History Main / WreckedWeapon

* ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'': In ''ComicBook/Wolverine1988'', during the period where the adamantium had been removed from his body by Magneto in ''ComicBook/{{Fatal Attractions|MarvelComics}}, Logan runs into his old rival Cyber, who fights the weakened X-Man. At the end of their battle, Cyber catches Logan and slams him into the floor, breaking one set of bone claws. Logan spends the next few issues (going into the ''Phalanax Convent'' storyline) regrowing his claws.

* It's not uncommon for Franchise/{{Batman}}'s poor Batmobile to get wrecked in some manner. Two notable moments were in ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'' when Bats ends up setting off the SelfDestructMechanism that Jean-Paul Valley set up and ''[[ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand Cataclysm]]'', where the earthquake that ravages Gotham causes the Batmobile of the time to get crushed.
* A new enemy damaging Comicbook/CaptainAmerica's [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe shield]] is generally a sign that this foe is to be taken very seriously indeed. For instance, [[spoiler:Odin's brother]] the Serpent in ''Comicbook/FearItself'' breaks the shield into pieces as an indicator that he is ludicrously dangerous and powerful. Also, the pieces of the shield are seen lying around Cap during his HeroicBSOD in the BadFuture of ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'', which indicates that [[CrapsackWorld the world]] really has gone to hell in a handbasket.
* Subverted in the ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' comic book when Flare teams up with the Galloping Galooper, a [[BadassNormal non-powered]] hero who "fights with his great-grandfather's cavalry sword". His blade is broken in the fight, but when Flare consoles him over the loss of the heirloom he explains that his great-grandfather ''made'' swords, and he has dozens more at home.

* In one storyline in the ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' comic, Statesman suspends Manticore from the Freedom Phalanx and then breaks his bow for no reason other than to be a dick. The subversion is that while Manticore looks crushed, he goes home and gets another bow from an [[WallOfWeapons entire wall of them]].
* Evil Star, with his Starband, was able to take away and destroy [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]]'s power ring twice and Hal was powerless to do anything to stop him from doing that.
* In issue 10 of ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' Thor breaks Gram the Sword of Truth because he thinks Loki is not worthy to wield a hero's blade.

* ComicBook/ThePunisher has traditionally had a nasty habit of breaking all of his coolest toys. Much like the T-car, the Battle Van is wrecked in almost all of its appearances.
* ComicBook/SpiderMan sometimes has the bad luck of his web-shooters being damaged in battle, if they don't run out of web fluid.
* In ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesAdventures'', Donatello gets his staff broken when the brothers arrive in the Amazon. Donny makes a second staff and ''it'' breaks when the brothers defend a village from a bunch of amoral loggers. As thanks for their help, he receives a third staff, which he keeps.
* Early in ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s adamantium-less saga, Logan runs into his old rival Cyber, who fights the weakened X-Man. At the end of their battle, Cyber catches Logan and slams him into the floor, breaking one set of bone claws. Logan spends the next few issues (going into the ''Phalanax Convent'' storyline) regrowing his claws.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'':
** In [[ComicBook/WonderWomanNumberOne The Origin of Wonder Woman]] ComicBook/{{Hercules|Unbound}} broke Hippolyte's sword with his club in their ancient battle. She won the fight anyway.
** In the final issue Franchise/WonderWoman broke [[Characters/WonderWomanAres Ares]]' war axe and defeated him, driving him away from Paradise Island.

* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse''
** In ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', Hela effortlessly catches Thor's hammer Mjölnir and crushes it to dust, to Thor's utter shock.
--->'''Thor:''' It's not possible!\\
'''Hela:''' Darling, you have ''no idea'' what's possible.
** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', after Thanos' forces curb-stomp the Asgardians off-screen, a critically injured Heimdall is seen with his sword Hofund shattered.
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'':
*** Early in the final battle, Thanos takes several chunks out of Steve's shield, hacking away at it with his sword until there's basically half of it left. Steve gets it repaired or replaced later, [[spoiler:before handing it over to Sam.]]
*** Midway through the battle, Wanda breaks Thanos' sword in half with her telekinesis, leaving him temporarily defenseless as she lifts him into the air and tries to rip him apart from the inside out as revenge for Vision's death. He gets it back later, though, and uses it to destroy the quantum tunnel in Luis's work van so that Captain Marvel can't fly the Infinity Gauntlet through it.
** ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'': Jane Foster uses the repaired Mjölnir to shatter Gorr the God Butcher's [[ImmortalBreaker Necrosword]], but when he performs a SummonToHand, the weapon starts to repair itself. Undaunted, Jane unleashes a lightning blast that reduces the Necrosword to dust, truly destroying it.
* ''Film/AnOfficerAndASpy'' opens with the infamous [[https://winners-files.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/sale_110-public/38_1.jpg public degradation of Alfred Dreyfus]], with an officer stripping him of his military grade insignias and breaking his officer's sword.
* ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies'' has several examples:
** Bard gets the Black Arrow (the one thing that can kill Smaug), heroic music swells...and then he sees that his bow is broken.
-->'''[[FauxAffablyEvil Smaug]]:''' [[LampshadeHanging Now that IS a pity]].
** Tauriel attempts to stop Thranduril (her own king) from withdrawing from the battle and even draws her bow. He instantly slices it in half with his sword.
** Thorin engages multiple Orcs, and eventually his sword is broken. He proceeds to use a broken sword to continue killing Orcs until he loses that too.

* ''Film/LiveAndLetDie''. After James Bond is captured, [[TheDragon Tee Hee]] reaches under Bond's coat with his HookHand and retrieves his Walther PPK, [[ArtificialLimbsAreStronger bends the barrel and slide]] and hands it back to Bond, then walks off laughing. Bond drops the now useless pistol into the rubbish bin.

** When past Black Ranger Adam Park returned in ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'', circumstances forced him to use his original Black Ranger morpher when he was attacked by the latest monster, with the damaged morpher proving dangerous as its fluctuating energy caused him to lose power during the fight and nearly die.

** When Theoden leads TheCavalry at the Battle of the Plennor Fields, first the horn he blows upon bursts apart from the force of the note, and then his spear breaks when he uses it to strike down the Southron chieftain. All of which foreshadows the great glory he will achieve in the battle, but that it will also claim his life.

** During Boromir's last stand, his sword is broken near the hilt and his horn is cleft in two. Unlike most other examples, this happened "offpage", and is mostly used to indicate how fierce the fighting was.

** This happens to Link in both volumes of the adaptation of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames''.

* Starting in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' one of the advanced combo moves is "Disarm and Destroy", in which you rip an enemy's weapon (be it shield, knife, gun, bat, or stun baton) out of their hand and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin destroy it]]. It's one of the more useful moves, as using "Instant Takedown" on (for example) a shield mook knocks the mook out, but leaves the shield for someone else to pick up complicating the fight.
** Invoked in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'', as the titular knight destroys [[spoiler:the Batmobile]], which had been a critical and constant part of the game. Subverted only a few scenes later, as it is revealed [[spoiler:Alfred had a spare]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Daikatana}}''[='=]s third episode consists of the characters running around sixth-century Norway, collecting pieces of a sword called the "Purifier" in the hopes that restoring it will cure the king that owned it of insanity that has afflicted him since he first broke it. Given that it's a magical weapon, much like the game's eponymous Daikatana, it works.
* Every class in ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' has WeaponBasedCharacterization. For the [[CriticalHitClass Leper]], it's a broken executioner's sword. No matter how much it's upgraded it never gets repaired. It's far from weak, however; even broken in half it's still [[{{BFS}} the biggest weapon used by any of the heroes]] and it does obscene damage.
* In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', you start with Broken Straight Sword Handle, and Hollow Warriors drop Broken Straight Sword as well, while they are weak compared to standard weapons, [[spoiler:these are the essential materials for crafting the [[InfinityMinusOneSword Blessed Artorias Greatsword]]]].
* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' also has its Broken Straight Sword, well received for its low stamina cost than standard weapons, and Broken Thief Sword, which is a dagger with the shape of a sword. [[LethalJokeWeapon Santier's Spear]] is a weapon useful only if it wrecks.
* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'''s final DLC brings [[spoiler:Slave Knight Gael's greatsword]], which can be obtained via soul transposition of the DLC's final boss' soul. Unlike its full form, the Executioner's Greatsword, it has a pointed, jagged tip.
** The Storm Ruler is ''technically'' considered a Greatsword, but since the blade has broken and been crudely sharpened to a point, it has nowhere near the strength requirements of other greatswords; indeed, any character in the game can pick it up. [[spoiler:Because it's almost mandatory to use it on Yhorm the Giant, and hitting you with "surprise, you can't because your stats are bad" would be unfair even by Dark Souls standards.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DeadRising'', although all weapons eventually break with use, there are two weapons that are specifically designed to increase their "mileage" by falling apart and changing forms: The mailbox and the push broom. Once they have reached their "damage limit" they will be stripped to their handles and be usable as spears. They are otherwise unremarkable weapons. Along the same lines there is also the mannequin, which falls apart after one hit but its individual limbs [[DiscOneNuke especially the torso]] last longer than most other weapons and deal better damage than the broom and mailbox.

* One quest in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' has the Last Dragonborn find the pieces of the Daedric artifact dagger, Mehrunes' Razor.

** The start of the original Relic questline has you trying to hunt down a legendary blade, which has been taken. Once you retrieve it, the blacksmith notes how terrible of a shape it's in from its disuse and wrongful possession, forcing you into a quest to reforge it.

** There's a game mechanic where the character's gear and weapons all have a health meter of sorts. The more you use them, the lower the gear. Should they reach 0%, they "break" and their usefulness is cut down in half.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' has a few different abilities spread out through the job classes that can steal, or outright destroy, enemy weapons and armor. This can be a double whammy, as not only is the unit disarmed, but if the unit is still learning a new ability, then destroying the weapon means they stop learning. This can be especially aggravating if the weapon is a relatively rare item that you only have one of that can't be purchased in shops.
** The original ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' has a few classes whose abilities revolve around breaking your weapons or other equipment. This drastically decreases your stats, is expensive or even impossible to replace, and can be quite problematic if in a series of battles. Samurai accept the possibility that their katanas may break if they use their special skills.
* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'', all weapons break after fifty uses and then need to be repaired. In a case more relevant to the trope, the holy sword Tyrfing ends up broken (presumed to be due to Lord Byron having charged across a desert while being pursued by an army) and Sigurd's father has to crawl across the battlefield to give it to him. And Sigurd then gets it... and it costs 50000G (aka the [[{{Cap}} maximum amount of gold you can carry]]) to repair it. But it's the InfinityPlusOneSword, so it's worth it.

* Any player of ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'' has had a weapon wear out in the middle of a dungeon at least once.
** Also, you can get a worn-out weapon repaired, but the repair process has a chance of permanently damaging the weapon. Eventually the weapon will become unusable, usually after you've spent several times the weapon's retail value on upgrades for it.

* Your first weapon in ''VideoGame/{{Perish}}'' is a snapped sword consisting of a few inches of steel (its hilt is longer than the "blade", for reference). You gain better weapons as the game progresses.
* In ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown II'', every character had both a weapon and a manoeuvre to break the opponent's weapon. This typically left them without some, most, or all of their special moves (Cham Cham would obviously not be able to throw her boomerang, but still had her other moves; Wan-Fu's specials all involved his weapon swinging somehow).
** Galford can use every move without his weapon, including his super moves (because his dog is doing most of the work in the majority of his moveset.)

** A Volume 3 flashback reveals that, as soon as Cinder acquires half of the power she seeks, she burns her own weapon to ash as a power play. It is an example of Cinder sacrificing parts of herself for more power; from that point on she uses her abilities to create BreakableWeapons as needed. The fragility of these weapons helps highlight the emptiness that lies behind her façade of power and strength.

** Ikkaku's Hozukimaru seems to get broken a lot. It's implied that the reason it's so fragile is because all of its power goes towards destructive force. [[spoiler:When Edorad breaks it during their fight, [[TheGlovesComeOff Ikkaku decides to start fighting seriously]] and [[IAmNotLeftHanded unleashes his own [[SuperMode Bankai]]]], which ends up shattered to pieces after he kills Edorad. Much later Mayuri states that Akon was able to patch it up somehow, but that it was no longer as powerful as before.]]

** Following that, Ichigo has to undergo TrainingFromHell to get his powers back. During the final stage of the aforementioned training, Ichigo has to rely on the broken remains of his Zanpakuto to fight Urahara, who uses his own Zanpakuto to effortlessly destroy what's left of Ichigo's until only the grip remains. Naturally, [[HopelessBossFight Ichigo becomes too afraid to keep fighting at this point]], until the spirit of his Zanpakuto encourages Ichigo to call upon him for more power. In doing so, [[IKnowYourTrueName Ichigo learns the true name of his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu]], and unlocks its [[NextTierPowerUp Shikai state]], not only restoring the blade but unleashing its true form and power.
** Renji Abarai has a DesperationAttack that can only be used when his sword is broken, allowing him to [[DeathOfAThousandCuts attack the enemy with the individual pieces]].

** In the final battle, [[spoiler:Yhwach uses his powers to alter the future into one where Ichigo's Bankai breaks instantly. However, Shukuro Tsukishima uses his powers to alter the past and repair it. Yhwach breaks Ichigo's Bankai again, but this time, it transforms into his original Shikai from before it was reforged and he kills Yhwach.]]

** In fact, one of the training montages in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' involved, among other things, learning to not break stride when (not if) an opponent shatters your weapon.
*** Renji Abarai even has a DesperationAttack that can only be used when his sword is broken, allowing him to [[DeathOfAThousandCuts attack the enemy with the individual pieces]].

** Played straight at the beginning of the first major arc, when Rukia's brother and best friend turn up to take her back. The former ends up snapping Ichigo's unreleased Zanpakuto like a twig and piercing him in his "spiritual organs" (organs that produce spiritual energy), making him unable to create [[KiManipulation Reishi]] anymore. He has to undergo TrainingFromHell to get his powers back and unlocks his sword's [[NextTierPowerUp Shikai state]] upon doing so.
** Used again much later when [[spoiler:Haschwalth snaps Tensa Zangetsu. Then it's revealed that ReforgedBlade is ''not'' an option for Zanpakuto in Bankai state. Ichigo has to work ''really'' hard to get a new Bankai.]]