History Main / GreatBow

* ''Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear''. Chris Yukine's Relic, Ichaival, can manifest a variety of long range-projectile weaponry, mainly bows (including some bigger than her), though due to her violent imagination she can also manifest things she can also manifest things such as [[GatlingGood gatling guns]] and [[MacrossMissileMassacre missiles]].

* The "Ballista" skill in ''VideoGame/ArmoryAndMachine''. On use, it deals a huge amount of [[ArmorPiercing penetrating damage]] along with regular damage. Its drawbacks are that it costs 30 steel bolts as ammo per use, and it has a very long 30 second cooldown.

* The "Ballista" skill in ''VideoGame/ArmoryAndMachine'' is implied to be this. On use, it deals a huge amount of [[ArmorPiercing penetrating damage]] along with regular damage. Its drawbacks are that it costs 30 steel bolts as ammo per use, and it has a very long 30 second cooldown.

* In ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'', Okami archers wield traditional yumi bows that are longer than they are tall. TruthInTelevision, as real life yumi were designed to surpass the heights of their wielders.

* Ishtar in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has the "Heavenly Boat Maanna", which is not only an airship but an enormous bow, composed of two crescent-shaped objects connected by rope what float alongside her.

* That hopeless coyote from Creator/ChuckJones' ''WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadrunner'' cartoons has tried a few times using a huge bow to catch his prey. Mostly, the fool tries using himself as the projectile. His 0% success rate remains intact.

* Ishtar in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has a bow so large and oddly-shaped that it could be mistaken for a vehicle she's riding.

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* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' has supernaturally powered swords known as [[AbsurdCuttingPower Shardblades]] and armor known as [[PoweredArmor Shardplate]]. Large bows are referred to as "Shardbows", not because they have any supernatural abilities, but because you need a shardplate to wield one. [[spoiler:[[TheBigGuy Rock]] manages to use one to take down [[ClimaxBoss Amaram]] with one in ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'', notably ''[[CharlesAtlasSuperpower without]]'' using any shardplate at all.]]

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Detritus uses a ballista firing six-foot-long iron arrows as a crossbow. He later upgrades it to fire sheaves of arrows that catch fire from air friction and tend to spread out, to the point where just about the only safe place to be when he fires is right behind him.

When you take BiggerIsBetter for bows, you get the Great Bow, a type of bows so large that it almost towers the wielder. It often requires an AnchoredAttackStance to be used, and is capable of firing abnormally huge projectiles designed for shooting down large beasts or opening a hole on a wall.

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' has supernaturally powered swords known as [[AbsurdCuttingPower Shardblades]] and armor known as [[PoweredArmor Shardplate]]. Large bows are referred to as "Shardbows", not because they have any supernatural abilities, but because you need a shardplate to wield one.

* In the penultimate episode of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' Series 4, 'The Watchers on the Wall', the Wildlings launch a massive attack on the Wall, supported by a couple of giants riding mammoths. One of them wields an ''enormous'' bow which, when the Wildlings' puny arrows fail to reach the top of the wall (700 feet), he demonstrates to ''terrifying'' effect. His first shot destroys one of the ramps the Black Brothers stand on at the top of the wall; his second hits one poor sap square in the chest, sending him rocketing into the air high above the wallbefore plummeting ''all'' the way down to the ground on the other side. If he was lucky, he was dead before he hit the ground...

* In the penultimate episode of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' Series 4, 'The Watchers on the Wall', the Wildlings launch a massive attack on the Wall, supported by a couple of giants riding mammoths. One of them wields an ''enormous'' bow which, when the Wildlings' puny arrows fail to reach the top of the wall, he demonstrates to ''terrifying'' effect. His first shot destroys one of the ramps the Black Brothers stand on at the top of the wall; his second hits one poor sap square in the chest, sending him rocketing into the air high above the wallbefore plummeting ''all'' the way down to the ground on the other side. If he was lucky, he was dead before he hit the ground...

Generally speaking, these type of bows can fire more powerful projectiles than ordinary bows, and using them against humanoid targets is often comparable to [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill firing a ballista bolt toward a person]], whoever gets hit by the huge arrows would get knocked down to a far distance, or [[LudicrousGibs becoming a pile of mincemeat]], if not [[OneHitKill getting killed in one hit]].

-->'''Hawkeye Gough''', ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI''

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* In his first appearance (in TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks), Bullseye had ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} strapped into one of these as his DeathTrap du jour.

* ''Literature/TheOdyssey'': Odysseus makes himself officially known to his wife when she declares she will marry the man who succeeds in stringing her husband's huge bow. Odysseus is the only one to succeed... and finds himself holding a loaded weapon in front of the men who've been abusing his island's hospitality.
* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' has supernaturaly powered swords known as [[AbsurdCuttingPower Shardblades]] and armor known as [[PoweredArmor Shardplate]]. Large bows are referred to as "Shardbows", not because they have any supernatural abilities, but because you need a shardplate to wield one.

** The [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]] is the Dragonslayer Greatbow from ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'', a bow so large that it towers the wielder, to the point it requires an AnchoredAttackStance to be used. Naturally, due to its immense size, it can fire lance-sized projectiles made for hunting dragons. And the Silver Knights are more than happy to knock you down from the roof of Anor Londo with their bows and arrows. Hawkeye Gough, the predecessors of the Silver Knights, has his own homemade bow that is heavier, bigger, and [[spoiler:he uses it to shoot down Black Dragon Kalameet [[ImprobableAimingSkills despite being blind himself]].]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Whoever carries them is a great person too.]]

When you take BiggerIsBetter for bows, you get the Great Bows, a type of bows so large that it almost towers the wielder. It often requires an AnchoredAttackStance to be used, and is capable of firing abnormally huge projectiles designed for shooting down large beasts or opening a hole on a wall.

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In order to be qualified as this trope, the bow has to be as tall as the wielder, and it has to be a portable weapon.
Stationary ballistae not carried by anyone don't count as this trope, that belongs to SiegeEngines. However, if a character wields a ballista as a handheld weapon, it still counts as this trope.

NeedsMoreExamples and UpForGrabs.