History Main / OffhandBackhand

* In one cutscene in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' pressing the weapon hand button when prompted will have Ezio kill two guards with his hidden blades without so much as a glance.
* In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'', one of the possible counterattack animations when an enemy is behind him is a variant of this. Unfortunately, it isn't the specific version he's known for in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''... He saves ''that one'' for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZHKUVTraWg#t=1m26 cutscenes]]. Several times, in fact.
* In the first two ''VideoGame/BioShock'' games, Big Daddies will sometimes slap an obstructing Splicer (or you) across the room without looking.
* Kyle Blackthorne from ''VideoGame/{{Blackthorne}}'' could do this as a standard move, even though it was for the most part completely useless.
* In ''VideoGame/TheBourneConspiracy'', Bourne can do this to enemies that disrespect MookChivalry in close combat.
* In a cutscene in ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'', Eddie does this to a Tainted Coil cultist sneaking up on him, and even briefly interrupts a conversation he's having with potential LoveInterest Ophelia. "Hold on a sec... *thwack*" She gets one right afterwards. Eddie: "Right shoulder." Ophelia: *stab*
* [[BigBad Crow]] does this to [[TheDragon Trejo]] in ''[[VideoGame/DefJamSeries Def Jam: Fight For New York]]'' when he laughed at one of his jokes.

** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'':

** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'':

** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'':

* In ''VideoGame/DragonsLair II: Time Warp'', Dirk the Daring does this a few times -- a snake tries to attack him from behind, and he gives it a quick bop with his sword in such a way that it looks like it was on accident -- but it's a player command, and [[PressXToNotDie you die if you don't]]. Dirk even does this while ''GRIEVING'' when he thinks Daphne is dead, his head buried in despair... but when an imp moves in to attack -- smack! -- and Dirk doesn't even acknowledge it.
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'': Sun Ce does this to a {{mook|s}} in a cutscene in the fifth installment.
** He does this ''again'' to two mooks on either side of him in one of the seventh game's scenes.

** In the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' spinoff ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'', Vincent is struggling with his SuperpoweredEvilSide Chaos when a mutated hound-like enemy tries to take advantage of his distraction and ambush him from behind. Vincent sends it flying with a casual backhanded swipe.

* One type of demon in ''VideoGame/GodHand'' has an attack where it teleports in behind you and tries to slam you. Hitting the {{Action Command|s}} at this point results in Gene doing this (with an over-the-shoulder axe kick) and sending the demon flying about a thousand yards back.
* In ''[[VideoGame/GundamVsSeries Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam]]'', the Hyaku Shiki is able to fire its beam rifle over the shoulder this way.

* Elven [[DanceBattler War Dancers]] from ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic 5'' can harm all the adjacent enemies with one sweep of their swords, including those standing directly behind them.
* In ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', Dark Pit's EstablishingCharacterMoment has him doing this to Pandora, just as she introduces him as her "new minion".
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'', [[spoiler:Riku (when possessed by Ansem)]] does this to Donald.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', while Link is targeting one enemy and another sneaks up behind, he can strike both with one wide swing if they're close enough.

** In one flashback in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', [[spoiler:Urbosa casually snaps her fingers without turning to face the Yiga footsoldier plotting to attack her from behind. Given Urbosa's power over lightning, said Yiga eats a thunderbolt that instant.]]

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', after the final battle with [[spoiler:Kai Leng]], a Renegade interrupt allows you to do this, [[spoiler:breaking his sword as he sneaks up on you to shank you from behind, just before using your omniblade to end him once and for all]]. Given the crap that [[spoiler:Kai Leng]] has pulled on you all game, this is a [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome very]] [[AssholeVictim satisfying]] way to take him down. Shepard even makes it clear to [[spoiler:Kai Leng]] how satisfying this is to him/her right before he dies.

* In ''VideoGame/TheMovies'', one of the scenes allows a character to do this, in {{defi|edTrope}}ance of the scene's standard "bad guy sneaks up and chokes the character to death."

* In ''VideoGame/RainbowSix: Raven Shield'', terrorists can shoot you without turning around. It also doesn't help that they spawn right behind you.
* In ''VideoGame/ShadowsOfTheDamned'', when an enemy attacks Garcia from behind a button prompt will appear to make Garcia elbow said mook.
* In the ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' series, pressing B and C together makes the player character attack an enemy behind them. Axel does an actual backhand, Blaze does a reverse leg sweep and Max does a mule kick, to name a few examples.
* In ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'', [[spoiler: Dolph]]'s super move during his duel consists of him Flash-Stepping behind his opponent and stabbing them in a vital spot. However, if Lyon's the one dueling him, and the player pulls off a successful guard, she counters the attack by quickly twisting her blade around and stabbing behind her without even looking. It's a small CMOA for her [[spoiler: especially since Dolph nearly killed her with that same attack earlier in the game.]]
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', the weakest attack of Ialdabaoth and Valefor starts out with this... only to continue with [[SpamAttack spamming kick attacks]], finished with a Falcon Punch. Of course, they FlashStep behind the enemy beforehand, so it's less "I know you're behind me" and more "Hey, I'm right behind you".
* It's technically possible to do this from the viewpoint of certain characters in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl''. Finishing off the [[TeleportSpam Teleport spamming]] Tabuu this way is extremely satisfying.
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'', [[spoiler: Lloyd]] does this to the main character, Emil, just about every time they meet. Unusually for this trope, both are using swords.

** Soldiers and Demomen tend to do this when [[RocketJump explosive jumping.]]

* Wilhelm from ''VisualNovel/DiesIraeInterviewWithKazikluBey'' tried to do this to Schreiber. Schreiber simply dodged and kicked him in the face, sending him flying towards Machina who then proceeded to backhand ''him'', sending him into the nearest wall.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe1'', Gru does this to ''a shark'' while [[spoiler:going to rescue his adopted daughters from Vector]].
-->'''Vector:''' [[OhCrap He punched my shark?!]]
* The title character in ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' does this to [[BigBad Hades]] near the end of the film.
-->'''Hades:''' Ok, well, I deserved that.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'', Po and the Furious Five are trying to free two of [[BigBad Lord Shen's]] prisoners from the prison. After most of the guards are beaten up, the last one sneaks up behind Po, only to get hit with a rather impressive offhand backhand. Tigress compliments him on it.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'':
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRdllxh_c6s Rafiki pulls off this stunt on one of the hyenas.]]
** Pumbaa does this too. Except with his back legs.

* Elastigirl is arguing/flirting with Mr. Incredible over who should get credit for catching a robber in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1''. Said robber tries to interrupt and concede defeat to her for punching him out. She punches him out again without taking her eyes off Incredible and goes right back to flirting with him.

Being a {{Mook}} is a hard (and short) life. If you're not constantly getting killed, you're getting knocked out by the Hero.

** In another scene Batman does this to a {{Mook}} who's ''around the corner'' from him.

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} vs. ComicBook/TheMask'', Boomstick punches an offscreen [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Pinkie Pie]] without looking back when discussing The Mask's ability to [[BreakingTheFourthWall break the 4th wall]] for the sake of not dealing with three 4th wall breakers.

* In ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'', Loona does this to an unwanted pervy incubus who grabbed her while both are in their human disguises in the episode "Spring Broken".

[[folder:Web Comics]]

-->'''Urja:''' ''[dropping the last dead dead HC {{mook}}]'' You're all alone, little chained Harlequin.\\

[[folder:Web Original]]

* In ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', one would-be Hokuto Shinken wielder is stalking Kenshiro through a town. When he pounces, Kenshiro backhands the faceplate of his helmet in. The punk grabs his ears, announces "You are already dead!", and counts down from ten... exploding on the zero. When Kenshiro backhands you, he knows where to hit.

** Uncle does it again in another episode when he's examining ancient text on a wall while a big fight is going on around him. A mook lands behind him after being thrown across the room and is about to jump back into the fight when Uncle casually kicks him out of the way with an exclamation of, "You are blocking my light!"

* In ''WebVideo/FalloutNukaBreak'', [[spoiler:after Twig's Nuka-Cola-Quantum-powered Shishkebab melts from its own heat, he recieves the Nuka Breaker as though it were an EleventhHourSuperpower. He triumphantly charges towards BigBad Leon Swallow to stop him from executing BigGood Paladin Ron... except he's stupid enough to [[ScreamingWarrior scream while he does it]], [[TooDumbToLive which easily tips Leon off to his presence]]. Leon elbows Twig in the face when he gets close enough, then turns around and stabs him with his sword]].

* A plot-point in ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow''. When Rita sees Cage kill two Mimics trying to attack him from behind without even looking at him, it tips her off that Cage is stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop just like she used to be.

** Ruxala from the Wespiary Squad offhand-headshot [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120611 a warrior wasp]] behind her back while ''[[BerserkerTears crying]]''.

** The intro cinematic for ''The Burning Crusade'' features a variant on this, with a [[TheUndead Forsaken]] mage obliterating a trio of murlocs coming up on him from behind with a Blast Wave spell, and a more regular example with a draenei paladin and his [[DropTheHammer hammer]]. One watching might feel that "THAT HAS TO HURT!"

* ''Film/JudgeDredd'': While Dredd and Herman Ferguson are trying to sneak through the Judge headquarters, Dredd does this to another Judge who is trying to arrest him.

* Millie from ''Anime/LostUniverse'' has been known to take out targets with a pistol that are behind her while looking in a mirror while driving at high speed with her other hand.

** In the FinalBattle of ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'', [[spoiler:Spidey, seeing through Mysterio's last illusion, grabs an invisible Mysterio, who was trying to sneak up on him, all while starring at the seemingly beaten Mysterio on the floor]].

* Episode 3 of ''[[https://my.w.tt/v4IffEriLU Final Stand of Death]]'' has Redd ([[spoiler: Music/MelanieC]]) kicking Frankenstein's monster, who was seeking up behind her. The matter catches Monica’s attention, as it was the kind she had associated [[Music/MelanieC Melanie]] with. Bonus Points while singing “[[Creator/MontyPython Always Look On The Bight Side of Life]]”, during the lyric “Life’s a [[CurseCutShort piece of…]]”. The in-show viewers, such as LetsPlay/PewDiePie, LetsPlay/JackSepticEye and WebVideo/{{Markiplier}}, [[ActuallyPrettyFunny all found themselves laughing]] at the timing.

* This is how Hime-chan [[CrashIntoHello met]] with Arisaka in ''Manga/HimechanNoRibon''.