This video has been getting a bit of attention from the internets and it highlights the archery skills of Lars Andersen, who may very well be one of the deadliest men to ever pick up a bow without actually having killed another man...as far as we know.
Remarkably, some people from the internets are crying foul and claiming that Lars simply exhibits a finely honed set of trick shot skills and that the knowledge he gleaned from "ancient texts" was not lost or forgotten, just evolved and geographically specific. Those might be fair points, but they do also sound a lot like sour grapes from people without a youtube video that has more than 25 million views. If its true that Lars here is not in fact the greatest archer ever, then who is? Using made up maths and my own personal biases, I've determined who are the top 10 archers of all time, that are not Lars Andersen. In my mind, the greatest archer will be a composite of the following:
- Is primarily defined or associated with archery
- Has demonstrated exceptional, even superhuman, archery skill
- Has accomplished great feats by relying on archery
All archers were scored (0 = not really, 1 = sort of, 2 = definitely) for these categories and ranked. In the event that any tiebreakers were required, I fell back on my own personal archery experience and provided them. Here are the results:
Honorable Mention - Cupid
Cupid is most certainly associated with shooting arrows all over the place, but whether or not he has exceptional skill or has actually accomplished anything worthwhile depends on individual perspective. If you have found true love and it has been reciprocated than you probably feel like Cupid has done an extraordinary job and you can't stop being amazed at his blessed skill. If not, then you probably feel that Cupid is either blind or otherwise a terrible shot or maybe just some sort of cherubic jerk. This varying perspective makes it difficult to properly score and rank Cupid.
10. Odysseus - 3 points
Odysseus may lack the notoriety as an archer as others on this list, but he also performed the first trick arrow shot of all time by shooting an arrow through 12 axe shafts, something that none of his wife's suitors could accomplish, not to mention that none of them could even string Odysseus' mighty bow to attempt the task. Once he accomplished that, what did he do? Slaughtered all his wife's would be suitors...no doubt with the very same bow.
9. Katniss Everdeen - 3 points
Katniss is part of the contemporary resurgence of archery though I am not sure archery is even in the top 3 characteristics or descriptions that first come to mind when you think of Katniss. She seems to be as competent as a very good hunter, but aside from the gif above, I can barely remember any incredible shots from her. Nor do I remember many situations where her skill was essential. Of course, I never bothered seeing Hunger Games Part 3 Part 1, so maybe I missed something there.
8. John Rambo - 3 points
I don't think too many Vietnam vets came home with expertise in bow and arrow warfare, but Rambo certainly did. Plus, being an innovator, he came up with the idea to attach explosives to arrows and he changed the game. Doing this he finished off one rotten dude who killed a woman that Rambo could've loved and for whom he might have finally left the war behind...for good. Oh, yea, he also single handedly took down a super, heavily armed helicopter with an arrow!
7. Princess Merida - 3 points
Merida is probably most recognized for her red hair and for being the Disney Princess you most hope your daughter is not like. After that, probably her bow and arrows come to mind, which seem to be more about identifying her as headstrong and independent than for any actual narrative utility or plot necessity. Still, she shows incredible skill even while riding a horse and even makes a coveted split-arrow-bullseye shot.
6. Questor the Elf - 4 points
Probably the least known on this list, but way back in 1985, a game called Gauntlet was made. In it, you pick from a Warrior, Valkyrie, Wizard, and Elf and fight through endless dungeons of monsters. Anyone who ever played Gauntlet knows that you should pick the Elf, later named Questor, before anyone else because he had a bow and arrows. He shot those arrows at lightning fast speeds making him vastly superior to the others and establishing the overpowered nature that bows and arrows have since had in most video games.
5. Green Arrow - 5 points
What if Batman had decided instead of bats being his thing, arrows would be his jam? If he had, he basically would have been Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. While just an ordinary human, he is superhuman when armed with a bow and arrows. Check this out from his wikipedia entry:
Not only can he nail just about trick shot, he also employs any number of trick arrows, like boxing glove arrows, which add another dimension to his proficiency. As a Justice League member, he has used those arrows to save the world countless times.
4. Hawkeye - 5 points
Hawkeye is basically a duplicate of Green Arrow. Anything Green Arrow can do, so can Hawkeye, trick arrows and all. What differentiates them is that Hawkeye is from the much more fun Marvel Universe, allowing him to be in the vastly superior Marvel movies while Green Arrow has a show on the CW. Advantage: Hawkeye. He is one of the Avengers and as long as he has arrows (he always has arrows), he is a productive member of the team, saving the world, probably at least, on an annual basis.
3. Bard the Bowman - 6 points
This guy is so synonymous with archery that he is actually called the Bowman and proves himself worthy of that title when he makes not only a nearly impossible shot under extreme pressure, but in so doing he takes down the biggest and most significant target of any archer ever. All with a single (lucky or otherwise preferred) arrow.
2. Robin Hood - 6 points
Whether he is played by a swashbuckler, a fox, a Kevin Costner, an Englishman, or a gladiator, Robin Hood and archery go together like a bow and arrow. He's been in the quiver game maybe almost longer than anyone and his signature move, the split-arrow-bullseye, is the gold standard for archery skill shots. With those skills he has robbed the rich, given to the poor, wooed Maid Marian, and helped restore the rightful king to the throne.
1. Legolas - 6 points
Tolkien probably had no idea when he wrote The Lord of the Rings that he was creating the exemplary archer (and all other fantasy tropes) that all others would aspire to become and has inspired probably hundreds of hopeful, but copycat D&D characters in many basements over the decades. Legolas is virtually flawless, the only blemish on his resume being a single orc that he hit, but did not kill immediately when he needed to. With or without his bow, he essentially could do no wrong to the point of it being roll-your-eyes humorous. Throughout the War of the Ring, no one piled up as high a body count as Legolas and he did it all with impressive shots from his bow (and a little with his knife). With very little doubt, he is the most deserving of this top spot.
There you have it, the best archers of all time. All with very convincing and quantitative explanations that leave little room for argument. Where would Lars fit into all of this? Hard to say, since some actual (and probably jealous) archers seem to be convinced that he is an inaccurate fraud that has only become proficient in various trick shots. Still, he has one advantage over everyone on this list; he actually exists...as if that mattered.
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