History Main / MacheteMayhem

* ''Franchise/TheSimpsons'':

** The Couch Gag for ''The Good, the Sad and the Drugly'' shows the Simpson family hacking through foliage with machetes to reach the couch, only to encounter their Simian doppelgängers already seated.
** In ''Livin’ La Pura Vida'', the family goes on vacation to Costa Rica, and Bart is excited to be in a country where kids carry machetes (he’s shown wielding one at various points in the episode and cutting things, culminating with TheReveal that he carved a humongous "El Barto" out of the rainforest).

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' continuum, the [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Rimwards Howondalandian]] Assassin, Johanna Smith-Rhodes, is typical of her people in that one of her declared culturally appropriate weapons is a large jungle machete. This is typical of Rimward Howondalandians outside their own country. Even though this weapon is not thought of as all that ''cool'' or ''stylish'' by the Guild, and Swords teacher Emmanuelle les Deux-Epées views it as not so much a sword but a large metal club with a sharp edge. Johanna once defeated a [[LandDownUnder Fourecksian]] in the mandatory "do-you-call-that-a-knife?" game by bringing out her machete and politely saying "No, I call ''this'' a knife." Rimwards Howondalandians crop up in the writings of Creator/AAPessimal: there is, for instance, the story ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6791038/1/The-Black-Sheep The Black Sheep.]]''

** While Eskrima practitioners are known for DualWielding a pair of short rattan sticks, it's noted that you're not SUPPOSED to treat the sticks as [[MartialArtsStaff literal sticks/staves,]] but as [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter dulled/practice swords]]--many strikes can let the wielder switch to knives with minimal fuss.

** The Macedonian army under Alexander the Great used a peculiar curved sword called a ''kopis''. It was originally developed as a hunting knife, and means of personal protection. However, when formalizing Macedon's military King Philip II recognized that this sword was particularly deadly when used on horseback. It became the main weapon of the Macedonian cavalry. It also functioned as a sidearm for infantry and archers. It's not clear whether the sword design itself was originally from Egypt, and made its way to the Balkans via trade, or whether the Greeks borrowed the name of the ''kopesh'' to describe this sword. In any case, they were similar in design. The difference is that the Macedonian kopis was bent at a much more acute angle so that it was similar in appearance to an oversized kukri. This despite the fact that Alexander and his troops had never seen a kukri until they arrived in Sogdia.
** The Iberian Falcata was a similar weapon that was standard-issue to Hannibal's troops when he took on Rome.

* Yu Lan chases Kaname with a machete in ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic''.

* The recurring villain [=PoH=] from ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' has the Mate Chopper, an oversized knife with a cleaver-point blade.

* ''VideoGame/IsleOfTheDead'' gives you a machete as your first weapon, as well as the game's only melee weapon. It works amazingly well against zombies, and allows you to save your ammo for stronger enemies later on. 5

* ''VideoGame/FarCry1'' and its [[VideoGame/FarCry2 first]] [[VideoGame/FarCry3 two]] sequels have the machete as the primary melee weapon, while the [[VideoGame/FarCry4 fourth game]] uses a {{kukri|sAreKool}} for similar purposes. ''Far Cry 3'' in particular also shows off a lot of [[SwissArmyWeapon non-combat applications]]; the player character uses it to forage for materials, skin animal carcasses, and remove the padlocks from radio towers by bashing them with the hilt. The machete also returns as the main melee weapon of the [[VideoGame/FarCry6 sixth game]].

The machete's original application, like many similar [[TorchesAndPitchforks implements]] of destruction, was [[GardeningVarietyWeapon agricultural]]; they were used to clear undergrowth. In the Caribbean, it was a necessary tool for picking sugarcane, as well as useful for cutting the heads off snakes that were apt to bite cane-pickers. This usefulness and versatility made machetes a common household and farm tool in India, Indonesia, Latin America, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. This prevalence also meant they were often one of the only weapons available if the farmers were attacked, and their use as weapons eventually lead to the development of many martial arts from these regions (such as Silat and UsefulNotes/{{Eskrima}}) featuring various machete styles as a central part of their armed combat teachings.

* Machetes are one of the most commonly used melee weapons in ''VideoGame/DeadIsland''. They are the rewards for a lot of quests, especially in the main quest line. They deal a lot of damage, have decent handling, and have good force and durability for an edged weapon, making them the WeaponOfChoice of a lot of players. The [[AntiClimaxBoss Butcher]] [[ImAHumanitarian of Banoi]] also wields a machete and he killed his family with one when he was 9.
* A machete is Cliff's WeaponOfChoice in ''VideoGame/DeadRising''.

** Kobra, the [[BloodKnight bloodthirsty]] Black Dragon neophyte, wields a machete as his WeaponOfChoice in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon''.

* The ''gauchos'' of Argentina are known to favor the ''facon'' as their WeaponOfChoice. These are often smaller blades, but they can get to a length where they may as well be small swords.

* In ''Series/{{Diablero}}'', this is Elvis' WeaponOfChoice.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Orks, especially Slugga Boyz, carry choppas (crudely made melee weapons) and can be made in the shape of jagged machetes (though [[AnAxeToGrind axes]] seem more "Orky").

** As an agricultural / forestry tool, the machete (or parang, or bolo, or [[KukrisAreKool kukri]]) are specifically [[TheSavageSouth tropical]], made for the jungle and forest vegetation: vines, canes and lianas. In European or North American forests, where only hardwood is found, they are not efficient - for this reason, Northern cultures never developed sword-like blades for woodcutting purpose and relied on [[AnAxeToGrind the hatchet or axe]].

* In ''Film/TodayWeKillTomorrowWeDie'', Elfago uses a machete wielded like a katana to cut down the outriders on the stagecoach he and his gang rob.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': While traversing the Foggy Swamp, Sokka uses a machete to hack away at the undergrowth and foliage, which Aang cautions against. [[spoiler: He is later proved right, as the swamp is revealed to be semi-sentient]].

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': While traversing the Foggy Swamp, Sokka uses a machete to hack away at the undergrowth and foliage (which Aang cautions against [[spoiler: as the swamp is later revealed to be semi-sentient]]).

The machete. The perfect weapon. Unlike a {{chainsaw|Good}}, it doesn't need a power source, never jams, and you ''can'' actually swing it like a sword. Unlike a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]], you don't need to pay hundreds of dollars for a decent one and you don't need years of training to effectively wield it. Unlike a kitchen knife, you can actually use it to lop someone's head off. Unlike a {{s|inisterScythe}}cythe, [[AwesomeButImpractical you can actually kill someone with it]]. And unlike a [[GunNut gun]], you don't have to reload it, you can guarantee that a strike will kill a victim, and you don't have to worry about aiming. All this could be why they've become so popular in pretty much any movie where people get hacked to bits.

* Machetes were used as weapons in a slew of uprisings and rebellions throughout the Third World, especially in Cuba. Check Wiki/TheOtherWiki on guys like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years%27_War Carlos Manuel de Cespedes]] for example.

The machete. The perfect weapon. Unlike a {{chainsaw|Good}}, it doesn't need a power source, never jams, and you ''can'' actually swing it like a sword. Unlike a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]], you don't need to pay hundreds of dollars for a decent one and you don't need years of training to effectively wield it. Unlike a kitchen knife, you can actually lop someone's head off. Unlike a {{s|inisterScythe}}cythe, [[AwesomeButImpractical you can actually kill someone with it]]. And unlike a [[GunNut gun]], you don't have to reload it, you can guarantee that a strike will kill a victim, and you don't have to worry about aiming. That could be why they've become so popular in pretty much any movie where people get hacked to bits.

The original application, like a lot of such [[TorchesAndPitchforks implements]] of destruction, is [[GardeningVarietyWeapon agricultural]]; they were used to clear undergrowth. Early in the Caribbean, it was a necessary tool for picking sugarcane. Particularly useful for cutting the heads off the non-venomous snakes that were apt to bite cane-pickers. And, you know, actually picking the sugarcane. Machetes are also a common household and farm tool in Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and much of Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. This prevalence meant they were often one of the only weapons available if the farmers were attacked, and their use as weapons eventually lead to many martial arts from such regions (such as Silat and UsefulNotes/{{Eskrima}}) featuring various machete styles as a central part of their armed combat teachings.

** While Eskrima practitioners are known for DualWielding a pair of short rattan sticks, it's noted that you're not SUPPOSED to treat the sticks as [[SimpleStaff literal sticks/staves,]] but as [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter dulled/practice swords]]--many strikes can let the wielder switch to knives with minimal fuss.

The machete. The perfect weapon. Unlike a {{chainsaw|Good}}, it doesn't need a power source, never jams, and you ''can'' actually swing it like a sword. Unlike a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]], you don't need to pay hundreds of dollars for a decent one and you don't need years of training to effectively wield it. Unlike a [[KnifeNut kitchen knife]], you can actually lop someone's head off. Unlike a {{s|inisterScythe}}cythe, [[AwesomeButImpractical you can actually kill someone with it]]. And unlike a [[GunNut gun]], you don't have to reload it, you can guarantee that a strike will kill a victim, and you don't have to worry about aiming. That could be why they've become so popular in pretty much any movie where people get hacked to bits.

See KukrisAreKool for the machete's Nepalese twin brother. Compare and contrast ChainsawGood, KnifeNut, and SinisterScythe.

* ''Film/LockStockAndTwoSmokingBarrels'': KnifeNut Soap has a collection of giant knives. When his partner sarcastically asks if he has anything bigger, Soap whips out a machete from a scabbard. "[[BringMyBrownPants Shit 'em right up!]]"

* Chris from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' uses a machete as his default melee weapon. His partner [[KnifeNut uses a knife]]. Some Majini also wield them, as do Ganados in [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 the previous game]].

** While Eskrima practitioners are known for DualWielding a pair of short rattan sticks, it's noted that you're not SUPPOSED to treat the sticks as [[SimpleStaff literal sticks/staves,]] but as [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter dulled/practice swords]]--many strikes can let the wielder [[KnifeNut switch to knives]] with minimal fuss.

* The ''gauchos'' of Argentina are known to favor the ''facon'' as their WeaponOfChoice. These are often [[KnifeNut smaller blades]], but they can get to a length where they may as well be small swords.

* While it seems to be more on the SinisterScimitar side in appearance, the Chinese ''dandao'' (better known as the broadsword, or Chinese saber) is sometimes referred to in translation as a machete. To that end, modern machetes can be used with Chinese dandao forms... Taken UpToEleven if the practitioner is DualWielding them.