*Twang* Hello

The locals have made a strong point about trespassing.

"You either have really good aim or really bad aim."

— Jack Shephard, Lost

It's the middle ages. A group of bandits have tied up a fair maiden and there's no telling what they're about to do as they cackle evilly. Until an arrow zooms over head and embeds itself in a tree with a *twang*. The Cavalry has arrived.

A group of characters are hiding from a Serial Killer. They try to figure out their next move. They're scared but one poor soul says things can't get any worse. Uh-oh. A knife zooms by and hits that character in the chest. Enter the Psycho Knife Nut.

A band of samurai are walking through the woods when a shuriken flies past them and hits a tree. Oh no! NINJAS!

Get the point? Who needs a battle cry when a clean, well-timed launch of an arrow, throwing knife, or any other throwing implement into a nearby wall, tree, or person is a far more loud, efficient and stylish way of announcing your presence to your enemies? Sure, a sneak attack would be far more practical, but that's not nearly as cool. Let's also forget the fact that the character just wasted ammo, and that in the middle ages, arrows, especially the quality ones demanded by experienced archers, were somewhat expensive as well (unless of course the arrow buried itself into one of the enemy characters in which case it was quite the efficient move).

As the name implies, an exaggerated twangangangannng sound effect like a plastic ruler on a school desk often accompanies this, even if a dull thunk might be more realistic; The Coconut Effect and/or the Rule of Funny may be in play depending on how exaggerated the effect and how comical the scene.

See Blasting It Out of Their Hands for a subtrope which helpfully disarms the opponent, and Knife Outline if it pins their shirt to the wall. Compare *Click* Hello, the gun version of this trope, though there's obviously some overlap; there's nothing to stop a character achieving this trope with a warning shot from a firearm, or performing a Dramatic Crossbow Cock to save on bolts.

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Examples:

Advertising

• A Priceline Negotiator ad shows a group of martial artists sitting at a desk looking for a good vacation deal online and William Shatner entering the scene by throwing a shuriken at their desk, with the martial artists doing that obligatory look-up that accompanies this trope.
• An Australian ad for Nicorette gum has a green-clad ninja using a shuriken to knock a cigarette out of a smoker's hand and pin it to the wall (through his Employee of the Month photo).

Anime & Manga

• Naruto:
  • Guy usually makes his Dynamic Entry by throwing a kunai, before the kick to the face. Ouch.
  • Naruto himself does this at one point when Orochimaru (the current Big Bad) is about to attack one of his teammates, only to stop short as a hail of knives come down right where he was about to slither.
  • Another example is right when Kisame is about to cut the eight-tail host's legs off to prevent him from escaping. One of the host's students takes a throwing star, enhances it with lightning chakra, and slashes most of the blade off of the sword Kisame was holding. "Sorry we're late, Bee."
• Tuxedo Kamen/Mask in Sailor Moon would always make his entrance by throwing a rose in the midst of a battle or conversation. He even does this to some kind of rolling boulder monster. Rose thrown, guitar chord, begins his rant... and is interrupted when the monster rolls over the rose and keeps rolling. The look on his face is priceless.
• Obi first introduces his presence by shooting an arrow into the wall at eye height about a foot in front of Shirayuki as she's running in Snow White with the Red Hair.

Comic Books

• The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones:
  • In #8, Indy and Marion are fleeing from the Nazis when they pause to see if they have lost them. Just then, a crossbow bolt buries itself into the tree trunk by Indy's head: fired by a member of the Lost Tribe they had been searching for.
  • In #21, Marcus asks some awkward questions in a small pub in north Wales. One of the locals expresses his displeasure by impaling Marcus' cigar on a thrown dart.

Film — Animated

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney): After the ferryman has smuggled the gypsies into Paris, Frollo's guards make their presence known by shooting an arrow into the pole he is holding.

Films — Live-Action

• Used in most Robin Hood movies, most notably in 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood where several cackling Normans are on the receiving end of a twang hello in the form of Robin's black arrow.
• Robert's first appearance in The Bandit of Sherwood Forest has him shooting an arrow into the proclamation announcing the revocation of the Magna Carta as a soldier is nailing it to a tree.
• The Beast Must Die: While inspecting the greenhouse on the first night of the full moon, Tom hears someone sneaking around outside. When he goes to investigate, the prowler throws a hatchet at him which narrowly misses his head and buries itself in the tree behind him. The next day while walking the grounds, an arrow fired by Paul embeds itself in the tree beside him.
• During his first meeting with Robin's band in Beyond Sherwood Forest, Will makes a point by throwing a knife so it sticks into Little John's quarterstaff. While Little John is holding it.
• Blonde Savage: After the plane makes a forced landing in the jungle, Hoppy is searching his pockets for a match when Tonga throws a spear into the tree behind his head. Later, a flashback shows that he scared off Harper and Berger after they murdered the Comstocks by shooting a Blow un dart into the tree by Berger's head.
• The Butchers: When the Zodiac Killer starts to drag Ren out of Gein's room, Gein gets his attention by throwing an axe into the door jamb beside Zodiac's head.
• At one point in Circus, Troy announces his presence to Leo by throwing a knife so it sticks into the wall beside Leo's head.
• Deadtime Stories: Volume 1: In "Valley of the Shadow", several poison darts bury themselves into tree trunks close to the protagonists' heads as they flee from the tribesman through the jungle.
• Death Walks on High Heels: When she arrives back at her flat, Nicole's boyfriend Michel thinks it is funny to greet her by throwing his switchblade so it sticks in the wall beside her head. Nicole does not react well.
• Dobermann: When Manu points a Laser Sight at Dobermann's head, Nat expresses her displeasure by throwing a knife into the crate beside Manu's head.
• Gang of Roses: When the sheriff is in the stable readying his horse, Maria throws a knife into the post beside his head. She then tells him that she missed on purpose.
• God's Gun: When Johnny tries to run from the saloon to fetch the sheriff, Jess Clayton throws a knife into the door beside his head; stopping him in his tracks.
• The opening scene of Hard Target is Mr. Lopacki putting a crossbow bolt into the wall beside Binder's head. As Binder jumps away from this, Fouchon's 'hounds' switch on their headlights and Binder realises he is surrounded.
• In Headless Horseman, Headless announces his presence at one point by throwing a knife through the radio Liam is holding in his hand and pinning it to a tree.
• In I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle, the psychopathically violent outlaw biker Roach announces his arrival at a pub by firing a crossbow bolt into the top of the bar.
• The Island at the Top of the World: When Sir Anthony, Ivarrson and Oomiak arrive at the clifftop path leading to the Lost Colony, a spear thrown by a Viking hunting party buries itself in the eart at their feet.
• Knife for the Ladies: When Burns goes to search Nina's shack, Jarrod announces his presence by throwing a knife into the wall beside Burns' head.
• The Kunoichi: Ninja Girl: When one of the women hides in the abandoned house and bars the door, Higetsu announces his presence by throwing a shuriken into the wall beside her head.
• Long John Silver: When Mendoza's two men sweep the bottles off the bar in the tavern in Portobello, Long John stops them in their tracks by throwing a knife into the wall between their heads.
• In Mistress of the Apes, Susan is walking through the camp when a spear flies out of the jungle and hits the tent behind her.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: Pintel and Ragetti are advancing, swords drawn, on the unarmed Elizabeth when a barnacle-encrusted boarding axe whirls past them and sticks in a tree. All three turn to see the Flying Dutchman's crew charging at them. Pintel and Ragetti hand the swords to Elizabeth and bugger off.
• In Rogues of Sherwood Forest, there is a montage of shots of King John's men oppressing the peasantry only for the leader to suddenly keel over with an arrow in his chest. Additionally, when Will Scarlet is locked up in the pillory, an arrow flies into the pillory from off-screen, heralding Robin's arrival.
• Seven Ways from Sundown: In the cabin, Flood makes a point by throwing a poker point-first into the post beside Seven's head.
• The Shadow of Chikara: When Moon is on watch, one of the mysterious black arrows buries itself into a tree beside his head.
• In SwashBuckler, Cudjo announces his presence to Lynch by throwing a knife into the papaya Lynch is eating.
• Today We Kill... Tomorrow We Die!: When the man he is gambling against tries to slip a card out of his sleeve, Moran pins the card to his chair with a throwing knife.
• Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold: During the confrontation with Tortuga in the saloon, one of the gamblers attempts to sneak a peek at Pecos' cards; which are lying face down on the table. As his hands are about to touch the cards, Yellow Hair throws her knife into the cards; pinning them to the table.

Literature

• Beyond Thirty: Hero Lieutenant Jefferson Turck discovers—in a very pointed fashion—that the forces of the Abyssinian Empire are much closer to him than he either thought or desires as a spear lands in the tree beside him.
• Jiriki's first lines in The Dragonbone Chair are accompanied by him shooting an arrow into a tree in front of the hero. Unusual because the hero had just saved his life and the arrow was actually a sacred artifact used to signify a life debt, and also because it occurred during his exit
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Taishi Ci decides to Twang Hello at a bunch of uppity officials standing atop of the gate of a city he was helping to besiege, and unlike most examples, impales the man's hand with the shot. (Which was called, by the way.)
• In The Witcher novels it is mentioned that the Dryads used to warn humans who wandered into their domain this way. The problem was that a panicking peasant (especially children) was just as likely to run deeper into the forest as he was to run away. Geralt notes that they recently mostly abandoned this in favor of a simple sneak attack.

Live-Action TV

• Arrow:
  • In the first season, The Hood would announce his presence by shooting out all the lights. Over time, Oliver has amassed quite a few trick arrows that explode or emit knockout gas following the initial one.
  • Yao Fei, the man who first taught Oliver how to survive on the island he was marooned on, introduces himself by shooting Oliver with an arrow. It does however quickly get across the point that the island is a dangerous place where there are people who will kill him.
• Happens several times on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when a vampire would suddenly get dusted, to reveal the Slayer standing in his place holding a stake. There were also examples with actual arrows in "Pangs" and "Spiral", when Buffy is up against Anachronism Stew villains.
  Dawn: At least things can't get any crazier. Right?
  (an arrow flies through the window and hits the wall right next to Buffy)
  Buffy: You know this is your fault for saying that.
• Locke from Lost takes a level in badass after throwing a knife into an airplane seat while the group of Losties were talking about how they were going to get food. Locke's response after was "We hunt." Jack's quote at the top of the page was his response to that.
• Midsomer Murders: In "Blood Wedding" one of the suspects puts a longbow arrow into a tree next to Barnaby's head. He claims it was an accident, but there is every indication it was intended as a warning.
• Mission: Impossible: In "The Cattle King", Jim Phelps goes to meet a native tribe. He knows he's arrived when a spear embeds itself in a tree next to his head.
• The New Avengers:
  • Done by a bow-wielding villain to announce his presence to Purdey in "Faces"; putting an arrow into the gallows she is standing next to.
  • In "Dirtier by the Dozen", Gambit is unlocking Purdey's cell when a knife embeds itself in the door beside his head.
• Almost subverted in the Red Dwarf episode "Emohawk Polymorph II": from a GELF, an arrow twanging into a tree (and not into you) is really considered a very warm greeting.
• Black Canary gets the drop on Chloe by throwing a knife at her desk in Smallville.
• Star Trek: Voyager. The episode "Heroes and Demons" has a holodeck program of the saga Beowulf. Every time someone new enters the program, they're greeted by shieldmaiden Freya throwing her spear past their face into a tree.
• The Beverly Hillbillies: In an episode where Granny is upset with Mr. Drysdale, he comes to the house to ask for a truce, only for her to shoot his hat off from across the grounds as soon as he passes the gate.
  Mr. Drysdale: She shot at me!
  Jed: Naw, she shot your hat. If she ever commences to takin' shots at you, you'll be castin' a polka-dot shadow!

Roleplay

• In Survival of the Fittest, the duel between Jacob Starr and David Jackson starts with Jacob throwing his knife at David, only for it to miss and hit the tree David was standing in front of.

Video Games

• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey does this with your player character meeting Kyra, leader of the Delian rebellion. Upon reaching their hideout, Alexios/Kassandra is met with the spears of several rebels just before Kyra makes her presence known with a throwing knife.
  Alexios/Kassandra: I've come in response to a call for help.
  (knife whizzes by their face and hits the wooden beam right next to them)
  Alexios/Kassandra: (mildly annoyed) You missed.
• At the climax of the prologue of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III before the How We Got Here settles in, this is how Rean Schwarzer introduces himself in the game as he rescues his students from the Stahlritter, by firing a flaming Sword Beam at the latter.
• In Mega Man X, Zero introduces himself by firing a buster shot from off-screen, blowing the arm off Vile's ride armor.
• Zero in on the receiving end in the first Mega Man Zero, where he barely dodges a kunai barrage by Cyber Ninja Phantom right after starting that particular level.
• In Tales of Phantasia, just as Cress wakes up in Trinicus' mansion and then takes a walk outside, he's greeted by an arrow impaling a tree, shortly followed by the person who shot it - Chester, his buddy who stayed behind in their Doomed Hometown to bury the dead, now ready to join Cress on his journey.

Web Comics

• An 8-Bit Theater strip has Black Mage being pinned to a tree by an off-screen Ranger (just because he was arguing that "shooting several arrows precisely at once" was impossible).

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