abilities would be a reminder of the world Arrow lives in without going too far away from its grounded setting. It would bring a new fighting style to the team, which could be nice change during the show’s many fight scenes. Bringing in a minor character like Judomaster would be a smart move on Arrow’s part. While fans definitely want to see major characters on the show, like Superman on Supergirl, choosing characters the DC films would not include could be beneficial. Making a mark with a minor character allows Arrow to contribute to the comic book world, like Felicity and Diggle, which is an added bonus.

3. Lady Blackhawk

DC's Lady Blackhawk

Zinda Blake is a girl lost in time. During the Second World War she wanted to be a Blackhawk. She taught herself to fly a plane, fight and use various weapons. When the Blackhawks deny Zinda a spot because she’s a woman, her determination is the power necessary to keep going. After saving the entire team, Zinda is finally given a position. One arc sends Lady Blackhawk to the future where she must deal with serious culture shock, but eventually goes on to join the Birds of Prey.

Arrow is the perfect show to do a grounded time travel story. The Flash goes back and changes the timeline while the team on Legends of Tomorrow runs all over it, but a girl struggling in a new time period would be incredible for Arrow. Zinda’s story would be incredibly unique for the series and a great way to incorporate the less grounded aspects of the Arrowverse without veering too far away from the core of the show.

2. Artemis

DC's Artemis

Artemis is a very complicated case. The daughter of Sportsmaster and The Tigress. At first she joins the family business and becomes a villain. Eventually, she becomes the hero Artemis. As a member of Young Justice she saves the day alongside the team of young heroes. Making the decision to change her family’s reputation, the young girl becomes Tigress, like her mother, and continues to be a hero.

While Arrow has many archers, it’s Artemis’ family that got her a spot on this list. We would love to see the character start out as Artemis then become Tigress, but the show could also incorporate some drama with Sportsmaster and The Tigress. Arrow spent a lot of time dealing with Queen family drama, so maybe it’s time for a new family. The young girl shows up in Star City to get away from her family and live a simple life, but nothing’s simple in Star City. She quickly finds herself in the vigilante game and shortly after, her family shows up. The complex family drama and new characters would make for a compelling season. Also, Sportsmaster is a very realistic and grounded character, so even Stephen Amell would be happy.

1. Lady Shiva

DC's Lady Shiva

Lady Shiva is a deadly assassin. The death of a family member sent her over the edge and she begins a long road of killing. She teams up with the Black Canary after their master is killed by Cheshire. Interestingly, the otherwise violent and morally ambiguous character joins the Birds of Prey for some time. In fact, she uses the name Jade Canary while on the team.

Lady Shiva’s ass kicking assassin is the perfect addition to the world of Arrow. The assassin could come to Starling to unleash hell in an effort to fulfill a personal vendetta. Anarky proved Arrow is great when there’s a third party and Lady Shiva would fit the bill brilliantly. Starting off as a potential enemy and turning into an unlikely hero would be an arc Arrow fans can get behind. Also there is already a version of the character who joins The Birds of Prey.

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Who do you think should join Team Arrow? Any female heroes you would suggest? Let us know!