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, like Kirito in Sword Art Online, or superpowers like Deku in My 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 the best anime archers who 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 November 15, 2025 by Mark Sammut: The Fall 2025 has a few archers as minor characters, but they seem unlikely to eventually land among the most iconic of all time. Therefore, we've tweaked this article's images, along with adding two new entries: Aura and Makoto.
24 Aura Bella Fiora
Overlord
Overlord
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2015 - 2022
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Kugane Maruyama
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix
Starting with a unique case, Overlord's Aura Bella Fiora is technically a ranger who uses a powerful bow, but you might completely miss the fact if you watch the anime. Unless I am mistaken, which could be the case, the Floor Guardian never uses "To Your Heart," her bow, in the anime, and she rarely gets much of a chance to showcase her abilities.
When she does receive the spotlight in season 4, Aura opts primarily to focus on commanding her beasts, which is (admittedly) a neat alternative. Even though extra reading is required, Aura is recognizable enough to at least warrant an honorary mention. Who knows? Maybe someday she will get to shoot an arrow in the anime.
23 Charlotte Perospero
One Piece
One Piece
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
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.
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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.
22 Sawa Okita
Tari Tari
Tari Tari
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 1, 2012
- Studio
- P.A. Works
- Streaming Service(s)
- HIDIVE
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.
21 Sasuke Uchiha
Naruto
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Naruto Naruto: Shippuden Release Date 2002-10-02 2007-02-15 Genres Animation, Action, Adventure Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy Studio Pierrot Pierrot Based On Manga Manga Creator Masashi Kishimoto Masashi Kishimoto Streaming Service(s) Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Crunchyroll Hulu, Crunchyroll
Sasuke Uchiha is one of the main characters of the Naruto anime 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.
20 Sasha Braus
Attack On Titan
Attack On Titan
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2013 - 2023-00-00
- Japanese Title
- Shingeki no Kyojin
- Studio
- Wit Studio, MAPPA
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Hajime Isayama
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Crunchyroll, Adult Swim
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.
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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.
19 Ukyo Saionji
Dr. Stone
Dr. Stone
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 5, 2019
- Studio
- TMS Entertainment, 8PAN, Die4Studio
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Riichiro Inagaki
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
Introduced at the beginning of Dr. 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 of Dr. Stone's massive cast of characters. Still, he is always a welcome presence when he appears in an episode.
18 Minato Narumiya
Tsurune: Kazemai High School Kyudo Club
Tsurune
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 22, 2018
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Kyoto Animation
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Kotoko Ayano
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, HIDIVE
Tsurune is arguably the definitive archery 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, Tsurune is 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).
17 Shera L. Greenwood
How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord
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- 2018 - 2021
- Japanese Title
- Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu
- Studio
- Ajia-do Animation Works, Tezuka Productions, Okuruto Noboru
- Based On
- Light Novel
- Creator
- Yukiya Murasaki
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
While not without issues, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord is 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 an iconic anime archer.
16 Pokkle
Hunter x Hunter
Hunter x Hunter
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2011 - 2014
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Yoshihiro Togashi
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu
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.
15 Iruma Suzuki (And A Few Other Characters)
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2019 - 2022
WHERE TO WATCH
- Japanese Title
- Mairimashita! Iruma-kun
- Studio
- Bandai Namco Pictures
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Osamu Nishi
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun is 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.
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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. Even Bars Robin, a teacher at Babyls Demon School, has a cool bow.