Oliver Queen's Top Five Relationships on 'Arrow' Prior to Season 3

The CW's Arrow is a darker, grittier comic book show that has settled into a groove after two seasons and is now hitting its stride as it heads into Season 3. The show has a badass hero who does not hesitate to assault anyone in his way and who, in the first season, would kill when necessary. The show also features numerous cameos and guest-starring appearances by other DC Comics characters such as Deadshot.

But the show would not complete without its romantic elements, specifically the numerous romances of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). Oliver has had more relationships in two seasons than some lead characters get during an entire run of a series. In fact, Oliver's extracurricular activities have become something of a joke for fans of the series. If an attractive woman who is not related to Oliver shows up, then the countdown starts until she and Oliver wind up in bed together. Amell himself even addressed this during his conversation with NerdHQ last month.

But there's no denying that Oliver has had some meaningful, long-term relationships during the first two seasons of the show. So let's look at the five best romantic entanglements in Ollie's life as we head into Season 3. [WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW]

5) Huntress

Oliver first met Helena Bertinelli early in Season 1 when he was investigating her father, Frank, in connection to an attempted shooting of his mother, Moira. The two eventually strike up a romance, but the reveal that Helena is actually The Huntress throws a bit of a wrench into their budding relationship until Oliver decides to take Helena under his wing and train her to control her desire for vengeance.

What made this relationship interesting was the dynamic between the two. Oliver acted as both mentor and partner to Helena, but sadly he could not stop her from going over the edge. When she returned in Season 2, she tussled with Sara, who we'll get to later on the list.

4) Laurel

When we first meet Laurel, she is probably the only person other than her father to not celebrate the fact that Oliver is back home. Oliver and Laurel were together and happy before he left on the Queen's Gambit...with Laurel's sister, Sara. Laurel had brought up the idea of moving in with Oliver, who agreed but then started acting like pre-island jerk Oliver. He slept with another woman and got her pregnant. He then slept with Sara and took her on the boat, which ultimately sank.

The two got back together briefly toward the end of Season 1 when they slept together, but it never went beyond that point.

3) Shado

Oliver and Shado met on the island of Lian Yu when he and Slade Wilson saved her from Edward Fyers. From there, she taught him how to use a bow and arrow and speak Mandarin. They eventually fell in love, though Slade had feelings for her as well that ultimately led him to turn on Oliver.

This relationship helped turn Oliver into the Arrow in multiple ways. He learned the technical aspects from Shado, but her death also affected him deeply and led to his war with Slade.

2) Sara

Felicity may have put it best when she described the reasons Oliver would be attracted to Sara. Aside from their history together, she's beautiful AND she can kick ass, which is a winning combination.

This relationship started as nothing more than a fling, as Oliver cheated on Laurel with Sara. But eventually, it blossomed into something more once Sara came back from the dead and Oliver learned she was the Canary. The two had history and a foundation on which to build, and they shared the common bond of wanting to rid Starling City of crime and keep its citizens safe.

1) Felicity

I know this technically isn't a relationship yet, but it's getting there. The two go on their first official date in the Season 3 premiere, and the Season 2 finale more than hinted at some romantic feelings between the two. It's clear that Felicity loves Oliver, but the Arrow finally started to return some of those feelings in the finale.

Amell said in a recent interview that Oliver has only one woman this year, and that woman is Felicity. He would not confirm if Felicity is the endgame, as it were, but we'll find out starting in Season 3.

What is your favorite relationship on Arrow? Let us know in the comments below.