History Main / TelephonePolearm

* ''Literature/FateZero'': Most Servants summoned for a Holy Grail War have a weapon of choice (or several) called a Noble Phantasm that is part of/inspired by their historic/legendary deeds in their past life and serves as their main means of fighting other Servants. This war's Berserker has the skill Eternal Arms Mastery, which lets him wield any conceivable weapon, however unlikely, as if it were his Noble Phantasm (he does have a 'true' NP, but it's such a colossal resource-hog that he rarely uses it). Among other things, his abilities allow him to use the midsection of a streetlight as a pole-arm to devastating effect against Saber.

* Thorkell in ''Manga/VinlandSaga'' uses tree-sized sharpened stakes as either melee or ship-sinking ranged weapons.
* Within the anime of ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', Ryōga uproots a concrete utility pole and swings it at Ranma after Nabiki convinces him the pills she gave him grant super-strength.

* A FillerArc in the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' anime included a boat trip for the protagonists. When, during an attack, their ship becomes unseaworthy, Sakura rips out its mainmast to use as a giant club. Especially notable in that, until this point in the series, [[TheLoad Sakura had done very little in combat that had proven even mildly useful.]] It could also count as foreshadowing, since after the TimeSkip SuperStrength becomes her primary ability and her combat-effectiveness [[TookALevelInBadass skyrockets.]]

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Urouge wields a giant wood pillar. WordOfGod states that it's actually a pencil, and he's looking for a sharpener.
* In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', Ku Fei gets one of these as her signature weapon after her Pactio. It's explicitly based on the Ruyi Jingu Bang from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', and consequently its most memorable appearance is when she uses it as ''artillery support''.

* In the ''Dust Spurt''/''Wasted Minds'' miniseries by Creator/RumikoTakahashi, Yura, a psychic with SuperStrength grabs a pole and goes after an enemy agent who saw her strength and called her a "gorilla woman". The agency ''she'' works for is strapped for cash and the damages she caused with it led them to ask if she was actually on their side.

* The [[GiantMook Gargantuar]] from ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' can use a telephone pole as one of its weapons to ''[[OneHitKill instantly smash one of your plants]]''. Sometimes, it may instead use a street sign or even [[GrievousHarmWithABody another zombie]]. In later games, Gargantuars of different variations adapted to different weapons, such as giant torches, sharks, and hammers.

A SubTrope of BatterUp. See also ImprobableWeaponUser, PrimitiveClubs, CarryABigStick, DropTheHammer, and EpicFlail.

* Taurens in ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' use their totems (essentially enormous, decorated logs) like this.

* Hualin (one of the shopkeepers from ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur III]]'' and a bonus character) uses an enchanted staff that can shift length and thickness to fight, and often shifts it to telephone pole dimensions for stronger attacks. It's based on the staff from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', which could change length and width. See also, [[Manga/DragonBall Goku's Power Pole]].

* In ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis2'' the second stage boss is a huge ScaryBlackMan who fights you by ''bear-hugging a nuclear missile'' by the business end and beating you over the head with it in the second stage of the fight.
* The [[GiantMook Gar]][[MightyGlacier gan]][[DemonicSpider tuar]] from ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' can use a telephone pole as one of its weapons to ''[[OneHitKill instantly smash one of your plants]]''. Sometimes, it may instead use a street sign or even [[GrievousHarmWithABody another zombie]]. In later games, Gargantuars of different variations adapted to different weapons, such as giant torches, sharks, and hammers.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', the Super Mutant Behemoth enemies carry an improvised club consisting of a ''fire hydrant'' at the end of a water pipe. It's also larger than any other in-game fire hydrant by a factor of two, making it about as big as the player without the pipe...
** It's larger than in-game hydrants because the Behemoth was meant to be rather less big. It got changed late in the game by punching up the stats and increasing the size of the model, resulting in the huge hydrant, not to mention the shopping trolley it uses as a backpack being a lot larger than what you'd expect.

A SubTrope of BatterUp. See also ImprobableWeaponUser, PrimitiveClubs, BladeOnAStick, CarryABigStick, DropTheHammer, and EpicFlail.

* Manfred the mammoth in ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' uses a tree trunk against the saber-tooths in the climax of the first film.

* ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'': At some point in his fight, [[spoiler:King Dedede]] drops his weapon in favor of a big stone pillar, which he swings around with ease.

* In one verse during the sixth chapter in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', the titular witch has to swing a streetlamp to kill several angels. Granted, it is one of the ''least'' impressive things she uses as an ImprovisedWeapon, but still...

* Shizuo Heiwajima of ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'' is the page image. [[ReluctantWarrior He never intends to get in a fight]], so when his anger finds a worthy target, he grabs whatever's on the side of the road -- [[VisualPun most ironically Stop and Yield signs]], but he's ripped out safety rails and highway exit markers when he's been exceptionally wrathful.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'':

[[quoteright:350:[[LightNovel/{{Durarara}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shizuo_highwayjavelin.jpg]]]]

* ''LightNovel/FateZero'': Most Servants summoned for a Holy Grail War have a weapon of choice (or several) called a Noble Phantasm that is part of/inspired by their historic/legendary deeds in their past life and serves as their main means of fighting other Servants. This war's Berserker has the skill Eternal Arms Mastery, which lets him wield any conceivable weapon, however unlikely, as if it were his Noble Phantasm (he does have a 'true' NP, but it's such a colossal resource-hog that he rarely uses it). Among other things, his abilities allow him to use the midsection of a streetlight as a pole-arm to devastating effect against Saber.

* Shizuo Heiwajima of ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' is the page image. [[ReluctantPsycho He never intends to get in a fight]], so when his anger finds a worthy target he grabs whatever's on the side of the road - [[VisualPun most iconically Stop and Yield signs]], but he's ripped out safety rails and highway exit markers when he's been exceptionally wrathful.

* A FillerArc in the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' anime included a boat trip for the protagonists. When, during an attack, their ship becomes unseaworthy, [[TheChick Sakura]] rips out its mainmast to use as a giant club. Especially notable in that, until this point in the series, [[TheLoad Sakura had done very little in combat that had proven even mildly useful.]] It could also count as foreshadowing, since after the TimeSkip SuperStrength becomes her primary ability and her combat-effectiveness [[TookALevelInBadass skyrockets.]]

* The [[GiantMook Gar]][[MightyGlacier gan]][[DemonicSpider tuar]] from ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' can use a telephone pole as one of its weapons to ''[[OneHitKill instantly smash one of your plants]]''. Sometimes, it may instead use a street sign or even [[GrievousHarmWithABody another zombie]].

* A WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes short, "WesternAnimation/ScaredyCat", ends with Sylvester ripping a branch off a tree, ready to charge into battle with a horde of killer mice... [[CutASliceTakeTheRest before throwing it away, uprooting the tree, and then charging into battle.]]

* ''LightNovel/FateZero'': Most Servants summoned for a Holy Grail War have a WeaponOfChoice (or several) called a Noble Phantasm that is part of/inspired by their historic/legendary deeds in their past life and serves as their main means of fighting other Servants. This war's Berserker has the skill Eternal Arms Mastery, which lets him wield any conceivable weapon, however unlikely, as if it were his Noble Phantasm (he does have a 'true' NP, but it's such a colossal resource-hog that he rarely uses it). Among other things, his abilities allow him to use the midsection of a streetlight as a pole-arm to devastating effect against Saber.

* A WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes short, 'Scaredy Cat', ends with Sylvester ripping a branch off a tree, ready to charge into battle ... [[CutASliceTakeTheRest before throwing it away, uprooting the tree, and charging.]]

* A common occurrence in Superhero comics due to the abundance of people with the strength to pull this off. [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] will often employ this against stronger opponents, especially the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]], to keep his distance while still doing some damage.

* This is possible in the ''[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]'' video games.

* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'': The Ryui Jingu Bang first appears as a twenty-foot iron pillar in the Dragon King’s treasury. In Sun Wukong’s hands it proves capable of SizeShifting, and shrinks into his signature SimpleStaff. Being ridiculously strong, he has few problems wielding it at either size.