History Main / TheBlacksmith

* Archer from {{Fate/Stay Night}}, also known as "The Blacksmith Heroic Spirit." His version of "Unlimited Blade Works" has steam and gears in the background, resembling that of a workshop. He likes to to make weapons, LOTS and LOTS of weapons; it defines his very existence.

* In InuYasha, Totosai is the old {{Youkai}} swordsmith who forged both the Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga.

The blacksmith was an invaluable member of the community until the advent of mass production techniques in the Twentieth Century, and is still a substantial figure in less industrialized areas. The smith is often used symbolically to represent mankind's creative abilities and the advances of technology. His tools, the forge, hammer and tongs, and the anvil are rich with metaphorical meaning. There are reasons the name "Smith" is so common not only in Anglophone countries but also, for example, in Slavic countries, where variations of the word "Kovač" are also one of the most common surnames.

* As in the [[IronMan comic book]], [[Film/IronMan Tony Stark]] forges himself a high-tech suit of armor [[MemeticMutation IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!]] While it includes high-tech weaponry and an impossibly powerful arc generator, he spends a good bit of time pounding our the metal armor.

* Durnik was a smith who married Polgara in ''TheBelgariad''.

* Gwen's father on ''{{Merlin}}''. There's also an official royal swordsmith mentioned.

[[AC:FolkLore]]

* A ''[[TheSimpsons Simpsons]]''-episode with Bart and a girl as fugitives from prison, features a blacksmith that frees them from their cuffs [[spoiler:(by forging a fitting key!)]]. And it's a very stereotypical blacksmith, his character design would probably fit for any of the guys in this article's FolkLore section: Muscular, with thick grey beard, and even rousing music accompanying his scene!

* A ''[[TheSimpsons Simpsons]]''-episode with Bart and a girl as fugitives from prison, features a blacksmith that frees them from their cuffs [[(by forging a fitting key!)]]. And it's a very stereotypical blacksmith, his character design would probably fit for any of the guys in this article's FolkLore section: Muscular, with thick grey beard, and even rousing music accompanying his scene!

* A ''TheSimsons Simpsons''-episode with Bart and a girl as fugitives from prison, features a blacksmith that frees them from their cuffs [[(by forging a fitting key!)]]. And it's a very stereotypical blacksmith, his character design would probably fit for any of the guys in this article's FolkLore section: Muscular, with thick grey beard, and even rousing music accompanying his scene!

* Will Turner in ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' was a swordsmith, though he dumped the profession once an opportunity arose.

* WorldOfWarcraft features Blacksmithing as a learnable profession for PlayerCharacters, as well as a wealth of Blacksmith NPCs in every major city, many towns, and even randomly in the wilderness, some of whom will offer to teach Blacksmith [=PCs=] exclusive recipes as quest rewards. Characters who learn Blacksmithing produce metal weapons and armor, various metal items used by other professions, and various weapon and armor enhancing items. At higher levels, Blacksmiths have the option to undergo quest chains to specialize in weapon or armor smithing.

Due to the body strength needed for pumping the bellows, hammering metal and dealing with the temperature of the forge, most blacksmiths will be depicted as burly fellows (though StoutStrength is common); female blacksmiths are a fairly common twist, and share much in common with the WrenchWench). Smaller smiths will be shown with wiry muscle giving them surprising strength. If forced into combat, most fictional blacksmiths can use their hammers to devastating effect, but weaponsmiths will often use the weapons they specialize in making instead. The blacksmith may possibly be related to robot tropes as well in a sort of Technology, Strength and intelligence sort of way.

* The blacksmith in JRRTolkien's ''FarmerGilesOfHam is a morose man who always predicts everything will fail and is only happy when his doomsayings come true. He is thus happy to point out that he is just a village toolmaker, not an armourer, and cannot make real armour or a shield for the AntiHero Giles. He cobbles together some sort of rings attached to a leather coat, however. (Giles doesn't need a weapon - it's that [[EmpathicWeapon damned magic sword]] he found that [[ResignedToTheCall forces him to become a dragonslayer]]).

* The blacksmith in ''[[JRRTolkien Farmer Giles of Ham]]'' is a morose man who always predicts everything will fail and is only happy when his doomsayings come true. He is thus happy to point out that he is just a village toolmaker, not an armourer, and cannot make real armour or a shield for the AntiHero Giles. He cobbles together some sort of rings attached to a leather coat, however. (Giles doesn't need a weapon - it's that [[EmpathicWeapon damned magic sword]] he found that [[ResignedToTheCall forces him to become a dragonslayer]]).

* The old man, Godo, who makes Guts' BFS and other gear in ''{{Berserk}}''. He likes the sparks that fly upwards.

* In {{The Sacred Blacksmith}}, Luke (who isn't the main character) can magically forge [[KatanasAreJustBetter katanas]]. These break after a few uses though.

* John Henry Irons, a.k.a. Steel from the DC Universe often invokes blacksmithing in addition to his folkloric image (see his first and middle names). He is notable for hand-forging the plating of most of his PoweredArmor.

* Balian (also played by Orlando Bloom) was a blacksmith in ''KingdomOfHeaven''. He dumped the profession after murdering his brother.

* John Rambo seems to have picked up some metal working skill during his 20 years of residence in Thailand, as he is shown making the blade for a boat rotor and later on smashing a leaf spring into a large knife in the latest movie.

* As in the [[IronMan comic book]], Tony Stark forges himself a high-tech suit of armor [[MemeticMutation IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!]] While it includes high-tech weaponry and an impossibly powerful arc generator, he spends a good bit of time pounding our the metal armor.

* Hephaestus, blacksmith to the Greek gods.
* [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Most fantasy dwarves]] have this in their makeup somewhere, though they also often work in much more exotic materials. This goes right back to NorseMythology, the dwarves Brokk and Eiti who forged treasures for the Aseir, including Thor's hammer

* Theros Ironfeld in the ''Dragonlance'' novels. Blacksmith of the town of Solace, gets his smithing arm cut off by a sadistic hobgoblin. When next he shows up, Theros has a magic arm made of silver to replace it, and forges dragonlances for a living. Cool, huh?

* [[spoiler: Charity Carpenter]] in ''The Dresden Files''.

* In ''{{The Silmarillion}}'', pretty much any given Elf will have forged some weapon at some point or another in their career. Most notable is Fëanor, who created the Silmarils, forged the first weapons in Valinor, and was even trained by the God of Smithcraft Aulë. Of the Elves, the Noldor in particular are noted for their ability at smithing. The Dwarven race also fits this trope, almost even moreso than the Elves.

* [[MeaningfulName Hammersmith]] in NeilGaiman's ''{{Neverwhere}}''
* The blacksmith in [[JRRTolkien ''Farmer Giles of Ham'']] is a morose man who always predicts everything will fail and is only happy when his doomsayings come true. He is thus happy to point out that he is just a village toolmaker, not an armourer, and cannot make real armour or a shield for the AntiHero Giles. He cobbles together some sort of rings attached to a leather coat, however. (Giles doesn't need a weapon - its that [[EmpathicWeapon damned magic sword]] he found that [[ResignedToTheCall forces him to become a dragonslayer]]).

* Burt Reynolds played blacksmith Quint Asper for three years on ''{{Gunsmoke}}''.

* Also the dwarf from ''Record of Lodoss War''. I forgot what his default name is however.

* Wayland (also known as Volundr) from Norse, Germanic and Old English legends was the creator of magic rings and the swords of heroes.

* Wayland Smith, of British and French folklore as well as in ''{{Beowulf}}''. He's the Anglo-Saxon forge god.

* ''{{Patapon}}'' has a former Dekapon (TheBruiser class) who would help the player turn ore to alloys (useful) or mythical ores to powerful weapons and armour. In the sequel he demands some kaching to forge nicer items.

* Unless a player is really handicapping themselves, a game of ''DwarfFortress'' will eventually feature numerous blacksmiths cranking out weapons, armor and furniture.

* Every fort in DwarfFortress values its skilled smiths. There are Blacksmiths, who make large objects and furniture from metal, Metalcrafters, who make smaller trade goods, and most importantly, Weaponsmiths and Armorsmiths. Players tend to cultivate these, letting no other dwarves do any smithing work and producing obscene amounts of weapons from crappy metals in order to train a smith up to Legendary skill, at which point the smith cranks out high-quality items (which do more damage or provide more protection) at an impressive rate. Because it takes so long to train a smith to Legendary, these dwarves are highly valued and protected. Also, once they're legendary and have made masterwork equipment for all your troops, there's not much more for them to do.
** Also, the "strange moods" of DF cause a dwarf to produce a masterpiece in some craft that they have skill in, even dabbling skill, and become legendary in that skill. A lot of players exploit this and assign all peasants to make a few weapons or armor so that they'll have dabbling armor- or weaponsmith skill. Then they go back to farming or hauling crap around, skills which do not tap into strange moods, and if they get a mood they'll be guaranteed to make an artifact weapon or armor and become legendary.
* WorldOfWarcraft features Blacksmithing as a learnable profession for player characters, as well as a wealth of Blacksmith NPCs in every major city, many towns, and even randomly in the wilderness, some of whom will offer to teach Blacksmith PCs exclusive recipes as quest rewards. Characters who learn Blacksmithing produce metal weapons and armor, various metal items used by other professions, and various weapon and armor enhancing items. At higher levels, Blacksmiths have the option to undergo quest chains to specialize in weapon or armor smithing.

The blacksmith is also occasionally the person responsible for weapon class {{MacGuffin}}s, he is the person who makes the demon slaying sword or fixes it, or purifies it so it will not consume the user's soul. Makes a weapon that the hero treats as his keepsake or turn the seemingly useless ore to something useful. He prides himself in his work and treats them like children and the wielder as a father.

Are strong as iron bands.''\\
--'''Henry Wadsworth Longfellow''', ''The Village Smithy''