swordsmen
Duelists with blades
Swordsmen is the plural of swordsman—a person skilled in fighting with a sword.
The term appears most often in historical contexts, fantasy fiction, and martial arts: The swordsmen clashed on the battlefield.
A swordswoman is the female equivalent, though swordsmen sometimes covers both.
Formal single-combat participant
- secondsTime units, or extras
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- challengeTest of ability
- contestOrganized competitive event
bout · engagement · clash · confrontation · opponents · pistols · sabers · epees
Curved Japanese fighting blade
- bushidoSamurai honor system
- roninFeudal drifter-warrior
- kendoJapanese bamboo fencing
- iaidoMartial art of drawing swords
dojo · sensei · wakizashi · shogun · daimyo · seppuku · armor
Ancient Roman arena combatant
- knightHonored mounted soldier
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
- fighterOne who engages in combat
- berserkerFury-driven Norse combatant
legionnaire · centurion · hoplite · spartan · viking · cavalier · duelist · swashbuckler
Honored mounted soldier
- squireKnight's noble assistant
- chainmailArmor of linked rings
- scabbardProtective case for blades
- tournamentMulti-round competitive event
jousting · crusades · armory · heraldry · nobility · castle · musketeer · rapier
duelist
Formal single-combat participant
contest · bout · engagement · clash · confrontation · opponents · pistols · sabers · epees · dawn
katana
Curved Japanese fighting blade
iaido · dojo · sensei · wakizashi · shogun · daimyo · seppuku · armor
gladiator
Ancient Roman arena combatant
berserker · legionnaire · centurion · hoplite · spartan · viking · cavalier · duelist · swashbuckler · champion
knight
Honored mounted soldier
tournament · jousting · crusades · armory · heraldry · nobility · castle · musketeer · rapier · buckler
foil
Defeat a plan
riposte · lunge · touché · bout · piste · bladework · fleche · advance · retreat · guard
honor
High regard, moral dignity
courtesy · nobility · heroism · bravery · virtue · loyalty · code · fealty · dignity · sacrifice
- medieval warfareknights, siege warfare, castle, castle siege, siege
- warrior culturesamurai, knights, warrior, gladiators, berserkers
- warriorsfighter, knight, footsoldier, barbarian, samurai
- medieval warriorsknights, soldiers, warriors, fighters, archers
- Samurai Japansamurai, ronin, daimyo, shogun, retainer
- Elite WarriorsPraetorian Guard, Immortals, samurai, Varangian Guard, Spartans
swordsmenarchers
People who shoot bows
bowmen · riflemen · musketeers · crossbowmen · marksmen
swordsmenpacifists
Those opposing all warfare
non-combatants · civilians · medics · healers · conscientious objectors
swordsmennovices
Inexperienced newcomers
amateurs · raw recruits · peasants · cannon fodder · conscripts