Warrior (character class)
Encyclopedia
Warrior is a character class
(or job) found in many role-playing game
s. This class may also be referred to as Fighter, as in Dungeons & Dragons
. The class is sometimes also referred to as a Knight, although in some games this is a separate class with a more chivalric aspect. The Warrior is skilled in combat, and usually can make use of some of the most powerful heavy armor and weapon
ry in the game. As such, the warrior is a well-rounded physical combatant. In some games, the Warrior (or more often the Knight, if it is a separate class) may be able to learn basic magic
, but its capabilities in this field are somewhat limited. Because of the class's reliance on heavy plate armor and expensive weaponry, the cost of managing the Warrior's equipment is typically very high.
, a Fighter is the archetype for melee classes that specialize in leading combat and taking the brunt of the damage in groups. These classes include Crusaders, Brawlers, and Warriors.
The Warrior can be reasonably described as one of the most basic character archetype
s in the Final Fantasy series. As a result, there are numerous characters who have appeared throughout the history of the franchise that can be considered roughly analogous to the Fighter. Some of these characters include Firion (Final Fantasy II
), Cloud Strife
(Final Fantasy VII
), Squall Leonhart
(Final Fantasy VIII
), Adelbert Steiner (Final Fantasy IX
), and Tidus
(Final Fantasy X
).
the fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior
class. The fighter is an adept warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics. Similar character classes are the paladin
, ranger
, barbarian
and cavalier
.
Fighter was one of the three classes in the original Dungeons & Dragons game, then called "fighting man" (the other two were magic-user
and cleric
).
In the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game, fighters get bonus feats at every even-numbered level, giving a 20th level fighter more feats than any other character class of equivalent levels.
The class covers a huge variety of professions, from knight
s to bandits.
There is a class in Dungeons & Dragons called "warrior", but it is not intended for the player characters, as it is a weakened version of the fighter class. It is used for non-player characters such as town guards and the like. This is in opposition to some games – such as certain installments of the Final Fantasy series – where a "fighter" character can upgrade into a "warrior."
class, similar to the D&D monk
.
Fighters/Warriors in the Fire Emblem series include the characters Bartre, Boyd, Garcia, and more.
Fighters and their promoted form, Warriors, are characterized by high strength and HP with moderate speed, while lacking in skill and usually defense. This makes them an easy target for enemy sword-users who are generally faster and more accurate than Warriors (not to mention that the weapon triangle used in the Fire Emblem series gives sword-users an inherent advantage vs. axe-users) as well as magic-users such as Sages or Bishops who tend to have high evade ratings. However, Warriors are excellent at eliminating enemy lance-users since axe-users have an advantage over lance-users according to the aforementioned weapon triangle and a Warrior's high strength allows their attacks to do significant amounts of damage.
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
(or job) found in many role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s. This class may also be referred to as Fighter, as in Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
. The class is sometimes also referred to as a Knight, although in some games this is a separate class with a more chivalric aspect. The Warrior is skilled in combat, and usually can make use of some of the most powerful heavy armor and weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
ry in the game. As such, the warrior is a well-rounded physical combatant. In some games, the Warrior (or more often the Knight, if it is a separate class) may be able to learn basic magic
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
, but its capabilities in this field are somewhat limited. Because of the class's reliance on heavy plate armor and expensive weaponry, the cost of managing the Warrior's equipment is typically very high.
EverQuest II
In EverQuest IIEverQuest II
EverQuest II is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Sony Online Entertainment , based on EverQuest, and shipped on 8 November 2004...
, a Fighter is the archetype for melee classes that specialize in leading combat and taking the brunt of the damage in groups. These classes include Crusaders, Brawlers, and Warriors.
Final Fantasy
The Warrior and/or Knight (ナイト) has appeared in the following games in the Final Fantasy series:- Final FantasyFinal Fantasy (video game)is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
(Warrior and Knight) - Final Fantasy IIIFinal Fantasy IIIis a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in for the Family Computer as the third installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to feature the job-change system....
(Warrior and Knight) - Final Fantasy VFinal Fantasy Vis a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
(Knight) - Final Fantasy X-2Final Fantasy X-2is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
(Warrior) - Final Fantasy TacticsFinal Fantasy Tacticsis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
(Squire and Knight) - Final Fantasy Tactics AdvanceFinal Fantasy Tactics Advanceis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
(Soldier, Warrior and Fighter) - Final Fantasy XIFinal Fantasy XI, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
(Warrior)
The Warrior can be reasonably described as one of the most basic character archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
s in the Final Fantasy series. As a result, there are numerous characters who have appeared throughout the history of the franchise that can be considered roughly analogous to the Fighter. Some of these characters include Firion (Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
), Cloud Strife
Cloud Strife
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Square's role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and several of its sequels and spin-offs. His original design was created by Final Fantasy VII character designer Tetsuya Nomura...
(Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
), Squall Leonhart
Squall Leonhart
is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII, a role-playing game by Square . He was designed by Tetsuya Nomura, with heavy influences coming from game director Yoshinori Kitase. Squall has appeared in several other games, such as the Kingdom Hearts series, where he appears under the name ;...
(Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
), Adelbert Steiner (Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
), and Tidus
Tidus
is a fictional character from the Final Fantasy series by Square Enix. He was first introduced as the protagonist from the console role-playing game Final Fantasy X in 2001. As the lead character, the player controls Tidus through the game, manipulating his actions through the unfolding storyline...
(Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
).
Dungeons & Dragons
In Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
the fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
class. The fighter is an adept warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics. Similar character classes are the paladin
Paladin (Dungeons & Dragons)
The paladin is one of the standard playable character classes in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The paladin is a holy knight, crusading in the name of good and order, and is a divine spellcaster...
, ranger
Ranger (Dungeons & Dragons)
The ranger is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. They are protectors of nature, skilled woodsmen, and often live reclusive lives as hermits....
, barbarian
Barbarian (Dungeons & Dragons)
The barbarian is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Creative origins:The barbarian is based on Robert E...
and cavalier
Cavalier (Dungeons & Dragons)
The cavalier is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, and the related Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition :...
.
Fighter was one of the three classes in the original Dungeons & Dragons game, then called "fighting man" (the other two were magic-user
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
and cleric
Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)
The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the game, clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative...
).
In the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game, fighters get bonus feats at every even-numbered level, giving a 20th level fighter more feats than any other character class of equivalent levels.
The class covers a huge variety of professions, from knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s to bandits.
There is a class in Dungeons & Dragons called "warrior", but it is not intended for the player characters, as it is a weakened version of the fighter class. It is used for non-player characters such as town guards and the like. This is in opposition to some games – such as certain installments of the Final Fantasy series – where a "fighter" character can upgrade into a "warrior."
World of Warcraft
The warrior class in World of Warcraft fills both the roles of tanking and damage. The warrior has the widest array of weapons to choose from in the game, being able to equip every weapon type in the game except for wands. Warriors, alongside Paladins and Death Knights, are the only classes that can equip Plate armor, the heaviest armor type in the game. Warriors can use a wide array of combat skills depending on their specific roles in a fight. Arms, Fury, and Protection are the Warrior's talent trees. With the release of the third expansion, Cataclysm, the warrior class became available to Blood Elves along with the two newly introduced playable races of Worgen and goblins, making it possible to play a warrior from any of the twelve playable races.Dragon Quest III
Dragon Quest III has both a "fighter" and a "warrior" class. The latter is equivalent to the fighters and warriors found in other games, but the former is instead a martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
class, similar to the D&D monk
Monk (character class)
The monk is a character class in a number of table-top role-playing and computer games. In those games which follow the Dungeons & Dragons traditions, monks are characters with martial arts skills and have very powerful strategies....
.
Fire Emblem
In the Fire Emblem series, Fighters and Warriors both appear as a character class. The Fighter wields only axes, but when it promotes in to warrior, it gains the ability to use bows.Fighters/Warriors in the Fire Emblem series include the characters Bartre, Boyd, Garcia, and more.
Fighters and their promoted form, Warriors, are characterized by high strength and HP with moderate speed, while lacking in skill and usually defense. This makes them an easy target for enemy sword-users who are generally faster and more accurate than Warriors (not to mention that the weapon triangle used in the Fire Emblem series gives sword-users an inherent advantage vs. axe-users) as well as magic-users such as Sages or Bishops who tend to have high evade ratings. However, Warriors are excellent at eliminating enemy lance-users since axe-users have an advantage over lance-users according to the aforementioned weapon triangle and a Warrior's high strength allows their attacks to do significant amounts of damage.
Other games
Warriors appear in many roleplaying games:- EverQuestEverQuestEverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
- The Elder ScrollsThe Elder ScrollsThe Elder Scrolls is a role-playing video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.-History:...
- Guild WarsGuild WarsGuild Wars is an episodic series of online 3D fantasy role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often defined as an MMORPG the developers define it as a CORPG due to significant differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a cooperative...
- Lineage IILineage IILineage II is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game for Microsoft Windows. It is a prequel to Lineage, and is set 150 years before the earlier game. It has become very popular since its October 1, 2003 launch in South Korea, reporting 1,000,918 unique users during the month of March 2007...
- MapleStoryMapleStoryMapleStory is a free-to-play, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, and each is published by various companies such as Nexon...
- RuneScapeRuneScapeRuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game released in January 2001 by Andrew and Paul Gower, and developed and published by Jagex Games Studio. It is a graphical browser game implemented on the client-side in Java, and incorporates 3D rendering...
- DiabloDiablo (video game)Diablo is a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game developed by Blizzard North and released by Blizzard Entertainment on December 31, 1996....
- Swords and SerpentsSwords and SerpentsSwords and Serpents is a fantasy role-playing video game developed by Interplay for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In this game, the player controls a party of four adventurers on a dungeon-crawling quest to destroy a terrible serpent...