History Main / SplittingTheArrow

* Disney's ''Disney/RobinHood'' has the title character shoot one of his own arrows mid-flight to change its course, resulting in it hitting dead center and splitting the sheriff's arrow.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, has been seen shooting an arrow at a target, and then splitting it with the subsequent shot while plotting with her brother Apollo.

* Both Alfred and the villain known as The Archer did this in ''Series/{{Batman}}''. In fact, they were both so good that they agreed that the first one to ''fail'' to split the other's arrow would lose.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', one of Hanzo's highlight openings shows him not only doing this, but splitting the entire target as well.

This is a subtrope of ImprobableAimingSkills, and a SisterTrope to ShootTheBullet. Compare to WilliamTelling.

Archery is all about precision. The standard archery contest (in both fiction and real life) involves a marked target, and points based on how close to the center (or bull's eye) the archer can place his arrow.

A common dramatic situation is one where TheRival shoots first, and hits the target right in the center. It looks like TheHero has lost the competition, until he shoots ''his'' arrow at the opponent's and splits it in half lengthwise.

A downplayed version of this is TruthInTelevision. It's not unusual for hollow-shafted aluminum arrows to "telescope" -- one stuck in the end of another. Most archery ranges that have been open any length of time will have some examples mounted on the wall, though it's considered more of a funny fluke than a feat of skill: It doesn't earn you any additional points, and after the first time it's mostly just annoying that your arrows get damaged. However, in order to really count as this trope, the second arrow has to split the first from nock to tip. This normally requires everyone (or at least the first archer) to be using wooden arrowshafts. Traditional arrows often have a horn nock that would deflect the second arrow unless it was removed, and in practice most hardwood arrows don't have such a straight grain that they would reliably split all the way down instead of breaking somewhere in the middle. The second arrow has to be made of something like hollow bamboo and specially prepared in order for the trick to work.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': Artemis, goddess of the hunt, has been seen shooting an arrow at a target, and then splitting it with the subsequent shot while plotting with her brother Apollo.

* ''ComicStrip/PrinceValiant'' (Jan. 6-13, 2013) takes it over the top, with the challenger splitting ''every one'' of her opponent's arrows, no matter where on the target they are. Making an impression is apparently more important than winning the tournament, or else she would consider aiming for the center of the bulls-eye.

* In the 1952 ''Film/TheStoryofRobinHoodAndHisMerrieMen,'' Robin and his father, Hugh Fitzooth, compete against one of the Sheriff's men. First the Sheriff's man tries, and is short of the mark. Then Robin beats him with a perfect bulls-eye, and then Hugh Fitzooth splits his arrow. {{Subverted}} in that, though he is offered the prize, Hugh gives it to his son, whose aim "was no less true than mine."

* When ''Series/RobinOfSherwood'' did this scene, everyone assumes Robin has won, until the Sheriff snarkily observes that ''both'' arrows hit the bullseye, so there needs to be a tie-breaker.

* The TropeMaker is Myth/RobinHood. While participating in the finals of an archery contest, Robin Hood's opponent (typically the Sheriff of Nottingham, but there have been others) shoots an arrow into the dead center of the bullseye. Not to be outdone, Robin Hood fires his own arrow, and splits his opponent's arrow in half down the middle. Most people will be most familiar with the scene from Errol Flynn's ''Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood'', but the story has been traced back to the 17th-century ballad "Robin Hood and Queen Catherin". It became a popular part of the legend when Creator/WalterScott used it in ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}''.

** In the Dragons Cinematic. Genji slices an arrow heading for him shot by Hanzo using his sword and the splitted arrow sticks on a wall.

* The TropeMaker is Myth/RobinHood. While participating in the finals of an archery contest, Robin Hood's opponent (typically the Sherrif of Nottingham, but there have been others) shoots an arrow into the dead center of the bullseye. Not to be outdone, Robin Hood fires his own arrow, and splits his opponent's arrow in half down the middle. Most people will be most familiar with the scene from Errol Flynn's ''Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood'', but the story has been traced back to the 17th-century ballad "Robin Hood and Queen Catherin". It became a popular part of the legend when Creator/WalterScott used it in ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}''.

* In the Volume 3 finale of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', Pyrrha [[ThrowingYourShieldAlwaysWorks throws her shield at Cinder's arrow to stop it]]. The arrow splits, but then [[SubvertedTrope reforms and keeps going once the shield has passed]].

* ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'':

* ''ComicStrip/PrinceValiant'' (Jan. 6-13, 2013) takes it over the top, with the challenger splitting ''every one'' of her opponent's arrows, no matter where on the target they are. Making an impression is apparently more important than winning the tournament, or else she would consider aiming for the center of the bull's-eye.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'' this is how Merida wins the archery contest to avoid an ArrangedMarriage. Not only does her arrow split the other arrow, but it also [[UpToEleven goes straight through the target and hits the stand behind it!]]

* The ''Literature/TimeWars'' novel ''The Ivanhoe Gambit'' has a scene where one of the time-travelling heroes, standing in for Robin Hood, pulls off this feat using a high-tech arrow with a built-in guidance computer.

* The TropeMaker is Myth/RobinHood. While participating in the finals of an archery contest, Robin Hood's opponent (typically the Sherrif of Nottingham, but there have been others) shoots an arrow into the dead center of the bullseye. Not to be outdone, Robin Hood fires his own arrow, and splits his opponent's arrow in half down the middle. Most people will be most familiar with the scene from Errol Flynn's ''Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood'', but the story has been traced back to the 17th century ballad "Robin Hood and Queen Catherin". It became a popular part of the legend when Creator/WalterScott used it in ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}''.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Near the beginning of "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBlueSpirit The Blue Spirit]]" episode, the [[EliteMooks Yu-Yan Archers]] are shown at a firing range. One of them splits an arrow, then splits that arrow, and finally the third arrow in succession, so each is embeded in the other.

* The opening credits of ''WesternAnimation/RobinHoodDaffy'' have an arrow flying into the centre of a target, followed by a series of arrows each flying into the end of the one before it. The camera pulls back to reveal that Daffy is shooting each arrow from less than an inch away.

A downplayed version of this is TruthInTelevision. It's not unusual for hollow-shafted aluminum arrows to "telescope" -- one stuck in the end of another. Most archery ranges that have been open any length of time will have some examples mounted on the wall. However, in order to really count as this trope, the second arrow has to split the first from nock to tip. This normally requires everyone (or at least the first archer) to be using wooden arrowshafts. Traditional arrows often have a horn nock that would deflect the second arrow unless it was removed, and in practice most hardwood arrows don't have such a straight grain that they would reliably split all the way down instead of breaking somewhere in the middle. The second arrow has to be made of something like hollow bamboo and specially prepared in order for the trick to work.

* The TropeMaker is Myth/RobinHood. While participating in the finals of an archery contest, Robin Hood's opponent (typically the Sherrif of Nottingham, but there have been others) shoots an arrow into the dead center of the bullseye. Not to be outdone, Robun Hood fires his own arrow, and splits his opponent's arrow in half. Most people will be most familiar with the scene from Errol Flynn's ''Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood'', but the story has been traced back to the 17th century ballad "Robin Hood and Queen Catherin". It became a popular part of the legend when Creator/WalterScott used it in ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}''.

* The TropeMaker is Myth/RobinHood. Most people will be most familiar with the scene from Errol Flynn's ''Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood'', but the story has been traced back to the 17th century ballad "Robin Hood and Queen Catherin". It became a popular part of the legend when Creator/WalterScott used it in ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}''.

* Both Alfred and the villain known as The Archer did this several times in ''Series/{{Batman}}''.

* The ''Series/MythBusters'' took on the [[Film/TheAdventuresOfRobinHood Errol Flynn]] scene twice, and busted it both times. They suspect the arrow Flynn (or archery adviser Howard Hill) shot at had been tampered with -- their guest archer pulled the split off on the first try when firing at a hollow bamboo arrow.

* The opening credits of ''WesternAnimation/RobinHoodDaffy'' have an arrow flying into the centre of a target, followed by a series of arrows each flying into the end of the one before it. The camera pulls back to reveal that Daffy is firing each arrow from less than an inch away.

A common dramatic situation is one where TheRival shoots first, and hits the target right in the center. It looks like TheHero has lost the competition, until he fires ''his'' arrow at the opponent's and splits it in half lengthwise.

* Disney's ''Disney/RobinHood'' has the title character shoot an arrow mid-flight to change its course, resulting in this trope.

In the field, this is known as a shaft shot, sometimes called [[PersonAsVerb Robin Hooding]].

A downplayed version of this is TruthInTelevision. It's not unusual for hollow-shafted aluminum arrows to "telescope" -- one stuck in the end of another. Most archery ranges that have been open any length of time will have some examples mounted on the wall. However, in order to really count as this trope, the second arrow has to split the first from nock to tip. This normally requires everyone (or at least the first archer) to be using wooden arrowshafts. Traditional arrows have a horn nock that would deflect the second arrow unless it was removed, and in practice most hardwood arrows don't have such a straight grain that they would reliably split all the way down instead of breaking somewhere in the middle. The second arrow has to be made of something like hollow bamboo and specially prepared in order for the trick to work.

To some extent, this is TruthInTelevision. It's not unusual for aluminum arrows to "telescope" -- one stuck in the end of another. Most archery ranges that have been open any length of time will have some examples mounted on the wall. However, for this trope to be active, the second arrow has to split the first from nock to tip. This normally requires everyone (or at least the first archer) to be using wooden arrowshafts.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings'', Beetle shows off his skills by splitting an arrow, then splitting the splitting arrow, then splitting the splitter splitting arrow, then splitting the splitter-splitting splitting arrow in rapid succession. This is foreshadowing that he is Hanzo, who Kubo's mother noted was an incredible archer.