The Horde: Difference between revisions

The third standard fantasy government, besides [[The Empire]] and [[The Kingdom]]: A large group of barbaric or beastly warriors, bound together solely through either tribal ties (if disorganized), or the will of the [[Evil Overlord]] (if organized). Like the [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]], they value strength above all else, but are usually not as honorable. Their leader is usually the strongest, toughest, and/or most vicious or cunning of the group. This is often because the most common way to advance up the ranks is through a [[Klingon Promotion]].

 

 

Often part of the [[Fantasy Axis of Evil]]. Compare [[The Usual Adversaries]].

** While the Orcs are [[The Horde]] by nature, Sauron's sphere of influence is more [[The Empire]]--the Orcs may not like it, but they're organized much more strictly than anything you might call a horde (to the point of being "officially" known by numbers rather than names) and are forced to work with Mordor's various client states.

** They also have rules related to the One Ring. For instance, if anyone is caught trying to sneak into Mordor, they're to be stripped, everything they have on them cataloged, and then everything is sent to Barad-dur.

** The Easterling nations, especially the Balchoth and the Wainriders (though the latter are civilized enough to have invented chariots).

*** Several low-organized cultures like the Celts, the Hyksos(before they conquered Egypt) and the Homeric age Greeks had chariots.

* The wildlings in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' are perceived thus by those in the Seven Kingdoms, though there might be [[The Undead|something else]] they should be fearing more...

** ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' also has the Dothraki, generally well done [[Expy|Expys]] of the Mongols.

* The Mongols in the ''[[Conqueror]]'' books, a rare case of [[The Horde]] being the protagonists. The Tartars in the first book might also qualify, making it a case of Horde vs Horde.

* The Green Men from the [[John Carter of Mars]] novels by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] oscillate between [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]] and [[The Horde]]. This is because there are a huge number of diverse tribes of Green Men, some of whom have the [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]] code of honor and some whom are just rampaging maniacs.

** The Horib and Korsars from Burrough's Pellucidar novels also fit this trope.

* The more civilized states view the Plains nomads this way in the second section of ''[[A Canticle for Leibowitz]].'' In the first section, we have references to earlier hordes and mass migrations.

** Several peoples in the Hyborian Age are [[The Horde]] or can become it under certain circumstances: [[The Savage Indian|The Picts]], [[Horse Archer|the Hyrkanians]], [[Horny Vikings|the Nordheimers]], the less-civilized natives of [[Darkest Africa|the Black Kingdoms]] (especially [[Cannibal Tribe|the Darfari]]), and of course Conan's people, [[Barbarian Tribe|the Cimmerians]].

* The Kargs of the [[Earthsea Trilogy]] come off as this, particularly in ''A Wizard of Earthsea'', where they're essentially [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|Vikings]]. They get some [[Character Development]] in the next book, ''The Tombs of Atuan'', but it's pretty clear that most of Earthsea considers them to be exactly this trope.

* ''[[Warhammer]]'' and ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'''s Greenskins (a.k.a. Orcs and Goblins).

** ''[[Warhammer]]'s'' Marauders, Beasts of Chaos and Ogres (sometimes) would also apply.

** The third edition Alpha Legion Chaos army typically had an immense block of fearless cultists (cannon fodder) backed up by a few actual Alpha Legion Marines.

** The Tyranids kind of invented the Zerg Rush

 

== [[Television]] ==

* The Atavars in [[Buck Rogers]] Journey to Oasis.

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

== [[Video Games]] ==

* The [[Our Orcs Are Different|Orcs]] in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' are certainly this, being a [[Barbarian Tribe]]. The [[Big Bad|Shadow Lord]]-owned Beastmen Confederate is also like this, if only because most of the Beastmen were forced into it.

** There are two hordes: The Horde, and the Dark Horde, with the latter playing it straight.

* The Minion Army of the [[Overlord]] games, commanded by '''[[Villain Protagonist|You]]'''.

* The Infected in [[Left 4 Dead]].

* The Darkspawn in Dragon Age.

* In ''Rome: [[Total War]] [[Expansion Pack|Barbarian Invasion]]'' you can take command of a horde and [[Rape, Pillage and Burn]] the civilized world, or try to repel and subjugate the hordes as the more civilized factions.

* The Sha'ahoul in ''[[Siege of Avalon]]'', a nomadic race of [[Half-Human Hybrid|human/orc hybrids]] who believe that any permanent structure or farming is harming the world of Eurale and must be destroyed. Imagine their surprise when one fine day they stumble on the seven kingdoms, who do all that and more. They gather a massive horde and attack. The kingdoms' only hope is the fortress of Avalon, the only thing that stands in the way of the Sha'ahoul. The horde's leader Mithras is determined to raze the offending structure and starts the titular siege.

 

== Webcomics ==

* The land of Dikay in [[Van Von Hunter]]

** The Nidraa'chal actively employed demons to [[Demonic Possession|possess commoners]] while fighting the Sharen.

** The Black Sun are a group of tribes that subsist by raiding cities and settlements, and operate similarly to Mongul hordes in the sense that they are heavily decentralized and will absorb captured enemies into their ranks, and several Black Sun tribes will band together for particularly tough fights.

 

== [[Web Serial Novel]] ==

 

== [[Truth in Television]] ==