History Main / NeverBringAKnifeToAFistFight

* ''Film/JohnWickChapter3Parabellum'': {{Justified}}. Two Indonesian assassins working under Zero draw swords when they fight an unarmed John, but are very obviously [[HonorBeforeReason more interested in having a reasonably fair fight with a man they admire than in killing him]] (they even let him catch his breath after his previous fight before starting). John beats them both into submission with only his ''belt'', and returns their respect by letting them live.

* One of the final upgrade in ''VideoGame/MadMax'' is the shiv reversal, which makes Max parry an attacker with a knife, kill him with the knife and add it into your inventory. One of the animation has Max twisting the attacker's arm so he slits his own throat.

* Sam Fisher in ''VideoGame/SplinterCell: Conviction'' seems to love this trope when it comes to close combat situations.

* ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'', as quoted above. Firo doesn't even have to mess up his nifty new fedora while handing the knifer his ass.

* In ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', several people hold a knife against Shizuo Heiwajima. This includes [[ManipulativeBastard Izaya]], Seiji and an army of possessed people. The latter two manage to cut him quite a bit. This is all pretty much irrelevant when he starts fighting. It's not that they lost because they brought knives. They lost because they're trying to fight ''Shizuo Heiwajima.''

* At the end of the first season of ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', [[spoiler: Sugou Nobuyuki attacks Kazuto with a combat knife outside of the hospital where Asuna just woke up. Kazuto easily defeats him using his skills from the video games, and he is later arrested.]]

* Something like this was used in the first episode of ''Anime/TransformersVictory''. Fist, Star Saber defeats two gun-wielding Decepticons using only a sword. Later, when the Dinoforce fights the Brainmasters, Goryu criticises one of his underlings for using a gun; said underling immediately switches to an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]].

* [[CombatPragmatist Dark Types]] in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' specialize in dirty tricks; they even have a move called Beat Up which lets every Pokémon on the team get in an attack. They are weak to Fighting Types. A special trait called ''Justified'' boosts some Pokémon's attack whenever they're hit with a Dark-type move.
** Even more with the type advantage the Fighting type (whose pokemon and moves got a heavy martial arts influence) has against the Steel type (That includes a lot of bladed pokemon)

** Subverted in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening''. Although the second fight with Vergil starts with him using the Beowulf gauntlets and greaves, he pulls out his Yamato katana ''after'' he finds out having the hand-to-hand weapon isn't stopping Dante from kicking his ass.
** The SuperStrength and durability of Nero's [[RedRightHand Devil Bringer arm]] in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' allowed him to [[BarehandedBladeBlock block Dante's sword]] during their first fight, and can also counter the [[DashAttack "Stinger"-like thrust]] of [[spoiler:Sanctus Diabolica and the Sparda sword]] in the final mission.

** The SuperStrength and durability of Nero's [[RedRightHand Devil Bringer arm]] in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' allowed him to [[BarehandedBareBlock block Dante's sword]] during their first fight, and can also counter the [[DashAttack "Stinger"-like thrust]] of [[spoiler:Sanctus Diabolica and the Sparda sword]] in the final mission.

* Subverted in the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series: Although the second fight with Vergil in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening DMC3]]'' starts with him using the Beowulf gauntlets and greaves, he pulls out his Yamato katana ''after'' he finds that having the hand-to-hand weapon isn't stopping Dante from kicking his ass. Beowulf (acquired after victory in said fight) and the Ifrit gauntlets in ''[=DMC1=]'' are the strongest weapons damage-wise, but Dante never uses them in cutscenes, sticking to his sword(s).
** Both Dante and Vergil can and are skewered by all manner of unpleasant edged objects without any lasting harm, may have something to do with this.

** Definitely not the case in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' where knife attacks are fast and [[HPToOne bring you down to a sliver of health at full health]] or [[OneHitKill outright instant kill if you have any prior damage]]. There is also no disarm ability and the barehanded counter attack is bugged against knife wielders which makes it easier for them to stab you.

[[KnifeNut Knives are scary.]] A single glimmer from its profile has been known to launch a thousand screams of horror. They're eminently deadly and dangerously easy to use. In RealLife, if your opponent pulls one out in a fistfight, you should either get an object with a long reach or start running.

A SubTrope of the InverseLawOfUtilityAndLethality. Works where this is in play are anathema to the KnifeNut. Similar to RockBeatsLaser. Contrast NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight. Compare NeverBringAGunToAKnifeFight.

* {{Averted}} in ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'', as the title character is an extremely skilled KnifeNut who can rightly boast that anyone hit by his thrown knife will die instantly (the only exception only proves it more, as he was using a ''paper knife'' and the victim ''still'' went down mortally wounded), and nobody in his right mind is stupid enough to take on a knife-wielding Diabolik or a gun unless armed themselves (in fact, the rare times someone charges at Diabolik unarmed they're distraught by having just seen their friends or allies killed by the King of Terror).

* In the ''Film/{{Dredd}}'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10489971/1/Aegis Aegis]]'' the KnifeNut Judge Rawne is goaded into this error by the hero. Although the fight starts as a textbook KnifeFight (with the more-skilled Rawne getting the best of Cornelius) Cornelius manages to [[spoiler:trip Rawne and crush his windpipe with an elbow drop]].

* ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'', as quoted above. Firo doesn't even have to mess up his [[NiceHat nifty new fedora]] while handing the knifer his ass.

* In ''Film/RoadHouse'', starring the late Patrick Swayze, Jimmy, TheDragon of the film, tries to kill Dalton with his gun, and fails.

* Subverted in the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series: Although the second fight with Vergil in ''[=DMC3=]'' starts with him using the Beowulf gauntlets and greaves, he pulls out his Yamato katana ''after'' he finds that having the hand-to-hand weapon isn't stopping Dante from kicking his ass. Beowulf (acquired after victory in said fight) and the Ifrit gauntlets in ''[=DMC1=]'' are the strongest weapons damage-wise, but Dante never uses them in cutscenes, sticking to his sword(s).

* In ''Manga/DetectiveConan'':

* The ''Film/CharliesAngels2000'' [[TheMovie movies]] did away with the Angels' guns due to [[WriterOnBoard Drew Barrymore's personal beliefs]]. The Angels rely on WaifFu against a number of enemies with guns, and rarely suffer more than a nick.

* BigBad Shredder of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' had claws as part of his costume, but they were never very effective at shredding in the cartoons against the heroes' martial arts. The [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage comics]] were a different matter, though.

* In ''{{LightNovel/Durarara}}'', several people hold a knife against Shizuo Heiwajima. This includes [[ManipulativeBastard Izaya]], Seiji and an army of possessed people. The latter two manage to cut him quite a bit. This is all pretty much irrelevant when he starts fighting. It's not that they lost because they brought knives. They lost because they're trying to fight ''Shizuo Heiwajima.''

* In ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', Ku Fei manages to defeat a number of armed opponents using only her martial arts skills.

[[folder:Comicbooks]]

* Depending on if he's fighting FacelessGoons or recurring villains, {{Wolverine}} can go from messily skewering everything that moves to barely managing to nick the bad guy's costume.

* In the ''Film/{{Dredd}}'' fanfic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10489971/1/Aegis Aegis]] the [[KnifeNut knife nut]] Judge Rawne is goaded into this error by the hero. Although the fight starts as a textbook [[KnifeFight knife fight]] (with the more-skilled Rawne getting the best of Cornelius) Cornelius manages to [[spoiler:trip Rawne and crush his windpipe with an elbow drop]].

* Both averted and played straight in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': it's fairly common for people with [[{{BFS}} 6-foot-long]] [[ChainsawGood Chainswords]] to be torn limb from limb by someone else with their bare hands. Of course, that person's "bare hands" are often either wrapped in PowerArmor or attached to a [[SuperSoldier genetically modified killing machine]] or [[FragileSpeedster ridiculously agile]] or NighInvulnerable alien. In most cases, however, equally-powered fights will typically be decided by who has the biggest (or fastest-attacking) weapon.

* The first two times Link confronts Ganondorf in ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', he has the Master Sword while his opponent relies on his fists. He gets beaten down both times for his trouble. [[spoiler:When Ganondorf's plan is truly and utterly foiled, he pulls out a pair of katanas for a final attack and gets impaled through the head by Link.]]

Much like all products of the InverseLawOfUtilityAndLethality, this applies equally to Heroes and Villains, though villains are usually likelier to [[GunsAreWorthless pack heat]] or hidden knives. If someone ''does'' get stabbed, shot, skewered, or otherwise hit with the blood-spilling weapon, it was OnlyAFleshWound (though [[HealingFactor regenerators]] are [[ImmortalLifeIsCheap exempt]]). Often goes hand in hand with finding out that just like weapons, ArmorIsUseless. One way to exploit this trope is to make an immobilizing KnifeOutline, as the likelihood of fatally skewering someone [[CouldHaveBeenMessy becomes zero]].

* ''Literature/TheKingkillerChronicle'': Kvothe profoundly disappoints his Adem ProudWarriorRaceGuy friend Tempi by pulling a knife during a BarBrawl. The Adem practice a combined philosophy and FantasticFightingStyle that emphasizes knowing and doing what's right, which is at odds with Kvothe's {{Combat Pragmatis|t}}m.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has some fights when fist fighters defeat weapon users and viseversa. Zoro and Sanji constantly fight each other, but both of their skills and strengths are so equal that the fight quickly ends in a draw.

[[KnifeNut Knives are scary.]] A single glimmer from its profile has been known to launch a thousand screams of horror. They're eminently deadly and dangerously easy to use. In RealLife, pulling one in a fistfight is a major advantage.

[[folder:Video games]]