History Main / FantasyGunControl

* The Dimension of Lame from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' has this in place, though not for the usual reasons. It's not that they don't have the technological capacity to build guns, it's just that every single person in that universe is a die-hard pacifist. Their most advanced weapon is a NUKE (Notification of Unified Kindness' Envelopes), the "NUKE" blankets the area with thousands of polite yet stern letters.

* ''Webcomic/{{Skullkickers}}'' has no practical guns EXCEPT for Baldy's surprisingly sophisticated revolver.

* More or less averted in RealLife in general, too. The medieval formula for gunpowder had been written two centuries before the Catholic Church officially acknowledged the existence of witches. Furthermore, the use of the arquebus, the matchlock, and flintlock did nothing to stop occultists from penning grimoires well into the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. In the minds of many during these periods, both magic and firearms were a part of daily life.

* More or less averted in RealLife in general, too. The medieval formula for gunpowder had been written two centuries before the Catholic Church officially acknowledged the existence of witches, and many staples of weaponry and armor omnipresent in most MedievalEuropeanFantasy were crafted at a time when gunpowder and artillery were readily known. Furthermore, the use of the arquebus, the matchlock, and flintlock did nothing to stop occultists from penning grimoires well into the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. In the minds of many during these periods, both magic and firearms were a part of daily life.

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* Guns exist in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', but aren't the standard issue military weapon since they're virtually useless in fighting the Titans themselves (although they are issued, to a seemingly minor degree, to the civic police). Conversely, fairly sophisticated artillery is used in fighting the Titans, albeit primarily as a support weapon. Although there is one stage where tactical deployment of a raided cache of muskets is intrumental in eliminating a large group of Titans.

In the interest of creating a traditional medieval setting, many authors decide not to use guns and other explosives in their works. Sometimes reasons are given for this, usually not, despite the fact that in reality gunpowder and derivative inventions existed for most of the medieval era. This shows up most often in fantasy (hence the name), but can appear in any genre.

Something to note, though, is that this primarily applies to fantasy set in [[MedievalEuropeanFantasy the typical medieval-ish setting]], with castles, swords, knights and so on. UrbanFantasy tends to have no problem mixing guns and vampires, witches, wizards, etc., since this form of {{Fantasy}} tends to use the modern world as we know it. The same goes for ScienceFantasy, where the intent is to MixAndMatch things like laser guns and spells. When it comes to FairyTales, the trope is absent, although guns do tend to cross into the DeusExMachina level.

* ''Manga/InuYasha'' is fully aware of the time period it is set in, where firearms are growing in popularity but haven't quite reached Japan yet. So when one of the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Band of Seven]] has guns, they're just handwaved as being imported. Of course, he gets turned into a [[RefugeInAudacity tank with missiles]] before the arc is over.
* Guns make an appearance in ''LightNovel/ZeroNoTsukaima'' on occasion being essentially an equalizer between nobles who use magic and plebs who cannot; though only a few well trained musketeers are ever seen using them. Also a Vietnam era rocket launcher and a WWII era Zero fighter aircraft appear in the first season. Being from Earth the natives don't know how they work. Colbert learns how to make gasoline for the plane and the fact that the Zero fighter still has ammunition in the second season suggest SOMEONE learned to make bullets. A Howitzer appears in season 3.\\\
Gunpowder weaponry are more prominent in the light novels, which isn't a surprise since they are based in [[FantasyCounterpartCulture magical 16th century Europe]]. During his time in the army Guiche was tasked with using magic to [[MundaneUtility keep matchlocks dry in humid condition]], Henrietta has a Musketeer Corps, and flying airships are armed with heavy cannons. The elves have even more advanced armaments. And then there's the stuff that came from Earth...[[spoiler: the rocket launcher, Zero fighter, WWII tank, nuclear-armed submarine...]]

* Guns exist in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', but aren't the standard issue military weapon since they're virtually useless in fighting the Titans themselves (although they are issued, to a seemingly minor degree, to the civic police). Conversely, fairly sophisticated artillery is used in fighting the Titans, albeit primarily as a support weapon. Although there is one stage where tactical deployment of a raided cache of muskets is sintrumental in eliminating a large group of Titans.

'''No straight examples, otherwise we'd have [[OmnipresentTropes every fantasy book in existence here]]'''

In the interest of creating a traditional medieval setting, many authors decide not to use guns and other explosives in their works. Sometimes reasons are given for this, usually not, despite the fact that in reality gunpowder and derivative inventions existed for most of the medieval ages. This shows up most often in fantasy (hence the name), but can appear in any genre.

* [[http://www.fictionpress.com/s/3112491/1/The-Lay-of-Paul-Twister Paul Twister]] apparently DoesntLikeGuns, and in his narration he says that that's one thing he has no intention of [[GivingRadioToTheRomans starting one of his research projects on.]] And in the epilogue, we find out that [[spoiler: the invention of gunpowder was what prompted the dragons to separate the world of magic from Earth, and they've been [[EnforcedTrope suppressing knowledge of it]] ever since. Ryell tells Paul that guns, bombs and rockets are "abominations" that are forbidden. She claims that she wants to preserve a peaceful world; Paul theorizes that the real reason is that they would make it possible to create weapons that could easily harm a dragon.]]

'''Subversions and aversions only, otherwise we'd have [[OmnipresentTropes every fantasy book in existence here]]'''

* In ''Film/TheWizardofOZ'' film, the some of the munchkins are seen wielding muskets, and the Scarecrow has a revolver when he goes to find the Witch with Dorthy. None of them are actually used, however.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and its sequel ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' are an interesting case. Guns don't appear, although by the second series technology had progressed to cars and sky-scrapers. This is explained by the fact that the rudimentary early fire-arms wouldn't have stood a chance against powerful [[ElementalPowers benders]], especially the [[ExtraOredinary metal-benders]]. However, gun-powder and other explosives are quite prevalent, and used in both war and terrorism. One Cannon is even seen as early as the first series.

** The anime introduced gunpowder-based weapons as the arsenal of Jillas, a humanoid fox minion of the third season's BigBad Valgaav. He has access to guns, bombs, and even built a primitive tank.\\\
This was given a certain justification in that Jillas came from a region with less magic; without magic, people had to come up with other ways to do things -- and "other ways" include [[spoiler:building a ballistic missile as powerful as a Dragon Slave]].

* Guns exist in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', but aren't the standard issue military weapon since they're virtually useless in fighting the Titans themselves (although they are issued, to a seemingly minor degree, to the civic police). Conversely, fairly sophisticated artillery is used in fighting the Titans, albeit primarily as a support weapon.\\\
Although there is one stage where tactical deployment of a raided cache of muskets is sintrumental in eliminating a large group of Titans.

** The anime introduced gunpowder-based weapons as the arsenal of Jillas, a humanoid fox minion of the third season's BigBad Valgaav. He has access to guns, bombs, and even built a primitive tank. This was given a certain justification in that Jillas came from a region with less magic; without magic, people had to come up with other ways to do things -- and "other ways" include [[spoiler:building a ballistic missile as powerful as a Dragon Slave]].

* Guns exist in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', but aren't the standard issue military weapon since they're virtually useless in fighting the Titans themselves (although they are issued, to a seemingly minor degree, to the civic police). Conversely, fairly sophisticated artillery is used in fighting the Titans, albeit primarily as a support weapon. Although there is one stage where tactical deployment of a raided cache of muskets is sintrumental in eliminating a large group of Titans.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Gunpowder exists in the ''{{Berserk}}'' universe, and at least two characters use steampunk-style cannons: Guts himself, who has [[ArmCannon one to replace his left arm]], and the demonic Grunbeld, who has one built into his shield. Nethertheless, while conventional gunpowder weapons such as cannons are used for attack and defense in siege warfare, ordinary soldiers and peasants are never seen with guns and rarely seen with other ranged weapons. Giving background characters the ability to defend themselves at a distance would massively detract from the [[CrapsackWorld themes]] [[LowFantasy of]] [[InnocenceLost the]] [[HumansAreBastards series]].
** There's also a long stretch in history where longbows were many times more effective than guns. Cannons, however, overcame other methods of siege warfare pretty early on, and were not entirely without use against certain military tactics. If nothing else, they were loud and intimidating. Also, a cannon would take out heavy cavalry soldiers far more efficiently than a gun would.
* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' introduced gunpowder-based weapons as the arsenal of Jillas, a humanoid fox minion of the third season's BigBad Valgaav. He has access to guns, bombs, and even built a primitive tank.
** This was given a certain justification in that Jillas came from a region with less magic; without magic, people had to come up with other ways to do things -- and "other ways" include [[spoiler:building a ballistic missile as powerful as a Dragon Slave]].

* Averted in ''PrincessMononoke'', where the hand cannons and arquebuses used by Lady Eboshi and her men are central to the story.
* Averted in OnePiece. Pirate crews typically have gunmen along with swordsmen, and neither are shown to be any less effective than the other. The only exception is the Straw Hat Pirates - the ranger of their team, Usopp, uses a slingshot instead, as it lets him use AbnormalAmmo.
* Manga/InuYasha is fully aware of the time period it is set in, where firearms are growing in popularity but haven't quite reached Japan yet. So when one of the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Band of Seven]] has guns, they're just handwaved as being imported. Of course, he gets turned into a [[RefugeInAudacity tank with missiles]] before the arc is over.
* Guns make an appearance in ''LightNovel/ZeroNoTsukaima'' on occasion being essentially an equalizer between nobles who use magic and plebs who cannot; though only a few well trained musketeers are ever seen using them. Also a Vietnam era rocket launcher and a WWII era Zero fighter aircraft appear in the first season. Being from Earth the natives don't know how they work. Colbert learns how to make gasoline for the plane and the fact that the Zero fighter still has ammunition in the second season suggest SOMEONE learned to make bullets. A Howitzer appears in season 3.
** Gunpowder weaponry are more prominent in the light novels, which isn't a surprise since they are based in [[FantasyCounterpartCulture magical 16th century Europe]]. During his time in the army Guiche was tasked with using magic to [[MundaneUtility keep matchlocks dry in humid condition]], Henrietta has a Musketeer Corps, and flying airships are armed with heavy cannons. The elves have even more advanced armaments. And then there's the stuff that came from Earth...[[spoiler: the rocket launcher, Zero fighter, WWII tank, nuclear-armed submarine...]]
* In Manga/{{Naruto}}, one of Pain's paths is basically a bio-mechanical weapon that can fire missiles.

* ''Manga/{{Drifters}}'' actually uses this as a plot point. The eponymous Drifters, being sucked from various ages and times in our world, range from those used to fighting with nothing but swords and arrows, to the Wild Bunch (with six-shooters and an early gatling gun) and a Japanese Zero pilot. The world they're dumped in, however, is roughly around the same era of advancement as 1100's Europe, with no real machinery and firearms being a near-complete unknown. One of OdaNobunaga's first tasks is to get large supplies of sulphur and charcoal and to start the creation of a saltpeter pit for gunpowder, and practically creams himself when he sees how far ahead of muskets the Wild Bunch's firearms are. The Drifters are explicitly changing the rate of technological expansion at a breakneck pace every time they're brought in, and it's even stated directly by the guy who summons them that it's one of their primary purposes - to force the world to advance well beyond the pace it normally would.
* Guns exist in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', but aren't the standard issue military weapon since they're virtually useless in fighting the Titans themselves (although they are issued, to a seemingly minor degree, to the civic police). Conversely, fairly sophisticated artillery is used in fighting the Titans, albeit primarily as a support weapon.
** Although there is one stage where tactical deployment of a raided cache of muskets is sintrumental in eliminating a large group of Titans.

* Both justified and subverted in ''Comicbook/{{Fables}}''. Since the Empire coexists with modern-day Earth, the Adversary could provide his army with modern firearms. He chooses not to, because he fears that introducing guns to commoners might lead to rebellion. [[spoiler:The exiled Fables of Fabletown have no such inhibitions towards modern arms technology, which is one of the main reasons they win the war against the Empire.]]

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''Film/{{Krull}}'', the evil mooks have laser rifles.
* In ''Film/TheWizardofOZ'' film, the some of the munchkins are seen wielding muskets, and the Scarecrow has a revolver when he goes to find the Witch with Dorthy. None of them are actually used, however.

* The ''LoneWolf'' series averts this with the Darklords' ironclad warships armed with cannons and the "primitive" Dwarven Bor Muskets. In this series, guns are NOT worthless; Lone Wolf will either die or face a chance of dying instantly if an enemy has one of these muskets. When the muskets are first seen in Book 5, the friendly dwarves who have them manage to drive off a flock of Kraan, flying beasts that always give Lone Wolf a good fight in hand-to-hand combat. Oddly enough, they are always referred to as "primitive"; nothing else (except the aforementioned ironclads) seems to be more advanced in Magnamund. Certainly nothing from [[MedievalStasis Sommerlund]].

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'':

* In ''{{Endstone}}'', [[http://endstone.net/2011/03/03/5-14/ one is introduced]] to deal with AntiMagic.

* Firearms are present in ''{{Strays}}'' which is otherwise MedievalEuropeanFantasy or thereabouts. The exact kind/"tech level" of firearms available is undetermined as only one has been seen, and even then not clearly.
* Partially averted in ''TalesOfTheQuestor'': The Racconans figured out not just gunpowder but ''rifling'' '''centuries''' ago - it's just that "[[http://www.rhjunior.com/totq/00650.html Boomslangs]]" capable of killing a hardened target(such as croco-centaurs or thugs with lux-reinforced armor) are too big and heavy for most of them to ''carry'', let alone fire. Another problem is that Racconan lands are notoriously poor in metal, which makes using a kilo or two of precious steel for a single weapon prohibitively expensive.
* ''TwiceBlessed'' has a kobold bounty hunter that uses a very large gun (or a small cannon) with a Chinese dragon motif.

* Played with in ''ChaosFighters'', as explained by [[http://http://journal-of-murazrai.xanga.com/767855119/page-134-random-chaos-fighters-tidbit-7/ word of god]]

* ''PiratesOfDarkWater'' had guns that were actually some sort of acid spraying or dart throwing creature encased in a tube, with a grip and trigger much like a pistol. Much of their technology was based on the indigenous ecology of Planet Mer. Like [[AbnormalAmmo using a sea star as a shuriken.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' is possibly the strangest show to avert this. Rainbow Dash mentions she wants a pet "fast, like a bullet," names the pet she gets "tank," and Pinkie Pie has a party cannon. This is really strange considering A. it is a show about magical ponies marketed to little girls, and B. no pony actually has fingers and a third of the population has access to magic.
** Even more bizarrely, the closest thing to an actual firearm in the show is the show's main magic-attuned character, Twilight Sparkle, herself. In two different episodes, she rapidly "fires" magic energy at other characters in a manner similar to automatic weaponry. In "A Canterlot Wedding" Pinkie Pie uses Twilight Sparkle as a magic Gatling gun by grabbing Twilight's tail and using it as a trigger, causing Twilight's unicorn horn to rapidly fire at [[spoiler:an army of changelings]]. In "Too Many Pinkie Pies" Twilight fires rapid-fire spells at [[spoiler:a number of Pinkie Pie clones]] until her horn overheats and needs to cool down.

* Partially averted in ''TalesOfTheQuestor'': The Racconans figured out not just gunpowder but ''rifling'' '''centuries''' ago - it's just that "[[http://www.rhjunior.com/totq/00650.html Boomslangs]]" capable of killing a hardened target(such as croco-centaurs or thugs with lux-reinforced armor) are too big and heavy for most of them to ''carry'', let alone fire.

* Guns exist in ''AttackOnTitan'', but aren't the standard issue military weapon since they're virtually useless in fighting the Titans themselves (although they are issued, to a seemingly minor degree, to the civic police). Conversely, fairly sophisticated artillery is used in fighting the Titans, albeit primarily as a support weapon.

* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': Most civilians carry low-tech weapons like swords and crossbows even though cartridge firearms were invented before electricity was harnessed. This is explained as guns being illegal for civilians to own. However, that doesn't explain why militia members, who are allowed to have guns, only use muskets. Could be explained by most of the modern ammunition being used up during the intervening 15 years. Musketballs are probably easier to manufacture with primitive technology. This theory is verified by Episode 3, with Jeremy mentioning that pre-blackout ammunition was a rare commodity and that copper jackets and smokeless powder were beyond at least the Monroe Republic's manufacturing capabilities.
** Although that too makes little sense; modern weapons can easily fire lead bullets without a copper jacket, smokeless powder can be replaced by conventional gunpowder (although at a lower efficiency), and brass casings are reusable. The hardest part would be replacing modern primers, but that's possible too.
** Later episodes did bring out modern weapons into the mix...

* WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender and its sequel WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra are an interesting case. Guns don't appear, although by the second series technology had progressed to cars and sky-scrapers. This is explained by the fact that the rudimentary early fire-arms wouldn't have stood a chance against powerful [[ElementalPowers benders]], especially the [[ExtraOredinary metal-benders]]. However, gun-powder and other explosives are quite prevalent, and used in both war and terrorism. One Cannon is even seen as early as The Last Airbender.

Something to note, though, is that this primarily applies to fantasy set in [[MedievalEuropeanFantasy the typical medieval-ish setting]], with castles, swords, knights and so on. UrbanFantasy tends to have no problem mixing guns and vampires, witches, wizards, etc., since this form of {{Fantasy}} tends to use the modern world as we know it. The same goes for ScienceFantasy, where the intent is to MixAndMatch things like laser guns and spells. When it comes to FairyTales, the trope is absent.