With the exciting new Fusion mechanic being introduced in Tears of the Kingdom, it might seem like Bows have become relegated to become payload carriers of fused arrows. But when your back is against the wall, and the fight looks tough, nothing works as well as the direct approach.
The return of the weapon durability mechanic in the latest Hyrule iteration will have you cycling through bows faster than you can find them. This is why knowing where to look to find the best bows in the game can be supremely useful.
10 Phrenic Bow
Some enemies require you to hit their weak spots before they can be damaged. If you’re having trouble aiming with the finicky controls and often miss bow shots at weak points, the Phrenic Bow is here to help out, as it can zoom in way farther than regular bows, making sure you land accurate shots easily.
Available very early on in the game, the Phrenic Bow only deals 10 base damage and can be found in chests around the East and West Necluda regions. Like Likes also have a high chance of dropping these bows in chests once you defeat them.
9 Forest Dweller’s Bow
If you want a multishot bow but aren’t confident enough to take on a Lynel for the moment, the Forest Dweller’s Bow is an excellent choice. This bow comes with a base damage of 15x3, which means if you land all three shots on an enemy, it does 45 base damage.
You can find the Forest Dwelller’s Bow fairly early in the game by visiting the Korok Forest. You cannot enter this forest from the Surface; instead, you’ll have to first navigate to the Simosiwak Shrine in the Sky Islands, then jump down to reach the forest’s center where the bow is hidden.
8 Royal Bow
Dealing significant damage per arrow used, the Royal Bow is a straightforward weapon that hits hard and comes with decent durability. It dishes out 38 base damage, making it one of the hardest-hitting bows in the game.
You can find the Royal Bow in Hyrule Castle on the top of the spire of the second gatehouse. You can find it very early on in the game if you need to take on some tough enemies.
7 Gerudo Bow
Like the Phrenic Bow, the Gerudo Bow can also zoom in on targets, making hitting weak spots easy. But unlike the Phrenic Bow, the Gerudo Bow doesn’t sacrifice damage for accuracy, promising the best of both.
With a base damage of 25, it doesn’t hit the hardest, but the utility it brings with the zoom-in function and its decent durability make it an ideal choice to go out adventuring with. You can find Gerudo Bows from chests in the Gerudo Region, especially from Like Likes.
6 Dusk Bow
A reference to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, you’ll want to get the Dusk Bow for nostalgia, if nothing else. The bow can be found at the summit of the tallest tower in Hyrule Castle.
Dealing 30 base damage, the Dusk Bow might not seem much at first glance, but arrows shot using this bow travel farther than those shot by normal bows. For enemies with weak spots, the lower arrow fall-off makes hitting them much easier.
5 Steel Lizal Bow
The Steel Lizal Bow is a reliable, high-durability bow with excellent damage output at 36 base damage. It can be found in chests while you’re exploring the Depths in the Central Hyrule and Gerudo regions.
The Steel Lizal Bow shoots one arrow at a time like a majority of other bows, but it has strengthened durability, sort of like a bow version of a sturdy stick. It’s also one of the best-looking bows in the entire game.
4 Royal Guard Bow
Nothing comes close to the Royal Guard Bow for single-target, long-range damage. With an insane base damage of 50, it might seem like the absolute best weapon in the game, but it comes with a caveat: low durability.
But, even though its durability is not the greatest, it can still fire a decent few shots before coming close to breaking, making it a viable solution for a tough boss fight. You can find the Royal Guard Bow in the main chamber of Hyrule Castle, hidden in some rubble on top of a tall pillar.
3 Great Eagle Bow
After completing Tulin’s Sage Quest, you can craft the Great Eagle Bow in exchange for three diamonds, a Swallow Bow, and five bundles of wood. Even though the cost is steep, the Great Eagle Bow is an excellent boss-killer weapon.
Like the Lynel and Forest Dweller’s Bows, the Great Eagle Bow also fires three arrows at once. Its base damage comes up to 28x3, meaning you’ll deal 84 damage to any enemy if you hit it with all three arrows. It is one of the best bows for close-range combat.
2 Demon King’s Bow
The Demon King’s Bow is a unique bow that gets stronger the more hearts you have. For a fully upgraded 40 hearts Link, the Ganondorf’s favorite bow will deal 60 base damage.
This puts the bow in a unique position of being exceptionally bad early-game and incredibly powerful late-game. Depending on how far you’ve progressed, getting this as a reward for defeating Phantom Ganon can be the best bow for you.
1 Savage Lynel Bow
The absolute best bow in the game can only be obtained after you’ve defeated the toughest enemy in the game. Lynels remain notorious for being exceedingly difficult to defeat, but the rewards make the fight worth fighting.
The Savage Lynel Bow fires three arrows at once at base damage of 32x3, making it the highest-damage bow there is. You can find it by defeating White and Silver-maned Lynels that are scattered across Hyrule. If you’re lucky, you can also find a 5-shot Savage Lynel Bow to truly deal some devastating damage.