History Main / TheWarlord

A warlord is usually a ''mean'' son of a bitch, characterized by their brutality, domineering personality, and a severe LackOfEmpathy. Warlords often have greedy, self-serving mindsets, caring only about getting wealth and territory for themselves and their men. In lawless areas, the warlord might subjugate local civilians like a [[TheDon mafia boss]], demanding they either pay up or [[MakeAnExampleOfThem face the consequences]]. Warlords thrive in {{Failed State}}s, where they provide a client-patron system to anyone under their command. They are also common in frontier areas, barbarian cultures, and other settings where centralized authority is weak or nonexistent, allowing powerful clan chiefs, bandit lords, or raiders to enforce their rule over large tracts of land through force of arms. Warlords also tend to have an interest in prolonging, or even creating wars, since they [[WarForFunAndProfit directly benefit from conflict]]. As such, they'll be pitted against protagonists who want to [[PreventTheWar stop the violence]].

A warlord is usually a ''mean'' son of a bitch, characterized by their brutality, domineering personality, and a severe LackOfEmpathy. Warlords often have greedy, self-serving mindsets, caring only about getting wealth and territory for themselves and their men. In lawless areas, the warlord might subjugate local civilians like a [[TheDon mafia boss]], demanding they either pay up or [[MakeAnExampleOfThem face the consequences]]. Warlords thrive in {{Failed State}}s, where they provide a client-patron system to anyone under their command. Warlords also tend to have an interest in prolonging, or even creating wars, since they [[WarForFunAndProfit directly benefit from conflict]]. As such, they'll be pitted against protagonists who want to [[PreventTheWar stop the violence]].

* ''Roleplay/TheLastTrumpet'': Several factions[[note]]Black Hills Collective, Cheyenne Clique, Malmstrom Clique, Minot Clique, Omaha Clique, United States Aerial Command, and United States Fleet Forces Command[[/note]] have their origins in the US military, being led by military officers and often flying flags inspired by their respective units. Some are more benevolent than others.

A warlord is a powerful military leader who answers only to themself, rather than their actions being dictated by a central authority or government. They've usually gained their influence by [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership force]], often through misuse of a [[RogueSoldier previous military position]]. A warlord's forces are loyal only to their commander, whose sheer strength allows them to exercise more power than their rank or title legitimately allows.

A warlord is typically a ''mean'' son of a bitch, characterized by their brutality, domineering personality, and a severe LackOfEmpathy. In addition, warlords are often given greedy, self-serving mindsets, caring only about amassing wealth and territory for themselves and their men. In more lawless areas, the warlord might subjugate local civilians like a [[TheDon mafia boss]], demanding they either pay up or [[MakeAnExampleOfThem face the consequences]]. Warlords often thrive in {{Failed State}}s, where they provide a client-patron system to anyone under their command. Warlords also tend to have an interest in prolonging, or even creating wars, since they [[WarForFunAndProfit directly benefit from conflict]]; as such, they're often pitted against protagonists who want to [[PreventTheWar stop the violence]].

Even in more "stable" settings, warlords can still have ''de facto'' political and civil authority over certain areas. Sometimes, the government doesn't want to piss off the dude whose military might rival their own. Other times, the government will [[HiredGuns hire the warlord]] to further their own goals.

This isn't the same as an EvilOverlord or TheGeneralissimo, who both take control over a country or territory and create their own government (though some warlords may have that in mind as their ultimate endgame). Most often, the warlord does not care about authority other than their own, and though they might project power over their territory, they aren't interested in setting up a permanent bureaucracy. Even if they end up gaining a large amount of land and control, they might not care about what happens to it after they're no longer around to keep things running.

* ''VideoGame/AdvanceWarsDaysOfRuin'': The Beast, a former Rubinelle soldier, gains control of a substantial military force following the complete destruction of central governments by the meteors. He uses this force to raid the surviving settlements and is shown to be both mentally unstable and uncaring of civilian casualties.

* ''VideoGame/TheNewOrderLastDaysOfEurope'': Following the [[AlternateHistoryNaziVictory Nazi victory in WW2]], Russia (save for the parts annexed into Germany) had become balkanized into a whole slew of petty warlords. Some of these warlords are ideologically driven -- be it by fascism (e.g. Amur, Perm), communism (e.g. Buryatia, Tyumen), monarchy (e.g. Vyatka), liberalism (e.g. Komi, Tomsk), or what have you. Other warlord states (e.g. Zlatoust, Yurga, the Dirlewanger Brigade) are just brigands and criminals looking to take advantage of the chaos.

* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' / ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': In the absence of a strong warchief, such as in the aftermath of the Horde's defeat in ''Warcraft II'', orcs tend to break down into bands or clans lead by various warlords. Even after Thrall reconstitutes the orcs into the new Horde, there are still outliers, most notably the Blackrock Clan and their leader Rend Blackhand, who believes himself to be the ''true'' warchief (though by the time of his defeat, he has been reduced to a pawn of the black dragon Nefarian).

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* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'': In the absence of a strong warchief, such as in the aftermath of the Horde's defeat in ''Warcraft II'', orcs tend to break down into bands or clans lead by various warlords. Even after Thrall reconstitutes the orcs into the new Horde, there are still outliers, most notably the Blackrock Clan and their leader Rend Blackhand, who believes himself to be the ''true'' warchief (though by the time of his defeat, he has been reduced to a pawn of the black dragon Nefarian).

* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'': [[TheDreaded Hengist]] from "[[Recap/MerlinS02E04LancelotAndGuinevere Lancelot And Guinevere]]" is little more than a vicious and sadistic thug, barely a step above the bandits and raiders. Nevertheless, he controls his own castle and has enough [[ArmyOfThievesAndWhores loyal men]] that he's feared throughout the region (with even King Uther noting how dangerous he is), with it being acknowledged it would require an entire army to successfully defeat in his stronghold. He also has his own captive [[RodentsOfUnusualSize Wilddeoren]] which he delights in [[FedToTheBeast feeding people to]].

* ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'': After the fall of TheEmpire, the galaxy splits into fiefdoms controlled by various warlords. Within a century most of the warlord states have settled down and their "kings" have established proper dynasties, which the Foundation manipulates into forming the nucleus of a new Empire using a ScamReligion.

A warlord is typically a ''mean'' son of a bitch, characterized by their brutality, domineering personality, and a severe LackOfEmpathy. In addition, warlords are often given greedy, self-serving mindsets, caring only about amassing wealth and territory for themselves and their men. In more lawless areas, the warlord might subjugate local civilians like a [[TheDon mafia boss]], demanding they either pay up or [[MakeAnExampleOfThem face the consequences]]. Warlords often thrive in {{Failed State}}s, where they provide a client-patron system to anyone under their command. Warlords also tend to have an interest in prolonging, or even creating wars, since they directly benefit from conflict; as such, they're often pitted against protagonists who want to [[PreventTheWar stop the violence]].