History Main / AloofArcher

%%* Rowen Of Strata (Tenkuu No Touma) is the archer of the ''Anime/RoninWarriors[=/=]Yoroiden Samurai Troopers'' core team.

%%* Nam-Yi from ''Film/ArrowTheUltimateWeapon'' can actually bend the trajectory of his shots. He's also a hell of a shot with a throwing knife.

%%* ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'': Arjuna and Karna. (And those two are only the ''really'' big shots.)

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Ramsay Snow is shown to be this in "Walk of Punishment", when he quickly shoots all of the guards about to rape Theon, and is a composed and cold individual. His hunting partner Myranda is also shown to be very competent with a bow in "The Lion and the Rose" and it later appears to be her weapon of choice. In "Battle of the Bastards," the only weapon Ramsay uses is his bow.

%%** Theon is shown to be an excellent one in Season 1.

* ''LightNovel/WashioSumiIsAHero'': Washio is a [[PatrioticFervor patriotic]] {{Ojou}} who likes being traditionally Japanese. She's also an AloofDarkHairedGirl. Her weapon as a MagicalGirl is a bow.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}} Onmyōji]]'' has Hakurō, a skilled archer with a composed and dignified personality.

Archers are most likely to be found in a wild, untamed setting and can share traits with the ColdSniper, most notably an analytical and calculating nature. This archetype tends to be depicted as having a more slender build despite the great upper-body strength required to draw a powerful bow without mechanical assistance.[[note]]Far more, in fact, than that required to use a sword, with few historical swords, even two-handers, weighing more than a few pounds, whereas a credible war bow would have at least 70lb draw weight, with the most prolific surviving medieval longbows having more like 140lb.[[/note]] These characters are likely to also be TheChick, a NatureHero, a ForestRanger, a BadassNative, and/or an [[OurElvesAreDifferent Elf]]. This also has the benefit of [[GuysSmashGirlsShoot keeping the delicate female safely out of the bone-crunching melee]].

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' plays this to both ends of the spectrum. Madoka wields a bow, and she's undoubtedly TheChick; she takes a long time to gain the courage to [[NonIndicativeName actually become a puella magi]]. [[spoiler:But she was more heroic, and still used a bow, in the first timeline, before Homura started [[GroundhogDayLoop messing with things]]. Her bow is eventually passed on to Homura, who has more of a ColdSniper personality.]]

%%* [[TheChick Starla Shine]] from ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic'', uses a bow as her primary weapon.

** Cinder Fall, one of the primary villains, used a weapon called "Midnight" which is actually a pair of swords that can join together into a bow; despite being ''very'' skilled with it, she abandons archery in favor of [[spoiler:using her magic as the Fall Maiden to conjure weapons out of molten glass -- frequently impractically oversized ones]].
** Robyn Hill, being based on Myth/RobinHood, uses a wrist-mounted crossbow as her favored weapon.

%%* One of the original Nega Nebulous's members from ''LightNovel/AccelWorld'' is Ardor Maiden, who's primarily red avatar is an archer styled after a miko. Her special powers all work to enhance her accuracy and damage.

%%** Cure Hearts MidSeasonUpgrade finisher is a bow and arrow made out of pure love. It's the first time in Anime/PrettyCure History that the protagonist uses one.

* Cure Beauty from ''Anime/SmilePrettyCure'' has the ice variant of this, [[spoiler:which is also her strongest attack, called ''Beauty Blizzard Arrow'']]. In civil, she practices Aikido and hits the bullseye most of the time. And like her predecessor, she's calm and analytical, considered as the 'brain' of the group.

* ''Film/HawkTheSlayer'': Crow, in keeping with the elf stereotype, is a deadly arches who's small, slim, graceful and has no discernible close-combat skills. Subverted though with Ranulf, a craggy middle aged human who wields his {{automatic crossbow}} with great accuracy (one-handed to boot). Neither one of them ''ever'' misses a shot.

** Shinon of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance, the sniper of Greil's Mercenaries, is not only good at archery but at [[TheAce pretty much anything he tries]], and he's all too aware of it. After a disagreement with Ike [[spoiler:following Greil's death]], [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere he abandons the group]] and [[DefeatMeansFriendship has to be defeated in order to be convinced of rejoining]].

Archers are most likely to be found in a wild, untamed setting and can share traits with the ColdSniper, most notably an analytical and calculating nature. This archetype tends to be depicted as having a more slender build despite the great upper-body strength required to draw a powerful bow without mechanical assistance [[note]]far more, in fact, than that required to use a sword, with few historical swords, even two-handers, weighing more than a few pounds, whereas a credible war bow would have at least 70lb draw weight, with the most prolific surviving medieval longbows having more like 140lb [[/note]]. These characters are likely to also be TheChick, a NatureHero, a ForestRanger, a BadassNative, and/or an [[OurElvesAreDifferent Elf]]. This also has the benefit of [[GuysSmashGirlsShoot keeping the delicate female safely out of the bone-crunching melee]].

* Yue from ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'' shoots arrows made out of [[LightIsNotGood pure energy]], and has a very cold personality, at least initially. His alter-ego, [[spoiler: Yukito]] is also accomplished in archery, but has none of the associated cold or callous personality.

%%* Chilchuck of ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'' served as the Touden Party's archer until he lost his bow when they were emergency warped out of the dungeon. For a large portion of the series, he uses a knife instead. [[spoiler: But shortly after Izutsumi joins the party, they return to where they had initially reached and Chilchuck gets his bow back.]]

* Cure Beauty from ''Anime/SmilePrettyCure'' has the ice variant of this, [[spoiler: which is also her strongest attack, called ''Beauty Blizzard Arrow'']]. In civil, she practices Aikido and hits the bullseye most of the time. And like her predecessor, she's calm and analytical, considered as the 'brain' of the group.

%%* Just like in its [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight origin series]], ''VideoGame/FateEXTRA'' also has Servants of the Archer class. One of them is playable and is exactly like Stay Night's Archer ([[spoiler: EMIYA]]) but has a different backstory. And the enemy Archer, who plays this trope straight, isn't just any Archer, he's the [[spoiler: [[Myth/RobinHood original Archer]].]] They have [[DeadpanSnarker something]] in common though.

** Cinder Fall, one of the primary villains, used a weapon called "Midnight" which is actually a pair of swords that can join together into a bow; despite being ''very'' skilled with it, she abandons archery in favor of [[spoiler: using her magic as the Fall Maiden to conjure weapons out of molten glass -- frequently impractically oversized ones]].

%%* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has the Ranger, a subclass of fighter originally, but it became its own class in 2e. They eventually acquired a measure of magical ability, gaining the power to cast some divine spells. In 3e, there was also the Scout, perhaps a straighter version of this trope.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'': Hunter is a serious, noble and no-nonsense individual, who travels through the wilderness seeking to oppose the forces of evil.
* ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'':
** The master thief protagonist [[PhantomThief Garrett]] specialises in using his bow and arrows as both a tool and weapon. Mechanical or magical [[TrickArrow arrows with specialised abilities]] are a standard part of his arsenal. Depending on a player's shooting skill, they can be used to manipulate the surrounding environment in favour of better sneaking conditions (e.g. water arrows put out sources of light based on open fires, moss arrows cushion loud tiled floors, etc.). Though Garrett also carries ordinary arrows for self-defence or potential sniping, and has a sword or a dagger for a sidearm, he's much more skilled at being sneaky than fighting others. Hence the games deemphasize melee combat and ranged combat and encourage sneaking and clever gadget usage (including trick arrow shooting with the bow). In the original trilogy, the bow is an ordinary but powerful wooden short bow, with an attached sight forged from steel. In the 2014 reboot, the reboot's version of Garrett uses more of a modern compound bow, albeit with 19th century stylings.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}} Onmyōji]]'' has Hakurō, a skilled archer with a composed and dignified personality.
%%* Elves are naturally known for this in the [[VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} Warcraft Universe]], particularly the more feral Night Elves. The Priestess of the Moon in particular from ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' (and the Dark Ranger, an undead High Elf) put their bowstrings to very good use on fleshy opposing armies. Class is a bigger variable than race in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''. Though bows are available to a number of classes, only Hunters possess the skills and talents necessary to make them into effective weapons. Good Hunters also embody the analytical traits described here -- not only does their long-range position and lack of flashy effects (compared the nukers like mages and warlocks) give them a much better vantage point of a pitched battle, but they are masters of battlefield control with aggro management skills like Distracting Shot and Feign Death, the ability to set traps, and being able to act in two places at once by commanding their pet.
%%** Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, Banshee Queen of the Forsaken, is regarded as one of the four best archers on Azeroth. She, her two High Elf sisters, and the Night Elf Shandris Feathermoon are considered to be equal with the bow and the best four archers on Azeroth.
%%** The [[SnakePeople Naga]] Lady Vashj is also a superb archer, though more magically focused than most Archers.
* ''VideoGame/{{Trine}}'''s resident [[ClassyCatBurglar thief]], Zoya, is equipped with a bow that when properly upgraded, is GameBreaker in combat. She initially plays the personality part straight, being a lonesome, stealthy thief, but becomes more talkative as the game goes on, especially when the main party visits the forest.
* Lamia Loveless in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAdvance'' is a calm, analytical, calculating android excelling in robot piloting, and her stats usually gears more on the ranged stat. Therefore, her main mecha, Angelg, also comes equipped with a bow, and the majority of its ultimate attacks are from its bow (Illusion Arrow & Phantom Phoenix). Though occasionally subverted that due to a bug developed in her latter stages, she could end up very hyperactive and loud unlike most of the archetypes here, but usually reverts back to her usual calm, analytical, calculating type.

* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** Nathaniel in the [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]] expansion - he's one of the more stoic party members, has a very dry sense of humour, most of his companion gifts are practical items and he supports some of the more pragmatic story decisions.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' has [[{{OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame}} Varric]] (although he uses a custom crossbow named [[ICallItVera Bianca]]) and [[{{BadAssPreacher}} Sebastian]], both calm and level-headed archers who subvert the trope slightly in that Varric is a smooth-talking urbanite and Sebastian possesses a stubborn vengeful streak.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' has Varric returning from II, but also gives us Sera, who is both female and an elf, but beyond that is a brash, rough-speaking, boorish, uncouth prankster who belongs to the Friends of Red Jenny, a loosely-defined group from previous games that Inquisition rejiggers into Fantasy.
%%** [[JeanneDArchetype Leliana]] in ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'', who is both the nicest character in the game and [[MagikarpPower staggeringly powerful when leveled up correctly]].
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' gives us Kivan, an elven ranger. He's so [[{{TheStoic}} stoic]] and badass that ''Creator/RobPaulsen'', his VA, even does a ''Film/DirtyHarry'' impression when delivering Kivan's lines.
%%** ''VideoGame/BaldursGateSiegeOfDragonspear'' adds another archer, Schael Corwin, who contrasts with Kivan in that she's a patriotism-driven city guard rather than a solitary, nature-ish ranger type.
* There are a lot of ranged characters in ''VideoGame/SuikodenIII'' but [[OurElvesAreDifferent Roland]] and [[AutomaticCrossbows Jacques]] fit the trope to a tee. Both start with a rune that allows for a powerful ranged attack and both are deadly marksmen who keep themselves to themselves and say very little.

* Ashe's predecessor in ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'', Traxex the Drow Ranger, also counts. As a marksman, she's about pelting the enemies with her frozen arrow and keeping them away for maximum result (thanks to her Ultimate, Marksmanship, which grants her bonus agility to increase damage, just as long as there's no enemy heroes around her). In ''VideoGame/{{Dota 2}}'', Traxex displays a cold but precise personality befitting her archer nature (unlike some like her {{Foil}}, Lyralei/Windranger).

%%* The summon "Piercing Gaze" in ''VideoGame/BallpointUniverseInfinite'' is a giant archer that fires dozens of energy arrows in quick succession.

* Lara Croft in the reboot of [[VideoGame/TombRaider2013 Tomb Raider]] primarily uses a bow, as opposed to her predecessor who preferred GunsAkimbo. As she was before the reboot, she is a lone wolf who doesn't let emotions get in the way.
%%* Just like in its [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight origin series]], ''VideoGame/FateEXTRA'' also has Servants of the Archer class. One of them is playable and is exactly like Stay Night's Archer ([[spoiler: EMIYA]]) but has a different backstory. And the enemy Archer, who plays this trope straight, isn't just any Archer, he's the [[spoiler: [[Myth/RobinHood original Archer]].]] They have [[DeadpanSnarker something]] in common though.
* Achaka from ''VideoGame/KingsQuest2015'' is as straight an example as they come. He's confident, agile, a bit of a loner ([[FireForgedFriends at first]]) and [[ImprobableAimingSkills a master at landing impossible shots]] with his powerful longbow. Graham provides a {{Aver|tedTrope}}sion, as he violates most common archer characterisations - he's not graceful or haughty, he's clumsy, insecure and a bit of a goofy dork, though Achaka takes him under his wing and he becomes a very good archer by the end of the first chapter.
%%* In ''VideoGame/GemsOfWar'', Atlanta is a skilled archer, enough so that her special attack is appropriately called RainOfArrows. She contrasts with the centaurs of the area, who hunt things (including her) with other weapons.
* The Archer class from ''VideoGame/PiratesVikingsAndKnights'' uses both a longbow and a crossbow, is weak up close, but an absolute ''Knightmare'' to fight at a distance. He is also an [[MilesGloriosus arrogant, hoity-toity show-off, who quickly turns into a whimpering coward when things take a turn for the worse.]]
%%* Decidueye, which was introduced in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', is able to use one of its wings and vines as a bow and its own feathers as arrows.
* While neither are shown actually using bows and arrows onscreen, Revali and Teba still fit the attributes of this in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. They're both slender [[BirdPeople Rito]] men who are skilled in archery, prefer to [[IWorkAlone work alone]] (Revali because of his narcissism, Teba because he's simply stubborn), and are initially disdainful of [[TheHero Link]].
* ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'''s archer character, the Arbalest, is indeed largely useless when close to enemies, with only two moves in her entire kit that can be used in the front ranks, and can be a bit blunt and arrogant (especially when [[SanitySlippage Afflicted]]). She's also a solidly built professional soldier clad in full armour who holds her giant crossbow like a ChainsawGripBFG.
%%* Several characters in ''VideoGame/{{Ravenmark}}'' use bows or crossbows as their weapon of choice. Examples include Cierra Montepulciano, who constantly wears an eyepatch in order to have a better aim and to prepare her other eye for night fighting.
* ''VideoGame/PathfinderKingmaker'': The party member Ekundayo is a ForestRanger with a high Dexterity score and a number of feats invested toward using longbows when you recruit him. He's also [[TheQuietOne quiet]], [[TerseTalker cold]], and prefers [[IWorkAlone to work alone]].
* In ''VideoGame/FantasyStrike'''s backstory, Midori attempted to {{Invoke|dTrope}} this trope while training Jaina Stormborne by teaching her archery to counteract her hotheaded and impulsive personality. She's still an ArrogantKungFuGirl, so it doesn't seem to have worked ''too'' well.
* With the addition of the Bocek, a player could become this in ''VideoGame/ApexLegends''. The Bocek is a modernized Bow, capable of enhanced accuracy and a triple shot via a Hop-Up. However it is slow to fully draw, and the arrows rarely hit a moving target (and don't do much damage either) making it [[DifficultButAwesome Difficult But Awesome]] to use.

* Parodied in the first episode of ''WebVideo/{{Broceliande}}''. Two elves are discussing this trope, since they are woodsmen and consider archery definitely their thing. Although trying to find a more hip name for it isn't very successful; Pace's idea of "String" doesn't sound that convincing.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1581853148097854000
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/GreenArrow https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/19924b5f_c3b7_4fc0_bb4a_efe231d6f5b9.jpeg]]]]

* Rei/Sailor Mars of ''Anime/SailorMoon'' gains a bow and arrow made of ''flames'' in the fourth season. She's a calm, mystical {{miko}}, rather than the typical temperamental fire warrior (in the manga at least, the anime makes her more HotBlooded), although she occasionally made bids for the leadership (losing out to TheFool, at that).
%%* Rowen Of Strata (Tenkuu No Touma) is the archer of the Anime/RoninWarriors[=/=]Yoroiden Samurai Troopers core team.

%%* [[LadyOfWar Signum]] from ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs'' is mainly a female swordsman, but for her strongest attack ''[[GratuitousGerman Sturmfalken]]'' she has to transform her [[EmpathicWeapon Laevatine]] from a sword and sheath into a bow. Though, she uses this attack very rarely.

* ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5GoGo'' has Cure Aqua with her new finishing move ''Sapphire Arrow'', summoning a water bow and a water arrow. Cure Aqua is also stated to be the Cure of Intelligence and she's usually being both TheLancer AND TheSmartGuy in the group, keeping her calm most of the time.
* Cure Beauty from ''Anime/SmilePrettyCure'' has the ice variant of this, [[spoiler: which is also her strongest attack, called ''Beauty Blizzard Arrow'']]. In civil, she practices Aikido and hits the bullseye most of the time. And like her predecessor, she's calm and analytical, considered as the 'brain' of the group.
%%* ''Anime/DokiDokiPrettyCure'':
%%** Cure Hearts MidSeasonUpgrade finisher is a bow and arrow made out of pure love. It's the first time in Anime/PrettyCure History that the protagonist uses one.
%%** The group finishing move ''Lovely Force Arrow'' makes four of the five Cures into archers.
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' plays this to both ends of the spectrum. Madoka wields a bow, and she's undoubtedly TheChick; she takes a long time to gain the courage to [[NonIndicativeName actually become a puella magi]]. [[spoiler:But she was more heroic, and still used a bow, in the first timeline, before Homura started [[GroundhogDayLoop messing with things]]. Her bow is eventually passed on to Homura, who has more of a ColdSniper personality.]]

%%* Seira from ''Anime/DayBreakIllusion'' hit pretty much every point listed except for the build. She's the strongest of the group, as she's the only one that really trains.

%%* Toyohisa notes in ''Manga/{{Drifters}}'' that while elves in are hopeless when using a sword, they are, to an elf, natural born bowmen. The elves themselves note it as an innate skill they practiced as children before they were subjugated by the Orte Empire.
* Yue from ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'' shoots arrows made out of [[LightIsNotGood pure energy]], and has a very cold personality, at least initially. His alter-ego, [[spoiler: Yukito]] is also accomplished in archery, but has none of the associated cold or callous personality.

* Kaguya from ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' is the star member of the school's archery club and is definitely cold and calculating ([[DefrostingIceQueen initially, anyways]]). That said, she subverts the "weak at close range" stereotype, as the muscle she built up from constantly using a bow led to her victory during the Student Council's arm wrestling tournament (along with having a black belt in both akido and judo).
%%* One of the original Nega Nebulous's members from ''LightNovel/AccelWorld'' is Ardor Maiden, who's primarily red avatar is an archer styled after a miko. Her special powers all work to enhance her accuracy and damage.
* The serious {{Ojou}} Erika from ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' is an archer.
* Ukyo from ''Manga/DrStone'' checks all the boxes. Archer hat? Check. Robin Hood-esque clothes? Check. Slim, almost weak-looking body? Check. Deadly precision with a bow and arrow? Check. Yep! He's an archer.

* The second ComicBook/GreenArrow and the second Speedy (Mia Dearden) in Franchise/TheDCU are both calm and level-headed. (Their predecessors, Oliver Queen and Roy Harper being more charming rogues.)
* Creator/MarvelComics has a number of archer characters as well:
** Clint Barton (The first Hawkeye) fits the analytical and not-following-orders-well parts of this trope but actually averts the calm levelheadedness by being a constant joker and often the team Heart for the Avengers.
** Kate Bishop (the Hawkeye of the ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'') is calm and level-headed.
** Oxbow, of the First Line in ''Marvel: The Lost Generation'', is a fairly huge subversion of the norm; he's tall, super strong, easily angered, and not much of a braggart.

* In Marvel's ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel G.I. Joe]]'' series, Storm Shadow is considered the greatest archer, even using it back when he was a GI in the Vietnam War. This is the one martial art where even Snake-Eyes could not equal or surpass him. Like most ninja in that series, he is enigmatic, aloof, self-assured, and rather irreverent at times. Zartan is the second-best archer, though he used various sonic detection devices to hit distant targets blindly.
%%* In ''ComicBook/SunnyvilleStories'', Roy, one of [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain the two Weasel brothers]], uses a bow and arrows when engaging in banditry.

%%* This is a common occupation in ComicBook/RedSonja's world. Notable examples include Haron the Quick, twins Ayla and Nias, and Sonja herself.
* The rebellious ComicBook/RobynHood has trouble following orders, and even trouble asking for help. As a result she tends to operate as a lone wolf character. She is also a skilled archer.

* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' has Roam. He's arrogant, he's a loner, and he's a crack shot with a crossbow.

%%* [[TheChick Starla Shine]] from ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic'', uses a bow as her primary weapon.

* Minor character Nyvan, the bowman who (unknowingly) tries to kill George ([[VoluntaryShapeshifting George is a peregrine falcon at the time]]) and later tries to ambush John and Ringo while they're hiding near the jump gate in Boidan Valley. Although he never gets any dialogue of his own, [[InformedAbility he's quite the talkative ignoramus]] when he's not actually stalking anything, according to George, Theecat, and Chana (his cousin).

* ''Fanfic/ABoyAGirlAndADogTheLeithianScript'': Beren has been practicing archery since he was a toddler and stealth guerrilla warfare since he was a teenager. Skulking around the woods, shooting Morgoth's minions from afar and disappearing amongst the thicket was his routine for ten years. And he is not humble about his marksmanship.
* ''Fanfic/LandBeforeTimeRetold'': Aylene is an excellent archer, and frequenlty uses a bow and arrow to fend off predators. Her brother Derek is also quite a skilled archer, as is her boyfriend Ken, though he uses a crossbow instead of a longbow.

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

* Legolas in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' has an incredible rate of fire with his arrows, and even uses them point-blank (though the Extended Editions also showed him with long knives). This is even an exaggeration of his skill over his depiction in the books. Like all elves in the films, he's elegant, graceful, and a bit snooty.

* ''Film/HawkTheSlayer'': Crow, in keeping with the elf stereotype, is a deadly arches who's small, slim, graceful and has no discernible close-combat skills. Subverted though with Ranulf, a craggy middle aged human who wields his {{automatic crossbow}} with great accuracy (one-handed to boot). Neither one of them ''ever'' misses a shot.

%%* Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'':
%%** Susan Pevensie is a graceful, elegant, ladylike kind of archer. Her bow was a gift from Father Christmas, and she became a famously skilled as Queen. One of the ways the Pevensies prove their identities to Trumpkin in Prince Caspian is by Susan beating him in a target-shooting contest. However, though quite effective in battle, Susan hates to fight.
%%** In contrast, Lucy only trained in archery after growing into Queen Lucy the Valiant, but is a "tomboy" who fights alongside the men. For example, she joins the climactic battle in ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'', where Corin explains to Shasta that as a Queen she can do whatever she wants, whether or not she's female.

%%* The UrExample is Rama from the Hindu epic ''Literature/{{Ramayana}}''.

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': The show's protagonist, Oliver Queen, is skilled with the bow, and is cold and ruthless in his vigilante guise the hood. He starts to play that part down as he tries to become less a vigilante and more an actual hero as the show progresses. While his preferred means is taking out enemies with arrows, if things get too close his bow can also double as a melee weapon. As the show goes on, more and more archers appear, largely due to Oliver's influence or as counters to him, including Speedy (his sister), Arsenal, the Dark Archer, Talia al Ghul, Prometheus, and Dark Arrow (Oliver's EvilDoppelganger and Fuhrer of Earth-X).
* JustForFun/RecycledInSpace with ActionGirl Dayna Mellanby of ''Series/BlakesSeven''. Female, graceful, and rather cocky in comparison to the world-weary {{Anti Hero}}es she teams up with, Dayna is even shown using a bow and arrow in her introductory episode, because she enjoys the challenge of mastering the GoodOldWays.
%%* ''Series/KingdomAdventure'': Napps is one of [[TheDragon Magistrate Pitts']] guards, and is a capable enough archer to drive away Reagle, The Prince's eagle-friend.

* Dawn Drummond-Clayton from the ''Bunduki'' novels by Creator/JTEdson. Bunduki himself is also an expert with the bow, but is more likely to get into melee combat than Dawn, and Dawn is definitely the more analytical of the two.

* Katniss is definitely this in ''Literature/TheHungerGames''. She's a masterful archer who relies on her bow to hunt, survive, and lead. Katniss has strong and independent survivalist instincts due to her difficult past and is good at thinking outside the box. She is not socially adept and has a hard time making friends due to the emotional strain on her life which has made her hard and cold. She is usually very logical.
* Princess Anghara, aka Indigo, from ''Literature/{{Indigo}}'' specializes in the crossbow and conforms to the arrogance (in her past as a princess), slender build and isolation (her only true companion is her wolf and she is set apart from others by being cursed with immortality, until she defeats all the demons she released).

* Catti-brie, of R.A. Salvatore's ''Literature/TheLegendOfDrizzt'' books, was for a long time the group's specialist archer. She actually wasn't as skilled an archer as Drizzt was, but she had one helluva magic bow. She conforms to the archer stereotypes by being the group's moral center of sorts.

* ''The Tale of Hōgen'', a Japanese historical epic, credits an otherwise obscure samurai named Minamoto no Tametomo with superhuman feats of archery made possible by his enormous stature and abnormally long bow arm.
* Creator/JRRTolkien's Middle-earth stories doesn't have many archetypal archers. The only character who fits the Archer Archetype is Beleg Strongbow (''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin''). He's a famous Grey Elven archer and border-ranger captain, and quite capable of taking care of himself alone in the wilderness. His training in woodcraft is excellent, and he demonstrates his stealth several times, such as sneaking up on the outlaw band and tracking them through the wild. Later he sneaks into the orc camp and rescues Túrin without alerting the orcs, after silently sniping the wolf guards one by one in the dark.

* In ''{{Literature/Wander}}'', Wander is stoic and standoffish and prefers to use a crossbow, whereas the[[RedOniBlueOni much friendlier and more personable Dagger's]] weapon of choice is a hunting bow. However, they both use guns when in active combat situations where stealth isn't necessary.
* Birgitte Silverbow from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' series. A literally legendary shot that is bound to the Wheel and the Horn of Valere until [[spoiler:she ends up being "spun out" into real time by an angry Forsaken for saving Nynaeve.]] She has the cold analytical traits described here in spades, to such a high degree that others linked to her mind can sense her supreme focus in tense situations, and compare it to "a drawn bow aimed at the target."
* Ness "Grey", the major narrator of ''Literature/WindAndSparks'' cycle by Alexey Pehov. StealthExpert and borderline ColdSniper. Joined the army, fought against genocidal elves, first as a regular archer, then assassinating leaders far from the battle zone. Grew increasingly jaded, ended up murdering an officer for selling supplies to enemies then [[SuicideByCop saying he did it for money]]. After he avoided being hanged (long story) and a truce was signed, he went MIA. Later became a hitman and teamed up with an outlaw sorceress, the only love of his life. By the start of the first novel they've spent seven years on the run after a particularly resonant murder. Through the cycle he participates in killing 5 Dark Overlords out of 6[[note]]by shooting them, stabbing, distracting or just escorting the people who end up doing the job[[/note]]. [[spoiler:Though some survive.]] Unlike many examples Ness stays dangerous in melee and even unarmed. Another thing of note is the [[ShownTheirWork realism with which archery is depicted]]: bowstrings don't like water, bows shouldn't stay strung too long, bows require significant strength, [[NoArcInArchery elevation and wind]] are always accounted for, arrows are [[BottomlessMagazines in short supply]] and heavy...

* Dafydd from ''Literature/TheDragonKnight'' series. The draw strength on his bow is between 150-200lbs. The arrows can puncture the armor of the era, 1350's. He can also kill a target up to half an English mile ways, along with four others, keeping them from raising the alarm. He is also good in a melee if need be. Then there's his wife, Danielle, who is a decent archer in her own right, along with the outlaws in the band that her father, Giles o'the Wold, is the leader of.
* ''LightNovel/WashioSumiIsAHero'': Washio is a [[PatrioticFervor patriotic]] {{Ojou}} who likes being traditionally Japanese. She's also an AloofDarkHairedGirl. Her weapon as a MagicalGirl is a bow.
* ''Literature/TheMarvellousLandOfSnergs'': Gorbo's main weapon is his bow. Although he is short and stout, he is brawny enough to wield it properly. And his sharp-shooting skills are something he is definitely confident about.

* Cure Aqua's {{Expy}} Cure Beauty from ''Anime/SmilePrettyCure'' has the ice variant of this, [[spoiler: which is also her strongest attack, called ''Beauty Blizzard Arrow'']]. In civil, she practices Aikido and hits the bullseye most of the time. And like her predecessor, she's calm and analytical, considered as the 'brain' of the group.

* With the addition of the Bocek, a player could become this in ''VideoGame/ApexLegends]]. The Bocek is a modernized Bow, capable of enhanced accuracy and a triple shot via a Hop-Up. However it is slow to fully draw, and the arrows rarely hit a moving target (and don't do much damage either) making it [[DifficultButAwesome Difficult But Awesome]] to use.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': The [[CelestialParagonsAndArchangels empyreal lord]] {{Cernunnos}} is a proud, bow-wielding hunter who spends most of his time wandering in the wilderness, hunting down evil beings, and prefers to fight his enemies using stealth and range after having drawn them into terrain of his choosing.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': The [[CelestialParagonsAndArchangels empyreal lord]] Cernunnos is a proud, bow-wielding hunter who spends most of his time wandering in the wilderness, hunting down evil beings, and prefers to fight his enemies using stealth and range after having drawn them into terrain of his choosing.

* ''WesternAnimation/CraigOfTheCreek'': Omar/The Green Poncho is a skilled archer, with loads of [[TrickArrow Trick Arrows]] in his arsenal. His predecessor, Michelle, was likewise a skilled archer.

* RecycledInSpace with ActionGirl Dayna Mellanby of ''Series/BlakesSeven''. Female, graceful, and rather cocky in comparison to the world-weary {{Anti Hero}}es she teams up with, Dayna is even shown using a bow and arrow in her introductory episode, because she enjoys the challenge of mastering the GoodOldWays.

Not to be confused with the comedy show ''{{WesternAnimation/Archer}}'', nor the recurring character title in the ''Franchise/FateSeries''.

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and its spinoffs, Servants summoned under the Archer class have [[LongRangeFighter strong ranged weapons]] and the "Independent Action" ability, making them somewhat difficult to control but allowing them to survive for long periods without {{Mana}}. However, [[SquareRaceRoundClass neither of the most iconic Archers in the series are remotely typical members of their class]]. The Archer of the Fifth Holy Grail War (aka [[spoiler:EMIYA]]) is a DualWielding MasterSwordsman who approaches problems in [[ColdSniper a very detached and analytical fashion]], and [[BowAndSwordInAccord uses a bow as a backup weapon]] but mainly to shoot exploding swords instead of arrows. Gilgamesh, meanwhile, lets his PowersDoTheFighting - his "ranged weapons" consist of simply opening the door of his treasure vault and sitting back as enemies are mowed down by a StormOfBlades, and his extremely high rank in Independent Action comes from [[ItsAllAboutMe his incredible arrogance]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'' has Paige, who's rather aloof and cold. As it could be expected, her MagicalGirl weapon is a bow.
%%* With the comic being called ''Webcomic/TheArcherAndTheSquirrel'' it would be rather surprising if there wasn't a featured archer in it. The heroine, Lark, takes the main role as the archer part of the name.

[[folder:Web Original]]
%%* ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' features Shadow Stalker -- a NominalHero who can phase in and and out to pass through solid objects. She uses a bow to hunt her targets and she prefers to work alone.
%%* One of Creator/GavinFree's personas is champion UK archer ''[[Creator/AchievementHunter "MARK NUTT"]]!'' Yes, his name must be shouted.
%%* ''Blog/HowToHero'''s entry on [[https://howtohero.tumblr.com/post/173018161764/archers-and-arrows Archers and Arrows]] discusses superhero archers, tracing the concept back to a man named "Frederick (last name unknown let’s just say it’s Arrowpants)" who robbed rich people and then left his money with various peasants for safekeeping while he was on the run. In How To Hero's superhero world he is credited with inspiring the myth of Robin Hood.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' has Opal, the [[FusionDance fusion]] of [[TheSmartGuy Pearl]] and [[PintsizedPowerhouse Amethyst]]. Considerably calmer and more focused than either of her components normally are, she has a deep, soothing voice and an EnergyBow capable of scattering multiple arrows to take down numerous small, fast-moving targets. She also offsets the 'skinny build' part by having [[MultiArmedAndDangerous two sets of arms]] to hold and draw back her enormous bow with.
* Evangelyne of ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' is an archer and the most level-headed member of the group. Averted with her [[SiblingYinYang hot-headed sister]] Cleophee, who fights with a wrist-mounted crossbow.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'': Both Artemis and [[spoiler:the clone of]] Roy Harper are arrogant, sarcastic and, in Roy's case, very antisocial. They both mellow out over time due to CharacterDevelopment.

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': Both Artemis and [[spoiler:the clone of]] Roy Harper are arrogant, sarcastic and, in Roy's case, very antisocial. They both mellow out over time due to CharacterDevelopment.

** Artemis is perhaps the most iconic example. As goddess of the hunt, she’s often portrayed with a bow and arrows, and shuns civilization in favor of the wilderness. Although not technically a loner, as she’s frequently accompanied by her posse of nymphs, she’s sworn to chastity and can be surprisingly vengeful against any violations to her domain (especially by men.

%%** Teucer, also from Greek mythology. He was reputed to be the finest Achaean archer in the army besieging Troy. He loosed shaft after shaft whilst hiding behind his brother Ajax's shield. The gods themselves had to intervene in order to nerf Teucer's effectiveness, with Apollo sending some of his arrows off course and Zeus breaking his bow.
%%* Houyi from Myth/ChineseMythology. This dude was essentially a combo of Hercules and Robin Hood on steroids. He was able to take out ''nine Suns'' with arrows. And would have taken out the tenth and final Sun if it weren't for the Emperor reminding him that we still need at least one sun to survive.
%%* Myth/RobinHood himself is of course legendarily good with a bow, and an important TropeCodifier for his ImprobableAimingSkills. He makes archery ''[[LovableRogue cool]].'' Notably, the feat of SplittingTheArrow is [[TropeMaker associated with him]] (though a bit NewerThanTheyThink) to the point that it's known among real archers as "[[PersonAsVerb Robin Hooding]]".
%%* Myth/WilliamTell, a folk hero known as a crossbow fighter in the Swiss LaResistance. The story goes that he was forced to shoot an apple off his son's head as a CoolAndUnusualPunishment for refusing to bow to Albrecht Gessler's hat. He succeeds on the first try, then reveals that he had a second crossbow bolt ready to shoot Gessler if he had hit his son. The feat itself is now known (do you see a pattern emerging here?) as WilliamTelling.

%%[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
%%* Myth/ClassicalMythology:
%%** Also, Orion, a fellow hunter and possibly the only man she respected. [[MultipleChoicePast According to the most popular version]], he either hunted with her and came close to winning her heart, but earned the enmity of Gaea when he threatened to hunt every beast on Earth, and was killed by a giant scorpion sent by the Earth Goddess. Upon Artemis' request, Zeus placed Orion in the heavens as a constellation, who also bestowed the same honor upon the scorpion (as a memorial to the hero's death), where it was known as Scorpio from then on. The constellation Orion immediately dims when Scorpio shows itself - [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere he's fleeing from the creature]].

%%** Artemis and her Roman counterpart Diana. She is the goddess of the moon and hunting, often depicted as standing on top of a mountain and shooting arrows at whoever she felt like.

%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* ''Podcast/{{Jemjammer}}'' has Aelfgifu the ranger, who is more closed off than the other women in the party on account of being raised with minimal human contact. Like most rangers, she primarily uses a bow and arrows.