Hawkeye is easily one of the best marksmen in all of Marvel Comics. Likewise, Green Arrow is one of the best archers within the world of DC. Over the years, the similarities between the two have sparked a lot of debate among fans as to who the better archer is. Going beyond their skills, the two are incredibly similar in other aspects of their character.
For all the pros and cons associated with the both of them, each has proven to be incredibly valuable to their respective teams. In a one-on-one battle though, there are still certain factors that give one the edge over the other. To factor into the debate, here is our contribution to the Hawkeye vs Green Arrow argument, and who is really the better marksman.
Updated on March 29th, 2020, by Richard Keller: There are numerous heroes you could compare between the Marvel and DC universes. Yet, the one that many fans continue to bring up is Hawkeye versus Green Arrow. On top of the items already mentioned, we have a few more to add.
16 Leadership: Hawkeye
Though the Arrowverse's version of Oliver Queen had the leadership chops to run his team, the comic book version of the hero does not have the same capabilities. It's true that he has encouraged heroes to come to his side -- his appearance in Kingdom Come reveals this. True leadership of something like the Justice League ... no, he doesn't have it.
On the other hand, Hawkeye has had plenty of experience leading teams. He was the one who built the original West Coast Avengers to a force comparable with the East Coast version. He also helped hone the skills of the villains-turned-heroes of the Thunderbolts.
15 Legacy: Tie
Both street-level fighters have worked with others to hone their archery skills. In turn, they became the next generation of archers in their respective universes. Ollie had two teens to pass on his legacy. The first one, of course, was Roy Harper, the former Speedy. The other was Ollie's son, Connor Hawke. He became Green Arrow when his father sacrificed himself to prevent the destruction of Metropolis
Meanwhile, Kate Bishop took on the mantle of Hawkeye when Clint was presumed dead. Honing her already expert archery skills, Kate became a member of the Young Avengers. When Clint returned from the dead, he allowed Kate to keep the name and assisted in her training.
14 Relationships: Green Arrow
Save for his marriage to Mockingbird, Hawkeye is someone who isn't sure which way to turn when it comes to relationships. During his career, he has had connections with Black Widow, Wasp, and Scarlet Witch, among others. Most of these have turned out poorly for him. Especially when he courted Wasp, which raised the ire of her sometimes lover Hank Pym.
On the other hand, Ollie has been fairly manganous during his tenure as a superhero. Save for the relationship that begat Connor Hawke and a brief tryst with the assassin Shado, he has spent most of his time with Dianah Lance, known as Black Canary. Though he lost contact with her during the New 52 era, the pair reunited once again during Rebirth.
13 Teamwork: Hawkeye
Both archers are passionate about their roles as heroes. However, Hawkeye has the edge when it comes to teamwork. It's true he's had his differences with leaders, particularly Captain America, but they have rarely come to all-out shouting matches.
Conversely, Green Arrow was a team player during the earliest days of the Justice League. It wasn't until the late 60s, when his conscience shifted, did he start to have issues with Superman, Batman, and other members. Most of his arguments came from differences in battling villains between himself and Hawkman.
12 Costumes: Green Arrow
Since his introduction in the 1940s, Green Arrow's costume has maintained a comfort that allowed him the flexibility to use his arrows. As the times changed, the arrow hat disappeared and was replaced by a hood for use when hidden from a criminal. The green hue of his costume has also gotten darker to blend with the surroundings.
What about Hawkeye's costumes? Well, the less we say about them the better. They have gotten more streamlined since the release of the Avengers movie. Before that, they were certainly meant to show off instead to cover up.
11 Enemy Power Level: Green Arrow
Unfortunately, Hawkeye doesn’t really have any signature villains of his own. Green Arrow, on the other hand, has squared off against threats like Dark Archer, Count Vertigo, Shado, and many more. That’s not to say that Hawkeye hasn’t played a key role in taking down major threats, but his role in the Avengers is very similar to Green Arrow’s in the Justice League. Each of them has had their moments to shine amongst the other members and each has dealt devastating blows to incredible threats. However, Green Arrow certainly has the advantage with villains specific to him.
10 Combat: Hawkeye
Hawkeye’s past has firmly established him as the better hand-to-hand fighter between the two. During his time with S.H.I.E.L.D., Hawkeye has mastered several forms of fighting styles, even training with Captain America. Furthermore, his time with the circus as a child made him incredibly nimble and acrobatic. He is also proficient with several other types of weaponry and is an excellent swordsman on top of being an excellent archer. Though Green Arrow is still a great hand-to-hand fighter, he relies on his equipment far more than Hawkeye does, firmly establishing Hawkeye as the victor in this regard.
9 Archery: Green Arrow
While Hawkeye may be the better combatant, Green Arrow is definitely the better archer. In terms of accuracy, the two of them are actually evenly matched. Over the years, they have been shown to be just as accurate or inaccurate as the story demands. What gives Green Arrow the edge in this regard is in his numbers. During the Green Arrow: Quiver storyline, Oliver Queen was confirmed to fire 33 arrows accurately per minute. Hawkeye’s number is moreso around 30. While Hawkeye is still deadly with a bow and arrow, he is just slightly slower than Green Arrow. As a result, Green Arrow has proven to be the master of the bow and arrow.
8 Allies: Green Arrow
For as annoying a character as Green Arrow can be, many other heroes in the DC Universe understand that his heart is in the right place. As a result, he has accumulated an incredible number of allies, going from those closest to him in the “Arrow Family” all the way to members of the Justice League. Hawkeye still has some pretty powerful allies, though the Justice League would have a much easier time battling the Avengers than vice versa. Furthermore, Hawkeye has much fewer immediate allies than Green Arrow making Green Arrow the victor in this case.
7 Experience: Hawkeye
In actuality, Green Arrow is 23 years older than Hawkeye in terms of publication. However, each characters fictional backstory is what gives Hawkeye the edge in this regard. For example, Oliver Queen didn’t even begin training until he was stranded on the island. Clint Barton, however, began training from an incredibly young age. Hence, Barton was able to master more skills in other areas, which is why he is the better combatant. Though Green Arrows publication may have made him the better archer, Hawkeye’s upbringing definitely came with its own advantages.
6 Personality: Tie
Each character is incredibly loveable yet annoying in their own right. Though they can both be sassy and annoying to their fellow teammates, they each possess enough character to make them incredibly likeable. Furthermore, even though their personalities are still similar, there are a few key differences to ensure that the characters don’t come across as too similar. One of the biggest differences is that Clint Barton tends to get a bit darker than Oliver Queen at times. Though they each have their fair share of dark moments, Hawkeye’s time as Ronin is a pretty drastic step away from who he was before. Though being darker isn’t a bad thing, it is still a distinguishable feature of Hawkeye’s personality, making the two’s personalities a simple matter of opinion.
5 Intelligence: Hawkeye
In all honesty, Green Arrow is far from the smartest person in his respective universe. Though he is still very smart, he has a knack for making impulsive decisions, bad calls, and dumb moves. Hawkeye, unlike Green Arrow, is much more calculated with his moves and decisions. Though he can still slip up at times, Hawkeye’s moves are much more thought out than most of Green Arrow’s. Though Clint Barton isn’t the smartest person in the Marvel Universe, he at least has a bit more common sense than Oliver Queen.
4 Equipment: Tie
As mentioned previously, Green Arrow relies on his equipment far more frequently than Hawkeye. However, the two of them tend to carry incredibly similar objects around with them on the regular. Of course, there is the signature bow and arrows associated with the two. Each of them also has a fair assortment of trick arrows, using them to get out of whatever sticky situation they may be in. The two have also been seen to carry knives, tech, and small explosives to help them accomplish what a bow and arrow cannot. Thus, the two are evenly matched when it comes to equipment.
3 Durability: Tie
At the end of the day, the two characters are simply no more than human. They each use an assortment of armor and costumes to protect them from certain objects, but both characters are only as strong or as fragile as the other. However, the fact that they are both normal humans also makes them such intriguing characters. Likewise, each character has died, and each has made a triumphant return. In regards to their opponents, they have also proven to be incredibly difficult to put down, resulting in a tie for this round.
2 Biggest Feat: Green Arrow
Both heroes managed to pull off incredible feats just moments before their deaths. However, Green Arrow’s resurrection is truly one of the greatest feats accomplished between the two. After sacrificing himself in an explosion, Oliver Queen remained dead for years while his son took over the mantle of Green Arrow. When Oliver returned though, author Kevin Smith took the opportunity to deeply explore the character and his motivations. The result was a fantastic look into why Green Arrow always chose to do what he does. Smith also acknowledges all of Oliver’s flaws and hypocrisy, making him seem much more genuine of a character. By the end, the result was one of the most heartfelt and inspiring superhero resurrections to date.
1 Winner: Green Arrow
While Hawkeye certainly has a lot to offer within the Marvel Universe, Green Arrow certainly makes a much bigger impact within the DC Universe. Furthermore, his skills as an archer and the relationships he’s built over the years also give him specific advantages over Hawkeye. Green Arrow is such an integral part of DC lore, that he recently received a device from Martian Manhunter that is capable of destroying the entire Justice League. Manhunter noted to Green Arrow at the time that he was so pure of heart, he knew that Oliver would only activate the device if he knew there was no more hope for the League. Unfortunately for Hawkeye, he doesn’t measure up to Oliver’s scale within his universe, or as an archer.