History Main / ChainsawGood

See also {{Vibroweapon}}, DeadlyDisc, RuleOfCool, AwesomeButImpractical. Compare AnAxeToGrind and SinisterScythe, where other gardening/logging implements are used as weapons.

While the trope name mainly refers to chainsaws, it has mutated to also include the use of [[DeadlyDisc circular saws/buzzsaws]] and even lawnmowers as well. This trope can also be considered the modern version of AnAxeToGrind as both tools are normally used for cutting down trees.

* In ''VideoGame/BloodyBattles'', the Chainsaw is one of the primary weapons, deals a heck ton of damage and is an execution weapon on top of that.

* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' features a chainsaw. It doesn't have infinite-use (has a gas tank), but you can just hold the fire button down and walk forward and wipe out everything in your path. The character wielding the chainsaw will also taunt appropriately as they lay waste to the [[TheVirus horde]]. And it does pretty heavy damage to everything. Even a Tank; you can kill him in about 5 seconds if you can stay close that long. And if you still have gas left in it by then. One of the game's "Mutations" involves all the players having no weapons except for chainsaws with unlimited fuel.

* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' features chainsaws as an alternative to axes, similar to how drills are an alternative to pickaxes. They chop trees really quickly, but otherwise aren't good for much; the sole exception is the Butcher's Chainsaw, dropped by the Butcher, a blend of [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre Leatherface]] and [[Film/MotelHell Vincent Smith]] that shows up in the [[MonsterMash Solar Eclipse]] event.

* The chainsaw found in ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'' has its fuel problem {{Handwave}}d by the existence of an advanced fuel cell. There is also a type of enemy {{mook|s}} that uses chainsaws.

* Conversely played straight in ''Literature/HowToSurviveAHorrorMovie'', which mentions that chainsaws are among the best weapons to procure because they're lightweight, easy to use, and highly effective, with the issuevof fuel being ignored outright. Then again, the guide is for surviving in a ''horror movie'', where the realistic problems with using a chainsaw never come up.

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* Music/{{WASP}} have a song called "Chainsaw Charlie", which starts off with few chainsaws revving up.

* ''Film/ShredderOrpheus'' has the Furies bind and kill Orpheus with a chainsaw after he fails the rigged game show.

* ''VideoGame/CarBattlerJoe'''s weaponized cars can use these.

* ''[[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/35368/dungeon-crawler-katia Dungeon Crawler Katia]]'': Donut's pet ''velociraptor'' apparently wasn't dangerous enough, even with the magical tooth caps that let him inflict lightning damage when he bites things, so a benefactor sends in a loot box that lets them fit his wings with chainsaws that activate when he flaps them. Because that will definitely end well.

* ''Film/TheTripper'': As a child, Gus used a chainsaw to murder the protestor who struck his father.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2eSP3D0s0w In]] ''Film/EvilAliens'', a combine harvester is a ''[[UpToEleven drivable]]'' chainsaw.

* UpToEleven like everything else in ''Series/{{Danger 5}}'', when the BigBad is DualWielding four fire-sprouting chainsaws during a school massacre.

* When the ''Series/MythBusters'' tested whether the video game ''VideoGame/FruitNinja'' was replicable in reality (answer: no, though over 50 real-life fruits in 60 seconds was impressive), Jamie decided to go to Fruit Chainsaw as their way of [[UpToEleven ramping things up]].

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Battlemachines}}'' chainsaws are one of the satisfyingly destructive weapons that you can arm a mech with. This is taken [[UpToEleven to new heights]] with Carman Skiric, whose personal mech has no less than four chainsaws, and if he hits with one of them, the rest will hit automatically.

*** The Striking Scorpion Aspect Shrine of the Craftworld [[SpaceElves Aeldari]] specializes in melee combat, and those fighters wield chainswords that are very effective against Space Marine armor. While they could wield psychically-charged weapons, those are usually reserved for Warlocks and Seers, who concentrate more on psyker powers in combat. This is taken UpToEleven with the [[{{BFS}} Biting Blade]], which is reserved for their Exarchs.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' and ''VideoGame/DoomII'', the chainsaw replaces your fists as the EmergencyWeapon once you find it, and works quite well as a way to save ammo when dealing with lesser enemies. The weapon proved so popular in the original game that it's the first available weapon in the sequel, so long as you [[OffscreenStartBonus remember to look behind you]].
** ''VideoGame/Doom3''. It's one of the best weapons to use when you're in Berserk mode. As to why there are chainsaws on Mars, a [[LampshadeHanging log you can read in-game]] mentions a delivery error - somewhere on Earth is a group of lumberjacks wondering why they got a shipment of jackhammers instead of the chainsaws they ordered.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Stray Bullet", the first of a numerous weapons [[ManiacMonkeys Mojo Jojo]] takes out to destroy the trapped [[BlondeBrunetteRedhead Powerpuff]] [[BeautyBrainsAndBrawn Girls]] is a chainsaw, which scares them and they struggle to get free from his [[SupervillainLair lair]].

** Jigsaw himself is killed by Jeff with one in ''Film/SawIII''.

* The ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' films seem to prefer circular saws to chainsaws, with [[spoiler: Jigsaw himself]] being killed by one in ''Film/SawIII'', and William being attacked by [[spoiler: the co-worker he'd just gotten scalded to save, who wanted the key buried in his abdominal wall]] with one in ''Film/SawVI'', and a tablesaw in ''Film/Saw3D''.

* The Hillbilly in ''VideoGame/DeadByDaylight'' has a chainsaw as a secondary weapon. The advantage of this is that it causes him to sprint and will instantly down a survivor, but it makes a lot of noise and takes a few seconds to rev up.

* Creator/GamesWorkshop games:
** In ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
*** For the Imperium, the chainsword is a ubiquitous close combat weapon, especially among the [[SuperSoldier Astartes]]. The Space Wolves are fond of chainaxes, Terminator armor is often equipped with chainfists[[note]]a PowerFist with a short chainsword attached that is used for cutting into the hulls of ships[[/note]], the [[RedemptionQuest Sisters Repentia]] of the [[AmazonBrigade Adepta Sororitas]] use huge two-handed chainswords. These weapons' adamantium teeth have [[SharpenedToASingleAtom monomolecular edges]], all the better to cut through enemy armor, especially since power and force weapons[[note]]weapons with energy fields for extra penetration and weapons that are used to channel psyker power, respectively[[/note]] are in relatively short supply due to the Imperium's technological limitations.
*** Chaos forces, especially the Heretic Astartes, use chain weapons for essentially the same reasons, although theirs are usually much nastier in form and function. [[TheBerserker Khorne Berserkers]] wield chainaxes almost exclusively, as their frenzied AttackAttackAttack nature makes them extremely vicious and there's nothing quite like a weapon that can bash your opponent's head in ''and'' puree him out at the same time, which is why the Space Wolves like them so much also.
*** The Striking Scorpion Aspect Shrine of the Craftworld [[SpaceElves Aeldari]] specializes in melee combat, and those fighters wield chainswords that are very effective against Space Marine armor. While they could wield psychically-charged weapons, those are usually reserved for Warlocks and Seers, who concentrate more on psyker powers in combat. This is taken UpToEleven with the [[{{BFS}} Biting Blade]], which is reserved for their Exarchs.
*** For [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orks]], the thought process for using chain weapons is something like "'Ey, what makes a choppa more killy? Put some spinnin' teef on the edge!" More excessive versions include the 'uge choppas used by Ork Nobz, which if you're using the ones from the Nobz boxed set generally have a chainsaw edge or circular saw of some description at the violent end; the circular saw arms on the [[MiniMecha Deff Dredd and Killa Kan]] kits; and the Mek/Meganob-specific killsaw, which is designed to carve open tanks so that the Mek can reuse the parts to build more chainsaws.
*** [[HumongousMecha Imperial Titans]] are sometimes armed with a Titan Chainfist, which is basically a giant chainsaw the size of a ''small bus'', which they use to punch stuff with. Generally it's used against other titans, but on occasion they are known to punch the poor sap 3 feet from their toes. Khorne Lords of Battle wield massive Great Cleavers, which are massive titan-scaled Chainaxes. Ork Stompas have similarly large chainsaws to Titans, albeit much more crudely designed.
*** Tyberos the Red Wake, a Captain (and possibly Chapter Master) of the Carcharodons wield a pair of weapons called Hunger and Stake. They're essentially a combination of Lightning Claws, Power Fists and Chainfists all into one, with the chainsaws in the palms of the hand like teeth in a shark.
*** The Deathshroud Terminators of the Death Guard Legion wielded ''Chain Scythes'', which they kept millenia after their fall into worship of nurgle. Mortarion, the Primarch of the Death Guards, got an absolutely huge Scythe tipped with a chainsaw right at the end named Silence, which mutated along with him upon his ascension to Daemon Primarch and is now the size of a small ''car''.
** ''TabletopGame/{{Necromunda}}'':
*** As with the wider ''Warhammer 40,00''0 setting, chainswords are a popular weapon but their high cost means that they are often only wielded by gang leaders and their most trusted fighters. In 1st and 2nd Edition chainswords were the most powerful of the Common close combat weapons while in 3rd Edition rules for chainswords weren’t introduced until the second ''Necromunda: Gang War'' supplement and the release of the Forge World weapon kits.
*** The primary weapon of the Spyrer Matriarch is the [[SinisterScythe chainscythe]], a weapon that fits with her techno-Grim Reaper visual theme.
*** Although it had no effect in the rules, the 1st Edition [[TestosteronePoisoning Goliath]] Leader with meltagun model has replaced his traditional mohawk with a chainsaw blade, something the 3rd Edition models give a ShoutOut to with the inclusion of a similarly designed mohawk as an option on the Goliath plastic sprue.
*** The background for Pit Slaves makes mention of the legendary [[GladiatorGames pit fighter]] Harkan Vore, who had a chainsaw replacing his ''lower jaw''.
*** During the 1st and 2nd Editions of the game, [[ApocalypseCult Redemptionist Crusades]] were the only gang who had access to Evisorators, massive two-handed chainsaws popular with religious fanatics throughout the Imperium.
** It's not just the grim darkness of the future that loves its chainsaws, the Rending Sword from [[TabletopGame/HeroQuest Warhammer Quest]] and ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' was a semi-sentient sword with a set of razor-sharp whirling sawteeth on its blade. A great weapon for chewing up a Chaos Warrior's flesh and armour. Speaking of Chaos, one property a Daemon weapon can get is Chainsword, which is an oil-sputtering, armor-piercing engine of destruction
** Games Workshop loves their chainsaws as ''TabletopGame/BloodBowl'' has the Goblin team's Loonie carrying around a chainsaw as do certain All-Stars. The chainsaw's great for taking down an opponent, but it's an illegal weapon that referees can suspend and there's a chance you could gut yourself on it.
** Finally there's ''Chainsaw Warrior'', where you are a cyborg super-soldier trying to fight through a New York city tower to stop the [[EldritchAbomination Darkness]]. The Chainsaw Warrior can carry a variety of guns and melee weapons, but his strongest [[BottomlessMagazines unlimited use]] weapon is his chainsaw which gives a huge bonus to combat and can cut through certain traps. In the sequel ''Chainsaw Warrior: Lords of Night'', the main man can have several varieties of chainsaws, including a diesel-fuelled chainsaw and a stone-cutting industrial saw.