History Main / ReverseGrip

* Flashlights are often held this way by police and other security and emergency workers. Not only does this bring the beam of the flashlight to eye level and prevents visual obstruction from shadows popping up, it also places the arm, the hand, and the light itself up into a defensive position to protect your head should the need arise. It also allows you to keep your sidearm steady, should you need it: you can [[http://www.combatreform.org/harriesstanceandgrip.jpg rest the wrist across the flashlight arm to keep better control over the weapon and shine the light at the same time]], or you can [[http://www.hendonpub.com/assets/articles/2471/c135c81c-ad2e-480d-ac43-7041cc163d24.jpg hold it close to your head to also illuminate your sights and keep your usual center of balance]]. That, and in case the flashlight [[ImprovisedWeapon has to be employed as a weapon]], this positioning allows the user to strike with the tail end[[note]]sturdier and with less breakable parts than the front end[[/note]] of a big Maglite-style light, while smaller models can be used as a Yawara-like impact device; particularly nasty when it has a bezel full of teeth and it strikes a PressurePoint. And finally, it's the simplest way, as well as one of the most comfortable, to hold a flashlight with a switch on the tail end, especially if you have to bring something up close to your eyes, like when reading a map or a book.

** Before all of that, [[HumongousMecha Turbo Robo]] of ''Series/KousokuSentaiTurboranger'' would perform its [[FinishingMove Turbo Flash]] in this manner.

* ''[[WebAnimation/AnimatorVsAnimation Animator Vs. Animation's'' "Monster School" episode has the Skeleton, who can't shoot a bow to save his own life. When Red secretly flips his bow backwards, he ends up being ''better'' at aiming and holds his bow that way from there on out.

Also known as "icepick" grip, this means holding the grip of a dagger, a [[SwordFight sword]], a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]] or [[WeaponOfChoice whatever]] so that the business end points the direction opposite to the thumb, in contrast to the usual point-up or "saber" grip.

* Fiora from ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1''. She holds her knives this way, paired with DualWielding. [[spoiler:Although she changes her WeaponOfChoice after she is turned into a RobotGirl]].

** [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Pit and Dark Pit]] can split their bows into two swords. They hold one normally, while the other is held like this in order to speed up the reattaching process.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'', [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Roy]] was changed to hold his sword in reverse grip for many of his attacks, in an attempt to declone him (and eventually indirectly declone his Echo Fighter Chrom) and make his Sword of Seals look heavier than Marth and Lucina's Falchions.
** In his appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', [[VideoGame/Persona5 Joker]] wields his knife this way when in idle and for most of his close-quarter slicing attacks. Its also lets him indulge in showy WeaponTwirling when he switches grips for particular attacks.
** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]] holds his katana Masamune this way when he's not using it, mainly because it's [[{{BFS}} so long]] that it would stick out awkwardly if he held it any other way.

* Masato Kusaka, Kamen Rider Kaixa of ''Series/KamenRiderFaiz'' does it mostly by necessity, since his sword blade extends from the butt of his gun. There are a few times he flips the weapon around and wields the sword in a normal grip ([[spoiler:such as an instance where Takumi was incapacitated and Kusaka was preparing to murder him]]).

* After being disarmed of her primary lightsaber, [[spoiler: Ahsoka Tano]] switches to her signature reverse grip style with her offhand lightsaber in ''Series/TheMandalorian'' chaper 13.

* Lancelot (or Shadow) does this in ''[[VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries Sonic and the Black Knight]]'', with a freaking sword that's as [[{{BFS}} TALL AS HIMSELF]]. ''WITH ONE HAND.''

* Rey in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' films ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' and ''Film/TheLastJedi'' alternates between using her lightsaber this way and a standard grip, which is actually [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], since she's used to fighting with a SimpleStaff (where she would be using a standard and reverse grip simultaneously).

Also known as "icepick" grip, this means holding the grip of a [[KnifeNut dagger]], a [[SwordFight sword]], a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]] or [[WeaponOfChoice whatever]] so that the business end points the direction opposite to the thumb, in contrast to the usual point-up or "saber" grip.

* ''Literature/TortallUniverse'': KnifeNut Aly from the ''Literature/TrickstersDuet'' usually holds one knife in Reverse Grip and the other normally.

* KnifeNut Shiki in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' often does it when the situation gets dire. It is usually the first sign that [[spoiler:[[SuperPoweredEvilSide Nanaya]]]] is taking over.

** In his appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', [[VideoGame/Persona5 Joker]] wields his [[KnifeNut knife]] this way when in idle and for most of his close-quarter slicing attacks. Its also lets him indulge in showy WeaponTwirling when he switches grips for particular attacks.

* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', whenever Ash's Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja uses Cut attack, he creates [[DualWielding two blades]] that he holds this way. Perhaps he studied with [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars Ahsoka Tano]].

* The ninjas from ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'' also do it this way.

* On ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', Daryl Dixon can often be seen holding his knife in this grip when facing off with zombies.

* The Red Mantis Assassins in TableTopGame/{{Pathfinder}} are noted as DualWielding ''both'' their sawtooth sabres in Reverse Grip, in emulation of mantis claws.
* The original model for Drazhar, Master of Blades, a Dark Eldar special character in ''TableTopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', did this with two swords.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''

** Snakes (as in Solid (Old) and Naked (Big Boss)) hold their CQC blades this way, but that makes sense as it's in their off hand and it's basically dual-wielding, but with a firearm in the strong hand. Big Boss actually talks about it in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' when he's whittling the grip on his shiny new 1911.
* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear''

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty''

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''

** In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'', [[Franchise/FireEmblem Roy]] was changed to hold his sword in reverse grip for many of his attacks, in an attempt to declone him (and eventually indirectly declone his Echo Fighter Chrom) and make his Sword of Seals look heavier than Marth and Lucina's Falchions.

* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed''

** And in ''358/2 Days'''s Mission mode, secret character Sora flips to a reverse grip for the last hit of his ground combo when wielding the Dream Sword.

** There are no knives in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', so all classes that would normally utilize knives use swords instead. Units in these classes hold their swords in a reverse-grip, which looks rather awkward (holding a long-bladed weapon in this fashion doesn't seem very comfortable or effective). Ironically, while [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Roy]] doesn't use the grip in his game, many of his attacks in Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U has him swing his sword this way.

* While Yosuke of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' uses a standard grip with his weapons, he switches to reverse when summoning his persona.

* Frank Fly's battle sprite in ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' has a knife in both hands, with the left one in the reverse grip. Due to the constraints of the battle system, how this benefits him is never actually shown.

** In the games, the blades come in x general variants. A rough description would of each would be daggers, katars, bladed shields, and claws. The daggers are held in a reverse grip, while every other weapon fits over the hand and wrist. Most Twin Blade weapons are daggers, and it is considered their "iconic" weapon. The purpose, in any case, is so that the character model can quickly go from a resting position to an attack strike, rather than having to raise its arm for leverage, like every other class. It's part of their LightningBruiser motif.

* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'': Colonel Quaritch holds a knife not only in reverse grip, but with the edge [[UpToEleven towards the arm]], too. While in a [[MiniMecha three-meter-tall]] suit of PoweredArmour.

* Flashlights are often held this way by police and other security and emergency workers. Not only does this bring the beam of the flashlight to eye level and prevents visual obstruction from shadows popping up, it also places the arm, the hand, and the torch itself up into a defensive position to protect your head should the need arise. It also allows you to keep your sidearm steady, should you need it: you can [[http://www.combatreform.org/harriesstanceandgrip.jpg rest the wrist across the flashlight arm to keep better control over the weapon and shine the light at the same time]], or you can [[http://www.hendonpub.com/assets/articles/2471/c135c81c-ad2e-480d-ac43-7041cc163d24.jpg hold it close to your head to also illuminate your sights and keep your usual center of balance]]. That, and in case the torch [[ImprovisedWeapon has to be employed as a weapon]], this positioning allows the user to strike with the tail end[[note]]sturdier and with less breakable parts than the front end[[/note]] of a big Maglite-style light, while smaller models can be used as a Yawara-like impact device; particularly nasty when it has a bezel full of teeth and it strikes a PressurePoint. And finally, it's the simplest way, as well as one of the most comfortable, to hold a torch with a switch on the tail end, especially if you have to bring something up close to your eyes, like when reading a map or a book.

* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Sam and Dean often hold electric torches like this, for reasons described in the "Real Life" section of this page.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baselard Many]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollock_dagger medieval]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondel_dagger daggers]] were designed to be used this way, in an "icepick" fashion. With the handle being shaped to help lock the hand in position and transfer more force. Being designed to pierce through chainmail rings, with the edge being just a secondary capability (in some stilettos, almost as an afterthought), that's not surprising.

* There is a lightsaber combat style based on Reverse Grip in the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' and ''[[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Legends]]'' called Shien (not to be confused with the Form V variant of the same name). It is seen, for example, in Stackpole's ''[[Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy I, Jedi]]'' and used by several EU characters, including Adi Gallia, [[VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed Galen Marek]], and [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars Ahsoka Tano]]. Vader might also be accomplished in this style, considering that he taught the latter two. The style described in ''I, Jedi'' is a two-handed variant, with one hand on the grip and the other grasping the pommel, allowing the wielder to lever the blade around by its end using the grip hand as a fulcrum.

* Nero from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 4'' uses a RG for his launcher move, compared to Dante's standard grip. Dante also switches to RG when using his Drive shockwave move.

** The sword form "Heron Wading in the Rushes" has the sword held reversed over the head, while standing on one leg. According to the main character's teacher, it's good for practicing balance and [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome
getting yourself killed]]. Used ([[ChekhovsGun at the end of the book it was introduced in]]) as sort of a weaponized TakingYouWithMe or MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: by exposing himself to lethal damage, Rand gets his opponent to over-commit and thus expose ''himself'' to lethal damage.

* Ahsoka Tano from ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' and ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' uses the reverse grip when wielding her lightsaber, and later includes it in her DualWield style, holding either one or both sabers with the grip.

* Work-blades such as wood-blades and cooking knives are typically held this way when not in use, specifically because it makes stabbing or cutting things (especially oneself) significantly more difficult and thus less likely to do by accident. Go to any professional kitchen, look for anyone with a knife who is walking rather than standing at a work-station, and you'll see this grip, usually with the blade laid along the forearm for extra danger-reduction and control.

* Used in ''Film/{{Hero}}'' several times, both by the Nameless Hero and Broken Sword.

* Fiora from ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}''. She holds her knives this way, paired with DualWielding. [[spoiler:Although she changes her WeaponOfChoice after she is turned into a RobotGirl]].

[[caption-width-right:350:With [[DualWield Dual Wielding]] as well!]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** The sword form "Heron Wading in the Rushes" has the sword held reversed over the head, while standing on one leg. According to the main character's teacher, it's good for practicing balance and [[RealityEnsues getting yourself killed]]. Used ([[ChekhovsGun at the end of the book it was introduced in]]) as sort of a weaponized TakingYouWithMe or MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: by exposing himself to lethal damage, Rand gets his opponent to over-commit and thus expose ''himself'' to lethal damage.

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' Lance Corporal Levi does this with the sword he holds in his right hand when he utilizes his SpinAttack technique.