[[quoteright:200:[[VideoGame/StreetFighterII https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spinningpiledriver_7416.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:200:If nothing else, that guy's going to get really dizzy.]]

In [[ProfessionalWrestling real life]], a piledriver is a move where someone grabs an upsidedown opponent and slams them into the ground headfirst. Damaging, yes, but not ''awesome'' enough.

Enter the spinning piledriver. In this move, the attacker grabs the opponent in midair, spins rapidly, and slams them headfirst into the ground. That one word makes [[SpectacularSpinning one hell of a lot of difference]]. To be able to do this variation of the move, it generally follows a LauncherMove, but it's not required.

This is a specific type of MeteorMove, but is distinguished in that the attacker is part of the meteor. [[SpectacularSpinning While spinning]]. Enough spinning could [[ThisIsADrill make very large holes]] in the ground. {{Ninja}}s in media often perform a head-first variant of this move called the ''Izuna Otoshi''[[note]]"Izuna" meaning either the Japanese common name for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_weasel least weasel]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Iizuna Mount Izuna]] in Nagano Prefecture, its {{tengu}} deity Izuna-gongen, or the weasel-like ''[[AsianFoxSpirit kuda-gitsune]]'' (pipefoxes) said to be [[{{Familiar}} wielded]] by his cult.[[/note]] (''Izuna Drop''), [[TropeNamer a name originating from]] the protagonist of ''Manga/KamuiGaiden''.

An essential part of the repertoire for the WrestlerInAllOfUs.

Compare HurricaneKick for another exaggerated version of a martial art move.
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', Zarbon does this to Vegeta to end their first fight. A spinning ''exploding'' piledriver.
* [[TropeCodifier The original Izuna Drop]] was from ''Ninpo Manga/KamuiGaiden'', a.k.a. ''Kamui the Ninja''. He learned the move by watching birds fight and in particular how one bird dove into another bird, bearing it to the ground. He adopted this as his own SignatureMove, though he mostly used it to intercept other ninja mid-jump.
* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'': The "Front Lotus" is an Izuna Drop which functions as the first FinishingMove of Might Guy and his pupil Rock Lee (and has also been imitated by Kakashi). Its setup requires mastery of the Dancing Leaf Shadow technique[[note]]Mirroring the speed and trajectory of an opponent you've [[LauncherMove launched into the air]][[/note]], and the move itself can only be performed while benefiting from the UninhibitedMusclePower granted by [[SuperMode opening one of the Eight Gates]] (adding risk to the maneuver, since this rapidly exhausts the user's stamina). Lee's variant also unravels the bandages around his wrists and uses them to bind the target so that they can't escape.
* In the ''Manga/OnePiece'' anime, Buggy used this as a finishing move on a Blugori. Because of how his power works, he was on the ground, while spinning the enemy in midair using his detached hands.
* Ash's Charizard's Seismic Toss attack from ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''. Because the Japanese name of the move is "Earth Throw", as Charizard gains momentum before dropping the opponent's Pokémon onto the ground, a picture of the Earth appears.
* In ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', one of the variations of Seiya's Pegasus Rolling Crush technique is this. He uses it most memorably against [[spoiler: Lizard Misty]], with fatal results for his rival.
* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'': [[spoiler: [[EvilOldFolks Fudou Kazanari]] does this on his son Genjuro after punching him in the gut. It's strong enough to temporarily knock out even a BadassNormal like his son.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''FanFic/FantasyOfUtterRidiculousness'' features the ''Divine Northern Fist: Fantastic Piledriver'', which is equal parts Megas, Coop's love of professional wrestling, [[spoiler: and Reimu's ''Fantasy Nature''.]]
* ''Fanfic/{{Marionettes}}'': The brainwashed Lightning Dust attempts one on Rainbow Dash, but she breaks free right before impact.
* ''Fanfic/TheSymbolOfPeaceAndJustice'': Gohan [[spoiler:uses this to finish off the Nomu during the USJ attack]] helped by the fact that he can fly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pinball]]
* As per the source, Zangief is shown performing this move in Creator/{{Gottlieb}}'s ''Pinball/StreetFighterII'' pinball.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Wrestling/ScottSteiner has the Steiner Screw Driver, a delayed vertical suplex lift, spun and dropped into a reverse piledriver. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer And no, you did not just read that wrong.]] He very rarely used it outside of Japan and never got to use it in the WWF/E.
* Wrestling/AjaKong hasn't been seen on USA television since she used, among other things, a spinning package piledriver on Wrestling/{{W|orld Wrestling Federation}}WF programing.
* [[Characters/{{ECW}} Justin Credible]]'s finisher, named "That's Incredible," is a spinning belly-to-belly piledriver. This move is ''somewhat'' possible [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz572FFYBYg in real life.]]
** In fact, starting in the Wrestling/{{WWE}} video game, ''[[VideoGame/{{WWE}} SmackDown vs. Raw 2009]]'', you can ''create'' a Spinning Piledriver FinishingMove. It's not nearly as cool as Haggar or Zangief's Jushin Liger-style versions, but it's an actual, honest-to-goodness Spinning Piledriver. ''[[VideoGame/{{WWE}} SmackDown vs. Raw 2011]]'' probably has the best version yet, thanks to the new Corner Grapple position in Create-A-Finisher, you can make a top rope Spinning Piledriver.
* [[Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling NJPW's]] Wrestling/KazuchikaOkada is known to set up the [[FinishingMove Rainmaker]] with a [[https://i.imgur.com/sfj0wg0.gifv jumping]] [[https://giant.gfycat.com/BountifulBreakableBorer.mp4 spinning]] [[https://i2.wp.com/www.twm.news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/OkadaTombstone.gif tombstone]] [[https://66.media.tumblr.com/6d955c3f78f1337899adcb3d641f4d93/tumblr_p595okLKls1s05wxzo1_400.gif piledriver]] every so often.
* The [[LocationThemeNaming Canadian]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YBs3I8kDuw Destroyer]], popularized by Petey Williams, spins a little differently in that it's a ''flip'' piledriver.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In Lost Chapter I (''At Last, Someone Angrier Than Me'') of ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'', Asura has the opportunity to execute a textbook spinning piledriver against [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]].
* ''Battle Zeque-Den'' from Asmik has one of your martial artists, Hamusu able to grab an enemy and then jump into the air to give them a pile driver that does heavy damage. With her high damage and greater number of useful special attacks including this one and a GroundWave, she's possibly the best character in the game.
* Morrigan of ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'', Vector Drain surprisingly. Odd considering she's a [[SuccubiAndIncubi fairly skinny succubus]], but there are signs of her strength around. She can even deliver this move to building-sized characters in ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom''.
** That [[ShapeshifterWeapon jetpack]] she's wearing probably helps.
** Same with Demitri, whose command throw is an Izuna Drop.
* Nero in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' has an attack with his [[RedRightHand Devil Bringer]] that's a {{homage}} to Zangief's Final Atomic Buster (both series are made by Creator/{{Capcom}}).
** Nero's attack - performable only on the Alto Angelo demons - actually looks more like Vega/Balrog's Rolling Izuna Drop.
* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ: Supersonic Warriors 2'', Android 18 has a Team Ultimate where she has 17 and 16 as an assist called "Hell Spiral." 18 and 17 grab both sides of the opponent and do a ''double'' spinning piledriver, and then 16 blasts the crap out of the opponent in the resultant crater.
* Dust in ''VideoGame/DustAnElysianTail'' has a spinning air throw move called "The Undoing", which is executed via a button input that is identical to the command for Ryu Hayabusa's Izuna Drop in ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden''.
* In ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe: The Revenge of Death Adder'', this can be performed as a team attack. Simply put, all four players have to attack a stunned enemy at the same time. It's the single most damaging attack in the game and works on everything. The non-spinning version can be done with just two players.
* ''VideoGame/GourmetWarriors'' have a special move where you execute foes by grabbing them, leaping in the air, and piledriving them into the ground. And for good measure, you can stand on them, balancing yourself on their legs dangling comically in the air...
* In ''[[VideoGame/GundamVsSeries Gundam Vs Gundam NEXT Plus]]'', the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ ZZ Gundam]] has the standard Spinning Piledriver as one of its most damaging moves. The ninja-themed [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam Gundam Spiegel]] gets the classic Izuna Drop, while [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Epyon]] has an Izuna Drop performed while in its [[TransformingMecha flight mode]], which is AwesomeButImpractical thanks to the long recovery time afterwards.
** In ''Gundam Extreme Vs'', it's the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory GP-01 "Zephyranthes"]] that inherits the move. The [[Manga/MobileSuitGundamSEEDAstray Astray Red Frame and Astray Gold Frame Amatsu]] can also do this.
* Kraidgief in ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy'' uses [[spoiler:[[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Hokuto Shinken]]]] Spinning Piledriver as a FinishingMove.
* In ''VideoGame/KenseiSacredFist'', professional wrestler David sorta has one. He can smack someone over the head to turn them around and give them four flipping German suplexes in a row. He finally uses all that momentum to leap up into a flying piledriver (though there's no spinning in the air). This brutal attack will wipe out almost all of an opponent's health and in the demo theatre, poor Ann is the victim of this special combo.
* Nagase in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters KOF: Maximum Impact 2]]'' copies Hanzo from ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''[='s=] version.
* In ''[[VideoGame/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAsPortable Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's Portable: The Gears of Destiny]]'', Arf's LimitBreak has her performing this move from the stratosphere.
* Ryu Hayabusa's Izuna Drop in ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' is one of the most famous examples in modern action games.
* ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'''s protagonist Peppino Spaghetti gets one of these as one of his many [[TheGrappler throw attacks]]. [[spoiler:The already comical appearance escalates even further during the FinalBoss, where it's used as the finishing blow of his NoHoldsBarredBeatdown against Pizza Head. It hits so hard that he becomes ''stuck headfirst into the tower.'']]
* Leo from ''VideoGame/RedEarth'' has a spinning piledriver known as Gaia Driver.
** As well as the Underworld Drop and the Flower Garland Drop in ''2'', which can be considered as variants.
* In ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'', Hanzo and Galford use the Izuna Drop. Galford's version can be done either while dashing, or by his ''dog''.
** For his appearance in ''KOF: Maximum Impact 2'' (see above), Hanzo has your typical Izuna Drop (which can [[IncendiaryExponent set the opponent on fire]]) as both a special move and DM. He also borrows the mid-run variant from Galford. Nagase, [[MovesetClone whose moveset takes a few pages from Hanzo's]], only gets the standard version.
* In the Creator/DataEast FightingGame ''Mutant Fighter'' (''Death Brade'' in Japan), the Werewolf can do this with his LimitBreak, Tornado Crash.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', deflecting some attacks with a reflector equipped as a sub-weapon triggers this. It can be done against wheels and tengu, at the very least.
** Amaterasu retains this move in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''.
* Kotaro's third super art in ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara 3'' is one of these. It's called, you guessed it, "Izuna Drop."
** Toyotomi Hideyoshi can do a traditional spinning piledriver on a grabbed enemy multiple times before releasing them and if the move is used as the last one in a combo, it gets powered up, with the spinning being rapid enough to create a vortex that draws in nearby enemies so that they'll be hit by the ensuing explosion.
* Valentine from ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' performs an Izuna Drop using a body bag to immobilize her opponent first for her Mortuary Drop special, which is also used to start her Level 3 Blockbuster, Dead on Arrival.
* Can be done in the ''[[VideoGame/SpiderMan2 Spider-Man 2]]'' video game. It is taken up to 11 in this case as it's entirely possible to grab a mook from street level, swing them up to the top of the nearest skyscraper and do it from there. This includes spinning piledriving a mook from the top of the Empire State Building all the way to ground level. The game even keeps track of the max number of rotations performed on the stats screen.
* Zangief in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', who has it as a special throw command. It would later be followed by Mike Haggar from ''VideoGame/FinalFight''. While Mike Haggar used the spinning clothesline first, Zangief developed the spinning piledriver, which Haggar then copied in ''Final Fight 2''. Both versions are the same - Zangief and Haggar grab their opponents, then jump into the air while spinning (which is physically impossible), and slam them down into the ground.
** [[AllThereInTheManual The manual]] says Haggar and Zangief are [[FriendlyRivalry friendly rivals]], constantly trying to one-up their trademark grapples.
** Apparently, Zangief came up with this move after ''piledriving a bear in the middle of a hurricane''.
** The Spanish ninja Vega, also from ''SFII'', can execute the Izuna Drop after using his special jump move and landing above his opponents' head. In ''V'', he gets a spinning Izuna Drop as an EX version of the normal one.
** Seth in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' also has one (copied from Zangief), in a purer form. He sets it up by uppercutting the enemy into the air and then teleporting to them for the spinning piledriver.
** Guy in ''VideoGame/FinalFight''[=/=]''Franchise/StreetFighter''. In the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' series, Guy started out with one of these (Kaiten Izuna Otoshi) as a forward air grab (it became an aerial command grab in ''Super Street Fighter IV''). ''SSFIV'' would also add to his repertoire the Bushin Goraisenpujin, an [[DesperationAttack Ultra Combo]] that mirrors the aforementioned Front/Primary Lotus in ''Naruto''. ''Videogame/StreetFighter6'' would later introduce Guy's protege Kimberly, who can execute a similar aerial grab.
** In ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6'', Zangief gets another spinning piledriver command throw as an air-to-air command throw called Borscht Dynamite. This time, he grabs the opponent, punches them upward, then in an even more physics-defying maneuver than the standard spinning piledriver he somehow manages to jump up to catch them and deliver a spinning power bomb.
** In ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'', Zangief develops the ability to perform a double spinning piledriver with his tag partner as his team hypercombo move.
* The [[{{Ninja}} Shrike Rune]] user Kasumi in ''VideoGame/SuikodenI'' uses this.
** As does Sagiri from ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'', also bearing the Shrike Rune. It seems to be that rune's special ability.
* Yoshimitsu has the "Izuna Drop" version as a throw from behind in the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' (and ''VideoGame/{{Soul|Series}}'' series) games. Armor King's Steiner Screwdriver is a mild (and RL-performable) variant where it starts with a suplex, then rotates the victim while vertical and drops. King gets one as a FinishingMove of a chain throw in ''Tekken 5''.
** Kuni’s Chakra Drop is this and it’s the most awesome looking one in the series.
* Wario uses this move in ''VideoGame/WarioWorld''.
* Hide, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/Nioh2'', is capable of one after getting the proper skill text to drop from a late game bonus boss.
* In VideoGame/SuperSmashBros, Kirby and Meta Knight can both perform an extremely fast drop that supplementary material explicitly titles the Izuna Drop in Japanese (いずな落とし, Izuna Otoshi).
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Tenchu}} Tenchu: Fatal Shadows]]'', has small teenager [[PintsizePowerhouse Rin]] capable of piledriving enemies from the air with her Death Drop special. In her combo, one of her attacks can be changed to a launcher and send the enemy skywards for the coming death drop. This move even works on [[BearsAreBadNews those nasty bears]].
[[/folder]]
----