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{{quote|''"Know, o prince, that between the years when the oceans drank [[Atlantis]] and [[Shining City|the gleaming cities]], and the years of the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars - Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its [[Knight in Shining Armor|chivalry]], Koth that bordered the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian; black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet."''|The Nemedian Chronicles, as quoted in ''[[The Phoenix On the Sword (Literature)|The Phoenix Onon the Sword]]'', the very first Conan story by [[Robert E Howard|Robert E. Howard]].}}
 
The star of a gritty [[Heroic Fantasy]] series of stories set in the Hyborian Age, an age before modern history. Created in the [[The Thirties|1930s]] for ''Weird Tales'' magazine, '''Conan''' of Cimmeria quickly became [[Robert E Howard|Robert E. Howard]]'s (1906-1936) most famous and popular creation. When people think [[Barbarian Hero|'barbarian']], they often picture Conan.
 
Not at all influenced by the concept of the '[[Noble Savage]]', Conan represented the ever-present danger posed to civilization by humanity's warlike nature (or vice versa). Howard's stories frequently relied on pulp formulas, much to Howard's chagrin. Howard would try to subvert these formulas wherever possible, especially where they required him to include a perfunctory sex scene. He took great delight in the publication of 'Beyond the Black River', precisely because it left out sex entirely.
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Conan is strong, courageous and [[Chivalrous Pervert|oddly respectful]] of women. He is not an [[Dumb Muscle|idiot]], but neither is he of a scholastic disposition -- he is mostly practical and naturally cunning, though he is also knowledgable, able to speak, read and write a dozen languages, and even puzzle out ancient scripts in one story. He is a defining example of the type of barbarian who has the principles of a snake.
 
It is possible to see him as a [[Marty Stu]] in the sense of being an idealised version of the author. He reflects Howard's [[Author Appeal|preferences]] and [[Values Dissonance|prejudices]]; black people are poorly portrayed most of the time, Conan likes women with "skin as white as alabaster" and "a supple waist". And snakes, Howard must have been [[Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?|scared of snakes]], huge [[Reptiles Are Abhorrent|"loathsome serpents"]] turn up [[Scaled Up|continually]], although this could also have to do with his friendship with [[HP Lovecraft|H. P. Lovecraft]] (the original Conan stories are actually a [[Canon Welding|peripheral part]] of the [[Cthulhu Mythos]].) Yet in ''Beyond the Black River'', Howard included a character that was explicitly stated in one of his letters to be an [[Author Avatar]], and he was shown to be inferior to Conan in many ways.
 
Two Conan movies were made in the eighties: the first, ''Conan the Barbarian'' put [[Nietzsche Wannabe|Nietzschean (Wannabe) philosophy]] together with rubber snakes and an epic tale of revenge. While [[In Name Only|it wasn't very accurate]] to the original Howard stories, hewing more to [[Broad Strokes|Oliver Stone's ideas]] filtered through [[Crack Pairing|John Milius' direction]] regarding both plot and themes, it has become a [[Cult Classic]] on its own merits. Its [[Crowning Music of Awesome|awesome music]], epic feel, and interesting plot helped launch [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]'s acting career. The second movie, ''Conan the Destroyer'', took a more [[Lighter and Fluffier|comical and lighthearted tone]], wasn't as successful and got a critical negative reception. Plans for at least another movie fell through. There were rumors in the early 2000s about a new movie were Arnie would have reprised the role as an aged Conan, now king of Aquilonia, but all plans were scrapped when he entered politics.
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There has [[Age of Conan|also been an]] [[MMORPG]], notable for being unusually bloody for the genre, and several other adaptations in various media.
 
Not to be confused with [[Conan O 'Brien]]. Also not to be confused with ''[[Detective Conan]]'' or ''[[Future Boy Conan]]''.
 
----
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From 1932-1936, Robert E. Howard completed one novel and 20 shorter stories about Conan. Some of these were first published posthumously. In order of writing, these are:
* "[[The Phoenix On the Sword (Literature)|The Phoenix Onon the Sword]]". First published in December, 1932.
* "[[The Frost Giants-Giant's Daughter (Literature)|The Frost Giants Daughter]]" Written in 1932, but not published. A version modified by Howard appeared in March, 1934. A version modified by [[L. Sprague Dede Camp (Creator)|L Sprague De Camp]] appeared in 1953. The original version was first published in 1976.
* "[[The God in The Bowl (Literature)|The God in Thethe Bowl]]". Written in 1932 or 1933, but not published. A version edited by L. Sprague de Camp was first published in September, 1952. The original version was first published in 1975.
* "[[The Scarlet Citadel (Literature)|The Scarlet Citadel]]". First published in January, 1933.
* "[[The Tower of the Elephant (Literature)|The Tower of the Elephant]]". First published in March, 1933.
* "[[Black Colossus (Literature)|Black Colossus]]". First published in June, 1933.
* "[[Xuthal of the Dusk (Literature)|Xuthal of the Dusk]]" (a.k.a. "The Slithering Shadow"). First published in September, 1933.
* "[[The Pool of the Black One (Literature)|The Pool of the Black One]]". First published in October, 1933.
* "[[The Vale of Lost Women (Literature)|The Vale of Lost Women]]". Written in 1933 or 1934, but not published. First published in Spring, 1967.
* "[[Rogues in The House (Literature)|Rogues in Thethe House]]". First published in January, 1934.
* "[[Iron Shadows in The Moon (Literature)|Iron Shadows in Thethe Moon]]" (a.k.a. "Shadows in the Moonlight"). First published in April, 1934.
* "[[Queen of the Black Coast (Literature)|Queen of the Black Coast]]". First published in May, 1934.
* "[[The Devil in Iron (Literature)|The Devil in Iron]]". First published in August, 1934.
* "[[The People of the Black Circle (Literature)|The People of the Black Circle]]". Novella. Published in three parts, from September to November, 1934.
* "[[A Witch Shall Be Born (Literature)|A Witch Shall Be Born]]". First published in December, 1934.
* "[[The Black Stranger (Literature)|The Black Stranger]]" (a.k.a. "The Treasure of Tranicos"). There are 3 versions of this story. Two by Howard, and one by L. Sprague de Camp. The original version was written in 1934 or 1935, first published in 1987. The second version by Howard was written c. 1936, and was first published in 1976. The de Camp version was first published in 1953, and further modified in 1967.
* "[[The Servants of Bit Yakin (Literature)|The Servants of Bit Yakin]]" (a.k.a. "Jewels of Gwahlur"). First published in March, 1935.
* "[[Beyond the Black River (Literature)|Beyond the Black River]]". Published in 2 parts, from May to June, 1935.
* "[[Man Eaters of Zamboula (Literature)|Man Eaters of Zamboula]]" (a.k.a. "Shadows in Zamboula"). First published in November, 1935.
* ''[[The Hour of the Dragon (Literature)|The Hour of the Dragon]]''. Novel. Published in 5 parts, from December, 1935 to April, 1936.
* "[[Red Nails (Literature)|Red Nails]]". Novella. Published in 3 parts, from July to October, 1936.
 
Howard also left some stories unfinished or in synopsis form. The titled ones, in no particular order, are:
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Over the decades, many other authors have written official [[Fanfic|fanfics]] - or more formally, [[wikipedia:Pastiche|pastiches]] - of Conan. There are more [[wikipedia:Conan chr(28)bookschr(29)|Conan stories by other writers]] combined than Howard himself ever wrote.
 
Their ranks include [[The Wheel of Time|Robert Jordan]] and [[Harry Turtledove]], but the most significant of them was the [[Show Runner]]-of-sorts back in the day, [[L. Sprague Dede Camp (Creator)|L Sprague De Camp]] (1907-2000). He wrote several pastiches with the frequent collaboration of another author, Lin Carter (1930-1988). Both were prolific fantasy and SF authors in their own right, but they are perhaps most associated with Conan today.
 
Besides writing pastiches, De Camp edited Howard's stories, which often meant [[Retool|retooling the text altogether.]] De Camp and/or Carter also produced full versions of stories Howard left unfinished, and reworked some of Howard's unrelated fiction [[Dolled-Up Installment|to make them Conan tales.]] The De Camp-supervised books featured pastiche stories together with Howard's edited originals until finally they ran out of the latter, in which case the books became complete pastiches.
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== Novels and short stories by other authors ==
* "The Blood-Stained God", also known as "The Curse of the Crimson God". Novella written by [[L. Sprague Dede Camp (Creator)|L Sprague De Camp]], first published in 1955. Based on a Kirby O'Donnell tale by Robert E. Howard. The original story was set in 1930s Afghanistan.
* "The Flame Knife", also known as "Three-Bladed Doom". Novella written by L. Sprague de Camp, first published in 1955. Based on an El Borak tale by Robert E. Howard. The original story was set in 1930s Afghanistan.
* "Hawks Over Shem", also known as "Hawks Over Egypt". Novella written by L. Sprague de Camp, first published in October, 1955. Based on an Diego de Guzman tale by Robert E. Howard. The original story was set in 1021 Cairo. The antagonist was the Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, a Fatimid Caliph (reigned 996-1021) who reputedly went insane.
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* "Conan the Guardian" (January, 1991) by Roland Green. Novel. Conan serves as the bodyguard of a young Argosian noblewoman. His role gives him insight into a culture dominated by wealthy merchants. And to the ruthlessness and deadly intrigues underlying the civilized veneer.
* "Conan the Outcast" (April, 1991) by Leonard Carpenter. Novel. Takes place within the city-states of eastern Shem, a desert area. The city of Sark is in decline, consequence of a prolonged drought. A priest convinces its monarchs that a sacrifice to his god could reverse the situation. But not just any sacrifice, but that of another city-state and every life within it. Said city is Qjara, a vibrant city which serves as part of a significant trade route. Currently living in Qjara is Conan, stranded there for months while waiting for a caravan to Zamora.
* "Conan the Rogue" (November, 1991) by John Maddox Roberts. Novel, partly based on "[[Red Harvest]]" (1929) and "[[The Maltese Falcon (Film)|The Maltese Falcon]]" (1930), both by [[Dashiell Hammett]]. Conan has just ended a stint as a mercenary to the army of Nemedia. He has already lost his entire pay and most of his equipment gambling. So he gladly accepts a new job offer, searching for a mysterious and valuable item. Said job leads him to Sicas, an Aquilonian city increasingly dominated by organized crime. A [[Mob War]] between the five main gangs, and several minor factions, is ongoing. Deciding that this city of rogues is his kind of place, Conan soon uses the conflict to his own advantage. Meanwhile several parties in the War are also after the [[MacGuffin]].
* "Conan the Relentless" (April, 1992) by Roland Green. Novel. Conan attempts to cross the Border Kingdoms, heading for other areas as usual. But he soon ends up in a war zone, with the Kingdoms no longer the relatively peaceful area of his experience. When he recognizes Raihna (an old ally from "Conan the Relentless") among the combatants, Conan starts getting interested in his surroundings.
* "Conan the Savage" (November, 1992) by Leonard Carpenter. Novel. Conan has recently escaped from the mines of Brythunia, where he spent a period as a convict. He has retreated to the wilderness and joined a fairly isolated tribe. He is [[Going Native]]. But Brythunian armies destroy the tribe and its village. Conan seeks vengeance against the Brythunian ruler. Who is actually a victim of [[Demonic Possession]].
* "Conan of the Red Brotherhood" (February, 1993) by Leonard Carpenter. Novel. Sequel to "Shadows in the Moonlight". Covers the period of Conan serving the Red Brotherhood, pirates of Vilayet Sea, and having Turan and its rulers as enemies.
* "Conan and the Gods of the Mountain" (May, 1993) by Roland Green. Sequel to "Red Nails". Conan and Valeria continue wandering the Black Kingdoms (Africa), stumbling on a conflict between the Speakers of Spirits and the God-Men.
* "Conan and the Treasure of Python" (November, 1993) by John Maddox Roberts. Novel, partly based on "[[King SolomonsSolomon's Mines (Literature)|King Solomons Mines]]" (1885) by [[H. Rider Haggard]]. Conan is hired to return to [[Darkest Africa]], where he had spend several years of his life, and lead an expedition through the wilderness. They are supposedly looking for the missing brother of his employer. But more accurately searching for the treasure that both brothers had been seeking.
* "Conan the Hunter" (January, 1994) by Sean A. Moore. Novel. Conan buys a bracelet as a gift to a girlfriend. But the bracelet belonged to a recently-murdered princess and was apparently stolen from her corpse. His possession of it makes a suspect him in the high-profile murder case. Someone set him up. Conan seeks to find answers and clear his name, while facing complex conspiracies.
* "Conan, Scourge of the Bloody Coast" (April, 1994) by Leonard Carpenter. Novel, sequel to "Conan of the Red Brotherhood". Conan is still leading the Red Brotherhood in ravaging the coasts of the Vilayet Sea. He is trying to instigate conflict between the two powers of the region, Turan and Hyrkania, to weaken them. But a magic user seeks to undermine all three naval powers.
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=== Adaptations ===
== [[Comic Books]] ==
[[Conan the Barbarian (Comic Bookcomics)|The character has had a long history in comics]] over the decades. At first handled by [[Marvel Comics]], the license has since been acquired by [[Dark Horse Comics]]. The Dark Horse series is the most faithful of all adaptations to date and is endorsed by the Robert E. Howard Foundation. It started out with Kurt Busiek on script and Cary Nord on pencils. It's currently written by Timothy Truman and drawn by Tomas Giorello.
 
* The Marvel franchise includes (not including reprints):
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== Film and television ==
* The films ''Conan the Barbarian'' (1982) and ''Conan the Destroyer'' (1984). Both had [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] as Conan, and [[Mako Iwamatsu]] as Akiro, his KWONICLER. The first film also had [[James Earl Jones]] as Thulsa Doom, and Sandahl Bergman as Valeria. It was co-written by John Milius and Oliver Stone, directed by Milius alone. The second film had Grace Jones as Zula, Olivia d'Abo as Jehnna, Sarah Douglas as Taramis, Pat Roach as Toth-Amon, and an uncredited [[Andre the Giant]] as the monster Dagoth. It was written by Stanley Mann, and directed by Richard Fleischer.
* ''[[Conan the Adventurer (Animationanimation)|Conan the Adventurer]]'' (1992-1993) was an animated cartoon based on elements from the various Conan stories, but it was so very much [[Lighter and Softer]]. It takes only a few elements from the original. Decent on its own terms, despite the "kiddification" (e.g. [[Polly Wants a Microphone|a talking phoenix]] that lived in Conan's shield and was obsessed with pomegranates). Run for 65 episodes.
* ''Conan and the Young Warriors'' (1994). Continuation of the above. This had Conan leading kids around. Having defeated his enemies, Conan was contemplating retirement. Fate, in the form of Epimetrius the Sage, has other plans and the Cimmerian becomes mentor to [[The Chosen One|The Chosen Ones]], three siblings with magical powers who are destined to rule the Hyborian world. All three are blonde, and blue-eyed. Draegen, the eldest boy, summons an [[Instant Armor]] with magical qualities. He has also been trained to [[Whip It Good]] in battle. Brynne, middle child and only girl, is a [[Master of Illusion]]. She has also had training as a thief and [[The Archer|Archer]]. Navah, the youngest boy, is a [[The Beast Master]] of the group. He has had training as a slinger. This show was never particularly successful. A total of 13 episodes were released.
* ''[[Conan the Adventurer (TV series)|Conan the Adventurer]]'' (1997-1998) was a live-action ''Conan'' series starring Ralf Moeller. It was one of many failed attempts to match the success of ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]'' and ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]''. It makes superficial use of Conan's name and elements from the movies and animated series, as well as Robert Jordan's Conan novels, but otherwise was Howard's character in name only. A total of 22 episodes were released.
* The film ''Conan the Barbarian'' (2011) was [[Continuity Reboot]], starrs Jason Momoa as Conan. It featured Rachel Nichols as Tamara , Stephen Lang as the villain Khalar Zym, [[Rose McGowan]] as witch Marique, and [[Ron Perlman]] as Corin, Conan's father. The script was written by Thomas Dean Donnelly, Sean Hood, and Joshua Oppenheimer. Directed by Marcus Nispel.
* There's been an animated adaptation of ''Red Nails'' starring [[Ron Perlman]] and [[Mark Hamill]] in the works for some time, but it seems to be stuck in [[Development Hell]].
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* The infamous ''Conan: Mysteries of Time'' (1991) for [[NES]] (in reality [[Dolled-Up Installment]] based on ''[http://www.mobygames.com/game/myth-history-in-the-making Myth: History in the Making]'', which was considered a classic on Commodore 64 and [[ZX Spectrum]], although the NES version was [[Porting Disaster|entirely different story]]).
* ''Conan'' (2004), also known as ''Conan: The Dark Axe''. An action-adventure game for the Xbox, [[Game Cube]], [[Play Station]] 2, and Microsoft Windows that was released only in Europe.
* ''Conan'' (2007), for the [[Play Station 3]] and [[Xbox 360]]. More or less a ''[[God of War (Video Gameseries)|God of War]]'' clone, based on elements from Howard's stories.
* ''[[Age of Conan]]'' (2008)
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** Scaled back to a more realistic level in the first movie scene where Conan takes multiple swings to {{spoiler|chop off Thulsa Doom's head.}}
* [[Action Girl]]: Belit, Valeria, Nanaia.
* [[Actor Allusion]]: in the first movie [[Sorcerous Overlord|Thulsa Doom]] [[James Earl Jones|(as played by James Earl Jones)]] [[The Empire Strikes Back|asks Conan to join him, and that he is pretty much his son now]]. {{spoiler|[[Off Withwith His Head|It doesn't work.]]}}
** He even repeats "My son" in a way that makes any Star Wars fan widen their eyes.
* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: The Dark Horse comic book series and the first Conan film. The quality of their distillations is debated, to say the least.
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* [[Ancient Astronauts]]: ''The Tower of the Elephant'' features an only survivor.
* [[Ancient Conspiracy]]: The Sect of the Fire Knife, the Serpent Men.
* [[And the Adventure Continues...]]:
** The closing narration of movie #1. One of the greatest movie tags in existence.
** The end of ''Conan of the Islands'', being more than 60 years old he headed his ship for Mayapan (America).
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''Rush in and die, dogs -- I was a man before I was a king!'' }}
* [[Badass in Distress]]: Conan has gotten captured more than once in his day. He usually escapes by some measure of guile, trickery or luck.
* [[Badass Long Hair]]: One of Conan's trademarks since [[Frank Frazetta]] did the legendary illustrations is his long black mane, a look that was used in virtually all adaptations. Howard consistently describes Conan's hairdo as a "''square-cut'' black mane"; [[L. Sprague Dede Camp (Creator)|L Sprague De Camp]] [http://www.rehupa.com/?p=272 objected] to Frazetta's shoulder-length interpretation and [[What Could Have Been|might have had the art replaced if he hadn't been overruled]].
* [[Badass Normal]]: Conan, again. Sorcerers, demons, apemen, demi-goddess witches, he's fought them all and won.
* [[Badass Bookworm]]:
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* [[Black and Gray Morality]]: Very much so in the original stories. Lightened somewhat in the movies and later books. In the original stories, Conan was often little more than a thug of some manner (pirate, bandit, hired sword, whichever) who was going up against fiendishly evil sorcerers, mad kings, or occasionally both. On the other hand he gets a much more sympathetic portrayal when he is king of Aquilonia, all of his foes being scheming aristocrats or ambitious rival kings and Conan himself the benevolent ruler defending his throne.
** [[Alternative Character Interpretation]]: Conan repeatedly does the right thing at personal expense, such as {{spoiler|saving the girl rather than the gems of Gwahlur}} or {{spoiler|giving two orphans enough money to lead a comfortable life}}. It gets to the point where Conan is, arguably, a barbarian version of [[The Cape]].
* [[Blade Onon a Stick]]: Albeit rarely, he used a spear in some occasions.
* [[Blinded Byby the Light]]
* [[Bling Bling Bang]]
* [[Blonde, Brunette, Redhead]]: Valeria, Bêlit, [[Red Sonja]] in the Marvel comics.
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* [[Break the Haughty]]
* [[Breast Plate]]: Red Sonja... and Conan! Sonja wears very little armour in her original comic book, whereas Conan averts this in the original stories (but [[Contemptible Cover|not their illustrations]]) by wearing whatever suits the job or climate. In Sonja's movie, she wears a lot more armour, and Conan spends most of the first movie at least shirtless, and by the second movie he is both shirtless and pantsless almost all the time.
* [[Broad Strokes]]: When he was still "in charge", [[L. Sprague Dede Camp (Creator)|L Sprague De Camp]] included the [[Novelization|novelizations]] of the movies in "Conan the Indestructible", [http://hyboria.xoth.net/history/conan_indestructible.htm a scheme of the canonical "Conan saga" circa 1984] -- but didn't confirm every detail.
** The canon as a whole could be considered [[Broad Strokes]], given various attempts to reconcile it, with or without the pseudocanonical works.
* [[Broke Episode]]: Often. Conan likes [[Money Sink|the good life]], and when he actually has cash will spend money like water. One novel starts with Conan having gambled away almost literally everything he owns at dice. He ponders gambling with his sword (the only thing he has left besides the clothes on his back), then decides not to... after all, it's what he'll use to go out and get more money!
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* [[The Caligula]]: When he wasn't killing [[Evil Sorcerer|Evil Sorcerers]] or [[Scaled Up|Big Fucking Snakes]], Conan was often killing mad kings.
* [[Call Forward]]
* [[Call Onon Me]]
* [[Casting Gag]]: Back in 2008 there was a project for a new [[Red Sonja]] movie to be directed by [[Robert Rodriguez]] and starring [[Rose McGowan]]. The project fell trough... but now [[Mc Gowan]] is an evil witch in the new Conan movie.
* [[Catch Phrase]]: Conan's habit of exclaiming "Crom!" when he was surprised by something in the non-literature versions of his adventures.
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* [[Cold-Blooded Torture]]
* [[Cold Flames]]
* [[Combat Pragmatist]]: While he [[Heroes Prefer Swords|often uses swords]], Conan may also use pretty much whatever else is at hand. This includes other weapons like [[An Axe to Grind|axes,]] [[Blade Onon a Stick|spears]], daggers, [[The Archer|bows and arrows]] (though he only learns archery after leaving Cimmeria), and [[Improvised Weapon|improvised ones]] - like a stool in "Rogues in the House". He can also fight dirty, as when he gouges someone's eyes out in "The God in the Bowl".
* [[Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like]]
* [[Conservation of Ninjutsu]]
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* [[Curse]]
* [[Deadly Decadent Court]]
* [[Deal Withwith the Devil]]
* [[Death of the Old Gods]]
* [[Defrosting Ice Queen]]
* [[Den of Iniquity]]: Thulsa Doom's orgy chamber
* [[Determinator]]: Even [[HPH.P. Lovecraft|Lovecraftian monsters]] have learnt at their own cost that no one escapes Conan's wrath if they mess with a girl who is the object of his love.
* [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?]]: Happens occasionally in the literature, given the author's friendship with [[HPH.P. Lovecraft]]; happens frequently in media adaptations.
* [[Did We Just Have Tea Withwith Cthulhu?|Did You Just Free Cthulhu From Lifelong Torture And Help Him Enact His Revenge]]: ''The Tower of the Elephant''. Probably the only story ever where the [[Eldritch Abomination]] is also [[The Woobie]] and surprisingly good natured.
* [[Distinguishing Mark]]: In "A Witch Shall Be Born", the [[Evil Twin]] villain has a crescent-moon birthmark on her chest.
* [[Distressed Damsel]]: Many. [[Flanderization]], however, has put a scantily-clad buxom maiden at Conan's feet being menaced by someone or something on ''every'' cover, bar none, regardless of story content. She could be an [[Action Girl]] in the story, she might be a background characters who never meets Conan face to face, but on the cover it's always [[Strictly Formula]]: 1.) [[Furry Loincloth|Loincloth]], 2.) monster and/or ravening horde of savages, 3.) hot half-naked chick sprawled between Conan's legs [[Touch of the Monster|looking terrified]] at <nowiki>#2</nowiki>.
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* [[Deceptive Disciple]]
* [[Deus Exit Machina]]: Frequently, but perhaps strongest of all in ''A Witch Shall Be Born''. Also in "The Return of Conan".
* [[Diamonds in Thethe Buff]]
* [[Doomed Hometown]]: In the first film.
* [[Doomy Dooms of Doom]]: Thulsa Doom (film). Contemplate this on the Tree Of Woe.
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* [[Dreaming of Times Gone By]]: In "Queen of the Black Coast", "Shadows In the Moonlight" and "The Devil in Iron."
* [[Driven to Suicide]]
* [[Dropped a Bridge Onon Him]]: Zarono the Black, hands off. He's been depicted as a charming character and skilled warrior, a pirate who can easly rival with Conan himself and even allies/work for [[Big Bad|Thoth-Amon]] himself. Then, in the second story he appears in (''The Treasure of Tranicos''), he gets unceremoniously killed by an anonymous Pict axeman while he's trying to get up and fight back.
* [[Due to Thethe Dead]]
* [[Dumb Muscle]]: Some of the side characters, (like, say, anyone dumb enough to [[Attack! Attack! Attack!|keep attacking him]]) but ''not Conan''. See Flanderization. (even in [[The Movie]] he's somewhat articulate, he just doesn't say much).
* [[Dungeon Punk]]: In "Rogues in the House" Nabonidus who, rather than the typical [[Evil Sorcerer]] is more like the evil offspring of Leonardo da Vinci and Machiavelli uses clockwork tech to defend his abode.
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* [[Everybody's Dead, Dave]]: By the end of ''Red Nails'', {{spoiler|Conan and Valeria are the only two people still alive in the whole city}}.
* [[Everybody Hates Hades]]: Set is seen at his worst and confused/merged with Apep.
* [[Everything's Better Withwith Princesses]]
* [[Everything's Sparkly Withwith Jewelry]]
* [[Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor]]
* [[Evil Sorcerer]]: Thulsa Doom (in the movie), Xaltotun, Thoth-Amon, Thugra Khotan, and others. Conan's made a career out of killing [[Sorcerous Overlord|Sorcerous Overlords]](excepting Thoth-Amon, though, since they never even met in the original stories).
* [[Evolutionary Levels]]: In Howard's essay ''The Hyborian Age'' evolution is fast and fluctuating. Several peoples "[[Hollywood Evolution|regress to apedom]]" and back to humanity, including the Cimmerians, Conan's people. [[Everything's Better Withwith Monkeys|Ape-men]] are at least as common antagonists as snakes in his stories.
* [[Exact Eavesdropping]]
* [[Exact Words]]
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* [[The Exile]]
* [[Expanded Universe]]: Under other authors, Conan's personal history has expanded to the point where he must have lived just over four hundred years to account for all his adventures.
* [[Exposed to Thethe Elements]]
* [[Expository Theme Tune]]: The ''Conan the Adventurer'' cartoon.
* [[Eye of Newt]]: Sorcerers usually have to do some horrible things before they can work their dark craft.
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* [[Faux Death]]
* [[Feathered Fiend]]
* [[Finger in Thethe Mail]]: In "Rogues in the House", Murilo is given a recognizable ear as a hint.
* [[Five-Bad Band]]: In the 2011 film we have:
** [[Big Bad]]: Khalar Zym
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{{quote| '''Doom:''' And that is what grieves me the most. You killed my snake! Thorgrim is beside himself with grief. He raised that snake from when it was born. (Thorgrim [[Dull Surprise|glowers]])}}
* [[Forging Scene]]: The film ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'' starts with the forging of the Father's Sword.
* [[Franchise Killer]]: The horrible second film, ''Conan The Destroyer'', undid all the lingering good will from John Milius' first film. It wasn't even the negative critical reception of the second movie that killed the franchise; it actually was successful at the box office, just less than the first one. This prompted the production of the ''[[Red Sonja (Film)|Red Sonja]]'' movie - now ''that'' was a big flop. Schwarzenegger called it [[Self-Deprecation|"the worst movie I've ever made"]] and may have had a hand in making him move on to other projects - when a third Conan movie was considered, he was already busy with ''[[Predator (Film)|Predator]]''.
* [[Frazetta Man]]
* [["Friend or Idol?" Decision]]
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{{quote| "Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is an illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and I am content."}}
* [[The High Queen]]: In ''A Witch Shall Be Born'', Queen Taramis is beloved by her people for being a kind, compassionate, and virtuous ruler.
* [[Hoist Byby His Own Petard]]
* [[Honey Trap]]
* [[Horny Vikings]]: The Vanir and Aesir, who use horned helms (unlike their real-world descendants). Conan wears one himself in some stories.
Line 555:
** Mocked on the Director's commentary: "Split-pea-and-hand soup."
* [[I'm Cold... So Cold...]]: {{spoiler|The last words said by Valeria in the first movie.}}
* [[Impaled Withwith Extreme Prejudice]]: [[You Have Been Warned|spoilers]]
* [[Inelegant Blubbering]]
* [[Informed Ability]]: Sorcerers like Xaltotun and Yah Chieng, who were powerful enough to wipe out armies with quakes and plagues fail to find a proper spell to deal with Conan himself and end up toasted.
Line 601:
* [[Modest Royalty]]: As King of Aquilonia, Conan doesn't dress in the ostentation of various other kings of the land.
* [[More Than Mind Control]]: Thulsa Doom uses this on Conan's mom in the original film. He tries it on Conan too, but it doesn't work.
* [[Moses in Thethe Bulrushes]]
* [[Murder the Hypotenuse]]
* [[Music Magic]]
Line 615:
* [[Not Quite Dead]]
* [[Obfuscating Disability]]: In "A Witch Shall Be Born", Salome tossed the head of a murdered man to a deaf beggar — who proves to be Valerius, who heard that the true queen is prisoner there.
* [[Off Withwith His Head]]
* [[Old Master]]: The Asian swordmaster in the first movie was actually played by the movie's swordmaster.
* [[Only Sane Man]]
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{{quote| The ashes were trampled into the Earth, and the blood became as snow! Who knows what they came for... [[You Require More Vespene Gas|weapons of steel]]? [[Department of Redundancy Department|or murder?]] It was never known, for their leader rode to the south, while the children went north with the Vanir. No one would ever know that my lord's people had lived at all. His was a tale of sorrow.}}
* [[Outlived Its Creator]]
* [[Overshadowed Byby Awesome]]: Poor Valerius... he risk a lot and fight like a lion to save his beloved queen, slays the evil witch, escape from a giant toad demon.. and the Conan arrives with [[The Cavalry]], orders them to shot down the beast and gets all the thanks of the queen [[Ungrateful Bitch|(who totally ignores Valerius)]].
** This was corrected in the [[Marvel Comics]] adaptation, where Conan took a more active role.
* [[Panthera Awesome]]
Line 684:
** Also the ultimate plan of Thoth-Amon and his council of sorcerers and worshipers of Set.
** Virata, one of the lords of the Flame Knife cult may have had this as its main plans.
* [[Revenge Byby Proxy]]
* [[Royal Blood]]
* [[Royals Who Actually Do Something]]: After becoming king, Conan embodies this trope. When Aquilonia goes to war, you can be sure that Conan will personally be leading his army into battle (something that he most certainly enjoys, considering his love of combat and the fact that he occasionally complains about how boring sitting on a throne is).
Line 695:
* [[Science Marches On]]: The concept of continental drift was new and little-understood at the time Howard was writing, so the idea that the European landmass could have been vastly different merely thousands of years ago wasn't as unlikely as it seems to today's reader. We also know a great deal more today about anthropology and ancestry than what was incorporated into the stories.
* [[Scream Discretion Shot]]: The rape of Queen Taramis in "A Witch Shall Be Born."
* [[Sealed Evil in Aa Can]]
* [[Seen It All]]: He's traveled from Asgard and Vanaheim (Scandinavia) in the north to the tribal lands south of Kush(central Africa), from West of the Baracha Isles (Azores or Canary Islands) to Vendhya (India) in the east (and in other authors' work to Khitai (China)). He's been a mercenary, a thief, a pirate, a bandit, a tribal chieftain in four distinct geographical areas, a Captain of the Guard, a wilderness scout , a General and finally a king. He's fought men, beasts (especially snakes) and demons. He's discovered lost civilizations and the ruins of lost civilizations. This was [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] by Thulsa Doom in one of the later Savage Sword of Conan stories, when Conan recounts his experiences. Thulsa Doom calls Conan a liar, stating that no one could have lived through so many adventures over the thirty-odd years that Conan had been alive.
* [[Sex Bot]]: In ''Conan the Fearless'', a witch whom no man can satisfy tries to make one. The only missing component is a really brave man's heart...
Line 710:
** Asura being ancient demigods of India, Hyborian Asura-followers would seem to be proto-Hindus. They speak of their ancestors as coming from Vendhya (India). This may be an example of [[History Marches On]]. Howard didn't know it, probably just pulled the name "Asura" from an encyclopedia; but it is now known that the historical Asura deities began as good guys who developed a bad reputation, just as the Hyborian ones did.
* [[Spin-Off]]: ''[[Red Sonja]]''.
* [[The Stoic]]: Movie Conan was this. At Valeria's [[Burn, Baby, Burn|funeral pyre]], Subotai poignantly pointed out: "He is Conan, Cimmerian. [[He Will Not Cry, So I Cry for Him|He will not cry, so I cry for him]]".
** Howard's Conan, too, to a degree.
* [[A Storm Is Coming]]
Line 717:
* [[Synchronization]]: Zogar Sag and his demonic half-brother in "Beyond The Black River"
* [[Taken for Granite]]: The Medusa like vampire and the water in the pool of the "Black People".
* [[Taking You Withwith Me]]: Conan, without hesitation, pretty much every time he thinks he'll die. It's a defining characteristic.
* [[Talking in Your Dreams]]
* [[Taught By Experience]]
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** Famous producer Dino De Laurentiis initially insisted on an ''[[Nothing but Hits|Eighties pop soundtrack]]'' for ''Conan The Barbarian'', but director John Milius insisted on hiring his then-unknown school buddy Basil Poledouris instead. Basil proceeded to write one of the most [[Crowning Music of Awesome|famous classical music soundtracks]] ever made.
*** If Oliver Stone had his way, the original ''Conan'' film was also going to be a [[Re Boot]] set in the far future, with Conan battling mutants in lieu of or in addition to ape-men. Milius insisted on setting it in the Hyborian age.
** As mentioned above, the classic [[Frank Frazetta]] covers adorned [[L. Sprague Dede Camp (Creator)|L Sprague De Camp]]'s [[Loose Canon|semi-canonical]] Conan stories. De Camp, not known as a [[Broad Strokes|continuity zealot]], objected to the [[Ink Stain Adaptation|clearly inaccurate but thoroughly memetic]] depictions of Conan as a long-haired, loincloth-wearing savage, and wanted Frazetta fired... in which case the famous image of Conan would have never come to light.
** Besides [[Stargate Atlantis|Jason Momoa]], the other two main contenders for the lead in the Conan reboot were [[Twilight (Literaturenovel)|Kellan Lutz]] and [[Supernatural (TV series)|Jared Padalecki.]]
** Around 2001 and 2002, John Milius (the man who wrote and directed the 1982 film) wrote a script titled ''King Conan: Crown of Iron'' that was intended to be a ''true'' sequel to the original film (as opposed to ''Conan the Destroyer'', which was considered a disappointment to most fans of the original). The film entered the pre-production stages and Schwarzenegger was set to star in it. However, when Schwarzenegger was elected Governer of California in 2003 the project was put on indefinite hiatus and eventually canceled.
* [[What Happened to Thethe Mouse?]]
* [[What Year Is This?]]
* [[Wheel of Pain]]: The film is the [[Trope Namer]].
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