History Main / SimpleStaff

[[WMG:[[center:[[AC:This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1656660042016253300 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.]]]]]]

* BroomstickQuarterstaff: Using a broom or mop as an ImprovisedWeapon.

If a direct wick has led you here, please correct the link so that it points to the corresponding article.

SimpleStaff may refer to the following:

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[[quoteright:350:[[Film/RobinHoodMenInTights https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robinhoodmanintights_7999.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350: For those "important" fights.]]

->''"Simple wooden staff''\\
''Made from life, protecting life,''\\
''Stronger than cold steel."''
-->-- '''Flavor Text''' from the ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=22320 Silkenfist Fighter]]

Behold, the staff. Essentially nothing more than a long, wooden club, it is one of the simplest weapons known to man, yet frequently referred to as the deadliest melee weapon ever created. (In other words, it's the king of BoringButPractical.) It can be easily improvised from a number of ordinary farming and cleaning tools -- such as plows, rakes, or mops -- that are readily found anywhere. [[TechnicalPacifist Those who frown upon spilling blood]] can confiscate various polearms and snap off the pointy end(s) to suit their tastes. Even convenient tree branches can serve in a pinch.

However, not all staves need be so simple. A few war-staves are shod with blunt metal caps for harder strikes and bound with iron rings to better parry swords. The violent potential of especially these iron-shod staves cannot be overstated, as when wielded properly are quite capable of shattering bone, denting and deforming armor, and completely removing vulnerable areas such as the jaw.

Many double as [[StaffOfAuthority symbols of status]] and thus feature elaborate headpieces -- of which the wisest choices are sturdy and heavy enough to serve in a fight. Some clever individuals have made staves out of hollow metal pieces that can collapse into a concealable weapon.

In the West, a full-length fighting staff is called a quarterstaff. Contrary to [[DanBrowned general opinion]] or [[HollywoodHistory many movies]], in the medieval age, a staff was not held in the middle but wielded in a similar way to a spear or two-handed sword.[[note]]With one hand halfway up, the other a few feet further back to provide more leverage and the rest of the staff ahead of them. One should note that it is hard to find a consensus for the length of the quarterstaff, which ranges in description from six feet to more than double that.[[/note]] In Japan, it is called a ''bo'', with a smaller version called a ''jo''. The Japanese also have ''hanbo'' -- short staves that Westerners would call rods. A Filipino fighting art called ''UsefulNotes/{{Eskrima}}'' (or ''Arnis'' or ''Kali'', depending on which island you're from) also makes use of these short rods.[[note]]An interesting side-note is that eskrima teaches its practitioners to strike with one particular surface of the stick rather than just any part of it -- because eskrima is intended to allow the user to switch his relatively non-lethal sticks for ''blades'' if necessary.[[/note]]

Staves tend to be the WeaponOfChoice among monks and others who, for moral, religious, and/or ethical reasons, refuse to take a life, but for various reasons find themselves requiring a method of defence. Anyone else interested in practising combat skills is more interested in lethality, and so affix various pointy ends to their poles, making these implements a [[BladeOnAStick different kind of weapon entirely]]. Of course, some people take a middle path and conceal various nasty surprises in their staves.

Staves also tend to be the favorite of particularly old and weary characters in need of a walking stick -- or those who wish to appear older and wearier than they really are. As such, it is a favorite among {{Old Master}}s and certain kinds of wizard. In the latter case, the "simple" staff probably also doubles as a MagicWand, thus becoming the hybrid melee and magical weapon, the MagicStaff. Staves work great for teachers because a) they don't look impressive, and thus when they kick your ass it's a demonstration of the user's skill, and b) staves provide ample opportunity for hard whacks to the shins or head -- painful, but not fatal, blows -- thus perfect for discipline.

These connections to the monastic, the mystic, the elderly, the traveled, and the sorcerous have lent the staff itself, and those who use it, a certain image of being intellectual, knowledgeable, and wise. Whether this is any more real than the image of frailty is another matter, but more staves in fantasy are Magic Wands than Magic Wands are staves. If the MagicWand aspect of the staff is limited to only shooting people (or, if said shooting from a staff is not even magical in nature at all), then you have a BoomStick, rather than a MagicStaff.

In Eastern media, the staff is often a Kung Fu weapon, used with much grace and skill (and choreography). Combined with the distance afforded by its long reach, martial artist monks have long been able to smack around roomfuls of {{Mook}}s completely untouched. As Western audiences rightly recognize [[RuleOfCool the awesomeness of this]], it's spreading to Western media as well. The most famous user of the staff in Eastern media is Sun Wukong from the seminal ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', and thus most staff-users reference Wukong in some way, especially through his not-so-simple staff, the TelescopingStaff, a related trope.

When the fighters don't actually care as much about the injuries they inflict or actively try to cause lots of injuries, perhaps the staff really ''is'' just a [[CarryABigStick long club]], or a [[BladeOnAStick spear]] without a spearhead.

If the wielder is a martial artist, expect to see a [[SpinToDeflectStuff particular special defensive trick]]. The same trope applied to ridiculous extents is WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter. A BroomstickQuarterstaff is an {{improvised|weapon}} variant.

----
!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Staves in the world of ''Franchise/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' don't tend to count, but Raising Heart's staff form is Nanoha's melee weapon of choice -- unless she's reached the point of using its final form, which can produce a [[BladeOnAStick spear-head]].
* ''Anime/RoninWarriors'': The Ancient One wields a staff to do his priestly magic in contrast to the Ronins themselves who stick with BladeOnAStick.
* When Lucario uses [[BadWithTheBone Bone Rush]] in the ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' anime, it looks like a cross between this and a [[Franchise/StarWars light]][[LaserBlade saber]].
* Gold in the ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' manga had a pool cue that he uses for calling out his {{mons}}.
* In ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'', Freya uses a staff as her weapon, it being the tool of choice for her family's style of jojutsu. Her staff is modified by shortening, and she can quickly screw it together to make a longer staff.
* In the ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' manga, Gackto's rod, decorated with [[SuckMyRose roses]] and jewels, is used like the mermaids' E-Pitches for the Dark Lovers' song. [[spoiler:Rihito]] inherits one just like it, but never actually uses it as a weapon.
* Shu from ''Anime/NowAndThenHereAndThere'' utilizes a long stick as a staff of sorts; the weapon is mainly used as a contrast against the other characters' weapons, where all of the other ''children'' are wielding knives and guns. Although he isn't very skilled per se (he mainly just recklessly uses the same [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_(kendo) move]] over and over), it is meant to highlight his pacifism.
* Fasalina from ''Anime/GunXSword'' wields... uh... a very long pole-dancer stick. Either to beat the crap out of her opponents or to control her mecha. And even her mecha comes with it.
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi''
** When [[spoiler: Kuu Fei]] makes a Pactio with Negi, her artifact is a replica of the [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest Ruyi Jingu Bang]].
** And Negi's staff, which he received [[AncestralWeapon from his father]].
* Husky in ''Manga/PlusAnima''. He occasionally fights with it (he's good), but it's used more as a "Cooro punishing stick".
* As mentioned in the ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' example below, Son Goku of ''Franchise/DragonBall'' wields the Nyoi Bou (or "Ruyi Bang" for Chinese speakers/savants),[[note]]In the Funimation dub it's called the Power Pole, a name adopted from the Harmony Gold dub[[/note]] a staff that can extend and shrink at the will of the user. While it is fantastic in the early arcs, it loses its utility when KiAttacks grow in prominence, and is cleanly discarded after the Daimao Arc. Also, Kamesennin (Master Roshi) has a staff of his own, although he never seems to really use it for anything other than a walking stick ([[{{Troll}} and poking a hole in the Pilaf Gang's seaplane]]).
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Nami uses a simple staff at the beginning, but later replaces it with the [[MagicStaff Clima-Tact]] in Alabasta, which got several upgrades further down the line.
** Sabo during his youth with both Ace and Luffy, where the three of them used [[PipePain pipes]] as bo-staves; Sabo himself was much more notable when it came to using such weaponry in that fashion, [[spoiler:even towards his adulthood]].
** [[ShockAndAwe Eneru]] fights with a golden bo staff. He can use his lightning powers to melt the ends of the staff and reshape it into a [[BladeOnAStick spear]].
** Vergo fights with a bamboo stick which he imbues with [[InstantArmor Busoshoku Haki]] to make it stronger and more durable.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Chouza Akimichi uses a staff in combat, and it changes size with him whenever he goes into AttackOfThe50FootWhatever mode.
** [[ChineseGirl Tenten]] is also a staff fighter, albeit mainly in filler and video games.
** Like Goku from Dragon Ball, the Third Hokage has one specifically based off of Sun Wukong’s Nyoi Bo, as his personal summon, Monkey King Enma, can transform into an adamantine staff that can manipulate the length.
* In ''LightNovel/TheStoryOfSaiunkoku'', [[BadassBureaucrat Ensei]] uses a staff when everyone else walks around with a sword. His [[RedBaron nickname]] is "Little Staff King".
* In ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'', Sakura's MagicWand is a pink staff with a bird's head that is used to seal and summon Clow Cards. [[spoiler: Later, the bird's head changes to a circle with a star in the middle, when Sakura is ''officially'' made the Mistress of the Cards.]]
* In ''Anime/{{K}}'' Yata switches to using a pipe as a staff from the movie onwards, replacing his previous [[BatterUp baseball bat]]. It even gets ''modified'' during the climax [[spoiler: when Anna becomes the Red King]] to look more like a proper bo staff.
* Diamond, one of the villains in ''Anime/FistOfTheNorthStar'', had a really big staff. Not that this helped him against Kenshiro.
* In ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', Angemon wields a staff, but he rarely ever uses it.
* ''Manga/{{Gamaran}}'': the series has a couple of sadly misbegotten staff users in the same team of the Muhou School: the first, Tagosaku Yamashita, tries to attack Iori with his personal bo staff (has a spiral pattern and edged ends) but is quickly stopped and killed. Subverted by his master Maniwa, who is a bojutsu practitioner but employs a spear with the same movements. Sequel series has Sakutaro Nagoshi of the Nagoshi Ryuu, an expert of jojutsu who fights with a steel staff hard enough to allow him to easily defeat normal swordsmen with ease by breaking their weapons.
* ''Manga/UshioAndTora'': a simple, not even oversized exagonal staff is the weapon of choice of the gigantic, {{Oni}} like Hitotsuki. Later on, we see a similar staff being used by the Eastern Youkai leader Yamanmoto and his right-hand man, [[{{Tengu}} Ibuki]].
* ''Manga/HeroTales'': Ryuuko, TheLancer of the team, wields a staff as his weapon, and can channel Qi through it. Later he's bestowed a better, more powerful staff named [[NamedWeapons Rasenkon (Spiral Cudgel)]].
* Edward Elric in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' [[CombatPragmatist will use anything that's available]], but in situations where his preferred BladeBelowTheShoulder isn't appropriate or his arm is damaged, he regularly produces a staff from the nearest available surface and starts beating people with it.
* In ''Manga/SeikesshouAlbatross'', Goose, Ibis, and Toki wield staves that they can channel their powers through.
* ''Manga/TekkenChinmi'': At one point during Journey arc while thinking how to fight a dangerous armed opponent, Chinmi suddenly reveals he's been carrying a fighting staff all this time despite the previous chapters never showed him carrying it, and neither do the next chapters.
* Fawna from ''Manga/{{Kazan}}'' uses a staff when she doesn't use her water powers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''Franchise/XMen'':
** ComicBook/{{Gambit}} uses an [[{{Unobtainium}} adamantium]] staff, often collapsible.
** Villain Black Tom Cassidy uses an Irish shillelagh because he has to focus his mutant power through wood for it to be effective.
* Post-Crisis ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} is in fact a very competent staff-wielder. When archenemy Reactron nullifies her powers in ''ComicBook/WhoIsSuperwoman'', [[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/jHhSoGXJ6a1xKxfWtEAdgUIWUUMyU6IdT4FNp8_fTUzjaVcK9tuEoDWDLk7-cMIYjnrv9iXa3jhn=s1600 she grabs a metallic rod, drives him back]] and points out how stupid is thinking someone who has been mentored by Batman and Wonder Woman is incapable of fighting without her powers.
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** In both ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' and ''ComicBook/Robin1993'', Tim Drake often uses a bo staff, usually collapsible. It's modified with a bit of carving to create a whistling sound when he swings it to distract his enemies. When offered training in any weapon of his choosing by arguably ''Franchise/TheDCU'''s greatest martial artist and assassin, Lady Shiva, goes with the bo staff specifically for its non-lethal attributes. He grows so proficient with it he's been declared the world's best staff fighter.
** ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}'s escrima sticks. ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'''s Dick Grayson uses a staff as well in place of his signature sticks.
** ''ComicBook/Batgirl2009'': Stephanie Brown's collapsible "boomstick".
* Agent 355 wields an expandable baton as a (somewhat) non-lethal alternative to her pistol in ''ComicBook/YTheLastMan''.
* ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'': Midnighter tends to use a collapsible metal staff when he isn't using his bare hands. Far from being a TechnicalPacifist though, he's used it to ''decapitate'' people.
* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': Volstagg used a staff in the older stories, before eventually switching to a [[AnAxeToGrind axe]].
* Donatello of the ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' uses one as his WeaponOfChoice. So does Splinter, in some versions.
* ComicBook/{{Mockingbird}} of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' uses two batons (referred to as 'battle staves') that connect to form a telescopic staff, sometimes depicted with hidden extras, notably a hidden blade for stabbing into objects for support and leverage, or at people for intimidation. Her ex-husband, ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} also uses one that splits into nunchucks during his time as Ronin...but gets his ass utterly handed to him when the two fight.
* [[SwissArmyWeapon As well as doubling as]] Nunchucks, batons, a grappling hook, and a [[MundaneUtility blind man's cane]], ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'s [[WeaponOfChoice billy club]] serves as one of these when needed.
* ''ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}'': As Ronin, Clint used one, created by locking together both of his nunchakus. He learned how to wield a staff in honor and remembrance of his wife, Mockingbird, who he thought was dead. Still not as good as her as it is her weapon, but still.
* ''ComicBook/SamuraiSquirrel'': Malak-qui, [[TheProtagonist Nato-san]]'s brother, used a Bo Staff as his weapon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* Commander Primary Xerox in ''Roleplay/TheMadScientistWars'' uses a high-tech version of these, in favor of guns, and second to his huge Net. Seeing as how it's collapsible, made of unknown material, and can be adjusted to weigh up to 100 kilo, It's about as violent as a non-violent weapon can be.
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm''
** [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]], as per canon - six feet of carved oak, when wielded properly, is something to be reckoned with.
** Gambit, also as per canon, wields a staff to deadly effect in the sequel, along with his trademark playing cards.
* This is Timmy Turner's weapon of choice in ''Fanfic/BurningBlack'', due to his aversion to taking life. If it hadn't been destroyed, he'd still be using the wooden quarterstaff/training bo that Caleb gave him when he was ten. It pulled double duty as his MagicStaff for helping to direct his spells. Steps are being taken to return it to him.
* In ''Fanfic/TeenageJinchurikiShinobi'':
** Sakura learns how to use one to perfection from Donatello as she was surprisingly a natural with one.
** Naruto used one as well on certain occasions due to this version being a WalkingArmory.
* In ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'', a long, steel-reinforced staff is Shinji's favorite weapon.
%% * Artie Bristles from ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic''.
* Due to losing his ability to transform, Lightstorm now uses a staff as his primary melee weapon in ''Sailor Moon: Legends of Lightstorm''. In his case, the staff enhances kinetic energy to boost its impact damage, can collapse to the size of a pepper spray can to clip on his utility belt, and appears to be virtually unbreakable.
* Monster X [[note]]in human form[[/note]] in ''Fanfic/TheBridge'' uses a broken fence pipe as a staff to disable to Siren's van when they tried to flee the mall he ambushed them in.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Juxtapose}}'', Izuku and his friends are trained by Aizawa to use this to make up for their Quirks' lack of offensive potential. Izuku's staff is later upgraded to work as a conduit for his Quirk and can split into a pair of bastons for Eskrima, while Hitoshi's gets upgraded [[BladeOnAStick into a spear]] with a [[VoiceChangeling voice modifying function.]]
* In ''Fanfic/SenkiZesshouSymphogearWXDUnlimited'', [[Literature/{{Worm}} Taylor Hebert]] uses the [[Anime/{{Symphogear}} Relic]] [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest Ruyi Jingu Bang]]. You get three guesses what her WeaponOfChoice is.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/Epic2013'': A popular secondary weapon of the Leafmen (when paired with an actual leaf it becomes a makeshift glider/parachute).
* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Master Oogway's staff, which is passed onto Master Shifu after his death.
* ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot'': Garrett is a former Camelot stable boy who was blinded due to a horse-related head injury. Eventually he gave up on civilization and retreated to the forest, using a wooden staff both as a guiding tool and his primary weapon.
* ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'': Both Little John and [[BadassPreacher Friar Tuck]] are shown to be proficient in combat with a quarterstaff.
* ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'': Even though his staff is magic enough to act as a microphone and guitar, this is how the Bog King uses it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/ArmyOfFrankensteins'': Igor carries a collapsible lighting rod that he uses as a quarterstaff (with great skill) during the battle against the Confederates.
* ''Film/TheBeastmaster'': Seth and Tal use these while posing as simple travelers.
* ''Film/BeyondSherwoodForest'': The quarterstaff is the weapon of choice for both Little John and Marian. In fact, the adult Marian's first scene shows her practising with a quarterstaff against a training dummy.
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'': Hawkeye's bow is shown to be collapsible, flattening its curves and turning into a staff for close-quarter combat (though still not a match for Black Panther's vibranium claws).
* ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'': Dick Van Dyke's character waxes lyrical about "Me Old Bamboo", though the song itself contrasts the old bamboo with other similar implements, including (by name) walking sticks, poles, and quarterstaves. It's not entirely clear how the bamboo is different, though it is apparently capable of making people applaud, cheer, and/or go daft.
* ''Film/ComingToAmerica'': Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy) is seen [[ChekhovsSkill training in staff-fighting]] at the beginning of the film. So, later when he's working in Queens at a fast-food restaurant and [[Creator/SamuelLJackson a thug]] tries to rob the place with a shotgun while he's mopping, he unscrews the handle and beats him down.
* ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'': Zula (Grace Jones) wields one, though after her introduction she's seen whittling one end down to a point, which she uses like a spear from that point on.
* ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Lord of the Rings]]'': [[BigGood Gandalf]] carries a staff. It's technically a magical staff, but he [[MundaneUtility tends to use it more as a weapon]] than as a method of casting spells.
* ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'': Becoming greatly outnumbered by several dozen rogue agent Smiths, Neo improvises a staff from a steel pole pulled from its concrete anchor in, walloping Smiths like baseballs and keeping those Smiths at bay until twice as many arrive to pull the fight to a weak stalemate.
* ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie'': Dulcea's weapon. When separated into its two halves and swung in circles, they emit a whistling sound painful to those who hear it.
* ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'': Little John's preferred weapon. He duels Robin with them, but the staffs are so cheaply made that they keep breaking, eventually resorting to just hitting each other on the knuckles.
* ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'': Jaylah wields one, though it can also be converted into a sniper rifle.
* ''[[Franchise/StarWars Star Wars]]''
** Rey's weapon of choice for much of ''Film/TheForceAwakens''.
** [[BlindWeaponmaster Chirrut]] in ''Film/RogueOne''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gamebooks]]
* In ''Literature/BloodSword'', the Sage character class starts off with a quarterstaff to do his fighting and he has special techniques with it to knock an enemy off-balance, making them attack last. This ability only works when he has a staff.
* In ''Literature/SeasOfBlood'' from the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' series, Awkmutes are birdmen priests to the Chaos Gods. These evil clerics use magic staves that randomly damage your Stamina, Luck or Skill. Your pirate character can take it and use it to harm an opponents Stamina or Skill scores. This is significant as this is arguably the first instance in the series where a magic weapon has abilities other than allowing you to harm an otherwise invulnerable foe or give a skill bonus that only works to offset a skill penalty.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:LARP]]
* Many [=LARPers=] consider the staff to be one of the most effective weapons, due to the simple fact that a hit can be scored with any part of the weapon. There's much more to it than that, a staff also has reach, size, and leverage on its side. The staff is a stupendously effective LARP weapon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/TheBaroqueCycle'': An Irish Partisan defeats an English Noble in a duel, armed only with a staff. Afterwards, he advises his friend to "...get a bloody great piece of wood, and hit him over and over until he dies."
* ''Literature/BelisariusSeries'': A new order of warrior monks is formed that uses quarterstaffs as their weapons. The reasons are mainly political. The order is to be used to fight in the streets of Alexandria against street gangs and religious fanatics. If they use swords then it will look like soldiers slaughtering unarmed civilians. However, if they use staffs then it is just another street brawl between club-wielding religious factions which is a daily occurrence in Alexandria. When the riots begin, the street mobs are massacred by ranks of highly disciplined and highly trained staff wielders.
* ''Literature/{{Circleverse}}'': Staffs are the signature weapon of the traders (whose name indicates not just a profession, but refers to a distinctive culture seperate from mainstream society). Made of ebony and tipped with brass caps, they are used both for self-defense and as narrative tools; symbolic carvings and inscriptions on the caps represent events in the life of the wielder. If a trader is exiled from the fold, the caps of their staff must remain unadorned.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
** Wizards use magic staffs. Some of them are very old, handed down through generations, and may be made of different materials. Ridcully the Brown has one and it's the reason he doesn't use magic too often because he's found that if something isn't intimidated by being walloped by six feet of solid oak, it probably won't be troubled too much by magic either. This proves useful on his second visit to magic-free [[Literature/TheScienceOfDiscworld Roundworld]], where we actually see him trounce a native in a quarterstaff brawl.
** Morris dancing in Lancre is - when steel toe-capped boots are not employed - essentially quarterstaff fighting set to a musical beat. As the elves find out to their cost. Malicious Morris Dancing is taught as a martial art in Ankh-Morpork and involves the safe - well, to the wielder - use of large thick sticks.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
** As many other wizards do, Harry carries a MagicStaff that focuses and concentrates the power of his spells. He also receives proper martial arts training in the use of a staff, specifically so he can invoke this trope when magic isn't a viable option. At one time, he uses it to motorcycle-joust against a limo.
** He also learned the basics of staff combat from his second teacher [[spoiler: and grandfather]] Ebenezar [=McCoy=], who learned how to use it in an era when it was a common weapon in serious combat. Ebenezar later proves capable of briefly staff-fencing with nothing short of a PhysicalGod.
* ''Literature/{{Edgedancer}}'' (a novella of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive''): Lift's Shardweapon first [[MorphWeapon manifests]] as a metal rod since she's never used a blade in her life, she only needs it to [[spoiler:parry another shardblade]], and the Spren that manifests it really doesn't want to be used to stab people.
* ''The Impossible Virgin'': In this Literature/ModestyBlaise novel, Modesty and Willie have a workout session early on where they use quarter-staffs and discuss the fact that they're unlikely ever to have occasion to use them in a real fight. The final showdown with the villains happens in a situation that precludes the use of guns, so the villains are armed with knives, and Modesty and Willie are armed with quarter-staffs improvised out of stretcher poles.
* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'':
** The quarterstaff is likely the most popular weapon in the Dragon's Lair company. Two of its squads use them for magical combat, one for physical combat, and then a fourth does both.
** Annala Enaz adds a quarterstaff to her arsenal after [[spoiler: becoming a chaos priestess.]]
* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'':
** Sun Wukong (known in the Japanese translation as Son Goku) used a magical collapsible staff called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruyi_Jingu_Bang Ruyi Jingu Bang]] (or "Nyoi Kinko Bou" to most Japanese speakers/anime fans). It appeared as via the Japanese "Nyoi Bou" reading in some adaptations like ''Franchise/DragonBall'', which the dub called a "Power Pole".
** Actually Sun Wukong is not the only staff fighter here. Sha Wujing aka Sandy is usually shown in theatrical or screen adaptations wielding a "monk spade", however his weapon in the novel was a wooden staff.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. Royal guards tell Gandalf that he must leave behind all weapons if he wishes to meet the king, but Gandalf counters, "You wouldn't deny an old man his walking stick, would you?". Of course, his walking stick is actually a MagicStaff, which he uses to break Grí­ma Wormtongue's spell over the king. Though what he actually appears to do with it is to magically darken the room and simply knock Wormtongue out, so he can speak to the King directly. In the book, Théoden isn't under an actual magical spell, but simply under the thumb of a twisted advisor who exploits his fears and uses subtle poisons to make him feel weak and powerless.
* ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'': Dueling canes are in essence staves about the length of an arming sword, often with a crossguard thrown in. Since Allomancy makes metal weapons impractical among they nobility, this is a fairly popular weapon.
* ''Literature/RazorlandTrilogy'': During ''Horde'', Tegan adopts a staff as her signature weapon, since she isn't permitted to travel in Company D without knowing how to fight.
* ''[[Literature/SagaOfRecluce Recluce Saga]]'': For order-mages, staves aren't simply the weapon of choice, they're the only possible weapon. Bladed implements like swords, knives, and the like (basically, anything designed with death and destruction in mind) cause pain and discomfort in an order mage since these things are linked with chaos magic. The staff is inherently non-lethal in nature and can be used defensively more or less indefinitely. For this reason, most order-mages wind up carrying a staff (or in one case, a truncheon). While the staff can be used to injure or kill as well (and does have the noted pain-inducing effects in the order-mage wielding it), it is not specifically designed for this purpose, and is thus comparatively safe to use, whereas some order-mages feel ill just ''holding'' a sword.
* ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'': "Oh me liddle stick o' wood, me liddle stick o' wood/ Whacks here'n'there'n'everywhere, no weapon's half so good ..."
* Literature/SherlockHolmes is an excellent stick fighter, and there are several references to walking sticks being used as defensive weapons. One of which is featured in a SherlockScan: Holmes deduces from seeing a walking stick that's been newly modified to have a lead-filled end (called a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_stick#Penang_lawyer Penang lawyer]]) that the owner thinks he might be in danger.
* ''Literature/SirAproposOfNothing'': Apropos uses a number of weapons, but none so often as his staff, which he has because of a lame leg.
* ''Literature/SixthColumn'': The "priest's staves" were in reality AppliedPhlebotinum, both weapons and tools. They took the form of an ornately carved and gilded staff (that hid the controls in its gilding) surmounted by a cube of six colors (that concealed the generators/projectors) A backpack hidden under their clothing hid the power source.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Arstan Whitebeard demonstrates his OldSoldier nature by casually defeating an [[GiantMook enormous]] and experienced mercenary who is armed with a sword, while Arstan himself uses only a quarterstaff.
* ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'': Subverted. Jon-Tom's weapon appears to be a simple staff until he presses a button on the top, at which point a foot-long blade shoots out of the other end.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'': There was a Jedi Master who used a Simple Staff (somewhat like Yoda) with which he could ''block [[LaserBlade Lightsabers]]'' (admittedly, by using [[FunctionalMagic The Force]]).
* ''The Trigger'': The secret service train in staffs to be used as non-lethal weapons when within the area where gunpowder will spontaneously explode.
* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
** Mat Cauthon uses a staff as his WeaponOfChoice before switching to a BladeOnAStick. He was trained by his father and is good enough with it that early in the series, he beats down two expert swordsmen in a demonstration bout. At once. While convalescing from a serious curse/illness. (The instructor of those swordsmen then reminds the class that the greatest swordsman in history was only ever beaten once... by a farmer with a quarterstaff.)
** TheDragon Ishamael wields a black staff in his fight with Rand at the end of ''The Great Hunt''. Since he's drawing directly on [[TheDarkSide the power]] of [[TheAntiGod the Dark One]], he can ''stab'' Rand with it, dealing him his first WoundThatWillNotHeal. Rand still wins the duel.
** Moiraine carries an ornate staff when traveling and often gestures with it when channeling the One Power. This causes Egwene to mistake it for a MagicStaff, but Moiraine explains that it just helps her concentrate.
* In a lot of Wuxia novels where the Beggars' Sect appears (especially in the works of Creator/JinYong like ''Literature/DemiGodsAndSemiDevils'' and ''Literature/TheLegendOfTheCondorHeroes''), [[KingOfTheHomeless the leader]] wields a weapon known as the "Dog-Beating Staff" as a badge of office, and must know the techniques to use it. The weapon is effectively a bamboo walking stick that has been petrified with use to roughly the consistency of jade by the many leaders of the Beggars' Sect going back to the Han Dynasty: given that the settings are usually sometime between the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it's had quite a bit of time to be processed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'': The Force Lance. Among its ''[[SwissArmyWeapon many]]'' features is the ability to expand into a full-length staff.
* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''
** Sara Lance aka The Canary uses a staff that can disconnect to form batons as her primary weapon (though was shown to be skilled with other weapons as well). She also twice uses an improvised staff, firstly taking the wooden door frame and later a metal pipe, to fight someone who'd attacked her and Oliver when they were out of costume.
** When Laurel Lance becomes the Black Canary she also uses a staff, specifically to honor her sister...and learns she sucks at it. So she switches to DualTonfas, which she is quite good at instead. Specifically she uses the [=PR24=] side-handle baton, perhaps to honor her father who is an SCPD captain.
** [[ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} Slade Wilson]], while preferring swords, also showed a fondness for the escrima sticks variant to use while training on the island, and taught Oliver how to fight using them, though Oliver himself mostly sticks to archery or using his bow as a club. Angry over how Slade keeps walloping him, Oliver demands to know why they're learning stickfighting when they're going up against men with guns. "What am I supposed to do if someone sticks a gun in my face—hit them with my stick?!" [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder Slade hands Oliver his pistol]] and tells him to stick it in his face, only to be quickly and painfully disarmed.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** The Rangers had the Minbari fighting pike for a primary melee weapon, which is essentially a [[TelescopingStaff collapsible staff]] that can extend so fast that one could be knocked out just by having an end of it hit you when telescoping.
** In one first-season episode, a wandering monk in search of Holy Grail carries a staff and takes down a pair of muggers.
* ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'': Ryouga Hakua/[=AbaRed=] has a staff with a Tyrannosaurus head, which not only functions as a staff, but the head can munch and eat his enemies. He's still a good guy though.
* ''Series/{{Beastmaster}}'': The signature weapon of protagonist Dar. With a long blade on one end, a club head on the other, and the ability to separate at the middle, it's ideal for fighting multiple attackers.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
** Averted. Giles wants to train Buffy on the quarterstaff. Buffy is not impressed: "Giles, 20th Century? I'm not going to be fighting Friar Tuck." Giles insists, claiming that it will take "countless hours of rigorous training" to master. They face off and Buffy makes short work of Giles, knocking him flat on the ground.
-->'''Giles:''' [croaks] Good. Let's move on to the crossbow.
** Not PlayedForLaughs in Season 5's "Into the Woods", where Buffy uses a wooden staff to kill [[CurbStompBattle seven vampires in as many seconds]].
* ''Series/CobraKai'': Late in season 3, Daniel teaches Sam how to spar in his home dojo using a set of bo staffs. The bo staffs come in handy in the season 3 finale when Tory leads the Cobra Kais to assault Sam in her home. Tory chases Sam into the home dojo, and begins attacking her with a set of nunchucks. Sam initially is too afraid to fight back, but when Tory breaks the picture of Mr. Miyagi, Sam gets the resolve to fight back, grabs one of the staffs, and begins dueling Tory. The staff gives her an advantage as she's able to disarm Tory by slipping the end of the staff under the cord connecting the two sticks on the nunchucks and rip them out of Tory's hands.
* ''Series/{{Covert Affairs}}'': Auggie's walking staff.
* ''Series/DeadliestWarrior'': Wielded by both parties in the Shaolin Monk vs. Maori Warrior episode; a white wax wood staff by the former, and a taiaha (traditional Maori weapon) by the latter.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': During her training with the Faceless Men of Braavos, Arya Stark learns to fight with a staff (while blind, no less!). When she returns to Westeros and prepares for the ultimate battle against the White Walkers, she asks Gendry to construct a staff for her tipped with blades of dragonglass (i.e. obsidian).
* ''Series/{{Lost}}'': Ben prefers a telescopic baton (a homage to ''ComicBook/YTheLastMan'', whose writer also writes for Lost), but he's not above using a gun if it's handy.
* ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', Morgan Jones uses a wooden staff in his practice of UsefulNotes/{{Aikido}}, which he teaches to some others as well. He believes ThouShaltNotKill [[spoiler:at least until things really go south]], but it's quite effective for busting zombie skulls or [[TechnicalPacifist incapacitating an enemy]].
* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'''s sidekick, Gabrielle, fights with a quarterstaff.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Myth And Legend]]
* OlderThanPrint: If Myth/RobinHood isn't shooting you, Little John is probably swinging one of these at you... In the oldest ballads, Robin and his men usually fight with swords. However, they do take up quarterstaffs before print. Robin himself is said to be pretty handy with a quarterstaff, but his weapon of choice is of course [[ArcherArchetype a bow and arrows]] and his men have been known to get the better of him in staff fights.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
** Monks in the 3rd (and 3.5) Edition are able to use their faster-unarmed attack bonus with certain weapons like the quarterstaff.
** In ''Basic Dungeons and Dragons'', the Magic-User is only permitted to use the dagger. This is only adjusted by HouseRules or ''Rules Cyclopedia'', where the magic user may use the staff - but since it is a two-handed weapon, they will lose initiative when casting spells (where taking damage causes the spell to fizzle.)
** Druids like staffs, because they're useful to use as focuses for powerful spells like ''Shillelagh'' (so that Wisdom powers both hit chance and damage, ideal for the Wisdom-heavy druid) and ''Changestaff'' (which flat-out turns the whole staff into a huge, angry treant).
** Some [[MagicStaff magic staffs]] are enchanted to serve as a weapon as well as store spells.
* In ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'', the Children of Gaia had perfected a style of combat with a simple wooden staff that could knock out even a werewolf in a single strike. For the record, they are werewolves themselves.
* The default WeaponOfChoice for the default Protestant Blessed in ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'' is a simple stick, ''always'' referred to as being made of hickory. For a game where customizing the PlayerCharacter with realistic equipment, strengths, and weaknesses was such a big draw, the repeated reference to whackin' the walkin' dead in the head with a Simple Staff got tiresome.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has Wrackstaffs, the {{BFS}} equivalent of the Simple Staff. They also have the regular kind, for when you cannot afford a Wrackstaff... or make it clear to everyone that you're an Exalted, as most Artifact weapons are too heavy for normal humans to use properly.
* They are present in LosAngeles2035 and are one of the best melee weapons due to the fact that they grant you one extra defense action for every two actions you get on a round.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'', the basic quarterstaff is among the lightest of the two-handed weapons, is dirt cheap, has good Reach, deals good Swing damage/decent Thrust damage, and automatically parries at +2. The Martial Arts supplement suggests that staff wielders should suffer reduced penalties to defend against multiple attacks.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
%%What game is this?* Monkey, being based on ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'''s Sun Wukong, wields a staff that's a bit less simple than others, as it's collapsible and shoots plasma blasts.
%% Multiple entries under one point; can't expand due to unfamiliarity. Also [[DudeNotIronic not an irony]] * The aforementioned Wukong appear also in several MOBA games like ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' and ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}''. And yes, both cases, he comes with his staff as his main repertoire. His staff is also referenced in ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'', while Wukong himself doesn't appear in the game, there's an item called 'Monkey King Bar', which is obviously a reference to his staff. Eventually, this Wukong becomes PromotedToPlayable in ''VideoGame/Dota2'' and he's still carrying the staff, which becomes doubly ironic that he has his Monkey King Bar already, but still can buy a new one.
* ''VideoGame/NineMonkeysOfShaolin'' have your StarterEquipment being your trusty oak staff, which deals mediocre damage in the first few stages and only works on mooks. In a YouCantThwartStageOne moment, you ''will'' suffer a defeat in the hands of the marauder leader, since your staff is too weak to damage the leader's armour, and later on you can get the spear and the mace as backup.
* Throughout the ''VideoGame/{{Atelier}}'' series, most of the protagonists wield a staff as their weapon of choice, which serves double duty as both a weapon and as a stirring stick for their alchemy cauldrons.
* A late-game boss in ''VideoGame/BadDudes'' fights using a pole. He is the epitome of BoringYetPractical and WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer in the game, as all other bosses have impressive, showy weapons, but he is the only one to use his weapon to keep distance from the player characters, among other techniques. As a result, he is surprisingly difficult to defeat even for his point in the game.
* Quarterstaves are Jaheira's weapon of choice in ''VideoGame/BaldursGate''. Due to the restrictions of her Fighter/Druid build, they are also some of the ''only'' weapons she can wield. Fortunately there are powerful staves in ''Shadows of Amn'' and an {{Infinity Plus One S|word}}taff in ''Throne of Baal''. As an added bonus, they're one of the few weapon types in the first game that doesn't risk breaking, since, as a wooden weapon, they're not affected by the iron plague.
* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' DLC characters Robin and Nightwing use a collapsible bo staff and Escrima sticks, true to their comic book counterparts.
* Jade from ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' uses a staff as her primary weapon, in kung-fu style. Naturally, taking out enormous guards in PoweredArmor with [[DropTheHammer Hammers With]] [[EnergyWeapon Frickin' Laser Beams]] is [[RockBeatsLaser no problem for her]].
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' has ChineseGirl Litchi Faye Ling using a much simpler staff, but not-so-very-simple, [[FlyingWeapon since the staff can levitate and smack people around]].
* ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireII'' has [[CatGirl Katt]], a staff-wielding CuteBruiser who also ended up playing the BlackMagicianGirl -- despite starting as a fighter, she expressed interest in learning magic... and towards the end of the game, she suddenly got some of the most powerful attack spells in the game and enough MP to use them.
* ''VideoGame/BurningFight'' allows you to collect a single long stick as weapon right at the start of the first stage. You can collect other staffs later in the game.
* The Dark Primary in ''VideoGame/CondemnedCriminalOrigins'' favors one long staff used as a sword, and Dark Servitors prefer escrima sticks.
* ''VideoGame/DarkAgeOfCamelot'' has the Friar, a hybrid healer-tank which specializes in the use of the quarterstaff. They also wear armored monastic robes, leading them to usually be mistaken for a SquishyWizard in PVP. HilarityEnsues whenever a stealther tries to backstab one.
* Appears every so often in ''VideoGame/DoubleDragon'', specifically ''Super Double Dragon''. While the Lee brothers usually end up FightingWithChucks, they are no slouch with the staff--it's slow but packs a wallop.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', animations are added showing mages using their {{Magic Staff}}s as melee weapons.
* From the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series:
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'': The Hero can wield many of the game's staves, and they're implied to be his Weapon of Choice. Official artwork usually depicts him wielding a simple wooden staff, and his endgame weapon will likely be the Dragon Staff (since only he can wield it, while the only more powerful weapon he can wield is also available to other characters). In all apperances outside of ''V'', in artwork, party games and even non-playable appearances in other games show him wielding a staff, while all the other main title heroes wield a sword. It's always shown to be either the default wooden one shown on the box art or the Dragon Staff.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'': Staves became their own fully-fledged weapon type in this entry, being equippable by default by Martial Artists and Priests and have a lot in common with real life bō or quarterstaffs. Equipping one helps the wielder dodge enemy attacks and they are stronger against undead monsters.
* Koei's VideoGame/DynastyWarriors games have a number of characters that use staves as their weapon of choice.
** Of special note are Dynasty Warriors' Pang Tong who can momentarily surf on his staff through the air, and ''[[VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi Warriors Orochi 2's]]'' Sun Wukong, who can annihilate anything within seconds with his at max level.
** Zhou Yu switches to a bo staff in ''6'', followed by Yue Ying in ''7''. However, Yue Ying later switches back to her small scythe, while Zhou Yu gets to keep the bo.
* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'', staves function in this way, with your skill in using them based off your Blunt Weapon skill (shared with [[CarryABigStick maces and hammers]]). Actually ''striking'' your opponent with them should be a last resort, as they are fairly weak weapons, but they are highly enchantable, meaning that you can beef them up with powerful magic damage. Later games in [[Franchise/TheElderScrolls the series]], including ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline Online]]'', instead change the function of staves into reusable magic spell blasters, removing the ability to strike opponents with them.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''
** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has Old Glory, a flagpole tipped with a golden eagle. It's the signature weapon of [[{{Foil}} Ulysses]] and is gained at the end of the Lonesome Road DLC.
** In both ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' and ''Vegas'', pool cues can be used as staff weapons.
* ''VideoGame/FatalFury'':
** Billy Kane and his three-sectioned cudgel-on-a-chain.
** His sister, LethalJokeCharacter Lilly uses an ancient staff weapon known as a "laundry pole" to fight. ...Or an actual laundry pole. Probably the latter.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' typically has their staves as the [[MagicStaff magical variety]] rather than martial but it does have a few exceptions.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' has a few early game staves meant for the Monk job, but due to how its unique barehanded damage is calculated, by the time you have access to them it's better to go unarmed.
** Raijin in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' uses a fighting staff as a weapon alongside martial arts and the occasional thunder spell.
** Staffs are an entire class of weapon in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI''. Though most are wielded by mage classes for spell casting related stats, some are simple staffs and can be wielded as melee weapons by a variety of jobs
** Poles show up in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', but calculate damage as the difference between the target's Magic Defense and the attacker's physical attack and have a high combo rate. As such, they are best used against enemies that are vulnerable to magic but resistant to physical attacks. In the UpdatedRerelease these weapons are the signature weapon of the Monk license board in lieu of bare fists.
** A specific few weapons for the Dragoon job in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' are fighting staves rather then spears and the appearance can be used over any other spear via glamour prisms.
** The Mystic/Oracle Job in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' mainly wields poles, which are one of only three weapons providing a two square attack range, alongside the Dragoon's Polearms, and the Dancer's cloth.
** Poles are also a type of weapon in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'', equipped by Master Monks and Geomancers.
* ''VideoGame/{{Furi}}'': The Chain, the first boss, wields a plain iron staff as his weapon.
* Staves in ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' are usually used for magical attacks, but the ''Heart of Thorns'' expansion introduced the Revenant class and Daredevil specialisation for the Thief class. Both of these classes use staves as melee weapons. Revenants can use them for effective support, but Daredevils gain access to a lot of agility-based attacks by using staves.
* The ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' series offers two variations in their users:
** Venom is an assassin who kills people with a ''pool cue''. Not so much a Simple Staff as an unconventional spear.
** Sin Kiske is something of a more traditional staff user, but he actually uses a ''flagpole'' as his weapon. Despite the rather unusual weapon, his move set is rather conventional to that of a traditional staff user.
* In ''VideoGame/Halo2'', some of the Honor Guards are seen with staves, and in a cutscene, they use them to beat down some Grunts that got too excited. Unfortunately, they're not used as weapons in actual gameplay.
* In the Doom-based game ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}'', the players Melee/Emergency weapon is a wooden staff.
* Bilbo's first weapon of choice in ''[[VideoGame/TheHobbit2003 The Hobbit]]'' is his walking-stick. While not as powerful as his sword Sting, it has a greater range of motion and can push several enemies away at once. He can also use it to pole vault when he needs to reach ledges that are too far apart to jump across normally.
* ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire''
** It features the staff as one of the weapon styles, though the "staff" style covers a wide variety of polearms.
** OldSoldier Sagacious Zu wields a steel-shod, weighted staff which has more in common with a polehammer than a common staff, and is easily the most lethal-looking piece of hardware in the game.
* Jabberjab offers Kirby the Staff ability in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''. Gameplay-wise, it's very similar to the Spear ability featured in ''[[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland Return to Dreamland]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Triple Deluxe]]'', only Staff lacks Spear's throwing technique and comes with a pole-vaulting technique.
* Prier of ''VideoGame/LaPucelle Tactics'' also wields a baton as her weapon, and is more than privy to kicking the crap out of her enemies with her powerful legs as well.
* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' when a staff weapon appears it's either a Bo staff, a Quarter staff or a [[MundaneMadeAwesome flag-pole.]]
* The weapon of choice for sorcerers and necromancers in ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic VI-VIII'', and by the end-game of ''VII'' for monks (monks primarily specialize in [[AllMonksKnowKungFu unarmed combat]], but the final level of the staff skill, unique to monks, makes staves count as unarmed for the purposes of the unarmed skill...). Often magical, but not necessarily a MagicStaff (they have the exact same enchantments available as ''any'' weapon, though unique staves do tend to give boosts to magical power).
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
** Jade has used a staff since her playable appearance in ''Ultimate VideoGame/MortalKombat3''. Some incarnation depict her using a spear.
** Raiden uses a staff as his WeaponOfChoice from ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]]'' to ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon Armageddon]]''. It's really a MagicStaff that he uses as a close-range weapon.
** Kai's ending in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat4'' has him receiving Raiden's staff as a gift. If you beat the game with Kai, he can use the staff as his WeaponOfChoice during gameplay.
** Sonya Blade uses a pair of kali sticks from ''Deadly Alliance'' to ''Armageddon''.
** Bo' Rai Cho uses the ''jō'', or short staff. His backstory claims he [[BeenThereShapedHistory helped the Samurai Musō Katsuyoshi]] invent the fighting style associated with it.
* One of the weapons you can use in ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'' is the quarterstaff.
* Ryu Hayabusa from ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' gets the Lunar staff in Black. Although less damaging than the Dragon Sword it is still reasonably powerful and has a large attack range and high speed making it one of the more potent weapons.
* Quarterstaves in ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity''. The Weapon Focus talent (+6 accuracy) associated with them also supports Unarmed attacks, making quarterstaves the perfect secondary long-ranged melee option for Monks. The Greenstone Staff, one of the Soulbound items introduced in the first expansion, grants so many special powers in addition to great combat stats that it blurs the line between this and MagicStaff. The first expansion also introduces a new Monk companion Zahua who can make good use of it.
* The Warriors of the Order and the Mages in ''VideoGame/{{Risen}}'' use staffs as weapon, but Mages use them for defensive purpose only. Also, note that in this game spears are considered as staves.
* ''VideoGame/ScarletNexus'': While [[ChildhoodFriends Hanabi]]'s weapon is called "torch", it's actually a high-tech staff. She sets it on fire with her [[PlayingWithFire pyrokinesis]], and uses it to fight in melee. She even keeps a bunch of spares behind her desk, to replace it as soon as material starts to wear and melt from exposure to her powers.
* Kilik from ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur''. He, along with his replacement Xiba and Maxi, is the only character in the series [[GuestFighter (besides Heihachi and custom characters)]] to use a blunt weapon. Seong Mi-na's default weapon has a bladed edge, but a variation is blunt.
* Eagle from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' uses escrima sticks in battle and got an expanded moveset for them once he migrated into ''VideoGame/CapcomVs'' territory. Rolento also uses a stick, although it is more of a command baton rather than a weapon. Falke from Street Fighter V also uses a staff that she uses as a medium to channel Psycho Power.
* ''{{VideoGame/Suikoden}}'' series:
** The main character from ''VideoGame/SuikodenI'' used a bo staff as his weapon, as did his martial arts teacher [[OldMaster Kai]].
** Jowy, the ChildhoodFriend of TheHero in ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'', uses a simple blue staff as his weapon of choice, whilst TheHero himself uses DualTonfas.
** Prince Freyjadour Falenas from ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'' used a collapsible tri-sectioned staff.
* Kusuha Mizuha from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha 2'' at first used the dragon-mecha [=RyuJinKi=], who possesses a humongous staff called ''Kintoubou'' which she uses to smack around evildoers that threatened those that she cared. However, after she gets her upgrade, [=RyuKoOh=], the staff got ditched for [[CoolSword the Ryuu-Oh Hazan-Ken]].
* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' staves can be used by Judith as an alternative to [[BladeOnAStick spears]]. Switching to staff changes properties of several of Judith's artes, but otherwise her combat style remains the same.
** Leia from ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' uses a staff as her weapon of choice and possesses a multitude of flashy artes that make good use of it. Her unique ability allows her to [[TelescopingStaff elongate]] it after a perfect dodge.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfArise'': Even though Dohalim is more of a MagicKnight, his staff is most definitely of this variety, as he can use it to perform nice aerial combos. Like Leia before him, he can elongate it on a dodge, and land more {{Critical Hit}}s.
* ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'': Estelle Bright, the protagonist of the [[VideoGame/TrailsInTheSky first story arc]], uses a bo staff, and is possibly the biggest ActionGirl in the series. She was taught how to use it by her father, Cassius, who derived this style from the famous [[FantasticFightingStyle Eight Leaves One Blade]] school of swordfighting.
* Staves are a class of melee weapon in ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}''. A playable warframe called Wukong, inspired by the character of the same name in the Literature section, will make use of one in his abilities regardless of what type of melee weapon the player has equipped.
* The later ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}'' games oddly feature both the bo and the quarterstaff-both have similar if not identical combat performance, but the bo can only be used by a very few classes such as the monk, while the quarterstaff is usable by pretty much anyone.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', Elyham "Elly" van Houten used a pair of collapsible fighting rods in addition to various [[KickChick kicks]] and Ether attack spells.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/MysterySkullsAnimated'': Vivi's paternal grandmother carries a shakujo as part of her {{miko}} imagery.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* [[http://www.goldcoincomics.com/ Theo]] from ''Webcomic/GoldCoinComics'' always carries his trusty staff.
* [[MagicKnight Duane]] from ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'' fights with one of these when not using pymary.
* Malack, cleric of Nergal, from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' carried a staff on his person at all times. It was a magical artefact that contained many spells, including [[spoiler:several that benefitted him as a vampire, such as Protection from Daylight, and another that allowed him to speed up the vampirisation process in others]]. Ultimately, Roy broke it, but not before [[spoiler:the negative energy spirit in control of Durkon's body was able to reverse engineer the vampire-raising spell from it, which caused problems in the race to prevent his domination of the dwarven Council of Clans]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Admiral Harper of ''Roleplay/OpenBlue'' keeps a [[SwordCane sword]] in his walking stick, but his ImplausibleFencingPowers allow him to use it just fine in a fight without drawing the sword.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': The Air Nomad monks invented staves with collapsable glider-wings, designed to enhance the power of their [[ElementalPowers airbending attacks and defenses]], and allow them to fly by manipulating air currents.
* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'': On the in-universe game show ''Sibling Rivalry'' (featured in the episode ''Game Show''), the second event of the physical challenge round is known as “Baton Battle”, where contestants wield staffs capped at each end with a watermelon and attempt to smash the fruit on their opponent.
* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'':
** Adrien uses one while he is transformed into Cat Noir. It is also a telescopic staff, which can extend to truly ridiculous lengths.
** One is also used by [[spoiler: King Monkey, A.K.A Le Chien Kim]], minus the telescoping.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Mixels}}'': Mysto uses a bo staff as his weapon, in contrast to the bladed weapons his students wield.
* ''WesternAnimation/RobinHoodDaffy'': Daffy used his trusty quarterstaff. Actually, it's a ''buck and a quarter'' quarterstaff, but keep it to yourself.
-->"[[WhatTheFuAreYouDoing Ho! Ha ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust!]]" ''(hits the ground with the staff, and the staff rebounds and hits him in the bill)''
* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': Shown on several occasions to be skilled with a bo staff (along with [[MultiMeleeMaster just about every other melee weapon on the face of the earth,]] but a staff is probably the second-most-common weapon he's seen using, next to his signature magic katana).
* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': Adora's primary weapon before she finds the [[CoolSword Sword of Protection]] is a [[RetractableWeapon collapsible]] staff.
** After learning to [[MorphWeapon transform her sword]], a staff is one of the more common forms Adora uses.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': [[spoiler:Mariposa]] uses a staff while in the Neverzone.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': Donatello still uses a ''bo'', although he can convert it to a ''[[BladeOnAStick naginata]]''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': [[BadassNormal Robin]] often uses a collapsible bo-staff, when he's not fighting with his bare hands or throwing bird-a-rangs.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'' / ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'': Cheetara uses a [[RetractableWeapon collapsible]] staff.
* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'': Matt uses a long metal rod resembling a bo staff as his weapon of choice and Princess Allura uses one in her duel with the witch Haggar, she however upgrades to a WhipSword in the next season.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': The new Robin, Tim Drake, uses a collapsible, sometimes electrified bo staff
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Richard Peeke, an English sailor captured by the Spaniards in the 17th century, was forced to fight 3 swordsmen with a quarterstaff. He killed one with his first blow and disarmed the other two.
* Most martial artists will tell you that if they could only ever learn two weapons, those would be the knife and the common stick. While [[BoringButPractical it may be unimpressive, it's effective]] and remains one of few things that might actually come to hand if you ever needed it in real life. (A {{broomstick|quarterstaff}}, cane, curtain rod....) Good luck finding your pretty {{katana|sAreJustBetter}} in a bar fight.
* The famous [[WarriorMonk Shaolin monks]] of China are famous for various martial arts skills and feats, but historically they were most renowned for unarmed combat, spearmanship, and, their forté, the ''gun'', or staff. Inexpensive, simple, versatile, capable of offense or defense, and potentially non-lethal, it was the perfect weapon for monks to study for meditation, health, and defense. The Shaolin staff is the progenitor of much of popular culture's staff fighting scenes and characters.
* Traditionally, there is no difference between [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter bokken]] techniques and quarterstaff techniques in principle- both are attempts to emulate a sword with a length of wood. The quarterstaff is wielded like a Zweihander. The difference between a walking cane (or a snapped-off broomstick) and a hanbo is effectively nil. Hanbo are 35.4 inches in length (90 cm) in the modern tradition, about the distance from a man's ankle to hip. That being said, [[GrievousHarmWithABody you cannot wield a human leg as a staff.]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint It'd bend at the knee.]]
* Several fencing authors of the Early Modern era, including George Silver, considered the quarterstaff the most effective of all hand weapons.
* The Irish have the [[http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AEmblem/Shillelagh.html shillelagh]]. No, not the silly stubby cudgel that gets passed off as such to tourists, an actual stick. Ostensibly used for a walking stick, at least where British nationals could hear it given the British ban on Irish having weapons in the earlier history of UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, but there were several fighting styles developed using it as a weapon, with the "handle" end serving as an impromptu [[DropTheHammer hammer]] if need be.
* A standard-issue weapon for the Zulu Imperial Army was a staff with a wooden or metal head far smaller than that of a typical club, known to Westerners as a "knobkierie" (old Afrikaans for "walking stick with a knob on it"). It could be used as anything from a fighting staff to a light club and was famously effective as a secondary weapon to the assegai (stabbing spear). It is still used in Zulu cultural ceremonies, and to this day is a common melee weapon for home defense throughout almost all communities in South Africa. It is featured in the South African coat-of-arms.
** A single kierie is good, but two are better: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguni_stick_fighting Nguni stick-fighting]] uses a defense- and an attack-stick. The amaXhosa go for wrapping the hand with the defense-stick in material to protect the knuckles clutching it in the middle; the amaZulu go for a small knuckle-shield/buckler based on their more famous larger shields. The attack-stick is held pretty much like a short sword. If you see a couple of boys from about the age of ten carefully sizing up and selecting branches, they're probably about to practice this footwork-intense martial art. Used in everything from rough-housing to driving cattle to killing pests to waterfowl hunting (there are throwing moves you don't use in moderated fights).
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C5%8D_Gonnosuke#Seclusion.2C_Jojutsu_and_the_second_duel Muso Gonnosuke ]] has the only recorded claim of a victory over UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi, using a ''jō''.
* This trope's association with TechnicalPacifist types came about (at least in Europe) from their use as [[StaffOfAuthority Staves of Authority]] for doctors during the Medieval period, especially [[PlagueDoctor plague doctors]] during the era of TheBlackDeath; the doctor could use the staff to manipulate diseased patients without having to touch them directly, and it proved handy for [[ImprovisedWeapon defending the doctor from bandits on the roads]], since they had to travel between plague-stricken towns a lot.
* The Japanese martial art of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodo Jōdō]] or jōjutsu is a fighting style revolving around use of a short staff, usually about 3 to 5 feet long, called a jō.
[[/folder]]

----

If the wielder is a martial artist, expect to see a [[SpinToDeflectStuff particular special defensive trick]]. The same trope [[UpToEleven applied to ridiculous extents]] is WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter. A BroomstickQuarterstaff is an {{improvised|weapon}} variant.

** In both ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' and [[ComicBook/RobinSeries his own book]], Tim Drake often uses a bo staff, usually collapsible. It's modified with a bit of carving to create a whistling sound when he swings it to distract his enemies. When offered training in any weapon of his choosing by arguably ''Franchise/TheDCU'''s greatest martial artist and assassin, Lady Shiva, goes with the bo staff specifically for its non-lethal attributes. He grows so proficient with it he's been declared the world's best staff fighter.

* ''VideoGame/ScarletNexus'': While [[ChildhoodFriends Hanabi]]'s weapon is called "torch", it's actually a high-tech staff, used to channel her [[PlayingWithFire pyrokinesis]]. She even keeps a bunch of spares behind her desk, to replace it as soon as material starts to wear and melt from exposure to her powers.

* ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'': Both Little John and [[BadassPreacher Friar Tuck]] are shown to be proficient in combat with a quarterstaff.