Crossbow

A Crossbow is a long-range weapon capable of taking out targets from a distance and functions much like a regular Bow, though it instead is fired width-wise with a handle beneath to steady the wielder's aim when zeroing in on a target. In the spin-off title of Link's Crossbow Training, this is the chosen weapon wielded by the hero Link as he travels around Hyrule hoping to improve his performance with this particular weapon.

The crossbow has a real life twin apparatus which comes with the game package that holds the Nintendo Wii Remote to allow fans to better control Link's movements with the weapon and to get a more realistic feel for how a crossbow works.

Use
The crossbow functions as a long-range weapon to hit with more accuracy and precision than a normal Bow. This rule of thumb largely stems from its design, which features the bow part of the weapon being set width-ways and resting on a handle that gives the wielder a better ability to control the aim of the weapon.

In Link's Crossbow Training, Link typically uses the crossbow to hit a number of targets set up or held by certain characters as a safe means of testing his skill with the weapon without causing harm to those assisting his training. However, he does have to use it in real situations at times, such as his final test with the resurrected head of Stallord at the end of the game.

Link's Crossbow Training
In this spin-off title, Link has chosen to learn mastery of the crossbow, a weapon that would be a powerful addition to his arsenal as the hero of Hyrule and could give him another great advantage over enemies. To this end, he travels around Hyrule from the forests of Ordon Village to the Goron stronghold of Death Mountain to the vast never-ending sands of the Gerudo Desert, completing training modules that involve targeting practice with the crossbow to increase his accuracy and precision with the new weapon. However, his ultimate test to determine his competency with the crossbow comes when the hero is forced to face the resurrected head of Stallord, a massive skeletal beast that is faced in the Gerudo Desert near the Arbiter's Grounds. After triumphing a second time over the colossal beast's head, Link is deemed to be proficient with the crossbow, thus completing his training mission for this title.

Design
In terms of design, the crossbow is basically a hybrid of a regular bow and a gun-like handle, turning it into a rudimentary form of a gun in a way. It is fired in a similar manner as a gun, though its ammunition remains the same used by a normal bow, which are merely Arrows. It also features a unique triggering mechanism that functions quite similar to that used on a real life gun such as a rifle. The crossbow wielded by Link appears to be made of carved and polished wood in two pieces (the main body and bow portions), and is painted with decorative designs in gold and purple.

Ammunition and Upgrades
The Crossbow has unlimited normal ammunition. Throughout the stages, temporary crossbow upgrades may be obtained.

The Exploding Crossbow enhancement fires Bomb Arrows. The bomb arrows do much more damage, but limit the succession of shots by requiring a charge up time between them.

The Automatic Crossbow enhancement transforms the crossbow into a "rapid-fire crossbow" which is the equivalent of a real life fully automatic submachine gun. This enhancement is obtained by defeating any onscreen enemy that is flashing with a green aura. The automatic arrows have a finite supply and the crossbow reverts to normal when exhausted of them. Naturally, this enhancement is not kind to Link's precision score. The advantage of the automatic crossbow is to rapidly eradicate hoards of approaching enemies, but fires so many arrows that misses are much more likely.

Animated series
The crossbow appears in three episodes in the animated series, and it is wielded by a different person each time. It fires beam-like arrows instead of the usual arrows. In "The White Knight", a defeated Tinsuit leaves behind a crossbow, which the young hero gives to Princess Zelda so that she may help him fight off the rest of the Tinsuits. Although the princess is successful in defeating several of those monsters, the crossbow runs out of ammo and leaves Link helpless. However, soon after, Prince Facade arrives and uses his crossbow to defeat the remaining foes.

Zelda is seen once again wielding a crossbow in the "Fairies in the Spring" episode, in which she uses it to defeat an eel that was electrocuting Link. In "The Moblins are Revolting", two Moblins use crossbows as they try to defeat Link; however, the bumbling foes eventually end up defeating themselves and their Goriya companions with it.

A Link to the Past comic
In the A Link to the Past comic, Roam uses a crossbow as one of his weapons, although he is never seen using it in battle. Roam's crossbow is first seen in Chapter 8, where he shows it off to Link and claims he is looking for the Silver Arrow to defeat Ganon with it. After Roam dies saving Princess Zelda from a specter of Agahnim in Ganon's Tower, Zelda picks up Roam's crossbow. She then begins to ask for the aid of the maidens and fires an ordinary arrow  from the crossbow, but as it approaches Ganon, the power of the   maidens, Zelda, Link, and Roam, turn the arrow into the Silver Arrow, destroying the King of Thieves.