In this version of the legend, Guinevere (played by Keira Knightley) is Merlin’s daughter. Unlike him, she does not wield magic, but a bow and arrow. Outside of the movie, Knightley said she ‘felt let down’ that the US movie posters gave her ‘strange, droopy breasts’. 9) Mulan, Mulan (1998 and 2020) This time around, Lucy V Hay doesn’t just guide you through the writing of movies, but spec TV pilots too. Putting iconic, mixed-genre projects under the microscope – such as Stranger Things (horror thriller), Brooklyn 99 (comedy thriller) and Lost (sci fi thriller) – she considers what writers can learn from these shows. OFFICIALLY LICENSED ROLE-PLAY: With the Avatar Defender Bow & Arrow Set, you will play the role of a heroic Navi warrior who protects their homeland, the planetoid Pandora from the human invaders. Makes for hours of fun!

In contrast, female archers in fiction frequently use the bow and arrow as their weapon of choice as a warrior: nothing more, nothing less. In fact, female archer warriors use the bow and arrow so often, it’s become a trope of its own. You don’t have to look far to find female archers in fiction. Though male archers obviously do exist too, this is often part of their specific characterisation (Arrow and Hawkeye are the most obvious here).

Size Charts

She wins ‘her own hand’ when she beats ALL the would-be suitors. That’s more like it. 7) Susan Pevensie, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) The standard Na'vi arrow has an oversized bone arrow point bound to a reed shaft with glue and fiber. The Na'vi bow draws to about one-half the bow length, and bow length falls a little short of the height of the archer, making arrows approximately 7 feet in length. There are people that can shoot that well, but not with the kind of movement portrayed in the film. All of that is computer-generated. We had the same problem in Avatar. The director wanted to use a shooting technique that was not one that would work in an environment where you were trying to produce accuracy. But it looked good visually.

So, with all this in mind, I thought I’d do a rundown of B2W’s top 10 female archers in movies and TV. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Neytiri, Avatar (2009) In this feudal society, sighted twins are born: Haniwa and Kofun. Because of their ‘difference’, they are hunted as witches and face being burned at the stake. Another MUST-HAVE for our list, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) must enter the gladiatorial arena in place of her younger sister, Primrose. She takes on first the other tributes, then the evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the rest of the franchise. Her skill as an archer gets her through all the horrific trials and the rebellion that follows. 3) Kate Bishop, Hawkeye (2021) Susan (played by Anna Popplewell) is the elder sister and second eldest Pevensie child. As well as being a great leader and highly intelligent, she is also a talented archer. Susan’s bow and arrows, along with her horn, were her most prized possessions when she reigned in Narnia as Queen Susan the Gentle. 8) Guinevere, King Arthur (2004) Not so much about irresponsible archery-shooting form. The Avengers is coming out, though, and that Hawkeye character is just dreadfully portrayed from an archery perspective.The Hunger Games is set in a post-apocalyptic society. Have you ever thought about what archery might look like in that situation? With the long-awaited Avatar: The Way of Water out before Christmas, obviously we must include Neytiri!

I also wonder if it’s something to do with the US idiom ‘straight arrow’, meaning ‘an honest, morally upright person’, especially when so many of these female archers are protagonists (aka heroes / heroines). Conscious or unconscious, it seems likely! Top 10 Female Archers

Female Archers in Fiction

She also argues that the lone protagonist in a thriller has had its day and looks at how the genre is moving into a space beyond ‘The Hero’s Journey’. Case studies to support this include The Hunger Games, Captain Marvel, Iron Man and many more.