Ultimate Guide To Best Bows In Skyrim [Top 8]

Here I have, which is yet another bow that is exclusive to the Dragonborn DLC. Its base damage is just as much as Ebony Bow’s, as it sits on 17. What made us place it higher is its special effect, which will turn it into a significantly better version of Firiniel’s End. 

Acquiring it is also simple and convenient. Just make your way to the Skall Village and talk to Glover Mallory. Here you can get the Stalhrim bow, and in my opinion, it is a great choice as the more serious Frost damage will be deadly to a lot of your foes.

Stats

• Damage: 17
• Special Effects: Frost enchantments receive a 25 percent boost in power.
• Selling Value: 1800 Coins.
• How To Get: Get it from Glover Mallory in Skall Village.

What I have here is a beast of a weapon. It is part of the recently added content bundled with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition. You can get it for the other version, but you will have to pay for it through the Creation Club. A lot of players consider Bow of Shadows the very best bow in the game.

In addition, getting it is also very straightforward, as the quest rewards the player with the bow without any hassle. The bow is originally from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. So veteran fans of the franchise are delighted to have it back and be so valuable and deadly.

The Bow of Shadows, with a base damage of 19, isn’t in my top 3 due to limited accessibility. Its standout feature is the ability to turn the user invisible, a valuable skill for archers to maintain distance and eliminate enemies consecutively. Despite a slower draw time, the player remains mostly untouchable by enemies.

Stats

• Damage: 19 
• Special Effects: Whenever the player unholsters the bow, they turn invisible for 30 seconds. Also, the shooting speed of arrows is 20 percent faster.
• Selling Value: None.
• How To Get: Obtained after the completion of the quest “In The Shadows.”

One of my personal favorites is the Daedric bow. Wielding the beautiful weapon makes your character look like an ultimate badass master archer. It has excellent damage of 19, which can shred most enemies with a headshot. It is an early end-game weapon. What makes it even better is that it can be acquired easily.

Furthermore, similar to the ebony bow, which was mentioned early in our best bows in Skyrim guide, the Daedric Bow can randomly drop from loot when the player reaches a certain level. This time around, that level is 46.

It is a pretty common drop at that point, but if luck isn’t on your side, you can buy the bow instead. It can be bought from various merchants, but the most convenient and common one is Niranye at the Thieve’s Guild. 

Stats

• Damage: 19
• Special Effects: None
• Selling Value: 2500 Coins.
• How To Get: Random loot or can be bought from merchants like Niranye or Syndus.

Dragonborne weapons are some of the best in Skyrim, and the bow isn’t an exception. The main reason why one wouldn’t want the Dragonborne bow in their inventory is that it weighs a lot. It is a visually good-looking bow, though, and has a stellar damage of 20. 

Crafting one can be quite a hassle. Acquiring the bow is tedious. That’s why a lot of players just go with the other better options, which you can find out about as you continue reading my best bows in the Skyrim guide. To craft the Dragonborne bow, you will need an insanely high Smithing level which is 100, alongside the Dragon Armor perk.

In my opinion, the best and least tedious way to get the bow is if you loot it. Venture to Soul Cairn, and here you can fight a Keeper enemy and loot the bow from its body. 

Stats

• Damage: 20
• Special Effects: None.
• Selling Value: 2725 Coins.
• How To Get: The best way to get it is to craft it, or it can be looted.

Akin to the Gaulder Blackbow, you can get different variants of the Nightingale bow, which deal different amounts of damage depending on the player level and the bow variant they got. To get the best possible version that has the maximum power, do the Thieves Guild questline when you are at level 46 or beyond.

Moreover, it’s a brilliant weapon that will make sure that the enemies either stay dead or stay slow. The 30 Frost damage is insanely powerful, and it mixes that up with the severe 15 Shock damage. It is an excellent choice and is the very best bow in the eyes of many players. 

Avoid the Thieves Guild quest Blindsighted until level 46 to get the best version of the bow. A lower-level version is strong but becomes worthless near the end game due to scaling, so keep this in mind.

Stats

• Damage: 19
• Special Effects: Deals 30 Frost & 15 Shock damage.
• Selling Value: 2500 Coins.
• How To Get: Complete the “Thieves Guild” quest “Blindsighted” after reaching level 46.

Karliah’s bow is the best and strongest in the game, dealing a powerful 25 damage to enemies. However, you can only get it using console commands, making it unavailable for regular play. This is why it’s not ranked number 1 in my guide. If you’re okay with using console commands, it’s a straightforward choice to get Karliah’s Bow, and you can obtain it during the end-game sections of Skyrim.

Furthermore, to get it, open up the console by using the “`” key. Next, write “player.additem 000DEED8 1” and then press enter. Keep in mind that you need to write it without quotes. If done correctly, the player will now have Karliah’s bow in their inventory.

If, for some reason, the bow isn’t showing up in your inventory, then use the “player.placeatme 000DEED8 1” console command. Doing so will spawn the bow right in front of your character, and then you can go ahead and pick it up.

Stats

• Damage: 25
• Special Effects: None.
• Selling Value: 5 Coins. (don’t sell it)
• How To Get: You can’t get it without console commands.

Auriel’s bow is potentially another contender for the best bow in Skyrim. It is an excellent weapon that shines through thanks to its remarkable effects. Dealing 10 Sun damage to enemies is very rewarding, and it does it in extreme amounts to the undead. 

The coolest thing about the bow is how it interacts with the sun depending on what kind of arrows the player shoots at it during the day. You don’t need strong companions when the sun is on your side. Auriel’s bow makes the player feel like a badass superhero. 

Best of all, it is a visually stellar-looking bow as well. There is literally no reason why you shouldn’t use it. It is one of my personal favorite bows in gaming.

Stats

• Damage: 13
• Special Effects: Deals 20 Sun damage in a single hit, and the Undead enemies get hit for triple times that.
• Selling Value: 1000 Coins.
• How To Get: Complete the quest called “Touching The Sky.”

Lastly, at number 1, I have the Dwarven Blackbow of Fate, which is, in my opinion, the most overpowered bow in the game. Its damage isn’t anything special. It is pretty pathetic when compared to other bows of its caliber, but the special status effect that it has makes it extremely strong.

The draw speed is fast, and you can shoot multiple arrows at an enemy, which can delete so many of their attributes quickly. It feels unfair to use the bow at times; It makes players feel bad for the enemies with how effectively and easily it demolishes them. 

Stats

• Damage: 13
• Special Effects: 50 percent chance to absorb 25 of Health, Stamina, or Magicka with each shot.
• Selling Value: 1446 Coin.
• How To Get: This can be found in Kagrumez.