History Main / CavalryOfTheDead

See Also: TheCavalry, BigDamnHeroes, DesperationAttack and WarriorUndead for what the army may be individually composed of. Contrast AnimateDead, and NightOfTheLivingMooks, where the original loyalty of the raw materials isn't relevant, and GhostInvasion, which may be the work of a villain. Compare ResurrectedForAJob which is useually a singular and 'complete' version to this mass-production, halfway version. If the dead in question died in different time periods, they may also be an ArmyOfTheAges. Related to TheWildHunt. For villainous examples, see {{Necromancer}} and TheUndead. Not to be confused with ''Film/ArmyOfTheDead''.

* In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', the Dead of Dunharrow, who over three thousand years ago betrayed Isildur by running away and not coming to his aid against Sauron, are called upon by his descendant Aragorn to fulfill their oath so that they are allowed to [[BlessedWithSuck pass peacefully into death]] afterwards. They are released after defeating the fleet of Umbar coming up the river Anduin. This stops Sauron getting reinforcements at the Battle of Minas Tirith, frees the now unoccupied South Gondorian soldiers, and conveniently provides transport to get them up the river to Minas Tirith to once again turn the tide of the battle. While the film version (see above) has them actively fight, here they just terrified the corsairs into leaping overboard, and it is never made clear if they can actually fight.

* In ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', this is what Alucard's full release looks like. Every soul that the powerful vampire has ever consumed over five hundred years (which numbers in the ''millions'') is summoned forth as an army, which is enough to overwhelm both Iscariot's crusaders and the vampire Nazi army of Millennium. As an added bonus, this final release reveals Alucard's true identity for all to see: [[spoiler:{{Dracula}}]].

* In ''Literature/TheBible'', Ezekiel, with God's help, raised his own army of the dead.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The [[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Legion_of_the_Damned Legion of the Damned]], a legion-full of undead Space Marines that wander the cosmos and have appeared in the midst of many battles to leverage victory for Imperial forces that had the odds stacked highly against them before disappearing back into the Warp. It isn't known if they actually are undead marines or something else entirely[[note]]other possibilities include time travelers from an even worse future, regular marines altered by the warp, or creatures of the warp that just look like marines[[/note]] but their skeleton decorated armor and flaming bodies certainly makes them look like it.

** The [[OurElvesAreDifferent Dunmer (Dark Elves)]] practice significant ancestor worship in their religion, believing that their ancestors stick around to watch over their living kin. On a relatively smaller scale, they've summoned the bodies and spirits of their honored ancestors as guardians and protectors for ages. They consider this practice different from true {{necromancy}}, which they consider absolutely blasphemous (as seen prominently in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]''). Then, during the [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion Crisis]], they resurrected the massive skeleton of an [[GiantEnemyCrab Emperor Crab]] (large enough to hold ''an entire city district'' inside its shell) to fight back against the [[LegionsOfHell Daedric hordes]].

* In ''VideoGame/PhantomBrave'', Marona's power is to [[ISeeDeadPeople communicate with spirits]], and give them corporeal form, basically making an army once you make enough PlayerMooks.

* ''Webcomic/DMOfTheRings'' [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructs]] this trope. (It also [[{{Parody}} parodies]] this trope, of course, just like everything else in LOTR.) Commanding elite undead warriors is almost always [[BlackMagic evil]], or at least [[DarkIsNotEvil looks that way]], and relying on ''anyone'' bound to serve you by a curse is PlayingWithFire. Specifically, be careful of the CurseEscapeClause.
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' does this during TheSiege of Azure City. The Sapphire Guard swore an oath to protect the Gate ''regardless'' of circumstances, and even in death, [[BigGood their founder]] called them back to fulfill their oath. They were more of a major annoyance to the BigBad, but their leader is a whole different level, and he delivers curbstomp to ''both'' the BigBad and his [[TheDragon Dragon]]. [[SpannerInTheWorks Unfortunately, due to various reasons however]], it failed to completely eliminate the threat.

--> '''Soon Kim:'''''"Only the honor of a paladin is unbreakable, even by death itself. Ghost-martyrs of the Sapphire Guard -- attack!"''

* ''Film/MortalKombat'': A smaller scale example occurs in the final battle between [[WarriorMonk Liu Kang]] and [[EvilSorcerer Shang Tsung]]. When Tsung realizes he is no match for Liu Kang in hand-to-hand combat, he summons some of the dead warriors whose souls he has claimed to fight for him. Liu Kang defeats them all with greater ease.

* Used by ''both sides'' in the Olympics plot of Roleplay/DCNation. To be fair, they were fighting Hades. JerkassGod he is, he killed off Nightwing and Arsenal, then sends an army of undead rogues, skeletons, and victims. Just when it looks like the heroes are up a creek, here comes Hawkman, flanked by the two fallen Titans and bringing in fallen ''allies'' for one ClimacticBattleResurrection.

* In ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', this happens when a necromancer gets into your corpse stockpile. Luckily, Dwarf Fortress players tend to consider [[IncendiaryExponent magma]] to be the answer to everything, including cleaning up their junk.

See Also: TheCavalry, BigDamnHeroes, DesperationAttack. Contrast AnimateDead, and NightOfTheLivingMooks, where the original loyalty of the raw materials isn't relevant, and GhostInvasion, which may be the work of a villain. If the dead in question died in different time periods, they may also be an ArmyOfTheAges. Related to TheWildHunt. For villainous examples, see {{Necromancer}} and TheUndead. Not to be confused with ''Film/ArmyOfTheDead''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Spellforce 2}}'' Paladins, on their deaths, turn into killable ghost warriors who fade over time. They're only slightly weaker than the original unit, so they're useful for pressing an attack or covering a retreat.