Since antiquity, humankind has been obsessed with fighting. From the bloody dirt of the Colosseum to the sacrificial killing grounds of the Aztecs you would be hard pressed to find a culture, even in the present day, that doesn’t in some way express a fascination for warfare. Don’t lie to yourself, this list caught your eye didn’t it? It’s okay though, because right now we’re going to entertain the fantasy and introduce you to 9 of history’s deadliest warriors.
9 – Ninja
These covert agents of feudal Japan specialized in unorthodox arts of war. Often the “whatever it takes” mentality of these warriors is contrasted against the Samurai who upheld a strict code of honor and combat. Essentially spies, ninjas specialized in espionage, sabotage, and assassination.
8 – Samurai
These Japanese swordsmen led their lives according to the code of Bushido, meaning “way of the warrior”. Although they have been romanticized in recent years, the Samurai were heavily bound by honor. One notable result of this was Seppuku. This was a form of ritualistic suicide where the warrior would disembowel himself to regain his honor.
7 – Maori Warrior
Having a reputation for eating their enemies in order to capture their “Mana”, that is their respect, the Maori were fierce warriors who would engage in a Peruperu, or war dance, prior to attacking their enemies in order to intimidate them and even give them a preview of the ensuing slaughter.
6 – Aztec Warrior
The Aztecs had two objectives when they attacked you. First, they wanted land in order to exact tribute. Second, they wanted captives in order to sacrifice them during religious ceremonies. War was such an integral part of their culture in fact that when a new leader was elected he was expected to stage a military campaign immediately in order to prove his worth.
5 – Zande Warrior
The Zande are a tribe that was feared throughout central Africa for their brutality on the battlefield. They would even file their teeth to take on frightening appearances and use a chant of “nyam-nyam”, which was a name given to them by neighboring tribes meaning “great eaters.”
4 – Roman Centurion
The concept of the Centurion was revolutionary for its day as it was the first time in history that a man could make a legitimate living entirely off of warfare and killing. In order to attain this position though, a Roman soldier had to work his way up through the ranks of the most powerful military on the face of the planet and prove that there were none better.
3 – Spartan
As Thucydides once reported, when a Spartan man went to war his wife would present him his shield and say, “With this or upon this.” Trained from the age of 7 boys were taken from their mothers and sent to military boot camps. Here they were introduced to enormous hardship including scarce food and clothing. This would often lead to them becoming prolific thieves. If they were caught, however, they were punished severely – not for stealing, but for being caught.
2 – Gladiator
Meaning “swordsman” in Latin, most of these Roman warriors were seen as slaves and lived out their lives not only fighting each other but also wild animals and condemned criminals in huge arenas. Having sworn to live and die by the sword many times it was left up to the crowds to decide the fate of a downed Gladiator. Few of these warriors survived more than 10 matches or lived passed the age of 30.
1 – Apache Warrior
Known for their ferocity and bravery in battle Apache warriors were certainly a force to be reckoned with. By the time the Apache nation surrendered to the United States in 1886 there were only about 50 warriors left including their fearless leader, the now famous Geronimo. Come on, how many countries do you know of in history that waited to surrender until they barely had enough soldiers to play a game of football?
