Arrow

TV review by Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media
Arrow Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Drinking, deaths in dark superhero tale beloved by teens.

CW Drama 2012

Parents say

age 13+

Based on 54 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 222 reviews

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Really Good show btw spoilers

So I'm 13 and idk if i registered as an adult or whatever but yeah so i'm thirteen and watching through arrow and it's honestly a great show. There is some profanity but not a ton but it still might be something that parents should be aware of and be mindful of if there showing this to a young kid. Sex is really bad imo, I always skip through kissing scenes and sex scenes and stuff and although it's not like straight nudity it's still pretty suggestive like when two unmarried people wake up in the same bed and stuff. and the main character is a playboy so that doesn't help. The pilot episode has a scene where oliver and sarah are having sex and everything but i think if you skip through scenes like these then the show is good for 13 or 14 year olds. The violence is bad but i'm completely fine with that, for example characters get tortured and there's a lot of killing especially in the first season but later on there's some good messages with killing and stuff as oliver learns more and eventually he decides that killing is not the way he would be a hero. I'm not really touchy when it comes to violence but i get it if your kid is. Theres a lot of drugs in the show especially with teens but if you're not going to let your kid watch a tv show because theres drugs then thats stupid. obviously there's some conversations to be had with ur kid if there younger than 13 and watching this show with all these drug, sex, and violence. From a christian perspective, i think that this show is fine for teens over 13 if you skip sex scenes but if you don't skip the sex scenes then idk if this show is appropiate for anyone who wants to have a healthy mind, kids and adults. my parents watched this when my older brother watched this at the age of 12 and even when my parents were watching alone they'd skip the sex scenes- anything like girls in underwear, sex, etc is just not healthy for anyone of any age.

This title has:

Too much sex
3 people found this helpful.
age 13+

A life changing show

It’s a great show, with many positive things I could say about it. But the main thing I’d like to say about it is all the positive messages within it. Throughout the show, Oliver grows as a person, And the audience grows with him. He’s a great brother to his sister Thea, and a great friend to John Diggle. What really love about this show, Is it doesn’t shy away from sappy and cliché themes. When they present of the theme of teamwork, You will feel happy for everyone on the team. The show has a way of making cliché themes feel more real than other shows do. When they first show you Oliver showing up on the island, He’s an incompetent spoiled billionaire brat. Throughout the flashbacks, he learns lessons He wouldn’t Have learned otherwise. He’s shown that his life has a greater purpose then being some frat boy. And even in the present day scenes, he still learned valuable lessons. I can Even say watching the show and having Seen Oliver Grow, I have become a better man. Ok, now mini rant. There is a lot of sex, drugs, scandals, gore, and violence. Characters will say bitch, asshole, and shit. Characters won’t say Fuck, instead they’ll say frick or frack.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.

TV Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • Smallville Poster Image

    Smallville

    Superman's origin story gets sexier, more violent over time.

    age 13+
  • Heroes Poster Image

    Heroes

    Hero-driven drama is "super" for teens and up.

    age 14+
  • Batman: The Animated Series Poster Image

    Batman: The Animated Series

    A dark, violent comic book comes to life.

    age 8+

Themes & Topics

Browse titles with similar subject matter.

  • Cartoon superhero
    Superheroes
    See all
  • Cartoon picture of luggage and a map
    Adventures
    See all
  • Cartoon picture of the side profile of a boy
    Great Boy Role Models
    See all

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate