History Main / DoABarrelRoll

* Anything by Anakin Skywalker in StarWars [[AttackOfTheClones Episode II]] (hovercar) and [[RevengeOfTheSith III]] (fighter and [[SerialEscalation broken-in-half cruiser]]).
** And in [[ThePhantomMenace Episode I]], during the podrace, Anakin gets launched into the air by an off ramp, he taps the thrusters, opens the flaps, and swoops down (with the sound dropping out) to land in front of Sebulba, with the triumphant sounds of the twin engines roaring.
*** In the extended version of the race on the DVD, there's the moment when Anakin finds himself caught between a racer and a cliffside, so he repulsor-climbs sideways up the cliff, rolls right over the other racer, and zooms off once he's in the clear.
*** The space battle, where Anakin actually shouts out "Let's try spinning! [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning That's a good trick!"]] This makes more sense if you've read the book, in which the escape from Naboo is completed by spinning the ship, which disrupts the "pulsar tracking" the Trade Federation uses for its weapons.
** In the [[ANewHope original]] ''StarWars'' film, our hero has a Tie Fighter on his tail. Rather than perform some extraordinary maneuver himself, he is saved when [[EnsembleDarkhorse Wedge]] dives in at him head-on, getting between him and the TIE to blast the bad guy point-blank. Which is an excellent example of a RealLife combat maneuver known as the {{Thach Weave}}.

* A part of ''VideoGame/StarFox'' since the very first game. Peppy Hare's command to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIkJvY96i8w "do a barrel roll!"]] to get yourself out of trouble became a big [[MemeticMutation Internet meme]], and [[TropeNamers gave this trope its name]]. For some unfathomable reason, doing a barrel roll gives your ship 95% immunity to any attack an enemy might throw at you. Put simply, SpinToDeflectStuff. The Player's Guide for Star Fox 64 handwaves it by saying the roll amplifies the effect from the Arwing's G-diffuser, using it to boost the ship's shields.
** Ironically, only ''Assault'' lets you do an ''actual'' barrel roll. In every other game, it's an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aileron_roll aileron roll]].
** You can also do this with the tank mission in VideoGame/StarFox64. Tapping Z or R twice causes the tank to fire its jump jets to roll your tank over in the direction you specified.

* In ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yah4oqmRO10 NERF WARS!]]'' directed by [=SiDN64=], the Pink Pants rocket gunner told his ally to barrel-roll away from the sniper word-by-word, but the latter failed to do so.

* In ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yah4oqmRO10 NERF WARS!]]'' directed by SiDN64, the Pink Pants rocket gunner told his ally to barrel-roll away from the sniper word-by-word, but the latter failed to do so.

** You can also do this with the tank mission in StarFox64. Tapping Z or R twice causes the tank to fire its jump jets to roll your tank over in the direction you specified.

* Ironically, in WarThunder, doing a true barrel roll has... varying results. If you're up against a rookie pilot, it's a good way to keep his stupid but behind you while an ally (hopefully) will get him off of you. If you're up against a player [[AcePilot that actually knows what he's doing]], he'll counter your barrel roll either by using a series of diving attacks, or predict where you'll end up, and blow you out of the sky. It's even worse for you if he has a friend playing with him. Regardless, those that study the art of the dogfight, will excel at the game.

* Naturally happens a lot in ''Anime/{{Macross}}''. ''Macross Zero'' has especially over the top maneuvers like Shin intentionally stalling his fighter to slow down and [[TransformingMecha transform]], plus the generally insane maneuvering enabled by the VF-0's vernier thrusters and the OVA's high budget, hence the [[MemeticMutation meme]] THRUST VECTORING RULES THE SKIES.

[[folder: Collectible Card Games ]]
* ''[[MagicTheGathering Magic: the Gathering]]'''s main story arc involved CoolShip and its crew, thus there are several cards depicting airborne badassery. One involved using the ship's mirrored hull to deflect one baddie's [[FrickinLaserBeams beam]] onto other baddie.
* ''StarWarsCustomizableCardGame'' has various space maneuvering interrupts including Tallon Roll and Darklighter Spin.
* TabletopGame/YuGiOh: It's a support card for the Mecha Phantom Beasts, which makes sense, as they are all planes.

[[folder: Films -- Live-Action]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'':
** Calvin does a barrel roll in an airline pilot fantasy sequence.
** He also carves a giant sign into his lawn urging real airline pilots to do the same. (Presumably, none comply)
--->'''Hobbes:''' Any luck?\\
'''Calvin:''' I'm so disappointed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* A part of ''VideoGame/StarFox'' since the very first game. Peppy Hare's command to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIkJvY96i8w "do a barrel roll!"]] to get yourself out of trouble became a big [[MemeticMutation Internet meme]], and [[TropeNamers gave this trope its name]].
** For some unfathomable reason, doing a barrel roll gives your ship 95% immunity to any attack an enemy might throw at you.
*** Put simply, SpinToDeflectStuff. The Player's Guide for Star Fox 64 handwaves it by saying the roll amplifies the effect from the Arwing's G-diffuser, using it to boost the ship's shields.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* The Double Inside-Out Loop in the first ''MyLittlePony'' movie. Sort of a flying pony trick that the boldest character tries (unsuccessfully) at the beginning and then manages to complete at the moment of dramatic climax.

-->'''First Mook:''' He's listing lazily to the left!
-->'''Second Mook:''' Man, this guy knows some moves!

* [[WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales}} Launchpad]] had to pull off the "Tree-Top Be-Bop Tuck And Roll" in order to stop the Beagle Boys from robbing Scrooge's money bin.

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Combined with DodgeByBraking in the UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne film ''Film/{{Flyboys}}'' when an American pilot uses an actual barrel roll to get alongside his German opponent so he can ''shoot him with a pistol.''

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<<|MilitaryAndWarfareTropes|>>

* Justified in ''Fanfic/{{Bait and Switch|STO}}''. Eleya's USS ''Bajor'' and an Orion battleship are both shown rolling ship to present undamaged shields to the enemy. Eleya also once has her conn officer do a Crazy Ivan, with a note in the narration that her 4.5 megaton ''Galaxy''-class starship doesn't turn on a dime: it requires firing the side thrusters and reversing one impulse engine, and the ship is still described as slewing hard in one direction as she rotates.

* The ''BuckRogers'' TV series also uses the "tap the brakes" maneuver in its pilot movie.

->''"Do a Barrel Roll!"''\\
--'''Peppy Hare - VideoGame/StarFox64'''

-->'''Hobbes''': Any luck?
-->'''Calvin''': I'm so disappointed.

* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy StarWars'' special, with Peter escaping in the Millennium Falcon by...changing direction.
-->'''First Mook''': "He's listing lazily to the left!"
-->'''Second Mook''': "Man, this guy knows some moves!"

** In the [[ANewHope original]] ''StarWars'' film, our hero has a Tie Fighter on his tail. Rather than perform some extraordinary maneuver himself, he is saved when [[EnsembleDarkhorse Wedge]] dives in at him head-on, getting between him and the TIE to blast the bad guy point-blank. Which is an excellent example of a RealLife combat maneuver known as the [[Thach Weave]].

** In the [[ANewHope original]] ''StarWars'' film, our hero has a Tie Fighter on his tail. Rather than perform some extraordinary maneuver himself, he is saved when [[EnsembleDarkhorse Wedge]] dives in at him head-on, getting between him and the TIE to blast the bad guy point-blank. Which is an excellent example of a RealLife combat maneuver known as the Thatch Weave.

* In ''Mobile Suit GundamSEED'', [[TheCaptain Murrue Ramius]] orders the ''Archangel'' to DoABarrelRoll in order to destroy a battleship beneath them with their top-mounted beam cannons.

* Doing a barrel roll in a fighter, where maneuverability is an essential component of design, is not very exceptional in and of itself. Barrel-rolling a prototype four-engine commercial jet is something else entirely. While it was actually quite safe for the pilot and plane, it was not something one sees on a regular basis. See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_367-80#The_barrel_roll here]], on TheOtherWiki, for details of pilot Tex Johnston's antics. Boeing President Bill Allen wasn't very happy about it--but he wasn't in a position to complain, as the maneuver totally sold the plane and cemented Boeing as undisputed the market leader in jet airliners for the next 20 years.[[note]]At which point the Airbus A300 appeared on the scene in 1974, declaring Aribus' intention to seriously challenge the Boeing 7x7 family's dominance. Before then, some models kinda sorta challenged Boeing, but it was always clear they couldn't bring it to Boeing.[[/note]] This was a tremendous coup at a time Boeing had become practically a nonentity in the commercial piston-engine airliner market thanks to its previous focus on military contracts[[note]]Indeed, the Dash 80 was a huge gamble, intended to demonstrate both a new jet airliner and a new model for a military tanker aircraft. It worked, being developed into the Boeing 707 airliner and the KC-135 Stratotanker military air tanker.[[/note]].

* The Pelican Dive from ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin''. It failed the first time Baloo tried it, but he pulls it off once his life (and his pilot's license) was on the line.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has an amusing (to some, hilarious) example of this; Lelouch's arch-rival and also his [[EnemyMine friend]], Suzaku, has a signature move, the "Spinzaku" Kick. After leaping into the air, he spins his legs out to hit his opponents. Not only does he does this to disarm [[spoiler:Zero after shooting Zero in the head and revealing Lelouch's identity]], he also pulls a Spinzaku ''in his Knightmare Frame, Lancelot'' on its ''first launch''. It's also become subject of some insane MemeticMutation and is well enough known that it's actually how the Lancelot enters the scene in the opening cinematic for ''AnotherCenturysEpisode R''.

* Claus Valca, [[TheAce protagonist]] of ''LastExile'', earns both the audience and other characters' accolades by performing the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immelmann_turn Immelman Turn]] in his steampunk [[CoolShip Vanship]]. Too bad for him, it also impressed the heir of the antagonist force, Dio Eraclea... who instantly becomes Claus' [[InstantFanClub biggest fan]] and takes [[LargeHam great]] [[HoYay pleasure]] in calling him "Immelman!" every chance he gets.

* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Classic}}'' is replete with examples, from Apollo and Zac doing the "tap the brakes, he'll fly right by" stock maneuver in the pilot movie of the classic series, to Starbuck rescuing Apollo's damaged fighter at the last possible second in the pilot miniseries of the [[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined re-imagined series]].

[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]

* ''CodeGeass'' has an amusing (to some, hilarious) example of this; Lelouch's arch-rival and also his [[EnemyMine friend]], Suzaku, has a signature move, the "Spinzaku" Kick. After leaping into the air, he spins his legs out to hit his opponents. Not only does he does this to disarm [[spoiler:Zero after shooting Zero in the head and revealing Lelouch's identity]], he also pulls a Spinzaku ''in his Knightmare Frame, Lancelot'' on its ''first launch''.
** It's also become subject of some insane MemeticMutation and is well enough known that it's actually how the Lancelot enters the scene in the opening cinematic for ''AnotherCenturysEpisode R''.

* Naturally happens a lot in ''{{Macross}}''. ''Macross Zero'' has especially over the top maneuvers like Shin intentionally stalling his fighter to slow down and [[TransformingMecha transform]], plus the generally insane maneuvering enabled by the VF-0's vernier thrusters and the OVA's high budget, hence the [[MemeticMutation meme]] THRUST VECTORING RULES THE SKIES.
* In ''PorcoRosso'' Boss tells Fio that the loop (barrel roll in the original Japanese) "...is what made Porco the Ace of the Adriatic!"
* ''SuperAtragon'': The ocean-going ''Ra'' pulls one of these in her first engagement. ''Ra'' 's main guns cannot elevate high enough to shoot the enemy target. In order to elevate them to a high enough angle, they flood the the port side ballast tanks, tilting the entire ship another 45 degrees off-keel and bringing the guns to the desired elevation.

[[folder: Film ]]

* Any number of scenes in ''MadMax II'' (aka ''The Road Warrior'').

[[folder: Literature ]]

* In ''Film/TopGun'', "I'll tap the brakes, he'll fly right by".