- Charles Taylor
Charles Ghankay Taylor served as President of Liberia from 1997 to 2003. He was a prominent warlord in the Liberian Civil War in the early 1990s, was elected president, was forced into exile, and now is in detention at the International Criminal Court, where he faces trial from Sierra Leone's Special Court. In December 1989, Taylor launched an armed uprising from Côte d'Ivoire into Liberia. His forces, known as the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), …
- Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is a popular figure as an Afghan Mujahideen or rebel commanders. He is a former Prime Minister of Afghanistan, labelled as a warlord by many. He is currently wanted by the United States for taking part in the insurgncy in Afghanistan against the new government of President Hamid Karzai. Hekmatyar speaks several languages, including English. It is reported that he has two wives and many children and grand-children.
- Chiang Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 - April 5, 1975) was the Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. He led the national government of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 to 1975. He commanded the Northern Expedition to unify China against the warlords and emerged victorious in 1928 as the overall leader of the Republic of China. Chiang led China in the Second Sino-Japanese War, …
- Shamil Basayev
Shamil Salmanovich Basayev was a Vice-President of the internationally unrecognized separatist government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Islamist guerrilla leader, self-admitted terrorist and a national hero for many Chechens. He led guerrilla campaigns against Russia for years as well as launching several mass-casualty attacks against Russian civilians with his goal being the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from Chechnya.
- Abdul Rashid Dostum
General Abdul Rashid Dostum (also Abdurrashid Dostum, born in 1954) is the Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces and a powerful warlord. His role as the Chief of Staff, however, is often viewed as ceremonial. He is the principal leader of Afghanistan's Uzbek community. Dostum was born in Khvajeh Do Kuh, Afghanistan. In 1970 he began to work in a state-owned gas refinery in Sheberghan, Jowzjan Province, …
- Sun Yat-Sen
Sun Yat-sen (November 12, 1866 - March 12, 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader often referred to as the "father of modern China." Sun played an instrumental role in the eventual overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912. He later co-founded the Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader. Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, …
- Cao Cao
Cáo Cāo was a regional warlord and the second last Chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during its final years in ancient China. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid down foundations for what was to become the Kingdom of Wei (also known as Cáo Wèi) and was posthumously titled Emperor Wu of Wei. Although often portrayed as a cruel and merciless tyrant, …
- Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga (', June 23, 1534-June 21, 1582) was a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. He was the son of Oda Nobuhide, a minor warlord with meager land holdings in Owari province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering most of Japan before his death in 1582.
- Liu Bei
Liú Bèi (161 – 223), courtesy name Xuándé (玄徳), was a powerful warlord and the founding emperor of the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. Having risen up from the commoner class, he was initially a small player in the massive civil war leading up to the collapse of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In 214, using the stratagems of his chief advisor Zhuge Liang, Liú Bèi conquered Yizhou (益州, …
- Pol Pot
Saloth Sar, was the leader of the Khmer Rouge and the Prime Minister of Cambodia (officially renamed the Democratic Kampuchea during his rule) from 1976 to 1979, having been "de facto" leader since mid-1975. Having been directly and indirectly responsible for the physical elimination of about one-third of the Cambodian population during his stay in power, Pol Pot is today regarded as one of the five worst mass-murderers of modern history.
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi
February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537 – September 18, 1598) was a sengoku daimyo who unified Japan. He succeeded his former liege, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, after Hideyoshi's castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms.
- Mike Grell
Mike Grell (born 1947) is a comic book writer and artist. Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Art Institute of Chicago. His entry into the comics industry was in 1972, as an assistant to Dale Messick on the "Brenda Starr" comic strip. In 1973 he moved to New York, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. He worked on such titles as Aquaman, Batman, the Phantom Stranger, and, most notably, …
- Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616.
- Mohammed Omar
Mullah Mohammed Omar (born c. 1959, Nodeh, near Kandahar) or simply Mullah Omar, is the reclusive leader of the Taliban of Afghanistan and was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to 2001, under the title Commander of the Faithful. Since the Post-9/11 war in Afghanistan began in 2001 he has been in hiding and wanted by U.S. authorities for harboring Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization. He is believed to be hiding in Pakistan.
- Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov (Russian: Рамзан Ахмадович Кадыров is the President of the Russian republic of Chechnya and a former Chechen rebel. Ramzan is the son of former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, who was assassinated in May 2004, and heads a private army known as the "Kadyrovtsy". Kadyrov is widely believed to have amassed a huge fortune from extorting kickbacks and from the illegal sale of Chechen oil.
- Mohamed Farrah Aidid
General Mohamed Farrah Aidid was a controversial Somali leader, often described as a warlord. He was the chairman of United Somali Congress (USC) and later Somali National Alliance (SNA) who drove Mohamed Siad Barre’s dictatorial regime from the capital, Mogadishu and eventually from Somalia altogether. Later he challenged the presence of United Nations and United States troops in the country. General Aidid was one of the main targets of Operation Restore Hope, …
- Guan Yu
Guan Yu (關羽) (160-219) was a Chinese military general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of Shu Han, of which Liu Bei was the first emperor. One of the best known Chinese historical figures throughout East Asia, Guan Yu's true life stories have largely given way to semi-fictional ones, …
- Uesugi Kenshin
was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku Period of Japan. He was one of the many powerful lords of the Sengoku period. He is famed for his prowess on the battlefield, the legendary rivalry with Takeda Shingen, his military expertise, strategy and his belief in the god of war - Bishamonten. In fact, many of his followers and others believed him to be the avatar of Bishamonten, and called Kenshin god of war.
- Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao (154 - 202) was a major warlord occupying the north of ancient China during the massive civil war towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era. He was also the elder cousin (or half-brother, depending on sources) of Yuan Shu, a warlord who controlled the Huai River region, though the two were not in good terms with each other. One of the most powerful warlords of his time, …
- Akhmad Kadyrov
Mufti Akhmat Abdulkhamidovich Kadyrov was the president of the Chechen Republic (elected on October 5, 2003). He was assassinated in Grozny stadium by a bomb blast under a VIP stage during a World War II memorial victory parade.
- Foday Sankoh
Foday Saybana Sankoh (born October 17, 1937 in Masang Mayoso, Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone of Temne and Loko ethnic background. He died July 29, 2003 in Freetown, Sierra Leone) was a leader of the Sierra Leone rebel faction Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in the 10-year-long Sierra Leone Civil War, which ended in 2002. Between 50,000 and 200,000 people died in the civil war Sankoh started in 1991. A former corporal in the Sierra Leonean army, wedding photographer, …
- Samir Geagea
Samir Farid Geagea born October 25 1952 is the leader of the right wing Lebanese Forces (LF) political party.He was imprisoned for 4114 days in solitary confinement from 1994 until 2005. He is currently one of the leaders of March 14 Alliance alongside Saad Hariri, Walid Jumblatt and Amine Gemayel.
- Walid Jumblatt
Walid Jumblatt is the current leader of the Progressive Socialist Party "PSP" of Lebanon and the most prominent leader of the Druze community. He is currently one of the most outspoken anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon and is allied with the March 14 Alliance, which includes the Future Movement, the Lebanese Forces and the Qornet Chehwan Gathering.
- Sun Ce
Sun Ce (175 - 200) was a military general and warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He was the eldest of five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, who was killed in battle when Sun Ce was only sixteen. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's former overlord Yuan Shu and headed into Southeastern China to establish his own power base there. With the help of several capable men, including Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu, …
- Joacim Cans
Joacim Cans (Mora, Sweden, February 1970) is the lead singer of HammerFall, a Swedish power metal band. He has attended Musicians Institute in Hollywood. He released his first solo album titled Beyond the Gates in 2004.
- Sun Jian
Sūn Jiān was a military general and warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power. Although he controlled neither many troops nor much land, Sun Jian's personal bravery and resourcefulness were feared by Dong Zhuo, who placed him among Yuan Shao, …
- Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang (1882-1948) was a warlord during Republican China. As the son of an officer in the Qing Imperial Army, Feng spent his youth immersed in the military life. He joined the army at age 16 and proved himself to be hard working and motivated. Feng, like many young officers, was seduced by revolutionary romanticism and was nearly executed for treason. He later joined Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Army and converted to Christianity in 1914.
- Salvatore Mancuso
Salvatore Mancuso Gómez also known as "el Mono Mancuso","Santander Lozada" or "Triple Cero", among other names (born August 17, 1964 in Montería, Córdoba) is a Colombian paramilitary leader, once second in command of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) paramilitary group. The paramilitary groups commanded by Mancuso fought the guerrillas (mainly EPL, …
- Mark Zonder
Mark Zonder is the drummer of American heavy-metal band Warlord. When the band was in a hiatus, he joined Fates Warning. His artistic name in Warlord is "Thunder Child". He also plays drums on Joacim Cans' solo-project album "Beyond The Gates", and with Kevin Moore's band Chroma Key.
- Zhang He
Zhang He (? - 231) was a distinguished military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. He began his military career when the Yellow Turban Rebellion erupted in 184 and subsequently served under Han Fu and Yuan Shao before defecting to Cao Cao during the Battle of Guandu. He participated in many major campaigns, including those against Yuan Tan, Ma Chao, Zhang Lu and Liu Bei.
- Cao Ren
Cao Ren (168 - 223) was a military general under the powerful Ancient Chinese warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. He played a significant part in the civil wars leading to the disintegration of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the establishment of the Kingdom of Wei.
- Liu Zhang
Liu Zhang was a warlord duiring Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He became governor of Yizhou (益州), succeeding his father Liu Yan and ruled the region until 214, when he surrendered to Liu Bei. After his surrender to Liu Bei, he again surrendered to Eastern Wu, and died shortly afterwards.
- Jonas Savimbi
Jonas Malheiro Savimbi was a rebel leader in Angola who founded the UNITA movement in 1966, and ultimately proved a central figure in 20th century Cold War politics. With support from the governments of the United States, China, South Africa, Israel, several African leaders (Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, King Hassan II of Morocco and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia), and foreign mercenaries from Portugal, Israel, South Africa, …
- Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao (169 - 222) was a military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period in ancient China. He had participated in many campaigns, including those against Yuan Shao's heirs and the Wuhuan tribes. But he was most noted for his pivotal role in the Battle of Hefei in 208, where he successfully defended the city of Hefei against advances of Sun Quan. Chen Shou, author of the "Records of Three Kingdoms", …
- Harold Keke
Harold Keke (born 1971) is a Solomon Islands warlord involved with the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army (GRA).
- Elie Hobeika
Elie Hobeika (Arabic:إيلي حبيقة) was a Phalangist and Lebanese Forces militia commander during the Lebanese Civil War trained and supplied by Israel. He turned later to a pro-Syrian politician and government minister in the post-war period. He is best known for his alleged role in the Sabra and Shatila massacre in 1982 and for allegations that the atrocities were committed in collusion with Israeli authorities. He was killed by a bomb in Beirut on January 24, …
- Timur
Tīmūr bin Tara<u>gh</u>ay Barlas, known in the West as Tamburlaine, was a 14th century warlord of Turco-Mongol descent, conqueror of much of Western and central Asia, and founder of the Timurid Empire and Timurid dynasty (1370–1405) in Central Asia, which survived in some form until 1857. Perhaps, he is more commonly known by his pejorative Persian name Timur-e Lang which translates to Timur the Lame, …
- Dian Wei
Dian Wei was a warrior during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. He served as a bodyguard to the powerful warlord Cao Cao. Famed for his enormous strength, Dian Wei excelled in wielding dual halberds, each of which was said to weigh 40 "jin". He died defending Cao Cao's escape against multiple enemies in the battle of Wancheng.
- Abdul Malik
Abdul Malik is a Uzbek warlord/politician based out of Faryab Province in northern Afghanistan. He is currently head of the Afghanistan Liberation Party and was heavily involved the factional fighting that consumed Afghanistan for many years. His arch-rival for control of the Uzbek north is Rashid Dostum, and their militias have clashed several times since the fall of the Taliban. Previous to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Malik's alliances shifted continuously, …
- Lü Bu
Lü Bu (died 199) was a military general and later minor warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. According to the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", Lü Bu was a master in horse riding, archery, and armed combat, and was thus known as the Flying General.