Thea Queen

"I'm gonna miss you so much." "You'll be with me the whole time."

- Oliver Queen and Thea Queen before she leaves Star City

Thea Dearden Queen (born January 21, 1995 ), also known as Mia during her time in Corto Maltese, is the daughter of the late Malcolm Merlyn and the late Moira Queen, the legal daughter of the late Robert Queen (though treated unquestionably as his daughter throughout his life) the ex-step-daughter of Walter Steele, the maternal younger half-sister of Oliver Queen, the paternal younger half-sister of the late Tommy Merlyn, the sister-in-law of Felicity Smoak and the aunt of William Clayton. Thea is also the girlfriend of Roy Harper. After learning how to fight from Malcolm and being saved from near-death by the Lazarus Pit, Thea became a vigilante and member of Team Arrow using her brother's nickname for her, Speedy, as her code-name. After one year, she decided to leave the team in order to find her true-self.

Thea was comatose for six months following Lian Yu's destruction after the battle against Prometheus' team, but she has since recovered. When Roy was captured by Ricardo Diaz, Thea donned on her vigilante mantle to help rescue him. With encouragement from Oliver, Thea decided to leave with Roy and Nyssa al Ghul to find and destroy Lazarus Pits that were discovered by her late father.

Early life
Thea Queen was born on January 21, 1995 to Malcolm Merlyn and Moira Queen. Although Malcolm was unaware that Thea was his daughter and Thea was likewise in the dark, Robert Queen was aware, but still loved her like his own. Thea was especially close to Robert, thinking the world of him.

When Thea was four years old, she found a stray cat and brought it home. Moira protested that they couldn't keep it but Thea firmly declared that the cat was going to live with them. When Robert came home from work later that day and saw what was going on, he sat Thea down and told her that the cat was actually a "tiger", and they couldn't keep it because it needed to be returned home. Thea listened.

As a child, Thea was very creative and loved to draw and color, to the point that Robert would order her many boxes of crayons "by the truckload." Thea would even draw on the walls of her home, much to her mother's fond exasperation.

Growing up, Thea idolized her older brother Oliver. They were very close and according to Oliver, Thea was a fast runner and would always chase after him, resulting in him giving her the nickname, "Speedy". Every Christmas, Oliver and Thea would race to see who could eat the holiday candy canes the fastest. Thea was also close to Laurel Lance and Tommy Merlyn, who were like siblings to her (and the latter was really her paternal-half brother).

When she was young, Thea once fell off her horse, breaking her arm, and was hospitalized. When Thea attended her first boy-girl dance at school, Robert disapproved of her dress and terrified her date.

In 2007, when Thea was 12, Robert and Oliver were both presumed dead on the Queen's Gambit. Thea was devastated and felt alone, depressed and disconnected from the world. By the time she was 15, she had fallen into a life of drugs and partying to fill the void left by her father and brother.

In February 2010, Thea went to visit Oliver and Robert's graves after school, reminiscing to them about her studies and Moira growing closer to Walter Steele. Her drug dealer came along and sold her some pills. When Tommy then arrived, he became furious and scolded Thea, who retorted that he isn't her brother. That night, she snuck into Tommy's 25th birthday party using a fake ID. Briefly catching up with Tommy and Laurel, Thea promised them she would behave. Suddenly, her drug dealer fell from the balcony with his neck snapped (by Oliver). The cops arrived and after Thea gave her statement, she was cornered by Quentin Lance, who pointed out she was too young to be at a party like this. Tommy covered for Thea, claiming he invited her. Quentin caustically stated that he didn't know if Thea was becoming more like Oliver or Sara until Laurel pulled him aside. Thea was taken home and the next day, she delivered flowers to her father and brother.

Oliver Queen's return
Thea was one of the first people to welcome Oliver home with open arms. Though she is later surprised and disappointed when Oliver expresses his unhappiness with her party lifestyle, which Oliver himself used to lead.

Thea saw Oliver's scars for the first time and when Oliver refused to talk about it, she begged him to let someone in to talk about what happened on the island.

Thea was brought home by the police after a night of drunken partying that led to breaking and entering a shop. Despite being grounded, she partied at the nightclub Poison, where she bumped into Oliver, and the two had an argument. Thea disclosed to Oliver that Laurel and Tommy had been sleeping together in his absence and stumbled off. Thea toned down her wild behavior towards the end of the episode, having a mother-daughter moment with Moira, and appearing at the Unidac auction.

Thea bonded with Oliver while they discussed Laurel, and how Oliver could get back into her "good-books" again.

Thea and her family were worried for Oliver after multiple charges were brought against him by Sergeant Quentin Lance. Thea showed how much her brother's absence had affected her when she told Oliver that "she couldn't lose him again". Oliver reassured her at the end that she wouldn't.

Thea was shown to have a crush on Tommy, after he came asking her for romantic advice. Things, however, got very awkward when she realized he meant Laurel instead of her. Thea ended up getting drunk at the CNRI benefit, and Tommy took her home.

Thea called Oliver to remind him that he was supposed to have lunch with Moira, telling him to "bite the bullet and have a Cobb salad with the woman". Later on she was with Moira at the hospital and later seen telling Oliver off for leaving Moira and going after the shooter. Thea stayed in that night with Moira after Oliver told her he had a business meeting, talking to Moira about how she wished that Oliver wouldn't lie and would tell them what was wrong. Thea then spoke to Oliver, saying that he shouldn't keep what happened on the island a secret, and that he should tell someone about what happened.

Thea asked Walter for a lift to school, commenting that they could just buy her a convertible to save them the trouble.

Oliver talked to Thea about why their lack of Christmas decorations, and she explained how they hadn't really celebrated Christmas since Oliver and Robert had disappeared. Thea was later seen at Big Belly Burger with Oliver, discussing why there was no Christmas Party when Thea's friend Shane showed up. Oliver later walked in on Thea and Shane at the Christmas Party and caught them making out with some clothes off. Oliver told the boy, "Hit the road". She later admitted she was being a "bitch", when Oliver was injured, at the hospital.

Thea was with Oliver, going through movies to watch, telling him how Moira was acting the same way as when Robert and Oliver disappeared. Thea later tried to convince her mother to leave her room and go out with her. She later commented on why Oliver was smiling, saying that his club burnt down.

Thea began to believe that her mother was having an affair with Malcolm Merlyn. On her 18th birthday, she was involved in a car crash and was taken to the hospital. Oliver later discovered that Thea crashed because a drug called Vertigo was in her system. Due to driving under the influence of drugs, Thea was arrested.

Due to the rampant use of Vertigo in Starling City, the judge overseeing Thea's trial decided that the best way to discourage the drug's use was to sentence Thea to hard time and show that not even the rich can escape the law. Oliver decided to take down Cecil Adams so as to take heat off her. He also talked to Laurel about getting her father to use his connections to help Thea. Detective Quentin Lance was able to get Thea a deal where she had to work community service for 500 hours under the watch of a guardian, Laurel. The plan was for her to work at CNRI. Thea refused the deal just to spite her mother, who she thought was cheating on Walter and cheated on her father, as well. To convince her, Oliver revealed that their father cheated on their mother. Thea forgave her mother when she overheard Moira confirm this. She then decided to take Laurel's offer and work with her.

Thea was at CNRI with Laurel, complaining about how long she had left to work, hearing about how Cyrus Vanch was being released. She saw herself as a "court-ordered slave", and asked "how [her 500 hours of community service was] not cruel and unusual punishment".

Thea was seen at the end of the episode, stating that she had been trying to ring Oliver all night as Moira was attacked by the vigilante.

Her purse was stolen while she was out with Laurel. The thief who stole it was Roy Harper. Thea took pity on him and dropped the charges. She then tracked him down at his home in the Glades.

When Thea went to see Roy again he brushed her off, but saved Thea from some thugs. In doing so, he was stabbed, and Thea had to take him to the hospital where he had to get a shot, which Roy was scared of. She told him to take his mind off of it, to which he responded that he didn't like sharp things. When the doctor gave Roy the shot, she kissed Roy to distract him from it.

She and Roy were in a romantic relationship, and Thea saw Roy being kidnapped by the Savior. When he was interrogated, she was watching and Oliver went up to her. She was crying, and Oliver promised that Roy would not die.

When Roy told her he had to find the Hood, Thea told him she would help.

Thea continued to help Roy find the Hood but Oliver told Roy not to and Thea agreed with him but Roy didn't, leading to them briefly splitting.

After Moira announced the Undertaking, Thea went to the Glades to find Roy. She threw an empty glass bottle at a gang member who was about to shoot Roy. When Roy saw people trapped on a bus, he went to help them despite Thea's warning that the Markov Device could go off any second. Roy told her that he couldn't leave anyone behind and urged Thea to get out of the Glades. By the time the earthquake started, Thea and Roy were both able to make it out safely.

Sometime after the Undertaking, Thea attended Tommy's funeral after the latter died whilst saving Laurel.

After the Undertaking
5 months after the earthquake, Thea got her act together, taking over Oliver's role as owner of Verdant. She is still dating Roy, but they often fight due to Roy trying to fill in the Hood's role. When Oliver returned to Starling City, Thea was happy to see her brother again, who was impressed by how much his sister changed. Thea shut Oliver down when he attempted to persuade her to visit Moira in prison. Later, Roy also made the same attempt, only to be shut down as well. Verdant was attacked by the Hoods, who were looking for Oliver. Thea and the other patrons watched on as Roy tried to fight them off. Upon discovering Thea, the Hoods kidnapped her and fled. Thea was held captive in an abandoned church in the Glades. While the Hoods argued on what to do with her, Thea defended her mother from their accusations, realizing Moira was a victim of circumstances and had no choice but to follow Malcolm's orders. When one of the Hoods decided to kill Thea, Oliver, as the Hood, saved her and told her to run. Afterwards, Thea visited Moira in prison for the first time in months, telling her about her near-death experience, and reconciled with her mother.

After Roy was arrested during an attempt to fend off some hijackers, Thea gave Roy an ultimatum, which he later accepted, telling her that he chose her and was done being the hero, (though he was secretly in an agreement with the Arrow).

During Moira's trial, both Oliver and Thea were stunned when ADA Adam Donner wanted to seek the death penalty for Moira. Oliver encouraged Thea that they were both going to help their mother to fight for her life. Later, they both watched the news reporting Laurel and Quentin's kidnapping.

During the "cash for guns" event, Thea met Sin. When the event was crashed by The Mayor, both Roy and Thea evaded getting shot by hiding behind a car. When Sin was shot, Thea went to get help for her. Later, both Roy and Thea stayed in the hospital by Sin's side. Sin commented to Thea that she was dating a moron and Thea agreed. Sin admitted to Roy that she liked Thea.

Thea was furious when her mother decides to take the deal that Adam offered. She and Oliver encouraged Moira to fight for her life. Later when Thea and Oliver visited her again, they assured Moira that she will not lose them and they will stick by her no matter what secret their mother is hiding, which led Moira to agree to refuse the deal.

Thea went to the police station to bail Roy out of prison. Later, Moira's attorney, Jean Loring, visited Thea at Verdant and warned her that her relationship with Roy, a known felon, is hurting Moira's case, prompting Thea to break up him. Later, Thea went to visit her mother and was surprised to see Roy there. Moira tells Thea that she has flourished during last year and it had a lot to do with Roy, assuring that her personal life is not going to affect her case, bringing Roy and Thea back together.

Thea, Oliver, and Roy were present during Moira's trial's opening. When Thea was brought to the stand, Adam Donner questioned Thea for not visiting her mother for months. He states that Thea felt angry with her mother, which was the reason that it took long time. Later in the club, Roy who notices Thea's anger, bought her boxing gloves and told her to punch him as a release. During the second half of the trial when Moira refused to testify, both her children questioned her reasons, which led Moira to admit having an affair with Malcolm, much to Thea's dismay. Later, Thea and Oliver awaited for the verdict when Oliver ran off to go after Cecil Adams, much to Thea's surprise. After Oliver returned, he and Thea were overjoyed when Moira was found not guilty and acquitted of all charges.

Thea and Oliver welcomed Moira home before heading out with Roy to meet Sin, Roy was surprised that Thea, not only approve but also decided to join Roy and Sin search for Sin's missing friend, Max. The three later head to his house to investigate only to find out that his disappearance related to Sebastian Blood, during Moira's party, when Roy received a call from Sin about her friend, Roy left the party and insisted Thea to stay with her mother. After the party Moira was about to tell Thea the truth about her parentage but changed her mind and settled for saying that she loves her.

After Roy got shot with an arrow, Thea locked herself in her room along with Sin, concerning Moira, who asked Oliver to check on her, upon the finding out the truth Oliver removed the arrow from Roy's leg and warned the three of them, to stay out of trouble. Sin asked Thea if she is gonna let it go, which she refused stating that she is doing things her way. Later both Thea and Sin seek Laurel's help in regard Max's case, later when Laurel came back with information regarding the blood drive, telling them that that they can't get a warrant to investigate more regarding whether Max was on drugs or not. After Roy woke up in Thea's room, Thea and Sin are seen rushing in to see him, concerned that he was chasing down the Arrow.

Thea was present during Oliver speech about Blood, which she joked about Oliver friendship with Blood, due to his relationship with Laurel. Oliver then changed the subject asking Thea about Roy's condition, which she joked about how Roy came to work on time. Later when Thea came to check on Roy, she noticed him acting strange when she confronted him he pushed her off, but admitted that she is the one who is helping him getting through the hard time which led the two to make out, but Roy was injured by a falling glass, later during Blood's Unity Rally, when it was attacked by "Shrapnel" Thea witnessed Roy save Moira, which she confronted him later about it but didn't give her a straight answer leaving Thea confused.

Thea refused to talk to Roy due to him lying about what is going on with him. Later ,she helped Sin to pick a dress for her "date" with the Starling Slasher, whom Roy later put in the hospital. Afterwards, Thea came to the hospital after Sin called her. Thea assured Roy she isn't judging him, and is there for him, which led Roy to break down and run away. Later in the club, Thea confides in Oliver about her issues with Roy.

Thea received a silver bracelet from Roy at Verdant, which she happily accepted. The day after at Verdant, Roy went up to Thea and said that he wanted to break up with her, leaving her shocked and confused. Thea realizes that Roy is going through something and wants to be there for him. She later went up the stairs and caught Roy making out with Becky, an employee. Heartbroken and angered, Thea threw the bracelet he gifted her on the floor and stormed off. During the evening, she told Oliver what she saw. Thea told Oliver that everyone is lying to her and he is the only one she can trust. While Thea was heading home, Slade Wilson's car stopped and he offered her a ride, which she accepted.

Thea was kidnapped by Slade but eventually released unharmed. However, Slade revealed to Thea that Malcolm Merlyn is her biological father, much to her shock and devastation. This revelation wrecks her relationship with Oliver and Moira.

A furious Thea stubbornly refuses to sign a form to protect the Queen family's assets from Isabel Rochev, claiming she is Malcolm's daughter and not Robert's. Thea tells Oliver that she's irreparably damaged because she is the daughter of two mass murderers. Later, she angrily moves out of the Queen Mansion, abandoning her family. In a last-ditch effort to get Thea to stay, Oliver reveals (having recently learned from Isabel) that Robert knew the whole time Thea wasn't his biological daughter, but accepted and loved her anyway. Although surprised, Thea ultimately doesn't change her mind. Thea knows her refusal to sign the form would likely bankrupt her family and leave those that work for them unemployed, but she is too focused on her own problems to care.

Thea continued to keep her distance from her family, even trying to prevent her mother from doing her campaign rally at Verdant, only going through with it since she signed a contract. Later in the club, Thea was put under Diggle's protection by Oliver, much to her annoyance. They talked about family and Diggle advised Thea to give her's a second chance. Suddenly, the news broadcasted Roy attacking a police officer. Thea met up with Sin, who told her about Roy's incident. At the rally, Thea gave a speech to lure Roy to Verdant, which worked. As Roy attacked the rally, Thea attempted to get though him, to no avail. Roy attacks Thea, nearly strangling her. However, she was saved by the Canary and the Arrow, who promised her they would help Roy. Thea agreed to stay at the Queen Mansion for the night. As she and her family talked on the way home, Moira said they need to start over and was about to tell them something about Malcolm. Suddenly, their limo got crashed into, knocking the three of them out. Oliver woke up at the sight of Moira and Thea tied up, with Slade forcing him to choose between the two. When Slade was about to kill Thea, Moira stood up and offered herself instead. Thea pleaded for her mother not to, but Moira simply expressed her last words to her daughter: "Thea, I love you. Close your eyes, baby". Slade stabs and kills Moira with a sword, much to Thea's horror. Slade leaves after untying Thea, who rushes to her mother's side and cries over her body.

Thea attended her mother's funeral and was visibly upset that Oliver was absent. Isabel later came to see Thea at Verdant, informing her that the club was built upon property owned by Queen Consolidated and she needed to vacate the premises. Afterwards, Thea told Oliver that she didn't want to give Isabel the satisfaction of kicking her out of her own home and needed a change of scenery. Oliver agreed and let her go. Thea packed her things in a backpack, took one more look around her home and, ignoring a call from Walter, she left. Just as she was about to board the train, one of Slade's soldiers attacked the station.

Thea attempted to flee but was saved by her biological father, Malcolm Merlyn. Malcolm tried to talk to her but Thea ran off, wanting nothing to do with him. They were both attacked, but Malcolm was able to subdue the Mirakuru soldier. Thea grabbed a gun off the ground near a dead cop and shot Malcolm as he tried to reason with her. Malcolm was shown to still be alive and reiterated that he needed Thea by his side, going as far as to compare her qualities to everything his own son lacked. Thea left and reunited with Roy. Deciding to help Team Arrow during the Siege, Roy told Thea to stay at his house and pack her things, and they could leave the city together once he returned. However, upon discovering that Roy was secretly the Arrow's sidekick, which he had kept from her all along, Thea ultimately decided to start her life over. Leaving a goodbye note to Roy, Thea decided to go with her father and leaves Starling City and her family behind, with no intentions of coming back.

Training with Malcolm Merlyn
When Malcolm brought Thea to Corto Maltese, he began to train her, teaching her concepts such as "Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional" by pouring boiling water over her hand. Thea attempted to resist the pain but soon placed her hand in the bowl of cool water below. Malcolm then decided to train her the same way he was trained. Thea was then beaten and kicked by Malcolm several times, before she pulled a sword on her father, to which he stated they could begin.

Sometime during this period, Malcolm drugged Thea with Vitura, which made her highly susceptible to suggestion. The two of them traveled on a plane back to Starling City, where Malcolm ordered Thea to kill Sara. Thea ambushed Sara on a building and shot her in the chest with three arrows, causing Sara to fall off the building to her death. The two then returned to Corto Maltese and after the drug wore off, Thea retained no memory of this event. She trained further, impressing Malcolm after beating two trainers. Thea proudly addressed him as "dad".

While working at a café in Corto Maltese, Thea received a surprise visit from Oliver. She asked how Oliver found her and later apologized for lying and told Oliver she just needed space. She soon realized that Oliver was there to convince her to go home but quickly shot him down and said she was never go back to Starling City. Thea then was visited by Roy, who apologized to her for all the lies he had told. When Roy asked if she felt lonely in Corto Maltese, she told him that was the best part, as no one knew her or could lie to her. Late, Thea received another visit from her half-brother, who decided to reveal to her the truth about how their dad made it to a life boat after the Gambit went down, eventually sacrificing himself when they ran out of resources. Oliver asked Thea to reconsider her decision on staying in Corto Maltese. Thea requested to her father to go back to Starling City but Malcolm believed that she hadn't gone as far as he'd thought. They got in to a quick duel where Thea was disarmed, however she quickly disarmed her father, therefore proving that she was ready to leave. At the airport, when coffee was spilt on her hand, she hardly flinched, much to Oliver's surprise.

Returning to Starling City
Thea had dinner with Oliver and told him about reopening Verdant with the help of investors. Roy would approach her later asking for help to which she asked which shade of green he liked best. When she left the club with Roy, Nyssa confronted them, hit Roy with a tranquilizer dart when he tried to protect her. Thea allowed Nyssa to kidnap her. Nyssa used Thea to lure Malcolm to his death, but is rescued by her brother, the Arrow. She later hired Roy as an assistant manager. Malcolm called to check up on her and she thanked him for taking care of her, then he states that he had promised he will never let anyone hurt her.

Thea is visited by Oliver at her new apartment. Oliver was furious learning that she used Malcolm's money as he believed that it was going to draw Malcolm out. Oliver then realized Thea had no investors for the club also and told her to not use the money. Thea proceeded to tell Oliver that the movers are coming tomorrow so he could come with popcorn or not stop by at all. The following day, Oliver arrived with popcorn and Thea invited Oliver to live with her. Oliver accepted and the two watched TV and shared the popcorn.

Re-opening her club Thea holds an audition for DJ. A guy named Chase comes in and tells everyone to go home as he is certain he is the right man for the job. Thea tells him he can do audition like everyone else after which he leaves. During the grand re-opening Carrie Cutter walked past her while she was disappointed by the performance of the DJ. Thea told him to leave, after which Chase offered to help her. After some negotiation, he started and the crowd began to dance. After the night was over, she and Chase shared a kiss and he let her keep the money as a gift for her grand opening.

Thea later walked down the street, telling Chase over the phone that their kiss didn't mean anything, but was distracted by a bolt of lightning moving past her. She later served drinks to Roy and Felicity with their friends Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow at Verdant. Cisco expressed an interest in Thea but quickly moved on after learning she was Roy's ex-girlfriend and Oliver's sister.

Thea visited Moira's grave and saw Laurel talking to Sara's grave. She asked her why she is here as she thinks Sara is alive. An emotional Laurel tells Thea that Sara was with dangerous people and has been killed and that she is buried here. Laurel makes her promise not to tell Quintin about it. At the apartment she bought in an enormous Christmas tree, Oliver comes in and she tells him that the smaller the family the bigger the tree. Oliver says he knows Malcolm was with her at Corto Maltese, she avoids the subject and tells him he is one of the few family members she has left. Oliver asks her if she flew from Corto Maltese with Malcolm Merlyn. Thea says she did not and asks him to not make her choose between her father and Oliver. She later is decorating the Christmas tree and hangs a picture of Moira in the tree. She then comes up with two stars with her and Oliver his name. Oliver (under the guise of the Arrow) lands on her balcony and breaks through her window. He demands to know where Malcolm Merlyn is. Thea feigns to be scared and then throws broken glass in his face. She kicked Oliver in the groin and threw multiple blows at him. However, he expertly dodged and parrids the hits, forcing Thea to distance herself and tell him to stay away from her and her father. She then escaped by jumping off the balcony. She contacted Malcolm and told him that the Arrow confronted her. She later lied to Oliver and told him the window was broken by a bird. Oliver told Thea that she did not know who Malcolm Merlyn was and that he did not love her, because he was incapable of it (hinting to making her kill Sara). She said she did not want to choose between the two of them. Oliver replied that he was not going to make her choose; there was nothing he would not do to protect her. Confused, she hugged him as she was unaware he was going to have a duel against Ra's al Ghul to save her.

She continued her training with Malcolm, who taught her to adapt to her situation and her opponent's. She mentioned she was worried about Oliver and Malcolm told her he would look into it. Malcolm later waited for her at her loft and told her that the city had become dangerous for them. He said they have to leave the city and never come back.

She met Chase at Verdant who came to get his stuff. He asked her if they were good as he started to think she was avoiding him. She said they were good but held him off when he talked about their shared kiss. Malcolm showed up in his car and said he expected her to pack and that they had to leave. Thea mentioned she wanted to know why. However Malcolm says she is not ready for the reason, Thea replied that then she is not ready to leave Starling City.

At her loft, Malcolm shows up and apologizes for what he said. He explains sharing the truth is sometime difficult. Malcolm explains to her that Ra's wants to kill him and his family for the Undertaking and that he fell in with Ra's after the death of his wife.

Thea and Malcolm later speak again at the apartment. Malcolm asks if she is ready to leave and Thea says she will not leave. Thea explains he told her why they are in danger but asks why they have to leave if he will try to kill them anyway. She tells Malcolm he taught her not to be afraid and stand her ground. She says she learned to stand her ground and not give an inch in battle and that Ra's should be afraid of them. Malcolm seems moved and says they will stay.

When Thea was flirting with Chase, Oliver came to talk to her. He explained he needed to show her something and took her into the Arrowcave, revealing his identity as the Arrow. While Thea was initially upset at all of the times Oliver was lying and being a "Flake", she realized that he was saving people and not only accepted Oliver's life, but praised him for it. Oliver then addresses the fact that Malcolm knew of Oliver's dual identity and they need to fight Ra's, but she was angry at her father for manipulating him. After a failed attempt to find Werner Zytle, Oliver returned home and explained despite his hatred for Malcolm, they needed him to defeat Ra's, but Thea believes they can defeat him without her father. Back at the club, Thea and Roy, who was pleased by Thea knowing about their lives, talk about Malcolm's involvement and she prefers to keep him out of their lives. When Laurel was poisoned by Vertigo, Thea came to the Arrowcave, seeing what happened, and when Oliver ordered her to wait outside, Roy stood up to him. Outside the club, Thea met up with Chase and they slept together in her apartment. When Chase poured them wine, Thea noticed an odd smell in the wine and explained wine was effective in covering the scent of cyanide. She attacked Chase, who effortlessly defeated her and revealed himself as an agent of the League. Roy saved Thea and Malcolm ambushed Chase, who killed himself when he had no way out. After Oliver defeated Zytle, he came to comfort Thea. While she never asked to be a part of this, Thea agrees to let Malcolm help, but doesn't forget who he is or what he has done. Before Thea leaves the city with Oliver to train, she talks with Roy and kisses him as thanks for saving her life. Oliver and Thea later arrive on Lian Yu.

While training on Lian Yu, Oliver discovered that Malcolm released Slade from his A.R.G.U.S. prison. He informs Thea about it and tells her to go and get a gun from Robert's grave. Unfortunately, Slade shows up and goes after the both of them, managing to take them down. He then places them in the prison. Thea tells Oliver she knows he's keeping a secret from her and demands to know what is going on. Oliver discovers a way to escape by dislocating Thea's shoulder, allowing her to extend her arm and open the prison door. Oliver then reveals to Thea that she was drugged by Malcolm into killing Sara. As Thea grapples with the truth, Slade arrives. The three of them fight and Thea manages to wound Slade with a gun, allowing them to imprison him back in the cell. They then return home and Thea angrily confronts Malcolm over making her kill Sara and betraying her trust. Thea says she will train, fight and work with Malcolm, but he is no longer her father.

Thea along with Oliver continued to train with Malcolm. She still struggled with the guilt over killing Sara and tells Laurel the truth. Laurel tells her that it isn't her fault and that she isn't the one responsible but asks why she would be associated with someone like Malcolm to which Thea replies to by revealing about the league coming after him as well as her and Oliver. Thea then contacted the League and made a deal to hand her father over to them. Nyssa and the League then showed up and manage to capture Malcolm (while he was fighting with Laurel). Thea then informs Oliver about what she did back at her loft. Oliver goes to Nanda Parbat to rescue Malcolm in order to stop Thea from losing her humanity once she realizes that she has sentenced her father to his death. Thea then confronts Nyssa (who Oliver manage to capture earlier) and tells her the truth about Sara's death. She then offers her a chance at revenge as she opens her cell door and hands her back her weapon.

Nyssa refused to believe Thea's confession, but Thea informed her in more detail about Sara's death and not wanting to help her father as she states that Malcolm drugged and brainwashed her with Vitura and how she shot three arrows into Sara's chest. Nyssa then informed her that there would be no justice in killing her and that this would all end with Malcolm's death. Suddenly Roy and Laurel enter and attack Nyssa (believing that she somehow escaped and was attacking Thea). After Nyssa is tranquilized and knocked out by Roy (who used a dart gun to take her down as she easily outmatched the latter of the two), Thea leaves. She then returns to her loft and discovers that Oliver along with Malcolm have both returned. Later on Laurel comes to visit and talks to Thea about all of this. After she leaves, Thea talks to Malcolm who was listening to their conversation. he then reveals that he knows she's holding a knife which surprised her. He then orders her to kill him but she declined. She then talks to Oliver about Malcolm as well as her mother and past. Later on, she then leaves and goes over to Roy's place. She asks if she can stay with him for a while and they begin to kiss.

She is seen along with Roy as they attended John and Lyla Diggle's wedding.

Post-sex, she and Roy discussed running away together. The two then spotted the newscast about the Arrow. She is then seen Back at HQ when Oliver spoke over the phone with an angry Quentin Lance who wanted him to turn himself in. Oliver then apologized to everyone for putting them in this position, but Thea thought the blame was with Malcolm. Back at her club, Roy told her that while he shot the cops, part of him felt "relieved" that he might finally go to jail where he belongs. Oliver came in and apologized to Roy. Just then, the police broke down the doors and Oliver took off as they chased after him. They then discover that all of their assets have been frozen by Quentin so Oliver couldn't escape the city.

Thea visited Roy (who masqueraded as the Arrow), in the prison's visiting room at Iron Heights Prison. She was told by Roy everything was going to be fine. Thea returned to her loft, along with a commanding officer who both told Quentin Lance to back off as he and a squadron raided her loft for evidence to prove that Oliver is the Arrow in order to arrest him. Quentin then got a call and is informed about the failed attack on Roy at the prison which he then told Thea about. After Roy is supposedly killed in prison, Quentin went over to Thea's loft and consoled her. Oliver then showed up and Quentin informed him about it as well and then blamed him for Roy's death. Later, she looked at pictures of her and Roy on her cell as she drank wine. Suddenly Ra's al Ghul appeared which shocked her as she dropped her wine. Thea then stated that her brother is going to kill him but Ra's corrected her by saying that Oliver is going to beg him for mercy. Thea then threw a knife at him and tried to escape by making a run for the door. A brief fight occurred as she tried to defend herself. Unfortunately he got the upper hand and smashed her through a nearby table. He then stabbed her in the chest and left. She was then left on the floor with her life hanging by a thread as she started to bleed out.

Oliver arrived at the apartment and immediately took her to the hospital, where it doesn't look like she'll survive the attack. Oliver, Malcolm, and his team take Thea to Nanda Parbat, where Thea is resurrected and healed from the Lazarus Pit (though she initially comes out mindlessly attacking Oliver until she's subdued). When she woke up, she appeared to have no memory of who Oliver was and looked to Malcolm for comfort. When Felicity's escape plan falls flat, Oliver helped them by using his control over the other assassins and told Thea to never forget that he loves her. The next day she woke up and regained her memory. As Malcolm recapped the events, she showed concern for Oliver's whereabouts.

Thea had dinner at Diggle's home along with Felicty, Lyla and their daughter Sara. John asked her how she felt since she was resurrected by a Lazarus Pit and she responded by saying it felt weird but she's OK. Thea then stated that she missed her half-brother and blames herself for his transformation. Thea returned to the Arrowcave and talked to Felicity as she wished to help the team out on their mission. Thea is then informed that Ollie is back in town and she wants to talk to him but Felicity dissuades her. Thea headed back to her Loft and contacted her father, Malcolm Merlyn who informed her that Oliver is hunting down Nyssa so he could kill her and have no rival as Ra's successor. He tried to convince her to not get involved but she protested. He then asked how he can help after she persuaded him to help her. Thea shot Oliver in the wrist with an arrow as he attempted to kill Diggle after a massive fight involving the exchange of Lyla, who Al Sah-him and the League kidnapped for Nyssa broke out. This enraged her half-brother who spared John's life and walked away with Nyssa. Thea then returned to the Arrowcave with the rest of the team who then admit that they have lost Oliver to Ra's and must now reassemble their efforts without him. Felicity then came over to Thea's place and talked to her about Oliver and them both still loving him. Felicity then told Thea that they must move on with their lives and informed her about Roy being alive, as well as the fact that they staged his death. Felicity gave Thea a paper with his location and whereabouts, stating that she has an opportunity to start a new life with Roy if she wished.

Thea packed and headed to Monument Point to visit Roy. She brought his Arsenal suit, telling him she had her father steal it out of impound. The two share a kiss before having an intercourse. Later, Thea explained what had happened after he left and how Oliver sacrificed his soul for hers. The following day, Thea found herself alone in bed. She went to the auto-shop Roy worked at, only to learn he had quit and left once again. She read the letter Roy had left her, telling her to live the life Oliver sacrificed his soul for, and not live one on the run. Thea then also received Roy's Arsenal suit, the latter stating red always looked better on her.

Thea returned to Starling City in time to face the threat of Ra's al Ghul's bio-weapon attack where she donned Roy's suit and arrived in time to save John Diggle from a league member, who commented on her "threads". Diggle interrogated the assassin for the virus location only to discover he was carrying the toxin in his blood and released it by cutting his own throat. Diggle insisted Thea leave but she assured him that Malcolm had already inoculated her and the two worked together to evacuate as many people as they could to save them from the virus and they took down the fourth assassin before he could release the virus. This bought enough time for Oliver to kill Ra's and Ray to release the vaccine and cure everyone who'd been exposed. Returning to Palmer Technologies Oliver commended the efforts of everyone present and declared his intention to retire, knowing that he couldn't be The Arrow even if he wanted to be and didn't want to be anymore and also acknowledges that the city is in capable hands even without him. At her apartment Malcolm informed Thea that he intended to leave Starling as well which she wasn't phased by, but Malcolm tried to justify that regardless of all he has done he will always love her and will always be there if she needs him. Though she is uninterested in his offer she acknowledges the promise he made to make her stronger and thanks him for it, then tries to convince Oliver not to leave with no luck. Before he leaves Thea asks if he has an idea of a code-name for her as she'd thought of "Red Arrow", but Oliver had already told everyone to call her "Speedy". Annoyed but humored Thea bid farewell to Oliver.

Working with Team Arrow
After Oliver left Thea moved in with Laurel as living in her apartment haunted her of when Ra's almost killed her, but kept the house in her name. Over the next few months Thea, Diggle and Laurel worked to keep the city, re-branded "Star City" in Ray's memory, safe from threats but eventually a new terrorist group the media begun calling "The Ghosts" begun a series of attacks across the city. These begun with robbing banks and jewelry stores but escalated into stealing munitions and technologies, and the "Ghosts" themselves proved all too much a match for Team Arrow's skills.

During one siege of a Kord Industries weapons truck, Speedy and Black Canary moved in to intercept where Speedy fought against a few men. However one of the Ghosts pinned her down but Diggle saved her before Black Canary blew up the truck wheels, but the Ghosts brought backup and escaped with their cargo anyway. At the Arrowcave the team discussed the hijacking and Laurel and Thea agreed that they were outmatched and needed help, Oliver's help. However Diggle was against seeking Oliver's help. Only a day later city leadership was targeted by means of poisonings and assassinations and Thea failed in attempting to save one of them. Interrupting Oliver's dinner with Felicity, The and Laurel arrived at their house and told them of what they were up against and that despite what Diggle thinks, they're outmatched and need The Arrow. Reluctantly Oliver agreed to return home until their new enemies were caught. Eventually they found the Ghosts and observed as their leader addressed his men and killed on of them for failing to kill the vigilantes, simply by touching him. As Team Arrow attacked Speedy engaged one of the Ghosts but became unhinged and repeatedly punched him, almost stabbing him with her sword until Oliver stopped her. As Oliver and Thea searched for the bomb the Ghosts intended to use on the new railway line Oliver addressed her outburst but she tried to assure him she was fine, but Oliver was unconvinced. At the opening of the railway line Speedy use an arrow as a threat to get everyone to leave as Team Arrow worked to stop the Ghosts leader's plan. After succeeding Thea was present as Oliver revealed the leader to be Damien Darhk, Ra's al Ghul's most bitter enemy, but were confused since Damien had already left Star City months ago and Thea and witnessed Oliver in his new Arrow suit broadcast a statement to Star city, declaring his intention to protect it, as "Green Arrow".

Thea as Speedy helped the team save the Star City Dam from the Ghosts. Later, Oliver and Thea were having brunch with an old family friend Jessica Danforth and her daughter Madison Danforth where she told them of her plan to run for Mayor. Oliver and Thea started protecting Jessica from Lonnie Machin, a man hired by Damien Darhk to kill Jessica. While she was torturing a criminal, Oliver sent her away. Oliver later told Thea not to be so aggressive when she's out there. When Oliver was criticizing what she did, Thea attacked him. Thea later told Laurel about her experience in Nanda Parbat. After the team were able to locate Lonnie Machin, Thea went too far and set Lonnie on fire in a rage. Laurel later told Thea they were going to Nanda Parbat to resurrect her sister.

When Laurel and Thea arrived in Nanda Parbat, Malcolm refused to resurrect Sara. Thea told Malcolm about the blood-lust she had recently and asked for his help. Malcolm told her there was a sage on a nearby mountain that could cure her. Later, Thea was awoken by two assassins whom she killed. Malcolm revealed that there was no cure and the only way to stop the blood-lust was to kill. Later Malcolm agreed to use the pit on Sara and Thea witnessed her coming back to life.

When Thea and Laurel came back to Star City she agreed not to tell Oliver about their experience in Nanda Parbat. Thea joined the rest of the team when Oliver announced to them that he intended to run for Mayor and then went down to the teams now lair. When the team needed to attract a team of rogue cops Thea got in touch with her old drug dealer to lure them out. Thea wrote a speech for Oliver's announcement and witnessed him give it.

The resurrected Sara escaped and began to attack women that bore striking resemblances to Thea. Sara later attacked Thea at her home, but she managed to fend Sara off and escape, although injured during the altercation. At the hospital, Thea told Oliver that she understood what Sara was going through and confessed what Malcolm had her do to quench her blood-lust and that maybe Sara would be at peace if she killed her. Sara once again attacked Thea in her hospital room and began choking her but was intervened by Laurel and Oliver who were keeping watch outside. After John Constantine, an old friend of Oliver's helped to return Sara's soul to her body, Oliver and Thea made amends as he told her he was in no position to be angry with her for keeping secrets.

Alex went over their campaign itinerary with Thea and Oliver. Afterwards, he asked Thea out on a date which she rejected citing her already complicated life. Thea later helped Team Arrow in stealing a quantum manifold from Kord Industries and regrouped with them when they discovered Ray's location. While the rest of the team recovered Ray, Thea, Laurel, and Sara attacked the ghosts head on but they witnessed Sara kill a ghost as a result of the bloodlust. At Laurel's apartment, Sara told Thea and Laurel that she needed to leave. They tried to convince her to stay but she insisted on finding things out for herself. The next morning, Thea asked out Alex for some drinks later that night.

Thea accompanied the team in fighting off a Ghost attack on a Star City Bank armored truck. During the fight, Thea nearly killed a Ghost with her sword but she stopped herself. However, the Ghosts were successful in burning the money. The team later broke into Wolfman Biologics. Malcolm then visited Thea since he knew Thea's bloodlust was returning. He gave her a file on a pedophile who lived three blocks away that he wanted her to kill. Thea angrily left. Thea's relationship with Alex grew as she took the first step towards their date. After participating on a mission to rescue Ray Palmer from H.I.V.E, Thea's blood-lust returned and affected her during dinner with Alex. When she encountered Damien Darhk in the fight to save Andy Diggle, Darhk tried to suck the life-force out of her, but his powers failed against her. Later, Thea asked Malcolm to use that as an advantage.

Thea was present at Oliver's bay cleanup where a drone opened fire on the crowd. Thea later supported Oliver's plan to expose Damien Darhk to the public. Malcolm later paid a visit to Thea, telling her that Damien's powers that mitigated her bloodlust were not related to waters from the Lazarus Pit. Thea was later kidnapped by Damien at Oliver's mayoral holiday party and put into a gas chamber with Diggle and Felicity. Laurel and Malcolm (dressed as the Green Arrow) arrived and broke them out of the gas chamber.

Thea delivered flowers to Felicity before her surgery. She later talked to Laurel about her concern for Lonnie Machin's return and her regret for burning his face in a bloodlust-driven rage. They then walked in on Quentin and Donna and realized the two were dating. Thea took Donna to the cafeteria to give Quentin and Laurel some space. Team Arrow was able to find a lead on Machin at his foster parents' house and went there. They found Machin, but he rigged a motion sensor gunfire trap. Thea got away and went after Machin, holding him at arrow point. However, the rest of the team intervened and took him into custody. Oliver questioned Machin at an abandoned warehouse. Thea interrupted his interrogation to tell Oliver that Felicity was out of surgery. Thea then started questing Machin, who began taunting her. Thea started threatening him and Lonnie tried to goad her into killing him. Thea held an arrow to his throat and started drawing blood. The police arrived, so she left Machin to be caught. Feeling like she was losing control, Thea went to see Alex to break up with him. Alex reminded her of her resilience in face of multiple tragedies and that she was strong enough to get through her issues. The team later found Machin at Darhk's home. Thea and Oliver distracted Machin while Laurel and John got Darhk's wife and daughter out safely. Thea caught up with Machin in the forest and used a trick arrow to tie him to a tree. Machin used a hidden knife to cut himself free and escaped once again. After the mission, Thea invited Alex over for wine and they kiss.

When John and Lyla were ambushed by armed attackers, Team Arrow helped them track down the culprit, Shadowspire, who had taken two A.R.G.U.S. operatives. The team tracked them to Pacific Freeport but found the two agents already dead. They later monitored Shadowspire's next target: a shipment of railguns. However, the railguns were a ruse and Shadowspire's real target was A.R.G.U.S. Thea, Oliver, and Laurel busted into A.R.G.U.S. headquarters and helped take down Shadowspire before they could access Rubicon.

Despite the potential asset of her immunity to Darhk's powers, after Thea's bloodlust reached a point where her body was starting to destroy itself because she wouldn't kill others, Oliver arranged for Nyssa to give Thea the cure after helping her regain control of the League of Assassins. Thea continued with the team after a brief reunion with Roy, but after she fell under Malcolm's influence again and threatened to kill Darhk's daughter after being released, Thea decided to leave the team as she didn't like what she was becoming.

Chief of Staff
Although she retired from life as a vigilante, Thea continues to help Oliver in a civilian capacity as his Chief of Staff (Oliver having been appointed Mayor after the death of Ruvé Darhk) and has proven herself to be an able politician, often picking up the slack for Oliver, who simultaneously worked as the Green Arrow. She hired Quentin Lance, who had been fired from the SCPD after revealing that he had previously collaborated with Damien Darhk, as the city's Deputy Mayor.

Thea temporarily came out of retirement as Speedy when the Dominators attacked Earth and accompanied Team Arrow to Central City, where she met Kara Danvers/Supergirl from Earth Thirty-Eight. Thea was briefly brainwashed by the Dominators but later freed by Barry. Shortly after, Thea, Oliver, John, Sara and Ray were beamed onto the Dominators' mothership. Thea was placed into a computer-simulated reality where her parents, Tommy and Laurel were all alive, Oliver was getting married to Laurel, and she was the owner of Verdant. Thea eventually realized this reality was fake when she experienced visions from the real world, including her mother's death, but wanted to stay, despite Oliver and Sara's protests. Thea pointed out that they finally have a chance to lead a normal, happy life and she didn't want to lose her family again. Though saddened, Oliver accepted this and left. At the last minute though, Thea changed her mind and helped Oliver and her friends battle visions of their enemies, personally defeating a vision of Malcolm. Thea watched on as Oliver and Sara bid goodbye to Laurel and they left the reality through a portal in Smoak Technologies. The five of them were able to escape from the mothership and were rescued by the Waverider. After this ordeal, Oliver arranged for Thea to be dropped off back in Star City.

After Oliver's near-impeachment, Thea decided to resign as his Chief of Staff, fearing that she was relying too heavily on dirty politics, including tarnishing a reporter's reputation and considering blackmailing a city council member for his vote.

Thea, along with the rest of Team Arrow, was captured by Adrian Chase and taken to Lian Yu. After stepping on a landmine, Thea was pushed off of it by her father, who had joined forces with Oliver to rescue her; he later detonated the landmine to take out Digger Harkness and some of Chase's henchmen, leaving Thea devastated over the loss of a man whom she hates but comes to terms that while Merlyn was not a good father or person, he proved that he loved Thea.

Comatose and return
During the destruction of the island, Thea was rendered comatose. Five months later, she was on life support at Starling General Hospital. Thea finally awoke from her coma on Thanksgiving, much to Oliver's joy. She had a mini Thanksgiving dinner with Oliver, Felicity, Diggle and William and began to get to know her nephew. Thea attended Oliver and Felicity's wedding celebration in which she remarked about how nobody but Diggle had been invited. Afterwards Quentin Lance took her back to her apartment only to discover Black Siren. Black Siren knocked out Thea and Quentin, kidnapping the latter and leaving a phone on the former. Thea delivered the phone to Oliver and later talked with Oliver about Rene Ramirez's betrayal.

After Quentin fired Rene as Oliver's Chief of Staff, he rehired Thea to fill the position.

Future
In a potential future where Grant Wilson conquered the city, Thea was absent from Star City by 2046. Although John and Quentin were confirmed to be dead, Felicity had left the city and Laurel was also greatly implied to be deceased, Thea's fate was left in question, but it is clear that if alive, she stopped operating as "Speedy" following Grant Wilson's rise to power.

Rewritten reality
In an alternate reality created by the Legion of Doom with the Spear of Destiny, Malcolm had it so Thea adored him as a father and was part of his family along with Rebecca and Tommy. It was implied that she was the daughter of Malcolm and Rebecca in this reality.

Personality
Initially, Thea was an arrogant, reckless, selfish, impulsive and immature spoiled brat. She turned to a life of substance abuse and partying to fill the void of losing her father Robert and older brother Oliver Queen. However, when Moira tried to be a decent parent for the first time by grounding her for breaking into a store, Thea obeyed the punishment even though she called Moira out at first. She also has a good heart and often tries to do the right thing, and looks up to Oliver. When she meets Roy Harper, a young criminal, she quickly forms a strong romantic attraction, and she is shown to be extremely devoted to him, repeatedly bailing him out of jail. She also showed up to the auction for Unidac Industries to support Walter even though she said she had no intention of going at first. After Roy is saved by the Hood, Thea goes along with him to meet the man who saved his life. This shows that Thea, while young, reckless, and impulsive, has a strong sense of loyalty and camaraderie for those she loves. Thea is also shown to be unpredictable. One example was when she would intentionally show up late to school and sometimes be on time.
 * -|As a civilian=

After working with Laurel, her partying and drug abusing days came to be exchanged for a more dutiful and emotionally responsible personality. After the quake, Thea became much more responsible, having to fend for herself financially from Moira's imprisonment, and Oliver's self-imposed exile. She eventually became the new owner of Verdant. In Season 2, though Thea was originally opposed to Roy being a vigilante like the Arrow she eventually warmed up to it when Roy saved Sin, although Thea still tried to be involved as much as possible. When Roy is injected with the Mirakuru and becomes more aggressive, Thea begins to feel pushed away as Roy doesn't talk about it with her. When Roy later breaks up with her she becomes extremely depressed. Furthermore, when Thea learns that Malcolm Merlyn is her biological father from Slade Wilson, she becomes angry towards Oliver and Moira, for keeping the secret from her, branding them liars and disowning them as family. When Moira was murdered by Slade to protect Thea, right in front of her with her final words to Thea that she loves her, Thea is completely devastated, numb with despair to the point she decides to leave Star City.

When Malcolm appears during the Siege, protecting her from Slade's super-soldiers, saying he was her father, she at first rejected Malcolm, was disgusted by him and even tried to shoot him, (Thea is more like her biological father, then she realizes). However, after Thea learned of Roy working with the Arrow, this was the last straw for her and so she went back to Malcolm. Determined not to feel weak or hurt ever again, Thea sought training from Malcolm, to teach her how to defend herself.

After six months' training under Malcolm, Thea has become a much more confident, disciplined, emotionally stronger person and can physically fend for herself as well. Despite Malcolm being a murderer, she has accepted Malcolm as her father and calls him "dad". However, she has also become manipulative in lying about not knowing Malcolm, his training her and avoiding any conversations about him with Oliver. Malcolm's harsh training has turned her in a capable fighter as she is able to act quickly and decisively when cornered. This was shown when confronted with the Arrow, she threw glass in his face and kicked him in the groin after which she escaped. Later on, when Thea finally learns of Oliver's identity as the Arrow, she showed great maturity in accepting her half-brother's vigilante identity, she went back to looking up to him and gracefully praised him for all of the lives he'd saved, for all the good he'd done for Starling City, knowing everything he did was to protect her.

However, when Thea learns from Oliver that Malcolm had drugged and brainwashed her with Vitura (a drug that made her extremely susceptible to suggestion) and had her murder Sara Lance under his manipulations, Thea is devastated. She is beyond horrified at what she was forced to do. She begins to unravel, holding Slade Wilson at gunpoint on Lian Yu, and viciously turns against Malcolm. When faced against the League of Assassins, Thea arranges for them to kidnap Malcolm so he faces justice. When Oliver points out, she will feel guilty for what she did, she tried to brush this off, however, her conscience catches up with her, Thea realizes she tried to have her own father killed while wracked with guilt over Sara and coming to regret every decision she's made since accepting Malcolm. She even attempts suicide by Nyssa's hand. When Oliver returns with Malcolm, Thea, feels remorse for what she did to her father, but covered it up, when she said she would turn him over to the league all over again. She laments she doesn't know what she's doing, who she is anymore.

After being revived by the Lazarus Pit (after she was nearly killed by Ra's al Ghul), her rebirth appeared to have left its mark on her soul. She had a much more actionable persona as well as a dark sense of honor. She feels responsible for her half-brother's defection for his joining the League of Assassins. When Oliver was supposedly brainwashed and had John at sword-point, she shoots an arrow through her half-brother's arm to stop him and threatened him the next would be in his eye. When Roy decides to end their relationship, as well as leaving her his Arsenal suit, she accepts it and is inspired to assume her own mantle joining Team Arrow and operate as a vigilante under the name Speedy.
 * -|As Speedy=

After six months of being a vigilante, the side effects of the Lazarus Pit's waters started to take affect, Thea has become extremely aggressive and bloodthirsty to the point of being unstable and unpredictable. Although she was later cured of this condition.

Thea's integrity comes grealty into question as she exhibits traits more and more like that of her father. This was clear in her hypocritical criticizm of Malcolm putting an innocent child's (her nephew William) life in danger when she did exactly the same thing when threatening the life of Nora Darhk, although her motive was to stop the latter's father, Damien Darhk from killing Oliver, Thea still had no right to threatened the life of an innocent child - this awakened her to the notion that she is more like her father than she initially realized and so, after Damien's death, she retired from vigilantism and refused to return to Team Arrow.

Thea has lost her sense of morality, pushing reasonable boundaries such as when she framed Susan Williams for plagiarism simply because of her dislike for the latter as a reporter, or when she revealed that she had evidence to prove that her half-brother Oliver, is Green Arrow, a scheme which resulted not only in Susan losing her job, but her life and reputation being ruined, Thea tried to justify this act by the incentive of protecting her half-brother, only for Oliver to cruelly criticize Thea's actions, pointing out the similarity of her misguided choices to that of their late mother, Moira Queen.

According to Malcolm; Thea is short-sighted, as she is incapable of seeing the larger picture.

Former powers

 * Dark magic immunity: It has been revealed that Thea is immune to Damien Darhk's powers since using them on her actually caused them to backfire onto Damien, almost killing him. This is most likely due to the Lazarus Pit and its magical properties, as well as her blood-lust. However, since Thea has been cured of the Lazarus Pit's effects, she is likely no longer immune to Damien's powers.

Abilities

 * Peak of human physical condition: After 5 months of excellent physical training from Malcolm Merlyn, Thea became a strong fighter, able to take on several opponents in battle. During her training, she showed remarkable flexibility and coordination.
 * Acrobatics/Free-running: After five months of training, Thea was able to escape from Oliver (in his guise as the Arrow) by jumping off her balcony. As a vigilante, she is also able to perform parkour, scaling buildings and going from one tall point to the next.
 * Keen intellect/Expert investigator/Great business acumen: Thea has proven to be very intelligent, though not quite on an academic or scientific basis. She can sense when someone is lying or hiding something from her, as she figured out that Oliver and Moira were secretly fighting and noticed that Oliver was keeping a secret about Sara Lance. Thea is a capable detective, able to trace a wallet chain to Roy Harper, who stole her purse at the time. She also utilized these skills as a vigilante, such as determining Cupid's victims using her knowledge of celebrity gossip. After Thea took over Verdant, she became a successful businesswoman and was able to run the club perfectly. Thea also had an aptitude for politics, efficiently helping to manage Oliver's mayoral campaign. As Oliver's chief of staff, she proved to be an excellent politician and often picked up the slack for Oliver in his first few months.
 * Artistic knowledge: From childhood, Thea had an interest in art. By her late teens, she amassed a substantial knowledge on art history, having studied the subject in school. As such, Thea is able to give detailed tours of the Queen Mansion's collection of paintings.
 * Bilingual: Thea is able to fluently speak English and Spanish.
 * Expert driver: Thea is capable of driving multiple vehicles, such as cars and motorcycles.
 * Toxicology: After being trained by Malcolm, Thea became familiar with poisons, able to detect disguised cyanide in red wine.
 * Expert combatant/Martial artist: Thea was trained by Malcolm in kenjutsu and martial arts and became a proficient fighter, easily beating two trainers. She combines her sword mastery with powerful kicks and punches. When Oliver confronted her (in his guise as the Arrow), Thea landed a groin kick and then rapidly executed multiple strikes on him (though Oliver easily blocked and dodged her blows) before fleeing the scene. However, Thea was easily kidnapped by Nyssa al Ghul and unable to fight off Chase, an agent of the League of Assassins, and would have been killed if not for Roy and Malcolm's intervention. Later on, Thea was able to fend off Slade Wilson alongside Oliver, though Oliver was seriously injured at the time and Thea would have been defeated if she had not pulled a gun on Slade. Unfortunately, Thea was no match for Ra's al Ghul, as she was easily overpowered and almost killed by the latter, showing that she is still not yet at her half-brother and father's level. After a further five months of training, Thea could battle Ghosts with little assistance and hold her own against the master martial artist Lonnie Machin, even besting him on two occasions. After being in a coma for six months though, Thea became somewhat out of shape and was easily knocked out by Black Siren. However, after a few months of presumably training to regain her skills, Thea was able to hold her own against Ricardo Diaz and Athena.
 * Expert stick fighter: Thea is skilled in fighting with sticks and often spars with Oliver.
 * Expert swordswoman: During the five months Thea spent with Malcolm, he trained her in kenjutsu and other forms of sword fighting. Thea became so skillful that she could easily defeat two trainers at once and received praise from Malcolm during their sparring sessions. However, even after being a vigilante for six months, Thea's swordsmanship skills are not yet at her half-brother and father's level as she was overpowered by Malcolm on two separate occasions, who defeated her with little effort. A few years later though, Thea's skills have improved, allowing her to stand her ground against Athena, the leader of the Thanatos Guild, for a while in a sword fight.
 * Expert knife wielder: Without looking at him, Thea was able to throw a letter opener at Malcolm's forehead, which he caught.
 * Expert archer: Thea is highly skilled in archery, having won multiple archery contests. After being trained by Malcolm, she was able to quickly shoot three arrows into Sara's chest and an arrow into Oliver's arm with great accuracy. After joining Team Arrow, Thea became an efficient archer in the field, able to shoot her targets whilst in motion.
 * Indomitable will/High tolerance for pain/Expert survivor: Thea was taught by Malcolm to withstand pain by having hot water poured over her hand. By the end of her five-month stay with him, Thea didn't even flinch when someone accidentally spilled hot coffee on her hand. When Oliver dislocated and relocated her shoulder, Thea merely groaned, showing she was able to tolerate this pain as well. Thea has also shown great mental strength, able to overcome the brainwashing effects of H.I.V.E.'s drug and regain her independence. While on Lian Yu, Thea could survive its harsh conditions with her brother.
 * Stealth: Thea was able to sneak up on Sara (albeit under the influence of Vitura), who only realized she was there when the former called her name.
 * Network: As a former member of the social elite and nightclub owner, Thea has a wide array of contacts, which she used to hire interns for Oliver's mayoral campaign and put together a Star City Nights music and arts festival at the Rockets Arena.

Former weaknesses

 * Bloodlust: Since being revived by the Lazarus Pit, Thea was left with an insatiable bloodlust and the impulse only subsides for a month at a time if she gives in to it. The only way to permanently end it was to take out the one who killed her, which was impossible as Ra's al Ghul was already dead. When Thea resisted the urge, the bloodlust eventually turned on her and began to take her own life. Ultimately, Thea was saved when Nyssa provided Oliver with the Lotus elixir, which permanently cured her of the bloodlust.

Former equipment

 * Arsenal suit: Thea was given Roy's Arsenal suit in . She uses it as her heroic alter-ego, Speedy, to hide her identity from her enemies. It is unknown what materials the suit is made from, with the exception of Kevlar.
 * Customized compound bow: While killing Sara and shooting Oliver (as Al Sah-Him), Thea used a bow similar to the one Malcolm uses.
 * Customized recurve bow: While fighting crime as Speedy, Thea uses a red colored recurve bow.
 * Dark Archer suit: While killing Sara, she wore a dark suit with a hood.
 * Customized hunting arrows: While killing Sara, Thea used hunting arrows similar to that of Malcolm Merlyn and members of the League of Assassins. As Speedy, Thea uses red colored arrows similar to Roy's.
 * Jian: Thea has a Chinese straightsword for her training with Malcolm.
 * Katana: Thea used a katana for training in kenjutsu.
 * Shinai/Bokken: Thea used a wooden sword for training in kenjutsu.
 * Trick arrows: Thea used a grappling hook arrow in and a syringe arrow in.
 * Quiver: While killing Sara, and as Speedy, she wore a dark quiver to carry her arrows with her.

Arrow
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Season 7
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Trivia

 * Even before becoming Speedy, Thea already had some skill in archery, as several archery trophies can be seen in her room. This concept recurs when she throws an empty bottle with great accuracy to save Roy from a thug with a gun.
 * Thea enjoys shopping.  Because of this, she is well-versed in fashion brands.
 * Thea took dressage lessons as a child.
 * She had an "obsession" with art in her senior year of high school.
 * She has many followers on social media.
 * Thea is an avid follower of celebrity gossip.
 * She likes the Harry Potter series.
 * When Thea found out her true parentage, she thought "Thea Merlyn" was amusing. Though she is still legally known as Thea Queen, she has occasionally jokingly referred to herself with the "Merlyn" surname.
 * Thea suggested that her vigilante identity could be "Red Arrow", before being prompted by Oliver to take on the name Speedy. In the comics, Red Arrow was one of Roy Harper's aliases.
 * As the daughter of a previous Ra's al Ghul, Thea is an heir to the demon like Nyssa. It is also possible that as Malcolm's daughter, Thea may have some legal shares in Merlyn Global Group, assuming the company is still operational.
 * Thea has had four love interests in the series: Shane Colvin, Roy Harper, Chase and Alex Davis. She also expressed an attraction towards John Constantine.
 * Additionally, Thea has caught the romantic interest of Cisco Ramon/Vibe and Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog, though she has firmly told Rene that he isn't her type.
 * Thea also had a brief crush on Tommy and drunkenly tried to kiss him, unaware of her relation to him at the time. She would later realize this after learning Malcolm is her father and feel disgusted by it.
 * Thea was technically the first character to successfully kill a member of Team Arrow, current or former, when she killed Sara, though she was brainwashed by Malcolm at the time.
 * Thea is right-handed, as whenever she is seen using her bow and arrow, she always uses her right hand to pull back on the arrow.
 * In the season 4 episode, Thea quit being Speedy. However, she was forced to don the mantle again in  to rescue Oliver when he was kidnapped by Tobias Church. She did so again in to fight the Dominators, and  to help Oliver find Prometheus, though these times were voluntary.
 * Thea's middle name, Dearden, most likely comes from her mother's maiden name.

Behind the Scenes

 * In the DC comics, Mia Dearden was a teenage girl who was second to take on the mantle of Speedy (the alias of Green Arrow's sidekicks). The first Speedy was Roy Harper, who in the comics also happened to have a drug addiction problem like Thea. This is adapted on the show by having Oliver's nickname for Thea be "Speedy", which she later adopts as her vigilante name. Even though Thea was initially thought to be an original character, as seasons progressed, more similarities were shown between her and the second Speedy, like her middle name being Dearden and using the name "Mia" during her time in Corto Maltese. Thea being an adaptation of Mia Dearden was all but confirmed when she finally joined Team Arrow under the name Speedy, taking Roy's costume and his place like in the comics.
 * Willa Holland was only contracted for 14 episodes out of Season 5's 23. However, she appeared in 15 episodes.
 * Thea shares multiple similarities with Damian Wayne, the current Robin in the comics. Both Thea and Damian are the illegitimate children of vigilantes (Malcolm and Batman/Bruce Wayne). Thea and Damian also at one point were "heirs to the demon", as Malcolm was Ra's Al Ghul and Damian's grandfather is Ra's Al Ghul. They are also both related to a chosen successor of Ra's (Oliver and Bruce). Both Thea and Damian are skilled sword fighters and carry swords while on patrol, and are also prone to fits of violent rage.
 * Even though Oliver was originally an only child in the comics, Thea's introduction in the series would inspire the introduction of Emiko "Emi" Queen, Oliver's half-sister in the New 52 Green Arrow comics starting with issue 18 of their first volume that was released around the end of Arrow's first season. Emiko would have a few similarities with Thea, including having been used as an assassin by their other parent (Shado and Malcolm Merlyn), whom they later turned against and fighting alongside their brother as part of his team.
 * Incidentally, Thea once considered Red Arrow as her codename, which Emiko would take up in the fifteenth issue of the Green Arrow series from the DC Rebirth event.