Arrow season 8 will mark the return of Katana, while Roy Harper will be conspicuously absent. Premiering in 2012, Arrow followed the journey of Oliver Queen as he returned following a mysterious five-year absence and embarked on a continued quest to save his city. The action-packed show quickly gained a passionate following and spawned what has come to be known as the Arrowverse. Earlier in the year, however, it was announced that season 8 would be the last.
The plot of season 8 is being kept firmly under wraps, though it’s known that the season will tie firmly into the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Airing over five hours, Arrow will team with the heroes of The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and even Batwoman in order to halt the multiverse-destroying machinations of The Anti-Monitor. Each of the aforementioned shows featured teases what many expect will be an Avengers: Endgame-level event. The most notable of the teases, however, occurred in Arrow, with Oliver Queen having to leave his family and honor his end of a bargain struck with The Monitor.
According to EW, season 8 will also see Oliver once again cross paths with Tatsu Yamashiro (aka Katana). Played by Rila Fukushima, Arrow’s version of Katana first debuted in season 3’s flashback storyline, which saw Oliver working as an operative for A.R.G.U.S. in Hong Kong. The two shared a contentious and distrustful dynamic, but ultimately came to be allies. She was later folded into the present-day storyline, aiding Oliver’s recovery following his defeat at the hands of Ra’s al Ghul. She was last seen in season 4. Fukushima will reportedly return in season 8 episode 2, “Welcome to Hong Kong”.
Season 8 will also see Roy Harper no longer on the team. Played by Colton Haynes, the character first debuted in season 2. Eventually recruited and trained by Oliver, Roy went on to become Arsenal. He was later forced to fake his death and go into hiding. Despite that, he returned intermittently throughout the show’s run, ultimately resuming his relationship with Thea Queen and embarking with her on a mission of their own. Season 7 saw him return once again. He appeared in both the present day and the flash-forward storylines, aiding the teams against their respective threats. According to TVLine, however, the actor will not be a regular in the final season. Haynes later clarified on Twitter that the demotion was not his choice and indicated that Roy could still feature in some capacity.
Final seasons are notorious for revisiting the past. As such, Katana will no doubt be the first of many to be confirmed over the coming weeks. Alternately, that very fact will make it extremely surprising that Roy Harper won’t be a central figure. Season 7, after all, was notable for leaving various elements of Roy’s story unresolved. Equally, with Emily Bett Rickards having departed the show, there’s plenty of room for a familiar face on the team as the end of an era looms - especially one that has outlived a huge list of supporting characters in order to have a lengthier history than most current regulars. Still, Arrow has always been Oliver Queen’s story, and closing that loop will always take priority, especially with only ten episodes. Plus, with the Arrowverse set to continue, there’s nothing to stop Roy’s story continuing elsewhere. Whatever the case, though, Arrow will no doubt go out with a bang.
More: 7 Characters Arrow Season 8 Needs To Have (& 3 Characters It Needs To Exclude)
Arrow season 8 premieres October 15 on The CW.
Source: TVLine, EW, Colton Haynes
