History SoldierVsWarrior / VideoGames

*** The Sangheili/Elites play the ProudWarriorRaceGuy to the hilt. In a ''Halo 2: Anniversary'' terminal, Thel 'Vadamee is said to have once paused a surprise attack on a human military installation and allowed the Marines to get their weapons together so they could face him in a fair fight (and then he slaughtered them to a man anyway). [[spoiler:Surprisingly, however, their strong sense of honor is part of what prompts their HeelFaceTurn in ''2'': They don't like being lied to, and they don't like being betrayed, both of which the Prophets did.]]

* Carth Onasi of ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' is ''not'' happy to be called a warrior when ProudWarriorRaceGuy Canderous Ordo compliments the Republic as {{Worthy Opponent}}s. In Carth's view, a soldier's job is to protect the defenseless, and they usually have to fight conquering ''warriors''. In contrast, Canderous' people the Mandalorians are a [[ChallengeSeeker culture where one constantly seeks to test one's strength]] against the strongest possible opponent (which they see as the Republic and its Jedi peacekeepers, [[StealthInsult which is why they're usually allied to the Sith]]), and committed multiple genocides in the most recent war to provoke the Republic to fight them. The Republic ended up winning a PyrrhicVictory (the circumstances are elaborated in [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords the sequel]]) that led directly to the current Sith War after several of the Jedi Knights who left to fight fell to the dark side. It was implied Revan [[{{ExploitedTrope}} exploited]] the Mandalorian tendency to go full-strength into any fight by tricking them into feints and exhausting their resources by cruel use of WeHaveReserves.
* This also applies to the distant sequel ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic.'' The Republic? Soldier through and through. One of the classes you can play is the commander of a special forces unit, and several companion characters of the other classes are also military-based. The Imperial equivalent? The BountyHunter, a warrior for hire. (And following in the path of the Carth and Canderous argument above, the Hunter can choose to join the Mandalorians). The Republic takes a lot of heat for being "slow," and "inefficient," but they have a larger population, better infrastructure, and a functional (though far from perfect) government. The Imperials and their Sith leadership are certainly warriors, with a culture of ruthless survival and self-advancement, led by their AxCrazy theocratic cabal of Sith, with a massive hit of ChronicBackstabbingDisorder. It means that only the strong survive the brutal TrainingFromHell and the backstab attempts from their peers. So, yes, the average Imperial would be able to defeat the average Republic counterpart. It also leaves them with fewer ''experienced'' officers, Force Users, soldiers, scientists, etc. The officer can't trust his underlings (who may be out to murder him for advancement). The underlings can't trust their commanders (who may be advancing himself by sending them into a slaughter). Worse is that the OnlySaneMan, their Intelligence Services, get very little respect. Couple that with their FantasticRacism policies making only two races eligible for citizenship (and a third, the Chiss, nominally tolerated), with everyone else going to the slave pits unless they're Force Sensitive, and their Third World levels of infrastructure, and it's obvious why they were able to do very well with a shock and awe attack on the Republic and make early gains, but run out of steam and be in serious trouble come the Makeb arc. [[spoiler: The Knights of the Fallen Empire arc reveals they were set up fail from the Empire's foundation.]]
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', the two different types are reflected in the turian and the krogan races, both examples of a ProudWarriorRace but in two distinct flavors:
** Turians are extremely disciplined, organized, and collectivist soldiers. They boast the most powerful navy in the galaxy, and every turian is expected to serve in the military once they come of age. Even those that aren't currently serving are taught the importance of following orders, performing your duties earnestly, and both understanding and following protocol. Even their civilian society is MildlyMilitary in structure.
** Krogan are walking [[TheBerserker Berserkers]], each one boasting nearly unparalleled strength and toughness. Their culture is extremely [[TheSocialDarwinist Darwinian]], with the weak culled either by natural dangers or battle, and leaders typically chosen through AsskickingLeadsToLeadership. They make perfect infantry and shock troops, but with an unpredictable and unreliable nature. Their extremely long lifespan and [[ExplosiveBreeder high fertility]] meant that they could afford to fight wars of attrition.\\
\\
In the GreatOffscreenWar in the franchise backstory, the turians entered galactic society while the krogan were threatening to overrun the standing government. The turians implemented a countermeasure, the infamous [[DepopulationBomb Genophage]] (designed by others who weren't actually intending the turians to use it), which removed their primary strength (WeHaveReserves). Latter-era krogan have adopted more soldier-like traits, emphasizing the battlemaster's leadership and cooperation within the [[TrueCompanions krantt]]. It's understood that not every krogan can be the best warrior, but every krogan has to have friends who'll fight by his side.
** Among the other major Citadel races, the asari are closest to the Warrior, with their focus on elite biotic commandos and the lawkeeper tradition of the justicars. They also have a FeudalFuture approach to military requisitions (this despite being governed by e-democracy), with each individual asari republic equipping their commando units and militias from its own funds rather than a single national budget. This results in a chaotic variety of capabilities as a national military, which was among several factors in the rapid fall of asari space to the Reapers, whereas the more organized humans and turians were able to slow their advances on Earth and Palaven for months. On the other hand, the locally-supplied weaponry and powerful individual warriors meant that while an asari world could be conquered, ''holding'' it after the conventional military was defeated would be a nightmare due to the ensuing insurgency.
** The salarians don't fit neatly anywhere on the spectrum. Like soldiers, they avoid direct combat as much as necessary and focus on winning the intelligence war so they can rapidly and surgically defeat any adversary almost before the war starts. At the same time, their military has no concept of "peacetime" and "wartime" (in fact, they consider Declarations of War immensely stupid, there's a saying that the salarians only declare war when they have already won or were crippled beyond repair the enemy forces), so their intelligence/espionage wars are fought around the clock. They take it upon themselves to deal with threats that other races either don't know about or can't publicly attack; previous persons of interest have a habit of dying from accidents or natural causes, or disappearing outright. This also means that they are constantly trying to maintain a military advantage against ''everyone'', including their "allies".
** Meanwhile the Systems Alliance (the main human government) are essentially soldiers and use largely 21st-century Earth doctrines ported to space, complete with fighter carriers [[LoopholeAbuse to get around Citadel restrictions on dreadnought construction]]. Instead of garrisoning each individual planet, the Alliance stations fleets at strategic mass relays so they can effectively defend a larger volume of space with fewer ships (but as observed in the novel ''Literature/MassEffectRevelation'', this comes at the cost of slower response time). Only a small fraction of the human population serves in the military, but they make up for it with drone and mech support.
** Both the quarians and the geth are Soldiers. The entire quarian race turns itself into a navy with all the collectivist doctrine, chain of command, and professionalism that comes with it. The geth mobile platform and runtime architecture is structured such that a few run times might be performing asteroid mining on mobile platforms one day, then operate a dreadnought a different day. This is a big part of why their mutual history is so bloody; neither side has any real concept of "noncombatant", so the line between "military victory" and "genocide" gets [[WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide kind of murky]].
** The soldier vs warrior dynamic is shown during the Priority: Tuchanka mission. The soldiers Shepard, Victus, and Mordin (or Wiks) plan a complicated operation in which krogan ground forces in Tomkah tanks and turian fighters launch a combined assault on a Reaper to distract it, while a small team sneaks around it to the Shroud to release the genophage cure. Problem is, the warrior krogans comprising the ground assault team don't do some basic soldierly tasks, such as ingress route planning, maintaining comms with the fighter wing to coordinate the assault properly, or having contingency plans in case the initial ingress got stalled (things are probably not helped by the fact that the turians and krogan had few reasons to be friends and many reasons not to be [[EnemyMine before the Reaper invasion]]). As expected, the combined assault comes undone; the ground attack convoy gets bogged down when a single road gets taken out, but the turian fighters stick to the original plan and attack regardless.

* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' puts the Klingon Defense Force, which is no longer all Klingon, on a bit of a spectrum here, which is exemplified by the command crew of the flagship IKS ''Bortasqu[='=]'' (the Klingon counterpart to the ''Enterprise''). On the soldier end, we have Doctor Harza-Kull, an Orion, and Lieutenant Commander Tarol, CMO and chief engineer respectively, and who both view "honor" more along the lines of professionalism. On the other end is the tactical officer LCDR. Hark, a straight GloryHound implied to [[TheStarscream have his eye on Captain Koren's job]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'', this is an important distinction between the [[MagicallyIneptFighter fighter]] and [[ThePaladin paladin]] classes: the former fights to fulfill their passion for fighting, while the latter fights to fulfill their code of honor.
* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsII'':
** Most realms rely on levies of warriors for their armies, which are typically dismissed once no longer needed. Tribal governments can also call up large numbers of warriors or raiders with councilor missions or by decision (or by using the Prepared Invasion ''casus belli'' if a Germanic pagan), which disperse automatically once the war ends. With the ''Legacy of Rome'' DLC, richer, typically kingdom- or empire-tier, realms can afford to create retinues, professional standing army units which are more expensive to create and maintain than levies, but also have higher stats.
** Also seen in the distinction between "offensive" Pagan realms[[note]]Germanic, e.g. Norse and Saxons; Tengri, e.g. central Asian steppe nomads such as Mongols; and Aztecs in the ''Sunset Invasion'' DLC[[/note]] and everyone else. Offensive pagans get bonuses to levy size and pay no opinion penalty for raising vassals' levies, but if you're not at war, raiding, or bound by a truce, you lose a considerable amount of prestige[[note]]one of the game's currencies, and the main one used to upgrade tribal and nomadic holdings[[/note]] each month. Of course, given the fact that raiding is about the only way most pagan realms can support their economy, you'll rarely face this penalty. Incidentally, the Norse culture's unique "Berserker Charge" battle tactic is also considered one of the worst in the game.
* In ''Videogame/MechWarrior'', the divide between the ProudWarriorRace Clans and the soldierly Inner Sphere powers is amplified by their OpposingCombatPhilosophies. In ''Mechwarrior Living Legends'', Clan vehicles are typically geared for one-on-one combat, [[GlassCannon often eschewing armor and sensors in favor of more guns and speed]]. Inner Sphere vehicles, while slower and typically weaker in firepower, pile on experimental equipment, sensor suites, and support equipment; they possess the most advanced scout units in the game and can easily form [[TargetSpotter C3 targeting networks]] to guide in their indirect [[DeathFromAbove Long Tom artillery fire]] that the Clanners lack, and possess more powerful air support. In the single-player games, the player is sometimes tasked with fighting Clanners. In ''Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries'', the mercenary PlayerCharacter can either engage a Clan Jade Falcon lance in a prearranged honor duel or bring twice as many mechs and slug it out.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', this is a big part of why Cloud [[RedOniBlueOni and]] [[TheLancer Barret]] get on each others' nerves so much. Cloud, a former military member and mercenary, views his involvement to be a job and finds Barret a naive, overemotional blowhard. Barret, an eco-terrorist, views his involvement as ideological, and finds Cloud to be a shallow, stuck-up jerk. Fairly early in the game, Barret changes his mind about Cloud once he realises that Cloud does have deeply-held convictions he'll fight for, and Cloud warms to Barret once he realises how thoughtful and considered he actually is.
* ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}'': The two armies Kyros sent to conquer the Tiers embody this. The 'soldiers' are the Disfavoured, a professional full-time EliteArmy led by General Graven Ashe, AFatherToHisMen and [[BoringButPractical brilliant (if very conventional) tactician]]. In your party the Disfavoured are represented by Barik, a very loyal and professional ([[DumbMuscle if not terribly bright]]) soldier who believes in Kyros' agenda and war as the means to [[FantasticRacism 'civilize' the southern barbarians]]. The 'warriors' are the Scarlet Chorus, an ArmyOfThievesAndWhores who gives anyone they capture the choice of JoinOrDie (and force those who choose 'join' to fight each other to the death for the privilege) and runs on AsskickingLeadsToLeadership and SocialDarwinist policies. It is led by The Voices of Nerat, a MadHatter MindHive who stays on top by [[TheDreaded scaring the piss out of everyone including its own men]]. In your party the Scarlet Chorus is represented by Verse, a southerner who joined the Chorus willingly to [[BloodKnight sate her bloodlust]] and [[AtLeastIAdmitIt has no illusions of 'higher ideals' or hypocrisy about her role; she just wants to kill stuff]].
* Present but downplayed in ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' and ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' with the Charr and Norn. The Norn value personal accomplishments and bravery over anything else. They do not have armies but instead venture out alone or with a few close companions if the enemy is worthy prey. The Charr by comparison place an emphasis on unity, placing the warband and Legion above personal interest. Rather than clashing over these differing viewpoints, the Charr and Norn respect each other for their adherence to honor.
** A good comparison of this outlook can be seen in the ''Eye of the North'' campaign. Recruiting the Charr requires killing their current corrupt leaders, at which point the Legions quickly realign under their new leader. Recruiting the Norn involves a spirit journey and showing one rather boisterous Norn that the enemy is fun to hunt and there are enough to gather a hunting party.
%%* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', the Alliance army is composed of soldiers, and the Horde's is composed of warriors. (Zero-Context: Entry is just "Trope is here")
* A common dynamic seen across the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series:
** The [[ActionHero Martial Lord]] archetype plays the Warrior to the [[MartialPacifist Peaceful Lord]]'s Soldier. Martial Lords are passionate about conquest on the battlefield, either out of [[BloodKnight personal satisfaction]] or [[TheDeterminator determination to achieve their goals]]. Meanwhile, Peaceful Lords are often [[ReluctantWarrior reluctant to fight]], doing so because it's [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption the only solution to the conflict they're faced with]]. In terms of CharacterDevelopment, Martial Lords have a FatalFlaw in [[LeeroyJenkins their recklessness]], and learn to think about their actions by the end of the game; meanwhile, Peaceful Lords become less naive and more intelligent over the course of the game, while still maintaining the values that drive them to fight.
** Fighters play the Warrior to the Knight's Soldier. The former fights out of passion and might serve a Lord out of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits happenstance]], whereas the latter takes a vow to fight on behalf of their Lord. Knights wear heavy armor that only a state-sponsored army could afford, whereas Fighters charge into battle with only an axe and the clothes on their backs. Fighters may even promote to a class named "Warrior".
** Myrmidons play the Warrior to the Mercenary's Soldier. The former are dedicated practitioners of the sword, seeking to become masters of the art, whereas the latter uses the sword as a means to an end (which, as their class name implies, is usually to make a living).
** For (typically) enemy-exclusive classes, Brigands plays the Warrior to, well, [[ShapedLikeItself Soldiers]]. The former are fought as nebulous gangs, scaling mountains and ransacking villages, whereas the latter serve TheEmpire and are ''supposed'' to defend said villages. The two both play TheGoomba, but for different reasons: Brigands are [[UnskilledButStrong very strong but can't reliably strike their opponents]], whereas Soldiers are CannonFodder that struggle against even sword wielders.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'' and its remake are practically built on this trope both in story and gameplay. The game has the player alternate between its two protagonists, [[TheParagon Alm]] and [[LadyOfWar Celica]], each of whom has their own plot, party, and set of maps to clear. Alm's route plays up the soldier mentality. The plot focuses on the war between LaResistance and TheEmpire, many of Alm's allies are professional soldiers, and his party contains the bulk of the game's playable [[MightyGlacier Knights]], [[LightningBruiser Cavaliers]], and [[LongRangeFighter Archers]]. Maps on this route tend to be open fields and fortifications that offer minimal cover and the enemy forces are usually similar in composition to the player's own. This forces players to stay in formation to protect their squishier units and avoid being flanked. Celica's route emphasizes the warrior philosophy. The story is about a RagTagBunchOfMisfits on a MissionFromGod and the party has a preponderance of [[GlassCannon Mages]], [[JackOfAllStats Mercenaries]], and [[FragileSpeedster Pegasus Knights]]. Celica's maps are frequently in wooded areas or ruins with plenty of natural cover. Enemies are mostly CannonFodder interspersed with a few [[BossInMooksClothing more powerful foes]] ([[FlunkyBoss who love to summon]] [[GodDamnBats even more cannon fodder]]), making units operating solo or in small groups a more viable strategy.

* Discussed in a cutscene of ''VideoGame/GodOfWarI'' explaining how Kratos became as powerful a warrior as he is. He was a captain in the Spartan army which was legendary for its brutal discipline and regimented tactics producing some of the most elite soldiers in history. He and his army were defeated by a barbarian army of warriors which easily overpowered the Spartan's training and discipline with individual battle prowess and savage ferocity to the point that Kratos' army was slaughtered to the last and Kratos himself only survived by selling his soul to Ares who made him the most powerful warrior on the planet.
** {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' when Kratos and Atreus find themselves fighting [[DualBoss Magni and Modi]]. While the [[SmugSuper Sons of Thor]] are admittedly powerful, they lack the discipline and self-control that were instilled in Kratos while growing up: [[TeethClenchedTeamwork they constantly bicker]], [[CallingYourAttacks they telegraph their attacks]], [[UnskilledButStrong repeatedly lose their balance by putting too much force into their attacks]] and waste too much time {{trash talk}}ing and [[IShallTauntYou taunting]] their opponents, [[UnderestimatingBadassery never once taking them seriously]]. Against any other opponent, their brute force tactics would be more than enough. Against an OldSoldier like [[StrongAndSkilled Kratos]], who's well on [[OneManArmy their level of strength]]? Not quite.
* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' has a variety of Advisors, sets of voice lines reporting on the happenings of your empire. The default [[ProudWarriorRace Militarist]] advisor is a raging {{Berserker}}, but an alternate advisor from the Humanoid Species Pack is the Soldier.
-->'''Militarist Advisor''': "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" "It is a good day to die!" "Only in battle can the true mettle of any sentient organism be measured. Have at thee!"
-->'''Soldier Advisor''': "Attention on deck!" "This channel is now under military control. Obey all instructions transmitted here and report any insurgent activity to the nearest occupation officer. Have a nice day." "Hull integrity failing, decompression imminent. [[ItHasBeenAnHonor It's been an honor Captain!]]"
* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', Hyrule has castle guards that are almost always depicted as spear-wielding [[RedShirt Red Shirts]] (soldiers) while the BigBad Ganondorf has an army of specialized monsters and supernatural creatures (warriors).

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' has traces of this in the Tiberium Universe with GDI versus Nod. Consistently seen as military professionals and formed from the leading nations of Europe and North America, GDI are solidly on the "soldier" side of the equation. Conversely, Nod's mystical trappings and utter devotion to Kane and Tiberium, hem to the idea of being religious warriors.

* ''VideoGame/HorizonForbiddenWest'': Interestingly, the Tenakth portray ''both'' sides of this in one tribe. As a primitive tribe in a dangerous world, they respect strength and often have duels to determine leadership. However, since they based their culture on a military museum, they have a more regimented command structure than most other tribes. Soldiers who are too eager are kept in check by their squad leader, and the most important ideals of their culture are duty and following orders. Because of all this, twenty years ago when the massive Carja Sundom began raiding all the surrounding tribes for blood sacrifices, the Tenakth were able to quickly unite and fight back against the invaders. Unique against those who suffered in the Red Raids, they actually managed to ''push back'' the Carja, despite being outnumbered and outmatched technologically.
* Seen in the 2008 reboot of ''VideoGame/{{Turok}}'', in which the hero defects after his squad mistakenly massacres civilians, while the villain (his commanding officer) just views it as collateral damage and states that he follows his orders like a soldier.
--> "You're right Kane, I'm not a ''soldier''. A soldier follows orders, but a warrior follows his ''heart''!"

*** The Kig-Yar/Jackals are mercenaries, a mix of soldiers and pirates who were more or less hired into the Covenant and privately could care less about the Great Journey.

* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings II'':

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', the Alliance army is composed of soldiers, and the Horde's is composed of warriors.

** {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' when Kratos and Atreus find themselves fighting [[DualBoss Magni and Modi]]. While the Sons of Thor are admittedly powerful, they lack the discipline and self-control that were instilled in Kratos while growing up: [[TeethClenchedTeamwork they constantly bicker]], [[CallingYourAttacks they telegraph their attacks]], [[UnskilledButStrong repeatedly lose their balance by putting too much force into their attacks]] and waste too much time {{trash talk}}ing and [[IShallTauntYou taunting]] their opponents, [[UnderestimatingBadassery never once taking them seriously]]. Against any other opponent, their brute force tactics would be more than enough. Against an OldSoldier like Kratos, who's well on [[OneManArmy their level of strength]]? Not quite.

** {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' when Kratos and Atreus find themselves fighting [[DualBoss Magni and Modi]]. While the Sons of Thor are admittedly powerful, they lack the discipline and self-control that were instilled in Kratos while growing up: [[TeethClenchedTeamwork they constantly bicker]], [[CallingYourAttacks they telegraph their attacks]], repeatedly lose their balance by putting too much force into their attacks and waste too much time {{trash talk}}ing and taunting their opponents, [[UnderestimatingBadassery never once taking them seriously]]. Against any other opponent, their brute force tactics would be more than enough. Against an OldSoldier like Kratos, who's well on [[OneManArmy their level of strength]]? Not quite.

--> "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" "It is a good day to die!" "Only in battle can the true mettle of any sentient organism be measured. Have at thee!" '''Militarist Advisor'''
--> "Attention on deck!" "This channel is now under military control. Obey all instructions transmitted here and report any insurgent activity to the nearest occupation officer. Have a nice day." "Hull integrity failing, decompression imminent. [[ItHasBeenAnHonor It's been an honor Captain!]]" '''Soldier Advisor'''

** The salarians don't fit neatly anywhere on the spectrum. Like soldiers, they avoid direct combat as much as necessary and focus on winning the intelligence war so they can rapidly and surgically defeat any adversary almost before the war starts. At the same time, their military has no concept of "peacetime" and "wartime" (in fact, they consider Declarations of War immensely stupid, there's a saying that the Salarians only declare war when they have already won or were crippled beyond repair the enemy forces), so their intelligence/espionage wars are fought around the clock. They take it upon themselves to deal with threats that other races either don't know about or can't publicly attack; previous persons of interest have a habit of dying from accidents or natural causes, or disappearing outright. This also means that they are constantly trying to maintain a military advantage against ''everyone'', including their "allies".

** The soldier vs warrior dynamic is shown during the Priority Tuchanka mission. The soldiers Shepard, Victus, and Mordin (or Wiks) plan a complicated operation in which Krogan ground forces in Tomkah tanks and Turian fighters launch a combined assault on a Reaper to distract it, while a small team sneaks around it to the Shroud to release the genophage cure. Problem is, the warrior Krogans comprising the ground assault team don't do some basic soldierly tasks, such as ingress route planning, maintaining comms with the fighter wing to coordinate the assault properly, or having contingency plans in case the initial ingress got stalled (things are probably not helped by the fact that the turians and krogan had few reasons to be friends and many reasons not to be [[EnemyMine before the Reaper invasion]]). As expected, the combined assault comes undone; the ground attack convoy gets bogged down when a single road gets taken out, but the turian fighters stick to the original plan and attack regardless.

** Krogan are walking [[TheBerserker Berserkers]], each one boasting nearly unparalleled strength and toughness. Their culture is extremely [[TheSocialDarwinist Darwinian]], with the weak culled either by natural dangers or battle, and leaders typically chosen through AsskickingEqualsAuthority. They make perfect infantry and shock troops, but with an unpredictable and unreliable nature. Their extremely long lifespan and [[ExplosiveBreeder high fertility]] meant that they could afford to fight wars of attrition.\\

** Caesar's Legion is the most apparent "warrior" faction, even though their culture is modeled upon the disciplined, professional Roman Legions. Legion soldiers aren't much for individual tactics beyond AttackAttackAttack, and they tend to carry much more primitive equipment compared to other factions. Legionaries are also encouraged to show their strength and courage in battle, as seniority means nothing and [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority rewards are given based solely on merit]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}'': The two armies Kyros sent to conquer the Tiers embody this. The 'soldiers' are the Disfavoured, a professional full-time EliteArmy led by General Graven Ashe, AFatherToHisMen and [[BoringButPractical brilliant (if very conventional) tactician]]. In your party the Disfavoured are represented by Barik, a very loyal and professional ([[DumbMuscle if not terribly bright]]) soldier who believes in Kyros' agenda and war as the means to [[FantasticRacism 'civilize' the southern barbarians]]. The 'warriors' are the Scarlet Chorus, an ArmyOfThievesAndWhores who gives anyone they capture the choice of JoinOrDie (and force those who choose 'join' to fight each other to the death for the privilege) and runs on AsskickingEqualsAuthority and SocialDarwinist policies. It is led by The Voices of Nerat, a MadHatter MindHive who stays on top by [[TheDreaded scaring the piss out of everyone including its own men]]. In your party the Scarlet Chorus is represented by Verse, a southerner who joined the Chorus willingly to [[BloodKnight sate her bloodlust]] and [[AtLeastIAdmitIt has no illusions of 'higher ideals' or hypocrisy about her role; she just wants to kill stuff]].

** The salarians don't fit neatly anywhere on the spectrum. Like soldiers, they avoid direct combat as much as necessary and focus on winning the intelligence war so they can rapidly and surgically defeat any adversary almost before the war starts. At the same time, their military has no concept of "peacetime" and "wartime" (in fact, they consider Declarations of War immensely stupid, there's a saying that the Salarians only declare war when they have already won or crippled beyond repair the enemy forces), so their intelligence/espionage wars are fought around the clock. They take it upon themselves to deal with threats that other races either don't know about or can't publicly attack; previous persons of interest have a habit of dying from accidents or natural causes, or disappearing outright. This also means that they are constantly trying to maintain a military advantage against ''everyone'', including their "allies".
** Meanwhile the Systems Alliance (the main human government) are essentially soldiers and use largely 21st century Earth doctrines ported to space, complete with fighter carriers [[LoopholeAbuse to get around Citadel restrictions on dreadnought construction]]. Instead of garrisoning each individual planet, the Alliance stations fleets at strategic mass relays so they can effectively defend a larger volume of space with fewer ships (but as observed in the novel ''Literature/MassEffectRevelation'', this comes at the cost of slower response time). Only a small fraction of the human population serves in the military, but they make up for it with drone and mech support.
** Both the quarians and the geth are Soldiers. The entire quarian race turns itself into a navy with all the collectivist doctrine, chain of command and professionalism that comes with it. The geth mobile platform and runtime architecture is structured such that a few run times might be performing asteroid mining on mobile platforms one day, then operate a dreadnought a different day. This is a big part of why their mutual history is so bloody; neither side has any real concept of "noncombatant", so the line between "military victory" and "genocide" gets [[WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide kind of murky]].

* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' puts the Klingon Defense Force, which is no longer all Klingon, on a bit of a spectrum here, which is exemplified by the command crew of the flagship IKS ''Bortasqu[='=]'' (the Klingon counterpart to the ''Enterprise''). On the soldier end we have Doctor Harza-Kull, an Orion, and Lieutenant Commander Tarol, CMO and chief engineer respectively and who both view "honor" more along the lines of professionalism. On the other end is the tactical officer LCDR. Hark, a straight GloryHound implied to [[TheStarscream have his eye on Captain Koren's job]].

** HumansAreWarriors is very much in effect for the races of Men in Tamriel (in comparison to the [[OurElvesAreDifferent races of Mer]]), and each race of Men has at least a few ProudWarriorRace tendencies, ''especially'' the [[HornyVikings Nords]] and [[MasterSwordsman Redguards]]. (Even the UnevenHybrid MageSpecies Bretons, while not as great of "pure" warriors as the other races of Men, have a strong [[KnightInShiningArmor chivalric tradition]] and make excellent MageKiller {{Magic Knight}}s.) Nords hail from the GrimUpNorth province of Skyrim where they HadToBeSharp merely to establish a culture in the first place. Culturally, they exhibit BloodKnight tendencies and will often put HonorBeforeReason. Being a great warrior is even at the [[RealMenLoveJesus heart of their religion]], where only those who die a glorious death in combat get into their ideal afterlife, [[WarriorHeaven Sovngarde]] (modeled after the real life Valhalla). Redguards meanwhile, are some of the finest swordsmen on the continent, being a [[CultureChopSuey cultural mix-up of the samurai and the Moors]], but also possess an adventurous streak that makes them better as mercenaries, pirates, and adventurers than as rank-and-file soldiers. Where the "soldier" aspect of this trope comes into play is with the Imperial race, who are very much the "soldiers" to the Nord/Redguard "warriors." The [[BadassArmy Imperial Legions]] have helped to forge [[TheEmpire three Empires]] from their homeland of Cyrodiil throughout history, conquering much or all of Tamriel in each case. They have a [[FantasyCounterpartCulture heavy basis]] in AncientRome, utilizing similar strategies and tactics as the real world Roman Legions. Imperials also focus less on the glories of the combat itself, and more on the glories achieved ''through'' combat (such as building their Empires).
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', this is the dynamic between the Imperial Legion (Soldiers) and the Stormcloaks (Warriors). The Imperials are often seen training and performing drills, and possess uniform equipment. The Stormcloaks are basically more free-spirited and less disciplined, and there is more variety in weapons they wield -- Imperial troops usually have a (Roman Gladius inspired) Imperial Sword as standard, but Stormcloaks can be armed with swords and axes of one or two-handed varieties. It also reflects in their performance in battle: a lone Stormcloak vs. a lone Imperial usually results in a Stormcloak win, but a bunch of Stormcloaks vs. a bunch of Imperials tends to be a more even fight. Also, the Imperials are unquestionably the better archers, with better bows and greater accuracy.

*** Mr. House's robot army is also on the "soldier" side, with the robots' TV screen faces even changing from police officers to soldiers once you upgrade them. Mr. House even has a military-style testing center that looks like a training course in the basement of his Lucky 38 casino. Of course this isn't that surprising, given that they are robots, and are thus programmed to to follow Mr. House's orders and fulfill his cause.

*** The ''majority'' of other combatant cultures also follow a warrior culture, including the Fiends, the Great Khans, the Jackals, the Vipers, and so-forth.

* In ''Videogame/MechWarrior'', the divide between the ProudWarriorRace Clans and the soldierly Inner Sphere powers is amplified by their OpposingCombatPhilosophies. In ''Mechwarrior Living Legends'', Clan vehicles are typically geared for one-on-one combat, [[GlassCannon often eschwing armor and sensors in favor of more guns and speed]]. Inner Sphere vehicles, while slower typically weaker in firepower, pile on experimental equipment, sensor suites, and support equipment; they possess the most advanced scout units in the game and can easily form [[TargetSpotter C3 targeting networks]] to guide in their indirect [[DeathFromAbove Long Tom artillery fire]] that the Clanners lack, and possess more powerful air support. In the singleplayer games, the player is sometimes tasked with fighting Clanners. In ''Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries'', the mercenary PlayerCharacter can either engage a Clan Jade Falcon lance in an prearranged honor duel, or bring twice as many mechs and slug it out.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', this is a big part of why Cloud [[RedOniBlueOni and]] [[TheLancer Barret]] get on each others' nerves so much. Cloud, a former military member and mercenary, views his involvement to be a job, and finds Barret a naive, overemotional blowhard. Barret, an eco-terrorist, views his involvement as ideological, and finds Cloud to be a shallow, stuck-up jerk. Fairly early in the game, Barret changes his mind about Cloud once he realises that Cloud does have deeply-held convictions he'll fight for, and Cloud warms to Barret once he realises how thoughtful and considered he actually is.

** A good comparison on this outlook can be seen in the ''Eye of the North'' campaign. Recruiting the Charr requires killing their current corrupt leaders, at which point the Legions quickly realign under their new leader. Recruiting the Norn involves a spirit journey and showing one rather boisterous Norn that the enemy is fun to hunt and there are enough to gather a hunting party.

** The [[ActionHero Martial Lord]] archetype plays the Warrior to the [[MartialPacifist Peaceful Lord]]'s Soldier. Martial Lords are passionate about conquest in the battlefield, either out of [[BloodKnight personal satisfaction]] or [[TheDeterminator determination to achieve their goals]]. Meanwhile, Peaceful Lords are often [[ReluctantWarrior reluctant to fight]], doing so because it's [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption the only solution to the conflict they're faced with]]. In terms of CharacterDevelopment, Martial Lords have a FatalFlaw in [[LeeroyJenkins their recklessness]], and learn to think about their actions by the end of the game; meanwhile, Peaceful Lords become less naive and more intellegent over the course of the game, while still maintaining the values that drive them to fight.
** Fighters play the Warrior to the Knight's Soldier. The former fights out of passion and might serve a Lord out of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits happenstance]], whereas the latter takes a vow to fight on behalf of their Lord. Knights wear heavy armor that only a state-sponsored army could afford, whereas Fighters charge into battle with only an axe and the clothes on their back. Fighters may even promote to a class named "Warrior".

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'' and its remake are practically built on this trope both in story and gameplay. The game has the player alternate between its two protagonists, [[TheParagon Alm]] and [[LadyOfWar Celica]], each of whom has their own plot, party, and set of maps to clear. Alm's route plays up the soldier mentality. The plot focuses on the war between LaResistance and TheEmpire, many of Alm's allies are professional soldiers, and his party contains the bulk of the game's playable [[MightyGlacier Knights]], [[LightningBruiser Cavaliers]], and [[LongRangeFighter Archers]]. Maps on this route tend to be open fields and fortifications which offer minimal cover and the enemy forces are usually similar in composition to the player's own. This forces players to stay in formation to protect their squishier units and avoid being flanked. Celica's route emphasizes the warrior philosophy. The story is about a RagTagBunchOfMisfits on a MissionFromGod and the party has a preponderance of [[GlassCannon Mages]], [[JackOfAllStats Mercenaries]], and [[FragileSpeedster Pegasus Knights]]. Celica's maps are frequently in wooded areas or ruins with plenty of natural cover. Enemies are mostly CannonFodder interspersed with a few [[BossInMooksClothing more powerful foes]] ([[FlunkyBoss who love to summon]] [[GodDamnBats even more cannon fodder]]), making units operating solo or in small groups a more viable strategy.
* ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'': The Tasen are soldiers fighting for the very survival of their species, and have rather professional voice lines when they spot an enemy (such as reporting a "Hostile!"). By contrast the Komato appear to have the time of their lives fighting, wear helmets with integrated kill counters, and are prone to yelling "Die!" or "Come here!" when they spot an enemy.

** Chesed's floor is the Soldier, with many BoringButPractical Abnormality pages made to incentivize spreading them around and keeping all of your librarians alive. [[spoiler: In addition, unlike Gebura's custom Key Page, Chesed is limited to Key Pages that any other librarian could use.]] This "keep everyone alive" mentality is shown through ''Courage'', which is practically the inverse of ''Mountain of Corpses'' - the chosen librarian gets benefits for having more allies alive, and is punished for having less than two living allies.

* In World of Warcraft, the Alliance army is composed of soldiers, and the Horde's is composed of warriors.

* ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'': The Tasen are soldiers fighting for the very survival of their species, and have rather professional voice lines when they spot an enemy (such as reporting an "Hostile!"). By contrast the Komato appear to have the time of their lives fighting, wear helmets with integrated kill counters, and are prone to yelling "Die!" or "Come here!" when they spot an enemy.

*** The Jiralhanae/Brutes are chiefly {{Blood Knight}}s who joined the Covenant because it means they get to kill things.

* VideoGame/CommandAndConquer has traces of this in the Tiberium Universe with GDI versus Nod. Consistently seen as military professionals and formed from the leading nations of Europe and North America, GDI are solidly on the "soldier" side of the equation. Conversely, Nod's mystical trappings and utter devotion to Kane and Tiberium, hem to the idea of being religious warriors.

** HumansAreWarriors is very much in effect for the races of Men in Tamriel (in comparison to the [[OurElvesAreDifferent races of Mer]]), and each race of Men has at least a few ProudWarriorRace tendencies, ''especially'' the [[HornyVikings Nords]] and [[MasterSwordsman Redguards]]. (Even the UnevenHybrid WitchSpecies Bretons, while not as great of "pure" warriors as the other races of Men, have a strong [[KnightInShiningArmor chivalric tradition]] and make excellent MageKiller {{Magic Knight}}s.) Nords hail from the GrimUpNorth province of Skyrim where they HadToBeSharp merely to establish a culture in the first place. Culturally, they exhibit BloodKnight tendencies and will often put HonorBeforeReason. Being a great warrior is even at the [[RealMenLoveJesus heart of their religion]], where only those who die a glorious death in combat get into their ideal afterlife, [[WarriorHeaven Sovngarde]] (modeled after the real life Valhalla). Redguards meanwhile, are some of the finest swordsmen on the continent, being a [[CultureChopSuey cultural mix-up of the samurai and the Moors]], but also possess an adventurous streak that makes them better as mercenaries, pirates, and adventurers than as rank-and-file soldiers. Where the "soldier" aspect of this trope comes into play is with the Imperial race, who are very much the "soldiers" to the Nord/Redguard "warriors." The [[BadassArmy Imperial Legions]] have helped to forge [[TheEmpire three Empires]] from their homeland of Cyrodiil throughout history, conquering much or all of Tamriel in each case. They have a [[FantasyCounterpartCulture heavy basis]] in AncientRome, utilizing similar strategies and tactics as the real world Roman Legions. Imperials also focus less on the glories of the combat itself, and more on the glories achieved ''through'' combat (such as building their Empires).

* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', Hyrule has castle guards that are almost always depicted as spear-wielding [[RedShirt Red Shirts]] (soldiers) while the BigBad Ganondorf has an army of specialized monsters and supernatural creatures (warriors).