Have you ever spent hours in front of your screen defeating enemies, unearthing loot and secrets, or maybe even meeting with a band of robber elves from the Valley at the End of the World?
Video games give us a chance to get out of ourselves, to be someone we can’t be in our daily lives, to discover skills and interests we didn’t know we had. Or, at least, that’s how it’s always been for many. And, if you answered ‘yes’ to the first question, for you as well!
Non-gamers usually think that, when you’re playing, you’re not really doing anything of interest or that could be useful in the real world. They’re wrong, though: scientific research shows that gaming can improve memory and dyslexia, relieve pain, and increase your brain’s capacity and thinking ability.
But, all serious-sounding health benefits aside, it’s fun! And, for those keen on using a bow and arrows in real life, one of the favorite things to do with video game characters is practice archery.
Legolas – Lego Lord of the Rings
No archery-related list is ever complete if you don’t attach Legolas’ name to it in some capacity. Even if it is an inventory of military archery supplies, this statement stands. We can’t seem to help it—his name and image are fused with the prototypical archer in pop culture imagination. Thank you, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.
So, where does this Lord of the Rings character fit in a video game list? He’s one of the playable figures in the Lego game based on this saga.
The pointy-eared archer here looks (unsurprisingly) like a lump of Legos, but still keeps his marksmanship. He’s able to hit targets no other character can and, when fighting in close quarters, uses a badass pair of daggers.
Lara Croft – Tomb Raider
Who hasn’t dreamt of traipsing around the world having adventures, meeting interesting people, discovering ancient relics, and shooting some arrows along the way? These are the things that will forever make Lara Croft an icon. She’s the millennial dream!
And, while she’s not just an archer, she uses a free-aim bow as well as guns. Ruthless, adventurous, and explorative, this game focuses on survival and developing an attitude of ‘making the best of what you have’. Pretty good lessons for the real world, if you ask me.
Pit – Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus was originally a Nintendo game that was good but not good enough to be remembered. Later, it evolved into more sophisticated versions. For example, Pit (the main character of the original game) became a playable figure in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
This teenage angel is a servant of Palutena, the Goddess of Light, and uses his extraordinary skills to achieve her goals. Thoughtlessly heroic, Pit’s a bit of a two-dimensional figure, but he’s likable and talented enough to be fun!
Zoya the Thief – Trine
From the three playable heroes of the jump’n’run epic Trine, Zoya is by far the most mysterious. She is a skilled thief with a loose moral compass, robbing the rich to provide a vast array of shiny baubles for her own enjoyment.
Her goal in the game is to discover one of the three priceless Artifacts that can help save the Kingdom. In order to achieve this, Zoya uses all of her unapologetic talent when facing the forces of evil and the Undead. One of Zoya’s topmost abilities is her archery: she can efficiently hit targets at long distances and is pretty mobile, making for high-accuracy lethal power.
Shinon – Fire Emblem
This sassy, big-mouthed man is the epitome of sarcasm and self-interested proficiency. However, you can’t dislike him: these qualities only make him ever more endearing.
Part of his roguish charm is comprised of his peerless skill when handling his bow and when teaching others the fine art of arrow and bow making. Shinon is a member of the Greil Mercenaries, and, as much as he’d like to pretend otherwise, truly cares about the group.
One of his most famous quotes (which you probably shouldn’t copy) is, ‘Who else could make a shot like that? No one, that’s who!’
Hawkeye Gough – Dark Souls
Dark Souls is a video game of notoriously intricate design and lore, and is also famous for the detailed quality of the fighting. Also, zombies.
In this universe of depressing flesh corruption and elaborate design, you get Hawkeye! You, as the playing character, will encounter this disgraced archer several times, and he’s likely to aid you on your quest. For example, if you defeat a certain intimidating dragon, you’ll get his own Greatbow as a gift.
Varric – Dragon Age
Typically (as you might realize by now), archers in movies, TV shows, and video games tend to fit a certain stereotype. For example: of elven race, broodingly detached, and elegant (it seems I’m describing Legolas all over again).
So, when you get a figure that subverts those tropes as radically as Varric, you’d better appreciate it! This character is a traveling surface dwarf, outcast from a noble house, with a raucous personality (think a tavern entertainer type) and a crossbow named Bianca. Varric acts as a support to the main playable hero, but he’s got a life all of his own!
Final Thoughts
Each of these video game characters is special and has personality or physical traits that set them apart and make them extra fun to play. Whether it is a particularly developed skill or a tendency towards snarky comments, these heroes are as fleshed out as any real-life archers you could meet on the range.
