An Axe to Grind: Difference between revisions

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''I'll chop you down like an old dead tree''|'''The Pogues''', "Dirty Old Town"}}

Useful for chopping wood and heads alike, axes are often pressed into service as weapons. An axe's wide, cleaving head is effective against armor, making it a slower and more powerful weapon than [[I Like Swords|a sword]], though not quite as massive as a [[Drop the Hammer|hammer]]<ref>except in [[Real Life]]</ref> . Smaller axes, such as the tomahawk or the francisca, can be used as throwing weapons. In certain media, they may even return to the user's hand like a [[Precision-Guided Boomerang|boomerang]], though they have the tendency to stick in enemies if they score a hit.

Historically, due to being somewhat easier to manufacture, their general familiarity to the peasant population and mobility (real-life combat axes were ''small'' and rarely weighed more than one kilo), they used to be the close combat [[Weapon of Choice]] of the common foot soldiers, as opposed to the officers and nobility, who wore swords (which were generally too expensive for commoners). While military weapons were often illegal for peasants to own, axes are tools, and avoid the prohibition. Franks used them extensively (lending their name to the francisca), and nowadays axes are associated with [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same|dwarves]], [[Our Orcs Are Different|Orcs]], [[Horny Vikings|Vikings]] (and other members of [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|proud warrior races]]), [[Barbarian Hero|barbarians]], woodcutters, firefighters, and psychopaths (giving [[Ax Crazy]] its name and meaning). If the [[Big Guy]] of a [[Five-Man Band]] isn't using a [[Drop the Hammer|hammer]] or his [[Bare-Fisted Monk|bare fists]], he'll generally use a gigantic axe as a weapon. For extra comedy, the [[Cute Bruiser]] may be given a head-chopper bigger than the rest of her body.

May also include halberds and other poleaxes, which combine the chopping power of an axe with the range of a [[Blade on a Stick]].

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* ''[[Getter Robo]]'': GETTAAAAAAAA TOMAHAAAAWWWKKK!!!

** Each version of Getter 1 has this. From a fairly standard-sized tomahawk (relative to the mech itself) in the original to twin, double-bladed ones for G, a ''massive'' one for Shin Getter that's actually more of a halberd than a tomahawk and a GIANT, double-bladed, [[Double Weapon|double-ended]] ax for Shin Dragon (which is already absolutely gigantic to begin with). And then there's the above "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a0P4bMP9So Final Getter Tomahawk]"; it is to axes as the [[GaoGaiGar|Goldion Crusher]] is to hammers.

** BUSTAAAA TOMAHAAAAWK... which didn't make it to the ''[[Gunbuster]]'' anime, but was included in ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'' where ''[[Getter Robo]]'''s Ryouma teaches Noriko.

** In ''[[Super Robot Wars NEO]]'', [[Getter Robo]]-1 unlocks this weapon after the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rALNw2-Aa7Y final Getter Robo-related event].

* Asuka of ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'', with her excessive use of melee weapons, has Unit-02 equipped with a ''massive'' battle axe when the Evangelions fight Leliel. After Unit-01 is {{spoiler|absorbed into the Angel's body}}, Asuka sinks her axe into the side of a building and promptly uses it as a foothold for Unit-02 to avoid being {{spoiler|absorbed by the Angel}}.

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* [[Bleach]]'s Jidanbou uses not one, but two ''enormous'' axes. Or at least he did, until Ichigo smashed them.

** And then there's Espada #2 Barragan Luisenbarn, who sports a very huge axe for a weapon/zanpakutou.

* Kyo Aguri in ''[[Weiss Kreuz]] Gluhen'' had an axe he could also shoot a chain out of. {{spoiler|[[Sacrificial Lamb|Didn't help him much.]]}}

* ''[[Akumetsu]]'' has used axes a few times.

* [[Yandere|Yuno]] of ''[[Mirai Nikki]]'' often uses an axe precisely because its easy for her to get her hands on one. She has been know to use other weapons however.

* [[Yandere (disambiguation)|Yuno]] of ''[[Mirai Nikki]]'' often uses an axe precisely because its easy for her to get her hands on one. She has been know to use other weapons however.

* Lind from ''[[Ah! My Goddess]]'' carries a halberd as her [[Weapon of Choice]].

** {{spoiler|Actually a powerlimiter for her native power.}}

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== [[Comic Books]] ==

* The odd weapon used by Buffy (see below) originally appeared -- will appear? -- in the future, wielded by [[Fray]].

* A double edged battleaxe is the [[Weapon of Choice]] and insignia of the [[Marvel Comics]] villain [[The Mighty Thor|Skurge the Executioner]].

* The "Atomic Axe", which can cut through anything (even abstracts like time itself), is the weapon of choice for the Persuader, foe of [[The Legion of Super Heroes]].

* [[Sonic the Hedgehog]] makes a predictable pun when he faces the Mushroom Hill boss in the Sonic and Knuckles special of the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)|Archie comic]].

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** After the Hulk left Sakaar, his son Skaar was left to contend with the aptly-named Axeman Bone.

* The title character in [[2000 AD|2000 AD's]] ''Sláine'' has an impressive axe.

* Badd Axe, best known as one of [[The Hood]]'s Initiative recruits during the [[Dark Reign (comics)|Dark Reign]]. He sleeps with the damn thing! Thor has speculated that it was forged by Hephaestus himself, making it nearly as formidable as Hercules' mace or his own hammer!

* Butcher, the embodiment of the [[Green Lantern|Red Lantern Corps]], uses an axe when he's inhabiting the body of a lifeform capable of wielding it properly. True to his name, he also has a belt full of cutlery tools, including a rather menacing cleaver.

* Calie, from Zenescope's Escape from Wonderland, literally and figuratively has an axe to grind. With her daughter kidnapped, Calie takes up a woodcutting axe that mutates into a BFA in her quest to rescue her daughter and get revenge against the [[Eldritch Abomination]] that cursed her family line.

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** ''Silent Night, Deadly Night 2''

** ''[[Axe (film)|Axe]]''. Is that one too obvious?

* Many Vikings in ''[[How to Train Your Dragon (animation)|How to Train Your Dragon]]'' wield axes, but Astrid is notable for carrying a large double-headed axe that she's not afraid to use.

* Blondie from ''[[Sucker Punch]]'' uses a tomahawk during the WWI dream sequence.

* Michael Myers uses one in ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]: The Curse of Michael Myers'' and Rob Zombie's ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]] II''.

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* ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'' has quite a few users of both axes and halberds.

** For modern adaptations, the best-known is probably Dian Wei from ''[[Dynasty Warriors]]'' and his enormous axe.

* Li Kui, from ''[[Water Margin|The Water Margin]]'', was well known for his twin axes and, not surprisingly, being a little [[Ax Crazy]].

** ''[[Jade Empire]]'' also has Black Whirlwind, a [[Sociopathic Hero]] with twin axes who was likely inspired by the above character.

* A moon-bladed hand axe was Perrin's [[Weapon of Choice]] for some time in ''[[The Wheel of Time]].''

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* Averted in [[Gene Wolfe]]'s [[Book of the New Sun]] ... despite Severian being a Journeyman of the Torturer's Guild and therefore (amongst other things) a public executioner, his beheading weapon is a sword rather than the more iconic axe.

* Kaz the minotaur of ''[[Dragonlance]]'' fame. His weapon of choice was a magic axe, Honor's Face, that could be returned to his hand at will (among other awesome abilities).

* [[Genius Bruiser|Jean Tannen]] from the [[Gentleman Bastard]] series is skilled with a large variety of weapons, but prefers to fight with [[Dual-Wielding|two axes]] he calls [[I Call It Vera|the Wicked Sisters]], and considers to be family members rather than weapons. Jean does not conform to the usual axe-fighter tropes, though, being a well-educated and well-read cat burglar and con man.

* In ''[[The Hunger Games (novel)|The Hunger Games]]'' (well, the sequel) Johanna Mason from the lumber district is quite adept with an axe.

* Captain Kotov in [[Night Watcher]] uses a huge butcher's axe (practically a BFA) as his signature vampire-hunting weapon, because it was the best weapon he could find when he first had to confront a vampire, and it turned out to be surprisingly good for the job. He's a bit [[Ax Crazy]], yeah.

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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] (in fact, they're much more popular than the hammer of the title, which is mostly limited to Dwarfs and a few humans) and [[Warhammer 40000]]. The latter with [[Chainsaw Good|chain-axes]].

** Said chain-axes are favored weapons of one of the franchise's [[God of Evil|evil deities]]

* Hatchets were the first close-combat weapon to be used in ''[[BattleTech]]''. One mech in particular, the AXM-2N [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Axeman]], was the first mech used by Adam Steiner in the animated series.

* Although it's not ''required'' per se, the traditional barbarian stereotype in ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' is waving an axe about as large as himself. They're also a popular [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same|Dwarven]] weapon along with warhammers and crossbows.

* In ''[[In Nomine]]'', it's the favored weapon of Michael, Archangel of War, the local incarnation of badass. In fact, even though the game has rules for adding miraculous powers to angels' weapons and entities of Archangelic power levels are kept deliberately vague, Michael's axe is explicitly statted in a player supplement: its only power is to teleport in on command. He doesn't need any others.

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== [[Toys]] ==

* Several [[Bionicle]] characters use or have used axes such as Lewa in his original form, Gali as a Toa Nuva, and [[Punny Name|Axonn]].

* Nerf now gives us [http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/ProductsByBrand.htm?BR=582&ST=SO&ID=26113&PG=1 foam battle axes.] [[Crazy Awesome|Awesome.]]

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* One of the three basic weapon types from ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' (along with [[Heroes Prefer Swords|swords]] and [[Blade on a Stick|lances]]). Axe users have a tendency toward [[Big Guy]] archetypes: the pupil-class Journeymen, then the Fighters and Warriors, Brigands, Pirates and Berserkers, and certain types of Armor Knights and Generals. In a subversion, the axe is also the secondary weapon of the Hero, which is less of [[The Big Guy]] and more like the [[Jack of All Stats]].

** Axes also frequently show up as special weapons that only some characters (generally with S axe use rank) can handle. The below mentioned Swanchika is only one of them: we have Durbans and Basilikos in the Elibe continuity, Garm (Sacred Relic of {{spoiler|the Grado Empire}}) in ''Sacred Stones'', the Pugi in ''Thracia 776'' (which, in a variation, can be used only by [[Hot-Blooded|Othin]]).

** In ''[[Fire Emblem Elibe|Blazing Sword]]'', Hector of Ostia is actually a ''Lord'' who specializes in axe use. He even gets to use the aforementioned Durbans after the Sacred Weapons are unlocked ( {{spoiler|and it was formerly wielded by Durbans the Berserker, ine of the Twelve Legends}}).

** In ''[[Fire Emblem Tellius|Radiant Dawn]]'', Ike can do the same. (And the axe ''was'' Greil's [[Weapon of Choice]] {{spoiler|before he handicapped himself willingly, and later died}}, and is among Titania's arsenal.)

** In [[Fire Emblem Jugdral]], the sacred [[Weapon of Choice]] of the Crusader Neir (founder of House Dozel) was his ''BIG FRICKING AXE'' Swanchika. This one is the heaviest FE weapon ''period'': it gives insane bonuses to strenght and hits from two spaces away, [[Mighty Glacier|but is also insanely slow]] and only avaliable to people with major Neir blood.

*** House Dozel in general is specialized in axe use, whether their members can use the Swanchika or not. From there alone we have [[Archnemesis Dad|Duke Langobalt]], [[The Caligula|King Danan]], anf the princes [[Black Sheep|Lex]], [[Anti-Villain|Burian]], [[Purple Prose|Johan]] and [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold|Johalvier]]: out of them, three (Lex in the first generation, Johan and/or Johalvier in the second) join your group.

* The Fighter class from ''[[Final Fantasy I]]'' can use a few axes as weapons. However, he [[8-Bit Theater ~~(Webcomic)~~|likes swords]] better. (Technically, the Fighter ''should'' use swords instead of axes because axes have a lower inherent accuracy, reducing the possibility of multiple hits, which is the big source of damage multiplier in the game.)

* The Fighter class from ''[[Final Fantasy I]]'' can use a few axes as weapons. However, he [[8-Bit Theater|likes swords]] better. (Technically, the Fighter ''should'' use swords instead of axes because axes have a lower inherent accuracy, reducing the possibility of multiple hits, which is the big source of damage multiplier in the game.)

** Both [[The Beast Master]] and Warrior classes in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' use axes as a [[Weapon of Choice]]. While Warriors use giant axes to the best ability, halberds are still considered polearms, and thusly Dragoons are best at them.

** Axes appear periodically in other ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games, but not at the same frequency as swords, spears, and some other weapons. They tend to be used by [[Horny Vikings|Viking]] or [[The Berserker|Berserker]]-type classes.

* In ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade Redemption]]'', halberds give the most bang for the buck in early stages. The drawback is requiring a heavy investment in strength.

* The arcade game ''[[Golden Axe]]'', where the dwarf Gilius Thunderhead wields the titular axe (he's stuck with a boring old steel one in the home versions, though).

* Axes and Polearms are both prominent, of course, in the ''[[Total War]]'' series of games, with barbarian factions and units tending to be the biggest users of the former, and militia-class units the biggest user of the latter.

* The Pyro from ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' uses a fire-axe as his melee weapon.

** Also, the unlockable melee replacement, 'The Axtinguisher', is a different fire axe wrapped in barbed wire. It inflicts [[Critical Hit|critical hits]] on burning targets - for those times when [[Kill It with Fire|fire]] simply isn't enough.

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*** The marines from ''[[Quake (series)|Quake]]'' used Axes as their melee weapons. When the original Team Fortress was developed as a mod for that game, the [[The Medic|Medic]] used [[Healing Shiv|an axe]] [[Worst Aid|to heal.]]

* Presea from ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]'' is a prime example of the "[[Cute Bruiser]] with [[BFS|implausably huge axe]]". They do justify how she can even lift the thing through [[Applied Phlebotinum]], though.

** They aren't quite as big, but Presea is predated by [[Tales of Phantasia|Cless Alvein]], [[Tales of Destiny|Mary Argent, Loni Dunamis]], and [[Tales of Eternia|Rid Herschel]] as far as axe-users go. She's also succeeded by [[Tales of Hearts|Innes Lorenz]], whose weapon is described as an "axe blade" which can probably rival Presea's Gaea Cleaver for raw size and power (especially given that Presea is a [[Token Mini-Moe]] while Innes has large breasts). Cless and Rid are technically swordsmen, but they both can swing axes and halberds as well. In ''[[Tales of Vesperia]]'', Yuri and Karol are both axe users.

* Kaeli from ''[[Final Fantasy Mystic Quest]]'' is a [[White Magic|White Mage]] in nature (definitely not [[Squishy Wizard|squishy]]), but her standard weapon is an axe (later the mighty Giant's Axe).

* The Axe Knights from ''[[Castlevania]]''.

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* Lexaeus of the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' series uses an over-sized weapon referred to as a tomahawk in ''Chain of Memories'' and ''Kingdom Hearts II'', and as an Axe Sword in ''358/2 Days''.

** Some of the keyblade designs are rather axe-like in design, usually being a decorative pole that ends with a blade-like attachment at the end.

* Takeda Shingen from ''[[Sengoku Basara]]'' carries a double-headed battle axe as big as he is (and he's pretty big). [[Badass|It can also create tornadoes]].

* The [[Five-Bad Band|Axem]] [[Psycho Rangers|Rangers]] from ''[[Super Mario RPG]]''.

* ''[[Left 4 Dead 2]]'' has a fire axe as one of the melee weapons. The opening cutscene shows Rochelle using the pointy end on an infected mook.

** It's also the most common melee weapon in the game.

* Axemen feature as early melee units in ''[[Civilization]] 4'', with a bonus against other melee units (spearmen and swordsmen, mostly).

* Axes have been one of the staple weapon types in the ''[[Disgaea]]'' series, with [[Drop the Hammer|hammers]], [[Sinister Scythe|scythes]] and even maces being grouped into this class as well. Though explicitly shown to be stronger than swords (and even lowering enemy defense as well), they suffer from low accuracy and a lack of multi-target skills. Both were remedied in the third game, though axes now lower speed, reducing your chance to dodge an attack.

* In ''[[Deadly Premonition]]'', an axe is the signature weapon of the Raincoat Killer.

* The [[Super Robot Wars NEO|Alsignos]] uses an axe.

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* In ''[[Mitsumete Knight]]'', this is the signature weapon of enemy General [[Mighty Glacier|Borankio]] [[Red Baron|the Unshakable]].

* ''[[Pokémon Black and White]]'' has the pure Dragon-type Haxorus who has axe blades for ''teeth''. Unsurprisingly, it has a '''''whopping''''' attack stat of 147.

* One of the melee weapons (the best one, in fact) that can be found in ''[[Odium]]''.

* [[Hive Mind|Ermac]] and [[Badass Bookworm|Nightwolf]] from ''[[Mortal Kombat]]''. Ermac has a plain old axe, while Nightwolf uses a tomahawk.

* Axes are a usable weapon in the ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' series such as being the weapon of choice for Yangus in ''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]''. It's also used by some enemies.

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== [[Web Comics]] ==

* Red from the webcomic ''[[No Rest for The Wicked (webcomic)|No Rest for The Wicked]]'' has a woodsman's axe, and she's made a hobby of hunting wolves with it.

* '''thog''' in ''[[The Order of the Stick]]''

* In ''[[The Brick Testament]]'', the tenth plague of Egypt in ''[[The Bible|Exodus]]'' is portrayed as [[Badass Grampa|God]] walking around in Egypt [http://www.thebricktestament.com/exodus/the_tenth_plague/ex12_29a.html killing people with a large axe].

* ''[[Axe Cop]].'' He has a whole school of martial arts devoted to its use; it can also be used as a skateboard and an electric guitar, and I think it can sometimes shoot fire, lasers, other axes, etc...the comic was written by a six-year-old, after all.

* In ''[[The KAMics]]'' it is Nikki the Red's [http://www.drunkduck.com/The_KAMics/4815949/ weapon] [http://www.drunkduck.com/The_KAMics/4889116/ of] [http://www.drunkduck.com/The_KAMics/5281093/ choice].

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* In ''[[Rusty and Co.|Rusty and Co]]'', the [[Ancestral Weapon]] [http://rustyandco.com/comic/2/ they are searching for].

* ''[[Girl Genius]]'

** Mamma Gkika's weapon of choice is a large-headed battle axe called [[I Call ~~Her~~ "Vera"|Dollink]] (Darling).

** Mamma Gkika's weapon of choice is a large-headed battle axe called [[I Call It "Vera"|Dollink]] (Darling).

** Ognian's weapon is a long-hafted one with three normal-sized heads.

** Zeetha tells Agatha [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120420 you are in serious need of some princess lesson], and "First lesson. Every [[Badass Princess|princess]] needs a battle axe."

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== [[Western Animation]] ==

* ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' Optimus Prime has the "[[Precision-Guided Boomerang|Boomerang]] Tomahawk" version with an energon axe with an extendable handle and ''a rocket attached''. It also fits in with the firetruck theme (his other weapons are grapples and fire-retardant foam).

* This is based on an [[Laser Blade|axe made of energon]] that ''[[Transformers Generation 1|G1]]'' Optimus could turn his hand into. It became somewhat of an iconic weapon for the character (thus why the Prime above carries one), despite the fact that it only appeared in one episode.

* On ''[[The Fairly Odd Parents]]'', Vicky, as well as a few other characters, have used axes. One of Vicky's more common gags is preparing various horrors when Timmy's parents aren't looking, including grinding her executioner's axe. (When they look over, she promptly ''kicks the grindstone aside'', holds the axe behind her back, and whistles innocently.)

* [[Butt Monkey|Harry]], King Hugo's right-hand man in ''[[Potatoes and Dragons]]'', wields one.

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and when she saw what she had done

she gave her mother forty-one }}

** There have been quite a few axe murders in the modern day. This is however due to the availability of the axe compared to purpose-made weapons and the same can be said of other potentially lethal tools like knives, machetes and ice picks.

* The last criminal to be executed in Finland from civilian crimes was Toivo ''Kirves'' Koljonen, a fugitive prisoner who killed a family of six with an axe - the father of the family had been conscripted in the army. He was [[Shot At Dawn|executed by firing squad]] along with Soviet infiltrators in 1943. The word ''kirves'' means "axe" in Finnish.

* For a different kind of "fighting", the ax is an essential tool of firefighters: used to hack through doors and debris, break padlocks, etc.