The BEST episodes of Arrow
Every episode of Arrow ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Arrow!
After being marooned for five years on a remote island and presumed dead, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen returns home with a mysterious agenda and a lethal set of new skills that he uses in a war on crime in his hometown of Starling City.
#1 - Unthinkable
Season 2 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/14/2014
Slade moves forward with his plan to kill one more person in Oliver’s life. While Oliver has fought all year to be more than the killer he once was, when Slade kidnaps someone close to Oliver’s heart, Oliver is pushed to the edge and realizes sometimes it takes doing the unthinkable to stop the monster. Meanwhile, Diggle takes on Amanda Waller with a little help from some friends, and Thea turns to Roy in her time of need.
#2 - Sacrifice
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/15/2013
Oliver and Diggle race to stop the Dark Archer from unleashing his vengeance on The Glades. However, they run into a roadblock after Detective Lance picks up Felicity for questioning. Tommy and Oliver’s already tumultuous relationship takes a turn for the worse after Oliver makes a confession about Laurel. After hearing of the danger in The Glades, Thea races to find Roy, inadvertently putting herself directly in the line of fire for Malcolm’s devious plan. On the island, Oliver, Slade and Shado are locked in a life-or-death struggle against Fyers as his missiles lock on a full Ferris Air jetliner.
#3 - The Climb
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/10/2014
Nyssa returns to Starling City and tells Oliver that her father, Ra’s al Ghul has given Oliver 48 hours to find Sara’s killer or the League of Assassins will start killing the citizens of Starling City. Laurel is stunned when her father delivers a very special Christmas gift — her mother, Dinah. Meanwhile, Ray tries to make amends with Felicity and Oliver sets a meeting with Ra’s al Ghul.
#4 - Lian Yu
Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/24/2017
The battle between Oliver and Adrian Chase culminates in a final epic battle on Lian Yu. After recent events, Oliver decides to recruit a group of unlikely allies — Slade, Nyssa, Merlyn, and Digger Harkness — to defeat Chase. However, Chase has his own army — Black Siren, Evelyn Sharp, and Talia al Ghul — and the forces collide.
#5 - Seeing Red
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/23/2014
The Mirakuru sends Roy into an uncontrollable rage and he unleashes on the city. After Roy’s deadly fight with a police officer, Oliver realizes the Mirakuru has taken over Roy completely and must figure out a way to stop him. Things get more complicated after Sara declares that Roy is too far gone and the only way to stop him is to kill him. Meanwhile, Thea believes she can break through to Roy so she goes on camera at Moira’s campaign rally to lure him to Verdant. Her ploy works but after Roy attacks Thea, Team Arrow unleashes on him.
#6 - Streets of Fire
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/7/2014
Oliver rallies his team as Slade’s soldiers attack the city. Felicity gets a call from S.T.A.R. Labs with game-changing news and Thea comes face-to-face with her father — Malcolm Merlyn.
#7 - Three Ghosts
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/11/2013
After a fight with Cyrus Gold AKA the Acolyte, Oliver is drugged and left for dead. Determined to cure him, Felicity makes a risky decision. The cure causes Oliver to hallucinate, and what he sees forces him to confront his past. Meanwhile, Barry continues to help Felicity, and their connection grows stronger. The Arrow asks Lance to look into Gold, but when the stakeout on Gold goes bad, someone is killed. Roy is captured and tortured by Brother Blood.
#8 - Fadeout
Season 8 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/28/2020
After eight seasons, and the launch of countless superheroes, the series wraps up the story of the Green Arrow.
#9 - The Scientist
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/4/2013
A seemingly impossible robbery at Queen Consolidated’s Applied Sciences Division brings Central City police scientist Barry Allen to town. Citing a similar case back home, Barry offers to help Oliver and team with the investigation. Oliver senses there is more to Barry than meets the eye, but he’s distracted by the similarities between this current case and something that happened on the island. Meanwhile, Felicity takes a liking to Barry, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Oliver. Sin asks Roy for help when a friend of hers goes missing. Roy is surprised when Thea not only encourages him to help, but joins the search. Unfortunately, Sin’s friend is connected to Brother Blood, and their search ultimately gets one of them seriously injured.
#10 - Deathstroke
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/2/2014
Slade makes his move against Oliver and the repercussions are enormous. While Oliver scrambles to protect his family, a key player in his team starts to question Oliver’s decisions. Meanwhile, Isabel makes her move to take Queen Consolidated away from Oliver.
#11 - The Brave and the Bold
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/3/2014
Oliver, Arsenal and Diggle track down the location of a boomerang-wielding killer named Digger Harkness, but are surprised when they come face to face with an A.R.G.U.S. team. Diggle asks Lyla why A.R.G.U.S. is involved but she defers until Harkness attacks the building, killing several agents and targeting Lyla. The Arrow joins the fight and gets help from an old friend — The Flash. Harkness manages to get away and Oliver teams up with Barry again to find him before he can get to Lyla. When Harkness plants five bombs in the city that are timed to explode at the same time, both teams must come together to save the city.
#12 - The Man Under the Hood
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/16/2014
Oliver, Canary, Diggle and Felicity return to the lair and find Slade waiting for them. An epic battle breaks out and one member of Team Arrow is sent to the hospital. Thea hits her breaking point, but just as Oliver is about to reach her, Slade intervenes and Oliver is faced with a choice — his battle with Slade or his family. Meanwhile, Laurel struggles with a new secret.
#13 - Time of Death
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/26/2014
Oliver brings Sara into the Arrow team. Watching Oliver and Diggle spar with Sara and talk old scars, Felicity starts to feel left out. The team is investigating a villain named William Tockman, a.k.a. The Clock King, who is a brilliant thief armed with technology that can open any bank vault in Starling City. After The Clock King infiltrates the computer systems in the lair, Felicity feels pressure to prove her worth. When she gets a lead on Tockman’s whereabouts, she heads out without the team, putting her in peril. Meanwhile, Oliver throws Sara a welcome home party, but Laurel refuses to attend. After Lance makes his case for a family dinner, Laurel acquiesces, but when Oliver shows up with Sara, she loses her temper on both of them.
#14 - What We Leave Behind
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/7/2016
After Prometheus attacks Curtis, Oliver realizes Prometheus knows all of Team Arrow’s secret identities and is planning to come for them one by one. Felicity and Detective Malone discover a clue that links Prometheus to Oliver’s past.
#15 - City of Blood
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/30/2014
After Slade threatens to take everything Oliver loves away, Oliver decides the fastest way to stop further bloodshed is to surrender to his enemy. Knowing that surrender will surely lead to Oliver’s death, Diggle and Felicity go to extreme measures to keep Oliver from confronting Slade. Meanwhile, Thea considers leaving town, and Laurel resumes her crusade against Sebastian Blood. Finally, Slade unleashes his assault on Starling City.
#16 - The Promise
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/5/2014
Oliver is shocked when he learns that Slade has come to Starling City. Back on the island, as Oliver, Slade and Sara prepare to take over the freighter from Ivo, Sara pulls Oliver aside and tells him he needs to kill Ivo to prevent him from telling Slade what happened with Shado. Oliver feels immense guilt over the situation but realizes Slade’s growing rage from the Mirakuru makes him unpredictable and he could turn on his friends if he thinks Oliver is to blame. Oliver agrees to kill Ivo and the battle begins.
#17 - Missing
Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/17/2017
Black Siren returns to help Chase. Felicity organizes a birthday party for Oliver while Lance is furious after Rene misses the custody hearing for his daughter.
#18 - Haunted
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/4/2015
When things take a turn for the worse with Sara, Oliver calls in a favor from an old friend who deals in the mystical, John Constantine.
#19 - Dark Waters
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/9/2015
Oliver makes a bold move against HIVE when the city is attacked. Meanwhile, Malcolm checks in on Thea and leaves her with a warning; and things take a horrible turn when Damien Darhk retaliates in a brutal manner at Oliver’s mayoral holiday party.
#20 - Broken Arrow
Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/15/2015
Lance continues his mission to take down the Arrow so Felicity orders Oliver to keep a low profile. However, when a meta-human named Jake Simmons, who kills people with blasts of energy and plasma, starts terrorizing Starling City, Oliver is forced to ask Ray for help. The unlikely duo is forced to team up to save the city.
#21 - The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/5/2014
When a cyber attack brings Starling City to its knees, Oliver and Felicity are pushed to their limits to contain the destruction. Life gets even more complicated for Felicity when her mother, Donna, stops by for a surprise visit. Meanwhile, Ted Grant questions Laurel’s motives, and Thea buys an apartment with Malcolm’s “estate” money, which infuriates Oliver.
#22 - My Name is Oliver Queen
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/13/2015
Everyone’s lives are in danger as Ra’s al Ghul puts forth his final plan. Oliver/Al Sah-him must decide if he’s strong enough to take on this new role and what it will mean for everyone on Team Arrow, and his soul.
#23 - Crucible
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/30/2013
Oliver discovers a man who goes by the name “The Mayor” is bringing illegal guns in to The Glades, so Oliver sponsors a “Cash for Guns” event to help clean up the city. Unfortunately, The Mayor crashes the event with his gang and seriously injures Sin. The Canary is furious when she learns her friend is in the hospital and sets out for revenge. Meanwhile, Felicity stuns Oliver with a bit of information about the Canary, Donner asks Laurel to dinner, and Diggle reconnects with an old friend.
#24 - The Slabside Redemption
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/26/2018
Oliver makes a choice that will affect his entire life, as well as the lives of everyone he cares about.
#25 - Legends of Yesterday
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/2/2015
Oliver and Barry Allen take Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall to a remote location to keep them hidden from Vandal Savage while they figure out how to defeat him. Malcolm arranges a meeting between Vandal, Green Arrow and The Flash that doesn’t go as planned. Meanwhile, Felicity, Thea, Diggle and Laurel work with Team Flash to come up with a weapon powerful enough to destroy Vandal Savage.