The 13 Most Lethal Archers In Movie And TV History

Elves are essentially immortal, retaining their youthful reflexes in perpetuity - something that's important to remember when talking about Legolas. All of the Elves in Middle-earth are expert marksmen, yet somehow this fellowship member stands above the rest. Chalk that up to thousands of years of practice and a propensity to do good.

Throughout the Lord of the Rings franchise, Legolas shield surfs while shooting several orcs and takes down an Oliphaunt (among other things), all without the help of Hawkeye-esque technology. Unfortunately for Gimli, Legolas's kill count will seemingly climb forever.

Hawkeye may have the big-screen clout, but Oliver Queen, AKA Green Arrow, is the OG - and probably more dangerous. Almost every iteration of the character (the most significant of which is the CW's Arrow, starring Stephen Amell) sees him lost at sea and left for dead, spending years surviving on the island of Lian Yu.

Afterward, Oliver hones his archery skills by completing a plethora of covert missions, returning home as the vigilante Green Arrow. Anyone familiar with the CW's Arrowverse is more than familiar with Oliver's high-tech arsenal - and his ability to take out droves of enemies and inspire confidence in anyone lucky enough to fight alongside him.

If being one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agents weren't enough, Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, is a founding member of the Avengers. While expertly trained in almost all manners of combat, Hawkeye keeps up (mostly) with his super-powered cohorts thanks in large part to his skill with a bow and arrow.

He's easily one of the most dangerous characters on this list due to how strategically he uses his arsenal - arrows that regularly defy the laws of physics. They explode, create energy fields, and often act like boomerangs. Whether he's taking on extraterrestrial invaders, firing an arrow from one flying aircraft to another (accounting for wind/motion variables), or dropping an entire car park on Iron Man, Hawkeye "just can't seem to miss."

Whether he’s depicted as an animated fox or a man (being played by the likes of Errol Flynn, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Cary Elwes, or Patrick Stewart), Robin Hood is the quintessential archer to which all others are compared. As the most accomplished archer in popular culture, Robin Hood - and his legacy of taking from the rich and giving to the poor - will forever be tied to the bow and arrow. 

He even became the first movie character to ever fire six or more arrows simultaneously (while pinning an enemy to a tree in Robin Hood: Men in Tights). We've seen him hit targets hundreds of yards away (sometimes on horseback) and redirect arrows midair with others. There’s nothing this man can't do... except maybe retire.

Katniss Everdeen's story in The Hunger Games franchise is a byproduct of necessity, something that translates to her skill with a bow and arrow. While raising her in District 12, Katniss's father taught her to (unlawfully) hunt with a recurve bow to feed their family; she didn't know she'd eventually volunteer as tribute or spark a rebellion (though, admittedly, Rue's passing is arguably what lit the fire).

Katniss's prowess as a markswoman makes her a desirable ally and fierce opponent - impressing judges by shooting an apple out of a pig's mouth, bringing down an entire arena (courtesy of a makeshift lightning bolt), and executing a tyrant in the franchise's final entry.

Like Legolas, The Hobbit trilogy's Tauriel is an adept archer with elvish reflexes and accuracy. Given that this character was created purely for cinematic purposes (having not appeared in the original book), it comes as no surprise that her archery takes on a more exotic form compared to Legolas's more traditional English longbow.

However, as head of the Mirkwood Elven guard, Tauriel is just as stunning (if not more so), as she snipes orcs while jumping through treetops in The Desolation of Smaug.