History Characters / DarksidersHorsemen

* {{Jerkass}}: Makes himself ''out'' to be one as part of his JerkassFacade.

* CompositeCharacter: The series combines the [[TheBible Biblical]] Pale Horseman and modern depictions of the GrimReaper.

%%* ClearMyName: His motivation for ''Darksiders''

* RedIsViolent: War is primarily associated with the color red due to his trademark cloak and his horse. He's also [[OneManArmy proficient]] in [[BloodKnight creatively]] [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown slaughtering]] people.

* BackFromTheDead: Doesn't have this happen to him once, but ''thrice''. Chronologically, the first (known) time War died and came back [[spoiler:was during the Abomination Crisis when he was killed by the BigBad in an attempt to get the key to awakening the Grand Abominations to the Charred Council for safekeeping (spoiler:although, it turned out that the key he had was a fake and Death had the real key all along, but nobody ever found that out). Death managed to bring him back to life when that happened.]] The second time was on Earth when he lost all of his power and was killed by Straga (only to be brought back to life by the Council so they could wrongly punish him for setting off the Apocalypse too early). The third, and most well-known, time was [[spoiler:during the finale of the first game. He killed [[BigBad Abbadon/the Destroyer]] but was betrayed by the Watcher who told him of the Charred Council's betrayal which bought Uriel enough time to complete the Nex Sacramentum, stabbing War from behind and killing him. However, Uriel quickly turned on the Watcher and broke the seventh seal, which restored both War's life and his powers. ...The guy's been through some stuff.]]

* PutTheLaughterInSlaughter: A downplayed example, but if you use the instant kill on the undead scarabs, Death will let out a chuckle as he does so. However, it's played straight when he equips the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojJGWfMpqxc Goldbringer scythes]]. If you listen closely, you can hear him letting out an occasional cackle.

* ABoyAndHisX: Seems to be really close to Ruin, if ''Abomination Vault'' and the cutscene [[spoiler:where Ruin is freed from enslavement by his hand]] is any indication. Even when Ruin was BrainwashedAndCrazy, War refused to attack him.

!!!Voiced by: Michael Wincott

* DualWielding: Fury does this with the Chains of Scorn flails of her flame hollow form, as well as with whips in her Havoc Form.

* IHaveManyNames: People refer to him as [[TheGrimReaper the Reaper]], Pale Rider, Kinslayer, and Executioner among others.

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: She acts like she could care less about her brothers, but [[spoiler: when Lust shows her a vision of her brothers bowing submissively to her, she is more outraged by the defilement of their dignity than the illusion itself.]]

* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: She seems to care little for her siblings, but [[spoiler: when Lust shows her a vision of her brothers bowing submissively to her, she is more outraged by the defilement of their dignity than anything else.]]

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite the above trope, there are moments where Fury is a little bit nice. [[spoiler:Although she mentions she doesn't care about mankind and that they were beyond saving, she actually helps a bunch of humans reach Haven at Ulthane's request even though she could have left them to die. Fury also tells her Watcher before her CharacterDevelopment that she finds her useful.]]

* TheStarscream: A rare heroic version. Fury wants to be the leader of the Horsemen, a position that none of her brothers seem to care about - even ''Death'', who is the actual leader. [[spoiler: Although, as Lust soon learns, that doesn't mean she wants them to ''serve'' her, with the illusion of them bowing to her only incurring her wrath.]]

* DualWielding: Fury does this with the Chains of Scorn flais of her flame hollow form, as well as with whips in her Havoc form.

* PowerDyesYourHair: All of her Hollow forms change the color of her hair and eyes to match the specific element.
** Her Flame Hollow form not only turns her hair color from purple to an orange-yellow, it also gives the impression that ''it's on fire''.

* TheStarscream: A rare heroic version. According to IGN, Fury [[http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/07/13/darksiders-3-hands-on-what-we-learned-after-playing-2-hours-a-ign-first wants to be the leader of the Horsemen]], a position that none of her brothers seem to care about - even ''Death'', who is the actual leader. [[spoiler: Although, as Lust soon learns, that doesn't mean she wants them to ''serve'' her, with the illusion of them bowing to her only incurring her wrath.]]

* SuperMode: Unlike War and Death, she has ''multiple'' transformations she can achieve.

* ExtraEyes: His redesign in ''III'' gives his mask five eye-holes. [[spoiler: Though his in-game appearance shows that these extra 'eyes' are just decorative; only two are proper eye-holes for him to see out of.]]

** But [[spoiler:''Darksiders III'' reveals him to be the nicest and most selfless of the Horsemen. Whether he was always this, he got some CharacterDevelopment like Fury, or if he just has a soft spot for humanity in particular has yet to be determined.]]

* PowerDyesYourHair: Her Flame Hollow form not only turns her hair color from purple to an orange-yellow, it also gives the impression that ''it's on fire''.

* FantasticRacism: Combined with HumansAreBastards. Fury is actively contemptuous of humans to the point that she finds the idea of physically touching one beneath her. Her main reasoning behind this is that humans keep finding ways to fight amongst themselves and that they are fragile, physically and mentally. [[spoiler:She changes her tune by the end of the game.]]

** Fury: "[[WhipItGood Scorn]]"

* PlayingWithFire: One of the forms Fury can take in combat is her [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kj-xARhc-U&t=0s Flame Hollow form]], a fire elemental that gives her fire-based abilities and allows her to move in lava.

* ShockAndAwe: Storm Hollow gives Fury an electrical weapon in adition to the wind based powers it confers.

** BeastOfBattle: In ''Darksiders'' and ''Darksiders II'', players can use Ruin and Despair respectively to charge through enemies. [[spoiler:{{Averted}} in ''Darksiders III'' as Rampage is mortally wounded]].

%%* DefectorFromDecadence: From the Nephilim

* MysteriousPast: Aside from having been part of the Nephilim horde, [[DefectorFromDecadence breaking away from it, pledging themselves to the Charred Council, and wiping out their people]], there isn't much information on each of the Horsemen's past at this time. Death, at least, seems to prefer it that way.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Pre-CharacterDevelopment, Fury is driven by her desire to prove that she is superior to her fellow Horsemen and become their leader, with everything else along the way just consequences of her ambition. She's offended that the Council would give her a Watcher to monitor her until said Watcher begins to stroke her ego.

* AllThereInTheManual: Prior to the release of ''Darksiders II'', Strife has only appeared in the promotional comic book and the novel ''The Abomination Vault''.

[[folder:Horsemen in general]]

[[caption-width-right:335:From Left to Right: Fury, Strife, Death, War.]]

The Charred Council's most feared enforcers, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are the central protagonists to ''Darksiders''. They are Nephilim: half-angel, half-demon.

Long ago, the nephilim were cast out of the Garden of Eden, which was then given to Mankind. Outraged, Absalom led the Nephilim in a bloody war against Heaven and Hell in an attempt to retake their piece of paradise. Four Nephilim, fearing the war would greatly upset the balance, made a truce with the Council: they offered to serve them in exchange for untold power. The Council's first task for them? Annihilate their own race. All the Nephilim's souls were then placed in an amulet, where they suffer eternal torment.

!General
* ActionPet: Fittingly enough, their steeds.
** BeastOfBattle: In ''Darksiders'', ''Darksiders II'' and ''Darksiders III''', you can use Ruin, Despair and Rampage (respectively) to charge through your enemies.
** BondCreature: Played with. In the ''Death's Door'' comics, the Horsemaster mentions that the only way to truly "bond" with a phantom horse is to tame it by [[{{Determinator}} sheer force of will alone]].
* AnthropomorphicPersonification: [[AvertedTrope Averted]]. The Horsemen's names are ultimately just names.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: In case you forget which color horse they have, here's a list:

* DefectorFromDecadence: From the Nephilim,
* DisplacedOrigin: In the first game, lore stated that the Nephilim were beings older than angels and demons. ''Darksiders II'', however, reiterates this by saying they were born ''from'' angels and demons. This means the Nephilim's origins have been {{retcon}}ned, as Lilith flat out states in the sequel she is responsible for their birth.
* DualWielding: Both Death and Strife do this, Death with his scythes and Strife with his pistols.
* FourIsDeath: Or at least, death to those who would threaten the Balance. Played straight with the rest of the Nephilim, considering they died by their hand (with help from the Hellguard). Sort of [[PunnyName punny]] when you think about it, since the oldest and leader of the Horsemen's name is ''Death''.
* GoodIsNotNice: One would think that as the protagonists, they'd be a lot more heroic. Judging from their reputations and, at the very least, [[HairTriggerTemper War]], [[DeadpanSnarker Death]], and [[JerkAss Fury's]] personalities, they are anything but that.
* GoodIsNotSoft: They're the protectors of the BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil and yet, they're feared and hated by many... [[OneManArmy with good reason]].

* HorsemenOfTheApocalypse: Of note is the developers did away the traditional Horsemen of "famine" and "conquest" in place of Strife and Fury, due to being too archaic and unsuited for an action game with Strife replacing Conquest and Fury replacing Famine.
* LastOfTheirKind: Sort of. [[spoiler:[[TheLeader Absalom]] [[CameBackWrong comes back]] in ''Darksiders II'', but the trope is enforced in the ending, when Death kills him, then dooms the majority of the Nephilim eternally in exchange for reviving humanity with his HeroicSacrifice]].
* MysteriousPast: Aside from having been part of the Nephilim Horde, [[DefectorFromDecadence breaking away from it, pledging themselves to the Charred Council, and wiping out their people,]] there isn't much information on each of the Horsemen's past at this time. Death, at least, seems to prefer it that way.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Death, Fury, Strife, War... [[SarcasmMode Truly, some comforting monikers.]]
* NeverBareheaded: War, Death, and Strife are always wearing a hood, mask, or helmet respectively. Averted with Fury.

** OhCrap: A common reaction to seeing any of the Four when they enter the scene, due to the above trope (coupled with GoodIsNotSoft).
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The nephilim apparently had this as a hat, if the behavior of War and Death are anything to go by. The lore (as told by the Crowfather in the second game) notes that the Nephilim also rampaged across entire worlds, slaughtering entire species before they were finally stopped at the Gates of Eden by the angels and the Horsemen.
* RestrainingBolt: The Seven Seals seem to act as this for them. As long as they are intact, the Horsemen are under the control of the Council. [[spoiler:Averted in the ending of ''Darksiders'', as the Horsemen are no longer bound to their former masters]].

* VitriolicBestBuds: Death seems to have this with his younger siblings. Goes UpToEleven when they actually start maiming each other (as in the case of War, whose left arm was lopped off by Death when he wouldn't listen and go back to the Charred Council). They still care for each other... in their own unique way.

** War: [[{{BFS}} Chaoseater]]
** Death: [[SinisterScythe Harvester]]
** Strife: [[GunsAkimbo Mercy and Redemption]]
** Fury: [[WhipItGood Scorn]]

-> ''I choose what once... a [[BigBad coward]] [[ShutUpHannibal did not]].''

The protagonist of the first game, War was tricked into starting the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt End War]] prematurely. For this, the Charred Council stripped him of his powers and sentenced him to death. However, he was able to convince them to give him the chance to prove his innocence. Under the eye of the Watcher, War is sent back to the desolated Earth to uncover who was really responsible for starting the Apocalypse, killing anyone who stands in his or die in the attempt.

* ABoyAndHisX: Seems to be really close to Ruin, if the book and the cutscene [[spoiler: where Ruin is freed from enslavement by his hand]] is any indication. Even when Ruin was BrainwashedAndCrazy, War refused to attack him.

* BadassBaritone: He is voiced by Creator/LiamOBrien.
* BadassBoast: Including, but not limited to:
--> '''War''': [[PreAsskickingOneLiner You can look me in the eye when I kill you]].

* {{BFS}}, OneHandedZweihander: Chaoseater, which counting the handle is almost as long as he is tall. [[spoiler: Later the Armageddon Blade]]
* BigBrotherInstinct: Inverted since he's actually the youngest of the Four. In the novel he ends up risking his life and standing up for Death on multiple occasions.

* ClearMyName: His motivation for ''Darksiders''

--> '''Straga''': Straga is the mightiest of the Destroyer's chosen!\\
'''War''': And the last. Your master chose poorly.

--> '''Phantom General''': Drum heim gol straga bor. [You have killed many of my warriors.]\\
'''War''': Non straga sindora. [[[IShallTauntYou I have yet to find a warrior among you.]]]

* InTheHood: And nothing ever knocks if off.

--> '''Samael:''' [to himself] The Horseman is broken, but there is still much power in him. For a moment, I saw one who would stand against the Destroyer's army.

* TheStoic: War isn't big on that whole "emotions" thing.
** PerpetualFrowner: He stops frowning exactly once in the game, though it isn't a [[EvilLaugh comforting change]]. He is a bit more expressive around his brethren in the book.
** HairTriggerTemper: However, he also has a nasty temper, and is quick to anger whenever someone provokes him.
* ThanatosGambit: The [[spoiler:Tree of Knowledge reveals he will die with the Armageddon Blade pierced through him. Although War does not know who the perpetrator is, he deduces it is Uriel, when she challenges him to "[[DuelToTheDeath Nex Sacramentum]]". When she fulfills the death oath after War kills Abaddon, she destroys the Seventh Seal, resurrecting War and freeing him from the Council's hold on him]].
* UndyingLoyalty: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with Ruin. After [[spoiler:War dies in the book]], Ruin still remained by his side and would not let anyone, even ''Death'', go near him.
** This is played straight with Death. Insubordination aside, War would die for him if need be. It's very likely he would do the same for Fury and Strife, but at the moment, we've yet to see them interact.

* WouldntHurtAChild: Zig-zagged in ''The Abomination Vault''. While he's not above at least knocking them unconscious, this is what War says [[spoiler:to a younger Uriel from the early days of her Hellguard career]] when he [[spoiler:tries to get her to stand down as she stubbornly tries to defend a WeaponOfMassDestruction that only kills demons]]:
--> '''War''': Well, [[spoiler:Uriel]], I've no interest in killing children, and you have to know you've no chance.

->''My brother War stands falsely accused of unleashing Armageddon on the human race. [[BigBrotherInstinct His fate concerns me]]; yours, does not.''

* NeverBareheaded: Inverted. She's the only horseman who doesn't wear some kind of face concealing headdress.

[[folder:Horsemen]]

!War, Rider of the Red Horse

!!Voiced by: Creator/LiamOBrien

!Death, Rider of the Pale Horse

!!Voiced by: Michael Wincott

!Fury, Rider of the Black Horse

!!Voiced by: Cissy Jones

!Strife, Rider of the White Horse

!!Voiced by: Creator/PhilLaMarr