History Main / BadassBandolier

The fundamental concept is that a warrior will want to wear all of his equipment close at hand, so the bandolier sends a message that the wearer expects combat. Various cultures have used bandoliers for different purposes. In the age of muzzle-loading firearms, a wealthy soldier might wear multiple single-shot pistols so he could discharge them rapidly one after the other without reloading. Cavalrymen and banditos of the Old West might also wear multiple pistols, as reloading was still a laborious process through the 1800's. In the latter half of the 1800's, cartridge technology made it feasible to wear individual bullets or shotshells in the bandolier. It was a sort of status symbol to wear a fully-loaded bandolier, as this showed you were not only a warrior but also wealthy enough to maintain a full complement of ammunition.

* Coyote Starrk from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' has a pair at the back of his BadassLongcoat in his Resurrecion, to compliment his ''[[TheGunslinger lone-wolf-gunslinger]]''-theme. They don't hold bullets however - they let him summon [[SavageWolves an army of spirit wolves]] and a pair of energy swords if he needs them.

* ''[[VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime Star Ocean: Till the End of Time]]'': Kurin is a 14 year old bounty hunter, armed with [[TheGunslinger a twin set of flintlock pistols.]] So she wears a crisscrossing set of bullets [[http://mangapark.me/manga/star-ocean-till-the-end-of-time/s1/v4/c16.5/2 around her hips,]] instead of a belt.

* This backfires (literally) in the Australian film ''Film/TheLighthorsemen'' (1987), when a Turkish bullet strikes an ammunition pouch on the bandolier worn across the chest of a Light Horse soldier, causing all the other pouches to spontaneously detonate.

* In Creator/HarryTurtledove's ''Literature/TheGunsOfTheSouth'', General Jeb Stuart takes to wearing crossed bandoliers, but gets contrite when Robert E. Lee points out that the leather could have better been used to make shoes for the soldiers. Lee was just teasing, adding afterwards that a few feet of leather won't make or break the Confederacy.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': in older editions characters could buy bandoliers to hold daggers or darts for use as throwing weapons. (Your character can still have one in newer editions, but since the game has grown less concerned with nit-picking details, it's just a flavorful explanation of having a bunch of them in your [[{{hammerspace}} abstract inventory]].)

* Frank West in ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' can wear criss-crossing bandoliers as an unlockable outfit.

* Several Armor Permutations in ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' feature the GrenadeLauncher variant, including the Ua/Multithreat, Base Patrol, and Grenadier variants. However, this is purely aesthetic, and doesn't do anything other than [[RuleOfCool look cool]].
* In ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'', Whitaker and the Fallen Survivor infected (which is a infected model of Whitaker).

** ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' also features a bandolier that has the same effect as its predecessor. The Online mode takes an extra step and features various purchaseable bandoliers, though they are solely cosmetic.
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': The Heavy, Soldier, Demoman, and Pyro wear one. Pyro and Soldier's are mostly for show (as neither use grenades in their loadouts), but Soldier has a few taunts involving them (including one that can kill). Cosmetic items can replace the grenades and ammunition held in them with such things as Christmas tree ornaments, batteries, bongos, and {{cartoon bomb}}s, and human skulls.

** In the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "your funeral", a FutureBadass version of Pom Pom is seeing wearing a bandolier while facing off against a zombified Strong Bad.

* Parodied in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', where the footnote points out that the bandoliers the bad guys are wearing are completely unnecessary, since in the future bulky ammunition stores are nonexistent. It then goes on to theorize they are instead filled with chewing gum.

* In the ''[[Roleplay/InsaneCafeSeries Insane Cafe 2]]'' and its sequel, bandoliers are worn by Mr. Bigmouth, Deimos and Rime. Interestingly, Mr. Bigmouth also uses a ''much less'' badass but equally useful messenger bag. Also, Deimos and Rime use assorted pockets in their armored vests to carry stuff.

* The British Army uniform included bandoliers called cross-belts up until they did away with the bright red coats. They did not actually hold bullets in and of themselves, but were instead carrying straps for an actual ammunition pouch, as well as the soldier's [[BayonetYa bayonet]] or a sword scabbard. They weren't exclusively a British invention, as most armies of the 18th-19th centuries used them in some form, but the [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Wellingtons33rd.jpg striking white-on-scarlet look]] of the British cross-belts is the most remembered version.

* A "revolutionary seaman", in a striped sleeveless shirt with two criss-crossed bandoliers full of machine-gun ammo, is an iconic image of [[UsefulNotes/RedOctober the Russian Civil War]].

** The War Doctor is depicted wearing one of these, using it to hold his sonic screwdriver. [[Recap/DoctorWho50thPrequelTheNightOfTheDoctor "The Night of the Doctor"]] reveals before being worn by the War Doctor, the bandolier [[TragicKeepsake belonged]] to a prospective companion, who upon discovering the Eighth Doctor was a [[TheDreaded Time Lord]] elected to die [[TakeMyHand rather than be saved]].

* In the HeroesRUs series ''Soldiers of Barrabas'', the mercenary protagonists visit El Salvador and encounter a communist guerrilla leader who wears a heavy ammo belt [[{{fanservice}} for the apparent purpose of pulling her shirt tight to expose her cleavage]].

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/71cuk4glayl_ac_sl1500__1.jpg]]]]

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': The Heavy, Soldier, Demoman, and Pyro wear one. Cosmetic items can replace the grenades and ammunition held in them with such things as Christmas tree ornaments, batteries, bongos, and {{cartoon bomb}}s, and human skulls.
** ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' participated in a costume crossover deal with the Steam version of ''VideoGame/MondayNightCombat.'' Gamers who bought MNC before February 1st got a bunch of crossover gear the characters could wear. The Gunner's gear was the Heavy's bandolier.

* Dinobot in the "Coming of the Fuzors" arc in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' sports one of these towards the end of part 1. Along with (at that point) the largest gun seen on the show.

[[quoteright:300:[[VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bandolier_of_marston_8296.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Well, where else am I gonna put my bullets? What, a pouch? Get outta here!]]

* ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': Guts has a bandolier of throwing knives, as did Judeau.

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'': Negi put on one with magic potions when he went to fight Evangeline.

* Comicbook/SgtRock is often shown carrying a belt of .50-caliber machine gun ammunition over his shoulders... despite the fact that Easy Company seldom actually ''uses'' heavy machine guns.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'', the US Support class wears one like a scarf.

* Several armors in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' & ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' have decorative bandoliers.

* Since it's a parody of ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'' mentioned above, any character in ''WebAnimation/BattlefieldFriends'' using the [[MoreDakka Support Class]] wears an ammo belt like a scarf.

* Since it's a parody of ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield 3}}'' mentioned above, any character in ''WebAnimation/BattlefieldFriends'' using the [[MoreDakka Support Class]] wears an ammo belt like a scarf.
** The Badass part largely only applies to [[PhysicalGod Colonel]], though, since the other two primary users of the class are Noob and [[CloudCuckooLander Simon]].

* In the ''[[Roleplay/InsaneCafeSeries Insane Cafe 2]]'' and its sequel, bandoliers are worn by Mr. Bigmouth, Deimos and Rime. Interestingly, Mr. Bigmouth also uses a ''much less'' badass but equally useful messenger bag. Also, Deimos and Rime use assorted pockets in their armored vests to carry stuff.
* ''Website/GaiaOnline'' has Bullet Belts purchasable at Gold Mountain.
* Faun Muranaka of ''Literature/Tasakeru'' wears one [[{{Stripperiffic}} strategically]] across her considerable assets. It has dozens of pouches to hold her {{Trick Bomb}}s.
* Invoked in ''Literature/TheFountainheadFilibusterTalesFromObjectivistKatanga''. The feeding mechanism on Che Guevara's drum-fed machine rifle breaks, forcing him to tear the ammo belt out of the drum and wrap it around himself while feeding the end directly into the gun.

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Ukyou wears a bandoleer of spatulas to cook with (that she also [[ImprobableWeaponUser uses as weapons]]).
* Meru on ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' has a bandolier filled with cell phones. Kind of a weapon, since she uses them to troll people.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': Captain Smoker has a bandolier of [[SmokingIsCool cigars]].

* Coyote Starrk from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' has a pair at the back of his BadassLongcoat in his Resurrecion, to compliment his ''[[TheGunslinger lone-wolf-gunslinger]]''-theme. They don't hold bullets however - they let him summon [[SavageWolves an army of spirit wolves]] and a pair of energy swords if he needs them.
* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'': Triela typically has a bandolier around the stock of her Trenchgun. From her actions in episode 9, she uses it as a ready source of specialized shot, to be thumbed in on top of her regular loadout. She fires one shot, the bandolier is missing one shell, and it's a tire-shot, (presumably a slug).

* As ComicBook/RedRobin, Tim traded in most of the bulky pouches from his utility belt as [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]] for a set of bandoliers with compressed canisters on them to carry around his gear. At least those elements of his gear that ''can'' be compressed.
* Knife, an assassin from ''ComicBook/BatwomanRebirth'', holds her throwing knives on a pair of straps that crisscross her chest.

* In [[TheWestern Western]] movies some characters (such as Mexican banditos) were portrayed as wearing pairs of crossed bandoliers across their chests.
** Several bandits in ''Film/ThreeAmigos'', including El Guapo's TheDragon Jefe.
** ''Film/BlazingSaddles'': the bandito who gives the "Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!" speech.
%%* ''Film/KickAss'': Kick-Ass wears one during the film.
* Animal Mother in ''Film/FullMetalJacket'' carried two ammo belts for his M60 machine gun crossed over his torso. Other Marines in the film can also be seen with bandoliers containing extra magazines for their weapons.
%%* Nicholas Angel wears one near the end of ''Film/HotFuzz''.
* Realistic version: In ''Film/{{Heat}}'', Neil wears a utility vest stuffed with spare magazines for his assault rifle during the bank robbery and the shootout that follows.
* In ''Film/Another48Hours'', one of the villains wears boots with bandolier-inspired bullets on the ''toes''.
* The Bullet Farmer from ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' wears an outfit comprised of nothing ''but'' bandoliers filled with rounds, in a conspicuous display of his wealth in the ScavengerWorld. Must be [[ImpracticallyFancyOutfit rather hot in the desert though]].
* The Mad Hatter in ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'' has one, though it holds spools of thread rather than bullets.
* A bad guy in ''Film/SwampThing'' wears these.
* This backfires (literally) in the Australian film ''The Lighthorsemen'' (1987), when a Turkish bullet strikes an ammunition pouch on the bandolier worn across the chest of a Light Horse soldier, causing all the other pouches to spontaneously detonate.
* Likewise in ''Film/TheLastStand'' when someone fires a FlarePistol at a mook with a bandolier of grenades.
* Naturally the title character and his men in ''Film/AndStarringPanchoVillaAsHimself''.
* ''Film/StTrinians'' (2009): a FunnyBackgroundEvent has the girls being checked by [[MetalDetectorCheckpoint metal detector]] as they arrive for the first day of school; one of them is wearing crossed machine-gun belts under her jacket.
* Downplayed in ''Film/{{Assassins}}''. Miguel Bain wears a cuff with spare rounds for his sniper rifle attached to his right wrist, while he waits to kill the protagonist.

* In ''Film/{{Scarecrows}}'', Corbin wears a bandoleer of shells for his combat shotgun, which proves to be the most effective weapon against the scarecrows.
* In ''Film/ValdezIsComing'', Bob Valdez wears a bandolier of shotgun shells over his old uniform.

* In ''Pinball/BoneBusters,'' the team members' backpack straps double as bandoliers.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Link now wears a baldric with pouches, for carrying his scabbard on his back. Which crosses into CostumePorn in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess.]]''
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': The Heavy, Soldier, Demoman, and Pyro wear one. Cosmetic items can replace the grenades and ammunition held in them with such things as Christmas tree ornaments, batteries, bongos, and {{cartoon bomb}}s, and human skulls.
** ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' participated in a costume crossover deal with the Steam version of ''VideoGame/MondayNightCombat.'' Gamers who bought MNC before February 1st got a bunch of crossover gear the characters could wear. The Gunner's gear was the Heavy's bandolier.

* In ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'', Whitaker and the Fallen Survivor infected (which is a infected model of Whitaker).
* A bandolier can be bought in ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption''. It doubles the amount of rifle and repeater ammo you can carry. Once you buy it you will always be wearing it and receive its benefits, even when wearing an outfit that hides it. In a nice graphical touch as you burn through your ammo stock the number of rounds on the belt disappear.
** ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' also features a bandolier that has the same effect as its predecessor. The Online mode takes an extra step and features various purchaseable bandoliers, though they are solely cosmetic.

* In ''VisualNovel/{{Yarudora}} series vol.3: VisualNovel/{{Sampaguita}}'', one of the {{Triad}} members wears [[http://www.catsuka.com/gengal/sampaguita/shirow/charashirow_131.jpg a bandolier full of shotgun ammo.]]
* Several armors in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' & ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' have decorative bandoliers.
* The Vietnam version of the ''[[VideoGame/{{Battlefield}} Battlefield 2]]'' mod ''VideoGame/ProjectReality'' has the Automatic Rifleman class for the US Army & US Marines wearing two bandoliers of ammo for their M60 machine guns crossed over their torso.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{X}} X3: Reunion]]'', ''Terran Conflict'', and ''Albion Prelude'', several SpacePirate NPC portraits wear ammo belts as bandoliers. One [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Split]] portrait also has them, occasionally causing confusion for those who haven't memorized the race portraits yet.
* Frank West in ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' can wear criss-crossing bandoliers as an unlockable outfit.
* Nathan Drake wears one of these for the last act of the third Uncharted game.
* In ''VideoGame/TheGodfather II'' one of the rewards you can unlock for capturing a set of fronts is doubled ammo capacity, which is shown in the aversion of InformedEquipment as [[LiteralMetaphor ammo worn as a belt.]]

* ''ComicBook/SuicideSqud'': Writer John Ostrander and artist Luke [=McDonnell=] added a bandoleer of boomerangs to Captain Boomerang's costume, which has become standard in all of his subsequent appearances.

* These were removed in the second printing of ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'s 2nd edition. The ''first'' printing had them as items, just like 1st edition(being an offshoot of D&D 3.5) did. But the second printing decided to simply give you a "carry on" item limit, and just granted that the character had whatever bandoleers and pouches needed for it on their person for free.

* ''Film/{{Assassins}}''. Miguel Bain wears a cuff with spare rounds for his sniper rifle attached to his right wrist, while he waits to kill the protagonist.

** In ''Literature/NightWatch'', [[PsychoForHire Carcer]] acquires a bandolier of ''[[FantasyGunControl knives]].''

* The British Army uniform included bandoliers called cross-belts up until they did away with the bright red coats. They did not actually hold bullets in and of themselves, but were instead carrying straps for an actual ammunition pouch, as well as the soldier's [[BayonetYa bayonet]] or a sword scabbard.

The worn form of GunAccessories. Compare SuperheroPackingHeat, UtilityBelt.

** In the modern day, machine gun ammunition belts are sometimes worn over the shoulder in a similar manner to bandoliers, satisfying this trope in spirit. The ammo belt isn't meant to hold individual rounds for reloading, but rather to be loaded into the machine gun as a single unit. It usually wouldn't be worn 24/7, but would instead be removed from its belt box and wrapped or draped around the body to make it easier to reach for reloading.

** In the modern day, machine gun ammunition belts are sometimes worn over the shoulder in a similar manner to bandoliers, satisfying this trope in spirit. The ammo belt isn't meant to hold individual rounds for reloading, but rather to be loaded into the machine gun as a single unit.

* The British Army uniform included bandoliers called cross-belts up until they did away with the bright red coats.

** In ''Discworld/NightWatch'', [[PsychoForHire Carcer]] acquires a bandolier of ''[[FantasyGunControl knives]].''
** Darktan, the head of the Trap Squad in ''Discworld/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'', wears bandoliers to store his trap-disarming tools. This is one of two exceptions to the rule that rats don't wear clothes, the other being Sardines' NiceHat.

* A staple for extreme metal bands. The trend was started by Lemmy of Motorhead and has since become an iconic symbol worn by bands from Megadeth to Bathory

The use of a bandolier is not without its problems, however. Munitions exposed to the elements may corrode and become unusable. Since the invention of the machine gun, soldiers in fiction tends to sling ammunition belts over their shoulders to present a menacing appearance. However doing this for an extended period would cause the belted ammo links to rust so that they cannot be fed into a weapon. In reality, ammo belts tends to be carried in metal boxes until they are needed. Hollywood often depicts soldiers with hand grenades dangling from their bandoliers (John Wayne being perhaps the most famous example of this). This is also a bad idea, as a hand grenade dangling from equipment may become snagged as a soldier crawls or moves through rough terrain, [[PineappleSurprise with unfortunate results]]. Unfortunately, young soldiers would try to emulate what they saw on television. Vietnam veteran David Hackworth once recalled a soldier telling him the Army would not provide grenade pouches because they believed John Wayne was wearing his munitions "the right way," another example of [[LifeImitatesArt life imitating art]].

In the modern world, cross-body bandoliers are only common among poor armies and militias. Pouches and magazines are used to avoid the problems mentioned above. The American army only uses canvas bandoliers to carry packaged bulk ammunition, while in combat all equipment is worn on vest and belt pouches.

!Examples:

[[folder:Film]]

* In the ''Literature/OldKingdom'' trilogy, necromancers (and Abhorsens) keep their seven necromantic bells in bandoliers.

** Darktan, the head of the Trap Squad in ''Discworld/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'', wears bandoliers to store his trap-disarming tools. This is one of two exceptions to the rule that rats don't wear clothes, the other being Sardines's NiceHat.

* In Richard Powell's ''Don Quixote, U.S.A.'' Conchita, who joined the local rebel group after her father was killed, wears crossed bandoliers. She gives them up at the end of the book when she starts a relationship with Arthur.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** The mercenary gunrunners in "The Caves of Androzani" wear bandoliers of DeadlyGas grenades.
** Jackson Lake wears one made of Cyberman "info stamps" in "The Next Doctor".
** The War Doctor is depicted wearing one of these, using it to hold his sonic screwdriver. "The Night of the Doctor" reveals before being worn by the War Doctor, the bandolier [[TragicKeepsake belonged]] to a prospective companion, who upon discovering the Eighth Doctor was a [[TheDreaded Time Lord]], elected to die [[TakeMyHand rather than be saved]].

* Seen primarily in World Xtreme Wrestling, Solo wears a bandolier as part of his entrance attire.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop RPG]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': in older editions characters could buy bandoliers to hold daggers or darts for use as throwing weapons. (Your character can still have one in newer editions, but since the game has grown less concerned with nit-picking details, it's just a flavorful explanation of having a bunch of them in your [[{{hammerspace}} abstract inventory]].)
** In 3rd/3.5 edition, bandoliers still exist, and still have the same function. A humanoid can reasonably equip as many as 3 bandoliers, one as a belt and the other two across the chest. Drawing items from a bandolier does not provoke attacks of opportunity, regular bandoliers hold 10 items, whereas Masterwork ones hold 12.

[[folder:Web Comics]]