History Main / Bloodknight

** Carol Danvers aka Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}} is a brutally stoic character, but if there’s one that stops her from being a FlatCharacter it’s her crazed love of combat [[https://gfycat.com/actualunfitewe-captain-marvel-brie-larson-marvel-studios as seen when fighting Skrulls]].

** Carol Danvers aka Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}} is a brutally stoic character, but if there’s one that stops her from being a FlatCharacter it’s her crazed love of combat [[https://gfycat.com/actualunfitewe-captain-marvel-brie-larson-marvel-studios as seen when fighting Skulls]].

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': [[GirlyBruiser Mabel]] and [[TheLadette Wendy]], two ActionGirl examples of this trope.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls''
has [[GirlyBruiser Mabel]] and [[TheLadette Wendy]], two ActionGirl examples of this trope.

* YouTube personality Vaush is a non-physical example: he really likes to debate as well as make..err..reviews of horrible videos (usually made by Neo-Nazis and the like) where he criticizes and makes fun of them.

has [[GirlyBruiser Mabel]] and [[TheLadette Wendy]], who are this trope.
-->'''Mabel''': Alright, here's the plan. I'll take out those two guard guys, you karate chop the other dude in the neck and then we'll back flip through the front door!

-->'''Wendy''': Finally! A place where I can be violent with zero reprecussions!

has two [[ActionGirl Action Girls]], [[GirlyBruiser Mabel]] and [[TheLadette Wendy]], who are this trope.

* ''WesternAnimation/ GravityFalls'': Both of the show's [[ActionGirl Action Girls]], [[GirlyBruiser Mabel]] and [[TheLadette Wendy]], are this trope.

* Amaterasu from ''Fanfic/{{Infinity}}''. However, she seems to have different ''kinds'' of BloodKnight personalities, varying between a [[DissonantSerenity cold, serious murder machine]] and openly admitting she's finding the battle a [[DepravedBisexual turn-on]]. Which she uses seems to depend on some combination of how angry she is... and how ''sexually attracted she is to her opponent''. Yikes.

* Vesper from ''Webcomic/{{Plume}}'' exhibits all signs of a BloodKnight in the making, from the apparent ease with which she takes to killing to her clear enjoyment of the whole thing.

** Carol Danvers aka Film/CaptainMarvel is a brutally stoic character, but if there’s one that stops her from being a FlatCharacter it’s her crazed love of combat [[https://gfycat.com/actualunfitewe-captain-marvel-brie-larson-marvel-studios as seen when fighting Skulls]].

** Tony Stark aka Film/IronMan funnily enough only became a true blood knight '''after''' he shut down the Weapon's Program for the military and built his suits due to his four-month stint in an Afghan cave. Where after his HeelFaceTurn, Tony took much pleasure in fighting back against his kidnappers, as he said upon escaping the cave in his Mark 1 suit... "''My turn''". Tony is mostly a well-intentioned MadScientist but it's clear as we see him fight the villains, Tony just loves fighting evil and building more suits to fight evil better. Despite more or less being a man in a can, Tony doesn't back down to anyone even when up against Thor... only smiling as Thor's lightning bolt powers his suit up, Tony even shows enjoyment when fighting ''the freaking Hulk'' who would ruin his day if Tony wasn't wearing the suit made to fight said person. Many others claim Tony is "''self-destructive''", to which he replies "''Aren't we all?''".

** Charles Gunn, was introduced into the series like this. Slaying vampires every night in L.A, Gunn found the Angel gang's smart careful way of fighting evil "boring" and preferred just to go in swinging. [[spoiler:This changes when he and the others join [[EvilInc Wolfram & Hart]]] and gets a brain upgrade turning him into a super lawyer.]] Though Gunn still likes roughing it, he enjoys the intellectual position, but his mindset comes at a terrible [[KillTheCutie cost]] and Gunn goes back to his street-wise personality. Even when faced against almost certain death in the finale, Gun just says he'll ''take the thousand on the left''.

-->'''Aunt May''': Don’t you mind [[TakingTheFightOutside taking this outside?]]

WarIsHell? [[WarIsGlorious Not to this guy]].

* The night after the 2012 installment of WWE "Hell in a Cell", Wrestling/{{Sheamus}} (who had lost the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-h.html WWE RAW World Heavyweight Title]] at the event), came out and proclaimed with a smile that in spite of his loss, he got an amazing battle that he was thirsting for, regardless of the outcome. He declared Wrestling/TheBigShow a WorthyOpponent and said he was on pins and needles waiting for another swing at the world title.

* Wrestling/SamoaJoe is this to such a level that he was the wrestler for whom the "(Wrestler Name)'s Gonna KILLL YOUUUU!!!!" chant was coined.
* Wrestling/ShinsukeNakamura is often seen as a [[CloudCuckooLander nutball]], but when it comes to fighting he's so brutal in the ring and nonchalant about who he's being brutal TO that some fans have joked that his name translates into "Come At Me Bro!".
* Wrestling/{{Asuka}} is so much this, with a healthy dose of [[SlasherSmile slasher smile]] and KubrickStare thrown in that she's the first woman wrestler to earn the aforementioned "Gonna Kill You" chant.

Fighting is everything to the Blood Knight. He lives for it. It's not so much about winning or losing, morality, the motives of his allies, or even [[GlorySeeker the glory]], that drives this guy so much as it is the opportunity for a good fight.

As an antagonist, he has a good chance of being an AntiVillain, since he doesn't want to kill the heroes, necessarily, just fight them. If he can find someone [[DefeatMeansFriendship tough enough to beat him]] he might undergo a HeelFaceTurn and join the hero's team, or simply gain a [[WorthyOpponent newfound respect]] for his foe that he [[DefeatMeansRespect didn't have before]]. He might deliberately disadvantage himself in order to make fights last longer and loves to reveal that [[IAmNotLeftHanded he is not left-handed]]. Despite the brutality that this trope implies, it's not uncommon for them to be a NobleDemon as well, when they want an exciting fight on ''specific terms'' or when they reject unfair advantages because it would make the fight no fun. He may even betray his boss if he insists on interfering to [[StalkerWithACrush pursue and obsess]] over his [[FoeYay foe]] on his own terms. Less pleasant ones may [[KickTheDog do all kinds of horrible things]] to provoke their opponents into fighting them. Though if they specifically love to kill (rather than fight) they are a PsychoForHire.

Personality-wise, more evil ones may be a FlatCharacter (and quite possibly TheBrute) who just shouts [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}} "Maim! Kill! Burn!"]]. Good/[[AntiVillain Sympathetic]] ones are usually more sophisticated/developed, and can have aspects of the WarriorTherapist, WarriorPoet or CulturedWarrior. He might be a [[BoisterousBruiser normal, jocular guy]] when he's not brawling, or he might take the fight so seriously that [[TheStoic he blocks out everything else]] and will therefore live only for battle. In some cases the Blood Knight fights because he's [[DeathSeeker looking for a way to die with meaning]].

A WarGod is very often one of these though he could also be AxCrazy or just TheSociopath. If there's a whole society of guys who like combat, you've got a {{Proud Warrior Race|Guy}}. If the character likes the 'killing' part more than the 'fighting' part, they're a PsychoForHire. The EgomaniacHunter also thrives on aimless violent thrill and loves a worthy quarry instead of opponent. If a character is in it for the challenge rather than just the fight, then we've got a SpiritedCompetitor. The Blood Knight's love of combat may be platonic, or it may have [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence sexual undertones]]. It could also overlap with AxCrazy if their love of fighting crosses the line into psychopathic violence and mental and emotional instability.

* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfAnElderGod'': Deconstructed. Due to her upbringing Asuka is very aggressive, battle-hungry and eager to engage the enemy. However her first fight was against an alien horror was so repulsive-looking she does not even want to go near it. When it bites her robot's hand off, though, she goes berserk and bludgeons it until it is a bloody pulp... which earns her a reprimand for being too aggressive.

** Rei, too. After returning to the past she has decided that resorting to extreme violence to deal with the enemy is a perfectly acceptable therapy. When she sorties for first time she decides against using weapons because bludgeoning the giant alien with her -robot's- bare fists would feel more satisfactory.
* ''Manga/{{Evangelion 303}}'': Asuka and Mari are jet fighter elite pilots that really enjoying flying their war planes and fighting. Especially Mari. She ''sings'' as she battles.

* ''Fanfic/HigherLearning'': Subverted. Asuka was one per canon. She trained during one decade and loved fighting. However she fought enemies were too powerful to her or against which her skills were useless. After fighting Arael and getting {{Mind Rape}}d she broke down, but [[spoiler:she bounced back when the MP Evas struck]].

* ''Fanfic/LastChildOfKrypton'': Asuka really likes fighting, not only because she is a good fighter but also because piloting a giant robot and fighting {{Eldritch Abomination}}s makes her feeling she is not worthless. When she got into her Eva to sortie for first time she was really eager because she had been waiting for that moment since she was three.

* ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'': Asuka lives for fighting... and Shinji is trying to show to her that she has more reasons to live. Likewise her battle lust has almost gotten her into trouble several times (such like when she rushed Israfel and almost got bludgeoned when it unexpectedly split into two halves).
* ''Fanfic/TheOneILoveIs'': During several conversations Asuka tells Shinji she likes fighting why she is good at it and people notices when she fights. So she worked hard to become the best because she thought that nobody would care about her otherwise.

* The combat-addicted skahs wizards and warriors of Baravada in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached''. Unfortunately they were so good at what they did that they wiped out all opposition and haven't had anything to fight except each other for at least ten years. They're so bored and have so little to do that when, in a brilliant BatmanGambit, Ringo spreads the word that there are monsters in the distant GhostCity of Ehndris, practically the entire skahs population of Ta'akan drops everything to try to get down there and see if it's true.

*** A few chapters later, Flare Star delivers a... rather ''thorough'' [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beating]] to a Exile mare named Pearl Eyes, reducing the confident rookie to [[VillainsWantMercy pleading for her life.]]

* [[FanFic/ChiAndChakra Chi and Chakra's]] OC Ryoko Saotome is a moe blood knight. Outside of a fight she's an emotionally abused nervous wreck that will let people walk all over her. Fighting is the only time she really feels relaxed and happy. Unless [[BerserkButton someone she cares about is threatened.]] In which case you're looking at a berserker.

* In ''Fanfic/AllTheWayBack'', the returned Princess Luna is very eager to find chances to serve Equestria as its Princess of War--in part because it makes the lonely FishOutOfTemporalWater feel useful again; in part because she simply enjoys battle.
* ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' has Strife, the AnthropomorphicPersonification of Natural Selection. When called to exterminate a race, she prefers to fight them head on, even though she could simply wipe them out from a distance with her magic. She also says [[TheSocialDarwinist every race deserves the chance to fight for its survival]].

* ''Fanfic/KitsuneNoKenFistOfTheFox'': Tenten is always ready to fight, and in fact she'll willingly engage in bar brawls and street fights in an effort to make herself stronger.

* The titular villain of ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'' was like this. He didn't want to conquer the world, but rather to find a WorthyOpponent to challenge and develop his skills and experience as a supervillain. As soon as he kills his own nemesis, he's left without a worthy opponent to reduce his boredom. So, he creates a new superhero nemesis to give him a good fight, only for him to later on become more evil than Megamind himself and thus have to be stopped. [[spoiler:As soon as Megamind defeats his own creation, he ends up saving the city and becoming a superhero instead, thus giving him more ''real'' challenges to feed his adrenaline rush, even though it would mean retiring from the supervillain business to become said superhero.]]

* [[Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme Jean Vilain]], the BigBad of ''Film/TheExpendables2''. He becomes so overjoyed when he finally fights [[Creator/SylvesterStallone Barney Ross]] that he urges him to keep fighting-even throwing his guns away so he can fight Stallone with a knife alone.

** Aragon the {{Ranger}}/TheGoodKing likes to be civil, albeit cautious but against his foes Aragon can't hide his satisfaction. Smiling when faced with [[TheLegionsOfHell Uruk Hai]] on Amon Hen, and is completely okay with the idea dying in battle so long as it's going out in blaze of glory with his friends. As Aragon says when before chasing after the Uruk Hai that captured Merry and Pippin: "''Let's hunt some orc''".

** Legolas while not as apparent in the books loves a good battle too, despite he's almost entirely peaceful race. Legolas smirks while dodging the blows of the cave troll, keeps a kill count with Gimli over how many orcs they've slaughtered in the big battles and causally kills a building sized elephant without breaking a sweat.

** Tony Stark aka Film/IronMan funnily enough only became a true blood knight '''after''' he shut down the Weapon's Program for the military and built his suits due to his four month stint in a Afghan cave. Where after his HeelFaceTurn, Tony took much pleasure in fighting back against his kidnappers, as he said upon escaping the cave in his Mark 1 suit... "''My turn''". Tony is mostly a well intentioned MadScientist but it's clear as we see him fight the villains, Tony just loves fighting evil and building more suits to fight evil better. Despite more or less being a man in a can, Tony doesn't back down to anyone even when up against Thor... only smiling as Thor's lightingbolt powers his suit up, Tony even shows enjoyment when fighting ''the freaking Hulk'' who would ruin his day if Tony wasn't wearing the suit made to fight said person. Many others claim Tony is "''self destructive''", to which he replies "''Aren't we all?''".

** At the start, Film/{{Thor}} is like any Asgardian of legend: boastful, headstrong, and will gladly take any challenger to task in the name of his homeland laughing like a boy when fighting colossal Ice Giants, and still smiling even when one headbutts him in the face. However spending some time on Earth weans him from his one-track mindedness. Nonetheless, he still relishes fighting; upon realizing how much of a challenge the Hulk is, he ''smirks''.

** Clinton Barton aka Hawkeye despite being a FamilyMan and all around good matured person, that has to be {{Brainwashed}} into evil still has more than sanguine attitude towards combat.

** Spider-man ''yes even him'' as first seen in [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]] when Spidey utterly overpowers Falcon and Bucky, but is delighted as a schoolboy (which he is) throughout the fight, even geeking out over Bucky's metal arm when he effortless catches his fist. Even up against Giant-man while shocked at first, Spidey leads the rest of Team Iron Man in bringing it down and exclaims in triumph when he succeeds, only to be knocked down as well.
*** In his solo movie ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', Peter is completely reckless at times, extremely anxious for another chance to kick with the Avengers after Berlin and is left disappointed. Spidey even brakes the [[PowerLimiter limits]] aka "training wheels" put inside his suit by Stark when foiling the Vulture's plans leading to him getting punished by Tony himself. Before the end of the climax of the movie, Peter was willingly to throwing his school/social life away just to chase the glory of being a superhero before [[DespairEventHorizon reality kicks in]], but heeding his Stark's words Spidey learns from his reckless mistakes and [[HeroicSpirit man-ups]]. [[spoiler:Peter plays it safe from then on, even refusing Stark's offer to be become recognized officially as a Avenger despite wanting it to fight with TheTeam so badly before then.]]

** In ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'', [[BigBad Erik "Killmonger" Stevens]] and his accomplice Ulysses Klaue openly enjoy causing violence and chaos wherever they go. When tearing his way through a casino, Klaue acts like a giddy child at Disneyland while joyously remarking that it was awesome. Killmonger rack up kills like he's playing video game and relishes the prospect of killing T'Challa's family and allies as seen when he sports a SlasherSmile before fighting Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri during the final battle.

** Carol Danvers aka Film/CaptainMarvel is brutally stoic character, but if there’s one that stops her from being a FlatCharacter it’s her crazed love of combat [[https://gfycat.com/actualunfitewe-captain-marvel-brie-larson-marvel-studios as seen when fighting Skulls]].
* The titular symbiote from ''Film/Venom2018'' gleefully rips through squads of mooks, often chomping off their heads in the process. At one point he even suggests biting the heads off of some mooks and making two piles - one of bodies and one of heads.

** Charles Gunn, was introduced into the series as this. Slaying vampires every night in L.A, Gunn found the Angel gang's smart careful way of fighting evil "boring" and preferred just to go in swinging. [[spoiler:This changes when he and the others join [[EvilInc Wolfram & Hart]]] and gets a brain upgrade turning him into a super lawyer.]] Though Gunn still likes roughing it, he enjoys the intellectual position, but his mindset comes at a terrible [[KillTheCutie cost]] and Gunn goes back to his street-wise personality. Even when faced against almost certain death in the finale, Gun just says he'll ''take the thousand on the left''.
** Wesley is unique example, he was BadassBookworm who was excited to fight evil as a ''Rougue Demon hunter'' and after joining Angel's gang was always opt for one-liners. But after a tragic series of events Wesley mellows out and has a calm collect approach to foes, reminiscent of Jack Bauer.

*** All Slayers are this to some extent. In a season 5 episode, Buffy was unable to sleep, so she got out of bed, went on a hunt, and chased down and killed a vampire. She then returned to bed, finally able to sleep. As we also saw that season, a vigorous fight and kill makes her horny.

--->'''Person:''' Dear Frederick, thank you for your nice letter. But I'm actually a US Marine who was born to kill, where you have clearly mistaken me for some sort of wine-sipping communist dick-suck. And although peace probably appeals to tree-loving bisexuals like you and your parents, I happen to be a death-dealing, blood-crazed warrior who wakes up everyday just hoping for the chance to dismember my enemies and defile their civilizations. Peace sucks a hairy asshole, Freddie. War is the motherfucking answer.

** Clark becomes one under the influence of [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Red Kryptonite]], Bizarro, as well as Clark ''Luthor'' from [[MirrorUniverse Earth-2]]. Even the normal Clark gets in the act when he is in bad mood.

%%* Most songs by Music/{{Manowar}}, including "Black Wind, Fire And Steel". %% Zero Context

* [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Ares]] was one of the Greek gods of war. While Athena was goddess of wisdom and tactics, the domain of Ares was bloodlust and slaughter. He fought because he loved the violence. Which is not to say Athena didn't relish warfare (she was, after all, a war goddess), as indicated by [[http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Athena.html#Hymns this verse]]. She's just not ''as'' bloodthirsty as Ares. Then there's Ares's sister/sidekick Enyo, whose epithets include "blood-splattered", "destroyer of cities", and "impartial"--because she would support both sides of a battle to maximize the slaughter.
* Existing on the edge between mythology and history, the legendary Viking [[TheBerserker Berserkers]] struck fear in the hearts of all Europe during the Viking Age. Historians have put forth several different theories to explain the rage that seized these warriors on the battlefield, but ultimately, all that is known is that they would rush into battle with little-to-no armor, ignore wounds that would cripple an ordinary man, and strike down anything and anyone who got in their way. Contemporary accounts state that even their allies gave them a wide berth, for TheBerserker did not distinguish too well between friend and foe. According to their beliefs, a Berserker who fell in battle gained automatic access to the Warrior's Heaven of Valhalla (where they'd get to fight ''forever'' without dying, a Blood Knight's true paradise), and so they fought, not for plunder or honor--but simply for the fight itself, [[DeathSeeker and for the eventual warrior's death]]. Dying outside of the battlefield would result in a FateWorseThanDeath for any berserker: not getting in to Valhalla.
* The Morrigan from Myth/CelticMythology is famous for being the most fearsome ''goddess'' in most pantheons. She would often fight on ''both'' sides of a war, depending on who was slaughtering more people, and specialized in making minor misunderstandings slowly escalate into countrywide bloodbaths. PoorCommunicationKills? No, she's ''[[TheChessmaster just that good]]''.
* The Asura of Myth/{{Hindu|Mythology}} and Buddhist religion. They loved to fight, and would seize on any opportunity to do so, whether it's for a good cause, an evil cause, or just for the hell of it. Which is why the race's name is often translated to "warring deities". In Buddhism, people who loved to engage in battle were often reborn as this. The Aesir, the Norse pantheon of sky gods, derive their name from the same Indo-European word that the name ''Asura'' came from.[[note]]Oddly, the UsefulNotes/{{Zoroastrian|ism}} angelic Ahuras and supreme {{God}} Ahura-Mazda also derive from the same root; however, Zoroastrianism flips the Indian and Norse system, with the Ahuras being good and peace-loving, and the ''Daevas'' (equivalent to the "good" ''Devas'' of Hinduism; the word is related to the Latin ''divi'' "diety" from which we get "divine") are evil, chaotic demons.[[/note]]

** The three unfrozen Jedi in the ''Podcast/CoolKidsTable'' game ''Star War'' are far less peaceful than Ackbar expected. Gol even says that it's a good thing he found them instead of other Jedi, since the ones who died during the Empire's take-over must have been incredibly weak if they were defeated by clones.

* Having gradually alienated people for almost two years, in 2012 Wrestling/MercedesMartinez went on to proclaim she needed no one and her love, was pain.

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': The [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Warrior caste]] of the Clans live solely for war, for them its better to die in combat than in of old age. Some Crusader Clans are more ruthless then the rest, such as Clan Jade Falcon, Smoke Jaguar, and Ice Hellion. Rather than die of old age, [[DesignerBabies "outdated"]] Clan warriors past 35 years old are reassigned to Solahma units, given an outdated assault rifle, and sent out as CannonFodder to distract [[PoweredArmor battlearmor]] and [[HumongousMecha battlemechs]].

** [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Hobgoblins]] are this to but in a different way then Orc. They focus is on collective martial prowess and victory rather then [[TheBerserker raving like a madman.]]

** Any characters with high Valor in general are prime candidates for this treatment.

* The Adamantine Arrows of ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' believe that reality expresses itself most profoundly through conflict (Existence is War) and so believe that conflict is the most viable path to enlightenment. They thus seek to become the ultimate warriors by honing their minds, bodies and souls (The Supernal is the Self) and training themselves in as many methods of combat as possible (Adaptability is Strength), then engaging in as much conflict as possible. However, they also believe that conflict is meaningless unless the warrior is fighting for an individual, office, organisation, or cause (Service is Mastery) and adopts some manner of code of honor (Enlightenment is Honor). The Arrow {{Sourcebook}} notes that in virtually every war in history, their were Arrows fighting for both sides, and includes an example of a character who was on both sides of the Vietnam War.

** The Orcs/Orks were genetically engineered by a {{precursor|s}} race for the specific purpose of being tireless warriors and killers, and will gleefully fight anything, themselves included, if there's a good fight to be had from it. Orks actually need fights like a human needs exercise; in one book an Ork Boy imprisoned and kept for study gradually wastes away and even develops a prominent gut. Orks can have their brains replaced with that of a face-eater squig, a mindlessly violent eating machine incapable of experiencing pain or fear - and their comrades may not even notice the change. That part about them needing fights to stay in shape cannot be understated -- the Orks were originally a ''far'' more impressive warrior race called the Krorks. Not being in constant warfare against opponents as formidable as the ones they were created to fight in the first place (namely the Necron Empire and the C'tan at their peak) has led to them degenerating into the far weaker Orks.
** Worshippers of Khorne qualify partially--[[PsychoForHire but their main interest is spilling blood and spreading death and mayhem in Khorne's name]], not in the quality of the battle. After all, "Khorne cares not from whence the blood flows, as long as it flows"--they've been known to kill ''themselves'' if they run out of other victims to kill. The appropriately named Skulltaker, the highest ranking of Khorne's lesser daemons is this trope personified. His sole reason of existence is to look for the greatest warriors and fight them in hand-to-hand combat. If he wins (and he usually does) he'll rip the foe's head off and attach the skull into his cloak.
** Notably, the quote is interpreted differently DependingOnTheWriter. [[TabletopGame/BlackCrusade Those]] trying to make Chaos a bit less of a mustache-twirling ForTheEvulz villain go for the full trope, so that the "from whence the blood flows" quote refers to Khorne not caring which particular ''faction'' bleeds, only about the skill level of your opponent. Decapitating a fellow Chaos Champion is just pleasing to Khorne as slaying an Imperial hero, while killing a lowly cultist or citizen barely gets His attention.
** The Dwarfs are an interesting example. Left to their own devices, they'd be more than happy to live a peaceful life mining rare minerals and turning them into impressive works of craftsmanship. However, they are also obsessed with grudges; any wrong against the Dwarfen people are recorded in the Great Book of Grudges, and the pursuit of revenge is essentially a religious sacrament. [[CrapsackWorld The Warhammer universe being what it is,]] the Dwarfs are wronged very often and so the Book is [[DoorStopper more than a little full.]] As such, the Dwarfs glorify battle because they believe they're always in the right. Slayers exhibit this in a different way, because it's not a question of thrills: seeking out the biggest and meanest foe you can think of and fighting it is essentially the [[DeathSeeker Dwarfs' form of honorable suicide]].
** Blood Dragon vampires subvert this; they're trying to emulate the first Blood Dragon Abhorash, who defeated a dragon and drank its blood, permanently quenching his blood thirst. The Blood Dragons have the goal of becoming great enough fighters to do the same, meaning that their constant fighting actually has the ultimate goal of allowing them to stop killing people. In the newer edition they're available only in squads of lesser vampires actually known as Blood Knights.

** While the Imperium's soldiers are generally better described as ChurchMilitant, the fact that many in-universe statements, prayers and sermons seem to consider warring against their enemies to be a way of worshiping the GodEmperor means that it can get kind of confused at times.

** Witch Elves of the Dark Elves are this trope, as well as Khainites in general. As the brides of the Elven god of war, murder, pain, suffering, and bloodshed in general, they go in a drug-induced frenzy and rush into battle with with a flurry of attacks. Oh, and to make sure they kill something, they use poisons. Even other Khainites are not too terribly sane as their Khaineite rule prevents non-Khainite characters from joining them, as no one trusts them.

* Tybalt from ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' is one: During the opening fight scene, he states that he hates two things: peace and Montagues. At the party, he asks a page boy who is carrying his rapier to give it to him to he can kill Romeo, although he is stopped by Lord Capulet. And he sword fights with Mercutio even when Benvolio tries to negotiate.

* Lancer in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' embodies this trope. He has no interest in the Holy Grail, only in beating the crap out of the other heroes in a good fight. Unfortunately, his Master does not share his Blood Knight tendencies, so there are only few moments he can fight on his fullest and enjoy the fight. Assassin also qualifies, with his sole interest being matching blades with a WorthyOpponent, but as he's stuck in one place the entire time, he has to wait for people to come to him.

** Soldine enjoys [[PayEvilUntoEvil reducing his opponents to pulp]]. Combat situations are also the only ones when he shows enthusiasm, because he's TheQuietOne most of the time.

--->'''Schlock:''' With these, I could have put a five millimeter pulse bolt of plasma through Snipey [=McWipey=]'s scope and into his brain. One shot, no collateral damage.\\
'''Kevyn:''' But that's not what you ''would'' have done. If you'd had plasma cannons you would have [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill hit his window with a two meter blast, vaporizing him and setting the room on fire]]. Am I right?\\

* In ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'', the BigBad of the first season, Lord Inquisitor Karamazov, believes that there is no such thing as innocence and will gleefully bathe a whole world in blood, fire of both if he suspects it of heresy. It doesn't help that he's confident that he's the only person who knows what the real truth is and won't accept the possibility that he may be wrong.

* In the web serial [[http://stonesoulserial.blogspot.com/ Stone Soul]] there are several characters that fit this trope, all of whom are from the Ovleni culture. However, they do not simply love to fight. The Ovleni culture is quite fixated on experienced the most amazing and intense sensations that can be found. In the serial, the "ultimate experience" they are usually after involves battle-axing people in the face. However the use of psycho-active plants is also featured heavily, and battle and hallucinogens are also combined in some instances in pursuit of the ultimate experience.

* Many characters in ''Roleplay/ThisIsWar'', ranging from simply enjoying combat, to enjoying the feeling of winning a fight, to grimly enjoying killing a particular species, it's all there.

* In the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' stories, there's Counterpoint. He's a power mimic, among other powers, so whatever you've got, he's got too (within limits). He's regarded around campus as pretty psycho, since all he wants to do is find worthy opponents and fight them. If he loses, he comes back and tries again. And again. And...he isn't interested in killing people, just beating them. It looks like Counterpoint might be the avatar (or something) of the Greek god Ares, so that actually makes sense.

** SCP-076-2 seems to see combat as the only worthwhile pursuit in life, and agreed to work with the Foundation instead of slaughtering them because he realized it could provide him with ''more dangerous'' creatures to fight. [[spoiler:Backfired on the Foundation immensely when he got bored. He slaughtered his way through countless Foundation agents in what is currently the worst breach the Foundation has experienced so far.]]

* Toph Beifong from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' is a [[PintsizedPowerhouse short]], [[HandicappedBadass blind]] girl who routinely (and gleefully) kicks the asses of grown men almost three times her size. When she tells her parents about this, she states that she loves fighting and being an [[DishingOutDirt Earthbender]], and that she's really good at both.
* In ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'', Ben and Gwen's cousin Sunny only decides it's fun being around them once she gets to fight. Ben is also eager to get into fights for him to go alien, and beat up bad guys...a desire that's amplified even further if the alien he turns into happens to be Rath.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': Depending on the episode, Mr. Cat may or may not be one of these. In some episodes, he acgually goes out of his way to make people get angry at him so he can have a fight.

* Norman in ''WesternAnimation/MightyMax''. [[CatchPhrase He eats Blood Knights for breakfast]]! In one episode in particular, he responds to all problems with "Want me to break it?"

* Princess Star Butterfly of ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' is [[GenkiGirl an endless fountain of energy]] who ''loves'' fighting monsters. Her friend Marco Diaz was a safety-obsessed kid who thought his life was boring until he got caught up in her adventures. Now he relishes fighting along side her.

** [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Dinobot]], from the ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', fits the trope to a tee. He's all about honor and glory, and abhors an unfair fight because there's no honor in winning that way. He can't let a "clear out" order by without at least one objection, either.

** Megatron in all his incarnations has grand designs to conquer the universe. Destroying Autobots is his greatest joy. He destroys everything he touches [[LargeHam because everything is food for his hunger. His hunger for power]]! Of course, different incarnations are different when it comes to whether or not he loves to smash. Some versions are patient schemers and some versions love to get into the fight personally and smash some Autobots...and if you're a Decepticon, you'd ''still'' better stay out of his way when he's in this mood. G1 Megatron interestingly goes through several types over the course of his existence: as Megatron he's a campy cartoon villain. Upgraded to Galvatron in TheMovie, he becomes smart, patient, and using his increased power in conjunction with brains. Processor damage results in Galvatron becoming the biggest Blood Knight in franchise history, all about mad schemes and maximum destruction.
* Brock Samson from ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' vacillates between someone who solves things violently because there is no other way, and someone who relishes an opportunity to fling blood across the room. Rarely limits himself to mere incapacitation when dismemberment is an option.
* Yang from ''WesternAnimation/YinYangYo'', whose favorite hobby is to "hit stuff" and even struggles to suppress it at times. Yuck is an evil example, since he's gotten his aggression from Yang.

* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'': Has a surprisingly amount Blood Knights while the series encourages peace it doesn't shy away from idea of taking pleasures in the destruction of thy enemy.

*** It becomes clear that even even tempered Dr Bruce Banner is just a Blood Knight on the inside always and The Hulk is just that aspect of his personality enhanced to the dangerous extreme. As he says to Cap before punching down a giant space snake: ''That's my secret, Cap'n. I'm always angry''.

** In his solo movie ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', Peter is completely reckless at times, extremely anxious for another chance to kick with the Avengers after Berlin and is left disappointed. Spidey even brakes the [[PowerLimiter limits]] aka "training wheels" put inside his suit by Stark when foiling the Vulture's plans leading to him getting punished by Tony himself. Before the end of the climax of the movie, Peter was willingly to throwing his school/social life away just to chase the glory of being a superhero before [[DespairEventHorizon reality kicks in]], but heeding his Stark's words Spidey learns from his reckless mistakes and [[HeroicSpirit man-ups]]. [[spoiler:Peter plays it safe from then on, even refusing Stark's offer to be become recognized officially as a Avenger despite wanting it to fight with TheTeam so badly before then.]]

** Ellen Ripley herself after living in terror of the Xenomorph she encountered, soon began to enjoy slaughtering them in her way of revenge especially when protecting her adoptive daughter Newt.

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* ''Fanfic/{{Legionnaire}}'' features the Equestrian Legion, an entire [[TheLegionsOfHell Legion of Hell]] of blood knights.

SubTrope of InHarmsWay. SisterTrope to CombatSadomasochist, TheRealMan, and BoisterousBruiser. Compare CavalierCompetitor and, for a more general trope, ChallengeSeeker. Also compare {{Sadist}}, whose favorite part of fighting is the pain and suffering of his opponent. May be from a MartyrdomCulture and will nearly always believe that WarIsGlorious. If he (or she, though it's much rarer, however; see LadyOfWar) is in the military, then he will almost inevitably be a ColonelKilgore. A MonsterKnight has a high chance of being one. A more violent example that nonetheless fights on the side of good may (or may not) be a SociopathicHero. Not to be confused with the [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Knight of Blood]], who is very unlike this trope. It also has [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant nothing to do with]] a knight who uses BloodMagic. Contrast ShellShockedVeteran, who is of the opposite mindset (also contrast WarIsHell).