Perhaps due to the popularity of kyūdō, the Japanese martial art of archery, the world of anime is rife with top-notch archers. It seems like nearly every character who picks up a bow possesses abilities on par with Marvel's Hawkeye. In acknowledgement of anime's abundance of archers, the Goo Ranking website recently asked its readers who the best archer in the history of anime is.

The poll was conducted from February 15 to March 1, and the website posted the results on Wednesday. The poll received 3,862 responses.

Princess Mononoke's cursed prince Ashitaka climbed to the top of the list with his hunting prowess. Participating in the Holy Grail War helped Fate/stay night's Archer-class Servant Emiya to rank at #2. Through defeating monsters while searching for shards of the Shikon Jewel, Inuyasha's Kagome earned the #3 spot.

Goo Ranking's poll lists the top 43 anime archers as voted by fans, and here are the rest of the top 15 results:

1. Ashitaka (Princess Mononoke; 554 votes)

2. Archer/Emiya (Fate/stay night; 332 votes)

3. Kagome Higurashi (Inuyasha; 287 votes)

4. Kikyō (Inuyasha; 260 votes)

5. Uryū Ishida (Bleach; 258 votes)

6. Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica; 241 votes)

7. Sinon/Shino Asada (Sword Art Online II; 192 votes)

8. Gowther (The Seven Deadly Sins; 186 votes)

9. Falangies (The Heroic Legend of Arslan; 144 votes)

9. Sasha Braus (Attack on Titan; 144 votes)

11. Reideen (Reideen the Brave; 112 votes)

12. Nasu no Yoichi (Drifters; 110 votes)

13. Umi Sonoda (Love Live!; 104 votes)

14. Fū Hōōji (Magic Knight Rayearth; 99 votes)

15. Yoichi Saotome (Seraph of the End; 60 votes)



Image via Amazon Japan