Arrow

When his pleasure yacht disappears, billionaire Oliver Queen is presumed dead and his family tries to pick up the pieces. Five years later he returns, changed by harsh survival and intense training, and adopts a hooded identity to take aim at the corruption eating his city. By day he has to rebuild public relationships and manage the Queen name, and by night he targets crooked officials, mob crews, and anyone exploiting the vulnerable. The series tracks how his single-minded mission reshapes alliances, creates new enemies, and forces him to weigh the cost of violence on those he cares about.

The show premiered in 2012 on The CW, created by Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Greg Berlanti, and helped establish a serialized, action-heavy approach to network superhero television.

Over its run the series earned a steady stream of nominations from genre and fan-voted award organizations, showing strong viewer support. It picked up recognition across categories that highlight stunt work, visual style, and ensemble casting, even when critical reactions varied by season.

Arrow is widely credited with launching a shared TV superhero universe, which led to interconnected series and crossover events that became a signature of The CW. Its darker, street-level take on a comic book hero influenced later shows and helped normalize long-form, serial storytelling for superhero TV on broadcast networks.

Critics and audiences gave mixed to generally favorable reactions, reflected in an average vote of about 6.8 out of 10 from viewers. Praise tended to focus on its action sequences and a consistent moral throughline, while some seasons were criticized for uneven plotting and character shifts. Recurring themes include redemption, responsibility to others, the burden of legacy, and the personal toll of leading a double life.