The Bulgars, precursors to modern Bulgarians, had a reputation as a fearsome army. This was continued in later centuries during the First and Second Bulgarian Empires. For the sake of convenience, this entry also covers other tribes, such as Thracians and Slavs, which lived in the territory of modern Bulgaria and had a part in forming the modern Bulgarian ethnicity.
Tropes associated with Thracian warriors:
- Barbarian Hero
- BFS: The romphaia, a bronze two-handed sword. Its name apparently used to mean "thunderbolt", if any connection to the modern Bulgarian dialect word rufiya is assumed.
- Bottled Heroic Resolve: Thracian warriors often got drunk on wine before battle.
- Fragile Speedster: The Thracian Peltastes were lightly armed spear-throwing infantry who were more agile but less durable than Greek hoplites.
- Proud Warrior Race: Thracians were described as extremely warlike by Ancient Greeks.
Tropes associated with medieval Bulgar and Bulgarian armies:
- Bling of War: Simeon the Great's host was described like this when he routed the Byzantines in 917 and then besieged Constantinople.
- Born in the Saddle
- Hordes from the East
- Horse Archer
