Bow Sparrow/Pre-SGW

Bow Sparrow is a member of the Mercian Freedom Fighters based out of Hideaway in Deerwood Forest. He acted as the temporary leader in Rob o' the Hedge's absence.

Holding Up the Fort
A loyal woodsman, Bow had once been a prisoner of Lord Hood's, only to eventually be freed by Rob O' the Hedge. Bow henceforth considered Rob his mentor and became a member of the Mercian Freedom Fighters, defending the Kingdom of Mercia from various threats. When Rob disappeared with his wife Mari-An and son Jon, Bow vowed to carry on in his stead, and became the group's leader while continuing the fight against the Eggman Empire, particularly the Mercia Dark Egg Legion. He met Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel when they came to Mercia looking for Mighty's long-lost sister, and Bow sorrowfully explained that the previous king had both punished Mighty's parents for their thievery and exiled Mighty after he attempted to free them. Though he offered his own life to make up for all that the Armadillo had suffered, Mighty was quick to forgive the past (while catching Bow in a crushing hug) and he and Ray even joined the Freedom Fighters in defending Deerwood Forest from the Legion's efforts to burn it down. After the battle, Bow encouraged the pair to take advantage of the distraction to invade Snottingham Castle so that they could use the Eggnet to discover the whereabouts of Mighty's sister.

When Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, and Charmy Bee of the Chaotix came to Mercia looking for their missing teammates, Bow and his teammates came to their aid as they battled members of the Dark Egg Legion. After introducing themselves and explaining Rob's absence, the Freedom Fighters learned of the trio's purpose. Taking them back to their base in Hideaway, they explained (partly in speech, partly in song -- despite the efforts of Thorn the Lop to dissuade them) the events that had transpired when Mighty and Ray had arrived. Bow admitted that they had assumed that the pair had met with success in their mission, and now feared that he'd let them become prisoners of Lord Hood, the Legion's Grandmaster. The two groups resolved to infiltrate the castle and free Hood's prisoners, an endeavor that the Freedom Fighters had been planning previously but lacked the manpower to accomplish. Together, they subdued a number of guards and entered through a secret passage, Bow using an arrow to provide a line that would allow most of the team to cross the moat. He then expressed his wishes that the rest of the mission would run smoothly, unaware that Lord Hood was already aware of their intrusion. (SU: #46)

As the teams infiltrated the sewers beneath the castle, Lord Hood sprung a trap -- while the two groups were able to escape, they now realized that their enemy knew of their presence. Having no choice but to risk an alternative plan, Espio had Bow visualize the castle dungeons and use the Warp Ring to teleport his team directly there while the three members of the Chaotix created a diversion elsewhere in the castle. Bow and the others began freeing prisoners from their shackles, but they quickly realized that Mighty, Ray, Rob, Mari-An and Jon weren't among the prisoners, frustrating Bow (and causing him to momentarily slip from his "King's Speech"). Unfortunately, Lord Hood quickly saw through the Chaotix's ruse and stormed the dungeon with his troops. Bow used an explosive arrow to disorient Hood and the Mercian FFs attempted to use the Warp Ring to let the prisoners escape, only to almost let it fall into the enemy's hands. Realizing that using the ring was too risky, Bow attempted to formulate a new plan of escape, only for Lord Hood to subdue them all with his hypnotic powers. Luckily, Vector and Charmy ambushed Hood and his troops. Thanks to Espio's planning, Bow lead the prisoners to the castle courtyard, seemingly trapping them -- but in reality allowing them to safely use the Warp Ring. Bow mockingly thanked Hood for his hospitality before stepping through the Warp Ring, being the last to escape. Back in Hideaway, Bow thanked the Chaotix for their help, and seemed relieved when Espio told him that the Eggman Empire had lost track of Rob and his family at Never Lake, apparently gleaning some hidden meaning from this info. He suggested the Chaotix rest at Hideaway before resuming their quest, and they all celebrated their success. (SU: #47)

Personality
Bow is friendly and easy-going, but fiercely loyal to Rob o' the Hedge. As such, he often tries to carry a heavy burden of responsibility, including knowledge of unpleasant events preceding Rob's rule in Mercia. He speaks in a curious, flowery dialect -- however, this is not his natural manner of speech and he does this primarily out of respect and loyalty towards Rob. Generally jovial, he is quick to break into song along with teammate Alan Quail.

Appearance
Bow is a brown sparrow with lighter-coloured markings and brown eyes. He wears a hooded red tunic with black/navy trim and a red bandana beneath. His gloves and boots are tan with dark trim, red details and gold buckles.

Abilities
Bow is an expert archer, undoubtedly instructed by Rob o'the Hedge. Like Rob, he employs a variety of modified arrows with various features, such as boxing glove attachments and explosive heads.

Background Information

 * Bow's name is a bit of a pun in reference to his archery.
 * SU #46, which was Bow's debut, stated in the Sonic Spin editor commentary that "Bow looks like a dashing ROGUE of sorts" likely noting the similarity between Bow's design and that of Babylon Rogues leader Jet the Hawk. It is also possible that he is a Babylon Rogue or somehow affiliated with them.
 * Despite being a sparrow, Bow's beak more closely resembles that of a hawk.
 * When Bow was first introduced, fans theorized that he was a last-minute replacement for Rob due to the many visual similarities between the characters, the fact that Rob was on the original SU #47 cover, and the fact that Rob was a Ken Penders character. Tracy Yardley confirmed this when he posted the original cover inks on his Deviantart account.