Ranking Every Arrowverse Big Bad From Worst To Best
10. Ricardo Diaz
Appeared In: Arrow (Season 6B)
For the first time in Arrowverse history, Arrow's sixth season had two separate Big Bads. While Cayden James didn't live up to expectations, the second major villain, Ricardo Diaz exceeded them. Though he was initially aligned with James (and was incredibly underdeveloped), he eventually came out of that shadow when he killed the hacker and assumed control of Star City. Arrow should definitely be commended for this twist as it revitalized the show and paved the way for an impressive series of episodes.
Diaz was a violent individual who wouldn't let anything stop him from building his empire. But unlike previous villains, he wasn't doing it for the power or the rewards, he was doing it to prove to his childhood bully (and in effect, himself) that he wasn't a loser. A vicious loose-canon, Diaz restored that grounded sense of grittiness that had been absent from the show for years.
Although he would have benefited from a little more backstory exploration (and a lot more focused episodes), Diaz was one of the most compelling villains we have seen so far. Actor Kirk Acevedo was outstanding as the violent mobster and we can't wait to see what Diaz brings to the table in Season 7. Let's just hope he's given more screen time to fully develop this time around.