- "You barely defeated Malcolm Merlyn, at nearly the cost of your own life. What hope would you have against the man who trained him?"
- —Al-Owal taunting Oliver Queen[src]
Al-Owal (Arabic: الأول; for The First) (died late 2013) was a sword-wielding assassin and a member of the League of Assassins. He trained Malcolm Merlyn in the League's ways. Al-Owal was sent along with two other members by Ra's al Ghul to retrieve Sara Lance, but failed and was killed.
Biography
Training the magician
When Malcolm Merlyn arrived at Nanda Parbat, Al-Owal trained him in the ways of the League of Assassins.[1]
Hunting Sara Lance
When Sara Lance went rogue and decided to leave the League, Al-Owal was tasked by Ra's al Ghul to retrieve her. He and two other assassins tracked Sara to Starling City.
Al-Owal broke into the Queen Mansion and attacked both Sara and Oliver Queen. After a savage battle, he overpowered Sara but Oliver gained the upper hand, throwing him against some tables. Oliver removed Al-Owal's mask, demanding to know who he was. Al-Owal simply proclaimed himself to be a fellow "warrior" and cut down a chandelier to cover his escape.
Later, Al-Owal was sharpening his sword in an abandoned aldicarb pesticide plant when he sensed someone was stalking him and easily caught one of Oliver's arrows. Al-Owal mused on how the weapon was an "ineffective projectile". Oliver warned him to leave Sara alone, only for Al-Owal to retort that the former had no chance of standing up to him since he personally trained Malcolm. Seeing Sara, Al-Owal stated that the child of Ra's al Ghul willed her to return, but she refused. Al-Owal then vowed to forcefully bring her back, revealing he also brought reinforcements. As the two League members battled Sara, Al-Owal engaged in a sword duel with Oliver. Oliver eventually knocked Al-Owal down long enough for himself and Sara to escape.
Al-Owal later confronted Sara and Quentin Lance at her hideout with members of the League. Al-Owal and Sara battled and despite the latter setting a trap for him, Al-Owal soon outmatched her. Holding a sword to Sara's throat, Al-Owal prepared to capture her but Oliver interrupted. He was then defeated by Sara, who trapped Al-Owal in a headlock. He warned Sara that her status as "the beloved" wouldn't grant her freedom, to which she replied, "there is only one freedom" and snapped Al-Owal's neck, killing him. Sara hoped this would prevent details of her circumstances from getting back to the League.[1]
Abilities
- Peak of human physical condition: As a highly trained assassin, Al-Owal was in excellent physical form for a man of his age. Due to his conditioning, he was able to recover quickly after being stabbed in the leg and thrown against some tables. Al-Owal had phenomenal reflexes that allowed him to easily deflect arrows shot at him and even catch an arrow in midair from behind his head.[1]
- Acrobatics/Free-running: Al-Owal is very graceful and nimble, able to jump a height of several feet without injuring himself and easily scale obstacles.[1]
- Honed senses: Al-Owal has remarkably sharp senses, able to easily pick up danger. He was able to quickly deduce the presence of Oliver Queen and Sara Lance as they attempted to ambush him.[1]
- Master hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist: As a member of the League of Assassins, Al-Owal was an outstandingly proficient hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist, having gone through the same training that all League members do. He personally trained the deadly Malcolm Merlyn. Al-Owal was capable of simultaneously fighting Oliver and Sara, both excellent combatants and martial artists in their own rights, on equal footing. He even managed to gain the upper hand in their initial confrontations, losing in their first fight only when Oliver stabbed his leg. In their final battle, despite being wounded, Al-Owal was still able to successfully overpower Sara, only being defeated in the end since he was blindsided by a surprise attack from Oliver.
- Master swordsman: Al-Owal was a highly proficient swordsman, able to hold his own against Oliver, to the point that the latter needed to briefly cause a distraction to escape. In their final confrontation, Al-Owal defeated Sara in a sword duel as she wielded her expandable batons and would've kidnapped her had it not been for Oliver's intervention.
- High tolerance for pain: Even when Oliver stabbed him in the leg, Al-Owal was able to swiftly recover enough to escape. After being caught in a trap and having multiple sharp darts injected into his leg, Al-Owal was still able to keep fighting without slowing down and even overpower Sara.[1]
- Stealth: Al-Owal was able to vanish from the Queen Mansion in seconds after cutting down a chandelier. He also silently stalked Sara to her hideout.[1]
Equipment
- League of Assassins suit: Al-Owal wore a black armored suit as all members of the League of Assassins do.
- Straight kris sword: As an assassin, Al-Owal carried a straight kris sword as his primary weapon.
Appearances
Arrow
Season 1
- "Dead to Rights" (indirectly mentioned)