It's easy to forget now, but back when Arrow first aired in 2012, superhero shows weren't the critically acclaimed success story that they are today. Long after Smallville had ended and years before Daredevil swung onto the scene, Arrow was the first to tackle the darker side of super-heroics on TV and spawned an entire universe of small-screen vigilantes in the process.

Not too shabby for a hero that many once regarded as a lesser version of Batman.

With season seven of Arrow soon heading our way, complete with the archer's signature goatee, join us as we rank each season of the show to date and decide which one hit the mark best.

6. Season 4

The CW

Pros: When asked to rank each season of his own show, star Stephen Amell jokingly left season 4 out entirely, but that doesn't mean the weakest chapter of Arrow doesn't have its own merits. After all, this was the year that Oliver Queen took the name of Green Arrow for the first time and Damien Darhk was one of the most charismatic villains ever introduced to the Arrow-verse at large.

Cons: Although it was initially fun to see Arrow mix things up by introducing magic to Star City, it soon became clear that mysticism felt out of place on the show and the Olicity drama that surrounded it only bogged things down further. Oh, and the less said about Laurel Lance's demise, the better.

5. Season 6

The CW

Pros: The mandatory flashbacks that once enriched the show quickly grew tired, so it came as a relief to all when season 6 cut them out for the most part. Katie Cassidy also proved once again why she deserves a regular spot on the show with her surprisingly nuanced performance in the role of Black Siren.

Cons: In fear of becoming too repetitive, the latest season of Arrow introduced a new dynamic to the show, pitting Oliver's original team against the newcomers after they lost faith in their former leader. Unfortunately, things became rather muddled and the villainous Diaz could never quite match up to the evil heights that Prometheus had reached just one year before.

4. Season 1

The CW

Pros: It's hard to underestimate the impact that the first season of Arrow had on TV at large. While the Marvel Netflix shows took gritty, street-level heroics to the next level, the flagship Arrow-verse show was the first to pull superheroes on TV away from the cheese of previous hits like Smallville.

On top of that, few actors quickly nailed a superhero role as effortlessly as Stephen Amell did, and Felicity Smoak immediately became a fan favourite too thanks to a pitch-perfect performance from Emily Bett Rickards.

Cons: Although they would become pointless in later seasons, the island flashbacks in Season 1 were actually a welcome diversion from present-day plot lines that would often deviate into soap-opera dramatics. Certain elements of early Arrow also borrowed more heavily from the story of a certain caped crusader, but this was understandable given that the show was still finding its feet.

3. Season 5

The CW

Pros: After the majority of fans expressed their disappointment with season 4, the writers addressed these complaints by taking things back to basics, returning to the more grounded style of storytelling that had characterised Arrow at its best. Adrian "Prometheus" Chase also remains one of the best villains seen on the show yet thanks to his personal connection with Oliver and a chilling performance from Josh Segarra.

Cons: Season five was rather ambitious, introducing a huge number of new characters, but some worked better than others. It took a while for the writers to flesh out the character of Rene Ramirez and Ragman was soon abandoned completely, despite a rather unusual power set and his distinctive heritage as a Jewish superhero.

2. Season 3

The CW

Pros: By Season 3, Arrow had fully established an identity of its own, incorporating comic book elements like Wildcat and Ra's al Ghul into the fray while also acting as a springboard for subsequent spin-offs. Both Thea Queen and Laurel Lance learned how to fight too, continuing a tradition of kick-ass women who starred in some of the best action sequences seen yet on the show.

Cons: For better or worse, this was also the season where Oliver and Felicity's relationship moved beyond office-style flirting into something more serious. Although this was what the fans initially wanted, actually seeing the pair together in a romantic sense drained much of the tension that previously characterised their relationship, something that the show would never quite recover from in subsequent seasons.

1. Season 2

The CW

Pros: Barry Allen makes his debut. Sara Lance is revealed to be alive. Slade Wilson rips away the one thing that Oliver loves most in the world... Season 2 is not only the best chapter of Arrow, but it's the singular best run of episodes that any Arrow-verse show has produced to date. New additions to the cast fit seamlessly into the overarching story, which also balanced the flashbacks and present day sequences with a fluidity that was lost completely by season 4.

Cons: Honestly, the only downside of season 2 is that it meant Arrow peaked too early, setting the bar extremely high for later seasons. However, now that Oliver is in prison and the entire status of the show has changed, perhaps Arrow finally has a shot at matching the dizzying heights of season 2 with its next chapter when it returns to The CW on October 15.

Arrow airs on The CW in the US and Sky One in the UK.

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