The CW

As Arrow Season 6 approaches, there's a strong sense we're heading into the unknown.

Usually by this time of the year we have a pretty good idea of how the forthcoming season is shaping up, with a number of key details - the Big Bad, new cast members, storyline plans and so on - already revealed. This year, however, is quite different.

Season 5 didn't just get the show back to basics and back towards its best (it wasn't Season 2, but it was a huge improvement on Seasons 3 and 4), but it also ended on a massive, explosive cliffhanger. Lian Yu, a focal point of the show since the very beginning, was blown-up, with almost every major character at risk.

We know a few of the survivors, but lots of lives are up in the air. Similarly, the show has made hints towards villains and plots, without giving too much away. Piecing things together though, and with some guesswork (educated or otherwise), we can make a few predictions about what's going to happen when Arrow returns for its sixth run on October 12.