"You Have Failed This City"

'Arrow' Quotes: "You Have Failed This City"

Robert King
Season 1, Episdoe 1
Oliver's dad kicked the whole "failed this city" thing off on their life boat, when he told his son: "I'm not the man you think I am. I didn't build our city. I failed it. And I wasn't the only one."
Marcus Redman
Season 1, Episode 2
What he did: Stole $30 million from pensioners.
What happened to him: Oliver made him return the money.
Leo Mueller
Season 1, Episode 5
What he did: Dealt in stolen weapons.
What happened to him: Oliver killed him.
Anthony Venza
Season 1, Episode 8
Note: Oliver didn't speak these words. The Huntress did.
What he did: Dealt drugs, and had the misfortune of being Oliver's first joint takedown with Helena Bertinelli.
What Happened to him: He was arrested, which was about the best outcome he would have hoped for (Helena had a habit of killing her prey).
Oliver Queen
Season 1, Episode 9
Note: A dejected Oliver told this to Diggle: "When I confront somebody on the list, I tell them that they failed the city. But tonight, it was me who failed."
What he did: Oliver felt guilty for nearly losing a fight with the Dark Archer and letting him live.
What happened to him: Oliver took some time off from being The Hood.
Moira Queen
Season 1, Episode 13
What she did: Moira was involved in Robert Queen's death and in The Undertaking (though Oliver didn't know it yet.)
What happened to her: Nothing…right away. Shortly after Oliver uttered his famous words, she shot him with a pistol. In episode 23, she ultimately atoned for her sins and admitted during as speech that she had failed the city.
Guillermo Barrera
Season 1, Episode 16
What he did: Agreed to kill Malcolm Merlyn for money.
What happened to him: Oliver killed him with an arrow.
Count Vertigo
Season 1, Episode 19
Sometimes, people turn Oliver's words back on him. In this case, an institutionalized Count Vertigo screams "you have failed this city" after receiving a visit from Oliver.
Harold Backman
Season 1, Episode 21
What he did: Backman helped steal millions as an accountant for a criminal organization.
What happened to him: Oliver let him live, but took his laptop.
Malcolm Merlyn
Season 1, Episode 22
What he did: Plotted the undertaking, which ultimately killed 502 people in The Glades.
What happened to him: He and Oliver duked it out — with Merlyn defeating him and learning his secret identity.
Mayor Altman
Season 2, Episode 1
Note: Oliver did not say the famous words. A group of copycats called The Hoods did.
What he did: The Mayor failed to protect the city from the Undertaking, though come on. Who could have predicted that?
What happened to him: The mayor was assassinated by The Hoods during a speech in which he was apologizing for The Undertaking.
Matin Somers
Season 1, Episode 2
What he did: Somers was a bad dude and was involved in the Chinese Triad's drug trade.
What happened to him: Oliver suspended him upside down until he confessed to his crimes. He was ultimately arrested.
Oliver Queen
Note: Oliver said this about himself, telling Felicity "I have failed this city."
Season 2, Episode 22
What he did: Let Starling City be torn apart by Slade Wilson and his mirakuru -crazed criminals.
What happened to him: He saved the day, eventually — but after he had already lost his mother to Slade.
Vincent Steelgrave
Season 3, Episode 1
What he did: Tried to steal dangerous weapons
What happened to him: Steelgrave pled guilty and received 15 years in prison.
Myron Forest
Season 3, Episode 5
What he did: Myron was actually innocent, with Oliver and Felicity believing Myron (the college roommate of Felicity's ex-boyfriend) was responsible for unleashing a virus that was crippling the city.
What happened to him: Nothing. Oliver realized the mistake.
Oliver Queen
Season 3, Episode 9
Note: technically, Ra's Al Ghul didn't say the exact line, telling Oliver, "You failed to protect the city you love."
What he did: Ra's accused Oliver of failing his city by not bringing him Sara's killer, a move that would necessitate Ra's to exact vengeance upon Starling City. But Oliver lied to Ra's and said he was responsible for Sara's death.
What happened to him: In a duel, Oliver got a sword through the lung and was kicked off a mountain. He was thought dead, but surived.
Daniel Brickwell
Season 3, Episode 12
Note: Laurel and Roy said the famous line together.
What he did: Brickwell took a the Glades hostage and committed multiple murders. His first murder was Malcolm Merlyn's wife, with her death being the incident that set him on the path to being a supervillain.
What happened to him: After being beaten to a pulp by Merlyn, he was sent to jail.
Robert Queen
Season 3, Episode 14
Note: Robert left Oliver a video message in which he said "I didn't save our city. I failed it."
What he did: Robert was guilty of cheating on his wife, manslaughter and blackmail.
What happened to him: He was shipwrecked and ultimately killed himself.