Archery takes time and patience to master, and only those who have perfect aim and determination can hone this skill. Even though it’s an acquired talent many people wish to have, it is not a widely popular choice of weapon. Most people would choose magic, a superpower, a gun, or even a sword to wield in battle, leaving the bow and arrow behind.
In anime, many characters reflect that reality and tend to opt for a sword, likeKirito inSword Art Online, or superpowers like Deku inMy Hero Academia. Watching an anime where the protagonist or the secondary characters choose to become archers may be rare, but it is not entirely unheard of either. These are just a few of thebest anime archerswho prefer to fight from afar with a bow and arrows rather than in close combat.
While their general popularity will be considered, characters who are synonymous with archery will be prioritized.
Updated on August 01, 2025 by Mark Sammut:TheWinter 2025 seasonhas a couple of archers, even if none of the newcomers seem likely to rank among the best anime bow users of all time. I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths' Silk is an archer, while Ishura’s Mele the Horizon’s Roar might be the biggest archer of all time. Three olderanime archershave been added to this discussion.
Charlotte Perospero is the eldest son of Big Mom. He held the position of Minister of Candy in Totto Land. While the Sweet Generals were considered the strongest members of the crew after Big Mom, Perospero wasn’t too far behind them. Perospero ate the Pero Pero no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that served a variety of purposes.
Perospero used the Devil Fruit’s power to create all kinds of objects, including weapons. Out of his many weapons, Perospero was particularly proficient at using the bow and arrow. The arrows created by the candy are sharp, and they can pierce anything in their path.
Sawa is the daughter of Shōichi and Shiho Okita. She’s passionate about Japanese archery and riding horses, as her dream is to become an equestrian someday. As a member of the archery club, she’s ambitious, playful, and friendly.
Sawa is a perfect example of archery being an underrated skill. Although she can almost always hit her mark with a little concentration, she is more interested in becoming an equestrian than mastering skills earned with the bow and arrow. Archery in this series serves more as a therapeutic and fun activity than anything more serious.
20Sasuke Uchiha
Naruto
Sasuke Uchiha is one of the main characters of theNarutoanime series. He had a rough childhood, which turned him into a recluse obsessed with obtaining power. Sasuke trained a lot, which helped him gain enough power to achieve his goals.
While Sasuke does possess a sword, he used to carry a bow and arrow when he was a kid. Sasuke’s Susanoo is also equipped with the same weapons. He has used it several times in fights. The arrows launched from his Susanoo are blistering fast, and only a handful of characters can dodge them. Even Sasuke’s strongest attack is called Indra’s Arrow, and it was potent enough to cancel out Naruto’s attack and destroy a large part of the Valley of End.
Sasuke is one of the most iconic anime characters of all time, but he is not really regarded as an archer. Consequently, he cannot be ranked too highly.
Sasha Braus was a brave and friendly member of the Surveys Corps.She loved food, and although she made mistakes along the way, she always persevered and followed her intuition.
In the anime’s second season, Sasha used a bow and arrows to save a young girl from a Titan. It may have taken her a few attempts before succeeding, but she never gave up, and her resilience is something that fans have seen throughout the series. Her experience with the bow helped her become a sharpshooter, and when she opted for a different weapon, she became one of the best snipers on her team.
18Ukyo Saionji
Dr. Stone
Introduced at the beginning ofDr. Stone’s second season, Ukyo is initially presented as a villain as he sides with Tsukasa; however, like his leader, he eventually becomes a part of the Kingdom of Science. Using his incredible hearing and pinpoint accuracy with a bow, Ukyo is not only one of the strongest characters in a fight, but he is also the group’s best reconnaissance operative, with his skills being made to good use.
Although he is very cool and gets opportunities to shine, Ukyo does somewhat fade into the background in seasons 3 and 4, a consequence ofDr. Stone’s massive cast of characters. Still, he is always a welcome presence when he appears in an episode.
Tsuruneis arguably the definitivearchery anime. Focusing on kyudo, traditional Japanese archery, the story follows a school club’s members as they practice their skills and slowly prepare to compete in competitions. While that might sound like every other sports anime out there,Tsuruneis surprisingly character-driven, with the focus being squarely on the members' relationships and hang-ups. This is represented the best through Minato, the story’s protagonist (although the show comes across as an ensemble piece).
Due to a personal tragedy, Minato had to turn his back on archery, largely due to suffering panic attacks when he tried to perform. Season 1 focuses a lot on Minato’s rehabilitation, and it is generally handled well. Season 2 splits its attention more evenly among the characters, with Minato acting as the glue that keeps the group together (at times).
While not without issues,How NOT to Summon a Demon Lordis an enjoyable enough isekai comedy, particularly the first season. Summoned by an elf and beastgirl, Diablo is a normal human who finds himself in the body of his OP video game character, and he essentially has to fake it until he makes it. As one of the three protagonists, Shera is a major player throughout both cours, and she is arguably the most likable character.
Proficient with a bow, the Elf can be quite useful in tough situations, even if she is considerably weaker than Diablo. Likable as she is, Shera does not get to show off her bow abilities all that frequently, which hurts her position somewhat. She is also a more iconic elf than aniconic anime archer.
Pokkle made his debut during the Hunter Exams, and it didn’t take him long to solidify his reputation as a strong character. Unlike most characters in shonen, Pokkle didn’t go out of his way to fight his enemies. He was cautious by nature, so he always made plans before going on a mission.
Pokkle was an Emitter, which enabled him to separate his aura from his body. This was the perfect Nen ability for Pokkle, as he was an archer. He could separate his aura into different colors and shape them like arrows. Each colored arrow had a special power. These powerful arrows, combined with Pokkle’s great aim, made him a dangerous opponent.
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kunis such an entertaining magic school anime, with most of its main characters being extremely likable. As the eponymous human attending a school filled with demons who start each day by singing a song about eating people like him, Iruma has a lot to contend with, although he has a few powerful aces up his sleeve. Now, Iruma takes quite a long time to pick up archery, with the ability only developing in season 3; consequently, his status as an archer is a minor part of his portfolio. Still, he looks pretty cool with a magic bow and arrow.
Iruma is not the show’s only character to rely on archery, even if he is the most famous due to being the protagonist. His mentor, Bachiko, is an incredibly powerful archer who creates some of the most visually striking bows in anime. EvenBars Robin, a teacher at Babyls Demon School, has a cool bow.
The Seven Deadly Sins' reputation is all over the place. While far from flawless, the first two seasons are generally enjoyable as battle shonen fluff with a medieval fantasy-style twist. After that, the anime loses steam quickly, becoming a caricature of itself by season 4. Even at its best,The Seven Deadly Sinswas just above average, and its steep decline has made the show difficult to recommend as a whole.
Still, some of its characters are fun. Escanor tends to be considered the bestmember of the eponymous group, but Gowther is not far behind as the simultaneously stoic but funny Sin of Lust. Due to his background and status as an amnesiac, Gowther comes across as robotic and a blank slate at times, but his desire to comprehend human emotions gives him a fairly straightforward and satisfying arc. His bow is cool too, even though he is not necessarily known for battles.
