Summary
Given its 1579 Feudal Japan setting,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsgives players access to Yumi Bow weapons,wielded by Yasuke alongside Teppo firearms as ranged options. The Yumi Bow is an asymmetrical longbow about two meters in length, serving as a traditional samurai ranged weapon of the era. Despite its massive size, the Bow is relatively lightweight, allowing for speed and versatility, making it an ideal choice for close to medium range.
InAC Shadows, the Bow is a natural fit for players seeking silent and reliable ranged weaponry, well-suited for clearing castles and forts through stealth. WhileTeppo offers greater damage, accuracy, and range, the Bow is a reliable and fast weapon, allowing for quick arrow shots without alerting nearby enemies. It’s also more forgiving of mistakes — missed shots can be followed up quickly by adjusting aim or landing a second arrow. The below list entries take a look at the best Bow weapons inAC Shadows, eachfeaturing a unique Legendary engraving.
Only Bow weapons obtainable in-game will be listed, excluding special Bow variants with powerful perks purchased from the Helix Store or unlocked viaAnimus Battle Pass (Shadows Projects) rewards. Additionally, all Bows listed are fully upgraded andat the max level 60 for the ultimatestat comparison.
6Epic Bow With Highlighted Base Stats
Engraving: Random Ranged Engraving
Some players believe thatLegendary weapons are superior in every aspectcompared to Epic gear, but this isn’t entirely true. At times, rare Epic weapons can roll with better base stats (highlighted in gold) than any Legendary armament — even if the difference isn’t particularly game-changing. However, since any Legendary engraving can be unlocked and applied to any Bow in the game, certain Epic gear can rival the rarest Legendary weapons, occasionally delivering slightly better results in specific areas.
To offer a quick comparison, here are two random Epic Bows that players can obtain inAssassin’s Creed Shadows. First, the Silent Bow of Grace boasts the highest Weapon DPS of any Bow in the game — 4,744 compared to 4,570 on the Legendary Heartspiller. Another example, the Elegant Bow of Plenty, stands out with an Ability Damage value of 25,576 at max level 60, surpassing the 24,376 offered by the Blush of the Earth. While these differences may not be dramatic,certain ranged builds can benefitfrom the extra damage, so players should always evaluate the Epic gear they acquire.
5Last Breath
Engraving: Special Ammo Instantly Triggers Its Affliction On A Headshot
The Last Breath is the best Bow inAC Shadowsfor players who rely onaffliction status effects (bleed, poison, or daze)and use special unlockable arrows to enhance their potential. When raw damage isn’t enough, afflictions can finish the job, and the Last Breath’s perk, which instantly triggers the affliction of special ammo on a headshot, is hard to overstate. More often than not, it means Yasuke’s target will fall from a single arrow — even if not immediately.
Unlike many other missable Legendary weapons inAC Shadows, the Last Breath Bow is a guaranteed reward for completing the main story quest Requiem for Rokkaku, where players are tasked with assassinating Akechi Kagemitsu.
4Blush Of The Earth
Engraving: Extend Clear Mind Duration By Five Seconds
The Blush of the Earth could rank as the strongest Bow inAssassin’s Creed Shadowsifplayers master the Clear Mind abilityin Yasuke’s Bow progression. The Legendary engraving on this Bow extends the duration of that ability by five additional seconds — on top of passive abilities that further increase its length. Clear Mind is a key skill that slows time while aiming, and it also boosts damage by 5%, and by 15% with each kill during its activation. A bit of quick math shows that players can raise their Bow damage by 50% after just three quick kills, which is easy to achieve against weaker enemies. On top of that, the Bow’s very high Ability Damage base stat further enhances its potential.
Players can obtain the Blush of the Earth as soon as Yasuke is unlocked inAC Shadows. The Bow is stored in theMakino Kurumazuka Kofun, located in the game’s first region, Izumi Settsu. The Kofun (tomb) lies east of Takatsuki.
3Dragon’s Wrath
Engraving: Instantly Charge Arrows
For seasoned archers who don’t rely on tricks like slowing time, the Dragon’s Wrath is a solid Bow choice inAC Shadows. Its engraving allows arrows to charge instantly, boosting both damage and rate of fire in Yasuke’s hands. To balance this powerful perk, the Dragon’s Wrath comes with a slightly lower Weapon DPS compared to other Legendary Bows, but this isn’t a major drawback, as many perks and engravings tied to charged arrows can pair extremely well with this Bow.
Players can acquire the Dragon’s Wrath Bow after killing theTsutsui Agent from the Kurai Eikyou quest board, who hides in Koriyama Castle in northwestern Yamato.
2Heartspiller
Engraving: Charged Arrows Automatically Become Posture Shots
Combining the Heartspiller’s engraving with the Dragon’s Wrath perk can be a winning combo inAC Shadows, allowing players to take full advantage of instantly charged arrows that automatically become posture shots. Posture attacks are among the most devastating moves in the game, so gaining access to them through ranged attacks is somethingno archer build would want to pass up. With the Heartspiller, Yasuke’s shots deal extra damage, shred vulnerable targets, and can easily break through enemy defense stances.
The Heartspiller Legendary Bow is obtained by looting the chest inside theAzuchi Hyontanyama Kofunin Omi, located southeast of the Azuchi province.
1Falcon’s Eye
Engraving: Fire Multiple Arrows In A Single Shot
Easily one of the most powerful Bows inAC Shadows, the Falcon’s Eye stands out as a unique ranged weapon that can fire multiple arrows in a single shot — somewhat reminiscent of Bow types from earlierAssassin’s Creedgames likeOriginsandValhalla. Naturally, such an ability could be overpowered, which is why the Falcon’s Eye has the lowest raw Weapon DPS in its category. Fortunately, the Bow’s other stats are more than solid, and if players master its perk, it becomes one of the most lethal and enjoyable Bows to use inAC Shadows.
The Falcon’s Eye is also one of the hardest Legendary Bows to unlock inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, which speaks to its power. It requires dedication and extensive castle clearing, serving as a reward forcompleting the full Kamon Crests collectionquest board (collect all nine). This quest is given to Yasuke by Ota Gyuichi in Kyoto City, Yamashiro.
