History Main / WeaponsKitchenSink

* In ''Webcomic/ABeginnersGuideToTheEndOfTheUniverse'', the [[spoiler:army of the future people]] use completely random weaponry (from shotguns to halberds). Justified in that they get all their weaponry from the [[GrowsOnTrees miscellanopod trees]], which give them entirely random stuff. Meanwhile, the [[spoiler:members of the evil cult that opposes them are able to use RealityWarper powers to spontaneously manifest any weapons or equipment they want.]]

* In the ''Hawk & Fisher'' series, Hawk uses an ax instead of the standard-issue police sword. Justified because he'd lost an eye and lacks the depth perception for refined swordplay.

* The {{tabletop RPG}} ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' is one of the biggest offenders in this particular category. Many worlds have lightly-armored characters wielding rapiers and scimitars alongside heavily armored guys with big whacking great swords and great axes. But then again, D&D's armor system makes heavily-armored fighters harder to ''hit'' rather than reducing damage (something that you can also do with light armor and a high enough Dexterity score), and the threat range on scimitars and rapiers make it easier to score a critical hit. The first edition rules did have "weapons effective against armor type" charts[[note]]which were in practice used by approximately no one, since the last thing a first edition player or DM wanted was to have to consult ''another'' chart in combat[[/note]], but this was phased out in second and subsequent editions.

* Used in ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'' [[TropesAreNotBad to positive effect]]. The diverse range of weapons available means that each of the five (later six in ''Warband'') kingdoms has their own 'feel.' Rhodok units, for instance, favor crossbows and polearms, while Nords like their axes and javelins.

* Libra Dohko in the Saint Seiya franchise: his Gold Cloth has 12 weapons for a total of six kind.

[-[[caption-width-right:320:That makes for: [[HeroesPreferSwords longsword,]] [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana,]] [[GunsAkimbo handguns,]] [[SawnOffShotgun shotgun,]] [[CarryABigStick mace,]] [[TheArcher bow and arrow,]] [[BladeOnAStick spear,]] [[SinisterScythe scythe,]] [[EpicFlail extending flail,]] [[BareFistedMonk martial arts,]] [[MusicalAssassin flute,]] [[DeathDealer deck of Tarot cards]] and [[TeamPet a moogle]]. At least [[NonUniformUniform the uniform matches. Mostly.]]]]-]

* Most games in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series basically select weaponry choices based on personality or an abstract battlefield role within their battle system, at best simplifying the attributes of a particular weapon style to fit. Somewhat averted in VideoGame/FinalFantasyX, which generally takes into account the need for different kinds of weapons for different kinds of enemies, but in a pinch, anything will usually work, just not as well. For example, an early tutorial implies that Wakka's Blitzball, a thrown weapon, is best for use against aerial targets. In actuality, Wakka just starts with higher accuracy; ANY character with the same accuracy (and luck) stat would have the same chance of hitting a given target, whether they're using a blitzball, a sword, or even a doll. This is also the case for Auron's swords and armored enemies- His swords almost always have piercing by default, but once you get to item crafting, the piercing attribute can be given to anything. In a nutshell, you could theorically run any character through another character's path in the Sphere Grid and have them behave exactly the same, except for Overdrives.
** Zig Zagged later- when fighting distant enemies/objects, Waka is the ONLY melee character capable of hitting them, and your only other option is magic.

* The {{tabletop RPG}} ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' is one of the biggest offenders in this particular category. Many worlds have lightly-armored characters wielding rapiers and scimitars alongside heavily armored guys with big whacking great swords and great axes. But then again, D&D's armor system makes heavily-armored fighters harder to ''hit'' rather than reducing damage (something that you can also do with light armor and a high enough Dexterity score), and the threat range on scimitars and rapiers make it easier to score a critical hit. The first edition rules did have "weapons effective against armor type" charts[[which were in practice used by approximately no one, since the last thing a first edition player or DM wanted was to have to consult ''another'' chart in combat[[/note]], but this was phased out in second and subsequent editions.

* The {{tabletop RPG}} ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' is one of the biggest offenders in this particular category. Many worlds have lightly-armored characters wielding rapiers and scimitars alongside heavily armored guys with big whacking great swords and great axes. But then again, D&D's armor system makes heavily-armored fighters harder to ''hit'' rather than reducing damage (something that you can also do with light armor and a high enough Dexterity score), and the threat range on scimitars and rapiers make it easier to score a critical hit. The first edition rules did have "weapons effective against armor type" charts, but this was phased out in second and subsequent editions.

* Most games in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series basically select weaponry choices based on personality or an abstract battlefield role within their battle system, at best simplifying the attributes of a particular weapon style to fit. Somewhat averted in VideoGame/FinalFantasyX, which generally takes into account the need for different kinds of weapons for different kinds of enemies, but in a pinch, anything will usually work, just not as well.
** GameplayAndStorySegregation occurs in that respect in an unusual way in Final Fantasy X. The plot implies that Wakka's Blitzball, a thrown weapon, is best for use against aerial targets. In actuality, Wakka just starts with higher accuracy; ANY character with the same accuracy (and luck) stat would have the same chance of hitting a given target, whether they're using a blitzball, a sword, or even a doll. This is also the case for Auron's swords and armored enemies- His swords almost always have piercing by default, but once you get to item crafting, the piercing attribute can be given to anything. In a nutshell, you could theorically run any character through another character's path in the Sphere Grid and have them behave exactly the same, except for Overdrives.

* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' each member of the Fellowship has slightly different weapons; justified by the fact that they come from different cultures and backgrounds (and have very different heights). Legolas has a bow and a long knife, Boromir uses a sword+shield, Aragon uses a Bow and long sword, the Hobbits also have long double-bladed knifes, Gimli has a few different axes, and Gandalf uses a staff and/or long sword.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' plays this incredibly straight, with literally every single character wielding some kind of unique weapon. These can range from conventional (various swords, a sniper rifle) to completely bizarre (a weaponized coffee thermos).

* ''FireEmblem'': These games go back and forth on this one. The trope is played straight in the notion that there are many, many kinds of weapons from swords, axes, lances, and bows, many of which are nonsensical (one of Eliwood's better weapons throughout FE 7 is a rapier that does bonus damage against calvary and heavily armored units). This trope is subverted in the sense that most weapons have a bonus for attacking a certain type of unit or a certain weapon style in a [[TacticalRockPaperScissors weapon triangle]].

** This is also noticeable with canon characters in the various game worlds. For example, in the ForgottenRealms, Drizzt Do'Urden [[DualWielding fights with two]] ''[[DualWielding scimitars]]''. Artemis Entreri fought, for a long time, with a ''sabre'' and dagger (he eventually got a straight-bladed sword that was more heavily enchanted). And so on.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' games include [[KatanasAreJustBetter Katanas]], [[EveryJapaneseSwordIsAKatana wakizashi, tantos]] and [[strike:Orcish]] Samurai armor along with early Medieval armor, claymores, longswords and sabres. Rapiers are absent, however. According to the backstory, what we would call the Asian weaponry -- tantos, wakizashis, katanas, and dai-katanas -- are from the Akavir continent and exclusive to the Tsaesci (one of the four races of Akaviri known). The explanation of the Samurai suits is trickier: the Orc country Orsinium was allowed to exist during the rule of an Akaviri Potentate which may indicate inspiration. Blades armor and weaponry are based on Akaviri designs. The armor resembles Roman Lorica Segmentata, while the swords consist of Katanas.
** More recent games have phased this out a bit - after ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', you'll only see katanas with the Blades (and no other Asian weaponry anywhere), and the Orcs wear armour that has more of a Mongolian look.

* The ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''. Some of everything in this package. Fey now has a magical mithril scimitar. Bladedancer has a magical jian made of jade. Tennyo has an ''antimatter lightsabre''. Lancer is a flying brick and can extend his super-strong field over small things, so he has paper swords... which can cut through concrete. And then Winter Term courses include a 'special topics' class, so this gets really gets crazy. Phase is working with a tactical baton, Chaka is learning the meteor hammer, Aquerna gets a pair of ''kama'', Shroud is working with a dozen knives (simultaneously), ...

In real history, the development of swords in particular meant that each kind of sword had different uses. Arming swords and katanas, for instance, were primarily used for unarmoured civilian combat or as sidearms on the battlefield, generally not as primary battlefield weapons. Cavalry sabres (longer than the version used by infantry officers) were used by mounted troops against infantry and cavalry. Rapiers and small swords became popular as both civilian self-defense and dueling weapons, and were rarely seen on the battlefield at all. Some swords, such as the estoc and various late medieval longswords had narrow points designed for exploiting gaps in plate armour and thereby defeating fully armoured opponents, who were generally immune to simple cuts with a blade. Firearms and armor co-existed for a while (approximately three centuries), but eventually firearms made metal armor obsolete (with some exceptions) until the first practical bulletproof vests were created in the early 20th century.

* Invoked by the Muhou Ryu members in ''Manga/{{Gamaran}}'': While all the other ryuu (schools of martial arts) are focused around one type of weapon, the Muhou Ryu includes many types of different fighting styles, hence different types of weapons, ranging from katana to spears to rapiers and weird swords to western halbeards. A notable example is given by the [[DrugsAreBad 47th Division]]: Their leader wields a huge spiked club, while the members wield lots of weapons including huge swords, hammers, polearms and gauntlets.

* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' each member of the Fellowship has slightly different weapons; justified by the fact that they come from different cultures and backgrounds (and have very different heights). Legolas, has a bow and a long knife, Boromir uses a sword+shield, Aragon uses a Bow and long sword, the Hobbits also have long double-bladed knifes, Gimli has a few different axes, and Gandalf uses a staff and/or long sword.

** This is also noticeable with canon characters in the various game worlds. For example, in the ForgottenRealms, Drizzt Do'Urden [[DualWielding fights with two]] ''[[DualWielding scimitars]]''. Artemis Entreri fought, for a long time, with a ''saber'' and dagger (he eventually got a straight-bladed sword that was more heavily enchanted). And so on.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' games include [[KatanasAreJustBetter Katanas]], [[EveryJapaneseSwordIsAKatana wakizashi, tantos]] and [[strike:Orcish]] Samurai armor along with early Medieval armor, claymores, longswords and sabres. Rapiers are absent however. According to the backstory, what we would call the Asian weaponry -- tantos, wakizashis, katanas, and dai-katanas -- are from the Akavir continent and exclusive to the Tsaesci (one of the four races of Akaviri known). The explanation of the Samurai suits is trickier: the Orc country Orsinium was allowed to exist during the rule of an Akaviri Potentate which may indicate inspiration. Blades armor and weaponry are based on Akaviri designs. The armor resembles Roman Lorica Segmentata, while the swords consist of Katanas.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'': Lampshaded somewhat where another character wields a [[ImprobableWeaponUser ball and cup game]]. At one point, Kratos points out that Lloyd's weapon choice and fighting style -- dual-wielded sabres -- is wasteful and inefficient. Lloyd's response (paraphrased) was that he uses two swords to get [[BreakingTheFourthWall twice the attack power bonus.]]

* ''FireEmblem'': These games go back and forth on this one. The trope is played straight in the notion that there are many, many kinds of weapons from swords, axes, lances and bows, many of which are nonsensical (one of Eliwood's better weapons throughout FE 7 is a rapier that does bonus damage against calvary and heavily armored units). This trope is subverted in the sense that most weapons have a bonus for attacking a certain type of unit or a certain weapon style in a [[TacticalRockPaperScissors weapon triangle]].

* The ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''. Some of everything in this package. Fey now has a magical mithril scimitar. Bladedancer has a magical jian made of jade. Tennyo has an ''antimatter lightsaber''. Lancer is a flying brick and can extend his super-strong field over small things, so he has paper swords... which can cut through concrete. And then Winter Term courses include a 'special topics' class, so this gets really gets crazy. Phase is working with a tactical baton, Chaka is learning the meteor hammer, Aquerna gets a pair of ''kama'', Shroud is working with a dozen knives (simultaneously), ...

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Rollbots}}'', most people who are onvolved in fights have some kind of special weaponry; Botch has a HardLight grappling hook, Manx has [[EnergyBall Energy]] [[CastingAShadow Balls]], Macro has a giant Wrecking Ball, the Kei'zatsu have HardLight handcuffs which coat the entire body... and Spin has a collapsible sword.

* The ''WhateleyUniverse''. Some of everything in this package. Fey now has a magical mithril scimitar. Bladedancer has a magical jian made of jade. Tennyo has an ''antimatter lightsaber''. Lancer is a flying brick and can extend his super-strong field over small things, so he has paper swords... which can cut through concrete. And then Winter Term courses include a 'special topics' class, so this gets really gets crazy. Phase is working with a tactical baton, Chaka is learning the meteor hammer, Aquerna gets a pair of ''kama'', Shroud is working with a dozen knives (simultaneously), ...

* ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'', the SpiritualSuccessor to ''PhantomBrave'' has its own eclectic mix, including [[HealingShiv pies & syringes]], [[BlowYouAway paper fans]], [[ThunderDrum drums]], [[JokeWeapon balloons]], [[VideoGameStealing UFOs]], magnets, boxes, [[ThisIsADrill drills]], [[ShovelStrike shovels]], flamethrowers, and [[LaserBlade beam swords]].

In fiction, however, that goes right out the window. It's almost a given that both combatants will be [[ArmorIsUseless unarmored]] or [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic lacking the most vital parts of their panoply]]. A character in battle with a heavily armored combatant won't use a mace, warhammer or poleaxe to break the armor or cause indirect trauma or even use a straight sword to stab him between armor plates; the fighter without armor will probably dispatch the armored fighter with straightforward slashes with the edge of the blade, with the armor having zero effect on fighting technique. And of course, a MedievalEuropeanFantasy might have the odd [[KatanasAreJustBetter Katana]] show up in the hands of a ''really'' cool BadAss.

*** That's because everybody believes that long swords were used with one hand. Every long sword was used as a sword to one and a half hands, meaning there are moves where its used with one hands, but just as many with two hands, and every rest position uses two. The short swords that were used with only one hand are basically long knives. The same goes for other weapons except rapiers and such, because these are so thin, that they are light enough. A one handed axe is called a hatchet, an "normal" axe is a two handed weapon.
* Most fantasy games feature this due to their D&D ancestry. Palladium Fantasy. Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play, Anima, and the Riddle of Steel all follow this trope.

* ''{{GURPS}}: Dungeon Fantasy'' doesn't even bother with pretending that this doesn't happen, players are given access to ''all'' weapons from [[TechnologyLevels TL 0 to 4]] because that's how the genre works. Also flamethrowers...

* ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'', the SpiritualSuccessor to ''PhantomBrave'' has its own eclectic mix, including [[HealingShiv pies & syringes]], [[BlowYouAway paper fans]], [[ShockAndAwe drums]], [[JokeWeapon balloons]], [[VideoGameStealing UFOs]], magnets, boxes, [[ThisIsADrill drills]], [[ShovelStrike shovels]], flamethrowers, and [[LaserBlade beam swords]].

* ''OnePiece'': Many organizations, even armies, don't have a proper, "uniform" equipment. Among the egyptian-like members of the Alabasta army you can see polearms, katanas, zweihanders, morning stars and muskets.
** Actually, that example is an aversion. The organized Royal Army actually ''does'' have uniform equipment. The Rebel Army is justified in adhering to this trope, as they were specifically stated to have scrounged up weapons from wherever they could get them.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', apart from the elvish curved blades most every sword or dagger is a medieval European straight blade, and if you are going to be fighting heavily armored foes you probably are going to be using a [[DropTheHammer mace or warhammer]].
** The warhammers are ridiculusly wrong, real warhammers looked like slightly bigger claw hammers. Also, Maces were ineffective against plate, they were just more professional clubs.

* ''ChaosFighters'' are this as a whole, with modern and medieval weapons appearing simultaneously. It gets egregious when bronze coin daggers, scimitars and katana are added. This is not counting the double weapons and mix and match weapons.

* Wanna play some ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''? Then get ready to watch the LadyOfWar use her rapier to parry a huge stone pillar. Or perhaps you'd like to watch AndrewJackson block a shot from a sledgehammer with his rifle? Or maybe a CatGirl using a boomerang to block a polearm is more your flavour.