History Main / RazorWind

** Spacial Rend is like this, but with distortions in the spatial continuum.
** Also, Sneasel and Weavile, who are based off of the yokai kamaitachi.
*** Though they ironically cannot learn Razor Wind.

** Also in ''Path of Radiance'' and ''Radiant Dawn'' is the laguz king of the [[RavensAndCrows Raven]] tribe, Naesala. One of his exclusive skills, named Vortex, enables him to attack the enemy at close or long range with a wind spell.

** Wind techiniques generally rely on sharpening the chakra, so the series takes this trope and runs with it; Zaku, one of the Sound {{ninja}}, has an attack literally called "Slicing Sound Wave". Temari from the Hidden Sand also makes active use of various wind cutting techniques with her giant iron fan; the kamaitachi she can summon is capable of decimating an entire forest in seconds, earning her the FanNickname "The Ninja Lumberjack". In fact, her village in general has wind as its main element; for example, Baki can use a ninjutsu called "Blade of Wind", which is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a technique that works exactly as it is named]].

* Both of your swordsmen in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' can learn an ability like this, fittingly known as Air Slash. So can Roddick in ''VideoGame/StarOcean1'', and Albel in ''StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime''.
* Cornell the werewolf in the ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}'' series has this as his primary attack, using nothing but his bare hands and claws. He can rapid-fire it as well, basically using it as a wind-based machinegun. AND he can use it in human form as well (though he does have small claws as a human).

* Winddancer of ''[[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Academy X]]'' used this once.
* In ''CrossingMidnight'', Aratsu, god of knives, controls a tornado of wind with knives flying through it.

* The sword technique "Wind Cutter" in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea}}''. It's ''explosive'' razor wind.

Also known as ''kamaitachi'', it's an attack commonly used in anime and video games. The user is able to [[BlowYouAway use air itself]] to slice enemies, focusing a current of wind, or in some cases [[GaleForceSound sound]], to the point where it takes on a sharp edge, which the caster launches at foes.

Named after the move from the ''{{Pokemon}}'' video games, ironically termed a Normal-type attack, not Flying.

This is OlderThanSteam, thanks to [[TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples Shakespeare]]. Japanese folklore included the wind yōkai [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamaitachi Kamaitachi]], weasels with razor sharp claws that attacked in groups to knock people down and leave bloodless cuts on their legs -- all while moving with such blinding speed that the victim never saw his attacker. This was originally just a pun on "kamaetachi," which meant roughly "attacking ''tachi'' (sword)," bringing the trope full circle.

Also known as Kamaitachi, it's an attack commonly used in anime and video games. The user is able to [[BlowYouAway use air itself]] to slice enemies, focusing a current of wind, or in some cases [[GaleForceSound sound]], to the point where it takes on a sharp edge, which the caster launches at foes.

* OlderThanSteam: In Shakespeare's ''{{Hamlet}}'', the Player King has a line to this effect in his fall of Ilium speech: "Pyrrhus at Priam drives; in rage strikes wide; / But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword / The unnerved father falls... (Act 2, Scene 2, lines 481 - 483)

** Ichigo shows the ability to do this [[spoiler: after getting his powers restored]]

* This is Stocking's signature move in PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt.

* The {{Wuxia}} films of the Nineties were generally made of this trope, to the point of absurdity: a character could deal environmental damage by going through what essentially amounted to a form (the Chinese equivalent of kata). Really, ''CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'' and ''Hero'' are models of understatement and restraint when compared to its predecessors.

* In ''Manga/DragonBall Z'', after Vegeta and Goku fuse to fight Super Buu, Vegito spends a few seconds punching and kicking until Buu lets his guard down, then he lets off one of these and slashes his cheek open.
** Freeza's Death Wave technique.

** This allowed for a possible subversion. As the Wind Sorceress, Kagura can manipulate air currents in such a way as to prevent the Wind Scar from occurring, defanging Inuyasha's best (at the time) attack.

* Ikaruga in ''Manga/FairyTail'' is so good with her sword that she can slash a deck of magical cards in midair without even touching them.
** Erza to a certain extent
* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', wind techiniques generally rely on sharpening the chakra, so the series takes this trope and runs with it; Zaku, one of the Sound {{ninja}}, has an attack literally called "Slicing Sound Wave". Temari from the Hidden Sand also makes active use of various wind cutting techniques with her giant iron fan; the kamaitachi she can summon is capable of decimating an entire forest in seconds, earning her the FanNickname "The Ninja Lumberjack". In fact, her village in general has wind as its main element; for example, Baki can use a ninjutsu called "Blade of Wind", which is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a technique that works exactly as it is named]].

* [[MartianSuccessorNadesico GEKIGAN]] ''[[CallingYourAttacks CUTTER]]!''
* [[{{Yaiba}} Onimaru]] simply loves this tropes: he uses a this a lot in battle, and at least once in order to send his ButtMonkey servant from Tokyo to Ganryujima. He later manages to do this with Lightning ans "Dark energy".
* In ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'', Tatewaki Kuno demonstrates he can perform a move like this which is capable of shattering stone at a considerable distance. In this unusual variant, however, there's no slicing involved; Kuno is able to stab with his sword with such strength and speed (a sword-thrusting variant of RapidFireFisticuffs is his only legitimate special technique) that it can create a concussive beam. In the anime, when having been put through unintentional TrainingFromHell by [[FairWeatherMentor Happosai]] and believing himself to be under the effects of a speed-boosting elixir, Kuno also develops the ability to create horizontal wind vortexes by whirling his sword around in a tight spiral.
** Later on, the rival martial artist Ryuu Kumon can send out razor-sharp waves of vacuum by spreading open his arms with great force. These can demolish even a solid bronze Buddha statue several stories tall.

* The favored attack of overpowered wind mages in ''LightNovel/KazeNoStigma''. Slice and dice everything from demons to hotels in seconds!

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', this is one of Roronoa Zoro's most powerful attacks.
** Which he developed explicitly to have a ranged attack after being constantly put at a disadvantage by guns, thus consciously fulfilling the main use of this trope.

* Setsuna of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' also further shows these techniques, such as the ''Zan Kuu Sen'' (roughly Air-Cleaving-Flash), an attack that fires a blast of compressed air in a spiraling manner to cut far away targets.

*** Also, the Griffin Dragon's BreathWeapon.
*** One of the mage-teachers also has the ability to produce razor wind with just a snap of his fingers.

* Fate of ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' can do this with [[SwissArmyWeapon Bardiche's]] [[{{BFS}} Zanber form]], slicing a HumongousMecha's CombatTentacles with the wind from her sword swing.

** In Raijuta's case (and probably others), it's also given the arguably more realistic explanation of not being "sharp air", but rather a vacuum/shockwave formed from the speed of the swing.

* ''{{Toriko}}'' starts using a "Flying" variant of his Fork and Knife attacks after eating some Blue Blood Corn.
** Zebra can do something similar with his [[MakeMeWannaShout voice]].
*** As can Komatsu with his [[AbsurdlySharpBlade Derous knife]].

* The {{Wuxia}} films of the Nineties were generally made of this trope, to the point of absurdity: a character could deal '''''environmental''''' damage by going through what essentially amounted to a form (the Chinese equivalent of kata). Really, ''CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'' and ''Hero'' are models of understatement and restraint when compared to its predecessors.

* Both of your swordsmen in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' can learn an ability like this, fittingly known as Air Slash.
** So can Roddick in ''VideoGame/StarOcean1'', and Albel in ''StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime''.

** And before that in ''{{Onimusha}} 3'', this was the magic ability of Samanosuke's Kuuga long sword. Bonus point if you turn the violence level to high.

** Technically all swords can do this, in the form of the quick draw, which releases a slash across the screen whenever the protagonists draw blade after waiting a certain period of time or breaking a sword. Leads to the logical conclusion during the BossFight where [[spoiler:the protagonists fight each other, and if the PC character uses quickdraw, the computer character will use the same move and they will cancel.]]

* While not exactly the same as the trope the company [[http://www.air-spade.com/index.html Air-Spade]] manufactures tools that use a supersonic jet of air to excavate trenches.

* While not ''exactly'' this trope, a sufficiently strong wind carrying dust and sand particles -- a sandstorm or a dust devil for instance -- can feel a lot like sandpaper to exposed skin.
** Even worse, tornadoes can cut one to shreds with their debris. It gets even more worse if there's material such as glass, which [[Series/MythBusters can conceivably]] decapitate someone with no problem.
** Tornadoes have been known to launch blades of grass at high enough speeds to cut through wood and metal.
*** Sufficiently powerful sandstorms are often compared to sandblasters, and having paint stripped off of cars is not unheard of.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': Gabranth's signature attack ''Innocence'' where he uses [[DualWielding both of his swords]] to send out dual blades of wind. Also present in ''Dissidia''.

* One of the melee-based [[FunctionalMagic charms]] in ''{{Exalted}}'' enables the use of an energy-shockwave variant.

* ''MageTheAwakening'' has a Space ability called "Ranged Blow", which allows you to do this with any melee weapon.

* ''KamenRiderHibiki'''s Armed Saber was capable of this.
** Pretty much any Kamen Rider with a sword can do it. KamenRiderDouble doesn't have a sword until they get Xtreme Form, but they manage to do it with the Metal Shaft using the Metal Twister Maximum Drive.

* Fate of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' can do this with [[SwissArmyWeapon Bardiche's]] [[{{BFS}} Zanber form]], slicing a HumongousMecha's CombatTentacles with the wind from her sword swing.

* Zanetsu Swords from ''MetalSlug'' six and seven

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' does this, both with the Slash-Wind Slash-Sonic Slash line of wind psynergy, as well as with the item Weasel Claw, which creates a Wind Slash, not making sense to players who know nothing of afformentioned Kamaitachi youkai-weasels that do this with their claws.

* ''[[FireEmblem Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance]]'' introduces the twin legendary swords Ragnell and Alondite, both capable of creating a wave of energy that allows them to attack at range. They return in the sequel, ''Radiant Dawn'', and bring with them a set of blades that give this ability to the previously incapable set of generic swords. Not to be confused with the spellcasting swords in the series as a whole, which perform magic attacks when used at range.

** And in ''Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones'' there is the sacred tome Excalibur, whose animation is a green-tinted, razor-HURRICANE. It can only be used by an S-Level mage, and it grants + 5 speed. The combat animation is slightly impractical, but [[RuleOfCool incredibly fun to watch]]--especially when used by a sage, since they have [[TheCape ankle-length capes.]]

** Marik in ''Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Tsurugi'' joins with an Excalibur tome which fires blades made of air and magic that are strong against basically everything. It's a B-rank tome with an ability that lets Marik alone use it at a magic rank of E.
* The Air Render knife in the various ''FinalFantasy'' games would occasionally do this to all enemies, and was a part of the GameBreaker combo known as "Wind God Gau" in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''.

** There's also a Devil Fruit user who has this as his main ability.