And I don't know if I really agree with that. The fighter does have an identity. It has the most well known identity in fantasy--the fighting man. The warrior. The soldier. The knight. Just because it isn't narrowed down into a much more specialized archetype like every other class doesn't mean it doesn't have an identity.
That's true, but not the entire truth.
Dating all the way back to Chainmail/OD&D the fighter has had a role as a leader. However, this role eroded as the editions advanced – or more properly it became diluted (see 3e's Leadership feat), giving away the fighter's stuff to other character types, and nothing was introduced to fill that conceptual void. 5e had the opportunity to use Martial Archetypes to fill that void, but for whatever reason the designers were fixated on using Martial Archetypes to assign a complexity dial to the fighter – this is one of the regrets Mike Mearls mentioned having about how 5e was designed in a TomeShow interview; instead, he wished they'd created Martial Archetypes with greater identity.
To quote
Men & Magic, page 6 (
emphasis added):
[SECTION]Fighting-Men: All magical weaponry is usable by fighters, and this in itself is a big advantage. In addition, they gain the advantage of more “hit dice” (the score of which determines how many points of damage can be taken before a character is killed). They can use only a very limited number of magical items of the nonweaponry variety, however, and they can use no spells.
Top-level fighters (Lords and above) who build castles are considered “Barons,” and as such they may invest in their holdings in order to increase their income (see the INVESTMENTS section of Book III). Base income for a Baron is a tax rate of 10 Gold Pieces/inhabitant of the barony/game year.[/SECTION]
To quote
1978 AD&D Player's Handbook, page 22 (
emphasis added):
[SECTION]The principal attribute of a fighter is strength. To become a fighter, a character must have a minimum strength of 9 and a constitution of 7 or greater. A good dexterity rating is also highly desirable. If a fighter has strength above 15, he or she adds 10% to experience points awarded by the Dungeon Master. Also, high strength gives the fighter a better chance to hit an opponent and causes an increased amount of damage. Fighters.have a ten-sided die (d10) for determination of their hit points per level. No other class of character (save the paladin and ranger (qq.v.) subclasses of fighters) is so strong in this regard. Fighters are the strongest of characters in regards to sheer physical strength, and they are the best at hand-to-hand combat. Any sort of armor or weapon is usable by fighters.
Fighters may be of any alignment - good or evil, lawful or chaotic, or neutral. Although fighters do not have magic spells to use, their armor and weapons can compensate. They have the most advantageous combat table and generally have good saving throw (q.v.) possibilities as well. Fighters can employ many magical items, including potions; "protection"scrolls; many rings; a few wands; one rod; many other magic items; and all forms of armor, shields and weapons.
When a fighter attains 9th level (Lord), he or she may opt to establish a freehold. This is done by building some type of castle and clearing the area in a radius of 20 to 50 miles around the stronghold, making it free from a11 sorts of hostile creatures. Whenever such a freehold is established and cleared, the fighter will:
1. Automatically attract a body of men-at-arms led by an above average fighter. These men will serve as mercenaries so long as the fighter maintains his or her freehold and pays the men-at-arms; and
2. Collect a monthly revenue of 7 silver pieces for each and every inhabitant of the freehold due to trade, tariffs, and taxes.[/SECTION]
