History Main / HumanPinCushion

* Benkei, retainer of Minamoto Yoshitsune, died this way while pulling a YouShallNotPass. His body, riddled with arrows, was said to be still standing after his death.

* [[Myth/StEdmundOfEastAnglia King Edmund "the Martyr"]] of UsefulNotes/EastAnglia supposedly was killed by Viking invaders in this way in 869 AD, when his captors tied him to a tree and riddled him with arrows. Some 120 years later, his biographer Abbo of Fleury gives a particularly vivid description of the event:

* ''SienkiewiczTrilogy'': Both in the book and in the movie, Longinus dies from from being shot with multiple arrows after the enemy corner him but dare not approach within the range of his sword.
* King Edmund "the Martyr" of UsefulNotes/EastAnglia supposedly was killed by Viking invaders in this way in 869 AD, when his captors tied him to a tree and riddled him with arrows. Some 120 years later, his biographer Abbo of Fleury gives a particularly vivid description of the event:

** Spike from ''XForce'' had the same abilities and tended to use them in a similar fashion.

* The cause of death for [[spoiler: Ususama Wisdom King Mayuri]] from ''Anime/TenkuuSenkiShurato''. Bonus for [[spoiler: him being both hit by arrows ''and'' by a single spear, the last one keeping him [[DiedStandingUp on his feet]].]]

** In the ''Heaven's Feel'' route Shirou suffers a self-inflicted version after he receives [[spoiler:Archer's arm as a transplant]]. Due to its presence blades begin erupting from within his body, simultaneously slowly killing him while replacing parts too damaged to continue functioning. In the final fight with [[spoiler:Kirei]] he only has to protect his head because a blow anywhere else on his body will shred the enemy's fist.

** Archer is seen to have died this way in a flashback [[note]]although Ufotable's ''Unlimited Blade Works'' adaptation uses the version found in ''VideoGame/FateExtra'' instead, wherein he was executed by hanging[[/note]]. Then it happens in-game thanks to Gilgamesh, but this time ''[[NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow he sticks around for a day after.]]''

** Archer is seen to have died this way in a flashback [[note]]although Ufotable's ''Unlimited Blade Works'' adaptation uses the version found in ''VideoGame/FateExtra instead, wherein he was executed by hanging[[/note]]. Then it happens in-game thanks to Gilgamesh, but this time ''[[NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow he sticks around for a day after.]]''

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': Archer is seen to have died this way in flashback. Then it happens in-game, but this time ''[[NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow he sticks around for a day after.]]''
** In the Heaven's Feel route Shirou suffers a self-inflicted version after he receives [[spoiler:Archer's arm as a transplant]]. Due to its presence blades begin erupting from within his body, simultaneously slowly killing him while replacing parts too damaged to continue functioning. In the final fight with [[spoiler:Kirei]] he only has to protect his head because a blow anywhere else on his body will shred the enemy's fist.

* ''Film/ReturnOfTheLivingDead'': Julie Walker drives spikes into her ''own'' body after becoming a zombie, attempting to numb her bestial impulses with pain. By the end of the movie she's got rail spikes through her arms, along with nails and glass shards sticking out of her head.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Zabuza got a small army's worth of weapons deposited in his sides when he attacked Gatto for betraying him.

* ''ShinMazingerZero'': In chapter two, [[spoiler:[[Anime/MazingerZ Sayaka Yumi]]]] died when her body was impaled by several dozens of iron rods.
* ''TheMelancholyOfHaruhiSuzumiya'': in Yuki's memorable battle with [[spoiler:Ryoko]], she is impaled by a large number of metal spikes, but doesn't seem concerned at all.

* In ''VisionOfEscaflowne'', [[spoiler:King Duke Freid]] rises from safe cover to shout defiance at the invading Zaibach army... only to get struck with dozens of bolts simultaneously, from nearly every conceivable angle. [[spoiler:He dies immediately]].

* The cause of death for [[spoiler: Ususama Wisdom King Mayuri]] from ''TenkuuSenkiShurato''. Bonus for [[spoiler: him being both hit by arrows ''and'' by a single spear, the last one keeping him [[DiedStandingUp on his feet]].]]
* In ''RevolutionaryGirlUtena'', [[spoiler: Anthy was subjected to this at the hands of an angry mob for sealing Dios away long ago, and she still has to endure the pain of constantly being skewered by the Swords of Hate as a scapegoat for humanity's rage toward the Prince who lost his faith and then abandoned his people.]]

* ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'': The following characters exhibit this trope:
** {{Wolverine}} invokes this every so often thanks to his HealingFactor. Ranges from things like arrows to multiple [[http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/content/69274comic_storystory_full-6284508..jpg swords]].

* ''TheDemon'', as seen in [[http://www.comics.org/issue/88998/cover/4/ this cover]].

* The villain of the 2007 film ''ThePromiseKeeper''.
* ''ReturnOfTheLivingDeadIII'': Julie Walker drives spikes into her ''own'' body after becoming a zombie, attempting to numb her bestial impulses with pain. By the end of the movie she's got rail spikes through her arms, along with nails and glass shards sticking out of her head.
* ''Film/Thir13enGhosts''The Hammer, though the event of having the nails hammered into him isn't shown on-screen, only how it looks when the Main Characters are viewing the ghosts.

* ''The13thWarrior'': one of the vikings gets about a half dozen spears (!) stuck in his chest and back before finally keeling over.
* ''TimeBandits'': A bunch of medieval knights with crossbows fire a glut of AnnoyingArrows at Ultimate Evil. In response, he whips his red cloak around himself and turns himself into a literal pincushion. When he bounces down, he fires the arrows back at his would-be killers.

* ''HagarTheHorrible'': Returns home looking like this sometimes (usually axes, spears and arrows), showing that his last pillaging foray wasn't as successful as he'd hoped.

* ''BrutalLegend'': The Tainted Coil's Punishing Party unit in Brutal Legend consists of several Dominatrices and the Slave. The Slave is a big demon with a truckload of arrows, swords, and other pointy objects stuck in his body. Punishing Party's basic attack is tearing out a projectile from the Slave's flesh and hurling it at the enemies.
* ''DungeonSiege'': Particularly visible throughout the series and downright ridiculous in "winter" areas, where opponents tend to use large ice shards instead of arrows.

* ''{{CSI}}'' had an episode with a victim where the cause of death was "gunshot wounds to everything".

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': Archer is seen to have died this way in flashback. Then it happens in-game, but this time, ''[[NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow he sticks around for a day after.]]''

* ''BloodPlus'': In the anime, during a battle with the Schiff, Hagi returns to Saya's hiding spot with weapons still piercing him. He later becomes a human, er, chiropteran pincushion as he is impaled and pinned to a tree with just about every one of the Schiff's weapons, eventually walking the spear still in the tree through himself to escape.

* ''Film/ThreeHundred'': In the {{Bittersweet|Ending}} GrandFinale, where every remaining Spartan warrior is killed and outnumbered by the Persian army, many of the Spartans have arrows, swords, and other weapons encrusted in their bodies.

* The cause of death for [[spoiler: Ususama Wisdom King Mayuri]] from ''TenkuuSenkiShurato''.

* ''The13thWarrior'': one of the vikings gets about a half dozen spears (!) stuck in his chest and back before finally keeling over

* The Iron Maidens in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' do this to Leon as a grab attack.

* In [[TheAnimeOfTheGame the anime of]] DanganRonpa, [[spoiler: [[http://i44.tinypic.com/e9hef5.jpg "Junko Enoshima's"]] original "ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice" death is turned UpToEleven and becomes this trope. The spears that go through her ''thighs'' look specially painful.]]

* King Edmund "the Martyr" of EastAnglia supposedly was killed by Viking invaders in this way in 869 AD, when his captors tied him to a tree and riddled him with arrows. Some 120 years later, his biographer Abbo of Fleury gives a particularly vivid description of the event:

* In the SailorMoon anime, this is how [[spoiler: Nephrite]] dies. At least ''four'' huge pointy roots go through [[spoiler: his]] torso, and when [[spoiler: Naru]] tries to pull one out, she's [[ElectricTorture hit with lightining]].

* In ''Film/TheWolverine'', Logan receives plenty of AnnoyingArrows by the ninjas, which, being poisoned, knock him out.

* [[PatronSaint Saint Sebastian]]: Possibly the UrExample. His martyrdom consisted of being tied to a tree and pierced with multiple arrows. [[MadeOfIron He survived this ordeal]] and was later [[ATasteOfTheLash flogged to death.]] He became the patron saint of archers, which is highly ironic given his particular form of execution.
* Subverted by RebelliousPrincess [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philomena Saint Philomena of Mugnano]]. Her ([[YouFailhistoryForever rather innacurate]]) myth says that she ''was'' to be executed just like Sebastian (after [[ATasteOfTheLash flogging her to almost death]] and [[KillItWithWater being thrown into a river]] didn't work), but God used His Powers to save her [[RuleOfThree by the third time]] and [[KarmicDeath shoot the arrows back to the archers, killing several of them.]] So Philomena "had" to [[OffWithHisHead be decapitated]] instead.

* Ditto in ''{{VideoGame/MountAndBlade,'' extending to other throwing arms such as javelins and axes, as well. Anything that is both a projectile and has something that can be called a pointy end can and will lodge in both player characters and NPC troops, sharing models as they do. [[http://mountandblade.wikia.com/wiki/File:Mb_warband_2011-06-26_22-50-44-55.jpg There's quite the upper bound on the number of arrows that can remain visibly lodged in an object,]] though given how the game averts AnnoyingArrows completely, few players will catch nearly as many in one battle without a shield or high-quality armor.

* Ditto in ''Mount and Blade,'' extending to other throwing arms such as javelins and axes, as well.

* ''Film/TheWolverine''. Ninjas capture Logan by [[GoodThingYouCanHeal shooting him full of]] AnnoyingArrows attached to ropes restricting his movement, then using a poisoned arrow to knock him out.