Shuriken

Before you have a bow this is your ranged option, and it stays relevant afterward because it does not stop at the first thing it touches. One throw can clip several enemies in a line, which matters most against a target that fills a lot of space. The Eye of Cthulhu in its second form is the obvious case.

• They arc downward, so aiming above an enemy and letting one fall through it can land more than one hit on the way past.
• Like boomerangs, they slip through single block walls at shallow angles, which lets you hit things from inside a mine tunnel.
• They are gone once thrown. Older versions let you pick them back up off the ground, and that is no longer true.

Pots and chests hand them out constantly in the early game, and the Merchant sells them for pocket change, so there is no reason to ration them.