One character has just fallen over the edge of a cliff after getting pushed over by the villain. Fortunately, he is able to grab onto the side of the cliff to prevent himself from falling to his death. However, the villain, being the Card-Carrying Villain that he is, attempts to get rid of the hero by stomping on his hands, causing the hero to slowly lose his grip on the cliff that he's hanging on to.
This can easily backfire if the villain misses the hand or the hero manages to grab their leg with the other arm, resulting in the villain falling instead. In a way, this trope is the villainous opposite of The Hero's common tendency to try to pull up the villain when he finds himself in a similar predicament.
This is a common Villain Trope that can show up in some forms of media.
Fingore is usually implied, if not invoked.
This is a sub-trope of Cruelty by Feet. Related to Kick the Dog. See also High-Altitude Interrogation.
Examples:
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Anime & Manga
- Deltora Quest: In an episode, Dain has Lief hanging off the edge of a large staircase. He feigns helping him up and then stomps on Lief's fingers. He then pulls Lief back up to fight some more.
- Isuca: In episode 10, Sakuya is hanging off a roof, while the villain walks up and taunts her, before stepping on her fingers and repeatedly twisting her foot. Luckily, the villain takes her foot off Sakuya's fingers, only to attempt to ram a pointed staff into her eye. Although Sakuya willingly lets go of the edge, only to be caught.
- Lupin III: One episode it has Fujiko clinging precariously to the side of a moving train. To get her off, Zenigata smacks her hands with a flyswatter.
- In One Piece during an invasion of a marine base where he's split up from his crew, Luffy ends up hanging over a ledge. This leads to a gag sequence where an entire horde of marines try stomping his hands while he uses his rubber powers to quickly shimmy across the ledge.
- In Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bakura drops Atem into a gorge by doing this, causing the Memory World to go dark. But Atem's not dead, just unconscious. In the anime, he stomps on the edge of the cliff Atem's hanging off of, causing that to fall and take him with it.
Comic Books
- In The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #9, Indy attacks a Hovito Indian on a narrow ledge atop a skyscraper with his tuxedo jacket. Indy knocks the Indian off, but the Indian grabs Indy's jacket and yanks him off as well. Indy manages to grab hold of the ledge but is left Hanging by the Fingers. The cliffhanger has the Big Bad sending another Indian to stomp on Indy's fingers.
- Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom: Done accidentally. On a planet where their powers don't work, Supergirl is fighting two beasts off next to a ravine as Superman is clinging onto the edge of the cliff. As trying to drive the monsters away, Kara steps back and unintentionally stomps her cousin's hand. Upon hearing Kal yelling, Kara swiftly removes her foot and apologizes.
Film — Animation
- The third BIONICLE movie, Web of Shadows, has Matau fall over a cliff and Vakama stand over him, doing this. Vakama almost allows him to fall, but Matau tells him that if there's any of the Vakama he knows left, that Vakama will know what to do. It's this that finally reaches Vakama and allows him to return to the side of light.
- In The Fox and the Hound 2, Chief stomps on Copper's paw to help him howl louder.
- A variation of this happens in Happily N'Ever After, Rick is clutching the edge of a pit, which causes the villain Frieda to drive her staff into his fingers to get him to let go, although she is thwarted.
- The Lion King (1994):
- Scar claws Mufasa's paws while the latter is hanging from a cliff.
- He also does it to Simba during the final battle, but Simba gets the strength to lunge back after the "I killed Mufasa" revelation.
- Near the end of Monsters, Inc., Randall starts stepping on Sulley's hands while he is hanging onto the edge of a door. However, before he can do so, Boo is able to stand up to Randall and save Sulley.
- In Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, Ratcliffe does this to John Smith and actually makes him fall off the building, though he survives.
Film — Live-Action
- Aladdin (2019): When Aladdin retrieves the lamp and is hanging from the entrance to the Cave of Wonders, he begs Jafar for help, only for Jafar to step on his hands to make him fall.
- In Breakheart Pass, Deakin ends up hanging on for dear life to the top of a train car as Carlos attempts to stomp his hands and send him off the train to his death.
- Circus of Fear: When Gregor is left Hanging by the Fingers from the clifftop, the killer arrives and slowly and maliciously grinds his foot down on Gregor's hands til he falls.
- In the 1999 movie End of Days, Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, Jericho, is thrown through a window before grabbing the edge and hanging off it, several stories above the street. Gabriel Byrne's character, Satan, steps on Jericho's fingers before giving him a second chance at telling him what he wants to know.
- A variation in The Grand Budapest Hotel. When Gustave is Hanging by the Fingers from the cliff, Jopling stomps in front of his hands to make the ice crack.
- In the 2000 movie Hell Swarm, Billy is kicked from a broken fire escape by Julia, although he manages to grab onto the edge and hang off. However, Julia steps on his fingers and tries to make him fall. Billy then pulls out a gun before he loses his grip and shoots Julia.
- Indiana Jones:
- The Temple of Doom: Late in the movie, both the heroes and Mola Ram end up hanging from a broken rope bridge and climbing for dear life. When Mola Ram starts catching up to Willie and Shorty, the two proceed to stomp on his fingers, causing him to fall — right on top of Indy.
- Variation in The Last Crusade: As Indy is desperately holding onto the cannon of the Nazi tank, Colonel Vogel grabs a shovel and starts hitting Indy's hands with it.
- James Bond:
- GoldenEye: As Bond dangles from the ladder off of the satellite dish, Trevelyan steps on his hand, presses down, and finally stomps on it, causing him to fall. (But of course, his hand remains unbroken.
- In Tomorrow Never Dies, Stamper stomps on the hand of the British sailor trying to pull himself up on to the stealth boat after the Devonshire sinks.
- In the 2014 movie Muppets Most Wanted, Kermit the Frog is hanging from a helicopter as he tries to save Miss Piggie from the evil Kermit. Evil Kermit then proceeds to stomp on Good Kermit's hand, although Kermit still manages to climb into the helicopter.
- In the 1959 film North By Northwest, it sees the protagonist holding onto the edge of a cliff while attempting to help up a woman. Another man appears, who is then asked for help by the protagonist. However, the man decides to step on the protagonist's fingers and get him and the woman to fall. Although he is later shot by a sniper in the distance.
- In the 1988 movie Scary Tales Night Elevator, a man is hanging from an elevator shaft, and then has his hands stood on by a woman in high heels, sending him falling to his death.
- Happens in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over when Juni falls off his Mega Race bike and manages to grab Rez's. He asks Rez to help him up, but Rez twists his foot on Juni's fingers until Juni lets go.
Juni: Hey Rez! Gimme a hand!
Rez: How about a foot? - In Star Trek (2009), Kirk is hanging off the edge of the Romulan drill, and a Romulan keeps attempting to stomp on his hands. Until Sulu runs the Romulan through with his sword, that is.
- In the 2004 adaption of Thunderbirds, Alan is hanging off a catwalk above the Hood's drill. The Hood then starts stepping on Alan's fingers but is thwarted by his niece TinTin who uses her powers to overpower him.
Literature
- Conn Iggulden's dramatization of the life of St Dunstan of Glastonbury has the rogue-who-became-priest sentenced to death for murder. The monks of his abbey elect to carry out the sentence by throwing him off a high cliff. Dunstan refuses to play ball and clings on to the lip of the cliff by his fingertips. The abbey blacksmith is summoned with a sledgehammer...
- This happens to Dakin in Lynne Reid Banks's The Farthest-Away Mountain. To one hand. She talks her assailant into pulling her up rather than stomping her other hand and letting her fall.
- In the beginning of Oath Breaker, Thiazzi does this to Bale when the latter hangs for his life. The fall kills him.
- In the sixth The Witcher book Tower of the Swallow, one of the servants of the Big Bad tries to chase Ciri across a frozen lake. The ice breaks and as the man hangs on the edge trying to pull himself out... Ciri skates across his fingers.
Live-Action TV
- In The Adventures of Superman episode "The Human Bomb", the Villain of the Week steps on Jimmy Olsen's hands as he hangs from the Planet building's ledge. Jimmy falls and has to be caught by Superman.
- In Alcatraz, a variation happened to Rebecca's partner in the backstory. He jumped over to a roof while pursuing a felon and didn't quite make it. He's hanging onto a wire bolted to the roof when the felon runs back and kicks him loose, leading to his death.
- Harrow: A variation in "Audere Est Facere" ("To Dare Is to Do"). When Harrow is Hanging by the Fingers from the roof of Brisbane's tallest building, the killer repeatedly hits his hands with a selfie stick in an effort to make him let go.
- In the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Redemption", Detectives Hawk and Stabler corner a criminal on a rooftop, who is hanging from the edge. Hawk repeatedly steps on the suspect's fingers, although has a change of heart and asks Stabler to help him pull the criminal up.
- Mission: Impossible: In "The Golden Serpent: part 1", a ninja attempts to stomp on Max's hand while he dangles from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Max defeats him via some Lodged-Blade Recycling.
- Mr. Bean: When Mr Bean is trying to lower himself from a high diving board, hanging on by only his fingers, a boy who has had enough of waiting stamps on Mr Bean's hand, causing him to fall into the pool.
- Rizzoli & Isles: "Love Taps" opens with the Victim of the Week dangling by his fingertips off a cliff face. The killer slowly grinds their foot on each of his hands till he loses his grip and plunges to his doom.
- Stargate Atlantis: This is reversed in "The Prodigal" when hero Teyla shoves bad guy Michael off the top of the Atlantis main tower. She then kicks both of his hands from the ledge so he falls to his death.
- In an episode of The Wild Wild West entitled 'The Night of the Arrow', Jim is hanging off a ledge in a cave. Aimme comes along and steps on his fingers, sending him falling onto a lower ledge.
Pro Wrestling
- In a WWE Pay-Per-View Badd Blood 1997, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are fighting on top of a cell, which sees Undertaker shove Michaels off the edge. Michaels manages to grab the edge and hold on. However, Undertaker stomps on Michaels' hands, causing him to fall and crash through a table.
Video Games
- In Dragon Age II: Mark of the Assassin, after the boss battle against the evil duc, he winds up clinging to a sheer cliff face with one hand, and unwisely insulting Hawke repeatedly while threatening to expose the secret he knows. An aggressive Hawke's response to this? Stomp, then kick at those fingers to send him bouncing fatally down the cliff.
- Final Fantasy VII: When Don Corneo is left hanging from a cliff, Reno stomps on his hands to make him fall. The novel Lateral Biography Turks -The Kids Are Alright- reveals Corneo survived the fall but is in a wheelchair.
- In a mission in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas called 'End of the Line', CJ's brother, Sweet, is hanging off the end of a firetruck ladder as the antagonist speeds down a freeway. A cop will get out of the truck, walk to the end of the ladder where Sweet is hanging and proceeds to repeatedly stomp on his fingers.
- In a mission in Grand Theft Auto IV called 'Ivan the Not So Terrible', the protagonist Niko chases a criminal named Ivan who was stealing from Niko's cousin, Roman. Niko chases Ivan across a construction site, which eventually leads to a rooftop chase. Ivan accidentally runs off a broken bit of a fire escape and grabs the edge, hanging several stories above the street. Niko can then either help him up or kick him off. If kicking him off is chosen by the player, then Niko will stomp on Ivan's fingers, sending him falling to his death.
- Jackie Chan Stuntmaster have a rooftop level where Jackie accidentally slipped and end up grabbing onto railings with his hands, while a mook proceed to stomp him into falling all the way down. Jackie then lands while crashing through a bunch of awnings before hitting the floor, unscathed, in an Actor Allusion towards what the real Jackie Chan did in Project A.
- The infected in Left 4 Dead will stomp on your hands if you're hanging from a ledge, which will decrease your grip more quickly.
- In The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Bokoblins can do this to Link if they spot him hanging on a ledge.
- In Metal Gear Solid, if Snake is hanging off the edge of Metal Gear Rex, Liquid will stomp on his fingers. Letting him do this too much will cause Snake to fall and die.
- In the Red Dead Redemption II mission, Polite Society, Valentine Style, Arthur is recognized by a man as an outlaw and must chase the man down. The man runs his horse towards a cliff and falls off the edge, dangling by his fingers on the side of the cliff. Arthur can choose to save him or kill him, the latter choice has Arthur twist his foot on the man's fingers until he falls.
- In Resident Evil 4, Krauser will do this to Leon as he's dangling off a ledge. An Action Command is needed to knife Krauser in the leg and give Leon a chance to pull himself back up.
- In Resident Evil 6, Leon finds himself hanging off another ledge, with Simmons crushing the hand he's using to hold on. This time, he can't do anything until Ada stabs Simmons with an arrow and takes him off the ledge, which allows Leon to pull himself back up.
- In Saints Row, the protagonist, Johnny Gat and Benjamin King corner King's ex-girlfriend Tanya, who double-crossed Ben earlier in the game. They shoot at her, causing her to fall through a window on the top floor of King's building. As she clutches the edge and pleads for help, King tells her to 'die with dignity'. King then steps on her fingers and sends her falling hundreds of feet to her death.
- In Shinobido if you're detected while hanging from a ledge the enemies will try to stomp on your hands making you fall.
Web Original
- Nightmare Time: In the episode "Honey Queen", Zoey and Linda fight on a catwalk above a stage, leading to Linda being thrown over the edge. Zoey uses this moment to gloat about her victory, slowly stomping on Linda's fingers to make her fall.
Western Animation
- This happens in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series called "The Underdwellers". Batman is hanging onto a pipe, as the villain, Sewer King, proceeds to step on his fingers to make Batman fall into alligator-infested water, although Batman is able to swing around and boot Sewer King off the pipe.
- Happens again in the episode "Blind As A Bat" when Batman falls off of a conveyer belt. He clings to his fingers and one of the Penguin's thugs stomps on them both. Bat's manages to not fall and climb back up moments later.
- In the episode, "Over The Edge," Bane knocks Commissioner Gordon off of the side of the building causing Gordon to hang off the side. After knocking away Batman, Bane stomps on one of Gordon's hands and taunts him but before he can stomp on the other, Batman gets back up and takes Bane out.
- This happens in multiple episodes of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. In the episode 'Lone Wolf', Buzz is hanging off a ledge, while the villain steps on both his hands, causing him to fall. However, Buzz is caught by a mythical creature of some sort. In another episode, Buzz temporarily becomes evil and engages in battle with Booster. He corners Booster on a catwalk, which Buzz shoots until it gives way, causing Booster to cling to the edge dangling hundreds of feet in the air. Buzz steps on Booster's fingers, although Booster activates his wings and flies off. In one other episode, Buzz engages in battle with Zurg, who knocks Buzz over a ledge. Zurg unsuccessfully tries to stomp on Buzz's fingers, who repeatedly moves them to avoid Zurg's foot.
- Danger Mouse and Penfold are clinging to a mountain ledge ("The Great Bone Idol"); Penfold climbs up over DM back onto the ledge and mistakes DM's fingers as being worms, so he stomps on them.
- In the Merrie Melodies "Tale of Two Kitties" short, Catstello (a cat based on Lou Costello) is hanging on a clothesline or cable by his pawtips. Tweety jumps up and down on this pawtips, before pulling them off the line one by one.
Tweety: This widdow piddy went to market...this widdow piddy stayed home...this widdow piddy had woast beef...Weww, what do you know — I wan outta piddies!
- Tweety also did it to Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
- He also did it to Sylvester in a later cartoon.
- Bugs Bunny did it to an unnamed bulldog in "A Hare Grows in Manhattan".
- In the Pixar Short "For the Birds", a large annoying crane-like bird is hanging by its claws from a telephone wire, and little blue birds start pecking at them to get him to fall off the wire... not realizing he's holding the wire down like a bowstring and when he lets go they'll all be shot upward.
- Bluto tries doing this to Popeye in The Paneless Window Washer.
- In an episode of The Proud Family, Oscar is hanging off a cliff, and then has his fingers jumped on by a squirrel, sending him and Felix falling down below.
- The Simpsons:
- In "Homer's Night Out", Homer walks into a show cage and talks to a belly dancer who he met at a bachelor party. While Homer and the dancer are talking, they are raised high in the air. Homer turns to leave but accidentally walks right off the edge, but quickly grabs it and hangs on for dear life. The dancer walks up to him in high heels and repeatedly stomps on Homer's fingers until he falls down onto the stage.
- In the third segment of "Simpsons Tall Tales", a hobo tells the Simpson family a story based on Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, which sees Nelson Muntz and Bart portraying the two characters. In one scene, Bart and Nelson are hanging off a railing on a paddle steamer, to which they are approached by Dr. Hibbert portraying a sailor singing "Old Man River", before he jumps on the railing, landing on Bart and Nelson's fingers by doing so, sending them falling.
- The Wild: During the final battle, Kazar stomp on Samson's front paw while he is hanging over the edge of a lava pit. Subsequently, Samson limps noticeably on an injured paw.
