Mercenaries in popular culture

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Mercenaries in popular culture (short, easy guide)

Mercenaries are hired soldiers who fight for pay. They show up in many stories, films, games, and songs, often as daring, dangerous, or morally complex figures.

Books
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: The Headless Horseman is said to be the ghost of a Hessian mercenary from the American Revolution.
- A Legend of Montrose: Dugald Dalgetty is a pro mercenary who fights for money, loyal to his employer until his contract ends.
- Ivanhoe: The Free Companions are a band of mercenaries led by Maurice de Bracy.
- The Dogs of War (novel): A modern mercenary plot that inspired the famous film.
- The Wild Geese (novel): A team of mercenaries is hired to rescue a deposed African leader.
- Micah Clarke: Protagonists become mercenaries in Europe after a rebellion, with a voice about honor and work for strong arms.

Science fiction and fantasy
- Falkenberg’s Legion (Jerry Pournelle): Brutal mercenaries in space warfare.
- Hammer’s Slammers (David Drake): A tough hovercraft unit that fights in harsh, low-intensity wars.
- Dorsai! (Gordon R. Dickson): Swiss-like mercenary society offering services to others.
- Vows and Honor (Mercedes Lackey): Mercenaries in a fantasy world with a strong sense of duty.
- Casca series (Barry Sadler): A Roman soldier cursed to live forever as a mercenary.
- Battletech/MechWarrior world: A thriving mercenary industry funded by commissions.
- A Song of Ice and Fire (George R. R. Martin): Sellswords who are seen as greedy or unscrupulous.
- The Black Company (Glen Cook): A famous mercenary group in a gritty fantasy world.

Magazines and comics
- Soldier of Fortune (magazine): A magazine aimed at mercenary soldiers and their gear.
- Captain Easy: A long-running comic about a roving adventurer mercenary.
- Hellsing (manga): The Wild Geese mercenaries appear in stories about intense private combat.
- Dragon Ball (manga): The Ginyu Force is a team of elite mercenaries.
- Berserk (manga): The Band of the Hawk are a prominent mercenary group.
- Inuyasha (manga/anime): The Band of Seven are seven powerful mercenaries-turned-beings.
- Full Metal Panic! (manga/anime): Mithril is a mercenary-like organization.
- Black Lagoon (manga/anime): The Lagoon Company are present-day mercenaries and pirates.
- Marvel Comics: Mercenaries appear as heroes and villains (Deadpool, Moon Knight, Taskmaster, Deadshot, Bullseye, etc.).
- Schlock Mercenary (webcomic): A comic about a squad of space mercenaries.
- Other media often features famous mercenaries like Deathstroke and Deadshot in DC.

Theatre
- Arms and the Man (George Bernard Shaw): A comedy about a Swiss mercenary in the Balkans who isn’t a heroic soldier.

Films
- The Seven Samurai / The Magnificent Seven: Unemployed samurai/gunslingers hired to defend a village.
- The Dogs of War (1980): A mercenary operation in Africa.
- The Wild Geese (1978): A famous team of mercenaries rescuing a leader.
- The Last Valley (1971) and The Last Grenade (1969): Mercenaries in war-torn or contested areas.
- The Professionals (1966): A team of specialists hired for a dangerous mission.
- Uncommon Valor (1983): Veterans recruited for a rescue mission.
- Africa Addio / Africa-Blood and Guts (documentary-style): Mercenaries in Africa during crises.
- Dark of the Sun (1968): Mercenaries in the Congo chase a valuable cargo.
- Rambo (2008): Rambo joins a mercenary outfit for a rescue mission.
- The Expendables (2010s): A group of elite mercenaries on big, action-packed missions.
- Cuba (1979) and The Dogs of War (1980) are other notable mercenary-themed films.
- The Professionals, The Last Valley, and other titles often explore loyalty, money, and violence in private warfare.

Television
- The A-Team: A friendly band of mercenaries doing good deeds on TV.
- Have Gun Will Travel (1957–1963): A man-for-hire who solves problems rather than fights outright.
- Doctor Who (Ogrons in early episodes): Mercenary-like aliens hired by different sides.
- Soldier of Fortune (1955): Adventurers who take jobs and travel the world.
- Jericho: Ravenwood, a mercenary group, appears as a private army with its own interests.
- Firefly: Jayne Cobb, a career mercenary who stays with the crew for money and loyalty.
- Area 88 (Area 88): A group of mercenaries at a secret base during a civil war.
- The Venture Bros.: Molotov Cocktease is a freelancer with a mercenary background.
- Lost: Mercenaries attempt to take over The Island for their employer.
- Other shows feature private military contractors or mercenaries as villains or antiheroes.

Music
- Mercenary Song (Steve Earle): A ballad about two mercenaries.
- Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner (Warren Zevon): A Norwegian mercenary’s exploits.
- The Hero (Amon Amarth) and other metal songs often narrate mercenary figures.
- Straw Dogs (Stiff Little Fingers): A song about mercenaries.
- Mercenaries (John Cale): A track about mercenary life.
- Mercenary (Bolt Thrower): Death metal concept album about mercenaries.
- The Mercenary (Iron Maiden): A song inspired by the predator-like mercenary vibe.
- Soldier of Fortune (Thin Lizzy): A ballad about a mercenary figure.
- Harry Chapin’s mercenary-themed songs (Mercenaries) reflect on the era.

Board and card games
- Magic: The Gathering: Mercenary is a creature type in Ice Age and Mercadian Masques, often black and associated with cunning or selfishness.
- Warhammer: Dogs of War is a mercenary army with Renown regiments.
- BattleTech/MechWarrior: Mercenary units are central to the setting and gameplay.

Computer and video games
- Many games center on mercenaries or mercenary groups.
- Age of Empires III and The War Chiefs: hire foreign mercenaries.
- Armored Core: mercenary mecha pilots.
- Army of Two / Army of Two: two mercenaries as the focus.
- Batman: Arkham City: mercenaries hired by shady organizations.
- BattleTech / MechWarrior: mercenaries as core units.
- Bladestorm: players command mercenaries.
- Borderlands: players pick a mercenary character to explore Pandora.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II: mercenaries in a geopolitical plot.
- Call of Juarez: The Cartel: private military company as a rogue actor.
- Chromehounds: mercenary guides in story and online modes.
- Far Cry 2: control mercenaries in an African conflict.
- Final Fantasy XI: Salaheem’s Sentinels mercenary company, with Assault missions.
- Final Fantasy VII: Cloud Strife works as a mercenary.
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance / Radiant Dawn: Ike leads mercenaries; mercenary class common.
- Fallout 3: mercenaries appear as antagonists.
- Grand Theft Auto V: Merryweather Security as a private military company.
- Halo: Kig-Yar mercenaries and privateers as scouts or soldiers.
- Jagged Alliance: team-based mercenary missions in troubled nations.
- Killzone: Mercenary mode in Killzone: Mercenary.
- Just Cause 2: Rico Rodriguez works as a mercenary; Mercenary Mode unlocks more activities.
- Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction: North Korea setting with mercenaries; Mercenaries 2 in Venezuela.
- Metal Gear Solid V / Metal Gear Solid 4: PMCs featured.
- Mount & Blade: hire mercenary units in taverns or battles.
- Project Wingman / Ace Combat games: players take on mercenary roles in air combat.
- Team Fortress 2: nine mercenary characters in a corporate war.
- Red Faction: mercenaries used by corporations.
- Resident Evil: U.B.C.S. and other mercenary-associated figures.
- Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City: Wolfpack mercenaries for Umbrella.
- Soldier of Fortune (video game): mercenaries involved in conspiracies.
- Splinter Cell: Conviction: Black Arrow private military company encounters.
- Strike Commander: run a mercenary air force.
- Total War: mercenaries hireable in Medieval and Roman campaigns.
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2: mercenary groups and mercenary missions.

A toast
- A famous mercenary toast appears in The Dogs of War: “Vive la mort, vive la guerre, vive le sacré mercenaire,” a line echoed in other stories about mercenaries and the French Foreign Legion.

See also
- Yojimbo (film)

This guide highlights how mercenaries pop up across media, often serving as symbols of adventure, tough choices, loyalty, or ruthless pragmatism.