History Main / DiagonalCut

* The show ''DeadliestWarrior'' examined this trope, {{Mythbusters}}-style, using a modern production katana wielded against a dead pig. The sword cut through the pig with little resistance on the first try. Also, subverting KatanasAreJustBetter, so did nearly every blade tested the same way, notably Kilij.

* "ACEPHALOUS, adj. In the surprising condition of the Crusader who absently pulled at his forelock some hours after a Saracen scimitar had, unconsciously to him, passed through his neck, as related by de Joinville." -- ''Literature/TheDevilsDictionary'', Creator/AmbroseBierce.

* Similarly, in Lloyd Alexander's book ''Literature/TheRemarkableJourneyOfPrinceJen'', a legendary sword is so sharp that a light slash with it cuts a thick tree trunk so clean in two that it remains standing.

* James Clavell uses this trope several times. In ''[[Literature/AsianSaga Shogun]]'', the westerner Blackthorne is accepted as a samurai and issued an old heirloom sword as a mark of Toranaga's esteem. While riding in the country with other samurai, they encounter a peasant oil seller who does not step aside to let them pass. The warlord Oni respectfully asks to borrow Blackthorne's sword, and performs the diagonal cut on the hapless peasant. He hands the sword back, explaining that a new sword must be bloodied for good luck...
* in ''{{Taipan}}'', an English merchant in Japan refuses to bow for a passing samurai, pointing out an Englishman bows to no one except Queen Victoria. The enraged Japanese teaches him manners with a partial diagonal cut that chops through his chest and belly. A doctor manages to save his life and stitch it all together again, but the stitches burst on his wedding night owing to "exertion" and he bleeds to death.

* Referenced/parodied in the opening titles of ''[[DotHack .hack//SIGN]]'', where some of the game characters walk on, swing their swords, momentarily split diagonally and then return to normal.

** ''PokemonSpecial'' has [[spoiler:Mewtwo using his psychic powers to [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/pok_mon_adventures/v25/c288/18.html do this]] ''on a building''. This is visualised by Mewtwo transforming his "psychic weapon", aka, a spoon, into [[{{BFS}} the biggest katana you will ever see]].]]
** Farfetch'd was able to [[http://archives.bulbagarden.net/media/upload/8/8c/Farfetchd_cut2.jpg do this]] with [[ImprobableWeaponUser a]] [[AbsurdlySharpBlade green]] [[EdibleBludgeon onion]].

* Kunô does this to a tree with a bokken (wooden practice sword) in an early episode of ''RanmaOneHalf''.

* "ACEPHALOUS, adj. In the surprising condition of the Crusader who absently pulled at his forelock some hours after a Saracen scimitar had, unconsciously to him, passed through his neck, as related by de Joinville." -- ''TheDevilsDictionary'', AmbroseBierce.

* This is pretty much what ''VideoGame/MetalGearRising'' is about.

* Happens in Creator/WilliamGibson's short story "Johnny Mnemonic", as per the Film entry above (it's not so much a monofilament whip as a ''[[ThinBlade monomolecular]]'' one).

* in ''{{TaiPan}]'', an English merchant in Japan refuses to bow for a passing samurai, pointing out an Englishman bows to no one except Queen Victoria. The enraged Japanese teaches him manners with a partial diagonal cut that chops through his chest and belly. A doctor manages tosave his life and stitch it all together again, but the stitches burst on his wedding night owing to "exertion" and he bleeds to death.
* A humorous example in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''The Truth''. The vampire Otto Chriek receives a killing slash from the villain and the two halves of his undead body thrash around trying to find each other so as to re-unite.

** [[spoiler:This is how Shadow Man kills the third Chimerabot in Wily 4 in ''VideoGame/Rockman4MinusInfinity'' if the secret condition is obtained.]]

* The show ''DeadliestWarrior'' examined this trope, {{Mythbusters}}-style, using a modern production katana wielded by someone without much training, and a dead pig. The sword cut through the pig with little resistance on the first try.
** Someone without much training was a martial artist and movie fight coordinator. Also, subverting KatanasAreJustBetter, so did nearly every blade tested the same way, notably Kilij.

** Earlier in the series, in ''VideoGame/MegaManX 2'', the Maverick boss Wire Sponge will be cut in half and explode if X deals the final blow with the Sonic Slicer.

* ''LupinIII'', Goemon does this frequently. Things rarely fall apart until he has resheathed his sword, and [[CatchPhrase at some point he will say, "Once again I have cut a worthless object."]]

* While not a full diagonal cut, ''TheIcePirates'' does have the momentary delay. A brief sword fight in a BadGuyBar has a man beheaded, but he doesn't realize it until he tilts his head back to laugh at this weak attack, whereupon his whole head falls off.

* Done once in ''NinjaAssassin'' in the first scene, which contains most of its {{gorn}}. The guy getting sliced was holding a shotgun in that moment, which was sliced through, too, making this also a perfect example of [[AbsurdlySharpBlade absurdly sharp blade]].

A swordsman strikes an opponent or other object with a mighty blow, almost always on a diagonal -- from shoulder to opposite hip if the target is human(oid). For a moment, [[YouAreAlreadyDead nothing appears to happen.]] A few seconds later, though, the top half of the object begins to slide off the bottom half: through [[SuperStrength great strength]], [[ImplausibleFencingPowers great skill]], [[AbsurdlySharpBlade the legendary virtues of the sword]], or a healthy dose of AppliedPhlebotinum, the sword has neatly cloven the object in two with a single blow. If the cloven object [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe is a person]], they may laugh for a moment before a shocked realization and then slide apart. In Japanese swordsmanship, these are named after their direction: downward diagonal (Kesa-giri), upward diagonal (Kiri-age or Gyaku-kesa), horizontal (Yoko or Tsuihei), and straight downward (Jodan-giri, Happonme, Makko-giri, Shinchoku-giri or Dottan-giri).

* ''KamenRiderFaiz'': Takumi's {{BFS}} finalizes a MonsterOfTheWeek with such a cut...and a second later, a nearby train car slides apart, too.
* In ''KamenRiderOOO'', the [[FinishingMove OOO Bash]] is one of these. Not only does it slice the Yummy in half with a short delay, it cuts [[AbsurdlySharpBlade ALL OF REALITY]] as well. Thankfully, the Yummy is the only thing that doesn't return to normal afterwards.

* In the spirit of its ''JidaiGeki'' theme, ''SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'' pulls these off whenever possible.

* The simplest attack in medieval German longsword fencing is an oberhau or "cut from above". This means any strike delivered downward from a high guard, but it usually takes the form of a diagonal cut accompanied by a passing step. The Zornhau or "Wrath Cut" looks just like a diagonal oberhau, but it is one of the five "Master Strikes" which are special counterattacks that can deflect an incoming blow and hit your attacker in the same instant if you execute them correctly. If your attacker strikes at you with an oberhau, then you can strike him with Zornhau while stepping forward and to the left which creates a 'bind' between your two swords. If your opponent resists your blade pressure weakly then you can thrust them in the face, and if they resist strongly then you can apply other techniques to get past their defense.

* The simplest attack in medieval German longsword fencing is an oberhau. An oberhau is any strike delivered downward from a high guard, but usually takes the form of a diagonal cut accompanied by a passing step. The Zornhau or "Wrath Cut" looks just like a diagonal oberhau, but it is one of the five "Master Strikes" which are special counterattacks that can deflect an incoming blow and hit your attacker in the same instant if you execute them correctly. If your attacker strikes at you with an oberhau, then you can strike him with Zornhau while stepping forward and to the left which creates a 'bind' between your two swords. If your opponent resists your blade pressure weakly then you can thrust them in the face, and if they resist strongly then you can apply other techniques to get past their defense.

* A diagonal cut, known as the Zornhau ("Wrath Strike" or "Wrath Hew") is one of the 8 basic cuts in medieval German longsword fencing, as well as one of the 5 Master Strikes -- strikes that, when executed correctly, make contact with one's adversary and defend one's own body in one technique. The masterful element of the Zornhau is the forward diagonal sidestep, which takes the swordsman out of the path of an incoming technique while covering their body and attacking all in one instant. This is ultimately a combined dodge, parry and attack.

** Zornhau is ''not'' this trope. In the German school a strike is only considered a Master Strike if used under particular circumstances. For example, Zornhau is a defensive strike to the opponent's sword to create a wall of steel and stop an incoming blow. In ''all other situations'' the same strike is merely called an oberhau, which is an overhand strike at one's opponent at any angle above horizontal.

* Happens to Tohno SHIKI in the Akiha path in ''{{Tsukihime}}''. Rather disturbing in that SHIKI is immortal, and in the ensuing scene runs away as a torso.

* During their final battle in ''[[FateStayNight Fate/Stay Night]]'s Fate route Saber deals the final blow to Gilgamesh this way.

* In an episode of ''SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperForceGo'', Nova does this to a tree. Which is odd considering her usual choice weapon is her own fists.

** [[spoiler:This is how Shadow Man kills the third Chimerabot in Wily 4 in ''VideoGame/Rockman4MinusInfinity'']]

* ''Webcomic/RealLifeComics''' Black Pants Samurai does it to [[http://www.reallifecomics.com/archive/031202.html a titanium door with concrete frame]].

** At one point in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', [[TheRival Seifer]] [[InSovietRussiaTropeMocksYou does this ''to'' Odin]].

* James Clavell uses this trope several times. In ''{{Shogun}}'', the westerner Blackthorne is accepted as a samurai and issued an old heirloom sword as a mark of Toranaga's esteem. While riding in the country with other samurai, they encounter a peasant oil seller who does not step aside to let them pass. The warlord Oni respectfully asks to borrow Blackthorne's sword, and performs the diagonal cut on the hapless peasant. He hands the sword back, explaining that a new sword must be bloodied for good luck...

* ''Manga/DragonBall''
** Yajirobe's fight against Cymbal. Yajirobe quickly draws his sword, slashes, and resheathes it. Cymbal starts laughing when suddenly his upper half slides off his body.
** (Future) Trunks does this to Frieza in ''Dragon Ball Z'', although it is a vertical slice instead of diagonal, and after Frieza slides apart, Trunks then slices ''those'' two halves into about a dozen smaller ones before blowing them away. Amusingly, the camera briefly shifts to Frieza's point of view just after he's cut in half, with the screen splitting in half as he is (thus making it look like it was Trunks who was sliced).