Best Bows in TotK — Complete Bow Ranking

Bows in TotK are differentiated primarily by shots per fire (single vs. multi-shot), base attack, and special properties. The best bows multiply your damage output by firing multiple arrows simultaneously — transforming single-target fights into burst-damage encounters. This guide ranks bows by tier and explains the best use case for each.

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Why Multi-Shot Bows Dominate

Multi-shot bows fire multiple arrows from a single arrow slot. A 5-shot bow with one Shock Arrow effectively fires 5 Shock Arrows simultaneously but only consumes 1 arrow from inventory. This makes multi-shot bows:

• 5× more efficient on rare arrow types (Bomb Arrows, Ancient Arrows)
• 5× DPS against single targets (all 5 arrows hit the same hitbox simultaneously)
• Essential for dragon part farming (hit multiple body zones per shot)
• The best tool for Lynel weak-point headshots (5 simultaneous face hits = massive stagger)

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Bow Tier List

S-Tier — Best Bows

Savage Lynel Bow (5 shots)

• Base attack: 32 per arrow × 5 = 160 effective per shot
• Source: Dropped by Silver and White-Maned Lynels
• The undisputed best combat bow in TotK
• 5 simultaneous arrows make weak-point targeting trivial
• Every fight becomes dramatically faster with this bow
• Farm it: Run Silver Lynel circuit (Floating Coliseum) — Silver Lynels consistently drop Savage Lynel Bow

Mighty Lynel Bow (3 shots)

• Base attack: 30 per arrow × 3 = 90 effective per shot
• Source: Dropped by Blue-Maned Lynels
• Strong mid-tier multi-shot bow
• Good for players who haven't unlocked Silver Lynel drops yet

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A-Tier — Strong Bows

Great Eagle Bow (3 shots)

• Base attack: 28 per arrow × 3 = 84 effective per shot
• Source: Dropped by Vah Medoh Divine Beast area (crafted by Rito) — or repurchased from Harth in Rito Village after BOTW
• In TotK: obtained from Rito Village after resolving the Rito questline
• Fires 3 spread arrows that converge on the target — effective at medium range
• Good before you have Lynel bows

Lynel Bow (3 shots)

• Base attack: 26 × 3
• Source: Dropped by standard Lynels (Red and Brown)
• The entry-level Lynel bow — still excellent compared to non-Lynel alternatives
• Upgrade path: Red Lynel → Blue-Maned → Silver for bow progression

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B-Tier — Situational / Useful

Falcon Bow (1 shot)

• Base attack: 20
• Special: Best zoom range of any bow — longest aim distance
• Use for: Long-range shots on stationary targets, sniping from sky islands
• Single-shot limits combat effectiveness; good for exploration

Royal Bow (1 shot)

• Base attack: 38 — highest base single-shot bow
• Found in Hyrule Castle chests
• Best single-shot damage option before Lynel bows
• Limited combat effectiveness against fast targets

Forest Dweller's Bow (3 shots)

• Base attack: 20 × 3
• Found in Korok Forest and Woodland regions
• Mid-tier 3-shot bow accessible early — upgrade from single-shot bows

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C-Tier — Early Game Only

Knight's Bow / Soldier's Bow (1 shot, 18–26 base)

• Drop from moderate enemies
• Use until you can access multi-shot bows
• Replace immediately when Lynel bows are available

Traveler's Bow / Wooden Bow (1 shot, 5–10 base)

• Tutorial weapons — discard as soon as better options exist

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Best Bows by Use Case

Lynel Hunting

Savage Lynel Bow — 5 shots to the face = 5 simultaneous headshot damage. Fastest Lynel kill possible.

Dragon Part Farming

Savage Lynel Bow — Aim at a specific body part and all 5 arrows hit the same zone. One shot per body zone instead of 5.

Boss Fights

Savage Lynel Bow — Overwhelm boss weak points during exposure windows. 5-shot burst during the Colgera weak point window ends phase transitions immediately.

Arrow Efficiency

Savage Lynel Bow — 1 arrow consumed, 5 fire. Maximum arrows-to-damage ratio for any bow type.

Long Range Sniping

Falcon Bow — Longest zoom + most stable single-arrow flight path. Use for shooting distant targets or precise placements.

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How to Get Savage Lynel Bow (Fastest Route)

1. Unlock full temple access (any 3+ temples to have decent combat skill)
2. Prepare: Full Fierce Deity or Barbarian armor, Attack Up Level 3 food, 30+ arrows
3. Farm Silver Lynels at Floating Coliseum (Depths below Coliseum Ruins, north Hyrule Castle)
4. Each Silver Lynel kill has a ~50-80% chance to drop Savage Lynel Bow
5. 3–5 Silver Lynel kills = guaranteed Savage Lynel Bow obtained

Once you have it: Prioritize keeping your inventory stocked with Savage Lynel Bows from future Lynel kills. It breaks eventually — but Lynels reset on Blood Moon, giving unlimited restock opportunities.

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Arrow Types Reference

| Arrow Type | Best Bow To Use | |------------|-----------------| | Shock Arrow | Savage Lynel Bow — 5 simultaneous electric hits | | Bomb Arrow | Savage Lynel Bow — 5 explosion radii overlap for massive AOE | | Fire Arrow | Savage Lynel Bow — 5 fire hits melt ice armor in one shot (Colgera) | | Ice Arrow | Savage Lynel Bow — freeze large enemies with one volley | | Ancient Arrow | Any single-shot — Ancient Arrows are too rare for multi-shot |

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Related Guides

• Best Weapons Guide
• Arrows Guide
• Lynel Guide
• Silver Lynel Guide
• Fuse Guide
• Dragon Farming Guide