History Main / DiagonalCut

* An even ''more'' unlikely Western example is in ''Series/{{CSINY}}''. The villain of the episode manages this on a man's neck. Downplayed in that the head fails to fall off (until Detective Taylor lifts it up), greatly confusing the investigators [[spoiler: until they determine the weapon is a katana]].

* In one issue of ''Franchise/GIJoe'', Snake-Eyes demonstrates his "subtle cut" against a practice dummy. When the dummy doesn't fall apart, the following comments pop up in the background:

* One of ''ComicBook/IronFist'''s counterparts from other mystic cities, Dog Brother #1, uses a variant of this in a solo story. The cut's almost perfectly horizontal, and the victim gets a chance to speak afterwards. It's only when Dog Brother #1 finishes him off with a normal punch to the face that he falls apart into slices.
%% * Hit-Girl does this to random mooks a lot in ''ComicBook/KickAss''.
* Happens in the fourth book of ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'', in which the victim is actually able to get a few words in before sliding apart.

The Diagonal Cut frequently happens in a SingleStrokeBattle with blades, although it also happens to inanimate scenery, especially if a warrior recieves an AbsurdlySharpBlade and decides to test it on whatever target comes to hand. A regular CleanCut is when you have an object neatly sliced apart ''without'' the delayed reaction. Razor Floss and other SharpenedToASingleAtom weapons tend to deliver a Diagonal Cut once per show for extra shock value and[=/=]or [[RuleOfCool bonus awesomeness]], with {{Clean Cut}}s used the rest of the time.

* ''Literature/TheDevilsDictionary'':

--> "ACEPHALOUS, adj. In the surprising condition of the Crusader who absently pulled at his forelock some hours after a Saracen scimitar had, unconsciously to him, passed through his neck, as related by de Joinville."

--> ''"Several kinds of spike-tailed brass lions!" he cried; "I am a ruined and disgraced swordsman! I struck the villain feebly because in flourishing the scimitar I had accidentally passed it through my own neck! Father of the Moon, I resign my office."\\

** This trope ends up being used ''defensively'' in the final chapter. [[spoiler:Hijirihara decapitates Asano to remove her bomb collar, with her head landing perfectly on her shoulders as if nothing happened.]]

* ''Manga/GetBackers'': [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Kuro(u)do(u) Akabane]] frequently slices victims -- sometimes like this, sometimes far more elaborately, sometimes several at once -- and they don't realize it until long after he's finished, come to a stop, and said something to another character. Then LudicrousGibs occur almost explosively. If you see Akabane, and then suddenly are not sure where he went, chances are that you've been dead for several seconds and haven't fallen apart yet because GravityIsAHarshMistress.

* The blind swordsman ''Franchise/{{Zatoichi}}'' is the undisputed champion of this.
** The Creator/TakeshiKitano [[Film/Zatoichi2003 version]] cuts a ''[[AbsurdlySharpBlade stone garden statue]]'' this way.

* One of the mini-games in ''VideoGame/WarioWare: Smooth Moves'' has the player perform a diagonal slash with the Wiimote. The starting position is called "The Samurai."