Line #62 Main/BarbaricBattleaxe


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5	[[quoteright:350:[[Literature/{{Kull}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1000009729.jpg]]]]
6	[[caption-width-right:350:Kull likes to use Axe Bloody Spray.]]
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13	->''"As his axe split a charging enemy from shoulder to hip, Grom Hellscream felt the joy and rage swirling within him, dulling his mind, charging his senses, threatening to sweep him away on a tide of raw exultation. He wanted to surrender himself, to give in to the song of combat, to lose himself in the thrill of death and destruction and victory."''
14	-->-- ''Literature/BeyondTheDarkPortal''
15
16	Characters that are wild, brutal, and savage often tend to be [[BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon associated with wild, brutal, and savage weapons]]. Any kind of weapon that requires a modicum of SuperStrength to effectively wield tends to be in the hands of people who forsake any kind of subtlety and simply wish to destroy their opponents with a level of sheer force that can [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill only be described as overkill]]. These characters often tend to be hot-headed and impetuous, and tend to usually have [[AttackAttackAttack a strategy of endless attacking until the enemy is dead]].
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18	For one reason or another, this is a very common depiction of characters associated with battleaxes, to the point that for many it has become the main association with the weapon outside of notable [[SubvertedTrope subversions]]. In TV, film and other such media, an axe-wielder will be portrayed as large and in charge (for example, as [[BoisterousBruiser Boisterous Bruisers]] or [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Proud Warrior Race Guys]]) but also usually coming from very savage or chaotic backgrounds or backstories that had them constantly on the offense and always applying the most barbaric solution to their problems. This is where the Barbarian Axe trope comes in; it's for axe-wielding characters that are associated with barbarous, wild or unruly traits or characteristics. It doesn't necessarily have to be a cultural or ethnic background, it can just as well be a character who lives on the fringes and outcasts of society and has a HotBlooded demeanor all the same. You'll never find any [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething royalty]] or other "refined" characters among this trope unless they are the king of a BarbarianTribe and[=/=]or [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership kicked asses on their way to being crowned such]].
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20	There's actually some degree of TruthInTelevision to this trope; historical war axes often had different dimensions than wood axes, but many fictional designs do double-duty as both tool and weapon. Because axes are tools and fairly simple to make [[note]]The metal needed to make a single sword could make several axe heads, but some axes had additional metal parts or even a metal shaft,[[/note]] they tended to be familiar to peasants, making them a viable close combat weapon of infantrymen in a variety of ancient cultures. In places with lots of metal and enough wood for a hardy enough stick, they were frequently made among tribal or other "savage" communities in great quantities. The nail in the coffin for its common association in pop culture is a genetic memory from [[UsefulNotes/TheVikingAge The Viking Age]], where it was common for many ancient vikings to raid other places by seas often with giant battle-axes to pillage or invade, leading them to be unilaterally associated with barbaric cultures in the consciousness of European culture. This isn't even counting other prolific axe-using cultures, like the tomahawk-using Native Americans which only further added to the stereotype. Due to the mass exportation of Western European culture in the last two hundred years, this has become a common trope in media of other cultures that had no real history with this stereotype, such as [[EasternRPG Eastern RPGs]] in Japan.
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22	'''[[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs Do keep in mind]]''' '''that merely using an axe as a weapon or being TheBigGuy doesn't necessarily get them associated with this trope.''' The character has to be barbarous in either [[BarbarianHero culture]], [[TheBerserker fighting style]] or [[HotBlooded temperament]] to qualify for this trope; that is, the broadly pseudo-German or pseudo-Norse wandering barbarian or savage northern/forest/mountain barbaric tribe of fantasy. As such, axes are associated with the following character archetypes:
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24	* [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarves]]
25	* [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs]]
26	* [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Goblins]], though they usually use a far smaller variety
27	* [[OurOgresAreHungrier Ogres]] who are sapient
28	* [[OurMinotaursAreDifferent Minotaurs]]
29	* HornyVikings
30	* [[BarbarianTribe Barbarians]] and [[BarbarianHero Barbarian Heroes]]
31	* [[MightyLumberjack Mighty Lumberjacks]]
32	* [[BadassNative Badass Natives]] and [[ForestRanger Forest Rangers]], in which case the axe of choice will most likely be a tomahawk or hatchet
33	* Frontiersmen and colonial-era skirmishers, especially American and Canadian
34	* A HotBlooded BoisterousBruiser or BloodKnight personality-wise
35	* Societal or fringe outcasts in UrbanFantasy settings, such as delinquents
36
37	Subtrope of BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon. In the case of the more evil brutish sorts, this can overlap with GoodWeaponEvilWeapon and SavageSpikedWeapons. Has overlap with HeavyEquipmentClass. See also ClothingReflectsPersonality and BarbarianHero.
38	----
39	!!Examples:
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41	[[foldercontrol]]
42
43	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
44	* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'': Lind is a feared Valkyrie and WarGoddess who has a befitting authoritative and strict stance, making her respected by even the Norns and the go-to person when Heaven wants something destroyed. Her [[IconicItem weapon of choice]] is a halberd. However, outside of her duties as a Valkyrie, she displays a more friendly disposition.
45	* ''Manga/FutureDiary'' has Yuno Gasai, with an axe as the most iconic weapon in her arsenal. Her sweet, feminine facade around Yukiteru hides her true dominating self, who is willing to go to psychotic and violent lengths for the object of her affections.
46	* In the various ''Manga/GetterRobo'' series, the Getter-1 linage has the Getter Tomahawk as its main weapon, though the design of the weapon changes with each iteration. Seeing as its usual pilot is Ryouma Nagare, a hot-blooded (and sometimes even crazy) martial artist, it fits him perfectly.
47	* [[Characters/NeonGenesisEvangelionAsukaLangleySoryu Asuka Langley Soryuu]] from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' is an abrasive, hot-tempered girl who takes great pride in being an AcePilot in an Eva. She has her Unit-02 equipped with a massive battle axe when the Evangelions fight Leliel.
48	* ''Anime/SaintSeiya'': In the anime-only Asgard Saga, one of the enemies is Phecda Thor, a giant of a person who hunts animals in the frosty wilderness of Asgard, and wields a pair of axes that he can throw like a boomerang. The anime-only Asgard characters are based on motifs from Scandinavia and Norse mythology.
49	* ''Anime/SevenMortalSins'' has Satan, the Demon Lord of Wrath, with a love for fighting, a short temper, and a giant axe to match.
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52	%%[[folder:Card Games]]
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55	[[folder:Comic Books]]
56	* ''ComicBook/AvengersArena'': British teen Aiden somehow inherits the power to inhabit the body of a Celtic warlord, who is tall, large, burly, and wields a large axe. Eventually, he gets stuck in the body of the Celtic warlord and his normal behaviour becomes more aggressive.
57	* ''ComicBook/PrincessUgg'': Princess Ulga is rudely called by her more traditionally feminine classmates a barbarian princess, ostracized for her brash, bold, warrior, and 'uncivilized' personality. Her preferred weapons in war are battleaxes, which multiple of the series' covers show off.
58	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': ComicBook/{{Artemis}} is a brash and violent Amazon with a dislike of men who contrasts the more moral, scrupulous Diana. Post-Rebirth she has a giant battle axe named Mistress. Nevertheless, despite her flaws, she's a heroine who defends innocents.
59	[[/folder]]
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61	[[folder:Fan Works]]
62	* ''Pokémon: Brain and Brawn'' ([[https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2T8hRNutLrrf0i4JdlU3vwFvv_tFAFVj&si=pJ6KiMnLAuY42npk link]]): The Fakemon Bearserker is based on berserkers, and as such, is said to have quite the HairTriggerTemper and will often enter a trance-like fury when in battle. As such, its [[LivingWeapon Forge Form]] is a battle axe similar to the ones berserkers used to use. Unlike most examples, though, instead of wielding the axe, Bearserker ''is'' the axe, being able to Transforge into an axe for its trainer to wield.
63	[[/folder]]
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65	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
66	* ''WesternAnimation/{{How to Train Your Dragon\|2010}}'' has Astrid, a female Viking who is always seen with her hatchet. She's a fearless and hot-tempered warrior who enjoys the villagers' respect for her strength, making her the [[MasculineGirlFeminineBoy Masculine Girl]] to Hiccup's [[MasculineGirlFeminineBoy Feminine Boy]]. She mellows out significantly in the sequel films.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
70	* In ''Film/{{Conan the Barbarian\|1982}}'', the eponymous Cimmerian sticks to [[HeroesPreferSwords using his sword most of the time]], but he does use a big battleaxe for brutal OneHitKill blows on Thulsa Doom's unsuspecting riders in the Battle of the Mounds. Earlier, Rexor wields an axe during Conan's raid on Thulsa's den.
71	** In ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'', Bombaata (the barbaric NumberTwo of BigBad Queen Taramis) carries a battleaxe during the sacrificial ceremony in the climax, but he ditches it for his trusted [[SavageSpikedWeapons spiked mace]] for the final fight as soon as he sees Conan.
72	* ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves'': Holga is a barbarian (implied to be a member of one of the Uthgardt tribes in a deleted scene), and steals an executioner's axe during an early fight scene which becomes her go-to weapon for the rest of the film.
73	* The hero of ''Film/KullTheConqueror'', a foreign barbarian from Atlantis, is scolded early on by a nobleman for using an axe, a "barbaric" weapon, and convinced to switch to swords. At the climax of the film, he picks up an axe again to deliver the deciding strike [[spoiler:against said nobleman]].
74	* ''Film/ReadyOrNot'': All of the [[ProperLady proper ladies]] of the clan use melee weapons while the men use guns. The spinster aunt, the most unfeminine female character, uses an axe.
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77	[[folder:Literature]]
78	* ''Literature/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectiveAgency'': Michael Wenton-Weakes usually referred to his mother as an old battleaxe. Wenton-Weaks was TheEeyore and the narrator didn't agree with his assessment completely: "''if she was fairly to be compared to a battleaxe it would only be to an exquisitely crafted, beautifully balanced battleaxe, with an elegant minimum of fine engraving which stopped just short of its gleaming razored edge. One swipe from such an instrument and you wouldn't even know you'd been hit until you tried to look at your watch a bit later and discovered that your arm wasn't on.''"
79	* Zigzagged in ''Literature/TheEyeOfArgon''. BarbarianHero Grignr begins the story with a sword, but loses it after being imprisoned by TheEvilPrince. When he escapes his cell, he picks up the battle axe of one of the prison guards, and seems very comfortable using that for the rest of the story.
80	* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': Johanna Mason, a former Tribute, famously won her Games by pretending to be weak and helpless at first and then cutting down everybody else when there were only a few opponents left. Her use of the axe as a weapon is justified as she grew up in District 7, the lumber district, but she also fits the personality associated with the trope by being standoffish, unfriendly, tough, and intimidating. In the second book, she acts as TheBigGuy in [[spoiler:the alliance to rescue Katniss]], being the best physical combatant among them.
81	* Literature/{{Kull}}: There's a noticeable emphasis to Kull's usage of the [[BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon Battle Axe over]] the [[HeroesPreferSwords Sword]]. It's that despite being a king and being more honorable and philosophical than his descendant, he's ''still'' every bit the BarbarianHero you'd expect the PrecursorHero of Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian to be. Kull would ''happily'' rather go out to [[BloodKnight fight]] SnakePeople than have to deal with the [[TheChainsOfCommanding stress of ruling his kingdom]].
82	* ''Literature/LegendOfZagor'': Of the four available player characters, Anvar the Barbarian and Stubble Dwarf begins their quest with a battleax, compared to Braxus the Swordsman and Sallazar the Wizard (who uses a MagicStaff). It's also worth noting that Stubble forfeits his ax after obtaining a magical war-hammer halfway through; Anvar sticks to axes for the entire duration of his adventure and can obtain an even ''bigger'' battleaxe.
83	* Asha Greyjoy of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' is the strong-willed and independent Princess of the [[ProudWarriorRace Iron Islands]], a culture of seafaring raiders who favor battle axes. She fights hard with hand axes and leads bands of her countrymen to battle.
84	* ''Literature/SpellsSwordsAndStealth'': When the party initially assumes the part of a group of adventurers, the mayor's daughter, Gabrielle, claims the role of wizard due to being the only member of the group with the formal education that would presumably be needed to decipher their book of spells. However, between regular kidnappings by goblins, during which she befriended them, learned their ways, and came to regard them as family, a lot of pent-up resentment towards the proper lady life she was expected to lead back home, and the fact she ''couldn't'' figure out the spellbook, Gabrielle quickly picks up an axe which becomes her [[IconicItem weapon of choice]] and finds the role of Barbarian ''far'' better suited to her skillset and temperament.
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87	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
88	* Carrie Nation and her hatchet make an appearance in an episode of ''Series/MurdochMysteries,'' and she's every inch the hag you'd expect of the woman "Battleaxe" was coined to describe. She's immediately bunged in jail for storming Inspector Brackenried's favorite pub and smashing up their liquor supply with her axe. The funny part? She's ''his guest,'' as his wife had invited Nation to stay over. At the end of the episode, she crosses herself, snarls "May God have mercy on your soul," and storms out, nose in the air. Mrs. Brackenreid bursts out laughing the second she's out of earshot, as Nation's the least pleasant person she's ever met. Presumably, her axe is still in the Toronto Police's lockup...
89	* ''Series/SleepyHollow'': A large single-bladed Battleaxe is the main weapon of the [[ImplacableMan Headless Horseman]], which has the power to heat up to five hundred degrees, meaning it can cut through pretty much anything like a hot knife through butter. It overall fits his [[AxCrazy wild and furious style of battle]], regularly slaughtering all those it encounters, acting as the main physical threat throughout the series.
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92	%%[[folder:Mythology & Religion]]
93	%%[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
96	* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': The hatchet was the first melee weapon ever mounted on a battlemech, belonging to the appropriately-named ''Hatchetman''. After some examples of the mech and its later, larger brother the ''Axman'' were captured by the Draconis Combine, it was found that Combine mechwarriors (who stylized themselves as true {{samurai}}) consequently refused to pilot the captured mechs because they viewed the hatchets as a barbarian's weapon. This led to the development of mech-sized swords for them to use instead.
97	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The traditional barbarian stereotype has them waving axes about as large as themselves. In fifth edition in particular, the greataxe's damage ([=1d12=] where most two-handed weapons do [=2d6=]) synergizes with the barbarian's brutal critical ability adding a single extra damage die of the sort the weapon does.
98	* ''TabletopGame/LEGOGames'': In ''Heroica'', the Barbarian's weapon is a double-headed axe.
99	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
100	** Chainaxes were popular close combat weapons used by assault troops during the Great Crusade and Literature/HorusHeresy eras. Some particularly archaic and/or barbaric assault troops still use them during the main 41st Millennium era; furthermore, they are popular with Khorne worshippers, as the axe is considered a sacred weapon to the god of blood and slaughter. In the ''Literature/CiaphasCain'' novel ''The Traitor's Hand'', Cain faces off against a World Eaters Chaos Space Marine who wields a chainaxe against Cain's chainsword.
101	** Logan Grimnar, the Wolf Lord (chapter master, though in Fenrisian the correct title is Jarl) of the Viking-inspired Space Wolves chapter, who frequently decorate their PoweredArmor with battle trophies and animal pelts, favors as his primary weapon a gigantic double-bladed battleaxe called the Axe of Morkai that he took as a trophy from a World Eaters champion he slew during the First War for Armageddon.
102	** Orks, a culture of ferocious and brutal warriors, are usually depicted wielding an assortment of axes and cleaver-like blades called choppas.
103	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'':
104	** The Warriors of Chaos generally use heavy metal axes. They are no-nonsense warriors and brutal vikings, so ferocious close combat is what they're all about.
105	** Beastmen tend to use the same kinds of hefty axes as the Chaos Warriors do.
106	** Orcs, a culture of ferocious and brutal warriors, are usually depicted wielding an assortment of axes and cleaver-like blades called choppas.
107	* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': a combat axe in the Street Samurai Catalogue supplement notes the designers were watching too much Neil the Ork Barbarian.
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110	[[folder:Toys]]
111	* In the ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'' franchise's [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness early days]], He-Man's weapon was actually a battle axe. While figures of him still boast the weapon as an extra, virtually every other continuity has him exclusively use the Power Sword.
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114	[[folder:Video Games]]
115	* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'': Berserkers, the Viking Unique Unit, are armed with Dane axes and round shields.
116	* ''VideoGame/AtelierSeries'': Throughout the series, the big, physically-imposing party members also tend to wield large, heavy weapons like axes, though given the series' lighthearted tone, this tends to emphasize their strength, rather than outright brutality:
117	** ''VideoGame/AtelierTotoriTheAdventurerOfArland'': Melvia has monstrous SuperStrength, so she uses a gigantic axe as her weapon of choice.
118	** ''VideoGame/AtelierFirisTheAlchemistAndTheMysteriousJourney'': Drossel is the most direct, melee-focused party member, and axes are her primary weapon type.
119	* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'': Player characters of the Barbarian class start with a greataxe as their weapon. Karlach, the Barbarian Origin Character, also starts with one, whether chosen as the player character or recruited as a companion.
120	* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefaultII'': Characters with the Berserker class deal more damage when attacking with axes than other weapons, have an axe called "Hysteriax" as their class-specific InfinityPlusOneSword, and can unlock the "Axe Lore" passive skill with sufficient training.
121	* Played straight in ''VideoGame/ConquerorsBlade''...but not in the way you might expect. The game features three Viking axe-wielding units: Berserkers, Huskarls, and Varangian Guard. Berserkers and Huskarls are fairly typical barbarian warriors with fur and horned helmets and such. However, their axes are small one-handed weapons - far less impressive than the giant two-handed Dane axes wielded by Varangian Guard, who are far more cultured, better-equipped, better-trained, and overall less "barbarian" than Berserkers.
122	* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'':
123	** Two of the starting classes in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' and ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' respectively is the Bandit and Warrior class. The former is a typical marauder who was a highwayman before the ZombieApocalypse of the first game, and the latter is described as, well, a warrior from GrimUpNorth who obviously is a FantasyCounterpartCulture to HornyVikings. Both are built for Strength-builds and wield Axes as their first weapon.
124	** The demons of Chaos all use massive, brutal weapons that convey their inhuman strength. Get your hands on one and the strength requirements to use one are massive, often requiring one to invest their entire build around wielding one properly.
125	* ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'': Susie starts off as a BarbaricBully, with one of her first interactions with Kris being her threatening to bite their face off. When the two enter the Dark World, she finds herself wielding a battle axe--and she's quick to put it to use. While she mellows out into a JerkWithAHeartOfGold over the course of the story, she remains the most rough and aggressive member of the party.
126	* ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'':
127	** ''VideoGame/DiabloII'': Choosing the Barbarian from the character select screen will prompt him to let out a yell and start grinding an axe while you choose his name, and his starting inventory also includes an axe. ''Diablo II'' also introduces one-handed axes that the Barbarian can use with a shield or in each hand, while the first game only had two-handed axes. Axes have more consistent damage output, with higher minimum but lower maximum damage than swords and maces.
128	** ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'': {{Enforced\|Trope}} in the case of Mighty weapons, which obviously include axes, and can deal massive amounts of damage but have very slow attack speeds. Due to their size, the Barbarian, who for either sex is built like a tank, is the only character that can wield them.
129	* ''VideoGame/Dota2'':
130	** Mogul Khan, the Axe, is a brutal strength hero. He's an Oglodi (the ''Dota 2'' equivalent of orcs) warrior whose BloodKnight tendencies were so intense that he was promoted to the rank of Red Mist General--not only due to his savagery on the battlefield but also because [[KlingonPromotion he also killed his superiors so he could take their place]]. Fitting for such a vicious and barbaric combatant, and as evidenced by his title, he wields a large axe, which he uses in a SpinAttack or to inflict a OneHitKill execution on [[InjuredVulnerability weakened enemies]].
131	** Bradwarden, the Centaur Warrunner, belongs to [[OurCentaursAreDifferent a race]] defined by their [[BloodKnight love of fighting]]. He wields a huge axe, with one of his moves having him swing it so hard that [[CastFromHitPoints he hurts himself in the process]].
132	** The Troll Warlord's weapons of choice are two axes, which he can throw or use in melee. His default weapons are made of stone and are rather crude-looking, emphasizing his savage nature.
133	* ''Franchise/DragonAge'': Being a StandardFantasySetting, it’s not uncommon to find examples, specifically with {{Berserker}} Class characters, or [[BarbarianTribe Chasind and Avvar]] warriors.
134	** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': Normally the Dwarves in the setting would be an {{aversion}}. They’re a [[ProudIndustriousRace Proud Industrious]] and [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Warrior Race]]. They treat everything they do with class, pride, and honor. Except Oghren. He’s what happens when you remove the class in the equation. He’s the loud, [[BoisterousBruiser boisterous]], and savage {{Berserker}} of the group whose starter and promotional artwork equipment has always been giant Battle Axes as big as he is.[[note]]However Oghren can be seen as a DeconstructedCharacterArchetype. His warrior upbringing has made it [[CantStayNormal impossible for him to settle down]] and ruined both his romantic relationships and his life among the dwarves. Which eventually led to [[DrowningMySorrows heavy alcoholism]].[[/note]]
135	** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'': {{Averted}} with The Iron Bull. Despite his appearance, mannerisms, and the fact that he (potentially) considers [[TheDragonslayer dragon slaying]] to be BetterThanSex, barbaric is the last word you could use to describe him, something you'll more than likely notice [[EstablishingCharacterMoment upon meeting]]. He's very cultural and civil, and the idea of ''being'' barbaric doesn't simply repulses him, it's his greatest fear. Being a Qunari, harmony and discipline means everything to them. That isn't even getting into the fact that [[HighlyVisibleNinja he's also a spy for the Qunari]]... If anything, Bull's default weapon choice is yet another method he uses to [[ObfuscatingStupidity make people think he's more dimwitted than he actually is]]. Official materials bear this out; most artworks of Bull in his mercenary persona show him with an axe, while artwork showing his original Qunari persona show him with a more "proper" greatsword.
136	* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'':
137	** Godfrey the First Elden Lord wields a massive double-headed axe that had one head broken off during a battle. As his ideology states that the strongest rule, it is pretty telling that he uses this massive war-torn weapon. [[spoiler:And that's just in Phase 1. In Phase 2, he discards his axe and most of his armour to fight you with only his ''bare hands''. It doesn't get much more barbaric than that]].
138	** The second boss of the game that the player fights is Godrick the Grafted who serves as the master of Stormveil Castle. Godrick's title of "The Grafted" refers to his practice of tearing off the limbs of ours and grafting them onto himself in a attempt to become stronger. Godrick also uses a massive axe in battle in an attempt to imitate his ancestor Godfrey.
139	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': Barbaric and physically powerful factions and beings, such as orcs, minotaurs, and the Nord barbarians, are traditionally depicted as wielding large, ornate axes into battle.
140	* ''VideoGame/EverQuestII'': Berserkers are fighters who run into battle with reckless abandon. Their philosophy is to gain the attention of their enemies by swinging axes to do as much damage as possible. As such, the class's Epic Weapon is the [[https://eq2.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon%27s_Temper_(Mythical) Dragon's Temper]], a three-headed axe whose blades vibrate like a saw.
141	* ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' has Grognak's Axe, which is a replica of the one used by the comic book character Grognak the Barbarian. The player can play into the myth of Grognak as well through some cosplay.
142	* [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] in ''VideoGame/FearAndHunger'': Ragnvaldr is a BarbarianHero who enters the dungeons to fulfill a RoaringRampageOfRevenge. Whilst he's normally shown wielding a bow and arrows, his backstory starts with him as a child having to choose his weapon -- a hand axe coupled with a wooden shield is one of his two options... and even then, unless you enchant your hand axe, you're much more likely to pick up a stronger weapon from the dungeons instead of that.
143	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
144	** Just like with its SpiritualSuccessor ''Bravely Default'', older ''Final Fantasy'' games that had the Job system had the Viking class, which debuted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' and wielded axes as their main weapon, being unlocked with the Water Crystal.
145	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'': Axes are a weapon type heavily associated with the Berserker class -- a class whose only option in combat is to keep swinging their weapon until either all the enemies are dead or they're knocked unconscious.
146	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': Lani is an arrogant and disrespectful bounty hunter whose weapon is an oversized bardiche. Before her name is revealed she's even known as [[BoisterousBruiser Boisterous Woman]] in-game. She shows a softer side of herself once she's stranded on a remote continent though.
147	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'':
148	*** The Warrior job wields war axes with heads that are sometimes larger than their wielder's torsos. Founded by a secluded mountainous tribe in Abalathia's Spine, warriors harness their "[[TheBerserker inner beast]]" to achieve incredible feats of superhuman strength at the risk of going berserk and attacking friend and foe alike. They wear armor made from the hides and furs of the beasts they slay and enchanted to make it easier to control their inner beast.
149	*** Lyon the Beast King is the leader of the [=IVth=] Legion's beastmaster division and one of its greatest combatants. A shirtless BloodKnight willing to defy his own strategies solely to seek out worthy foes, he wields an axe and shield to challenge the strongest members of the Bozjan Resistance to battle. He's also accompanied by an enormous menagerie of animals he's trained to fight just as ferociously as he does when faced at Castrum Lacus Litore.
150	*** The man-eating and bestial minotaurs faced at various points in the story almost always wield axes. They share many of their attacks with the equally ferocious cyclops, swinging wildly in large arcs to deal enormous damage and knock back any players who fail to get out of the way in time.
151	* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' has the axe as one of the three types of melee weapons in the game; they are the strongest weapons compared to swords and lances, [[PowerfulButInaccurate but also the most inaccurate]]. In the game's TacticalRockPaperScissors, they beat lances, but they're beaten by swords. Usually, as per this trope, axe-wielders are often associated with being HotBlooded and characters from the fringes of society, like woodcutters, mercenaries, and possibly even bandits. It's because of this that often the first enemies you fight in any ''Fire Emblem'' game tend to be brigands. Several stand-out examples include:
152	** Gonzalez from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade'' is notably the first Brigand that's playable in the entire series, and also a partial [[SubvertedTrope subverted]]; he has the FaceOfAThug and is mentally deficient (as evidenced by his slow thinking and HulkSpeak), but he's genuinely a MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold who defects from his bandit group as soon as he can. He is promoted into the [[TheBerserker Berserker class]], and his growths make him into a LightningBruiser whose only real mark against him is his [[PowerfulButInaccurate terrible Skill stat]].
153	** Hector from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' is a ''[[ModestRoyalty Lord]]'' who happens to wield an axe. And he has the temperament to match it; HotBlooded, a massive BloodKnight tends to use direct and unsubtle means of defeating his foes, he's extremely brutish and his temperament is very unfitting as the brother of Marquess Ostia. [[CharacterDevelopment He gets a bit better at the game's end]], and chills out with age [[spoiler:for his BackForTheDead in [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade the sequel]]]].
154	** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and [[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn the sequel]]:
155	*** [[FriendlyRival Boyd]], who is so impetuous and hot-headed in battle despite being only slightly less of a greenhorn than [[TheHero Ike]] that he [[AchievementInIgnorance somehow broke his axe on his first mission sometime before the events of the game]] (and is implied that it happened because of his outright recklessness with the weapon). He's nonetheless a good friend and ''very'' solid unit, owing to his LightningBruiser stats and growths.
156	*** [[HotBlooded Kieran]] is a ''[[PowerStereotypeFlip Cavalier]]'' who wields an axe; an overconfident and reckless mounted knight who is so intense in his methods that he even gets injured while practicing alone, and [[MajorInjuryUnderreaction has at least on one occasion not notice a massive injury caused by his own axe on his head]].
157	*** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' we have Largo, self-titled "World Class Berserker", and also the page image. He claims that he allegedly pinned two tigers at once, and in his Support Chain with [[LittleBitBeastly Muarim]], he has a lifting competition with him, Muarim being from the Tiger Laguz who are known for their superhuman strength. [[spoiler:[[CharlesAtlasSuperpower It's a tie]]. Largo's general attitude is somewhat [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]] as his reckless abandon costs him his arm, making him the only playable character to be demoted to NPC status come [[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn the sequel]]]].
158	** [[GoldDigger Charlotte]] from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' is a DoubleSubversion of this trope. She wields an axe in battle, but ''seems'' to be TheCutie and a dainty girl with a huge axe... only the truth of the matter is that she is a brutish and ferocious [[TheBerserker berserker]] who deliberately holds back in order to not seem unappealing to other potential bachelors in the army. When she feels no reason to play up her cutie act, she's TheLadette with a ferocious streak a mile wide. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold She's actually a lot nicer than one might assume and is just cynical]], but she's such a critical hit machine that it's not uncommon to see her get ''100% crit rate'' just from her Personal Skill and a Killer weapon alone.
159	* ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}}'': Thor the Warrior has a battleaxe that he can use for close combat or throw at distant enemies.
160	* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'': Within the tribalistic [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Hilichurl]] race, the bigger Mitachurls sometimes wield battleaxes, which they can "swipe" with Pyro or Electro Slimes to give their axes a temporary [[ElementalWeapon elemental edge.]]
161	* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar2018'' has Kratos swap out the Blades of Chaos for the Leviathan Axe, but [[SubvertedTrope ironically]], he's actually less pissed off and violent than in previous installments due to a [[TimeSkip Time Skip]]'s worth of CharacterDevelopment. He'll still bring on the hurt, but he's not as quick to do so.
162	* ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'' has an axe as a weapon for both one of the heroes and the villain. One of the heroes, Gilius-Thunderhead, is a dwarf armed with an axe as his weapon of choice, while his partners, Ax-Battler and Tyris-Flare, are both armed with swords. The villain, Death Adder, is armed with the titular Golden Axe, which he uses to attack the heroes.
163	* ''VideoGame/GoldenForce'': The three characters, Gutz and Spina, both use swords, while OldMaster Elder uses a PowerFist. Meanwhile, the team's TokenNonHuman, a gigantic DraconicHumanoid named Drago, carries heavy axes.
164	* ''VideoGame/GladiatorSwordOfVengeance'' has large enemies using large weapons; in fact, the second enemy introduced in the game, the Hoplomachus gladiators, are much taller and stronger than the default Secutor-class gladiators. Fittingly they all swing heavy axes as weapons.
165	* ''VideoGame/GuardianTales'': Geminus, the Exclusive Weapon of TheBerserker Amy, is a giant battleaxe.
166	* ''VideoGame/HeroOfSparta'' has gigantic minotaur enemies who prefer using axes or maces. Meanwhile, Hades the powerful TinTyrant who towers over your hero uses an axe almost as large as himself.
167	* ''VideoGame/{{Indivisible}}'': Ajna uses her mother's axe as her primary weapon, though she's good with her bare hands and uses the other weapons she obtains as well. Although her heart's in the right place, Ajna has a bad habit of smashing through problems [[DestructiveSavior without considering the full consequences]], and the heavy, destructive axe that serves as her main weapon reflects this.
168	* ''VideoGame/{{Jotun}}'': A large, two-handed axe is the only weapon of Thora, a Viking trapped in Norse purgatory. The axe proves [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer more than sufficient]] to deal with the magic, elemental giants she needs to defeat in order to escape.
169	* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': Lexaeus is the epitome of strong and silent, both his bulk and his [[DishingOutDirt earth magic]] being used in straightforward assault. The massive "Axesword" that he carries complements this: you know exactly what you're up against, and that won't make it any easier for you.
170	* ''VideoGame/KingdomRush'': The second unlocked Tier 4 Barracks in the first game, the Barbarian Mead Hall, has barbarian soldiers using massive double-headed battleaxes as their primary weapons. They can be upgraded to perform a SpinAttack as a counter-attack, throw axes to attack enemies from afar or in the air, and dual wield axes to increase their damage output.
171	* ''Franchise/LeagueOfLegends'':
172	** Olaf the Berserker is a very cut-and-dry, stereotypical depiction of a Viking, complete with buckskin clothes and a horned helmet. And his weapons of choice are a pair of hand axes that he relentlessly cleaves at his opponents with in combat, being rewarded for risky and prolonged combat.
173	** Sion the Undead Juggernaut wields a massive, crudely-formed battle axe with enough power to split the ground beneath him. And in his revenant state, he constantly zigzags between self-aware horror and bestial rage, fighting with nothing but force and fury.
174	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
175	** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', Iron Knuckles are a type of enemy that wear heavy armor and wield large double-headed axes. They also move slowly and are quite resistant to Link's physical attacks, taking many hits before they are defeated.
176	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': When battled in the Bulblin Compound and at Hyrule Castle, the hulking leader of the barbaric, orc-like Bulblins fights Link using a huge two-handed axe swung in broad, powerful blows.
177	* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', [[Characters/MortalKombat General Shao]] carries a massive two-bladed axe as his default weapon, [[AdaptationalWeaponSwap as opposed to the]] HumongousHeadedHammer used by versions of Shao Kahn in older timelines. Despite ostensibly being on the heroes' side, Shao is still an imposing GeneralRipper in [[TinTyrant heavy armour]] with a brutal fighting style that puts his axe to work, ''and'' his [[HornsOfBarbarism massive horns]] further add to his barbaric aesthetic.
178	* ''VideoGame/MedievalTotalWar'':
179	** Starting in the game's early period many of the Danish units carry axes, from the lightly armed Viking Raiders up to the more heavily armoured Huscarls (both calvary and foot). The game's introduction to the faction empathising how they have yet to fully move on from their brutal past as raiders, and don't lack any of their Viking ancestors' ferocity when it comes to war. These units making up the backbone of the Danish forces. In the later stages, it's possible to recruit Norse Axemen, heavily armed warriors that weird two-handed battle-axe's as one of their strongest units.
180	** The starting and stable unit of Scotland the Highlanders also wield a one-handed axe, with the game's description describing them as fierce, reckless, and ill-disciplined warriors recruited from the untamed regions of Scotland.
181	* ''VideoGame/OnimushaWarlords'': The huge, minotaur-like Genma known as Oowassha are armed with humongous single-bladed axes, which are as slow as molasses but can hit like trucks. A variation carries double-bit axes they can throw away as a special attack, after which they rely on massive cleavers to finish the job.
182	* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
183	** ''VideoGame/Persona3'': [[TheBigGuy Shinjiro Aragaki]] is a BruiserWithASoftCenter who's known for getting into fights with other people and fights like [[TheBerserker a Berserker]] in the Dark Hour, often showing an irritable temper and is perceived as a delinquent and outcast. He can wield any kind of weapon under the 'bludgeon' class and can wield axes as a direct result. [[DeconstructedTrope This lack of restraint actually bites him in the ass]], as it not only results in his Persona going berserk and [[spoiler:killing Ken Amada's mother in the process, but impulsively TakingTheBullet for Ken and [[BigGuyFatalitySyndrome getting himself killed in the process]]]].
184	** ''VideoGame/Persona5'': [[SpoiledSweet Haru Okumura]] is a DoubleSubversion of this trope; she is normally a perfectly placid and kind-hearted NiceGirl... but as the Phantom Thief Noir, she shows almost casual brutality and sadism to enemy shadows, fighting with a giant axe and even admitting at one point she enjoys hearing them plead for their lives. A general consensus among the rest of the Phantom Thieves is that while Haru is very much genuine about being kind, she is rather unhinged and isn't above copious amounts of violence if the situation calls for it, [[WomanScorned such as the main character cheating on her]]:
185	--->'''Haru:''' Take my chocolate, please... ''before I'' '''''crush it'''''.
186	* ''VideoGame/RuphandAnApothecarysAdventure'': The leader of a group of undead raiders wields a giant axe.
187	* ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'': Voodood is an orc warrior with a dragon skull as a helmet wielding the Axe Reaver, a double-headed axe with the ability to detach its head as a grappling hook and be charged with magical electricity. He was originally part of the Ooga Warrior tribe, having a rather barbaric attitude that made him the leader of the tribe.
188	* ''VideoGame/{{Slashout}}'': Axle is the game's sole BarbarianHero and carries an ax called the Balder as his preferred weapon. Everyone else uses swords or daggers instead.
189	* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'': The warmongering and antagonistic [=SharpClaw=] Tribe arm themselves with maces and double-headed axes.
190	* ''VideoGame/AVeryLongRopeToTheTopOfTheSky'': Diego is a bandit and wields "Diego's Axe", which is a component of the Brigand's Axe, where brigands and bandits are violent people operating outside of civilization.
191	** The "Berserker's Axe" exists at the end of a long crafting chain.
192	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Orcs, the Warcraft universe's quintessential tribal-shamanistic ProudWarriorRace, are generally depicted wielding axes as weapons. Until ''Warlords of Draenor'', orc players gained bonuses from wielding axes.
193	[[/folder]]
194
195	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
196	* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': It doesn't particularly look like an axe, but Berserker's [[IconicItem signature weapon]] is a giant 'axe-sword' that he uses to savagely beat his opponents into a pulp with. Berserker's one of the most threatening members of the Holy Grail War, but in truth, the Berserker class is actually the ''weakest'' for its inhabitant, [[spoiler:[[Myth/ClassicalMythology Heracles]]]], whom when shown in other classes it's ironically more suited for (which is pretty much every other class that's possible in a Holy Grail War for him sans Caster, which he can't use due to not knowing Magecraft), he's capable of his [[SecretArt Noble Phantasm]] Nine-Lives Blade Works, which allows the user to strike with nine strikes in a single swing in a property comparable to Assassin's Tsubaemi Gaeshi, which ''[[BeyondTheImpossible violates the very principles of magic in the setting]].'' In the ''Heaven's Feel'' route, when [[spoiler:[[TheHero Shirou Emiya]] ends up [[BadassTransplant losing his arm and getting it replaced with Archer's arm]], [[HoistByHisOwnPetard he ends up turning this on a corrupted and possessed Berserker by tracing and manifesting his axe-sword and using Nine-Lives Blade Works to finish Berserker off]]]].
197	** Surprisingly [[AvertedTrope averted]] for most of the series, though; despite having a class whose name is typically associated with this trope, the Berserker class typically operates less on axes and more on ''PowerBornOfMadness''; the Mad Enhancement skill, the higher it is, ends up drastically increasing the Servant's parameters, but cause their cognition to deteriorate -- and in extreme cases like [[TheArtifact Berserker, Lancelot, and Lu Bu]] -- the inability to speak at all except through wrathful screams. As for characters in the Berserker class that use axes, there's actually only a handful of them (Eric Bloodaxe, Asterios, etc.), as most characters in the class tend to not be restricted to axe but any weapon imaginable given the class's requirements are tied based on the target having gone "berserk" at least once in their lives.
198	[[/folder]]
199
200	%%[[folder:Web Animation]]
201	%%[[/folder]]
202
203	[[folder:Webcomics]]
204	* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/qa8-01 Q&A #8]] has Barbarian Amanda with a double-bitted axe.
205	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Thog of the Linear Guild is a classic TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons half-orc barbarian who wields a greataxe. A mailbag comic notes that both the barbarian hit die and greataxe damage are d12s, which are otherwise little-used.
206	[[/folder]]
207
208	[[folder:Web Video]]
209	* Across the seasons of ''WebVideo/Dimension20'', several Barbarian characters across multiple campaigns use an axe as their primary weapon, including Gorgug from ''Fantasy High'', Katja Cleaver of ''The Seven'', and Ylfa from ''Neverafter''.
210	* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp6GBs9iePT3QKdtnzWEOVQ PopCross Studios]]'': In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pJArXvgdOY What if FAIRY TALES Were LEGENDARY WARRIORS?!]], one of the various [[AdaptationalBadass tougher versions of]] fairy-tale characters discussed by two ''WebVideo/MultiverseTales'' characters is Goldbritt, a version of [[Literature/GoldilocksAndTheThreeBears Goldilocks]] who came from a [[HornyVikings Viking clan]]. Despite ''not'' wearing a historically-inaccurate horned helmet (or [[HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic any helmet at all]]), Goldbritt possessed various other attributes of a stereotypical Viking -- IcyBlueEyes, BraidsOfBarbarism, a RuggedScar over her left eye, and, yes, she carried a massive bearded axe as a weapon. To prove her clan was not [[BadassDecay losing their strength]] after the previous clanhead was killed by a [[BearsAreBadNews Norwegian mountain bear]], Goldbritt tracked down a family of said bears to their cave, killed all three of them with her axe, and afterwards [[NemeanSkinning converted one of the bears' skin into part of her wardrobe]]. What's more proof of a tough, barbaric character than that?
211	[[/folder]]
212
213	[[folder:Western Animation]]
214	* Vicky from ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' is a fiery, violent BabysitterFromHell whose purpose in the show is to torment Timmy. Unsurprisingly, she uses axes and a running gag is her preparing horrors for Timmy while unnoticed by his parents, including grinding an executioner's axe.
215	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Zig-zagged with [[ActionGirl Wendy]]. Her usual weapon of choice is an axe, and while she's often calm and laid-back, she's also a [[TheLadette Lad-ette]] MightyLumberjack who has been shown to have an [[BloodKnight enthusiasm for fighting]] on a number of occasions.
216	* ''WesternAnimation/MayaAndTheThree'': The Puma barbarians, like Pichu, are skilled with giant battle axes, condescending their battle-loving nature.
217	[[/folder]]

Context Main / BarbaricBattleaxe