History Main / DeadlyLunge

** Ropes (i.e. [[CallARabbitASmeerp snakes]])) charge straight at Link when they see him. They're [[GameplayAndStorySegregation allegedly]] poisonous, but don't do anything but immediately deal a small amount of damage.

* Used by Man-Ray upon his reawakening in SpongebobSquarepants. Unfortunately, it [[NoSell didn't work]], due to Spongebob having the control to his [[WeaksauceWeakness tickle-belt]] on hand.

* The Franchise/{{Alien}} in most ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'' games can do this. It is [[FragileSpeedster not slow on foot to begin with]], and some variants can pounce over the map if needed.

** The snake enemies in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'' and the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'' series move at great speed upon seeing the player.

* Used by Man-Ray upon his reawakening in SpongebobSquarepants. Unfortunately, it {{NoSell didn't work}}, due to Spongebob having the control to his {{WeaksauceWeakness tickle-belt}} on hand.

* ''Videogame/HalfLife''
** Combine zombies in ''Videogame/HalfLife2'' (Zombine) sprint up when they get sufficiently close to you. Fast Zombies occasionally ''leap'' at Gordon if he's too far away to slash. They can also do it ''vertically'' to catch the player off-guard if they're on a higher platform.

** ''ResidentEvil6'' gives us the C-virus zombies and their evolved forms, the bloodshots (which are essentially the new virus' strain of Lickers, only tongue-less). A CounterAttack on both is an instant kill - a lightning fast [[PistolWhipping weapon whip]] for the zombies, while the bloodshot gets a setpiece [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome where it's picked up off the air by the]] PlayerCharacter [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome and flipped over their shoulder so that it lands on its back, at which point the human performs a]] FinishingStomp [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome on its exposed chest organs]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}''

** The deadly lunge is also, rather oddly, a common attack for [[FoeYay Smith/Smith copies in later parts of the game.]]

** The deadly lunge is also, oddly enough, a common attack for [[FoeYay Smith/Smith copies]] apparently, he likes getting '''really''' close to Neo.

* ''Videogame/DeadSpace'': Most of the enemies, frankly. There is a varied pattern between [[MightyGlacier strong foes being slow]], and [[FragileSpeedster weak, low damage output but quick and agile ones]].

* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E21AllHellBreaksLoosePartOne "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, Ep21)]], the Acheri demon leaps at Andy and rips open hi stomach.

** Lickers in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5''. If they decide to leap at you and hold you on the ground, [[OneHitKill you'd better have your partner VERY close to help you.]] On the other hand, if you can hit them while they leap, [[DeathOrGloryAttack you can slam them on the ground]] [[AwesomeButImpractical and impale them for an instant kill.]] This is an achievement, too. In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' they had a similar attack, and while it wasn't always lethal, it was much harder to dodge given the clunky control system.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype 2}}'', James Heller can pounce on enemies with his Claw power active.

* The zombies in ''CanYouSurviveTheZombieApocalypse'' fit this trope to a T.

!!Examples:

[[AC: Videogames]]
* Combine zombies in ''Videogame/{{Half-Life 2}}'' (Zombine) sprint up when they get sufficiently close to you.
** Fast Zombies occasionally ''leap'' at Gordon if he's too far away to slash. They can also do it ''vertically'' to catch the player off-guard if they're on a higher platform.
** Regular Headcrabs in all of the ''Videogame/{{Half-Life}}'' games are slow, but can jump on a victim across considerable distance. The same applies to the Poison Headcrabs.

* [=ReDeads=], at least in ''SuperSmashBrosMelee''.

* The ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series sometimes includes zombies that unexpectedly lunge at the player, particularly in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica''. It gets even more terrifying in the remake of the original game, where the zombies that are killed reanimate into ''really'' fast zombies, complete with claws and wild sprinting.

*** A few of these "ninja zombies" were also randomly added to the Director's Cut of the original ''[=RE=]'', the upside being that your new, random-head-blowing-off pistol would usually take them out before they could grab you.

* Kleer Skeletons in the ''SeriousSam'' series are known for it.

* The Stinger and its variants from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' are examples courtesy of the protagonist, though some enemies also have this sort of move.

* Captain Cross from ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' breaks this out with his electric baton if you try to make Alex pick up a gun and JustShootHim.

* In ''DeadRising'', the zombies speed up significantly once they get close. They are noticeably more aggressive at night time and in dark areas, as well.

* Commando (Pro) perk from ''ModernWarfare 2'' allows you to cover some distance when knifing.
** Unless they use a shotgun.
* ''{{Painkiller}}'' has a zombie enemy which normally crawls aimlessly on elbows and knees - until it rears up and flings itself at you across surprising distances. One of your first encounters with them is in an unlit asylum.
* ''{{VideoGame/Diablo}} 2'' has some skeletons walking around slooowly with very long swords, and suddenly slashing at you. And they rise again after being defeated.
* Many of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'''s non-human opponents have access to these, from the lowliest of radroaches to the mightiest of deathclaws. Most of the ones that don't (like radscorpions or centaurs) typically don't serve as any real threat to an experienced player, as their movement patterns are predictable and attacks easily avoided. Also, [[AchillesHeel crippling an enemy's legs]] (preferably with the poison dart gun) prevents them from doing this.

* Demonic monsters referred to as "Howlers" pose the primary threat, at least early on, in ''CliveBarkersUndying''. Roughly humanoid with canine features and some ape-like elements thrown in, howlers gallop towards the player until they get close enough to pounce. In this case "close enough" is about twenty meters or so. They always land ready to strike with their razor-sharp claws.
* The Franchise/{{Alien}} in most ''AlienVersusPredator'' games can do this. It is [[FragileSpeedster not slow on foot to begin with]], and some variants can pounce over the map if needed.

* ''WorldOfWarcraft'' features this as a move for both the player and enemies. Warriors, for example, have ''four'' variants of this for different situations.
** It also has an inversion, the Death Knight's Death Grip. It instantly drags the target to the caster's location.
* Many enemies in ''DarkSouls'' have moves that let them close distance very quickly, though some of them are nice enough to telegraph their moves giving you time to get out of the way. Others, like Ornstein the Dragonslayer, aren't that obliging.

* Promethean Knights in ''{{Halo 4}}'', who are normally quite slow-moving, will sometimes suddenly lunge, sprint or zig-zag-hyperspeed-charge at you to attack you in melee (or with their Scattershot), usually after you've broken their shield at longer ranges. Also, as in all Halo games, the Energy Sword can trigger a lunge at a certain range. The Thruster Pack armor ability in Halo 4 can also be used to suddenly close distance for a melee or shotgun attack, or to board a vehicle. And finally, the Flood creatures from the War Games Flood playlist possess significantly boosted Thruster Packs, higher base movement speeds, and blade-arms that act like Energy Swords, so deadly lunging is pretty much their baseline tactic.
** In earlier ''{{Halo}}'' games, lunging was commonly used by various Flood forms, and was basically all that [[PersonalSpaceInvader Infection Forms]] really did, to particularly lethal effect against unshielded enemies.

[[AC: [[TabletopGames Tabletop Role-Playing Games]]]]
* This is a power zombies can have in ''TabletopGame/AllFleshMustBeEaten''.
* The same is true for zombies in the ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' book ''Antagonists''.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' one of the Exalt types, the Abyssals, have abilities that mimic the powers of the undead. Their signature martial arts style, Hungry Ghost Style, includes a move called Unnatural Shambling Deftness which is described as specifically imitating a zombie's ability to switch suddenly from immobility to a startling burst of speed. In game terms, though, it's just a regular extra action Charm. But the Style also includes such gems of fear as Leaping Horror Approach and Lunging Phantom Method.

[[AC: Anime]]
* Zombies in ''{{Blassreiter}}'', known as demoniacs, can leap up to 30 feet in the air.
* The mannequin soldiers in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' seem to have two speeds: Slow shamble and sprinting into a leap. They change between them suddenly and randomly.

[[AC: RealLife]]

[[AC:Literature]]
* The zombies in ''CanYouSurviveTheZombieApocalypse'' fit this trope to a T.

** In ''{{Prototype 2}}'', James Heller can pounce on enemies with his Claw power active.

* Golems in ''{{Hexen}} 2'' do this.

* Promethean Knights in ''VideoGame/Halo4'', who are normally quite slow-moving, will sometimes suddenly lunge, sprint or zig-zag-hyperspeed-charge at you to attack you in melee (or with their Scattershot), usually after you've broken their shield at longer ranges. Sometimes they just casually teleport in your face. Also, as in all Halo games, the Energy Sword could at a certain range trigger a lunge at a certain range. The Thruster Pack in Halo 4 armor ability can also be used to suddenly close distance for a melee or shotgun attack, or to board a vehicle. And finally, the Flood creatures from the War Games Flood playlist pack significantly boosted Thruster Packs, higher base movement speeds, and blade-arms that act like Energy Swords, so deadly lunging is pretty much their baseline tactic.

* Golems in ''Hexen 2'' do this.

** In ''Protoype 2'', James Heller can pounce on enemies with his Claw power active.

* This is a power zombies can have in ''All Flesh Must Be Eaten''.

* Zombies in ''Blassreiter'', known as demoniacs, can leap up to 30 feet in the air.