With the majority of characters on Arrow suiting up at one point or another, Thea Queen seems destined to join their ranks.
Arrow has given a number of hints that Thea may be suiting up at some point. Like several other characters in the series, Thea is a character unique to Arrow, as the comics incarnation of Oliver Queen does not have a sister. He does, however, take on wards who become his sidekicks, including Roy Harper (Speedy, Arsenal, Red Arrow) and Mia Dearden (Speedy).
Oliver’s nickname for Thea is Speedy, and her middle name, notably, is Dearden (as it was their mother’s maiden name). While living in Corto Maltese, Thea also takes on the alias of Mia. That’s right, she’s Thea “Mia” Dearden Queen.
Despite this, Thea doesn’t seem to be a direct adaptation of the DC Comics’ Mia Dearden, who is a teenage girl who ran away from home after being abused by her father. She fell in love with a man who exploited her as a part of a child prostitution ring — which led to her eventually being diagnosed as HIV-positive. After being rescued by Green Arrow, Mia eventually became Oliver Queen’s ward and, after a lot of back and forth, convinced him to let her become his sidekick.
Rather, Thea seems to pull traits of both Mia Dearden and the comics version of Roy Harper. Roy has a notable storyline in the comics, for instance, when he becomes addicted to heroin. Thea, as we’ll remember, developed a drug addiction after Oliver’s supposed death on the Queen’s Gambit.
But nicknames can just be Easter eggs from the creators, right? Why does this mean Thea might be suiting up? Good question!
For starters, since learning that her biological father is Malcolm Merlyn, Thea has been training and has become proficient in martial arts, swordsmanship, and archery — skills her Speedy counterparts share. Training has been a precursor to several characters on the show eventually donning masks, including Roy and, most recently, Laurel Lance.
But having the ability to take up arms doesn’t necessarily mean one will. A true vigilante needs a cause. Oliver wanted to honor his father and protect the city he loved. Roy became Arsenal because the Arrow saved his life and he was inspired to help him protect the city. Laurel first wanted to honor her late sister but has since realized she’s fighting for her own loved ones in the city.
For Thea, it was initially her desire to be able to protect herself from getting hurt again that inspired her to seek Malcolm’s training. It would not seem like a stretch to see her extend that concern to others, wanting to protect the innocent from being hurt as she has been — thus giving her the cause of a vigilante.
She was also understanding of Oliver’s secret, going so far as to thank him for all he’s done as the Arrow. This seems like the reaction of a person destined to become part of the Team Arrow family.
And in Arrow season 3, episode 14, “The Return,” Thea truly showed how far she has come. Not only was she able to get the drop on Slade Wilson to hold him at gunpoint, she proved herself willing to take a higher road, not giving in to her desire for revenge by killing Slade and therefore proving her heroic potential.
It’s notable, as well, that this occurred in an episode in which Laurel tells her father that her life has been leading to her taking up Black Canary’s mask all along. Like Laurel’s, has Thea’s story been leading her to suit up?
It seems increasingly likely.
Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW.