User:Midoro/sandbox

The Bow is a recurring item in. It is an item that allows Link to fire Arrows as its main ammunition, allowing him to snipe enemies and faraway objects such as switches from a distance. The Bow is a very common item throughout the Zelda series, having debuted in the original and appearing in every game since, excluding  and the. Bows often go unnamed throughout the series, but the most common Bow name, the Hero's Bow, appears in, , and.

Being a staple item in the Zelda series, the Bow is almost always found in a dungeon, and frequently among the first four. Typically the item is often guarded by a mini-boss, most commonly within the console Zelda games with a few exceptions. In the top-down styled Zelda games, the Bow can shoot Arrows at any cardinal direction. In the 3D console games, the Bow instead switches to a first-person view and can fire Arrows at any angle. Since its debut, the Bow has been expanded to be equipped with and fire other varieties of Arrows, such as the Fire and Ice Arrows, among many others.

The Bow of Light is a recurring upgraded form of the Bow, which fires Arrows of sacred light. Zelda's Bow is another kind of Bow usable only by Princess Zelda, which similarly fires Light Arrows. The Crossbow is a variant of the regular Bow, which instead fires Arrows from a width angle, and has only appeared in ambiguous and non-canon media.

The Legend of Zelda
In, the Bow is found in the Eagle dungeon in the first quest, and in the Lizard dungeon in the Second Quest. Unlike later Bows in the series, the Bow in The Legend of Zelda cannot initially fire Arrows when first obtained. The Arrow must first be purchased from a Merchant before the Bow can be used. Different from other games, the Bow uses Rupees as its ammunition to fire Arrows; if Link runs out of Rupees, he will not be able to use the Bow. The Bow becomes required to defeat Ganon, as it is necessary to fire a Silver Arrow at him to land the finishing blow.

A Link to the Past
In, the Bow is found in the Eastern Palace. Arrows are now introduced as ammunition items, allowing the Bow to fire Arrows without using Rupees. The Bow is a powerful weapon whose Arrows inflict piercing damage to most enemies, making it a stronger weapon than the starting Sword. In some situations it is the only weapon that can damage certain enemies, namely the Eyegores. Aside from attacking enemies at a distance, it can also be used to hit and activate switches that are out-of-reach. While mostly used to solve puzzles, the Bow is also necessary to defeat Ganon by shooting a Silver Arrow when he is weakened.

The Bow is also used to play the Shooting Gallery game in the Village of Outcasts.

Link's Awakening
In, the Bow is not found in any dungeon but is instead bought from the Town Tool Shop in Mabe Village for 980 Rupees, making it one of the most expensive items in the Zelda series. It can, however, simply be stolen. The Bow becomes available once Link has bought the Deluxe Shovel from the store. Like the Bow in A Link to the Past, the Bow is able to inflict heavy damage onto most enemies, and in some cases is one of the very few items that can damage certain enemies, such as the Armos who are normally invincible to the Sword. Despite its usefulness, the Bow is not actually required up to a certain point. It becomes necessary to shoot at a cyclops statue in Turtle Rock to make a Key drop.

Ocarina of Time
In, the Bow is called the Fairy Bow. It is found in the Forest Temple, awarded after Link defeats the three Stalfos. As an item obtained when Link is an adult, it is cannot be used in the past as a child. As in previous games, the Bow is used to snipe enemies as well as objects such as switches as well as Eye Switches. Most notably, the Bow is used to engage the first three Poe Sisters in combat by firing Arrows at the portraits, although they do not actually require the Bow to be defeated. The Bow is also used to fight Phantom Ganon, although it is not necessarily required either. The Bow becomes necessary to fight Ganon at his castle by shooting Light Arrows at him when he is stunned.

Ocarina of Time introduces horseback archery, in which Link can ride Epona and fire Arrows while galloping along. This method of archery is used to great extent in hunting Big Poes in Hyrule Field, which can only be attacked by shooting Arrows at them while riding Epona, as they will vanish if Link attempts to approach them himself. Link must also ride Epona to participate in the Horseback Archery Range near the Gerudo Fortress, where Link must shoot at targets while Epona automatically gallops along the track.

Another Shooting Gallery game can be played in Kakariko Village when Link is an adult, and is even provided a Bow to use if he does not already have the Fairy Bow. The prize for winning the game is a larger Quiver, however, Link will only be rewarded 50 Rupees if he is using a rented Bow.

Ocarina of Time also introduces three new Arrows that the Bow can be equipped with: the Fire Arrow, Ice Arrow and the aforementioned Light Arrow. These Arrows produce different effects when shot, making the Bow more useful in defeating certain enemies and solving puzzles.