John Diggle (character) - Wikipedia

Characterization

David Ramsey has compared Diggle to Alfred Pennyworth from the Batman comics, describing the character as Oliver's "moral voice". Ramsey, who has trained in various martial arts such as Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, and kickboxing, used his martial arts expertise to make Diggle believable, saying, "I think, honestly, it has to do with...having Diggle able to not just handle himself on screen but be able to really proficiently use the (martial) arts — and look like he is a trained soldier. You don't see the stunt guy. You actually see David Ramsey doing it."[5] He has stated that since Diggle is older than most of Team Arrow and, to an extent, more experienced on the field and reconnaissance fighting, the other members "look to him for some leadership".[6] While describing the other Arrow characters, particularly Team Arrow members like Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) as "extraordinary", Ramsey said people would be able to identify with Diggle because "he's just a guy who decided to better himself."[7] He also said Diggle is not "a goody-two-shoes, but he'll stand up in your face and tell you the right way to get something done."[8] Ramsey also compared Diggle to Little John, a character in various Robin Hood stories.[9] A running gag is that Diggle, whenever taken suddenly to places by Barry Allen / Flash at super-speed, vomits as a result of motion sickness,[10] an exception being in the Arrow season 6 episode "The Devil's Greatest Trick".[11] Diggle's military career and heroism led some fans to draw comparisons between him and Green Lantern John Stewart. In 2015, Ramsey confirmed there had been talks of turning Diggle into "John Diggle Stewart". This was referenced in the 2018 "Elseworlds" crossover event, where Barry Allen of Earth-90 indicates that on his Earth, Diggle is the Green Lantern.[12] A 2019 episode of Arrow reveals that Diggle has an estranged stepfather whose surname is Stewart.[13] The series finale of Arrow features a scene where Diggle witnesses a meteor crash, and finds a box emitting a green light, which Ramsey said was a reference to fan theories that Diggle would become the series' version of Green Lantern.[14]

Relationships

Regarding Diggle's relationship with Oliver in season 1 after realizing he is a vigilante, Ramsey said that "the biggest change is that they start working together", adding that, "He [Diggle] makes it clear to Oliver that this isn't about me being a yes man. This is about me understanding what you do and what it does to you as a person. What it does to your humanity."[15] After Diggle leaves Team Arrow and joins A.R.G.U.S. in season 6 due to his differences with Oliver, Ramsey said, "he obviously loves Oliver, but he sees that there's more than one way to save the city. He's still committed to Oliver, to a certain degree, but even more so than Oliver, to the people of the city."[16]

Diggle, alongside Felicity, is shown to play an important role in the transitioning of Oliver from a 'lone-wolf' to part of a vigilante team. This working relationship between these three characters has been described both in the media[17] and the show[18] as 'Original Team Arrow', and has received particular praise from critics. Commenting on this "symbiotic relationship", terming it "Arrow's most important", Carrie Raisler of The A.V. Club stated "Amell, Ramsey, and Rickards have the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry that makes all their scenes together hum", in her review of the first half of season 2.[19] Similarly, Jesse Schedeen of IGN, reviewing the season three premiere, described the three as the "core trio" of the show[20] and Jenny Rafferty of Vulture, writing about season four, described the relationship between the three as "the heartbeat of the show".[21] Looking back at the series during her review of the season seven finale, Della Harrington of Den of Geek commented that "The magic of the show and the magic of his [Oliver's] team within the show alchemised when John Diggle and Felicity Smoak signed on."[22]

Juliana Harkavy, who plays Dinah Drake, described Diggle as Drake's "best friend" and "her family".[23]

Combat skills

Having served in the military, Diggle is well-versed in live combat,[24] and his primary skill is marksmanship.[25][26] He is also proficient in stick-fighting and knives. While his primary weapon of choice is a firearm, he is shown to be able to knock out people simply by striking them with his arms.[24] He has also been shown to be on par with Oliver in fighting skills.[24][27] Early in season 6, when Diggle takes up the Green Arrow mantle at Oliver's request, he wields a crossbow named "Green Monster" that was created by Felicity and Curtis and fires arrows.[28][29]

Costume

For the first three seasons of Arrow, Diggle does not have a vigilante costume.[30] By the time season 4 begins, he has gained one, which consists of a helmet and black gear.[31] Via social media, the helmet was criticized by fans for its resemblance to that worn by the Marvel Comics character Magneto. In response to the criticism, Ramsey said, "I know there's a lot of criticism that it looks like the Magneto helmet. But by the time you see Diggle in action – we also get into what the helmet can do – you won't be thinking of the X-Men at all."[32] In season 5, Diggle replaces his helmet with a new one, which Ramsey said can do "extraordinary things", apart from being just about concealment.[33] Concept artist Andy Poon said the new helmet offers Diggle "full protection". He added that, since Diggle's codename is Spartan, he decided to make the helmet resemble "an actual spartan helmet design". Poon, a comic book fan himself, thought the new helmet would fix "the issues regarding some of the fan feedback about [the older helmet] looking similar to other comic book characters".[34] Later in season 6, Diggle gains both a new Spartan costume and helmet, which eschew the gray overtones of previous Spartan costumes, and instead have a black and red scheme.[30] In season 8, Diggle receives another suit, this time with a black and green color scheme as well as a green light emanating from his helmet as a nod to Green Lantern.[35]