# Part 56: Green Arrow vs. Hawkeye

**Green Arrow vs. Hawkeye** is one of those Marvel vs. DC matchups that I honestly didn’t think much about when it originally came out. In fact, I completely forgot this episode even existed for the longest time. While doing this rewatch, I was genuinely surprised to find out that this was a *season 2* episode—I always thought it came way later. But hey, here we are. Let’s see how it holds up.

We start with Green Arrow’s backstory, and I’m going to be real here—it’s kind of goofy. I know it’s *meant* to be tragic that his parents were killed on a safari, but… come on. That’s kind of on them. Why are you going on a safari with wild animals in the first place? Anyway, Oliver grows up drinking away his trauma until he gets so drunk that he literally falls off his private yacht and washes up on an abandoned island. From there, he’s forced to survive using the archery skills his father taught him, and that’s where Green Arrow is truly born. Green Arrow is basically the **Batman of archers**. Preparation is his entire thing. He has arrows for *everything*. And I mean everything. During the analysis, they even mention he has an arrow specifically for chimney sweeping. That alone tells you how absurdly wide his arsenal is. And despite the trick-arrow reputation, Green Arrow is no slouch in a fight. He’s trained in martial arts by some of the best, including the same master who trained Deathstroke. That’s no small feat.

That said… the rest of the analysis is just *okay*. They mention his relationship with Black Canary, which is nice, but overall it’s very surface-level. It’s mostly just “here’s his backstory, here’s what he can do,” and that’s it. It doesn’t really sell me on Green Arrow as a character. It’s competent, but not memorable.

Now we move on to Hawkeye, and wow—this man has **severe daddy issues**. And honestly? They’re justified. His biological father was abusive and awful. Then he died. Hawkeye gets adopted… and his new father is just as bad, if not worse. After years of trauma, being scammed into joining a circus, and having a genuinely miserable childhood, Clint Barton eventually becomes Hawkeye. This is where the similarities between Hawkeye and Green Arrow really kick in. Like Green Arrow, Hawkeye has arrows that can do just about anything. But what really helps this analysis stand out is that we get **more of Hawkeye’s personality**. We actually learn who he is as a person, not just what he can do. I really wish Green Arrow’s analysis had gotten the same treatment. Of course, being a comic book character, Hawkeye is technically a normal human who can still pull off ridiculous feats—like casually lifting a car. Because comics.

They end the analysis by pointing out his biggest weakness: his hearing. Hawkeye has severe hearing damage, and without his hearing aid, he loses around 80% of his hearing. It’s a solid, meaningful weakness—and honestly one of the more interesting parts of his rundown.

The fight itself takes place across two rooftops, with both characters trying to snipe each other—and that’s honestly the *perfect* setting for this matchup. It gives both of them room to show off their trick arrows and long-range tactics. That said… why doesn’t this fight have **voice acting**? These two characters—especially Green Arrow—are known for their trash talk. A proper voice performance could have made this fight *so much* more engaging. The reused voice clips are fine, but this really feels like a massive missed opportunity. Arrow-wise, the fight is pretty fun. Green Arrow counters a lot of Hawkeye’s attacks, even when Hawkeye pulls out an arrow that splits into hundreds of growing projectiles. Hawkeye then tries to close the distance, fails, and starts falling—but manages to land a great shot using a sticky arrow that covers Green Arrow’s face. Green Arrow responds with a genuinely clever move, using one of his arrows to remove the substance. That was a great moment. He even takes a couple of direct hits and just walks it off.

One of the funniest bits is Green Arrow trying to use the boxing glove arrow… and it completely failing. His disappointment sells the joke perfectly. Unfortunately, once the fight transitions into hand-to-hand combat, things fall apart a bit. This is easily the weakest part of the battle. It’s not very dynamic, and the animation just doesn’t look great compared to the rooftop sniping. The fight ends with both firing their final arrows, with Hawkeye’s arrow splitting Green Arrow’s and killing him. The silhouette shot is stylish, but I really wish we got a proper aftermath instead of it just… ending.

The conclusion gives some solid reasoning for Hawkeye’s win, and I don’t really disagree with the outcome. But as an episode, this one just doesn’t do much for me.

It’s not offensively bad, but it’s also not particularly memorable. Combine that with my growing season 2 burnout during this rewatch, and yeah—this episode just kind of exists.

**53/100**

Reviewing Every Death Battle Ever! (Part 56) - Green Arrow Vs. Hawkeye