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"You take out bad guys with a bow and arrow."
John Diggle to Oliver Queen[src]

As the Hood, the Arrow and the Green Arrow, Oliver Queen had used several bows as his weapon of choice, beginning with his shipwreck on Lian Yu, up until the Anti-Monitor Crisis on National City of Earth-38. As a master archer, he used the somewhat primitive weapon in his efforts to save Star City. He normally used it as a ranged weapon, but did use it as an improvised staff when fighting up close.

Chronologically, Oliver has used 7 bows; a traditional carbon fiber longbow, a recurve bow, an Oneida Kestrel compound bow, which was later modified slightly, a League of Assassins takedown recurve bow, another Oneida Kestrel compound bow, and later another custom recurve bow.

Known bows[]

Carbon fiber longbow (first bow)[]

Yao Fei Gulong fights Billy Wintergreen

Yao Fei fights Bill Wintergreen with the bow Oliver would later use.

The first of Oliver's bows, a longbow, was originally Yao Fei Gulong's, and he used it frequently during his time on Lian Yu, as a way of hunting, surviving and attacking, and also as a way for him to hunt and provide food for himself and for Oliver. After Yao Fei's capture and Shado's rescue, the bow was then brought to Oliver, so he could assist in Yao Fei's rescue. Shado began training Oliver on how to shoot and she proved to be, like her father, an expert archer. However, also much like her father, Oliver struggled to learn to shoot the bow. Later on, as Oliver showed more interest in the bow, and Slade realized that Oliver was not able to draw the weight of the bow. Shado took it upon herself to strengthen Oliver by making him slap water, and by the end of it, he was easily able to draw the bow. He eventually used it to kill Edward Fyers.[1] After Yao Fei's death, however, Shado mainly used the bow until her death at the hands Antony Ivo. The bow was then inherited by Oliver Queen and used during his time on the island and in Hong Kong. After this, it was recovered by Talia al Ghul, who gave it to Oliver to use in Russia.[2] After his second bow he used as the Hood was destroyed by Malcolm Merlyn, he reverted to the first bow during the Undertaking and used it to defeat Merlyn.

First recurve bow (second bow)[]

The Hood aiming his bow promo

Oliver using a customized recurve bow.

During his time in Russia, Oliver was given a new, recurve bow by Talia al Ghul. It featured standard recurve limbs and a riser that had a metal enclosure for the hand. This likely was for increased damage when hitting targets with his bow hand. Its length was short for a man of his size.

Oliver began using the bow after he returned to Starling City. He used this bow to great effect, but it met it's end when it was destroyed by Malcolm Merlyn.[3]

Four years later, after the Dominators kidnapped Oliver, Thea, Diggle, Sara and Ray, Cisco Ramon used his "Vibe" powers on a fragment of the bow to find out where they are.[4]

Three years later, while on a mission for The Monitor, Oliver had somehow acquired an unbroken version of his second bow. He used the bow to fight Earth-2's version of the Dark Archer.[5] After the fight, Oliver began using the bow regularly in his missions with The Monitor and into the Anti-Monitor Crisis. Oliver dropped it after running out of arrows, trying to save as many Earth-38 residents before the quantum tower was destroyed by the antimatter wave, along with National City (Earth-38), during the Anti-Monitor Crisis.[6]

First Oneida Kestrel compound bow (third bow)[]

After his previous bow was destroyed, Felicity Smoak had a bow custom-made for him, an Oneida Kestrel compound bow. It featured lever-style limbs, meaning it used compound cams to store energy from bending the power limbs, but transferred this power to the arrow using the recurved outboard limbs. The resulting bow made for a great-looking weapon as well as a very functional one in a small 43" size. When Oliver first handled the bow, he remarked it to be perfect. 

Second Oneida Kestrel compound bow (fourth bow)[]

Oliver Queen's customized bow

Oliver using a customized oneida kestrel compound bow.

Following their defeat of Slade Wilson's army, the Arrow began using a newer bow, which uncurled to its full length when needed, but was otherwise "curled" into a smaller size.[7] The bow itself was still an Oneida Kestrel compound, but with extra modifications. Following Oliver's apparent demise at the hands of Ra's al Ghul, John Diggle began suiting up as the Arrow and using the bow.[8] After Oliver returned to Starling City, he began using his bow again.[9] After Oliver joined the League of Assassins as "Al Sah-him", Oliver started using a new bow (his fifth bow). However, after he left the league and became the "Green Arrow", Oliver began using his fourth bow again.

However, after the Dominators kidnapped Oliver, the status of the bow remained unknown. However, after Oliver escaped, he got himself a new, similar bow in the fabrication room of the Waverider.[4]

Martin Saber Take-Down recurve bow (fifth bow)[]

Al Sah-him's bow

Al Sah-him receives his new takedown recurve bow.

After he had given in to Ra's al Ghul, Oliver traveled to Nanda Parbat and became Al Sah-him. Oliver was then given an all-black, Martin Saber Takedown Recurve Bow, which had more power and efficiency than his previous bows.[10]

Oliver started using the bow after he "embraced" the identity of "Al Sah-him". However, after he returned to Star City and started using the identity of the "Green Arrow", Oliver began using his previous bow again.

Third Oneida Kestrel compound bow (sixth bow)[]

Oliver's sixth bow looks and works exactly like his fourth bow. He got the bow from the Fabrication room of the Waverider after he was kidnapped by the Dominators.

Second recurve bow (seventh bow)[]

At some point after Adrian Chase's demise in May 2017, Oliver began using a new silver Hoyt Formula Faktor HP recurve bow with black limbs. It's unknown what materials it is made out of.

Twenty three years in the future, Oliver's bow and quiver were hidden on Lian Yu, with the coordinates left on the Hōzen. William Clayton and Roy Harper found them. It was eventually given to Oliver's daughter Mia Queen by Roy.

Appearances[]

Arrow[]

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8


The Flash[]

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 9


Vixen[]

Season 1[]

Season 2[]

DC's Legends of Tomorrow[]

Season 1[]

Season 2[]

Season 3[]

Supergirl[]

Season 3[]

Season 4[]

Season 5[]

Trivia[]

  • The bow used by Oliver at the end of his tenure on Lian Yu in 2012 is the same as the bow he used as the Hood in first season.
  • So far, the sixth bow is the only bow (not including the future bow) that didn't make its debut on Arrow. The bow first appeared in DC's Legends of Tomorrow's "Invasion!"​​.

Gallery[]

Concept artwork[]

Promotional images[]

Arrow[]

Season 1[]
Season 3[]
Season 4[]

References[]

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