History Main / PoisonedWeapons

* Georgi Markov, assassinated by the KGB with a poison dart filled with ricin.

* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' features poisoned crossbow bolts, which serve as tranquilizer darts (though they kill ''you''). In the sequel there is a similar dart gun, but also a hidden, poisoned dagger. Striking your enemies with it makes them cough from the poison in addition to extra damage. This is especially useful as continuous strikes will have your opponent hacking so much he won't have the chance to fight back.

** In skyrim poison returns, but further testing one's WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief, a master of pickpocketing can reverse pickpocket a poison vial into their possession to poison them without the recipient noticing

* ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragonsOnline'' features weapons with the poison trait, doing extra 'poison' damage and some kind of ability damage. Rogues also have an enhancement available that adds additional 'poison' damage to their attacks.

** In the same fashion, Don Krieg's most powerful weapon is a cannon ball filled with (oddly) white coloured poison Gas, and Wanze from the [=CP7=] wields a huge poisonous kitchen knife as his last resolve.

Poisoned weapons are typically [[PoisonIsEvil used by villains]], since they allow an easy victory or a spiteful revenge despite losing, especially in a duel. TheHero is usually too {{honor|BeforeReason}}able or [[LawfulStupid stupid]] to use it himself. Heroes down the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism and {{Combat Pragmatist}}s sometimes use poison. A literary device as old as time is to have a confrontation involving a poisoned weapon which the audience knows is poisoned, but the [[DramaticIrony characters involved do not]].

* In Dhampyr Harlan Draka and his friends often dip their weapons and bullets in Harlans blood, since he is a dhampyr and his blood is [[PoisonIsCorrosive dangerous]] to [[BodyHorror vampires]].

* In {{Charmed}}, darklighters are the only beings capable of killing whitelighters. They use arrows coated with a substance that is toxic only to whitelighters.

** No need to bother with pig shit when the human kind is always readily available.

** [[RuleOfCool Sure we can]].

* In ''Film/TheWolverine'', some moronic hunters attack a bear with illegal poisoned arrows. The bear kills several of them and escapes, but is left in agony. After Wolverine gives it a MercyKill, he angrily confronts the remaining hunters and stabs one of them with one of the arrows.

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean: On Stranger Tides'', [[spoiler: Barbossa]] poisons his sword in order to insure even more suffering when he attempts [[spoiler: (and succeeds) to kill Blackbeard.]]
* In ''Film/TheWolverine'', some moronic hunters attack a bear with illegal poisoned arrows. The bear kills several of them an escapes, but is left in agony. After Wolverine gives it a MercyKill, he angrily confronts the remaining hunters and stabs one of them with one of the arrows.

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean: On Stranger Tides'', [[spoiler: Barbossa]] poisons his sword in order to insure even more suffering when he attempts [[spoiler: (and succeeds) to kill Blackbeard]].

** In the [[{{Filler}} anime]], 2nd Division Captain Soi Fon gets in on the act too. Her own ''zanpakutou's'' poison won't kill the target outright unless it strikes the same area twice, which is helpfully pointed out by the enormous butterfly marks it makes on a wounded opponent.
** More recently, [[spoiler: Gin's Bankai true power has been revealed as this. Not only his sword can grow very long and in a short amount of time, but it secretes a deadly poison which he can activate at will.]]

* In ''Webcomic/{{Digger}}'', Boneclaw Mother augmented her NaturalWeapon by coating the claw in poison. Afterwards, she had to clip half the claw to remove the posion.

It should be noted that the poison being ''fatal'' isn't always the case. Often times, the poison will be nonlethal and merely intended to weaken, paralyze, or disorient the target instead. Reasons why vary from wanting to capture them alive, to avoid accidentally killing oneself, to wanting to actually kill them with their own hand but knowing they only stand a chance against them if they're weakened. If the poison is actually lethal, it normally depends on who is hit with it whether or not the poison will actually kill them. If a hero is infected, the poison will normally be slow acting enough to permit a FindTheCure by his allies, but not always. If it's the villain, they're more likely to die.

* One of the robots in ''TheJourneymanProject'' shoots the player with a tranquilizer dart that will kill them if they try to leave the laboratory without finding an antidote first.

* The Dart Gun from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' contains Rad-Scorpion poison, and will instantly cripple the victim's legs as well as causing damage over time; the effect stacks up with the number of darts hitting the enemy. Interestingly enough, a sting from an actual Rad-Scorpion does not cause the crippling effect, only the initial damage and HP drain.