6 of the Most Fearsome Warbands in Fantasy

Kailen’s Twenty, Snakewood, by Adrian Selby
This recent epic fantasy about a disbanded mercenary company plunged back into in their twilight years brings together an instantly iconic collection of gruff warrior types. The Twenty once turned back armies and toppled nations through chemical warfare, tactical cunning, and brute force, but the world has moved on. Kailen, their mastermind and leader, has gone into hiding, and the surviving members of this band of brothers are far past their prime, having retired to more peaceful pursuits or counting down their days working small mercenary contracts. When a shadowy assassin begins hunting them down, offing them one by one and leaving a single black coin on the bodies to signify an act of betrayal, and two of the Twenty, Gant and Shale, receive a desperate message from Kailen himself, they must embark on a journey to save their remaining friends from the legions of people who want their heads—but two past-their-prime swordsmen and an eccentric tactician may not be enough to turn the tide. The deeds of the Twenty were epic, but what truly makes them a warband for the ages is the chance to see what happens to a merc after the battles have ended.

The Black Company, Chronicles of the Black Company, by Glen Cook
With a history of war, destruction, and death that stretches back 400 years, the Black Company are an easy addition to this list. In Glen Cook’s seminal grimdark fantasy novel, the Company are a group of battle-hardened mercenaries and wizards willing to work for anyone, as long as the money’s right. And they prove their worth throughout the seriese—by the end of the first book, they’ve already managed to help curb-stomp a rebellion and put to pasture a few people who could take on an army all by themselves. There’s a code of honor they follow, of course, and they are responsible for bringing good back to their world (sort of), but when their establishing moments involve deciding to whether or not to whack their employer to get out of a hopeless contract, then join the evil empire in helping solidify its power, it’s safe to say they aren’t always on the side of the angels.

The Bridgeburners, The Malazan Book of the Fallen, by Steven Erikson
Steven Erikson’s fantasy-historical epic has more than its share of fearsome companies throughout its 10-book length (not counting all those spinoffs), but the Bridgeburners stand out even among them, given that half their company have died and been resurrected as demigods, the (first) death of their captain caused a five-way argument among the gods, their sapper is a mad scientist with a magic fiddle, and their combat mage routinely annoys and outwits deities for fun. It is a testament to the sheer towering insanity of Malazan that the Bridgeburners aren’t even the most threatening players on the field, but they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with some powerful and formidable threats throughout the saga.

The City Watch, Discworld, by Terry Pratchett
This particular entry might raise some eyebrows, being that the Watch is essentially Ankh Morpork’s version of a police squad. But these are cops who frequently tangle with dragons, golem uprisings, time travelers, advanced technology, and all manner of threats both natural and supernatural. They’re also a group that keeps order (sort of) in a wretched, corrupt hive of a city that would be a fertile breeding ground for any of the other groups on this list. Even the local assassin’s guild decided they were too expensive and dangerous to take contracts against. Sam Vimes, their commander, is even considered one of the four most powerful people in Ankh Morpork. The Watch has been involved in disputes far beyond their basic duties, considering they’ve stuck an unwilling hand into troll politics, international intrigue, and lines of succession, shaping the history of the entire Disc.

The Sacred Band of Stepsons, Beyond Sanctuary, by Janet E. Morris
To make your home base the wretched hive of intrigue and crime that is the city of Sanctuary, you must already be pretty hard to kill. To also follow an immortal soldier favored by a storm god? Even harder to kill. To also also follow him into battle against powerful mages looking to wage war pretty much requires nerves of steel. The Sacred Band checks all of those boxes: they’re made up of the former forces of a legendary Theban cavalry unit, mercenaries, and wizards, all under the command of Tempus Thales, unkillable warrior and ageless legend. The Sacred Band operates under the Platonic idea of “battle partners,” with members paired up in couples in order to increase devotion to one’s fellow members and the unit, a method that makes for better fighters, both in the book and the actual history from which they were adapted.

Ash’s Company, Ash: A Secret History, by Mary Gentle
On her own, Ash is impressive enough—a foulmouthed, scarred woman who hears divine voices giving her tactical information in the heat of combat, and a successful mercenary captain in repressive medieval Europe— but the mercenary company she leads is equally imposing. Ash sees its heroine lead her forces into battle against a History Channel special’s worth of technologically advanced artificial intelligences and threats to the integrity of reality itself—and for what it’s worth, her soldiers actually manage to hold their own on a fairly regular basis. Also, given how formidable and volatile Ash is, anyone who can snark at her as often as her soldiers do and still walk away upright is a force to be reckoned with.
What warbands would you add to our list?