Best bows in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, ranked

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom has a lot of weapons. Between all of the ranged, melee, and fusion weapons, ToTK has more weapons than any other Zelda game. 

Though it has no shortage of great swords, axes, and tridents, some of the best weapons in the game are bows. Bows allow you to pick off enemies from afar and keep your safety intact. But what are the best bows in ToTK?

The seven best bows in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

7) Gerudo Bow 

The Gerudo Bow is on this list due to its unique range. Though it only has a damage rating of 25, it can pick off opponents from further, allowing you to stay safe. 

Fittingly enough, the Gerudo Bow can be found in a lake in the Kara Kara Bazaar in Gerudo Town. 

6) Zonaite Bow 

The Zonaite Bow has a better damage rating than the Gerudo Bow at 30 damage. It also draws power from your energy cell to fire at an extra distance, effectively making it better than the Gerudo Bow on all fronts. 

Just outside of the Great Hyrule Forest, this bow is waiting in the Kikakin Shrine. 

5) Steel Lizal Bow 

The Steel Lizal Bow is a strong bow with extremely high durability—it’s immune to burn and hot climate effects. It also puts out good damage, with 36 dealt per arrow. During a thunderstorm, you’ll get an increase in damage, much like the lightscale trident, which gains strength when Link is wet.

This bow is found in the Depths of Hyrule Castle later in the game, and it’s well worth the journey. It stays lower on the list because, though it’s solid, there’s nothing particularly unique about it besides its durability. 

4) Dusk Bow 

The dusk bow puts out less damage than the Steel Lizal Bow at 30 damage per hit. However, it has just as good range as the Zonaite bow when it’s charged up, putting it above the Steel Lizal Bow in our eyes. It’s significantly above the Zonaite Bow because it has this charge without draining your energy. 

This bow is found in Hyrule castle on top of the highest tower.

3) Great Eagle Bow 

The Great Eagle Bow has the strongest durability of any bow in the game, with a durability of 60. On top of that, it also has a unique damage output rate. One arrow hits an opponent for 28 damage, but the Great Eagle Bow fires three arrows at once. If you line these up right, they can all hit the same opponent and cut through them or hit several opponents at once. 

Unfortunately, the Great Eagle bow is a bit tough to obtain. You need to get three diamonds—which spawn randomly—as well as the swallow bow, and wood bundles to craft this bow. 

2) Savage Lynel Bow 

The Savage Lynel Bow is fantastic—many consider it the best bow in ToTK. Just like the Great Eagle bow, it fires three arrows at once, but each of these deals an armor-piercing 32 damage. There also exists a rarer five-shot Savage Lynel Bow, which probably tops the list as the best bow in the game. 

To find the Savage Lynel Bow, you need to farm a notoriously tricky enemy, the Lynel, and pick up one of its horns. These are found in Central Hyrule Depths and in Hyrule field, aren’t easy to take down, and don’t always drop their horns. 

If you want this bow, you’re going to need patience and time, but it’s well worth your while. 

1) Royal Guard’s Bow 

For our money, the Royal Guard’s bow is the best bow ToTK. Though its durability is low, it only fires out one bow at a time, and it doesn’t have any special elemental effects—its pure damage and rate of fire make up for this. The Royal Guards Bow’s damage output sits at a whopping 50, comfortably making it the strongest bow in the game. 

If you’re comfortable getting a little closer to enemies, this bow is perfect—a comfortable option for going into any combat situation. 

Believe it or not, this bow can be found early on in the game. It’s on the floating Hyrule Castle, and only takes some exploration to get discovered.