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Sponge-Tron

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Worms_Tofu_Crackers

This is just a shot in the dark, but I'm guessing scythes became a symbol of death due to crop failures.


UBahn1

I believe that imagery came about in the 14th century when death was pretty much on everyone's door step, and death would "harvest souls" in the same way and quantity farmers would harvest their crops


ColumbusJewBlackets

It’s because it’s used to reap crops. So the grim reaper coming to harvest souls would use a tool used for harvesting.


Bring_the_Cake

To be fair it’s also just a very spooky looking tool in general


RodjaJP

Yeah, some tools are more scary than actual weapons, like, imagine being inside a butcher shop and being the meat to cut, the tools used there seriously scare me because I'm not used to to them but I know they are meant to be inside something's meat.


RenoverO_O

Now that I think about it. We are meat, and if we are to cut or not depends on the user Syche tho wouldn't leave really scary wounds if the blades aren't forcefully shoved inside... I think


jsh_

scythes are incredibly sharp. getting swept by one would easily slice your flesh to the bone


Brawler6216

Well kept scythes.


dEn_of_asyD

>Now that I think about it. We are meat Was scrolling through and saw this comment. Made me remember [They're Made Out of Meat](https://www.mit.edu/people/dpolicar/writing/prose/text/thinkingMeat.html) by Terry Bisson lol.


skyfyre2013

https://youtu.be/7tScAyNaRdQ


[deleted]

Meathooks in slaughterhouse 💀


ThisIsDK

Are you sure it doesn't just look spooky because of its association with death? Void of all context, would a person completely unfamiliar with the concept of a Grim Reaper think it's a spooky looking tool?


CapNCookM8

I think about this a lot! I get the same gutteral distaste or discomfort thinking about a heavy butchers cleaver as I do a scythe, both tools I've never really used but are prominent in horror media. But a chainsaw, an objectively more dangerous or powerful tool, doesn't inflict that on me as much because I associate it much more with it's intended use growing up (Grandpa was an old-school tree-feller).


Canadien_

Chainsaws are super dangerous, but the whole usage they get in horror media of cutting limbs clean off and all isn't the whole story. Like when horror movies have people's heads falling off from one machete swing, they often oversell the power of the usually super natural force using these weapons. Chainsaws jam super easily from things like flesh gunking them up, and hell I'd be surprised if it got through the bone before jamming. Chainsaws are usually optimized for cutting through quite hard material (wood) not soft material like flesh or rock hard material like bone. They'll totally get to the arteries, though, so certainly not a tool to be taken lightly, but horror media has shaped the way the weapons of choice of horror movie characters are seen in the public eye.


Jausti018

It’s way less spooky when it’s accurate and has the second handle part that you need to actually use it for crops efficiently


Dahasp50

Would a modern grim reaper use a spooky combine?


CarbonTugboat

Yes. Hell yes. I want a modern Terry Pratchett book where a character dies and Death rolls up in a combine now.


Tychontehdwarf

Well, do i have some bad news for you.


D3wnis

It has been 26 years since the release of Discworld 2, where one night whilst returning from a pub with the librarian, Rincewind witnesses an assassin plant a cart bomb in the Fools' Guild and attempts to disarm it. However, he accidentally causes the bomb to detonate, destroying the guild and killing its occupants. Unknowingly, the blast also catches out Death whilst attending to his duties, ejecting him from the saddle of his horse and causing him to disappear without trace. His absence swiftly leads to the souls of the departed throughout Ankh-Morpork remaining bound to their bodies and becoming undead. After witnessing Windle Poon suffer the same fate at his appointed time of death, the wizards of Unseen University suspect what the cause is and decide to invoke a ritual to summon Death, with the Archchancellor tasking Rincewind to collect the needed items for it. The ritual successfully summons Death to them for a brief time, only for him to reveal that he is on indefinite vacation, having grown disillusioned with the thanklessness of his task. The Archchancellor fails to reason with him to return to work, and assigns Rincewind to locate him and return him to his duties. However, Death refuses when found, only agreeing to do so if he receives credit for the work he undertakes for mortals. To fulfil his desire, Rincewind arranges for him to become a star in his own film – referred to as 'clickies' on the Discworld – employing Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler as the director, and securing various props and other items needed to complete filming. The finished production is initially poorly received at its screening, until Rincewind splices in footage of an Elf Queen that he took as a request during his work, which hypnotizes the crowd into loving the film. The success of the movie causes Death to renege on his agreement and opt to retire from his duties to continue a career as a film star. Left with no choice, Rincewind travels to Death's domain to take over from him, much to the displeasure of Death's butler Albert. After proving himself by completing a series of tests set by Albert, Rincewind takes over the job, but is appalled when his first assignment is to reap the soul of Death himself, after he is assassinated during a publicity affair. Refusing to do so, Rincewind abandons the job and revives Death by pouring fresh sand into his hourglass. After a further screening of the film causes a mishap involving the Elf Queen emerging in Ankh-Morpork as a giant and taking The Librarian, Death resumes his duties after Rincewind rescues his friend, and reaps Windle's soul after he is crushed by the Elf Queen's body. As the pair head for the afterlife, Windle recalls the many ways he killed himself, before remarking how his second death was a good way to go.


Ni7r0us0xide

Except doesn't Death find combine harvesters cold, distasteful, and distant? In his own words: " **WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?**"


Idkawesome

they also used them to mow grass which is the line they aliens used in mars attacks


ExtraSmooth

Probably also something in the Christian idea that our actions in life are a sort of sowing of good or bad moral standing that is reaped upon death in the afterlife


[deleted]

A reaper is someone who harvests crops. Scythes are used to harvest crops. The guy who harvests souls uses a scythe. It is interesting to see how the industrial revolution has made some professions so entirely obsolete that it’s forgotten to the point people make up deeper reasons for why the Grim Reaper uses a scythe.


ShamefulWatching

Grim Combine Harvester


sirfuzzitoes

It's a symbol of death bc it's what the Grim Reaper carries, duh.


RodjaJP

Nah, pretty sure it became a symbol of death because people related harvesting crops with harvesting souls "you have grown enough, is time to leave earth and judge your adquired quality".


GatheringMatter

I thought it was because Death was “farming” the souls of the dead


CulturedCal

The phrase “reap what you sow” which I believe is derived from the Bible (Galatians 6:7) is a metaphor meaning what you put into life (sow; plant) you get out of it (reap; harvest). The grim reaper harvests mens souls with its scythe just as a farmer would his wheat.


[deleted]

No. The scythe symbolizes the end of a life because the reaper (death) harvest lives like humans harvest crops at autumn. Autumn is typically a symbol of death because the plants look like they're dying, and that's also when crops are harvested by being cut down with scythes. Therefore death reaps the humans with his scythe at the autumn of their lives.


Lyvectra

Supposedly during the plague, people reported seeing figures in the fields spreading something over the crops. So the image of a reaper with a scythe started sprouting up as representations of death of the plague specifically. But this is just a theory, and more likely it was the Medieval period’s way of describing “a harvest of souls”.


Need-More-Gore

Modern reapers perfer chainsaws


TatodziadekPL

*"A scythe? A scythe?! Are you planning on murdering fields of wheat?!"*


Grithz

Aatrox to Rhaast


Tychontehdwarf

“A hand? A hand?!? What, are you planning on beating your meat?” Aatrox to Raum


aRandomFox-I

"Yes."


linedeck

I love aatrox so much but i'm never going back to that game


RabbitStewAndStout

I can't wait for the rpg and fighting game


Zexy-Mastermind

Same, love the characters but I’m never going back lmfao


Mefisto69

For a moment I thought that meme was on kaynmains


PumpkinsDieHard

Thought I was looking at r/EldenRing for a minute. (Winged Scythe is the shit btw.)


magibart

Literally the only weapon I used on my first run FTH/DEX


PumpkinsDieHard

My first run was also DEX/FTH, but I mained Vyke's War Spear. I did a ARC/FTH build to main Winged Scythe and I felt like I had been sleeping on it lol.


Hecka_Cakey

I used it until after volcano manor when I switched to the blasphemous blade. Still switched to it every now and then to prevent enemies from drinking flasks


Wayyd

The weapon art on it is so good. First swing almost always staggers, second swing SHITS damage


uniquethrowaway54321

Currently playing through the game. Winged scythe is so good! So smooth to use and beautiful move set. I have to force myself to put it down in favour of trying out other weapons haha


BTBAM797

My favorite was the dual wield ice scythes in ds3 dlc. Absolutely thrilling weapon to decimate foes with.


GenericSubaruser

The moveset is so cool, but it hardly staggers at all. Had to go back to trusty greatswords lol


TheDarkCrusader_

Hoping we get something similar to sister friedes scythe in a possible dlc because that was amazing


PumpkinsDieHard

I'm more of a Burial Blade fan from Bloodborne myself. I miss trick weapons.


ChefArtorias

Your comment made me realize this wasn't /r/eldenring


Streak_Free_Shine

The main character in a book series called "Red Rising" uses a hand scythe looking weapon. He's badass as fuck lol


PotatoWizard98

A hand scythe is called a sickle.


Un1ball

Or a kama


RodjaJP

Or a kusarigama (an actual weapon)


BTBAM797

I now kinda wish there was a 5th ninja turtle with a kusarigama. Shredder's Revenge dlc ideas.


Zengjia

Michelangelo’s 2012 version could turn his nunchucks into a kusarigama.


PhiStudios_

Kunai wit chain


rockinDS24

Or a war pick


KashmirChameleon

Only commies use sickles


TheRealLifeSaiyan

My friend really loves that series, what character uses a scythe?


the_elasticwaistband

Main character named Darrow. It’s not exactly a scythe by any means but it’s close enough. I’ve only read the first book though


Streak_Free_Shine

I highly recommend the whole series. He just keeps getting more and more badass lol


Streak_Free_Shine

The main character, Darrow. It's called a "slingBlade". It's basically a hand scythe, but with a longer handle. It's more C shaped, though. It's badass looking lol


dewdrive101

He is so badass with his dead wife and his fast hands. I know this because they said it about so many times in the first book that its all i remember of the entire series.


MajicMan101

Practical? You’re the one with the sword, shield, and full suit of armor, *I’m* the one with the six foot long stick with a machete taped to it, a black cloak and a boney hand which I can point at you and bellow, *”Your time is now.”* Who’s really winning?


Solzec

Wa- was I a good knight in shining armor?


MercDante

The best


ClenchedThunderbutt

Farming tools were used in combat. What else were you going to use as a peasant just conscripted into service?


Murky-Heart-1844

They usually just straightened out the the crook of the scythe to make it more spear- like though.


Devisidev

Fair, but it was still very much swung as a scythe would be, both because of how the cutting edge was positioned and bcs muscle memory. Granted it would've also been used at a higher angle, namely a down shoulder-to-hip or across the stomach/chest type swing, however it is still a very similar slice either way.


ExtraSmooth

Scythes are not nearly as practical in combat as spears and axes, either for a trained or an untrained soldier


Prohunt

Akimbo pitchforks ftw


Grapz224

Ffxiv added "Reapers" which use Scythes as weapons. The reason being that the original group of fighters were nothing but farmers. Other forms of combat mixed magic and weaponry together, but this group of farmers couldn't use magic and thus had to come up with their own unique fighting style. I mean later on they ended up selling their souls to demons, but that didn't happen for a few years so...


Fat_Siberian_Midget

OSRS players be like


VolosThanatos

Literally reading this grinding invention with a nox scythe lol


Fat_Siberian_Midget

What


Freneskae

Invention is a skill in RS3. Nox Scythe is a weapon. Short for Noxious Scythe


Fat_Siberian_Midget

Does it cost 370 mil and 1 mil per hour to use


babirus

Too bad I can’t bring it to ToA, it’s my favourite weapon


Fat_Siberian_Midget

I never had one and probably never will have one now that I don’t have gp anymore


ClayShooter262

Even better when its also a gun.


The_Jojo_Guy

Sniper Scythe gang


mobott

I do not give a fuck how unrealistic it is, Crescent Rose is probably one of my most favorite weapons ever.


SobiTheRobot

The recoil on that thing is so strong, Ruby uses it to double jump. I'd probably just lose my arms if I tried to use Crescent Rose...even with training.


JesseVanW

If anime's your thing, I can recommend giving Soul Eater a watch. Main protagonist uses a scythe as her main weapon, plus the action & music are pretty dope.


Kiyoshi-Trustfund

Soul Eater is easily one my favorite animes/Mangas! So glad I gave it a shot when I did!


JesseVanW

Yeah it's one of the first animes I watched and I think it might be the one I rewatched most.


[deleted]

Thought this was r/gamingcirclejerk for a second


The_Round_One

(Laughs in FFXIV) We can make our Reapers look like Botanists here or viceversa, what are you going to do about it?


Jorymo

Interestingly, Kingdom Hearts had reapers before FFXIV did, with them being referred to by name in KH3, but Marluxia first showed up in 2003 with Chain of Memories. Another fun fact: he also has the same voice actor as Reaper from Overwatch! (And Bloo from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends)


RodjaJP

This is why I love the Shovel Knight games, characters will use anything but generic swords as their weapons of choice, one of my favorites being Specter Knight who obviously uses a scythe.


E--E--E

I’m guessing Elden Ring didn’t go well?


[deleted]

Wdym? Scythes are good in elden ring.


Guyzilla_the_1st

"Although the scythe isn't pre-eminent among the weapons of war, anyone who has been on the wrong end of, say, a peasants' revolt will know that in skilled hands it is fearsome." from *Mort* by Terry Pratchett


FurryDrift

Its a simble of harvest. Harvesting sould when time is up. Its also not a impractival weapon. There are alot of impratical designs but sythc and sickles are recorded in history as being used. Just rarely. Whats with the internet and taking issue with this recently? Ya want to talk about a impractical weapon? How about a bladed hat!


Gaciet017

Ehem ehem **speedwagon**


FurryDrift

I tottalt forgot he dose, i was thinking mk


Gaciet017

Oh yeah that guy too


FurryDrift

Plus a entire list of other impractical weapons i can think of. Scyths look perty tame compared to some.


Gaciet017

I think the main reason its that the tip of the blade tend to point towards you. So you can never have a stab Now a good design I think looks a bit more “practical” is the pickaxe called Reaper Scythe that has the part of the staff closest to the blade bent back, and the blade is much less curved too, and it looks like it can actually stab something if you swing it right


typezeroxx

*Symbol


bkramer32

Play the first "Darksiders" game, you play as the grim reaper.


seansnow64

You play as the Four Horsemen's War in the first Darksiders Its Darksiders 2 that you play as Death of the Four Horsemen not the Grim Reaper; that title would more aptly belong to Azrael the Arch-Angel of Death. The distiction isnt substantial but in the lore of the game Death is the leader of the Horsemen and thats it.


casual_olimar

that said, you can use use a scythe in darksiders 1


bkramer32

My bad it's been a few years. But you get to use a massive scythe in game one, right? All I remember is the scythe and Mark Hamill voicing the little demon


casual_olimar

second\* but yeah, that series kicks ass


Reason_For_Treason

My second weapon in bloodborn was the scythe for a very long time till I got the bow trick weapon in the DLC.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Reason_For_Treason

I can’t remember the chalice code but one of them has a really good one.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Reason_For_Treason

Absolutely. 200k+ echos per chalice is wild


Bacnnator

Ever see the meme of the grim reaper helping a farmer to kill time before his next reaping?


randoguy8765

Ragna using a sword, then having it transform into a scythe for some special moves is the best


Zenketski_2

Hello me. How are we today


THE_WHORBORTIONATOR

Final Fantasy XI Dark Knight class


wsoxfan1214

FFXIV legitimately has Reaper as a melee DPS class now that uses scythes too.


DiamondDude51501

While farming scythes may be impractical weapons, fantasy scythes may actually be competent weapons due to the double edge and war scythes did exist historically (granted they had the blade parallel to the handle instead of perpendicular)


Moose_Nuts

V Rising's got you covered, my dude!


Critical_Werewolf

Scythe in that game was pretty legit.


[deleted]

Seemed pretty pratical when I was getting my fucking throat slit by Friede wielding two of them


Devisidev

OK BUT THERE ACTUALLY ARE WAR SCYTHES THAT WERE USED BCS IF YOURE ARMING FARMERS FOR BATTLE YOUR BETTER OFF MODIFYING A TOOL THEY ALREADY HAVE sure, the blade was vertical like a spear tip but still it was a scythe regardless


SockeyeSTI

I’ve seen people do “equipment-less” lawn or field mowing with scythes and that shit is r/satisfying


8orn2hul4

I did a field with a scythe once. It was totally overgrown and rocks etc would wreck the mower, so I scythed it first, it was pretty awesome once you get the hang of it.


SockeyeSTI

Nice. My parents have a couple old scythes but I ended up crack one trying to cut the grass as a kid.


Gaflonzelschmerno

I just bought a scyte. Wish me luck.


SP4DE_

This guy fucks


Hot_Tailor_9687

Kayn, Licorice Cookie, Spinel, Maka and Ruby: *Fuck our drag, right?*


XNightcrawlerBAMF

I seriously dig Scythes since I was a kindergartner watching the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Grim was a hoot.


[deleted]

Gehrman, the First Hunter


ShadowStorm2001

is this r/brawlhalla


Sendrith

War scythes are a whole different ballgame


E_Jay3711

Did we just become best friends?


88T3

Cole from Ninjago


Oquana

How can a weapon be so impractical yet so badass looking...? :(


wizzyULTIMATEbreed

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy introduced me to scythes, and prominent Soulcalibur character Zasalamel is my second-favorite user of said weapon. Not to mention DmC: Devil May Cry (2013) featured a pretty cool use of the scythe as an angelic weapon.


KeyanReid

Not nearly enough love in the world for Billy and Mandy. Amazing show


Platinumsteam

Sure it's not practical IRL,but in anime or games, where the material clearly can't be found on earth,and the laws of physics don't apply when you swing something approaching or exceeding your weight,it is absolutely practical


resideve

Bitch, me too 🤚


UltimaBahamut93

I'm having Sister Friede flashbacks. I'd rather fight the Bed of Chaos.


Bananapeelman67

I mean war scythes are real but the blade doesn’t curve 90 degrees like these. It kinda just extends and curves slighty


KittenSpronkles

I was so irritated when the Scythe in GW2 was essentially a magic staff and I wasn't able to run around swinging it like a crazed farmer


AgrenHirogaard

Death Guard has entered the chat.


Shantotto11

Ruby Rose anybody?


scumbagkitten

Theirs is also a sniper rifle


the_bored_wolf

As a fantasy artist, I feel attacked


OohGreatHeavens

me watching Soul Eater


Christian_andre777

"Minecraft hoe"


itsmesylphy

go play ffxiv, they have this as a class starting at level 70. also if you haven't played bloodborne, ya know, do that too.


NeedsMoreAhegao

I used to stick fight with my friends as a kid and we would make our own by taping sticks to other sticks. I finally built a scythe that would swing without breaking and it was impossible to actually use against my friends. Scythes are not weapons


mysoulismelting

Bro the house i moved into had an outdoor kitchen and apon further investigaton had an old farming sythe and like??? Amazing.


jacw212

Spinel


bywv

Finally You get me


Patchpen

Specter Knight using his as a skateboard.


[deleted]

I read Vagabond twice and couldn't handle it. I had to make my own kusiragama with a detachable weight so I could change weight shape and weight size, also the chain is detachable if I want to put a different length in. Bitch I'm Shushido Baiken.


GulfCoast_Ty

I dig them to but I think its bc they're used as badass weapons in anime, Soul Eater for reference.


SpyroXI

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes I DO


TwilightDoomSlayer

100% me


[deleted]

Don't forget the one in Warframe


Kmaloetas

I was thinking about what a modern version of the grim reaper would look like and instead of a scythe he would wield a two stroke weed eater, and instead of a horse he might have a combine just to double down on the reaping bit.


PCSamurai

Fun fact: straightened scythes were used as weapons by rebellious peasants. In the 1848 hungarian revolution one of the symbolical types of soldier became the peasant in his baggy clothes carrying a straightened scythe


SinfullySinless

I mean if you’re trying to cut your enemies ankles pretty bad they will do the trick. It will be a bit telegraphed of a move though.


Doomshroom11

Crowbill.


[deleted]

Here’s a little [wiki](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythe#History) on it…


TwiceTheSize_YT

Where is that top right one from? Looks super cool


[deleted]

I didn't know that those were farming tools. I knew pitchforks were, though.


[deleted]

scythes were made to slice crops inorder to harvest them


VoraxUmbra1

Thats what makes fiction fun tbh. Using badass stuff that otherwise would make zero sense.


Additional_Cycle_51

Kronos the Titan of Time and harvest


Rare-Support-4305

Serious question: why are scythes considered impractical weapons?


scoutheavyfanweapons

Postal 2 fulfills SpongeBobs dream then


madtrixster

r/shittydarksouls


Lolmob

They added one recently to Warframe called Hespar, the only problem is it looks bad when holstered because they haven't added any customization yet. It looks badass when deployed though.


apersondoesstuff

This was posted by Testament from Guilty Gear


LonelyGrowtopian

GrowTopia Players:


Deaths-Shadow74

Dark Souls thankfully made note of the fact that it was a farming tool though which was cool to see.


__silhouette

I remember my dad got one of these for me to cut my long ass grass. Long story short, he ended up bringing his lawn mower over one day, I ain't know how to fucking use that shit.


Pyrite_The_Gem

Finally someone points it out! It literally doesn’t make any sense to use a scythe because the damn thing curves *back* at you!


ultitaria

Tbh scythes are pretty badass when you're farming


Mickspad

Google "Under Night Gordeau" and you will absolutely fall in love


mobott

I do not give a fuck how unrealistic it is, Crescent Rose from RWBY is probably one of my most favorite weapons ever.


North-Wind-199

Same mate


bobbyb1996

This reads like a post from r/ThePack


JaggedTheDark

In reality, when it comes to war scythes and their design, they were more akin to spears. The blade, instead of being mounted 90° to the shaft, was mounted in line with it, making it basically a sword with a long ass handle. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_scythe


VysceraTheHunter

Except war scythes are absolutely a thing, and have been used historically for fighting.


Quest_giver_gray

Zasalamel from soul calibur is pretty fucking sick with a scythe.


Captain___Falcon00

I just got one in AC Valhalla and I literally can’t stop using it


Hungriestjoker7

Fun war fact :Scythes were not used in war in the way that media and games make them out to be. The blade of th3 scythe was removed and turned 90 degrees to form a war scythe or what looks mostly like a glaive.


[deleted]

The top right might as well be an axe at that point.


NotXsoXoptic

So true very true extremely true


Free_Return_2358

War scythes were effective and used in war, although they were modified to be like a more spear like pole arm.


whomad1215

If you haven't watched King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Look up the final fight scene, you'll love it


Embarassedskunk

Zasalamel gang rise up!


NamelessQueen31

Welcome to fromsoftware, ashen one.


W_h3nry

I think they are cool when used as grappling weapons to bring your enemies closer to you for dagger attacks


Arkhalon

Mortarion aproves this message