History Film / Willow

This film has had three game adaptations: one in 1988 by Mindscape for the Amiga, Atari ST and DOS; two in 1989 by Creator/{{Capcom}} for the Arcade and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]]. The arcade game is a side-scrolling platform/action game where the player switches between Willow and Madmartigan, while the NES game is more of an Action RPG in the vein of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda''. The computer game is a collection of five minigames, [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames all of them horrible]].

In May 2019, a [[SequelInAnotherMedium sequel in the form of a series]] was confirmed to be in development for release on Creator/DisneyPlus, and was formally announced in December 2020. Titled ''Series/{{Willow|2022}}'' just like the film, it premiered on November 30, 2022. The series is set to be removed from public availability on May 26, 2023, less than six months after its debut.

In May 2019, a [[SequelInAnotherMedium sequel in the form of a series]] was confirmed to be in development for release on Creator/DisneyPlus, and was formally announced in December 2020. Titled ''Series/{{Willow|2022}}'' just like the film, it premiered on November 30, 2022.

** A lot of the film's visuals particularly echo the ''[[Film/StarWarsEwokAdventures Ewok Adventures]]'' films in particular, with the Nockmaar hounds looking like smaller versions of the giant boarwolf and the fairy queen Cherlindrea's introduction very much resembling the appearance of the fairy-like wisties. Additionally, Willow is Wicket (both played by Warwick Davis, of course), High Aldwin is Logray, and Elora Danan is a de-aged Cindel Towani. Queen Bavmorda and General Kael resemble Charal and Terak, albeit with their roles of BigBad and TheDragon reversed.

** A lot of the film's visuals particularly echo the ''[[Film/StarWarsEwokAdventures Ewok Adventures]]'' films in particular, with the Nockmaar hounds looking like smaller versions of the giant boarwolf and the fairy queen Cherlindrea's introduction very much resembling the appearance of the fairy-like wisties. Additionally, Willow is Wicket (both played Warwick Davis, of course), High Aldwin is Logray, and Elora Danan is a de-aged Cindel Towani. Queen Bavmorda and General Kael resemble Charal and Terak, albeit with their roles of BigBad and TheDragon reversed.

** A lot of the film's visuals particularly echo ''[[Film/StarWarsEwokAdventures The Ewok Adventure]]'' in particular, with the Nockmaar hounds looking like smaller versions of the giant boarwolf and the fairy queen Cherlindrea's introduction very much resembling the appearance of the fairy-like wisties. In both films, a character played by Warwick Davis is charged with protecting a foundling child.

* BirthmarkOfDestiny: The movie introduction details this trope right off the bat, telling of a child with a rune birthmark who will overthrow the evil Queen Bavmorda

* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: General Kael’s helmet whose face-plate is a human skull.

* BondVillainStupidity: Justified. Elora is just a baby, and is born in captivity. They don't just kill her because she'll be reborn elsewhere. Instead, Bavmorda plans to use the Ritual of Obliteration to [[DeaderThanDead banish her soul from the world permanently]].

* CoolOldLady: Raziel, at least when finally restored to true form.
* DeaderThanDead: The point with the Ritual of Obliteration. The film flip-flops whether it involves CessationOfExistence or merely being banished to a realm of no return.
** Since we can hear Bavmorda's faint scream as her body and soul is being banished, that would imply to be the latter.

* DefrostingIceQueen: [[spoiler:Sorsha.]]

* TheDragon: General Kael.

* EvilIsHammy: Bavmorda, so very much.
* EvilMatriarch: Bavmorda.
* EvilOverlord: Bavmorda is a rare female example.

*** A lot of the film's visuals particularly echo ''[[Film/StarWarsEwokAdventures The Ewok Adventure]]'' in particular, with the Nockmaar hounds looking like smaller versions of the giant boarwolf and the fairy queen Cherlindrea's introduction very much resembling the appearance of the fairy-like wisties. In both films, a character played by Warwick Davis is charged with protecting a foundling child.

* FieryRedhead: Sorsha.
** The novelization notes that this trait was inherited from Sorsha's father, the rightful king of Tir Asleen, and, in her mother's eyes, a constant reminder of the man she used to gain power and then abandoned (Bavmorda's claim to royalty was only via marriage). Bavmorda was said to have constantly tried to change Sorsha's hair via magic to any color other than red, only for Sorsha's natural color to grow back in; it took Sorsha standing up to her mother for the first (and, prior to the films, possibly the ''only'') time and refusing a change to get Bavmorda to stop.

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Queen Bavmorda.

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Sorsha]].
** [[spoiler:One of the queen's druids [[CassandraTruth predicted that her daughter would betray her]], but she wouldn't believe it]].

* HeroesWantRedheads: [[spoiler:Madmartigan to Sorsha]].

* HumanSnowball: A rare live-action example.

* TheLancer: Madmartigan could be seen as this.

* LovableRogue: Madmartigan.

* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Sorsha. Her mother is a sorcerer, not a scientist, but the dynamic is there.

* OurMonstersAreWeird: The Eborsisk, full stop.

* SexualKarma: Madmartigan {{Paper Thin Disguise}}s himself as a woman to dodge an angry husband, only to catch the hulking oaf's eye (which is pretty darn chauvinist of him, considering he barged into the room in a jealous rage). HilarityEnsues.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: One could be forgiven if, when you were young, you thought his name was Martigan and everyone was just really conscientious of using his nickname.

* SupportingLeader: Madmartigan.

* UnseenEvil: Bavmorda seems to follow orders from an unknown entity.
** Bavmorda and Raziel were both servants of the spirits, Bavmorda just let her power go to her head.

* TieInNovel: The movie was followed by the ''Chronicles of the Shadow War'' sequel trilogy by Creator/GeorgeLucas and Creator/ChrisClaremont. ''Shadow Moon'', ''Shadow Dawn'' and ''Shadow Star''.

* ActionGirl: Sorsha, although she starts as a DarkActionGirl.

* AllSwordsAreTheSame: Inverted when Madmartigan tries to use Airk's sword [[spoiler: to avenge his friend's death]] against Kael. Airk's sword is kind of armored gauntlet with a long swordblade coming out of it called a pata, and initially Kael kicks Madmartigan's ass while trying to rely solely on it, up to and including breaking the sword's blade in half. Once Madmartigan started DualWielding the weapon with a regular sword though, he really started to kick some ass.
** Fun historical bonus: The Maratha people of India were the inventors of the pata (making it an odd weapon to see on Airk); DualWielding was the traditional method of using the pata, usually paired with another pata, though sometimes with an axe, javelin, or even a weighted belt.

* DisappearedDad: Bavmorda orders Elora's mother killed offscreen. We hear nothing of her father though. Sorsha's father is not mentioned either in the film, although the {{novelization}} does show him.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mpw_17728.jpg]]
''[[caption-width-right:300:[[{{Tagline}} The next great adventure.]]]]''

''Willow'' is a 1988 HeroicFantasy film directed by Creator/RonHoward and written by Bob Dolman, from a story by Creator/GeorgeLucas (who also produced it). The story is about a young farmer named Willow Ufgood (Creator/WarwickDavis), one of a {{Hobbit|s}}-like short race of people called Nelwynns, who is drawn away from his sheltered home to save Elora Danan, a baby girl with a destiny, from the evil Queen Bavmorda (Creator/JeanMarsh), who would see her destroyed.

** The movie is clearly influenced by ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (and released thirteen years before the [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings film series]]). Willow is a little person protagonist who has Frodo's [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]] status and Sam's courage, Madmartigan is a darker version of Strider/Aragon, and Razel is a female Gandalf.

* MosesInTheBulrushes: Elora Danan very literally-- she is sent down the river in a basket and found in the rushes.

* AerithAndBob: Madmartigan and Willow.

* NotUsingTheZedWord: In an interesting twist, this is used on the [[HumansByAnyOtherName humans]], who are called Daikinis.
** Dwarves/hobbits are called Nelwyn.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[spoiler:When Airk leaves Madmartigan behind, presumably to die in his cage, after Madmartigan offers to help him with his war against Bavmorda, probably figuring the wily swordsman would just run off on his own again as he is implied to have done before, Madmartian angrily yells "I'll be around long after you're dead!" During the climax, Madmartigan can only watch in horror as Airk dies fighting General Kael - leading him on a brief but violent RoaringRampageOfRevenge.]]

* IneptMage: In a fashion, the High Aldwin. He admits to Willow that the bones he uses for prediction purposes are really useless except for tricking his superstitious village members into following his judgements. However, he ''does'' supply Willow with genuine magical artifacts.

* MeaningfulEcho: A clever one. Madmartigan claims he serves "no one". Later, he says he serves "the Nelwyn", which sounds very similar to "no one".

* ShovelStrike

* YourHeadASplode: Try putting a sword through one head of a [[EldritchAbomination two-headed fire-breathing dragon]].

* AdaptationExpansion: The NES game adds quite a bit to the story, as well as giving the title character a much greater focus since he's the only playable one.

* CanisMajor: The first boss of the Arcade game is a Devil Dog scaled up (and given Fire Breath) by Bavmorda's magic.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Sorsha and Madmartigan]] in the sequel novels. Averted for the Sequel series, at least for Sorsha.

* ExpandedUniverse: Three novels by Lucas and Chris Claremont. Though the [[Series/Willow2022 Disney+ series]] rendered them [[CanonDiscontinuity non canon]].

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: The Eborsisk has two heads which look like a demonic ''Brachiosaurus'', with a nose reminiscent of an elephant seal. We also never see its lower body. In the NES video game, more traditional western dragons appear as enemies and in the arcade game, one is fought as a miniboss.

* TieInNovel: The movie was followed by the ''Chronicles of the Shadow War'' sequel trilogy by Creator/GeorgeLucas and Creator/ChrisClaremont. ''Shadow Moon'', ''Shadow Dawn'' and ''Shadow Star''.

** After Airk is killed by Kael, Madmartigan dramatically takes up Airk's sword, (which is a different type of sword than he normally uses) and charges directly at Kael so he can avenge Airk with Airk's own blade. Kael immediately parries the blow, breaks the blade, and almost kills Madmartigan before he can recover. It turns out that using an unfamiliar weapon in the middle of a pitched battle, especially against an opponent as capable as Kael, is a very bad idea. (Although later in the duel Madmartigan delivers one of the [[RasputinianDeath many, many, wounds]] that contribute to Kael's death with the broken blade of Airk's sword, so the symbolism and karma is still there.)

In May 2019, a [[SequelInAnotherMedium sequel in the form of a series]] was confirmed to be in development for release on Creator/DisneyPlus, and was formally announced in December 2020. Titled ''Series/{{Willow|2022}}'' just like the film, it premiered on November 30 2022.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Sorsha and Madmartigan]] in the sequel novels.

* ExpandedUniverse: Three novels by Lucas and Chris Claremont.

''Willow'' is a 1988 HeroicFantasy movie conceived and produced by Creator/GeorgeLucas and directed by Creator/RonHoward. The story is about a young farmer named Willow Ufgood (Creator/WarwickDavis), one of a {{Hobbit|s}}-like people called Nelwynns, who is drawn away from his sheltered home to save Elora Danan, a baby girl with a destiny, from the evil Queen Bavmorda (Creator/JeanMarsh) who would see her destroyed.

In May 2019, a [[SequelInAnotherMedium sequel in the form of a series]] was confirmed to be in development for release on Creator/DisneyPlus, and was formally announced in December 2020. It premiered on November 30 2022; the page can be found [[Series/{{Willow|2022}} here.]]

This film has had three game adaptations: one in 1988 by Mindscape for the Amiga, Atari ST and DOS; two in 1989 by Creator/{{Capcom}} for the Arcade and NES. The arcade game is a side-scrolling platform/action game where the player switches between Willow and Madmartigan, while the NES game is more of an Action RPG in the vein of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda''. The computer game is a collection of five minigames, [[TheProblemWithLicensedGames all of them horrible]].

In May 2019, a [[SequelInAnotherMedium sequel in the form of a series]] was confirmed to be in development for release on Creator/DisneyPlus, and was formally announced in December 2020. It is set to be released on November 30 2022; the page can be found [[Series/{{Willow|2022}} here.]]