# Arrow (2012)

> A spoiled billionaire returns from years presumed dead and becomes a bow-wielding vigilante fighting the corruption of his hometown.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1328

## Facts

- Seasons: 8
- Episodes: 170
- Episode runtime: 42 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, crime, drama
- Created by: Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim
- Network: The CW
- Cast: Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Rick Gonzalez, Susanna Thompson, Ben Lewis, Emily Bett Rickards, Paul Blackthorne, Colton Haynes
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2193021/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: gritty, brooding, intense, hopeful

## What critics say

Audiences rate Arrow positively, praising its gritty vigilante take on the superhero genre, strong early seasons and an ensemble cast, while noting that quality dipped in later seasons.

## Synopsis

Arrow (2012-2020) is an American superhero series created by Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim for The CW, running eight seasons and 170 episodes. Stephen Amell plays Oliver Queen, a spoiled billionaire playboy who returns to his coastal city after five years missing and presumed dead, reinventing himself as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow. He is joined by his loyal bodyguard John Diggle (David Ramsey), tech whiz Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) and detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne). The engine is simple and relentless: Oliver hunts a list of corrupt powerbrokers while protecting the city from criminals, and each season pits him against a new villain while his personal past keeps catching up with him. Most episodes are built around a case of the week, but season-long arcs give the show a continuing mythology. Presented as a gritty, grounded take on comic book heroism, the series blends brooding action, street-level crime and emotional family drama, with flashbacks threading through the present day. Fans of Daredevil, The Flash and Gotham will find resonance in its blend of masked vigilantism and urban crime drama.

## Shows like Arrow

- [DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/55680)
- [Arrow: Blood Rush (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/63519)
- [Birds of Prey (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1385)
- [The Flash (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54190)
- [Parish (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/121159)
- [Daredevil: Born Again (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/125711)
- [Vixen (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55304)
- [Justified (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/1352)
- [Revenge (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36164)
- [Supergirl (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55709)

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