History Main / FlechetteStorm

** Her predecessor from the UsefulNotes/PC98 era, Yumeko, also a NinjaMaid, does this with swords and minus the timestopping. [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Too bad no one remembers her]].

** The [[UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar Korean]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam ]] war varient was called the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazy_Dog_(bomb) Lazy Dog]], which made it look like the ground "had been tenderized with a giant fork", and had the effect of "[[LudicrousGibs a machine gun fired vertically]]" according to battlefield observers.

** The LB-X series of autocannons fire fragmenting 'cluster' rounds instead of traditional cannon shells. While called a Battlemech-scale shotgun, they are depicted as firing explosive submunitions rather than solid buckshot-like projectiles. This trope gets exaggerated with the Hyper Assault Gauss Rifle, or HAG, as well as the Silver Bullet Gauss Rifle. Both operate like standard Gauss Rifles, but instead of firing one large projectile, they both fire multiple small projectiles simultaneously, scouring the target like a sandblaster. Finally, there's the Anti-Personal (AP) Gauss Rifle, which works on the same idea but with a much smaller scale as an anti-infantry weapon.

Guns firing very small-calibre dart-like projectiles have been a [[{{Pun}} staple]] of science fiction almost as long as the ubiquitous [[RayGun "blaster"]]. In earlier works, they're usually called "needle-guns" or "needlers", but flechettes entered the lexicon after their real-word use in artillery rounds, and speculative future firearm proposals.

Meaning "little arrow" or "dart" in French, a flechette is any pointy projectile -- smaller than your traditional arrow or crossbow bolt -- that can be thrown or fired with the intention of cutting, impaling and/or [[PoisonedWeapons poisoning]] your opponent, and most societies have their own brand of flechette projectile that can be used. Thrown or fired, just like a RainOfArrows, a veritable hail of these weapons are quite effective in cutting down large groups, and it's no surprise that most warriors specializing in thrown weaponry depicted in fictional media are able to create that tempest with a few simple tosses. If the flechettes are magical or infused with Ki, expect them to function like homing ReverseShrapnel. Since these projectiles are very sharp, they have a lower than average tendency to [[InverseLawOfSharpnessAndAccuracy actually hit anything]], though they may well [[KnifeOutline stick your clothing to the wall]].

A subtrope of SpamAttack. Compare StormOfBlades and RainOfArrows. On a smaller scale, it is very similar to a MacrossMissileMassacre.

* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Suzu is able to [[ArtInitiatesLife bring to life]] origami to use an {{Attack Drone}}s. Once she gets a outfit that stores many of them, Suzu can fire them all at once, and they'll even been drawn with glowing energy contrails like an [[MacrossMissileMassacre Itano Circus]].

* ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal'': In the early chapters, Rin uses a technique called "Curtain of Death", which is essentially a flurry of small knives thrown at the enemy. However, [[DeconstructedTrope the limitations of using such a technique are remarked upon]] by at least one character, and eventually Rin stops using them altogether.
** Most of it comes form the fact she, 1) doesn't aim (in fact she doesn't look at the target ''at all'') 2 yells out the name. She still somewhat uses it, as a last option.

* ''Manga/Brave10'': This is one of Hanzo's signature attacks.

* ''Literature/{{Maoyu}}'': Archer seems to be this, rather than an actual archer. His weapon is never shown, but when he waves his hand, people just start to fall over and die. "As if struck by arrows".

* ''Anime/NinjaScroll'': Hanzo, the Koga ninja leader in the movie, throws dozens of shuriken at Tessai with enough force to break off thick tree branches. Unfortunately, since Tessai can turn his skin into stone, the shuriken just bounce right off [[spoiler:and Hanzo gets his arms ripped off for his troubles]].

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Mint tosses a flurry of knives at his foe as his opening attack. Usually enough to [[KnifeOutline pin them against a wall]].

* ''Anime/SakuraWarsTheMovie'': Ratchet Altair's Eisenkleid can summon several exploding knives to kill off demons, as demonstrated during the battle at the Imperial Theater.
* ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'': Khun can send countless knives flying at enemies out from his [[BagOfHolding Manbarondenna]].

** The Spell Card ''Thousand Knives''.

** The Monster card ''Asura Priest'' carries a blade in each of its six hands and the name of its Anime Attack is "Daggers of Demise", which involves all six being thrown at an opposing monster.
** In the [[Anime/YuGiOhBondsBeyondTime Tenth Anniversary Movie]], this is how Malefic Truth Dragon's effect works.

* A demon tries to use this on ComicBook/{{Lucifer}} in the "Nirvana" miniseries, which works about as well as you might expect.
* This is the gimmick of several Creator/{{Marvel}} characters Bullseye and Ultimate Hawkeye, who can turn anything into a projectile. Also Gambit does this with the added bonus that he can make anything he touches go boom.
* Doctor Doom from ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'' has the ability to shoot razor sharp spines of his own living metal body at people.
* Riptide of the ComicBook/XMen villains The Marauders could spin at high speeds and fling out blades that could even pierce Colossus's skin.

* In ''Fanfic/TheButcherBird'', [[TheDragon Kaneki's]] [[FeatherFlechettes ukaku wings]] are mostly used for this.
* Used by Asakura in the [[InMediasRes prologue extension]] chapter of ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero''.
* In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7820743/3/Naruto-Ramen-Days Naruto: Ramen Days]]'' Naruto learns Kunai Kage Bunshin. Whereas Kakashi used it to turn a single kunai into ten, [[UnskilledButStrong Naruto]] overpowers it, turning a single kunai into "a solid wall of black". Kakashi then insists he never use that technique unless all allies are behind him.

* Frustrated by Tenten and Haku's projectile skills, Sakura develops a way to throw senbon en masse very fast in ''Fanfic/ATeachersGlory''. She uses it to kill one of Orochimaru's snakes.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Vapors}}'', Minato Namikaze uses Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu to do this so well that [[NotSoStoic Aiko breaks her mission face]] to {{Squee}} over it before pulling out every daddy's girl trick she has to get him to teach her.
* Ume from the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fan fiction ''Fanfic/SugarPlums'' does a trick in a similar vein as Tenten in that she summons several projectiles from a seal. Except, by several she does thousands of senbon needles all at once. Though it's noted in character [[AwesomeButImpractical that picking all of them up afterwards is a pain.]]
* This is ''Fanfic/BoldoresAndBoomsticks''' Marian's primary method of attack, using Leafage and Razor Leaf. Ruby's been practicing with her to use her semblance in a similar way.

* ''Film/{{Carrie|1976}}'': [[spoiler:In the climax, Carrie uses her telekinesis to hurl household implements at her abusive mother, killing her.]]

* Guns firing very small-calibre dart-like projectiles have been a [[{{Pun}} staple]] of science fiction almost as long as the ubiquitous [[RayGun "blaster"]]. In earlier works they're usually called "needle-guns" or "needlers", but flechettes entered the lexicon after their real-word use in artillery rounds, and speculative future firearm proposals. For example:
** Creator/IsaacAsimov's novel ''Literature/TheStarsLikeDust''.
** In Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/TechnicHistory'' series, Dominic Flandry regularly packs a blaster ''and'' a needler (often firing poisoned needles).
** Dan Simmons's ''Literature/{{Hyperion}}'' novels.
** Creator/WilliamGibson's ActionGirl [[Literature/{{Neuromancer}} Molly Millions]] favours a flechette pistol ("fletcher") firing poisoned or explosive darts.
** ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' features flechette guns as one of the more common small arms in the series. They're mostly used aboard ships and similar environments-the hailstorm of little darts that one flechette gun fires is entirely capable of chewing a whole group of humans into cat food, but aren't powerful enough to go through heavy armor, meaning that they're unlikely to rupture the hull of the ship. Pulser guns, the most basic small arm, also follow the same principle, rapid-firing a stream of hypersonic darts.
** In ''Literature/TheWarAgainstTheChtorr'', the AM-280 rifle fires 18-grain flechettes at 3000 rounds-per-minute; a rate high enough to chew through the segmented bodies of the alien worms. With any other rifle they're virtually ImmuneToBullets.
** In the ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' novel ''The Warrior's Apprentice'', [[spoiler:Bothari]] is killed with one of these. So is [[spoiler:Miles himself]] in ''Mirror Dance''. (He gets better.)
** Just one of the many weapons used by the Howlers in one of the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' books.
*** And the Blue Meanies in the ''Literature/{{Remnants}}'' books.
** In ''Literature/{{Starfist}}'', this appears to be the standard weapon for all human military forces outside the Confederation Armed Forces.
** ''Literature/HammersSlammers'': a standard weapon of frontier governments, and mercenaries too cheap to buy powerguns. Both of whom tend to get their arses handed to them by the Slammers with their energy weapons and tanks.
** The SpaceMarines of the Sol Federation in Paul E. Cooley's ''Derelict'' series use flechette pistols and rifles as their standard light arms. [[spoiler: They are not very effective against the exo-solar creatures they encounter on ''Mira'' (the eponymous derelict)...but they find that the [[StaticStunGun stun rounds]] they also carry work ''much'' better...and the tritium-dosed flechette rounds they use later in the story, even moreso.]]
* Ship-based flechette guns are used to terrifying effect in ''[[Literature/{{Animorphs}} The Ellimist Chronicles]]''. As the protagonist's species lives on floating crystals in open air, flechettes work extremely well. The novel describes the crystal seen stained with blood as it slowly falls from lack of power.

** Contrast this to ''Literature/TheElricSaga'' story where Elric, in a time of great need, is surprised when the Black Sword calls upon the power of its ''millions'' of brothers and sisters, who answer the call and act as a mobile cloud of meat-mincing and soul-killing blades to the Big Bad that was threatening to overwhelm Elric.
* Jarlaxle from ''Literature/TheLegendOfDrizzt'' has a pair of bracers that are capable of summoning a dagger with a flick of a wrist, which he then throws with unerring accuracy. The good news is, one in three of these daggers is an illusion ([[BlatantLies or so he says]]). The bad news is, he is capable of throwing [[MoreDakka a stream of them faster than most archers shoot.]] More bad news, [[YourMindMakesItReal the D&D rules on illusions]] mean you're probably better off running for cover than taking 1 in 3 odds, unless you're feeling suicidally confident.

* Creator/MichaelMoorcock's Jerry Cornelius is gifted with the manifestation of the Black Sword for the universe where he is Eternal Champion -- the deadly Needle Gun that pumps out tiny, but soul-killing, black needles in large numbers.
* There are a LOT of descriptions of this in ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheApt'', particularly after the snapbow gets into general use.
* ''Literature/SnowCrash'': "They'll listen to Reason." Deconstructed though -- though devastatingly effective at turning anything in its path into hamburger and/or tinfoil scraps, Reason requires a lot of power (in the form of what appears to be an RTG) and puts out a lot of heat (presumably a combination of said RTG and railgun plasma). It's also an ObviousBeta [[invoked]] -- the prerelease firmware crashes at a moment when Hiro needs it.
* In some ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' book or another, it's stated that Mon Calimari Cruisers have "bomb blisters" -- bubbles on the hull that look like just another Mon Cal hull bubble, but explode for decent backblast and a hailstorm of starfighter-shredding shrapnel. Good tactic for a rebel/New Republic starfighter pilot: drag a squadron of baddies across this and have the cruiser set it off just as you pass out of range.
** The [[AllThereInTheManual ''Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology'']] (both versions) feature flechette canister guns, which fire cylinders containing needles. They're not used very often in-story, unfortunately.

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', the HumongousMecha progenitor of the aforementioned ''Mech Warrior'', features the LB-X series of autocannons, which fire fragmenting 'cluster' rounds instead of traditional cannon shells. While called a Battlemech-scale shotgun, they are depicted as firing explosive submunitions rather than solid buckshot-like projectiles. This trope gets exaggerated with the Hyper Assault Gauss Rifle, or HAG, as well as the Silver Bullet Gauss Rifle. Both operate like standard Gauss Rifles, but instead of firing one large projectile, they both fire multiple small projectiles simultaneously, scouring the target like a sandblaster. Finally, there's the Anti-Personal (AP) Gauss Rifle, which works on the same idea but with a much smaller scale as an anti-infantry weapon.
** The ''A Time of War'' RPG set in the same 'verse has Needler weapons in pistol, rifle and support versions, which are exactly what they sound like. Pneumatic powered with a short range, they shred a block of material as ammo and send the resultant storm of shrapnel down the barrel at high speeds. Though the Pistol and Rifle's plastic ammo can do horrific damage to unarmored areas, they're useless against even light armor. Not so with the Battlearmor-mounted Firedrake Support Needler, which fires shards of metal that ''[[KillItWithFire catch fire]]''.

** In AD&D2 and before, base rate of fire for throwing daggers or knives was 2x, darts 3x and shurikens (in ''Oriental Adventures'') varying up to 4x per round. ''Specialized'' warriors, along with attack and damage bonuses, has rate of fire up to 5/round with knives or large shurikens and 6/round for darts and small shurikens. Note this meant a fighter specializing in ''darts'' did more damage per round than one specialized in ''two handed swords''! At least until they run out of ammo (which at that attacking rate would not take long).
** D&D3 also had {{Prestige Class}}es for this type of fighting, including the Master Thrower, who specialises in throwing lots and lots of knives, and the Bloodstorm Blade, who specialises in throwing things very, very hard.
** The Rogue class in 4 edition of has a number of abilities which hurl a knife, individually, at every single enemy in a 15-foot-by-15-foot square. If you use a magic dagger, you even somehow manage to hurl the ''same'' knife at every one. One of these attacks even hurls said knife to such effect as to ''blind'' every victim with blood streaming into the eyes!
** The Telekinesis spell can be used in this way in 3.5 edition and perhaps others.

* In ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'' shard pistols and the larger shredder spray streams of monomolecular diamondoid shards that are great at penetrating armor but not too much damage.
* Sorcerers in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' can learn a spell called "Death of Obsidian Butterflies." The sorcerer sends a cloud of glass shards covering an area 30 yards wide, 100 yards long and 10 yards high. This is a ''first'' circle spell.
** Cascade of Cutting Terror, which can be done with any thrown item, causing it to multiply hundreds of times to strike over a wide area (with the duplicates vanishing after hitting). For emphasis: ANY thrown item. Including daggers, icicles, coins, peanuts, tuna fish, peasants, ''elephants'', etc.
** A ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' supplement provided rules for a similar power. Except you don't necessarily need magic.

* Corvus Belli's wargame ''TabletopGame/{{Infinity}}'' has the chain rifle, a flechette firing template weapon. The reasoning the game gives for it's existence is actually relatively plausible, and it functions (hence the name) by having a chain strip flechettes of metal from a steel block and then accelerates them to supersonic speeds. The result is the target being hard pressed to dodge the approaching wall of hot metal with small holes in it.
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' -- [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=42278 there]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45198 are]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83410 a]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=152837 few]] [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45835 cards]] using this trope.
* ''TabletopGame/MechWarrior'' features the needler line of infantry weapons; though called pistols and rifles, they actually are more like smoothbore shotguns of varying size, and fire shredded, brittle shards of plastic designed to [[ArmorPiercingAttack go right through clothing and armor]] and shred flesh, something they could do with frightening effectiveness. Their main downfall was a lack of range. The nastiest version was the Firedrake Support Needler, a massive gun usually mounted on [[PowerArmor Battle Armor]] that fires metal projectiles instead of plastic, and just to make sure that the target is DeaderThanDead the projectiles are filled with chemicals that burst into flames upon contact with oxygen, insuring that the target is [[KillItWithFire set on fire]] as it's torn to shreds.

* The level 3 final animation of the Thousand Kill CombinationAttack in ''VideoGame/AgarestSenki2''.

* [=Zer0=] of ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' has an end-tier skill called [="Death Bl0ss0m,=] in which he tosses explosive kunai while in [=Decepti0n=] mode.

* ''VideoGame/DeadByDaylight'' has the Killer [[MadArtist The Trickster]], a K-pop star turned serial killer. His power, Showstopper, is throwing knives at the Survivors in an increasingly rapid pace. If he runs out of knives, he has to reload them at a locker. When he's landed enough hits on survivors, he can activate his ability Main Event, which has him throw knives almost faster than the player can aim them, and he gains unlimited knives for the duration.

* Gale, the ranged weapon of ''VideoGame/ElShaddaiAscensionOfTheMetatron'' combines this with DanceBattler.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** Flechette rounds are available for shotguns in ''VideoGame/FalloutTacticsBrotherhoodOfSteel.'' Incredibly effective against unarmoured targets, especially when used with an automatic shotgun, but nearly useless against anyone with decent armour.

* True Assassin in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. As the limits of what people can carry are actually fairly realistic, he only throws a total of around 40 dirks, a kind of special throwing dagger. However, he does unload them all in a matter of seconds when he wants to. Not that he ever manages to do any good with them against other servants, but a barrage of near-bullet speed knives is a ''serious'' threat to a Magus.
* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series has the cactuars and their 1000 Needles FixedDamageAttack. Also the 10,000 Needles attack -- often a OneHitKill.
** Taken to extremes by the Cactaur King and its 99,999 Needles attack in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', which [[OverlyLongFightingAnimation forces you to watch a character get bombarded with needles for about 20 seconds straight.]] It also does this every single time it gets a turn (which is a ''lot'' thanks to its absurd speed stat).
** Also the Gil Toss ability and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Setzer's]] razor-sharp [[DeathDealer cards]].

* The Hunters from ''VideoGame/HalfLife2: Episode 2'', firing hails of flechettes which explode with energy after a short time. They're extremely tough and can tank ridiculous amounts of gunfire, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard but are extremely weak to their own flechettes]]. The most effective way to kill them is to use the Gravity Gun to pick up an object to shield yourself with, and then throw it at them once it's covered in flechettes.
** If you have Episode 2 mounted to ''VideoGame/GarrysMod'', you can use the Flechette Gun, a modified version of [=HL2=]'s SMG that can [[AbnormalAmmo fire]] the Hunter's flechettes out.

* And on the other side of the line, flechette rounds are available for shotguns later on in ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance 2 [[GameMod v1.13]]'' (which is perhaps the poster child for GunPorn). Much more expensive than traditional buckshot or slug rounds, flechettes can tear through armor and whatever's behind it, making the shotgun a viable close/medium range weapon in the endgame.

* In the fights against Ghirahim in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', he can conjure a flurry of red diamond-knives at Link. To counter this, Link can [[TennisBoss slash them right back at the source.]]
* One of several types of firearms [[TheHero Alph]] in ''VideoGame/LuminousArc'' can use in place of casting spells is the Flechette Gun.

* In ''VideoGame/MickeyMousecapade'', [[ThatOneBoss Pete's]] primary attack is a near-constant storm of homing daggers.

* ''VideoGame/OfOrcsAndMen'' has Styx's Flying Daggers and Rain of Blades attacks.

* In ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'', the [[MagicKnight Bouncer class's]] [[DualWielding Dual Blades]] have Photon Arts that employ "photon blades" generated from thin air. The Dual Blades Gear also allows the player to fire off a cluster of these blades at enemies.
* Before ''[=PSO2=]'', ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIII'' had a class of weapon called the Needle, which could be dual-wielded and would target every enemy within a column, making them ideal for clearing screens of trash mobs until character levels and equipment grew powerful enough to make Needles redundant.

* Ryu from ''VideoGame/PsychoDream'' can spam a seemingly endless amount of throwing blades - three at a time, SpreadShot-style - on enemies, the blades which he have a limitless supply of.

* At one point in ''[[VideoGame/{{Shiver}} Shiver: Poltergeist]]'', the titular poltergeist levitates all the sharp cutlery from the dining-room table and hurls it at Ricardo, who thankfully takes cover behind a chair.

* ''VideoGame/SuperCatboy'' has a CatNinja boss who spams a massive wave of blade projectiles in both her boss fights. In fact her first encounter is a HopelessBossFight because you lack the upgrades to defend yourself from her blades.

* Sheik's neutral B move in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' is the aptly-titled Needle Storm.
* The Ice Needle spell in the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'', which fires a minimum of three shards of ice depending on game. Sometimes the mage simply throws them, but sometimes they form directly above the enemy's head and drop. And yes, the archers in the series naturally have techs for this.

* [[NinjaMaid Sakuya Izayoi]] from ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' uses this in combination with [[TimeStandsStill her stopping time]], in a ShoutOut to [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Dio Brando]]. Just look at the page image.

* The ability "Fan of Knives" has some tradition throughout the ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' series. First, the ability appeared on the [[OurElvesAreDifferent Night Elf]] Warden hero unit in ''Warcraft III'''s expansion wherein they hurl very many knives outward and upward from themselves at once, strongly resembling a plant of fan-shaped leaves in pattern which gave it its namesake. It was then inherited for the Rogue class in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', in addition to its now defunct {{Collectible Card Game}} as well as ''VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft''. Lastly, it returned for Maiev Shadowsong's rendition in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' - with both her and the Hearthstone rendition of the ability making a {{Pun}} on the phrase "{{fan}} of knives".
* Subverted in the ''[[VideoGame/{{X}} X-Universe]]''. The game's two flechette weapons are almost universally ignored by players since the flechettes rarely actually hit anything, though players sometimes pair Cluster Flak Arrays with [[LightningGun Ion Disruptors]] because the latter gun jumps between targets, and can use the [[EmergentGameplay flechettes produced by the former to do so]], significantly boosting the range of the disruptors.

* ''Webcomic/TheFancyAdventuresOfJackCannon'': [[spoiler:Gavin]] tries using one of these...which Jack [[http://fancyadventures.com/2012/01/16/page-357/ is rather happy about]] and proceeds to ''thank him''.
* In [[http://www.bigheadpress.com/tpbtgn the online graphic novel]] version of L. Neil Smiths' ''The Probability Broach'', one of the protagonists wields a [[ItMakesSenseInContext Colt Flechette Gun]] when they prepare to invade the villains' headquarters. [[http://www.bigheadpress.com/tpbtgn?page=171 Link]] (mildly NSFW)

* [[http://www.spinnyverse.com/2013/07/31/07312013/ Quite gruesomely done despite the lack of blood]] in ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}'', by North Korean super/war criminal Colonel Glass.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Used by Mai, who conceals both stiletto-shooting wristbands and an array of throwing knives beneath her robes.

* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'': In ''Operation S.P.A.N.K.E.N.S.T.E.I.N.'', Mushi Sanban is able to do this with crayons.
* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'': One episode had a DeathDealer Mook who could do this.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': In Season 4, [[KnightTemplar Kuvira's]] main method of attack is to trip up or blind her opponents with dozens of small strips of metal, which she can quickly fashion into blades if she's going for a killing blow.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}'': Accidental example during the concert at the climax, Ash the porcupine rocks out so hard that she starts [[SpikeShooter flinging quills]] all over the theater. By the end of the song, most of the audience is hiding behind their chairs, and of course the main antagonist is turned into a pincushion.

* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'': Has one episode where Jerry throws a bunch of knives at Tom by pulling the knives -- at an infinite supply, supposedly -- ''from a thought bubble.''

* In the U.S. you can purchase flechette rounds for shotguns. They're made by replacing the buckshot pellets with little razor sharp steel needles. They're remarkably effective in their stated purpose.

%% Needs Context * The Pin Missile and Poison Sting attacks in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''.
%% ** And Spike Cannon, Twineedle and Icicle Spear...

** In Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/DominicFlandry'' series, Flandry regularly packs a blaster ''and'' a needler (often firing poisoned needles).

* Literature/{{Discworld}}'s [[OurTrollsAreDifferent Sergeant Detritus]] wields a [[BigFreakingGun huge crossbow]] modified to fire a whole sheaf of arrows. On top of this, the bow is so powerful that the arrows tend to shatter into flaming shrapnel from the sheer stress of acceleration. It has, in universe, been nicknamed "The Piece-maker".

* [[Literature/TheLegendOfDrizzt Jarlaxle]] from the ''Literature/ForgottenRealms'' has a pair of bracers that are capable of summoning a dagger with a flick of a wrist, which he then throws with unerring accuracy. The good news is, one in three of these daggers is an illusion ([[BlatantLies or so he says]]). The bad news is, he is capable of throwing [[MoreDakka a stream of them faster than most archers shoot.]] More bad news, [[YourMindMakesItReal the D&D rules on illusions]] mean you're probably better off running for cover than taking 1 in 3 odds, unless you're feeling suicidally confident.

* The terrorist bomb in ''Literature/BlackSunday'' (and the novel's film adaptation) is designed to work this way -- hundreds of thousands of steel darts suspended beneath a blimp's control cabin would be blasted by half a ton of plastic explosive into (and through, as a test-firing shows) an unsuspecting Super Bowl crowd.

** ''VideoGame/TrailsIntoReverie'': Nadia fights by throwing sets of long, thick needles, usually in sets of three.