While Sara Lance has encountered death often across her extensive crimefighting career, first on Arrow and then on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, the recent loss of Oliver Queen in "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is poised to affect her the most.
Speaking with CBR, star Caity Lotz reflected on the loss of Oliver and why, exactly, his death will weigh heavily on Sara in Season 5.
"[...] I don't think she ever really thought that she would lose Oliver," Lotz said. "I think she's kind of just assumed he would always be there. I think losing him was a big shock for her, but also a big reality check. I think, with losing him, she felt like maybe she was losing that side of her -- that side of her of when she was a kid, before any of this happened, before she became a superhero or an assassin or any of that, that innocence and that person before all of the craziness happened. He was the last person who really knew her as that and so, with him gone, everybody else only knows her as a superhero, as a time traveler. So I think that was a big gut punch for her."
Sara and Oliver had a secret affair before being caught in a shipwreck that left both training separately for five years to become skilled vigilantes. Reuniting in Star City, Sara became the Canary while Oliver became the Arrow, eventually saving the Arrowverse. However, while Sara's grief was evident in "Crisis," Lotz hinted the impact of Oliver's sacrifice will be felt as Legends of Tomorrow returns.
"We see it a bit in the first episode," she said. "Sara is definitely reeling and still dealing with that. After that, it's kind of back to business. It's always hard to carry things over, but I'm hoping we still will always not lose any of that stuff."
Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow stars Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Brandon Routh, Nick Zano, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Tala Ashe, Matt Ryan, Jes Macallan and Courtney Ford.