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Arrow

Arrow

Heroes fall. Legends rise.

2012–2020Ended8 seasons170 episodes~42 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the city as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Arrow?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Arrow streaming on Pluto TV (free) and Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Arrow?

Arrow earns 6 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Arrow worth watching?

Arrow's Midcredits score is the 65th percentile of all shows, from 471K ratings across 2 sources. 79% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

65th percentile

Better received than 65% of shows

56th percentile among Action63rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)58th
Approval (how many liked it)70th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

72 /100

58th percentile of all shows

52nd percentile among Action56th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

79% liked it

70th percentile of all shows

59th percentile among Action68th percentile among 2010s
79% rated it 7–1021% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

464K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • Stephen Amell's committed, athletic performance anchors the show
  • Seasons 1-2 have a dark, gritty tone and strong villains (Deathstroke, Merlyn)
  • Choreographed action sequences are intense and well-staged

Detractors panned

  • Writing becomes soap-opera melodrama with repetitive relationship conflicts
  • Later seasons (especially 4, 6, 7) have weak, recycled plots and illogical character choices
  • Team Arrow bloats with too many inexperienced sidekicks undermining Oliver's competence

What stands out

ActingDivisive68

Stephen Amell praised as physically committed; supporting cast uneven, Katie Cassidy often criticized

AtmosphereDivisive65

Early seasons create a grounded, gritty world; later seasons lose cohesion as universe expands

TensionDivisive60

Strong suspense in early seasons (Slade, Prometheus); later seasons rely on repetitive threats with no real stakes

CharactersDivisive55

Strong early arcs (Oliver, Diggle, Slade) but later seasons ruin Felicity, introduce too many shallow vigilantes

Emotional impactDivisive55

Some moments genuinely moving (Oliver's growth, series finale); often undercut by overdone drama

Plot and storyDivisive50

First two seasons have tight, grounded storylines; later seasons repetitive, full of deus ex machina and forced drama

PacingDivisive50

23-episode seasons criticized for filler; first two seasons well-paced, later ones drag with melodrama

DialogueDivisive40

Often clichéd, repetitive lines ('we need to talk', 'save my city') veer into soap opera territory

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 12 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 18 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Episodes

8 seasons

Season 8 · 2019 · 10 episodes · 7.7 average across 10 rated episodes

  • S8E1

    Starling City

    Oct 15, 201942 minTMDB rating 7.7
  • S8E2

    Welcome to Hong Kong

    Oct 22, 201942 minTMDB rating 7.3
  • S8E3

    Leap of Faith

    Oct 29, 201942 minTMDB rating 8.0
  • S8E4

    Present Tense

    Nov 5, 201942 minTMDB rating 7.8
  • S8E5

    Prochnost

    Nov 19, 201942 minTMDB rating 7.8
  • S8E6

    Reset

    Nov 26, 201942 minTMDB rating 7.8

Watch experience

What is Arrow like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and intense — a relentless watch that leaves you bittersweet.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Melodramatic · 9% of shows: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Nonlinear · 5% of shows: Events shown out of chronological order.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneArrow plays its vigilante crusade straight with a dark, earnest seriousness, never winking at the audience even when the plot strains credulity.
The rideThe series maintains a consistent pressure of action and moral weight, with emotional peaks and valleys across each season, but the overall feel is tense and urgent.
StructureThe series intercuts present-day Starling City with flashbacks to Oliver's five-year ordeal on the island, creating a nonlinear storytelling structure.
Episode formatEach episode typically features a villain-of-the-week tactical situation, but is woven into a season-long serialized conspiracy or villain arc.
Season formatEach season centers on a new major villain and a thematic arc (e.g., corruption, radicalism, legacy), while the core cast and setting remain consistent; after season 5 the show changes shape but still fits.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe series ends with a poignant sense of closure and sacrifice but leaves viewers feeling uplifted by the legacy Oliver built.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe typical episode features Oliver Queen as the vigilante Arrow confronting a criminal threat — a villain-of-the-week — fitting the predator subtype of overcoming the monster.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% (this title) · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 3% of showsJustice · 14% of showsFamily bonds
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeOliver's central arc is earning back the trust of his family and city after his past as a killer, while dispensing vigilante justice and trying to protect those he loves.
StanceThe show ultimately affirms Oliver's mission of redemption and justice, presenting his vigilante path as a heroic corrective to a corrupt system.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicForeground music · original score · Blake Neely
SettingStarling City, a fictional crime-ridden metropolis
MusicThe score is action-driven with a memorable main theme that underscores Oliver's transformation and resolve.

Content guide

Is Arrow okay for kids?

TV-14

Arrow is rated TV-14. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (72/100), sexual content at moderate (38/100), language at moderate (36/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (57/100) and frightening material at intense (64/100). Overall it is heavier than 77% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 31 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15
  • New Zealand16
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • ArgentinaSAM 16
  • Austria16
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • Hungary16
  • IndiaU
  • MexicoB
  • MYP13
  • Netherlands16
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland16
  • Portugal12AP
  • PRTV-14
  • RO15
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeM18
  • South Africa18
  • Spain16
  • Switzerland16
  • THน 15+
  • Türkiye13+
  • VITV-14
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 60% of all showsHeavier than 77% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 82%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 48%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 43%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 83%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a TV-14 show
heavier than 78%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Arrow have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Arrow?

Cast

David Ramsey
as John Diggle
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Stephen Amell
as Oliver Queen
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Emily Bett Rickards
as Felicity Smoak
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Katie Cassidy
as Laurel Lance
Paul Blackthorne
as Quentin Lance
Willa Holland
as Thea Queen
Colton Haynes
as Roy Harper
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Rick Gonzalez
as Rene Ramirez
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Echo Kellum
as Curtis Holt
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
John Barrowman
as Malcolm Merlyn

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What are shows like Arrow?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Arrow include Watchmen (2019), The Punisher (2017) and Daredevil (2015).

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