And that concludes my overview of William Clayton's journey over the course of the show!

Firstly, I just want to thank anyone who has stuck with me through this overly detailed (hopefully in a good way) tribute about one of my all-time favorite Arrowverse characters. To any of you who love this character as much as I do, I hope that I've accurately described the reasons that you think he's such a great person to root for. If not, that's perfectly okay, too, because we're all allowed to have our own opinions and we'd be much better off supporting one another's opinions, rather than tearing each other down.

And for those of you who aren't fond of William, no matter what reasons you have, I hope that this tribute helped you have a better understanding of his character and why we appreciate him, even if you do not share that same passion.

Which leads me to my final thoughts on his story.

There are honestly so many reasons I could give as to why I enjoy William's story arcs so much! Starting with his complex character journey from a young boy to a multi-talented man to his perfectly timed humor, there is just so much to choose from!

But I knew from the first moment I started to write this tribute that there was one specific part of his character that I really feel an emotional connection with which is what I'm going to share with you all now.

Ever since the moment William lost his mother on Lian Yu, he was terrified of real love.

It's the reason he tried so hard to push Oliver away during those first few months (before season six started). He knew his father loved him more than anything and that he would always try to do what was best for him, but that's just it. What was best for William was having his father in his life, which was the one thing that Oliver couldn't promise to give him.

Dying was always a possibility in the line of work he had which meant that there was always going to be a chance that he'd lose the person who cared about him, who he cared about, most.

So, he forced his father out of his life by moving away (even if he didn't know that it would be forever). And he had to carry that weight of regret with him for the rest of his life, never knowing what things would've been like if he'd just opened up a little more, let his father really know how he was feeling.

Or at least, that's what he thought.

But then we got the beautiful moments between future William and Oliver in present time where he finally got to express how sorry he was for his mistakes in their relationship, along with the tear-jerking scene where he told his father that he was gay.

Most of all, he got to tell Oliver how proud he was of all the good he'd accomplished for the city, for him.

He and Felicity weren't just heroes, they were his heroes.

This scene isn't just a fantastic example of character development (like I mentioned earlier), it's also a great moment for us all to learn from.

In life, when we make a mistake, it can seem like nothing will ever be the same again. Like the world we knew is gone, and it's all our fault. But this scene, his character, is a perfect example of how bravery is stronger than any pain we've had to endure or in some cases, have accidentally inflicted. And yes, we're all bound to make some pretty miserable mistakes along the way to becoming who we really are because well, that's a part of being human. But bravery isn't living without regret, bravery means persevering past that pain in order to get to the brighter, better future we all deserve.

William's character is one of the biggest fictional inspirations for who I want to be when I grow up. He finds a way to be kind and support his friends and family while balancing his own personal struggles with self-doubt. But no matter what life throws at him, no matter how much loss he has to endure, he never loses that fiery determination that drives him to help others and be the good man he strives to be.

And this quote perfectly sums this up:

William: But everybody makes mistakes. Things go wrong. He can't plan for everything.

Felicity: Yeah, you're right. What your dad does, it's... it's very dangerous, and heroes don't always make it home. I never forget that. But, you know, I've loved your dad from the first time he brought me a bullet-riddled computer. Remind me to tell you about that one. That was a long time ago, which means I've loved him for a long time, which means I've worried about him for a long time, and he... he hasn't always been truthful. He's lied, he's kept secrets. He's not perfect. This life, it's... it's not ideal. But he makes his sacrifices, so we have to make ours. I sometimes think to myself that that's what makes this love deeper than other kinds of love. You know, it sounds cheesy, but it does because we can't take things for granted. We have to live with the fear and the uncertainty that everything can be taken from us in an instant. Because that's the price we pay for choosing the people that we love. Everything he does he does for a good reason, or what he thinks is a good reason. So you can worry about your dad, but you have to believe that he's going to be okay, because that's the only way that this works.

Quote Taken from IMBD

Thank you, Ben Lewis and Jack Moore for bringing such an incredible character to life.

I will never forget this character and what amazing things he's done for me.