History Main / ThrowingTheDistraction

* In the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' games there's both an item and a spell that does this. The item is called the Alluring Skull, a skull that when thrown burst and [[OurSoulsAreDifferent releases lingering souls]] that grab the enemies attention. Though this only works on some enemies. The spell, known as Aural Decoy in '’VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' & ‘'VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'', Yearn in '’VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', does the same thing as the skulls, but usually affecting many move enemy types than the skull.
** ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' continued this trend with the Pungent Blood Cocktail and the Pebble. The Pebble is only able to distract a single enemy, while the Blood Cocktail when thrown, “releases a pungent odor when thrown that attracts [[BloodLust blood-thirsty beasts."]]

* In the first ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' book, Jake uses this to escape from some aliens in a dark construction site. As he's doing it, he thinks to himself [[LampshadeHanging what a cliche it is]] and hopes the aliens have never watched any TV or else they'd probably recognize the trick.

* In the video games, VideoGame/APlagueTaleInnocence and VideoGame/APlagueTaleRequiem, there are several missions and quests in the game that involve you throwing various items to distract the guards and send them running after the noise you created so you can stealthily sneak past them. This is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] since much of the game relies on stealth missions almost as much as it does on combat.

* ''VideoGame/SniperEliteV2'' and ''VideoGame/SniperEliteIII'' allow you to throw rocks to distract enemies. Like the ''Hitman'' example, you're encouraged to do so in the tutorial stage and have an infinite number of them in your inventory. ''Un''like most examples, this will only get the guards out of your hair for a second or two before they start searching the area just to be sure -- you have a pretty small window if you want to actually get past anyone that way.

** Earlier in the middle of the film, Alan tries to lure the Tyrannosaurus away from the kids - who were trapped in one of the cars that is attacked by the same dinosaur - with a torch flare. This almost works, [[WhatAnIdiot until Ian Malcolm intervenes with another flare]].

* Subverted in ''Film/ThreeAmigos'' One of the amigos throws a rock to distract a guard they're trying to sneak past, but accidentally hits the guard's head and knocks him out.

* ''Film/DungeonsAndDragons'' has the heroes distract a patrolling Beholder -- a creature covered in eyes -- with a thrown rock.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Obi-Wan uses the Force to pop a gasket to distract two guards, allowing him to sneak away from the tractor beam controls.

* The ''VideoGame/FarCry'' series gives the player an infinite amount of throwable stones. Just don't throw them in a trajectory that the mook you want to distract sees, because he'll figure out where it came from and beeline towards your position with his buddies.

* The PC and console versions of ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'' give Frodo an unlimited number of stones to throw. While they ''can'' be used to ([[DeathByAThousandCuts eventually]]) kill enemies, their main purpose is to distract enemies and send them rushing over to wherever the stone landed. They are especially necessary for avoiding the Black Riders in the nighttime section of the Shire level.

** In ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'' and ''VideoGame/Hitman2'', the default loadout includes three coins in the third inventory slot that can be used as a distraction of this kind. While they are perfectly usable, and very useful, they are sort-of an InfinityMinusOneSword in ''2016'' and ''2'', as coins are made redundant by the latter games' briefcase (which can be thrown like coins can, store weapons, and guards/ NPC's will take it away from the area it lands to somewhere else). Even without the briefcase, as in ''[[VideoGame/HitmanAbsolution Absolution]]'', you can just pick up and throw pretty much any item in a level, and it'll cause a distraction, meaning the tool slot can be used on something else instead.

* ''CodeNameGravedigger'': In ''Men of War'' #19, Gravdigger throws rocks across a clearing to cause a German soldier to turn in the wrong direction: allowing Gravedigger to [[PistolWhipping slam him with a rifle butt]].