The OG Arrowverse show, Arrow is an impressive example of a what superhero TV series looks like done right. Easily the darkest and grittiest series in the Arrowverse, Arrow follows the exploits of Oliver Queen as he strives to atone for his past sins while defeating the criminals of Star City with help from Team Arrow.
Due to the size of the main cast on the show (and the constantly revolving door of characters), Arrow has featured many relationships throughout its eight seasons. Some will be remembered long after the show has ended, while others quietly fade into the background forgotten.
Best - Oliver And Shado
When Arrow first started, things were looking bleak for the Emerald Archer even before he took up the mantle of hero. Thanks to the flashbacks the series is known for, the audiences got to see exactly how Oliver became the Green Arrow. Here, he became stranded on the island of Lian-Yu and was forced to fight to survive.
Fortunately, Oliver was not alone on the island. He soon encountered Slade Wilson, Yao Fei and Shado. He and Shado soon struck up a rapport as she mentored him on how to use a bow and arrow. Eventually, they became a couple and it was nice to see Oliver have this little slice of happiness while he was in hell.
Worst - Oliver And Helena
Oliver first encountered Helena Bertinelli while trying to take down her father under the guise of the Hood. In order to do so, he tried to befriend the family as Oliver Queen, eventually becoming close to Bertinelli’s daughter. They went on a couple of dates together until Helena learned Oliver’s secret identity.
Initially Helena became part of Team Arrow, much to Diggle’s reluctance, but it soon became apparent that she was out for blood. In fairness, she had good reason to want to kill her father but her obsession lead her into insanity. Oliver has dated a lot of women but Helena turned out to be a proper psychopath.
Best - Thea And Roy
For the whole five and a bit seasons that Thea was on the show, her one main love interest was Roy Harper. The first time they met wasn’t exactly a meet-cute moment, as Roy tried to steal her purse but thanks to Thea’s kindness and willingness to see the good in people, Roy avoided jail time.
Their relationship grew from there and it was honestly adorable to watch. Thea was never jealous of Roy and Sin’s friendship, and Roy was the most honest person in her life. Ultimately they broke up because Thea didn’t feel like she could trust anyone in her life but the couple have hooked up a few times since.
Worst - Ray and Felicity
These two are literally the cheeriest and dorkiest characters to have ever appeared on Arrow and so their relationship should have been successful in theory. Admittedly, it was quite cute as both sides had been hurt before and needed someone to act as a comfort blanket. Watching them help each other back up was adorable.
However, this couple occurred during Season 3, the season which spent a lot of its time trying to convince viewers that Oliver and Felicity should be an item. Unfortunately, the two went back and forth a lot, irritating viewers, and Ray and Felicity’s relationship was just another plot point devised to keep Olicity apart.
Best - Tommy And Laurel
These two were actually surprisingly sweet together, and one of the highlights of Season 1. Tommy clearly had a crush on Laurel but the latter struggled to trust Tommy because of his sexually active past with many, many women. Eventually, though, Tommy won Laurel over and they started dating.
Initially, the two felt a bit awkward as Oliver was Laurel’s ex and Tommy’s best friend. Also, this was probably the first serious relationship Tommy had ever had. However, they overcame those obstacles as a couple and both helped the other to become better people.
Worst - Oliver And Sara
This couple didn’t exactly get off to the best start. Firstly, Oliver was dating Sara’s sister, Laurel, when they got together which was obviously a jerk move. Secondly, the moment they stole away to have some alone time together, they got blown up and marooned on an exotic island in the middle of nowhere.
Their time spent on Lian-Yu did help to mature the pair thanks to their shared traumatic past and they briefly rekindled their relationship when they encountered each other again in the present day. By this point though, too much time had passed and they were both completely different people. It simply didn’t work out.
Best - Diggle And Lyla
Diggle and Lyla have maintained a solid relationship since Season 2 of Arrow. Interestingly, they were actually a couple before the show began, having dated and even been married to each other in the past. They broke up due to seemingly irreconcilable differences but when they met each other again on the series, the spark was still there.
Their relationship isn’t without fault, with Dig occasionally having trouble coming to terms with Lyla’s position as the Head of A.R.G.U.S. but the two have an enormous amount of respect and love for each other. Their relationship is even stronger now as they currently share a son together.
Worst - Oliver And Laurel
Audiences never really got to see what this relationship looked like in all its glory as it was over by the time the first episode aired. However, this couple was teased in various flashbacks and we got enough of the backstory to know that it wasn’t the best relationship ever, mainly due to a certain billionaire playboy.
Before Lian-Yu, Oliver was an entitled ass who suffered no repercussions for his disgusting behavior. He struck up a relationship with Laurel which got to be fairly serious. However, Olly still slept around, resulting in a pregnancy that Moira hid to protect her son. Oliver also slept with Laurel’s sister, and got her killed for about 6 years.
Best - Oliver And Felicity
This may be a controversial choice but we shipped Olicity before they even thought about getting together. The two were just so dam cute together. Who doesn’t miss the days when Oliver would visit Felicity down in IT with a bullet-ridden laptop and a lame excuse, which Felicity would just ignore and help her bae?
While this relationship may have taken its sweet time to actually get going, once it did, it was clear that Oliver and Felicity both loved each other very much. After the producers decided that an on/off relationship wasn’t going to work, Olicity finally became official in Season 6 and have remained strong ever since.
Worst - Moira And Walter
Let’s get this straight: Walter was a gentleman and he deserved better. At first, it looked like Moira and Walter were the perfect couple. Walter helped Moira get through the five worst years of her life and what’s more, he helped get her teenage daughter Thea through it as well.
However, the dynamic of their loving relationship changed when the extent of Moira’s behind the scenes manipulations were revealed. Walter got curious and was close to figuring out Malcolm Merlyn’s plan, so he and Moira had Walter kidnapped. Who honestly does that to someone they supposedly love?
