Sword Pointing

En garde!

A character points their sword forward with their arm extended, either to single out and challenge a particular enemy, or to order troops under their command to attack what they’re pointing at. Depending on how heavy the weapon is, this might be hard as hell to do in real life for any extended time period.

Similar with Giving Someone the Pointer Finger, only with a weapon. Overlaps with Sean Connery Is About to Shoot You when the character is facing the audience. This can also be used with Rearing Horse for extra Cool points. Compare Stab the Sky and Sword Plant.

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Examples

Anime And Manga

• Sunrise's "Brave Perspective" that was made popular by animator Masami Obari featured in most works under the company; commonly known, and approved as the “Obari Ittouryu (The Obari Single Sword Style)”.
• Bleach anime
  • In the very first episode, Rukia Kuchiki does this to Ichigo Kurosaki - not as a threat, but as an invitation to impale himself on her zanpakuto and absorb some of her soul reaper power so he can fight the hollow threatening them both.
  • Episode 22: When Gin Ichimaru tries to stop Ichigo and friends from entering the Seireitei, Ichigo points his sword at Gin while challenging him. Later on, when Ichigo is about to fight Ganju Shiba he points his zanpakuto at him first.
  • Episode 58: Ichigo does it twice to Byakuya during their duel: once while invoking his Bankai, and again just after he achieves Bankai state.
  • Episode 118: After unleashing his bankai, Ikkaku Madarame does this to his opponent, the Arrancar Edorad Leones.
  • Episode 174: Uryu Ishida points his Seele Schneider energy sword at Espada #8 Szayelaporro Grantz just before using the Quincy Sprenger technique on him.
  • Episode 176: Rukia does it to Doko Jinnai, the assassin she's fighting. In the same episode, Kuzuryu does it to Uryu Ishida.
  • Episode 183: Kira does this to a ninja-like opponent.
  • Episode 185: Kira to Makoto Kibune during their duel.
  • Episode 186: Ichigo to Kumoi.
  • Episode 187: Ichigo to Captain Amagai.
  • Episodes 196, 199-202: During their duel, Kenpachi Zaraki does it at least four times to the Espada Nnoitra and Nnoitra does it at least once to Kenpachi.
  • Episode 220: Captain Komamura does this to his Arrancar opponent Poww while unleashing his bankai.
  • Episode 234: Ichigo's hollow form does it to Muramasa while asking him who he is.
  • Episode 235: Ichigo's hollow form does it to Muramasa again, and Renji does it to his zanpakuto's spirit form.
  • Episode 241: Renji does it to Captain Kuchiki while arresting him.
  • Episode 242: Renji does it to Captain Kuchiki again while demanding that he not leave and Ikakku does it to his zanpakuto's spirit before the finale of their battle.
  • Episode 244: Captain Kuchiki's zanpakuto's spirit does it to Ichigo.
  • Episode 255: During their confrontation, Ichigo and Muramasa do this to each other.
  • Episode 269: Ulquiorra does it to Ichigo while releasing his sword and changing to Resurrección form.
  • Episodes 273-274: During their fight, Captain Hitsugaya does it several times to Harribel.
  • Episode 281: Sosuke Aizen does it to the Arrancar Barragan after using his zanpakuto's illusion power on him.
  • Episode 298: Ichigo does it to Rangiku Matsumoto, who's playing the character of an evil alien in a film.
  • Episode 309: Ichigo points his sword at Aizen just before unleashing his Final Getsuga Tensho at him, and Aizen points his partially dissolved zanpakuto at Kisuke Urahara when they face each other.
  • Episode 322: When Rangiku Matsumoto and Reigei!Izuru Kira square off before their battle, they point their swords at each other.
  • Episode 324: Before their fight, Reigei!Kenpachi points his sword at the real Kenny. After he stabs Kenny in the chest and apparently defeats him, he points his sword at him again.
  • Episode 325: During their fight, Reigei!Hitsugaya points his sword at Byakuya before charging at him and trying to stab him.
  • Episode 326: Reigei!Soifon does it to Kenpachi Zaraki with her sword before having her men attack him, Kageroza Inaba does it to Ichigo with his weapon when confronting him, Kenpachi Zaraki does it back to Reigei!Soifon after wiping out her men, and one of the Reigei!Momos does it to the other Momo while they're fighting.
  • Episode 327. Captain Komammura does it to Reigei!Soifon during his battle with her.
  • Episode 334. Ichigo Kurosaki does it twice to Kageroza Inaba while confronting him. After the second one he fires a Getsuga Tencho at Inaba.
  • Episode 338. Captain Hitsugaya does it to Reigei!Hitsugaya and then to all of the reigei just before he and his reigei charge each other at the end of the episode.
  • Episode 340. At the end of the episode, after Ichigo gets his spirit energy and sword back he does this to the Big Bad Yushima.
  • Episode 341. Ichigo does it three separate times during his fight with Yushima.
  • Episode 361. Ichigo does it to Ginjo just before attacking him with Getsuga Tencho.
• In Brave10, Saizo strikes this pose often for dramatic effect.
• Olivier Mira Armstrong in Fullmetal Alchemist does it numerous times, even to her own subordinate once.
• Fushigi Yuugi: In the near end of episode 12, when Hotohori caught Tamahome kissing Miaka and accuses the latter for trespassing and the kissing as non-mutually consensual, Hotohori threatens to kill Tamahome by pointing his sword toward the latter. But, he refuses to do it since they’re both Suzaku warriors.
• Hanaukyō Maid Team La Verite. Chief Security Maid Konoe Tsurugi's "sister" points her sword at Konoe in Episode 8 while training her in swordplay, and points it at Konoe's lieutenant Yashima Sanae during a confrontation in episode 10.
• Inuyasha does this all the damn time. Because just pointing would be ridiculous.
• In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Polnareff's stand Silver Chariot often does this, given that said sword is a rapier and is thus best used for stabbing.
• At the end of the first episode of K, Kuroh does this to Shiro right after saving him from the guys that were trying to set him on fire.
• Signum of Lyrical Nanoha does this on several occasions, such as to Fate near the start of their battle in Episode 9 of A's.
• Moriarty the Patriot: When Sherlock finally arrives to his standoff with William in The Final Problem on the Tower Bridge, William points his sword directly at him while yelling before rushing toward him as flashbacks commence.
• Bound to happen at least once an episode in Sengoku Basara. Masamune and Yukimura particularly like to employ it.
• Chrona from Soul Eater tends to assume a stance like this (when Ragnorak took the form of a broadsword) with their sword pointed ahead and off-hand arm folded across their chest.
• Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-. Syaoran and his clone point their swords at each other at close range just before getting into a sword fight.

Fan Works

• In How I Became Yours, Sokka does this during his confrontation with an amnesiac Azula. He and Sho later do this again in their duel.
• The Night Unfurls:
  • Hugh points his Chikage at a goblin shaman in Chapter 6 of the original during his first Tranquil Fury moment, angry at its cronies for using a Human Sacrifice.
  • Kyril points his Saw Cleaver at a big orc as a Draw Aggro in Chapter 1, remastered version.
• Dimensional Gate Screwover: When the vampire Akasha returns to reclaim her mansion from Tomoe, she singles out Nelius as being a point of interest in the Demon Realm by pointing her rapier at him. Undaunted by this, Nelius responds by pointing his axe at her.
  • Several chapters later, Nelius ends up in the Demon Realm to find more people from his side of the world. Akasha runs into him again, but before she can draw her weapon Nelius beats her to the punch by leveling his axe at her face, forcing her to relent.
• From the Gunslinger Girl fanfic Ghosts
  Bayonets were fixed to each rifle, and out in front walked an officer holding a sabre, the scabbard clutched in his other hand like an alpenstock. The blade flashed in the sun as he pointed to the summit, and gave a shout which was echoed by every man behind.
  "Avanti Savoia!"
  "SAVOY!"

Films — Animated

• The Prince of Egypt: As the Hebrews are crossing between the waters of the Red Sea, which Moses parted with his staff, the wall of fire which God sent to hold back the Egyptian army suddenly disappears. Pharaoh Rameses draws his sword, dramatically points it at the gap in the Red Sea, and emits a terrible war cry as the order for his chariots to follow him in and massacre the Hebrews. He leads the charge through the parted sea while sustaining his war cry and continuing to hold his sword pointed forward.

Films — Live-Action

• This trailer for 300, done by Leonidas.
• At the end of Alita: Battle Angel, Alita brandishes the Damascus Blade under the cheers of the Motorball crowd, pointed at the sky city of Zalem in a challenge to the Big Bad.
• In Black Panther (2018), Killmonger menacingly does this with a broken spear to mark out Nakia and Shuri as his next targets.
• Kill Bill Vol. 2. Just before The Bride has her brief sword fight with Elle Driver, they point their katanas at each other.
• Théoden uses this gesture when commanding the Rohirrim to charge during The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
• The Matrix Reloaded. Morpheus does it to the Agent with a samurai sword while fighting him on the top of the truck.
• Done in The Mummy Returns by Ardeth Bey when the Medjai are about to fight the Army of Anubis. Bonus points for sword spinning.
• The Pirates of the Caribbean movies include too many examples to list. Ian McShane, playing Blackbeard in the fourth film, is particularly good at it.
• In The Princess Bride, Wesley uses this pose to threaten Prince Humperdink into surrendering, despite the fact that we know he's barely strong enough to stand. "Drop. Your. Sword."
• Archibald Cunningham does this a few times in Rob Roy to toy with his opponent in the final duel. He holds his rapier out in front of Rob's face, and every time Rob swings his heavy claymore around to bat it away, Cunningham just flicks it right back to the same position.
• Serenity. The Operative does this to Captain Mal when he first draws his sword during their fight in Mr. Universe's complex.
• In Spaceballs, Lone Starr and Dark Helmet duel with their lightsaber-like Schwartz sabers. At one point, they circle each other menacingly, sabers pointed at length, so the very tips crackle and spark when they come in contact with each other.
• Seen a lot in Star Wars, but especially notable in Revenge of the Sith where the lightsabers are given points.

Literature

• From the Blade Of Tyshalle:
  Big Bad: ...You've learned a new trick. Come, then: Let us meet as men, standing face-to-face, for the surrender of the sword. I applaud your sense of ceremony: Grant and Lee at Appomattox Courthouse, rather than Brutus at the feet of Ant-
  Caine: (points Kosall at him) You talk too fucking much. You and me, we both know what's going on here, and it has nothing to do with surrender.
• A Song of Ice and Fire. After the Starks have reason to believe the Lannisters were behind Bran Stark falling from a tower and being crippled for life, Robb Stark greets a visiting Tyrion Lannister with an unsheathed sword across his knees, which he points at the Imp when Tyrion refers to him as 'boy'.
  Robb: I am the Lord of Winterfell while my father is away.
  Tyrion: Then you might want to remember a lord's courtesy.
• The Way of Kings (2010): Dalinar Kholin does this as a gesture of respect to Bridge Four.
• The Wheel of Time actually establishes standard signal for "charge" as "the commander lifts his sword/spear/whatever upwards, then swings it down to point at the enemy".

Live-Action TV

• Game of Thrones: In "The Ghost of Harrenhal," Ser Loras Tyrell points his sword right in Littlefinger's face and accuses the latter of wanting to sell him and his sister to Stannis Baratheon as hostages.
• Vikings: In "Homeland," Bishop Heahmund points his sword at Ivar the Boneless after killing several Norsemen during the Battle of Yorktown.

Tabletop Games

• The fourth edition essentials knight in Dungeons & Dragons has this as one of his powers to draw an enemy closer to him. It's described as challenging a specific monster and allowing his allies peer pressure to do the rest of the work.
• Space 1889 historically in 1889 most officers had swords as part of their uniform. They mostly used them for pointing while commanding troops, though. In some illustrations and some miniatures, you can see precisely that.
• Warhammer 40,000 has plenty of models on all sides who uses swords for this, suiting the blend of sci-fi and fantasy the setting is known for. Especially Space Marines and leaders of the Imperial Guard is fond of this, but even faction with few to no melee units, like the Tau, are prone to this.

Theatre

• Cesare - Il Creatore che ha distrutto: Barbaric Bully Henri is fond of escalating arguments by pulling out his dagger and doing this (carrying daggers in school was acceptable in 1491). He never stabs anyone, though, because the titular Cesare Borgia disarms him with pure elegance and flair — and buying everyone wine, if need be. The climax of the story also has a bit more of this than actual stabbing, but a few daggers do get used.

Video Games

• In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, during the Subspace Emissary, Ike, Marth, and Meta Knight do this at the same time before part 3 of the Battlefield Fortress, and before facing off with Galleom.
• In Record of Agarest War, Leonhardt does this all the time in cutscenes. His great-grandson Rex does this too in the True End Route with style.
• In Castlevania: Judgment, one of Death's winposes is pointing his scythe downward at the opponent/camera.
• The Legion Etiquette gesture in Dark Souls III basically consists of this, and is used to salute an enemy. The Abyss Watchers boss actually performs it towards the player in their pre-battle cutscene, as it is a symbol of the Undead Legion the Watchers belong to.
• Dante, Vergil, and Nero have frequently done this in Devil May Cry. Vergil's scene.
  • In the fifth game, taunting at S or above style rank while wielding Mirage Edge prompts Vergil to point it at opponents.
• Trish does this with her Sparda in one of her hypers in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (see here).
• Caim's Idle Animation in Drakengard is pointing his weapon with one hand. He can do this even with Hymir's Finger, which is otherwise the heaviest weapon in the game.
• Bartz does this when confronting his Arch-Enemy Ex-Death during a pre-battle cutscene in Dissidia Final Fantasy. For the Squee of the audience, he does this while holding his partners' weapons: the Buster Sword to his back and the Revolver Gunblade pointed at the opponent. In the same game, this is also the Warrior of Light's pre-battle Ass Kicking Pose.
  • In Final Fantasy VIII, this is Seifer's standard combat pose with his Gunblade. Amusingly, it's also Laguna's pose when play-acting as a sword-wielding knight for a movie, setting off theories that Seifer saw this movie and was thus inspired.
• In Final Fantasy XIV, during the ARR storyline climax, Gaius draws his gunblade, points it threateningly at the heroes, and then sheaths it. Then climbs into a giant biomechanical machine.
• Riku does this before you fight him in Kingdom Hearts.
• Sora, Riku, and King Mickey do this with their Keyblades in Kingdom Hearts II upon confronting Xemnas. They soon relax once they start talking to him.
• From the Kirby games, the aforementioned Meta Knight also does this before the fight with Kirby.
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel has Rean pointing his sword at his enemies before a boss fight starts. In The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, he also does this pose if he activates a "Valiant Rage" attack.
• Link in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ends up doing this a lot due to the motion controls and most players' habit of pointing the Wiimote directly at the screen.
• Mega Man X4: Colonel does this to X.
• In Mega Man Zero, Harpuia's Desperation Attack involves this, albeit aimed lower at an angle, as he's floating high on the air.
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance:
  • Sundowner begins the fight by pointing one of his machetes at Raiden while proclaiming "You can be crueler than that, Jack!" and ends the fight by pointing his swords, now combined into huge scissors, at Raiden to command an attack helicopter to fire missiles at him.
  • Raiden dramatically points the Sword of Plot Advancement at the Final Boss before their rematch.
• Zacharias Barnham from Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney does this in lieu of the usual (for the Ace Attorney series) Giving Someone the Pointer Finger.
• In the cross over game Project × Zone, Sanger, Kaguya, Zero, Yuri, Soma, and Gemini do this in the opening.
  • In the sequel, Chrom and Lucina do this while pulling off father-daughter Back-to-Back Badasses.
• In a few of the Puyo Puyo games, Schezo has a dialogue sprite where he points his sword towards the viewers.
• Generals and captains do this in Rome: Total War when units are ordered around the battlefield. There are also some variations, from a simple point forward with the sword to the commander spinning the sword above his head to the commander's horse (when he's mounted) rearing as the commander sweeps the sword forward in a grand gesture.
• Aden does this in the beginning of Rune Factory Tides of Destiny.
  • Also the Masked Man does this before the final battle ensues.
• In the Soul Series of video games, in a couple of each of their victory poses, Siegfried and Nightmare point with their BFS.
• In the announcement trailer which Total War: Warhammer II uses as a startup intro, Malekith orders his army to attack by pointing his sword towards the opposing armies of High Elves and Lizardmen.
• World of Warcraft: The Lich King does this often, most famously during the intro to Wrath of the Lich King.

Web Comics

• Errant Story: Sarine does this at the beginning of her Designated Girl Fight (which turns out to be more of a sparring bout) with Sara.
• Gunnerkrigg Court: Robot S1 does this, prior to his fight with the Bullbot.
• Unsounded: As Captain Hetr steps out of the smoke to kill Emil he points his sword at Emil.

Web Original

• In Dead Fantasy 2, Rinoa does this toward her opponents when she first confronts them.

Western Animation

• She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has a few examples of this trope.
  • In The Sea Gate, She-Ra aims her sword at the Salineas Sea Gate in an attempt to heal it. Why this seems to be a good idea is never really mentioned in the show, other than the excuse of 'It's She-Ra!'.
  • Catra does this with the Sword of Power later on in the show but subverts expectations by Handing the weapon over to Adora and telling her to leave. However, this doesn't redeem Catra, but it did supply plenty of fuel for the Catra/Adora ship.

Real Life

• The Spanish school of rapier fencing characteristically uses a fully extended sword arm with the point straight out as the main guard position, so that your enemy is forced to do something about that threatening point before they’re able to hurt you. It differs from the Italian school, in which the point is presented but the arm doesn’t fully extend until the attack.
• A practical application exists in Olympics rules foil and sabre fencing, with the technique known as 'point-in-line'. By fully extending the sword arm and pointing the sword's tip directly at the opponent's target area^note before the opponent begins an attack and while he/she is outside the user's lunging distance, the user establishes attacking priority. If the user successfully lands a hit without breaking the stance and without the two blades making contact, the point is his outright, regardless of whether or not the opponent also landed a hit.
• A two-handed version shows up in European longsword fencing, where it's known as "langenort" or the long point. It's often held such to provoke the enemy or drive them back through superior reach, but it's not relied on as a guard as it can be gotten around with certain techniques. It's usually not a starting position, though.
• The one-handed-plus-buckler version of long poinis referred to in Medieval treatises as "the center of swordplay", not because of it being effective as a guard (see above), but because most movements would involve passing through or ending in this position (so a fencer must know what to do from and against it).

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