Deadliest Warrior

Deadliest Warrior
File:Deadliest warrior.jpg Series title card
Starring	Max Geiger Geoff Desmoulin Armand Dorian
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	9
Production
Running time	45 minutes
Original release
Network	Spike
Release	April 7, 2009 – present

Deadliest Warrior is a television program on Spike in which historical warriors are put against each other to see who can outlast the other. Each episode showcases two warriors in a hypothetical battle to the death.

Each warrior is given weapons from the particular group they are associated. Modern fighters and experts on said weapons present the strengths, and weaknesses of each arsenal, including real tests of the weapons. The data collected is then fed into a computer simulation based on an unreleased commercial game engine developed by Slitherine Strategies to determine the average winner of one thousand battles. After the winner is determined, a mock battle takes place to showcase how each weapon is used in a real battle situation, and to determine which combatant is the deadliest warrior.

Geoff Desmoulin is the scientist and high speed camera operator. Dr. Armand Dorian is the medical consultant. Max Geiger is the simulations programmer. All three provide commentary throughout the show, as well as technical details of each weapons test.

Format of the show

Each episode of the show begins with the introduction of the two warriors. The history and culture of each is discussed briefly, as well as the general fighting philosophies of the warriors. These segments are fleshed out with actors performing dramatized scenes from the daily lives of the fighters. A team of experts is then introduced to showcase and test the assigned weapons for the battle.

The weapons are presented in four categories: short range, mid range, long range, and special. Depending on the given matchup there may be as many as five categories, sometimes with more than two weapons in a category. Recent statments on Aftermath forums by Matt Anderson and Sonny Puzikas, the experts for the "Green Beret vs. Spetznaz" episode, have suggested that the experts are assigned weapons by the producers and that they have little influence in the production of the acted simulations. Special weapons are usually the signature weapon of the warrior, examples of this being the Apache war club and the Spartan shield, but may also be more exotic, examples being the Spetznaz ballistic knife and the Samurai kanabo.

The experts test the weapons on body parts (and sometimes entire torsos) constructed out of ballistics gel, as well as large amounts of stage blood, which adds to the theatrics of the testing. Sometimes the torsos are covered with armor that is representative of that worn by the weapon's opponent. While the damage to armor of the weapons is factored in to their effectiveness armor or defensive ability has yet to be included as a separate category on the show. Natural tissue, particularly pig carcasses and cow bones, is also frequently used. All of the images are captured with high speed photography, and the results are fed into a computer which determines the damage the weapons are able to deal. Weapons with similar fighting characteristics are paired against each other and the winner of each pairing is determined by a combination of the damage results from the tests and the judgements of the producers and hosts. In some situations when the results are close the panel has the deciding say as to which weapon has won.

After the arsenal has been tested, the data is put into a computer program that determines the winner and total number of kills. The results of this simulation are then used to create a battle scenario. The warriors fight a one on one hypothetical battle, performed by actors, that demonstrates some possible battle scenarios and the eventual winner.

After the battle, the winner is revealed as the average victor of one thousand simulated battles. The number of times a particular weapon dealt the killing blow is also revealed as well as the opinion of the producers as to why the stated warrior won. The experts of each side are then shown stating why they agree or disagree with the outcome as the episode ends.

Response and Deadliest Warrior Aftermath

The show proved to be an immediate success, averaging 1.7 million viewers after just three episodes. After week 3 of the show a web series on Spike.com was created and named Deadliest Warrior-The Aftermath. Produced in a roundtable format, it serves as a sort of liaison between the opinions of those watching the show and its producers. During the show the producers focus on a specific matchup and debate the issues raised by viewers on forums that pertain to the episode. It addresses some of the perceived inconsistencies from the show as well as providing commentary from contributors such as Max Geiger and experts in specific fighting styles.

Episodes

Deadliest Warrior premiered on April 7, 2009. Nine one-hour episodes of the show will be produced.

Episode 1: Apache vs Gladiator

Apache Team: Alan Tafoya (World Champion Knife Fighter), Snake Blocker (U.S. Army Combat Instructor)

Gladiator Team: Chris Torres (Ancient Weapons Specialist), Steven Dietrich (Gladiator Combat Instructor), Chuck Liddell (Former UFC light-heavyweight champion)

Apache Weapons: Tomahawk, Knife, War Club, Bow and Arrow
Gladiator Weapons: Cestus, Roman Scissor, Trident & Net, Sling, Sica

	Apache	Gladiator	Advantage
Close Range:	Tomahawk	Cestus Scissor	Tomahawk
Mid Range:	Knife	Trident & Net	Trident & Net
Long Range:	Bow and Arrow	Sling	Bow and Arrow
Special Weapons:	War Club	Sica	Sica

Overall Winner: Apache

Despite being severely beaten by the Gladiator, the Apache's most versatile weapon, the knife, ultimately managed to disable the Gladiator, giving him time to finish the Gladiator off. The Apache Bow proved to be a large factor in the fight, giving the Apache range that the Gladiator lacked with his chosen weapon.

\	Apache	Gladiator
Overall kills:	667	333
Close Range:	Tomahawk: 153	Cestus: 50 Roman Scissor: 50
Mid Range:	Knife: 266	Trident & Net: 116
Long Range:	Bow and Arrow: 188	Sling: 1
Special Weapons:	War Club: 60	Sica: 116

Episode 2: Viking vs Samurai

Viking Team: Casey Hendershot (Viking Weapons Instructor), Matt Nelson (Viking Combat Expert, Descendant of Danish Vikings)
Samurai Team: Tetsuro Shigematsu (Samurai Descendant), Brett Chan (Samurai Weapons Expert)

Viking Weapons: Great Axe, Long Sword, Spear, Shield
Samurai Weapons: Katana, Naginata, Yumi, Kanabo

	Viking	Samurai	Advantage
Close Range:	Great Axe	Katana	Great Axe
Mid Range:	Long Sword	Naginata	Long Sword
Long Range:	Spear	Yumi	Yumi
Special Weapons:	Shield	Kanabo	Kanabo

-The Katana was tested against chainmail, which it failed to defeat while the Viking Axe bounced off of a Samurai helmet. The advantage was given to the axe due to its range and the failure of the katana to defeat mail armor.

-The naginata proved itself as a quick ranged weapon by slicing a dummy while the sword was very effective in cutting its dummy. The edge was given to the sword due to its killing power.

-The Yumi bow was shot by Shigematsu and successfully shot out dummy eyes at a range of 25 feet. The spear was thrown at targets of the same distance and penetrated wood targets that were several inches thick. A divided panel gave the edge to the accuracy of the bow.

- A round shield proved itsef effective as a bludgeoning weapon but a very large, 35-lb version of the Japanese mythological warclub was able to break off part of the shield. In a comparison of killing ability the kanabo was given the edge.

Overall Winner: Samurai

Although the Viking's fierce courage, brute power, and versatility are impressive, the Samurai's technical skills and arsenal of specialized weaponry gave him the edge in the closest episode to date. This is the closest one-on-one fight yet, and the closest fight not involving modern weapons.

	Viking	Samurai
Overall Kills:	478	522
Close Range:	Great Axe: 134	Katana: 137
Mid Range:	Long Sword: 175	Naginata: 171
Long Range:	Spear: 92	Yumi: 114
Special Weapons:	Shield: 77	Kanabo: 100

Episode 3: Spartan vs Ninja

Spartan Team: Jeremy Dunn (Spartan Weapon Expert), Berry Jacobsen (Spartan Historian)
Ninja Team: Lou Klein (Ninjitsu Master), Michael Lehr (Martial Arts Expert)

Spartan Weapons: Short Sword, Spear, Javelin, Shield.
Ninja Weapons: Ninjato, Black Egg, Blowgun (Fukibari), Shuriken, Kusarigama.

	Spartan	Ninja	Advantage
Close Range:	Short Sword	Ninjato	Ninjato
Mid Range:	Spear	Black Egg	Spear
Long Range:	Javelin	Shuriken Blowgun	Blowgun
Special Weapons:	Shield	Kusarigama	Shield

-The short sword and Ninjato were tested against dummies; the edge was given to the ninjato thanks to its steel material, its superior range, and its quickness.

-The spear was thrust at a dummy, where it proved to be a devastating blow. The black egg was thrown at a Spartan helmet where it was blindingly effective. The spear got the edge since while it could kill the opponent the egg was more of a distraction tactic.

-Neither the shuriken nor the javelin proved itself effective as the shuriken failed to produce more than minor wounds and the javelin proved to be slow and inaccurate. Another Ninja weapon, the blowgun, was also tested. While it also failed to show great killing power on its own it speed and poison darts gave it the win.

-Being a vital part of Spartan combat, the shield proved itself to be a killing blow and a strong defensive advantage as well. While the versatility of the kusarigama was also impressive with its chain being able to distract and disarm it was ultimately unable to penetrate the bronze cuirass of the Spartan. This, combined with the versatility of the shield, gave the shield the advantage.

Overall Winner: Spartan

Despite the Ninja's skill and stealth capabilities and large arsenal of deadly weapons the spartan shield was just the killing blow for the ninja, proving iself to be both a immovable defense and deadly weapon. It proved vital to the Spartan for blocking Ninja projectiles and slamming the Ninja to the ground. The consensus reached was that while Ninja weapons could disable Spartan weapons could kill and that a Ninja who relied on stealth would be no match for a Spartan in a direct duel.

	Spartan	Ninja
Overall Kills:	653	347
Close Range:	Short Sword: 52	Ninjato: 123
Mid Range:	Spear: 210	Black Egg: 0
Long Range:	Javelin: 9	Shuriken: 0 Blowgun: 4
Special Weapons:	Shield: 382	Kusarigama: 220

Episode 4: Pirate vs Knight

Knight Team: David Coretti (Army Veteran/Sword Expert), Josh Paugh (Medieval Weapons Expert)

Pirate Team: Michael Tripplett (Pirate Weapons Master), David Hernandez (Sword Fighting Instructor)

Knight Weapons: Morningstar, Crossbow, Broad Sword, Plate Armor, Halberd

Pirate Weapons: Grenado, Blunderbuss, Flintlock Pistol, Cutlass, Boarding Axe

	Pirate	Knight	Advantage
Close Range:	Cutlass	Broadsword	Even
Mid Range:	Blunderbuss	Halberd	Blunderbuss
Long Range:	Flintlock	Crossbow	Crossbow
Special Weapons:	Grenado	Morning star	Grenado
Close Range Offense Vs. Defense:	Boarding Axe	Plate Armor	Plate Armor

- Both swords were tested against pig carcasses; the broadsword cleaved its pig in half while the cutlass almost managed to do the same. The contest was declared a draw with both showing high killing power.

-The Halberd was a deadly and versatile weapon, being capable of both slashes and chops on a dummy. The Blunderbuss, despite several misfires, was able to put a hole with one of its pellets through a single plate armor layer. With this power of penetration and concussion the Blunderbuss was given the advantage.

-Both ranged weapons were tested on dummies, with the crossbow bolt penetrating deeply into an unprotected dummy. The flintlock, meanwhile, was able to dent but not penetrate the single breastplate on its dummy. Furthermore, its user called his shot but missed, indicating inaccuracy in the flintlock. The crossbow took the win thanks to its killing power, accuracy, and the deficiencies of the flintlock.

-The Flail, or Morning Star, proved to be a fast and deadly close-range weapon when it shattered a dummy skull with one swing. The Pirate Grenado was detonated inside a plexiglass box with several pigs, one having an armor plate. The grenado produced a great blast, tearing holes in the unprotected pigs. However, it failed to penetrate the armor at close range. With both weapons effective the win was given to the grenado for its concussion and shock value.

-The Plate Armor was tested throughout the show, being effective against most of the Pirate weapons. The Boarding axe put a very small hole in a Knight helmet but the edge was given to the armor for its all-around ability.

Overall Winner: Pirate

The Pirate's advanced weaponry proved to be crucial in this battle with the Blunderbuss and Grenado providing a vast amount of kill shots. The Knight's halberd inflicted serious damage and his plate armor was even able to hold the Flintlock, the Grenado, and to an extent the Blunderbuss in check but in the end the Pirate proved to hold just too much firepower and tricks up his sleeve for the Knight.

	Pirate	Knight
Overall Kills:	629	371
Close Range:	Cutlass: 25 Boarding Axe:13	Broadsword: 103
Mid Range:	Blunderbuss: 352	Halberd: 108
Long Range:	Flintlock: 41	Crossbow: 106
Special Weapons:	Grenado: 198	Morning Star: 54

Episode 5: Yakuza vs Mafia

Yakuza Team: Zero Kazama (Yakuza Weapons Expert), David Kono (Yakuza Descendant/Historian)

Mafia Team: Joe Ferrante (Mafia Weapons Expert), Thomas Bonanno (Mafia Descendant/Historian)

Yakuza Weapons: Sten Machine Gun, Ceramic Grenade, Nunchakus, Walther P-38, Sai

Mafia Weapons: Tommy Gun, Molotov Cocktail, Baseball Bat, Sawed-Off Shotgun, Ice Pick

	Yakuza	Mafia	Advantage
Close Range:	Nunchaku	Baseball Bat	Baseball Bat
Mid Range:	Walter P38	Sawed-off Shotgun	Sawed-off Shotgun
Long Range:	British Sten	Tommy Gun	Tommy Gun
Special Weapons:	Sai	Ice Pick	Sai
Explosive Weapons:	Ceramic Grenade	Molotov Cocktail	Ceramic Grenade

Overall Winner: Mafia

In a battle of near-equals with very different philosophies the easy-to-use, hard-hitting weapons of the Mafia gave them the edge. The Thompson is notable for having the second-most kills of any weapon as of yet on the show. The battle was also notable for being in a 5-on-5 format instead of the conventional 1-on-1 match.

	Yakuza	Mafia
Overall Kills:	414	586
Close Range:	Nunchaku: 9	Baseball Bat: 23
Mid Range:	Walter P38: 10	Sawed-off Shotgun: 38
Long Range:	British Sten: 359	Tommy Gun: 499
Special Weapons:	Sai: 10	Ice Pick: 24
Explosive Weapons:	Ceramic Grenade: 26	Molotov Cocktail: 2

Episode 6: Green Beret vs Spetsnaz

Green Beret Team: Matt Anderson (Former Green Beret), Sgt. George Gomez (Former Green Beret)

Spetsnaz Team: Sonny Puzikas (Former Spetsnaz Operative), Maxim Franz (Former Spetsnaz Operative)

Green Beret Weapons: Mossberg Shotgun, M67 Grenade, E-Tool, M4A1 Carbine, M24 Rifle, Beretta Pistol

Spetsnaz Weapons: Saiga Shotgun, RGD-5 Grenade, Ballistic Knife, AK74 Carbine, Dragunov Rifle, Makarov Pistol

	Green Beret	Spetsnaz	Advantage
Close Range:	Beretta Pistol	Makarov Pistol	Makarov Pistol
Mid Range:	Mossberg Shotgun	Saiga Shotgun	Saiga Shotgun
Long Range	M4A1 Carbine M24 Rifle	AK74 Carbine Dragunov Rifle	M24 Rifle
Special Weapons:	E-Tool	Ballistic Knife	Ballistic Knife
Explosive Weapons:	M67 Grenade	RGD-5 Grenade	M67 Grenade

-The Mossberg shot a pig and the Saiga shot at several targets. The edge was given to the Saiga due to its semi-auto capability.

-Both pistols were shot at targets. The Makarov won due to its shooter's skill despite having a smaller magazine.

-The RGD was detonated inside of a washing machine and the M67 was detonated in a clear box. The M67 won due to its larger blast radius.

-The AK and M4 were determined to be equal and the M24 won due to its accurate nature.

-In a very close comparison of different melee weapons the knife was chosen due to its ranged capability and portability.

Overall Winner: Spetsnaz

In another bout of similar opponents the Spetznaz won, owing to the superior weapon skills of its experts. This was another squad battle, was again very close (in fact the closest battle yet on the show,) and again highly subject to some personal interpretation of the skills of the individual combatants.

	Green Beret	Spetsnaz
Overall Kills:	481	519
Close Range:	Beretta Pistol: 4	Makarov Pistol: 12
Mid Range:	Mossberg Shotgun: 42	Saiga Shotgun: 104
Long Range:	M4A1 Carbine: 311 M24 Rifle: 85	AK74 Carbine: 288 Dragunov Rifle: 84
Special Weapons:	E-Tool: 3	Ballistic Knife: 7
Explosive Weapons:	M67 Grenade: 36	RGD-5 Grenade: 24

Episode 7: Shaolin Monk vs Māori Warrior

Shaolin Monk Team: Eric Chen (Kung Fu Master/Historian), Wang Wei (Wushu National Champion), Alfred Hsing (Chinese Weapons Expert)

Māori Warrior Team: Seamus Fitzgerald (Māori Weapons Historian), Jared Wihongi (Special Forces Instructor), Sala Baker (Māori Weapons Specialist)

Shaolin Monks Weapons: Twin Hooks, Emei Piercers, Staff, Whip Chain

Māori Warrior Weapons: Stingray Spear, Mere, Taiaha, Shark Tooth Club

	Shaolin Monk	Māori Warrior	Advantage
Close Range:	Emei Piercers	Mere	Mere
Mid Range:	Staff Twin Hooks	Taiaha Stingray Spear	Taiaha Twin Hooks
Special Weapons:	Whip Chain	Shark Tooth Club	Shark Tooth Club

Overall Winner: Shaolin Monk In the most lopsided battle yet the steel weapons of monk were able to efficiently dispose of the Maori, who fought bravely but was outmatched in skill and the development of his weaponry. Curiously enough, the monk won despite losing three of the four weapon matchups. However, the one in which he did win with the twin hooks proved decisive, with the twin hooks having the most kills of any weapon featured yet on the series. It seems that none of the Maori weapons were able to beat the hooks in range and damage combined so the monk owed his victory largely to this factor.

\	Shaolin Monk	Māori Warrior
Overall kills:	692	308
Close Range:	Emei Piercers: 31	Mere: 78
Mid Range:	Staff: 57 Twin Hooks: 566	Taiaha: 151 Stingray Spear: 6
Special Weapons:	Whip Chain: 38	Shark Tooth Club: 73

Episode 8: William Wallace vs Shaka Zulu

William Wallace Team: Kieron Elliott (Highlander Weapons Expert), Anthony De Longis (Blade Master)

Shaka Zulu Team: Earl White (Zulu Stick Fighting Master), Jason Bartley (Zulu Combat Expert)

William Wallace Weapons: Claymore, Ball and Chain, War Hammer, Targe, Dirk

Shaka Zulu Weapons: Iklwa, Ishlangu, Iwisa, Zulu Axe, Spit of Poison

	William Wallace	Shaka Zulu	Advantage
Close Range:	War Hammer	Zulu Axe	Zulu Axe
Mid Range:	Claymore	Iklwa Ishlangu	Claymore
Long Range:	Ball and Chain	Iwisa	Iwisa
Special Weapons:	Dirk Targe	Spit of Poison	Dirk Targe

Overall Winner: William Wallace, the battle focused on not a single warrior class, but two of history's most determined and most fercious generals. The seemingly differating tactics were thrown out of the window as the fight demonstrated both warrior's determination as both traded blows consistently without faltering; ultimately, Wallace's determination was greater than Shaka's.

/	William Wallace	Shaka Zulu
Overall Kills:	621	379
Close Range:	War Hammer: 65	Zulu Axe: 70
Mid Range:	Claymore: 319	Iklwa: 307
Long Range:	Ball and Chain: 1	Iwisa: 2
Special Weapons:	Dirk/Targe: 236	Spit of Poison: 0

Episode 9: IRA vs Taliban

Irish Republican Army Weapons:

Taliban Weapons:

	IRA	Taliban	Advantage
Close Range:
Mid Range:
Long Range:		RPG-7
Special Weapons:

Overall Winner:

/	IRA	Taliban
Overall Kills:
Close Range:
Mid Range:
Long Range:
Special Weapons:

External links

• Deadliest Warrior on Spike
• Deadliest Warrior Official Blog
• Deadliest Warrior at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show