- "You got the Hero's Bow! This treasure of the Gorons is said to have once belonged to a Hero from the past."
- — In-game description from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Hero's Bow is a recurring item in the Legend of Zelda series. Although the bows share the similar name, none are exactly alike in appearance.
Appearances[]
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask[]
The Hero's Bow is the main treasure of Woodfall Temple, the first dungeon in the game. Link also obtains the Fire, Ice, and Light Arrows as the main treasures of the other three dungeons in the game: Snowhead Temple, Great Bay Temple, and Stone Tower Temple, respectively.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker[]
The Hero's Bow is the main treasure of the Tower of the Gods, the third dungeon in the game. Link uses the Hero's Bow to overcome the trials of the tower and prove his courage by defeating Gohdan. By talking to the Queen of Fairies on the Mother & Child Isles, Link can receive Fire Arrows and Ice Arrows; in Ganon's Tower, near the final battle, Link receives Light Arrows after winning a series of Phantom Ganon battles.
It is notable that while it is normal for a postbox to reject any non-postage items, the item that Link attempts to submit changes as Link collects the above arrow upgrades. When Link first claims the bow, he attempts to mail the bow itself with a single, standard arrow. After the Ice and Fire upgrade, he will present a Fire arrow and an Ice arrow crossed in an 'X' shape. Finally, after receiving the Light arrow, he will then on present the postbox with what seems to be a single Light arrow.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess[]
The Hero's Bow is the main treasure of the Goron Mines, the game's second dungeon. The Gorons had vowed to protect the Bow from Zant's invasion. Dangoro, who had been protecting it, claimed it once belonged to an ancient hero. It can be used from horseback, most notably in the face-off against King Bulblin on the Great Bridge of Hylia. The Hero's Bow can be combined with the Hawkeye, providing a crosshair and zoom capability for more accurate and long distance aim. It can also be used in conjunction with any of the three types of Bombs to create Bomb Arrows. However, due to the weight of the bombs, the arrow's flight arc is severely compromised, as is the range, which offsets the Bomb Arrow's power. The Hero's Bow can not be combined with both Bombs and the Hawkeye simultaneously.
Non-canonical appearances[]
Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
The Hero's Bow from Twilight Princess is Link's standard special attack. The Hero's Bow from The Wind Waker is the standard special attack of Toon Link. The Fairy Bow from Super Smash Bros. Melee is noticeably slower than the Hero's Bow from Brawl. The Twilight Princess Hero's Bow also appears as a sticker, giving a +8 bonus to slash attacks.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[]
The Hero's Bow returns as Link and Toon Link's neutral special. Both versions of the Hero's Bow come with an extra two variations that can be selected using the customization option. Link can use the Power Bow which deals exponential damage the longer he charges it. Toon Link can use Fire Arrow's like Young Link in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Fire Arrows do not fly as far but deal fire damage and continue to burn on the ground. Both Link and Toon Link have access to the Quick Fire Bow which does not loose vertical distance as it travels and pierces multiple opponents but cannot make them flinch.
Hyrule Warriors Legends[]
The Hero's Bow from The Wind Waker appears as one of the Item Cards in the Great Sea Adventure Mode map and is used to stop Cyclones.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Theory[]
Theory warning: This section contains theoretical information based on the research of one or several other users. It has not been officially verified by Nintendo and its factual accuracy is disputed.
In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Dangoro states that the bow Link obtains was used by "an ancient hero". Given that The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is officially placed before Twilight Princess in the timeline, it is possible that the Hero's Bow in Twilight Princess is the same as the one Link uses in Majora's Mask. However, Link was not known as a hero in the Child Timeline at the end of Majora's Mask, so for this theory to be true, he would need to have made a name for himself in the Child Timeline after the events of Majora's Mask. It is also stated in the Hyrule Historia that the Hero's Shade (stated to be the spirit of the Hero of Time) lamented not being remembered as a hero which further conflicts with the situation. There is a possibility however, that he actually was remembered as a hero by some, but didn't know about that for himself. This is plausible, given that Ashei mentions "the legendary hero" when she first speaks to Link and notes his clothes.
Another possibility is that the Hero of Time reforged his friendship (and/or became a sworn brother) with the Gorons in the Child Timeline and entrusted the Hero's Bow to them before his death. It is also possible that while most of Hyrule had largely forgotten him, some people left records or stories of his heroic actions to which by the time of Twilight Princess, had become recognized as fairy tales or fabled legends to most inhabitants in Hyrule. The Light Spirits also speak of the legendary hero, along with one of them handing Link his ancestor's tunic, proving they are aware of the Hero of Time's status and actions. This is not surprising, as being guardian deities of Hyrule, they may have witnessed the Hero of Time's heroism and even be aware of his actions in the Adult Timeline and Termina.
Theory warning: Theories end here.
Gallery[]
.png "Majora's Mask Bow Hero's Bow (Artwork).png (99 KB)")
See also[]
- Bow
- Bow of Light
- Crossbow
- Fairy Bow
- Item Cards
- Nice Bow
- Arrow
- Bomb Arrow
- Fire Arrow
- Ice Arrow
- Light Arrow