Arrow: Oliver Queen’s journey was always about love

Oliver Queen started his journey as a grumpy vigilante wanting to right the wrongs of the past – but his story in Arrow was always about family, about redemption and about love.

Let’s all remember where Arrow started: Oliver Queen, a self-involved playboy who had never truly given others a second thought, was lost at sea, and he returned with only one purpose, and you know the rest.

But why did Oliver Queen’s vigilante journey get started? What kept him going along the way? What gives him the strength to make the final sacrifice to save the multiverse? Well, I’ll argue that the central theme of Oliver’s redemption, and of this ending was none other than this: love.

It was his father that got him started, but his mother and his sister, as well as Laurel and Tommy who inspired Oliver. He wanted to be better for them, and he wanted the city to be safe, not for himself – he didn’t think he deserved that – but for those he cared about.

Then, he found a partner, a friend, and a brother. And Diggle inspired him every day to create the kind of world where his friend could go off, get married, have kids, all the things Oliver never thought he could get for himself.

Except, of course, Felicity Smoak walked into his life, and his purpose, which had always been about the people he cared about, shifted.

First, it was about protecting her, about keeping her safe. Then it was about more than that; it was about her happiness, her peace. And for Felicity to get that, Oliver would have sacrificed anything, even himself.

But Felicity didn’t want that. She wanted him. And slowly, Oliver’s purpose changed, once again. It wasn’t just about making others happy, about saving the world for others. It was about his own happiness too, his own love, and his very own happy ending.

This all ties to the decision Oliver made during Elseworlds, a decision that would come to head during Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was a decision to, once again, sacrifice for the good of others, for the good of the multiple worlds, as it would turn out.

Why did Oliver make that deal to die for Barry and Kara? Was it because he thought they were better heroes than him? Because he thought he didn’t deserve to live out a quiet life with his wife, his son and his baby girl?

No, it was because Oliver loved Barry and Kara, and because he wanted to make sure the world his family would get to live in would be protected.

Later, the decision became even clearer during Crisis on Infinite Earths. It wasn’t just about Barry and Kara; it was about preserving the future, not just a future. And Oliver Queen wasn’t going to stand by and let the people he loved suffer because he wasn’t willing to make that ultimate sacrifice.

The one his father had made for him.

Because the thing is, Oliver Queen was now a father. And all that love that had always driven him to do things, inspired him to be better, was focused on two people: William and Mia. And Oliver the father would sacrifice anything for that love, even his own overdue happiness.

Now, I’m not exactly a fan of the ending Arrow gave us. I firmly believe that heroes should get a chance to live out their happy endings, and that sacrifice isn’t the only way. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the journey of Oliver Queen, or the overall theme of the series.

Because yes, even for the super-tough vigilante known as the Arrow, love can be the way. Love can be the reason. And that doesn’t make him – or anyone – any less of a hero.