History Main / InvulnerableKnuckles

* Avoided in ''Film/TheBourneUltimatum''; after his fist fight, his knuckles are bruised and swollen.

* In ''Film/{{MASH}}'' (1970), when Trapper John punches Frank Burns (who totally had it coming), he seems almost as badly hurt as Burns.

* Very neatly justified in ''Film/{{Oldboy 2003}}'', where main character Dae Su had been combat training for over a decade [[PunchAWall with a human outline he drew on the wall]] of the hotel room he was imprisoned in. When he starts training, his knuckles are a bloody mess after a session. For the rest of the film, his knuckles are shown to be largely callused, and he receives no hand injuries from punching people whenever he fights.

* In ''Film/{{Serenity}},'' Simon is seen treating River's bloody hands after her [[WaifFu asskicking]] scene in the bar.
** Played straight in that most of the blood wipes clean off -- [[CurbStompBattle it's not hers.]]

* In ''Film/GranTorino'' Walt is asked how he hurt his knuckles. He lies.

* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'': Genjuurou Kazanari, the commander of the 2nd Division (later S.O.N.G.), can punch so hard that he can destroy giant {{BFS}}, giant rocks or punch the hell out of a woman who's proven to be bullet proof. The only things he can't punch are Noises and Alca-Noises which would kill him on contact, which is why he's on MissionControl rather than on the frontlines.

* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'': Genjuurou Kazanari, the commander of the 2nd Division (later S.O.N.G.), can punch so hard that he can destroy giant {{BFS}}, giant rocks or punch the hell out of a woman who's proven to be bullet proof. The only thing he can't punch are Noises and Alca-Noises which would kill him on contact, which is why he's on MissionControl rather than on the frontlines.

It is a peculiar custom in brawls that almost no one ever hurts his fist in a fight no matter how hard he hits, even if such punches should have left tell-tale bruising, cuts, or even minor fractures and sprains on the puncher's hands. In fact, it is almost universal. In RealLife, while there are ways to minimise damage to yourself when punching things barehanded - such as properly forming your fists or [[AttackItsWeakPoint punching softer, more vulnerable portions of your opponent]] - it's surprisingly easy to hurt yourself if you don't know what you're doing, or are fighting without a thought for your own condition. A classic example of this is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer%27s_fracture boxer's fracture]], a break of the fifth metacarpal that often occurs as a result of punching hard objects such as walls, doors, or even an opponent's skull.

It is a peculiar custom in brawls that almost no one ever hurts his fist in a fight no matter how hard he hits. In fact, it is almost universal. This is occasionally subverted for comic purposes or to show off [[PunchPunchPunchUhOh how little the person punched was hurt]], but in any other case, everyone has invulnerable knuckles.

** Nathan Fillion gets his hand treated yet again after Series/{{Castle}} punches out a perp. Given the number of ''Firefly'' references on ''Castle'', it was kinda surprising that he didn't repeat Mal's quote.

* Actively averted in one episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'', where Teal'c finds himself in a fist fight with a suburban thug, and ducks his head so the blow intended for his face actually hits the top of his head, causing said thug to wreck (and possibly break) his hand.
** Not only did the man hit Teal'c's head, he hit the emblem on his forehead. The emblem made of solid metal. Ouchie...

* On ''{{Series/Heroes}}'', Peter winces and shakes his fist in pain after decking Sylar in the mouth for making one too many smartass comments about Peter's friend Emma. What makes this scene is that the two of them are trapped inside ''Sylar's head'' and thus the pain should be imaginary.
** But pain ''is'' imaginary.