Best Cosplay Weapons: Bows & Crossbows

Bows and arrows are popular super-hero weapons, even when they’re fighting against space-age laser blasters! Use our Buying Guide to hit the bullseye with your ‘Robin Hood chic’!

Bows and crossbows are everywhere in pop culture, from historic characters and Lara Croft to numerous superheroes and anime characters.
Toy bows and real bows can be bought relatively cheaply online (and modified), or you could craft your own, like the Exiled Fox bow used by Lara Croft in the Shadow of the Tomb Raider video game. World of Cosplay 2021 ambassador @evilamelia did this with her amazing Tomb Raider cosplay for our location shoot, scavenging branches and binding them together for an authentic look.
If you plan to take any weapons and props to an event, be sure to check the organiser’s rules first to make sure they’re allowed. To help you on your way, we’ve a handy guide to taking weapons and props to cons here.
We’ll be doing a ‘How to make a bow’ feature soon, but for now, here’s our guide to buying bows and crossbows for cosplay.

Play safe!

Ensure your bow/crossbow is safe for con entry by leaving your arrows at home/creating a dummy quiver of arrows or by adding a low tension string that is incapable of launching arrows, or removing the string altogether. Don’t get this vital piece of your costume confiscated before you even get inside!

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@evilamelia.cosplay: Create a bow from branches

I created this Lara Croft bow myself, by scavenging the branches myself in the woods close to my house. I then cut them to length and taped them together… it was pretty simple. The bow string looks good in photos, but is not taut enough to fire arrows, so it should be con-safe.

@evilamelia on her Lara Croft bow and arrow

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Bow & arrows for cosplay

World of Cosplay brings you a range of budget-priced bows that can be modified and customised for cosplay.

Basic bow & arrow kit

Find a basic bow and arrow kit here.

Modern bow & arrow kit

Find a modern recurve bow here.

Discovery 300 bow

Find a Discovery 300 bow here.

Faux handcrafted bow

Find a faux handcrafted wooden bow here.

Ancient recurve bow

Find an ancient recurve bow here.

Queen Susan’s bow from Chronicles of Narnia

Find Queen Susan’s Bow here.

Merida’s bow & quiver from Brave

Find Merida’s bow here.

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@_roozzie: Making my Merida bow

My Merida bow is not fully accurate to the one in the movie, but it’s a great base for any bow you need. I made it from a length of PVC pipe and used a heat gun to shape it. I did a chalk drawing on the floor of the shape of the bow, and I slowly heated the pipe and formed it to the desired shape. After shaping, I drilled two holes for a string and then spray-painted it. For easier travel, the bow part is in two pieces. They slide snugly into a short length of PVC pipe that makes it one piece again. The join is hidden by the fabric handle that is tightly sewn onto the bow.

@_roozie on making her Merida bow

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Far Cry bow

Find a Far Cry recurve bow here.

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Crossbows & bolts for cosplay

Infrared crossbow gun 

Find an infrared crossbow set here.

Mantis pistol crossbow

Find a Mantis crossbow here.

EK Archery Cobra crossbow

Find a Cobra crossbow here.

Light medieval crossbow

Find a light portable medieval crossbow here.

Huntress hand crossbow from Birds of Prey

Find a Huntress crossbow here.

Corvo Attanos crossbow from Dishonored

Find Corvo’s crossbow here.

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Stockists: Bows and crossbows for cosplay

Places to look for cosplay bows and crossbows
• Smyths toy shop
• The Entertainer toy shop
• Etsy
• Smiffy’s
• ebay

Cosplay weapons crafters & 3D printers

• STUDIO J7 – studioj7.co.uk
• Kenny Cosplay Stuff – kennycosplaystuff.com
• PROPer Artists Ltd – properartists.co.uk
• Trudy Mostyn-Mortimer – TMMcreative.co.uk
• RGL Customs – rglcustoms.com
• Poly-Props Ltd – poly-props.com
• EvilCleverDog – Insta @evilcleverdog
• Rebecca Albrecht – rebzfx.co.uk

myminifactory.com
MyMiniFactory is a website where 3D creatives can post their product designs for free or paid-for download. There are thousands of printing plans for a vast range of products, including many cosplay weapons. Every object is guaranteed to be 3D printable as MyMiniFactory checks that any file uploaded to the site works on a standard desktop 3D printer.
myminifactory.com

Have you had legal problems with cosplay weapons?

If you have ever had any issues with cosplay weapons and the law (anywhere in the world), we’d like to hear from you, so that we can share your story (anonymously if necessary) to help other cosplayers.

Cosplay weapons and the law

Stay on the right side of the law by always keeping cosplay weapons concealed when in public, and when you’re not in a con or cosplay environment. You can infringe all sorts of very serious laws by brandishing look-alike weapons in public spaces.
Flying with weapons in your hand luggage is illegal, and is highly likely to cause serious problems and delays, even if they’re fake, toys or deactivated. Check with your airline before flying and put any props in checked luggage.

Don’t forget to read the World of Cosplay guide to the laws and rules surrounding cosplay weapons.

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