History Main / LowTechSpears

These spears most commonly take the form of a simple sharpened stick, with or without the addition of a spearhead made from flint-knapping, or by using [[CraftedFromAnimals hard animal body parts]], such as shells, bone, or horn. However, metal-tipped or otherwise more advanced bladed polearms can also count as examples of the trope as long as the cultures and characters who use them are considered "primitive" or otherwise less advanced, whether by the narrative or by other groups in-universe. The latter includes but by no means is solely limited to factions that use firearms. If there happens to be multiple factions that use spears as weaponry in a given work, this trope would be used to describe solely those with the noticeably least advanced polearm technology, with the culture to match. These spears are most often used as stabbing weapons due to the nature of their construction, but can also be [[JavelinThrower thrown]], either by hand or via using a spear thrower such as the atlatl.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spear_primal.png]]

->''You may be wondering why we have so many foreign treasures here at the British Museum. And the answer is simple: gun beats spear!''

* ''VideoGame/ArkSurvivalEvolved'': The stone spear is the first weapon the player can make and is used to reflect how the survivors start at a stone age level of development. As the player progresses, they are able to create more advanced weapons and are typically expected to abandon spears in favor of more powerful, technologically advanced late-game weapons.

A subtrope of WeaponBasedCharacterization, and a common mainstay weapon of the NobleSavage, HollywoodNatives, people RaisedByAnimals, archetypical cavemen (such as [[AllCavemenWereNeanderthals Neanderthals]]), and the like. They're also commonly used as a shorthand for post-apocalyptic societies, as spears are a far easier weapon to create and maintain for a pre-industrial society compared to more modern weaponry such as advanced firearms, even if the means of making said modern weaponry hasn't been [[LostTechnology outright forgotten]] over time as a result of societal collapse. Compare BoulderBludgeon, the use of simple stones as melee weapons by [[BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon brutish]], pragmatic, and desperate characters.

* In ''Film/IndependenceDay'', during a celebratory montage showing various countries trying to fight back against the [[TechnologicallyAdvancedFoe technologically advanced]] alien threat, we see barefoot, loincloth-wearing African tribesmen waving spears and staffs in celebration as a ship explodes near Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'': The Ewoks, one of the [[MulticulturalAlienPlanet numerous sentient species]] of the Forest Moon of Endor, have a Stone Age level of technology and use wooden spears with stone tips as one of their primary weapons.

* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': The Myneyrsh are a sentient species native to the planet Wayland who are at a roughly Neolithic level of technology and use simple stone spears as their main weapons apart from bows and daggers. When Human Republic colonists first arrived on the planet, they were able to dominate both them and their Psadan rivals [[TechnologicallyAdvancedFoe thanks to their more advanced technology]], but due to an archiving error they were forgotten about, and due to their inability to maintain said weaponry were eventually brought down to the same tech levels as those they subjugated.

-->'''Civiliopedia:''' At some point in the prehistory of civilization, some Neolithic warrior decided his club would be more efficient if he sharpened the end of it.

A subtrope of WeaponBasedCharacterization, and a common mainstay weapon of the NobleSavage, HollywoodNatives, people RaisedByAnimals, archetypical cavemen (such as [[AllCavemenWereNeanderthals Neanderthals]]), and the like. They're also commonly used as a shorthand for post-apocalyptic societies, as spears are a far easier weapon to create and maintain for a pre-industrial society compared to more modern weaponry such as advanced firearms, especially if the means of making said modern weaponry hasn't been [[LostTechnology outright forgotten]] over time as a result of societal collapse. Compare BoulderBludgeon, the use of simple stones as melee weapons by [[BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon brutish]], pragmatic, and desperate characters.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': The Rieklings in the ''Dragonborn'' DLC are [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent goblin-ken]] that live in clans, highly aggressive to anyone not themselves, are said to lack much in the way of culture, and are considered little more than beasts carrying weapons by most Nords (With the few who can say anything intelligible in Cyrodilic tending to have [[YouNoTakeCandle simplistic vocabularies]]). Their primary weapons are small wooden spears with metal tips.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]

A subtrope of WeaponBasedCharacterization, and a common mainstay weapon of the NobleSavage, HollywoodNatives, people RaisedByAnimals, archetypical cavemen (Such as [[AllCavemenWereNeanderthals Neanderthals]]), and the like. They're also commonly used as a shorthand for post-apocalyptic societies, as spears are a far easier weapon to create and maintain for a pre-industrial society compared to more modern weaponry such as advanced firearms, especially if the means of making said modern weaponry hasn't been [[LostTechnology outright forgotten]] over time as a result of societal collapse. Compare BoulderBludgeon, the use of simple stones as melee weapons by [[BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon brutish]], pragmatic, and desperate characters.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'': Discussed. During the Lancer and Carpenter quests, it's pointed out that the weapons wielded by lancers were originally born out of the primitive fishing and hunting tools used at the dawn of civilization. The harpoons once used for fetching food were gradually adapted into tools of war with more complex and effective techniques. The player has access to several of these primitive-looking harpoons that are usually made [[CraftedFromAnimals from the shells of animals.]]
* ''VideoGame/Kirby64'': Yariko is a caveman-esque enemy whose sole weapon are wooden spears that they throw at Kirby.

* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'': The [=LightFoot=] tribe are based on stereotypical natives, and are notably the only dinosaur tribe who uses spears, with the also weapon-using [=SharpClaw=] tribe preferring [[BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon spiked clubs and axes.]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'': From the third game onward, spearmen are among the first combat units that civs can obtain in the Ancient Era, requiring only one or two advances on the TechTree to unlock. They can persist through the Classical Era but are completely deprecated by the Medieval Era.

* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'': Stone Age Villagers hunt wild animals by throwing spears at them and likewise use fishing spears. Note that these are the only times spears are used before the Bronze Age in-game.

* "WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot": [[DiscussedTrope Mentioned]] in the climactic fight, when King Arthur is missing Excalibur and so picks up a spear.

* Deliberately invoked in many versions of [[ComicBook/BlackPanther Wakanda]], where many of their warriors are armed with spears, making them look like backward savages. In truth, their spears are [[EnhancedArchaicWeapon high tech weapons]], making for a nasty surprise for any would-be invaders. Of course, this strategy is much less successful against opponents who already know about them (e.g. Klaw), who're much more powerful (e.g. Thanos), or both (e.g. Doctor Doom).

* In ''VideoGame/FearAndHunger'', the Cavedwellers are a race of monstrous tribesmen found in the Mines. While they were once human, a cave-in ultimately forced them to mutate themselves into a race not even capable of speaking human language. Within their settlement, there exist several members of their kind who act as {{Elite Mook}}s, each wielding spears capable of inflicting the Bleeding and Poison status effects in combat, compared to the [[BoulderBludgeon small rocks]] used by everyone else.
* Discussed in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''. During the Lancer and Carpenter quests, it's pointed out that the weapons wielded by lancers were originally born out of the primitive fishing and hunting tools used at the dawn of civilization. The harpoons once used for fetching food were gradually adapted into tools of war with more complex and effective techniques. The player has access to several of these primitive-looking harpoons that are usually made [[CraftedFromAnimals from the shells of animals.]]

* ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'': The NobleSavage Horde uses spears for its main ground and air-ranged attackers, compared to the Night Elves' bows, Alliance's arquebus/magic hammers, or the Undead's SpiderSwarm.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': In "Mother's Day", Mom makes all the machines in the world turn against humans, forcing them to return to the basics of living. During this time, Professor Farnsworth shows off his "new invention" - a stick with a sharpened stone tied to it.
* The ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'' episode "Pursuit of the Po-Ho" has Doctor Emil Hartman, and later Doctor Benton Quest, be captured by the primitive Po-Ho tribe of the Amazon basin. The prisoners are used in sport, in which tribesmen throw their spears at the men, aiming to come as close as possible without inflicting damage. The last spear thrown grazes Benton's shirt collar.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom: Horriblins are ManiacMonkeys that wield spears fused with second spears allowing them to attack from a distance as they cling to the ceilings of their caves. They're portrayed as even more primitive than their other -blin relatives returning from ''Breath of the Wild'', wearing ragged shorts and a few leather straps and living in "camps" that are little more than hoards of scavenged loot.

* ''VideoGame/Kirby64'': Yariko is a caveman-esque enemy whose sole weapon is wooden spears that they throw at Kirby.

->'''Frankie Boyle:''' You may be wondering why we have so many foreign treasures here at the British Museum. And the answer is simple: gun beats spear!
-->-- ''Series/MockTheWeek'', "Bad Things to Hear From a Tour Guide"

-->''Series/MockTheWeek'', "Bad Things to Hear From a Tour Guide"

* ''Film/BlackPanther'':

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': While just about every group in Hyrule capable of wielding weapons has at least one type of native polearm, the -blin enemies have the simplest cultures and the most crude examples by extension:
** The Bokoblins are depicted as amongst the most primitive of Hyrule's humanoid non-boss monsters, living in simple camps at a roughly Stone Age level of technology, and wear nothing but skull necklaces, caveman-print sashes, and loincloths. Their primary native melee weapons apart from simple Boko Clubs are Boko Spears which are little more than sharpened sticks carved from tree branches at their base level, with the stronger variants reinforced with bone.
** Moblins are savage brutes generally depicted as the least developed of Ganon's humanoid minions, with a similar caveman aesthetic of loincloths and strips of cloth to wear. Unlike even the Stone Age-level Bokoblins, Moblins don't make camps and lack the ability to cook as their smaller brethren do. Save for when they live in mixed groups of monsters, Moblins live as essentially dangerous wild animals that are capable of using weapons. One of the two native weapons archetypes of the Moblins apart from [[PrimitiveClubs heavy wooden clubs]] are long Moblin Spears crudely whittled out of tree limbs and adorned with bones and horns to make them stronger. While they do some decent damage, their sloppy and unsophisticated construction means that they're fairly fragile. In battle, spear-carrying Moblins favor headlong point-first charges and crude but powerful swinging attacks.
** Horriblins, introduced in ''Tears of the Kingdom'', are ManiacMonkeys that wield spears fused with second spears allowing them to attack from a distance as they cling to the ceilings of their caves. They're portrayed as even more primitive than their other -blin relatives, wearing ragged shorts and a few leather straps and living in "camps" that are little more than hoards of scavenged loot.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': While just about every group in Hyrule capable of wielding weapons has at least one type of native polearm, the -blin enemies have the simplest cultures and the most crude examples by extension:

These spears most commonly take the form of a simple sharpened stick, with or without the addition of a spearhead made from flint-knapping, or by using [[CraftedFromAnimals hard animal body parts]], such as shells, bone, or horn. However, metal-tipped or otherwise more advanced bladed polearms can also count as examples of the trope as long as the cultures and characters who use them are considered "primitive" or otherwise less advanced, whether by the narrative, or by other groups in-universe. The latter includes but by no means is solely limited to factions that use firearms. If there happens to be multiple factions that use spears as weaponry in a given work, this trope would be used to describe solely those with the noticeably least advanced polearm technology, with the culture to match. These spears are most often used as stabbing weapons due to the nature of their construction, but can also be [[JavelinThrower thrown]], either by hand or via using a spear thrower such as the atlatl.