Blade on a Stick: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

A subtrope of [[Weapon of Choice]].

* Erio Mondial of ''[[Lyrical Nanoha|Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]''. His Intelligent Device, Strada, takes the form of a spear. Other polearm users include Zest and his Armed Device, and Nanoha and her Raising Heart's [[Swiss Army Weapon|Excelion Mode]]. A Bardiche is a type of polearm too, and Fate's Device of the same name has this form in its basic combat form.

* ''[[One Piece]]''

** Predating both of them is Don Krieg and his Great Battle Spear, which also explodes on contact. Once its blade is destroyed, Luffy dismisses the weapon as just a Bomb on a Stick.

* ''[[Gunbuster]]'': Jung Freud's [[Humongous Mecha]] has this, which she uses to stab...''a lot''. Made more apparent in ''[[Super Robot Wars]] Alpha 3''.

** Speaking of ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'', one of the [[Elemental Powers|Elemental Lords]] [[Spell My Name with an "S"|Gaddeath/Goddess]] comes up with a trident called Gungnir. Though it's not used as much as a melee weapon (it's the weakest attack for that), but more of a medium to execute long range water attacks. That Gungnir is actually named after Odin's spear, Gungnir.

* ''[[Bleach]]'':

** Madarame Ikkaku's Houzukimaru, which doubles as a <s>three-piece nunchaku</s> three section staff.

** {{spoiler|Lisa Yadomaru's Hagurotonbo is one as well and It's [[BFS|huge]].}}

* ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' has Sailor Saturn and her Silence Glaive, which can cause [[The End of the World as We Know It]].

* Atena from ''[[Kamui Den]]'' is a naginata master.

* In ''[[Mai-Otome]]'', Tomoe Marguerite gets a standard spear once she obtains her {{spoiler|[[Dark Magical Girl|Valkyrie]]}} Meister Robe.

* ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]''

** Hungary has a spear as one of her [[Weapon of Choice|Weapons of Choice]], the other being her [[Frying Pan of Doom]].

** As a child, Finland possesses one of these as well.

* ''[[Saint Seiya]]''

** Also, when particularly irritated (or in the need for a weapon) the only weapon Soun Tendo will reach for is a ''yari''-style spear. He may bring out a naginata when in full samurai regalia.

*** Actually, in one episode of the anime, at least, he is shown wielding a sword, and in at least one other he is shown with two sheathed swords at his hip. He's also used a bow and arrows in at least the manga as well.

* The eponymous Ryofuko from ''[[Ryofuko-chan]]'' wields one, even though it must be tough to handle for someone her size.

* In ''[[Utawarerumono]]'', Benawi is known for using a halberd in battle.

* ''[[Soul Eater]]'': When wielded by his meister Ox, Harvar ''is'' the blade on a stick, a spear with the head shaped like a lightning bolt. Naturally, this grants him [[Shock and Awe|lightning-related abilities]].

* While the original ''[[Getter Robo]]'' and its successor ''Getter Robo G'' use a pair of hand-axes, most subsequent incarnations use some variety of poleaxe.

* Nadeshiko's naginata from ''[[Shugo Chara]]'' when she chara changes with Temari.

* Aside from the [[Blade Below the Shoulder|section of forearm plating he often lengthens into a blade]], Edward Elric of ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'''s favorite weapon seems to be an ornate dragon-motif ranseur he transmutes from the ground butt first [[Running Gag|which is inevitably destroyed.]]

** In the Manga version, her weapon has a cross-guard just beneath the head. [[Japanese Christian|The symbolism is entirely intentional]].

* ''[[Gamaran]]'' has many fighting schools that choose the spear as their [[Weapon of Choice]]. Furthermore the first Ryuu faced by Gamaran was the Tengen Ryuu (Heavenly Illusion School), which specialize in the use of the naginata. Their leader Baian even use a larger Bisento.

* Several Knightmares in ''[[Code Geass]]'' are equipped with a lance.

 

== Comic Books ==

* In ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]'', one of Usagi's most feared recurring enemies was Jei, a possessed monk who was extremely deadly with a spear.

 

 

== Film ==

* During the song "Topsy Turvy" from ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'', Esmeralda actually uses a spear for part of her dance. Guess what she does with the spear?<ref>[[A Worldwide Punomenon|Polearm dancing.]]</ref>

* The killer's main weapon in ''[[Don't Go in the Woods]]'' is homemade spear with a machete-like blade.

 

== Literature ==

* ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'': Spears and polearms of every sort were used by quite a number of characters. Perhaps the most iconic would be Guan Yu's (possibly anachronistic) ''guandao,'' a huge curved blade on a stick.

* ''[[Discworld]]'': A pike is the favoured weapon of Sergeant Colon in the novels. "The thing about a pike, the ''important'' thing, was that everything happened at the other end of it, i.e. a long way off."

** The funny thing is that, according to the Thirteenth Company, whom "modern" Wolves encountered during the recent Dark Crusade, Russ (who is, apparently, still alive and kicking ass in the Eye of Terror) doesn't put any real significance to the spear in question, and is greatly amused by the reverence Wolves gives to this ordinary (to him, at least) weapon. He only kept it around at all because it was a present from his father; he actually lost the thing several times himself, mostly when drunk.

** In [[James Swallow]]'s [[Blood Angels]] novel ''Deus Encarmine'', the Spear of Telesto. Touching it briefly gives Arkio the appearance of their primarch Sanguinius, and he slowly develops with it into a [[Power Glows|glowing]] manifestation. One of its virtues is that it unleashes fire that does not harm Blood Angels, {{spoiler|which is handy for the other side, when Arkio is fighting one in single combat}}.

* In the ''[[Dragonlance]]'' novel ''Sellsword'', the [[Our Gnomes Are Weirder|gnome]] Theodenes has a [[Swiss Army Weapon|multi-purpose polearm]]... [[Awesome but Impractical|that can switch from one polearm to another and another and another]].

* Used a few times in ''[[Discworld]]'' and other Terry Pratchett works. It's mentioned in ''The Carpet People'' of how a kitchen knife tied to the end of a pole is a popular makeshift weapon among impromptu civilian fighters.

* ''[[Posleen War Series]]'': Take one [[Absurdly Sharp Blade]], put it on a stick. What do you get? The boma blade, used as a secondary weapon by the [[Horde of Alien Locusts|Posleen]], in [[John Ringo]]'s series.

* Lady Cregga Rose Eyes of the [[Redwall]] book ''The Long Patrol'' carries an axepike, which is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|a pike with an axeblade at the top]].

* In [[Bernard Cornwell]]'s novel ''Agincourt'' the hero is an archer, but the knight who's company he joins to go off to the war cross-trains every one of his archers to use the pole-ax.

* From ''[[Beowulf]]'':

* ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'': The spear is the standard weapon of common darkeyed soldiers; swords are reserved for the lighteyed upper class. Particularly of note is [[The Hero|Kaladin]], who is so incredibly skilled with a spear that {{spoiler|he managed to kill a guy who had one of the settings resident [[BFS|big]] [[Absurdly Sharp Blade|insanely sharp]] instant death blades, and [[Magitech]] [[Powered Armor]].}}

* In the [[Time Scout]] ''Wagers of Sin'', Skeeter wields one of these as his final weapon in the Arena.

 

* Practically too many [[Super Sentai]] members and [[Power Rangers]] to mention.

** ''[[Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger]]''/''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'': The Blue Ranger's personal weapon is the Tricera Lance which, [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|as the name implies]], is a [[Prongs of Poseidon|trident]]. The Goryujin/Dragonzord Fighting Mode's main weapon is its a [[This Is a Drill|drill staff]], made from its tail.

** Once, while Saul was looking for David, he and his men made camp. While they slept, David and Abishai snuck into camp. Abishai offered to kill Saul, but David said no, just take his spear and water jug from beside his head, and let's go. So that's what they did, and they took it and called to the camp, and let the king know that he could have killed Saul, but did not.

** After Abner anointed Saul's son Ishbosheth king rather than acknowledge David's kingship, there was a battle at Gibeon. Abner ran off, but Asahel ran after him. When Asahel wouldn't stop following, Abner struck him with the ''blunt'' end of the spear, so that it came out the back.

** One of the giant's sons, Ishbi-Benob, thought he could kill David with a 7-1/2&nbsp;lb. bronze spear. And David was faint at the time, so maybe he could've had not Abishai intervened and killed Ishbi-Benob first.

** Among other things, Benaiah wrested a spear out of the hands of an Egyptian and killed him with it.

** Perhaps the most famous spear in the New Testament, if not the whole Bible, is the Spear of Destiny. This was thrust into Jesus's side after He died, causing blood and water to come out. It left a mark which, after He came back to life, he showed to the disciples. According to tradition, the blood running down the spear touched the partially-sighted eyes of its wielder, the legionary Longinus, and cured his sight; he became a Christian as a result of this, and the spear is also called the Lance of Longinus.

 

== Tabletop Games ==

** Fortunately, they cut things down to a more manageable list in 3rd edition (along with the other swords, axes, and other antisocial devices). One of its [[Sourcebook]]s explicitly stated the intent to avoid making stats for weapons that are fundamentally similar. So far, this is carried over to 4th as well.

** The lance in particular is ''the'' best melee weapon to use on an aerial mount. ''[[Dragonlance]]'' is named for a group of artifact weapons that are powerful against dragons and that can be wielded from dragonback.

** One of the best examples of a polearm wielder in D&D lore is [[Chaotic Evil|Gruumsh One-Eye]], god of [[Our Orcs Are Different|orcs]] and [[Ax Crazy|savagery]], wields a great iron spear as his primary weapon.

** The Adeptus Custodes ([[Dark Messiah|The Emperor]]'s guardians) use a spear - before the end of the Horus Heresy, it had [[Bifurcated Weapon|a bolter incorporated in it]].

** The Eldar are also fond of this - their Farseers and Warlocks can carry Singing Spears, ''anti-tank'' Blades On A Stick. The Avatar of Khaine also can bring a spear into battle.

** The Imperial Guard Rough Riders also have their own version - a single use lance with an explosive charge at the tip.

*** Surprisingly, this one is [[Truth in Television]]; the Japanese were short on antitank weapons in 1939, so they started putting tank-busting mines on the end of long poles. This was only slightly safer than slapping the mine on the tank by hand.

** The Necrons also have a variant in the dreaded Warscythe, although it's more of a glaive than a military scythe, and is so deadly it can bypass virtually ''any'' defense, up to and including energy shields and massive sheets of armor.

** The Tau's closest allies, the [[Noble Savage|Kroot]], use [[Schizo-Tech|gunpowder rifles with curved blades on them]], harkening back to the days before Kroot had access to guns and fought with bladed staves.

** ''[[GURPS]]'''s predecessor ''[[The Fantasy Trip]]'' includes several varieties of polearm. Because of the game mechanics relating to pole weapons, they're only so-so in a one-on-one fight, but are devastating as part of a team. They end up being a popular weapon for characters that aren't primarily fighters.

* ''[[Exalted]]'' naturally has polearms and their super-sized artifact variants, the larger types gaining a damage bonus if used against a charging foe, or if used as a lance when charging. They also have the Reach tag, which allows them to attack enemies on [[I Have the High Ground|higher terrain]] or those in high mounts (such as elephants) without penalties.

 

== Video Games ==

* ''[[Vagrant Story]]'' has spears, two handed axes, and two handed maces, and you can combine them to your hearts delight

* Lots and lots of them in ''[[Dynasty Warriors]]''. Justified because in the era of ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'', the spear is a much preferred weapon while on horseback, so almost everyone wields a spear. Examples here: Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao (though he switches into a bastard sword in DW6 Special), Jiang Wei, Wei Yan, Yue Ying, Zhang Liao, Pang De ([[Dual-Wielding|dual wields]]), Lu Meng, Lu Bu.

* Again in ''[[Sengoku Basara]]'': Sanada Yukimura ([[Dual-Wielding|dual wields]]), Chousokabe Motochika (an anchor), Oichi, Matsu, Honda Tadakatsu, Maeda Toshiie, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hojo Ujimasa

* This seems to be a favorite weapon for ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' Dragoons. Examples of those who wield spears as their default weapon: [[Final Fantasy II|Richard Highwind]], [[Final Fantasy IV|Kain Highwind]], [[Final Fantasy VII|Cid Highwind]], [[Final Fantasy VIII|Ward Zabac]] (Who combines this with [[Anchors Away]]), [[Final Fantasy IX|Freya Crescent]], [[Final Fantasy X|Kimahri Ronso]], and [[Final Fantasy XIII|Oerba Yun Fang]]. Because polearms are the only two-handed weapon type that does piercing damage, Dragoons in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' have an advantage over flying enemies compared to other two-handers, and other monsters weak to that damage type.

* The cows in ''[[Diablo]] 2's'' Secret Cow Level wield <s>halberds</s> [[wikipedia:Bardiche|bardiches]].

** The Amazon class can also wield spears and javelins, which can only stab, thus avoiding [[Slice-and-Dice Swordsmanship]] with a spear. Also, only Javelins can be thrown. The other polearms in the game, on the other hand, always slash.

* ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]: Morrowind'' possesses spear weapons, most of which are most effective with a thrust attack, averting the 'spear slash' notion. Some spears like Naginitas and Glaives are different in that they are most effective with a slash effect. These are notably missing from the sequels, ''Oblivion'' and ''Skyrim'', though.

* One of the weapon types in ''[[Fire Emblem]]'', the other being Swords, Axes, Bows, and Magic Books. Lances are stronger then swords and more accurate then axes, making them a [[Jack of All Stats|Weapon Of All Stats]]. Lances receive bonuses when used against sword-wielding opponents (and penalties against axes), and are the main weapons of several fighting classes (Knights, Pegasus Knights, Wyvern Knights) and secondary weapons for others (Cavaliers and Falcoknights, who can use both swords and lances; Generals and Great Knights, who use both lances and axes). In general, Lances are the preferred weapon of mounted units.

** In ''Path of Radiance'' and ''Radiant Dawn'' spear-wielding Soldiers/Halberdiers added a Third-Tier to become Sentinels. Notable spear users included [[Country Mouse]] and [[Shrinking Violet]] Nephenee, and [[Anti-Villain|Antivillains]] Bryce and Levail who both wielded the Wishblade an [[Infinity+1 Sword|ungodly powerful lance]] that's one of the top ten weapons in the game. Levail's actually one of the few tough enemies you encounter during the last part of the second game.

* In ''[[Odin Sphere]]'', Gwendolyn's Psypher weapon is a spear with a crystal tip, with which she can use to slash and stab.

* ''[[Nethack]]'' features a wide variety of bladed polearms. They are useful when you need to attack something without technically touching it (floating eyes, water-based monsters which attempt to [[Super Drowning Skills|drown you]]) but they are not generally used as primary weapons.

* A common weapon available in many [[Nippon Ichi]] games, starting with ''[[Disgaea]]''. In a subversion of the [[Slice-and-Dice Swordsmanship]] rule, nearly all attacks with them involve stabbing or throwing.

* ''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]'' allows the protagonist, who happens to be a former palace guard, to use spears. He can also equip shields at the same time, and the animations actually show that he uses it intelligently when spearing things.

** ''[[Dragon Quest IX]]'' also had spears as one of the weapon types available (notably the Paladin can wield a spear but ''not'' a sword). Like the hero of the previous game, they use their spears correctly, with both their main attack and most of their special attacks being thrust attacks. Earlier games in the series also have spears as available weapons, but rarely had anyone specialize in them.

* The Gerudo from ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' series seem to like little blades on big sticks when they're not dual-wielding scimitars.

** Ganon uses a trident reminiscent of the devil.

* ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'' has a representative selection of spears, pikes, and halberds. Most of them are too large to be wielded by dwarves, but a steel pike in skilled hands can comfortably [[One-Hit Kill]] a ''dragon''. Spears are distinguished for being simultaneously lethal and clean by damaging enemy internal organs rather than lopping off limbs, which add to on-screen clutter and can mess up a player's precious FPS. On the other hand, it makes them rather less useful against enemies who don't have internal organs, like the [[Undead]].

* [[Our Mermaids Are Different|Undines]] and knights wield them in ''[[Yggdra Union]]'' and it's spinoff ''[[Yggdra Unison]]''. The former use [[Prongs of Poseidon|tridents]], and the latter fights with a [[BFS|humongous lance]].

* In ''[[Majesty]]'', City Guards and Royal Guards get halberds while heroes will wield bows, hammers, or [[Heroes Prefer Swords|swords]].

* In ''[[God of War (series)|God of War]]'' series, Kratos had two Blade on a Stick type weapons, including the Spear of Destiny (which is partly made of purple crystal, can stretch and fire explosives shards) and the Arms of Sparta (Spear and Shield combination). {{spoiler|it gives the latter to his brother Deimos in order to fight Thanatos}}.

* Dacia Ultan in ''[[Rift]]'' wields a halberd.

* Spears are avaible as weapons in ''[[Drakensang]]'', and a spear user can learn the useful "Death Strike" (a powerful stab attack that deals up to three wounds and lots of damage). The most notable spear user is Ancoron the elf.

* In [[Maple Story]], spears are equip-able weapons for the Warrior tree of classes. One of these is the "Pike on a Pike", a trident with a fish stuck at the end.

* [[World of Mana]] games with blade-on-a-stick weapons:

* The spear weapons in ''[[Dark Souls]]'' from plain old spears to halberds. They're quite useful, what with their allowing you to attack while defending. Of course, so can the enemies who use them.

** Ornstein the Dragonslayer wields a huge spear that he frequently charges with lightning. You can forge said spear with Ornstein's soul. Ornstein also drops a unique ring that improves the counter damage of piercing weapons like spears.

* Kharad from ''[[Evil Islands]]'' carries an unique spear that throws [[Shock and Awe|lightning bolts towards his opponents]].

* ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'' features the Spear ability, an ability that is also used by Bandana Waddle Dee. It's used mostly for stabbing, but can also be thrown rapidly as a highly effective projectile.

 

* [[MAG-ISA]] -- [http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/119763 Chu's Weapon]

* While he never manages to acquire one, Roy memorably attempted to purchase a polearm in [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0136.html this] ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'' strip.

** "That Guy With A Halberd", a nameless Azure City [[Red Shirt]] with a rather rabid fan following.

** "[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0721.html Sneak Attack on a stick, snake-face!!]"

* Haruna in ''[[Tsunami Channel]]'' has been shown to have a high proficiency in naginata, and she is quick to pop one from [[Hammerspace]] whenever she needs to use it. Strangely, this is used to point how much of a traditional [[Yamato Nadeshiko]] she is.

* In ''[[Drowtales]]'', Vaelia uses this sort of weapon.

** She gets rid of it later for a magical morningstar.

* [http://www.samuraiprincess.com Princess Raeka] from [[Samurai Princess]] uses a naginata. A notable weapon for a female samurai.

* [[Tamuran]] [http://www.tamurancomic.com/?p=221 A guard's choice to harrass travelers]

* In ''[[Endstone]]'', [http://endstone.net/2010/07/08/4-04/ wolves use them to hunt Kyri].

* [[Lawful Stupid|Hotaru]] from [[Mortal Kombat]] wields a naginata as his [[Weapon of Choice]].

* Carrot in ''[[Cucumber Quest]]'' had one...before he ran off in terror away from a harmless monster.

 

== Web Original ==

* Polearms are occasionally assigned in ''[[Survival of the Fittest]]'', and when a character needs an [[Improvised Weapon]] they usually either make a shiv or a spear from available materials. Examples of characters who made spears include Niniko Kishinawa and Daniel Brent.

* A type of weapon exists in ''[[Chaos Fighters]]'', but is recent titles they tend to be at ''both ends'' of the stick.

 

== Western Animation ==

** The 2012 series has replaced his ever-present bo with a naginata, as well, if the preview trailer is anything to judge by.

* In ''[[Kim Possible]]'' "Mad Dogs and Aliens", Warmonga has a high-tech one.

 

== Real Life ==

** The romans never fully gave up the spear. Until the Marian reforms the final line of defense in their column was the Triarii, Veterans who could afford the best equipment and who used a spear as well as a shield.

* Women from Samurai families were expected to have a functional ''naginata'' as part of their dowry. The naginata was also the favoured weapon of the ''sohei'' [[Warrior Monk|Buddhist warrior-monks]].

* The Swiss mercenaries of the 15th century deserve an entry of their own. For a long time, it was an established truth that the only force capable of beating Swiss pikemen was an equal or greater number of Swiss pikemen. The first national army to ever beat a force consisting only of Swiss mercenaries was a French army that outnumbered the Swiss force 15 to 1.

* Mixed units of pikemen and musketeers ("pike and shot") were the standard armed force of the 16th and 17th centuries until the invention of the bayonet turned every gun into a spear.

** The poleaxe (also known as pollaxe; there is still much dispute about whether its name actually referred to the fact that it was on a pole) was one of the most versatile melee weapons ever seen. Its head had either an axe blade or a hammer on the front, a hook on the back, and a spike on the top. Depending on the variant, the main tactic was to either chop with the axe blade or crush the enemy's armor (preferably his helmet) with the hammer. A secondary tactic was to hook the enemy (preferably between the plates to cause a painful wound) and knock him to the ground, then use the spike to kill him before he can get up (as the weight of his armor would make that difficult to do). Many poleaxes also had a second spike on the bottom of the shaft. Oddly, despite being both effective and impressive-looking, poleaxes are rarely seen in fiction.

*** The whole darn contraption is a weapon. Heck, you get an axe, spear, can opener, tripping hook and hockey stick for cross-checking at price of one. Small surprise knights favoured this thingy while fighting on foot.

* The Polearm was so effective, halfswording was invented so that a sword could be wielded like a very short spear. Though the technique didn't afford the benefit of the spear's length, it did give the sword the spear's superior point control and thrusting capabilities, which were very useful against armored opponents.

** Half-swording is also much faster than using any polearm and the thrusts can be made with much greater accuracy and precision.

** This troper has found half-swording to be the most effective greatswords technique to fight against an opponent with sword and shield.

* The Chinese had a large variety of polearms. Students of Chinese martial arts are generally encouraged to start with the staff and spear when learning weapons, as they are considered to be the best for training body coordination, since a practitioner must utilize all parts of their body in equal amounts of complexity in order to properly wield the weapon. Some schools may go as far as making them compulsory before learning other weapons.

** The most eponymous are the usual longspear (fixed with a tassel behind the blade which, in expert hands, can help distract the opponent and interfere with his/her ability to judge where the point is going, as well as preventing blood from running down the haft and making it slippery)

** Halberds were also commonly used in war, ranging from a simple addition of a blade fixed on a right angle to the main blade to as many as 4 crescent-shaped blades fixed just below the main blade.

** Double-ended weapons are also commonly taught in martial arts schools, like a double-ended spear, double volgues, and a unique wapon sometimes called the Monk's Spade.

*** The last weapon has a spade-like or axe-like blade fixed to one end and a crescent-shaped blade on the other.

** There's also a weapon known as Bandit Sword which is like a Guan Dao with a much shorter pole.

* [[Older Than Dirt]]: Spears tipped with stone, bone, and antler points are among the first weapons ever used by humans, going back thousands of years to the Ice Age.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Index On a Stick]]

[[Category:Dark Age Europe]]

[[Category:Older Than Dirt]]

[[Category:Weapons and Wielding Tropes]]