20 Greatest Arrowverse Villains
8. Ricardo ’The Dragon’ Diaz
Season six of Arrow wasn’t nearly as bad as season four - no pointless flashbacks sapping the will to live, far better pacing, but it also suffered from something of the doldrums. It just wasn’t particularly entertaining, week to week.
That wasn’t the fault of veteran actor Kirk Acevedo, however. Famous for the intense ferocity of his performances, Acevedo gave far more to the role than the weaksauce writing deserved. Like McDonough, he elevated every scene he was in, but not through playing the pantomime villain, all theatrical wisecracks and contemptuous sneer.
No, Acevedo’s Dragon was genuinely scary, a powder keg of fury and pent-up violence kept on a leash by an iron will: and despite a lack of superpowers or countless faceless ninja warriors, more than a match for Team Arrow.
Acevedo’s fine work paid off - for the first time since season two, the writer’s room decided not to end the Big Bad's story in the season finale and had Diaz survive to glower another day. It’s a shame they didn’t really seem to know what to do with him in season seven: Diaz deserved better than his final fate.