The image of a figure with a sword, leading the way into battle on horseback or behind a shield, usually gets more attention than the ranged fighter who stands at a vantage pointwith a bow and arrow. Archers often appear as heroes in their own stories, and they’re the type of fighters that have to use their brains as opposed to brute strength.
Legolas of theLord of the Ringsfranchise is one of the fantasy genre’s most skilled and famous archers. However, he’s a fairly modern invention who shares the stage with several notable predecessors, along with equally famous contemporaries. The archer is a staple of the fantasy genre, and there are plenty of characters who embody the archetype beautifully.
6Prince Ashitaka
The Hero Of Princess Mononoke
From the beginning ofPrincess Mononoke, the character of Ashitaka is established as an accomplished rider and archer.He’s often depictedshooting his bow with deadly precision from the back of his red elk, and it’s his skill as an archer that begins the story.
The story begins with a demon attacking Ahitaka’s village, and when it touches him, it passes on its curse even though he still manages to kill it. His quest is to travel west, bearing the mark of the curse, and discover the nature of his affliction to try and cure it.
5Hawkeye
The Greatest Archer Of The Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is known for superheroes, but there are some regular humans on the team with extraordinary abilities. One of these is Clinton Francis Barton, better known simply as Clint or by his superhero alias, Hawkeye.
Hawkeye isn’t just amazingly talented. He’s got an impressive rig with some fancy extra features, like arrows with exploding heads or timed-release barbs. Stan Lee and artist Dan Heck created and designed the character, and his appearance was inspired by another legendary archer, Robin Hood.
4Arjuna
The Protagonist Of Earth Maiden Arjuna
Earth Maiden Arjunawas an anime series that ran from 2001 to 2002. It isn’t a coincidence that the main character is named after the protagonist of The Mahabharata, an epic Hindu poem datingfrom the 3rd century BCE. The show was heavily based on Hindu mythology, and in both stories, Arjuna is a stellar archer who uses a bow named Gandiva.
Our hero, Arjuna, begins the story as a normal teenager named Juna Ariyoshi. She’s chosen by a powerful spirit in the body of a child, an entity based on the Hindu god Krishna, to be the Avatar of Time and save Earth from the malevolent Raaja.
3Odysseus
Ten Years Lost At Sea
A Classical hero who first appeared as one of the many Greek kings who joined Agamemnon to sack Troy and “rescue” Helen, Odysseus is a supporting character in the Illiad, but graduates to the protagonist in The Odyssey. Archery was always his forte, a symbol of his connection to the god Apollo and his clever nature.
It took Odysseus ten years to get home to Ithaca from Troy, part of Poseidon’s curse for refusing to give the god of the sea proper tribute for the win at Troy. Odysseus was famous for being the most intelligent of the Greek commanders and was responsible for the Trojan Horse that finally broke the siege, so he didn’t feel beholden to any gods for the win.
2Robin Hood
A Hero Of English Folklore
Robin Hood likely appeared in oral history and legends before he started to appear in print. It was the ancient balladeers, or minstrels of old, that first composed songs of an intrepid thief and trickster who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.
The character has taken a variety of forms that include animated and live-action, alongwith plenty of parodiesand satirical takes. The consistent feature of this famous figure, however, is his archery skills. Robin Hood is always the best archer in merry old England and is often portrayed as a professional soldier in King Richard’s crusading army, or as a lord in exile.
1Sylvanas Windrunner
A Legacy Character From World Of Warcraft
Sylvanas first appeared in the Warcraft RTS games, when the world’s most infamous MMO was just a gleam in Blizzard’s eye. She was one of the most tragic characters inWarcraft III: Reign of Chaos, striving valiantly to defend her people and their sacred Sunwell but failing in the end, only to be enslaved as a wraith by Arthas Menethil.
One of the three Windrunner sisters, Sylvanas was a Ranger tasked with the defense of Quel’Thelas, home of the High Elves. She was killed and turned into a banshee, but was freed from the grip of the Lich King and spent most of that timeruling the Forsaken factioninWorld of Warcraft.Her bow and arrow never left her side, even back in the days of vanilla when she still had a Night Elf skin.
