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[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nothing_up_my_sleeve.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Perfect for slitting throats and [[MundaneUtility opening beer bottles]].]]
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->''"I didn't think you was stupid, Mister Vimes. [...] I know a clever copper like you'd think I'd got two knives."\\
"Yeah, right," said Vimes. [...]\\
"Mister Vimes? [...] I got three knives, Mister Vimes," said Carcer, bringing his arm up.''
-->-- ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}''

A character will have a weapon hidden in his sleeve. Occasionally extracted by a device attached to his arm that will eject the weapon into his hand when the situation calls for it; this can overlap with BladeBelowTheShoulder.

Typically it's a knife, [[FlechetteStorm throwing star]] or a LittleUselessGun, though there are other options. This is especially likely if they have sleeves obscuring their hands.

Westerns, such as Creator/LouisLAmour novels, use the gun version occasionally. Often called a "palm gun", a "sneak gun", a "gambler's gun", "gambler's draw", etc. This type of weapon was common among Mississippi riverboat gamblers. Derringers were the favourite as you really can hide one up your sleeve. Western or FilmNoir {{Femme Fatale}}s are often armed with this type of gun as well as, or instead of, a ChastityDagger.

Sometimes the sleeve is a good way to access {{Hammerspace}}. If you [[FridgeLogic find yourself wondering]] how the object being removed could ''possibly'' fit inside a sleeve, you know Hammerspace is involved. Shots where the weapon is revealed are often framed as a MenacingHandShot.

A knife in the boot is another variant. Anyone paranoid enough to have this many spare weapons is almost certain to have another one [[PillowPistol under their pillow]] and yet another [[CantBatheWithoutAWeapon by the bathtub]].

The title is a common line for a StageMagician, as a way to assure the audience that he has no hidden devices that would help him perform the trick. Don't expect characters hiding a weapon [[SarcasticConfession to say this line]] unless HammerSpace really is involved.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] FloatingLimbs, although the two could potentially be used simultaneously in order to create more space. Subtrope of HiddenWeapons. May involve CuteOversizedSleeves to hide a weapon under overlength sleeves, while the character appears cutesy. Compare CombatHaircomb.

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Fabiola Iglesias ('mini killer-maid') from ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' has two guns (MAG-7) hidden in her sleeves and EX 41 grenade launcher on her back.
* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', a picture drawn by Kubo Tite shows Nanao drawing her as-of-yet-unseen-in-the-manga sword from her sleeve. WordOfGod is that this is what she was reaching for when Yamamoto knocked her out in the Soul Society arc.
* Tooya from ''Manga/CeresCelestialLegend'' has a dagger embedded in his arm, which he can summon and use as he pleases. He says it never leaves him. [[spoiler: He had acquired it because he was the human form of Ceres' mana, so it might have disappeared forever when he gave the mana to Aya.]]
* In the first episode of ''Manga/GunsmithCats'', Rally had a derringer up her sleeve, which she gives away in a disarming sequence.
* ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'': Ja'far has [[ImprobableWeaponUser arrow-like blades connected to retractable ropes that wrap around his arms]].
* Shizune of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has several spring-loaded needle launchers that she uses by pulling back a cord and letting go of. She has particular long sleeves to help hide them. After the timeskip, Naruto hides a kunai attached to a cord in his sleeve. Naruto first used the sleeve-roped-kunai in the first movie The Snow Country.
* ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'': In ''If the Angels Wore Swimsuits'', Scanty and Kneesocks both reveal their TimeForPlanB weapon; their MonsterOfTheWeek SealedArmyInACan equivalent of InstantAIJustAddWater.
* Mousse from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' has tons of melee and ranged weapons that are never visible until he uses them. Not only does he have a virtually unlimited number of these, but the sheer variety of them can only be attributed to it being a martial arts comedy series. In his debut arc, among more traditional weapons he uses claws hidden in his shoes, a hook and wire concealed in his hair, and a training potty from his sleeves that he slams into his opponent's head before they can see what it is.
* Yomiko Readman from ''Anime/ReadOrDie'' keeps [[ImprobableWeaponUser pieces of paper]] up her sleeves.
** It's not so much that she has paper up her sleeves, her sleeves ''are'' paper.
* ''Manga/SnowWhiteWithTheRedHair'''s Obi always has a knife visible at his belt but he is always carrying far more hidden knives than that and keeps throwing kunai up his sleeves for easy access.
* In ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'', Meryl had dozens of single-shot derringers hidden on the inside of her coat. Ditto for Millie's stun gun.
* The cyborg assassin Macaroni from ''Anime/TroubleChocolate'' can retract his hands into his sleeves, and then extract either a [[GatlingGood Gatling gun]] or WolverineClaws.
* Not guns, but on ''Anime/YuGiOh'', Bandit Keith has a remote armature up his sleeve to feed him cards. Earlier appearances just had him pull the cards out from his wristbands.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Golden Age ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' foe the Gambler kept his [[SwissArmyGun trick derringer]] on a sleeve rig hidden in his jacket.
* ''ComicBook/KidColt'': The Scorpion wore a derringer fitted with a silencer on his forearm, with string leading from the trigger to his finger. With his hands gloved and his sleeves and jacket long, he would seem to "sting" targets merely by pointing at them.
* ComicBook/TheJoker has a tendency to do this, in fact- he keeps a knife up his sleeve (with hidden ejecting mechanism) in ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke.''
* A derringer up the sleeve is the typical armament of {{Professional Gambler}}s in ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke''. In ''The Stagecoach'', Scat Thumbs passes his off to Luke in a move that saves the day.
* In the final showdown of ''ComicBook/SinCity's A Dame To Kill For'', Dwight unloads on Manute, Ava's bodyguard, with a snub revolver hidden up his sleeve. He hits with all six rounds, but Manute is still standing. Shoulda aimed for the head, buddy.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Sangtee Empire P'Q'Rort/Governor Antar Ftt B'Jan hides throwing knives up his sleeves.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''FanFic/KingdomHearts3FinalStand'': In chapter 18, Kairi is revealed to keep a hidden knife up her sleeve in the event that her hands should be bound.
* In the crossover between the Literature/{{Discworld}} and ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', ''Fanfic/TheManyWorldsInterpretation'', a Discworld Assassin visits Pasadena, California and makes new friends. She realises she's on a new world with a different outlook when Penny, Bernadette and Amy remark on the sheer amount of weaponry she habitually carries, during an ExtendedDisarming sequence. Johanna's personal weapons include lots of concealed blades, which are mainly but not exclusively up her sleeves. The ones on her legs also attract comment from her new friends.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* ComicBook/TheJoker hides a stiletto in his sleeve during his confrontation with Batman in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker''. He even uses the threat of one to feint, making Batman think it's in his right sleeve when it's really in his left.
-->"[[StealthPun I on the other hand...]]"
* Lord Shen in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'' keeps a multitude of blades hidden in his sleeves, all shaped like his feathers to boot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/TheAdventuresOfFordFairlane'', Andrew Dice Clay keeps a nickeled S&W Model 38 up his sleeve in a spring-loaded gamblers' rig. Naturally, it never works right 'til that one time...
* That guy in ''Film/AlienResurrection'' had a pair of these strapped to his arms. Which made it difficult for him to drop his weapons when told. In the original script, he tosses the empty guns aside and ejects a ''second pair'' during his blaze of glory.
* ''[[Film/AssassinsCreed2016 Assassin's Creed]]'': The Assassins have the Hidden Blade springing from under their wrist, naturally. Callum Lynch inherits those of his Spanish ancestor Aguilar de Nerha.
* ''[[Film/TheAssignment1997 The Assignment]]'' (1997). Creator/DonaldSutherland plays CIA agent Jack Shaw, who plans to kill Carlos the Jackal during a hostage exchange at Vienna airport, using the mechanical-derringer device trick. But as Shaw reaches out his hand to Carlos, the CIA Chief of Station shouts for him to stop, making Carlos instinctively point his submachine gun so Shaw doesn't dare move. After Carlos leaves the Station Chief (who was unaware of Shaw's intentions) cautions him against "[[SlaveToPR appearing in a newspaper photo shaking that man's hand]]".
* ''Film/BloodDebts'': Protagonist Mark Collins keeps a miniature grenade launcher strapped to his wrist during the final shootout, which he uses to kill the BigBad in the final scene. [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u61F_qvdid0 It leads to the most sudden and abrupt endings in movie history, ever.]]
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', the Joker is an outright PsychoKnifeNut. He conceals a blade in at least one shoe, and when he's arrested and searched, the cops find "Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint." Earlier on, when he visits the mobsters and they try to attack him, he reveals that the inside of his coat is lined with ''grenades'' that he's rigged to detonate all at once [[TakingYouWithMe if need be]].
* In ''Film/DayOfTheOutlaw'', Bruhn intervenes to stop Tex pawing Helen, and probably raping her. Tex starts to reach for his gun, but Bruhn slides a derringer out of his sleeve and Tex changes his mind.
* The Mariachi from ''Film/{{Desperado}}'' used dual Ruger [=KP90s=] that he drew from his sleeves. He uses this twice, once during the Tarasco Bar shootout, and the other during the final showdown with Bucho.
** Weird because the [=KP90=] is a pretty big handgun. Looking closely, [[http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/File:Desp-P90.jpg you can see that the prop guns that pop out needed to have their grips cut down in order to fit in Banderas' sleeves.]]
* ''Film/DjangoUnchained'' has both Dr. King Schultz and Django use a sleeve-rig for a Derringer. Django uses the Derringer to kill John Brittle, while Schultz uses his to kill both Bill Sharp [[spoiler:a.k.a. Willard Peck]] and [[spoiler:Calvin Candie]].
* ''Film/TheDragonFamily'' pulls a variant in the final shootout, where Creator/AndyLau's character is held at gunpoint by mooks... but it turns out, he had a ''shotgun'' in his trousers. Lifting his leg with his hand inside the pockets allows him to pull the trigger and blow away his captors.
* John Preston from ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}'' is the ''master'' of this trope-- not only does he sneak a pair of fully-automatic pistols through a polygraph test this way, but he keeps a pair of reloading devices in his sleeves and the ammo to feed them.
* In ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore'', Colonel Mortimer carries a derringer in his right sleeve, which he uses against Wild in the bar at Agua Calinte.
* Commodus of ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'' pulls a knife from the armor around his elbow in the final duel.
* In part 1 of ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', Harry (disguised as Runcorn) drops his wand out of his right sleeve into his hand before casting Stupefy on Umbridge.
* ''Film/{{Hook}}'': Peter Pan disarms Captain Hook and seemingly defeats him, but when Peter turns to leave, Hook pulls a spring-loaded sword out of his sleeve and tries to kill Peter one last time.
* ''Film/HotFuzz'': During the climactic shootout in the village, [[spoiler:Reverend [[MeaningfulName Shooter]]]] pulls out [[GunsAkimbo a pair of derringers]] from his sleeves as [[ShutUpKirk his rebuttal]] to Nicholas' scolding.
* Crossing over with BladeBelowTheShoulder, ''Film/HudsonHawk''has Alfred, the Mayflower's BattleButler, who conceals a pair of rectractable swords in his sleeves.
* During the MexicanStandoff in ''Film/TheImmortals'', Dominic gloats to Jack that he is last man standing as he is the only one who does not have a gun pointed at him. Jack responds by flicking his arm and a sleeve rig pops a second gun into his off-hand, which he proceeds to point at Dominic's face.
* ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''. An [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedgley_OSS_.38 OSS glove pistol]] is used to kill one of Hitler's guards.
* The protagonist of ''Film/KillBill'' keeps a straight razor in her boot.
* In ''Film/LastActionHero'' Benedict has a knife up his sleeve and he loves - ahem! - whipping it out.
* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing''. In a deleted scene, Wormtongue kills Saruman with a knife hidden up his sleeve. The knife has a curved blade to fit against the curve of the forearm for better concealment, as weapons weren't supposed to be carried in King Théoden's hall.
* In ''Film/{{Maverick}}'', one card player was caught cheating with cards attached to a sleeve device. Later, [[spoiler:just after the titular character won the poker championship, Angel, who wouldn't admit defeat, thrusts his gun out of his sleeve, although Marshal Cooper was first to draw.]]
* The Blue Raja of ''Film/MysteryMen'' does this with [[ImprobableWeaponUser silverware]].
* In ''Film/OneFootInHell'', ConMan and pickpocket 'Sir' Harry Ivers has a derringer on a sleeve rig hidden up his sleeve.
* Viktor Rostavili, the BigBad of the Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger film ''Film/RedHeat'', uses a derringer hidden in his sleeve, also shot into his hand via a special rig.
* When the Jedi confront Palpatine in his office in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', Palpatine drops his lightsaber out of his right sleeve into his hand before leaping toward the Jedi to attack them. He repeats the performance (with what may be a different saber) when Yoda confronts him later in the Chancellor's office below the Senate chamber..
* In one sequence during ''Film/SawI'', Jigsaw deploys a hidden blade from a spring-loaded contraption in his sleeve when confronted by police.
* ''Film/TheSheriffOfFracturedJaw'' (1958). The title character, a GadgeteerGenius from a family of gunsmiths, has a derringer on a contraption up his sleeve.
* In Creator/GuyRitchie's ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', [[spoiler:Professor Moriarty]] has a small gun on an "ingenious contraption" up his sleeve, that flips up and out with a certain arm movement. Also a few minutes before Irene Adler had used a club that dropped out of her sleeve to knock out a mugger.
* In ''Film/SmokinAces'', torture-expert and PsychoForHire Pasquale Acosta (Nestor Carbonell) utilizes a long stiletto hidden in his sleeve that is activated with a special device.
* ''Film/TheSoldier'' (1982). The RenegadeRussian has a [[SawedOffShotgun sawn-off shotgun]] up his sleeve with a wire attached to the trigger, so it fires when he raises his hands in surrender when confronted by a police officer.
* In a variant in ''Film/TangoAndCash'', Cash had a gun concealed in his boot that let him fire when he put his feet up on a table.
* During the killing spree that marks the climax of ''Film/TaxiDriver'', Travis Bickle uses a small-caliber pistol hidden up his sleeve, which is drawn using a special rig that he made himself. He empties the weapon into the face of one of the men he kills.
* In ''Film/ThorRagnarok,'' Loki pulls twin daggers from his sleeves before he charges at Doctor Strange.
* In ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaiderTheCradleOfLife'', Lara Croft is shown running a gun-training course on horseback. She shoots one target with a small gun that slides out of her sleeve.
* ''Film/UndercoverBrother''. During his final fight with the title character, Mr. Feather extended a wicked-looking clawed blade from each sleeve.
* In the first ''Film/{{Underworld|2003}}'' film, the werewolf Lucian has a retractable, mechanical blade concealed up his sleeve, used several times during the movie.
* In the film version of ''Film/WildWildWest'' Artemus Gordon, having a penchant for [[RubeGoldbergDevice overtly complicated gadgets]], starts out having an otherwise perfectly ordinary notebook and pen spring-loaded in his sleeves. This becomes a ChekhovsGun after Jimmy West points out he could put a pistol there.
--> '''Artemus Gordon:''' Then where would I keep my pencil?\\
'''Jim West:''' I think you underestimate the convenience of a pocket.
* ''Film/War2007''. When a Yakuza goon baulks at taking orders from [[DaddysLittleVillain Kira Yanagawa]], she drops a knife from her sleeve and holds it to his neck. She tries the same trick on [[ProfessionalKiller Rogue]] only to find her hand empty. Rogue then casually hands her the knife. "You dropped this."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Blitzfreeze'' by Creator/SvenHassel. The protagonists don't give a MercyKill to a wounded Russian female soldier because she could have a pistol on a Bowden cable up her arm. ''Bend over to wipe the blood from her lips and give her a slug of vodka, and she could lift her arm and nail you through the kisser with a 6.5.''
* ''Literature/{{Burke}}'':
** In ''Dead and Gone'', Burke produces a length of chain from up one sleeve when dealing with some punks.
** Burke does this with rebar in ''Terminal''.
** In the first novel ''Cobra'', he has a zip-gun in a cloth tube up his sleeve, sealed with Velcro. When the villain slaps him back into a chair, the weapon pops into his hand naturally. Fortunately Burke never has to use it, as the gun would blow his fingers off as well as anyone standing in front of it.
* In Creator/HarryHarrison's ''Literature/{{Deathworld}}'' trilogy, every city-dwelling Pyrran, including little children, wears a gun on the forearm, with powered automatic extension for instant fire. They never take them off. Ever. The forest-dwelling Pyrrans lack the technology, so they used wrist-mounted crossbows instead. Then again, they have learned to coexist with some parts of Pyrran wildlife.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** Inigo Skimmer from ''Literature/TheFifthElephant''; among his hidden arsenal is a dagger shaped to fit the shape of the edge of his hand (so he can remove people's heads with nothing more than a karate chop) which emerges from his sleeve when he shrugs his shoulders in a certain way. Vimes first realises that the clerk is more than he seems because he feels the [[strike:palm dagger]] ''armor'' under his sleeve when he grabs his arm.
** DoubleSubverted in ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}''; Vimes knows [[PsychoKnifeNut Carcer]] always has a backup knife, and relieves him of it. But-
---> Mr Vimes? [[OhCrap I got]] ''[[OhCrap three]]'' [[OhCrap knives]], Mr Vimes...
** In the Discworld universe, the 'nothing up my sleeves' gesture is the traditional sign that the following spell will be performed the old fashioned way, with magic. It has also been likened to [[DramaticGunCock something less...friendly.]]
* Raistlin from ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' kept a dagger up his sleeve.
** Mages are allowed to carry a single non-steel knife on them, and usually conceal them up sleeves of their own.
* Morwen the witch in the ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'' has her sleeves actually enchanted to function as a BagOfHolding. Being a pragmatic witch rather than the wicked variety, she keeps in them such things as specimen jars, emergency [[FlyingBroomstick broomstick]]-enchanting balm, and a collapsible lantern, rather than anything nasty. No word on if she has a rabbit up there either.
* In the ''Literature/HammersSlammers'' novel ''At Any Cost'', Slammer Sergeant Bourne carries a knife on the underside of his left forearm.
* In the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' novel ''Field of Dishonor'', Andrew [=LaFollet=] is shown to carry a small "holdout" pulser in a holster on his left wrist.
* ''Literature/JaineAustenMysteries'': [[spoiler:This is how Wells Dumont was able to poison Quinn Kirkland in ''Last Writes'', despite being on set with Quinn in front of a live audience. Quinn's character offers Wells' character a box of doughnuts to eat, and Wells' character waves his hand to refuse. Wells, due to his experience as a magician, had a vial of rat poison up his sleeve, and used it to [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink add]] [[DeadlyEuphemism a few new sprinkles to the box]] by using the motion in waving his hand.]]
* A conversation in ''Literature/{{Jhereg}}'' implies this is standard in Literature/{{Dragaera}}.
* In the ''Literature/LiadenUniverse'' series, professional gambler Pat Rin yos'Phelium has a hold-out pistol in his sleeve.
* In ''Literature/{{Ravenor}}'', Patience Kys hides her kineblades up her sleeve or in the ribbing of her bodice when she isn’t wearing them in her hair.
* ''Literature/RepairmanJack'' used a small sleeve mounted backup pistol in one of the short stories. He later expressed it being one of the best investments ever made.
* The protagonist of the spy thriller ''Running Blind'' by Desmond Bagley has a ''sgian-dubh'' he keeps in his sock (where else would you keep a ''sgian-dubh''?) that saves his life in the opening scene. His KGB opponent is annoyed when he's searched and the {{mook}} misses it. "I am SurroundedByIdiots. Stewartson, pull up your trouser leg and show him your little knife."
* ''Franchise/TheSaint'' keeps his favourite throwing knife [[ICallItVera Anna]] here.
* ''Literature/SimonArk'': In [[spoiler:"The Man from Nowhere"]], the VictimOfTheWeek is seemingly stabbed to death in the middle of the empty field. However, he was actually a ConMan who had been persuaded into FakingTheDead by bursting a blood pack under his shirt. However, his partner is the first to reach the 'body' and--under the cover of checking the body--stabs him for real using a spring-loaded bladed concealed up his sleeve.
* In ''Literature/TheStand'', Dayna has a knife holder she wears on her arm (covered by long sleeves), hoping she can gain access to Flagg. Problem is that when she does get within reach of him, he has somehow managed to swap her knife for a banana.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': Mara Jade, a trained undercover operative, typically carries a tiny blaster pistol hidden in her sleeve.
* ''Literature/TalesOfTheOtori'': [[YamatoNadeshiko Kaede]] keeps a special embroidery needle in her sleeve -- it's strong and sharp enough to serve as a weapon if she aims for the {{eye|Scream}} or throat. She uses it to [[spoiler:assassinate the warlord Iida when he [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty tries to have sex with her.]]]]
* Any protagonist in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' series not wielding a sword or magic can be expected to have knives stashed around their body and the ability to produce them at will. The most notable of those, Mat Cauthon, is stated to have 11 daggers stashed about his person, and in one particular fight goes through at least 6 of them. There is always at least one knife in each sleeve, no exceptions.
** Enough daggers to make the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Aiel]] nod approvingly when he removed his weapons for Rhuidean. And that was before he TookALevelInBadass.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'':
** Angel had spring-loaded [[WoodenStake stakes]] in [[DualWielding both sleeves]]. They appeared fairly frequently in Season 1, before fading out in later seasons. They occasionally show up with new owners, first with Connor in Season 4, and then with Spike in Season 5. They would return in the GrandFinale, this time wielded by Gunn.
** Wesley gets a collapsible sword that comes out of his sleeves during his darker period in Season 4, and has a GrapplingHookPistol there on a couple of occasions. The potential problems of this trope were shown in "[[Recap/AngelS04E06SpinTheBottle Spin the Bottle]]" where an amnesiac Wesley kept inadvertently activating all sorts of weapons that came flying out of his sleeves.
--->'''Wesley:''' Nobody move! Or touch my arms!
** In "[[Recap/AngelS03E16SleepTight Sleep Tight]]", Holtz lets a knife surreptitiously drop out of his sleeve and into his hand as one of his followers starts questioning his orders; when she ends up agreeing with him [[StabTheSalad he uses it to peel an apple]].
* The Centauri in ''Series/BabylonFive'' grasp each other's forearms in greeting, which serves as a way to check for hidden weapons similar to one of the RealLife examples below.
* In the pilot two-parter ''Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}}'' slips a stake up the sleeve of her leather jacket, but takes off the jacket before her fight anyway.
* ''Series/CowboyBebop2021''. In "Venus Pop", Spike has FiveSecondForeshadowing that the [[VillainInAWhiteSuit man in a white suit]] who [[CampingACrapper followed him into the toilet]] is an assassin when he sees the tip of a knife sticking out of a sleeve when he goes to wash his hands.
* In "Tomorrow I Die", a ''Series/FallenAngels'' episode adapted from a short story by Creator/MickeySpillane, the protagonist is taken hostage by a gang of armed robbers. It turns out to be a case of MuggingTheMonster when he produces [[GunsAkimbo two spring-loaded derringers]] and guns down the criminals. [[spoiler:And then the remaining hostages so he can take the loot for himself.]] A criminal had given him a perfunctory pat-down earlier but missed the sleeves [[BatmanGambit because the protagonist had his arms raised in surrender]].
* ''Series/{{Fargo}}''. Mike Milligan carries a spring-mounted derringer up his sleeve. We first see him use it in episode 4 to kill Otto's nurse (while the Kitchen Brothers each kill one of the Gerhardt soldiers escorting Otto). then in episode 7, when the Undertaker is sent to get rid of Mike, Mike comes out of another room, looking like he's about to shake hands with him...only for his derringer to pop into his hands so he can shoot him in the head.
* ''Series/JonathanCreek'': In [[spoiler:"Mother Redcap"]], the killer uses a spring loaded spike to stab the VictimOfTheWeek on the pretext of examining the 'body' (who was actually [[spoiler:just stunned by an electric shock]]). The spike disappears back up their sleeve as they stand up and announce the victim is dead, thereby creating a LockedRoomMystery.
* In ''Series/{{Justified}}'' Quarles has a spring-loaded sleeve gun mechanism strapped to his arm. He likes to tell people that he is unarmed and to demonstrate this by raising his hands up as he approaches them. As his left arm reaches face level, he activates the mechanism which propels a small gun into his hand. He then shoots his victim in the forehead from close range.
* Not a weapon but a gadget: in the first "Music/KennyRogers as The Gambler" made-for-TV film, Brady Hawks (Rogers) exposes another poker-player as a cheat by showing that the man has a card-switching device concealed in his sleeve.
* ProfessionalGambler Ezra from ''Series/TheMagnificentSeven'' had a derringer mounted on a sleeve rig.
* ''Series/TheProfessionals''. In "Rogue", the eponymous RogueAgent is shown to have various HiddenWeapons in his apartment. [[ChekhovsGun Turns out he also has them hidden on his person]]. When Bodie is holding him at gunpoint, he drops a knife from his sleeve and throws it into Bodie's shoulder.
* ''Series/ThePunisher2017'': Billy Russo sports a spring-loaded knife up his right sleeve. The first time he uses it is in episode 7 to kill Colonel Bennett after Bennett is rendered a liability, with the scene staged to look like death by BDSM gone bad. The second time he uses it is to kill Sam Stein, taking advantage of Sam's shock at seeing his face upon unmasking him. In the climatic fight with Frank at the end of Season 1, he grapples with Frank and springs it fully through Frank's forearm. Then he puts it through Frank's shoulder as well. [[spoiler: [[MadeOfIron It doesn't save him.]]]]
* The ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "The Devil You Know" has returning BigBad Apophis kill two Jaffa guards with a blade that appears out of his sleeve, although it stays fixed on his wrist rather than falling into his hand.
** In a much later episode, Carter kills Lord Yu with a blade that comes out of her ''hand''. And by comes out of, we mean her hand morphs into a blade.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. In "Wink of an Eye", [[VillainOfTheWeek Deela]] carries her handweapon in a fold in the [[FashionableAsymmetry single sleeve]] of her dress because WeWillNotHavePocketsInTheFuture. Captain Kirk fails to [[AffectionatePickpocket get the weapon off her while kissing]] but is successful later by appearing to reach over to [[HoldingHands take her hand]].
* ''Series/{{Treadstone}}''. When a North Korean officer makes an unexpected visit, Soyun Pak grabs a knife from her kitchen and holds it hidden up her sleeve, and we're shown a trickle of blood running down her wrist from where it's cutting into her arm.
* ''Series/TwinPeaks'': At One-Eyed Jack's, Québécois gangster Jean Renault demonstrates a spring-loaded, sleeve-knife to Blackie O’Reilly [[spoiler:with which he later stabs her, in a fatal embrace.]]
* Jim West in ''Series/TheWildWildWest'' often had a Derringer up his sleeve, which he sometimes used as a GrapplingHookPistol.
* In ''Series/WolfHall'', Thomas Cromwell is shown to carry a sleeve knife; he instantly draws it on a man who accidentally startles him in a dark courtyard. Later, when told that Henry has (apparently) died in a jousting mishap and the court is about to dissolve into civil war, Cromwell takes a knife from his desk and slips it in before going to the scene.
* A variation appears in ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' with the small knife the heroine kept in her original costume's bodice. It was spring-loaded to pop out from her top, with the trigger being just under her chest. Presumably it required exact pressure so as to keep from triggering if she got punched. Notably, as Xena continued her HeelFaceTurn during the series, the dagger was phased out.
* In ''Series/YancyDerringer'', the title character's weapons of choice are three four-barrel Sharps Derringers. One is carried up his jacket's left sleeve in a wrist holster. Another is held in a spring clamp [[WeaponizedHeadgear inside his hat]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* The 2nd Edition ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' ''Complete Fighter's Handbook'' offered three solutions ranging from the simple leather thong that untied with the right arm motion to a more complex mechanical rig which shot the weapon out with more alacrity to a pair of magical rings to allow the same trick.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' has three varieties of wrist sheath: a basic one that's easy to hide, a spring-loaded one that's faster to deploy but slow to reload, and a magical version that stows its contents in {{Hammerspace}}.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' has an arm holster that will automatically drop the pistol into your hand with a single gesture. It works exceedingly well with the ubiquitous piece of 'Runner fashion-wear: [[BadassLongcoat the Armored Longcoat]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Anonym, a sinister nun from the fighting game ''VideoGame/AkatsukiBlitzkampf'', fights with revolvers that fall from her sleeves in her opening animation.
* The signature weapon of the protagonists of the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' series is the Hidden Blade, an extendable knife used to silently kill enemies. Later games have protagonists wield two of them to kill two enemies next to each other as well as various upgrades to it such as adding the ability to fire projectiles or inject poison.
* ''VideoGame/BattleTech'' re-imagines the Hatchetman as this- while the classic version of the mech has its signature hatchet always equipped in the mech's hand, the computer game has it retracted into the mech's forearm most of the time, only to pop out when the mech makes a melee attack.
* ''VideoGame/BrawlStars'': Bonnie stores grenades up her overly-long sleeves.
* Hsien Ko from ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'', asides from having giant claw gauntlets, can produce from her billowing sleeves bombs, knives, weights, flails, statues...
* Governor Tekagi from ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' kills [[spoiler:Ozu]] with a blade hidden on his sleeve.
* From ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', we have Baiken, who uses a whole assortment of gizmos hidden in her sleeve along with her katana. Justified in that [[HandicappedBadass there's no arm in the sleeve]], leaving more room for concealed weapons.
* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'': Xiao Lon has an assortment of bladed weapons inside her oversized sleeves and she doesn't ''need'' them as [[ClothingCombat her sleeves themselves can hurt]].
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', Ganondorf hides swords in his oversized kimono sleeves.
** When Link finally fights [[TheDragon Zant]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', he reveals he has blades in his sleeves which nealy reach the floor.
* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando'', the Commandos have knuckle plate vibro-blades as a melee weapon.
* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'': One of F.A.N.G's most recognizable traits are his comically large sleeves that make him look like a big, goofy cartoon villain when introduced. But then he pulls up his sleeves, and it turns out his hands are infused with a highly lethal poison that will inflict a slow, painful death onto his enemies.
* Nash in ''VideoGame/SuikodenIII'' has what's apparently a spring-loaded a knife-launcher in his sleeve. Despite being established as a master swordsmen in his GaidenGame, he never uses his swords in this one.
* In ''Videogame/TalesFromTheBorderlands'', Fiona has a derringer that is attached to a mechanism on her right forearm.
* Billy Lee Black of ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' He hides a long arm up each of his sleeves of his ''habit'' (and keeps a shotgun under it, too).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Angels 2200}}'', Captain Kurosawa, while being confronted by Toat, hides a pistol in her sleeve. [[spoiler: Toat later takes command of the bridge at gunpoint at a crucial point in the last battle of the first part, but after Loser's death distracts her for a moment, Kurosawa manages to shoot the gun out of her hand and send her to the brig]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': While loading up on stolen weaponry and other goods Sette slides a dagger up her sleeve, which she later uses to stab Starfish in the crotch when he assaults her and thinks he has her disarmed by grabbing her more obvious knife.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** Mai, who uses both throwing knives and stiletto-launchers hidden under her sleeves.
** The Dai Li also hid weapons in their sleeves, including what seemed to be stone handcuffs on long chains.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': The episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE5PrettyPoison "Pretty Poison"]] provides two examples.
** First, Poison Ivy fetching the [[DruggedLipstick lipstick]] [[CarryingTheAntidote antidote]] from her glove.
** Second, Batman retrieving a knife stored in his to cut at Ivy's flytrap.
* On at least one occasion in ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' Joker had empty hands, but big baggy straitjacket sleeves covering his hands. Arms up, sleeves flap down, and presto! He has razor-sharp playing cards in his hands!
* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/CarmenSandiego'' uses a specially designed grappling hook to get around. It pops out of her coat sleeve whenever she needs it, and retracts back when not in use.
* ''WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts'': Employed by WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck to summon flutes in ''The Band Concert'' and hats in ''Modern Inventions''.
* ComicBook/BatLash had a small gun hidden up his sleeve in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' that came into play after his cheating at poker was revealed.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', [[DarkActionGirl villainess Ming-Hua]]—who is [[HandicappedBadass missing both arms]] and uses [[MakingASplash waterbending]] to form [[SwissArmySuperpower versatile]] [[CombatTentacles prostheses]]—wears a long coat with oversized sleeves when posing as a bounty hunter.
* One of the many places that ''WesternAnimation/SecretSquirrel'' hides his spy gadgets, as lampshaded in the TitleSequence ThemeSong.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', a saloon produces derringers, some from their sleeves, and proceed to blast each other. No one is injured because the tiny derringers are weak. ''Powerful'' weak!
* An episode of ''{{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}}'' did a variation on this with their version of Mr. Mxyzptlk: One of the heroes asks, rhetorically "I wonder what Mxyzptlk has up his sleeve this time.." Cut to Mxyzptlk, who is eavesdropping: "What do I have up my sleeve?" Pushes the sleeve back, leaving his glove floating unsupported in midair. "Why, ''nothing'' of course!" Cue EvilLaugh.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* TruthInTelevision: the tradition of shaking hands came about as a way for people to check if the other person had a dagger in their sleeve. Which is why in older settings you see two characters grabbing each others' forearms.
** The hand-shaking thing also resulted in left-handedness [[ASinisterClue becoming associated with tricksters.]]
** Chinese emperors and other such nobles tended to carry ''[[ImprobableWeaponUser attack dogs]]'' in their sleeves. Pekingese, to be exact.
* The [[http://www.timelapse.dk/thesleevegun.php sleeve gun]] which, as per its name, was essentially a silenced pistol barrel tied to a person's arm. It was developed during UsefulNotes/WorldWar2 as an assassination weapon and, unlike a true arm cannon, was triggered by being pressed against someone's body.
* When a stage magician goes to great lengths to illustrate that there is nothing up their sleeves, it's basically always one of two things; either the trick could easily be accomplished with a gadget or gimmick of that sort, and they're attempting to impress upon you that they're not doing it that way, or, much more likely, it's a distraction so you're looking in the wrong place when you try to spot how the trick is done.
* Performance artiste Ursula Martinez does a set-piece in her [[{{Burlesque}} stage act]] that sends up the conventions of both stage magic and striptease, where she is bothered by a red handkerchief that keeps disappearing and reappearing from [[VictoriasSecretCompartment ever more improbable places]]. As she strips off completely while searching for the pesky red hanky, its final appearance is apparently from [[CountryMatters the oddest place of all]]. This is literally a case of a stage magician demonstrating that there is nothing up her sleeve - as there's no sleeve there at all. [[note]]: while a [=SFW=] edited version exists on [=YouTube=] and other places, the full version of the act - while wildly funny - is very definitely NotSafeForWork. (hence there is no link given here). [[/note]]
* Exploited once at a UN meeting, where the North Korean representatives kept AK-47 assault rifles hidden under their jackets. Instead of confronting them, the Americans took delight in jacking up the room's heat to equatorial levels just so that they could see their adversaries, unwilling to expose their weapons, squirm and sweat in their heavy clothes.
[[/folder]]
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