D&D General D&D Archetypes that spread out to other settings and media

[Not a Decepticon]

I am confused at your resistance to this basic, obvious thing. Why don't you show us before and after and explain why you think D&D specifically created the "sword and board" fighter.

It's just a combination of a) I don't see anything that could be called as a definite source of inspiration predating D&D in a way that, say, Conan is an inspiration for Barbarian Hero archetype and without it I cannot really eliminate a possibility d&d may have codified the modern image of "sword & board fighter" from various preexisting sources and b) it kinda feels to me like this thread is turning into "if we can name a single example older than D&D, D&D gets no credit for influencing popculture here" with no nuance or acknowledgment of the idea of, to use tvtropes terms, trope codifiers. See also discussion about the Lich.