History Main / DoNotDropYourWeapon

* ''UndercoverCops'' featured enemy grunts who wielded [[GrievousBottleyHarm broken bottles]], [[KnifeNut knives]], [[AnAxeToGrind short handled battle axes]], [[TorchesAndPitchforks torches]], and [[BatterUp baseball bats]]. Upon killing them, they do not drop their weapons.
* In the original ''DoubleDragon'', the player can disarm and wield any enemy's weapon with the exception of the final boss Willy, who never drops his machine gun no matter what. The sequels would add more enemies with exclusive weapons such as stick-wielding fighters and shuriken-throwing ninjas.
* Averted in the ''Alien vs. Predator'' arcade game. All four player characters are armed with a default weapon that they can lose at any moment.

* ''{{Bioshock}}'' 1 and 2 subvert this; the weapons can fall out of sight when they die, but you can find ammo for that weapon on their bodies. This trope is also averted in ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'', where you can use (temporary plasmids?) nostrums to kick your enemy's ass [[HoistByHisOwnPetard with his own gun]]

* Averted in ''{{Fallout}} 3'', where guns can be shot out of enemy hands either manually or by targeting them with VATS. The usual response is to whip out a sidearm and keep fighting; if they don't have one in their inventory, they'll generally instead try to run and pick their weapon back up.

** Also averted in earlier ''Fallout'' titles, though weapons were only dropped after a CriticalFailure, which is quite rare without a specific trait.
* Averted ''and'' played straight in ''FalloutNewVegas'': depending on the physics involved when you kill an enemy, they may drop their weapon (particularly if BlownAcrossTheRoom), or they may still be clutching it when they die. The latter is pretty rare. However, though you can take advantage of the AI to make an enemy switch weapons, you can't make them drop them.

** Averted in the ''SuperSmashBros'' series when it comes to items like beam swords and ray guns. If you hurt a player enough while they hold an item, they will drop it. [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Natrually, the AI will have the items glued to their hands no matter how hard you smack them.]]

* Averted hard in ''{{Skyrim}}''. The Disarm perk in the Block skill tree allows you to bash weapons out of an enemy's hands. The "Disarm" Dragon Shout does the same thing -- which is bad news for you when you face higher-level Draugr that can use that Shout. After being killed, enemies usually lose their grip on their weapons. You can still loot the corpses to get the weapons, but you can also just pick up the weapon itself.

* Averted in ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. Attacking an enemy enough can sometimes cause them to drop their weapons before death, after which they will scramble for a new one or simply resort to fisticuffs.

** In ''StreetFighterII'', Vega loses his claw after 14 parries, forcing him to continue bare-fisted. ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 3'' gave him the ability to fetch it back.

* In ''IndianaJones and the Emperor's Tomb'', knocking an enemy down with punches or a powerful enough gunshot will knock their weapon out of their hands. They can also do the same to you, and you can even lose Indy's [[CoolHat fedora]]. This means that the end every fight can potentially be a CrowningMomentOfAwesome as you stand over the enemy's body and put your hat back on smoothly.

** In ''StreetFighterII'', Vega loses his claw after 14 parries, forcing him to continue bare-fisted. ''StreetFighterAlpha 3'' gave him the ability to fetch it back.

* ''UndercoverCops'' minor enemies wield [[GrievousBottleyHarm broken bottles]], [[KnifeNut knives]], [[AnAxeToGrind short handled battle axes]], [[TorchesAndPitchforks torches]], and [[BatterUp baseball bats]]. Upon killing them, they do not drop their weapons.

** [[StreetFighter Vega/Balrog]] loses his claw after a few (14) parries. He can continue bare-fisted or fetch it back.

* In the default ''MaxPayne'', the enemies only drop their guns when they die. However, some mods, e.g. the Kung Fu Mod, would make them drop them when their health drops below certain threshold, presumably as if their hands were too weak to hold them. However, they then usually go on to attack Max on close-range... with spinning and flying kicks, no less, which makes you wonder [[FridgeLogic where did THAT strength come from]].

* ''{{Crysis}}'': Shooting a helmet causes it to pop off, and that is survivable unless really powerful weaponry was used, like a gauss rifle, which kills when it hits any part of a normal human. The victim still grips his weapon when unconscious, though, and needs to be killed to make him drop it.

** ''[[CallOfDutyBlackOps Black Ops]]'' has the Second Chance perk. Initially it functions like Last Stand, and when upgraded allies can administer a shot of morphine and get you back on your feet, good as new. Ultimately played straight, as players drop whatever weapon they were using when they die, Second Chance or not. Where the light machine gun or SAM launcher they were holding a moment before pulling their pistol goes, however, [[FridgeLogic is anyone's guess]].

* Used in the BattlefieldSeries in various ways. Most commonly, weapons will disappear completely, replaced by a pack that corresponds to that player's chosen class. (''Battlefield 2142'' waits a few seconds before dropping kits to prevent ragdolls from straying too far away, resulting in players that can't be revived.) Items can't be mix-and-matched between kits.

* ''AssassinsCreed2'' lets you disarm opponents in more than one way. An appropriately-timed counter while fighting empty-handed lets you steal the attacker's weapon (provided he's not too tough), while the special attack for the Two Handed Weapon superset is a smash attack that knocks the defender's weapon away. The latter can actually be done to the player, and yes, this WILL disarm you of whatever weapon you're carrying (though it isn't LostForever; you can simply pick it back up or, failing that, return to your home and get it out of the weapons room again).

* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', one of the biggest incentives to kill an enemy can be for their weapon, which restores [[UniversalAmmo half of your ammo reserves]] (and, since the most recent update, your cloak as a Spy).
** The Spy's new cloak watch, the Dead Ringer, will spawn an extra weapon to make the illusion seem real.

* ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997'' and ''ProjectIGI'' take this a step further: You can kill enemies by shooting their guns!
** As do the {{Halo}} games.
*** Except for the flood. [[DamnYouMuscleMemory When you fall down and drop your gun after a shot to the head, you DIED, dammit!]]
* This happens in the ''{{Halo}}'' games. The theater in ''Halo 3'' allows you to go back and pinpoint the ''exact frame'' a player dies with this method.

* Averted in the ''DarkForces'' series, at least ''Jedi Outcast'' and ''Jedi Academy'': one of the easiest Force tricks you can do is yank your foes' weapons out of their hands with Force Pull. Some enemies, particularly fellow Force users, resist or block this and could even do the same to you with a strike.

* In ''TeamFortress2'', one of the biggest incentives to kill an enemy can be for their weapon, which restores [[UniversalAmmo half of your ammo reserves]] (and, since the most recent update, your cloak as a Spy).

* ''Game/GoldenEye'' and ''ProjectIGI'' take this a step further: You can kill enemies by shooting their guns!

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* HaloZero also does this, due to the limitations.
* ''Game/GoldenEye'' and ''ProjectIGI'' take this a step further: You can kill enemies by shooting their guns!
** As do the {{Halo}} games.
*** Except for the flood. [[DamnYouMuscleMemory When you fall down and drop your gun after a shot to the head, you DIED, dammit!]]
* Aversion: In ''PerfectDark'', it's possible, albeit tricky, to shoot guns out of guards' hands. There are also certain weapons that disarm people (such the melee secondary attack). In multiplayer (and rarely in single-player) games it is also possible to be disarmed yourself.
** On the other hand, in multiplayer mode, it is not possible to shoot someone's gun out of their hand without a disarming weapon. Although they do not take damage, shooting another character's gun will cause them to be knocked backwards as if you'd hit them.

* ''ElderScrolls: {{Oblivion}}'' averts this. You can disarm enemies, and your opponents can disarm you, too.
** Averted a second time in that dead enemies may keep a firm grip on their weapon even after being killed. Skeletons can even be ''blasted apart'' and their severed hand will still be tightly gripping their weapon! You can still take it from them by looting their corpse, however.

* Wonderfully averted in ''TimeShift'': Shooting an enemy in the arm will usually make him drop his weapon. ''Hilariously'' averted when you freeze time, steal a weapon right out of an enemy soldier's hands and then shoot his allies with it before normal time resumes.
* Averted in ''MetalGearSolid 2'' and onward: Shooting an enemy's hand will cause him to drop his weapon. As long as he's not a boss. Or you.
*** In at least [=MGS4,=] when you tranqed an enemy with a rifle, they'd drop it when they passed out. If you then took it from him, he'd pull out a pistol when he woke up. If you repeated the process, he'd just get up and continue to run his designated patrol ''completely unarmed''. I never found out if they'd try to punch you if they caught you like that.
**** For anyone curious, they use a knife and try to stab you instead.
***** Actually, the pistols respawn eventually.
* Averted in ''{{Gothic}}'' - simply knocking out an [=NPC=] is enough to make him drop his wielded weapon. Unfortunately, this also applies to ''you''. Savvy players will quickly sheathe their swords just as they're about to be knocked out, as [=NPCs=] will pick up and keep any weapon that falls from your hands, but won't bother going through your inventory for it; and will already have stashed their gold somewhere else, as guards ''won't'' pick up gold from the floor, but will eagerly pick your pockets for it when you're down.
* In ''{{Soldier of Fortune}}'' 1 and 2, enemies could be disarmed by BlastingItOutOfTheirHands. In the first game, this effectively neutralized them as a threat, since they'd immediately cower and beg for mercy. In the second game, they're smart enough to whip out their sidearm if they have one, or run around looking for another weapon if they don't.
* In ''{{Medal of Honor}}: Allied Assault'', it is possible to knock down an enemy and make them drop their rifle. They will go crawling after it, trying to get up.
* In ''TimeSplitters'', the enemies everywhere flop wildly when they get hit. Seeing as they take multiple clips before they die on the harder levels, this soon becomes very annoying, as they practically dance across levels. True death only follows when their weapon shoots out of the hands onto the ground 10 feet in front of them.
* Averted in ''FarCry 2''; most enemies drop their weapon and die, but some survive and pull out a pistol to try and shoot you.

* In ''MirrorsEdge'' all the Disarm moves are also knockout moves, and there's no functional or obvious difference between a knockout and a kill. In fact, killing an opponent using a method other than a gun still counts towards the PacifistRun achievement.
** The PacifistRun's achievement wording only says not to shoot them. Anything else is fair game.
* This happens in the ''{{Halo}}'' games. The theater in Halo 3 allows you to go back and pinpoint the ''exact frame'' a player dies with this method.

** The Spy's new cloak watch, the Dead Ringer, will spawn an extra weapon to make the illusion seem real.
* ''DwarfFortress'' let both your dwarfs and enemy goblins become disarmed due to injury. It's also possible for a weapon to get stuck inside a target's body, or taken away via wrestling. However, in Adventure Mode, [=NPCs=] do not drop their weapon when they fall unconscious, only when their ability to grasp specifically has been impaired, because they won't pick up any item and thus would become permanently disarmed.

* Used in the BattlefieldSeries in various ways. Most commonly, weapons will disappear completely, replaced by a pack that corresponds to that player's chosen class. (''Battlefield 2142'' waits a few seconds before dropping kits to prevent ragdolls from straying too far away, resulting in players that can't be revived.) Items can't be mix-and-matched between kits.
** The ''BadCompany 2'' entry changed it up so that you have to pick up weapons the kit. Arguably, the kit was much easier to get since they would always be easily spotted and didn't fall around when it was dropped.
* Averted in ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. Attacking an enemy enough can sometimes cause them to drop their weapons before death, after which they will scramble for a new one or simply resort to fisticuffs.
** You could also pick up their dropped weapons, for the first time in a Zelda game (I think ?).
** Played straight with Phantom Ganon, however.

* Averted in the multiplayer FirstPersonShooter ''RedOrchestra'', where guns can be shot out of your hand. This naturally leads to a frantic search for your weapon in the open.
** Annoyingly, dropping a weapon (regardless of whether you were forced to or not) would also drop all your ammo for that weapon - meaning you not only have to find a gun, you have to fumble around for individual clips and magazines. This does make certain deaths comical as some players tend to horde ammo of all kind and it all explodes from his pockets when he is killed.

* The ''{{X-Com}}'' games play it mostly straight. Enemies only drop their inventories when dead or unconscious. That is, unless you exploit a minor bug in the first game or they are caused to panic (psi attacks, killing their own men, and killing them can do this).

* Just about every FightingGame that features weapons will have this even worse--the weapon won't leave your grip even after death or knockout. Whether it's [[{{Tekken}} Yoshimitsu's]] sword, or [[SoulSeries Maxi's]] nunchaku, they hold on to the bitter end, and beyond.
** Averted in the ''SuperSmashBros'' series when it comes to items like beam swords and ray guns. If you hurt a player enough while they hold an item, they will drop it. [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Natrually, the AI will have the items glued to their hands no matter how hard you smack them.]]
** [[StreetFighter Vega/Balrog]] loses his claw after a few (14) parries. He can continue bare-fisted or fetch it back.
* Played straight ''and'' averted in ''BatmanArkhamAsylum''. Most mooks you fight in combat will drop their weapons when they're knocked down, to be picked up by other enemies. Knife-bearing mooks don't, and in stealth sections, mooks will never drop their weapon. If a mook grabs a gun while you're in a fist fight, it is ''immensely'' satisfying to knock it out of his hands with an offhand batarang.
* In ''IndianaJones and the Emperor's Tomb'', knocking an enemy down with punches or a powerful enough gunshot will knock their weapon out of their hands. They can also do the same to you, and you can even lose Indy's [[CoolHat fedora]]. This means that the end every fight can potentially be a CrowningMomentOfAwesome as you stand over the enemy's body and put your hat back on smoothly.
* In the default ''MaxPayne'', the enemies only drop their guns when they die. However, some mods, e.g. the Kung Fu Mod, would make them drop them when their health drops below certain threshold, presumably as if their hands were too weak to hold them. However, they then usually go on to attack Max on close-range... with spinning and flying kicks, no less, which makes you wonder [[FridgeLogic where did THAT strength come from]].
* Mostly averted in the ''{{Yakuza}}'' games, but played straight as well. Most weapon-wielding enemies can be forced to drop their weapons when hit with certain attacks (such as throws), but a few will hold onto them no matter how hard you hit them. Applies to the protagonist as well, but in a more logical way--he'll drop large weapons like garbage cans and bicycles if he's hit hard enough while carrying them, but not small weapons like guns and knives.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Gun}}'', which actually gave you bonus points for disarming your enemies (as well as counting as a kill). However, this can be tricky unless one uses the game's BulletTime power.
* Averted in ''[[FarCry Far Cry 2]]'', where enemies shot in the arm can drop their weapons, resulting in them pulling out a sidearm. Get them to drop that, and they run away.
* Interestingly played with in the UFC games. Instead of a weapon though, whenever someone is defeated, they spit out their mouthpiece.
* In ''FireEmblem'', certain enemies will drop their weapons (or other cool prizes) when defeated. However, if the object is not equipped, you can have a thief walk up to the enemy unit and use the "Steal" option.
* Averted in ''[[CortexCommand Cortex Command]]'', where disarming is so ridiculously easy that sometimes even the recoil of your weapon can disarm you. And weapons aren't indestructible either. Dying by stepping on a grenade to hard sucks...
* Averted in the ''DarkForces'' series, at least ''Jedi Outcast'' and ''Jedi Academy'': one of the easiest Force tricks you can do is yank your foes' weapons out of their hands with Force Pull. Some enemies, particularly fellow Force users, resist or block this and could even do the same to you with a strike.
** Thrown lightsabers always return to the hand, but some bosses [[spoiler:(for example, Kyle Katarn in the evil ending of Jedi Academy)]] deflect it in such a way that it doesn't, and you have to make an extra effort to call it back to you.
** There were a handful of other circumstances under which foes would drop their weapons and rather sensibly just run away.
* ''AssassinsCreed2'' lets you disarm opponents in more than one way. An appropriately-timed counter while fighting empty-handed lets you steal the attacker's weapon (provided he's not too tough), while the special attack for the Two Handed Weapon superset is a smash attack that knocks the defender's weapon away. The latter can actually be done to the player, and yes, this WILL disarm you of whatever weapon you're carrying (though it isn't LostForever; you can simply pick it back up or, failing that, return to your home and get it out of the weapons room again).
* Certain [[BossBattle psychos]] in ''DeadRising 2'' can make you drop your weapons; chiefly, the redneck security guard who can [[BlastingItOutOfTheirHands blast them out of your hands]].
* ''{{Bioshock}}'' 1 and 2 subvert this; the weapons can fall out of sight when they die, but you can find ammo for that weapon on their bodies. This trope is also averted in ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'', where you can use (temporary plasmids?) nostrums to kick your enemy's ass [[HoistByHisOwnPetard with his own gun]]
* Shooting the gun out of their hands, a staple of good guys in the more G-rated Western films and TV series, is featured in ''RedDeadRedemption''. It's a good way to win pistol duels and is required for certain in-game marksmanship achievements, but normal enemies so disarmed will often quickly retrieve the weapon or continue fighting with another gun. Handgun-wielding foes who lose their gat may even produce a rifle from their HyperspaceArsenal after running scared for a short time.
* UndercoverCops minor enemies wield [[GrievousBottleyHarm broken bottles]], [[KnifeNut knives]], [[AnAxeToGrind short handled battle axes]], [[TorchesAndPitchforks torches]], and [[BatterUp baseball bats]]. Upon killing them, they do not drop their weapons.
* Averted ''and'' played straight in ''FalloutNewVegas'': depending on the physics involved when you kill an enemy, they may drop their weapon (particularly if BlownAcrossTheRoom), or they may still be clutching it when they die. The latter is pretty rare. However, though you can take advantage of the AI to make an enemy switch weapons, you can't make them drop them.

* UndercoverCops minor enemies in the game wield [[GrievousBottleyHarm broken bottles]], [[KnifeNut knives]], [[AnAxeToGrind short handled battle axes]], [[TorchesAndPitchforks torches]], and [[BatterUp baseball bats]]. Upon killing them, they do not drop their weapons.