30 facts about Arrow that might surprise you

Arrow re-introduced fans to everyone’s favorite arrow wielding, vigilante, and the individuals that comprise Team Arrow.

Through Greg Berlanti’s hit series, fans came to know and love a new iteration of the beloved character which introduced fans to a slew of new characters and plot twists that have won over fans.

Today, we’ve rounded up 30 random and unknown facts about Arrow with a list you can use to impress your fellow Arrow fans. From character origins to hidden references, you just might be surprised by a few items on this list no matter how much you think you know about Arrow. 

30. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood originated the role of Sara Lance

If you were to re-watch the Arrow pilot you might wonder who the mysterious brunette romancing Oliver Queen on the Queen’s Gambit is.

What many fans might not realize is Caity Lotz was not the first actress cast in the role of Sara Lance – that honor went to actress Jacqueline MacInnes Wood.

Woods was initially cast in the role of Sara for the Arrow pilot, however, when the series’ first season began production The CW recast the role for unknown reasons. Though no official announcement surrounding Wood’s exit was ever given, many believe her departure was a result of the actress’ full-time role on CBS’ The Bold and The Beautiful.

29. The real reason Caity Lotz wore a wig on Arrow

You’ve probably wondered why the already blonde Sara Lance wore a blonde wig when donning her Canary attire. As it turns out, the decision to add in the clear blonde wig was a move by the production team to ensure that the Black Canary’s hair popped against her black leather suit, thus providing additional contrast to her look.

28. What bow did Oliver use on Arrow?

If there is one thing fans know about The Arrow it’s that he never goes anywhere without his trusty bow, and for a modest price you too can own The Arrow’s favorite bow.

Throughout Season 2 and Season 3, The Arrow used the Oneida Kestrel Compound bow, a bow with over 30 years of design and hunting experience meant to help enhance a hunter’s experiences.

Even without all of The Arrow’s tricked-out gadgetry, the Oneida Kestrel Compound bow features “redesigned cams with an incorporated draw stop, machined riser, Engineered Structural Composite outboard limbs, Gordon glass power limbs and two finishes to choose from.” Another perk we’re sure The Arrow enjoys: the bow’s shorter stature which provides increased maneuverability.

27. Oliver Queen has a Hidden Tic

Have you ever noticed Oliver clenching his hands together when he’s in slightly uncomfortable situations which would result in heighten anxiety?

Turns out the action is a sort of “tic” actor Stephen Amell has developed over the course of the show. The idea is that Oliver clenches his hands when he’s anxious about something and is not holding his bow.

26. Arrow season 1 box art features a major oversight

Back when The CW released the cover art for the Season 1 DVD and Blu-Rays, fans quickly noticed the lack of one very important attribute from Oliver Queen’s chest: a tattoo that had been visible in every episode of the series.

While the mishap has never really been addressed, it’s interesting to ponder how The CW failed to notice the missing tattoo – especially considering how the tattoo has been visible in multiple episodes and even played a major role in season 1’s “Lone Gunmen.”

25. Justin Hartley was originally envisioned to lead Arrow

Back when The CW announced it was developing a series centered around The Green Arrow, many fans assumed the role would be offered to Smallville‘s Justin Hartley – who played the character from 2006-2011 on the WB/CW drama.

While Smallville originally introduced the character as means to fill the gap left by the series’ inability to secure Bruce Wayne aka Batman fans quickly grew to love the character. As Smallville‘s run came to an end and rumors of a Green Arrow series swirled, fans rallied behind Hartley and Hartley expressed extreme interest in pursuing a spinoff.

The CW would eventually go a different direction. As Stephen Amell’s popularity as The Arrow grew, DC and the powers that be gradually erased the image of Hartley’s Green Arrow from existence in order to filter in Amell’s likeliness.

24. Stephen Amell inspired Oliver Queen’s workout

More often than not, writers and showrunners will incorporate various traits, stories, and tics from their stars’ personal lives. These could be as simple as a way of pronouncing various words, an actor’s personal style/fashion sense, stories/experiences from actors’ lives, etc.

The Arrow crew opted to incorporate an aspect of Amell’s personal workout routine. While prepping for the role, creators discovered Amell’s experience with the “salmon ladder” and his ability to effortlessly take on the task. The creators liked what they saw and they decided to add the exercise to The Arrow’s personal training routine.

23. Where did the name John Diggle originate from?

It’s no secret that the character John Diggle was created specifically for this particular series. What fans might not know is where the character’s name originated.

The name was bestowed upon the character as a tribute to one of the original Green Arrow comic writers Andy Diggle. Andy Diggle’s contributions to the DC Comics industry include, among many others, the Green Arrow: Year One franchise – which has been used heavily to inspire the series’ central characters and storyline.

In fact, Andy Diggle’s contribution to the Green Arrow comic book lore is so crucial that many believe The CW would have never commissioned the series without Andy Diggle’s take on the character.

22. John Diggle didn’t make his comic debut until 2013

Speaking of Diggle…

After the launch of Arrow back in 2012, Diggle quickly became a fan-favorite character among fans of the series. Due to his popularity, it wasn’t long before Diggle made the leap to print.

Diggle officially joined the DC comic book universe in Issue 24 of the New 52 titles’ “Green Arrow” series which hit stands in October 2013.

In leaping from television to print, Diggle joins an elite group of characters that originated on the small screen before appearing in a DC comic – an honor he shares with Smallville‘s Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack).

21. Arrow kept its casting in the family

Okay so perhaps you’ve already figured out the fact that The Arrow and one half of Firestorm are in fact related. That’s right Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell are indeed cousins.

While the duo’s acting careers began in very different paths, the two soon enjoyed something few relatives have been able to attain: starring roles in two television dramas that aired back to back on the same network. The CW quickly touted its Stephen Amell fronted Arrow and Robbie Amell fronted Tomorrow People Wednesday night line-up through its “Amell Wednesdays” promotional campaign.

Though The Tomorrow People would come to an end after just one season, The CW managed to keep the cousins on the same network when Robbie was cast on the network’s Arrow spin-off The Flash.

20. Love-Hate Relationship

Despite the fact that Oliver was trapped on Lian Yu for numerous years and his time on the island was anything but pleasant, Oliver somehow always managed to travel to modern-day Lian Yu at least once per season.

It’s unclear why the series’ writers always included a trip back to the island, but it’s clear that Oliver has a love-hate relationship that molded him into the vigilante he is today.

19. How to pronounce Ra’s al Ghul

Ever wonder why some individuals refer to Ra’s al Ghul as Raysh while others pronounce his first name as Raas? Turns out that there is a legitimate explanation for the varying pronunciations of Ra’s al Ghul’s first name.

During a WonderCon panel, Arrow writer and producer Andrew Kreisberg revealed that the pronunciation of Ra’s’ name all comes down to the character’s background. If the character is a member of the League of Assassins they will refer to him as Raysh, while all other characters will refer to him as Raas.

18. Liam Neeson wanted to reprise his role as Ra’s al Ghul

That’s right! The Liam Neeson was interested in reprising his role as Ra’s al Ghul – a role he took on in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.

When word got out that Arrow would be introducing the infamous Batman villain in Season 3, one MTV reporter jumped at the chance to ask Neeson if he would be up for reprising his role. Much to the reporter’s surprise, Neeson revealed that he would jump at the chance “in a heartbeat.”

After word of Neeson’s interest made its way to The CW President Mark Pedowitz, Pedowitz did what any reasonable network head would do and reached out to Neeson with an offer. However, Neeson was unable to work the series’ filming requirements into his already jam-packed filming schedule.

Had Neeson been able to work the filming schedule into his workload, it would have been the first time a DC Comics cinematic character crossed over to the land of television —  a moment that would later come via the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover — and ultimately would have linked the Arrow universe to Nolan’s Batman universe.

17. Deadshot’s victims are far from fictional

As fans of the character Deadshot know, Deadshot is known to tattoo the names of his victims on his body. Typically these names are all fictional characters within the DC Universe, however, in the Arrow universe, the crew decided to think outside the box and add a few production team members to Deadshot’s hitlist.

Among the notable names: Green Arrow: Year One writer Andrew Diggle (who shares the name of the character Diggle’s on-screen brother), production manager Todd Pittson, assistant director Ken Shane, photography director Gordon Vermeil and director Glen Winter.

16. The secret meaning of Arrow’s Verdant club

Welcome to Verdant, the only club in Starling City that not only has a secret lair hidden beneath it but also has a hidden meaning behind its name.

Verdant: adj – of the bright green color of lush grass.

That’s right, the name Verdant is more than just some cool, hip and random name Oliver Queen came up with on a whim. Instead, the nightclub’s name is a reference/nod to the Green Arrow’s favorite color.

However, that’s not the only hidden meaning/nod to the character in the club’s name. If you look closely at the “V” you’ll notice a subtle nod to The Arrow’s choice weapon – the arrow.

15. Was Harley Quinn in Arrow?

Deep among Arrow‘s ever-growing list of hidden cameos and nods to the DC Comics universe, is one of the series truly great treats: a surprise cameo by The Joker’s darling sidekick Harley Quinn.

In Season 2’s “Suicide Squad,” Amanda Waller works to assemble her team of villains in order to stop Gholem Qadir from selling off a dangerous weapon. While on location at Waller’s secret prison/containment area Harley can be heard screaming in the background as Diggle and Lyla pass by.

For the vocal cameo, vocal actress Tara Strong was brought in to reprise the character which she voiced in DC’s Batman: Arkham City and Injustice: Gods Among Us video games. In a deleted scene available on the Arrow second season set, the character of Harley Quinn is shown from behind sporting the character’s signature hairdo.

Harley’s mini-cameo in Arrow also marked the character’s first appearance in a DC live-action project.

14. Did Arrow use real arrows?

Its hard to imagine The Arrow without his arrows, but if you were to visit the Arrow set you wouldn’t see The Arrow or any other arrow-wielding heroes/villains using a real bow and arrow on set.

Turns out those arrows are extremely dangerous even under expert supervision and trained actors, as actor Stephen Amell revealed in an interview with Press Association back in 2013:

"“It’s very, very dangerous to shoot a bow and arrow on set. Even if you put a rubber tip on the arrow, it can still pierce your skin, or at least it wouldn’t feel great.”"

For safety reasons the arrows are added in using a little CGI magic, though Amell promises the form and everything associated with his character’s archery skills are the results of his tutorials and practice.

"“That’s me with the form and everything. Occasionally I’ll shoot and I’ve gotten very good; I practice on the weekends–but [on set] it’s almost always CGI.”"

13. Queen Consolidated actually exists

Oliver Queen and the Queen family’s once-prominent Queen Consolidated is not all C.G.I. after all.

Turns out Queen Consolidated actually exists – well sort of.

For the series’ exterior shots of Queens Consolidated, Arrow uses stock footage of a real-life structure. Images of the Belgacom Towers in Brussels, Belgium (seen to the right) are digitally altered and then used for shots of Queen Consolidated.

In post-production, teams go in to digitally add the series’ signature “Q-Consolidated” logo which is seen atop the iconic Arrow offices.

12. Distancing itself from the Dark Knight

Though Arrow may share some similar tones to Christopher Nolan’s beloved Dark Knight trilogy, The CW and the Arrow writers have gone above and beyond to avoid comparisons to the Dark Knight franchise.

In fact, it was because the series wanted to avoid comparisons to The Dark Knight trilogy that they opted to introduce R’as al Ghul’s lesser-known daughter Nyssa al Ghul over the more widely known Talia al Ghul.

In the DC Comics, Nyssa is Talia’s half-sister raised outside the League of Assassins – however, Nyssa still has a trained background as a hardened warrior. In the Arrow universe, the character is the sole daughter of R’as al Ghul and she is brought up under Ra’s upbringing.

11. Arrow’s hidden tribute to DC Comics

Arrow truly is full of nods and tributes to the DC Comics universe. One of the most prominent and ongoing tributes is to DC Comics’ New 52 franchise.

The tributes begin at the Starling City Police Department. Not only is the 52 thrown in subtly at the end of the number (1952) inscribed on the front of the building, but Detective Lance on various occasions has called in using the phrase Delta-Charlie-52 (DC52).

The tributes go beyond the Starling City PD though.

One of the most-watched news stations in Starling City seems to be News 52. News 52 has broken several stories from within the show including Oliver Queen’s return from the dead, Malcolm Merlyn’s undertaking, and Moria Queen’s trial.

10. Arrow staged a massive Spartacus reunion

If a fan of Spartacus: War of the Damned were to have tuned into Arrow‘s first or second season, they quickly could have assumed they were watching a Spartacus reunion.

Several actors that appeared in Starz’s hit drama have appeared on The CW’s hit drama. Among the list of Spartacus actors to have appeared on Arrow: Manu Bennet (Slade Wilson), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Amanda Waller), Katrina Law (Nyssa al Ghul), and Nick E. Tarabay (Digger Harkness).

However, Arrow‘s connection to Spartacus: War of the Damned goes even deeper than a series of recurring characters.

Back in the day, Stephen Amell was one of the front-runners to take over the role of Spartacus after actor Andy Whitfield’s untimely passing. The role would eventually go to Liam McIntyre who has since joined Arrow‘s spin-off series, The Flash, as DC Comics’ Weather Wizard.

9. Oliver Queen’s Bruce Springsteen connection

Throughout Arrow‘s first three seasons, the title of the penultimate episodes of each season has been the name of a Bruce Springsteen song.

For Season 1 we have “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” for Season 2 we have “Streets on Fire,” and in Season 3 we have “This is your Sword.” It remains unclear what the connection to the song and episode titles is, but it’s clear someone on the Arrow lot must be a huge Springsteen fan!

8. Starling City’s skyline blended several iconic skylines

Not only does Starling City bring together a diverse group of heroes and villains, but the city itself blends together several major cities in one unique way: its skyline.

The skyline shown throughout Arrow‘s run is not a shot of one particular city. Instead, The CW blends together footage of various cities from not only across the United States, but across the world. Among the cities used to create Arrow‘s skyline are Back Bay Boston, Massachusetts; Singapore; and Tokyo, Japan.

7. What does 399471 mean on Arrow?

In the Season 1 episode Damaged, Oliver is accused of being the hooded vigilante parading around town sending arrows through various criminals’ limbs. Oliver is placed under house arrest and does what any billionaire playboy would do: throw a huge costume party and use your costume to mock the system.

Oliver shows up to the party dressed as an inmate with the number 399471 patched onto the front of his shirt. Turns out 399471 is the hex code for the shade of green used to create Oliver’s hood.

6. Iron Heights staged one of the first Arrow/Flash crossovers

Welcome to Iron Heights, the home (or former home) to some of the world’s biggest superheroes’ parents! Not only was Iron Heights the facility in which Oliver’s ill-fated mother Moria enjoyed a brief stint, but it is the same prison that held Barry Allen aka The Flash’s father.

5. Arrow’s Teen Titans Easter egg

On several occasions within Arrow, Oliver Queen and company have given fans quite a few geographical DC references to famous DC cities which are home to some of the world’s most well-known heroes.

One of the top referenced cities is none other than the city of Blüdhaven – in fact the fictional city was briefly visited during a Season 1 episode. In the DC Comics universe, Blüdhaven is the home to Dick Grayson aka Nightwing (also formerly known as Robin).

4. Roy Harper’s nickname was inspired by Colton Haynes

Roy Harper is a man of many names: The Arrow, Speedy, Roy, Abercrombie…

Of those names, one, in particular, stands out above the rest: Abercrombie.

Throughout the first season, Sin often refers to Roy by the nickname “Abercrombie,” and there’s actually more to the story of the nickname than one would initially believe. As it turns out, Colton Haynes, the actor who portrayed Roy Harper on the series, used to be an Abercrombie & Fitch model before becoming an actor.

3. Hatley Castle: Home of the Superhero

Have you ever looked at the exterior of the Queen Mansion and gotten a strange sense of déjà vu?

The Hatley Castle in Colwood, British Columbia is the exact same mansion that was used in both Smallville and in the first two X-Men films. It is the same castle that Smallville villain Lex Luthor and the Luthor family called home for 10 seasons and the place where 20th Century Fox kicked off its superhero magic with its X-Men franchise – that’s right its the same location which Charles Xavier trained the likes of Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore and all the other original franchise’s characters.

2. Olicity almost never happened

Can you imagine Team Arrow or Arrow as a series without the lovely Emily Bett Rickards’ Felicity Smoak? For Arrow fans it’s unimaginable to think of a series without Felicity, but if the writers had stuck to their original plan that’s exactly what we would have today.

As it turns out, the character of Felicity Smoak was only set to appear in one episode of the series (the third episode of Season 1 to be specific).

However, Rickards’ chemistry with Stephen Amell was so great that the network quickly took notice. What was once set to be a one-and-done appearance quickly turned into a leading role and it didn’t take long for Felicity to win fans over as well.

1. More to Diggle’s Story

Ever since Diggle’s introduction into the Arrow universe fans questioned Diggle’s true purpose within the franchise.

Over the years, many fans theorized Diggle could at some point becomes the Green Lantern, due to how much his character shared with the character John Stewart (who took over the mantel from Hal Jordan in the comics and animated universe).

Both characters share a military background and fans have argued that as Diggle’s middle name had never been revealed the character’s full name could turn out to be John Stewart Diggle. The series even managed to sneak in a nod to the long-running fan theory in the final season of Arrow when Diggle discovered what appeared to be a Green Lantern ring.