Arrow Season 4: 10 Characters That Absolutely Cannot Die
8. Quentin Lance
Who He Is: Captain Quentin Lance – formerly Detective, then Officer, then Detective again – is a prominent member of the Starling City Police Department. Vacillating from antagonist to the Arrow to begrudging ally to friend and then back to antagonist once more, Quentin has had reason to quarrel with Oliver as well as the Arrow.
After discovering that the Arrow had neglected to inform him of Sara’s death, Quentin spent the final run of episodes of the third season trying to capture the once-celebrated vigilante.
Why He Cannot Die: Although Quentin has become rather tiresome by this point as a result of his habit of allowing his personal feelings to color his professional dealings, he cannot die simply because he occupies a unique role within the narrative. Quentin Lance is the show’s source within the SCPD. In fact, the police force basically consists of Quentin and a horde of uniformed extras. He can’t die because there’s nobody to replace him.
Besides, Quentin dying at this point would undoubtedly have more to do with his daughters than his own arc. It would be unwise to launch Sara into the spinoff after inflicting upon her the death of her father, and there was already one Lance sacrificed for the sake of Laurel's journey. For now, at least, Quentin Lance must survive.