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* ''Literature/{{Eldraeverse}}'': The Empire of the Star fields multiple varieties of dreadnought and superdreadnought, such as the three-kilometer ''[[https://eldraeverse.com/2018/09/05/leviathan-awake/ Leviathan]]'' class. And the author has written an essay on [[https://eldraeverse.com/2018/09/23/on-the-role-of-the-dreadnought/ the role of the dreadnought]] in the 'verse.
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** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' introduces the Super Star Destroyer, a warship that dwarfs the other Star Destroyers (even if she's not called a "dreadnought" on-screen, see the Expanded Universes folder). And yet, as big as she is, [[spoiler:a [[RammingAlwaysWorks kamikaze attack]] by an out-of-control rebel pilot is enough to start a chain reaction that takes her down]].
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** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' introduces the ''Executor''-class Super Star Destroyer, a warship that dwarfs the other Star Destroyers (even if she's not called a "dreadnought" on-screen, see the Expanded Universes folder). And yet, as big as she is, [[spoiler:a [[RammingAlwaysWorks kamikaze attack]] by an out-of-control rebel pilot is enough to start a chain reaction that takes her down]].
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** Nero, the BigBad of ''Film/StarTrek2009'', captains the Romulan ship ''Narada''. Originally a "simple mining vessel", it's [[TookALevelInBadass become a warship]] capable of destroying a Starfleet flotilla.
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* ''[[Literature/ClockworkCentury Dreadnought]]'' by Cherie Priest involves a SteamPunk armoured train of that name.
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* The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' novel "Dark Mirror" has the Enterprise-D facing off against its MirrorUniverse counterpart. At one point Picard confesses to wondering what would happen [[RammingAlwaysWorks if one Galaxy-class ship were to ram another broadside]], to which Riker replies that the mirror Enterprise-D is "closer to Dreadnought-class. Not a close comparison."
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[[folder: Real Life]]
* A species of sauropod in Argentina was given the name ''Dreadnoughtus'' after it's discovery, the main reason was that it weighed over 38 metric tons, making it one of the heaviest land animals ever discovered.
[[/folder]]
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* ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'': The Japanese battle cruiser ''Amagi'' is treated as an example of this trope due to its utter power and durability compared to the WoodenShipsAndIronMen fielded by both sides of the Grik/Lemurian war. Only the US Navy destroyers USS ''Walker'' and USS ''Mahan'' come close to being a threat to it, and even they are hopelessly outclassed in a straight-up fight.
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* ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'': ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'' has a few:
** The Japanese battle cruiser ''Amagi'' is treated as an example of this trope due to its utter power and durability compared to the WoodenShipsAndIronMen fielded by both sides of the Grik/Lemurian war. Only the US Navy destroyers USS ''Walker'' and USS ''Mahan'' come close to being a threat to it, and even they are hopelessly outclassed in a straight-upfight.fight.
** Under the guidance of ''Amagi'''s captain, the Grik start building their own ironclad battleships ("''[=ArataAmagi=]''-class") armed with 100lb cannons and some smaller secondaries, which the Allies often refer to as "dreadnoughts". These ships are, however, extremely slow and vulnerable to aerial bombing, and so top-heavy that any significant damage below the waterline will cause them to capsize.
** By "River of Bones", many of those ''[=ArataAmagi=]''-class ships have been converted into ''true'' dreadnoughts with all of their guns replaced with 500lb cannons. Upon realizing this, Captain Russ Chappelle notes with some alarm that if the Grik have improved their fire control, they might be too dangerous for ships to engage them at ''any'' range.
** The Japanese battle cruiser ''Amagi'' is treated as an example of this trope due to its utter power and durability compared to the WoodenShipsAndIronMen fielded by both sides of the Grik/Lemurian war. Only the US Navy destroyers USS ''Walker'' and USS ''Mahan'' come close to being a threat to it, and even they are hopelessly outclassed in a straight-up
** Under the guidance of ''Amagi'''s captain, the Grik start building their own ironclad battleships ("''[=ArataAmagi=]''-class") armed with 100lb cannons and some smaller secondaries, which the Allies often refer to as "dreadnoughts". These ships are, however, extremely slow and vulnerable to aerial bombing, and so top-heavy that any significant damage below the waterline will cause them to capsize.
** By "River of Bones", many of those ''[=ArataAmagi=]''-class ships have been converted into ''true'' dreadnoughts with all of their guns replaced with 500lb cannons. Upon realizing this, Captain Russ Chappelle notes with some alarm that if the Grik have improved their fire control, they might be too dangerous for ships to engage them at ''any'' range.
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** ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': The ''[[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/USS_Vengeance Vengeance]]'' (pictured above) is a ''Dreadnought''-class ship, intended to be the first in a new line of Federation warships to aggressively protect the Federation against enemies like the Klingons. It's bigger and badder than just about anything else ever seen in the franchise, regardless of timeline.
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** ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': The ''[[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/USS_Vengeance Vengeance]]'' (pictured above) is a ''Dreadnought''-class ship, intended to be the first in a new line of Federation warships to aggressively protect the Federation against enemies like the Klingons. It's bigger and badder than just about anything else ever seen in the franchise, regardless of timeline. Also, as pictured above, it's designed to run down ships at warp and blast the hell out of them without breaking stride, as the ''Enterprise'' finds out the hard way.
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** ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' has two.
*** The Klingon "Ship of the Dead", or ''Sarcophagus'', is a two-kilometer vessel that doubles as a warship and a shrine to [[CrystalDragonJesus Kahless]]. It's by far the largest Klingon ship yet seen in the franchise[[note]]for comparison, the next-largest is the 682m ''Negh'var''-class seen in ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]]''[[/note]], and it's responsible for killing thousands of Starfleet personnel at the [[ShockingDefeatLegacy Battle of the Binary Stars]].
*** The [[TheEmpire Terran Empire]]'s flagship, I.S.S. ''Charon'', is even bigger and serves as Emperor [[spoiler:Phillipa Georgiou]]'s Imperial Palace. Notably, the ''Charon'' is designed to drain energy from the [[SentientCosmicForce mycelial network]] to power a WaveMotionGun capable of [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroying planets]]; although that ability isn't used on screen, at one point the ''Charon'' does use conventional torpedoes to melt an entire continent on a rebel planet.
*** The Klingon "Ship of the Dead", or ''Sarcophagus'', is a two-kilometer vessel that doubles as a warship and a shrine to [[CrystalDragonJesus Kahless]]. It's by far the largest Klingon ship yet seen in the franchise[[note]]for comparison, the next-largest is the 682m ''Negh'var''-class seen in ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]]''[[/note]], and it's responsible for killing thousands of Starfleet personnel at the [[ShockingDefeatLegacy Battle of the Binary Stars]].
*** The [[TheEmpire Terran Empire]]'s flagship, I.S.S. ''Charon'', is even bigger and serves as Emperor [[spoiler:Phillipa Georgiou]]'s Imperial Palace. Notably, the ''Charon'' is designed to drain energy from the [[SentientCosmicForce mycelial network]] to power a WaveMotionGun capable of [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroying planets]]; although that ability isn't used on screen, at one point the ''Charon'' does use conventional torpedoes to melt an entire continent on a rebel planet.
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* ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'': Various powers field ships known as Dreadnoughts. In the Third Imperium, the term Dreadnought is used for the latest, most high-technology battleships; older battleships are just called battleships. Super Dreadnoughts have been built but are generally not effective enough for the added expense to be worthwhile. The largest ship currently fielded by the Imperium is the Tigress-class dreadnought, a 500,000 ton sphere that carries three hundred fighters along with a massive spinal-mount meson gun.
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* In ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', [[BigBad Shinzon]] and his Reman lackeys have built a new warbird called the ''[[SinisterScimitar Scimitar]]''. She boasts a crapton of firepower, primary ''and'' secondary DeflectorShields, and (unlike almost every other ship) she can fire her weapons with her InvisibilityCloak active, while at warp. Even the team-up of the ''Enterprise'' and two Romulan ''Valdore''-class warbirds isn't enough firepower to bring the ''Scimitar'' down. [[spoiler:It takes a HeroicSacrifice by Data to destroy her from the inside.]] Supplemental material confirms the ''Scimitar'' is a Dreadnought.
* ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': The ''[[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/USS_Vengeance Vengeance]]'' is a ''Dreadnought''-class ship, intended to be the first in a new line of Federation warships to aggressively protect the Federation against enemies like the Klingons. It's bigger and badder than just about anything else ever seen in the franchise, regardless of timeline.
* ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': The ''[[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/USS_Vengeance Vengeance]]'' is a ''Dreadnought''-class ship, intended to be the first in a new line of Federation warships to aggressively protect the Federation against enemies like the Klingons. It's bigger and badder than just about anything else ever seen in the franchise, regardless of timeline.
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* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** In ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', [[BigBad Shinzon]] and his Reman lackeys have built a new warbird called the ''[[SinisterScimitar Scimitar]]''. She boasts a crapton of firepower, primary ''and'' secondary DeflectorShields, and (unlike almost every other ship) she can fire her weapons with her InvisibilityCloak active, while at warp. Even the team-up of the ''Enterprise'' and two Romulan ''Valdore''-class warbirds isn't enough firepower to bring the ''Scimitar'' down. [[spoiler:It takes a HeroicSacrifice by Data to destroy her from the inside.]] Supplemental material confirms the ''Scimitar'' is a Dreadnought.
* ** ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': The ''[[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/USS_Vengeance Vengeance]]'' (pictured above) is a ''Dreadnought''-class ship, intended to be the first in a new line of Federation warships to aggressively protect the Federation against enemies like the Klingons. It's bigger and badder than just about anything else ever seen in the franchise, regardless of timeline.
** In ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', [[BigBad Shinzon]] and his Reman lackeys have built a new warbird called the ''[[SinisterScimitar Scimitar]]''. She boasts a crapton of firepower, primary ''and'' secondary DeflectorShields, and (unlike almost every other ship) she can fire her weapons with her InvisibilityCloak active, while at warp. Even the team-up of the ''Enterprise'' and two Romulan ''Valdore''-class warbirds isn't enough firepower to bring the ''Scimitar'' down. [[spoiler:It takes a HeroicSacrifice by Data to destroy her from the inside.]] Supplemental material confirms the ''Scimitar'' is a Dreadnought.
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* ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'': The Japanese battle cruiser ''Amagi'' is treated as an example of this trope due to its utter power and durability compared to the WoodenShipsAndIronMen fielded by both sides of the Grik/Lemurian war. Only the US Navy destroyers USS ''Walker'' and USS ''Mahan'' come close to being a threat to it, and even they are hopelessly outclassed in a straight-up fight.
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* With the introduction of naval units in the sequel, ''VideoGame/BattalionWars'' features several nations boasting Dreadnoughts as the kingpins of their nautical arsenals. Interestingly, because they do not have an "all big guns" loadout like historical Dreadnoughts, they are much closer to Pre-Dreadnought battleships in practice. They do share a very appropriate weakness with their namesakes though, as while they are very, ''very'' good at ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore combat, they are almost helpless against air and submarine attacks. This makes escorts absolutely crucial to getting the most out of your Dreads.
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[[folder:Fan Works]]
* The DarkestHour of ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' reveals the existence of HYDRA's trump card, a helicarrier armed with reverse-engineered Destroyer cannons and with a hull of vibranium. It's actually called the ''Dreadnought'', with [[BigBad Lucius]] noting that the name was chosen specifically as a homage to the original dreadnoughts and their role as being an unstoppable force.
[[/folder]]
* The DarkestHour of ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' reveals the existence of HYDRA's trump card, a helicarrier armed with reverse-engineered Destroyer cannons and with a hull of vibranium. It's actually called the ''Dreadnought'', with [[BigBad Lucius]] noting that the name was chosen specifically as a homage to the original dreadnoughts and their role as being an unstoppable force.
[[/folder]]
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** The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Valiant" has the titular ''Defiant''-class starship, crewed only by Red Squad {{Space Cadet}}s, discover a Dominion dreadnought and detecting a potential weakness. Instead of bringing this intel back to TheFederation, however, they decide to deal with it themselves. [[spoiler:They epically fail; their ship gets [[CurbStompBattle blasted to hell]], with only three survivors on one EscapePod.]]
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** The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Valiant" has the titular ''Defiant''-class starship, crewed only by Red Squad {{Space Cadet}}s, discover a Dominion dreadnought and detecting detect a potential weakness. Instead of bringing this intel back to TheFederation, however, they decide to deal with it themselves. [[spoiler:They epically fail; their ship gets [[CurbStompBattle blasted to hell]], with only three survivors on one EscapePod.]]
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** The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Valiant" has the titular ''Defiant''-class starship, crewed only by Red Squad {{Space Cadet}}s, discover a Dominion dreadnought and detecting a potential weakness. Instead of bringing this intel back to TheFederation, however, they decide to deal with it themselves. [[spoiler:They epically fail; their ship gets [[CurbStompBattle blasted to hell]], with only three survivors on one EscapePod.]]
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->''"No, General... We can do this. We have a chance to take down a dreadnought. These things are fleet killers. We can't let it get away."''
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->''"No, General... We can do this. this! We have a chance to take down a dreadnought. dreadnought! These things are fleet killers. killers! We can't let it get away."''away!"''
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->''"No, General... We can do this. We have a chance to take down a dreadnought. These things are fleet killers. We can't let it get away."''
-->-- '''Poe Dameron''', ''Film/StarWarsTheLastJedi''
-->-- '''Poe Dameron''', ''Film/StarWarsTheLastJedi''
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uss_vengeance_fires_on_the_uss_enterprise.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Guess which one is the Dreadnought. Go ahead, guess.]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Guess which one is the Dreadnought. Go ahead, guess.]]
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[[caption-width-right:350:Guess which one is the Dreadnought. Go ahead, guess.]]
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* ''VideoGame/SunlessSea'' has the Republican Dreadnoughts, which are amongst the toughest ships patrolling the Unterzee. Those dreaded things have very damaging rapid-fire cannons, 400 [=HPs=], a wide angle of fire and can hit you from behind, making them a huge threat to the players. And woe betide the ones coming across a Glorious Dreadnought, their glowing equivalent, unprepared.
** This is carried over in ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies'', which has the Enduring Dreadnoughts, big blue locomotives maneuvered exclusively by Her Enduring Masjesty's most loyal officers. While not necessarily amongst the strongest enemy locomotives roaming the High Wilderness, the same cannot be said about the glowing Glorious Dreadnoughts and the glass-encrusted Deranged Dreadnoughts. While the Glorious ones do not attack you if your are in good terms with the London loyalists, the Deranged ones, which are found flying near the [[MechanicalAbomination Clockwork Sun]], shoot you on sight regardless of your affiliation.
** This is carried over in ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies'', which has the Enduring Dreadnoughts, big blue locomotives maneuvered exclusively by Her Enduring Masjesty's most loyal officers. While not necessarily amongst the strongest enemy locomotives roaming the High Wilderness, the same cannot be said about the glowing Glorious Dreadnoughts and the glass-encrusted Deranged Dreadnoughts. While the Glorious ones do not attack you if your are in good terms with the London loyalists, the Deranged ones, which are found flying near the [[MechanicalAbomination Clockwork Sun]], shoot you on sight regardless of your affiliation.
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* ''VideoGame/SunlessSea'' has the Republican Dreadnoughts, which are amongst the toughest ships patrolling the Unterzee. Those dreaded things have very damaging rapid-fire cannons, 400 [=HPs=], a wide angle of fire and can hit you from behind, making them a huge threat to the players. And woe betide the ones coming across a Glorious Dreadnought, their glowing equivalent, unprepared. \n You can also have a Dreadnought yourself in the form of the Eschatologue-class, which has the most HP of all the ships you can have and the largest Iron boost for extra damage, along with being the heaviest ship in the game (matching an enormous merchant vessel). It's impractically big in some regards, but when you need to kill every damn pirate and monstrosity in the Unterzee, accept no substitutes.
** This is carried over in ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies'', which has the Enduring Dreadnoughts, big blue locomotives maneuvered exclusively by Her Enduring Masjesty's most loyal officers. While not necessarily amongst the strongest enemy locomotives roaming the High Wilderness, the same cannot be said about the glowing Glorious Dreadnoughts and the glass-encrusted Deranged Dreadnoughts. While the Glorious ones do not attack you if your are in good terms with the London loyalists, the Deranged ones, which are found flying near the [[MechanicalAbomination Clockwork Sun]], shoot you on sight regardless of your affiliation. As a whole, they act like {{Mighty Glacier}}s with little maneuvering, but strong repeaters at their front and an auto-aiming turret that will hurt you just as bad, with stronger Dreadnoughts packing more pain in both armaments.
** This is carried over in ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies'', which has the Enduring Dreadnoughts, big blue locomotives maneuvered exclusively by Her Enduring Masjesty's most loyal officers. While not necessarily amongst the strongest enemy locomotives roaming the High Wilderness, the same cannot be said about the glowing Glorious Dreadnoughts and the glass-encrusted Deranged Dreadnoughts. While the Glorious ones do not attack you if your are in good terms with the London loyalists, the Deranged ones, which are found flying near the [[MechanicalAbomination Clockwork Sun]], shoot you on sight regardless of your affiliation. As a whole, they act like {{Mighty Glacier}}s with little maneuvering, but strong repeaters at their front and an auto-aiming turret that will hurt you just as bad, with stronger Dreadnoughts packing more pain in both armaments.
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*** The same movie later introduces the ''Supremacy'', the First Order's mobile capital that is ''sixty kilometers wide'' and boasts extremely powerful turbolasers and huge numbers of troops and equipment.
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* In ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' dreadnoughts are the largest ship class available, including the iconic ''Sword of the Stars''-class that appears at the end of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H91qZSfYLoU intro cinematic]]. However, they fall victim to SequelEscalation with the introduction of Leviathans in ''Sword of the Stars II''
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* In ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' dreadnoughts are the largest ship class available, including the iconic ''Sword of the Stars''-class that appears at the end of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H91qZSfYLoU intro cinematic]]. However, they fall victim to SequelEscalation with the introduction of Leviathans in ''Sword of the Stars II''II''.
** The first game also had the Flagship, which was always capped at one (as it is your faction's flagship). While 'only' mounted in a dreadnought hull, it carried an advanced bridge section bristling with guns and electronic warfare sections, and was capable of leading the biggest fleet in the game thanks to its fleet cap increase.
** The first game also had the Flagship, which was always capped at one (as it is your faction's flagship). While 'only' mounted in a dreadnought hull, it carried an advanced bridge section bristling with guns and electronic warfare sections, and was capable of leading the biggest fleet in the game thanks to its fleet cap increase.
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* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** PlayedWith in the ground game. The Dreadnought is a huge [[WalkingTank combat walker]] that serves as the weaponized coffin of a grievously wounded SpaceMarine. [[https://youtu.be/RtAH7kGEqic?t=58 While certainly fearsome in both ranged and melee combat]], they're just as vulnerable to anti-armor weapons as tanks, and there are bigger and deadlier vehicles out there. (Especially if using rulesets that allow for truly massive Titans.)
** Notably defied when it comes to [[TabletopGame/BattlefleetGothic the space combat portion]] of the setting. Dreadnoughts are conspicuous by their absence, with typical Imperial Navy and Chaos ships being lumped into Escorts, Light Cruisers, Cruisers, Battlecruisers, the odd Grand Cruiser, and Battleships. Unique and extra-powerful ships, like Abbadon's ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Planet Killer]]'', could be considered Dreadnoughts, but are not referred to as such.
** PlayedWith in the ground game. The Dreadnought is a huge [[WalkingTank combat walker]] that serves as the weaponized coffin of a grievously wounded SpaceMarine. [[https://youtu.be/RtAH7kGEqic?t=58 While certainly fearsome in both ranged and melee combat]], they're just as vulnerable to anti-armor weapons as tanks, and there are bigger and deadlier vehicles out there. (Especially if using rulesets that allow for truly massive Titans.)
** Notably defied when it comes to [[TabletopGame/BattlefleetGothic the space combat portion]] of the setting. Dreadnoughts are conspicuous by their absence, with typical Imperial Navy and Chaos ships being lumped into Escorts, Light Cruisers, Cruisers, Battlecruisers, the odd Grand Cruiser, and Battleships. Unique and extra-powerful ships, like Abbadon's ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Planet Killer]]'', could be considered Dreadnoughts, but are not referred to as such.
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* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
Creator/GamesWorkshop games
** PlayedWith in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' where theground game. The Dreadnought is a huge [[WalkingTank combat walker]] that serves as the weaponized coffin of a grievously wounded SpaceMarine. [[https://youtu.be/RtAH7kGEqic?t=58 While certainly fearsome in both ranged and melee combat]], they're just as vulnerable to anti-armor weapons as tanks, and there are bigger and deadlier vehicles out there. there (Especially if using rulesets that allow for truly massive Titans.)
Titans).
** Notably defiedwhen it comes to [[TabletopGame/BattlefleetGothic the space combat portion]] of the setting.in ''TabletopGame/BattlefleetGothic''. Dreadnoughts are conspicuous by their absence, with typical Imperial Navy and Chaos ships being lumped into Escorts, Light Cruisers, Cruisers, Battlecruisers, the odd Grand Cruiser, and Battleships. Unique and extra-powerful ships, like Abbadon's ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Planet Killer]]'', could be considered Dreadnoughts, but are not referred to as such.
** PlayedWith in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' where the
** Notably defied
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** The Borg cube is a dreadnought compared to ''other'' dreadnoughts. Three kilometers on each side, it usually takes a fleet's worth of firepower to have a chance at destroying one, and don't expect there to be much left of said fleet.
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** The Borg cube is a dreadnought compared to ''other'' dreadnoughts. Three kilometers on each side, it usually takes a fleet's worth of firepower to have a chance at destroying one, and don't expect there to be much left of said fleet. The Borg don't think of their Cubes as Dreadnoughts, but such distinctions are irrelevant.
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** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' introduces the Super Star Destroyer, a warship that dwarfs the other Star Destroyers (even if she's not called a "dreadnought" on-screen). And yet, as big as she is, [[spoiler:a [[RammingAlwaysWorks kamikaze attack]] by an out-of-control rebel pilot is enough to start a chain reaction that takes her down]].
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** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' introduces the Super Star Destroyer, a warship that dwarfs the other Star Destroyers (even if she's not called a "dreadnought" on-screen).on-screen, see the Expanded Universes folder). And yet, as big as she is, [[spoiler:a [[RammingAlwaysWorks kamikaze attack]] by an out-of-control rebel pilot is enough to start a chain reaction that takes her down]].
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* In ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', [[BigBad Shinzon]] and his Reman lackeys have built a new warbird called the ''[[SinisterScimitar Scimitar]]''. She boasts a crapton of firepower, primary ''and'' secondary DeflectorShields, and (unlike almost every other ship) she can fire her weapons with her InvisibilityCloak active, while at warp. Even the team-up of the ''Enterprise'' and two Romulan ''Valdore''-class warbirds isn't enough firepower to bring the ''Scimitar down. [[spoiler:It takes a HeroicSacrifice by Data to destroy her from the inside.]]
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* In ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', [[BigBad Shinzon]] and his Reman lackeys have built a new warbird called the ''[[SinisterScimitar Scimitar]]''. She boasts a crapton of firepower, primary ''and'' secondary DeflectorShields, and (unlike almost every other ship) she can fire her weapons with her InvisibilityCloak active, while at warp. Even the team-up of the ''Enterprise'' and two Romulan ''Valdore''-class warbirds isn't enough firepower to bring the ''Scimitar ''Scimitar'' down. [[spoiler:It takes a HeroicSacrifice by Data to destroy her from the inside.]] ]] Supplemental material confirms the ''Scimitar'' is a Dreadnought.
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* In ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', [[BigBad Shinzon]] and his Reman lackeys have built a new warbird called the ''[[SinisterScimitar Scimitar]]''. She boasts a crapton of firepower, primary ''and'' secondary DeflectorShields, and (unlike almost every other ship) she can fire her weapons with her InvisibilityCloak active, while at warp. Even the team-up of the ''Enterprise'' and two Romulan ''Valdore''-class warbirds isn't enough firepower to bring the ''Scimitar down. [[spoiler:It takes a HeroicSacrifice by Data to destroy her from the inside.]]
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* ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/TheLastJedi'' re-introduces Dreadnoughts to the Star Wars canon: the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mandator_IV-class_Siege_Dreadnought Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnoughts]] are a class of First Order ships with even more firepower than the usual Star Destroyers. Poe Dameron describes them as "fleet-killers". The Resistance destroys one such Dreadnought, the ''Fulminatrix'', [[PyrrhicVictory but at a significant cost]].
to:
* ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/TheLastJedi'' ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' introduces the Super Star Destroyer, a warship that dwarfs the other Star Destroyers (even if she's not called a "dreadnought" on-screen). And yet, as big as she is, [[spoiler:a [[RammingAlwaysWorks kamikaze attack]] by an out-of-control rebel pilot is enough to start a chain reaction that takes her down]].
** ''Film/TheLastJedi'' re-introduces Dreadnoughts to the Star Wars canon: the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mandator_IV-class_Siege_Dreadnought Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnoughts]] are a class of First Order ships with even more firepower than the usual Star Destroyers. Poe Dameron describes them as "fleet-killers". The Resistance destroys one such Dreadnought, the ''Fulminatrix'', [[PyrrhicVictory but at a significant cost]].
** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' introduces the Super Star Destroyer, a warship that dwarfs the other Star Destroyers (even if she's not called a "dreadnought" on-screen). And yet, as big as she is, [[spoiler:a [[RammingAlwaysWorks kamikaze attack]] by an out-of-control rebel pilot is enough to start a chain reaction that takes her down]].
** ''Film/TheLastJedi'' re-introduces Dreadnoughts to the Star Wars canon: the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mandator_IV-class_Siege_Dreadnought Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnoughts]] are a class of First Order ships with even more firepower than the usual Star Destroyers. Poe Dameron describes them as "fleet-killers". The Resistance destroys one such Dreadnought, the ''Fulminatrix'', [[PyrrhicVictory but at a significant cost]].
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* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': The episode ''Dreadnought'' features a [[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Cardassian_ATR-4107 Cardassian weapon of mass destruction]] that the Maquis nicknamed "Dreadnought," specifically in reference to HMS ''Dreadnought''. It's not only basically a gigantic photon torpedo, but has its own weapons and defenses to fight off any ships that might try to intercept it.
to:
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** The Borg cube is a dreadnought compared to ''other'' dreadnoughts. Three kilometers on each side, it usually takes a fleet's worth of firepower to have a chance at destroying one, and don't expect there to be much left of said fleet.
** The ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode''Dreadnought'' "Dreadnought" features a [[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Cardassian_ATR-4107 Cardassian weapon of mass destruction]] that the Maquis nicknamed "Dreadnought," specifically in reference to HMS ''Dreadnought''. It's not only basically a gigantic photon torpedo, but has its own weapons and defenses to fight off any ships that might try to intercept it.
** The Borg cube is a dreadnought compared to ''other'' dreadnoughts. Three kilometers on each side, it usually takes a fleet's worth of firepower to have a chance at destroying one, and don't expect there to be much left of said fleet.
** The ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode
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* ''VideoGame/StarControl'': The Ur-Quan Dreadnought, one of the most powerful ships in the game. It's also TheBattlestar.
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YKTTW now sponsored by [=ErikModi=] per Up for Grabs rules.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uss_vengeance_fires_on_the_uss_enterprise.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Guess which one is the Dreadnought. Go ahead, guess.]]
YKTTW now sponsored by [=ErikModi=] per Up for Grabs rules.
----
When dealing with navies (or, occasionally, armies with vehicle support) in fictional settings, there is usually one class of vehicle that just outclasses everything else. It's the biggest, baddest, meanest thing flying (or walking, or rarely rolling), packed with weapons, armored ([[DeflectorShields and possibly shielded]]) to withstand a whole other fleet's worth of firepower, and may be TheBattlestar on top of it all. It's a fleet unto itself, it changes the face of the battle just by showing up, and conventional wisdom is that it can only be taken down by something just as powerful as it is. It is TheDreaded when it comes to large-scale vehicle combat. There is a strong tendency for such a vehicle to be called a Dreadnought.
This has strong roots in RealLife [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfNavalWarfare naval history]], specifically HMS ''Dreadnought'', a British battleship which revolutionized naval warfare for decades to come. Combining heavy armor, high speed, and a relatively small battery of [[{{BFG}} relatively large guns]], ''Dreadnought'' rendered every other battleship afloat, henceforth known as [[OvershadowedByAwesome Pre-Dreadnought Battleships]], obsolete. Ironically, ''Dreadnought'' was bordering on obsolescence by 1914 and the outbreak of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI due to rapid advances in shipbuilding, leading to bigger, more powerful, and more heavily armed Dreadnoughts (with later examples known as ''[[UpToEleven Super]]'' Dreadnoughts).
In RealLife, the name gradually dropped out of usage after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, as the Dreadnought-type of battleship became the default type of battleship. Not long after, battleships themselves became obsolete as aircraft carriers became the rulers of the waves.
In fiction, however, the Dreadnought designation lives on, due in part to the game-changing nature of the original HMS ''Dreadnought'', and partly to the [[GoodNameForARockBand undeniably metal]] [[RuleOfCool nature the word]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "Dreadnought."]] (Dreadnought, roughly, means "[[MeaningfulName Fear Nothing]].")
In naval or [[SpaceIsAnOcean space-based settings]], expect a Dreadnought to pull double-duty as a SupervillainLair.
Compare and contrast with its primary competing[=/=]companion trope, TheBattlestar. Both fixtures of a StandardSciFiFleet, though both can and do appear in other settings. Both frequently holding the spot of "scariest thing around," but while the Battlestar is about the vessel's role as [[MilitaryMashupMachine a combined battleship[=/=]aircraft carrier]], the Dreadnought is about the tendancy to call the most dreaded vehicles "Dreadnoughts." If both appear in the same work, and the Dreadnought is not also the Battlestar, expect one to overshadow the other. Either because the Battlestar's combined arms nature makes it AwesomeButImpractical compared to the Dreadnought's NighInvulnerable MoreDakka, or because the Battlestar's versatility and fighter craft allow it to give the cumbersome Dreadnought a DeathOfAThousandCuts while denying it a chance to fight back.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Expanded Universes]]
* The Starfleet Technical Manual for ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' posited the existence of Dreadnoughts in Starfleet, a concept Gene Roddenberry and other Star Trek franchise overseers have hated because Starfleet is not a military and doesn't have warships. Fans who either don't get it or believe that Starfleet, while not a military, are also not stupid, keep the concept alive. Dreadnoughts appear in Expanded Universe entries of dubious canonicity, including ''TabletopGame/StarFleetBattles'' and the novel ''[[Literature/FortunesOfWar Dreadnought!]]''
* The Star Wars Expanded Universe waffles between classifying ships like Darth Vader's ''Executor'' a Super Star Destroyer (what Admiral Ackbar calls it in ''Return of the Jedi'') and a "Star Dreadnought" (because Super Star Destroyer doesn't sound military enough). A Super Star Destroyer[=/=]Star Dreadnought is otherwise a [[TropeCodifier textbook example of the trope in action.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/DeathRace'', a heavily armed BigBadassRig called the Dreadnought enters to kill off some RedShirt opponents. One of the rare non-naval examples, it certainly lives up to the spirit, being fast enough to keep up with the racing cars (though it uses some shortcuts), heavily armed enough to carve a swath through the racers, and tough enough the protagonists have to [[EnemyMine work together]] and defeat it with the track's own hazards.
* ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': The ''[[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/USS_Vengeance Vengeance]]'' is a ''Dreadnought''-class ship, intended to be the first in a new line of Federation warships to aggressively protect the Federation against enemies like the Klingons. It's bigger and badder than just about anything else ever seen in the franchise, regardless of timeline.
* ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/TheLastJedi'' re-introduces Dreadnoughts to the Star Wars canon: the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mandator_IV-class_Siege_Dreadnought Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnoughts]] are a class of First Order ships with even more firepower than the usual Star Destroyers. Poe Dameron describes them as "fleet-killers". The Resistance destroys one such Dreadnought, the ''Fulminatrix'', [[PyrrhicVictory but at a significant cost]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': Averted. Even at the beginning of the series, the LensmanArmsRace means Dreadnoughts are only the second-biggest ship class, with the biggest being called superdreadnoughts. By the current book, nobody's building dreadnoughts because [[ArmoredCoffins they can't survive]] against a wall of battle populated by [=SDs=] anymore, especially with the advent of the [[MacrossMissileMassacre podnought]].
* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''-era novel ''[[Literature/FortunesOfWar Dreadnought!]]'' has a prototype dreadnought-class starship as its {{Macguffin}}. It packs at least twice the firepower of a Constitution-class ship like ''Enterprise'', more powerful shields, a stronger warp drive with three nacelles, and a hull composed of an experimental material that can withstand direct phaser bombardment much more easily than other ships. The plot revolves around the ship being stolen, and eventually discovered to be the linchpin of a plotted coup against the Federation.
* ''Dreadnought''-class Heavy Cruisers are mentioned in some ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' material (most prominently, ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy''). Subverted in that ''Dreadnought''s are "only" heavy cruisers, so while they are quite capable midsize warships they pale in comparison to most other ships in the setting, such as the ubiquitous ''Imperial''-class Star Destroyers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action Television]]
* ''Series/BabylonFive'' [[DownplayedTrope downplays it a bit]]: Only one race, the Humans, use Dreadnoughts, and they are considered more of a middleweight class of ship during the show's run, [[OvershadowedByAwesome having mostly been superseded]] by even larger ships called [[TheBattlestar Destroyers]]. They are [[MoreDakka covered stem to stern]] in [[{{BFG}} very large weapons]].
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': The episode ''Dreadnought'' features a [[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Cardassian_ATR-4107 Cardassian weapon of mass destruction]] that the Maquis nicknamed "Dreadnought," specifically in reference to HMS ''Dreadnought''. It's not only basically a gigantic photon torpedo, but has its own weapons and defenses to fight off any ships that might try to intercept it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': PlayedWith. The first "true" [=WarShip=] ever produced was the TAS ''Dreadnought'', forerunner of the ''Dreadnought'' class. Dismissed as "toys" of Terran Alliance Fleet Admiral James [=McKenna=], he quickly proved they were very capable and deadly spaceships. It's not the biggest or most powerful [=WarShip=] in the setting, but at the time of its construction it was the ''only'' [=WarShip=], and all other [=WarShips=] owe their existence to it.
* ''TabletopGame/StarFleetBattles'': Dreadnoughts tend to be the largest and most powerful ''effective'' ships a player can field. Battleships, which are even bigger and more powerful, exist, but are either "conjectural" (i.e., they don't actually exist within the universe the game is set in, but stats are provided [[RuleOfCool just because]]) or AwesomeButImpractical, because their "do a little bit of everything" approach means they aren't actually ''good'' at anything.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** PlayedWith in the ground game. The Dreadnought is a huge [[WalkingTank combat walker]] that serves as the weaponized coffin of a grievously wounded SpaceMarine. [[https://youtu.be/RtAH7kGEqic?t=58 While certainly fearsome in both ranged and melee combat]], they're just as vulnerable to anti-armor weapons as tanks, and there are bigger and deadlier vehicles out there. (Especially if using rulesets that allow for truly massive Titans.)
** Notably defied when it comes to [[TabletopGame/BattlefleetGothic the space combat portion]] of the setting. Dreadnoughts are conspicuous by their absence, with typical Imperial Navy and Chaos ships being lumped into Escorts, Light Cruisers, Cruisers, Battlecruisers, the odd Grand Cruiser, and Battleships. Unique and extra-powerful ships, like Abbadon's ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Planet Killer]]'', could be considered Dreadnoughts, but are not referred to as such.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'' and ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'' both feature dreadnoughts as the Soviet faction's best naval units, and the heaviest armored naval ship in both games. In both games they launch long-range missiles which don't have much in the way of area damage - but [[CatchPhrase woe unto the hapless foe]] who finds themselves directly impacted, because these things ''hurt''.
* ''{{Franchise/Halo}} 2'' and ''Halo 3'' feature the Forerunner Dreadnought, a massive starship built by [[{{Precursors}} the ancient Forerunners]] and now owned by [[ScaryDogmaticAliens the Covenant]]. Despite its fearsome name, though, it has no weapons since they were all removed for reverse-engineering as part of a peace treaty centuries ago. Its only advantages thus are its incredible speed and extreme durability. Dreadnought isn't even its real name: [[spoiler:it's really a Forerunner Keyship, designed for integrating with the Portal artifact to ferry refugees to the Ark. It's true purpose was for saving lives.]]
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'' the Milky Way races' dreadnoughts are the heaviest units in the fleets, [[MileLongShip kilometer-long starships]] that use their [[FixedForwardFacingWeapon spinal railguns]] as artillery in battle. The Citadel races are limited in the number they can construct by the [[FictionalGenevaConventions Treaty of Farixen]]. Two dreadnoughts, the Citadel Council's ''Destiny Ascension'' and your nemesis' flagship ''Sovereign'' ([[spoiler: the true BigBad]]) play important roles at the climax of the first game.
* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' uses "dreadnought" as a catchall term for the biggest, slowest, toughest ship in a given faction's arsenal. Some are playable, chiefly the ''Galaxy''-class dreadnought cruiser and the three classes of Romulan Dreadnought Warbird.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' one of the possible Guardians lurking around the galaxy is an Automated Dreadnought that can easily shred the entire space navy of a mid-game player empire. If one manages to defeat it they can salvage it and turn it into a less powerful craft which is still more than a match for the Titans players can build in the later game.
* ''VideoGame/SunlessSea'' has the Republican Dreadnoughts, which are amongst the toughest ships patrolling the Unterzee. Those dreaded things have very damaging rapid-fire cannons, 400 [=HPs=], a wide angle of fire and can hit you from behind, making them a huge threat to the players. And woe betide the ones coming across a Glorious Dreadnought, their glowing equivalent, unprepared.
** This is carried over in ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies'', which has the Enduring Dreadnoughts, big blue locomotives maneuvered exclusively by Her Enduring Masjesty's most loyal officers. While not necessarily amongst the strongest enemy locomotives roaming the High Wilderness, the same cannot be said about the glowing Glorious Dreadnoughts and the glass-encrusted Deranged Dreadnoughts. While the Glorious ones do not attack you if your are in good terms with the London loyalists, the Deranged ones, which are found flying near the [[MechanicalAbomination Clockwork Sun]], shoot you on sight regardless of your affiliation.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', Dreadnought Galaxy is one of the last and hardest galaxies in the game, and its levels take place in a huge spaceship.
* In ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' dreadnoughts are the largest ship class available, including the iconic ''Sword of the Stars''-class that appears at the end of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H91qZSfYLoU intro cinematic]]. However, they fall victim to SequelEscalation with the introduction of Leviathans in ''Sword of the Stars II''
* ''VideoGame/WingCommander'': In the "Secret Missions" add-on to the first game, the Kilrathi have a superweapon in the form of a ''Sivar''-class Dreadnought equipped with a WaveMotionGun. [[TheFederation The Terran Confederation]] has a similarly-equipped Dreadnought called the ''Concordia'' in ''Wing Commander II''. The largest ships in the Kilrathi armada in ''Wing Commander III'' are called Dreadnoughts as well, and only one can be encountered in the entire game.
[[/folder]]
----
[[caption-width-right:350:Guess which one is the Dreadnought. Go ahead, guess.]]
YKTTW now sponsored by [=ErikModi=] per Up for Grabs rules.
----
When dealing with navies (or, occasionally, armies with vehicle support) in fictional settings, there is usually one class of vehicle that just outclasses everything else. It's the biggest, baddest, meanest thing flying (or walking, or rarely rolling), packed with weapons, armored ([[DeflectorShields and possibly shielded]]) to withstand a whole other fleet's worth of firepower, and may be TheBattlestar on top of it all. It's a fleet unto itself, it changes the face of the battle just by showing up, and conventional wisdom is that it can only be taken down by something just as powerful as it is. It is TheDreaded when it comes to large-scale vehicle combat. There is a strong tendency for such a vehicle to be called a Dreadnought.
This has strong roots in RealLife [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfNavalWarfare naval history]], specifically HMS ''Dreadnought'', a British battleship which revolutionized naval warfare for decades to come. Combining heavy armor, high speed, and a relatively small battery of [[{{BFG}} relatively large guns]], ''Dreadnought'' rendered every other battleship afloat, henceforth known as [[OvershadowedByAwesome Pre-Dreadnought Battleships]], obsolete. Ironically, ''Dreadnought'' was bordering on obsolescence by 1914 and the outbreak of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI due to rapid advances in shipbuilding, leading to bigger, more powerful, and more heavily armed Dreadnoughts (with later examples known as ''[[UpToEleven Super]]'' Dreadnoughts).
In RealLife, the name gradually dropped out of usage after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, as the Dreadnought-type of battleship became the default type of battleship. Not long after, battleships themselves became obsolete as aircraft carriers became the rulers of the waves.
In fiction, however, the Dreadnought designation lives on, due in part to the game-changing nature of the original HMS ''Dreadnought'', and partly to the [[GoodNameForARockBand undeniably metal]] [[RuleOfCool nature the word]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "Dreadnought."]] (Dreadnought, roughly, means "[[MeaningfulName Fear Nothing]].")
In naval or [[SpaceIsAnOcean space-based settings]], expect a Dreadnought to pull double-duty as a SupervillainLair.
Compare and contrast with its primary competing[=/=]companion trope, TheBattlestar. Both fixtures of a StandardSciFiFleet, though both can and do appear in other settings. Both frequently holding the spot of "scariest thing around," but while the Battlestar is about the vessel's role as [[MilitaryMashupMachine a combined battleship[=/=]aircraft carrier]], the Dreadnought is about the tendancy to call the most dreaded vehicles "Dreadnoughts." If both appear in the same work, and the Dreadnought is not also the Battlestar, expect one to overshadow the other. Either because the Battlestar's combined arms nature makes it AwesomeButImpractical compared to the Dreadnought's NighInvulnerable MoreDakka, or because the Battlestar's versatility and fighter craft allow it to give the cumbersome Dreadnought a DeathOfAThousandCuts while denying it a chance to fight back.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Expanded Universes]]
* The Starfleet Technical Manual for ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' posited the existence of Dreadnoughts in Starfleet, a concept Gene Roddenberry and other Star Trek franchise overseers have hated because Starfleet is not a military and doesn't have warships. Fans who either don't get it or believe that Starfleet, while not a military, are also not stupid, keep the concept alive. Dreadnoughts appear in Expanded Universe entries of dubious canonicity, including ''TabletopGame/StarFleetBattles'' and the novel ''[[Literature/FortunesOfWar Dreadnought!]]''
* The Star Wars Expanded Universe waffles between classifying ships like Darth Vader's ''Executor'' a Super Star Destroyer (what Admiral Ackbar calls it in ''Return of the Jedi'') and a "Star Dreadnought" (because Super Star Destroyer doesn't sound military enough). A Super Star Destroyer[=/=]Star Dreadnought is otherwise a [[TropeCodifier textbook example of the trope in action.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/DeathRace'', a heavily armed BigBadassRig called the Dreadnought enters to kill off some RedShirt opponents. One of the rare non-naval examples, it certainly lives up to the spirit, being fast enough to keep up with the racing cars (though it uses some shortcuts), heavily armed enough to carve a swath through the racers, and tough enough the protagonists have to [[EnemyMine work together]] and defeat it with the track's own hazards.
* ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'': The ''[[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/USS_Vengeance Vengeance]]'' is a ''Dreadnought''-class ship, intended to be the first in a new line of Federation warships to aggressively protect the Federation against enemies like the Klingons. It's bigger and badder than just about anything else ever seen in the franchise, regardless of timeline.
* ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/TheLastJedi'' re-introduces Dreadnoughts to the Star Wars canon: the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mandator_IV-class_Siege_Dreadnought Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnoughts]] are a class of First Order ships with even more firepower than the usual Star Destroyers. Poe Dameron describes them as "fleet-killers". The Resistance destroys one such Dreadnought, the ''Fulminatrix'', [[PyrrhicVictory but at a significant cost]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': Averted. Even at the beginning of the series, the LensmanArmsRace means Dreadnoughts are only the second-biggest ship class, with the biggest being called superdreadnoughts. By the current book, nobody's building dreadnoughts because [[ArmoredCoffins they can't survive]] against a wall of battle populated by [=SDs=] anymore, especially with the advent of the [[MacrossMissileMassacre podnought]].
* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''-era novel ''[[Literature/FortunesOfWar Dreadnought!]]'' has a prototype dreadnought-class starship as its {{Macguffin}}. It packs at least twice the firepower of a Constitution-class ship like ''Enterprise'', more powerful shields, a stronger warp drive with three nacelles, and a hull composed of an experimental material that can withstand direct phaser bombardment much more easily than other ships. The plot revolves around the ship being stolen, and eventually discovered to be the linchpin of a plotted coup against the Federation.
* ''Dreadnought''-class Heavy Cruisers are mentioned in some ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' material (most prominently, ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy''). Subverted in that ''Dreadnought''s are "only" heavy cruisers, so while they are quite capable midsize warships they pale in comparison to most other ships in the setting, such as the ubiquitous ''Imperial''-class Star Destroyers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action Television]]
* ''Series/BabylonFive'' [[DownplayedTrope downplays it a bit]]: Only one race, the Humans, use Dreadnoughts, and they are considered more of a middleweight class of ship during the show's run, [[OvershadowedByAwesome having mostly been superseded]] by even larger ships called [[TheBattlestar Destroyers]]. They are [[MoreDakka covered stem to stern]] in [[{{BFG}} very large weapons]].
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': The episode ''Dreadnought'' features a [[http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Cardassian_ATR-4107 Cardassian weapon of mass destruction]] that the Maquis nicknamed "Dreadnought," specifically in reference to HMS ''Dreadnought''. It's not only basically a gigantic photon torpedo, but has its own weapons and defenses to fight off any ships that might try to intercept it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': PlayedWith. The first "true" [=WarShip=] ever produced was the TAS ''Dreadnought'', forerunner of the ''Dreadnought'' class. Dismissed as "toys" of Terran Alliance Fleet Admiral James [=McKenna=], he quickly proved they were very capable and deadly spaceships. It's not the biggest or most powerful [=WarShip=] in the setting, but at the time of its construction it was the ''only'' [=WarShip=], and all other [=WarShips=] owe their existence to it.
* ''TabletopGame/StarFleetBattles'': Dreadnoughts tend to be the largest and most powerful ''effective'' ships a player can field. Battleships, which are even bigger and more powerful, exist, but are either "conjectural" (i.e., they don't actually exist within the universe the game is set in, but stats are provided [[RuleOfCool just because]]) or AwesomeButImpractical, because their "do a little bit of everything" approach means they aren't actually ''good'' at anything.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** PlayedWith in the ground game. The Dreadnought is a huge [[WalkingTank combat walker]] that serves as the weaponized coffin of a grievously wounded SpaceMarine. [[https://youtu.be/RtAH7kGEqic?t=58 While certainly fearsome in both ranged and melee combat]], they're just as vulnerable to anti-armor weapons as tanks, and there are bigger and deadlier vehicles out there. (Especially if using rulesets that allow for truly massive Titans.)
** Notably defied when it comes to [[TabletopGame/BattlefleetGothic the space combat portion]] of the setting. Dreadnoughts are conspicuous by their absence, with typical Imperial Navy and Chaos ships being lumped into Escorts, Light Cruisers, Cruisers, Battlecruisers, the odd Grand Cruiser, and Battleships. Unique and extra-powerful ships, like Abbadon's ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Planet Killer]]'', could be considered Dreadnoughts, but are not referred to as such.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'' and ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'' both feature dreadnoughts as the Soviet faction's best naval units, and the heaviest armored naval ship in both games. In both games they launch long-range missiles which don't have much in the way of area damage - but [[CatchPhrase woe unto the hapless foe]] who finds themselves directly impacted, because these things ''hurt''.
* ''{{Franchise/Halo}} 2'' and ''Halo 3'' feature the Forerunner Dreadnought, a massive starship built by [[{{Precursors}} the ancient Forerunners]] and now owned by [[ScaryDogmaticAliens the Covenant]]. Despite its fearsome name, though, it has no weapons since they were all removed for reverse-engineering as part of a peace treaty centuries ago. Its only advantages thus are its incredible speed and extreme durability. Dreadnought isn't even its real name: [[spoiler:it's really a Forerunner Keyship, designed for integrating with the Portal artifact to ferry refugees to the Ark. It's true purpose was for saving lives.]]
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'' the Milky Way races' dreadnoughts are the heaviest units in the fleets, [[MileLongShip kilometer-long starships]] that use their [[FixedForwardFacingWeapon spinal railguns]] as artillery in battle. The Citadel races are limited in the number they can construct by the [[FictionalGenevaConventions Treaty of Farixen]]. Two dreadnoughts, the Citadel Council's ''Destiny Ascension'' and your nemesis' flagship ''Sovereign'' ([[spoiler: the true BigBad]]) play important roles at the climax of the first game.
* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' uses "dreadnought" as a catchall term for the biggest, slowest, toughest ship in a given faction's arsenal. Some are playable, chiefly the ''Galaxy''-class dreadnought cruiser and the three classes of Romulan Dreadnought Warbird.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' one of the possible Guardians lurking around the galaxy is an Automated Dreadnought that can easily shred the entire space navy of a mid-game player empire. If one manages to defeat it they can salvage it and turn it into a less powerful craft which is still more than a match for the Titans players can build in the later game.
* ''VideoGame/SunlessSea'' has the Republican Dreadnoughts, which are amongst the toughest ships patrolling the Unterzee. Those dreaded things have very damaging rapid-fire cannons, 400 [=HPs=], a wide angle of fire and can hit you from behind, making them a huge threat to the players. And woe betide the ones coming across a Glorious Dreadnought, their glowing equivalent, unprepared.
** This is carried over in ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies'', which has the Enduring Dreadnoughts, big blue locomotives maneuvered exclusively by Her Enduring Masjesty's most loyal officers. While not necessarily amongst the strongest enemy locomotives roaming the High Wilderness, the same cannot be said about the glowing Glorious Dreadnoughts and the glass-encrusted Deranged Dreadnoughts. While the Glorious ones do not attack you if your are in good terms with the London loyalists, the Deranged ones, which are found flying near the [[MechanicalAbomination Clockwork Sun]], shoot you on sight regardless of your affiliation.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', Dreadnought Galaxy is one of the last and hardest galaxies in the game, and its levels take place in a huge spaceship.
* In ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' dreadnoughts are the largest ship class available, including the iconic ''Sword of the Stars''-class that appears at the end of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H91qZSfYLoU intro cinematic]]. However, they fall victim to SequelEscalation with the introduction of Leviathans in ''Sword of the Stars II''
* ''VideoGame/WingCommander'': In the "Secret Missions" add-on to the first game, the Kilrathi have a superweapon in the form of a ''Sivar''-class Dreadnought equipped with a WaveMotionGun. [[TheFederation The Terran Confederation]] has a similarly-equipped Dreadnought called the ''Concordia'' in ''Wing Commander II''. The largest ships in the Kilrathi armada in ''Wing Commander III'' are called Dreadnoughts as well, and only one can be encountered in the entire game.
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