Ranking Every Season Of Arrow From Worst To Best

After Smallville had single-handedly flown the the flag for the superhero TV genre for over a decade, it was up to Arrow to reinvigorate it once more. But could a show about a less famous superhero - one that also had a major role in the back half of Smallville - accomplish that? And if so, how? The answer to that first question is, obviously, yes. The second, however, is a little more complicated.

While Smallville had lived up to many of the beloved tropes associated with Superman, Arrow completely subverted fans' expectations by taking what should have been another fun and light-hearted hero and turning him into a dark, tortured and broody soul. The result was nothing short of spectacular, as Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen quickly become a compelling protagonist, while the cast of characters around him - particularly Katie Cassidy's original interpretation of Laurel Lance and David Ramsey's trusty John Diggle - all ensured that the drama was every bit as engaging as the heroics.

John Barrowman's Dark Archer served as a fitting first threat for the Emerald Archer - and to this day remains one of the Arrowverse's best villains - while Oliver's list-driven quest for vengeance (and his desire to atone for his own sins) made for a compelling hook throughout the whole season - something that was enhanced by the creative decision to actually allow us to see his time shipwrecked on Lian Yu through flashbacks.

Looking back, there are one or two things that didn't necessarily fit - the voiceover, for instance - but on a whole, Arrow's debut offering was everything it needed to be and so much more.