The Sorting Hat: Arrow

Welcome to the first installment of The Sorting Hat! In this series of articles we’re taking characters from our favorite fandoms and sorting them into Hogwarts Houses. This is a thing we do all the time among friends, and we’ve decided to go ahead and make it a recurring thing here at Avenging Force. There’s something about sorting people into houses that is beyond fun to do, and it’s also something that can elicit very strong feelings in people.

The first fandom we’ve decided to sort is DC’s Arrow, which s currently airing on the CW.

Gryffindor

Roy Harper

Roy was almost too easy to sort. Even though we were first introduced to him as he was stealing Thea’s purse, it quickly became apparent that that act of thievery does not define who he is. Roy is incredibly brave, often to the point of stupidity, and he’s determined to help the Hood even before he know it’s Oliver and before he understands the motivation behind the vigilante. This portion of the Sorting Hat’s song from first year sums Roy up nicely:

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry,
Set Gryffindors apart.

Tommy Merlyn

Tommy could’ve been a Hufflepuff: his loyalty to Oliver as well as to his own father is evident in the first season. Yet, it’s his Gryffindor tendencies that truly stand out and make him the amazing character that he was. His bravery in his final moments really made it clear to us that he belongs in Gryffindor; his desire to save Laurel trumping his own personal safety in an act that ultimately led to his death proves to us that we’ve sorted him properly.

Sara Lance

Sara is the Harry Potter to Ollie’s Draco Malfoy. Much like Harry, she could have done well in Slytherin. She is cunning and resourceful, evidenced by the fact that she survived the same shipwreck Oliver did, as well as coming back alive after “dying” twice. Sara is tough, and brave, and always willing to put herself in danger in order to protect those she loves. We believe her selflessness in this regard is what puts her firmly in Gryffindor.

Ravenclaw

Felicity Smoak

Let’s be real, Felicity would absolutely cause a near hatstall. Much like it did with Hermione and McGonagall, the hat would waver between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, positive that Felicity would excel in either one. And she would, as she’s undeniably brilliant, but she’s also incredibly brave, a trait she’s shown time and time again when she stands up to both Oliver and the bad guys of the week. However, we’re confident that when given the choice, Felicity would choose Ravenclaw for herself, proud of the fact that her intelligence and her ability to think clearly and quickly under pressure has saved her friends from death more times than we’d care to count.

Laurel Lance

Laurel’s a funny one. We’re going to go ahead and give the writers the benefit of the doubt and work with what we can see they want her to be. Laurel’s been written in a really uneven way (and we have our fingers crossed that this is changing for the better this season), but underneath all the choppy writing, you can see that the goal with Laurel is to show that she’s a smart, capable lawyer and that she can not only think on her feet, but she’s also not afraid to go her own way. We definitely think she’s intended for Ravenclaw.

Hufflepuff

 John Diggle

Diggle was one of the easiest ones to sort in the cast. He embodies the traits of a Hufflepuff to a tee: he’s loyal, and his sense of right and wrong is strong and sure. He does what he knows in his heart to be right even when it may go contrary to what is legal, and he remains loyal to Oliver even when he isn’t sure if Oliver is even alive anymore. This man is as Hufflepuff as you can get.

Quentin Lance

This is a man who got himself demoted because he believed in something so strongly that he would not budge. His loyalty to his daughters only proves the point: Quentin Lance is a Hufflepuff, and we doubt the Sorting Hat would even have to touch his head before it said so.

slytherin

 Oliver Queen

One wouldn’t automatically assume the hero of the story is also a Slytherin, but the association of Slytherins with villainy is just an unfortunate side effect of J.K. Rowling’s story. Slytherins aren’t all bad people (think of Slughorn!), and Oliver Queen is a perfect example. As the sorting hat sang in the first installment of the Potter series, Slytherins are cunning folk who use any means to meet their ends. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly Oliver Queen. We’ve seen him break laws and kill people in the name of his mission to turn Starling City around. This guy’s Slytherin, through and through.

Moira Queen

Moira proved herself a Slytherin in the calculating way she dismissed Oliver’s pregnant fling to keep his reputation and his upward mobility in society from being threatened. Her participation in the Undertaking may have been coerced, but she showed her true colors in the way she used her money and power to shield her family from threats of harm and even appropriate consequences for their actions.

Malcolm Merlyn

Malcolm Merlyn is ruthless, he is incredibly smart, and he is hands down the most likely character to use literally any means necessary to save his own hide, including throwing Oliver directly in the line of fire. He’s shown time and time again over the course of the show that his own life and interests are paramount to him, regardless of the cost to others. The plot behind the Undertaking as well as the blackmail of the Queens that helped him bring that plan to fruition (all to avenge the death of his wife) shows that he will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, and that’s the hallmark of a true Slytherin.

Thea Queen

Thea is undoubtedly her parents’ daughter, a Slytherin through and through. She is cunning and resourceful and isn’t afraid to step up and take control of the situation when needed. When she feels helpless, she takes Merlyn up on his offer to train her, to teach her how to protect herself, not trusting anyone else to do it for her. Yet, she keeps this secret from Oliver, dropping lies easily in casual conversation in order to keep him from learning her secret.

One thought on “The Sorting Hat: Arrow

  1. I’d put Tommy Merlyn into Hufflepuff. Loyalty is his defining characteristic, and his acts of bravery – including and especially saving Laurel – were motivated by that.

    All the Queens are totally Slytherins, though. It’s written in their DNA.

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