Tommy Merlyn

"So, what'd you miss the most? Steaks at the palm, drinks at the station, meaningless sex?"

- Tommy to Oliver Queen

Tommy Merlyn (born c. February 1984) is the son of Malcolm Merlyn, and the late Rebecca Merlyn, a former billionaire "trustafarian", the former best friend of Oliver Queen, and the ex-boyfriend of Laurel Lance.

Biography
When Oliver returns to Starling City, Tommy believes the good times will roll again but is greatly mistaken as Oliver is a changed man. In Oliver's absence, he forms an on-again, off-again relationship with Oliver's ex-girlfriend, Laurel Lance. He later goes to confront his father about why his trust fund was shut off. Malcolm replies by stating he cannot use his money unreasonably. In Year's End, Oliver is confronted by a very dangerous vigilante. This vigilante not only uses a new very distinctive arrow, but Oliver doesn't know this masked man is actually his best friend's father, Malcolm Merlyn. His mother was killed in 1992, leading to him and his father to have a very strained relationship, because after his mother was murdered, his father left him for two years to train as the Dark Archer (Currently for unknown purposes).

After quitting his job at Verdant, he asked Malcom Merlyn for a job. An offer which his father accepts with open arms.

Personality
When Tommy first appears in the series, he comes across as a light-hearted, cheerful, and carefree laid back individual without a care in the world, due to the fact that his financial access is nearly limitless. He tries to get Oliver to rejoin the party scene, picking out girls for him and taking him around town. However, his affection for Laurel is slowly changing him into a more responsible individual.

When his father cuts off his trust fund, he is angry, but then becomes more resolved in his desire to change. He applies himself more in his relationships with Laurel and Oliver, and gets a job running Verdant. He is bitter towards his father, who he perceives as money-hungry and uncaring, especially due to the fact that Malcolm left Tommy for two years after Rebecca Merlyn, Tommy's mother, was killed. Their relationships improves a bit after Malcolm is nearly killed by Deadshot.

He is thrown into a sea of confusion when it is revealed to him that Oliver is the vigilante. He finds that he can't trust Oliver anymore, and quits the nightclub saying that he has too much self-respect' to continue running Oliver's front, when Oliver does not trust him. Tommy then went to his father to find work.

Malcolm Merlyn
Malcolm Merlyn is Tommy Merlyn's father. They used to be close, but when his mother died his father left him alone for two years. Tommy resents him for it as he needed a dad during that time and because when Malcolm returned home he was completely cold to Tommy. They barely spoke and their relationship has been strained since then. He is angry when he finds out his father has shut down his trust fund and his father tells him cruel hurtful things about why he was cutoff.

Later his father calls him seems to apologize for what he said to Tommy, and seems he wants to make peace with his son. He genuinely seems like he wants to get to know his son's new girlfriend and invites them to dinner with him, but it turns out to be a ploy to get Tommy's signature, authorizing the shut down of a Rebecca Merlyn's clinic. Tommy gets very upset with his father both because he wants to shut down the clinic that meant everything to his mother and because he felt the reconciliation attempt was never genuine, but only a manipulation to get what he really wanted (the signature).

Malcolm attempts to visit Tommy during his birthday party, but Tommy is still angry and hostile towards him. Malcolm invites him to a special benefit honoring him, but Tommy refuses and insults him. As he is returning to his apartment his father grabs Tommy on his arm. His father tells him that all he ever wanted for Tommy was happiness. Tommy doesn't believe what his father says, and does not want his money either. Tommy does care about his father, but isn't close to him either, he reluctantly goes to the awards ceremony,  after Oliver convinces him that's it's worth trying to have a relationship with his father. Malcolm speaks about his late wife in his acceptance speech and then is almost assassinated. This seems to lead to an improvement in Malcolm and Tommy's relationship. This seems to hold, as after he quit his job at Verdant, Tommy went to his father and asked for a job at the company. The two embraced and Malcolm seemed happy.

Rebecca Merlyn
Rebecca Merlyn was Tommy Merlyn's mother. It can be assumed that Tommy and his mother were very close. When she was killed he was very up-set mourning over her death. Years later, when his father wanted Tommy's signature to shut down Rebecca's clinic. Tommy felt angry and betrayal towards his father informing him that clinic meant everything to mom. Implying that he believed that his father was disrespecting his mother's legacy.

Oliver Queen
Oliver Queen used to be Tommy Merlyn's best friend. Tommy and Oliver have been best friends since they were kids. When he learned that Oliver is alive he is happy to see him and tries to get him back into his party lifestyle. When Thea accidentally reveal that Tommy and Laurel have been sleeping together when he was presumed to be dead. Tommy tries to apologize to Oliver, but he says it's okay, Tommy found it strange that Oliver was okay with it. Like he already knew unknown to Tommy Oliver already knew he found out they are together. Overhearing them well he was Arrow.

Oliver reveals his secret identity as Arrow to Tommy, in order to convince him to let him help save his father. Tommy is shocked to find out that Oliver is the vigilante and he is hurt not just because Oliver kept this secret from him, but also that his best friend is capable of killing people.

He even bribes a government official, to keep him from inspecting the entire building of Verdant, so he doesn't discover the basement where Oliver's headquarters is. When Quentin Lance comes with a search warrent to search the building, and comes across a door which leads to Oliver headquarters. When Oliver opens the door a giant warehouse full of unrenovated stuff is revealed, and he didn't tell Oliver about it. Their friendship becomes more and more strained, as Tommy believed Oliver doesn't trust him enough as he wouldn't tell about Arrow if his father hadn't nearly died and quits his job at Verdant ending their friendship.

Laurel Lance
Laurel Lance is Tommy Merlyn's ex girlfriend. They started sleeping together, when Oliver was presumed to be dead. When Oliver returned home Tommy tries to find the right time to tell him that he and Laurel are in a relationship. After Oliver finds out he and Laurel no longer have to hide their feelings for each other. In Home Invasion he breaks up with her because he realizes that, given Laurel's feelings for the vigilante, if she were to know Oliver's secret identity, she would choose Oliver over him.

Appearances
{{Scroll|

Comics
}}
 * Arrow #1
 * Arrow #7
 * Arrow #17
 * Arrow #26

Trivia

 * Originally, many believed that Tommy would become Green Arrow's mononymous enemy from the comics, Merlyn, or the "Dark Archer", due to the name similarities until it was revealed in "Year's End" that it is in fact his father, Malcolm Merlyn, who becomes the Dark Archer.
 * His family runs Merlyn Global Group.
 * Tommy Merlyn is the fifth person to discover Oliver Queen's secret identity, Arrow. He discovered this in "Dead to Rights".
 * Malcolm mentions that Tommy, as a child, wanted a puppy for Christmas, which he would have called "Arthur", to pair with him being a "Merlyn". This may attribute to how Merlin assisted King Arthur, as well as subtly referencing that Merlyn's real name in the comics is Arthur King.
 * It was mentioned by Oliver that Tommy once rented an entire football field just so he could play "strip football" with a group of ladies.