History Main / NearMisses

SuperTrope of CloseCallHaircut (a part of somebody's hair gets cut off during a struggle, usually by a bullet) and HatDamage (when the character's headgear gets hit to show how close the projectile was to being lethal).

* ''Literature/{{Nation}}'': In the DuelToTheDeath between Mau & First Mate Cox, the former dives for cover in a lagoon. The bullets fired from the latter's gun are dramatically slowed down upon hitting the water, making them mostly harmless. Despite this, Mau loses an ear in the course of this scene.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': {{Invoked}}. Drinking a can of Bonk as a Scout causes this to happen with every shot that would normally hit.

** The opening sequence has a shot (from the episode "The Golden Triangle") of [=MacGyver=] ducking for cover as twin lines of gunfire from a helicopter pass either side of him.
** "The Enemy Within": There's a good example of bullets kicking up dust always just behind the running hero.

* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'': In "Livia" and "Eve," Xena uselessly but dramatically catches daggers out of midair that seem to have been aimed somewhere over her shoulders.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': {{Imvoked}}. Drinking a can of Bonk as a Scout causes this to happen with every shot that would normally hit.

** The '''opening sequence''' has a shot (from the episode "The Golden Triangle") of [=MacGyver=] ducking for cover as twin lines of gunfire from a helicopter pass either side of him.
** The episode "The Enemy Within" has a good example of bullets kicking up dust always just behind the running hero.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'' has it happen with Goa'uld Deathgliders, the gunfire from which usually sends people flying.
* Often seen in ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'', especially in the episodes "Livia" and "Eve," where Xena uselessly but dramatically catches daggers out of midair that seem to have been aimed somewhere over her shoulders.

* Drinking a can of Bonk as a Scout in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' causes this to happen with every shot that would normally hit.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', whenever a {{mook}} fired a machine gun at Bats (a semi-frequent occurrence), he would dodge to the side, while bullets ricocheted off the place where he had just been standing. The ''ground'' where he had just been standing, even if the mook was on the same level, and at close range.

** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'': Since it's an aerial fight, the Battle of the Seven Potters is riddled with spells flying over or under the character's heads. Harry spends a good deal of it using the sidecar as a cover from all the spellfire.

** Towards the end, nobody can hit the broadside of a barn standing two feet from it, unless the plot or drama dictates that it should. [[spoiler:This causes such mishaps as one of the twins losing an ear.]]
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': {{Justified|Trope{{ because Harry blows his stack of luck potion among his friends prior to the climatic final fight, who would be dead five times over without it. Ginny remarks afterward that both spells and debris just seemed to miss them.
* ''Literature/{{Nation}}'': {{Justified|Trope}}. In the DuelToTheDeath between Mau & First Mate Cox, the former dives for cover in a lagoon. The bullets fired from the latter's gun are dramatically slowed down upon hitting the water, making them mostly harmless. Despite this, Mau loses an ear in the course of this scene.

* Used in the movie ''Film/SupportYourLocalSheriff'', in which James Garner runs down a typical western wooden sidewalk while a dozen gunmen blast away him from across the street. Every one of dozens of bullets hits the wooden boards of the sidewalk just behind him.

** There's an interesting [[JustifiedTrope justification]] in the climactic battle of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince''. Harry blew his stack of luck potion among his friends, who would've been dead five times over without it. Ginny actually said that everything just seemed to miss them.
* Inverted in the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}'' movie. Batman (in the Batwing) strafes the Joker who just stands in the middle of the street with his arms out, taunting him. Batman opens fire with everything he's got, but he just shoots the ground on either side. Even the ''missiles'' miss. Joker then fires one shot from his long-barreled revolver and Down Goes the Batwing!
* Played for laughs (Like everything else) in ''Film/AttackOfTheKillerTomatoes'', where TheMole is trying to kill Mason Dixon as he slowly strolls down the sidewalk and ends up shooting everyone on the street except the guy he was aiming at.

[[AC:Literature]]
* Terry Pratchett's ''Literature/{{Nation}}'' justifies this during the DuelToTheDeath between Mau & First Mate Cox. Mau dives for cover in a lagoon. The bullets fired from Cox's gun are dramatically slowed down upon hitting the water, making them mostly harmless. Despite this, Mau loses an ear in the course of this scene.

When the baddies shoot at the goodie, they will miss in the following ways:

See also CouldHaveBeenMessy (a risky situation ought to have gotten more people injured or killed), ATeamFiring (nobody gets hit by bullets, no matter how much gunfire is exchanged), and ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy ({{mooks}} are lousy shots when trying to hit the heroes). Contrast MurphysBullet, because stray bullets will always hit someone important.

See also CouldHaveBeenMessy, ATeamFiring, and ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy. Contrast MurphysBullet, because stray bullets will always hit someone important.

See also CouldHaveBeenMessy, ATeamFiring, and ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy. Contrast MurphysBullet, because stray bullets will always hit someone.

See also CouldHaveBeenMessy, ATeamFiring, and ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy.

* One goodie will shove another down to the ground, as the bullets whizz along a line where their chests would be if they were standing up.
* Fired from a helicopter, the bullets land just in front and just behind their prone form.
* The goodies are in the middle of two lines of cannon fire (especially common with the StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure).
* The goodies run, the bullets hit [[HeroTrackingFailure just behind them.]]

[[AC:Film]]

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', especially towards the end, nobody can hit the broadside of a barn standing two feet from it, unless the plot or drama dictates that it should. [[spoiler:This causes such mishaps as one of the twins losing an ear.]]

** Although the books probably do fall under this trope, that particular instance is actually [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that [[spoiler:Snape cast the curse; being that he was TheMole, he didn't want to raise suspicion amongst the Death Eaters but clearly didn't want to cause too much damage. The presumption is he just aimed carefully.]]

* The ''Series/MacGyver1985'' '''opening sequence''' has a shot (from the episode "The Golden Triangle") of [=MacGyver=] ducking for cover as twin lines of gunfire from a helicopter pass either side of him.
** Also from ''[=MacGyver=]'', the episode "The Enemy Within" has a good example of bullets kicking up dust always just behind the running hero.
* Of course, Richard Dean Anderson's ''other'' successful series, ''Series/StargateSG1'', repeats this, but with Goa'uld Deathgliders, the gunfire from which usually sends people flying.

* [[CaffeineBulletTime Drinking a can of Bonk]] as a Scout in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' causes this to happen with every shot that would normally hit.

* Inverted in the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman}}'' movie. Batman (in the Batwing) strafes the Joker who just stands in the middle of the street with his arms out, taunting him. Batman opens fire with everything he's got, but he just shoots the ground on either side. Even the ''missiles'' miss. Joker then fires one shot from his long-barreled revolver and Down Goes the Batwing!

* The ''Series/MacGyver'' '''opening sequence''' has a shot (from the episode "The Golden Triangle") of [=MacGyver=] ducking for cover as twin lines of gunfire from a helicopter pass either side of him.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', especially towards the end, nobody can hit the broadside of a barn standing two feet from it, unless the plot or drama dictates that it should. [[spoiler: This causes such mishaps as one of the twins losing an ear.]]

*** A HandWave seemed more fitting when first read.
** Although the books probably do fall under this trope, that particular instance is actually [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that [[spoiler: Snape cast the curse; being that he was TheMole, he didn't want to raise suspicion amongst the Death Eaters but clearly didn't want to cause too much damage. The presumption is he just aimed carefully.]]
*** He was actually aiming for the other Death Eater he was paired with, and missed.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', whenever a {{mook}} fired a machine gun at Bats (a semifrequent occurence), he would dodge to the side, while bullets ricocheted off the place where he had just been standing. The ''ground'' where he had just been standing, even if the mook was on the same level, and at close range.

* Inverted in the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman}}'' movie. Batman (in the Batwing) strafes the Joker who just stands in the middle of the street with his arms out, taunting him. Batman opens fire with everything he's got, but he just shoots the ground on either side. Even the ''[[IncrediblyLamePun miss]]''''iles'' miss. Joker then fires one shot from his long-barreled revolver and Down Goes the Batwing!

* Inverted in the 1989 ''Batman'' movie. Batman (in the Batwing) strafes the Joker who just stands in the middle of the street with his arms out, taunting him. Batman opens fire with everything he's got, but he just shoots the ground on either side. Even the ''[[IncrediblyLamePun miss]]''''iles'' miss. Joker then fires one shot from his long-barreled revolver and Down Goes the Batwing!
* Played for laughs (Like everything else) in ''AttackOfTheKillerTomatoes'', where TheMole is trying to kill Mason Dixon as he slowly strolls down the sidewalk and ends up shooting everyone on the street except the guy he was aiming at.

* Terry Pratchett's ''{{Nation}}'' justifies this during the DuelToTheDeath between Mau & First Mate Cox. Mau dives for cover in a lagoon. The bullets fired from Cox's gun are dramatically slowed down upon hitting the water, making them mostly harmless. Despite this, Mau loses an ear in the course of this scene.

* Used in the movie ''SupportYourLocalSheriff'', in which James Garner runs down a typical western wooden sidewalk while a dozen gunmen blast away him from across the street. Every one of dozens of bullets hits the wooden boards of the sidewalk just behind him.

* Of course, Richard Dean Anderson's ''other'' successful series, ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'', repeats this, but with Goa'uld Deathgliders, the gunfire from which usually sends people flying.
* Often seen in ''Xena, Warrior Princess'', especially in the episodes "Livia" and "Eve," where Xena uselessly but dramatically catches daggers out of midair that seem to have been aimed somewhere over her shoulders.

* In ''HarryPotter'', especially towards the end, nobody can hit the broadside of a barn standing two feet from it, unless the plot or drama dictates that it should. [[spoiler: This causes such mishaps as one of the twins losing an ear.]]
** There's an interesting [[JustifiedTrope justification]] in the climactic battle of ''HarryPotter and the Half-Blood Prince''. Harry blew his stack of luck potion among his friends, who would've been dead five times over without it. Ginny actually said that everything just seemed to miss them.