The Mega-Blog

Why The CW’s Arrow is Inconsistent With Pronouncing Ra’s Al Ghul’s Name

One of our pet peeves here at Nerd & Tie is when people mispronounce DC Comics Villain Ra’s Al Ghul’s name. It happened across the entirety of Nolan’s film trilogy, and it just hurt my brain every time they said “Rahz” instead of “Rayche.” When Ra’s Al Ghul showed up on The CW’s Arrow, it bugged us there too — except then some characters started getting it right.

Which is, y’know, confusing.

According to CBR, actor John Barrowman clarified the matter:

He explained why some characters pronounce “Ra’s” “Raz” while others say “Rayche.” “If you are part of the League of Assassins, you say ‘Rayche.’ It’s a sign of respect and the proper way to pronounce it. If you are outside the League and you’re rogue, as a sign of disrespect, you say ‘Raz.'” That understanding came about because the actual pronunciation was not clarified on the set until episodes with the “Raz” pronunciation had aired, so, “we had to create a mythology.”

While the answer is pretty silly, it does seem like the only plausible way to course correct a mispronounced name like that and still keep it feeling realistic.

Now to just to find a way to redub Batman Begins

Via CBR

Trae Dorn

Trae Dorn has been staffing conventions for over twenty-five years. They also wrote and drew the now completed webcomic UnCONventional, and produce the podcasts BS-Free Witchcraft, On This Day With Trae, Stormwood & Associates, The Meatgrinder, and The Nerd & Tie Podcast. This leads many to ask how the heck they have the time to get it all done. Trae says they have the time because they “do it all quite poorly.”

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