History Main / ShovelStrike

[[quoteright:201:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_shove_strike_602_2599.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:201:[[IncrediblyLamePun She will]] [[MeaningfulName bury you]].]]

[[quoteright:290:[[SayonaraZetsubouSensei http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shove_strike_602.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:290:[[IncrediblyLamePun She will]] [[MeaningfulName bury you]].]]

* In GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas shovels can be found and used as melee weaponry. Especially farmers are often equipped with it.

* The melee weapon for the Germans in ''DayOfDefeat'' is this.

* in ''[[{{ptitlezcbnnfc7}} 3:10 to Yuma]]'' Doc Potter does this to a prospector and then enthusiastically declares "Did you see me hit that guy with the shovel?"

A SubTrope of ImprovisedWeapon, shovels, like [[PowerfulPick pickaxes]], are used in excavating, but again, they can be deadly weapons. The weapon has sufficient length to give the wielder a good reach while the head provides a weight allowing it to function as an oddly-shaped [[CarryABigStick mace]]. With proper sharpening of the blade, the shovel can work as an oddly-balanced [[BladeOnAStick polearm]].

Can alternately be used as an easy way to render an enemy unconscious or as a lethal weapon depending on the user and media.

[[caption-width-right:290:[-[[IncrediblyLamePun She will]] [[MeaningfulName bury you]].-] ]]

* At the end of ''[[{{Ptitleyrbneddd}} Monsters, Inc.]]'' [[spoiler:Randall is beaten with a shovel offscreen.]]

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[[folder: Film -- Animated]]

* At the end of ''{{Monsters Inc}}'' [[spoiler:Randall is beaten with a shovel offscreen.]]
--> '''Trailer Son''': Mama, another gator got in the house!
--> '''Trailer Mom''': Another gator? Gimme that shovel!

[[/folder]]

* At the end of Monsters Inc Randall is beaten with a shovel offscreen.

* A certain polearm-class weapon in ''WorldOfWarcraft'' is called "The Shoveler." No points for guessing its' model.

[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]
* Chiri Kitsu of ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' (pictured) uses a shovel as one of her preferred ways of inflicting violence (although she sometimes goes for [[KnifeNut knives]] instead). She also uses it to bury her kills, and "to bury" is one implication of her MeaningfulName.

** Blood-Splatterer Coribou, though he apparently uses it only to [[BuriedAlive dig people]].

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''MysteryMen''. As quote above, this trope is not complete without mention of The Shoveler. He hits people with shovels.
** He hits people with shovels ''very'' well.

--> '''Lyle''': "Send wire, main office, tell them I said 'ow'." Gotcha!
* ''AllQuietOnTheWesternFront'' is set in the trenches of WWI. Kat, Paul's mentor tells him not to use a knife during trench raids since they often get stuck; in the time it takes to kick the enemy hard enough to free the knife he'd be dead. He is told to instead use a sharpened entrenching tool between neck and shoulder: faster, cleaner and safer for him.
** TruthInTelevision, disturbingly enough.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

* The GraveRobbing scene in ''TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer'', where Dr. Robinson strikes Muff Potter with a shovel.
* ''AllQuietOnTheWesternFront'' references entrenching spades, as mentioned under RealLife. The protagonists sharpen the edges of the spades, and even use them as a defense against attacks on their own trench, because however cruddy they may be, the standard German bayonets are even worse at close range.

* ''WorldWarZ'' has the U.S. Marines making this trope part of their arsenal, as they are credited with creating the Lobotomizer: a entrenching shovel sharpened into a battle axe for lopping off zombie heads. Surprisingly effective, and rather common by the end of the war, thanks of their ease of production and utility. The before-mentioned Monk's spade is also used by a old blind man to great effect in defending himself.
** TruthInTelevision. Most military entrenching tools have a semi-sharp tool edge that can be easily honed to increase its cutting power.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* In the made-for-tv movie ''Dark Night Of The Scarecrow'', small-town bully Otis and his cronies dish out vigilante justice to a retarded GentleGiant who turns out to be innocent - the posse later start dying horribly one by one. When Otis's last friend freaks out and is ready to turn himself in, Otis soothes him - and then brains him with a shovel from behind.

[[AC:RealLife]]
* Soldiers during WWI trench raids used what worked: knives and makeshift weapons over guns since they were much quieter. In particular sharpened entrenching tools could be swung with considerable force in cramped spaces. They were capable of killing instantly as opposed to the slow death of imperfect bayonet strikes.

* In any Real Life case, shovels do have a primary advantage over other weapons, ie, you can't dig a grave with a gun.
** Well, you can try, but it probably wouldn't work very well.
** As it was noted: shovel is a great combination of murder weapon and body disposal tool, you will only need a patch of land to bury the evidence.

[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]

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[[AC:Web]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

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[[quoteright:350:[[SayonaraZetsubouSensei http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/test37_4854.JPG]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[IncrediblyLamePun She will]] [[MeaningfulName bury you]].]]

-->''Lucille, God gave me a gift. I shovel well. I shovel very well.''
--> --'''The Shoveler''', ''MysteryMen''

* In ''HomeAlone'', when the burglars finally catch Kevin, [[TheBooRadley Old Man Marley]] saves him by beating them senseless with his snow shovel.

* Chiri Kitsu of ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' uses a shovel as one of her preferred ways of inflicting violence (although she sometimes goes for [[KnifeNut knives]] instead). She also uses it to bury her kills, and "to bury" is one implication of her MeaningfulName.

* In the made-for-tv movie ''DarkNightOfTheScarecrow'', small-town bully Otis and his cronies dish out vigilante justice to a retarded GentleGiant who turns out to be innocent - the posse later start dying horribly one by one. When Otis's last friend freaks out and is ready to turn himself in, Otis soothes him - and then brains him with a shovel from behind.

* In the LooneyToons "The Bee-Deviled Bruin", Junyer Bear takes care of a bee on his pop's nose by hitting it with a shovel - hard enough to leave a face-shaped imprint in the blade. Pop sets the dead bee on Junyer's nose, takes the shovel, and lets him have it. And Pop gets it again at the very end.

-->Lucille, God gave me a gift. I shovel well. I shovel very well.
--> --The Shoveler, ''MysteryMen''