Tommy Merlyn

"So, what'd you miss the most? Steaks at the palm, drinks at the station, meaningless sex?"

- Tommy to Oliver Queen

Tommy Merlyn (born c. February 1984) is the son of Malcolm Merlyn, and the late Rebecca Merlyn, a former billionaire "trustafarian", the best friend of Oliver Queen, and the on and off boyfriend of Laurel Lance.

Biography
When Oliver returns to Starling City, Tommy believes the good times will roll again but is greatly mistaken as Oliver is a changed man. In Oliver's absence, he forms an on-again, off-again relationship with Oliver's ex-girlfriend, Laurel Lance. He later goes to confront his father about why his trust fund was shut off. Malcolm replies by stating he cannot use his money unreasonably. In Year's End, Oliver is confronted by a very dangerous vigilante. This vigilante not only uses a new very distinctive arrow, but Oliver doesn't know this masked man is actually his best friend's father, Malcolm Merlyn. His mother was killed in 1992, leading to him and his father to have a very strained relationship, because after his mother was murdered, his father left him for two years to train as the Dark Archer (Currently for unknown purposes).

After quitting his job at Verdant, he asked Malcom Merlyn for a job. An offer which his father accepts with open arms.

Personality
When Tommy first appears in the series, he comes across as a light-hearted, cheerful, and carefree laid back individual without a care in the world, due to the fact that his financial access is nearly limitless. He tries to get Oliver to rejoin the party scene, picking out girls for him and taking him around town. However, his affection for Laurel is slowly changing him into a more responsible individual.

When his father cuts off his trust fund, he is angry, but then becomes more resolved in his desire to change. He applies himself more in his relationships with Laurel and Oliver, and gets a job running Verdant. He is bitter towards his father, who he perceives as money-hungry and uncaring, especially due to the fact that Malcolm left Tommy for two years after Rebecca Merlyn, Tommy's mother, was killed. Their relationships improves a bit after Malcolm is nearly killed by Deadshot.

He is thrown into a sea of confusion when it is revealed to him that Oliver is the vigilante. He finds that he can't trust Oliver anymore, and quits the nightclub saying that he has too much self-respect' to continue running Oliver's front, when Oliver does not trust him. Tommy then went to his father to find work.

Malcolm Merlyn
Malcolm Merlyn is Tommy Merlyn's father tommy and his father used to be close, but when his mother died his father left him alone for two years, tommy resents him for it, when he returned's to his son he was completely cold to tommy, they barely spoke, there relationship has been strain since then, tommy is angry when he finds out his father has shut down his trust fund, he goes to confront his father about why his trust fund was shut off, his father doesn't give him an answer except, saying your irresponsibility has worn out its humor, and calls him a joke, and a loser, when his father calls him seems to apologize, for what he said to tommy, and seems he wants to make peace with his son, and seems to wants to get to know his new girlfriend, invites them to dinner with him, but pulls a stunt when he once his son's signature, sign on a document to shut down his mother's clinic, tommy gets very up-set with his father not just because he once to shut down the clinic that meant everything to his mother, because it was never about getting to know his new girlfriend laurel lance, he is no longer going to let himself get disappointed by his father every time, and then leaves he even stops accepting calls from his father, when tommy sees his father is hostile towards him, his father invites him to a special benefit honoring him, but tommy refuses and insults him, by saying (what they ran out of actual humans to give it to), as tommy is returning to his apartment his father grabs tommy on his arm, tommy makes a angry look at his father implying that he is telling him to get your hand off me, his father tells him, (you may not believe this but all I ever wanted for you was happiness if it will relieve this tension between us out i will turn the switch back on), tommy doesn't believe what his father says, and does not want his money either, tommy does care about his father, but isn't close to him either, he reluctantly goes to the awards ceremony, where his father is being honoring, after oliver convinces him to go after their conversation about tommy's father, their relationship seems to improve, after his father was almost killed, After quitting his job at Verdant, he asked his father for a job. an offer which his father accepts with open arms,

Rebecca Merlyn
Rebecca Merlyn was Tommy Merlyn's mother It can be assumed that Tommy and his mother were very close, when she died he was very up-set, mourns over her death, when his father wanted his signature to shut down his mother's clinic, was very up-set at his father for trying to do that, saying that clinic meant everything to mom, implying that he believes that his father's disrespecting his mother's memory's, or forgotten about her, or he knows his mother better than his father,

Oliver Queen
Oliver Queen is or (used to be ?) Tommy Merlyn's best friend tommy and oliver have been best friends since they were children, when he learned that oliver is alive he is happy to see him, and tries to get him back into his party lifestyle, when thea accidentally reveal that tommy and laurel have been sleeping together, well he was presumed to be dead or missing, tommy tries to apologize to oliver, but he says it's okay you deserve to be happy, tommy found it strange that oliver was okay with it, like he already knew, unknown to tommy, (oliver already knew he found out they are together overhearing them well he was under the hood as arrow), oliver reveals his secret identity as arrow to tommy, in order to convince him to let him help save his father, tommy is shocked to find out that oliver is the vigilante arrow, he is hurt not just because oliver kept this secret from him, but also that his best friend is capable of killing people, he even bribes a government official, to keep him from inspecting the entire building of verdant, so he doesn't discover the basement where oliver's headquarters of arrow is there, when quentin lance comes with a search warrent to search the building, and comes across a door which leads to arrow's headquarters, well, sort of to the hq, because when oliver opens the door, a giant warehouse full of unrenovated stuff is revealed, and he didn't tell oliver about it, there friendship becomes more and more strained, until tommy quits his job at verdant possibly ending their friendship, ?

Laurel Lance
Laurel Lance is Tommy Merlyn's on and off girlfriend tommy and laurel started sleeping together, when oliver was presumed to be dead or missing, when oliver returned's home tommy tries to find the right time to tell him that he and laurel are in a relationship, after oliver finds out he and laurel no longer have to hide their feelings for each other, tommy has a on and off relationship with laurel.

Appearances
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Comics
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 * Arrow #1
 * Arrow #7
 * Arrow #17
 * Arrow #26

Trivia

 * Originally, many believed that Tommy would become Green Arrow's mononymous enemy from the comics, Merlyn, or the "Dark Archer", due to the name similarities until it was revealed in "Year's End" that it is in fact his father, Malcolm Merlyn, who becomes the Dark Archer.
 * His family runs Merlyn Global Group.
 * Tommy is the fifth person to discover Oliver's identity. He discovered this in "Dead to Rights".
 * Malcolm mentions that Tommy, as a child, wanted a puppy for Christmas, which he would have called "Arthur", to pair with him being a "Merlyn". This may attribute to how Merlin assisted King Arthur, as well as subtly referencing that Merlyn's real name in the comics is Arthur King.
 * It was mentioned by Oliver that Tommy once rented an entire football field just so he could play "strip football" with a group of ladies.