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1[[quoteright:338:[[ComicBook/ConanTheBarbarian https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/conan_sword_throwing_1826.jpg]]]]
2[[caption-width-right:338:"[[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi You are unwise to lower your defenses!]]"]]
3
4->''"We've all seen it a dozen times in the vids. Some hero's just about to lose the climactic battle. Out of desperation, he throws his sword. It flies end-over-end (usually with the camera right behind it) and plunges through the villain, skewering him like a Morrocan shish kebab."''
5-->-- ''The Last Crusaders'' sourcebook for ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}: Hell on Earth''
6
7In RealLife, a sword is not really designed for throwing. Its shape and weight are optimized for slicing, thrusting, and other movements driven mostly by the user's arms, and not for aerodynamically moving through the air on momentum alone. In addition, throwing your sword usually leaves you unarmed, so even if you ''do'' score a hit, if you do not kill your opponent, you are still in a great deal of danger.
8
9But in fiction, throwing your sword always works! Whether it's used by a hero as a [[DesperationAttack last-ditch display of valiance]] or by anyone else just for RuleOfCool, the prospect of combining deadly blades and high speeds is just too good to pass up. Best of all, it allows for a tense, dramatic wind-up AND a dramatic payoff. The fact that logically there should be an at least fair chance of hitting your target with the wrong end is [[TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn casually ignored]].
10
11Sometimes the character will throw his sword [[SpectacularSpinning more like a boomerang]]: horizontally and with a spin on it. While this certainly does make it more likely to cut the opponent, it does raise other questions about the [[AwesomeYetImpractical logistics of such an act]]...
12
13However, TruthInTelevision is not completely lacking here. Historically, certain straight-bladed swords (primarily mediaeval arming swords and longswords) could be thrown, but not in the way typically seen in the media. Throwing a sword end-over-end as is commonly shown has little practicality, and is not likely to hit a target point first[[note]]Although, depending on the mass of the sword, even getting hit by the "wrong" end could still do some serious damage - broken ribs or the like do tend to impair one's ability to fight.[[/note]] (and if it does, it has a chance of just [[https://youtu.be/wTC_1HRgbuo bouncing off]]). Instead, a sword could be gripped backward by the guard and the end of the blade, and thrown straight similarly to a javelin. This, while still a situational technique, could allow the sword to be thrown accurately at reasonable distances, potentially hitting an enemy point first with some effectiveness. Also, this tactic makes quite a bit more sense for curved swords: for much the same reason that it works for axes. You are much more likely to hit the opponent with the blade, and the sharp surface of the sword is very large making an effective hit much more likely. Especially against a lightly armored opponent, this has some chance of actually working. It does still have the disadvantage of leaving you unarmed, unless you are [[DualWielding wielding two swords or something]].
14
15Compare BallisticBone and DetachableBlades. Contrast (or compare as well) ThrowingYourGunAtTheEnemy, which makes ranged use out of another weapon (in this case, a weapon that already ''is'' ranged) in an unconventional way. See also ThrowingYourShieldAlwaysWorks (only actually TruthInTelevision for the Spartan hoplon, which had a sharpened edge and if thrown like a frisbee at short range was capable of performing a crude tracheotomy. Most shields however have dull edges, and aren't likely to do much more damage than just throwing a random object of the same weight.) This almost always results in TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn, although that can also result from accidental falls as well as deliberate throws. When the thrown sword is used as a ladder, stepping stone, or perch, it will also be SteppingStoneSword. SummonToHand can negate the negative side effects of this. Contrast GiveMeASword, where the character may throw the sword but is ''not'' intending to commit any damage, just trying to get it to someone who can use it.
16
17Also note that many ''knives'' ARE designed to be thrown, even some that are rather larger than your typical pocket knife or hunting knife.
18----
19!!Examples:
20[[foldercontrol]]
21
22[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
23* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': In one of Levi's fights, he chucks his blades into the eyes of a Titan before slashing out its nape. {{Justified|Trope}}, in that every soldier carries multiple blades because they wear out quickly. Levi probably just weaponized blades that would otherwise just be thrown away.
24* While not seen in the anime adaptation, Guts of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' once did this, though as he is a master swordsman, had superhuman strength at the time, and wields a sword that would crush you to death even if it was just the hilt that hit you, it's well justified.
25* In ''Manga/BlackClover'', Ladros, upon figuring out that Asta is equipped only with a sword, chooses to engage in BeamSpam from a long distance to ensure Asta can never hit him. Asta quickly becomes aware of what Ladros is pulling and counters by throwing his sword, which squarely hits its target due to the bright lights and smoke from Ladros' ki blasts severely impairing his line of sight to Asta. Ladros is left in shock, especially as he desperately tries to yank the sword out of his shoulder and realizes just how ''heavy'' the sword is (although technically it's lighter to Asta since he doesn't have mana to drain).
26* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
27** [[spoiler:Barragan Luisenbarn]] tries to fulfill his vow of killing [[spoiler:Aizen Sōsuke]], and with his last breath he throws his [[spoiler:axe]] in hopes of reaching his target. However, he was too slow, as his weapon [[spoiler:decayed from his own power]] meters away from his target. Moments later, he died, leaving only his [[spoiler:crown]] behind.
28** This is to say nothing of Uryu's {{Chainsaw|Good}} [[LaserBlade Beam]] {{Katana|sAreJustBetter}} [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Launcher]].
29** Hollow Ichigo loves to do this.
30** Ichigo himself picks up this trick after fighting his hollow self. He tried to do this with [[spoiler:his representative badge, which he's using to regain his powers]]. It didn't work because that weapon apparently deactivates as soon as he lets go of it. He had better luck when he got the Vandenreich leader's attention by throwing his sword so hard it made a crater in the ground, then casually walked up and retrieved it.
31* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'':
32** Clare first does the spinning sort in the second chapter to take down a flying demon trying to escape, and that certainly isn't the last time. And considering all the other wacky sword techniques the series employs, this can get downright plausible in comparison.
33** In one incident where Miata did this to save Clarice, the ramifications (the former promptly getting dogpiled by Yoma) were comparatively realistic. The fact that Miata promptly tore them apart with her bare hands...
34** Lampshaded when Yuma throws her sword to take out an Awakened Being to help Galatea, and upon feeling proud of her projectile skills Cynthia states it isn't the best technique since it disarms her.
35* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Suzaku manages to throw the Lancelot's sword through an enemy mech when surrounded. Something of a subversion as, despite being impressive, he failed to do any notable damage and lost the sword in the process. [[spoiler:Near the end of the series, Gino Weinberg (also in a Humongous Mecha) throws one of the halves of Waldstein's Excalibur at Lelouch's Shinkirou, impaling it in the back and causing it to explode seconds later.]]
36* In ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'', Chilchuck [[spoiler: throws Senshi's mithril knife - the only weapon that so far had any success - with perfect accuracy and devastating results into the eye of the Red Dragon. This move is a key factor in the victory, but he gets taken out of commission soon thereafter]].
37* ''Anime/DevilMayCryTheAnimatedSeries'' has Dante throwing his sword around a few times. One such instance impaled a mermaid-demon through the neck against a wall in the episode "Rock Queen" (WITHOUT harming the possessed human victim at that!).
38* Allen from ''Manga/DGrayMan'' does this twice. One at Road, another with a Level 4, but that was more like summoning the sword to fly to him.
39* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'':
40** Piedmon's trademark move, "Trump Sword", involves throwing a quartet of blades at his enemy, usually to devastating effect.
41** In another instance, Zudomon manages to crack [=MetalEtemon's=] armored shell by throwing his hammer at him.
42* In ''Anime/DragonBallZBojackUnbound'', Future Trunks is trapped in energy-draining wires and about to be impaled by a makeshift spear. Vegeta throws Trunks' sword, which destroys the spear and cuts the wires at the same time.
43* In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', Future Trunks throws his sword at Goku Black just as he was about to fire a blast. The sword cuts his arm, making him cancel his blast. The sword then comes back to Trunks like a boomerang.
44* Erza of ''Manga/FairyTail'' can throw 200 swords at once. But since she can use magic to telekinetically lift and fire them, plus she fires them point-first like bullets out of a gun at high velocity, it's no real big deal.
45* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':
46** Lampshaded when Ling throws his sword at Envy to save Lan-Fan, but then frantically starts yelling for her to throw it back to him because doing so left him unarmed while getting chased down by Gluttony.
47** Maes Hughes likes to throw daggers hidden up his sleeve when things get hairy. Except he uses push daggers, not actual throwing knives.
48* In ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'', Tasuki hurls a sword at Nakago, who was gloating at him, but misses. [[spoiler:However, he ''does'' manage to kill Soi, which pisses Nakago off.]]
49* ''Anime/GaReiZero'' - Kagura's Michael-12 has this as a secondary function: the pneumatic pressure inside the sheath launches the sword in a boomerang motion. The sword comes with a retractable chain that attaches it to the sheath for retrieving the sword afterwards.
50* Ryoma from ''Manga/GetterRobo'' does this with a mafia assassin's katana, and he throws it by the blade too. Not to mention that one of the attacks of Getter-1/Getter Dragon/Shin Getter-1 is the "Getter Tomahawk Boomerang", which has the mecha throwing the titular weapon and having it come back to its hand at times.
51* The ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gundam]]'' franchise gives us a few examples:
52** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'': Justified in that the fight takes place in zero-g; and that there is a rack of swords available.
53** ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'': In ''A New Translation'', Kamille improvises the Beam Confuse, in which he throws a beam saber like a boomerang and then shoots beams at the sword, causing the beams to disperse into small particles that cover an area like rain.
54** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Victory Gundam]]'': This was used once as a desperation move before the opponent (gira) could strike the titular Gundam with his beam saber, and works.
55** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'': Shenlong Gundam throws its [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe shield]] at some enemies once. It also throws its melee weapon once, but that kind of makes sense, seeing as it's a beam ''javelin''.
56** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'': Setsuna's fighting style in the Gundam Exia typically involves him chucking his blades at his targets. Luckily, it's mostly just his short sworder and beam daggers.
57** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny'':
58*** A humongous-sized combat knife isn't enough, let's [[{{Pun}} throw in]] [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/seed-destiny/lineart/gat-02l2-mk315.jpg Mk.315 Stilleto]], anti-armor grenades shaped like knives, able to break the crap out of [[SuperPrototype Freedom's]] Shield, talk about minor awesomeness here.
59*** Earlier in the anime, there's a battle where Shinn takes out a [[EnergyWeapon powerful beam cannon emplacement]] by disabling an enemy mecha with his Gundam's combat knives and then uses it as a giant grenade. The video game ''Generation of C.E.'' {{exaggerate|dTrope}}s this, changing the scene so Shinn throws the knife into the mecha's face, flies up past it, and then performs a backkick that sends it flying into the cannon.
60** Lowe Gear of ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamSeedAstray'' outdoes everyone else when he throws his 150-meter katana (yes really) at an enemy cruiser, skewering it from end to end.
61** In the Destiny Remaster, Kira ends up tossing the Strike Rouge's anti-ship sword (from its Remaster exclusive Ootori pack) through a Zaku's head after the pack is exhausted and destroyed as his final attack before retreating into the Eternal to get Strike Freedom. Both letting Strike retire with last hurrah (originally it was quickly disabled before Kira could do more than fire a few shots and this is after it spent all Destiny just floating there) and showing that Kira's skills (which many suspect dulled due to his overuse of Freedom's powerful guns) as are sharp as ever.
62** The trope is subverted in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam'', during the fight between the 08th Team and Norris. While Norris and Shiro are squaring off, Norris bluffs by throwing his sword off to the side with no intent to actually hit anything -- but while Shiro is distracted by the sword, Norris takes the opportunity to fry Shiro's mech with his [[ShockAndAwe Heat Wire]].
63* Exaggerated in ''Manga/HellsParadiseJigokuraku'', where Shion somehow manages to ''behead'' an opponent by throwing his katana at it.
64* Alexander Anderson of ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' fame loves this with bayonets. He carries around a [[BottomlessMagazines nigh-infinite]] number of them -- enough to throw ten or twenty at a time and still go DualWielding. As it turns out, he's extremely accurate; at one point hitting a target to disable from around a corner at least a dozen times in about three seconds.
65* In an early episode of ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'', he's fighting against the [[ShockAndAwe Raiju brothers]]. When Kagome is about to be killed by the younger sibling, Inuyasha throws [[{{BFS}} Tessaiga]] at him, killing him. Much more later, Sesshomaru gets rid of Suikotsu by tossing Tokijin at him. Bonus points for doing that without looking directly at him.
66* In the ''Manga/LoneWolfAndCub'' series, Ogami Itto throws his sword a few times. In the second film as well, really surprising his opponent, because now he is unarmed against the last one. But to be fair, he always throws it like one would throw a spear, and usually it works because he is perceived as a ronin/samurai with at least some shred of honor, which he is not (he's an assassin), thus catching his opponents completely off guard. Also, because of the nature of samurai martial arts, their duels where mostly over after a single attack. Finally, it should be mentioned that Itto is left less defenseless than the trope usually implies, as he's capable of a BareHandedBladeBlock as well.
67* Done by Cypha in ''Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce'' as a finishing blow on the [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown already downed]] [[spoiler:Signum]], impaling the latter through her torso. Not that even ''that'' [[MadeOfIron can kill her]].
68* ''Anime/MazingerZ'':
69** Tetsuya Tsurugi from ''Anime/MazingerZ'' and ''Anime/GreatMazinger'' sometimes uses his robot's sword like a spear (the first time he used that move was in his first appearance!). However, he holds it overhead as if it were a real spear when he does that, so it may seem more plausible than usual.
70** Daisuke Umon/Duke Fleed, from ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'', usually thrown as a FinishingMove the Double Harken, a pair of crescent-moon shaped scythes which pop out of Grendizer's shoulders and join together by attaching the ends.
71* ''Literature/MushokuTenseiJoblessReincarnation'': The North God Style school of swordsmanship relies on [[CombatPragmatist using adaptability, trickery, and the environment itself to gain every possible advantage against your opponent]]. Amongst its repertoire are techniques for throwing your sword at your target with pinpoint accuracy.
72* Jack Rakan from ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' does this several times. Sometimes as a warning, sometimes as a powerful attack (as [[spoiler:Kotarô]] can personally attest), and once, with a {{BFS}}, [[SkySurfing as a way to reach his targets at Mach 3.2]]. Justified in that his swords are part of his Pactio, and thus highly magical. Also, he's got hundreds of swords to use, so even if he went with a StormOfBlades, he'd still have a pretty large selection to choose from.
73* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
74** Alvida throws her spiked club at some of her mooks in the first episode.
75** In the Fishman Island arc, Vander Decken IX has the ability to mark someone as his target by touching them. After that, any item he throws will home in on them no matter where he throws it from (unless another person or barrier blocks it). So, throwing his sword (or anything else) will always work.
76** The Dressrosa Arc has Jean Ango, a self-proclaimed sniper who collects swords off the battlefield to throw at people as his entire fighting style. He fails to hit Luffy even once when the latter dodges his attacks with [[CombatClairvoyance Observation Haki]], which has the unfortunate consequence of having Jean Ango's weapons [[BehindTheBlack land on a very pissed off Don Chinjao]].
77* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': Sayaka tries this in episode 5. Then the fight gets interrupted and we never see her try it again. This tactic ends up reentering her repertoire by the time of TheMovie, where she's become [[TookALevelInBadass significantly better]] at it. Given that she's a MagicalGirlWarrior who can conjure up swords at will, the "working" part is fairly justified.
78* Ghim of ''Roleplay/RecordOfLodossWar'' manages to do this with a ''battle axe''.
79* Played with in ''Literature/ReincarnatedAsASword'', as the sword in question is not only [[LivingWeapon alive]], but can course-correct in midair via telekinesis.
80* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'':
81** Used in a modified form in an early chapter: Kenshin, having lost the use of his right arm, launches his sword ''hilt-first'' at his opponent (a move called the Hi Ryuu Sen, or Flying Dragon Flash). It nails his opponent between the eyes for the win.
82** One of Shinomori Aoshi's techniques, ''Onmyo Hasshi'', involves throwing ''both'' of his swords straight at his opponent, with one sword directly behind the other so as to obscure it from the opponent's line of sight, leaving them vulnerable when they parry the first sword. Even then, Aoshi is a skilled Kempo user in his own right (and in fact uses said hand-to-hand skills in tandem with his sword skills), so he can afford to disarm himself.
83** Saitō throws his broken sword at Kenshin knowing it is a bad move and at best a distraction. His opponent sees this and chooses to take the small cut rather than break his stance. This is still enough for Saitō's unexpected follow-up to work.
84** Creator/NobuhiroWatsuki's debut work, the one-shot "Crescent Moon in the Warring States" which he eventually decided was a prequel to ''[=RuroKen=]'', had samurai protagonist Hiko Seijūrō be faced with a BigBad armed with a matchlock rifle who told him NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight. Hiko rendered the gun temporarily useless by throwing his wakizashi into the barrel, then killed him with his tachi.
85* In the very last episode, Mugen of ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' does this during a battle with his EvilCounterpart. It's more of a subversion though: Mugen wasn't actually throwing the sword at his opponent, but ''into the ground behind him'' to both distract him while he ran up close and to [[spoiler:use to make the chain of his opponent's [[SinisterScythe kusarigama]] snake around so he could [[HoistByHisOwnPetard pull on the chain and cut Umanosuke's]] [[OffWithHisHead head]] [[AbsurdlySharpBlade clean off]]]].
86%%* Mifune from ''Manga/SoulEater'' definitely counts.
87* ''Anime/SpeedRacer'' managed to throw a sword perfectly enough to [[BlastingItOutOfTheirHands knock a gun out of a guy's hand]]. Yeah.
88* In one of the ''Super Beast Machine God Anime/{{Dancougar}}'' [=OVAs=], after [[spoiler:fighting their way toward DimensionLord Emperor Muge and only getting within visual range of his castle, the team sheds a ton of BerserkerTears and the titular mech throws the Dan Kuu Ken. It flies all the way to Muge's castle, bursting through several walls, and still having enough momentum to lethally impale him]].
89* Near the end of ''Anime/SwordOfTheStranger'', Nanashi saves Kotaro from afar by throwing his sword at his would-be executioner. Soon, though, he finds himself at a disadvantage because of this and has to retrieve it.
90* The guardians of the WorldTree do this in the Fairy Dance arc of ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'', leading to a dramatic scene in which [[spoiler:Kirito]] is impaled on multiple swords. Possibly justified in that they are magic-using video-game enemies.
91* Star Saber manages to defeat Deathsaurus twice in ''Anime/TransformersVictory'' by throwing his sword through the villain's chest plate.
92* ''Literature/VampireHunterD'': In the 1985 film, while D is fighting Count Magnus Lee, he throws his sword at Lee and pins him to a wall, killing him.
93* At one point, Jagara from ''Anime/WolfsRain'' throws her sword (like a javelin) and hits a running wolf.
94* ''Manga/WorldTrigger'':
95** Raygust can be thrown like a high-speed projectile thanks to the Option Trigger, Thruster. During the Large Scale Invasion Arc, Osamu manages to pierce a Rabbit in its neck by throwing his boosted Raygust at it like a javelin, and Reiji is able to thrust the “Knife Mode” out like a [[StockNinjaWeaponry Kunai]] as a last desperation attack in order to win some time against Viza and Hyuse, managing to stab through Viza's leg.
96** Yuuma learns to throw his Scorpion like a spinning three-pronged projectile resembling a ninja star and manipulate its trajectory at will using either a Grasshopper platform or a second Scorpion attached to the projectile like a string on a yo-yo.
97* In ''Anime/YuGiOhCapsuleMonsters'', when trapped and being strangled to death by Trents, Celtic Guardian throws his sword to cut Yami Yugi free.
98* Double subverted in ''Anime/YuGiOhTheMoviePyramidOfLight''. When inside Yami's head, Yugi, unable to reach the source of Anubis' power, throws a dagger at it. The handle hits it and bounces off... and then it cracks apart anyway.
99[[/folder]]
100
101[[folder:Comic Books]]
102* ''ComicBook/{{Blade}}'': In his StandAloneEpisode of ''Midnight Sons Unlimited'', Characters/{{Blade}} throws his sword to kill Angela, [[OffhandBackhand who was coming at him from behind]]. [[spoiler:As if anything else could be spoiled, she was trying to avenge her brother, who was also trying to kill Blade.]]
103* ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'': In ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'', [[Characters/MarvelComicsDeadpool Deadpool]] throws his blade as a timed anticlimax.
104* ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'': The titular character normally uses actual throwing knives, but in a pinch, he would sometimes throw things that aren't supposed to be thrown, at least that way:
105** On one occasion, caught in the act by the victim of his current heist while unarmed, he reflexively grabbed a ''paper knife'' and threw it, hitting him right in the heart. [[spoiler:[[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Given it wasn't a throwing knife nor sharp, the strike just knocked the victim out with a bad wound that wouldn't have been fatal]] had his inheritance-hungry grandson called for help rather than push it further in.]]
106** On another occasion, Eva threw his knives... From a ''crossbow''. [[JustifiedTrope She had to simulate Diabolik being in a certain place and isn't anywhere near as skilled with throwing knives as he is]].
107** Some of Diabolik's knives are actually ballistic knives capable of shooting their blades (see below in Real Life). He only does it when he can't throw the knife properly.
108*** In the DK AlternateUniverse, Diabolik's counterpart had a peculiar variation: having hit an enemy with a BulletproofVest and being held at gunpoint by his comrades, he pressed a button on a remote, and the knives, still embedded in the vest, ignited a charge in the handle to fire themselves deeper, injuring the victim-and then he did it again to prove there was more than one charge in the knives and he could eventually kill him if they didn't let him leave. [[ShootTheHostage The others just shot their companion]].
109* ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel'': It ''would've'' worked for Storm Shadow in his debut, to Scarlett's detriment, but Snake-Eyes catches it between his hands, ''from behind Scarlett, who was wearing a rocket-powered glider at the time.'' The blade was intended for Snake-Eyes, but Scarlett landed in front of him, ''[[HeroicSacrifice intending to take it herself]]'' to save him. It was fortunate for her that he made that catch.
110* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsThorOdinson Thor]] gets a pass with his hammer, since it returns to him when he throws it and he can control it.
111* ''ComicBook/Ronin1983'': The main character throws his samurai sword early in the first issue with his master even commenting on how the move is not a very intelligent one. [[spoiler:Then again, the main character is a fictional person even within the comic itself.]]
112* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
113* In ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}''/''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'' crossover "ComicBook/FateIsTheKiller", He-Man throws his sword and it plunges into Skeletor's chest.
114* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': The TMNT do this all the time, particularly Raphael's sai (which works) and Michelangelo's nunchucks (at times, particularly in the games, they [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang return boomerang style]]). Donatello also throws his staff at times, making ironically only the swordsman Leonardo to not hurl his weapon.
115** Raphael's "sais" appear to be more daggers ''shaped like'' sais. Throwing knives are, of course, well known. Throwing a real sai would be rather like throwing a piece of rebar. Not to say that couldn't be ''effective''.
116* ''ComicBook/{{Three}}'': Klaros is very good at this. In the notes, Gillen tries to justify it by pointing out that in classical Greece, both the spear and the sword were primarily hand-held stabbing weapons, and that the sword was actually more practical to throw.
117* ''ComicBook/{{The Warlord|DC}}'': Travis Morgan uses this tactic multiple times. It is almost always successful.
118* ''ComicBook/XForce'': In ''ComicBook/UncannyXForce'', [[Characters/MarvelComicsPsylocke Psylocke]] wounds [[spoiler:[[Characters/MarvelComicsAngel Archangel]]]] this way, though even she admits that [[MillionToOneChance it's a one-in-a-million shot.]]
119[[/folder]]
120
121[[folder:Fan Works]]
122* In ''Fanfic/MyImmortal'' Enoby throws her wand at Snape and Lupin, causing them to trip. She never uses it again for the entirety of the story, so that's a surprising bit of continuity.
123* In the ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' [[FanVid Fan Movie]] ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fozx05qRb-A Tales of the Past]]'', Alexandros Mograine is attacked by a giant voidwalker during the battle at Blackrock Mountain. While he's shielding himself with Light powers, he sees the orc warlock controlling the voidwalker, then hurls his sword at the orc. It goes ''right through the warlock's head''. The voidwalker, no longer bound to the warlock's will, dissipates.
124* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', Thor, naturally, pulls this to great effect.
125** His son, Harry, proves that it's InTheBlood by throwing a sword into a training dummy, with one friend later noting that Harry has a remarkably good eye. Though it is subverted by how Harry looks noticeably relieved that it worked and the latter reveals that he's a very powerful telekinetic. In the sequel, he reveals that he's more than capable of it, even without the telekinesis.
126* ''Film/RyanVsDorkman 2'' ends this way.
127* Subverted in the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'', during the FinalBattle of the [[BadFuture Dark World Series]]. [[EleventhHourRanger Minty Pie]] announces her arrival on the scene by throwing her CoolSword at [[spoiler:[[TrueFinalBoss Nightmare Paradox]]]]... only for it to bounce harmlessly off her target's armor.
128-->'''Minty Pie''': Huh, that usually works on ''[[Franchise/PowerRangers Pony Rangers]]''.
129** The second time she tries, it works, though only with Twilight's telekinesis guiding it.
130* In ''Fanfic/TheSwarmOfWar'', The daemon Ga'huld orders Judanus to break the hibernation tube where it's imprisoned with his bare hands. Fortunately for Judanus, he takes time first to consult other daemons about [[DemonicPossession possible consequences]] and... well, from that moment, he has a powerful sword named Ga'huld.
131* In the ''Franchise/StarWars'' fic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3625109/1/The-Way-It-Should-Be The Way it Should Be]]'', Luke Skywalker does a lightsaber throw similar to the one described in the Literature section. Only this time, he [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe cuts the guy in half.]]
132* ''Fanfic/ThirtyHs'': Dobby launches his [[GroinAttack Groinsaw]], causing it to fly through the air like an early dream of mankind. And yes, that is a direct quote.
133* A variation of this happens in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines''. While in the Safari Zone, Ash catches a Farfetch'd [[DualWielding who wields three leeks]], [[CutlassBetweenTheTeeth holding the third in his beak]]. He later uses Feint by throwing one of his leeks to [[ArmorPiercingAttack smash through a Protect barrier]], [[spoiler: clearing the way for Ash and Butterfree to use a Z-Move and defeat Sabrina's Mega Alakazam]].
134* A few examples from the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'':
135** [[SparedByTheAdaptation Ameyuri Ringo]] is the current wielder of the Kiba Thunderswords of Kirigakure. During the Fourth Ninja War arc, she fights her predecessor Raiga, and at one point reveals that she can throw one of the swords and control it to attack independently while she wields the other normally.
136** Fugaku Uchiha's Susanoo can wield two swords that combine into a [[DoubleWeapon double-bladed one]] (similar to [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Maul's lightsaber]]). It can also be thrown for a DeadlyDisc effect.
137* ''Fanfic/ServantShenanigans'': Throwing his sword is part of Mordred's typical fighting style, which is entirely improvised and based on his monstrous strength. The other heroic spirits, who have been properly trained, range from bemused to mortified when they see this.
138* ''Fanfic/TheWeavingForce'': Taylor starts doing this during the attack on the space station. Having Force telekinesis and a lightsaber helps a lot with making this a viable tactic.
139* ''Webcomic/NaruHinaChronicles'': During his fight against Kei, Suigetsu throws his sword at her. Kei blocks it with her own sword, but she correctly guesses that he threw his sword just to distract her in order to charge up chakra for a jutsu.
140[[/folder]]
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142[[folder:Film — Animation]]
143* An old classic, Disney's ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', features a sword-throw at the climax which may have inspired some of the others. This is how Prince Phillip kills Maleficent after she has transformed into a dragon. However, in this case the effectiveness of the attack is {{justified|Trope}} by the magic Flora, one of the Fairy Godmothers, uses to enchant his sword so it would "Fly swift and sure, that Evil die and Good endure."
144* In the Creator/ChuckJones animated version of ''Literature/ThePhantomTollbooth'', Milo defeats the assembled demons by [[spoiler:throwing the Mathemagician's pencil like a javelin]]. This is even odder because the weapon in question didn't work by physical contact in the first place.
145* Occurs in ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'' where a character (who admittedly had been uneasy about the morality of his situation from about halfway through the movie) pulls himself up with great effort and flicks a small dagger through the air -- where it lands squarely in the back of the villain -- before falling down dead himself. RedemptionEqualsDeath again...
146* ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'': 8 manages to pull this off during the fight against the Winged Beast. He never gets the sword (actually half of a pair of scissors) back, though.
147* The extended re-release of ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'' features Cloud arriving at the Midgar EDGE battle by hurling one of his swords several hundred feet, where it flies in a wide lateral circle and slices through three monsters along the way before he catches it. By this point in the movie, it's pretty clear you can bugger physics all you like [[RuleOfCool as long as you're doing it awesomely]]. Not only does he throw it, it [[BifurcatedWeapon splits in two]] in mid-flight. And he catches the second sword with the blade of the first one. Justified as this is a setting that has active magical abilities via materia. Although in this case, Cloud isn't using any magical assistance. He's just [[ImplausibleFencingPowers THAT good]] [[MasterSwordsman with his swords]].
148* Taken to silly levels in ''WesternAnimation/{{Delgo}}'', where not only does it work, but it works while averting TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn by knocking out the target with the ''hilt''.
149* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanSoulOfTheDragon''. Lady Shiva throws her sword at Lady Eve, only for it to miss the target and get stuck in the wall.
150-->'''Lady Eve:''' Fool. You gave up your weapon.\
151'''Shiva:''' ''[assumes a fighting stance]'' [[IAmTheNoun I]] ''[[IAmTheNoun am]]'' [[IAmTheNoun the weapon]]. ''[proceeds to break Lady Eve's sword with [[RazorSharpHand her bare hands]]]''.
152* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wizards}}'': The questing party of four (Avatar, Elinore, Weehawk and Peace) find themselves being approached by a tank, clearly one of Blackwolf's devices. For some reason, the tank crew doesn't shoot at the heroes, which allows Peace to climb onto the turret. Before Peace can open the hatch, however, Elinore throws her sword at him, which skewers him through the thorax, killing him. Elinore then jumps aboard the tank, and hops inside in a stunning FaceHeelTurn that leaves Avatar and Weehawk stupefied.
153[[/folder]]
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155[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
156%%* ''Can't remember the movie's name, so someone add it before uncommenting thank you very much''. After defeating the BigBad (who also happens to be his adopted brother) in combat, the protagonist spares him and turns to walk away. The bad guy gets up and throws his katana at him. Using his ChekhovsSkill of hyper-advanced hearing, the protagonist turns around and deflects the thrown blade with his own so that the sword flies back and impales his opponent.
157* ''Film/SevenManArmy'' has the flashback of one of the seven, where he kills a Japanese colonel pointing a pistol at him via flung sword.
158%%* In ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'', Mallymkun uses this principle at least twice.
159* ''Film/{{Ambush}}'': The main villain of this ''wuxia'' is killed using this method, with the hero's flung sword pinning him on one of the blades of a windmill where the final battle took place. He gets nailed like a butterfly specimen and stays on the mill as the credits roll.
160* ''Film/AnacondasTheHuntForTheBloodOrchid'': The badass captain kills one of the giant snakes and saves someone else from being eaten in the process by throwing his bowie knife at its head for an insta-kill.
161* ''Film/{{Antigang}}'': During the raid in the warehouse, Genu exits the car carrying a baseball bat. His first act is to throw the bat at one of the robbers, knocking him out.
162* In the climax of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', Thanos throws his ''broken'' sword like a spear to [[spoiler: destroy Scott's van and the quantum tunnel in it]], and scores a perfect hit.
163* ''Film/TheBanditOfSherwoodForest'': During their final battle, William of Pembroke attempts to escape the wounded Robert by running up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, he turns and prepares to hurl his sword at Robert like a javelin. However, Robert is quicker and throws his own sword first, spearing Pembroke through the chest.
164* Played straight in ''Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina'' when Wang Chi throws his sword at Rain and impales him in the chest. Rain himself is unable to dodge in time because he was jumping through the air right at Wang, thinking they were about to do another round of AirJousting.
165* Done far too much in ''Film/{{Braveheart}}''. The unrelated instance of sword-throwing at the end, however, [[Awesome/{{Braveheart}} makes up for it tenfold]].
166* ''Film/CityOfTheDead'': In an attempt to stop Bill, Elizabeth throws her large sacrificial dagger the length of the graveyard and manages to nail him squarely in the middle of his back.
167* The finale of ''Film/ClashOfTheTitans2010'' ends this way, with Perseus chucking his Olympian sword at Hades. Thankfully, Zeus helps out with some lightning assistance, otherwise it probably wouldn't have succeeded.
168* ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'': Conan throws his axe at one of the Vanir warlords in the battle of the Mounds.
169* ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'': Conan tosses his sword at a mirror, sending it halfway through the sorcerer Thoth-Amon without even seeing him.
170* ''Film/DeadAgainInTombstone'': During the showdown at the church, Col. Boomer throws his cavalry sabre at Alicia. It would have killed her had not Dr. Goldsworthy [[TakingTheBullet jumped in the way]].
171* Technically inverted but played straight in spirit in ''Film/Deadpool2'': when 'Pool throws his katana at Russell, it clocks him with the ''handle'', not the blade. But Deadpool was trying to subdue the kid, not kill him, so it was deliberate. [[ComedicSociopathy Probably.]]
172* ''Film/DeadtimeStories'': In "Peter and the Witches", Peter throws the knife he was supposed to use to [[HumanSacrifice sacrifice Miranda]] across the room at Hanagohl. It hits her directly between the eyes with enough force to penetrate her skull and kill her.
173* Done with less killing and more lifesaving in ''Film/{{Enchanted}}''.
174** [[spoiler:In order to save Robert from plummeting to his doom, Giselle throws Edward's sword. It catches on his sleeve and pins him to the wall, [[SteppingStoneSword catching him]].]]
175** It was done twice. [[spoiler:Edward did the same thing in the Cartoon World to save Giselle.]]
176* ''Film/AFistfulOfDollars'': After the shoot-out in the little house, Joe is wrecking the place with a machete. Marisol sees a not-quite-dead bad guy reaching for a gun and shouts a warning. Joe spins around and hurls the machete at him, neatly impaling him.
177* The scene in ''Film/FreddyVsJason'' where Jason throws his machete (which is on fire) through the fat guy's chest is a great example. It also doesn't seem too hard for Jason, a super-strong guy who seems to know how to properly use any form of weaponry.
178* The hero in ''Film/TheGeneral'' kills a Union sniper completely by accident when he sends his sword flying around.
179* Storm Shadow kills [[spoiler:Zartan]] by throwing his sword at him during the climactic battle of ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation''.
180* ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'':
181** Maximus throws his sword and kills a Praetorian Guard from about twenty meters away(!) in order to escape execution. Being the smart guy he is, he kept a backup sword to deal with the remaining Praetorian.
182** Subverted later when he throws a sword into a ''crowd of people'' during the "Are you not entertained?!" scene and injures... [[DieChairDie a coffee table.]]
183* Used ridiculously in the climactic scene of Creator/KennethBranagh's ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', in which Hamlet skewers his uncle with a thrown fencing foil (which not only impales him, but ''pins him to his throne'') before ''dropping a chandelier on him'' and finishing him off by forcing him to drink poison. The famous/infamous critic John Simon commented that he hadn't noticed Circus Skills 101 on the syllabus of Gottingen University (Hamlet's alma mater).
184* Played egregiously straight in ''Film/HawkTheSlayer'', where the eponymous hero impales a bad guy through the stomach by throwing a massive two-handed sword at him.
185** Even dumber/more awesome is that the sword in question, called the Mind Sword, is a magical throwing sword the hero has psychic control over. The fact that he can command it to yeet itself back to his hand negates the "Hah! Now you're unarmed!" factor.
186* In ''Film/{{Hercules 1983}}'', Lou Ferrigno's Hercules kills Sibyl Danning's Queen Ariadne with a thrown sword that impales her through the stomach.
187* ''Film/HighlanderTheSource''. Duncan manages to throw his sword into The Guardian's neck.
188* ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies'': Legolas' second-to-last onscreen kill is an orc which he executes by throwing his elven sword. Unfortunately this leaves him without his best weapon against his final opponent, the orc's second-in-command Bolg, which Legolas ends up battling with twin short daggers.
189* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': Katniss makes fun of Cato with this. After he proves incapable of hitting her with a bow from a measly distance, she claims he should try throwing his sword instead.
190* In ''Film/{{Ironclad}}'', on arriving at Rochester, Marshall saves a woman being held hostage by throwing his sword using the technique described in Fiore (see Real Life, below). Given that he is using a 14th/15th-century Italian-styled longsword, this is somewhat appropriate. [[ArtisticLicenseHistory The film is set in 1215.]]
191* ''Film/{{Jumanji}}'': Played with. When confronted with Van Pelt, Alan throws the family sword. It's played straight in that it hits Van Pelt in the shoulder and pins him to a column. It's subverted in that Van Pelt, being a spirit of the game, is unharmed. He simply walks through the blade.
192* In the wuxia movie ''Film/KillersFive'', the ActionGirl heroine kills the otherwise indestructible Bandit Leader by hurling her sword through his '''[[EyeScream eye]]'''.
193* In the 2004 "historical" remake of ''Film/KingArthur2004'', at the very end after [[spoiler:Lancelot is shot by TheDragon]], he chucks one of his short swords at him, neatly impaling him dead center of his chest. This is more justifiable, given that it was at fairly close range.
194* ''Film/LadyWithASword'' defies, subverts, and plays this trope straight all in one scene: In the finale, the heroine hurls her sword at the main villain ([[spoiler: who just hurled her nephew off a cliff to his death]]). The villain's equally ruthless mother, who is also a kung-fu practitioner, throws her sword as well, deflecting the heroine's flung weapon causing it to be embedded into a tree, but the heroine then throws a shorter sword which un-embeds her stuck weapon, that ends up skewering the main baddie to death.
195* Etienne Navarre (Creator/RutgerHauer) throws his sword twice in ''Film/{{Ladyhawke}}'': once to stop Philipe "the Mouse" Gaston, and once to kill the Bishop of Aquilla. Impressive since this is a full-length great sword. Navarre throws his sword like a javelin, as well.
196* In Creator/HowardHawks' epic ''Film/LandOfThePharaohs'', the pharaoh (played by Creator/JackHawkins in his best British officer accent) wins a fight with his treacherous captain of the guard by throwing his sword.
197* Nathan Algren kills Bagley with a katana using this method in ''Film/TheLastSamurai'', presumably [[TakingYouWithMe in order to ensure Bagley's death]] before everyone is cut down by [[GatlingGood Gatling gunfire]]... while riding on a galloping horse!
198* In ''Series/TheLeagueOfGentlemen's [[BigDamnMovie Apocalypse]]'', Hilary Briss kills the giant homunculus with the heads of the three league members by throwing his halberd at it.
199* ''Film/Legend1985''. Jack throws the unicorn horn at Darkness and impales him in the chest, wounding him and helping to drive him back.
200* In the Extended Edition of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'', Aragorn non-ironically kills an Orc in Moria this way. When seeing that Boromir has lost his weapon and is at the mercy of his opponent, he picks up Boromir's own sword and throws it. Improbable Impaling Skills, yes, but it's the goddamned Elessar we're talking about. Later in the film, Gimli enters the battle at Amon Hen by throwing an axe into an Uruk-hai. At the beginning of Boromir's LastStand, he throws a knife into an Uruk-hai's throat.
201%%* D'Artagnan also uses this move in ''Film/TheManInTheIronMask'' (the one with Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio).
202* [[RuleOfFunny Played for Laughs]] in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'': the Black Knight kills the Green Knight by throwing his sword ''[[ImprobableAimingSkills into his helm's]] [[EyeScream eye slot]]''.
203* In ''Film/TheMummyReturns'', during the battle with the Anubis Warriors, Ardeth throws his sword at one of them. Yes. He throws a scimitar at something that will not die unless decapitated. And it works. It also [[TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn lands point in the sand]], allowing him to grab it while riding past.
204* In ''[[Film/Onmyoji2001 Onmyōji II]]'', Genkaku does this in order to [[spoiler:stop Seimei from reviving Amaterasu]]. Perhaps justified, as Genkaku is a skilled magic user and might have thrown it with magic.
205* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl''
206** Will Turner does this twice: once to seal off Jack's escape by pinning a door shut, and once to help him avoid execution by creating a [[SteppingStoneSword miniature platform]].
207** On the more realistic side, Jack reacts to the first incident with appropriate surprise that it worked (and, probably, that the sword landed an inch from his face), and then points out that Will has left himself unarmed. But they're in a room full of swords at the time, so it's only a temporary setback.
208* In ''Film/{{Predator}}'', Dutch (Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger) tosses his machete at a guerrilla sneaking up from behind -- killing him and pinning his body to a neighboring post. "[[BondOneLiner Stick around]]", Dutch quips.
209* ''Film/{{The Princess|2022}}'': The princess kills an enemy archer by throwing her sword at him (albeit from pretty close range).
210* Azeem does this in ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'' just to show how righteous he is. Interestingly, the scimitar he throws is actually better suited to throwing, given the way it is designed.
211* ''Film/RobinHoodTheRebellion'': When the Sheriff's men rush Robin and his band at the armoury, Robin throws the group's only sword and spears the lead man through the chest.
212* ''Film/RoguesOfSherwoodForest'': During the fight in Nottingham Square, Robin sees one of King John's men about to stab Little John from behind. He throws his sword like a javelin from a balcony over Little John's shoulder and spears the soldier through the chest.
213* ''Film/Scream3'': When Dewey catches the killer by surprise, he retaliates by throwing his knife at Dewey... [[spoiler: though it's hilariously averted as the handle side hits him square in the forehead.]]
214* In ''Film/ShogunAssassin'', our hero kills one of the Brothers of Death by throwing his katana. His response before dying: "I did not think you would throw your sword."
215* ''Film/SilentNight2012'': When Tiffany tries to flee, Santa brings her down by throwing his axe such that it cuts her Achilles tendon with the precision of a scalpel.
216* The Creator/ShawBrothers ''wuxia'' film, ''Film/SixAssassins'', takes this trope to the extreme with the hero, Mu Jun-jie, mortally injuring the main villain by throwing his sword, missing by an inch, flying for a dozen meters before having it bounce off a bamboo tree and skewering the villain InTheBack instead.
217* In ''Film/SoClose'': When the two protagonists reach the BigBad's room he presses a button that drops a bulletproof glass around him, but one of the protagonists throws her sword towards him. While it doesn't directly kill him, it keeps the shielded glass doors from closing so that her partner can finish him off.
218* In ''Film/{{Stardust}}'', Prince Septimus effectively lobs a sword near the end of the film [[spoiler:during the big battle, which hits and kills one of the Lilim]].
219* During the fighting on Qo'noS in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'', [[BigBad John Harrison]] dispatches several Klingons by throwing blades into them--at least, when he isn't mowing them down with [[GunsAkimbo two]] {{BFG}}s. {{Justified|Trope}}, as he's actually [[spoiler:Khan Noonien Singh]].
220* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
221** In ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', Yoda kills a clone trooper this way while he is still surrounded by blaster fire. This is probably covered by RuleOfCool though, plus ''he's goddamned Yoda.'' {{Justified|Trope}} as a lightsaber's [[LaserBlade blade]] has no weight so the only source of mass and balance is the actual hilt and every "side" of it is an AbsurdlySharpBlade, and also because Jedi can manipulate the lightsaber's trajectory with the Force to make sure it hits blade-first.
222** In ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', conversely, Darth Vader cannot reach Luke, so he cuts down the catwalk Luke's standing on and effortlessly retrieves his lightsaber off-screen. It helps a lot in retrieving your weapon if you're telekinetic.
223** ''Film/TheLastJedi'': {{Downplayed|Trope}}, as the throw itself is not fatal. [[spoiler:Kylo Ren loses his lightsaber while fighting alongside Rey, and gets pinned by his opponent. So, Rey throws her lightsaber to him, letting the blade retract in the air. Kylo Ren catches the hilt, and [[BoomHeadshot activates it through the guard's head.]]]]
224* Happens thrice in ''Film/SuckerPunch''. Babydoll throws her katana as a distraction so she can get close enough to shoot the second samurai in the face. Babydoll throws a bayonet to pin the courier's shoulder to a wall. The German general throws his rapier at Babydoll and uses the time it takes for her to dodge to close the gap and [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom punch her into a wall]].
225* ''Film/{{Swashbuckler}}'': When Lord Durant grabs Jane and uses her as a HumanShield as he backs towards the window, Lynch hurls his rapier like a javelin and skewers Durant through the heart.
226* The captivating cult classic 1980s fantasy film ''Film/TheSwordAndTheSorcerer'' featured a variation: the title sword had three blades, two of which the wielder could launch like rockets (complete with flaming exhaust!) at his enemy.
227%%* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD5_mew8kas&feature=related Sword of the Barbarians]]''. Strangely, [[SpecialEffectFailure the sword is dropped and it still works]].
228* Taken to the apex with the Shredder PoweredArmor in ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014''. Not only does it have at least 3 massive blades on each arm, it is designed to launch those blades in a fanning motion and has a magnetic return system, letting him recover "ammo" almost instantly. Although towards the end it started backfiring, as the Turtles started deflecting those blades back at him. Played straight with Leonardo, who chucks a katana at Shredder and impaled his shoulder.
229* Hela in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' takes sword throwing to its logical extreme; her "Necroswords" are aspects of her powerset. Besides also being adept at melee combat with swords, she can throw with impeccable power and accuracy, even defeating the Warriors Three with but one sword stab. She does not even have to retrieve them; because she can spontaneously generate a never-ending supply.
230* DoubleSubversion in Richard Lester's ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'', where Porthos invents a move that involves throwing his sword at the enemy. Aramis, unimpressed, asks Porthos to perform this move on him and easily parries the thrown blade, pointing out that Porthos is unarmed now. Later, however, Porthos uses this move anyway, and it does work as intended.
231** In the sequel ''The Return of the Musketeers'', Porthos throws his sword at Justine de Winter during the climactic battle. He misses, but it does provide a crucial distraction.
232* In ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers2011'', a mook throws his sword at Aramis, but he grabs another mook and shoves him in the way. Aramis then throws his own sword and kills the first mook instantly.
233* Yang does it while battling the ninjas in the laundry in ''Film/TheWarriorsWay''. But Yang is The Greatest Swordsman In The World. Ever.
234* In ''Film/YorTheHunterFromTheFuture'', the title character throws a flaming longsword at a purple caveman. Oh, and he does it underhand.
235* TheDragon in the 2003 ''Franchise/{{Zatoichi}}'' movie likes using his wakizashi (the short sword paired with the katana) as a throwing weapon. It works well for him against various mooks, but Zatoichi is able to block it.
236* ''[[Franchise/{{Zatoichi}} Zatoichi Challenged]]'' (1967). BlindWeaponmaster Ichi is fighting samurai Akatsuka because he refuses to hand over Shokichi for execution. A second samurai turns up during the duel and Akatsuka orders him to kill Shokichi. Ichi throws his sword at the second samurai, saving Shokichi but leaving himself defenseless. Fortunately Akatsuka decides to forfeit the duel rather than kill Ichi.
237[[/folder]]
238
239[[folder:Gamebooks]]
240* In one of the ''Literature/BloodSword'' books, during an encounter, one of the options you can do is to have the Warrior throw his sword at an enemy. It'll kill the foe and one of the people you're traveling with, comments that in his country what the Warrior did is a special technique of the weapon masters there. The Warrior retorts that what he just did was something desperate and not a little foolish at throwing his weapon away. There's also the Dagger of Vislet and the Axe of Heraklos, both of which [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang can be thrown and return to the hand]].
241* In the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' book ''Literature/SlavesOfTheAbyss'', you actually have to learn this skill from a master swordsman in order to use it. [[ChekhovsSkill It becomes a very useful skill at a crucial point later in the story.]] Notably, however, it doesn't ''always'' work -- if you attempt it in the wrong circumstances, your enemy will parry your sword, and then insta-kill you by throwing his own.
242** Meanwhile, in ''Literature/SwordOfTheSamurai'', you absolutely do not want to throw the magic sword Singing Death. There are two places you can throw it; the first option merely means you have to fight the BigBad with your regular sword; the second dooms the entire kingdom of Hachiman.
243* In the ''Literature/LoneWolf'' series, the opportunity to throw your sword is very rarely given, since the hero has usually plenty of better opportunities, like using a [[BowAndSwordInAccord bow and arrow]] or even [[MagicKnight offensive magic]] in the later books.
244** There is however one noteworthy occurrence in Book 12, ''The Masters of Darkness''. If you draw the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Sommerswerd]] before [[MidBoss Darklord Kraagenskûl]] to fight his Crypt Spawns, Lone Wolf is forced to throw the Sun Sword at his back before he'd alert [[BigBad Darklord Gnaag]]. It never misses and Kraagenskûl is badly wounded either way, but on a low roll he's still able to warn his master, making "[[TheManyDeathsOfYou your life and your mission end here]]."
245** In ''Trail of the Wolf'', part of the New Order series, Lone Wolf (as a PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo) also throws the Sommerswerd [[spoiler:to bring down the Soultaker]].
246* In one scene of ''Literature/ToBeOrNotToBeThatIsTheAdventure'':
247-->"Screaming, you throw your sword at the pirate, roll a natural 20, and do a critical hit right in his eye."
248* In ''Literature/WizardsWarriorsAndYou'', the Warrior has a lot of weapons in his arsenal and he will throw some of the melee weapons, such as his Diamond Mace. While his mundane weapons will fall to the ground after, quite a few are [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang enchanted to return to his hand]].
249[[/folder]]
250
251[[folder:Literature]]
252* ''Literature/AlexRider'': In ''Scorpia'', TheDragon Nile draws a sword from under his coat and Alex thinks Nile is about to kill him. Nile instead throws his sword at Dr. Liebermann. The sword enters his neck and goes upwards into his brain.
253* ''Literature/AnOutcastInAnotherWorld'' has an example...sort of. Rob throws his sword, but the hilt hits the enemy instead of the blade. It does its job of distracting his enemy, though, so in the end everything works out.
254* In Creator/GKChesterton's epic poem ''Literature/TheBalladOfTheWhiteHorse'' Colan of Caerleon kills the Danish Prince Harold with a thrown sword--the problem of not having a sword is then fixed as [[GiveMeASword his fellow commanders compete to give him their own swords to replace it]].
255** Apparently this is also part of the battle of philosophical allegories that make up the subtext of the piece and symbolizing [=GKCs=] rejection of the racial destiny theories that were popular around that time.
256* Creator/VivianVandeVelde's ''Book of Mordred'' has one of Mordred's half-brothers throw his sword at a man about to cleave Nimue's head in half. The projectile kills the man but doesn't stop his sword's momentum...
257* This is the explicit magical property of Farslayer, one of the swords from the ''Literature/BookOfSwords'' series. Sort of. Yes, you activate the magic by throwing Farslayer, but you don't have to throw it at the intended victim, or indeed be in the same country as said victim. It just performs a nigh-unblockable {{telefrag}}. No, it doesn't return. Yes, the victim's relatives now have Farslayer. Oops.
258* ''Literature/CaptivePrince'': Damen throws his sword at an enemy soldier behind Laurent, incapacitating him. It's a move born of desperation, Laurent immediately {{Lampshade|Hanging}}s how absurd it is that it worked.
259* Subverted in Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/TheCarpetPeople''. Before the climactic battle, one of the heroes throws a sword to kill a bad guy. It works. Seconds later, enemy forces attack and he asks whether anybody can lend him a spare one.
260* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfDorsa'': Joslyn manages to hit [[spoiler:Ty'Tsana with her Ku-sai's sword. It's explicitly mentioned not to work well though since it wasn't designed for this, but Joslyn doesn't need a killing blow with it, simply touching her so [[WeaponOfXSlaying the shadow inside her gets expelled]] and she's weakened.]]
261* Robert E. Howard's ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' occasionally engages in this, most notably at the climax of the story "Black Colossus" (pictured above in comic form), where the Cimmerian hurls his sword through the torso of evil sorcerer Thugra Khotan, who was about to sacrifice princess Yasmela upon a demonic altar.
262* Used twice in [[Literature/{{Deryni}} the "Camber of Culdi" trilogy]]. Justified in that the users are both powerful Deryni and use magic to make it work:
263** In ''Saint Camber'', Alister Cullen empowers and then throws his sword to kill the evil princess Ariella.
264** In ''Camber the Heretic'', Camber [=MacRorie=] draws on his memories of what Cullen did to do the same thing against a younger, stronger attacker.
265%%* ''Literature/DianaTregarde'': It's also lampshaded in the Creator/MercedesLackey book ''Literature/BurningWater'' when Mark Valdez remembers how he met Diana Tregarde for the first time.
266* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': In ''Literature/SkinGame'', Nicodemus wounds a fiery salamander by throwing his sword at it. Lampshaded by Harry, who muses that, while swords really aren't designed to be used like that, Nick has had 2000 years to practice his sword-tossing.
267* This trope shows up a few times throughout the ''Literature/TheDwarves'' series. Boïndil Doubleblade from the Clan of the Swinging Axes however is very much of the opinion that throwing your weapon is a stupid idea unless you have a spare weapon with you, and he keeps getting annoyed that people around him keep throwing theirs away any time it seems dramatic.
268* ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'': [[spoiler: Seth throws Vasilis at Nagi Luna in a fairly desperate attempt to kill her before she could flee with two artifacts.]] Justified in that [[spoiler: he was badly injured and poisoned, thus not able to run to fight her, in an extremely bad position]], and wielding a magical sword that was ''on fire''. Not many things could probably survive being whacked with a flaming blade, whether or not they actually got cut.
269* ''Literature/FrigidFracas'' by Creator/MackReynolds. A UsefulNotes/ColdWar disarmament treaty leads to the US and Soviets fighting GladiatorGames using nineteenth-century weapons. An American agent is challenged to a duel by a Hungarian duelist who is actually an assassin sent to kill him. The American chooses Bowie knives as a weapon his opponent isn't familiar with... except that he is as it's not dissimilar to an Italian short sword used for dueling. What the Hungarian doesn't know however is that--provided you get the original designed by James Black--it makes an excellent throwing knife. The American throws and catches the Hungarian in the guts. The Hungarian uses his last gasp to throw but his Bowie blade--an imitation Bowie that's not as well balanced--misses.
270* ''Literature/GoblinSlayer'': Played with. Goblin Slayer, who is used to hunting solo, often throws his weapons at a target and then just grabs a new one from a dead goblin. While it does work, High Elf Archer points out the first time he hunts together with her that he's now unarmed, and it makes more sense to just let her shoot the goblins instead.
271* Creator/JaneYolen's ''Literature/GreatAltaSaga'': In ''Sister Light, Sister Dark'' the warrior women of the Hames are trained to throw swords. It is generally regarded as a last-ditch move, to allow: a) the thrower to retreat in a hurry, b) to distract the target so a sister has a better chance to attack, or; c) to allow a blanket companion to attack. [[note]]Sometimes male and female units fight together.[[/note]]
272* Subverted in ''Literature/GuardiansOfTheFlame''. Up against a master fencer in the Great Games of Pandathaway, Karl Cullinane throws his sword and ''misses entirely,'' but the distraction lets the bigger Karl get close enough to grapple and throw his opponent out of the ring.
273* ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'': {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d heavily in ''By the Sword'' when the EmpathicWeapon Need forces Kerowyn to throw it at a villain, having her shift her grip and throw it like a spear. Kero is shocked both at being made to do it and at the fact that it works, mostly because Need is magic. As the more experienced fighter, Tarma is frankly disgusted at the boneheadedness of the move as it means Kero threw her only weapon. "Never, ever, under any circumstance throw your sword" is the second thing Herald weapons masters teach their students in the same universe, right after which end to hold.
274* The ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'': Paolini seems to be very fond of this trope, as it is used extensively throughout the series. Yet also averted when Roran catches a boy practicing throwing knives and tells him that it's generally a bad idea to throw away your weapon in battle.
275* Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs' ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'' novels:
276** In the very first book, ''A Princess of Mars'', the hero and narrator John Carter's jaw drops the first time he sees the move, used by Kantos Kan to turn what had seemed a hopeless gladiatorial fight against a giant green Martian warrior into an instant victory, and Burroughs makes it clear that a) some Barsoomian swords are ''designed'' for throwing, and b) only the low gravity on Mars makes it practical. (a) is {{Justified|Trope}}, (b) is a HandWave. Low gravity won't make the sword any less clumsy or awkward as a throwing weapon, so a throwing sword that works on Earth should work on Mars, and vice versa.
277** In ''Llana of Gathol'', during a duel John Carter tells his opponent that he will kill him at a specific time. After toying with him for a while, he throws his sword and impales the opponent's body, killing him at the precise time he predicted.
278** Used again in ''A Fighting Man of Mars''. Hadron of Hastor throws one of his swords at a large reptile. He comments that it was not a good throw.
279* In the cold open of the second book of the ''Literature/KingpriestTrilogy'', the hero's squire kills the HighPriest of an evil cult by skewering him on a thrown sword. Though the squire gets knighted for it, it's pointed out to him immediately that he was ''incredibly'' lucky that worked, he gets the derisive nickname "Swordflinger" from the other knights, and never pulls the move again.
280* Happens at least once in the ''Literature/KushielsLegacy'' series. CelibateHero Joscelin successfully nails a guy from throwing range having already thrown his daggers, using his broadsword. He follows up by saying "They don't even train us to do that!" or words to that effect.
281* ''Literature/OldKingdom'': Touchstone explains that he tried this against [[BigBad Rogir]] after the breaking of two of the Great Charter Stones to prevent him from reaching a third with a cup of the Queen's blood. While he ''did'' get him in the chest, Rogir was already one of the [[OurLichesAreDifferent Greater Dead]] and wearing a Free Magic construct for a body, so it only made Rogir come over to gloat.
282* A solid tactic for the protagonist in the ''Literature/PercyJackson'' series of books, for his sword is enchanted to always return to his side (in a safe, non-stabby way).
283* At the tag end of ''Prayers for the Assassin'', Rakkim kills [[spoiler:Darwin]] by throwing his Fedayeen knife, something that he was expressly forbidden to do during his TrainingFromHell. Justified in that [[spoiler:his opponent had received the same training]] and so an off-the-wall move was the only way to kill him.
284* In ''Literature/TheRescuers'' (the novel upon which the Disney film was based), it is Bernard's desperate, last-ditch throwing of his dagger that causes the villain to lose his grip on the ladder, leading to his ultimate defeat.
285* Happens in Creator/DavidWeber's first ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' book, ''Off Armageddon Reef''. Bonus points for taking the time to point out that the knife wasn't very fit for throwing, and the thrower was out of practice and just coming off a drinking binge, yet still nailing the shot.
286* In one of the ''Literature/SagaOfRecluce'' novels several characters can reliably use swords as a thrown weapon, [[JustifiedTrope since they use magic to make sure it works]]. It also helps that each of them carries around two swords, so they can throw one and still use the other one for hand-to-hand combat.
287* ''Literature/TheSagaOfThePeopleOfVatnsdal'': [[AssassinOutclassin Hired killer Thorir botches an attempt on Gudbrand's life]], then runs away and leaps over a chasm. Gudbrand throws his sword after him and hits him in the midriff, from which Thorir dies within a short time.
288* ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'': Subverted in ''The Paths of the Perambulator''; when Colin throws his sword at a quartet of demonic spellsingers and they knock his blade out of the air with a burst of music.
289* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
290** In ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', Luke is cornered by a group of extremely deadly commandos. Since he has no blaster or other ranged weapons and they have [[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon really cool ranged incapacitating weapons]], he has some trouble. Deciding there is no other way to resolve the situation, he throws his lightsaber, slicing open the wall and [[ThrownOutTheAirlock spacing them]].
291** As mentioned in the film examples, throwing a lightsaber is {{justified|Trope}} in that the people who wield them also have the power to psychically manipulate objects (and the significant part of a lightsaber's mass is in the hilt, not the "blade"). This is reinforced in ''The Last Command'': Luke tries saber-throwing while within range of ysalamiri (which [[PowerNullifier block out the Force]] in the surrounding area), is a ''horrible'' shot, and misses both troopers entirely--but distracts them long enough for Mara to shoot them.
292*** Which is rather odd, since two books earlier he had done a lightsaber throw under similar circumstances and hit his target (a pillar supporting an archway). Perhaps it's easier to hit a static target than one that can move out of the way.
293** There apparently used to be a group of Jedi who [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi_Sniper specialised]] in doing just this.
294* Lampshading subversion in ''The Court of a Thousand Suns'' (one of the ''Literature/{{Sten}}'' books) by Alan Cole and Chris Bunch: the hero, Sten, desperately throws a kukri, the Gurkha knife, at an adversary. The narrative spells out in no uncertain terms that a kukri can't be used effectively as a throwing blade, and Sten only threw it because he needed to distract the enemy '''somehow'''. "At best the blade should have clubbed [[spoiler:Ledoh]] down." [[spoiler:And then the kukri unexpectedly [[MillionToOneChance hits point-first]] '''and''' severs the guy's spine.]]
295* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Occasionally used by Shardbearers. [[JustifiedTrope Considerably more practical than usual]], because 1: Shards are {{Absurdly Sharp Blade}}s and will slice through whatever they hit even with minimal force behind them, and 2: The Blade's owner can cause it to dematerialize into {{Hammerspace}} at will and then [[SummonToHand summon it again in his hand]]. That said, it's still not used very often. It's forbidden in duels, and it's rarely useful in the battlefield since it takes ten heartbeats to summon it back (and ten heartbeats unarmed on the battlefield can get you killed). Most Shardbearers only learn the technique as part of learning how to command their Blade in general. In ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'' Adolin does manage to pull off the trick to save an ally's life when he didn't have the time to get to him to rescue him the more usual way.
296* ''Literature/TalesOfTheKettyJay''. Grayther Crake creates a daemon-infused cutlass that he gives to Captain Darian Frey as the price of his passage, enabling Frey to do this trope. The cutlass helps Frey hold his own against a superior swordfighter and even [[ParryingBullets deflects bullets]].
297* ''Literature/TortallUniverse'': Justified in the last ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness''; the sorcerer Roger is using Alanna's sword (with which he has a magical connection) to drag her into his reach. So she does something completely foreign to her personality and just... lets go. The sword goes straight through his chest.
298* In Harry Connolly's ''Twenty Palace Society'', main character Raymond Lily often uses this with his Ghost Knife. Because he made it, it's like the Ghost Knife is a part of him, so he can call it back to him after throwing it, which tends to have it pass through the victim a second time. The fact that [[AWizardDidIt it's magic]] helps him a lot.
299* In the final battle of ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'', Sir Fenwick throws his sword at Sam and misses - he hasn't trained in throwing blades, and longswords aren't really suited for that kind of thing in the first place. Sam takes the sword, throws it at Mizzamir, and hits. ''He'' had trained in how to throw a sword and actually hit something, and had magically enhanced throwing skills on top of that.
300* Justified in ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}''. The sword being thrown is an ArtifactOfDoom that tempts "impure" people into killing each other over it. Its owner has weaponized this by tossing it into groups of enemies and letting the carnage run its course.
301* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': In the Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''Salvation's Reach'', a minor Ghost is killed when a knife is thrown into his heart.
302* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', Elanye is saved during an assassination attempt by a guardsman throwing his sword. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d when an onlooker describes it as a feat straight out of a storybook; the fact that it actually works is considered incredible.
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305[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
306* Octavia from ''Series/The100'' throws a sword right into a guy's chest. She immediately gets her sword back by doing a [[SlideAttack sliding kick]] down the hallway and yanking the sword out of the guy's chest before he can even fall down. She does this again in Season 3, to take out an Ice Nation scout.
307** Also in Season 3, after a CombatByChampion duel between Lexa and Ronan, [[spoiler:Lexa hurls a spear into the Ice Nation Queen]].
308* ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. In the second episode, John Diggle suspects there's more to Oliver Queen than he's letting on when he saves Diggle's life by throwing a kitchen knife (which is not balanced for throwing) from ten feet away with the accuracy to knock his attacker's weapon out of their hand. Oliver tries to pass this off as luck, but Diggle knows the skill needed for that feat and doesn't buy it.
309* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
310** Buffy has done it on occasion. In Season 5, it was her "seriously don't interrupt me" move, while laying the verbal smackdown on the Watcher's Council.
311** Subverted with gusto in "Anne". Dramatic music swells as Oz narrows his eyes and readies himself for a long-distance staking — but his arm is like a wet noodle and the WoodenStake bounces harmlessly off a gravestone. ("That really never works.")
312** Justified when in the same episode Buffy throws a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mambele hungamunga]] (which actually originated as a throwing weapon) and nails a demon in the back.
313* The ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "Advance Dungeons & Dragons" has Fat Neil's character Ducane throwing his sword at Pierce Hawthorne as a desperate attack in their battle.
314* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' had an example in "Liars, Guns, & Money". D'argo's Qualta Blade runs out of power (or whatever phlebotinum it uses to work -- Qualta Blades aren't ever really explained) and, in frustration, he wings it at the guard he was targeting. It skewers him right through the sternum and, giving the obligatory shocked stare, the guard slumps over dead. This exchange follows:
315-->'''Aeryn:''' Nice shot, D'argo.\
316'''D'argo:''' ''(glaring at the guard)'' I was aiming for between his eyes.
317* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'':
318** The episode "Shindig" has a variation of this in the duel between Mal and Atherton Wing. At the fight's climax, Wing breaks Mal's sword, and when he gets distracted, Mal punches Wing in the face, grabs the broken half of his blade, and throws it into Wing's shoulder. This wounds him long enough for Mal to hit Wing again with his handguard before snatching up his opponent's weapon and ending the duel.
319** In "Jaynestown", Jayne's "fight" with his old partner ''starts'' with Jayne throwing his knife into his chest, and actually gets [[UnstoppableRage more]] [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown brutal]].
320* The 2007 ''Series/{{Flash Gordon|2007}}'' series has Barin attempt to assassinate Ming by throwing a morning star at him.
321* ''Series/{{Galavant}}'' has a non-battle example. Sid overeagerly tosses Galavant's sword to him, [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaling]] [[spoiler:and eventually killing]] him.
322* ''Series/GameOfThrones''. A different take on this trope occurs in "The Gift". Jorah Mormont knocks the wind out of one of the gladiators by throwing his sword so the flat side hits him in the gut. Lacking a weapon, Jorah follows it up with a ShieldBash.
323* ''Series/GoodbyeMyPrincess'': Cheng Yin kills the man about to kill Cheng Ji by throwing his sword ''from horseback.''
324* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': One of the people enslaved by the orcs, a woman, dies after an orc throws a hatchet in her back while trying to escape.
325* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'':
326** Would have worked in the first episode had Merlin not pulled Arthur out of the way in time. Although it's justified by the fact that the blade was thrown by magic.
327** Arthur later manages to kill a cockatrice this way in "The Poisoned Chalice".
328* ''Series/MyCountryTheNewAge'': Hwi kills a man by throwing his sword at him.
329* On ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', [[BadassIsraeli Ziva]] saves Ducky's life by throwing a knife into the villain. Several episodes later, she tries to teach the rest of TheSquad to do this, with mixed results.
330* In the Season 1 finale of ''Series/OnceUponATime'', Emma [[spoiler:throws the sword to slay Maleficent in dragon form, in order to retrieve the true love potion]]. Justified, as it was a Shout Out. And subverted below.
331* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' and ''Franchise/SuperSentai'':
332** ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'':
333*** In the season two episode "The Song of Guitardo", Kimberly borrows Tommy's Dragon Dagger and fires it from her bow to slay the titular monster. By the way, this was after Kimberly used her multi-stringed bow as a harp because the monster could be harmed with music. And, as this episode pointed out, the Dragon Dagger can also be used as a flute.
334*** A better example involves Tommy's final battle [[BrainwashedAndCrazy under Rita's control]]. Jason ultimately got the upper hand on him by throwing the Power Sword. Then again, all he was aiming for was to knock Tommy down and separate him from his [[EvilWeapon Sword of Darkness]], which Jason then destroyed with his Blade Blaster.
335*** When Tommy fights Lord Zedd one-on-one, the only hit the White Ranger lands is by throwing Saba at Zedd's staff, shattering it into a snake and thus prompting Zedd's retreat.
336** In ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', the Super Zeo Megazord disarmed Archerina this way during the giant-size battle against her and Gasket.
337** In both ''Series/BattleFeverJ'' and ''Series/DaiSentaiGoggleFive'', the HumongousMecha uses this technique to finish off the BigBad. The Jason vs Tommy example from Power Rangers was also present in its Sentai counterpart ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger''. Notably, that same show also averted the trope later on; when Dai Satan first appears and beings to transform Zombie Franke into Satan Franke, the Zyurangers try to stop him by having Daizyuzin throw his sword at Dai Satan. However, Dai Satan simply destroys the sword before it can reach him and continues Zombie Franke’s transformation.
338* Ned in ''Series/PushingDaisies'' pulls off a trick version -- rather than throw the sword to hit the villain (who's running away anyway), he throws it to lodge in the wall so that the villain trips over it.
339* The first episode of ''Series/RobinHood'' had him throw his sword from the ground and it knocked out two guards on the roof so Much could go free. A subverted example occurs in the series two episode "Get Carter", when the titular character throws his two swords at Robin. The first one Robin ducks and avoids, the second Robin catches and immediately whips back at him.
340* ''Series/ShadowAndBone'': Alina is held up in the air by a shadow monster. Inej throws the Neshyenyer blade at the creature and the sword lands true, destroying it.
341* Used quite a bit on ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand''. When employed by the protagonists it is even effective against {{armor|IsUseless}}ed opponents.
342** While fighting in the Pit, Spartacus spots an assassin sneaking up on Batiatus. He kills him with a thrown axe.
343** Despite insisting this trope does not work (see below), Doctore uses it to kill a Roman soldier about to attack Crixus in the season finale.
344* In the Japanese ''[[Series/SpiderManJapan Spider-Man]]'' TV series, this served as [[HumongousMecha Leopardon's]] standard FinishingMove. In fact, outside of a couple promotional photos, this was the ''only'' thing Leopardon ever used its sword for. (This was partially thanks to the Leopardon suit being stolen early in production; thus, most giant monster battles simply had Leopardon tossing the sword at the enemy via stock footage.)
345* In an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'' Jack penetrates a Goa'uld Lord's defensive force field with a thrown combat knife.
346* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "The Menagerie" (during the flashback to the pilot episode "The Cage"), Captain Pike throws a sword to stop a big hairy giant from threatening the girl. The sword sticks in its back and causes it to fall fatally.
347* Done on a number of occasions in ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' by the titular character. Even Gabrielle managed to do so with her staff once.
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350[[folder:Mythology]]
351* The [[Myth/NorseMythology Norse]] hero Sigurd is stabbed in his sleep by Gutthorm. Before he dies, Sigurd flings his sword after the fleeing Guttorm, cutting him cleanly in half. This incident is told identically in ''Literature/ProseEdda'', ''Literature/PoeticEdda'' and ''Literature/VolsungaSaga''.
352[[/folder]]
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354[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
355* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
356** ''Basic D&D'' provides rules for rarely thrown weapons in the Master Set. Targets may get a saving throw to halve damage, making it a less-than-perfect tactic.
357** There is a feat called "Throw Anything" that allows a character to throw melee weapons (swords included) without the ridiculous penalties that it would normally entail. There's even a PrestigeClass (the Bloodstorm Blade), dedicated to this... whose feats include not just throwing anything, but ''[[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang having it return]]''.
358** 4th Edition has the swordmage, with several abilities in this style; justified in that he has magical control over his sword, including the ability to summon it back to him. One is he throws his sword at the enemy. If it misses, the sword looks for a second enemy and throws itself at him. If it misses again, it will seek a third enemy, and then a fourth at which point it gives up. Either way, the sword comes back. Another power coats the sword in fire and then causes it to explode. The pieces reform in the swordmages's hand.
359** 4th Edition fighters also have a single ranged weapon attack called Coward's Reward, where you throw your weapon, whatever it might be, at a retreating enemy. Somewhat justified in that it has lousy range for a ranged attack, and is only available at the highest levels, when the character is already firmly established as having superhuman powers.
360** The 3.5 source book ''Tome of Battle'' has the 8th level maneuver '''Lightning Throw'''. You throw your weapon to deal damage in a 30-foot line (meaning that it theoretically over-penetrates), dealing normal weapon damage plus 12d6. The save is Reflex for half; the DC of which is the results of an attack roll, and the one class that can get it has full BAB progression. Your weapon even returns to your hand at the end of the round.
361** And several magical melee weapons (such as the Dwarven Thrower) are specifically enchanted to be able to be thrown at an enemy.
362** In 5th edition, the rules state you can throw some melee weapons and have them deal the same damage as they would up close, as long as they have the "thrown" property. Javelins, spears, and handaxes, among others, have it. However, [[SubvertedTrope none of the swords do]]. If you do try to throw a sword (or any other weapon that is not made to be thrown, for that matter), it will deal the same damage as an improvised weapon (i.e. a maximum of 4 damage, with the weakest sword having a max of 6 when used as intended). Not ideal, but then again, not ''completely'' useless. Likewise, [[InvertedTrope trying to use a ranged weapon, like a longbow, as a melee one]] will have the same effect.
363* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'':
364** The Solar Exalted can use the aptly named "Iron Raptor Technique" to throw any weapon (but mostly swords) at a target, after which the weapon will return. It acts as a normal melee attack.
365** The Ink Monkeys expansion Grass-Cutting Strike, which also requires [[SpinAttack Peony Blossom Attack]], allows you to throw your sword at every opponent within thirty to forty yards and quite possibly hit all of them.
366* ''TabletopGame/FengShui'': The Leaping Storm fu power "Loyal Steel" allows a character to throw his sword at an opponent and deal full melee damage before having it return to him like a boomerang.
367* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' has the Throwing Art skill, which lets the user accurately throw anything he can lift. It's duly earmarked as a "cinematic" skill and requires taking an advantage reflecting similarly cinematic training (which in turn may be explicitly disallowed in "realistic" games) ''first'' before the character is allowed to learn it.
368* ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'': While it's not a sword, Ra can throw his Staff of Ra as a power to deal one target 3 projectile damage. This is considered an act of desperation as the Staff gives +1 damage (so he'd actually be doing 4 damage) and throwing the staff destroys the staff after damage. It should be noted that the Staff heals Ra when played, and the Staff is Limited (only one copy in play at a time) so if he wanted to play a second staff he would have to play a staff, heal, throw it, and play a second staff next turn.
369* In ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' the Metisian warriors and nobility use the Kithakis Throwing Sword, a weapon similar in construction to some African throwing knives, with the added advantages of it ''returning'' like a boomerang. It's perfectly effective in melee too, but to use it properly you really need all the tentacles of a Metisian.
370* As the page quote above makes clear, the ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}: Hell on Earth'' supplement for Templars, ''The Last Crusaders'' adds a maneuver to throw your sword using the throwing mechanics of the system. It even has a rule for if the sword hits pommel first.
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373[[folder:Video Games]]
374* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' has this for all two-handed weapons. If the player holds down the attack button Ezio, the player character, throws the weapon. The recently thrown weapon will then decide to make friends with the skull of the person it encounters, no matter the current trajectory of the pointy bits. Granted, it doesn't matter if your weapon makes a new skull buddy, the weapon is still lost and has to be manually retrieved, unless the player goes to the nearest fabbro (Blacksmith) and re-equips it.
375* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate2'': Subverted. A random event will have some guy show up, shout his name and that your insults have gone too far, and throw his sword at you. It does 1-2 points of damage to your main character, not nearly enough to kill any level 8+ character (though it's possible for it to kill if the character is weakened). He then mutters something about how that "usually works", and runs away. Sadly, his sword is just a run-of-the-mill nonmagical scimitar (which is why it doesn't hurt very much).
376* In ''VideoGame/BendyInNightmareRun'', all player weapons are meant to be thrown, including the [[UnlockableContent unlockable]] sword. The animation for the weapons thrown by the PlayerCharacter invokes SpectacularSpinning and averts TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn.
377* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'':
378** In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' Alucard can find the "Heaven Sword", which exists only for the sake of this trope. Justified perhaps by magic, since the weapon flies straight out, striking enemies, and then hits them ''again'' as it [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang flies back to the thrower]].
379** There's also the Runesword, which even larger, thrown in a vertical arc and has the word [[GratuitousGerman "verboten"]] written within its SwordLines.
380** On the more mundane scale, Alucard can throw the Shotel (a real-life Ethiopian/Eritrean sword) as a special move [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang and it will return to him]].
381** And then there are the [[KukrisAreKool Gurkha soldiers]] that are usually stated in the bestiary to be siblings with the Blade monsters described far below. They have some sort of strange giant kukri that flies back to them like a boomerang when they throw it.
382** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia'' has done us one better with the Weapon Master, who carries the Blade monster's swords, the Gurkha monster's kukri, and a hammer from their other bro. The hammer is used for close-range combat, the kukris work as described above, and the swords... are thrown in a hard-to-avoid spread pattern. [[SpectacularSpinning During a spinning jump.]]
383* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'', the Blade weapon (unless you have leveled it up to maximum, in which case you throw [[spoiler:King's spirit]] instead). Which is kinda odd, because the credits artwork shows the protagonist swinging the Blade instead of throwing it. Averted in ''VideoGame/BladeStrangers'' as Quote and Curly just use the blade like a regular sword.
384* ''Series/ChinesePaladin'':
385** Throwing weapons is a very good way to do damage to enemies, and everyone can do it. Many guides will suggest spending all one's money on the last weapon shop the player can visit and throw them all at the boss fight. The GameBreaker potential of this is mitigated by shops being the only source of expendable weapons, and those being somewhat expensive.
386** In ''Chinese Paladin 4'', the main character's special move is to shoot his sword at his enemy with a bow.
387* ''VideoGame/ClashAtDemonhead'': The Sword of Apollo is thrown straight forward, but only used during the battle with the Demon.
388* In ''VideoGame/ColossalCave'', this is the only way to destroy [[spoiler:the ogre. Attack it with the axe, or by hitting it with your sword? You die]].
389* ''[[Literature/{{Xanth}} Companions of Xanth]]'': One of the items is a sword that you pick up fairly early. You never use it at all throughout the game until the very end, at which point [[spoiler:you throw it at the Prize you have been seeking all game to stop your rival from getting at it]].
390* ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'': Datasoft's ''Conan: Hall of Volta'' has the mighty Cimmerian throw his sword at enemies. Good thing they come [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang back like boomerangs]] and if he's prevented from catching it... well, he's carrying ten swords to throw and can find more.
391* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'': The second BossBattle sees you facing the Komodo Brothers, Joe and Moe. They are shown to have been training by throwing swords towards one another before they see that Crash has arrived. Once the fight is started, Joe is [[SpectacularSpinning spun]] at Crash, while Moe tosses his magically respawning blades at him.
392* In ''VideoGame/CrusaderOfCenty'', this is the main character's primary means of attack (it's a magic boomerang sword that flies back after traveling a certain distance). Not only attack but also for triggering switches. And your thrown sword rebounds off of walls. And certain ability combinations from your animal companions will make it fly faster and farther, make it rebound indefinitely, or let you remotely control its flight path.
393* In ''VideoGame/DeadIsland'', throwing your sword, axe, knife, hammer, baseball bat, wrench, crowbar, pointed stick or whatever other weapon you have (except for guns and knuckle-dusters) always works. Logan has skills specifically to exploit this.
394* In ''VideoGame/DeadRising'', you can get a sword which (like every other weapon except the guns) you can whip at an enemy.
395* In ''VideoGame/DeadlyTowers'', Prince Myer throws his sword to attack. Unlike Link, however, he can't stab enemies with it, leaving him defenseless until the sword disappears.
396* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
397** One of Nero's most badass moments in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' occurs in the cutscene after the final showdown with [[spoiler:Sanctus]], when he hurls Yamato in the direction of the BigBad as he's about to kill Kyrie, and then [[spoiler:uses his Devil Bringer hand to grab the sword in midair and Hookshot himself over to him, slice through the membrane holding Kyrie, reverse the blade and run Sanctus through with an OffhandBackhand, and then catch Kyrie on the rebound]]. However, this could be counted as a subversion since [[spoiler:the sword isn't thrown offensively, but as a distraction and to free up his [[RedRightHand Devil Bringer]]]].
398** In addition, he uses the tactic TWICE in his opening fight with Dante, first with a [[{{BFS}} GIANT stone carving of a sword]], then with Dante's own sword. Then again, [[strike:the fight]] the entire series defies physics every two seconds...
399** Dante's "Round Trip" ability, which somehow works as a boomerang. Used twice against the Bloodgoyles in ''VideoGame/{{Devil May Cry 3|DantesAwakening}}'', in the beginnings of Missions 5 & 8.
400** Level up your Swordmaster style in ''3'' enough and Dante will earn the move "Sword Pierce", which lets him throw his sword and stick it into an enemy for a few seconds before returning to him, doing damage while it's in contact.
401** After the Beowulf fight in ''DMC 3'', Dante throws his sword, cutting the beast's eye. If you look closely, the wrong end of the sword is the part that makes contact.
402** Vergil has his own version of this in ''DMC 3'' when he throws the Force Edge and it takes on the properties of a boomerang, coming right back to him. However, when Dante gains possession of the sword, he is unable to do this.
403** It's subverted at the end of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'', [[spoiler:when Dante sends his sword flying through the air, shoots The Despair Embodied through the head, and the demon disperses on the spot where the sword falls a few seconds later]].
404* ''VideoGame/DiabloII'': In the ending, [[spoiler:Tyrael throws his sword to destroy the corrupted worldstone]]. At least his target is frigging huge. [[spoiler:Tyrael is also an angel. When a being of pure energy and magic throws something, it will probably "strike true".]]
405* ''VideoGame/DragonsCrown'': The Fighter can throw his sword. With the right perks, the sword can create a powerful shockwave when it lands, the same as with the Fighter's SwordPlant attack.
406* In ''VideoGame/DuelSaviorDestiny'' Taiga at one point summons his sword Traitor, but instead of just hacking away, he chucks the sword at the monster. It is then used as a target by someone else to injure the monster enough that it drops its hostage, Lily.
407* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'': You can throw ''anything''. It might not be perfect, but there's a very good chance it will do some serious hurt if you do hit. This leads to some "interesting" fights. It is possible to gouge out eyes with thrown sand and decapitate/dismember/destroy organs and bodies with thrown vomit. You can kill a dragon by throwing a sock ''through'' its head. Not only that, but with a high enough Throwing skill (which is much, MUCH less time and ammo consuming than training in using a ranged weapon) you can throw arrows and crossbow bolts ''by hand'', doing more damage and with a much higher speed than you would by firing them with their appropriate weapon; this was later ever so slightly nerfed so the weapon is stronger, but throwing the bolts never breaks them so you can recycle them. Of course, throwing a ''weapon'' has some realism in that on impact it randomly selects one of its possible attack types, meaning a thrown sword could land point first and stab, edge first and slash, or pommel first and strike. Polearms could well land with their shaft instead of their pointy end. Of course, this ''still'' hurts, and if you throw something like a hammer it doesn't matter.
408-->"I just killed a [[MadeOfIron Bronze Colossus]], and you'll never guess how. [[spoiler:[[RidiculouslyCuteCritter Fluffy Wambler]] [[BoomHeadshot to the head!]]]]"
409* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'':
410** A few characters in some games can throw their weapons, including Yue Ying and Sun Shang Xiang in ''DW 5''.
411** ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriorsGundam'': A number of Mobile Suits can throw their melee weapons, including two [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Qubeley]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ variants]] and one [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gelgoog]].
412* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' backstory has an example in the Snow Prince. During the late Merethic Era, the ancient [[BarbarianTribe Atmorans]] ({{Precursors}} of the modern [[HornyVikings Nords]]) went to war with Skyrim's native [[OurElvesAreDifferent Falmer (Snow Elves)]] after the Falmer sacked and slaughtered the Atmoran colony of Saarthal in Skyrim, with the Atmorans going so far as to [[FinalSolution attempt to drive the Falmer to extinction]]. After nearly wiping them out on the mainland, the Atmorans pursued the remaining Falmer to the barren, frozen island of Solstheim. During the Falmer's LastStand at the Battle of the Moesring, an individual known only as the [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Snow Prince]] [[OneManArmy single-handedly]] turned the tide of the battle, [[HeroKiller killing many prominent Atmoran heroes]] in the process. However, the daughter of one of the slain warriors threw her mother's sword in grief and [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaled]] the Snow Prince, killing him. Unlike the remains of his fellow Falmer, which were burned as per Atmoran tradition, the Snow Prince was considered a WorthyOpponent and was buried with full honors befitting any great warrior, with guards even stationed at his tomb, which would one day become Jolgeirr Barrow.
413* ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'':
414** One feature of the secret enchanted gladius is that it can be thrown at distant enemies and will immediately teleport back to the user's hand upon striking.
415** One CoupDeGrace is to throw your sword into a downed enemy, then pull it back out. Justified in that, well, they're down and your foot's on their chest -- no worries about dodging.
416* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
417** One of the special abilities of the {{Ninja}} class in the ''Final Fantasy'' series is to throw items, including swords and other weapons. Needless to say, TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn.
418** Edge's ability to throw swords in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' is one of the most devastatingly effective physical attacks in the game, inflicting significantly more damage than the sword would cause when used for normal attacks. The downside is that thrown swords cannot be retrieved. They are gone from the game, which often makes this method TooAwesomeToUse.
419** Even worse: in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', you can obtain the [[JokeItem Excalipoor sword]], that does absolutely puny damage; however, there are two ways to do as much damage as the real Excalibur with it. The first is throwing it, and the second can only be described as punching the enemy while holding it.
420** The Throw command is reintroduced in later ''Final Fantasy'' games as a command for Thief and Monk characters.
421** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', the characters need a command materia to allow them to throw weapons and Gil in battle. The Materia contains the knowledge of the skill to ensure that throwing your sword ''always'' works. Presumably, without it, the characters would be prone to missing, or the sword hitting its target hilt-first.
422** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' does this in Patch 5.5 of ''Shadowbringers'' after hearing that the Warrior of Light, along with the Eorzean Alliance, has defeated his army at Pagl'than, making the normally unflappable prince [[NotSoStoic have a fit of rage]] throw his sword at a pillar, just missing [[SmugSnake Fandaniel's]] head by an inch.
423** Noctis Lucis Caelum of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' has the ability to warp wherever he throws his weapon. With the right spacial warping, not only does throwing your sword always work, but it's a crucial part of your fighting style.
424* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'': Generally averted series-wide from a gameplay perspective, in that swords have never had a throwing variation like Lances and Axes do. The ranged swords are instead [[SwordBeam imbued with magic and use that to attack at a distance]]. However, some battle animations involve a unit throwing its sword and then catching it before attacking.
425** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'': Ike's [[LimitBreak mastery skill]], Aether, consists of him throwing his sword upwards, then jumping to pick it up and coming down hitting the target for massive damage. Considering how [[GameBreaker broken]] both Ike and the skill are separately, never mind together, in this case throwing your sword really ''does'' always work. Additionally in Path Of Radiance, the General's animation for Luna also involves them throwing their sword or Lance (in an un-javelin-like fashion) upward and catching it prior to attacking.
426** The Hero and Mercenary classes as interpreted by the Game Boy Advance installments also do this for their critical hit animation. The Hero even throws his massive shield along with his sword.
427** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'':
428*** The game finally includes a ranged sword that is actually thrown: the Amatsu. It's exclusive to [[FragileSpeedster Myrmidons and Swordmasters]].
429*** Ragnell, a notable {{BFS}}, is now a thrown weapon, presumably because there wasn't enough time to add in an animation for its usual SwordBeam when it wasn't going to show up in the main game.
430** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' introduces more throwing swords in the Kodachi and Wakizashi. To balance things out, both swords prevent the user from double attacking and the latter is locked at 2 spaces only.
431** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemWarriorsThreeHopes'': The magical second sword Shez wields can [[SummonToHand be called to their hand no matter what]], so they've adapted their fighting style to throwing it at targets and summoning it back as needed. This is taken to the point that in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'', the Legendary variant of Female Shez is classed as a Dagger Unit due to throwing her sword at enemies.
432* ''VideoGame/FlashOfTheBlade'': In the final cutscene, you eventually defeat the true form of Soulstealer - revealed to be a gigantic FacelessEye inside a red void - by throwing your own sacred weapon, the Lightbringer, into [[EyeScream into Soulstealer's pupil]].
433* ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}}'': Thyra the Valkyrie throws her sword at monsters when she isn't using it for close combat.
434* ''VideoGame/GladiatorSwordOfVengeance'' ends with your final confrontation against Counselor Arruntius, the main villain who turned Rome into a ruthless dictatorship. Having destroyed the evil gods Arruntius summoned, the villain tries pleading for his pathetic life only for you to hurl your sword into him in the final cutscene.
435* ''Gondomania'', a Creator/DataEast arcade game, has your jet-bike riding space warrior able to throw swords, daggers, axes, grenades, and whatnot that he picks up in addition to the weapons built in whichever jet-bike he gets.
436* ''VideoGame/{{Growlanser}}: Wayfarer of Time'': The character Vallery wields a throwing sword as his ring weapon of choice.
437* ''VideoGame/HellgateLondon'': A skill for the Blademaster class called Cross Cutter allows them to throw their sword (the right-hand one if DualWielding). The effective range of this skill is the same as an assault rifle's. They also get a passive skill later on that increases their thrown sword damage.
438* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'':
439** The Mantis Lords can throw their spear-like nails at you like spinning boomerangs, which even fly back to them.
440** [[SewingNeedleSword Hornet fights using a needle and thread]], and one of her main attacks involves throwing it at the Knight in a strike that covers most, but not quite all, of her boss stages. In this case, she keeps a long strand of silk attached to the needle's eye, allowing her to quickly retract her weapon afterwards.
441* ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'': Throwing a knife at an enemy normally has a 50/50 chance of either landing handle-first (which will temporarily knock the enemy to the ground, allowing the player to perform an execution on them) or blade-first (which kills said enemy instantly). However, the snake mask Jake [[MadeOfPlasticine turns every enemy into plasticine]] makes it so that ''any'' thrown weapon (blunt weapons, bladed weapons, and even guns) will now mow through multiple enemies like a hot knife through butter, even if it has lost some of its momentum and is simply sliding across the floor!
442* ''VideoGame/IcewindDale'' has a double subversion: the enchanted weapon Haft-Over-Blade. A man had it enchanted so that he could throw it and it would always return to his hand, but he took it to a wild mage, whose enchantment made it so that it would always hit with the handle instead of the blade. However, the enchantment also caused the handle to inflict as much damage as the blade would normally do, so it's still an effective ranged weapon.
443* ''VideoGame/KessenHeianKyo'': Mannendake's animation clip has him draw his sword from his flute and throw it in a boomerang fashion, after which he sheathes it back into the flute and starts playing.
444* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
445** The recurring Strike Raid ability involves throwing the Keyblade at the enemy before calling it back to hand. Throughout the series, it's had several variants like elemental versions and counterattacks. Strike Raid first appeared in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' as one of Sora's special moves. He needs to have locked onto an enemy to perform this, so it never misses (and, with correct timing, can be aimed flawlessly at several Heartless in succession). Unlike most future incarnations of the ability, Sora [[ClingyMacGuffin warps the Keyblade back to his hand]] to throw it again in a combo. [[spoiler:Kairi's Strike Shift ability as a playable character in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIIIReMind'' is a unique variant: she throws the Keyblade at the enemy, then teleports ''herself'' to its location when it lands, differentiating her highly aggressive playstyle from Sora's.]]
446** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'': Saix does this with his "claymore" in his boss fight. It doesn't matter to him if he misses because he can instantly conjure up a replacement. Unfortunately for him, Sora can grab the ones that miss and use them to knock him out of Berserk mode.
447** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIIIReMind'': Yozora can throw his sword at Sora, and when it reaches him, it will slash at Sora's back of its own volition for a few minutes.
448* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': Most champions in the Marksman class use standard (if sometimes fantastical) projectile weapons: bows, bullets, crossbow bolts, piercing magical light (fired from guns), and so on. Draven, however, simply throws his dual axes at people - and is just as good with this as any of the gunslingers and archers. He can even throw them not just so that they cut the enemy but that they then arch into the air so he can catch them again. The reason is simply [[TheAce Draven is that good]].
449* One of Crow Armbrust's crafts in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel II'', "Blade Throw" is him throwing his double-bladed saber at his enemies before returning to him. [[spoiler:It's also how he starts his second S-Craft in Cold Steel IV, "Vorpal Slayer".]]
450* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
451** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'': At full health, Link can fire his sword off, tip-first, at anything in a straight line. Modern interpretations replace this with {{Sword Beam}}s.
452** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': In the first phase of his fight, Ganon throws his spinning Trident at Link. This isn't much of a problem for him since he teleports to catch it.
453** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' features ''Link'' throwing their swords ''at the Darknuts'' (or any other enemy in reach). Amusingly, throwing that sword is actually the ''most'' effective way of using it, considering how slow and awkward actually swinging the [[{{BFS}} damn thing]] is.
454** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' has the Darknuts throwing their huge swords at you before unsheathing a much lighter one. The first time it happens during a cut-scene, so you automatically dodge it; but all other times you have to dodge out of the way yourself.
455** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'': The first boss is with Demon Lord Ghirahim. He can do a BareHandedBladeBlock on your sword, and if you don't get it out of his hands in time, he takes it for himself and starts swinging it at you. Oh, you get it back quickly, but not without him throwing it at you first. Throwing your opponent's sword always works, too.
456** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': Any weapon can be thrown to do doubled damage, and they always break on impact. This is more practical than it sounds since the game uses BreakableWeapons anyway, and doing this with a damaged weapon makes it go out with a highly damaging hit that will usually knock the target over. The Master Sword is the only weapon that cannot be thrown this way -- it cannot leave the inventory in any way once it's picked up -- and using the throw command will activate its {{Sword Beam}}s instead.
457* ''VideoGame/LostOdyssey'' has armies that do this instead of using archers.
458* ''VideoGame/LunarLux'': Bella's Relic Sword active skill has her throw the sword at the enemy, much like the boss Guardia does.
459* This is a completely viable tactic in ''VideoGame/MadnessProjectNexus2'', thanks to it being based in the ''WebAnimation/MadnessCombat'' universe. The protagonists are able to throw implements ranging from concealed throwing knives up to ten-pound sledgehammers with enough force and accuracy to kill a man at twenty paces.
460* In ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' Arthur's moveset consists almost completely of throwing his JoustingLance, although he has a ''lot'' more than just lances in that armour. It's a reference to his home series, ''VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins'', where he similarly throws every weapon he picks up, with the exception of the actual sword weapon from ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts''.
461* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' subverts this -- you can throw your sword and it'll hit the enemy, but it won't stick, and the sword clatters to the floor.
462* ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'': Blade Man throws ''multiple'' swords at Mega Man (or Proto Man); two on Easy, three on Normal, ''five'' on Hard. He never runs out of them. To make things worse, he does this while jumping all over the damn place, making him a [[GoddamnedBoss very irritating boss]] to fight against.
463* ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'': Jetstream Sam uses a modified form of this as a technique - his sword's sheath is built out of an AR-15 receiver which, when fired, forces his sword out at extremely high speed, at which point he grabs it for a super-fast swing.
464* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
465** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'': Kenshi starts his x-ray special by throwing his sword at his opponent. He is a [[MindOverMatter telekinetic]] however, and the opponent can avoid it by simply holding block. Inverted in his second fatality from the same game. He plants his sword in the ground and then ''throws the opponent at it''.
466** In ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', Kenshi is still sword tossing and his son Takeda also has some blade throwing moves in his Ronin variation. Additionally, GuestFighter [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Vorhees]] has his Slasher variation which gives him various special moves with his [[MacheteMayhem signature machete]], including throwing it. And fellow guest fighter [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre Leatherface]] takes it up to eleven in his Pretty Lady variation: he can throw his ''chainsaw'' at the opponents!
467* ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'': 2B gets surprising range out of her swords by using the horizontal disc technique, often doing so several times in a combo, with the same sword. Considering they dissolve into light and reform in her hand when thrown, and aren't always in her grip when she's performing a "normal" attack anyway, it fits in with the rest of her style.
468* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'': Travis throws his sword at Harvey Volodarsky. It hits Harvey's eyes -- blinding him -- but doesn't kill him. Travis has a much more ''KarmicDeath'' in mind...
469* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'': Alice Twilight is equipped with five regenerating beam swords which she throws at every opportunity. It's an effective attack. [[ThatOneAttack VERY effective.]]
470* Chicken from ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'' can throw her katana straight into enemies, which is usually a OneHitKill. Though gameplay-wise, she can do this with any weapon, as much sense as that makes.
471* ''VideoGame/OedipusInMyInventory'': The castle sentry will throw his sword at you if you use your knife on him. It's undodgeable.
472* In ''VideoGame/OneFingerDeathPunch'', your opponents can throw weapons to attack you, but, depending on the color of the weapon, they can either be knocked away (gray) or caught and thrown back (white). There's even a skill that allows you to turn a captured weapon into a thrown weapon.
473* ''VideoGame/{{Pankapu}}'': With The Bravery Aegis, [[PlayerCharacter Pankapu]] can throw his sword as an attack. It always comes back boomerang-style.
474* ''VideoGame/{{Postal}}'':
475** [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude The Postal Dude]], in [[VideoGame/Postal2 the second game's]] expansion, throws ''sledgehammers'', smashing the head of whatever they hit. He can also throw a scythe that cuts people in half but starts to drop off after some distance. He also picks up a machete that not only can be thrown with accuracy but ''ricochets off walls'' and ''always comes back to him''. The sledgehammer and scythe have to be retrieved each time however, and if you happen to throw the hammer at the back end of a cow, well, let's just say it's [[{{Squick}} slightly less fun to retrieve.]]
476** The ''A Week in Paradise'' mod adds a katana, which can be thrown in the same manner as the sledgehammer, stabbing whoever it hits but then having to be retrieved (except in Enhanced Mode, where you [[BottomlessMagazines can toss as many of them as you want]]).
477* ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia'': In the latter two 3D games, you can throw your secondary-weapon swords at enemies. They aren't terribly good weapons for this -- the secondary-weapon daggers and some axes are generally better -- but you always connect with the right end of the weapon.
478* In ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryIII'', Paladin characters must defeat the Demon Wizard by throwing their sword at him.
479* In ''VideoGame/RealmsOfTheHaunting'' [[spoiler:as part of the good ending of the game, Aelf will throw his weapon and successfully impale Florentine without breaking the last seal he wears as a necklace, provided the player has chosen the right conversation tree during the final showdown in the Chamber of the Soulstone. Sensibly, Aelf throws his sword like a spear, rather than the typical overhead hurl]].
480* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'':
481** Some Ganados will throw their weapons at Leon. Hatchets and sickles are pretty inaccurate and will miss often. Scythes, [[OneHitKill not so]] [[OffWithHisHead much]]...
482** Leon himself in one awesome scene throws his knife across the room and pins Salazar’s hand to the wall. Though Salazar’s minion Verdugo quickly passes Leon’s knife back in [[PressXToNotDiE QTE]], which can lead to Leon ironically getting killed with his own knife if the player fails to dodge.
483* In ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheKasai'', none of the playable characters throw any of their melee weapons. However, while fighting unarmed, it's possible to disarm enemies and kill them with their own weapons. For enemies with swords, they're headbutted, knocked away and the sword is thrown into their throats. So throwing your ''enemy's'' sword always works.
484* In ''VideoGame/{{Rogue}}'' and its [[{{Roguelike}} descendants]] such as ''VideoGame/NetHack'', any item in your inventory can be thrown. However, if it's a standard melee weapon, don't expect it to be particularly effective.
485* ''VideoGame/{{Rune}}'' allows you to throw any item you hold. Most weapons don't work very well for this, but some (hand axes and lit torches, most notably) work quite well. Since you have a ton of weapons most of the time, this is an excellent first move. One of the runic powers even allows you unlimited ghost weapons to throw for a short time.
486* ''VideoGame/SidMeiersPirates'': The 2000s version does this every time you win a duel with an enemy captain. The player character backs the enemy to the stern of the ship, throws his sword... and misses. The enemy captain starts to advance, [[ExactlyWhatIAimedAt only for the hero to smirk as the bundle of crates held by the rope he just cut knocks the captain off the ship]]. When you get to the last few Famous Pirates, they'll notice the crates and duck, only to get hit by them anyway on the return swing. The last famous pirate will jump on the crate, swing his sword over his head in triumph... and sever the rope himself.
487* ''VideoGame/SilentScope'': In ''2'', Sho and Kane throw their blades as a ranged attack.
488* ''VideoGame/StarTropics'': In the original, the protagonist's primary weapon is a yo-yo (explained in-game as him having a really good throwing arm). It always comes back to him, so the player can logically keep using it. His second adventure, however, starts him off with melee weapons that are thrown at enemies instead. Despite the first two of these being a primitive axe and a dagger (which would presumably get lodged in a fleshy target), he can always toss another one a moment later, with a never-ending supply of whatever his primary weapon is. Funny with the ax, downright questionable with the dagger.
489* ''Franchise/StarWars'': In most games where you wield a lightsaber, you can throw it, and [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang expect it to return]] because, as mentioned above, the Jedi can just yank it back with the Force.
490** Most of the ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'' games, starting from ''VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII''[='=]s expansion. Occasionally, though, the return trip is interrupted: in ''[[VideoGame/JediKnightIIJediOutcast Jedi Outcast]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy Jedi Academy]]'', if you throw it at a Dark Jedi and he blocks it, the hilt just falls to the ground, and you have to either go over and grab it or just Force pull. If you switch weapons while it's in flight, it'll also drop to the ground. It also has three levels; level one just throws it in a direction before returning, level two allows you to slightly change direction as it's flying outward, level three lets it hover on a target and slice them up repeatedly before returning.
491** In ''VideoGame/StarWarsMastersOfTerasKasi'', Luke does this as an unblockable and undodgeable super move that takes off half the opponent's life bar.
492** In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', the Throw Lightsaber power is an AlwaysAccurateAttack.
493** In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the Force-sensitive Combat Styles get four variants: Guardians and Juggernauts get a basic Saber Throw; both forms of Jedi Knights and Sith Warriors get Dispatch/Vicious Throw, which ordinarily becomes usable on weakened enemies or when certain passive abilities proc; Sentinels and Marauders get Twin Saber Throw/Dual Saber Throw; and Shadows and Assassins get Low Slash, which induces an incapacitating effect.
494** ''VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'': Several characters do this with lightsabers. The second game has a scene where [[spoiler:Darth Vader throws his lightsaber at Starkiller, but Starkiller catches it and throws it back, severing Vader's hand]].
495** ''VideoGame/StarWarsGalaxyOfHeroes'': Darth Vader's special move is Culling Blade. He throws his lightsaber at an opposing character and can OneHitKill them if enough debuffs are stacked on them.
496* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'':
497** Dygenguard uses the Colossal Spinner Attack: Throwing the sword in a horizontal spin.
498** Sanger can also pull this off ''on foot with a {{BFS}}'' in ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone''.
499* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsEx'': In ''Dark Prison'', [[Characters/MasouKishin Shu Shirakawa]] does this with his [[{{BFS}} Granworm Sword]] to aim at Monica [[spoiler:but activates the teleporter at the last minute and hits Luozorl, killing him]].
500* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'': You can throw any weapon at opponents and do damage this way. In fact, most weapons are better thrown than swung. The beam sword has the farthest throwing range.
501** The prime example of this is the [[HomeRunHitter Home Run Bat]]; the bat has an AwesomeButImpractical instant-KO "home run" smash swing... or you can just throw it to deal a heavy amount of damage and knockback.
502** [[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Ike]] also carries over his signature skill Aether, as above, and takes both the skill itself and the throwing further with [[FinishingMove Great Aether]].
503** [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Robin]] discards his weapons by lightly throwing them behind him after they run out of uses. However, they all can be caught and thrown if you act quickly enough. A discarded Levin Sword can ''only'' be thrown if caught by Robin [[HoistByHisOwnPetard or his opponent]], but doing so and landing a hit with it is as devastating as a Smash Attack.
504* ''VideoGame/{{Superhot}}'': All weapons can be thrown (tossing firearms is much faster than waiting for the next bullet to cycle into the chamber), but the katana is the only weapon that is lethal when thrown, as well as the only one that doesn't break on impact.
505* ''VideoGame/SwordOfKadash'' by Dynamix, has your desert adventurer able to throw knives, swords, and axes at enemies.
506* ''VideoGame/SwordWithSauce'' makes extensive use of this -- ''any'' weapon except the silenced pistol (which for gameplay purposes the game treats as a gadget rather than a separate weapon) can be thrown, and, circumstances depending, it's a one-hit kill the same as shooting, slashing, or bashing them with it normally would be. The shield is the most ridiculous, as it acts like ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's, flying back into your hand and/or pinballing between multiple close-in enemies.
507* ''VideoGame/{{Swordswallower}}'' a video game by Uti Azulay and Julia Del Matto has this as a necessary component. Your mysterious protagonist cannot swing his gigantic {{BFS}}. Instead, it's enchanted to be thrown with rocket-like force and [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang will return to your hand]] or it will teleport you to it.
508* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
509** ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'': A technique allows Stahn to throw your sword forward. It has the obvious drawback of leaving him unarmed until you pick it back up.
510** ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'':
511*** [[BloodKnight Zagi]] throws his sword forward for one of his artes, which proceeds to return to him after reaching the end of its trajectory. It leaves him about as open to abuse as you might expect.
512*** Alexei throws his sword to trace a glyph for his Brilliant Cataclysm mystic arte, which [[ThatOneAttack definitely works]]. It also returns to him afterward.
513** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfGraces'', [[SquishyWizard Malik]] uses this as his primary means of physical offense. His swords are called bladerangs, but visually, they don't vary much (If at all) in shape from swords of the standard RPG fare. As the name implies, they return to him after being thrown, but he can also manipulate their trajectory to make them strike the enemy multiple times.
514** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'':
515*** Early on in the game, [[AlternateSelf Fractured]] Julius kills Fractured Nova and her boss by throwing [[DualWielding one of his swords]] at them, with enough force to run through both of them at once and [[TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn land in the wall behind them]].
516*** If Ludger offers himself as bait to lure out the Seafall Phantom, Julius intercepts the monster's first attack on Ludger by throwing his sword at it, buying them enough time to hand over the first Waymarker.
517* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'':
518** In ''VideoGame/TouhouKaikidanMysticSquare'' we have [[{{Meido}} Yumeko]], who throws swords [[BulletHell everywhere]] to hit you.
519** ''VideoGame/TouhouGensokyoLotusLandStory'': Elly throws her SinisterScythe like a boomerang, as if you weren't already having trouble dodging her bullet patterns.
520* ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'': Alastor is a ShoutOut to Dante who mimics his "Round Trip" attack, among other things....
521* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'':
522** Subverted in ''Warcraft 3''. Thrall tosses his hammer at Mannoroth at the very beginning of the fight, and it is easily deflected.
523** ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
524*** High-level Warriors can learn two different weapon-throwing attacks: Heroic Throw, which simply chucks your main-hand weapon at your foe; and Shattering Throw, which has a slight cast time, but can actually break through otherwise impenetrable defensive techniques, such as a Mage's Ice Block. ''Mists of Pandaria'' introduces the talent "Storm Bolt", in which Warriors throw their weapon at an enemy (or weapons for the DualWielding Fury Warriors), as a DPS cooldown. The glyph of Impaling Throw enables Warriors to retrieve their weapon from the enemy they used Heroic Throw on; while they were able to resume attacking with it even without this g*lyph, the glyph enables them to reset the cooldown and use the ability again immediately.
525*** Paladins and Rogues also have abilities that throw weapons at enemies (Protection Paladins can also throw their shield) but none of them actually takes these away when used.
526*** One of the bosses in ''Mists of Pandaria'' uses a unique version of this, throwing their weapon to a certain location and then charging after it, causing damage to anyone near the weapon.
527* ''VideoGame/WarhammerOnline'': The Orc careers in ''Age of Reckoning'' have a ''Throw Choppa'' ability, lobbing a large orcish sword at an enemy and usually getting the best results if it hits them in the back. Seeing the [[http://img.war-europe.com/syndic_img/careers/choppa-concept-02.jpg slightly non-aerodynamic design]] of said implement, this possibly makes them the best shots in the entire game (rather ironic considering their [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 40K]] counterparts are famous for their ATeamFiring with actual guns).
528* ''VideoGame/{{Wet}}'': Done to ridiculous extents by Rubi. At one point during a CarChase, she makes a WallJump off the side of a moving truck onto a car, from which a mook is about to shoot her point blank, and ''while still in the air'', throws her katana at him, lands, and ''pulls it out of his chest'' before he can fall out of the car window.
529* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'':
530** Near the end of the first game's prologue, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM6OsReZN1o&t=45s Geralt throws the rusty training sword he's been using at the Professor]] as the latter escapes through a portal after [[spoiler:killing Leo and stealing the secrets of witcher mutations.]] This trope is averted as the portal closes before Geralt's sword reaches it, letting the Professor escape alive.
531** ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2'':
532*** Geralt has a group finisher where he kills three human enemies by throwing his steel sword on the first, his silver sword on the second, and killing the third one in close combat. He also has a finisher against harpies where he throws his silver sword and it stabs the harpy in mid-air, killing it.
533*** Roche also manages to kill an enemy soldier via thrown sword in a cutscene. In another cutscene, Geralt does the same.
534** In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3'', while [[spoiler:fighting the Crones, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL1PbvpN2nI&t=5m16s Ciri attempts to finish off Weavess like this]], but the witch dissolves into a murder of crows right before the blade hits her]]. In the epilogue to one of the endings, Geralt tries the same thing and succeeds.
535** Interestingly enough, each of those examples has characters throwing their swords either in the end-over-end or in the boomerang fashion. [[Literature/TheWitcher In the books]], meanwhile, while both Cahir and Geralt can be seen throwing their sword to reach a distant target, [[ShownTheirWork the narration makes it clear]] both times that they throw their sword straight, like a javelin.
536* ''VideoGame/TheWorldIsYourWeapon'': The church can teach Weaco how to throw her weapon, which can hit from far away, guarantee a critical hit, and increase the activation rate of special effects. However, the weapon will be lost immediately upon activation.
537[[/folder]]
538
539[[folder:Visual Novels]]
540* Common in the ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'':
541** ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'': Ciel, [[ChurchMilitant an Executor]], fights using the standard-equipment Black Keys, literal throwing swords; she only carries the small hilts (reputedly hundreds of them), and materialise the blades as needed. Kotomine Kirei also uses them briefly in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and more prominently in ''Literature/FateZero''.
542** ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': Servant Archer's favoured pair of Chinese ''dao'' that possess a yin/yang quality which works like magnetism, always drawing the opposite sword back to it. If he throws them to the sides of an opponent, they'll pull themselves to cut it. This is the basis of his [[FinishingMove Triple-Linked Crane Wings]], which uses three different pairs of Kanshou and Bakuya, the first two purposely blocked [[BatmanGambit until the third comes out for a finishing blow since the enemy is unable to keep up.]] [[spoiler:Too bad we only see Shirou use in an a bad ending LastStand against Saber Alter in Heaven's Feel]]. Archer is also capable of circumventing the main flaw in this tactic, due to his ability to instantly summon his blades back to his hands if he's ever disarmed [[spoiler:(or, in reality, just project a new identical pair of swords)]].
543*** This is also Gilgamesh's main tactic. With his Gate of Babylon, he has access to an unlimited amount of magic swords and weapons, [[RequiredSecondaryPowers but can't use most of them properly]], and his default strategy is to just fire them from the Gate like a cannon (Hence his class in the [[Literature/FateZero Fourth War]], Archer).
544*** [[Literature/FateApocrypha Saber of Red]] does this while fighting some Golems. It's described as a mark of how skilled a warrior she is since A. it shouldn't have worked and B. she gets around the 'not having a sword anymore' issue by beating the rest of the golems to death with her bare hands.
545[[/folder]]
546
547[[folder:Web Animation]]
548* Played with in ''[[http://www.flashring.com/content/stick/sstunts/stairjump.shtml Stairjump]]''. Someone throws a sword at someone else, only for him to fall down the stairs and impale the first through the head.
549* ''WebAnimation/MadnessCombat'' proudly features the various protagonists and antagonists throwing melee weapons, often to deadly effect. Hank is noticeably lethal with thrown weapons, able to throw a humble police baton, barely more than a stick, with such force and accuracy that it can penetrate through a person's head or torso.
550[[/folder]]
551
552[[folder:Webcomics]]
553* The Other in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' throws a sword to kill off an enemy holding up a delicate piece of machinery.
554* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
555** Zig-zagged in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0164.html one strip]], where Roy throws a broken sword to save his friends from being hanged by a group of bandits. The sword cuts through the nooses of Elan, Haley, and Vaarsuvius, but misses Belkar's. Then it stabs the hangman... who falls over onto the lever in his death throes. Fortunately, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0165.html the next strip]] reveals Belkar is [[TheManTheyCouldntHang too lightweight to be hanged]].
556** Done humorously again in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0796.html another strip]], where Thog kicks away Roy's greatsword to disarm him during a gladiator fight, and it lands in the public, beheading one of Thog's fans.
557** Tarquin's able to throw his greataxe at close range in a spin to knock off (and wound) an opponent about to finish off one of his companions -- perhaps not ''quite'' as unrealistic, and he only chooses to do so when forced to run away anyway so the loss of a weapon doesn't matter so much.
558** Justified in later strips as Roy gains an ability to [[SummonToHand summon his thrown sword back to his hands]]. When he throws his sword to kill a vampire in the middle of a fight, the lead vampire gloats that he's without a weapon. Roy simply calls his sword back and throws it again, killing another.
559** Durkon's shiny new hammer is also a throwing and returning weapon, fitting as he is a cleric of Thor. And Thor himself had given that hammer to the dwarves long ago, implying that it's basically a nerfed copy of Mjolnir for his mortal followers' use.
560* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' two last Defenders of the Court did it. Mr. Eglamore (Chapter 7) and Mr. Thorn (in Chapter 22) opted to throw some sort of a [[PowerGlows glowing sword... thing]] to save time. In the former case, it's still a bit too late.
561* In ''Webcomic/{{Terinu}}'' {{Space Pirate|s}} Mavra Chan throws her sword and not only hits her target but manages to pierce MamaBear Leeza's fully modern clamshell torso armor.
562* Happens all the time in ''Webcomic/HitmenForDestiny'', but the sword in question is magical and is able to find its target.
563* In ''Webcomic/TheKAMics'' Brunhilda [[http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_KAMics/4893633/ did this]] at the end of the Squirrel Wars portion of the Webcomic/CrossoverWars. While she didn't actually hit her target it did work out on the next page.
564* In ''Webcomic/{{Vattu}}'', the first hunter of Vattu's tribe [[spoiler:is killed by such an attack]].
565* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'': In "Revenge of the Hundred Dead Ninja", Dr. [=McNinja=] kills a zombie sneaking up on Gordito by throwing his ninjato (sword attributed to ninjas, like a katana but straight, pretty much fictional) through its head. [[RuleOfCool It's nothing special for him.]]
566* ''Webcomic/DICETheCubeThatChangesEverything'': [[spoiler:When X opens the portal into his dimension, while in air a few floors above]], Dongtae throws his Time Cutter into it. It goes straight into [[spoiler:the Final Die as planned, stripping X of his invincibility. The next Time Cutter throw hits X directly]].
567[[/folder]]
568
569[[folder:Web Original]]
570* Taken to ridiculous extremes in the ''WebVideo/KateModern'' episode "The Wedding Video". {{Ninja}} Charlie fights off a bunch of monsters with a {{katana|sAreJustBetter}}, which gets bent out of shape when one of the monsters blocks it. She then throws it like a [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang boomerang]], which slices through all the monsters in the room -- apart from Demon Rupert -- before embedding itself in the wall, right next to where Charlie is standing. Charlie pulls it out of the wall (bending it back into shape in the process) and throws it directly at Rupert, skewering him.
571* In ''Roleplay/{{Zeonquest}}'', then-rookie Zolomon Ringo kills not one, but two Federation jets by throwing his [[HumongousMecha Zaku's]] Tomahawk at them. He hasn't stopped being awesome since.
572* Justified in ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', since the character throwing the sword has a superpower that lets her imbue any objects she touches with the ability to [[NoArcInArchery ignore gravity]] and penetrate through absolutely anything, no matter how it hits.
573* ''Literature/VoidDomain'': Genoa has tossed a sword on occasion and Arachne has tossed around a dismembered arm that she was using as a sword. In both cases, they were able to manipulate their weapon in some manner to increase accuracy, either through ferrokinesis or thread.
574* This is actually DiscussedTrope and a DoubleSubversion with a [[Creator/RoosterTeeth RT Life]] video. Creator/GavinFree bets fellow Creator/AchievementHunter Ryan Haywood that he can throw any sort of knife into a wall and make it stick. Ryan counters that it can't just be any old knife, since throwing knives are designed to be balanced enough to be thrown and you have to counteract the off-balanceness of a regular knife. Indeed, Gavin makes his throw and ends up slapping the bulletin board while Ryan shows the proper way to throw a regular knife and makes it stick.
575* Parodied in ''WebVideo/ScottTheWoz'' where he destroys the Polibyus arcade machine pursuing him by throwing a baseball bat like a javelin at it at point-blank range.
576[[/folder]]
577
578[[folder:Western Animation]]
579* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfPussInBoots'': Armed with a magical living sword that can think and move on its own, El Guante Blanco frequently throws the Goodsword as an attack, as it can fly back to him afterward.
580* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', Batman is dueling with Ra's al Ghul and decides that the best use for his sword would be to throw it at Ghul's DoomsdayDevice which was [[DestructionEqualsOffSwitch seconds away from blowing up half the planet]].
581* Batman in the "Birds of Prey" episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' with a pair of daggers. Not only does he [[DualWielding throw them both at once]], but one of them cuts through a rope to drop a FallingChandelierOfDoom, while the other [[PistolWhipping deliberately hits Two-Face in the head with the blunt end]].
582* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Castlevania|2017}}'' Alucard is perfectly fine with throwing his [[CoolSword heirloom sword]], perfectly justified since he has telekinesis and can summon it right back into his hand or sheath. More traditionally Trevor throws his short sword into the Cyclops’s chest, but more spectacularly pulls the sword out with his whip and kicks it into the Cyclops’s eyeball ''in mid-air''.
583* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'':
584** Ulrich throws his katana a lot (especially once he got two in Season 4) and it generally ends up with a monster [[AttackItsWeakPoint struck in the Eye of XANA]].
585** William also sometimes throws his sword, despite it being [[{{BFS}} HUGE]]; he rarely stays disarmed, however, since he can call it back with telekinesis.
586* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' had Timmy save his parents from a dragon by throwing [[ExcaliburInTheStone Excalibur]] to cut them free from the cow costume the dragon was holding (ItMakesSenseInContext). Being magical, Excalibur [[SummonToHand returns to him]].
587* Agent Six from ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'' uses this trope a lot. One of the best examples is in the very first episode during his fight with Breach, who can open portals through space. She surrounds him with portals and proceeds to punch and kick him from every direction until he finally throws his fold-out katanas through two of them. A few seconds later, Breach and both swords fall through another portal several yards away.
588%%* Hawkgirl and her mace in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''.
589* ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'': In ''The Secret of the Sword'', where [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 He-Man]] meets [[WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower She-Ra]] for the first time, at one point He-Man disarms Adora by throwing his sword at her gun (which she's holding in front of her, pointing at him). How he was capable of knowing that it would not physically harm her is anyone's guess.
590* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'':
591** Jack is no stranger to using this technique as a finishing move. Memorably, he once pinned an enemy ninja to a wall by throwing his sword from a concealed spot and giving him no time to dodge. Fortunately, like most things Jack kills, the ninja turned out to be a robot, so it was okay to show on TV. Also used by an Ally of Jack, the Spartan King, throwing Jack's Katana through a mechanical monstrosity's head and killing it.
592** This applies to the Minions of Set as well. One of the Minions has two swords. One of them is attached to its left bracer, but the other is held in the right hand and is used for several special throwing attacks, including a kienzan-like homing attack and a spectacularly fluid and flawlessly executed leap off of a tall pillar while simultaneously throwing its sword into the back of Jack's knee, knocking him to the ground and allowing the still-falling Minion to almost land on top of him.
593* The hero does this in the short Australian CGI spoof ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSPy_4HYqGs Samurice]]''.
594* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': The Inquisitor is able to turn his [[DoubleWeapon double-bladed lightsaber]] into a spinning disc that he can throw at his opponents.
595* When WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry are trying to have a duel with swords, Jerry accidentally bends his epee while showing off. Jerry throws his sword at Tom but misses. But since the sword is now [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang bent into a boomerang]], it [[BoomerangComeback comes around and hits Tom in the rear]].
596** In "WesternAnimation/TheLittleOrphan", Tom flings a fork at Jerry's little charge Nibbles. The fork pins Nibbles to the table by his diaper.
597* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' episode "[[Recap/TransformersPrimeS2E25Regeneration Regeneration]]": Megatron chucks the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Dark Star Saber]] at the [[WeaponOfMassDestruction Spark Extractor]] in order to prevent his [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin spark from getting extracted]]. Doesn't save the numerous {{mooks}} much closer to the Extractor, though...
598* ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'': Jim is fond of throwing his magic sword, Daylight. Since it's magic, as long as it's not struck down too hard, he can simply will it back into its hands.
599* [[TheOrder The Blade of Marmora]], an order of Galra dedicated to fighting against the [[TheEmpire Galra Empire]] in ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'' can pull off insane stunts with their blades, including bouncing them off walls to strike an opponent from the back or throwing them with pinpoint accuracy. Then again, they are essentially alien ninjas whose blades are [[EmpathicWeapon Empathic Weapons]]in some way linked to their wielder's [[LifeEnergy Quintessence]]. Combined with their proficiency with CombatParkour it allows for them to combat and even kill [[TeleportSpam Galra Druids]].
600** Keith, while not (initially) on the same level as the Blade of Marmora, is still capable of throwing his sword in a perfectly straight line without the blade spinning into his opponents from across a room. [[spoiler: It must be a [[HalfHumanHybrid Galra trait]].]]
601[[/folder]]
602
603[[folder:Real Life]]
604* The most famous Japanese swordsman of all time, UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi, was an expert at throwing his sword, making this TruthInTelevision. He also won over 60 duels in his life and tended to win using things like [[ImprobableWeaponUser wooden sticks and metal fans]], so he may have been a special case.
605** In his book on Musashi, martial artist Kenji Tokitsu comments that Musashi probably threw his short-sword as a surprise attack, in order to create an opening for his long sword. Also, because Musashi spent a lot of time wandering, this skill would have come in handy [[MundaneUtility when it came to catching his supper.]]
606* Some African groups use the hunga munga (alternately the mambele), an awesomely named and bizarre-looking sword that can be thrown effectively. Though it's really more of an axe than a sword, and in fact is designed more as a throwing weapon that simply happens to be capable of use as a melee weapon in a pinch.
607* Zweihanders/dopplehanders could be thrown like a spear due to their large, strong ricasso.
608* In Gladiatoria manuscript, MS Germ.Quart.16, page 7r, armour fighting with spear. ''Note the twelfth play. If you want to [[MemeticMutation end him rightly]] (?), [[https://imgur.com/gallery/UCwYi hold your spear and sword together on your arm, unscrew the pommel of your sword, and throw it at him vigorously.]] Close in with the throw and use your sword or spear, whatever suits you best. When he throws his pommel at you, keep your buckler close to you and watch out for the throw. Hold your spear in your right hand and prepare to thrust, to stop him from closing in if it is his intention.''[[note]]Since this move is AwesomeButImpractical to the highest degree, modern experts are unsure whether it's supposed to be a taunt used at the end of a duel, the manuscript writer being a {{Troll}}, a reference to some sort of now-lost meme or in-joke, or an unusual method of copyright.[[/note]]
609* The ''Fior di Battaglia'' (an Italian fighting manual) contains a plate wherein the stance in which a longsword may be thrown is detailed. This being real life, the stance is a modified javelin throw stance, not the two-handed overhead swing commonly used in fiction.
610** WebVideo/{{Skallagrim}} released a video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTC_1HRgbuo with a brief overview of Fiore's technique]].
611* The ''[[UsefulNotes/RedsWithRockets Spetsnaz]]'' [[DetachableBlades Ballistic Knife]]: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_knife Shooting Your Knife Always Works]].
612** See also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9LmzAeQqNM Joerg Sprave]]'s latest act of engineering lunacy.
613* The Kriegsmesser may actually be the origin of this trope since throwing it at your opponent was actually a decent strategy, made feasible due to a key construction difference between knives and swords. A knife has a larger and heavier blade relative to its handle, and the Kriegsmesser was a knife with a blade the size of a short sword, designed [[LoopholeAbuse to circumvent medieval laws]] banning weapons in cities.[[note]]Civilians were forbidden from carrying swords, as knife-makers were forbidden from making them, but they were allowed to respectively carry and make knives, and the charter at the time which set this restriction defined a knife almost solely by the handle construction and not the blade length.[[/note]] As a civilian self-defense weapon, it didn't need to work well against fully armored opponents. It fell out of use because it was hard to use, due to its overly wide blade, but the depictions of people using the Kriegsmesser may have inspired actors and artists.
614[[/folder]]
615
616!!!Exceptions/Subversions
617
618[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
619* In ''Manga/BlackButler'', Othello pulls out his uncustomised [[AbsurdlySharpBlade Death Scythe]] and throws it at [[spoiler: The Undertaker]]... [[EpicFail and it ends up embedded in the staircase seven steps down from where his target is standing]]. Said target then proceeds to laugh his backside off at the pathetic attempt.
620-->'''Grelle''': Hang on, Othello! You mean to tell me you're ''[[SubvertedTrope not]]'' [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass that character who lets everyone think he's pathetically weak but is actually as strong as an ox!?]]
621-->'''Othello''': No way! I told you, [[NonActionGuy I'm totally useless in a fight]].
622* Subverted in the second episode of ''Anime/KnightHunters'' when Aya throws his katana at an escaping helicopter: not only does it accomplish absolutely nothing, he doesn't even hit the chopper in the first place. The whole incident just illustrates the state of completely berserk rage he's in at the time.
623* Subverted in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk9AsdCUbmo opening]] to ''[[Anime/SandsOfDestruction World Destruction]]'' (though the weapon is a large blade rather then a sword) where Morte throws her weapon at Lia and misses. Lia then shoots her.
624* In ''Anime/YuGiOhTheMoviePyramidOfLight'', Yugi, in desperation, throws a dagger at a jewel that's the BigBad's weakness. Realistically, he hits the very corner of the jewel with the wrong end of the dagger, which only slightly weakens the BigBad... though this slight weakness was enough for Yami to triumph using the same tactic that had failed before.
625** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in the [[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Abridged Series]]:
626--->"''Damn'', I suck."
627* Subverted in ''Gundam: 08th MS Team''. Norris throws his Gouf's sword. However, the intent was not to hit Shiro but to distract him, giving Norris time to shoot Shiro with his heat-wire and disable his Gundam. And he retrieves it with his ''Electric Grappling Cable of Death''.
628* Amusingly averted in an explanation of how magical power works in ''Manga/{{MAR}}'': they show a sword thrown at a GiantMook, and it bounces off to no effect.
629* In the OELManga ''Manga/AmazingAgentLuna's'' opening chapter, The Count throws his sword at Luna and misses. Played for laughs as he has trouble getting back out of the portrait of his grandfather.
630* In ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', Amiba tried to kill Kenshiro by throwing a sword at him before he entered his room. He ended up killing one of his own minions that Kenshiro dragged along.
631* The opening sequence of ''Anime/SandsOfDestruction'': Morte chucks her {{BFS}} at Rhi'a, but misses; Rhi'a then proceeds to shoot Morte.
632* Subverted in ''[[Anime/YuGiOhZexal Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL]]'' when Trey throws a sword at [[spoiler: Mr. Heartland]], only for the target to teleport out of the way. At least it was a cool DynamicEntry for Trey.
633[[/folder]]
634
635[[folder:Fan Works]]
636* ''Fanfic/EquestriaGirlsFriendshipSouls'': After blasting up a cloud of dust to obscure his opponent's vision, the Espada [[EvilutionaryBiologist Grogar]] throws his Zanpakuto through it at Captain [[spoiler:Celestia]], who twirls to avoid the spinning blade [[CloseCallHaircut only to lose a lock of hair]], but he then uses [[FlashStep Sonido]] to catch the sword when it's barely passed her and tries to backhand slash her while she's off-balance. Instead, she catches his wrist to halt the attack and then proceeds to hit him hard enough to send him flying away and prepares to fire a Kido at him. [[spoiler:As it turns out, the sword-throw was the real feint. When Grogar used Sonido, he dropped a freeze grenade inside the dust cloud and [[BatmanGambit banked on Celestia being too focused on his blade and himself to notice it]], and by the time she does spot it he triggers the explosive, forcing her to defend herself by jumping away and giving him the precious seconds he needs to activate his [[OneWingedAngel Resurreccion]].]]
637[[/folder]]
638
639[[folder:Film — Animation]]
640* Snotlout tries this is in ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon''... and misses completely. Apparently the sun was in his eyes.
641[[/folder]]
642
643[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
644* Oliver Stone's ''Film/{{Alexander}}'':
645** At the Battle of the Hydaspes, Alexander throws his sword at King Poros in a futile attempt to kill him, only to miss. Also in the Final Cut, during the Battle of Gaugamela, Antigonus (the one-eyed general) barely manages to protect himself with his shield from an arrow, and then counterattacks by tossing his sword at the Persian archer.
646** Another funny subversion from the same film: in both ''Alexander'' and ''Film/ThreeHundred'', there's a climactic scene of the Greek Hero-King charging the Persian Emperor while screaming in slow motion before dramatically hurling his spear at him. In ''300'', the spear cuts Xerxes' cheek, humiliating him. In ''Alexander'', Darius casually leans out of the way of the thrown spear with a puzzled expression on his face as if to wonder what this Greek loony was thinking.
647* Subverted and {{lampshade|Hanging}}d at the end of ''Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina''. Jack Burton throws his knife at BigBad Lo Pan ''[[Funny/BigTroubleInLittleChina and misses]]''. Jack [[OhCrap knows he just blew it big time,]] as Gracie glares at him. Lo Pan picks it up, comments, "Good knife. ... Goodbye, Mr. Burton." and throws it back at Jack, [[spoiler:who catches it and tosses it right between Lo Pan's eyes, making it a DoubleSubversion. Like Jack said, [[CatchPhrase it's all in the reflexes]]]].
648* In ''Film/BlackDeath'', Ulric attempts to throw his sword at the last of a group of bandits [[spoiler:who raided his camp and killed one of his men]]. His sword falls several feet short of his target.
649* Subverted in the schlocky ''wuxia''-fantasy film, ''Film/BuddhasPalm''. The hero, Long Jian-fei, defeats one of the Masked Killers by throwing his sword into the target's gut, but the Masked Killer teleports away with his chi, so Long's sword impales a white cloak instead.
650* Averted in ''Film/ThePrisonerOfZenda'' (1937); Rupert of Hentzau hurls his sword at Rudolph Rassendyl, who easily parries it despite being already wounded.
651* While Azeem used this successfully in ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'', Robin himself failed. In Robin's duel with the sheriff, Robin's sword is broken and in desperation, he throws the hilt shard at the sheriff. Nottingham barely even has to move to avoid it.
652* Defied in the climactic duel scene from ''Film/RobRoy''. One of the rules is: "You shall not throw your blades."
653* ''Film/Scream2'': Ghostface throws a knife at Dewey, right between his eyes, and would have killed him... if it hadn't hit handle-first.
654* In ''Film/SevenSamurai'', [[spoiler:Kyuzo]] does this, though it is something of an exception as he doesn't appear to be trying to kill the remaining bandits, who are hiding behind cover, but rather desperately trying to show the others where the hidden bandits are before he dies.
655* In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', Erik Lehnsherr tries to throw a dagger at Sebastian Shaw, but Emma Frost catches it. Given the nature of Shaw's powers, the dagger would not have harmed him even if it had scored a direct hit.
656[[/folder]]
657
658[[folder:Gamebooks]]
659* In the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' book ''Literature/SwordOfTheSamurai'', at the climax, the reader is given the option of throwing the magic sword at the villain. If they choose this option, however, they miss, and the only effect is that they have to fight the BigBad without a stat boost.
660[[/folder]]
661
662[[folder:Literature]]
663* Inverted in one of the ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfSamuraiCat'' stories by Mark E. Rogers. Shiro, nephew to the titular Samurai Cat, throws a sword at a fleeing bad guy, and strikes the man firmly in the head with the '''pommel''' of the sword, knocking him out cold. He had been aiming for decapitation.
664* Subverted in one of the ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' books. Secondary antagonist Billy Kong attempts to kill a man with a thrown knife, but hits him with the handle, knocking him out. It's interesting that he threw the knife and hit his target exactly so said man would get knocked out, when you consider Foaly's earlier joke about Kong working at a circus in the past...
665* Averted in the ''Literature/{{Bordertown}}'' novel ''Elsewhere''. The main character, when facing a gang, throws his knife at a bar's ''door'', seeking to get the attention of everyone inside instead of hurting anyone. More to the point, the knife, which is not balanced for throwing, strikes the door hilt first. It has the desired effect (indeed, it probably made more noise than if it had stuck in, blade first), but the character laments that this never happens in the movies.
666* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber'': Averted in ''Literature/NinePrincesInAmber'' when Eric attempts it on Corwin. Corwin notes explicitly that it's a stupid move that shows his opponent's desperation, only made remotely possible by the family's super-strength and the fact that Corwin is retreating at the time in the face of approaching reinforcements, so Eric's being unarmed won't matter. It ''still'' doesn't work.
667* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
668** Subverted in ''Literature/GuardsGuards'', which notes that a throwing knife is carefully balanced to fly true, and it takes practice to throw one right... which is why the butcher's knife that Sam Vimes throws at a guard misses completely and doesn't even have the good grace to get stuck in the wall.
669---> There is an art in throwing knives and, even then, you need the right kind of knife. Otherwise it does just what this one did, which is miss completely.
670** He did, however, manage to stick a sword in a wall by throwing it in ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'', but it's explicitly a result of pure dumb luck.
671** Rincewind does the same in ''Literature/TheColourOfMagic'', but then his supernatural luck comes into play, and it bounces off a rock and lands in the back of the bad guy's (bad troll anyway) neck.
672* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': ''Literature/WhiteNight'' at least lampshades it, as Harry says throwing knives isn't efficient due to the easy chance of hitting pommel first. That is, unless you happen to be a vampire with heightened dexterity and ''centuries'' to practice. Or, in ''Literature/SkinGame'', if you're immortal with powerboost from a fallen angel and a ''millennia'' of practice, for throwing an actual sword.
673* ''Literature/TheElenium'': In the climactic fight at the end of Creator/DavidEddings' ''Literature/TheSapphireRose'', one of the Church Knights tries this with an axe. [[spoiler:As the axe is mundane, and his opponent is a giant stone statue, it's utterly ineffective at doing any damage. It does make the bad guy flinch, though, allowing the hero to get in the killing blow.]]
674* ''{{Literature/Redwall}}'': In Taggerung, Antigra claims the Taggerung killed Sawney Rath by stunning him with his thrown dagger's pommel, then stabbing him and Felch to death before running off. In fact, she'd killed Sawney with a slingstone, then stabbed his corpse ([[HeKnowsTooMuch and Felch for good measure]]).
675* R.A. Salvatore's ''Literature/TheSellswords'': Double-subverted in a battle during ''Road of the Patriarch'', when Artemis Entreri throws his sword at his fleeing opponents. It just embeds itself in a door frame but still kills the guy who tries to pick it up. Artemis' sword ''[[EmpathicWeapon likes him]]''.
676* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': Subverted in ''A Storm of Swords'', where Arya throws her knife at [[TortureTechnician The Tickler]]. It bounces off his armor and he doesn't even feel it.
677[[/folder]]
678
679[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
680* Edmund tried this in ''Series/{{Blackadder}} 2''... it didn't work.
681* Oz tries this with a stake in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' Season 3 premiere, only for it to fall far short of its target and bounce comically off a tombstone instead. He mutters "That never really works" afterwards.
682* In the pilot of ''Series/OnceUponATime'', Prince Charming throws his sword at the Evil Queen. His aim is dead on, but she makes it disappear in a puff of magic.
683* ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand''
684** Spartacus tries this during gladiator training. Not only does his opponent easily deflect it, the stray weapon kills a fellow gladiator recruit by slicing open his throat. Spartacus immediately gets chewed out by the trainer for this stupidity.
685--->'''Doctore:''' Throw your sword in the arena and you are dead.
686** It happened one other time during a fantasy/plan laid out by Spartacus, though he was immediately reminded why it wouldn't work.
687** In ''Vengeance'' "Libertus", Spartacus standing in the arena throws a spear at Glaber who is in the pulvinus (royal box). The distance and/or Glaber's reflexes allow him to dodge it, but [[spoiler:Cossutius (standing by behind Glaber) is hit and killed]].
688* ''Series/UltramanAce'' averts and subverts this in the case of Baraba, a Terrible-Monster who has (among the numerous other [[AnatomyArsenal weapons on his body]]) a sword mounted to the back of his neck that he can fire off like a missile. When he first fought Ace, Ace managed to catch the sword and fought back with it, but stopped short of killing the monster as [[BigBad Yapool]] revealed that he would have Ace Killer kill the Ultra Brothers on Planet Golgotha if Ace killed Baraba. During the rematch, Ace ''does it again''... and promptly throws it back, skewering Baraba through the chest.
689** ''Series/UltramanZ'' brings Baraba back, and this time the attack is a bit more successful, as he's now able to control where the sword goes (rather than firing it in a straight line) thanks to an energy chain that connects to the sword's hilt after he shoots it. He would have been successful in executing Z with the sword, had Ace not arrived in time to save him.
690[[/folder]]
691
692[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
693* The post-apocalyptic setting of ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}: Hell on Earth'' outlines this as one maneuver that a desperate Templar ([[KnightTemplar no, not that one]]) might perform. Unless the player rolls well, though, the sword will most likely hit pommel-first... if it hits at all.
694* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' again: Perhaps ironically in light of the real-life information about such techniques, the system's usual fondness for detail, and the cinematic throw-anything skill option mentioned above, there is actually ''no'' "mundane" Thrown Weapon skill for swords longer than knives (which are sorted into the general "sword" group for melee weapon skill purposes) listed in the basic rulebook.[[/folder]]
695
696[[folder:Video Games]]
697* In ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfLomax'', the {{Pirate}} [[DemBones Skeleton]] enemies attack Lomax by throwing their scimitar at him. Unfortunately for them, they only can do this once, and a simple SpinAttack from Lomax will knock the sword away harmlessly, rendering them weaponless unless they go offscreen.
698* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', a LargeHam will show up fairly early, spout something about his unbeatable technique, then lob a scimitar at you. When it fails to do any significant damage, he reacts with incredulity at the failure and escapes. The whole thing is just [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment completely out of left field]]. It deals no damage as your character catches it and it temporarily replaces your weapon for several rounds before dropping off. That character also appears later in a certain priest's house and throws money at you (which ''does'' do damage, if very little. But then, according to the priest he wasn't trying to throw money at ''you'', just into the temple). The priest even lampshades that the fellow is quite odd.
699* In ''VideoGame/BushidoBlade 2'', any character that can wield two swords as their specialty can throw said sword. If the opponent is struck by said sword, they are immediately killed. However, it is very hard to pull this off as the sword has a pretty pathetic range and is easily avoided.
700* The Blade monster type in various ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games throws one of its swords forward during its death animation. It doesn't actually do anything though, as even if you jump into it, you take no damage.
701* In ''VideoGame/DragonsLair 2: Time Warp'', Dirk the Daring throws his sword at Mordroc, impaling him in the arm, which doesn't seem to bother Mordroc after a second. For some reason, later in the battle, Mordroc throws it back at him in a manner that easily allows Dirk to just grab the handle.
702* In ''VideoGame/EternalFighterZero'', Rumi can quickly leap into the air while smacking her enemy upward with her wooden sword & throw the sword into the ground (potentially taking the enemy with it), somehow causing a fiery explosion that momentarily burns the enemy's clothes off, stunning them while leaving the sword completely intact. It's a very fast & strong attack. However, the sword bounces high into the air afterward, doing no harm when it lands & she has to wait for it to land so she can pick it up making it easy to guess where she's gonna be. It's also easily predicted if not used carefully because it's one of her only two projectiles.
703* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' games generally subvert this by having the sword being the only unthrowable member of the [[TacticalRockPaperScissors weapon triangle]], with the throwable axes and spears being weapons designed specifically for throwing that just so happen to work as melee weapons; however, there is usually a sword capable of a non-physical ranged attack via magic.
704* Zangurak tries this out on your party during the final battle with him in ''VideoGame/TheLastStory''. All it accomplishes for the most part is allowing Zael to [[HoistByHisOwnPetard use it to break his barrier]].
705* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', the miniboss Darknut throws his sword (or mace) at Link after losing his armor, then subverts it by drawing a rapier that is more fitting for the more agile fighting style he adopts afterwards. It's also subverted by the throw not being a particularly effective attack, as Link can easily jump out of the way or even just block it with his shield. Although if you allow it to make contact (or just fumble your evasion), it still ''fucking hurts''.
706** There's also a subversion when he pulls the rapier out. He doesn't throw it at you, but when he draws it he flings the ''scabbard'' away, which can hurt you for paltry damage.
707* This was not effective in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' where Raiden tries this on Vamp, but Vamp dodges the sword by simply bending his neck to the side, almost to mock this trope.
708* Raiden tries it again in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' after [[spoiler:Senator Armstrong]] breaks his sword. Once again it ''fails spectacularly'' and he gets the living crap kicked out of him.
709* ''{{VideoGame/Nidhogg}}'' features this, as it is one of the only ways to attack a fleeing enemy, aside from triggering a respawn. Other than that and the potential ConfusionFu applications, it's a good way to [[AttackReflector get the sword parried right]] [[HoistByHisOwnPetard back into your now unarmed face]].
710* In the prologue of ''VideoGame/NostalgiaRedEntertainment'' for the Nintendo DS, bad guy Carmine throws his sword at [[DecoyProtagonist Gilbert]] to stop him from rescuing Fiona. All this does is give him a sword to use for the rest of the prologue. However, when you fight him at the end, we find out that that wasn't Carmine's actual [[{{BFS}} battle]] [[HopelessBossFight weapon]].
711* In ''VideoGame/PeasantsQuest'' the only way to get 100% completion is to throw your sword at Trogdor the Burninator while he's sleeping (approaching him simply wakes him up). [[spoiler:It connects, but he's invincible and simply [[ShootTheShaggyDog kills you anyway]].]]
712* ''VideoGame/Postal2'' {{subvert|edTrope}}s this trope with armed enemies, who will block your thrown melee weapons if they see them coming with their own weapons.
713* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
714** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' features the Throw Lightsaber power. On the one hand, it's Force-neutral, so it's one of the few ranged attacking Force powers a Light-Sider can use without penalty; it can hit multiple targets at once in its upgraded form; and it's one of the only ways to break [[spoiler:the captured Jedi in the final battle]]. On the other hand, it's rather weak in terms of overall damage output, while using the power with a double-bladed saber or single blade leaves you unable to deflect ranged attacks that turn. And that's just in the ''first game''. In ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords The Sith Lords]]'', the Exile's godlike Force point totals and regeneration allow you to easily toss around Force Storm and other powerful area-effect Force Powers despite possible alignment penalties, making Throw Lightsaber completely useless.
715** As noted above, ''VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed'' has throwing your lightsaber as an attack. However, a Force user or a lightsaber-wielding opponent will be able to block/deflect it, leaving you unable to attack until it returns to you.
716* The Genesis ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Super Mario World]]'' pirate game (which plays more like the NES ''[[VideoGame/ChipNDaleRescueRangers Rescue Rangers]]'' games than any ''Mario'' game) features enemy rats who not only throw swords, but throw them ''hilt-first'' thanks to the sword sprite being flipped.
717* The [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam's]] "Long Beam Saber" has been re-tooled from its animation from ''Tengoku-hen'' and ''V'' to employ this trope in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'', by tossing the beam saber affixed to the beam rifle as a harpoon.
718* ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'': The Ragnarök DownloadableContent adds throwing weapons to the game, and Warfare Mastery notes that Weapon Training gives "some proficiency in throwing [swords, axes and clubs]".
719* Koei's ''VideoGame/WarriorsLegendsOfTroy'' allow players to pick up some enemy weapons for their own use, including axes, spears, spiked clubs, and swords of both the xiphos (leaf-shaped) and makhaira (forward-curved) variety. All of these may be thrown, and while the axes and spears have a modicum of reasonableness behind them, as spears are naturally aerodynamic and all of the axe's weight is in its head, the xiphos is ill-suited for being thrown in the end-over-end tumble depicted in the game, and the makhaira even less so due to its function as a single-edged chopping blade, much like a kukri. In spite of this, all thrown weapons, if they strike a target, will leave a victim ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice. Ironically given the name of the trope, it really ''does'' work, as the weapon being thrown is one that the player has found on the field, often plentiful due to being taken from defeated enemies, and is a OneHitKill most non-{{Elite Mook|s}} infantry.
720[[/folder]]
721
722[[folder:Web Animation]]
723* Subverted in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue Revelation''. Oh, sure, the knife lands pointy-end in, and it was a desperation attack, but all it did was break the invisibility unit. Subverted again in Season 10 when [[spoiler:the Unnamed Blue Soldier in episode 10 tries to throw a tomahawk back at the two Turret soldiers and it skids to the floor in front of them]].
724** Played with in Season 14, Episode 11. [[spoiler:Felix]] throws a knife at an incoming henchman, but it hits the henchman with the handle end. Fortunately, this is enough to [[RailingKill knock the henchman over a railing behind him, sending him falling to his death.]]
725---> [[spoiler:'''Felix''']]: (deadpan) That works.
726* In [=OneyNG=]'s ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' parody [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDqea9cWOn4 "Pointy Bits"]], Cloud throws his sword at a boss...and doesn't even come close to hitting him. The party is then one-shot.
727[[/folder]]
728
729[[folder:Webcomics]]
730%%* Epically subverted in ''Webcomic/BizarreUprising'' [[http://www.bizarreuprising.com/view/114/internal-typhoon-page-13 here.]]
731* At one point in ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'', Jamilla is taken hostage by a ninja/assassin raven to [[HumanShield secure his escape]]. Rogue responds with a "[[CallingYourAttacks BEAM SWORD HURL ATTACK!]]" which not only misses completely but also leaves him without his EnergyWeapon. Lothar immediately {{lampshade|Hanging}}s both tropes.
732* ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'': Sarine, having been knocked on her back, [[https://www.errantstory.com/?p=959 throws her sword at Sarna]]. [[https://www.errantstory.com/?p=960 Subversion: it misses. Double-subversion: Sarine uses a kinetic spell to loop it around for a backstab. Triple subversion: She pulls that trick every time she throws her sword, so Sarna is ready to block. Quadruple subversion: the thrown sword is just a carrier for an attack spell.]] End result: Sarine has the opportunity to get back on her feet.
733* Averted in ''Webcomic/TalesOfTheQuestor'' when the duke misses. To be fair, a magical bird from among TheFairFolk makes a tricky target.
734* In one ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' strip, Roy does this in a desperation move, chucking his sword at [[spoiler:the vampire inhabiting Durkon's corpse]], who is protected inside a magical "anti-life" sphere. The target teleports away, and the sword very anti-climatically clatters on the ground.
735** A few strips later Roy throws his sword and kills a mook causing the BigBad to mock him for giving up his only weapon to kill a disposable minion. Roy then demonstrates that he learned a few new tricks since their last encounter and has the sword teleport back into his hand. He then throws it again, killing another mook and then regaining the sword again. The BigBad realizes that Roy can keep doing this over and over till he runs out of minions to kill and can then go after the main villain one-on-one.
736[[/folder]]
737
738[[folder:Web Original]]
739* Item #197 of the ''EvilOverlordList'' is a vow to explain to his {{Mooks}} the difference between ranged and melee weapons. The sentence for any Mook found mixing them up is death.
740* In ''WebVideo/StupidMarioBrothers'', during Wario's battle with the Darkness in TheMovie, [[spoiler:after fooling the Darkness into thinking that he was dead, Wario hurls his [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Beam Saber]] through the Darkness' gut, which seemingly kills him]]. However, [[spoiler:as Waluigi failed to bestow a counter-curse upon Wario before his prolonged absence, which would ultimately turn the Darkness mortal and killable, the Darkness ends up getting back up later on]].
741-->'''[[spoiler:Darkness:]]''' Gee, that stung!
742* In the original video/pilot for ''WebVideo/HeartsOfDorkness'', Kyle attempts to toss his prop sword at the Director after going on strike. It just pathetically lands off to the side.
743* The sentry in part III of ''VideoGame/OedipusInMyInventory'' throws his sword at you if you threaten him with the knife. But you can dodge it if you planted the tree in Day 1.
744[[/folder]]
745
746[[folder:Web Video]]
747* In addition to the video on sword-throwing mentioned in the other Real Life section above, WebVideo/{{Skallagrim}} also made [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jETLCm7k3sU a video about the pommel-throwing technique similarly brought up there]], which has made "ending him rightly" a RunningGag of [[MemeticMutation memetic proportions]] on his channel since.
748* Attempted by Scanlan of WebVideo/CriticalRole, hurling his legendary sword Mythcarver at a distant foe in a clutch moment to rescue one of his friends. The dice do not fall in his favor [[spoiler:and the enemy, Dr. Anna Ripley, kills Percy on her next turn]].
749[[/folder]]
750
751[[folder:Western Animation]]
752* In the ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' episode "When Wedding Bells Thaw", Finn throws his sword, but it gets deflected off an ice wall.
753* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
754** Jet [[spoiler:gets killed]] when he tries this.
755** However, [[spoiler:Sokka]] succeeded, but lost his sword.
756** In "The Search", Ikem tries this while fighting the Fire Nation royal guards escorting his lover Ursa to the palace, when his prop sword gets lit on fire. It's more understandable than most cases, as the sword was useless to begin with, and about to become completely unusable.
757* Jim from ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'' is able to do this, since the Sword of Daylight is a magical construct made by the amulet.
758[[/folder]]

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