Arrow ends with its upcoming eighth season, and it looks like The CW show’s going to use its final 10 episodes to celebrate its own history and remind us all how far it’s come since its more humble beginnings in 2012. For instance, we know that many former stars of the series will be returning one more time before the Green Arrow empties his quiver for good.
The latest early Arrow character confirmed to be appearing is Yao Fei Gulong, as played by Byron Mann. Those with long memories will remember that Yao Fei was the skilled archer who first honed Oliver Queen’s own abilities with a bow when the billionaire playboy was marooned on Lian Yu for his first year away from his home of Star City. Ollie’s mentor was also killed back in the first season by Edward Fyers, which raises some questions about how he’s back now.
But, then again, Yao Fei is far from the only dead character who’s due for a comeback in season 8. Colin Donnell is returning as Tommy Merlyn, as is John Barrowman as his father Malcolm. Then there’s Josh Segarra (Adrian Chase) and Susanna Thompson (Moira Queen). In fact, of the guest stars we’re aware of so far, only Katana is currently alive in the show’s canon.
So, presumably, all these characters return thanks to Oliver’s missions for the Monitor, which began at the end of season 7. It looks like the cosmic being might send the Emerald Archer to different points in time or else to other alternate universes where he encounters these old friends and foes. All this will no doubt have something to do with “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” which is foretold to feature the death of the Green Arrow. And we’ll surely learn more when Arrow season 8 kicks off on The CW in just over a month’s time on October 15th.