Anatoly Knyazev (Arrowverse)

"I am an honorable man. Did I have bomb planted in your son's school? Did I have him kidnapped, tortured? No, because even though we stand apart, I am still good man"

- Anatoly to Oliver Anatoly Knyazev is a recurring character in the TV series Arrow. For most of the time, he is a close friend to Oliver Queen. However, after their falling out he returns to Star City as a villain. He is an anti-villain in second, fifth season and one of the secondary antagonists in the sixth season.

Knyazev is a Russian crime lord and the former leader of the Solntsevskaya Bratva. After having been captured by Professor Ivo, Knyazev was able to flee with help from Oliver Queen, forming a bond between them. They crossed paths again when Oliver arrived in Russia to take down the crime lord Konstantin Kovar. However, after Oliver returns to Starling City and becomes the vigilante Green Arrow, he is no further willing to accept Anatoly's criminal empire, causing a falling out between the two.

He is portrayed by David Nykl. His younger version is portrayed by George Klimovich.

Past
Anatoly is a former captain of the Russian criminal organization Solntsevskaya Bratva.

Due to their mutual past together, including being trapped on the Amazo as captives of Anthony Ivo, and fighting against Konstantin Kovar, Anatoly is an old friend of Oliver Queen. However, after Oliver has become the vigilante known as the Green Arrow and has called in multiple favors from Anatoly and the Bratva without giving any favors in return, Anatoly considers them even. With Oliver's new, honorable path, the partnership between the two cannot exist any longer.

Kidnapping ambassadors
When Oliver leads a group of news reporters to an abandoned warehouse, revealing to them that he has made a deal with a Markovian company and that he company will bring new jobs to Star City, they are suddenly ambushed by armed gangsters. Oliver, the reporters and the Markovian delegates make it back to the bus but while trying to drive off, the bus is forced to stop when they come under heavy fire. The gangsters approach the bus and when the door is opened, Oliver is greeted by the sight of his old friend Anatoly. Anatoly, simply greeting Oliver as "Mr. Mayor", does not reveal in front of the reporters that he knows Oliver. Instead, he claims that he has no business with the mayor and has instead come for the Markovian delegates, calling them his Markovian cousins. Angrily, Oliver whispers that they are legitimate businessmen and Anatoly replies that he never made any claim that his own business was illegitimate, except if Oliver were to know anything he as mayor should not know. After Anatoly's henchmen pull the frightened Markovian delegates from the bus and flees with them, Anatoly tells Oliver that they will be in touch. He and his henchmen then flee with their captives. Soon after, Knyazev demands a ransom of 20 million dollars for the delegates and threatens to execute the delegates in twelve hours should the city refuse to pay up.

Felicity and Curtis manage to track Anatoly to a russian restaurant in Star City. Team Arrow attacks in full force and they manage to take down several henchmen. They are able to free the captives held at the restaurant but realize that one hostage - the company's CEO is missing. The same night, Anatoly calls Oliver privately. When Oliver asks why Anatoly is doing this, Anatoly reveals that he needs money and has heard that Star City recently received 20 million dollars to rebuild the police precinct destroyed by Alex Faust. He also reveals to Oliver that he has been exiled from the Bratva due to his friendship with Oliver - they think he is weak. He tells Oliver that he will show them that he is not weak, and also that he and Oliver are not friends anymore. He reveals to Oliver that he poisoned the remaining delegate and that while he has the antidote, he will not give it to the man until paid. Once again, Felicity is able to track down Anatoly, this time to an abandoned shipyard. The team arrives there, carrying an antidote for the poison the delegate has been injected. While venturing through the shipyard and taking down Anatoly's men, Oliver eventually encounters Anatoly with the captured delegate. Anatoly claims that he asked for 20 millions because he knew Oliver had it. He asks whether Oliver wants to trade in the man's life for a new police station but Oliver claims that he won't. He shoots an arrow into the delegate's chest, which is - unbeknownst to Anatoly - covered with the antidote to the poison. However, Anatoly quickly deduces that the arrow contains an antidote and, claiming that he never got his money, shoots the delegate from behind. Oliver is shocked and asks Anatoly what happened to him, claiming that even Gregor would not have done that. Anatoly replies that Gregor would have done so and reveals that Oliver only did not see it because he was too naive, he still is.

Oliver claims that this is entirely on Anatoly, stating that he used to be an honorable man. Anatoly replies that he still is an honorable man; after all, he could have planted a bomb at the school of Oliver's son or could have kidnapped and tortured him. Anatoly turns to leave and Oliver draws an arrow, telling Anatoly not to make another move. However, Anatoly replies that Oliver should not bluff, they both know that Oliver won't kill him. He keeps walking off but Oliver calls him once again, asking why Anatoly leaked a photo of Oliver as the Green Arrow to the press. Turning back one last time, Anatoly reveals that he did not and then leaves the building.

Working with Cayden James
It is eventually revealed that Anatoly, along with Ricardo Diaz, Black Siren, Vigilante and Boots, works with the master hacker Cayden James - united in their goal to take down the Green Arrow. Oliver later confronts Cayden at a warehouse and seemingly has the upper hand. However, suddenly Anatoly Knyazev enters the room with several armed mercenaries. Through another door, Diaz arrives with even more henchmen and cuts free Black Siren, who had previously been defeated by Oliver. Vigilante turns up as well - meaning that Oliver is severely outnumbered. Unable to fight this many enemies, Oliver flees by using a rope arrow. After Cayden has been tricked by Team Arrow into believing that Bertinelli has called a highly effective death squad to take him down, he sends Diaz to the warehouse where the squad is supposedly located. However, once Diaz shows up there with his mercenaries, resulting in a shootout. Together with the rest of Cayden's associates, Anatoly arrives again as well and orders Oliver to stand down as he is severely outnumbered. Due to explosives he planted earlier, Oliver is able to escape. Anatoly rejoins the rest of his team who have captured Bertinelli. On Cayden's orders, Diaz executes Bertinelli with a shot to the head after the latter has agreed to leave the port to Cayden.

After an attack on a safezone has failed, Anatoly, among every other member of Cayden's organization, is called to the wake of their fallen companion Sheck. After Vigilante has been revealed as the traitor responsible for Sheck's death, Cayden has Anatoly tazer Vigilante and orders Anatoly and Diaz to torture him for information. After realizing that Vigilante's cover is blown, Team Arrow attacks the compound. Hearing the sounds of battle, Diaz mentions to Anatoly that it seems that Oliver has finally found them. Anatoly replies that it took him longer than expected.

While the team is attacking, Anatoly and Diaz are tasked with transferring Cayden's thermobaric bomb to another facility. To prevent Oliver from attacking the truck, Anatoly reveals to him that he has several hostages in the compound, tied to a bomb that will go off in under five minutes. While he is explaining to Oliver the obvious choice he has - finding the bomb or stopping the villains - Oliver destroys the walkie-talkie, preventing Anatoly from speaking to him more. Realizing that Oliver destroyed the walkie, Anatoly tosses his walkie away and enters the truck with Diaz. Together with Anatoly's truck, several other trucks leave the compound as well so that Oliver will not know which truck holds the actual bomb.

Trivia

 * This is an adaptation of the DC comic villain KGBeast.