History Main / AnAxeToGrind

* BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon: A barbaric character uses an equally barbaric weapon such as an axe.

* DeusAxMachina: Conveniently placed fire emergency axes.

* DeusAxMachina: Conveniently placed fire axes.

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16631103570.15075400 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

%%This page's examples section is sorted alphabetically. It would be lovely if you'd maintain this, thanks.
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[[quoteright:263: [[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Gimli_With_Axe_on_the_right_8801.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:263:This is why nobody tosses a dwarf!]]

->''He had a broad axe, a mighty weapon, keen-edged and sharp, with which he had sent many a man to dine in Valhalla.''
-->--''Literature/TheSagaOfTheSwornBrothers''


For chopping wood and heads alike, an InUniverse axe will be pressed into service as a weapon.

Historical war axes were thin with narrow heads. In fiction, axes made for fighting are enormous and they cleave armor and heads with ease. Cheaper and easier to make than swords and capable of splitting a man in half, they're the WeaponOfChoice of those the authors want to portray as brutal and rugged. Smaller axes, such as the tomahawk or francisca, can be used as throwing weapons. In certain media, they may even return to the user's hand like a [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang boomerang]], though they have the tendency to stick in enemies if they score a hit. In TV and film, an axe will be portrayed as large and in charge, for {{Boisterous Bruiser}}s or {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s, while in video games they tend to be a JackOfAllStats, portrayed as slower and harder hitting than swords but faster than maces or hammers.

Historical war axes often had different dimensions than wood axes, but many fictional designs do double-duty as both tool and weapon. Because axes are tools and fairly simple to make [[note]]The metal needed to make a single sword could make several axe heads, but some axes had additional metal parts or even a metal shaft[[/note]], they tended to be familiar to peasants, making them a viable close combat weapon of infantrymen in a variety of ancient cultures [[note]]though the BladeOnAStick spear was still likely the most common infantry weapon[[/note]]. Cavalry also often had short axes as secondary or tertiary weapons specifically for close-in work. As tools, axes might sidestep prohibitions against commoners owning weapons. In the modern era, they could similarly avoid restrictions against firearms. However, there were marked differences between axes made for war and axes made for tool use in most cases, though hatchets could make an effective weapon. [[note]][[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_axe Battleaxes tended to be thin and usually relatively short]]. The heads were usually lighter than wood axes. Axes made to cut trees are heavy; proper use relies on letting gravity do most of the work. This difference holds even for large two-handed axes. Compare the famous two-handed [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dane_axe Dane Axe]], at 3-4 pounds to a 4-6 felling axe or a 6+ pounds splitting axe. Finally, war axes might have features such as [[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/langet langets]], a metal shaft, a guard, or a spike. These would make no sense for an axe made for trees.[[/note]] Tomahawk-like stone axes were used in the paleolithic era. Hatchets and tomahawks were used by Native Americans, musket-armed early Americans, and even many special operations soldiers to this day.

Nowadays axes are associated with the following character archetypes:

* [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarves]]
* [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs]]
* HornyVikings
* {{Barbarian|Tribe}}s and {{Barbarian Hero}}es
* [[TheExecutioner Medieval executioners]]
* {{Mighty Lumberjack}}s
* Firefighters with their fireaxes, whom either need to destroy a door or having found themselves in a situation where their life-saving tool becomes a life-taking one instead. (also see AxeBeforeEntering)
* {{Badass Native}}s and {{Forest Ranger}}s, in which case the axe of choice will most likely be a tomahawk or hatchet
* Frontiersmen and colonial-era skirmishers, especially American and Canadian
* AxCrazy [[BreadEggsMilkSquick killers]] and other psychopaths. Especially true if it's a SlasherMovie.
* {{Action Survivor}}s in a societal collapse scenario such as a ZombieApocalypse, who may get it through DeusAxMachina, if it didn’t simply come from their own tool collection or from looting a hardware store.

While they appear very rarely, in works outside of fantasy, a hatchet, tomahawk or small hand axe (especially if dual wielded) usually implies that the user is either an experienced survivalist or special forces, and likely also [[TheHermit wants to be left alone]] and [[BadAss should be]]. This is because of the hand axe's [[BoringButPractical modesty and practicality]]. It is a weapon and a tool, and can be used for chopping both wood and necks. Hand axes can have extremely good weight distribution as well, which allows them to be used in very fast, acrobatic fighting styles.

In spite of the popularity of double-bitted battle axes in fiction, the single bitted axe was more popular, usually with a spike or hammer on the other edge for other purposes. However, double-bitted battle axes were used historically, as can be seen in surviving examples and art from the Indo-Persian region, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in western Europe. Double-bitted axes were also used by loggers and for ceremonial purposes.[[note]]This would be advantageous for loggers by the two heads being used for different tasks: one bit kept sharp for chopping through trunks and limbs, and the other dull for hacking near things like roots, rocks and dirt that could ruin a good edge, thus saving them from having to carry two different axes. [[/note]]

If the BigGuy isn't using a [[DropTheHammer hammer]] or his [[BareFistedMonk bare fists]], he'll generally use a gigantic axe as a weapon. For extra comedy, the CuteBruiser may be given a head-chopper bigger than the rest of her body (compare SmallGirlBigGun).

In modern times, Fire axes are the most logical and common ImprovisedWeapon, simply because they're available as an escape tool in almost every public building. See DeusAxMachina.
Making them great weapons to use if they are passed upon in a brawl inside a building, or even (especially) in an ZombieApocalypse. It helps that they were made to be sharp and sturdy, mixed in with having a [[PowerfulPick pick-shaped pointed poll]] (area of the head opposite the cutting edge) to pierce things with if needed.

May also include halberds and other poleaxes, which combine the chopping power of an axe, a grabbing hook, and a stabbing spear head to create a BladeOnAStick SwissArmyWeapon. [[note]]Possibly a literal Swiss Army weapon in the case of the halberd, considering how popular they were with Swiss mercenaries...[[/note]]

ChainsawGood can be considered the modern version of this trope as both tools are normally used for cutting down trees.

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith AuthorFilibuster, AuthorTract, AxesAtSchool, CarefulWithThatAxe, or RevengeTropes.

See also DropTheHammer.

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'': Lind carries a halberd as her WeaponOfChoice.
* ''Manga/{{Akumetsu}}'' has used axes a few times.
* Noda from ''Anime/AngelBeats'' uses a giant halberd most of the time, though he sometimes fights with guns.
* Flora and Schierke spend some time forging a giant axe for Guts to wield against the Trolls that are attacking their village in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', but Guts turns it down because he's already doing just fine with his big whacking [[{{BFS}} Dragon Slayer]], thank-you-very-much.
* In ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', [[spoiler:the]] [[EnfanteTerrible Hansel]] [[spoiler:personality]] uses an axe as his main weapon, [[AxCrazy it fits his personality too]].
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Jidanbou uses not one, but two ''enormous'' axes. Or at least he did, until Ichigo smashed them.
** Segunda Espada Baraggan Louisenbairn, who sports a very huge axe for a weapon/Zanpakutou. After activating his Resurrección, he has an even bigger axe called Gran Caida which he wielded even as a Vasto Lorde.
** Quinto Espada Nnoitra Gilga's Zanpakuto in its sealed form can be considered as an axe, but it looks really weird for an axe if we can really call it an axe. The light parts are the blades.
** [[spoiler:Kenpachi Zaraki's]] Zanpakuto in Shikai takes the form of a gigantic axe.
* In ''Anime/TheBraveFighterOfLegendDaGarn'', Ga Ohn has two of them stored in his shoulders.
* ''Manga/BusterKeel'': Blue, in a nod to Sandy's WeaponOfChoice from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', carries a massive axe-like weapon with the blade shaped like an upward-pointing crescent blade. He can split the weapon in half to dual wield or detatch the blade with his water magic to create a flail. Secondary character Yancys uses a battleax callded "Hoop" (sounding similar to the Japanese word "Fuubu", Wind Axe), which she can use to channel her wind magic.
* [[PlayingWithFire Kotori Itsuka]] from ''LightNovel/DateALive'' uses a massive pole axe in her [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Spirit]] [[OurAngelsAreDifferent form]].
* ''Manga/BusoRenkin'': In keeping with his barbarian warrior look, [[BigBad Victor's]] Buso Renkin, Fatal Attraction, is a great-axe that, after his transformation[[note]]we never get to see what it looked like beforehand[[/note]], manifests as a jagged, lightning-bolt shaped axe with [[GravityMaster gravity control powers]] that can be [[BifurcatedWeapon split into two smaller axes]].
* ''Manga/DragonQuestTheAdventureOfDai'': Beast King Crocodyne carries a unique axe with an almost completely circular blade as his weapon of choice. While Crocodyne can't use magic on his own, the axe is enchanted and allows him to cast wind spells of the Swoosh family.
* Many of the dwarves from ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'' have axes as their weapon of choice. Even Senshi, who's much more interested in cooking than combat, uses one. He doesn't maintain it very well, however.
* Korikkakumon from ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'' wields a pair of axes.
* In ''Anime/DigimonFusion'':
** Starmon and the yellow Pickmon can combine into one for Shoutmon X2.
** Who could forget the far superior[=SkullKnightmon=] Big Axe Mode? That's... quite the axe.
** As a homage to ''Manga/GetterRobo'', Olegmon has a pair of axes. When he tosses them he shouts '''DUAL TOMAHAWK BOOMERANG'''!
* [[{{Yandere}} Yuno]] of ''Manga/FutureDiary'' often uses an axe precisely because its easy for her to get her hands on one. She has been known to use other weapons however.
* ''Anime/{{Gaiking}}'':
** Gaiking has an axe, simply called the "Gaiking Axe".
** In ''Anime/GaikingLegendOfDaikuMaryu'', both Gaiking and Vulking have axes, each dubbed "Great Axe".
* Two assassins from ''Manga/{{Gamaran}}'' come from a Ryuu specialized in DualWielding axes. One of their opponent points out how dangerous such weapons are, as they can easily smash a katana blade and break the defense. Later in the same series, the former members of the Sojin Ryuu uses axe-bladed polearms in combat. In the sequel series ''Shura'', Sanjin of the Genkai Tenpei dual wields Indian ''bhuj'' axes, with an extra dagger hidden in the handle.
* ''Manga/GetterRobo'':
** 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, [[DoubleWeapon double-ended]] ax for Shin Dragon (which is already absolutely gigantic to begin with). And then there's the above "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a0P4bMP9So Final Getter Tomahawk]]"; it is to axes as the [[Anime/GaoGaiGarFINAL Goldion Crusher]] is to hammers.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsNEO'', Getter Robo-1 unlocks this weapon after the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rALNw2-Aa7Y final Getter Robo-related event]].
* Hawk, the hitman villain from ''Anime/GoemonIshikawasSprayOfBlood'' wields two shorts but massive axes as his weapon of choice, which he can use with frightening effect in defense (using the flat side to deflect Magnum bullets) , finesse (throws one of them at a running Fujiko with enough precision to just graze her bust and cut a little of her top) and sheer might (chopping down whole trees and, at one point, bringing down a whole buddhist temple).
* ''Anime/GunBuster'': The titular robot was equiped with Buster Tomahawk (or, how [[HotBlooded Noriko Takaya]] would [[NoIndoorVoice tell]]: [[CallingYourAttacks "BUSTAAAA TOMAHAAAAWK..."]]): twin, fifty-foot-long axes folded into its shoulders. The weapon was meant to be a ''Manga/GetterRobo'' ShoutOut but it didn't make it to the anime. However it was included in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' where ''Manga/GetterRobo'''s Ryouma teaches Noriko.
* Zeon mobile suits (particularly those of the [[MascotMook Zaku]] bloodline) are often equipped with 'Heat Hawks,' axes with an extremely HotBlade that can cut through armour, in the original ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' continuity. At that time, Zeon Mobile Suits couldn't use beam weaponry, so this was the next best thing.. Eventually they split the difference and make beam versions, too. These also are used by the Zaku Expys in ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny Gundam SEED Destiny]]''.
** The Graze Ein from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'' [[ExaggeratedTrope takes it up a notch]] by DualWielding a pair of unique, extra-large axes designed specifically for its oversized arms, compensating for its lack of reactor power with sheer crushing leverage and momentum.
* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'':
** Denmark is drawn with an axe in the trading cards. Since he hasn't officially showed up, we don't know if it's just decoration or if it ''really'' is his WeaponOfChoice.
** [[http://blog-imgs-24.fc2.com/h/i/m/himaruya/hokuo5.jpg This Denmark sketch]] [[http://himaruya.blog61.fc2.com/blog-entry-526.html#more featured in Himaruya's blog]] confirms said axe as Denmark's preferred weapon.
** [[http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5653/200908151155598a0.jpg Another sketch]] [[http://himaruya.blog61.fc2.com/blog-entry-644.html in Himaruya's blog]] has [[NiceGuy Spain]] as the owner of a halberd, confirming the fandom theories about him being an axe user.
* In ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'', axes are the weapon of choice for infantry in close quarter combat.
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
** Fate's [[SwissArmyWeapon Bardiche]], whose basic form is, well, a bardiche, a [[BladeOnAStick long poleaxe]].
** ''Force'' introduces Deville of Hückebein, whose Divider is a massive battleaxe.
* In the ''Mazinger'' series:
** ''Anime/MazingerZ'': Some [[{{Robeast}} Mechanical Beasts]] used axes. In the ''Mazinger vs Franchise/{{Devilman}}'' film, the first Beast showed up used a double-bitted, throwing axe.
** ''Anime/GreatMazinger'': Some [[{{Robeast}} War Beasts]] also were axe-wielders. General Juuma -one of the CoDragons of [[DragonInChief Ankoku Daishogun]]- wielded one in the ''Mazinger-Z vs Great General of Darkness'' (and nearly skewers Mazinger's head -and Kouji- with it). In the proper series, Garalya (in the episode 2) was the first War Beast in using an axe -- specifically, a ''huge'' [[DoubleWeapon double-headed]] axe with a "handle" of minimalistic length.
* Midori Sugiura from ''Anime/MyHime'' uses one as her Element.
* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', one of the weapons of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist is Kabutowari, or "Helm Splitter". Called a blunt sword, it consists of an oversized axe and hammer joined together by a cord. The tactic employed by its wielder was to wedge the axe blade into an enemy and then drive it in further by hitting it with the hammer. And yet, [[NonIndicativeName is called "sword".]]
* Asuka of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', with her fondness 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]].
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Early villain Morgan has an axe ''[[RuleOfCool for a hand.]]''
** Brogy the giant used the Bruiser Axe, which held up for 100 years before he sacrificed it to help the Straw Hats leave Little Garden safely.
** Yama and the Enforcers in Skypiea all use Axe Dials, which replicate the slicing force of real axes.
** [[StoutStrength Sentomaru]] uses a large Battle Axe which makes him resemble the folk hero Kintaro more, though he usually attacks with Sumo moves.
*** So do the blugori guards of Impel Down.
** One of the most infamous pirate captains of the past, former member of the deadly Rocks Pirates, was known as "Silver Axe", though he's currently TheGhost.
* ''LightNovel/OthersidePicnic'': Toriko states that a woman wielding an axe is beautiful (She's from Canada and HasTwoMommies, so...). After she uses an axe to save Sorawo from the dangers of Otherside, Sorawo has to agree.
* ''Anime/PanzerWorldGalient'': Plenty of HumongousMecha are equipped with battle axes -like General Zaba's [[AMechByAnyOtherName panzer]]-, some of them -like TheDragon- combining this trope with DualWielding.
* Chris Armalite from ''LightNovel/ScrappedPrincess'' carries a large axe with a chain attached to it for extra reach.
* Utu from ''Anime/TheTowerOfDruaga'' had a regular axe that he exchanged for a beam axe in the second season.
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** Dinoking in ''Anime/TransformersVictory'' uses an axe.
** The ''Anime/TransformersCybertron'' incarnation of Metroplex (who is giant in comparison to the ordinary giant robots) has his shovel/bucket wheel assembly become an axe called [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Sparkdrinker]] in robot mode. He brutally smashes Megatron through two floors (in a building for giant Transformers) with it. Things get even more awesome when Optimus Prime wields it.
* In ''Manga/UshioAndTora'', the Elezar Scythe also has a small axe blade in the back of the scythe blade. It's also revealed near the end [[spoiler: that an axe was the favourite weapon of Shagaksha, a.k.a. Tora's human self.]]
* ''LightNovel/VioletEvergarden'': The titular character owns a custom-built battle-axe that's bigger than her body, named Witchcraft. Since she received it as a gift from her only father-figure, Major Gilbert Bougainvillea, she is naturally quite attached to it, and even after the war is over, she still uses it in Chapter 3, when [[spoiler:she is dropped into an active battlefield to meet with a client, and needs to create a safe letter-writing environment]].
* Kyo Aguri in ''[[Anime/KnightHunters Weiß Kreuz]] Gluhen'' had an axe he could also shoot a chain out of. [[spoiler:[[SacrificialLamb Didn't help him much.]]]]
* Isurugi uses a rather large one in ''LightNovel/WorldBreakAriaOfCurseForAHolySwordsman''.
* Axes are the weapon of choice of ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'''s Gerozaemon, the Frog Man of the Hakki. Also the Rock Soldier and Ruby in the Pyramid Arc, with an axe made of rock and energy respectively.
* Bui from ''Manga/YuYuHakusho''. A typical BigGuy example at first blush. In fact, [[spoiler:he's not really a BigGuy. All that armor he wears is not for protection, but rather [[PowerLimiter to keep his immense power in check]], and as you can expect the fight only ''really'' begins once he takes it off and he starts using his inherent powers instead of axes.]]
* ''Manga/ZatchBell'': Buzarai of the Faudo Cultists used axe-based spells. The anime gives enough detail to another cultist, Hougan, to show that his spells revolve around ''[[PlayingWithFire flaming]]'' axes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Card Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': Axes turn up now and again as equippable artifact cards. Notable examples include the [[https://scryfall.com/card/emn/202/thirsting-axe Thirsting Axe]], which drives its wielder to spill blood, and the [[https://scryfall.com/card/c17/50/bloodforged-battle-axe Bloodforged Battle-Axe]], which creates a copy of itself every time it strikes a target.
-->''To split wood with it would be sacrilege. This tool has but one purpose, and that is war.'' -- FlavorText for [[https://scryfall.com/card/m11/220/warlords-axe Warlord's Axe]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}'' has a whole expansion called Unnatural Axe, and the card by that name is a [[http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/unnaturalaxe/img/cover_lg.jpg very big axe indeed]]. With [[SpikesOfVillainy spikes]].
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'':
** [[https://yugioh.fandom.com/wiki/Artifact_Labrys Artifact Labrys]], a sentient axe that can summon herself when a fellow Artifact is destroyed.
** The [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Axe_of_Despair Axe of Despair]], or Daemon's Axe, is an Equip card that boosts ATK by 1000 points and features a horrific, ghoulish head as part of the handle in the original Japanese artwork. Notably, the rules have no provisions against equipping the aforementioned Artifact Labrys with the Axe of Despair, resulting in a situation where a futuristic space axe is wielding a demonic flesh axe.
** The [[https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Axe_of_Fools Axe of Fools]] is a more situational card. It also boosts the equipped monster's ATK by 1000, but it also negates their effects and the monster's controller loses 500 Life Points during the Standby Phase. So, power at a steep price for one of your monsters, or cripple one of the opponent's monsters one way while making it stronger in another.
** [[https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Gravity_Axe_-_Grarl Gravity Axe - Grarl]] is an Equip Spell that boosts a monster's ATK by 500 and prevents the opponent's monsters from changing their battle positions. Its proper wielder is [[https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Guardian_Grarl Guardian Grarl]].
** Several monsters wield sizable axes, including but not limited to Axe Raider, Axe Dragonute, Tiger Axe, Battle Ox, Rabid Horseman, and Giant Axe Mummy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comedy]]
A fine specimen of HenpeckedHusband has ''both'' an axe and an axe to grind with his wife in Bodo Wartke's "Ja Schatz". Needless to say, his murder fantasies vaporize at the slightest resistance. ''Na gut, was solls - hack ich halt Holz!''[[note]]Well it's no good - I'll go chop wood![[/note]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'': ''ComicBook/{{Slaine}}'' has an impressive axe.
* ''ComicBook/AlanFord'' has the issue titled ''The first thing to do is to kill all lawyers'', which features an unknown assassin murdering lawyers by slamming an axe in their heads (with BloodlessCarnage). Notably, it had four more issues with an [[RecycledPlot identical structure and plot]] in which a killer murders people of a certain category (accountants, clerks, doctors, dentists) with an axe until his identity is found out and is caught.
* Viking Commando was the feature character of Creator/DCComics ''All-Out War'' comic. A Viking warrior who was transported through time to the D-Day landing, he carried an axe called Iron Fang that had been magically strengthened by his journey through time to the point where it could cleave tank armor.
* In ''ComicBook/ArakSonOfThunder'', the preferred weapon of Arak (who is a Native American raised by Vikings) is the Viking small axe.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Arawn}}'', the Sun Axe is Math's indestructible weapon, capable of shattering almost any weapon with its blows.
* ComicBook/{{Ares|Marvel}}, the God of War in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, could use whatever weapon he pleased. He chooses to use a savage axe.
* ComicBook/{{Artemis}} has a giant god forged battle axe she names Mistress.
* Badd Axe, best known as one of ComicBook/TheHood's Initiative recruits during the ''ComicBook/DarkReign''. 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!
* A log-splitting handaxe is the signature weapon of ''ComicBook/DeadAt17'' heroine Nara Kilday. She doesn't seem to keep one on her, though, so she's always picking up new ones.
* 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 EldritchAbomination that cursed her family line.
* The odd weapon used by Buffy originally "appeared" in the future, wielded by ''ComicBook/{{Fray}}''.
* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'': Butcher, the embodiment of the 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.
* ComicBook/{{Hawkman}}'s secondary signature weapon is a battle-axe. He's likely to fight with it if his wife Hawkgirl is wielding a [[CarryABigStick mace]], his primary signature weapon.
* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'':
** During Hulk's time as a gladiator and rebel leader in the "ComicBook/PlanetHulk" storyline, he favored axes as his main weapon. [[HeroesPreferSwords He dropped them for a sword]] (that he made himself) in "ComicBook/WorldWarHulk", but promotional art shows him with an axe as well.
** After the Hulk left Sakaar, his son Skaar was left to contend with the aptly-named Axeman Bone.
* In ''ComicBook/InTheShadowOfDragons'', Roarn the dwarf warrior uses a battle axe and sometimes throws it at his opponents..
* In ''ComicBook/{{Lanfeust}}'', a short but large-bladed labrys is the weapon of choice of Baron Averroe [[spoiler: aka, Pirate Thanos]], and his emblem features such an axe over a stylized skull.
* The "Atomic Axe", which can cut through anything (even abstracts like time itself), is the weapon of choice for the Persuader, foe of the ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes.
* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'':
** An enchanted double edged battleaxe is the favorite weapon and insignia of the villain Skurge the Executioner. It's capable of opening portals throughout space.
** Jarnbjorn, an uru axe made with anti-[[CosmicEntity Celestial]] black magic, before he acquires and after he loses Mjolnir and his qualification.
** Beta Ray Bill gets one in his 2021 solo miniseries. His ship Skuttlebutt develops a robot physical avatar and she makes a new high-tech battle axe to replace his broken Stormbreaker. It's made from polycarbon nanite steel, has ''[[SwissArmyWeapon latching alternate blade attachments]]'', and can do ''[[RocketPoweredWeapon mini-power thrust action]]'' so it's capable of [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang returning to hand when thrown]].
* ''ComicBook/MouseGuard'' has several examples:
** Celanawe, naturally, given that he is the Black Axe.
** Lieam, by the end of Winter.
** Midnight also uses such a weapon (and has an axe to grind with the Guard).
* In the Franco-Belgian comic ''ComicBook/TheQuestForTheTimeBird'', an axe is the weapon of choice of legendary warriors Bragon and Le Rige.
* ''ComicBook/SachsAndViolens'': The executioner in the {{Snuff Film}}s uses a double-bladed executioner's axe to kill his victims.
* ''ComicBook/SinCity'': Part way through the first story, "The Hard Goodbye", Marv acquires a hatchet at the Roark family Farm and uses it to kill [[KnownOnlyByTheirNickname Painted Cop]] and [[CorruptCop his goons]].
-->"That there is one damn fine coat you're wearin'."
%% * Sonic makes a predictable pun when he faces the Mushroom Hill boss in the Sonic and Knuckles special of ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics''.
* ''ComicBook/SuperDinosaur'': Tricerachops has an enormous axe as her weapon of choice.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** In ''ComicBook/TheBlackRing'', Vandal Savage brings one for his confrontation with ComicBook/LexLuthor.
** In ''ComicBook/ManOfSteel2018'', Rogol Zaar wields a huge double-bitted battle axe. Upon his defeat, his axe was reclaimed by ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} wielded by Kara during ''ComicBook/TheKillersOfKrypton'', where it becomes an important plot point.
** In ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004'', Batman wields a battle axe when he, Superman, and the denizens of Themyscira fight against the forces of ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}.
* The Headsman of the ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' wields a giant axe and has a disturbing fixation with cutting heads off. This is implied to have something to do with his AloofOlderBrother using a logging axe to behead his beloved dog. Later 'Bolts member Troll wields an ancient Asgardian war axe, which can only be lifted with super-strength.
* Revolutionary War hero ComicBook/{{Tomahawk}} took his name from his skill with his namesake axe.
* ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': The Ultimate universe version of Thor's Mjölnir has an axe attached to it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* Time-travelling caveman ''ComicStrip/AlleyOop'''s weapon of choice is a stone axe.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': Axes are [[FieryRedhead Asuka]] [[HotBlooded Langley]] [[AcePilot Sohryu]]'s [[WeaponOfchoice favoured weapon]]. During her first battle in the fic she used a huge battle-axe.
* In ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'', Mysterio goes at Peter with a rusted axe after weakening Peter with [[KryptoniteFactor ethyl chloride]].
* In ''Fanfic/ABalladOfTheDragonAndSheWolf'', House Glover is given the ancestral weapon Pugilist: a Valryian steel ax with a pommel carved in the shape of their sigil of a clenched fist.
* In ''Fanfic/AGrowingAffection'', Sakura's axe is her primary weapon, until about the middle of book 3. [[spoiler: Gouki Namikaze is an axe-wielder, too.]] Both learned the weapon from Tsunade (who is never seen wielding one), and the latter received his unique weapon from her.
* ''Fanfic/{{Aska}}'': Ayra uses a "rune axe" that [[SpontaneousWeaponCreation materialises instantly whenever she needs it]]. It's probably used because of her ties to Myth/NorseMythology and [[HornyVikings Vikings]].
* ''Fanfic/TheBridge'': After he recovers from getting blasted into a weapons rack, Xenilla rejoins Princess Cadance's fight against King Sombra by using a bearded axe to counter Sombra's scythe as Cadance's sword was too light to damage it. He manages to break the scythe later on in the fight with a strong cleave.
* ''Fanfic/CampNightmare'': The camp counselor wields one [[spoiler:as he attempts to [[OffWithHisHead behead]] Calvin]].
* ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5362357/1/Carnage_Necropolis Carnage Necropolis]]'': [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Ash]] uses a fire axe to take down [[HeroKiller Tentagator]]. [[spoiler: What's impressive is that he did it with ONE arm, as the other was ripped off by Tentagator (though it loses some impact when you remember Ash is being boosted by the L-Ject he was infected with, and he dies soon after killing the thing).]]
* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', Uhtred prefers to wield a single headed war-axe.
* ''Fanfic/CrumblingDown'': After Lila's [[TheSociopath true nature]] is revealed to the class, Alix grabs a fire axe and has to be talked out of hacking Lila up with it (because Marinette wants to [[ToThePain utterly destroy Lila by revealing all of her lies and cruelty on television until "nobody will believe she's even Italian"]]). The fire axe becomes a RunningGag for the rest of the story, although Alix only gets to brandish it menacingly after [[spoiler:Alya's exposé airs, with the goal of preventing Lila from escaping the classroom until the authorities can arrest her for assisting Hawk Moth.]]
* In ''Fanfic/DanganronpaLastHurrah'', Samuru Yagyuu, the Ultimate Executioner, has an axe that he uses to behead people. [[spoiler:Surprisingly enough, when he commits murder, he uses poison on his victim]].
* ''Fanfic/TheEvabonSaga'': Gard's weapon of choice however he has used other weapons.
* ''Fanfic/FateHaremAntics'': Archer/Francis Drake normally wields guns and cannons, but she has a boarding axe for melee combat.
* ''Fanfic/ForumOfThrones'': Several characters have chosen the axe as their weapon of choice.
** Samantha Ducard is the most major character who wields an axe as her weapon of choice. [[DualWielding Two axes in fact]], small hatchets, but she still puts them to good use.
** Leonard Hill wields a massive battleaxe, befitting of his status as a badass.
** Cleaver Clint Volmark uses a variation of the typical axe, an oversized meat cleaver, which also gave him his nickname.
** During the Raid on Maybros, Durren Stallhart is shown fighting with [[DualWielding two axes at once]].
* One of Stalkkus' weapons in humanoid form in the ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' fanfilm ''Godzilla vs the Kaiju Killer''.
* ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World'': Zarrack the "viking" has a Dynamo Axe that crackles with electricity. He loses it to a furious Paul, who [[SuperStrength pulps the handle and pounds the unbreakable axe blade into the ground]].
* In ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'', axes are common weapons for [[RedShirt tro]][[{{Mooks}} ops]] to use, though there are a couple of notable axe users:
** [[PintSizedPowerhouse Luu-Luu]], the Princess Knight of Rad, wields an oversized axe.
** [[AntiHero Kyril]] uses the Hunter's Axe during the climax of the Leaping Lizards Arc, as well as the Hunt for Mandeville Arc.
* Samuel D. Axe, the protagonist of one of the best-known ''Manga/OnePiece'' [[OriginalCharacter OC]] fanfictions, uses a diamond axe as his main weapon, and is even named after said weapon.
* Just like his [[Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers canon]] [[Characters/HetaliaAxisPowersNorthernEurope counterpart]], the Denmark of ''Fanfic/{{Outcast}}'' favors a large battle axe as his weapon of choice -- with the major difference being that he's a [[HighSchoolAU human teenager at an exclusive boarding school]] instead of the centuries-old personification of a country. The fact that he's allowed to keep a literal [[AxesAtSchool Axe at School]] is pointed out several times.
* ''Fanfic/RobbReturns'': The Casterlys, and the Lannisters that come after, have a [[ThunderboltIron sky-metal]] axe called Rocktooth. Tyrion Lannister ends up finding it in the Nightfort.
* In ''Fanfic/RWBYSecondGeneration'':
** Orion uses a massive double-sided axe as his primary weapon. It’s also incredibly modular, as it can split into [[DualWielding twin hatchets]] that, as per the series’s standard, [[SwissArmyWeapon are also guns]]
** India also uses a pair of twin axes, with the added bonus of being lined with [[BlowYouAway Wind]] and [[PlayingWithFire Fire]] Dust.
* ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'': [[FieryRedhead Asuka]] is her world's champion of physical combat and masters all kind of weapons, but axes are her WeaponOfChoice (she is a ''[[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Khornate]]'' [[TheBerserker berserker]] so it goes with the territory). Throughout the history she handles from tiny hatchets to huge bronze battle-axes capable to cleave a man in half in a single blow. Her [[HumongousMecha Unit-02]] is equiped with a chain-axe, and eventually [[spoiler:replaced by a Bloodthirster axe against the MP Evas.]]
* ''Fanfic/UnderTheNorthernLights'': The reindeer berserk Heikko the Humongous fights with a huge double-headed axe.%%"berserk" is the term used in-story
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films — Animated]]
* Many Vikings in ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' wield axes, but Astrid is notable for carrying a large double-bitted axe that she's not afraid to use.
* Unsurprisingly, the Tin Man wields a massive axe as his WeaponOfChoice in ''WesternAnimation/TheSteamEnginesOfOz''.
* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'': When Stinky Pete sees that Woody and his pals are going to ruin his trip to Japan, he breaks out the (pick)axe...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
!!!'''In General:'''
* Many kung fu films feature an "Axe Gang" in which all the members wield axes.
** ''Film/TheBoxerFromShantung'' (1972)
** ''Film/ProjectA Part II'' (1987)
** ''Film/DrunkenMaster II'' (1994)
** ''Film/FistOfFury'' (1995)
** ''Film/ShanghaiAffairs'' (1998)
** ''Film/KungFuHustle'' (2004)
** ''Film/MarryingTheMafia II'' (2005)
** ''Film/IpMan'' (2008)
!!!'''By Movie:'''
* ''Film/TheABCsOfDeath'': In the "U" segment, one of the mob is carrying an axe that he employs to good effect against the vampire.
* ''Film/AddamsFamilyValues'': Debbie's slideshow includes one where she pulls an axe on her heart surgeon husband. [[spoiler:"'Sorry Debbie, the Pope has a cold.'"]]
* ''[[Film/AMIArticifialMachineIntelligence A.M.I.: Artificial Machine Intelligence]]'': One of the weapons used by Cassie [[spoiler:and Liam]] is an axe. Cassie uses it to chop her friend's head open[[spoiler:, and Liam uses it to chop Cassie in the leg, leaving her with a limp]].
* In ''Film/{{Antebellum}}'', Eli takes a hatchet along with him during the final escape attempt, and uses it in a fight against the General who is wielding a sabre. During the NoHoldsBarredBeatdown that follows, both men drop their weapons and [[spoiler:the General winds up grabbing the hatchet and killing Eli with it]].
* ''Film/ArtOfTheDead'': When Louis is possessed by Wrath in the garage, he grabs an axe and attempts to kill Kim. Shortly after, the Envy-possessed Donna gets hold of it and buries it in the head of the prostitute.
* ''Film/{{Asylum}}'': In "Frozen Fear", Walter murders his wife Maggie with a hatchet. Later, Bonnie uses the same hatachet in an attempt to fend off Maggie's animate body parts.
* Just try to guess killer's WeaponOfChoice in a movie called ''Film/{{Axe}}''.
* In ''Film/BlackChristmas2019'', Nate grabs the hatchet used to chop firewood and uses it to defend the girls against Black Mask. [[spoiler:Black Mask takes it off him and uses it to kill Marty.]]
* ''Film/BloodPi'': [[AxCrazy Amber]] uses an axe to start killing people late in the movie.
* ''Film/BloodWidow'': Laurie grabs one to use against the killer. She swings it, [[spoiler:and the killer chops the head off the axe]].
* Todd fights and kills the psychotic Cropsy with one in ''Film/TheBurning''.
* ''Film/CallOfTheUndead'': The Mob Boss finds an axe and uses it as a weapon. [[spoiler:Chloe's mom uses it to chop up the serial rapist/murderer]].
* The killer grabs an axe for a brief time near the end of ''Film/CherryFalls''.
* ''Film/{{Clawed}}'': One of the class tries to chop up The Shadow Of Death with an axe. Keyword being ''try''.
* ''Film/ClownMotel'': One of the clowns has a small hatchet.
* ''Film/{{Clownface}}'': An axe is one of the weapons Clownface uses when committing murder.
* In ''Film/{{Clownhouse}}'', [[spoiler:Geoffrey kills the lunatic Cheezo and saves Casey by buying an axe in Cheezo's back.]]
* ''Film/DawningOfTheDead'': In one scene, a fire axe is use to chop a zombie's head in half.
* In ''Film/DeadAgainInTombstone'', Bull Dog's hand-to-hand weapon of choice is the tomahawk, and he has several hanging from his jacket. Alivia uses one of Bull Dog's tomahawks to finish off Madame Du Vere.
* On Mrs. Webster's urging, Jodie buries a hatchet in her mother's skull in ''Film/DeadlyAdvice''.
* The BigBad of ''Film/Deadpool2016'' movie [[DualWielding dual-wields]] those, as if to hammer his CardCarryingVillain role home even further.
* In ''Film/TheDeserter'', Capt. Kaleb carries a tomahawk as one of his primary weapons, and insists that everyone in the squad learns how to fight with one. There is a grueling tomahawk battle between Kaleb and Jackson during training.
* In ''Film/DraculaVsFrankenstein'', Groton uses a double-bitted felling axe to kill his victims.
* During their final fight in ''Film/DickTracyDetective'', Splitface attempts to bury a hatchet in Tracy's skull. He fails.
* Most of the vikings in ''Film/ErikTheViking'' use swords. Thorfinn Skullsplitter prefers his trusty battle-axe.
* In ''Film/EvilDead'', Ash is more associated with [[ChainsawGood chainsaws]], but his original choice for a weapon to fight the Deadites with was an axe.
* ''Film/{{Faceless}}'': When Morgan breaks into the clinic at night, Gordon attempts to kill him with an axe.
* In ''Film/FiendWithoutAFace'', Major Cummings (Marshall Thompson) gets an axe from... somewhere, and uses it to kill one of the brainlike "fiends" after it gets Melville.
* In ''Film/Firestorm1998'', Jesse carries a pulaski--a firefighting tool that is a combination of an axe and an adze--that he puts to good use as a weapon over the course of the movie.
* ''Film/GrandmothersHouse'': Near the end of the movie, David grabs an axe to use against the killers. He ultimately uses it to [[spoiler:hack up his grandfather, whom he now knows is his biological father]].
* ''Film/TheGravedancers'': When alive, Emma used an axe to murder her lover and his wife. When she comes back from the dead, she continues to use an axe as her WeaponOfChoice.
* In ''Film/GodzillaVSKong'', a giant axe [[ImprovisedWeapon made from a bone and a dorsal spike from Godzilla's species]] is found within the HollowWorld, having belonged to Kong's ancestors. Kong himself uses it in battle against Godzilla during their fight in Hong Kong, and it's even able to absorb and discharge energy from Godzilla's atomic breath. [[spoiler: It also doubles as a ChekhovsGun, given that it's used to finish off Mechagodzilla.]]
* In ''Film/GunsGirlsAndGambling'', the ProfessionalKiller known as The Indian uses tomahawks as his WeaponOfChoice, and is devastating with them.
* ''Film/HalloweenAtAuntEthels'': At the start of the film, Aunt Ethel uses an axe to chop a girl's head.
** [[spoiler:Another axe is used later on in the film by someone else.]]
* Michael Myers uses one in ''Film/HalloweenTheCurseOfMichaelMyers'' and Rob Zombie's ''Film/HalloweenII2009''.
%%* The knight enemies in ''Film/TheHauntedMansion''.
* ''Film/{{Hayride}}'': The movie's resident killer uses an axe for quite a few killings.
* ''Film/TheHazing'': The axe that Jacob uses to recreate the AxeBeforeEntering scene from ''Film/TheShining'' becomes an important weapon for the pledges fighting against Professor Kapps spirit. Delia winds up burying it in the skull of the possessed Doug.
* ''Film/{{Hazmat}}'': Jacob's weapon of choice on his murderous rampage is a fire axe.
* ''Film/HeadlessHorseman'': Doc uses an axe to cut Ava free when she is grabbed by the tendrils sprouting from Headless's neck during the fight in the general store. Headless later uses the same axe to [[OffWithHisHead chop off Doc's head]].
* In ''Film/TheHollow'', CrustyCaretaker Klaus' preferred weapon is an axe. On being rescued from the police cruiser, his first act is to return to the graveyard to retrieve his axe.
* ''Film/{{Horrific}}'': Appropriately, on the undead executioners carries an executioner's axe as his weapon in ''Crypt of the Undead''.
* ''Film/TheHouseThatDrippedBlood'': In "Waxworks", the proprietor grabs a real executioner's axe from one of the displays in the museum and attempts to kill Philip with it. [[spoiler:He succeeds.]]
* In ''Film/{{Hungerford}}'', Cowen and his friends get an axe. They use it to chop a [[BigCreepyCrawlies bug]] that leaps out of someone's body.
* The pirate who sneaks aboard the fishing boat at the start of ''Film/TheIsland1980'' butchers everybody on board with a double-bitted axe. Several of the pirates use boarding axes when storming the schooner. And Nau garbs a fire axe during his final fight with Maynard.
* In ''Film/TheInitiation'', the killer murders Chad by burying a hatchet in his skull.
* An axe is featured prominently in ''Film/IslandOfTerror'', first in a failed attempt to kill one of the monsters, and later as the deciding factor in a LifeOrLimbDecision for Creator/PeterCushing's Dr. Stanley character.
* ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'': the ComicBook/{{New God|s}} Steppenwolf wields a giant axe with glowing TronLines as his WeaponOfChoice.
** He uses the axe in BloodierAndGorier fashion in ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'', cutting Amazons left and right with it when invading Themyscira. Which bizarrely restores full meaning to the taunt "My axe is still slick with the blood of your sisters!" he gives Diana/Wonder Woman in the theatrical film, which is not in Creator/ZackSnyder's version.
* In ''Film/KillersKiss'', Vincent takes a fireman's axe off the wall and comes after Davey in the climactic fight.
* In ''Film/{{Krull}}'', one of the bandits that [[TheHero Colwyn]] recruits to his cause, Kegan, uses a battleaxe in combat. Kegan is a BoisterousBruiser [[TheCasanova casanova]], played by a very young Creator/LiamNeeson.
* In ''Film/LizzieBordensRevenge'', Lizzie uses a fire axe as her weapon to massacre the sorority sisters.
* Gimli, as shown in the trope picture, uses a few to effect in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''. His pledge to join the Fellowship specifically emphasizes his weapon of choice.
-->'''Aragorn''': You have my [[HeroesPreferSwords sword]].\\
'''Legolas''': And you have my [[MasterArcher bow]]\\
'''Gimli''': And my axe!
** Several dwarves use it in ''Film/TheHobbit'', including Gimli's father, Glóin, who uses [[ContinuityNod one of the same axes]].
* Marz, the titular ''Film/{{Madman}}'' uses an axe picked up from a petrified tree stump to kill his victims. Well, that, and the noose left over from his hanging.
* In ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven2016'', Jack Horne carries a rifle and a pistol, but his preferred weapon is his tomahawk, which he wields with deadly efficiency.
* ''Film/{{Mandroid}}'': During the film's climax, the homeless mute Drago has working for him chops a policeman in the back with a fire axe to get his machinegun.
* Nicolas Cage's 2018 action-horror movie ''Film/Mandy2018'' has his character Red Miller battle a cult and possibly demonic beings with a mighty battle axe that he forges for himself, emphasizing the movie's SwordAndSorcery inspiration.
* In ''Film/MarketaLazarova'' the Captain can often be seen wielding a big axe.
* In ''Film/{{Mohawk}}'', the tomahawk is Calvin's preferred weapon, and he is an expert in both throwing it and using it hand-to-hand.
* In ''Film/MonsterParty'', Elliot's preferred weapon is a meat cleaver. Later, Patrick arms himself with a hatchet when he goes hunting Casper and Alexis through the mansion.
* ''Film/Mortuary1983'': Christie chops [[spoiler:Paul]] InTheBack with an axe to save Greg from being killed by him.
* ''Film/Mosul2020'': Iraqi police officer [[NewMeat Kawa]] inherits a survival hatchet/tomahawk from a previously-killed member of the Nineveh Province SWAT, which he uses several times in the film, [[spoiler:including executing his [[CorruptCops traitorous former partner]]]].
* ''Film/OneNightInOctober'': The scarecrow killer uses an axe to chop up the kids.
** Michelle grabs an axe to attack Freddie and Hewitt with.
* Killer in ''Film/ThePrey'' loved his axe so much that he provided the previous page quote.
* In ''Film/{{Psychos}}'', Larry uses an axe to chop his way through the door to the attic like he's Jack from ''Film/TheShining''.
* ''Film/{{Pumpkins}}'': Macy grabs an axe to defend herself against Pumpkin Man. [[spoiler:She never gets to use it against him. In fact, it actually goes the other way around.]]
* ''Film/RipperLetterFromHell'': When Molly, Kane and Jason all go running out into the storm, Jason grabs the axe from the woodpile. [[spoiler:The killer later takes it off him and uses it to murder him.]]
* ''Film/RiseOfTheScarecrows'': One of the ScaryScarecrows uses a hatchet as a murder weapon.
* Frank kills Eddie with one in ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow''.
* ''Film/RushWeek'' has the killer carrying a battle axe.
* In ''Film/{{Savaged}}'', Mangas Coloradas provides Zoe with a tomahawk that she wields to great effect in the final battle with the rednecks at the mine.
* In ''Film/SavagesCrossing'', Phil switches to an axe when his gun runs out of bullets.
* In ''Film/ScareCampaign'', Emma can only [[RearWindowWitness watch helplessly on the monitor]] as Rohan attacks Marcus and Dick with an axe: seemingly butchering both of them.
* At the end of ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', River [[DualWielding dual-wields]] a scimitar and an axe while fighting the Reavers.
* In ''Film/TheShadowOfChikara'', Moon uses a tomahawk as a personal weapon, including burying it in the back of a Union soldier during the opening battle.
* ''Film/ShadowsOfForgottenAncestors'': Ivan and the rest of the Hutsul men carry their shepherd's axes everywhere. They have small double-blades and long handles, making them useful as walking sticks, wood choppers and weapons.
* Jack Torrance from ''Film/TheShining'' used an axe as his weapon of choice on his AxeCrazy rampage.
* ''Film/SilentNightDeadlyNight'' has Billy carry an axe while dressed as a Santa Claus.
** ''Film/SilentNightDeadlyNightPart2''. Ricky, inspired by his brother Billy, uses an axe in the finale.
** ''Film/SilentNight2012'', the remake of the original, has the killer Santa use a double-sided axe as his primary weapon (although he has plenty of others).
* ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'' features a fight against an axe-wielding gang of enforcers.
* An axe is the signature weapon of the Huntsman in ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'', and its sequel, ''Film/TheHuntsmanWintersWar''.
* The first victim in ''Film/SomeGuyWhoKillsPeople'' is found with a hatchet buried in his head.
* Blondie from ''Film/SuckerPunch'' uses a tomahawk during the WWI dream sequence.
* Unsurprisingly, Paul Bunyan favours a woodcutter's axe in ''Film/TallTale''.
* A pack of Foot Soldiers try these on the turtles in ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990'', with typical results. They ''do'' succeed, however, in collapsing the floor and dumping everyone down into the basement turned junk shop, where things get worse for the Turtles.
-->'''Donatello:''' Good thing these guys aren't lumberjacks!\\
'''Michaelangelo:''' No joke! The only thing safe in the woods... would be the trees!
* ''Film/TheyThem2022'': The killer uses an axe to kill some of the victims.
* In ''Film/{{Thor}}'' and its sequels, Volstagg of the Warriors Three has an axe as his weapon of choice.
* In ''Film/TimberFalls'', Clyde kills Lonnie after he discovers the hidden entrance to cellar by burying a axe in his skull.
* An axe gets used at several points through ''Film/{{Train}}''. Sheldon uses it perform a MercyKill on Todd.At the end of the movie, Vlad uses it to try and kill Alex, before tossing it aside and deciding to use his bare hands. Alex manages to grab the discarded axe and hit Vlad in the stomach with it.
* In ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'', [[RetiredBadass Jetfire's]] cane [[BifurcatedWeapon can turn into an axe]], which he uses to slice up a hapless Decepticon or two in the final battle.
* In ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'', Optimus wields an axe to devastating effect. It winds up lodged in [[spoiler: Megatron]]'s severed head.
* In ''Film/TheTripper'', the killer's weapon of choice is double-bit lumberjack's axe.
* In ''Film/UncleBuck'', Buck engages in TwerpSweating with his niece's boyfriend Bug by bragging about having a hatchet that he keeps in his car for maiming and is sharp enough to castrate a gnat. When his niece simply derides it as a bluff, Buck actually takes said hatchet out of the trunk.
* In ''Film/VarsityBlood'', the killer carries a massive battleaxe as one of his primary weapons.
* ''Film/AViewToAKill'': During the final fight at the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, Max Zorin famously grabs a nearby axe and attacks the heroes in a last attempt to kill Bond and Stacy.
* ''Film/TheVikings'': The weapon of choice of the [[HornyVikings eponymous warriors]].
* In ''Film/{{The War Lord|1965}}'', all of the Frisians (who are portrayed more like HornyVikings, with no horns on their helmets) carry battleaxes.
* The killer in ''Film/{{Whiteout}}'' uses an ice axe as his preferred weapon.
* ''Film/{{Winterskin}}'': In the prologue, the intruder who broke into [[spoiler:John Carver]]'s house chops him to death with an axe.
* Although the killer in '''Film/{{Wishcraft}}'' uses a variety of weapons to dispatch his victims, his favourite seems to be an axe, which is what he uses in his final battle with Brett.
* The TinMan from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' always carries one, since he was a lumberjack in the previous life.
** In ''Film/TheWitchesOfOz'', the Tin Woodman and the Nome King use axes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gamebooks]]
* In ''Literature/BloodSword'', the 2nd book ''Kingdom of Wyrd'' - there's a golden axe to be found in that warped dreamscape. This is the legendary Axe of Heraklos, which gives the user a bonus to hit and damage. But in the hands of the Warrior, this axe can be [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang thrown and return to their hand]].
* In ''Literature/WizardsWarriorsAndYou'', the Warrior's arsenal is a regularly changing assortment of exotic and magical weapons but one of the few weapons that stayed through the series is a big mundane Battle-Axe. That's how effective the axe is, where he'll ditch a magical throwing mace or even the useful triple crossbow, he'll still keep the Battle-Axe around.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In the ''Literature/AhrimanTrilogy'', it would be weird if someone called the Axe-Man wasn't an example of this trope. He's the AxCrazy variety.
* Patrick Bateman, the titular ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'', murders Paul Owen (Paul Allen in the film) with an axe.
* ''Literature/APoisonDarkAndDrowning'': Maria has an axe on hand at all times. Her first scene in the book is when she throws it at one of [[GiantSpider Nemneris]]' familiars, and manages to chop it in the face.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the hill clans favor axes, particularly Shagga, who wields one in each hand. Tyrion uses an axe because his dwarfism makes a sword unwieldy. Loras, in spite of being a slender youth, wields an axe during Renly's tournament. Victarion Greyjoy favors a battle axe. Axes are the WeaponOfChoice of the Sparrows [[spoiler:later the Poor Fellows of the FaithMilitant]] mostly because they can't afford swords.
* In the ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'', GentleGiant Dunk carries a sword, but believes that he's virtually peerless with an axe or [[CarryABigStick mace]].
* ''Literature/BlackCrown'' sees King Marion fighting with an axe in the first short story, perhaps because he knew he would be fighting the armoured King Valerius.
* In ''Literature/BlackLegion'', the warband Fifteen Fangs uses chain axes as their weapons. Main character, Khayon, also has an axe, called ''Saer'' (''Truth''), which he took from a Space Wolf champion centuries earlier.
* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAlice'': Hatcher is never seen without his axe throughout the story, to the point where it's how he got his name.
* ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'': Conan generally uses swords as his weapon of choice, he has used the battleaxe from time to time in Howard's stories, such as in the first Conan story, "The Phoenix on the Sword," which has King Conan taking one to the assassins trying to kill him in his bedchamber after breaking his sword.
* Gaspard Caderousse in ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'' was originally an innkeeper and a witness to the plot against Dantes, whose only guilt was in not revealing it under pressure from Danglars, and thus failing to exonerate Dantes. Years later, when Dantes approaches Caderoussse under a fake name and gets him to reveal everything he knows, he even leaves a diamond as a reward. Later on, however, he talks to another character who arrived at Caderousse's inn the next day, and reveals that [[spoiler: Caderousse was urged by his wife to kill the rich jeweller who arrived to buy the diamond with an axe, and thus get all his money: that character wakes up that night by the blood dripping from the ceiling, hides, and sees that Caderousse was the only one of the three left standing. Caderousse claimed his wife attacked the jeweller and they mortally wounded each other: less charitable interpretations either have him commit both murders, or finish off the survivor of the struggle, since it was well-known he despised his wife.]] Either way, the trope is still in play.
* Raskolnikov in ''Literature/CrimeAndPunishment'' commits his infamous twin murder of an old lender and her sister with an axe.
* In ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'', Rob's weapon of choice he never parts with is a giant axe called [[ICallItVera Wanda]].
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** Plays with the idea of Dwarfs being commonly portrayed with axes. There, it's their cultural weapon so Dwarfish officers of Ankh Morpork can carry them around, and in Dwarfish mines carrying a huge axe strapped to one's back is perceived as more of being properly dressed rather than heavily armed. The particular axe preferred by these dwarfs is mentioned to be a multipurpose tool: It's got a pick on one side, for prospecting, and an ax on the other in case anyone tries to stop you.
** Some of the more progressive female dwarfs eschew the traditional dwarf armor in favor of dresses. They retain the axe, though, because, as one of them puts it, "I said I was ''female''. I didn't say I wasn't a ''dwarf''." Later books have gone into some detail about the smaller and more decorated, but still functional, pickaxes carried by openly female dwarfs, as though they might do a spot of mining on the way to a soirée.
** The elite personal guard of the Low King of the Dwarfs are worthy of special mention. Each is armed with a single axe. While other warriors may bristle with weapons, they bristle with ''one'' weapon.
** ''Literature/{{Thud}}'' has a climactic moment when a reformist Dwarf priest uses a hand strike to the throat to silence a conservative Dwarf priest. He describes it as "like using an axe, but without the axe". This particular modernizer doesn't carry an axe at all, yet is considered among the highest authorities in his culture; he insists the axe is a state of mind and thus not a physical necessity.
* Kaz the minotaur of ''Literature/{{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).
* In Creator/DavidGemmell's ''Literature/{{Drenai}}'' saga, the warrior Druss the Legend was also called "Druss the Axeman" (among a ''great'' many other things: The Captain of the Axe, Deathwalker, the Silver Slayer, etc) because his signature weapon was Snaga, a powerful axe that had a demon inside. For the first part of his adventures at least. Then he exorcised it. And was no less (perhaps even ''more'') deadly with it gone.
* Several of the Church Knights from Creator/DavidEddings's ''Literature/TheElenium'' and ''Literature/TheTamuli'' series were axe-users. Three examples: BoisterousBruiser Ulath, BadassBookworm Bevier and OnlySaneMan SideKick Berit all wield axes of varying sizes and types. Ulath uses a double-bitted axe, Berit an infantry axe and Bevier a lochaber axe. Adus, a [[TheBrute brutal]] PsychoForHire also resorts to an axe during his final confrontation with the heroes, despite having used a sword in his previous appearances.
** Also notable as a rare example where the difference between fighting axes and tools is made clear, with Berit being given a dressing down when he tries to use his weapon to cut wood.
* [[HeroicBastard Fitz]] from Creator/RobinHobb's ''Literature/{{Farseer}}'' trilogy.
* ''Literature/FellowMan'' by Norwegian author Olav Duun has a GenderFlip version of the trope. Ragnhild, the female protagonist is out to chop some firewood, and has to look for the axe in the smithy. When she gets there, she is threatened by the antagonist of the book, a {{jerkass}} and MagnificentBastard of a father-in-law, and she is pushed so far by him that she eventually chops him down. After that, she proceeds to chopping firewood.
* ''Literature/FengshenYanyi'', every time a new commander is appointed by King Zhou to fight the "rebels" of Xiqi, he's granted the yellow axe and white pennant of authority. Several characters also employ axes in combat, though usually they are all [[BadassNormal normal warriors with no taoist magic]], with the notable exception of Chong Heihu, a general who dual-wield golden axes and can use the magical Red Gourd in combat. The strength of his axes is also downplayed, as his opponent Su Quanzhong thinks he cannot win because his short axes can't match his longer halberd in range.
* ''Literature/ForestKingdom'': As explained in the ''Hawk & Fisher'' spinoff series, in his original identity, Hawk was a master swordsman. After he lost an eye, his sword skills declined, so the High Warlock gave him an enchanted axe that has the power to disrupt sorcery.
* ''Literature/TheFourHorsemenUniverse'': Bjorn Tovesson, the commander of Bjorn's Berserkers (a merc unit with a Viking motif), successfully attacks a [[IntelligentGerbil "king crab" Ziq'tal merc]] with a battleaxe sized for his [[MiniMecha CASPer]] in the ShortStory "Surf and Turf".
* [[GeniusBruiser Jean Tannen]] from the ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'' series is skilled with a large variety of weapons, but prefers to fight with [[DualWielding two axes]] he calls [[ICallItVera 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.
* Gotrek of ''Literature/GotrekAndFelix'' is not only a DeathSeeker but also carries a magical axe. Over the course of the series he has unsuccessfully tried to get himself killed fighting dragons, demons, hordes of undead; you get the picture.
* In ''Literature/{{Hometown|2014}}'', a common wood-splitting axe is the weapon of choice for [[SinisterMinister Luther Harfield]], both in life [[OurGhostsAreDifferent and beyond]].
* Norbert the Nutjob in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' is one hell of an AxCrazy. He has a HUGE double headed axe, with one head black and one head gold, and sharpens it lovingly all the time.
* In ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', (well, the sequel,) Johanna Mason from the lumber district is quite adept with an axe. At the Fiftieth Games (which had forty-eight tributes instead of the usual twenty-four) one of District 1's female tributes was armed with an axe. She reached the final two, along with District 12's Haymitch Abernathy, but was [[HoistByHisOwnPetard killed when Haymitch used the force-field surrounding the arena to deflect her axe back at her]].
* Ex-Con Keith Blackwell in ''Literature/{{Idoru}}'' uses a collapsible war axe not dissimilar to the US army tactical tomahawk.
* OlderThanFeudalism: Some variations of ''Literature/TheIliad'' have Achilles wielding an axe just before he's killed.
* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' examples:
** Heaven's general Julingshen, Sun Wukong's first opponent in his war against the gods, wields a massive axe called "Flower Storm". It's quickly destroyed by Wukong's much more formidable Ruyi Jingu Bang.
** Earthly demon Sai Taisui wields a similarly-named axe called "Flower-spreading Axe" as his main weapon, though when Sun Wukong pushes him in a corner he uses his magical fire-and-sand-summoning bells.
** One of the Lion demons attacking Sun Wukong with their nine-headed grandfather favors a battleaxe as his weapon, which is a surprisingly sensible choice when your brothers wields spades, caltrops and a triangular bamboo beam.
** One of the last opponents of the book, the Great King Pihan (Protection from Cold) has a massive axe as his weapon of choice, and alongside his brothers he proves to be a match for Sun Wukong.
* King Literature/{{Kull}}, another Creator/RobertEHoward's creation, famously used the axe, with his catchphrase being "With This Axe I Rule!"
** In the ''Literature/{{Kull}}[=/=]Literature/BranMakMorn'' story "Kings of the Night", the Vikings use axes.
* The Valerian footsoldiers of the ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' series use the [[SciFiNameBuzzwords space axe]] as their WeaponOfChoice. It's functionally identical to the Medieval poleaxe, but [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace in SPACE!]] As Valerians are canonically Dutch {{Heavyworlder}}s. The space axes were extremely massive, on the order of 35 pounds, so that even a slow swing was deadly. This was because the DeflectorShields in the Lensman universe provided resistive force proportional to the ''cube'' of the impacting item's velocity. As in ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the slow blade penetrates the shield.
* Captain Kotov in ''Literature/NightWatcher'' 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 AxCrazy, yeah.
* A lot of characters in ''Literature/TheOathsworn'' series fight with bearded axes, great axes, throwing axes, and when nothing more is available, blunt wood axes.
* The Keldara from the ''Literature/PaladinOfShadows'' series are very good at using axes for throwing and melee.
* In the ''Literature/ParadoxTrilogy'', Cotter's weapon of choice is a giant axe, so massive that he requires PoweredArmor to lift it.
* Neeva from ''Literature/ThePrismPentad'' use a large axe made of steel as her favourite weapon.
* ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' has quite a few users of both axes and halberds.
* ''Literature/TheSagaOfTheSwornBrothers'': The saga takes its time to describe the weapons of the young Thorgeir Havarson, of which the foremost is "a broad axe, a mighty weapon, keen-edged and sharp, with which he had sent many a man to dine in Valhalla" (i.e. killed them). The saga also somewhat apologetically comments that "[i]n those days, very few men were armed with swords". The poetical description of Thorgeir's weapons is undermined by the fact that at this point, Thorgeir is still a teenager who has not yet killed anyone, much less sent them "to dine in Valhalla" (a place that neither the author nor the audience of the saga believed in). This suggests the entire passage is tongue-in-cheek, and that likely teenage Thorgeir simply cannot afford a sword, and that his "mighty weapon" is actually a completely ordinary battle-axe.
* Jason, from ''Literature/TheSaints'', is thrilled to add an axe to his arsenal.
* The LizardFolk Hargrod from ''Literature/ShadowKeep''.
* An axe is the weapon of choice of the titular Green Knight in ''Literature/SirGawainAndTheGreenKnight'' is an axe with a four-foot head.
* ''Literature/SpaceCaptainSmith'': The lemming men of Yull are a species of human-sized lemmings that are culturally a mish-mash of Japanese samurai and modern North Korea. They also love battle-axes as much as dwarves in fantasy stories do and that's their only weapon in non-ship combat despite being a space-faring people.
* ''Literature/TheStarKingdom'': Stephanie Harrington and her fellow Probationary Rangers keep Pulaskis[[note]]A fire axe with a horizontal hoe blade on the back of the head for clearing brush[[/note]] nearby whenever they travel into the woodlands of Sphinx in ''Fire Season''.
* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'':
** Gimli from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' was [[FollowTheLeader the main inspiration]] for [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame countless other axe-armed dwarves]] from fantasy fiction. Strangely enough, while Creator/JRRTolkien does portray the axe as the traditional weapon of the Dwarves (the Dwarven battle-cry ''Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!'' is translated as "Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!"), all the main dwarves in ''Literature/TheHobbit'' fought with swords, and Dáin Ironfoot's army carried mattocks and short swords.
** In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', Húrin (a Man) uses an axe to great effect in his heroic last stand, taking down ''seventy'' trolls with it before being captured. Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs, has a massive, black one made of fire. Also, the Dwarves of the First Age use oversized axes with full helmets and masks to fight Dragons at close range
** Though the two are not commonly associated in pop culture nowadays, the Elves of Middle-Earth do indeed use axes in battle, with the Sindar indicated to outright favor their use.
** The fiefdom forces sent to reinforce Minas Tirith in ''The Return of the King'' include 200 axemen from Lossarnach.
* ''Twilight of the Gods'', an '80s SwordAndSorcery trilogy by Dennis Schmidt has the protagonist Voden's father, Borr Skullcracker feared for cleaving through enemies with ease using his battle-axe.
* Novak, the [[AntiHero anti-hero]] of the zombie noir ''Literature/UndeadOnArrival'', uses a hatchet (paired with a small [[DropTheHammer sledgehammer]]) as his preferred method of dispatching the undead.
* Li Kui, from ''Literature/WaterMargin'', was well known for his twin axes and, not surprisingly, being a little AxeCrazy.
* A moon-bladed hand axe was Perrin's WeaponOfChoice for some time in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime.'' The man who gave it to him did so on one condition: that the day he [[BloodKnight grew to like using it]], he'd throw it into the woods and go the other way, and after a particularly deadly battle drives Perrin to [[ColdBloodedTorture cut off a prisoner's hand]] he fulfills the promise.
* ''Literature/WiroSableng'': The titular character wields a sacred axe known as 'Kapak Naga Geni 212' (Geni Dragon Axe 212), which grants him a lot of supernatural powers in addition of being used in conjunction with his martial arts.
* The Tin Woodman from ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz''. Used it more extensively in the books than in the film.
* The aptly-named Hatchet Face of ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' uses an axe, along with his [[PowerNullifier powers]], to stalk and kill [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual capes]].
* ''Literature/TheMarvellousLandOfSnergs'':
** The King of the Snergs Merse II is armed with one sword and one axe.
** Golithos' weapon of choice is a huge battle axe.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* On ''Series/{{Bitten}}'', the final attack by the werewolf "mutts" begins when one of them, in wolf form, rushes Jeremy from the woods. Jeremy grabs an axe that he earlier used to chop wood and tosses it at the wolf. The axe hits the wolf in the head and kills him instantly.
* The Salamanca cousins in ''Series/BreakingBad'' carry a silver fire axe as their weapon of choice when preparing to kill Walter White.
* Axes frequently show up on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', usually in one of two forms -- In addition to fire extinguishers, Sunnydale High School is also equipped with fire axes.
** Joyce uses one of these when she goes MamaBear on Spike. And Giles (and later ''Series/{{Angel}}'') owns several medieval battleaxes, and they seem to be the preferred weapon for fighting demons. When Gunn joins Team Angel, he uses a home-made axe created from a hubcap.
** The Council thought to train Buffy with an axe. Blindfolded. The attacking Watcher was lucky not to be killed, the training dummy Buffy was meant to be protecting...not so much.
** The "Scythe" found near the end of Buffy is clearly a Lochaber Axe ([[SwissArmyWeapon though it includes a short straight blade on the head and a sharpened wooden stake for a base]]).
** Which crops up again in the comics, which shows a... extremely fit looking Buffy nursing it [[http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/File:Buffy40a.jpg as though it were a guitar.]]
** And now Willow's gone a little AxeCrazy and stolen it, thinking it will help restore magic. She absconds to England and goes to Angel, who threatens her (he'd just fought a horde of demons and thought she was another one before answering the door); she's broken off the end in case she needs to stake him. She later goes ahead with the ritual she had planned, ''by using the axe on Conner.''
* The old History Channel show ''Conquest'' had the host discuss the benefits of axes in one episode. Before starting a sparring session, he gives a protracted warning to his partner that once he starts swinging his axe at the man, it can't be stopped. He then lunges forward screaming and swinging his axe wildly, causing the overwhelmed sparring partner to break and run without putting up a fight.
* ''Series/DarkHole'': Tae-han uses an axe to defend himself from the zombies.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E5ThePoisonSky "The Poison Sky"]]: Sylvia Noble smashes the windshield of her car with an axe she has in the house because of burglars as her father's been trapped inside because it's being controlled by the Sontarans.
** Bors, a medieval fighter in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E1TheMagiciansApprentice "The Magician's Apprentice"]], holds an axe as he awaits his challenger in the arena. Enter the Doctor, standing on a tank, playing a screaming electric guitar solo.
--->'''Bors:''' [[AnachronismStew Dude!]] What is that?\\
'''The Doctor:''' You said you wanted an axe fight! ...Oh come on! In a few hundred years, it'll be really funny! It's a slow-burner!
* Cindy Trueman and her ''[[BigLittleBrother little]]'' [[BigLittleBrother sister]] Gladys in ''Series/FlandersCompany'' use them. Cindy's is made of Adamantium.
* ''Series/ForgedInFire'' has had its contestants make battleaxes twice. The first time it was a viking battleax, the second time it was a tabar.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** Loras wields an axe during his melee with Brienne.
** Tyrion prefers to fight with an axe, probably because his stature would make using a sword extremely awkward. He uses a double-bladed axe to chop the leg off a soldier of Stannis' army during the Battle of Blackwater.
** Both the Thenns, Styr and Loboda on the show also wield axes.
** Shagga son of Dolf is mentioned to have insisted on ''two'' battle-axes prior to the Battle of the Green Fork.
** The Ironborn are famous for utilizing axes in combat instead of the usual sword.
*** Yara wields a pair of tomahawks in "The Laws of Gods and Men," utilized both for melee and for throwing.
*** Euron wields a massive bearded axe when he joins the fray. While it's probably coincidental given that the style of axe is centuries old, it's worth pointing out that Euron's axe is essentially a pimped out version of Zombietools' Kraken model, which is a ''very'' appropriate choice for a Greyjoy.
** Sandor uses a wood axe as his main weapon in Season 6 and uses it to take vengeance on a group of renegade members of the Brotherhood Without Banners.
** House Cerwyn's sigil is a war-axe.
* A few of the Immortals on ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' have used axes instead of swords, most notably Kanwulf ("Homeland"),Silas ("Comes A Horsemen"/"Revelations 6:8"),and Caleb Cole ("Mountain Men)".
* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
** The Kunaiguns in ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'' have an axe mode aside from the gun and knife modes, but Kamen Rider Hercus prefers to wield the ZECT Kunaigun in axe and gun modes.
** In ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'', [[GentleGiant Kintaros]] wields an axe, as does his version of Den-O, which is actually named Axe Form. This is because Kintaros is based on the Japanese myth of Kintaro the Golden Boy, who himself used an axe.
** In ''Series/KamenRiderOOO'', OOO's ultimate form, [[StockDinosaurs Putotyra]] specialises in the use of an axe named Medagabryu. His other forms can use it too, but only Putotyra can use it's [[BifurcatedWeapon alternate]] [[{{BFG}} mode]].
** In ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'', this is Kamen Rider Tiger's WeaponOfChoice. His ''Series/KamenRiderDragonKnight'' counterpart is even ''named'' Kamen Rider Axe.
** In ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'', the title character gets an axe-sword combo (called Axcalibur) in his SuperMode.
** In ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'', we are introduced to the Gashacon Parabraygun; the [[WeaponofChoice Weapon of Choice]] for Kamen Rider Para-DX [[SuperMode Perfect Knock Out Gamer Level 99]], which also comes with a gun mode.
** With ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'', [[MilestoneCelebration the 20th anniversary series of the Heisei era]], features Kamen Rider Geiz's MixAndMatchWeapon, which has two modes: the Time Severe Axe Zikan Zax, with axe (Ono) being the form it takes when Geiz is in melee combat.
** ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne'' has Zero-One Shining Assault Hopper wielding the Authorise Buster, which has both axe and gun modes, the latter of which is the preferred weapon mode for Vulcan Assault Wolf.
** ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' has the [=Ohinbuster50=], which has both axe and gun modes. Revi (and by extension, Vice) can use this weapon to finish off enemies, [[{{Mooks}} weak]] or [[MonsterOfTheWeek strong]].
* ''Series/TheKidsInTheHall'' has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7DKHlxU2j4 recurring]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7DKHlxU2j4 character]] in which Dave Foley plays an affable axe murderer.
* The villainous Mordred in the 1998 adaptation of Myth/ArthurianLegend, ''Series/{{Merlin|1998}}'', wields an appropriately sized axe as his main weapon.
* ''Series/Mouse2021'': Jae-hoon kills some of his victims with an axe.
* Garrett's "Twin Timber Axes!" from ''Series/TheMysticKnightsOfTirNaNog''.
* ''Series/PsychopathDiary'': In-woo has an assortment of axes among his weapons collection. He tries to kill Dong-sik with one of them.
* Will Scarlett in the BBC's ''Series/RobinHood'' fought with an axe and a hatchet, on account of him being a carpenter.
* Turgut Alp in ''Series/ResurrectionErtugrul'' primarily fights with a hatchet as opposed to the swords used by the rest of the cast.
* ''Series/StrangerThings'': Joyce brandishes one from her shed after the Demogorgon first bursts through the walls of her house, fully intending to face it and save her son. She later uses it to hack down one of her house's walls, where she made brief contact with Will. Unfortunately, the portal doesn't last long.
* The various iterations of the ''Franchise/SuperSentai/Franchise/PowerRangers'' are also fond of axes. It's most common among Green and Black Rangers (which are generally considered "the same", because most teams have the primary colors, pink, and ''either'' black ''or'' green.)
* ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'': In "Lover Come Hack to Me", Peggy's mother uses a battleaxe to hack her husband to pieces, and later Peggy uses the same axe to do the same thing to her husband Charles.
* One client at ''Series/TattooNightmares'' indicated that this was how his new girlfriend destroyed his surfboard -- when she thought that she'd been conned by him and his roommate ("you guys ''both'' played me?"). An ax to grind, indeed.
* Not surprisingly, the main characters of ''Series/{{Vikings}}'' often carry axes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* A guitarist may refer to his instrument as an "axe" and few will question him. Typically, the louder the music he plays, the more likely and more acceptable this is.
** Gene Simmons of Music/{{Kiss}} regularly uses a bass made to look like a battle axe.
* Music/{{Gorillaz}}: Noodle, the Axe Princess.
* Music/IronMaiden's mascot Eddie uses one in the iconic cover of ''[[http://www.hessian.org/metal/music/images/iron%20maiden%20killers.jpg Killers]]'', and also on the "[[http://ironmaidencommentary.com/pictures/pictures12_bnw/single35a_rtth2002_1_a_small.jpg Run to the Hills]]" single.
* From the band Music/GloryHammer:
** The "crystal laser battle axe" of the King of the Astral Dwarves of Aberdeen on "Apocalypse 1992" on ''Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards''.
** "The Hollywood Hootsman" from ''Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards":
-->With his mighty battle axe,
-->He slaughtered everything,
-->'Til all of California,
-->Did call the Hero King!
* The Music/InsaneClownPosse are fond of using axes as murder weapons in their songs. One {{Horrorcore}} band called Music/AxeMurderBoyz take their name from one of ICP's lyrics.
* "Music/ShiaLaBeoufLive" has cannibal hermit Creator/ShiaLaBeouf in his cottage sharpening an axe. When you fight him later, you manage to get ahold of the axe.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mythology & Religion]]
* Though he's more commonly associated with his hammer, Thor from Myth/NorseMythology is sometimes described as wielding an axe in earlier myths, and is also a sacred symbol of his, given it was a favored weapon among farmers and lower-class Vikings (due to its cheaper cost compared to a sword).
** Forseti, the son of Baldur, was sometimes described as wielding a golden battle axe.
* Perun in Myth/SlavicMythology enjoyed a [[ShockAndAwe lightning]] axe, and was a common symbol of his.
* One of [[Literature/AesopsFables Aesop's Fables]] describes the story of a woodcutter who lost his axe in the woods. But, after displaying a character of honesty, the god Mercury gifts him with two treasured axes, in addition to his original one.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pinball]]
* The antagonist of Creator/{{Bally}}'s ''Pinball/{{Centaur}}'' uses a large metal axe with a pick on the back.
* The male warrior in ''Pinball/{{Gladiators}}'' is using what looks like an electric axe.
* Eddie uses a lumberjack-like axe during his fight with the Beast in ''Pinball/IronMaidenLegacyOfTheBeast'''s WizardMode.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* There's one installed in the spooky forest room in the ''Podcast/CoolKidsTable'' game ''Creepy Town'' that [[spoiler: the monster uses to kill Die]].
* Torq from the ''Podcast/CriticalHit'' Podcast seems to believe that axes are the only weapon worth wielding. Then he gets a [[ChainsawGood Rotating Blade Axe]] from Thony.
** Flint from ''Podcast/TheFallenGods'' wields dual battle axes. He replaces one with a magical one he finds in some ancient ruins, and the other with a powerful one he gets thanks to a deal with the enigmatic Mara.
* Through most of the Balance Arc of ''Podcast/TheAdventureZone'', Magnus Burnsides' WeaponOfChoice was a magical axe named Rail Splitter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* The Executioner, one of many failed gimmicks given to a wrestler to setup a feud with Wrestling/TheUndertaker, wielded an ax. He ended up jobbing to Wrestling/{{Goldust}} and never being seen again.
* Inquisidor has an ax on his {{mask|edluchador}} and twirls an additional axe during his entrances.
* During the last half of the year in Wrestling/{{Progress Wrestling}}, Wrestling/JimmyHavoc has taken to using an axe more to threaten people with but he did attempt to act on the threat. It has become pretty associated with him to the point of a Lego figure of him being given away with a DVD of his matches came with an axe as an accessory
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': Hatchets were the first close-combat weapon to be used. One mech in particular, the AXM-2N [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Axeman]], was the first mech used by Adam Steiner in the animated series. The axe in this case weighs five tons, being designed for use by HumongousMecha. [[VibroWeapon Vibroaxes]] are one of many types of melee weapons available in the RPG SpinOff, ''VideoGame/MechWarrior''.
* ''TabletopGame/BleakWorld'' has the fire axe as probably the best melee weapon in the game.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': Although it's not ''required'' per se, the traditional barbarian stereotype is waving an axe about as large as himself. In fifth edition in particular, the greataxe's damage ([=1d12=] where most two-handed weapons do [=2d6=]) synergize with the barbarian's brutal critical ability adding a single extra damage die of the sort the weapon does. They're also a popular [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarven]] weapon along with warhammers and crossbows.
* In ''TabletopGame/InNomine'', 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.
* ''TabletopGame/IronKingdoms'': One of the titular kingdoms is the [[TheEmpire Empire]] of [[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong Khador]], whose gameplay is often summarized in three words: "Axe to face!" This unofficial motto is made incarnate in [[ColonelKilgore Kommander]] [[AxCrazy Orsus Zoktavir]], [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Butcher of Khardov]]. He calls his [[ICallItVera Lola]].
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
** Axes are, as per standard, the weapons most commonly associated with dwarves. One particularly notable example is the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, a legendary two-headed throwing axe forged as a symbol of dwarven culture when the dwarves first emerged into the surface world. Besides being a ''very good'' fighting axe, it can be used to summon an earth elemental once per week. It also seeks to be used by a dwarf; non-dwarves who wield it take Charisma damage as long as they hold it, and over time begin to become shorter, hairier and more at ease in the dark. Over a couple of weeks, this results in a permanent transformation into a true dwarf.
** The nascent demon lord Treerazer wields the Blackaxe, a gigantic waraxe carved from obsidian and dripping with acid, as both his favored weapon and symbol. It's an especially deadly weapon against plant life, dealing additional damage to plant creatures and allowing its wielder to heal themselves by striking a tree, which afterwards crumbles into ash. It's also inextricably bound to Treerazer himself, who always knows where it is and who's using, can cast spells through regardless of distance and can call it into his hand at a moment's notice no matter how far away it is.
* In ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'', the Martian Sun Axe is a long, heavy double bitted axe given as a reward to particularly brave [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Maduri]]. These weapons are so powerful that they can cleave through enemies standing too close together.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' axes are much more popular than the hammer of the title, which is mostly limited to Dwarfs and a few humans.
** Not normally a weapon you associate with slender and graceful elves, but the White Lions of Chrace are an elite bodyguard unit of the Phoenix King who use greataxes in battle. This is a tradition harkening back to the band of woodsmen who saved King Caledor I from a Dark Elf assassin party when they ambushed him on a hunting trip. When King Caledor made the woodsmen his official bodyguards, they retained the axes that cut through the assassins with as much contemptable ease as the great trees of Chrace. ''Warhammer'' elves are considerably more hardcore than your usual stock fantasy elves.
** Dwarfs take it up to twelve; the Khazalid word for "axe" (az) doubles as a prefix meaning "warrior". An "azdawi" or "axe-dwarf" is a Dwarf warrior, an "azumgi" or "axe-human" is a human warrior, etc. This applies even if the warrior in question uses a completely different weapon and has never touched an axe; axe <-> warrior as far as Dwarfs are concerned.
** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
*** [[ChainsawGood Chain-axes]] were popular close combat weapons used by assault troops during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the game’s setting. Some particularly archaic and/or barbaric assault troops still use them during the main 41st Millennium era: furthermore, they are popular with Khorne worshippers, as the axe is considered as a sacred weapon to the Blood God.
*** Many factions in the game use power axes, an axe with a force field that disintegrates solid matter when it hits. In fact, it is the [[WeaponOfChoice traditional melee weapon]], and badge of office, of the [[MachineWorship Adeptus Mechanicus]]. Often taking the form of [[BladeOnAStick large halberd-like axes]], the blades of these weapons typically sport a cog-like serrated edge in imitation of the Machina Opus, the holy symbol of the Omnissiah.
*** Axes of all types, from regular to power axes, are popular amongst members of the Space Wolves Chapter of [[SuperSoldier Adeptus Astartes]] as they fit with their Viking visual theme.
*** The traditional form of the [[http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Choppa incredibly versatile]] choppa is that of a brutally primitive axe or cleaver.
* In ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'', the labrys was the signature weapon of the [[AmazonBrigade Black Furies]].
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Zombicide}}'', set after a Zombie Apocalypse, the survivors players take charge of start with a weapon each, can come equipped with a fire axe. This can be used to breach doors, though it makes quite some noise while doing so.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theme Parks]]
* With all the murdering going on, it's no surprise this shows up once in a while in Ride/UniversalStudios' ''Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights''.
** As you might expect from her, Lizzie Borden likes this trope.
*** The 1994-95 scarezone ''{{Theatre/Horrorwood}}'' featured The Lizzie Borden Band and Axe Corps, who carried around what you might expect considering their namesake.
*** The 1996 haunted house ''[[Ride/UniversalsHouseOfHorror Universal's New House of Horrors]]'' had a JumpScare with her bursting out of a closet wielding a bloody axe.
** ''Ride/HellsHigh'' from 1998 had two men at the end of the house threatening guests with axes.
* ''Ride/TheHauntedMansion'': Constance [[PunnyName Hatchaway's]] weapon of choice is, naturally, a hatchet, which can [[SpontaneousWeaponCreation materialize in her hands on command]]. She's implied to have used it on her [[GoldDigger wealthy husbands]] and her new target appears to be the ''[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou RIDERS]].''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* While a few ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' characters use axes at one point or another, [[MeaningfulName Axonn]] takes the cake with [[{{BFS}} his giant axe]].
* Nerf now gives us [[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VEC86M foam battle axes]] and [[http://www.amazon.com/Nerf-19663-Force-Klaw-Hatchet/dp/B003774Y0A/ref=pd_sim_t_3 foam hatchets]], which, judging by their popular reception, are awesome.
* The Franchise/{{Transformers}} "Power Core Combiners" toyline's first wave of releases features Smolder, a Decepticon fire engine whose weapon of choice is an axe, and Chopster, who transforms into Smolder's axe. They're both AxCrazy, to boot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* An axe shows up in the fifth level of ''VideoGame/TwoDark'', and is very effective at sneak kills.
* In the game ''VideoGame/AfraidOfMonsters'', made by the same team as Cry of Fear, David Leatherhoff uses an axe. The axe is the most powerful melee weapon in the game [[spoiler:and falls neatly into the "Psychopath" variety, as David is hallucinating and killing real people while he's chopping up "twitchers"]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheAgeOfDecadence'', axes are one of the melee weapon categories. They deal high damage, but have high AP cost per attack. Attacks from them can break shields apart, and it's also possible to execute a [[SpinAttack whirlwind attack]] with them.
* In ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', Axemen are the standard Tool Age Infantry serving as a power up of the Clubmen. They become obsolete in Bronze Age, as they do not evolve in the next tier infantry, swordsmen.
* In ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' has more axe-wielding troops, mostly Unique Units. As of Definitive Edition, we have:
** Throwing Axemen, Franks UU, infantry carrying huge double-bit axes and able to attack from a distance, dealing melee damage. When upgraded fully, they are comparable to archers. Possibly a nod to Francisca, though those axes were small and light.
** Berserkers, Viking UU, fast-moving infantry armed with dane axes and round shields, they regenerate health when not engaged in combat. Definitively a nod to HornyVikings
** Boyars, Slavs UU from HD onward, are heavy horsemen wielding large axes and shields. Unsurprisingly they deal a lot of damage in melee.
** The Northern Swordsman, an editor unit, used to be a reskinned Longswordsman with a round shield. It was reworked so that he wields a small axe intead. again in a viking flavor.
** The Inca campaign is symbolized by an axe and hairdress, and the hero Pachacuti is often shown carrying a long-handled axe in his hand. His hero unit even uses said axe in combat.
** In ''Lords of the West'', the Sicilian UU Serjeant are soldiers with long shields and norse helmets armed with small axes, to link their origins to the actual Normans.
** In ''Dynasties of India'', the Gurjara stable UU Shrivamsha Rider are armed with ''bhuj'', a local axe weapon resembling a large knife blade on a short handle.
* ''VideoGame/AgeOfMythology'':
** The Egyptian have axe-wielding infantry which is good at dealing with other infantry as part of their cheap infantry units (alongside spearmen and slingers).
** The Norse have Ulfserkers and Raiders equipped with axes, as well as the long-ranged Axe Throwers. Notably, those are all basic troops, while elite soldiers such as Huskarls wield swords instead.
** The Myth Unit Einherjar carries two Dane Axes in his hands and isn't afraid to use them. Upgrading them to Giantsbane add an extra blade on the axe.
* In ''VideoGame/AgeOfWonders'', the dwarves use axemen as their basic melee infantry rather than the swordsmen most races have, and their berserkers and boar riders also go into battle with axes.
* ''VideoGame/Antarctica88'': The PlayerCharacter finds an axe near the start of the game. It can be used to chop through the boards covering a hole in the side of the garage, as well as enemies (though it takes a few swings).
* ''VideoGame/AndysAppleFarm'': While playing "I Spy" with Claus, one of the things he'll make you guess is the axe lying on the ground. Things begin to take a turn as Claus's sprite darkens and his words become jumbled. The game cuts to you playing as Claus, running away from a quickly-approaching, axe-wielding Andy. When he catches you, the scene changes again, featuring two human characters... one of which is viciously murdering the other. [[MoodWhiplash Then it cuts back to Claus gleefully giving you a bonus sticker.]]
* Axes are a weapon option in ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'', popular with dwarves and orcs. High damage, slow, but also capable of hacking open a door or stubborn chest without being damaged.
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed''
** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'', Ratonhnhaké:ton, more commonly known as Connor Keway, makes use of a tomahawk with the axe head in the shape of the Assassin's crest, fitting his Native American ancestry.
** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'', Arno can choose from a selection of axes if he prefers a heavy weapon to a one-handed sword. ''[[DownloadableContent Dead Kings]]'' also provides him with the Guillotine Gun, which is a [[GrenadeLauncher mortar]] with an axe head serving as a [[BayonetYa bayonet]].
* The title character is given an axe to wield in the intro of NES platformer ''VideoGame/{{Astyanax}}'', but this is only the starting weapon. Over the course of the game, collecting the axe items will upgrade it to a barbed spear and then a sword.
* The Ravager class in ''VideoGame/AuraKingdom'' is restricted to greataxes as weapons. Predictably they're slow, but because they're so long they deal powerful damage to both the target and enemies within their range.
* In ''VideoGame/TheBattleCats'', Axe Cats fight with these, surprisingly enough. Since they are stronger than the normal Cats, early stages become much easier, but they are still outclassed later on, and you'll not be able to do the kind of ZergRush possible with the normal Cats due to their high cost.
* ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'': Axes are used as the melee weapon of melee-fighting Dwarvish Fighters and Skeletons along with their advancements. The more mobile-oriented Dwarvish Scout uses axe both as a melee weapon and as a throwing weapon.
* Zig-zagged in ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine:'' In Chapter 1, Henry only uses his axe to clear his path. In Chapter 2, he does the same, but his axe also becomes an ImprovisedWeapon. In Chapter 3, he's given an axe to demolish Bendy cut-outs, but he can also use it as a weapon against ink creatures. At this time, he may also use it to remove wooden boards to access a door. In Chapter 4, the axe is a weapon again.
** Played straight with Sammy Lawrence, who always carries around an axe.
* ''VideoGame/BloodlineChampions'' has the Vanguard use a scythe-like axe for their default weapon. The Harbinger's default is a crude weapon with a sharp edge curved inward described as a 'hatchet'. The Guardian uses large two-handed axes.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'':
** The Hunter Axe. In a world with saw cleavers, [[WhipItGood whip canes]], [[DropTheHammer tombstone hammers]], etc., this is "[[OvershadowedByAwesome just]]" an axe (that can extend into a halberd). Still, it's one of the better weapons in the game.
** ''The Old Hunters'' DownloadableContent, however, adds the Whirligig Saw, which functions as an axe but with a ''[[ChainsawGood circular saw]]'' instead of a blade, which can be thrusted into mooks spinning until they die or your [[SprintMeter stamina]] runs out.
* In ''VideoGame/BloodOmenLegacyOfKain'', perhaps the deadliest weapon after Soul Reaver that Kain uses are his axes "Havok" and "Malice" that he earns after the final death of Malik. With these axes he can do a barrage of swings or whirl around like a human axe tornado and often killing enemies in a single blow.
* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'':
** Most of the Psychos in this and ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' wield axes. In the first game, they're made of scrap metal. In the second game, they've been upgraded to Buzz Axes, which have buzz saws for blades.
** Axton uses a hatchet as his melee weapon.
** Krieg, a playable (though DLC) character who is also a Psycho, uses a massive buzzaxe for his melee attack and action skill, which with certain skills can be upgraded to have dynamite strapped to it or give it a chance to do fire damage.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bravium}}'', two of the different weapon types include "Shield and Axe" and the "Two-Handed Axe" weapons: the former allows you to regenerate faster while walking backward and increase defense with the shield, both can occasionally weaken [[AntiArmor enemy defense upon hit]]. Although labelled as "The Viking's best friend", nothing stops the Wizard from using them. Mixing a Diamond Rune with a Death Rune temporarly nets you a huge double-bladed axe seemingly made of bones.
* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'': The Seperator '''"Touch not this awesome axe, or suffer the wrath of the Tainted Coil!!"'''
* The Axe Knights from ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''. There's also a fair few examples of Axes as primary weapons. They're slow and even stronger than the slow two handed swords, but often have a blind spot where enemies can be just about missed. The main example though is the Axe subweapon, present throughout the entire series. For some reason, the character just ''lobs the axe into the air in an arc''. Nonetheless, it's really useful for those flying enemies!
* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' has a Battle Axe powerset for Tankers and [[TheBrute Brutes]], which may be ported to the other melee classes at some point (if you can get your head around the idea of a stealthy Stalker with a giant axe). As of a recent update, said axe can be customised between different colours and different models, including a fireman's axe, an [[EnergyWeapons energy axe]] and a [[ImprobableWeaponUser shovel]]. (the edge of the shovel; the blunt end is an option for the [[DropTheHammer War Mace powerset]]) Notable [=NPCs=] with Axe powers include the Myth/ClassicalMythology styled street gang known as [[ShoutOut the Warriors]], and the [[DarkIsNotEvil heroic yet demonic]] Infernal. (and his EvilTwin)
** Infernal takes it one step further by [[FlamingSword setting his axe on fire]].
* Axemen feature as early melee units in ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} 4'', with a bonus against other melee units. This is mostly used against spearmen and swordsmen, because when two axemen (or their upgrade, [[EpicFlail macemen]]) fight each other, the bonuses naturally cancel each other out).
* Windwalker in ''VideoGame/TheCombatribes'' uses one.
* ''VideoGame/CryOfFear'' has one monster in the "Psychopath" variety that uses them: the patients at the asylum. They lurk in corners before jumping out and attempting to chop you into pieces.
* In ''VideoGame/TheDarkness II'', a side character named Jimmy fights with the Dark Axe. Some members of The Brotherhood will also fight with axes.
* Axes are one of the weapon types in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls''. There are also Greataxes, which are much bigger, stronger, and slower. These are available to the player, and are also used by too many enemies to list here.
** The Bandit class in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' and the Warrior class in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' start the game with a Battle Axe, while the Pyromancer class in both games starts with a Hand Axe. ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' has no option to start as a Pyromancer while the Bandit starts with a Hand Axe.
* The Wraith in ''VideoGame/DeadByDaylight'' has one that is in the shape of a skull as his WeaponOfChoice.
* Kind, practical housewife [[ActionMom Blodeuwedd]] from ''VideoGame/DeadInVinland'' doesn't seem like the sort of character who usually has an axe as her WeaponOfChoice, but then again she is the wife of a [[HornyVikings Viking warrior]] and pretty accomplished at [[MightyLumberjack woodcutting]].
* Fire axe is the best anti-zombie melee weapon in the alpha version ''VideoGame/TheDeadLinger''. Since the game got cancelled in 2015, it'll likely stay that way.
* In ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition'', an axe is the signature weapon of the Raincoat Killer.
* ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'': Susie, TheBerserker, suddenly gets an ax in her first battle, and immediately takes a liking to it.
-->'''Susie:''' Dunno how I got an ax, but, like, that's cool.
* ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'' (and ''VideoGame/Dota2''):
** Mogul Khan is better known as Axe, and Axe uses his axe to counter-attack blows with a quick whirl of his axe or execute a low-health enemy, even through effects that can normally negate death.
** While not nearly as impressive as the one wielded by Axe, Troll Warlord and Beastmaster also wield axes - [[DualWielding two of them]], in their case. Both of them also have the ability to throw their axes - Troll Warlord because he starts as a ranged attacker and via one of his skills (either slowing or blinding enemies with them depending on whether he's in ranged or melee form), while Beastmaster can use his axes as ''boomerangs''.
** On the item side, Quelling Blade is a basic axe that adds bonus damage to non-hero units. It can later be built into Battle Fury, a bigger axe that [[HerdHittingAttack allows melee wielders to hit enemies in an area-of-effect with their basic attacks]].
* In ''VideoGame/DevilsDare'', Kingston, one of the playable characters, fights with a giant, two-handed axe.
* Choosing the Barbarian from the character select screen in ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' will prompt him to let out a yell and start grinding an axe while you choose his name. His starting inventory includes an axe. ''Diablo II'' also introduced one-handed axes that the Barbarian can use with a shield or in each hand, while the first game only had two-handed axes. Axes have more consistent damage output, with higher minimum but lower maximum damage than swords and maces.
* Axes have been one of the staple weapon types in the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series, with [[DropTheHammer hammers]], [[SinisterScythe scythes]] and even maces being grouped into this class as well. Though explicitly shown to be stronger than swords (attacks and skills even lower enemy defense), they suffer from low accuracy and a lack of multi-target skills. Both were remedied in the third game, though axes now lower speed as well, reducing your chance to dodge an attack. Some Item Worlding can remedy the negative accuracy and speed.
* In ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'', Dante's first reclaimed Devil Weapon is a massive red axe with a [[FlamingSword fiery blade]] named "Arbiter". Contrasting the fast, herd-hitting Angel Weapons, Arbiter is slow but very powerful and can smash through enemy shields and rock formations. It can also [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks shoot the blade as an explosive projectile]].
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', axes had the highest crit chance of any melee weapon aside from daggers. They also had better base damage than maces and hammers and better armor penetration than swords. If you completed the ''Witch Hunt'' DLC on Nightmare difficulty, you were awarded an [[InfinityMinusOneSword Infinity Minus One Axe]] called the Dragonbone Cleaver as a NewGamePlus starting item.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' and ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' also had axes available as melee weapons, but they no longer had stat differences from swords and maces.
** Across the series, Oghren, a dwarven Berserker, in ''Origins'' and the Iron Bull, a qunari Reaver in ''Inquisition'', are the two party members that wield axes by default and both are the [[TheBigGuy heavy hitters]] of their respective teams.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** Axes are a usable weapon in the series, being also used by some enemies.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'': The best (non-cursed) weapon for the Soldier/Warrior is the Demon Axe (Headmans Ax in remakes), which you find in Baramos's Castle.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'': Axes are rare, but also a good choice of weapon for Kiefer/Aishe (who both can wear heavy equipment) and Ruff, the local wild child who otherwise uses boomerangs and claw-like weapons.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'': Yangus' best and most effective weapons are axes.
** A weapon class in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'' as well, that deals bonus damage against plant-type enemies. However, it's not very useful as there are no high-end monsters to use it on.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonProject'', Xenota Axe is a magical axe that deals earth damage, making you immune to paralysis for 30 seconds and stagger for 10 seconds.
* Axes are a popular weapon choice in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', partly because they're considered [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame "dwarfy"]] but mostly because there is currently only one "axe" item that's used both in battle and for felling trees. (TruthInTelevision up to a point, as touched upon in Real Life below.) Falling slightly out of favour after the massive combat mechanics overhaul that finally enabled swords to thrust as well as cut, however, whereas previously an axe and a sword were roughly equivalent in battle. Only slightly however; if removing body parts outright is specifically what you want, an axe is still your better bet.
* ''VideoGame/DynaGear'' have a power-up that upgrades your throwing swords into heavy axes. Shorter in range, but deals heavier damage, and clears an area of enemies faster.
* In ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'', Dian Wei used a giant axe which was later replaced with a flail in ''6'' before returning to his axe. Same goes for Xu Huang, who gets another BladeOnAStick of sorts in ''6'' but returns to a great axe in ''7'': their styles are also completely different, with the former employing short-ranged, brutal strikes and even tosses while the latter has a more graceful technique with lots of spinning and waving. Jia Chong in ''8'' gets a pair of throwing axes. Zhang Liao goes for the gold in this trope, having been given [[DualWielding twin long axes]] since ''7''. Most notably, the Great Axe from ''7'' onward (based on Xu Huang's earlier weapon) drags hit enemies with it, apparently chopping them squarely in the middle.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** Throughout the series, one can find a variety of one-handed "War Axes" and two-handed "Battle Axes" to use. Naturally, [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs]] and [[HornyVikings Nords]] get racial bonuses to using axes in several games. Out of the non-playable races, [[OurMinotaursAreDifferent Minotaurs]] favor axes (along with [[DropTheHammer warhammers]]), and are strong enough to use two-handed battle axes with one hand. (Sometimes even DualWielding them.)
** In the series' {{Backstory}}, the legendary Chimeri/Dunmeri hero, Lord Indoril Nerevar, used the "Named Axe" as his primary weapon for a time and used it to slay the Parliament of Craters. (He would later move on to using the FlamingSword, True Flame.)
** Boethiah, the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of Plots, is typically depicted as wielding a massive battle axe in his male statues. (Boethiah's [[SexShifter female form]] statues instead wield a CoolSword.)
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' is notable as the single most damaging (per strike) weapon the in game is a Daedric Battle Axe with a Damage Health on Strike enchantment, enchanted with [[spoiler:Almalexia's]] soul for the max number of blows before it runs out.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'''s ''Knights of the Nine'' expansion, the Aurorans, a race of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]] in service to the Daedric Prince [[FallenAngel Meridia]], have battleaxes as a favored weapon. As {{Giant Mook}}s to the expansion's BigBad, they naturally [[OneHandedZweihander wield them one-handed]].
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'':
*** Axes are part of the generous selection of weapons on offer. Quite fitting for a game taking place in the homeland of the Nords.
*** ''Skyrim'' also reveals that axes are of great cultural significance to the Nords. An old custom involves sending your axe to another Nord. [[WithUsOrAgainstUs How he responds will determine if you have business to address]].
*** Wuuthrad is a battleaxe and the iconic weapon of the [[LongDeadBadass ancient]] [[FounderOfTheKingdom Nordic King]], Ysgramor. It has a [[FantasticRacism screaming Elf]] carved into it and [[WeaponOfXSlaying deals extra damage to Elves]]. Finding its pieces and reforging it is part of the Companions questline.
*** Tsun, the old Nordic god of "trials against adversity" and [[BodyguardingABadass shield-thane]] of [[TopGod Shor]], wields a beefed-up ancient Nordic battleaxe when [[spoiler:he is met in [[WarriorHeaven Sovngarde]].]] Game files reveal that it is actually the most powerful axe in the game, exceeding even Dragonbone weaponry in damage.
* ''VideoGame/EternalCardGame'' includes axes as weapons, both for units and the players themselves.
* Michael Edwards of ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'' is a fireman, and he starts his chapter carrying his trusty fire axe. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards, he finds an [[{{BFG}} OICW]], effectively limiting how much use the axe will see in practice.
* Axes will instantly kill the common Haunted in ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'', but will break immediately afterwards. Joseph sometimes wields one during the levels where he follows closely behind you. During "The Consequence," the second DLC, [[spoiler: Juli uses axes she finds littered around the area to defend herself from [[BrainWashedAndCrazy Joseph, who's become haunted and violent via Ruvik's influence over STEM]] and [[FightingYourFriend is out for her blood.]]]]
* Your hero in the arcade actioner ''VideoGame/ExMutants'' carries a huge ax as his default weapon, which can fire projectiles with every swing.
* ''VideoGame/EyraTheCrowMaiden'': One weapon that [[ItemDropMechanic enemies and crows drop]] is an axe that [[PlayerCharacter Eyra]] can pick up and wield against enemies.
* In ''VideoGame/TheFallLastDaysOfGaia'', there's the Long Axe melee weapon. It's quite powerful, but takes a while to swing. Out of combat, it can also be used to chop chunks of meat down to size!
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' has the Auto Axe (a modified concrete saw) from The Pitt, the standard Axe from Point Lookout, and the unique Dismemberer.
** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has, in addition to hatchets and standard fire axes, a unique [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity +1 Axe]] [[ICallItVera named Knock-Knock]].
** The ''Old World Blues'' expansion gives us the {{Zeerust}} [[http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Proton_axe proton axe]] as well as a throwing variation. This is a ShoutOut to ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'', ''Fallout'''s spiritual predecessor.
** ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' has Grognak's Axe, which is a replica of the one used by the comic book character Grognak the Barbarian. In addition, it's possibly to modify tire irons to create Bladed Tire Irons, which resemble rusty hatchets.
* In ''VideoGame/TheFeebleFiles'', [[spoiler:the holy relic of Feeble's species is an axe. It's used to destroy the BigBad.]]
* In ''VideoGame/FellSealArbitersMark'', axes are the strongest type of one-handed melee weapon, but they inflict penalties to the wielder’s Defense.
* The Warrior class from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII'' can use a few axes as weapons. However, he [[Webcomic/EightBitTheater likes swords]] better. (Technically, the Warrior ''should'' use swords instead of axes because axes have a lower inherent accuracy, reducing the possibility of multiple hits, which is the biggest source of damage multiplier in the game.)
** Both TheBeastmaster and Warrior classes in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' use axes as a WeaponOfChoice. While Warriors use giant axes to the best ability, halberds are still considered polearms, and thusly Dragoons are best at them.
** The Marauder class and its job, Warrior, in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV,'' primarly uses axes, though some more recent weapons have branched out a bit into hammers as well. Similar to its MMO predecessor, Dragoons get in on the Halberd action.
** Lani from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''. In her first scene in the game, when she learns that [[spoiler:she doesn't need to spare any of your party members on her mission to obtain Garnet/Dagger's pendant,]] she speaks as though her axe ''has a mind of its own''.
--->'''Lani:''' "My axe is pleased to hear that."
** Axes appear periodically in other ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, but not at the same frequency as swords, spears, and some other weapons. They tend to be used by [[HornyVikings Viking]] or [[TheBerserker Berserker]]-type classes.
** Axes in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' are favored by Squires and Geomancers, but are generally unreliable compared to other melee weapons due to their RandomizedDamageAttack nature.
** Kaeli from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyMysticQuest'' is a [[WhiteMagic White Mage]] in nature (definitely not [[SquishyWizard squishy]]), but her standard weapon is an axe (later the mighty Giant's Axe).
* In the SNES game ''VideoGame/TheFiremen'' your AI-controlled partner Danny not only puts out fires with his axe but also uses it to destroy killer robots.
* One of the three basic weapon types from ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' (along with swords and [[BladeOnAStick lances]]). Axe users have a tendency toward BigGuy 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 TheBigGuy and more like the JackOfAllStats.
** Axes also frequently show up as special weapons that only some characters (generally with S axe use rank) can handle. The below mentioned Helswath is only one of them: we have the Pugi in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Thracia 776]]'' (which, in a variation, can be used only by [[HotBlooded Osian]]), Armads and Basilikos in the Elibe continuity, Garm (Sacred Relic of [[spoiler: the Grado Empire]]) in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones Sacred Stones]]'', and Urvan in ''Radiant Dawn''.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'':
*** The sacred WeaponOfChoice of the Crusader Neir (founder of House Dozel) was his ''BIG FRICKING AXE'' Helswath. This one is the heaviest FE weapons ''period'': it gives insane bonuses to strength and hits from two spaces away, [[MightyGlacier but is also insanely slow]] and only available to people with major Neir blood (none of whom are playable).
*** House Dozel in general is specialized in axe use, whether their members can use the Helswath or not. From there alone we have [[ArchnemesisDad Duke Lombard]], [[TheCaligula King Danann]], and the princes [[BlackSheep Lex]], [[AntiVillain Brian]], [[PurpleProse Iuchar]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Iucharba]]: out of them, three (Lex in the first generation, Iuchar and/or Iucharba in the second) join your group.
** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', Hector of Ostia is actually the first ''Lord'' who specializes in axe use. He even gets to use the aforementioned Armads after the Sacred Weapons are unlocked ([[spoiler:and it was formerly wielded by Durban the Berserker, one of the Twelve Legends]]). One type of axe is used as a ranged boomerang, though it doesn't do much damage.
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance Path of Radiance]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'':
*** Boyd deserves a mention for being Ike's axe-wielding FriendlyRival and [[TheLancer Lancer]], at least as far as the early-game goes. He's also notable for being one of ''the'' best axe users in the series, [[GameBreaker and for a very good reason.]]
*** In ''Radiant Dawn'', Ike gains axes upon promotion. (And the axe became Greil's WeaponOfChoice [[spoiler:after he handicapped himself willingly so that he could not use a sword again]].)
*** The [[DragonRider wyvern riders]] switch from being lance users to axe users.
** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Awakening]]'', the War Cleric/War Monk class (promoted from the Clerics/Priests) can use axes as well -- giving birth to the "NUNS WITH AXES" meme. There's also Walhart, who wields the unique and powerful Wolf Berg axe ([[spoiler:which he keeps when he joins you as a SecretCharacter late in the game]]).
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', both BigBad Garon and his daughter Camilla specialize in axes.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' the protagonist and each of the three lords specializes in a different weapon of the weapon triangle. Representing axes is Edelgard of the Black Eagles. Other notable axe-wielders include Annette of the Blue Lions and Hilda of the Golden Deer, who can wield their respective regalia axes Crusher and Freikugel. There's also a sacred axe called the Axe of Ukonvasara you can find at the beginning of Part II on all routes save Crimson Flower.
* Axes show up as the weapons of a couple of the classes in ''VideoGame/ForHonor''. Unsurprisingly, axe-wielding classes are mostly Vikings, namely the Raider, who uses a long-handled Dane Axe as their primary weapon, and the Berserker, who [[DualWield dual-wields]] one-handed axes. That said, the Knights have their own axe user, the Lawbringer, [[MemeticMutation who carry poleaxes, the most versatile weapons ever created]].
* ''VideoGame/FrostbiteDeadlyClimate'': One of the weapons your character can use is an axe.
* ''VideoGame/FrozenState'': Your character can wield an axe in the game. It can be used to chop down trees.
* The Warrior class from ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}}'' uses an infinite supply of magical throwing axes.
* ''VideoGame/GitarooMan'' plays with this with the very first stage. Since all the characters are {{Musical Assassin}}s, the first enemy is a demon wielding an axe. Not a guitar, an actual axe. He charges it up by strumming it like a guitar, but attacks you with unusually musical chopping of air.
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'': Having lost [[spoiler:([[OldShame hidden away]], rather)]] his signature chain blades from the [[VideoGame/GodOfWarIII previous game]], Kratos now wields a magical battle axe that can be infused with elemental forces and thrown.
* The arcade game ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'', where the dwarf Gilius Thunderhead wields the titular axe (he's stuck with a boring old steel one in the home versions, though).
* While riding your [[HoverBike airbike]], you can pick up and buy axes (among many other weapons) to throw at your enemies in Creator/DataEast arcade game ''Gondomania''.
* ''VideoGame/GreedFall'': Various axes are available to your character under the One/Two-Handed Heavy Weapons skill depending on their size. Looking closely at their stats shows that they deal somewhat less physical damage then the equivalent swords, but are more effective against armor and more likely to stun the enemies by the sheer force of impact.
* In ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'', taking a page from ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'', features axes as melee weapons sitting [[JackOfAllStats squarely in the middle when it comes to damage, armor-piercing and requirements parameters]]. Unlike Titan Quest, it does features Two-Handed Axes, a class which includes [[SinisterScythe scythes]] and [[BladeOnAStick halbeards]].
* Axes are one of three weapons usable by Warriors in ''VideoGame/GuildWars'', [=AoE=] attacks for PlayerVersusEnvironment gameplay. (Though hammers have the ability to knock foes down and swords have some really good skills like Dragon Slash, so they're fairly even.)
* Moraxus in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfNewerth'' is a demon who ''loves'' axes, whether he's hitting things with one, throwing several of them at enemies, or creating a barrier that's ''made of axes''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Hexen}} II'' has the Paladin use throwing axes as his green mana weapon.
* White Heart's weapon of choice in the ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptunia'' series.
* Ajna from ''VideoGame/{{Indivisible}}'' uses her mother's axe as her primary weapon, though she's good with her bare hands and uses the other weapons she obtains as well. Though her heart's in the right place, Ajna has a bad habit of smashing through problems [[DestructiveSavior without considering the full consequences]], and the heavy, destructive axe that serves as her main weapon reflects this.
* ''VideoGame/InunakiTunnel'': [[PlayerCharacter You]] find an axe at one point in the game that you can use to cut down a tree to get across a river.
* The Jenny Fox enemies in ''VideoGame/IttleDew1'' hurl axes at you every two seconds. According to a sign, they might also use them as gardening tools.
* ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' has Black Whirlwind, a SociopathicHero with twin axes who was likely inspired by Li Kui from ''Literature/WaterMargin''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Jotun}}'': A large, two-handed axe is the only weapon of Thora, a decidedly non-[[HornyVikings Horny Viking]] trapped in Norse purgatory. The axe proves [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer more than sufficient]] to deal with the magic, elemental giants she needs to defeat in order to escape.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** Lexaeus, TheBrute of Organization XIII, uses an over-sized weapon referred to as a tomahawk in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories'' and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', and as an Axe Sword in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2''.
** Some Keyblades are rather axe-like in design, usually being a decorative pole that ends with a blade-like attachment at the end. Special mention goes to Master Xehanort, the BigBad of the entire franchise, who swings around a massive Keyblade with an axe design despite possibly being [[OldMaster the oldest known Keyblade wielder in the series]], bar maybe Yen Sid.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has a few axe weapons, such as the wooden axe, the denim axe, and the drywall axe. Also, players under the [[NewGamePlus Avatar of Boris challenge path]] are restricted to using Boris's trusty axe, [[ICallItVera Tru]][[MeaningfulName sty]].
* Parceval in the Capcom arcade brawler ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheRound''.
* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'':
** In ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'', [[spoiler:Masked Dedede]] uses a halberd in his second phase.
** In ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', Francisca uses a double-sided axe in both of her battles.
* ''VideoGame/{{Kona}}'': Carl can wield a lumber axe.
* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' 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, with wide range but the slowest attack rate.
* In ''VideoGame/LegacyOfTheWizard'', the hero's father Xemn wields throwing axes.
* ''Legendary Axe'' for the Turbo Grafx-16, involves the barbarian Gogan who wields the legendary axe Sting, a weapon with a powerful attack that diminishes with each strike until you allow it to recharge.
* ''VideoGame/LegendOfLegaia'':
** In the first game, Gala uses axes as one of his primary weapon types, along with clubs and maces.
** In ''Duel Saga'', Ayne wields a massive axe as big as the other party members. As his [[CombinationAttack Variable Art]] finisher, he [[SpinAttack spins and throws]] the massive axe at the target.[[note]]As he is 9-10 feet tall and extremely muscular even for his height, it's more reasonable than it sounds[[/note]]
* Yeah you can eventually buy a very powerful [[CoolSword magic sword]] for chopping down enemies, but your most useful weapons will be [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang thrown axes that return to you]] in ''Creator/{{Jaleco}}'' arcade game ''Legend of Makai''
* Several enemies in ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series use axes against Link such as Dairas, Lizalfos, Bokoblins, Iron Knuckles, Stalmasters, Gold Phantoms, and more. However, Link himself didn't get to use anything other than swords as his main weapon until ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. In ''Breath Of The Wild'' one of the first weapons you have access to is a woodcutter's axe, and you're able to scavenge bigger and better ones as the game progresses.
* Firefighters in ''VideoGame/LiberalCrimeSquad'' come equipped with fire axes (except at C+ Free Speech law, when [[Literature/{{Fahrenheit 451}} they come equipped with]] [[FireBreathingWeapon M-2 flamethrowers]] and torch to the ground any building publishing the Liberal Guardian).
* ''VideoGame/MagicRampage'': There are a few of these, notable the Umbranian Cutter and the Lightning Axe.
* Voodoo in the 2010 ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' defaults to his hatchet for close combat. A mission late in the game has you investigating a seemingly abandoned camp where you find a dead Taliban fighter with said hatchet buried in the back of his head. Taliban fighters in the game's multiplayer mode carry hatchets for their QuickMelee attack.
* In ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' sometimes the last wave of enemies in a training level will use throwing axes as their only weapons.
* The Robot Master Tomahawk Man from ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'', Mino Magnus from ''VideoGame/MegaManZero 4''. King from ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' also wields an axe.
%% {{ZCE}} * ''VideoGame/{{MechRunner}}'': You can equip the [=XP=]-41 with axes.
* In ''VideoGame/MercenaryKings'', your character can act as such with the Violence Axe weapon, which is one of the most powerful melee implements.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' has [[DoomedByCanon (former)]] Wind of Destruction Khamsin from the ''Blade Wolf'' [=DLC=]. A [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]] {{cyborg}} with a humongous chainsaw axe with a [[RocketPoweredWeapon rocket booster]] at the back to give a speed boost or add more force to every swing.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' axe, though primarily a tool for chopping wood, can be used as a weapon. It takes twice as much damage in durability when used to attack, but will disable the use of a shield when swung while dashing. In ''Java Edition'', there are more considerations; the swing rate is slower than a sword's, and it lacks the "sweep" HerdHittingAttack that swords have in this version, but an axe deals more damage per swing - vital in PvP battles due to reliance on critical hits (inflicted when an attack lands while falling, which means your cooldown isn't going to wear off before you land anyways) to do efficient damage.
* ''VideoGame/MinecraftDungeons'': Axes are an available weapon option. They have wider attack range than swords do, and even have a {{spin attack}} that damages all enemies from in a 360 degree radius. However, they trade the sword's speed for strength.
* ''VideoGame/MiniDAYZ '' has hatchets and fire axes as wieldable weapons, plus they can be used to chop down trees for various wood items. The fire axe in particular is considered an InfinityMinusOneSword due to its above average battle stats (especially damage) and usefulness as a UtilityWeapon, which some players will even use over the game’s InfinityPlusOneSword - an actual medieval sword - since it can only be used as a melee weapon in a game where close-ranged combat with zombies and bandits is something you should avoid at all costs.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Miscreated}}'', this is one of the items you can equip your character with.
* In ''VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight'', this is the signature weapon of enemy General [[MightyGlacier Borankio]] [[RedBaron the Unshakable]].
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' has the Switch Axe and the Charge Blade, two ''SwissArmyWeapon''-classes. The former is huge axe that can change into a [[{{BFS}} huge heavy sword]] which can trigger explosions, while the other is a sword and shield set which combines into a huge axe (also triggering explosions).
* [[HiveMind Ermac]] and [[BadassBookworm Nightwolf]] from ''Franchise/MortalKombat''. Ermac has a plain old axe, while Nightwolf uses a tomahawk.
** When he was brought back for ''Ultimate VideoGame/MortalKombat3'', Scorpion was the first to use a weapon in a chain combo. Prior to that, characters only used weapons as special moves such as Kano's Knife Throw. Scorpion's weapon? A big, double-bladed battle axe. Since then Scorpion has dropped the axe and has since stuck to using swords to fit with his Japanese ninja origins.
* Axes of the single handed, two handed, polearm, and throwing variety are available as weapons in ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade''. Most notably, the expansion, ''Warband,'' included the powerful and extremely rare (and not on merchant sale lists) Two Handed Sarranid Battle Axe, an all-metal weapon which could only be acquired by attacking high level Sarranid units and hoping it RandomlyDrops from the ''one'' unit class that has a chance of carrying it.
* Subverted at one point in ''VideoGame/NeverendingNightmares''. Thomas picks up a bloodstained axe in the dark and using it to... chop down wood to clear a path. [[DoubleSubverted Later]], however, on one ending path [[spoiler:your evil counterpart will use the same axe to OneHitKill you.]]
* Herbert Wallace, the main hero of ''VideoGame/NightmareCreatures 2'', uses what appears to be a fireman's axe to cut down and execute the supernatural beings facing him.
* ''VideoGame/NinjaShadowOfDarkness'' has a short battleax as the second collectible weapon for the titular hero (right after the ever-iconic katana, of course). It's range may be short, but it can deal severe damage and kill most low-tier enemies with a couple of strikes when powered-up.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Nioh}}'', one of the weapon classes is Axes, starting from huge, double-bit axes in London to classical, long-handled Japanese axes of various types and size. More often seen in the hands of enemies rather than [=NPCs=], safe for the Obsidian Samurai (Yasuke) and Katakura Shigenaga (who wields a billhook-like poleaxe).
* ''VideoGame/Nioh2'' marks th return of the Axes weapon class alongside a new entry, the [[DualWielding Hatchet]]. There are also users of both weapons, such as Yasuke and Shibata Katsuiie.
* One of the melee weapons (the best one, in fact) that can be found in ''VideoGame/{{Odium}}''.
* Several enemies in ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'' wield giant axes, including Aesir warriors, Berserkers, and Axe Knights.
* ''VideoGame/OneWayHeroics'' has axes as a possible weapon. They are powerful but inaccurate. Their main use is that they do extra damage against walls, which is good when the [[AdvancingWallOfDoom Darkness]] is about to consume you and you're trapped in a dungeon. They also deal extra damage to skeletal enemies, and the Pirate class starts with one, which gives them an early-game advantage since the axe is much stronger than the other classes' starting weapons.
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Onimusha}}'' series we have some examples, mostly hostiles:
** In ''VideoGame/OnimushaWarlords'', huge, minotaur-like Genma known as Oowassha are armed with humongous single-bladed axes, are slow as molasses but can hit like trucks. A variation carries double-bit axes they can throw away as a special attack, after which they rely on massive cleavers to finish the job.
** ''VideoGame/Onimusha2SamuraisDestiny'' features the Oowassha again, along with Ginghamphatts' second boss fight, where he carries a huge axe.
** The Chigo great axe in ''VideoGame/Onimusha3DemonSiege'' is Samanosuke's substitute for the {{BFS}} Enryuu as a very powerful but slow-hitting weapon which mostly attacks with swiping motions. It can also summon magma bursts within quake range. An EliteMooks version of standard zombies appears, armed with hatchets.
** ''VideoGame/OnimushaDawnOfDreams'' features the Genma Axemen: tall, skeletal Genma in samurai armour equipped with broadaxes which they swing in predictable, slow arcs. Their upgraded version is better armoured and can strike twice in a row.
* ''VideoGame/OutbreakTheNewNightmare'': Your character can use a fire axe as a weapon against monsters.
* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
** In the first ''VideoGame/{{Persona|1}}'', the axe user is [[CulturalTranslation Mark]]/Masao Inaba.
** Axes show up in ''VideoGame/Persona3'', possessing the greatest damage potential, but the worst accuracy rating. They are part of a group of weapons called Bludgeons, which also include hammers, maces, and a ''bus stop sign''. And [[spoiler:for the short time he's with your group]], tough guy Shinjiro Aragaki uses an axe.
** ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' has Labrys, a RobotGirl who wields a giant axe.
** In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', Haru Okumura uses axes.
*** ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'', a spin-off game of Persona 5, has a song called Axe to Grind.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' has the pure Dragon-type Haxorus who has axe blades for ''teeth''. Unsurprisingly, it has a '''''whopping''''' attack stat of 147. [[spoiler: Several Bosses use this Pokémon, including Drayden and Iris.]]
* ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' has the Bug/Rock-type Kleavor, an evolution of Scyther in the Hisui region that turns Scyther's scythe-like forelimbs into a pair of stone axes that get StrongerWithAge.
* The axe, a normal woodsman's or fire axe, is one of the most coveted items in ''VideoGame/ProjectZomboid''. As a weapon, it's got all-important reach (which weapons in the Blades category generally don't), multi-hit, good knockback, and used well it can often kill at one blow. But since all weapons eventually break, and axes are rather rare, you may want to [[TooAwesomeToUse resist the temptation]]. Only axes [[UtilityWeapon can fell trees]] for lumber, making the humble axe one of the [[EquipmentBasedProgression gatekeepers]] of the extensive Carpentry build menu. Plus, axes are far more effective at battering down doors than most other weapons.
* Enri from ''VideoGame/PurgatoryRPGMaker'' can find a demonic axe, that can grant her demonic powers when she wields it. She uses it to kill TheButcher, the AxCrazy SerialKiller who has been trying to hunt her down during the game.
** In the sequel, Enri uses this to turn GiantSpiders into red splats. She tries to do the same to D-033, but ends up breaking her axe.
* Axe weapons show up ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'' as the primary WeaponOfChoice for the Merchant class series. Of the Merchant-derived classes, only the [[TheBlacksmith Blacksmith]] line can fully utilize axes compared to the Alchemist line.
* ''VideoGame/RavenswordShadowlands'' has a selection of one-handed axes to choose from as weapons that the player can use. Certain enemies use them too.
* The executioner miniboss from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' follows this trope. His axe is so large he has to lug it around [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 Pyramid Head-style]] and takes huge swings at Chris, even knocking out some of his fellow Majini in the process. It also has a spiked [[DropTheHammer hammerhead]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Rune}}'' has a weapon class devoted to axes along with swords and hammers, each varying in size, damage, speed, and rune power.
* Frantz from ''VideoGame/RustyHearts'' has axes as his secondary weapon.
* While at first it was devoid of axemen, ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' eventually added Shibata Katsuiie in 2XL (DualWielding axes with the ability to throw them like boomerangs), Shimazu Toyohisa in 4 (a long poleaxe with a giant blade) and Sanada Masayuki (a spear with an axe blade and a banner).
* Takeda Shingen from ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' carries a double-bitted battle axe as big as he is (and he's pretty big). It can also create tornadoes. A closer look reveals that it has Shingen's [[HistoricalInJoke infamous war fan]] embedded in it, and it's actually called "War Fan Axe" (Gunpaiono) in the original Japanese series.
* Axes are one of the equippable weapon types in ''VideoGame/SerpentInTheStaglands''.
* Two of the playable characters in ''VideoGame/SeveranceBladeOfDarkness'', Naglfar and Tukaram, can use these. The latter is all about the two-handed axes: the former, being a dwarf, sticks with the one-handed ones.
* Axes are one of the available weapon options of the warrior heroes in ''VideoGame/ShadowEra''.
* Shania from ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts 3'' [[DualWielding dual wields]] them.
* Browser-based MMORPG ''VideoGame/{{Shintolin}}'' features hand axes and stone axes.
* The Rusty Axe is overall the best weapon in ''VideoGame/SilentHill4: The Room'', as it's comparatively fast, hits pretty hard, has a good range, and its charge attack, a vicious overhead swing that Henry performs with his whole body, is the most damaging attack in the game (save for the swings of the [[PowerfulPick Pickaxe Of Despair]] and revolver shots, both AwesomeButImpractical either because of slowness or scarce ammo), and the one that keeps you invulnerable the longest. Subverted in that it's a relatively small one-handed model (a better term for it would be a hatchet, actually).
* In ''VideoGame/SirYouAreBeingHunted'', an axe is a good backup weapon if your gun is out of ammo and you need to smash some robots to pieces.
* ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'':
** Three Skylanders use axes of varying types:
*** The first Skylander to use an axe (introduced in the first game ''Spyro's Adventure'') is the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orc]] Voodood of the [[FunctionalMagic Magic]] element. He uses a double-bitted axe, but it also comes with the ability to fire its head while attached to a magical chain, letting him use it like a [[GrapplingHookPistol grappling hook]] to get closer to enemies staying at a distance. He can also infuse it with [[ShockAndAwe magical electricity]] to lay down tripwires.
*** The second Skylander to use an axe (introduced in the fourth game ''Trap Team'') is the [[GreenThumb Life]] Trap Master Bushwhack, a tree [[OurElvesAreDifferent elf]]. His axe is instead a single-bitted axe (similar to that of a lumberjack) made of Life-elemental Traptanium, letting him summon thorns with each slash to damage enemies that stay nearby and either fire exploding acorns while doing a SpinAttack or summon a leafy hut to protect and heal himself.
*** The third Skylander to use an axe (introduced in the sixth game ''Imaginators''), is the [[OurGhoulsAreDifferent ghoul]] Smasher Sensei Chopscotch of the [[{{Necromancy}} Undead]] element. In contrast to the other two axe wielders, she is much [[PintSizedPowerhouse smaller]], but her double-bitted axe's head is considerably bigger than their weapons, and she uses its weight to do a long-lasting SpinAttack and can also use it to either attract enemies closer to her or lay down "Trails of Pain" that further damage opponents who cross them.
** Additionally, there is a class of enemies known as Axecutioners, large ogres clad in executioner attire with massive double-bitted axes that they throw at Skylanders as boomeranging projectiles, though also have the ability to teleport, performing a SpinAttack while doing so.
* Axe is the WeaponOfChoice of Gustav in ''VideoGame/SolTrigger''.
* The boss of Mushroom Hill 1 in ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' uses one to cut away pieces of wooden columns at the player.
* Redflanks in ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' carry a large axe. They can also [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks throw it]], and then see it [[BoomerangComeback come back]].
* Text-based ''VideoGame/{{Sryth}}'' has multiple axes, even if none are truly notable. However, one of its quests is literally named after the trope.
* Rock and Astaroth from the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries''. Their weapon sets often include [[DropTheHammer hammers]] as well.
* In 1994's ''VideoGame/StarTropics: Zoda's Revenge'', an axe is present, but only as a [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks thrown weapon]].
* The protagonist of the [[FreewareGames freeware]] ''VideoGame/Station37'' is a firefighter, and so only uses an axe, whether to chop down doors and debris, or to combat the aliens.
* In ''VideoGame/StellaDeusTheGateOfEternity'', this is the weapon of the Berserker classes, along with the named characters Gallant and Viper.
* Axes are wielded by Juggerknights in ''VideoGame/StickWar 2''.
* In ''VideoGame/StrandedDeep'', an axe is a way of felling trees first, crude but functional weapon second. Proper axes you may find inside the wrecks obviously make for superior weapons to the crude axes you are forced to craft yourself.
* The Cannibal class in ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRogue'' starts out with one of these. Other classes can also pick up and use these, since they are a powerful melee weapon still.
* Amazons in the fourth stage of ''VideoGame/StriderArcade'' will either carry axes or [[BattleBoomerang boomerangs]].
* Gremio from ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'', among many others.
* The [[PsychoRangers Axem Rangers]] from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG''.
* The Alsignos from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsNEO'' uses an axe.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', the [[NoNameGiven Villager]] from the ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' series can use the axe as long as his or her tree is planted on the battlefield. This has resulted in the character becoming a MemeticPsychopath.
* In ''VideoGame/SurgeonSimulator2013'', among your surgical tools is, inexplicably, a ''hatchet''. Said hatchet's intended use? ''Slicing the brain stem.'' Though it works pretty well for getting through that pesky skull, too. The ''Meet the Medic'' level has the Pyro's axe.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Survivio}}'', axes are the most common melee weapon around: you can find them stuck in the tree stumps, they'll ocasionally be present inside a sealed container in an underground bunker, and a bloodied axe may sometimes be mounted on a cabin's wall in place of a shotgun. It's very much possible to cut down someone unarmed or wielding a pistol/low-powered [=SMG=] indoors, but you are still better off with a weapon out in the open. Its greatest strength is in allowing you to open containers much faster, thus saving your precious seconds in this fast-paced game.
* Barbatos Goetia of ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny2'' has a mean axe, and a hidden special move called ''World Destroyer'' where he slams his axe down and kills everyone in one hit. Talk about cheap.
** Presea from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' is a prime example of the "CuteBruiser with [[{{BFS}} implausably huge axe]]". Interestingly, this tiny little girl's ability to not only lift but actually effectively wield a massive axe is justified through AppliedPhlebotinum. Other examples in the Tales series include [[VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia Cless Alvein]], [[VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia Yuri and Karol]], and [[VideoGame/TalesOfEternia Rid Herschel]] (all primarily sword-users, but they can wield axes as well), [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny Mary Argent, Loni Dunamis]], and [[VideoGame/TalesOfHearts Innes Lorenz]], whose weapon is described as an "axe blade" which can probably rival Presea's [[InfinityPlusOneSword Gaea Cleaver]] for raw size and power.
* An axe is the default weapon in ''VideoGame/{{Tallowmere}}'', and it is an all-around serviceable. It's a melee weapon, so you can only use it up close, but it can hit enemies in front of and above you, and you can swing it decently fast.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Tangledeep}}'', axes can hit every foe adjacent to you, albeit at reduced damage. Some abilities allow you to do things like fling magical axes away, and have them return like a boomerang.
* The Pyro from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' 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}}s on burning targets - for those times when [[KillItWithFire fire]] simply isn't enough.
** The Third Degree is an axe that copies damage against an enemy to the Medic healing them or vice versa.
** A community weapon update gave the Demoman the Scotsman's Skullcutter, a bloodstained two-bladed great ax with 20% more damage. It's so huge and heavy it actually slows the Demoman down, however. It also easily [[OffWithHisHead lops off heads]] on a killing blow.
** The Demoman may also employ the Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker, a giant, haunted axe with a demonic face in the blade. It also decapitates enemies on a killing blow ''and'' powers up the Demoman at the same time with each head taken.
* Phantom armors from ''[[VideoGame/TelepathRPG Telepath RPG chapter 2]]'' and ghost knights from ''[[VideoGame/TelepathRPGServantsOfGod Telepath RPG Servants of God]]'' fights with axes.
* The marines from ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' used Axes as their melee weapons. When the original Team Fortress was developed as a mod for that game, the [[TheMedic Medic]] used [[HealingShiv an axe]] [[MeatGrinderSurgery to heal.]]
* In ''VideoGame/TechRomancer'', Twinzam V's Fire Formation uses a spiked battle-ax in most of its attacks, including its Final Attack where it does a [[Anime/VoltesV V no Jigiri]]. Also, one of G. Kaiser's equippable weapons is called Axe Blow, which creates four axe heads around each of its fists, much like Anime/MazingerZ can do with its [[RocketPunch Rocket Punches]].
* This is the specialty of TheBerserker [[PoweredArmor mech]] in ''VideoGame/TemplarBattleforce''.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'', there are plenty of axes that make surprisingly good weapons for their ability to be automatically swung and decent damage. One of them, literally called The Axe, is actually a "Flying V" guitar that functions as an actual axe AND a hammer. It also takes "an axe to grind" even more literally, perhaps too much so, as it requires an average of 200 boss kills against Plantera, with only a .5% chance of dropping, and Plantera being a fairly difficult boss.
* Axe is obviously the weapon of [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Classic Jason]] in ''VideoGame/TerrordromeTheGameRiseOfTheBoogeymen'', though a certain input can change his weapon to a fork instead.
* In ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'', Axes are part of the three main melee weapons alongside swords and maces, and sit squarely in the middle: they do more damage than swords, but less than maces, their speed is usually medium and they have a smaller chance than swords (or spears) to inflict pierce damage. From the ''Ragnarok'' expansion, Defenders can now use their ability to stun with melee attacks with Axes as well.
* Axes and Polearms are both prominent, of course, in the ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' 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.
* ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'': Ultima 4 and many of the later games had Magic Axes which are PrecisionGuidedBoomerang weapons that would return to your party member's hand after being thrown. Creator/OriginSystems liked this weapon so much that they had it appear in different fantasy rpg game, ''Times of Lore''.
* ''VideoGame/UnhappyEverAfter'': Axes are one of the types of weapons you can equip on your characters.
* ''VideoGame/{{Unturned}}'' gives you a choice of two: a basic axe and a fire axe. The fire axe is less common but also a complete upgrade from the axe. Both can be turned against trees to get lumber for crafting.
* The best Melee weapon in ''VideoGame/UrbanDead''. Also, the same in ''VideoGame/DeadFrontier'' - until you get your hands on a katana.
* In ''VideoGame/VagrantStory'', axes come in single-handed and dual-handed ("great axe") varieties.
* Hulk Davidson from ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe''.
* The fire axe is Lee's signature weapon in the first two episodes of ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadTelltale'', until TheLethalConnotationOfGunsAndOthers kicks in.
* ''Franchise/TheWorldOfDarkness'':
** In ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'', the fire axe (available in Los Angeles, the second city) is the first weapon that does more damage than an [[GoodOldFisticuffs ordinary punch]]. Although weaker than the [[DropTheHammer sledgehammer]] (from Hollywood, the third area), it's also faster, making it a good choice until you pick up a katana in Chinatown (the fourth area).
** In ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeRedemption'', halberds give the most bang for the buck in early stages. The drawback is requiring a heavy investment in strength.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' and ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' Franchises have a lot of these to go around.
* Most Orcs in ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII''. True, there are sword users, but orcs are mostly associated with axes in the series, grunts even having a victory animation where they flip it in the air and catch it. The Tauren Chieftain (who has a poleaxe taller than himself) even says "I have an axe to grind." upon training. On the other hand, the human Militia unit (essentially a [[WorkerUnit Peasant]] that picked up some basic weapons and armor at the town hall), wields a small axe along with a small metal shield, contrasting the steel kite shield and sword of the standard Footman.
** Alongside some of the units for the main factions in ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII''. Quite a bit of creeps have axes to them. Such as most trolls whom mostly carry around tomahawks to throw at their opponents. Alongside that there are most bandits, carry around axes or hatchets.
** In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', orcs have a racial ability that increases their skill with axes.
*** "ARCANITE REAPER! HOOOO!"
*** And its cousin, the [[ThePowerOfRock Arcanite Ripper]].
*** And then there's the legendary Shadowmourne from ''Wrath of the Lich King''.
** The Hellscream clan has in possession of a powerful axe called 'Gorehowl', first possessed by Grommash Hellscream, who eventually used it to kill off the Pit Lord Mannoroth and releasing the demon's curse from the Orcs, and later passed down to his son Garrosh who uses it in conjunction of many of his conquest. Safe to say, they have quite a short fuse to go along with the axe.
* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' has not only the Dual Zoren hatchets (which can be used to craft the fire-based Twin Basolk), there is also the Scindo and its Prime Variant, the latter even stated to have been an executioner's tool.
** Tyl Regor can use Ack and Brunt, an axe and shield combo that you can also use.
* There are multiple types of axe ghosts (the kinds that charge found swinging an axe on seeing him) in ''VideoGame/WarioLand4'', with Hotel Horror especially having a freaking ton of them (about four to every door in the hotel).
* ''VideoGame/WarriorsOfMightAndMagic'' includes several powerful axes of magical nature, including the, [[ThatOneSidequest hard-to-build]] [[BlowYouAway Meteoric Axe]] and the [[InfinityMinusOneSword Axe of Vim.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'' has the proton ax as its strongest melee weapon. The more common and far weaker fire axe is also present.
* Nishiki from ''VideoGame/WhenYanderesCry'' can obtain an axe, which helps him get around the mansion and get out the last room.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Wildsio}}'', axe is the default melee weapon; guests can only obtain others if they drop from the defeated [=NPCs=], while registered users are eventually able to buy the others with in-game currency. Either way, it is pretty balanced in range and damage and can do an unblockable ShockwaveStomp special attack. It is [[MundaneUtility also useful]] for cutting down trees, which nets you logs; those can be used to either repair the fort gate, or to stoke the healing stoves/campfires.
* ''VideoGame/WoolfeTheRedHoodDiaries'': Red Riding Hood's weapon in the game is an axe.
* ''VideoGame/YouHaveToBurnTheRope'': The player character's main weapon. Though it does nothing of importance.
* Yunica Tovah wields a battleaxe in ''VideoGame/YsOrigin''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'', an axe was [[spoiler: left beside the sedated Captain, in order to lure Ace to kill him. And, in the "Ax" ending, Clover goes AxCrazy and slaughters the other characters including the protagonist.]]
* In ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterNG'', Kubitarou of Kintoki's weapon of choice for decapitations is a large, menacing axe. This references the folklore hero Kintaro, who was known for carrying around a hatchet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Red from ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'' has a woodsman's axe, and she's made a hobby of hunting wolves with it.
* '''[[AllLowercaseLetters thog]]''' in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''.
* In ''Webcomic/TheBrickTestament'', the tenth plague of Egypt in ''[[Literature/TheBible Exodus]]'' is portrayed as [[PhysicalGod God]] walking around in Egypt [[http://www.thebricktestament.com/exodus/the_tenth_plague/ex12_29a.html killing people with a large axe]].
* ''Webcomic/AxeCop.'' 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.
* Hogan of the [[http://www.dragoneers.com/crossovers/ Webcomic Crossover & Cameo Archive]] has appeared in many webcomics, with his trademark axe, chasing after authors who use too many cameos.
* In ''Webcomic/WayfarersMoon'', the axe is Lily's weapon of choice.
* In ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'', Pauline's weapon of choice is a greataxe, though she used a Dwarven waraxe for awhile.
* In ''Webcomic/GuildedAge'', Byron dual-wields a pair of axes.
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Abraham uses one to kill abominations.
* ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'':
** The AncestralWeapon [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/2/ they are searching for]].
** Cleave-Hand. This also doubles as HookHand.
** Handsome D'an the illithid, who's carrying a huge axe with him.
* ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'': One of the powerful magical weapons is Dinora's Axe and it's chosen wielder is [[spoiler: Zerlocke]]. Like its fellows the weapon is quite capable of altering it wielder's emotions, body and behavior making its use turn him AxCrazy.
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'':
** Mamma Gkika's weapon of choice is a large-bitted battle axe called [[ICallItVera 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 princess needs a battle axe."
* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', the Alpha-session incarnation of the Hegemonic Brute wields one against Dirk that is appropriately called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "AXE]] [[MeaningfulName TO GRIND"]] due to the times he's been killed off before in previous incarnations. Needless to say, he gets killed off again.
* Shorty from ''Webcomic/{{Skullkickers}}'' uses [[DualWielding Dual Wields]] them. Notably, his axes ''aren't'' cartoonishly oversized; in fact, they aren't much bigger than hatchets.
* ''Webcomic/{{Waterworks}}'': [[http://mspfanventures.com/?adv=43&id=150 One of the weapons that the protagonist uses]]. Per a RunningGag, she acquires it from picking up a can of "Axe" deodorant.
* In ''Webcomic/MyLifeAtWar'', Dhuvalian [[AMechByAnyOtherName LIMBs]] wield giant axes with welding torch nozzles along the blade.
* Before his name was revealed, Aetius of ''Webcomic/TheSilverEye'' was lovingly known as "Axe-Man"
* ''Webcomic/TheFourth'': Skava and Derk run afoul of a lumberjack with a comically sized axe at one point.
* ''Webcomic/ChampionsOfFaraus'': Wila, the Hyperia pantheons previous Highpriestess fought with an axe.
* From the ''Webcomic/{{Yamara}}'': [[http://yamara.com/axe/ "Oh my God! There's an axe in my head."]]
* In chapter 11 of ''Webcomic/CrimsonKnights'' Erikr acquires one [[spoiler:when she discovers it in Jikelsfortress' old armoury.]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Mara}}'''s iconic weapon is a jawbone axe, from the jawbone of a very large creature.
* ''Webcomic/Trevor2020'':
** [[spoiler: Dr. Maddison]] angrily hacks down the security terminal with a fire axe.
** Purdy picks up the axe, and uses it to save himself when [[spoiler: Trevor]] grabs him [[AnkleDrag by the ankle.]]
* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': Each member of the former MagicalGirl trio known as Team Spear used a different type of [[BladeOnAStick polearm]] as their individual WeaponOfChoice. Leana, as Sunlight Spear, wielded a halberd, a type of pole weapon that combines an axe blade with the stabbing head of a spear.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Ranger has the same axe he used in [[VideoGame/{{Quake}} his universe]] in ''WebVideo/{{Arenas}}''. He uses it to finish [[VideoGame/QuakeII Grunt]].
* Golgotha from ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', who has a PsychoForHire aspect to her personality.
* Axes are commonly used by [[WebOriginal/ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum PPC agents]], though not quite as much as [[HeroesPreferSwords swords]].
* ''LetsPlay/{{Strippin}}'' prefers to use this as his default weapon for ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII''.
* ''LetsPlay/{{Mahu}}'': In "Frozen Flame", the infamous Wolvenguard wield two-handed axes.
* ''LetsPlay/{{Dream}}'' uses an axe against the Blazes in the Nether to kill them faster.
* ''WebVideo/SabatonHistory'': The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT7rteGNM_A "Blood of Bannockburn"]] video recounts how shortly before the Battle of Bannockburn properly started, the English knight Henry de Bohun tried to take out UsefulNotes/RobertTheBruce by jousting him, but fell to what host Indy Neidell refers to as "Bruce's superior battleaxe-in-the-face tactic".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'':
** In "Stinkmeaner Strikes Back", Stinkmeaner's [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost]] (who was [[DemonicPossession possessing]] Tom's body) tries to attack Robert with an ax, in a scene that spoofed ''Film/TheShining''.
** In "Freedomland", Ed II holds an ax and [[WouldHurtAChild tries to slice off]] Huey's foot with it.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', 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.)
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
** The final scene of the WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner short "WesternAnimation/FastAndFurryous" features the Coyote leaning against the back of a billboard watching for the Road Runner.
** In "WesternAnimation/MuchAdoAboutNutting", one of the tools the squirrel uses in his attempt to break open the shell of the coconut he is deadset on consuming is an axe. He drops the axe on said coconut... and ''the axe'' is the one splitting in two, while the coconut remains intact.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'':
** In "Headhunters", Dipper and Mabel find someone has vandalized a wax dummy of their Grunkle Stan by [[OffWithHisHead chopping off its head]] with an ax. The culprit turns out to be [[spoiler: a bunch of vindictive living wax sculptures who were after the ''real'' Stan.]]
** In the season 1 finale "Gideon Rising", the contents of Lil' Gideon's pockets include an axe.
** In the season 2 episode "Into the Bunker", Wendy uses an axe to great effect while helping explore the bunker.
* [[ButtMonkey Harry]], King Hugo's right-hand man in ''WesternAnimation/PotatoesAndDragons'', wields an axe.
* Chronozoid carries a a curved axe blade attached to an EpicFlail on ''WesternAnimation/SkysurferStrikeForce''
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'': Optimus Prime has the "[[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang 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 [[LaserBlade axe made of energon]] that ''[[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 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..
* In ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'', Ice Bear seems to be fond of wielding axes for different things, like [[MundaneMadeAwesome cutting up his breakfast]] and [[ItMakesSenseInContext murdering rogue vacuum robots]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* OlderThanDirt: Hand axes were either the first or second major invention, before or after the knife and before the spear or club. Hand axes (An axe head wielded in the hand, like an axe without a handle) would be used for many of the same purposes we think of an axe being used for today. And some of them were used as weapons, even if it pretty much amounted to bludgeoning someone with a wedge-shaped rock.
* Axes symbolized power among the ancient Mediterranean peoples.
** The ''labrys'' was a double-bitted axe which served as a religious symbol of power for the Minoans and Etruscans. Today it is also a symbol of female empowerment and lesbianism due to its association with the Minoan priestesses, who appear from surviving artefacts to have had a far more important role in their society than in the succeeding Mycenaean civilisation.
** The [[AncientRome Romans]] had the ''fasces''. The ''fasces'' was a bundle of reeds, symbolizing the republican principle of strength through unity (a single reed breaks easily; a bundle does not) and thus the ''imperium'' (civil and military power) of the officials whose ''lictors'' (bodyguard/policemen) carried them. Outside the ''Pomerium'' (the sacred inner precincts of Rome), the ''fasces'' contained an axe blade, possibly derived from the ''labrys''; the blade represented the ''imperium''-holding official's power to impose the death penalty (which power he did not have in the ''Pomerium''; only a dictator had such powers).
* The ''fasces'' later became a popular symbol of republics that saw themselves as successors in spirit to the Roman Republic, such as the United States of America (e. g. in the Capitol in Washington and on old coinage - It's situated quite prominently on the reverse (back) of the 1916 - 1945 [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/1943D_Mercury_Dime_reverse.jpg Mercury Dime]], for example) and the French Republic. Later also of the Fascist movement in Italy (which actually took its name from ''fasces''). The [[LesCollaborateurs Vichy régime]] in France instead of the republican ''fasces'' used a ''francisca'' (see below for its relationship to France) as its symbol: a double-bitted axe with red-white-and-blue blades and a marshal's baton as its handle.
* [[HornyVikings The stereotype of vikings]] being associated with axes has a fair bit of truth to it: In decentralized Scandinavia iron was expensive, so swords were mostly wielded by nobles as symbols of wealth, and spears were impractical for raids and civilian feuds. The norsemen took their axes to battle and to personal quarrels all the way up to the 19th century (mentioned in folk songs, Literature/TheIcelandicSagas, local legends, and even in the national anthem of Norway), and made polearm versions called dane axes for war. The pole-axe is present in the Norwegian coat of arms, and Telemark county weapon shows a battle axe.
* The Anglo-Saxon Huscarls at the Battle of Hastings were reputed to be carrying two-handed daneaxes, whirling them around above their heads in a show of strength. This terrified the Normans, who didn't use axes. Earlier that year, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, it is said that a single Viking warrior with a similar weapon stood on the titular bridge and held off the entire Saxon ''fyrd'' (army) on his own for some time. Never mess with a daneaxe!
* The axes of the Germans were well known to the Romans--they would throw them at the enemy like javelins with the intent of splitting some shields, then charge in with melee weapons. The Francisca got its name from its popularity among the Franks in particular; an alternate theory is the other way around, that the tribe got its name from the weapon.
* The Varangian Guard, Rus' Vikings permanently hired to guard the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire, were noted by multiple sources firstly for their height and secondly for the very large Danish axes which served as their primary weapons. To the Greek-speaking Romans, they were known as ''pelekyphoros phroura''--literally, the axe-bearing guard.
* The [[http://www.amazon.com/SOG-Specialty-Knives-Tactical-Hardcased/dp/B000PICTYC Tactical Tomahawk]] has become popular among American military since the war in Vietnam. Much more versatile than the standard combat knife, it can be used in close quarters as a weapon or thrown in desperate situations. It can of course chop through wood if needed, or even be used as a hammer, as well as for any of the number of things--opening a can, breaking through something, excavation, or just nudging something difficult out of the way--that fall in-between.
* The Walking Axe is the closest thing to a modern polearm. [[OlderThanRadio Designed centuries ago]] by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd%27s_axe shepherds]] [[MundaneUtility for defense, forestry work and mountaineering]], it combines the tomahawk's light weight, the halberd's reach and back spike, the swinging power of a long splitting axe [[MixAndMatchWeapon in one tool]].
* Rukhsana Kauser in a [[MamaBear daughter bear]] moment used this to kill a terrorist who was threatening her parents.
* UsefulNotes/LizzieBorden was a suspect in the axe murders of [[SelfMadeOrphan her parents]] in 1892. After a short trial, a jury declared her not guilty. However, many people believed she got away with murder (and many still do even today).
-->Lizzie Borden took an axe
-->And gave her father forty whacks
-->And when she saw what she had done
-->She gave her mother forty-one
* 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 [[ShotAtDawn 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. Also, in most civilized countries, authorities will always frown when people use or carry in public implements like the [[MacheteMayhem machete]], [[KukrisAreKool kukri or Bowie knife]] and other stuff which looks too martial, even for mundane woodcutting purposes. Axes and hatchets on the other side are regarded as just tools.
* Symbolic in ancient imperial China. An axe is given to a general and used to perform rites signaling that a fight is about to start.
* While {{Samurai}} were usually associated with [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]] or lances, [[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4e7lEOrWc6s/WcQwGwo5t0I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/lakYGEEazBUkKXYd-pjHhHxrwFrHzIDiACLcBGAs/s1600/Ono%2B-%2Bdetail%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2B%25E6%2598%25A5%25E6%2597%25A5%25E6%25A8%25A9%25E7%258F%25BE%25E9%25A8%2593%25E8%25A8%2598.%2B%25E7%25AC%25AC%25EF%25BC%2598%25E8%25BB%25B8.jpg broad axes known as Masakari]] weren't unheard of, though they were usually employed to break down barricades, as in combat they lacked the versatility of a sword and the reach of a spear. For the latter, a variation known as [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2e/f9/a7/2ef9a7c1fe9f699fa23e28114a229f23.jpg Fuso]] or Axe-Spear did exist, though apparently it had a more ceremonial value. Finally, wandering ascetics known as "Yamabushi" carried axes with them both as self defense and as a tool to gather wood and open a path in the forest.
%%* Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva is a UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts fighter so named because his ferocious attacking style reminds fans of a frothing axe murderer. He's apparently a nice guy outside of the cage.%%
* On [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII July 13, 1941]], Red Army soldier Dmitriy Ovcharenko was hurrying back to his unit with a cart full of ammo and supplies, when he was intercepted by two German trucks containing about 50 soldiers and three officers. One officer knocked his rifle out of his hands and began to interrogate him. Suddenly, Ovcharenko grabbed an axe he had in the cart and [[OffWithHisHead decapitated the officer in a single blow]]. As Germans froze in [[DeerInTheHeadlights shock and]] [[OhCrap horror]], he immediately produced three grenades from the cart and tossed them at the trucks, [[OneManArmy killing 21 more]] and making the survivors, including both officers, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere scatter and flee]]. Ovcharenko then pursued a fleeing officer, lopped his head off as well (the third officer escaped), took all their documents, plans and maps and delivered them to his commander along with supplies. He was made [[http://statehistory.ru/img_lib/blog/ww2/ovcharenko-prikaz.jpg the Hero of Soviet Union]] for that.
* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutsuls Hutsul]] culture of Ukraine is strongly identified by the type of axe that men traditionally carried everywhere, called a ''bartok''. It has a small double-head and a long handle.
* When Sweden entered the UsefulNotes/ThirtyYearsWar, all soldiers were required to have a sword. However, since the equipment was paid for by the village in which the soldier lived, many skipped the sword for economical reasons and rocked a Musket/Axe combo instead. Since most of the soldiers were peasants, axes were cheap and easy to come by.
* [[http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1058.html Carry A. Nation]], an early 20th Century American female activist and DryCrusader, (in)famously vandalised several bars and other drinking establishments with a hatchet.
* Visionary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's mistress Mamah Borthwick, her two children, and four workers were murdered at Taliesin, the home Wright built for her, by a mentally unstable servant. He set fire to the home and killed the people who emerged from the flames with an axe. He never gave a motive for the murder spree.
[[/folder]]

** The ''VideoGame/Warcraft'' and ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' Franchises have a lot of these to go around.

** [[PintSizedPowerhouse Luu-Luu]], the Princess Knight of Rad, wields a great axe as her WeaponOfChoice.

* ''ComicBook/IncredibleHulk'':

* Kyo Aguri in ''Anime/WeissKreuz Gluhen'' had an axe he could also shoot a chain out of. [[spoiler:[[SacrificialLamb Didn't help him much.]]]]

* In the Franco-Belgian comic ''ComicBook/LaQueteDeLOiseauDuTemps'', an axe is the weapon of choice of legendary warriors Bragon and Le Rige.

* ''FanFic/TheBridge'': After he recovers from getting blasted into a weapons rack, Xenilla rejoins Princess Cadance's fight against King Sombra by using a bearded axe to counter Sombra's scythe as Cadance's sword was too light to damage it. He manages to break the scythe later on in the fight with a strong cleave.

* An axe is featured prominently in ''Film/IslandOfTerror'', first in a failed attempt to kill one of the monsters, and later as the deciding factor in a LifeOrLimbDecision for [[Creator/PeterCushing Peter Cushing]]'s Dr. Stanley character.

** ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' has the [=Ohinbuster50=], which has both axe and gun modes. Revi (and by extension, Vice) can use this weapon to finish off enemies, [[{{Mooks}} weak]] or [[MonsteroftheWeek strong]].

* Though he's more commonly associated with his hammer, Thor from [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse Mythology]] is sometimes described as wielding an axe in earlier myths, and is also a sacred symbol of his, given it was a favored weapon among farmers and lower-class Vikings (due to its cheaper cost compared to a sword).

* Perun in [[Myth/SlavicMythology Slavic Mythology]] enjoyed a [[ShockAndAwe lightning]] axe, and was a common symbol of his.

** Most of the Psychos in this and ''Videogame/Borderlands2'' wield axes. In the first game, they're made of scrap metal. In the second game, they've been upgraded to Buzz Axes, which have buzz saws for blades.

** Axes also frequently show up as special weapons that only some characters (generally with S axe use rank) can handle. The below mentioned Helswath is only one of them: we have the Pugi in ''Thracia 776'' (which, in a variation, can be used only by [[HotBlooded Osian]]), Armads and Basilikos in the Elibe continuity, Garm (Sacred Relic of [[spoiler: the Grado Empire]]) in ''Sacred Stones'', and Urvan in ''Radiant Dawn''.

*** House Dozel in general is specialized in axe use, whether their members can use the Helswath or not. From there alone we have [[ArchnemesisDad Duke Lombard]], [[TheCaligula King Danann]], and the princes [[BlackSheep Lex]], [[AntiVillain Brian]], [[PurpleProse Iuchar]] and [[JerkWithaHeartOfGold Iucharba]]: out of them, three (Lex in the first generation, Iuchar and/or Iucharba in the second) join your group.

* ''VideoGame/MinecraftDungeons'': Axes are an available weapon option. They have wider attack range than swords do, and even have a [[SpinAttack spin attack]] that damages all enemies from in a 360 degree radius. However, they trade the sword's speed for strength.

* Herbert Wallace, the main hero of ''VideoGame/NightmareCreatures'' ''2'', uses what appears to be a fireman's axe to cut down and execute the supernatural beings facing him.

* The fire axe is Lee's signature weapon in the first two episodes of ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'', until TheLethalConnotationOfGunsAndOthers kicks in.

* Yunica Tovah wields a battleaxe in ''Videogame/YsOrigin''.

* ''Film/{{They Them|2022}}'': The killer uses an axe to kill some of the victims.

** Additionally, there is a class of enemies known as Axecutioners, large ogres clad in executioner attire with massive double-bitted axes that they throw at Skylanders as boomeranging projectiles, though also have the ability to teleport.

* Three VideoGame/{{Skylanders}} use axes as their primary weapon, but with very different designs.
** The first Skylander to use an axe (introduced in the first game ''Spyro's Adventure'') is the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orc]] Voodood of the [[FunctionalMagic Magic]] element. He uses a double-bitted axe, but it also comes with the ability to fire its head while attached to a magical chain, letting him use it like a [[GrapplingHookPistol grappling hook]] to get closer to enemies staying at a distance. He can also infuse it with [[ShockAndAwe magical electricity]] to lay down tripwires.
** The second Skylander to use an axe (introduced in the fourth game ''Trap Team'') is the [[GreenThumb Life]] Trap Master Bushwhack, a tree [[OurElvesAreDifferent elf]]. His axe is instead a single-bitted axe (similar to that of a lumberjack) made of Life-elemental Traptanium, letting him summon thorns with each slash to damage enemies that stay nearby and either fire exploding acorns while doing a SpinAttack or summon a leafy hut to protect and heal himself.
** The third Skylander to use an axe (introduced in the sixth game ''Imaginators''), is the [[OurGhoulsAreDifferent ghoul]] Smasher Sensei Chopscotch of the [[{{Necromancy}} Undead]] element. In contrast to the other two axe wielders, she is much [[PintSizedPowerhouse smaller]], but her double-bitted axe's head is considerably bigger than their weapons, and she uses its weight to do a long-lasting SpinAttack and can also use it to either attract enemies closer to her or lay down "Trails of Pain" that further damage opponents who cross them.