History Main / SteppingStoneSword

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1446063147059242600
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

* Asuna does a BladeBrake in one issue of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' thanks to her SuperStrength and {{BFS}}. The sword is wide enough that she can stands with both feet on the blade without trouble.

* Asuka does this in her ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]'', using her Progressive Knife and axe to climb to the top of the building that's sinking into the ground (which is actually an angel).
* Nazuna in ''LightNovel/LogHorizon'' creates defense barriers horizontally and uses them like tiny footholds, allowing her and others to travel through the air..
* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'':
** The protagonist does this to Sanosuke Sagara while fighting him and his BFS, all the while lecturing him on how the sword he uses is so big and heavy that it can only be swung down or sideways, making it very easy to predict.
** In the manga, one of Enishi's techniques involves sticking a sword upright in the ground, jumping off the hilt to achieve higher elevation, and hanging on to a tassel on the sword so he doesn't have to leave the sword behind.
* [[EmpathicWeapon Zangetsu]] in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' is shown standing on his sword once while in Ichigo's [[MentalWorld Inner World]].

* ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'': San begins climbing the wall of Iron Town by planting a spear in it.
* Happens constantly in ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'', the best example being during Cloud's fight with Sephiroth. After being thrown off a building, Cloud uses his Fusion Sword as a BladeBrake, before standing on it, [[BifurcatedWeapon splitting it in two]], then doing a back flip while retrieving both swords in order to [[AbsurdlySharpBlade cut apart the huge chunks of concrete]] raining down on him from above.
* Flynn uses crossbow bolts to scale Rapunzel's tower in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}''.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Tai Lung is [[TheAlcatraz imprisoned]] on a pillar at the base of a cylindrical cavern, isolated from all doors and elevators, only accessible by a drawbridge. When he unlocks his restraints, the guards try shooting him with ''really'' big crossbow bolts, but he dodges them all, picks up the bolts, and kicks them into the cavern walls, creating a series of springboards to reach the elevator and upper walkways.

* François de Capestang (Creator/JeanMarais) climbs a castle's tower all with daggers to free the woman he loves in ''Film/LeCapitan''.

* [[DevonAoki Kasumi]] in ''Film/DOADeadOrAlive'' throws a katana to stick in a wall, runs on the backs of her clansmen, then jump to the sword, and uses it as a springboard to jump over the high walls of the palace.
* Destan uses crossbow bolts to scale the city walls in the film version of ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime''.
* ''Film/DuelToTheDeath'' uses this trope in a humorously illogical way during the final duel: each combatant jumps high up into the air, then puts his sword beneath his feet and pushes off in midair to DoubleJump.
* ''Film/LadderOfSwords'': ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin; the main character (a down-on-his-luck circus performer on the run from the law) climbs a ladder made of swords both metaphorically and physically. He uses it as one of his acts and shows his skill off to his love interest.
* In ''Film/KillBill'', the Bride pierces a wooden beam with a samurai sword in order to climb the balustrade during her fight with the Crazy 88s.

* Teppic in ''Literature/{{Pyramids}}'' mentions that using knives for this tends to be impractical. You have to find a place ''just'' tight enough for the knife to get properly stuck, and you usually end up losing knives when you do it. [[ChekhovsSkill Of course]], he has to do it at the end of the book in order to [[spoiler:[[ItMakesSenseInContext assassinate a pyramid]].]]
* A sword is used to cross a canyon in ''Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart'' (circa 1170).

* A particularly nasty variant is used in Anthony Horowitz's ''Power of Five'' series: as part of a test to find out whether the protagonist is TheChosenOne, he has to climb a ladder of swords... ''blade up''. Apparently the last guy to attempt it only got to three swords, but it's OK, they managed to save some of his fingers.

* Done for laughs in an episode of ''Series/TheBennyHillShow''... with toilet plungers.

* [[BladeOnAStick Spears]] are used in ''VideoGame/LEGOIndianaJones'' as ladder rungs to reach higher and farther areas.
* This is required in ''VideoGame/WarioLand'' to get to a secret exit that leads to Sherbet Land.
* WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck in ''VideoGame/{{Quackshot}}'' uses a plunger gun to scale walls quickly.
* The fight against Pete in ''VideoGame/MickeyMania'' involves jumping on his thrown sword to reach a lever.
* Throwing spears in the video game ''VideoGame/PrehistorikMan''.

* Duster from ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' uses [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Wall Staples]] to create ladders and uses them in battle.
* In ''VideoGame/BraveFencerMusashi'', climbing with swords is the ability granted by the first piece of Legendary Armor.
* Tidus of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' plunges his sword into the ground and uses it as a springboard during his Blitz Ace Overdrive.
* In the opening cutscene of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'', Lightning throws her sword into a floating rock, then swings from it onto another floating rock to confront her enemy Caius.
* An early ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' trailer (then called ''Versus XIII'') has Noctis throw his sword into a building, teleports towards it, and uses it as a leverage to face off the mooks lurking nearby.

* ''VideoGame/{{Worms}}'' lets you do this with arrows.
** As does ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}} 2'' -- and of course, it's almost always necessary to beat the level.
* In ''VideoGame/LaraCroftAndTheGuardianOfLight'' spears from your never-ending supply of throwing spears can be thrown at walls and jumped on to reach higher areas. You'll be doing this often.

* When facing Robotnik in the [[UnderwaterRuins Aquatic Ruin Zone]] of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', he is too high for Sonic to reach directly. Sonic has to jump on the arrows fired by Robotnik, who does so by using a giant hammer attached to his vehicle to hit a totem pole that shoots the arrows at one of four heights, to get the second jump necessary to get high enough.
* In one level of ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'', the player has to swing on swords attached to a spinning wheel in order to advance. This is made harder by the fact that the swords are only thrown by enemies. The player has to dodge in order to get the swords to land properly.
* Kratos climbs walls many times using his swords in the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series.

* One of the three uses for ninjato swords in ''VideoGame/{{Tenchu}}: Shadow Assassins'' (along with [[ShootOutTheLock breaking locks]] and last-resort defense) is jamming them into certain walls to help scale them.

* In the NES ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' game, DW can shoot arrows from his gas gun to use as platforms along walls. This carried over to ''VideoGame/MegaMan5'' via its Super Arrow (it used the same game engine)

* In ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' Vol 1 #14 Diana breaks off the tips of some spears and climbs up a tower to rescue the princess trapped inside by wedging them into the space between the stones on her way up.

* Teppic in ''Discworld/{{Pyramids}}'' mentions that using knives for this tends to be impractical. You have to find a place ''just'' tight enough for the knife to get properly stuck, and you usually end up losing knives when you do it. [[ChekhovsSkill Of course]], he has to do it at the end of the book in order to [[spoiler:[[ItMakesSenseInContext assassinate a pyramid]].]]

* In ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', Sonic has to jump on the arrows fired by Robotnik to defeat him in [[UnderwaterRuins Aquatic Ruin Zone]].

* Duster from ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' uses Wall Staples to create ladders and uses them in battle.

* Flynn uses crossbow bolts to scale Rapunzel's tower in Disney's ''Disney/{{Tangled}}''.
* ''Disney/AladdinAndTheKingOfThieves'' has Aladdin falling down a cliff and [[BladeBrake using his dagger to slow down]]. The guy who threw him down then uses his WolverineClaws to slow his fall down so that the fight can continue. [[spoiler:Al wins by using his dagger, which is still in the cliff, as support while he kicks the other guy into the ocean]].

* ''Disney/RobinHood'' has a moment where Robin Hood, escaping from some guards, is barely clinging onto a protruding block on a wall. The guards hurl spears at him and miss, one embedding itself next to Robin Hood, who then using it to hoist himself up and climb to the top.

* Kratos climbs walls many times using his swords in the ''VideoGame/{{God of War|Series}}'' series.

* In the NES ''VideoGame/DarkwingDuck'' game, DW can shoot arrows from his gas gun to use as platforms along walls.

* Asuna does a BladeBreak in one issue of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' thanks to her SuperStrength and {{BFS}}. The sword is wide enough that she can stands with both feet on the blade without trouble.

* Creator/KirkDouglas) does it with axes in ''Film/TheVikings''.
* François de Capestang (Creator/JeanMarais) climbs a castle's all with daggers to free the woman he loves in ''Film/LeCapitan''.

* Creator/MontyOum must like this trope. The Meta uses his (bladed) gun as a climbing tool (after performing a BladeBrake maneuver with it) during the penultimate Oum-animated fight sequence in ''[[Machinima/RedVsBlue Red vs. Blue]]: Revelation''. Note that this maneuver normally requires two such sharp objects...

* Kirk Douglas does it in ''Film/TheVikings'', with Axes.

* [[BladeOnAStick Spears]] are used in ''[[LegoAdaptationGame LEGO Indiana Jones]]'' as ladder rungs to reach higher and farther areas.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Depict}}'', [[spoiler:this is the ''real'' purpose of the spikes that your VoiceWithAnInternetConnection claims will [[SpikesOfDoom kill you if you touch them]]. Throw them at the wall, then jump up onto them]]!

This is actually TruthInTelevision, as this method was used by [[HolyRomanEmpire Frederick Barbarossa]]'s soldiers to climb a crag during the siege of a bandit stronghold on the Adige in northern UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}, as recounted in Otto von Freising's ''Gesta Friderici''. (Spears were used in this case.)

* ''Film/LadderOfSwords'', ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, the main character (a down-on-his-luck circus performer on the run from the law) climbs a ladder made of swords both metaphorically and physically. He uses it as one of his acts and shows his skill off to his love interest.

* A particularly nasty variant is used in Anthony Horowitz's ''Power of Five'' series: as part of a test to find out whether the protagonist is the ChosenOne, he has to climb a ladder of swords... ''blade up''. Apparently the last guy to attempt it only got to three swords, but it's OK, they managed to save some of his fingers.

* Creator/DonaldDuck in ''VideoGame/{{Quackshot}}'' uses a plunger gun to scale walls quickly.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Depict}}'', [[spoiler:this is the ''real'' purpose of the spikes that your VoiceWithAnInternetConnection claims will [[SpikesOfDoom kill you if you touch them]]. Throw them at the wall, then jump up onto them!]]

* In ''[[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light]]'' spears from your never-ending supply of throwing spears can be thrown at walls and jumped on to reach higher areas. You'll be doing this often.

* Kratos climbs walls many times using his swords in the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series.

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]] Bible Stories'', Bart (as David) uses a pair of corn on the cob holder's from Goliath's (Nelson) giant cob to climb up the side of a castle, by stabbing them into the wall and pulling himself up.

* Possible in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' thanks to a [[GoodBugsBadBugs bug]] that makes paintbrushes stay in midair when dropped. Entire staircases can be built with paintbrushes.

* Asuna does this in one issue of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' thanks to her SuperStrength and {{BFS}}.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}} in Switzerland'' Asterix completes a mountain-climb by sticking a sword into the mountain as a handhold when there's not enough proper climbing gear to go around.

* In ''Film/KillBill'', Pai Mei jumps onto the Bride's sword while she is holding it and quips "From here you can get an excellent view of my foot" before kicking her. While still standing on her sword.

* A particularly nasty variant is used in Anthony Horowitz's ''Power of Five'' series: as part of a test to find out whether the protagonist is the ChosenOne, he has to climb a ladder of swords...''blade up''. Apparently the last guy to attempt it only got to three swords, but it's OK, they managed to save some of his fingers.

* In ''Litereature/TheStormlightArchive'', Shardblades are sometimes used in this way. Since they cut through any nonliving matter [[Webcomic/SchlockMercenary like a chainsaw through butter]] and are totally unbreakable, they are considerably more useful for this than a regular sword.

** Everyone also seems to use William's {{BFS}} for this whenever he gets it stuck in a wall.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'', Evangeline uses a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Shushu]]-possessed {{BFS}} this way while [[RoofHopping jumping across rooftops]].

[[quoteright:260:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ctnqcag.jpg]]

[[quoteright:288:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ctnqcag.png]]

* ''Anime/{{Hellsing}}'' has vampire Nazis crossing a minefield this way.

[[quoteright:276:[[WebAnimation/DeadFantasy http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rachel_6140.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:276:Rachel works without a net.]]

* One episode of ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' has Vajramon (a bull centaur digimon and one of the 12 zodiac animal Deva warriors) tries to battle Renamon with his twin {{BFS}}s. Due to her swiftness, lithe body, and small size she is able to land right on the flat side of his sword after taking a swing at her.