History Characters / RedSonja

[[caption-width-right:350:Boris Vallejo's take.]]

** Since his amulet lets him come back centuries later, he can get into fights with modern heroes in the present day. Kulan Gath was famously a foe of the ComicBook/NewMutants and ComicBook/XMen for a time, taking over New York and turning it into a replica of the Hyborian Age. In the 2000's, he pulled the exact same stunt and got in a fight with the ComicBook/{{Avengers}}.

* AnythingThatMoves: The Gail Simone incarnation was not raped unlike her previous incarnations and will not lose her fighting abilities if she has sex, so she's more than happy to indulge. She's also not too particular about who she does it with. Man, woman, horned forest god are all fair game.

* BarbarianHero : Rare female version. Arguably, the ur-example.

* BoobsOfSteel: A skilled and strong fighter who is often drawn very busty.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Virtually the entire kingdom wishes to avenge Sultan Bashir in "Birth of a She-Devil" despite the fact he was a FatBastard HateSink.

* CardCarryingVillain: Averted, actually. Kulan Gath believes that his actions will bring order to the universe, no matter how nonsensical and hypocritical his actions.

* RoguesGalleryTransplant: This Thulsa Doom is based on the Eighties ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian'' antagonist.

** Since his amulet lets him comic back centuries later, he can get into fights with modern heroes in the present day. Kulan Gath was famously a foe of the ComicBook/NewMutants and ComicBook/XMen for a time, taking over New York and turning it into a replica of the Hyborian Age. In the 2000's, he pulled the exact same stunt and got in a fight with the ComicBook/{{Avengers}}.

** Kulan Gath was famously a foe of the ComicBook/NewMutants and ComicBook/XMen for a time, taking over New York and turning it into a replica of the Hyborian Age. In the 2000's, he pulled the exact same stunt and got in a fight with the ComicBook/{{Avengers}}.

** Kulan Gath was famously a foe of the New Mutants and X-men for a time, taking over New York and turning it into a replica of the Hyborian Age. In the 2000's, he pulled the exact same stunt and got in a fight with the ComicBook/{{Avengers}}.

** Kulan Gath was famously a foe of the New Mutants and X-men for a time, taking over New York and turning it into a replica of the Hyborian Age.

** Was originally a ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian'' (and ''[[Literature/TheElricSaga Elric]]''!) villain created by Creator/MichaelMoorcock.

** Was originally a ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian'' (and ''Literature/Elric''!) villain created by Michael Moorcock.

* {{Archenemy}}: Red Sonja has become this to him across the centuries.

* DarthVaderClone: Not just because of his InkSuitActor status but because he's an armored sorcerer with terrifying presence.

Character sheet for the ''ComicBoook/RedSonja'' comic books.

For the [[Film/RedSonja 1985 film]]'s character sheet, see [[Characters/RedSonja1985 here]].

* InkSuitActor: Looks like James Earl Jones at the start of his career rather than middle.

* [[Characters/RedSonjaMovie1985 The 1985 Movie]]

* HypnoticVoice: Possesses one of these, though raw charisma seems also to be at play.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/806109_thulsa_doom_alex_ross02.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Who among you still fears death?]]

* ClassicalVillain: A man out for world domination, unlimited power, and driven by a combination of both greed as well as pride.

* RoguesGalleryTransplant: Was originally a ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian'' (and ''Literature/Elric''!) villain created by Michael Moorcock.

[[folder:Character Tropes]]

!! The Movie

!!'''Protagonists'''

[[folder: Sonja]]
!!Red Sonja
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/normal_brigitte-nielsen-red-sonja-1985_8249.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/BrigitteNielsen

A woman whose family was slain by Queen Gedren, and she was herself raped by Gedren's men. A spirit came to her, and gave her the strength to seek vengeance. She went on to train with the best sword masters and became a formidable warrior.
----
* ActionGirl: She becomes a fierce badass very few people can hope to defeat after training with the best sword masters.
* BadassNormal: Sorcery does exist in her world, but being a superbly trained warrior in said world is more than enough.
* CharacterTitle: ''Red Sonja''.
* CoolSword: When comes the time to choose a sword, she's guided by the voice of the spirit that granted her the strength to seek revenge. The sword she chooses has quite elaborate hilt ornaments, a golden half-moon most notably.
* DoesNotLikeMen: After her rape, Sonja disliked being touched by them, understandably, although she still felt affection for the Grand Master who taught her. Sonja tells him that she doesn't really hate all men though, but refuses to let them touch her [[BestHerToBedHer unless they're able to equal or defeat her in combat]]. Later, she slowly warms up Kalidor, and kisses him.
* DoomedHometown: Her family and farm are destroyed by Gedren's men at the beginning of the film, and she gets raped.
* FieryRedhead: Sonja is a red-haired, hot-blooded swordswoman who has righteous fury for Queen Gedren, who had her raped and ordered Sonja's family slaughtered, on whom she has sworn vengeance.
* FriendlyRivalry: She has one with Kalidor, as both are equally great sword fighters.
* HeroesPreferSwords: She's the story's heroine, and she trained to wield swords.
* {{Master Swords|man}}woman: She becomes one after training with the best sword masters. Only Kalidor is her match.
* OnlyTheChosenMayWield: Being a woman, she can touch the Talisman safely.
* RapeAndRevenge: She has been raped by Gedren's men. ''Nothing'' should stand in her way to get revenge.
* RapeAsBackstory: See above.
* RedBaron: "Red" Sonja. Comes from the fact that she's a redhead.
* {{Stripperiffic}}: Her outfit's sexiness is quite downplayed compared to her [[http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/2/29837/828576-redsonja_land_cov.jpg comics]] [[http://www.dynamite.com/images/TNRSV201CovScott.jpg counterparts]], but it's still very Franchise/WonderWoman-esque.
* {{You Killed My Fa|ther}}mily: Gedren had her whole family slaughtered.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Kalidor]]
!!Lord Kalidor
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kalidor-la-legende-du-talisman-1985-3345-1750919910_8772.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger

A warrior who was sworn to protect the Order of the Talisman. After the Talisman is stolen by Queen Gedren, he teams up with Sonja in order to find and destroy it before it destroys the world.
----
* AmazonChaser: Being a great warrior himself, he's attracted to Sonja due to both her beauty and her prowess in combat.
* CaptainErsatz: Of [[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 Conan]], for [[ScrewedByTheLawyers copyright reasons]]. It could actually be Conan, since he's used many aliases before.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Just as Conan did in his two movies, Kalidor can lift weights way beyond possible for a normal human being.
* CoolSword: Wields a pretty cool sword, with a golden shield ornament on the hilt.
* FriendlyRivalry: He has one with Sonja, as both are equally great sword fighters.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Like Sonja, he's a MasterSwordsman.
* HeroesWantRedheads: He falls head over heels for Sonja.
* HeroicBuild: Due to being played by Arnold Schwarzenegger helps, even though he has no ShirtlessScene to display it to the full, unlike the ''Conan'' movies.
* MasterSwordsman: The equal of Sonja in sword combat.
* OneManArmy: He tears through Gedren's army without a scratch and takes on Brytag's army alone to allow Sonja a chance to flee the fortified gate.
* RatedMForManly: Mr. Olympia playing a CaptainErsatz of Conan. Period.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tarn]]
!!Prince Tarn
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/princetarn.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/ErnieReyesJr

The young prince of the kingdom of Harblock, which was destroyed by Queen Gedren using the Talisman. He projects to raise a new army and joins Sonja in her crusade against Gedren.
----
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: He thinks he's much stronger than he is, and it's up to Sonja to teach him discipline, humbleness and better combat techniques.
* CoolCrown[=/=]CoolHelmet: He wears a helmet (or is it a crown?) decorated with red silk and a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickelhaube Pickelhaube]]-esque spike.
* DefiantToTheEnd: He still utters death threats to the bandits that are about to quarter him.
* FearlessFool: He doesn't hesitate to jump on Kalidor thinking he is a threat to Sonja. He isn't afraid to confront Ikol alone either.
* {{Flynning}}: Subverted. Sonja shows him why this wouldn't really work in a real fight.
* {{Pride}}: His character flaw, although he's young and eventually grows more humble after receiving a few lessons courtesy of Sonja.
* RoyalBrat: He starts as purely this, bossing Falkon around and being quite arrogant, but Sonja gives him several lessons that make him more humble over the course of the movie.
* StayInTheKitchen: He arrogantly invites Sonja to work for him as a cook the first time they meet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Falkon]]
!!Falkon
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/falcon.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/PaulLawrenceSmith

Prince Tarn's loyal bodyguard and last remaining manservant.
----
* {{Acrofatic}}: His girth doesn't prevent him from climbing the castle's wall along with Kalidor and Sonja. He still has this line upon reaching the stone duct:
-->"Tomorrow I start my diet..."
* BigEater: He can't resist eating a bit of Gedren's men's chicken as he has landed straight onto their refectory table, even as the fight is about to begin.
* TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn: He is quite good at knife throwing.
* CoolHelmet: His headgear looks more like a metallic hat than a helmet actually.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: He can look and act goofy in his dedication to protect Prince Tarn and do whatever Tarn orders him to do no matter how stupid it is, but he's a force to be reckoned with.
* EnemyEatsYourLunch: A hilarious inversion of the trope. ''He'' ends up eating the bad guys' lunch.
* FatComicRelief: He's overweight, and quite a goofball at times.
* KnifeNut: In addition to his bone club, he uses [[TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn throwing knives]].
* UndyingLoyalty: He has sworn to protect Prince Tarn and obeys every one of his orders. He never bothers discussing said orders, no matter how stupid they can prove to be, and he never even thinks about giving the prince much-needed corrections for his bratty behaviour, even with no one left to punish him for touching a royal heir.
* WeaponOfChoice: His favorite weapon is a [[BadWithTheBone bone he uses as a club]]. He offers a smaller one to Tarn before climbing the castle with Sonja and Kalidor.
[[/folder]]

!!'''Antagonists'''

[[folder: Queen Gedren]]
[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gedren.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/SandahlBergman

The evil queen of the Kingdom of Eternal Night. She destroyed Sonja's family and seeks to use the Talisman to dominate the world.
----
* AmbitionIsEvil: An ambitious queen who wants to rule over the world using an ArtifactOfDoom.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Gedren really doesn't shy away from combat and gives Sonja one hell of a fight in their final battle.
* BigBad: The massacre of Sonja's family on her orders drives the plot.
* TheCaligula: She's AxCrazy and ultimately leads her own kingdom to ruin by coveting the Talisman.
* CoolCrown: Her crown's design seems to be based on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Crown_of_the_Holy_Roman_Empire Crown of the Holy Roman Empire]].
* DarkIsEvil: She dresses mostly in black.
* EvilCounterpart: To Sonja.
* EvilLaugh: She lets out quite a few evil laughs towards the end of the film.
* EvilOverlord: She rules Berkubane, the Kingdom of Eternal Night, a {{Mordor}}-esque land.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: A mad queen who wants to dominate the world using the Talisman.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: An ambitious, evil queen as well as a sorceress.
* [[MalevolentMaskedMan Malevolent Masked Woman]]: She wears a golden mask after Sonja scarred her face.
* MinorInjuryOverreaction: When Sonja accuses Gedren of slaughtering her family, she dismisses the accusations as from her point of view, the victims' lives are nothing in comparison with the scar Sonja made on her cheek.
* PsychoLesbian: She's a mad queen, and also attracted to women. Sonja's refusal of her advances (plus cutting her cheek) enraged her. She had her family killed, and Sonja raped for it.
* RedRightHand: A scar on her cheek, courtesy of Sonja at the beginning of the film.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Ikol]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ikol.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/RonaldLacey

Queen Gedren's vizier.
----
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses all in black.
* TheDragon: He is Gedren's second in command.
* KarmicDeath: He dies fighting Tarn when trying to flee with gold that was plundered in Tarn's destroyed kingdom.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When it becomes clear that the Talisman's power can't be contained and the castle starts collapsing because of this, he decides to leave before it's too late, no matter what Gedren thinks of it.
* YoureInsane: He says this to Gedren before [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere attempting to leave]] the [[CollapsingLair collapsing castle]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Brytag]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brytag.jpg]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/PatRoach

The keeper of the gates leading to the Kingdom of Eternal Night.
----
* BeardOfBarbarism: Brytag and his men are depicted no differently than barbarians in the ''Conan'' movies that came before ''Red Sonja'', and he's bearded.
* BeardOfEvil: He's bearded and won't hesitate to massacre those who won't pay him a tax. Plus he's a DirtyOldMan expecting women who want to cross his gate to pay him a "favor".
* BlingOfWar: He wears a mail/plate armor that's adorned with gold.
* CashGate: One has to pay him a tax to enter the Kingdom of Eternal Night.
* CoolKey: He uses a big key to open his door and wears it on a necklace.
* DirtyOldMan: He won't let Sonja pass through his door unless she does him a "[[SexForServices favor]]".
* EvilGloating: Gloats about the sufferings he will inflict to Sonja while fighting her.
* EvilRedhead: He's a DirtyOldMan and a greedy bastard, and he's red-headed.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Sonja runs him through with her sword.
* LargeAndInCharge: He's much more heavily built than his men.
* LeaveHimToMe: He decides to kill Sonja by himself when it becomes clear he won't have his way with her.
* VillainOfTheDetour: He's not under Queen Gedren's orders but Sonja needs to cross his gate in order to get to Gedren's kingdom. Sonja opts to kill him to get the key to the gate and confront his army.
[[/folder]]