The story of Ra's al Ghul from the Arrowverse.
Early life[]
At the age of 11, this unnamed person, who would later known as Ra's al Ghul, killed a man for the first time because the man intended to harm his family. He felt ashamed that he had taken the life of a person, but also proud because he stood up to someone who threatened his family. He justified what he had done as necessary by claiming he had "replaced evil with death", a sentiment that later became the goal of the League of Assassins. Ra's went on to kill "several thousand more men", and believed the world was better off for it. At some point, Ra's was requested by his predecessor who held the same title to become the next Ra's al Ghul, a request he initially declined.
Ra's went on to live a blissful life, having two children with his wife. One day, his predecessor came to his home and told Ra's to leave his family without a goodbye, or watch them tortured and killed. Ra's chose the latter, a decision he greatly regretted.
During his time with the League, he was conscripted with Damien Darhk as his predecessor's horsemen, and the two became best friends. However, since he was chosen over Damien, who thought himself more worthy of the mantle, he was ordered to kill him. But because he hesitated, Damien escaped along with some Lazarus Pit waters and some followers, allowing him to found HIVE and pursue his own agenda. Because Damien continues the League's ways but in less honorable methods, this man would regret his hesitation and felt responsible for the deaths he has caused.
To fully assume the mantle to become Ra's al Ghul, he was ordered by his predecessor to destroy all traces of his former life, specifically his homeland, which presumably included his previous family. With that, after his predecessor's death, he took on the mantle and ascended as the next Ra's al Ghul.
In 1854, Ra's happened upon an illusionist in Vienna, becoming mystified with his tricks. Nearly half a century later, he came across the man again, but the man was withered and old.
Around 1947, someone challenged Ra's to a trial by combat, presumably to he death, with Ra's coming out victorious.
At some point, Ra's had a daughter with an unknown woman and he would name Talia.
Visitors in 1960[]
After Sara Lance, Kendra Saunders and Ray Palmer and have been stranded in the '50s (during the events of DC's Legends of Tomorrow), Sara eventually leaves the two and returns to Nanda Parbat. Years later (only for the stranded ones), the time beacon Ray built draws back the Waverider and with almost the complete team reunited, they decide to go for Sara.
During her time in Nanda Parbat, Ra's devised a mix of herbs which stop Sara's bloodlust. After watching her train, Ra's congratulates Sara on her progress. At night, Rip and his team infiltrate Nanda Parbat to save Sara but are captured and about to be executed for trespassing. Appealing to the ancient traditions of the League, Rip demands a trial by combat. Ra's agrees to the trial and sends Sara in as his champion. Rip nominates Kendra as his champion and the two women start their duel.
Chronos later enters the fortress during the trial by combat between Sara and Kendra. The League's assassins prove to be no match for his advanced technology and he kills many of them on his way in. With no choice left, Ra's frees his prisoners to make sure the League can continue to exist. Claiming that as they brought Chronos here, they should be the ones to defeat him, Ra's leaves Rip's team to fight and defeat Chronos. After they have defeated Chronos, Ra's releases Sara from the league. Before leaving, Sara tells Ra's to make sure that in October 2008, his daughter is near the coast of Lian Yu. Ra's asks why he would send Talia on such a journey but Sara answers that she means the daughter that has yet to be born and that she's sure that he would name her Nyssa.
Ra's would later meet a woman named Amina Raatko and was captivated by her appearance and personality. Making her his concubine, Ra's and Amina would have a daughter whom he named Nyssa (on Sara's advice). Ra's and Talia eventually came at odds, presumably because he would never allow a woman to succeed him, and she left to forge her own path. He then named Nyssa his heir, provided that if the prophecy of "any man who survives his blade will succeed him" doesn't come true.
Many years later, billionaire Malcom Merlyn joined the group after the death of his wife Rebecca. Ra's would train him and appoint him as his horseman. Two years later, Ra's released Malcolm from his bonds released to the League on the condition he followed its strict code of honor. In 2009, Ra's followed Sara's advice once more and sent Nyssa to Lian Yu to retrieve her younger self. He would then allow her to train under his tutelage. However, despite this and the love she shared with Nyssa, Ra's never saw Sara as being one of them, especially since he knew their relationship wouldn't last.
Retrieval of Sara Lance[]
Ra's sent a messenger to Sara Lance, ordering her return, though she refused and killed the messenger when he declined to report to Ra's that he had not found her, as she wanted. Around a week later, he sent Al-Owal and a team of assassins to bring Sara back by force, only to lose his team to both Sara and Oliver Queen.
Ra's was later contacted by Moira Queen after Malcolm mentioned that he went to Nanda Parbat. After learning Malcolm was alive, it was revealed that Ra's wanted to kill him for breaking the League's code of honor with the Undertaking.
Ra's sent Nyssa and another League member to once again try to bring Sara Lance back to Nanda Parbat, though Nyssa ultimately released Sara from the League when it became clear she would've rather die than return.
Meeting Mesi Natifah[]
Sometime later, however, Sara Lance returned to the League, to keep her family out of danger and to help her and Team Arrow defeat Slade Wilson and his Mirakuru army.
After he'd heard of Khem-Adam and his extremist sect Onslaught, Ra's wished to speak with Khem-Adam. He sent Nyssa and Sara Lance to retrieve him from his base in the Amon-Shu Caves of Kahndaq. They arrived back, with Khem-Adam and a girl named Mesi Natifah. Wishing to give Mesi vengeance, he gave her his sword to use on Khem-Adam.
The hunt for an heir[]
When Nyssa arrived back at Nanda Parbat from a visit to Starling City, she confirmed Malcolm Merlyn was still alive. Ra's informed his daughter that Malcolm would face consequences for crimes against the League's code. Ra's asked about Oliver Queen, to which he learned of Oliver's oath to protect Malcolm at any cost. Due to this, Ra's took it to mean Oliver was courting war with the League.
Following Sara's death, Ra's sent a squad of assassins, led by Nyssa and Sarab, to capture Oliver. They informed Oliver that he would be given 48 hours to find Sara's killer or the League would begin killing innocent civilians until the killer was caught. After the time was up, Ra's and various League members travelled to Starling City in preparation. However, Oliver met with them, falsely claiming to have killed Sara upon her request. By League law, he was entitled to a trial by combat, and so Ra's accepted the duel, allowing Sarab to tell him of the neutral meeting place.
The two met atop a mountain sometime later. They both removed their shirts, going with tradition, and Oliver picked up two swords against Ra's who was bare-handed. The latter discussed his first kill at age 11, feeling proud that he had replaced evil with death, which was what the League striven to do. They began fighting, Ra's dodging each attack with his hands behind his back, and soon disarming Oliver and fighting with the blades. Ra's easily parried Oliver's strikes and promptly cut him. He led him back to the edge of the mountain. Impressed that he had lasted longer than most, Oliver was given a chance to steal back the blade, however, Ra's quickly caught the blade as Oliver stabbed at him, disarming him once again. He promptly stabbed Oliver in the chest, saying a quick prayer before pushing the dying Oliver over the edge, and tossing the sword into the ground as a grave for Oliver.
Ra's was confronted by his daughter, Nyssa who had just discovered Oliver survived and demanded Oliver be killed. After the League captured, Malcolm, Ra's watched as Malcolm beg for mercy, before sending Malcolm off to be tortured. When Oliver made an attempt to rescue Malcolm, Ra's locked Oliver in, along with Diggle. Later, Ra's asked if Oliver was willing to be his successor as Ra's al Ghul.
As Ra's continued to explain why Oliver should take his place, Oliver denied the request, and Ra's allowed Oliver to leave with Diggle and Malcolm. Sometime after their departure, Nyssa returned to the palace only to berate on why Malcolm was still alive. Ra's explained that Nyssa had only wanted Malcolm dead in revenge of Sara's death and that he had let them go as a sign of good faith to Oliver who will become his heir. Nyssa got enraged by his decision to make Oliver his heir and tried to kill him after which he easily disarmed her. Ra's puts Nyssa off, saying that Oliver surviving a fair duel with him merits the vigilante the right to take her father's place; and he never did approve and will never approve of the feelings of his daughter.
Sometime after Murmur's arrest, Ra's arrives in Starling City dressed as the Arrow, and quickly killed Murmur's remaining men leaving only one alive to spread the word. To force Oliver to take his offer he made Maseo and other assassins dress up as The Arrow and kill criminals.
After Maseo killed Celia Castle and failed to kill Felicity Smoak, he met with Oliver and told him to accept the title of heir to the demon or he would spend the rest of his life in a cage, claiming he wasn't going to capture Oliver when he challenged it but a police helicopter soon arrived. He later sent Maseo to intercept and capture Quentin Lance and brought him to Ra's where he revealed The Arrow's identity as Oliver Queen.
Oliver Queen got arrested but got free when Roy turned himself in as The Arrow to set Oliver free. After Roy faked his death, Ra's targeted Thea. He appeared in her apartment and asked her if she knew who he was. After she said Oliver would kill him, he said Oliver would beg him to become the next Demon's Head. He caught the knife Thea threw at him and the two got into a fight. Ra's effortlessly dodged her strikes after which he slammed her through a table. Drawing his sword, he then impaled her, and said a quick prayer, after which he left the apartment.
Birth of Al Sah-him[]
Ra's greeted Oliver with his entire league as a desperate Oliver arrived at Nanda Parbat holding a deceased Thea. After Thea's resurrection, Ra's expected Oliver to hold his end of the deal. Later, an upset Felicity approached Ra's and told him she doesn't care about the prophecy. Felicity told Ra's he didn't know what love was, though Ra's told Felicity about his past life. Ra's told Felicity he is offering a chance for Oliver to have a proper goodbye, one that he never had a chance to do. After a failed escape attempt by Felicity, Malcolm, and Diggle, Ra's asked Oliver who assisted them, though Sarab quickly came clean and revealed he killed three of the league members. Ra's told Sarab he won't punish him for Maseo's actions and spared him for his loyalty. Ra's went on to mark Oliver with a mark and started to cleanse Oliver of his personality so all that remained was Al Sah-him.
The next weeks Ra's personally trained Oliver and helped him improve his swordsmanship and combat skills. He used isolation and brainwashing techniques to make Oliver forget about his past and he began to accept his new identity and name. Exposing him to a herb Oliver started to hallucinate and believed a captured intruder was in fact his friend John Diggle. Ra's ordered him to kill him and Oliver quickly overpowered the intruder in a swordfight and killed him after which he realized the intruder was not John.
Impressed with the loyalty of Oliver Ra's showed him a few ruins as he told him he and Damien Darhk were like brothers and both candidates to become the new head, of the demon. After Ra's was chosen he was ordered to kill Damien, however he hesitated and Damien escaped and started his own organisation H.I.V.E.. Ra's explained to Oliver how Damien had attempted to buy the earthquake device and was responsible for multiple crimes. This was a direct result of Ra's having doubted in killing him. Ra's then told Oliver he does not want this for Oliver so he ordered Oliver to take out his rival for the title Heir of the Demon.
After Oliver captured Nyssa and brought him to her he complimented Oliver. He recalled how Nyssa used to steal food when she was young, but that she had never been able to hide things from her. He searched Nyssa her weapons and found the Omega virus. Ra's told her he would remember her as the warrior she once was, Nyssa replied that she was not afraid of him. Ra's ordered Oliver to kill her but stopped him at the last second. He mentioned Nyssa had been defeated by Oliver and was no longer a threat. He told both of them they would marry and Nyssa would become the bride of the demon.
Ra's explained to Oliver that the ruined village he had shown him was his former home. He mentioned that to become the new head of the demon one had to wipe out his former home. Just like he had did and the former Ra's before him had wiped out Alexandria. Ra's explained that he would unleash the Omega Virus on Starling City. Ra's recalled how Maseo had come to him and offered him the Omega Virus when he wanted to join him. Maseo reported a plane had been readied to spread the virus.
Ra's visited Nyssa and explained to her how he had met his concubine Amina Raatko. He gave Nyssa a necklace he had given to her, and she then gave it to him to give it to Nyssa for her wedding day. Nyssa refused and Ra's told her she would marry Oliver or she would suffer like thousand deaths.
When John Diggle, Malcolm Merlyn, Laurel, Felicity and Ray Palmer blew up his plane a huge fight started in which Maseo and many assassins got killed. Ra's confronted them and made his men capture them. He explained to them the plane was just a distraction to see if there were any traitors reporting to them. Team Arrow made it appear like Maseo had been the traitor.
Omega Virus and Death[]
Ra's talked to Malcolm who told him Oliver had been the one betraying him. Ra's called Oliver who told him that was not the case and he was devoted to the League. Ra's went to Team Arrow and threw in the Omega Virus as they screamed for Oliver to help. He and Oliver walked away as they left them to die.
Ra's, Oliver, Nyssa and a squad of assassins departed on a plane. Oliver woke up and Ra's told him there are dreams of desire, temptation and truth. Oliver explained that he dreamed of rebirth as Head of the Demon. Ra's told him they would destroy Starling and then he would get the ring that would allow him to command the League. The plane started to shake and the pilot told them the plane had been sabotaged. Enraged Ra's blamed Nyssa. Oliver told him it was his doing. Oliver handed Nyssa a sword and she started to fight the assassins. Ra's mentioned to Oliver he had given him his holy mission. Oliver told him he had one already. The two fought and Ra's managed to knock down Oliver. Nyssa killed his assassins but Ra's subdued her and Oliver and promised them he would destroy the city and then hunt them forever. He then escaped from the crashing plane by parachute.
Ra's tracked down his rival Damien Darhk to a hotel in Starling. However, he had already escaped and Ra's noticed Oliver and his team closing in on his assistant. Ra's called the assistant and then shot him. He taunted Oliver and told him he would spread the virus and destroy the city.
Ra's then send a messenger to Oliver to tell him he would meet him so they could have a duel to finish this, knowing that as long as he lived, the city would still be threatened. Ra's met Oliver and mentioned how he would win either way. If Oliver would kill him he would become the Head of the Demon and if he would win his city would die. Ra's saw that Oliver used the sword he had been impaled with. Ra's and Oliver engaged each other in a swordfight. Ra's kept the upper-hand the entire fight and ended up knocking Oliver down and destroying his sword in one strike. Ra's mentioned that thousands of men would mourn his death if he would die. He then attempted to strike down Oliver. Oliver disarmed him with the same move Ra's had used to defeat him and ended up impaling his chest. Oliver told him the men would bow to the new Ra's al Ghul. Oliver then says the same prayer Ra's did. Seemingly proud, Ra's hands him the ring and then collapses to the ground, finishing his empire of terror. His death led to Malcolm becoming the leader of the League of Assassins.
Legacy[]
Although Ra's was finally killed, his actions and legacy still had a lasting impact. Because Ra's chose Oliver to be the next Demon's Head and he refused, he had assassins go on a killing spree in Starling City disguised as the Arrow to frame him, providing incentive for Roy to take the fall for his mentor and fake his death, irrevocably altering the vigilante's identity. This is what gave Oliver the necessity to adopt the new codename "Green Arrow" when he returned home from retirement to take on H.I.V.E. and continue his crusade.
His attempt to kill Thea to force Oliver to accept his "offer" by resurrecting her with the Lazarus Pit had an effect on her psychology. Although his initiating inspired Thea to become the vigilante Speedy, the Pit's side-effect involved her developing a bloodlust that would only flare up when she got excited in a fight. It almost killed her since she refused to take a life, as killing was the only way to keep her alive thanks to the Pit's power.
After Ra's' death, Oliver passed the mantle onto Malcolm instead as part of their deal with defeating him. However, like Ra's, Malcolm became prideful of his position and addicted to his power. Nyssa, who swore to reclaim her birth-right and avenge Sara's death, destroyed the Pit thanks to concoction Ra's devised in case it fell into the wrong hands. She did this after Laurel and Thea had Malcolm resurrect Sara and she came back dehumanized. After being imprisoned, she gained loyalists and escaped and retrieved the Lotus elixir that was capable of saving Thea and curing her bloodlust, but she would only give it to Oliver if they helped her overthrow Malcolm and reclaim control of the League. Eventually, after Nyssa realised that she started becoming just like her father in claiming his title, which even included threatening to drag Star City into a civil war between the two League factions, she ultimately destroyed the Demon's Head ring after assuming its title, therefore disbanding the League and end her father's evil legacy.
Over a year later after Ra's' death, Talia desired revenge on Oliver for killing him and agreed to train and join Adrian Chase in his own efforts to destroy his life forever. Despite everything Ra's did to Oliver, he still held him in high regard and even called him an honorable man, telling Talia that he would be ashamed of her for aligning herself with a psychopath like Chase. Her allegiance to Chase also prompted Nyssa to assist Oliver in defeating them and it led to a confrontation between the two. While Talia said Ra's would be ashamed of Nyssa for disbanding the League and aligning with his killer, Nyssa said he was always ashamed of her, meaning that she no longer remembers her father in the best form.
After Oliver and Talia were imprisoned together at Slabside's Level Two, he genuinely apologised to her for killing Ra's, as he only thought about saving his own family and not about the ones who cared for him too. The two eventually resolved their issues and became allies once more.
Later on, Thea, Oliver and Talia joined forces to stop the late Malcolm's most trusted loyalist Athena and the Thanatos Guild from attempting to restart the League. In the climax, both Talia and Thea duelled for the title of Ra's since they were both daughters and heirs to previous mantle bearers. However, instead of rebuilding a group of assassins, Thea offered to build a League of Heroes with Talia to atone for both their fathers' misdeeds.
At Oliver's funeral following his sacrifice to save the Multiverse during the Crisis, Talia and Nyssa finally reconnected. Nyssa dismissed Oliver as being her husband since it was forced on her by their father, but Talia said Ra's only wanted a better life for her. This means that despite all the emotional abuse he had subjected Nyssa to, he did care for his daughter in his own deluded way after all.