History Main / KnifeFight

* ''SnowCrash'' gives us a fight between Raven, who uses ''glass'' knives, and Uncle Enzo, who has a straight razor.

* The Bride and Vernita Green in ''KillBill Vol. 1'' are in the middle of one of these when the bus comes and little Nikki arrives. They discuss continuing it at a baseball field. But in a subversion, [[spoiler:Vernita tries for a bushwhack by pulling a gun]].

** Pretty much confirmed to me the movie was really a comedy.

Problem is, not all stories take place in locales where a sword would be considered an appropriate weapon to have along, regardless of what the hero might [[HeroesPreferSwords prefer.]] This might be simply because the story takes place in TheFuture, where no one uses swords anymore (even LaserBlades). It might also be because the protagonist is some manner of soldier, mercenary, scruffy rogue, or other manner of AntiHero who is [[WeaponOfChoice thematically forbidden]] from using such extravagant weapons. Enter the knife--simple and useful enough that humans will almost certainly be carrying it around no matter where or when they are, yet dangerous and shiny and sharp enough that they can serve as a substitute for the SwordFight in a pinch. Knives also have the advantage that you don't have to necessarily be a knife fighter to carry one around, meaning that any character is a candidate for pulling one out. All the drama with none of the camp!

Knife fight! You're gonna [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment fight with a knife!]]\\

* Technically its a "sword vs knife" fight, but given the relative sizes of the two combatants and the close quarters involved, the duel between [[TheWoobie Ahren Elessedil]] and his [[KickTheDog tormentor]], [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Cree]] [[CompleteMonster Bega]] in TheVoyageOfTheJerleShannara is thematically closer to this. Oddly, given the number of {{Knife Nut}}s in TerryBrooks' writing this is the only one that really stands out, possibly due to its being between a BreakTheCutie Woobie, and TheDragon.

* Zod vs Clark in the ''{{Smallville}}'' Season 9 finale.

* ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' has a ''[[spoiler:magical]]'' knife fight.

* There was also a knife fight... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj7UKXKwd4k sort of]]... during ''{{Macross}}'''s low-budget days.

-->''Knife fight! You're gonna fight for your life!\\

----> -"Knife Fight," by '''LemonDemon'''

* A fantastic one between TommyLeeJones and Benicio Del Toro in ''The Hunted''.

* Leon and Krauser have one in a harrowing PressXToNotDie sequence in ''ResidentEvil4''.

* In the [[HomestarRunner Strong Bad Email]] [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail69.html personal favorites]], Strong Bad claims that one of his favorite emails was the one where Coach Z and Pom-Pom had a knife fight on the stone bridge.

* Not really a knife fight but in the Dark Tournament Saga of ''YuYuHakusho'' the final fight of Team Urameshi's first round was settled in a Knife Edge Death Match [Funimation Dub Translation]. The idea is you put two knives into the ground opposite each other, the two fighters press up a foot against one of the knives and keep hitting each other until one of them steps off the knife.

* GangsOfNewYork
* The Bride and Vernita Green in ''KillBill'' Volume 1 are in the middle of one of these when the bus comes and little Nikki arrives. They discuss continuing it at a baseball field. But in a subversion, [[spoiler:Vernita tries for a bushwhack by pulling a gun]].

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* In ''{{Baccano}}!'', Firo has to duel Maiza before he can be accepted into the Martillo family (technically a duel, with a martial on hand who states if either of them go for the neck or torso he'll shoot them). Firon wins by slashing Maiza's arm, but of course [[spoiler: it heals]].
* ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' has a ''[[spoiler:magical]]'' knife fight.
* Not really a knife fight but in the Dark Tournament Saga of ''YuYuHakusho'' the final fight of Team Urameshi's first round was settled in a Knife Edge Death Match [Funimation Dub Translation]. The idea is you put two knives into the ground opposite each other, the two fighters press up a foot against one of the knives and keep hitting each other until one of them steps off the knife.
* The obscure anime ''Dog Soldier'' has one... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR0NTMVjEcY sort of.]]
* There was also a knife fight... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj7UKXKwd4k sort of]]... during ''{{Macross}}'''s low-budget days.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Quite a few throughout the ''{{Dune}}'' novels; forcefield technology repells bullets, but slow things like knives and swords get through fine.
* ''SnowCrash'' gives us a fight between Raven, who uses ''glass'' knives, and Uncle Enzo, who has a straight razor.
* JorgeLuisBorges had a fascination for them. Knife duels feature in several of his stories ("El encuentro", "El Sur", "El fin", etc.) and there is a whole book of his poems dedicated to (a nostalgic and romanticized version of) the ''cuchilleros'' of Buenos Aires circa 1900.
* MatthewReilly does a couple of these, since most of the characters carry knives as backup weapons (see Real Life section below). ''Ice Station'' has a knife fight when the air becomes mixed with a flammable gas.
* Technically its a "sword vs knife" fight, but given the relative sizes of the two combatants and the close quarters involved, the duel between [[TheWoobie Ahren Elessedil]] and his [[KickTheDog tormentor]], [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Cree]] [[CompleteMonster Bega]] in TheVoyageOfTheJerleShannara is thematically closer to this. Oddly, given the number of {{Knife Nut}}s in TerryBrooks' writing this is the only one that really stands out, possibly due to its being between a BreakTheCutie Woobie, and TheDragon.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* Storm's battle with Callisto for leadership of the Morlocks in ''{{X-Men}}'' comics.

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* In the [[HomestarRunner Strong Bad Email]] [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail69.html personal favorites]], Strong Bad claims that one of his favorite emails was the one where Coach Z and Pom-Pom had a knife fight on the stone bridge.

[[AC:Music]]
* MichaelJackson's music video for ''Beat It'' had a switchblade fight, of the wrists-tied variety.
* ''[[LemonDemon I'mma cut you (swish-swish) in a Knife Fight (Knife Fight), Knife Fight (Knife Fight), Knife Fight! Knife Fight!]]''

* ''UnderSiege''. Casey Ryback vs. the BigBad William Strannix.

* Technically its a "short sword vs knife" fight, but give the relative sizes of the two combatants and the close quarters involved, the duel between Ahren Elessedil and [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Cree]] [[CompleteMonster Bega]] in TheVoyageOfTheJerleShannara is thematically closer to this. Oddly, given the number of {{Knife Nut}}s in TerryBrooks' writing this is the only one that really stands out.