Despite having no actual powers of his own, Oliver Queen is still one of the best heroes operating within the DC universe. Armed with a bow and arrow and a genuine heart, Green Arrow has protected the Earth from all sorts of threats throughout his time.
However, while many are familiar with the character due to the popularity of the Arrow TV series, Green Arrow doesn’t have nearly as much history as someone like Batman. Because of this, he has a tendency to face off against a lot of shared threats within the universe, despite having a great rogues gallery of his own. Looking at some of the greater threats that are specific to Oliver Queen, here is our list of Green Arrow’s 10 deadliest villains.
10 Komodo
Created during the New 52, Simon Lacroix was introduced as an all-new adversary for the Emerald Archer. As his history was revealed, fans discovered that Komoda was actually a protege of Robert Queen, Green Arrow’s father.
Unfortunately, the villain wasn’t around for very long in the comics, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was incredibly deadly. His archery skills rivaled Arrow’s own, and he even held his own against the likes of Shado, one of the DC universe’s best fighters. Though he wasn’t around for very long in the comics, Komodo definitely proved to be one of Green Arrow’s deadliest opponents.
9 The 9th Circle
As one of the more recent villains to challenge Oliver Queen, The 9th Circle isn’t actually a single person, but an organization similar to that of Batman’s Court of Owls. What makes The 9th Circle more unique though, is that they are actually a bank that funds criminal activities.
Introduced as part of the Rebirth series for the character, The 9th Circle worked hard to make life as difficult as possible for Green Arrow, teaming with other villains and manipulating certain factors, proving to be one of the smarter foes the character has fought against. Though they typically attacked indirectly, The 9th Circle wasn’t afraid to get their hands dirty, earning them their place on this list.
8 China White
Though few may be familiar with her, China White actually made a live-action appearance on the CW’s Arrow. Since making her debut as part of the Green Arrow: Year One miniseries, China has been a fairly regular opponent for the archer.
Though she isn’t an incredibly common enemy, China White has still proven her worth as a character, especially as the crime lord of one of the biggest drug-running organizations in the DC universe. On top of that, White is also an incredibly experienced fighter, making it easy to see how she rose to power. With both brains and brawn on her side, White is easily one of the biggest baddies that is unique to Oliver Queen.
7 Clock King
Despite his lackluster codename, the new Clock King has especially proven to be one of Green Arrow’s deadlier adversaries. Like China White, Billy Tockman runs a crime ring, but typically operates solely within Seattle.
In the past, Clock King has proven to be a rather silly villain. Fortunately, the New 52 was rather kind to his character, reintroducing him as a much more serious threat. Though he is still far from being a major villain, Clock King has managed to do some pretty devastating things to Oliver, including attacking his family. While he may not seem like much, he is definitely not to be underestimated.
6 Onomatopoeia
When Kevin Smith began his acclaimed run on Green Arrow, the popular author and filmmaker quickly introduced Onomatopoeia into the DC universe. Part of what makes the villain so deadly, however, is that people aren’t quite sure how his powers work.
Having faced off against both Green Arrow and Batman, Onomatopoeia has wreaked all sorts of havoc throughout the DC universe. Though he hasn’t been seen much outside of Smith’s own works, the few appearances he has are definitely enough to rank him a bit higher on this list than others.
5 Brick
Daniel “Brick” Brickwell has proven to be quite troublesome for Green Arrow over the years. As a crime lord himself, Brick has the added advantage of his own superhuman abilities, making him incredibly strong and virtually invulnerable.
With abilities like this, it makes sense that Oliver would have a difficult time taking down the villain, especially without powers of his own. Fortunately, Oliver has emerged victorious every time, but Brick is definitely one of the more challenging foes to operate within Star City. Brick has also made the jump to other forms of media, and even played a minor role in the popular Young Justice series, which did a great job of showing just how dangerous the villain can be at times.
4 Cupid
Like her portrayal in Arrow, the comic book version of Cupid isn’t the most sane character ever created. Because of this, she is incredibly unpredictable, and often just as dangerous. Plus, with enhanced abilities of her own, Cupid has made a great opponent for both Green Arrow and Black Canary alike.
Though she also hasn’t made many appearances in the comics, Cupid has managed to best both Brick and Malcolm Merlyn, making it easy to see why she lands so high. Though her portrayal in the TV series could have been a bit stronger, there’s no denying just how dangerous she is in the comics.
3 Drakon
Even without superhuman abilities, Constantine Drakon is one of the deadliest fighters in the entire DC universe. His skills are so great that he has been known to catch moving arrows, and is very proficient in hand to hand combat as well as with firearms.
Furthermore, despite being a Green Arrow villain, the character actually has more history with the Connor Hawke version of the character, though he has crossed paths with Oliver Queen. Furthermore, his team ups with Brick and Deathstroke truly show off just how dangerous he can be, making it hard to see why he hasn’t appeared a lot in more recent comics.
2 Count Vertigo
Few other Green Arrow villains are more iconic than Count Vertigo. Unlike almost every other villain on this list, Vertigo has actually had an impact on the larger DC universe as a whole. Of course, this is, in part, due to his royal status, but the character is easily one of Oliver Queen’s more interesting opponents as well.
Over the years, Vertigo has been a constant thorn in the Emerald Archer’s side, using both his metahuman power and his political power to manipulate all sorts of variables. Thankfully, Arrow has been able to defeat him at almost every turn, but there’s no denying the impact the villain has had within the DC universe.
1 Dark Archer
Of course, the only villain who could possibly rival Vertigo as Green Arrow’s top villain is none other than Malcolm Merlyn. Serving as a great antithesis to Green Arrow himself, Merlyn has proven his worth as a villain several times over.
Considered to be one of the most accurate marksman in the DC universe, Merlyn has been one of the most consistent enemies in Oliver’s life, making him one of the deadliest as well. Though his comic book persona is different from his portrayal on Arrow, the two characters are definitely locked in a constant battle. With Merlyn’s skills arguably surpassing Oliver’s own, it is easy to see why he is the hero’s greatest enemy.