History Main / ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge

%%Also super trope to AnachronisticSwordsman (note: still in YKTTW at this time).

* In UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, the alien ComicBook/{{Hawkman}} fought crime with actual ancient weapons from the museum where he worked. For some reason. [[RuleOfCool It looked awesome,]] though.
** This was Hawkman's gimmick since UsefulNotes/{{the Golden Age|ofComicBooks}}; Hawkman is often referred to as "The man who fights the Evils of the Present with the Weapons of the Past."

* Despite Marvel's universe being populated with a number of extremely advanced alien empires, swords are still a weapon of choice, something explained by the Corsair to his sone, Cyclops - most space suits can resist blaster fire easily enough, but are susceptible to being stabbed.

* ''Film/{{Underworld}}'': both vampire "Death Dealers", who are in a centuries-old feud with Lycans (werewolves), and Lycans use modern weapons (machine guns, pistols) and medieval bladed weapons. Justified in-universe because they are centuries old and are thus more familiar with older weapons, and by normal bullets only slowing both vampires and werewolves down.

* ''Film/{{Underworld}}'': both vampire "Death Dealers", who are in a centuries-old feud with Lycans (werewolves), and Lycans use modern weapons (machine guns, pistols) and medieval bladed weapons. Justified in-universe because they are centuries old and are thus more familiar with older weapons.

* In ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', there is a game (Gun Gale Online) where guns are the primary weapon. There is a [[LaserBlade sword]] called the Kagemitsu available, but it is largely regarded as an AwesomeButImpractical JokeWeapon given the fact people [[TooDumbToLive have to get up close and personal to hit a target that's probably shooting dozens of bullets straight at them]]. Kirito, being TheHero and a MasterSwordsman, picks it and manages to ''[[LethalJokeWeapon slice bullets in half]]'' thanks to all of his prior experience. Afterwards, the Kagemitsu ''explodes'' in popularity as other players try ([[DifficultButAwesome with limited success]]) to replicate his feats.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Justified considering the usage of history as artifacts. We have Curtana, Durandal, and Hrunting. Whether Saint Peter's Cross counts as a weapon InUniverse is up for debate.

* ''Film/Underworld(2003)'': both vampire "Death Dealers", who are in a centuries-old feud with Lycans (werewolves), and Lycans use modern weapons (machine guns, pistols) and medieval bladed weapons. Justified in-universe because they are centuries old and are thus more familiar with older weapons.

* ''Film/{{Underworld (2003)}}'': both vampire "Death Dealers", who are in a centuries-old feud with Lycans (werewolves), and Lycans use modern weapons (machine guns, pistols) and medieval bladed weapons. Justified in-universe because they are centuries old and are thus more familiar with older weapons.

!!Examples:

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', Ax notes at one point that human firearms are no match for the energy weapons of the Yeerk and Andalites, but still do a good job of blowing large, messy holes in you. Visser One observed the same thing when justifying her decision to take Earth by infiltration, rather than by force as Visser Three had been pushing to do.
* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'':
** Personal shields block projectile weapons and lasers trigger nuclear explosions when they hit them, but a slow-moving blade can slip through. However, since shields attract {{Sandworm}}s, they're not used on Arrakis. The Fremen have spring-loaded poison dart guns and the Baron Harkonnen revived artillery for his coup in ''Literature/{{Dune}}''.
** The ''Literature/LegendsOfDune'' prequels have this, even ''before'' the invention of the shields. For some reason, in the middle of the RobotWar, thousands of troops still rush into battle wielding clubs and swords. And so do the machine troops, for some reason.
* In ''Literature/TheForeverWar'' the first stasis fields slow down anything faster than 16.3 m/s, forcing people fighting within them to use melee weapons or bows and arrows.
* Both justified and subverted in the ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga''. The Barrayarans began the Cetagandan war with primitive weapons. However, they switched to modern weapons as soon as they could get them and learn how to use them.
** Miles' [[AncestralWeapon seal dagger]] is also treated this way, being a pre-industrial relic that has to be wiped down after each use but is very sharp. It comes in handy during an exercise when Miles needs to cut a rubber hose and can't use his plasma arc because the cabin is filled with an inflammable gas.
* Justified in ''Literature/LambAmongTheStars'', by Chris Walley. Krallen armor is a ceramic that absorbs and dissipates energy weapons and shaped so that projectiles deflect off except when hitting at the perfect angle. The Assembly uses its superior materials science to molecularly optimize a blade for cutting through it, which proves to be a key advantage in the series.
* The ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' series explains the ongoing use of the "space axe" by stating that modern armour is better at coping with energy beams than with physical force. Especially when the axe is wielded by a [[{{Heavyworlder}} Valerian]] who can swing it [[OneHandedZweihander like a baton]].
* Lampshaded in ''[[Literature/TheLordsOfCreation In The Courts of the Crimson Kings]]''. It opens with a group of science fiction writers watching the first images sent from Mars, which shows the natives are carrying swords along with rifles. One man speculates there's some kind of honor code involved, only for it to be pointed out that this gives the cheaters too much of an advantage. Turn out Martian projectile weapons are OrganicTechnology which take a while to reload, so edged weapons are still needed to defend yourself in the interval.
* In Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/ALordFromPlanetEarth'' trilogy, advanced weapons are all over the place (outside of Earth, that is), from simple blasters to planet-destroying quark bombs. And yet, there also exist "neutralizing fields" that can be used to shield an area from any destructive energy and explosions of any kind (e.g. chemical, nuclear, AntiMatter). Thus, within these fields, which are used all over the place, only bladed weapons can be used. Now, they're not your typical swords, though. These are [[SharpenedToASingleAtom monoatomic]] (or planar) swords produced exclusively on planet Tar. These {{Absurdly Sharp Blade}}s can cut through any known material with ease, even each other (i.e. no BladeLock possible). Given this fact, swordfights look ''very'' different from what one expects, as each opponent tries to hit the other's sword at just the right angle to make sure that it's the other sword that gets cut. Being a CombatPragmatist from Earth, the main character immediately devises other weapons and techniques that completely disgust and baffle the HonorBeforeReason soldiers (at least, until they start using those same weapons and techniques themselves).
* In Creator/AndreyLivadny's ''Literature/TheHistoryOfTheGalaxy'' series, everybody uses Gauss weapons firing tiny metallic spheres as everyday weapons. However, these small arms are woefully ineffective against armored targets. Not so with "ancient" automatic rifles firing chemically-propelled bullets (which somehow work despite centuries of not being used). Then again, this trope is much less prevalent, and advanced technology usually wins the day.
* Lampshaded in ''Literature/{{Cryptonomicon}}'' about Japanese in a WWII battle (paraphrased):
-->"Shoot the one with the sword first."\\
"Because he's the officer?"\\
"No, because he's a madman running at you with a sword!"
* [[PlayingWithTropes Played with]] in ''Literature/HonorHarrington''. Honor's chemical-propelled "hand cannon" pistol sneaks through a weapons scan designed to detect the much more powerful grav-powered pulsers, and 10-mm chemical pistols are still the standard weapons for a duel. On the other hand, pistols are preferred to pulsers for dueling because they're actually less powerful: A pulser hit is much more likely to be lethal, and most duels are fought to first blood.
* A variation in ''[[Literature/{{Genome}} Dances on the Snow]]'', the Phages on planet Avalon are [[Franchise/StarWars Jedi]]-like genetically-engineered special operatives (although they hate the term "Jedi" as trivializing) whose main weapons are semi-sentient plasma whips that can incapacitate a person or change shape. A Phage admits that a plasma whip is AwesomeButImpractical as a weapon compared to a more trusty blaster but it has an enormous psychological effect on bad guys and is a signature weapon of the Phages.
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Deathstalker}}'': despite having really impressively effective [[EnergyWeapon disruptors]], most fights are settled at sword point, as unless you have a starship's power supply to hook them up to, a [[CoolButInefficient disruptor takes 2 minutes to recharge]]. Chemically-propelled kinetic weapons (ie- bullet shooting guns) do exist in the setting, and are [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter far more efficient]], but are mostly forgotten about thanks to a concerted effort in the setting's past to ban them.
* In ''Literature/TheMemoryWars'', although most characters are proficient with firearms, fights often come down to swords, knives, and plain old fists. {{Justified|Trope}} in that Nathan and his Conclave try to avoid mundane interference (since they break the law on a regular basis, and to prevent attracting innocent bystanders who might get hurt), and guns make a LOT of noise. Also, most of their opponents are creatures who are so old they're more used to ancient weapons, or demons that come from realms where firearms don't exist.
* Discussed in ''Literature/StarshipTroopers''. When Johnny Rico is in boot camp another recruit complains about having to learn the antiquated skill of knife-throwing in an era where a man in PoweredArmor is what a main battle tank was centuries earlier and where starships can glass planets from orbit. Sergeant Zim points out that, unlike a gun, knives, or for that matter GoodOldFisticuffs, don't run out of ammunition or make noise, and that some missions require precision kills instead of carpet-bombing.
-->'''Zim:''' There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men.
* In ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}: Into the Storm'', Commander Reddy has his ceremonial Academy sword sharpened in ''Walker'''s machine shop so he can use it as a weapon against the Grik.
* In Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "Literature/BeyondThisHorizon", where lethal duels with rayguns are commonplace, the hero makes a replica of an obsolete weapon, the '.45'. When his friend informs him that chemical reactions are too slow, the hero replies that it's human reflexes that make the difference.
* {{Justified}} in ''Literature/AlexisCarew'', where crude boarding cutlasses and chemical firearms are still the weapons of choice for combat. Cutlasses can readily depressurize spacesuits and thereby take crew members out of action, and both types of weapons will remain functional in [[SubspaceOrHyperspace darkspace]] whereas any electrically operated weapon will be inoperable due to exposure to dark energy without expensive [[{{Unobtainium}} gallenium]] to shield it.
* {{Justified}} in ''Literature/LucifersStar'' where personal shields are a common tool by people but mostly effective against attacks that occur in a second. Melee weapons, by being a single attack that lasts longer than a second, can be modified to disrupt shields. There's also a strong dueling culture in the FeudalFuture Archduchy of Crius.
* in Gordon R. Dickson's Childe Cycle of books, armies uses very simple weapons because lasers and so on are easy to nullify with the right equipment.
* In ''Literature/DocSidhe'', Noriko carries a katana as his primary weapon while her teammates are armed with modern firearms and explosives. Somewhat justified as it has a pure steel blade with is very effective against anyone with fae blood, but she still receives a lot of ribbing for it from the rest of team; especially her boyfriend Jean-Pierre.
* ''Computer War'' by Creator/MackReynolds has a force of saboteurs attacking a government building using bows and arrows, which as well as being silent can't be picked up by sensors designed to detect or back-track energy weapons. The June 1967 Magazine/{{Analog}} cover has a man with a bow and arrow forcing the surrender of a massive tank, but [[NeverTrustATrailer this doesn't actually happen]]; it's RuleOfSymbolism for how the protagonists are using asymmetrical warfare to defeat an invasion.
* ''Literature/{{Devolution}}'': No one in the Greenloop community owns a gun. When they come under attack by the Sasquatches, they resort to making spears, axes, and shortswords out of kitchen knives and bamboo stalks, and use punji stakes and broken glass to create a defensive perimeter.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Subverted in the second season of ''{{Series/Fargo}}'', when one of the Kansas gangsters coming to attack the Gerhardts fetches a longbow out of the trunk of his car (bragging "Anyone can fire a gun - the longbow is an art.") only to be the first on the receiving end of a headshot (with a gun).
* Inconsistent in ''Franchise/StarTrek''.
** The Klingons love their {{Cool Sword}}s like the bat'leth, and ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' makes a point of mentioning that while they use ranged weapons like disrupters, when they get angry enough or close to short range with their enemies, they will inevitably reach for their bladed weapon to attack their foe hand to hand. Klingons are tough and fierce enough to make this strategy work pretty well. A ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode even shows a group of holographic Klingons armed with bat'leths handily defeating a group of (also holographic) [[ThoseWackyNazis Germans]] armed with submachine-guns. Granted, anyone would panic at the sight of angry Klingons charging at you, but still.
** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'':
*** Worf favors a smaller weapon called a [[https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Mek%27leth mek'leth]] that proves more practical in close quarters, and at one point he snaps Jadzia's bat'leth clean in half with it.
*** The Jem'Hadar are perfectly happy to use the SlowLaser equivalent of an assault rifle most of the time, but at melee range, they switch to a short, bladed polearm called a ''[[http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Kar%27takin kar'takin.]]''
*** In "Field of Fire", it's mentioned that Starfleet had experimented with chemical-propelled firearms for use in environments that render phasers useless. However, they eventually just put out a new, more resilient model of phaser. The villain of the episode is using a specially modified version [[spoiler: that integrates their super-advanced transporter and scanning technologies to create a sniper rifle that can look through walls (no way to hide) and teleport the bullet it fires directly to the target (no way to take cover), turning the archaic weapon into an almost perfect tool of assassination]]
** ''Series/StarTrekPicard'':
*** Elnor carries a tan qalanq, a Romulan sword, instead of any kind of energy weapon, thanks to his training by the Qowat Milat warrior nuns. "[[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E04AbsoluteCandor Absolute Candor]]" proves that he's lethal with it, and although another Romulan claims that a tan qalanq is no match for a disruptor, Elnor effortlessly [[NeverBringAGunToAKnifeFight slays several disruptor-carrying Romulan guards]] in "[[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E06TheImpossibleBox The Impossible Box]]" and "[[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E07Nepenthe Nepenthe]]" with just his sword. He's not above using {{Ray Gun}}s, however, as "[[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E05StardustCityRag Stardust City Rag]]" shows him relieving Bjayzl's personal bodyguards of their phaser pistols and then turning the same firearms on them GunsAkimbo.
*** There are several Romulans at North Station on Vashti who are equipped with a sword.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'' plays a little with this with Goa'uld personal deflector shields. Energy weapons and bullets have no effect on them but they can be penetrated by slower-moving objects, a fact exploited by SG-1 on two occasions (for instance, Jack O'Neill throwing a rifle bayonet through Heru'ur's shield and through his hand in "Secrets"). In most other cases though, guns, regardless of form, rule the day.
** In one episode the Jaffa scoff at Earth weapons since they still use mere bullets instead of energy blasts. After Major Carter promptly demonstrates the P90's superior accuracy and firing speed, Colonel O'Neill explains that the Jaffa staff weapon is a weapon of terror, designed to intimidate the enemy, while the P90 is a weapon of war, designed to kill the enemy.
* ''Franchise/{{Buffyverse}}'':
** In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', vampires and demons prefer to use either their teeth and claws or edged weapons rather than firearms, as do Vampire Slayers and other demon fighters. There are notable exceptions, more so in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' spin-off which is set in Los Angeles with vampires, etc. acting as part of (and therefore influenced by) the criminal subculture. The trope is {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E14BadGirls Bad Girls]]" when the modern-thinking vampire Mr. Trick remonstrates an opponent who comes at him with a sword.
--->''"Why do they always gotta be using swords? It's called an Uzi, ya chump! Could have saved your ass right about now."''
** For the slayers there is a justification: guns don't kill vampires (or demons) and the gunshot can attract innocent bystanders. Darla however makes a point of shooting Angel because although it won't kill him getting shot will still put him out the fight, which makes one wonder why demons hunters [[CombatPragmatist don't shoot vampires and stake them while they're down]]. Fortunately explosives can still bring down even the biggest monster and The Scoobies use this fact from time to time.
** The reverse is also true; when a human villain shoots Buffy, he boasts about it in a demon bar afterward. The demons just laugh at him, pointing out that Slayers are notoriously difficult to kill, heal very fast, and get really pissed when they get better.
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': Despite space travel taking place most people use lever-action rifles or revolvers. The resultant [[RuleOfCool Cowboys in Space]] setting is partly justified in that the planets are in the process of being colonized and they only have what they need (the Alliance gear is much shinier and spacey). Jayne also mentions once that Vera needs oxygen around her to fire, which, assuming it wasn't just ArtisticLicenseChemistry, suggests that a different type of propellant is in common use.
* ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' takes place in the modern American South, where there's no shortage of guns, but the extensive use of crude impact weapons is justified by the fact that most of the ammo was used up in the early weeks of the zombie outbreak. (This justification is also often subverted when our heroes spray-and-pray their allegedly-scarce ammo in the best action-movie tradition.)
** Gunshots (or any noise) draws in nearby walkers, one of the reason Daryl's crossbow is so important, and what causes the issues time and time again. Guns tend to be a last resort for this reason, though when other humans are around (who don't have to be next to you to kill you and are able to think and plan) it almost always turns into a firefight.
** Many times simple pits and traps are shown to be a great defense because the walkers can't think and walk into the trap. The season shows many times the use of simple solutions to problems.
* In ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'' episode "Rule of Law", the protagonist wields a firearm while everybody else wields laser guns. When he confronts a lynch mob, they mock his weapon for being inferior, but he defeats them with ease.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** Despite the general dominance of {{Slow Laser}}s of various stripes in the setting, the Rangers (a paramilitary group of Minbari origin, originally for monitoring the Shadows, but whom Sheridan turns into international peacekeepers) favor collapsible quarterstaffs ("Minbari fighting pikes") and martial arts. On the other hand, the Rangers' SpaceNavy is famously equipped with the PintSizedPowerhouse White Stars.
** Played with in the episode "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS03E19GreySeventeenIsMissing Grey 17 Is Missing]]". An early scene has Garibaldi playing with one of his ancestors' police revolvers, and he explains that Earthforce favors [[SlowLaser PPGs]] over firearms mainly because they're less likely to cause a hull breach when fired aboard a starship or space station ([[InformedAttribute firearms are supposedly much more common planetside]]). [[spoiler:Garibaldi later uses the ''bullets'' to kill a man-eating alien.]]
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'':
** {{Subverted|Trope}} in "[[Recap/FarscapeS01E04ThroneForALoss Throne for a Loss]]". After Crichton accidentally [[MadeOfExplodium overloads her pulse rifle]], Aeryn asks for another weapon and D'Argo hands her his qualta blade. Aeryn is displeased to be handed a sword, but then D'Argo reveals that [[SwissArmyWeapon the qualta blade is also a pulse rifle]]. Later episodes indicate the qualta blade is somewhat antiquated by Peacekeeper standards, but it's still a very effective weapon.
** {{Justified|Trope}} in "[[Recap/FarscapeS03E05DifferentDestinations ...Different Destinations]]". The RepeatingCrossbow-armed Veneks reduce the pulse weapon-armed Peacekeeper soldiers to fighting with clubs and knives with {{technobabble}} that renders the [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]] inoperable. This includes D'Argo's qualta blade, [[spoiler:but not Aeryn and Crichton's pulse pistols from 500 years in the future]].
* The Franchise/PowerRangers and [[{{Toku}} the like]] use chop-socky and melee weapons over the blasters that are usually part of their arsenals as well (and if blasters ''aren't'' part of their arsenal, it's a ''bigger'' example of this trope - you'd think the would be, and they exist in a world where such things can be made easily enough!) pretty much just because it's how the franchise rolls and what part of the attraction is - you wouldn't want them to trade kung fu for "we stand over there and shoot you stand over here and shoot" any more than you'd want Jackie Chan or Jet Li films to do the same. Against {{Mooks}} who do have firearms, the Rangers are able to dodge even in their civilian forms and then take them out with one punch or kick apiece because they're ''just that good.'' Your average Ranger's morphed arsenal consists of each ranger having a unique melee weapon and a sidearm (that sometimes shifts into a blade or baton that will be heavily favored over gun mode.)
* In ''Literature/DocSidhe'', Noriko carries a katana as his primary weapon while her teammates are armed with modern firearms and explosives. Somewhat justified as it has a pure steel blade with is very effective against anyone with fae blood, but she still receives a lot of ribbing for it from the rest of team; especially her boyfriend Jean-Pierre.
* ''Series/WonderWoman1975'': Whether it's during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII or TheSeventies, Wonder Woman faces off against gun-toting [[{{Mooks}} bad guys]] armed with a boomerang tiara and a lasso.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Space 1889}}'' European officers have access to machine guns and rapid-firing artillery, but still carry swords as part of their uniform.
* In the ''[[TabletopGame/{{Battletech}} MechWarrior]]'' RPG, swords are described as still being a preferred weapon aboard starships because combat will invariably be close quarters and the blade won't rupture the ship's hull as opposed to firearms. In the base ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' game, some [[HumongousMecha BattleMechs]] carry hatchets, or (more rarely) swords alongside their lightning guns and railguns. Hatchets are basically lumps of endosteel or ferro-fibrous armor that is gripped by the mech ([[BladeBelowTheShoulder or built into its arm]]). Hatchets have the advantage of dealing tremendous damage for relatively little weight, generate no heat, and have no ammo. Swords deal less damage but are more accurate due to them being better balanced. Other more advanced weapons exist for both infantry and battlemechs, such as [[VibroWeapon Vibroblades]]. In the [[GladiatorGames Solaris Arena gladiatorial arenas]], more oddball weapons such as flails, maces, and pile drivers are used in battlemech and PoweredArmor combat, though more for their wow-factor than for their actual effectiveness.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':
** The Imperium is prone to using [[SchizoTech mixed technology levels]] since the common technology is an odd blending of industrial and space age technology, and holding access to some highly advanced technology that isn't widely dispersed. Some of this is because it's a [[LostTechnology surviving artifact]] from [[LookOnMyWorksYeMightyAndDespair humanity's first, mind-bendingly advanced space empire]] and nobody knows how it works or how to replicate the piece; or how to make the technology in question is a jealously guarded secret. A typical squad of Imperial soldiers will be armed with weapons that are cheap and weak, but easy to make and maintain, such as [[SlowLaser laser rifles]] or sometimes even assault rifles, but the sergeant will be also be armed with a sword that isn't just for ceremonial purposes. It's not uncommon to see [[TankGoodness conventional tanks on the ground]] with dueling starships in orbit. Of course, the old-school weapons are almost invariably updated with current technology, such as {{chains|awGood}}words or [[LaserBlade power swords]]. These are indeed much better at killing, and sometimes necessary for killing things that won't flinch at conventional weapons.
** This is even worse with the Orks, whose technology is either stolen and retrofitted pieces from other races, or more commonly bits of scrap welded together into a roughly functional form, whether it be gun or bludgeoning weapon or vehicle or starship. The most common weapon they use is the humble choppa, which is a huge axe to which a normal human would struggle to carry with both hands, but the average Ork boy can hold it with ease in one hand.
* The Imperial Marines of ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' have a thing for cutlasses, as they don't ricochet in cramped spaceship corridors and hit sensitive equipment like bullets. Though they're mostly ceremonial.
* ''TabletopGame/FadingSuns'' also has melee weapons frequently used in boarding actions because they don't ricochet, and spaceships are LostTechnology and thus extremely valuable so the attackers generally don't want to wreck anything. And there aren't too many manufacturers of guns or higher-tech weapons left in operation.
* Common in ''TabletopGame/TheWorldOfDarkness'' games such as ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' and ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse''. Hand weapons can be much more effective than firearms in the hands of supernatural creatures, to say nothing of their natural claws and fangs.
** In Vampire, both vampires and vampire hunters have a strong motivation towards archaic weapons: Heavy trauma is practically the only way to take down undead aside from their [[WeaksauceWeakness vulnerabilities]], so bullets that can only open bleeding wounds or puncture organs in a creature without blood circulation or an anatomy that works by anything more than magic are less effective than bladed weapons that can open up large wounds or lop off limbs. Plus, crossbows can be used to shoot wooden stakes.
** In Werewolf, on the other claw side, the preference is limited to the titular creatures due to their 10-feet-warforms usually possessing enough strength to flip cars. Additionally, their magical items are usually of a low-tech basis since any high-tech items automatically have an affinity to the Weaver, a cosmic entity most werewolves are not willing to deal with. Plus, their traditional ceremonial weapons are silver daggers/swords. Werewolf ''hunters'', on the other hand side, usually go for guns, preferably of a high calibre and with silver ammo.
** The preference is also sometimes motivated by the sheer number of magical things which can interfere with clockwork and gunpowder in the setting. With a tension weapon like a bow, or a simple lever like a club or blade, you'll at least know your weapon has been sabotaged by a mage spell or werewolf gift before you rely on it to fire in a dangerous situation. Many even prefer bare fists when they don't have claws, simply because hexing someone's actual body is very difficult.
* Melee weapons are common in the {{cyberpunk}}-verse of ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'', ranging from period-proper combat knives to katanas, battle axes and swords. Certain tradition-fond megas, like Aztechnology and Renraku, make a point of equipping their EliteMooks with melee weapons to reinforce their image.
* A massive variety of melee weapons appear in ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'', including {{Vibroweapon}}s ranging from standard knives and axes to esoteric weapons like scythes and kusari-gamas (strangely they do ''not'' vibrate, despite the name). Interestingly enough, it is noted in the game books that the setting's HumongousMecha typically do not use equally humongous swords, preferring instead modern weapons.
** Most Giant Robots, instead of using a handheld weapon, mount a BladeBelowTheShoulder in a retractable housing. German mechs are starting to carry vibro-axes, electrified maces, kinetic hammers, and plasma whips into battle, however; along with shields that can mount missile launchers.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/SixteenWaysToKillAVampireAtMcdonalds'' Luke wields his grandfather's holy musket. He tries to get it blessed by every preacher they come across, regardless of faith.
* ''Brataccas'', the first game from Creator/{{Psygnosis}} takes place on the asteroid colony of Brataccas. Firearms are outlawed because of the potential of puncturing the colony's wall and leaking air. So the only weapon allowed is the sword.
* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series since the turn towards UrbanFantasy and ScienceFiction style settings starting with ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII VII]]'', with guns often being ''weaker'' than melee weapons like swords and spears. In several games, melee weapons' damage is based on a calculation involving the characters' strength or attack stat -- which raises with levels and other buffs like [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII materia]], while guns don't, instead being based entirely on the gun's stats. Some games, like ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', make up for this by having guns [[ArmorPiercing ignore an enemy's defense stat]].
* In ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom'', there are loads and loads of weapon types. There are modern weapons like rifles, bazookas, or flamethrowers available, but also classical weapons like swords and spears. Or [[ImprobableWeaponUser silly weapons]] like [=UFOs=], Pies, Syringes, or Paper Fans. Heck, there are even giant mechs available to ride. Being one of the creations of Creator/NipponIchi somewhat justifies it; they love their WidgetSeries.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
** Throughout the series, particularly ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', most of the elite cyborgs favour swords and other melee weapons over guns (in ''Rising'', {{Mook}}s use guns, but the EliteMooks use giant hammers and most of the [[MechaMook UGs]] have some form of melee weapon or other). It's justified by explaining that bullets don't have the energy to get through cyborg armour, while [[VibroWeapon HF Blades]] and other advanced weapons do.
** Taken to the LogicalExtreme in ''Rising,'' where the final boss is too technologically advanced and too strong to use any weapon but their fists.
*** This also comes into play with the difference between Raiden's and Sam's swords. Raiden's HF blade was specifically made for him after losing the one he had in the prologue chapter, and so is not the greatest weapon around. Sam's, however, was created from an [[KatanasAreJustBetter original 16th-century katana]], and so is among the greatest HF blades currently in existence.[[note]]Yes, every single thing about Sam is justified with little more than [[RuleOfCool "because he's a SAMURAI!"]][[/note]]
** FridgeBrilliance with Gray Fox: he's an assassin using a stealth suit and firearms, even silenced ones, would give away his position. Using a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]] he can get close enough to use it for assassination without being detected.
* The ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series frequently displays this trope, having gun-wielding characters fighting alongside those with swords, spears, boxing gloves, fans, and folding chairs.
** Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', where Personae are summoned by shooting yourself in the head with a very realistic (but thankfully not real or loaded) pistol. Yukari asks Detective Kurosawa why he procures you more fantasy weapons like swords, bows, and knives when better weapons exist. Kurosawa explains that is would ''not'' be hard to confuse a pistol-like object with ''an actual pistol''. Let's just say, it's a mistake you'd only make once. Incidentally, Aigis ''can'' use guns, and very effectively at that, but she is a gynoid/weapons platform and doesn't need an Evoker.
* ''VideoGame/FableIII'': Despite firearms becoming common enough to be used by the military, being flintlock pistols and muskets they are slow to reload and as seen Mourning Wood monsters tend to [[ZergRush charge with vast numbers]] which means infantrymen, with simple swords, still play a vital role in combat.
* The ''VideoGame/StarOcean'' series really likes this trope:
** In the [[VideoGame/StarOcean1 first]] and [[VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory second]] games, this is justified by the protagonists being on planets protected by an AlienNonInterferenceClause. The first game's end boss is further mentioned as being immune to modern weapons, so the melee weapons and Symbology of the 'primitive' planet are the only things that can hurt him.
** The [[VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime third game]] has the same justification, but halfway through the game you return to "civilized" space, and yet many of the protagonists continue to use anachronistic weapons.
** The fourth game involves alien monsters that somehow have kinetic barriers. This doesn't hold very far, as one of your characters has specially-designed anti-barrier plasma cannons.
* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', one of the Sniper's primary weapons, alongside a host of various rifles, is a bow-and-arrow set called "The Huntsman". It can be just as effective as the rifles and is particularly effective in close(r) ranged combat. Also, most of the melee weapons are either this or an ImprovisedWeapon. Special mention goes to Demoman's wide variety of swords and shields that make him deadly at melee range, which is usually his weakness due to damaging himself with his own SplashDamage.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', Hunters and Warriors can choose among rifles or bows. The competence and damage difference is negligible. That's of course, when they aren't using axes, swords, or hammers...
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'' had the Beam Katanas, a special ability for the basic infantry for the Empire of the Rising Sun that changed their rifles into beam katanas. The ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlertSeries Red Alert]]'' series ran almost entirely on RuleOfCool by that point, and in the scenario, the sword is an old idea but still scores {{one hit kill}}s (assuming they get near enough for it and clear garrisoned buildings to boot).
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' is an interesting case, [[ApocalypseHow mostly because of the nuclear war ending society]]. Energy weapons are highly accurate but are either weaker than conventional firearms (laser) or strong but slow-moving (plasma) and always a pain to find until mid-late game. Small guns are diverse but can break, jam or just plain miss a lot more and ammo is always scarce for big guns (which have the same issue as small guns, though pack a larger punch). Melee weapons are durable and can be strong (sometimes augmented with technology), always silent and with the correct armor you can close the distance with ease, and can be found on pretty much any raider, giving you a constant supply of spare parts, and while using unarmed is challenging at first it has some of the best perks for combat and several gloves with devastating effects. As such using any of them is viable and has its own strengths and weaknesses.
** Caesar's Legion uses relatively few guns, partly because of their technophobic views on pre-war technology, but also because they lack the logistics and manufacturing to support their widespread use. They still manage to fight the New California Republic to a stalemate, despite the latter being able to equip almost every single one of their troops with firearms and armour.
** In the same vein, the Brotherhood of Steel was beaten back by the NCR after their ''disagreements'', though this was more because NCR troops outnumbered the Brotherhood over [[WeHaveReserves 25 to 1 in New Vegas, alone]].
** ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' brings the Laser Musket as its IconicItem. It's single-shot just like an actual musket, and definitely looks the part, but with a little tinkering, it can be modified to blast apart a [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Deathclaw]] in two shots. [[DifficultButAwesome Archaic but awesome, indeed.]]
* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
** Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' with the M-96 Mattock semiautomatic rifle, which has the highest base damage of any assault rifle in the game despite being relatively outdated in-universe. The "Firepower Pack" DLC that adds it to your inventory in ''2'' comes with an e-mail from the Illusive Man saying that EDI had told him "we may be overlooking [[BoringButPractical older, proven technologies]] in an effort to provide you with the state of art."
*** A simple grenade launcher is the first heavy weapon you get and is vital against the Ymir on Freedom's Progress
** A couple types of Cerberus {{mooks}} in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' are armed with melee weapons, as is the Illusive Man's [[TheDragon Dragon]], katana-wielding Kai Leng. This is lampshaded in the "Citadel" DLC in an overheard conversation between a couple of Alliance soldiers:
---> '''Veteran Engineer:''' It's 2186. Who uses a whip?
** Happens on the protagonists' side, too. Several multiplayer classes have swords for their melee weaponry: the [=N7=] Shadow and [=N7=] Slayer use swords, and the Krogan Warlord carries an immense hammer. You can attach metal bayonets to the front of various shotguns, and omniblade bayonets to assault rifles. Omniblades are also becoming widespread at the time of the game as an emergency melee blade was well, simply because everyone is facing the prospect of close-quarters melee combat while fighting the Reapers' ground troops.
* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'':
** The game continues the Klingon trend of charging right in with a bat'leth instead of staying back and shooting, and adds a couple lesser-known types of edged weapons (Vulcan lirpa and Tsunkatse falchions). Given a justification this time: basically everyone has a personal deflector shield that works fine against ranged weapons, but 80% of melee damage, whether from a sword, PistolWhipping, or Kirk-fu, goes straight through to the target's HP. This is especially useful against the Borg, who will adapt over time to energy weapons and force you to re-frequence, but against certain types of drones also leaves you open to a OneHitKill by assimilation.
** Despite having originally been built 130-odd years ago by the time of the game, the ''Excelsior''-class is considered one of the top four DPS cruisers on the Starfleet side. (At the bottom of the top four, granted, but it still beats out the [[HighTierScrappy too-much-tank-not-enough-DPS]] ''Galaxy''-class.)
** In the shuttle [[PlayerVersusPlayer PVP]] added in the Season 8.5 update, the Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries-era Type F shuttle is considered one of the top competitors, regularly beating players flying ''Peregrine''-class attack fighters or runabouts from Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine. This is roughly the equivalent of a UsefulNotes/WorldWarI biplane shooting down an F-22.
** Justified with the Xindi lockbox ships added in Season 9.5. Though they look physically identical to the ships from ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' 250 years earlier, [[AllThereInTheManual Cryptic's blog]] says that the Xindi continually updated them to keep up with newer classes.
* ''VideoGame/{{Crysis}} 3'' has the Predator bow, a bow-and-arrow in an era of railguns and strange alien weaponry. Its biggest advantage is that it is a completely silent weapon, but it also has other features. Its draw strength is something like 500 pounds, perfect for the nanosuit's Maximum Strength. The arrows all have beacons that only the nanosuit can see (and you can tag those arrows with your GPS binoculars if you so choose, implying recon possibilities beyond the scope of the actual missions), and the special [[TrickArrow explosive arrows]] can airburst in proximity to a binocular-tagged enemy.
* The crossbow in ''VideoGame/Rage2011''. It's quieter than the various firearms and robotic gadgets that make up the rest of your arsenal and is accurate enough to outperform your SniperRifle at all but the longest ranges. You also get a couple types of TrickArrow for it that come in handy in various situations.
* ''VideoGame/FarCry3'' has you fight pirates and privateers with everything from pistols and rifles to flamethrowers and grenades but one of the best weapons in-game is a recurve hunting bow, despite the fact that it can be hard to aim it. Justified because it is completely silent, you can recover the ammo from enemies and it is designed to bring down tigers and other large predators. For similar reasons stealthily killing your enemies with your machete is often much better than picking them off with silenced firearms: you don't have to worry about people realizing they're being shot at, it doesn't use ammo, take downs are an insta-kill and there are a variety of upgrades allowing takedown to be used in a variety of situations (such as jumping on enemies, booby-trapping them, killing heavies, etc.)
* Despite ''Videogame/EYEDivineCybermancy'' taking place in the far future with [[CyBorg extensive cybernetics]] [[CyberPunk readily available]], [[HumansArePsychicInTheFuture psychic powers]] allowing users to bend reality, and handheld [[HandCannon anti-tank revolvers]] being common, melee weapons such as warhammers and katanas remain popular for members of the Secreta. The Facere Mortis katana, for example, is a standard katana that has been imbued with psychic energy and possibly [[EmpathicWeapon its own personality]]. However, the other old tech has been [[EnhancedArchaicWeapon augmented with modern technology]]; the Damocles {{BFS}} releases burst of energy to set things on fire via a series of distortion capacitors, and the Arrancadora De Tripas [[DropTheHammer warp hammer]] creates a localized warp in reality upon contact with flesh.
* Space pirates in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' have an arm cannon on one arm and a large hand scythe on the other one. Shadow pirates, who have the ability to turn invisible, only use the hand scythe.
* The first four ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' games all have [[BigBad Sigma]] use an energy saber, [[Franchise/XMen Wolverine-like]] claws, a shield, and a scythe respectively for the first segment of his battles. He finally ditched them in favor of more modern projectile-based attacks for the fifth installment on. Zero on the other hand initially used a buster but received an energy saber after being remodeled by the X-Hunters which he's relied on as a primary weapon ever since.
* ''VideoGame/TinStarChoiceOfGames'' is set in TheWildWest, but you can choose to specialize in melee weapons such as swords, maces, or an Indian battle axe, instead of pistol and rifle.
* The Tenno weaponry in ''Videogame/{{Warframe}}'' is deliberately low-tech, because their original enemies, the Sentients, were able to easily subvert high-tech weaponry. The Tenno continue to use a huge range of low-tech melee and projectile weapons to the present day, partially because of tradition and partially because the weapons are still deadly-effective in the hands of [[OneManArmy creatures as badass as Tenno]]. The Grineer Empire also relies on low-tech weaponry, but only because they lack the technology and know-how to create more advanced weapons; while Tenno designs are sleek and elegant, Grineer equipment looks like it's been cobbled together out of scraps (which likely isn't all that far off from the truth).
* In ''VideoGame/XCOM2'', it's the year 2035, you're fighting to free Earth from alien occupation using stolen and reverse-engineered alien weapons, and yet there are several examples of this.
** Your Ranger-class soldiers go into battle with a machete. Rangers are stealth and close-combat specialists (their other weapon being a ShortRangeShotgun), so they are bound to be at close range in any case and blades are relatively silent. Slash, the Squaddie-rank ability, also deals
** In the ''War of the Chosen'' DLC, the Assassin, a genetically-engineered alien soldier, uses a [[KatanasAreJustBetter "katana"]] that [[ArmorPiercingAttack ignores armour]] and [[AlwaysAccurateAttack never misses]]. The head of your science department can't even identify what it's made of.
** The ''Alien Hunters'' DLC goes even further. In the first mission, you get an axe, a crossbow, and a flintlock pistol. They're all better than the equivalent regular weapons of the same tech level, and [[EnhancedArchaicWeapon can be upgraded to magnetic and plasma beam technology]].
* In the ''VideoGame/InfinityBlade'' franchise, most Titans don't bother with ranged weaponry, even the ones with GiantMecha and Mach 10 space-jets. Partly justified by the advanced armor technology in all Titans that makes what should be fatal shots a mere trifle while swords and magic put the hurt on them. Doesn't stop Isa from cheap-shooting them with her crossbow, though.
* Valhalla in ''VideoGame/NexusClash'' is always a modern city, but the Clash is fought just as much with swords and bows as guns and grenades. The archaic weapons are just as effective, though due to the SchizoTech of the series it's not entirely clear that they're truly less advanced.
* ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}'' takes place in a future where there's faster than light space travel and high technology. However, during one mission (The Baron's Keep), you're tasked with protecting a Glitch (race of robots in MedievalStasis) from the [[{{Cult}} Occasus Mooks]]. Said mooks, while previously shown to use high tech swords and guns, inexplicably attack the player and the keep with low-tech swords, crossbows, and ballistae, and it gets ridiculous when their AirborneMook is a guy riding an [[http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/DaVinci-Airscrew/IMAGES/Penikas-Aerial-Screw.jpg aerial screw]] that probably wouldn't even be able to fly.
* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' takes place several hundred years in the future. While most of the guns look appropriately slick and futuristic, there are a handful of out-of-date looking weapons that are, [[OlderIsBetter unsurprisingly]], among the most damaging in the game:
** The first weapon the player picks up is a Khvostov 7G-02, a battered assault rifle with cracked holographic sights. Much, much later, it can be scrapped and upgraded to the Khvostov 7G-0X, which cleans up the damaged components (but still keeps the cracked sight). Both versions look like modern, real-world assault rifles.
** Revolvers known as "{{hand cannon}}s" serve as one of the primary weapon types, competing right alongside full-sized assault rifles. While most hand cannons do look appropriately futuristic, the Last Word, a special "exotic"-rarity weapon, is apparently single-action, and fan-fired from the hip. In terms of pure bullet damage, it's one of the hardest-hitting weapons in the game.
** The exotic sniper rifle No Land Beyond is old and bolt-action, with a wooden stock. It fires extremely slowly but hits hard.
** ''VideoGame/{{Destiny 2}}'' has "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the Old Fashioned]]", a legendary-rarity hand cannon that looks like a single-action museum piece.
** The Drifter in ''VideoGame/{{Destiny 2}}'' offers a wide variety of guns as rewards for playing Gambit, all of which are made from black metal and dark wood like World War II-era weapons. The Gambit guns are just as strong as modern firearms, with a few examples being considered top tier in their weapon type.
* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', many high-ranking Sangheili/Elites favor energy swords, while the standard armament of a Jiralhanae/Brute Chieftain is a gravity hammer, despite both species having plenty of access to advanced energy firearms. The justification is that both species also wear heavy armor that can resist small arms fire long enough to get into range with their one-hit-kill melee weapons (as both the sword and hammer have enough power lore-wise to smash through spaceship-quality plating).
* The flavor text for Imperial Swordsmen in ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' implies that imperial soldiers are free to choose a gun or sword as their weapon of choice, and makes it clear that while the gun is more powerful and effective, the sword is a status symbol and considered an ElegantWeaponForAMoreCivilizedAge among imperials:
--> A soldier specialized in close-range sword combat. Some prefer the ephemerality of swordplay to the ease and power of a bayonet and rifle. As such, the sword is a status symbol within the military, though any who choose it rashly will regret it.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Rimworld}}'', you can find advanced sci-fi technology like {{Killer Robot}}s and {{Energy Weapon}}s but simple longswords and spears can remain competitive in the right circumstances. In the same manner as ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', your colonists can wear (and face opponents wearing) personal energy shields which render gunfire harmless but offer no protection against these primitive melee weapons. Even without a shield belt, a colonist can cover the gap with judicious use of cover and movement and then lock a gun-wielding enemy into melee where they are forced to defend themselves and at a grave disadvantage. A competent melee fighter colonist equipped with a shield belt or power armour and a plasteel longsword can be pretty deadly.
* In ''VideoGame/{{SYNTHETIK}}'', you are an android that fights their way to prevent [[RobotWar the rogue AIs from wiping out humanity]]. You can find many advanced guns or high-tech items in this game. But you can also find low-tech items like tomahawk, or [[StockNinjaWeaponry kunai]]. They are effective as other items.
* Alongside blasters, grenades and the iconic ''Franchise/StarWars'' weapon, lightsabers, ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' and [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords its sequel]] feature swords. No, not {{vibro|weapon}}blades, though the games have these too. Just ordinary metal swords. Which can parry lightsabers somehow. Then again, the games use d20 mechanics heavily based on ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.
** That happens because swords are made with help of cortosis, metal that can short out lightsaber.
* In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'', set in 1899-1907, the Pirate Sword, Volcanic Pistol, various Hatchets, and even the Bow are surprisingly effective weapons, even against other armed enemies. With self-crated arrows, the Bow becomes the most versatile and efficient weapon for hunting.
* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'': Ryu Hayabusa can defeat enemies who use rocket launchers, machine guns, tanks, and helicopters with weaponry like swords, kunai, spears, and arrows.
* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' has several of these, thanks to each game throwing everything and the kitchen sink into your inventory in a world not too dissimilar from ''Star Wars''. Examples include the Walloper[[labelnote:*]]A huge metal boxing glove that propels the user with each punch[[/labelnote]], the Plasma Whip[[labelnote:*]][[ExactlyWhatItSaysOntheTin A whip of super-heated plasma]][[/labelnote]], the Leviathan Flail[[labelnote:*]]An enormous morning star[[/labelnote]], the Razor Claws[[labelnote:*]][[BladeBelowTheShoulder Wrist-mounted cutting blades]][[/labelnote]], and of course Ratchet's Omniwrench[[labelnote:*]]A wrench tool big enough to use as a weapon[[/labelnote]]. How effective these are can vary, but all of them are viable options despite nearly every enemy in the game using a gun of some sort.
* Despite being set in a futuristic Cyberpunk, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/AnnoMutationem'', Ann Flores, primarily relies on three different types of swords to fight, her firearms being useful only as supplemental damage, a way to hit flying enemies, or hit enemies that are far out of range of melee attacks. Granted, they're explicitly mentioned to be {{Laser Blade}}s with glowing, blue plasma fields on their cutting edges, but they're still swords, nonetheless.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Terra}}'', set in the 24th century, [[DarkActionGirl Catella Myrha]] {{dual wield|ing}}s a pair of scimitars against people armed with assault rifles. It helps that her armor contains a deflector shield generator that {{No Sell}}s small arms fire. Melee attacks can penetrate it but she's good enough that this usually isn't an issue. [[spoiler:Operative word being "usually". Agrippa Varus, who himself prefers a combat knife to a gun, disarms and immobilizes her with almost contemptuous ease.]]
* ''Webcomic/TerminalLance'': [[http://terminallance.com/2014/01/17/terminal-lance-302-pirate-sword/ "Pirate Sword."]]
-->'''Grunt''': Wait, [[LampshadeHanging you really brought your]] [[AwesomeYetImpractical NCO Sword]] on deployment?\\
'''[=NCO=]''': I spent $600 on this stupid thing. I'm not going home 'till I ''[[BloodKnight stab a motherfucker.]]''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* The police in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' use lightsaber-like batons with laser blades that can be turned on and off, but (judging from the sound they make) they simply act as simple blunt police batons to beat someone into submission with.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': Although a spacefaring civilization, the Gelrakians haven't developed any {{Ray Gun}}s and still rely on crystal spears when attacking enemies. Crystal battle blades and crystal-embedded clubs are traditional for a TrialByCombat.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* At first glance the use of biplanes in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. However, it should be remembered that most of these would only have been out of date by a few years; for instance, it was only in 1937 that the German Luftwaffe started to replace its biplane fighters (Heinkel He 51 and Arado Ar 68) with Messerschmitt Bf 109 monoplanes. And in the combat environments of the first years of the war, many biplanes could still find an "ecological niche", for instance by flying at night, especially before aircraft-mounted radar became available in sufficient numbers. Some specific examples:
** Owing to short-sighted defense cuts between the wars, the [[UsefulNotes/BritsWithBattleships Royal Navy]] entered WWII with biplane fighters and bombers to equip its aircraft carriers. Yet the Fairey Swordfish managed to catch most of the Italian Navy in its homeport of Taranto, causing widespread destruction in a night attack the Japanese studied and emulated at Pearl Harbor. A year or so later, it was a carrier-launched Fairey Swordfish biplane that fired the torpedo that crippled the ''Bismarck'', leaving Germany's most modern battleship wide open for the surface fleet to catch up with her. The fact that the German Navy did not finish building any aircraft carriers, thereby allowing British aircraft to operate in the North Atlantic with impunity, obviously was a major factor that enabled the Swordfish to continue to be used in frontline combat missions as long as it did. The last one was built in August 1944! The Swordfish also proved ideal for anti-submarine warfare, as its slow speed gave it good endurance and allowed it to land on the decks of even the smallest escort carriers, something that many of the larger and more advanced bombers could not do.
** For similar reasons, units like the [[AmazonBrigade 588th Night Bomber Regiment]] (Night Witches) in the Soviet Union could use interwar-era Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes. Though hopelessly obsolete compared to Messerschmitts or even the aforementioned Swordfish, these planes proved to be tremendously maneuverable and capable of extended unpowered gliding, permitting them to approach German positions without any noise beyond the wind in the wings; their low top speed, below the stall speed of German fighters, made them exceptionally difficult to intercept in the air; and their simple but sturdy construction made them exceptionally durable and resilient under enemy fire. Their nightly harassment thus caused the German invaders no end of grief and led to a psychological and morale impact on the Wehrmacht far out of proportion to the actual material losses inflicted. They proved their effectiveness as night bombers again in the Korean War, where the wooden airframe of the "[[ReportingNames Bedcheck Charlie]]" gave the venerable biplane another significant advantage in modern warfare - a negligible radar cross-section that made detection no easier than it had been for the Germans, in spite of now-ubiquitous radar systems.
** Enjoying near-complete daylight air superiority during the first campaigns of the war, the Luftwaffe was able to continue using Henschel Hs 123 biplane dive-bombers as ground-attack aircraft. This type had gone out of production in 1937, but on the Eastern front continued to see active service until 1944.
** Even the Americans didn't avoid this trope entirely. Front-line US Navy units used biplanes such as the Grumman [=F3F=] and the Curtiss SBC Helldiver as late as 1941. Meanwhile, in the Philippine Islands, some of the American and Filipino defenders flew Boeing P-26 Peashooters, with their wire wing braces, fixed landing gear, and open cockpits, against the attacking Japanese forces. Despite their obsolescence, they achieved several victories against Japanese bombers and fighters in the first few weeks of the war.
** The Royal Italian Air Force's main fighter at the start of the war was another biplane, the Fiat [=CR.42=] ''Falco'' (Hawk). This time it was not due to cost considerations (and in fact, it started production in ''1939''!), but because the brass considered the maneuverability inherent to biplanes a better advantage than the speed and heavier armament of the monoplanes being introduced by the air forces of France, Britain, and Germany at the time. It enjoyed some successes against RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires whenever these were stupid enough to enter into a maneuvered combat, but they truly shone in the hands of the Royal Hungarian Air Force, that deployed them against the Soviets in general and the aforementioned Po-2 in particular, where the ''Falco'''s high maneuverability and ''low'' low speed allowed it to intercept the Po-2 where more modern designs failed miserably.
** Being up mainly against the [=CR.42=] and various other maneuverable but slow and undergunned Italian fighters, the British Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm could continue to use the Gloster Gladiator biplane fighter in North Africa and the defense of Malta until 1941.
** When the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar broke out in 1937, the Chinese air force was made up of various biplanes, most prominently the Curtiss Model 68 Hawk III. Although it was outclassed by Japan's Mitsubishi [=A5M=] carrier fighter, it was fast and well-armed enough to deal heavy damage to ground and naval targets. Even when China received stronger and faster Polikarpov I-16s from the Soviet Union, nine survived to be used as night fighters in 1940 to defend the wartime capital of Chongqing from Japanese bombers.
* Examples from other fields in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII:
** Both Great Britain and the Soviet Union had obsolete heavy machine guns left over from UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. The Russian Maxim and the British Vickers were effectively the same weapon, but one which required two or three men to transport, emplace and fire. It was also water-cooled, so if no water was available the weapon would overheat and become unworkable.[[note]] Some second-line German units also continued to use pre-1935 vintage [=MG08=] and [=MG08/15=] guns, which as the model numbers indicate, had first been introduced in 1908 and been modified as a lighter gun in 1915.[[/note]] The German [=MG42=] was air-cooled, had a faster rate of fire, could be emplaced in seconds as opposed to fifteen minutes, and used by one man. Both Britain and Russia eventually hit on massing these weapons together to minimize these weaknesses and to provide saturation firepower, effectively using them almost as emplaced artillery and not as tactical infantry [=MG=]. British machine-gun battalions proved destructively efficient in Italy, where multiples of 64 Vickers [=MGs=] fired together at one section of German front to soften it up for an attack, allowing the attacking infantry to get as close as they could whilst returning fire was suppressed.
** Close combat in the Burmese jungle often pitted Japanese officers and noncoms armed with swords against machete-armed British soldiers. Or kukri-armed Gurkhas. Or Sikhs with the traditional tulwar sword. Or African troops with native swords from Nigeria, Kenya, etc. Bladed weapons could be silent, deadly, and ultra-effective in close quarters jungle fighting and ambushes, and sword fighting in combat happened even in 1942-45. Also, tribal units and natives fighting alongside British Fourteenth Army and on Borneo used native weapons, such as blowpipes and bows and arrow, to deadly effect in close-quarters jungle fighting.
** And narrowly averted with Croft's Pikes. [[PoorCommunicationKills Due to a bit of Winston Churchill's hyperbole being taken at face value]], the War Office ordered the production of 250,000 steel pikes for the HomeGuard. This understandably caused quite a fuss (and did no small degree of harm to the morale of the Home Guard troops), and the weapons were never issued as a result. The whole thing is named for Under-secretary of State for War Henry Page Croft, who tried to defend the decision due to the pike being "a most effective and silent weapon".
** The Junkers Ju 86 slow medium bomber had been phased out by the Luftwaffe before the war even began, but it then was possible to use it in a reconnaissance role by adding a pressure cabin. These planes then operated at heights that could not be reached by anti-aircraft guns and British fighters. The RAF in North Africa eventually tackled the problem by adapting some Spitfires for high-altitude work, among other things by reducing the armament from eight machine guns to two, and taking the fight directly to the Junkers pilots.
** Often overlooked is the role actual horse-mounted cavalry played in the war. While dominated by mechanized units, cavalry was still widely used, mostly in the Polish, Balkan and Soviet campaigns (contrary to popular myth, the Poles did not charge tanks on horseback). Horses had the advantage of being able to navigate terrain that bogged down tanks and were not dependent on fuel. Or rather, the fuel they depended on was of the type that grows out of the ground everywhere in Europe. One of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Schoenfeld last battles]] of the European war was comprised of a successful cavalry charge against an enemy that failed to account for them.
** Chinese warlords often had to carry a sword and obsolete firearms as modern weapons weren't readily available for them.
** British Army officer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill Jack Churchill]] (of no known relation to Winston Spencer Churchill) famously fought with an English longbow and a claymore. His motto made this ''even'' more clear:
--> "Any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed."
* Much fighting in World War 1 took the form of "trench raids", where soldiers would scramble out of a trench, sprint across the open ground, and drop into an enemy trench. Rifles were cumbersome in the narrow, zig-zagging trenches, and combat was typically at very close quarters. Pistols had limited stopping power and attracted reinforcements by their noise, and any mechanical device was subject to malfunction in the ever-present dirt and muck. Soldiers rapidly discovered that knives, clubs, and other simple melee weapons were frequently the best choices. The classic 1918 trench knife, with its brass-knuckles handle, was born in this environment, and the humble shovel (which everyone had with him anyway) rapidly became a favorite as an improvised axe. To this day entrenching tools are often specifically designed to have one edge sharpened for use as a weapon.
* Many people live in places where guns are banned, culturally frowned-upon, or hard to obtain without dealing with the very same dangerous characters one is hoping to avoid. In such places, archaic or {{improvised weapon}}s often become the best option for those seeking to avoid both victimization and prison. Some examples include sturdy flashlights, pens, canes, socks full of coins, small utility knives, and many others - including the inevitable TorchesAndPitchforks.
* Modern armies still train in the use of hand-to-hand combat, including [[BayonetYa bayonet usage]]. Being able to fight effectively in situations where your primary weapon is inoperable or impractical is a useful ability, though the training is usually considered more for building confidence, aggression, and physical conditioning. That said, they have proven decisive in a few battles as recently as UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror: [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8016685.stm in 2004]] elements of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders launched a bayonet charge against Mahdi Army insurgents in Amarah, Iraq, killing 28, and [[https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bayonet-charge-foils-enemy-ambushin in 2011]] the Prince of Wales Royal Regiment's LCPL. Sean Jones earned the Military Cross for leading his bayonet-wielding squad into Taliban machine-gun fire in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
** Firearms author Ian V. Hogg noted that despite all the bravado about going in with the bayonet, soldiers would often prefer to throw rocks at each other, something he witnessed personally during the Korean War. A literal Stone Age weapon!
* Pikes came briefly back into use before and during the American Civil War. John Brown's raid on Harpers' Ferry on October 16-18, 1859 had some of his supporters armed with pikes. In 1862, governor Joe Brown of Georgia ordered 10,000 pikes from the state's mechanics, recognizing that there were not enough guns and ammunition to arm the populace: "The short-range pike and terrible knife, when brought within their proper range, (as they can be almost in a moment) and wielded by a stalwart patriot’s arm, never fail to fire and never waste a single load.” Admittedly their actual distribution and effectiveness was very limited, but it just goes to show that desperation causes people to fall back on old technologies.
* The sword still saw plenty of use, at least for cavalry and officers, well into the 19th century, as did the lance. When most firearms were single-shot, mechanically unreliable, and/or difficult to reload, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzypKZlEwS4 it was helpful]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKHdJfnM9rA to have a weapon]] that didn't jam or run out of bullets. Of particular note were the ''llaneros'' of southern Venezuela and southeastern New Granada (modern Colombia) during the UsefulNotes/SpanishAmericanWarsOfIndependence; the ''llanero'' cowboy cavalry fought with fire-hardened wooden lances as their primary weapon and machetes as their sidearms, with no firearms at all. They were so effective that at any given point in the Venezuelan theatre of the war, you can determine which side is winning by looking at whose side the ''llaneros'' are on this time. This in the ''1810s''.\\
\\This era ended around the world wars, however; horse cavalry with swords and lances were obsolescent in WWI (although the Battle of Armageddon in 1918 was decided by an improvised Canadian cavalry charge), and swords saw little use in WWII -- although the Poles in the early war, and the Germans and Russians down to the end, used rifle-armed cavalry to very good effect. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill And there was also that one guy with a longbow and a basket-hilted broadsword.]]
* [[https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=90038&page=1 Tomahawks have been used intermittently by American troops since the Revolutionary War.]] This makes a lot of sense, as a good hatchet has plenty of uses as a utility tool as well as a weapon. They took on particular significance in the urban counterinsurgency operations of UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror, with close-quarters fighting that also involves a lot of breaking of windows and breaching of doors.
* A lot of riot control tactics and equipment are essentially nonlethal versions of medieval European warfare. For starters, their basic equipment is armor and a shield. The tactics are downright ancient, as modern riot control tactics center around a less-organized version of Roman shield-walls. Watch a riot squad deploy in the 'four forward, four up' shield arrangement and it looks like a tiny [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testudo_formation testudo formation]].
* Many American states have separate hunting seasons for "primitive weapons" such as black-powder firearms, keeping rifled muskets popular with hunters who wish to extend their season. Gun manufacturers have even produced [[SchizoTech modern high-performance hunting rifles that are loaded from the front]] in order to allow them to be used in "primitive" weapon hunting seasons.
[[/folder]]

* ''Film/{{Underworld}}'': both vampire "Death Dealers", who are in a centuries-old feud with Lycans (werewolves), and Lycans use modern weapons (machine guns, pistols) and medieval bladed weapons. Justified in-universe because they are centuries old and are thus more familiar with older weapons.

* ''Film/Underworld'': both vampire "Death Dealers", who are in a centuries-old feud with Lycans (werewolves), and Lycans use modern weapons (machine guns, pistols) and medieval bladed weapons. Justified in-universe because they are centuries old and are thus more familiar with older weapons.

It's also TruthInTelevision to an extent. While it's true that the modern battlefield is dominated by guns, hand-to-hand and melee weapon combat training will likely always be a part of military curricula: guns can be cumbersome in close combat and melee weapons are much quieter, so the humble dagger and its modern derivatives will never go out of style. It's also true that swords, spears, bows and arrows, etc. coexisted with guns on the battlefield for centuries before the gun was developed enough to became the dominant weapon it is now. And even when they were completely overshadowed by guns, it took even longer (as in, the 2nd half of the 20th century) before all major powers stopped issuing swords to officers.

They are often employed by heroes because HeroesPreferSwords. Often a result of using the old technology in ways that were NotTheIntendedUse.

* In ''VideoGame/{{SYNTHETIK}}'', you are an android that fights their way to prevent [[RobotWar the rogue AIs from wiping out humanity]]. You can find many advanced guns or high-tech items in this game. But you can also find low-tech items like [[AnAxeToGrind tomahawk]], or [[StockNinjaWeaponry kunai]]. They are effective as other items.

* The sword still saw plenty of use, at least for cavalry and officers, well into the 19th century. When most firearms were single-shot, mechanically unreliable, and/or difficult to reload, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzypKZlEwS4 it was helpful]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKHdJfnM9rA to have a weapon]] that didn't jam or run out of bullets. Horse cavalry with swords and lances were obsolescent in WWI (although the Battle of Armageddon in 1918 was decided by an improvised Canadian cavalry charge), and swords saw little use in WWII -- although the Poles in the early war, and the Germans and Russians down to the end, used rifle-armed cavalry to very good effect. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill And there was also that one guy with a longbow and a basket-hilted broadsword.]]

* ''Series/{{Buffyverse}}'':

-> ''"I mean, Jedi--as I've always said before--well, they've chosen a sword in a time of, you know, laser guns, so they'd better be damn good with it."''
--> -- '''Nick Gillard''', stunt coordinator for the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequel trilogy, ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' DVD featurette

* In the Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}}verse, vampires and demons prefer to use either their teeth and claws or edged weapons rather than firearms, as do Vampire Slayers and other demon fighters. There are notable exceptions, more so in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' spin-off which is set in Los Angeles with vampires, etc acting as part of (and therefore influenced by) the criminal subculture. The trope is lampshaded in "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E14BadGirls}} Bad Girls]]" when the modern-thinking vampire Mr. Trick remonstrates an opponent who comes at him with a sword.
-->"Why do they always gotta be using swords? It's called an Uzi, ya chump! Could have saved your ass right about now."

** Despite the general dominance of [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]] of various stripes in the setting, the Rangers (a paramilitary group of Minbari origin, originally for monitoring the Shadows, but whom Sheridan turns into international peacekeepers) favor collapsible quarterstaffs ("Minbari fighting pikes") and martial arts. On the other hand, the Rangers' SpaceNavy is famously equipped with the PintSizedPowerhouse White Stars.

** {{Subverted}} in "[[Recap/FarscapeS01E04ThroneForALoss Throne for a Loss]]". After Crichton accidentally [[MadeOfExplodium overloads her pulse rifle]], Aeryn asks for another weapon and D'Argo hands her his qualta blade. Aeryn is displeased to be handed a sword, but then D'Argo reveals that [[SwissArmyWeapon the qualta blade is also a pulse rifle]]. Later episodes indicate the qualta blade is somewhat antiquated by Peacekeeper standards, but it's still a very effective weapon.
** {{Justified}} in "[[Recap/FarscapeS03E05DifferentDestinations ...Different Destinations]]". The RepeatingCrossbow-armed Veneks reduce the pulse weapon-armed Peacekeeper soldiers to fighting with clubs and knives with {{technobabble}} that renders the [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]] inoperable. This includes D'Argo's qualta blade, [[spoiler:but not Aeryn and Crichton's pulse pistols from 500 years in the future]].

* ''[[Series/WonderWoman1975 Wonder Woman]]'': Whether it's during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII or TheSeventies, Wonder Woman faces off against gun-toting [[{{Mooks}} bad guys]] armed with a boomerang tiara and a lasso.

** Despite having originally been built 130-odd years ago by the time of the game, the ''Excelsior''-class is considered one of the top four DPS cruisers on the Starfleet side. (At the bottom of the top four, granted, but it still beats out the [[TierInducedScrappy too-much-tank-not-enough-DPS]] ''Galaxy''-class.)

* In ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' personal shields block projectile weapons and lasers trigger nuclear explosions when they hit them, but a slow-moving blade can slip through.
** Though since shields attract {{Sandworm}}s they're not used on Arrakis. So the Fremen have spring-loaded poison dart guns and the Baron Harkonnen revived artillery for his coup.
** The ''Literature/LegendsOfDune'' prequels also have this, even ''before'' the invention of the shields. For some reason, in the middle of the RobotWar, thousands of troops still rush into battle wielding clubs and swords. And so do the machine troops, for some reason.