Spelunky is © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC, and is used under the [Spelunky User License v1.1b](https://spelunky.ai/LICENSE.txt). spelunky.ai is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Mossmouth. The game and its assets may not be sold. Music by George Buzinkai and Jonathan Perry; sound effects made in SFXR. From Spelunky Classic 1.1, © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC. # Bow From the spelunky.ai wiki: . Verified against the spelunky.ai port [v0.1.10](https://github.com/851-labs/spelunky/releases/tag/v0.1.10) on 27 October 2026. The Bow is a weapon in Spelunky Classic that shoots arrows, faster the longer it's drawn; a new one comes with 6 arrows, and shops sell it from $1,000. ![A curved brown bow with a grey string, seen from the side](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/2fb49ae30615814f/sprites/sBowRight/frames/0%404x.png) | Bow | | | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | Kind | Weapon | | Effect | Shoots arrows; holding the key draws it harder[^1] | | Price | $1,000[^2] | | Object | `oBow` | | Sold in | Weapon Shop | | Found in | The Mines, The Jungle, The Ice Caves, The Temple, Olmec's Lair | | Dropped by | [Crate](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/crate) | Holding the attack key draws it, and letting go shoots an [Arrow](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/arrow), faster the longer it was drawn; arrows fall as they fly and hurt monsters as thrown items do. A new Bow comes with 6 arrows, and ones that come to rest can be picked up again. Fully drawn, it can shoot a bomb arrow. Weapon Shops sell it, and [Crates](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/crate) and buried blocks give it away. ## Usage **Clip: Bow and arrows.** The player picks up a bow, which comes with six arrows. From a ledge he draws it for 40 steps and shoots a snake on the floor below; then he lets an arrow drop at his feet with a tap and walks over it to take it back. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/2fb49ae30615814f/clips/bow/arrow/clip.mp4)) The Bow is picked up like any item, crouching over it and pressing the attack key; a new one adds 6 arrows to the player's count, which shows under the hearts while he holds a Bow[^3][^4]. While it's held: - **Drawing.** Pressing the attack key, with arrows left, draws it, with a creak[^5]. Holding the key draws it harder, by 0.2 per step a step up to 12, which takes 60 steps; the Bow's picture shows how far[^6][^7]. With none left, the key shows "I'M OUT OF ARROWS!"[^8]. - **Shooting.** Letting go shoots an arrow from 14 pixels in front of the player (from inside him, if a block is there), at 1 pixel a step plus the draw plus his own speed, at least 1, and uses up one arrow; the Bow can't be drawn again for 10 steps[^9][^10]. - **Putting it down.** Crouching, the key puts it down in front of him[^11]. If he drops it drawn, stunned or teetering too long at a ledge's edge, it shoots as it falls[^12][^13]. An arrow is an item, and falls as it flies. Its own code gives it a gentle fall, 0.2 pixels a step faster each step, but the code all items share sets that to 0.6 at the end of its first step, so from its second it falls as fast as a thrown [Rock](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/rock)[^14][^15][^16]. In the clip, an arrow drawn for 40 steps leaves at 9 pixels a step, drops from a ledge onto a [Snake](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/snake) and kills it. An arrow faster than 6 pixels a step that meets a wall sticks in it; a slower one bounces off[^17]. One that's come to rest, slower than 1 pixel a step and not stuck, is picked up by walking over it with the Bow in hand, an arrow back each[^18]. In the clip, a tap of the key drops one at the player's feet, and he takes it back[^19]. The Bow goes with the player through a level's exit if he's holding it, and is in his hands on the next level, but doesn't count as new there[^20][^21]. Arrows are kept from level to level, and a new game starts with none[^22]. ### Bomb arrows **Clip: Bomb arrow.** From a ledge, the player draws a bow all the way and presses the bomb key, which turns the arrow into a bomb arrow without using up a bomb. He lets it fly; it lands beside a caveman below and blows up, killing it, while his bombs stay at four. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/2fb49ae30615814f/clips/bow/bomb-arrow/clip.mp4)) Pressing the bomb key while the Bow is drawn, with at least one bomb, readies a bomb arrow[^23]. But until the Bow is fully drawn, every step of drawing turns it back into a plain arrow[^6], so the key only works at full draw[^16]. The bomb arrow explodes 80 steps after it was readied: in the air if it's been shot, or in the player's hands if he's still holding it[^24][^25][^26]. It also explodes on hitting a monster[^27]. Readying one in a shop angers the Shopkeeper[^28]. Nothing takes a bomb for it: in the clip, a bomb arrow blows up beside a [Caveman](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/caveman) and kills it, and the player still has all four of his bombs[^29][^16]. ## Damage An arrow hurts as any thrown item does, by the code all items share, while it moves faster than 2 pixels a step, and is used up by the hit[^30]: 1 hit point to most monsters, and stuns a Caveman, a [Hawkman](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/hawkman), a [Mantrap](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mantrap), a [Vampire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/vampire) or a [Yeti](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/yeti) that isn't stunned already. A Vampire takes 3 more, 4 in all, as arrows are stakes to the code[^31]. The [Magma Man](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/magma-man) and monsters that can't be hurt take nothing, and a [UFO](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ufo) blows up. The arrow hurts the monster nearest it rather than the one it hit[^16]. A bomb arrow's blast takes 30 hit points a step, as a Bomb's does[^32]. An arrow faster than 3 pixels a step hurts the player too, 2 hearts, once its first 10 steps are over[^33][^34]. ## Obtaining | Source | Chance | | | ----------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | Weapon Shop | 1 in 4 for each ware, once the rolls for a [Web Cannon](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/web-cannon), a [Shotgun](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/shotgun) and a Bomb Box fail | [^35] | | A [Crate](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/crate) | 1 in 40, once the rolls before it, from a [Jetpack](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/jetpack)'s 1 in 500 to a Bomb Box's 1 in 40, fail | [^36] | | Buried in a block | 1 in 19 of the items buried in blocks | [^37] | A Weapon Shop stocks one only if the level hasn't got one already[^38], and it adds 10% of the base price for each level past the second[^39]. Shops are made from level 2 on[^40], and level 16, Olmec's Lair, has none: | Area | 1st level | 2nd level | 3rd level | 4th level | | ------------- | --------- | --------- | --------- | --------- | | The Mines | — | $1,000 | $1,100 | $1,200 | | The Jungle | $1,300 | $1,400 | $1,500 | $1,600 | | The Ice Caves | $1,700 | $1,800 | $1,900 | $2,000 | | The Temple | $2,100 | $2,200 | $2,300 | — | Every block of rock away from the level's edges that isn't gold and holds no gem has a 1 in 1200 chance of hiding an item, one of nineteen at random[^41][^37]. The Moon bonus room's archery challenge is played with one. In custom levels, it's the level editor's tile `}`[^42]. Paying for one, or carrying one out of a shop without paying, which angers the Shopkeeper, shows "YOU GOT THE BOW AND ARROWS!", and it stays in the player's hands[^43][^16][^44]. ## Interactions - **Arrows by hand.** An arrow can be picked up and thrown like any item; it hurts like any thrown item[^45]. - **Arrow Traps.** A trap's arrows are the same arrows, and once they've stopped the Bow collects them like its own[^18]. ## Tips - An arrow falls as it flies, so a monster below a ledge can be shot from the ledge, as in the clip. - A bomb arrow is a free bomb, but it has to be shot within 80 steps of readying it. ## Trivia - The code for buying it has a commented-out line that would add 8 arrows; the arrows come from picking up a new Bow instead[^46]. - The arrow's gentler fall, which the shared item code undoes, is the [Pitcher's Mitt](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/pitchers-mitt)'s slow fall for thrown items over again: both set one that lasts a step. - The shop sells it as "BOW AND ARROWS"[^47]. ## FAQ ### How do you shoot the Bow in Spelunky Classic? Hold the attack key to draw it and let go to shoot. The longer it's drawn, up to 60 steps, the faster the arrow: 1 pixel a step plus 0.2 for every step of drawing, up to 13. ### How many arrows does the Bow have in Spelunky Classic? A new Bow adds 6 arrows the first time it's picked up. Arrows that come to rest can be picked up again by walking over them with the Bow in hand, one each. ### How much damage does an arrow do in Spelunky Classic? 1 hit point, as any thrown item does, as long as it's moving faster than 2 pixels a step; a [Vampire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/vampire) takes 4. A bomb arrow explodes as a [Bomb](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/bomb) does. ### How do you make a bomb arrow in Spelunky Classic? Press the bomb key once the Bow is fully drawn, with at least one bomb. The arrow becomes a bomb arrow, which explodes 80 steps after it was readied, and no bomb is used up. ## See also - **Related:** [Arrow](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/arrow) - **Damages:** [Vampire](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/vampire) (Its arrows take 3 more hit points)[^31] ## References [^1]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1463-1479` [^2]: `objects/oBow/create.gml:6` [^3]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1216-1220` [^4]: `scripts/scrDrawHUD.gml:170-178` [^5]: `scripts/scrUseItem.gml:516-521` [^6]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1463-1474` [^7]: `objects/oBow/step.gml:11-14` [^8]: `scripts/scrUseItem.gml:522-527` [^9]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1476-1479` [^10]: `scripts/scrFireBow.gml:24-72` [^11]: `scripts/scrUseItem.gml:489-515` [^12]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:150-171` [^13]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:329-345` [^14]: `objects/oArrow/create.gml:3-6` [^15]: `objects/oItem/step.gml:160-170` [^16]: Quirk 1 (docs/quirks.md) [^17]: `objects/oItem/step.gml:87-137` [^18]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1973-1988` [^19]: Clip bow/arrow [^20]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:842-850` [^21]: `scripts/scrHoldItem.gml:52-58` [^22]: `scripts/scrClearGlobals.gml:116` [^23]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1132-1136` [^24]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:29-40` [^25]: `scripts/scrFireBow.gml:54-59` [^26]: `objects/oArrow/alarm_1.gml:1-11` [^27]: `objects/oItem/step.gml:352-356` [^28]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:42-46` [^29]: Clip bow/bomb-arrow [^30]: `objects/oItem/step.gml:256-363` [^31]: `objects/oItem/step.gml:265-266` [^32]: `objects/oExplosion/collision_oEnemy.gml:12-14` [^33]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:1513-1530` [^34]: `objects/oArrow/alarm_2.gml:1` [^35]: `scripts/scrShopItemsGen.gml:36-67` [^36]: `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:617-632` [^37]: `scripts/scrGenerateItem.gml:63-89` [^38]: `scripts/scrShopItemsGen.gml:61-64` [^39]: `scripts/scrShopItemsGen.gml:179-191` [^40]: `scripts/scrLevelGen.gml:240` [^41]: `objects/oBrick/create.gml:7-16` [^42]: `scripts/scrCreateTileObj.gml:351-356` [^43]: `scripts/scrStealItem.gml:303-312` [^44]: Replay `fidelity/replays/weapon-seed-66-shop.txt` [^45]: `scripts/scrHoldItem.gml:38` [^46]: `scripts/scrStealItem.gml:311` [^47]: `objects/oBow/create.gml:7-8` ### Source code - `objects/oBow/create.gml` - `objects/oBow/step.gml` - `objects/oArrow/create.gml` - `objects/oPlayer1/step.gml` - `scripts/scrUseItem.gml` - `scripts/scrFireBow.gml` - `scripts/scrShopItemsGen.gml` - `scripts/scrGenerateItem.gml`