An index for all those who wish to crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and hear the lamentations of their women.
This is a list of tropes revolving around barbarian people in fiction, who are usually of Eurasian extraction: Germanics, Celts, Turkics, Mongols, or their Fantasy Counterpart Culture.
Compare with Fictional Culture and Nation Tropes, when applied to fictional peoples, or National Stereotypes, when used in historical fiction.
Types of barbarians:
- Barbarian Hero: A barbarian warrior as The Hero.
- Barbarian Tribe: A tribe of undisciplined and fierce warriors.
- Born in the Saddle: A culture revolving around riding animals, often but not always horses.
- The Horde: A teeming horde of savage, cruel and barbaric Mooks.
- Hordes from the East: Peoples of the Eurasian Steppes
, or their Fantasy Counterpart Culture, in fiction.
- Horny Vikings: The stereotypical Viking warrior.
- Horse Archer: An expert archer able to shoot a bow on horseback.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: A fictional race or people whose culture is built around warfare and honor.
- Valkyries: From the Norse Mythology.
Tropes associated with barbarians:
- An Axe to Grind: Their typical weapon of choice.
- Barbarian Longhair: Long and wild hair as a barbaric trait.
- Beard of Barbarism: Badass Beards on barbarians.
- The Berserker: An Ax-Crazy warrior fueled by an Unstoppable Rage who never retreats.
- Blood Knight: A character who lives for and enjoys a lot fighting.
- Braids of Barbarism: Long hair with braided styles as a barbaric trait.
- Brawn Hilda: It's not uncommon for a barbarian woman to portrayed as big, mannish and unattractive, when she's not an Amazonian Beauty.
- Chainmail Bikini: Chainmail armour with a bit too much Fanservice.
- Fur Bikini: A scanty fur outfit.
- Grim Up North: Barbarians frequently hail from cold, dark, "northern" territories.
- Horns of Barbarism: Barbarians often wear horned helmets.
- Loincloth: Basic underwear made of cloth, fur or hide.
- Nemean Skinning: Expect the open-mouthed head of a skinned animal to be part of a barbaric attire.
- Pelts of the Barbarian: Furs and rough leathers are a frequent costume of choice for barbarians.
- Rape, Pillage, and Burn: What most Always Chaotic Evil barbaric tribes do.
- Tribal Face Paint: Face paint patterns on barbaric characters, frequently on those of Pictish inspiration.
- Viking Funeral: A funeral rite where the deceased is laid on a boat with his effects, sailed on the sea and burned with a flaming arrow.
- War God: Generally barbaric peoples' Gods are as warlike as the tribes from which they are worshipped.
- Warrior Heaven: A fantasy counterpart of the Norse Valhalla.
