History Main / PreacherMan

[[SherlockHolmes http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/PreacherMan.jpg]]

* Nicholas D. Wolfwood in ''{{Trigun}}'', although he owes more to the Preacher With No Name than to any particular church.
* Baskerville in ''EtCetera.''

* [[{{Preacher}} Rev. Jesse Custer]].

[[AC:TabeletopGames]]

A spiritual leader for the believers in a small community. In Westerns, the preacher is usually dressed semi-formally in a black broadcloth suit, and may sport a clerical collar, depending on denomination. (Many preachers will have "no denomination given" for the broadest appeal.)

May come with a "preacher's wife", who is usually long-suffering. (Preachers weren't paid much in the WildWest, and had to work any time of day or night they were needed.) The [[PreachersKid son of a]] Preacher Man will most likely be either a saint or a devil.

* Rev. Eli Sunday, the [[SinisterMinister corrupt]] teenage preacher from ''ThereWillBeBlood''.

* The Preacher With No Name, played by ClintEastwood in ''PaleRider''. Armed with ImprobableAimingSkills.

* The horror-western RPG {{Deadlands}} not only has these, but [[BadassPreacher some]] of them can perform [[WhiteMagic actual]] [[HolyHandGrenade miracles]]

May come with a "preacher's wife", who is usually long-suffering. (Preachers weren't paid much in the WildWest, and had to work any time of day or night they were needed.) The [[PreachersKid son of a]] PreacherMan will most likely be either a saint or a devil.

* Shepherd Book of ''{{Firefly}}''. Who was also remarkably accurate with firearms. Are you seeing a trend here?

* Father Mulcahy of ''{{MASH}}''. Who was also an accomplished boxer, a go-between with the black market, and not opposed to raising orphanage money by gambling.

When played straight (or [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism idealistically]] if you happen to be a cynic), the preacher is a GoodShepherd, a force for reason and peace in the community. He usually understands that violence is an option the law has to take sometimes, but weighs heavily against it for civilians or for less-than-emergency situations. Don't think this makes the PreacherMan an easy target, though--when push comes to shove, they'll [[BadassPreacher fight]] for what's right with all their might. Even those who are [[ActualPacifist opposed to violence in all its forms]] can still [[BadassPacifist end a fight by putting themselves in the line of fire]], as few villains are either [[EvenEvilHasStandards impious enough to shoot a messenger of God]] or [[PragmaticVillainy stupid enough to shoot the one person in the town ''everyone'' would be willing to defend / avenge]].

When played straight (or [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism idealistically]] if you happen to be a cynic), the preacher is a GoodShepherd, a force for reason and peace in the community. He usually understands that violence is an option the law has to take sometimes, but weighs heavily against it for civilians or for less-than-emergency situations. Don't think this makes the PreacherMan an easy target, though--when push comes to shove, they'll [[BadassPreacher fight]] for what's right with all their might.

* ''TheQuickAndTheDead'' featured a preacher that was a RetiredGunfighter.
* [[HotFuzz "Fuck off, Grasshopper!"]]

* Oddly for something based on a LEGO line, Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG has at least two characters that, while not actual priests, do come close to this sort of character. Out of those two, Shaw would be the closest, being a well-meaning (if mentally unstable) doctor who tries to use her faith as a means of comfort for both herself and those around her. The other, Pharisee, is closer to being either a BadassPreacher or even a SinisterMinister.

[[Ac:Roleplay]]

[[Ac: Roleplay]]

When played straight (or [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism idealistically]] if you happen to be a cynic), the preacher is a GoodShepherd, a force for reason and peace in the community. He usually understands that violence is an option the law has to take sometimes, but weighs heavily against it for civilians or for less-than-emergency situations. Don't think this makes the PreacherMan an easy target, though--when push comes to shove, they'll [[BadassPreacher fight]] for what's right with all their might.

Towns too small to have their own church may share a "circuit rider" with other communities in the same fix. Like the CircuitJudge, the circuit preacher moves from place to place on a schedule so that any necessary weddings, baptisms or general preachifyin' can take place once a month.

Most often spotted at weddings, funerals and town meetings.

In terms of rank, the [[AuthorityTropes authority tropes]] arguably equal are BadassPreacher, CorruptCorporateExecutive, IrishPriest, {{Landlord}}, PedophilePriest, {{Schoolteachers}}, SexyPriest, SinisterMinister and TheVicar. For the next step down, see StudentCouncilPresident. For the next step up, see DeanBitterman.

* [[{{Hot Fuzz}} "Fuck off, Grasshopper!"]]
* Parodied (of course) by Reverend Johnson in ''BlazingSaddles''. Among other things, he attempts to save Sheriff Bart from execution but desists when someone shoots a hole through his Bible.
* The Preacher With No Name, played by ClintEastwood in ''PaleRider''. Armed with ImprobableAimingSkills.

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** River even ''calls'' him "preacher-man" while fixing his Bible.

* Don't know if this counts or not, but the only one who could reach and teach DustySpringfield was the ''son'' of a preacher man.