- "Even if we hold the city tomorrow, it may be the last night alive for many of those girls you just told to "chill out". It might even be the last night for you, or one of your friends. This isn't the dungeon. In a war, people on the winning side still die. You might want to consider taking it somewhat seriously."
- ― O-Chul to Haley Starshine (The Order of the Stick)
- "Upon my honor I do swear undying loyalty to the Emperor, and unwavering obedience to the officers of his great Empire. May those above judge me, and those below take me, if I fail in my duty. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empire!"
- ― Legion's Oath (Elder Scrolls)
- "I joined the military to serve my country not to be its puppet. They experimented on Children!"
- ― Rick Flag (DCEU/Suicide Squad)
The archetype of a character who's in or was formerly in the military. Variation of Warrior.
Also Called[]
- Infantryman/Footman
- Military Personnel
Properties[]
The character is a soldier or military personnel, meaning they've trained in the military and know military tactics. In that regard, are trained to be at the pinnacle of human physicality, even instructed to be prepared and skillfully maneuver in all manner of situations.
For the expectations of war and its takeaways, they are aware of the risk of death, so they are hardened enough to accept it. They have a notable understanding of war and the actions they have to take in such conflicts. For that reason, they are adaptive, flexible in their methods, and possess an increased number of stamina to deal with prolonged combat or possible skirmishes.
Associated Powers[]
- Apathy
- Assault Inducement
- Body Armor Proficiency
- Close-Quarters Combat Mastery
- Combat-Medical Proficiency
- Combat Adaptation
- Combat Perception
- Combat Specialism
- Communication
- Radio Communication
- Companion Allegiance
- Cooperation Mastery
- War Crime Mastery
- Danger Detection
- Dowsing
- Enhanced Combat Mastery
- Environmental Adaptation
- Fighting Instinct
- Helmet Proficiency
- Indomitable Courage
- Indomitable Loyalty
- Indomitable Pride
- Indomitable Will
- Intimidation Mastery
- Killing Instinct
- Killing Mastery
- Linguistics Mastery
- Military Mastery
- Night Vision via a night vision device
- Opportunity Sense
- Path to Victory
- Peak Human/Enhanced Condition
- Psychological Mastery
- Reactive Adaptation
- Security Mastery
- Stealth Mastery
- Strategy Adaptation
- Surveillance Mastery
- Tactical Analysis/Genius
- Telescopic Vision via binoculars
- Training Regimen
- Trapping Mastery
- Vehicular Mastery
- Weapon Proficiency
- Chemical Weaponry
- Energy Weaponry
- Enhanced Gunmanship
- Explosive Proficiency
- Melee Weapon Proficiency
- Nuclear Weaponry
- Peak Human/Enhanced Precision
- Shield Proficiency
Relationships[]
- Athenian
- A variation of the soldier archetype that takes place in Athens.
- Clone Soldier
- A soldier who is cloned from another person.
- Combat Medic
- A soldier who is responsible for patient care within or out of the battlefield.
- Demolitionist
- A soldier might be on the battlefield as a demolitionist.
- Special Forces Operator
- A soldier who is a special force unit or is not particularly strong or powerful but has an elite-level of skills and experience.
- Falconer
- A soldier who trains and commands birds to send non-electrical messages such as letters.
- Knight
- A variation of the soldier archetype that takes place in Medieval Europe.
- Knights Templar
- A variation of the soldier archetype that takes place during Crusades and/or has a strong religious belief.
- Mecha Pilot
- A soldier who can pilot a mecha and use it as an infantry support vehicle or replacement of tanks, military aircraft and/or military spacecraft.
- Mercenary
- Former soldiers that often act as soldiers in makeshift military as hired help.
- Military Leader
- A soldier who commands a military unit.
- Musketeer
- A variation of the soldier archetype that take places in the 17th to 18th centuries and/or often wields a musket and/or a flintlock pistol.
- National Hero/Villain
- Soldiers can be either heroes from their country's perspective or villains from the opposing country's perspective.
- Patriotic Hero
- Soldiers usually seem to be patriots.
- Samurai
- A variation of the soldier archetype that takes place in feudal/Medieval Japan.
- Sniper
- A soldier who is responsible for long-range gunfighting.
- Spartan
- A variation of the soldier archetype that takes place in Sparta.
- Space Marine
- A variation of the soldier archetype that takes place in a galactic setting.
- Super Soldier
- A variation of the soldier archetype, capable of operating beyond normal human limits or abilities either through genetic modification or cybernetic augmentation.
- Terrorist
- Soldiers can sometimes be terrorist due to them committing war crimes.
- Tracker
- A soldier who is tasked with tracking targets from anywhere.
- War Hero
- Every soldier is a war hero even they may be forgotten by their people and/or the whole word.
Variations[]
17th-to-18th Century European Soldier[]
- Bayonet Proficiency
- Enhanced Gunmanship
- Artillery Proficiency
- Firearm Proficiency
- Handgun Proficiency
- Musket Proficiency
- Enhanced Swordsmanship
- Knife Proficiency
- Riders Aptitude
Ancient Egyptian Soldier[]
- Enhanced Archery
- Axe Proficiency
- Spear Proficiency
- Enhanced Swordsmanship
- Knife Proficiency
- Riders Aptitude
- Slingshot Proficiency
Airman/Military Aviator[]
Ashigaru[]
- Enhanced Archery
- Enhanced Swordsmanship
- Knife Proficiency
- Polearm Proficiency
- Riders Aptitude
- Tanegashima Proficiency
Chinese Dynasty/Imperial Chinese Soldier[]
Combat Engineer[]
Combat Medic[]
Cyberwarfare Specialist[]
Fictional Country Soldier[]
- A soldier that is from a fictional country with any strength and limitation the author chooses.
- Varying Powers
Futuristic/Sci-Fi Soldier[]
- Energy Weaponry
- Lock-On Tracking via a helmet
- Mecha Piloting Mastery
- Power Suit
- Satellite Manipulation
Marine[]
Medieval European Soldier/Footman[]
- Axe Proficiency
- Enhanced Archery
- Enhanced Flailmanship
- Enhanced Gunmanship
- Artillery Proficiency
- Firearm Proficiency
- Arquebus Proficiency
- Enhanced Swordsmanship
- Hammer Proficiency
- Mace Proficiency
- Polearm Proficiency
- Riders Aptitude
Military Mage[]
- Various magic powers
Nazi German/WWII German Wehrmacht/SS Soldier[]
- Ambition Empowerment
- Apathy
- Assailant
- Artillery Creation
- Artillery Proficiency
- Bayonet Proficiency
- Chemical Weaponry
- Domination
- Engineering Mastery
- Enhanced Accuracy
- Enhanced Gunmanship
- Explosive Proficiency
- Fear Inducement (Especially to citizens)
- Killing Instinct (To diabolical degrees)
- Killing Intent
- Knife Proficiency
- Law Creation
- Pride Empowerment
- Torture Mastery
- Undying Loyalty
- Vehicular Combat
- Weapon Creation
Roman Soldier[]
- Artillery Proficiency
- Enhanced Cooperation
- Spear Proficiency
- Shield Proficiency
- Enhanced Swordsmanship
- Knife Proficiency
- Leadership Mastery
- Riders Aptitude
- Tactical Analysis/Genius
- Undying Loyalty
Seaman/Sailor[]
Soviet/Red Army Soldier[]
- Ambition Embodiment
- Apathy
- Artillery Creation
- Artillery Proficiency
- Chemical Weaponry
- Domination
- Engineering Mastery
- Enhanced Cooperation
- Enhanced Cannon Skill
- Flamethrower Proficiency
- Enhanced Gunmanship
- Environmental Adaptation
- Explosive Proficiency
- Intimidation Mastery
- Knife Proficiency
- Leadership Mastery
- Political Mastery
- Rocket Weaponry
- Scientific Artillery
- Tactical Analysis/Genius
- Undying Loyalty
- Vehicular Combat
Spartan Warrior[]
- Anger Empowerment
- Enhanced Cooperation
- Enhanced Combat
- Shield Proficiency
- Spear Proficiency
- Enhanced Strength
- Enhanced Swordsmanship
- Indomitable Rage
- Riders Aptitude
- Tactical Analysis/Genius
Space Marine[]
- Adversary Allegiance
- Apathy
- Apocalyptic Weaponry
- Astronautics Mastery
- Authority
- Enhanced Cooperation
- Ergokinetic Gun Proficiency
- Interrogation Mastery
- Political Mastery
- Robotics Mastery
- Space Warfare Mastery
- Spacecraft Mastery
- Tactical Analysis/Genius
- Undying Loyalty
- Vehicular Combat
- Vehicle Creation
- Weapon Creation
Super Soldier[]
- Artificially Enhanced Physiology
- Peak Human/Enhanced/Supernatural Condition
- Sensorimotor Synchrony
- Supernatural Gunmanship
- Transforming Weapon Proficiency
Flaws/Weaknesses[]
- The user might develop shellshock or PTSD due to extensive exposure to violence or trauma.
- In addition to PTSD, soldiers run a high risk of many other mental disorders due to their experiences, as well as drug or drink addiction - in the worst-case scenarios a soldier can even develop sociopathic tendencies due to losing the ability to care about others suffering.
- Many soldiers can find it difficult to adapt to civilian life after retirement or if they have to give up due to poor health/injury - thus are at high risk of homelessness or social rejection.
- Due to the physical and emotional intensity of their work most soldiers start relatively young and retire from combat before their old age, some exceptions exist but in general active-duty soldiers are expected to stay in top physical and mental condition, making it an occupation ill-suited for most older characters (unless they have resistance to aging or are examples of Old Prime).
- There is often significant bullying and discrimination within many military settings - this is especially true for soldiers attending boot camps or similar training regimes, while essential to make a soldier prepared for war abuse of these systems can lead to mental breakdowns in characters ill-equipped to deal with such a regime.
Example Characters[]
- Various Characters (All Quiet on the Western Front)
- Colonial Marines (Alien)
- Esdeath (Akame ga Kill!)
- Eldian Military (Attack on Titan)
- Marleyan Military (Attack on Titan)
- The Colonial Marine Corps (Battlestar Galactica)
- Gotei 13 (Bleach)
- Wandenreich soldiers (Bleach)
- Soldat
- Sternritter
- Jagdarmee
- Various Characters (Call of Duty)
- Sentinel Task Force (Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare)
- General Steven "Kingpin" McDonnell; co-leader
- Major Cormack; co-leader
- Captain Gideon
- Ilona
- Jack Mitchell
- Lieutenant Commander David "Section" Mason (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
- Master Chief Petty Officer Mike Harper (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
- Captain Viktor Reznov (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
- Winslow Accord Special Forces (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
- Commander Jacob Hendricks; formerly
- Commander John Taylor
- Player
- Los Vaqueros (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot)
- Colonel Alejandro Vargas; leader
- Task Force 141 (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare)
- Lieutenant General Shepherd; leader, formerly
- Captain John Price; leader
- Captain John "Soap" MacTavish; co-leader
- Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley
- Sergeant Johnny "Soap" MacTavish (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot)
- Sergeant Kyle "Gaz" Garrick (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot)
- General Shepherd (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot)
- Sentinel Task Force (Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare)
- Various Characters (Complication of Final Fantasy VII)
- Various Characters (Cross Ange Rondo Of Angel And Dragon)
- Norma The Girls (Cross Ange Rondo Of Angel And Dragon)
- The Ancient Human (Cross Ange Rondo Of Angel And Dragon)
- Members of SOLDIER
- Mukuro Ikusaba (Danganronpa)
- Various Characters (DC Comics/Wildstorm)
- Scout fairies (Disney Fairies)
- Lilia Vanrouge (Disney: Twisted-Wonderland); formerly
- Grey Wardens (Dragon Age)
- Legion of the Dead (Dragon Age)
- Inquisition soldiers (Dragon Age: Inquisition)
- Imperial Legion (Elder Scrolls)
- Brotherhood of Steel soldiers (Fallout)
- Enclave soldiers (Fallout)
- Commonwealth Minutemen (Fallout)
- Various Characters (Halo)
- Guardian Units of Nations members (Sonic the Hedgehog)
- Nocturnus Clan members (Sonic the Hedgehog)
- Resistance (Sonic X)
- Whisper the Wolf (IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog)
- Colonel Rudol von Stroheim (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part II: Battle Tendency)
- Axl RO (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part VII: Steel Ball Run); formerly
- Various Characters (Mass Effect)
- Various Characters (Marchen Awakens Romance)
- Various Characters (Marvel Comics)
- Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
- Frank Castle/Punisher
- James "Bucky" Barnes/Winter Soldier
- James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine
- Steve Roger/Captain America
- Eugene "Flash" Thompson/Agent Venom
- Various Characters (Metal Gear)
- Various Characters (Metal Slug)
- Eri Kasamoto
- Fio Germi
- Marco Rossi
- Tarma Roving
- Ikari Warriors (Ikari Warriors/The King of Fighters)
- Shinobi and Kunoichi/Ninjas (Naruto series)
- The Marines (One Piece)
- Surge (Pokémon)
- Gill Grunt (Skylanders)
- MACOs (Star Trek)
- Jem'Hadar (Star Trek)
- Various Characters (Star Wars)
- Guile (Street Fighter)
- Jane Doe/Soldier (Team Fortress 2); false soldier
- Various Characters (The Hurt Locker)
- Armorines (Valiant Comics)
- Vanessa Lewis (Virtua Fighter)
- Various Characters (War Horse)
- Dr. John Watson (Sherlock Holmes)
- Various Characters (The First Hunter)
- Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum (Warhammer 40,000)
- Tau Fire Warriors (Warhammer 40,000)
- Captain Ami Chouno (Girls und Panzer)
- Various Characters (Gundam franchise)
- Adriano "Maestro" Martello (Rainbow Six)
- Alexsandr "Tachanka" Senaviev (Rainbow Six)
- Ana "Solis" Valentina Díaz (Rainbow Six)
- Aria "Alibi" de Luc (Rainbow Six)
- Charlie Tho "Grim" Keng Boon (Rainbow Six); formerly
- Chul Kyung "Vigil" Hwa (Rainbow Six)
- Craig "Blackbeard" Jenson (Rainbow Six)
- César "Goyo" Hernández (Rainbow Six)
- Elżbieta "Ela" Bosak (Rainbow Six); formerly
- Emil "Fenrir" Svensson (Rainbow Six); formerly
- Erik "Maverick" Thorn (Rainbow Six)
- Grace "Dokkaebi" Nam (Rainbow Six)
- Håvard "Ace" Haugland (Rainbow Six); formerly
- James "Smoke" Porter (Rainbow Six); formerly
- Karina "Nøkk" Gaarddhøje (Rainbow Six)
- Lera "Finka" Melnikova (Rainbow Six); formerly
- Mark R. "Mute" Chandar (Rainbow Six)
- Max "Mozzie" Goose (Rainbow Six)
- Maxim "Kapkan" Basuda (Rainbow Six)
- Meghan J. "Valkyrie" Castellano (Rainbow Six)
- Mike "Thatcher" Baker (Rainbow Six)
- Ngũgĩ "Wamai" Furaha (Rainbow Six); formerly
- Néon "Sens" Mutombo (Rainbow Six)
- Seamus "Sledge" Cowden (Rainbow Six)
- Shuhrat "Fuze" Kessikbayev (Rainbow Six)
- Sébastien "Buck" Côté (Rainbow Six)
- Timur "Glaz" Glazmov (Rainbow Six)
- Tina Lin "Frost" Tsang (Rainbow Six)
- Tori "Gridlock" Fairous (Rainbow Six)
- Zofia Bosak (Rainbow Six)
- Ghost Recon/The Ghost (Ghost Recon)
- Ghost Lead
- Anthony "Nomad" Perryman
- Ghost Lead
- SRT Special Academy (Blue Archive)
- FOX Squad
- Shichido Yukino; leader
- Niko
- Kurumi
- Otogi
- RABBIT Squad
- Tsukiyuki Miyako; leader
- Sorai Saki
- Kazekura Moe
- Kasumizawa Miyu
- FOX Squad
- Various Characters (Fury)
- Technician Fifth Grade Boyd "Bible" Swan
- Don "Wardaddy" Collier
- Private First Class Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis
- Corporal Norman "Machine" Ellison
- Trini "Gordo" Garcia
- Various Characters (Saving Private Ryan)
- Private James Ryan
- Captain John H. Miller
- Buldrokkas'tee/Patriot (Arknights); formerly
- Colonel Dobermann (Arknights); formerly
- Frostleaf (Arknights); formerly
- Hellagur (Arknights); formerly
- Lieutenant Makayla "Dur-nar" Springthunder (Arknights); formerly
- Meteor (Arknights)
- Colonel Pancho Sala (Arknights); formerly
- General Theresis (Arknights)
- Ikari Warriors (Ikari Warriors/The King of Fighters)
- Heidern; leader
- Clark Steel
- Leona/Leona Heidern
- Ralf Jones
- Whip
- Special Forces (Mortal Kombat)
- General Sonya Blade; leader
- Commander Cassie Cage; leader
- Cyrax; in the Original Timeline
- Kenshi Takahashi
- Sergeant Jacqui Briggs
- Major Jax Briggs
- Johnny Cage; in the Alternate Timeline
- Global Defense Initiative (GDI) (Command & Conquer)
- Allies (Command & Conquer: Red Alert)