- "I used to be a vigilante. I used to be you."
- —Ted to Oliver Queen[src]
Ted Grant is a boxer, a former vigilante, and the owner of the Wildcat Gym. He is the former mentor of the late Isaac Stanzler and the late Laurel Lance. Ted is known as Wildcat, and was also nicknamed The Starling Southpaw for being left-handed.
Biography
Being a vigilante
Ted Grant is an accomplished and well-known boxer. His alias in the ring was Wildcat. Three years before the start of the series' present day, he became a vigilante. He watched over the Glades, patrolling the crime and poverty infested district of the city trying to keep crime at the bay. He established a hidden base which was used to store his equipment, weapons including brass knuckles, knives, batons and nunchaku. At some point he came across Isaac Stanzler, a troubled young man. He eventually took on Isaac as a partner hoping to change the boy's life in a positive direction. When he and Isaac were pursuing a criminal, a member of the Calebras' gang, their chase led them to a closed nightclub. Isaac reached their destination first and beat the man to death. This caused Ted to retire his vigilante career: he closed down his base, hung up his mask, and cut all ties with Isaac.[1]
Training Laurel
Werner Zytle rigged an explosive device in Rockets Arena, where Ted was fighting. However, the bomb was defused by Arsenal and Felicity Smoak.[2]
Laurel Lance came to Ted concerning Tom Bronson, who was a member of his gym that had been seen at the scene of a crime. He vouched for the boy, though implying that he was indeed lying. He went on to explain how people like the boy sought the gym to calm themselves, and suggested that Laurel was likely another person like that, giving her a pamphlet were she interested. Laurel later returned asking Ted to teach her.[3]
He kept training Laurel, telling her that she moves without control and lashes out during sparring. Laurel later told him the source of her anger was her sister Sara had been killed.[4]
Ted kept training Laurel and offered that they go out to eat together. While they were gone Isaac strung up bodies of criminals in the Wildcat gym causing the Arrow to confront Ted. Laurel pardoned Ted, insisting he was innocent. Ted was later questioned by the police while an unknown woman in the crowd surrounding the crime scene watched. While investigating Oliver found another body in a storage locker Ted used as a former base. Ted ambushed him but was subdued by Oliver knocking him down, Ted then revealed he had been working as a vigilante six years ago so the pair decided to work together and they found a clue that led them to a hotel. Unknown to them the same woman from the crime scene was tracking them. Here they learned from Ted that his former partner Isaac had came back for vengeance. Later on, Ted was framed by Isaac for killing people, drawing the attention of law enforcement. Ted and Laurel were later taken hostage by Isaac and held at gunpoint. Laurel was forced to drive them in her car, however she managed to call Team Arrow and they came to their aid. During the chase Laurel managed to toss Isaac out of the car but the car crashed and caught fire. Diggle and Oliver freed Ted and Laurel from the burning vehicle before it exploded.
When proven innocent with The Arrow's help, Ted was asked by the hooded vigilante to stay away from Laurel which he agreed if Laurel wanted to stay away from his gym. He offered The Arrow advice that discarding his pupil and losing faith in him will be the worst thing he can do for Arsenal, possibly convincing Oliver to keep Roy on aboard instead of kicking him out like what Diggle suggested. Laurel later came to the gym anyway asking Ted to train her as a vigilante and fight crime outside of the courtroom.[1]
When the Glades became under siege, Laurel approached him and asked him to join her and the rest of Team Arrow with defeating Danny Brickwell, he agreed and took up his mantle of Wildcat again, fighting Brickwell and nearly defeating him, only to be overpowered and nearly killed had Arsenal not hit Brickwell with an arrow to the chest which caused him to flee. Ted was later comforted and guarded by Laurel.[5] He ultimately survived the beating.[6] However, with the injuries he sustained, Ted was unable to continue training Laurel, to which she later gained guidance in the matter from Nyssa al Ghul.
Personality
- "Mr. Grant, do you know that lying to the District Attorney is against the law?"
- "If by that you mean am I willing to lie in order to keep a good kid who just happened to make a stupid mistake out of this system? I think you know my answer."
- —Laurel Lance and Ted Grant[src]
Ted is intelligent, has a sense of justice, honor, and good morals, becoming a vigilante to keep crime in the Glades in check, Ted is also a highly empathetic individual as he runs his gym to give his students chances to let off steam and control their emotions. He was able to sense that Laurel Lance was in need of training due to her sister, Sara Lance's death and that she was only lashing out during the sparring sessions.
Despite his dislike of crime, killing his enemies is a line that Ted would never cross. He is also short-tempered at times, as he does not like being wrongfully accused.
Abilities
- Peak of human physical condition: As a boxer and former vigilante, Ted is in top physical condition. His physical conditioning is strong enough to take on even the likes of Oliver Queen and Danny Brickwell. Ted was able to survive and recover from the brutal beating Brickwell dealt on him.
- Expert hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist: Ted is a highly skilled in boxing, having fought high level boxing bouts, he is also very capable in other martial arts such as throws, holds and grappling. He was able to easily train Laurel Lance, and stand up to the Arrow and Brickwell.
- Weapons proficiency: Ted is highly skilled with brass knuckles and knives; as it was revealed he had several kinds of edged weapons, nunchakus and brass knuckles in his hideout.
- Stealth: Ted can move around unnoticed as he was able to sneak up on Oliver Queen (under the guise of the Arrow).
Equipment
- Brass knuckles: Ted used brass knuckles during his vigilantism as Wildcat.
- Knives: Ted is proficient with knives.
- Nunchakus: Ted is proficient with nunchakus.
- Wildcat mask: Ted wore a black leather mask as his heroic alter-ego, Wildcat, to hide his identity from his enemies.
- Wildcat suit: Ted wore a suit consisting of a black leather jacket, pants, boots, and gloves. He also wore a black leather mask to help hide his identity.
Appearances
Arrow
Season 3
- "The Calm" (unseen; uncredited)
- "Corto Maltese"
- "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak"
- "Guilty"
- "Uprising"
- "Suicidal Tendencies" (mentioned)
Season 7
- "Emerald Archer" (video footage)
Trivia
- Ted is left-handed.[1]
Behind the scenes
- Ted was written out of the show due to J.R. Ramirez being cast in the Starz series, Power. Despite the ambiguous nature of the character's fate, Marc Guggenheim confirmed that he was not killed off, meaning the character could return for future episodes.
- In the DC comics universe, Ted Grant was the Wildcat of the Justice Society of America, and All-Star Squadron, one of a relatively small number of unpowered heroes. He was also a trainer and mentor to some of the members such as Batman, Black Canary, and even Superman. This version was a heavyweight world champion boxer in his day. He's also much older in the comics than he is in Arrow.
- Ted's gym is located at 9th and Hasen. This is a reference to Irwin Hasen, co-creator of the Golden Age comics character Wildcat. In the DC comics, Wildcat first appeared in Sensation Comics #1 (1942).