The 13 Most Lethal Archers In Movie And TV History
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- 1315 VOTESPhoto: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers / New Line Cinema
Elves are essentially immortal, retaining their youthful reflexes in perpetuity - something that's important to remember when talking about Legolas. All of the Elves in Middle-earth are expert marksmen, yet somehow this fellowship member stands above the rest. Chalk that up to thousands of years of practice and a propensity to do good.
Throughout the Lord of the Rings franchise, Legolas shield surfs while shooting several orcs and takes down an Oliphaunt (among other things), all without the help of Hawkeye-esque technology. Unfortunately for Gimli, Legolas's kill count will seemingly climb forever.
- 2259 VOTESPhoto: Arrow / The CW
Hawkeye may have the big-screen clout, but Oliver Queen, AKA Green Arrow, is the OG - and probably more dangerous. Almost every iteration of the character (the most significant of which is the CW's Arrow, starring Stephen Amell) sees him lost at sea and left for dead, spending years surviving on the island of Lian Yu.
Afterward, Oliver hones his archery skills by completing a plethora of covert missions, returning home as the vigilante Green Arrow. Anyone familiar with the CW's Arrowverse is more than familiar with Oliver's high-tech arsenal - and his ability to take out droves of enemies and inspire confidence in anyone lucky enough to fight alongside him.
- 3283 VOTESPhoto: Captain America: Civil War / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
If being one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agents weren't enough, Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, is a founding member of the Avengers. While expertly trained in almost all manners of combat, Hawkeye keeps up (mostly) with his super-powered cohorts thanks in large part to his skill with a bow and arrow.
He's easily one of the most dangerous characters on this list due to how strategically he uses his arsenal - arrows that regularly defy the laws of physics. They explode, create energy fields, and often act like boomerangs. Whether he's taking on extraterrestrial invaders, firing an arrow from one flying aircraft to another (accounting for wind/motion variables), or dropping an entire car park on Iron Man, Hawkeye "just can't seem to miss."
- 4195 VOTESPhoto: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves / Warner Bros.
Whether he’s depicted as an animated fox or a man (being played by the likes of Errol Flynn, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Cary Elwes, or Patrick Stewart), Robin Hood is the quintessential archer to which all others are compared. As the most accomplished archer in popular culture, Robin Hood - and his legacy of taking from the rich and giving to the poor - will forever be tied to the bow and arrow.
He even became the first movie character to ever fire six or more arrows simultaneously (while pinning an enemy to a tree in Robin Hood: Men in Tights). We've seen him hit targets hundreds of yards away (sometimes on horseback) and redirect arrows midair with others. There’s nothing this man can't do... except maybe retire.
- 5232 VOTESPhoto: The Hunger Games / Lionsgate
Katniss Everdeen's story in The Hunger Games franchise is a byproduct of necessity, something that translates to her skill with a bow and arrow. While raising her in District 12, Katniss's father taught her to (unlawfully) hunt with a recurve bow to feed their family; she didn't know she'd eventually volunteer as tribute or spark a rebellion (though, admittedly, Rue's passing is arguably what lit the fire).
Katniss's prowess as a markswoman makes her a desirable ally and fierce opponent - impressing judges by shooting an apple out of a pig's mouth, bringing down an entire arena (courtesy of a makeshift lightning bolt), and executing a tyrant in the franchise's final entry.
- 6172 VOTES
Tauriel
Photo: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug / Warner Bros. PicturesLike Legolas, The Hobbit trilogy's Tauriel is an adept archer with elvish reflexes and accuracy. Given that this character was created purely for cinematic purposes (having not appeared in the original book), it comes as no surprise that her archery takes on a more exotic form compared to Legolas's more traditional English longbow.
However, as head of the Mirkwood Elven guard, Tauriel is just as stunning (if not more so), as she snipes orcs while jumping through treetops in The Desolation of Smaug.
- 7163 VOTESPhoto: First Blood / TriStar Pictures
The term "Rambo" is used to describe an exceptionally tough lone wolf (among other things). A former member of United States Army Special Forces, John Rambo is both of those things, training most of his life with weaponry, honing his top-notch survival skills and becoming an expert in guerrilla warfare. Everyone knows his name - he's the most renowned killer in cinematic history (with over 552 kills).
When machine guns are too loud to get the job done, Rambo resorts to stealth and using a compound bow - which is all he really needs. Sometimes it's a wonder when this guy even aims, shooting men at night or in the pouring rain. His most memorable archery moment comes when he takes out a helicopter with an exploding-tip arrow.
- 8165 VOTESPhoto: Brave / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Brave’s Merida is the daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. The latter wants Merida to be a proper lady; instead, Merida fine-tunes her archery skills and, to quote Joe Esposito, "becomes the best around, nothing’s gonna ever keep [her] down."
Using the recurve bow given to her by her father, Merida competes at the Highland Games and is crowned the best archer in Scotland, dismantling the competition. Brave's depiction of archery has been commended by the likes of bow-hunting expert Cameron Hanes, making Merida's courage and bravery (pun intended) all the more formidable.
- 9126 VOTESPhoto: Game of Thrones / HBO
According to the Free Folk (or "wildlings," whichever you prefer), Anguy the Archer slings arrows the best. However, Ms. "Kissed by Fire" - AKA Jon Snow's more reasonable love interest, Ygritte - is the one we know and love. As the Katniss Everdeen of Game of Thrones, Ygritte cultivated her skills to survive on the wrong side of the wall. While other ladies were trying on pretty dresses and swooning, Ygritte was sharpening her arrowheads.
If watching her take out a deer that Jon thinks is too far away (because he knows nothing) or men of the Night’s Watch when Mance Rayder's army marches on Castle Black weren't impressive enough, Ygritte demonstrates a ridiculous amount of strength and accuracy when putting three arrows in Jon. Not only does she draw back her bow and hold it (while having a very emotional conversation), but she essentially performs surgery as her ex-lover rides away on horseback, placing an arrow inches from his heart. If she wanted to kill him, she would have.
- 10156 VOTESPhoto: The Walking Dead / AMC
The most controversial addition to this list is that of The Walking Dead’s Daryl Dixon. "Almost anyone can pull a trigger," sure, but not everyone can pull a trigger in such cool and iconic fashion as Daryl, making him too essential to leave out. We could talk about other characters like Carol who actually use a bow and arrow, but Daryl's crossbow permeates pop culture comparatively.
The hotheaded redneck and expert tracker who became Rick Grimes's right-hand man is arguably the most deadly person in the TWD universe, taking out countless walkers (and people) with ease (often using arrows themselves as melee weapons). There's a reason he's one of the few surviving members of the original group and current series lead - and that reason is his crossbow.
- 1180 VOTESPhoto: Blade: Trinity / New Line Cinema
Blade: Trinity’s Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) is the daughter of Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), the man who trained Blade himself. As a fellow vampire hunter/member of the "Nightstalkers," Abigail uses a variety of weapons to take out bloodsuckers, but none is more notable than her compound bow. She fires silver arrows with explosive tips at over 315 mph - something that plays a role in defeating the film's main antagonist.
Biel became so good (or bad) at shooting her bow that, according to Screen Rant, she even destroyed a camera lens while filming.
- 12115 VOTESPhoto: Mulan / Buena Vista Pictures
Disney's Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, or played by Liu Yifei in the live-action adaptation) sees its eponymous character disguise herself as a man to train and fight northern invaders in China. During her training, she learns archery, retrieving an arrow from a high post while suffering the weight of heavy medallions.
Calling Mulan a renegade is an understatement; long before Katniss Everdeen or Ygritte, she was subverting gender roles and outclassing the men with one of the most important weapons in the history of the human race.
- 1393 VOTES
Paris
Photo: Troy / Warner Bros.Definitely Orlando Bloom’s less-impressive archer on this list, Troy's Paris is essentially a dishonorable coward who starts a war just because he has the hots for Helen of Troy.
However, Paris does take out the most deadly warrior in all of Greek mythology, Achilles, by shooting an arrow into his namesake body part. That's something to put on the resume.
