Have you ever wondered about the very best moments related to archery in the show game of thrones?
Game of Thrones has captured the imagination and the hearts of millions of people all over the world. It has a great plot, it has an amazing cast of actors, and it brings in supernatural elements with mythical creatures and many other little things that really created a special show.
For me being an archer, I was always looking forward to any scene in the series that would involve archery and lucky for me, there are some excellent moments involving archery. This is why I decided to create a post dedicated to the best archery moments in Game of Thrones.
I don’t know about you, but my love for Game Of Thrones is huge. I would not dare to say that I love the show more than I love archery. What I will say is that it’s my favorite show of all time. Not really because of the archery, but because of the acting.
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The best scenes involving archery
Arya shows her archery skills
The Stark family is one with tradition and legacy. They are proud of their skills with the bow and arrow as well as the sword, but one of the younger Starks finds it difficult to shoot and hit his target.
While this scene is mainly about Bran and his struggles to make his family proud. He was trying to show the target but failing with each shot. The true epic moment in this scene is when Arya comes up and takes a perfect shot right in the bullseye. She then bows and he runs after her while everyone laughs. I think this was a great way to show that Arya is going to become an amazing archer and warrior. Somehow, I always knew that Arya was destined for great things.
I like how Eddard Stark reassures Bran that no one in his family was born a great archer. It reminds all of us of the power of practice and the importance it holds. You need to practice as often as possible even if you have a natural talent.
The first season was one of my favorites without a doubt. It sets the tone for the entire show and it just felt very memorable in many ways. Not so much about effects and epic battles, but about the plot. I know that the following seasons are good, but this one was the richest in the narrative.
Arya shows her talents once again
Arya is now becoming a completely different person and she joins a group of men who help her upgrade her skills. I like this scene because it reminds me of the difference between hitting a static target and a moving target. The scene involved her shooting arrows at a target that resembles a human body made of hay. She names someone she wants to kill before taking every shot, and she lands all shots in critical and very deadly areas of the body.
One of the men tells her that this is not good enough because her enemies are not going to stand still waiting for her to aim and shoot. This is an amazing lesson for archers. There is an abysmal difference of being able to take your time while shooting, versus having to shot as quickly as possible when your target is moving in any direction.
I have always felt that archers need to practice with moving targets and not just with static targets. Since that is not easy to accomplish, what I do is run while shooting. This is a bit dangerous for people getting started, but once you feel confident enough, you can run to the side and aim at the target. It makes it very difficult but it helps you sharpen your skills. Check out my article about the different archery targets
I love this Arya Stark Funko POP figure:
I have a friend who set up a skateboard with a foam deer on top. He takes the skateboard to an empty parking lot and someone else pushes the skateboard so he can try to shoot it. This is a very cool way to practice and I might try it sometime. Anyways, the scene is great and Arya learns a valuable archery lesson.
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Ygritte and Jon Snow
I always felt like this character from Game of Thrones was like the Legolas of the show. She is a wildling that can shot her bow and arrow at great distances with deadly accuracy. She shoots Jon Snow in places that she knows are not going to kill him, but she does want to hurt him for his betrayal. All shots hit him in non-lethal areas of his body and she then lets him ride away on his horse.
I think this character should have been involved in more action scenes, but her relationship with Jon Snow kind of took the character in another direction. At least we did get to see some great archery from her as we do in this scene. She also reminds me of Aloy from the game Horizon Zero Dawn.
I would think that someone shot with an arrow on the back would always be a fatal wound. I am not a doctor, but that shoot looked deadly to me. Just imagine having to take out those sharp and wide arrowheads…ouch.
It is some kind of “fetish” of mine I can׳t stop buying those figures:
The giant and his bow and arrow
I love this scene because the way he kills the guy on the watchtower next to Jon Snow is just so over the top, I couldn’t stop laughing while I was also in shock. The giant takes the first shot and hits the roof of the watchtower taking it off, but then he aims again and he shots a guy next to Jon Snow, but he sends him flying up with the arrow on his chest. He lands on the other side of the wall hitting the floor with the arrow stuck on the ground and acting as a stake.
This particular episode has a lot of great bow and arrow shooting going on too. The fights with the undead are particularly cool. I just wish more characters used this weapon in those fights.
Look at this cool Night King figure I just can’t get enough:
Edmure having trouble taking the shot
Catelyn start mourns the death of her father. His body is placed in a boat in a ceremonial tradition. They have to let the body go down the river and a flaming arrow needs to hit the boat from a distance. Catelyn’s brother Edmure prepared his bow and arrow and aimed to hit the target. He attempts to hit the boat unsuccessfully. This happens three times, with everyone more impatient and the situation feeling more awkward and uncomfortable with each shot.
Edmure is then angrily pushed aside by his uncle, takes his bow, takes a look at the flag to calculate the wind, then he raises his bow and takes a perfect shot from very far away. He doesn’t even stare at the arrow to wait for it to land. His skills as an archer allowed him to take the shoot and walk away. The scene ends with the arrow landing on the hay in the boat and lighting it on fire.
I like that part with the experienced archer using the wind to his favor. It reminds me of the importance of understanding wind velocity and learning to implement this into your outdoor archery shots. You are going to get optimal results once you know how the wind affects your arrows.
The effects of the game of thrones in archery
There is no way to deny the cultural power of Game of Thrones. Sales for bow and arrow equipment sales went up when the show started to gain popularity according to reports. I believe that anything contributing to the popularity of archery is great. I remember a similar thing happening with the Lord of The Rings came out. It’s quite common to see Hollywood influencing certain purchases and all archers are happy to see archery in movies. Some of us nitpick every detail, but we are all glad for the exposure.
Now that TV shows and movies are showing so many heroes and even villains that use bows and arrows, it’s common to see more people practicing this ancient and beautiful art. Let’s just hope they continue to make the bow and arrow look so cool, because it is the coolest weapon ever made.
Last one I promise… Jon Snow I love you:
Final thoughts
Let’s hope that archery finds its way to many new movies and TV shows in the future. I still wonder if we are ever going to see the epic battle of the kingdoms and the undead in Game of Thrones. We all expect a large number of arrows to hit the air if they decide to shoot the next season someday.
I strongly recommend this TV show to anyone who has yet to see it. The acting is great, the story is engaging, and the villains are terribly evil. You don’t really get better TV than this. Except maybe Breaking Bad and Walking Dead.
If you liked this article take a look at my article about the famous characters use bow and arrows
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