Comic Con 2014: Arrow actors Willa Holland, Colton Haynes, Katie Cassidy, Emily Bett Rickards, Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim, actors Stephen Amell, Paul Blackthorne, Caity Lotz and David Ramsey.
The first promo for the third season for CW’s Arrow was released a few days ago, but Yesterday at the San Diego Comic Con we saw an extended version of this promo which revealed the next main villain of the series. And it’s none other than Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s al Ghul has been mentioned a few times in the previous seasons, and we know very little about this guy. That is if you’re not a comic book fan.
Also See: All Arrow Villain Appearances Listed from Season 1 – Season 3
We must admin the first promo we saw for Arrow’s season 3 was pretty bland. It gave us nothing more than a recap of the previous season with more footage of Ollie riding, jumping, climbing and shooting all over the show. And yes, we’re still on the bloody island. Even though CW’s been beefing up the cast with our 2009 superman Brandon Routh, we were left unimpressed.
Luckily the extended promo had something to write about, which got us just excited enough to give Arrow another go. Although Batman fans will remember the Liam Neeson depiction of Ra’s Al Ghul in the movie Batman Begins, there’s much more to the “Head of the Demon”.
Arrow Season 3 Villain Revealed – Who is Ra’s al Ghul?:
Ra’s al Ghul
Ra’s al Ghul – History
Ra’s al Ghul is an enemy of Batman. His name is Arabic for “head of the demon”. Little is known of the early years of the nearly immortal Ra’s, but it is accepted that he has lived for many centuries due to the Lazarus Pits’ mysterious brews that restore his youth. A brilliant master of strategy and organization, Ra’s al Ghul’s goal is to save the Earth from ecological devastation by destroying most of its population. He recognizes Batman as both a worthy foe and a possible ally—except that Batman cannot accept his dystopian worldview.
As told in Birth of the Demon, Ra’s al Ghul was part of a tribe of desert nomads somewhere in Arabia. Ra’s is interested in science from an early age, and abandons his tribe to live in the city, where he can conduct his scientific research. Ra’s discovers the secret of the Lazarus Pit.
The pit is commonly used for its restorative powers and ability to save the lives of those close to death.
Over time, he becomes a master of many forms of combat, notably fencing. He also builds up vast wealth and creates The Demon, a vast international organization which later becomes the League of Assassins.
Ra’s also has a romantic fling with the Black Canary. Black Canary is injured and healed in the Lazarus Pit, which also restores her Canary Cry that she lost years earlier.
Ra’s al Ghul – Powers and abilities
- Lazarus Enhancement: Ra’s al Ghul has lived for several centuries thanks to his use of Lazarus Pits, which he has utilized countless times, replenishing his aged, injured, or even dead body. As a side effect to numerous exposures to the pits, his strength, speed, stamina, agility, and durability has been enhanced.
- Longevity: He has extended lifespan through the use of the Lazarus Pit.
- Genius-Level Intellect: Ra’s possesses a genius level intellect with aptitudes in a wide variety of sciences and medicine, particularly in the field of alchemy.
- Leadership: He is the indisputable leader of the League of Assassins, one of the largest and most dangerous organizations of all time, whose agents are willing to sacrifice themselves for their master.
- Master Strategist and Tactician: He is a brilliant tactician, planning his exploits many months even years in advance.
- Master Martial Artist: expertise in at least 100 different fighting styles.
- Multi-Lingual: He’s able to speak Arabic, French, Greek, Latin, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, Urdu, multiple Indian languages and possibly more.
- Vast Resources: Over the centuries, Ra’s has gained many international contacts and a vast fortune.
- Weapon Master: He has more than two centuries of experience using old and modern weapons. When in combat he favors the old-world weapons such as katana, European swords, polearms, and axes.
We’ll have to wait and see how accurately he is depicted in the Arrow series. There’s no news yet on who will be cast as the role of Ra’s al Ghul, leader of the league of assassins. He is a pretty dark, mysterious character, and he’s sure to be a very formidable foe.
Here’s a couple of screenshots from the promo video:
