All about weapons and what people do with them.
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Non-specific Weapon Tropes:
- Adaptational Weapon Swap: When a character's signature weapon changes in between adaptations.
- Ammo-Using Melee Weapon: Melee weapons that need things like fuel for maximum effect.
- Ancestral Weapon: An old weapon passed down through generations.
- Anchored Attack Stance: Preparation for using a weapon with significant recoil.
- Arbitrary Weapon Range: Projectiles become less effective either the farther from the source or at a closer range, or disappear altogether.
- Archaic Weapon for an Advanced Age: Yesterday's weapons are just as useful in the future.
- Arms Dealer: Their business is selling weapons.
- As Lethal as It Needs to Be: A weapon's effect changes based on the scenario.
- Axes at School: Someone brought a weapon to school!
- Bifurcated Weapon: A weapon that can split into multiple weapons, or multiple weapons that can merge into one.
- Bigger Stick: The best weapon wins.
- Brandishment Bluff: Using fake weapons to make real threats.
- Breakable Weapons: Your weapon won't last forever.
- Brutish Character, Brutish Weapon: Strong or brutal characters are associated with powerful, direct or crude weaponry.
- Can't Bathe Without a Weapon: Taking a weapon to bathtime, just in case.
- Crystal Weapon: Weapons made of crystals are cool.
- Dangerous Backswing: Accidentally hitting something behind you when attacking something in front.
- Destroy the Villain's Weapon
- Distract and Disarm: Distracting an enemy while at disadvantage to get their weapons away.
- Double Weapon: Two blades in one.
- Draw Sword, Draw Blood: Pulled out a weapon? Better not waste it.
- Elegant Weapon for a More Civilized Age: A once-common weapon can still kick ass under those skilled with it.
- Elemental Crafting: A weapon's effectiveness is determined by its material.
- Elemental Weapon
- Emergency Weapon: It's not very effective, but at least it won't break.
- Empathic Weapon: A weapon with personality.
- The Enemy Weapons Are Better: Your foes always have the better weapons.
- Equipment-Based Progression: Your power is just as good as your weapon.
- Equippable Ally: Using your friend as a weapon.
- Evil Weapon: The weapon's alive and it is NOT friendly.
- Evolving Weapon: A weapon becomes stronger over time, without direct upgrades.
- Exotic Weapon Supremacy: Powerful characters have unique and fancy weapons.
- Extended Disarming: Someone forced to give up their weapons ends up having many more than expected.
- Fantastic Race Weapon Affinity: When a fictional species or culture strongly favors the use of one type of weapon.
- Family-Friendly Firearms: Characters on kids' shows get laser guns, not bullet guns.
- Flying Weapon: The best weapons don't need users.
- Forged by the Gods: A weapon made by a higher being.
- Full-Potential Upgrade: You've outgrown that old weapon, time for a new one!
- Giant's Knife; Human's Greatsword: Different sized beings, different sized weapons.
- Girl with Psycho Weapon: Big boy weapons used by an innocent-looking girl.
- Give Me a Sword: Requesting a weapon.
- Glass Weapon
- Good Weapon, Evil Weapon: Weapon type = alignment.
- Guns in Church: Bringing a weapon where you really shouldn't.
- Guns vs. Swords: Gun or sword, what do you choose?
- Happy Fun Ball: A weapon is more dangerous than its appearance suggests.
- Healing Shiv: Most weapons are for hurting, but not this weapon.
- Heavy Equipment Class: A character or class that stands out due to proficiency with heavier weaponry.
- He's Got a Weapon!: What you say when he's got a weapon.
- Hidden Supplies: Hiding a weapon in a secret place.
- Hidden Weapons: Hiding a weapon on your own person.
- Hungry Weapon: This weapon needs to kill.
- Hyperspace Mallet: Where did that weapon come from?
- IKEA Weaponry: A weapon that you need to put together before using.
- Improbable Use of a Weapon: That's not how you use that.
- Improvised Scattershot: A projectile splits in two on something it struck mid-flight.
- Infinity -1 Sword: A powerful weapon that's not the best but is easier to get or use.
- Infinity +1 Sword: A powerful weapon that's the best, but is very hard to get or use.
- Intimidation Demonstration: Using a weapon to demonstrate your might.
- The Lethal Connotation of Guns and Others: Bullets cause lethal wounds, other weapons don't.
- Left Your Lifesaver Behind: You have the right tool for the job. Just not with you.
- Legendary Weapon: An ancient and powerful weapon known of by all.
- Like Cannot Cut Like: Omnipotent weapons can't break things made of the same material as itself.
- Living Weapon
- Lost Superweapon: Yesterday's weapons were far superior, but they're gone now.
- Ludicrous Mêlée Accuracy: A character who owns a melee weapon and really, really knows how to use it.
- Magical Weapon
- Magnet Hands: Never dropping your weapon, no matter how improbable.
- Magnetic Weapons: Weapons that use magnetic force rather than controlled explosions to launch projectiles.
- The Man Makes the Weapon: Using an unlikely weapon to great effect.
- Map Stabbing: A sharp weapon is used to impale a map, as opposed to a person.
- A Master Makes Their Own Tools
- Mix-and-Match Weapon: A weapon made of multiple weapons and retains their functionalities.
- Morph Weapon: A weapon that changes form.
- National Weapon: Different groups have unique weapons.
- Natural Weapon: A character has dangerous body parts that negate the need for weapons.
- Nemesis Weapon: Arch-enemies have contrasting weapons.
- Nerf Arm: Fake weapon, real danger.
- No-Gear Level: Your weapons can't be used here.
- Non-Lethal Deadly Weapon: A non-dangerous weapon is treated as dangerous.
- Nothing Up My Sleeve: Except there is.
- Not-So-Fake Prop Weapon: You thought that weapon was fake. You were wrong.
- One-Handed Zweihänder: A powerful character can use a two-handed weapon with one hand.
- Only the Chosen May Wield: Not just anyone can use this weapon.
- Parrying Bullets: Blocking projectiles with a melee weapon.
- Penultimate Weapon: The most powerful weapon isn't.
- Person of Holding: Storing weapons inside your body.
- Phallic Weapon: A weapon is regarded as a penis metaphor.
- Phlebotinum-Handling Requirements: Terms and conditions for a supernatural weapon.
- Point Defenseless: Flying heroes can't be hit by projectiles.
- Point That Somewhere Else: Someone holding a weapon to you? Just push it away.
- Poisoned Weapons
- Power Equals Rarity: Powerful weapons are few and far-between.
- Powers via Weapon: A character's powers come from their weapon.
- Quick Melee: Melee weapons can be used immediately when switching to them, however improbable.
- Retractable Weapon
- Reverse Grip: Holding a bladed weapon pointy end down.
- Rock Beats Laser: Beating an advanced weapon with a primitive weapon.
- Scaramanga Special: IKEA Weaponry whose individual parts are unassuming.
- Scarred Equipment: Battle-worn weapons show their experience.
- Scrappy Weapon: A video game weapon that players hate using.
- Secret Weapon: They're hiding something powerful, if only we knew what it is!
- Self-Defenseless: Pepper spray? Stun guns? Useless.
- Self-Destruct Mechanism
- Set Swords to "Stun": Dangerous weapons that don't kill.
- Shapeshifter Weapon: A shape-shifter creates a weapon by turning themselves or part of their body into one.
- Situational Sword: A weapon that's only effective in the right conditions.
- Socketed Equipment: Upgrade it by putting things onto it.
- Sorting Algorithm of Weapon Effectiveness: Weapons you find later will always be more powerful.
- Spectral Weapon Copy: A duplicate weapon made of Applied Phlebotinum.
- Spell Blade: An enchanted weapon.
- Spontaneous Weapon Creation: Producing a weapon right then and there, no Hammerspace required.
- Stat Sticks: A weapon you only carry for the stat buffs.
- Sticks to the Back: You can put your weapon on your back, even if there's nothing to hold it there.
- Stock Ninja Weaponry: Stereotypical ninja tools.
- Stock Wushu Weapons: Stereotypical Chinese weapons.
- Super Weapon, Average Joe: Powerful weapons can be wielded effectively by literally anyone.
- Summon to Hand
- Swiss-Army Weapon: Out of one, many.
- Sword and Fist: Fighting with and without your weapon.
- Sword Limbo: Leaning backward to dodge a blade.
- Sword of Damocles: A weapon so huge and powerful, just the threat of using it enough to subdue others.
- Sword over Head: You've bested your foe and can kill them now... but should you?
- Swords to Plowshares: Weapons are repurposed for more utilitarian functions.
- Take Up My Sword: Take the place of a defeated hero.
- Talking Weapon: The weapon can and will tell you what it wants.
- They Call Him "Sword": A character uses a weapon's name as an alias.
- This Banana is Armed: A pretend weapon that works just like a real one.
- *Twang* Hello: A character fires an arrow to reveal their presence.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: A supernatural or otherwise powerful smith.
- Ultimate Forge: The most powerful weapon can only be made here.
- Unbreakable Weapons: A weapon that's far more durable than in Real Life.
- Unholy Holy Sword: An Evil Weapon that pretends to be good.
- Use Their Own Weapon Against Them: A character has their own weapon used against them in battle by their opponent. This often (but not always) results in the weapon's original owner's defeat or death.
- Utility Weapon: A weapon that has a use outside of combat.
- Weapon-Based Characterization: A character's weapon of choice tells you something about their personality.
- Weapon Grip Failure: Unintentionally dropping your weapon.
- Weapon Jr.: A toy version of a Legendary Weapon.
- Weapon Specialization: A specific weapon that a character tends to use.
- Weapon of Peace: Weapons of war that allegedly are meant for fostering world peace.
- Weapon of X-Slaying: A weapon that's more effective against a certain thing.
- Weapon Running Time: The time a projectile takes to hit its target stretches so things can happen.
- Weapon Title: A work named after its central weapon.
- Weapon Wields You: A weapon that can control its user.
- Weaponized Animal: Animals that can carry weapons and use them effectively.
- Weapons Kitchen Sink: All the weapons are here, even if some of them don't make sense.
- Weapons That Suck: A weapon that pulls you in.
- What the Fu Are You Doing?: Martial arts: You're doing it wrong.
- "With Our Swords" Scene: One person using everyone's weapons.
- The Workhorse: This weapon's not new or fancy, but it gets the job done.
- Wrecked Weapon: The villain breaks the hero's weapon.
The Aesthetics of Weapons
- Face-Design Shield: A shield bears a face as its design, or is a face.
- Impossibly Cool Weapon: Physics need not apply.
- Oddly Shaped Sword: A blade has a shape that looks cool but is impractical for damaging things.
- Ornamental Weapon: A weapon you carry around visibly, but don't actually use.
- Our Weapons Will Be Boxy in the Future: Big, bulky, cube-y guns.
- Sucking-In Lines: Lines spiraling towards a weapon to denote charging.
- Wall of Weapons: All the weapons, in one place.
- Weapon for Intimidation: People fear your weapon.
- Weapon Tombstone: A weapon is used to mark a grave.
- Weapon Twirling
Aiming Projectiles
- Exactly What I Aimed At: A projectile seems to miss the intended target, but what it does hit gets the job done.
- Fixed Forward-Facing Weapon: A huge weapon on a vehicle that can only be aimed by turning the whole vehicle.
- Homing Lasers: Lasers that bend around obstacles to reach their target.
- Homing Projectile: Projectiles, especially missiles, that chase down their target.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: A projectile striking something that seems impossible to strike.
- Improvised Scattershot: A projectile splits in two on something it struck mid-flight.
- Pocket Rocket Launcher: A miniaturized rocket launcher, either with or without explosive/Trick Bomb ammo. Usually depicted as more potent than regular weapons at any distance, despite rockets having an Arbitrary Weapon Range.
- Precision-Guided Boomerang: Boomerangs always come back to their thrower, no matter what.
- Roboteching: Projectiles that change direction midair to reach their target.
- William Telling: Shooting something off someone's head without hurting them.
Carrying and Wielding Multiple Weapons
- Bow and Sword in Accord: Holding a bow and a sword at the same time.
- Choice of Two Weapons: Learning how to use two different weapons is better than being the best at using one.
- Dual Wielding: Holding two weapons at once.
- Guns Akimbo: Both hands are using a gun.
- Hammer and Sickle: A hammer and sickle are used at the same time, often symbolically.
- Hyperspace Arsenal: Having more weapons than you can logically carry.
- Knightly Sword and Shield: Knights and similar people are proficient in using a sword and shield.
- Master of the Levitating Blades: Fighting with many Flying Weapons.
- Multi-Melee Master: Effectively using distinctly different melee weapons.
- Multi-Ranged Master: Effectively using distinctly different ranged weapons.
- The Musketeer: Wielding both a melee and ranged weapon, but not at the same time.
- Sword and Gun: Holding a sword and gun in each hand.
- Sword/Shield Contrast: Metaphorically describing things as a sword or shield.
- Trenchcoat Warfare: A Badass Longcoat with many weapons hidden inside.
- Walking Armory: Having many, many weapons with you.
What's in a Weapon Name?
- Cute as a Bouncing Betty: Big scary weapons with comically cute names.
- I Call It "Vera": A character names their weapons.
- Named Weapons: An individual weapon with a non-generic name.
- Stock Weapon Names: Unique weapons have unique names to demonstrate their uniqueness.
Assorted Weapons
- Aerosol Flamethrower: Igniting aerosol spray to great effect.
- Armed with Pepper Spray: Pepper spray used as a defensive weapon, especially by women.
- Attack Drone: An unmanned weaponized device.
- Blow Gun: A tube that can be blown into to propel a dart.
- Booze Flamethrower: Spitting alcohol through a flame produces a jet of fire.
- Caltrops: A tetrahedral pointy thing left on the ground for tire damage or Agony of the Feet.
- Chain Pain: Using a chain as a weapon.
- Devil's Pitchfork: Tridents associated with and used as weapons by evil characters, particularly Satan and other demonic characters.
- Epic Flail: A spikeball on a chain.
- Extendo Boxing Glove: A boxing glove that pops out on an extendable arm.
- Hooks and Crooks: Using a hook or hook-shaped item as a weapon.
- Hot Blade
- Inescapable Net: Throw a net over someone and they're down for the count.
- Instant Chucks: Two weapons connected by a chain.
- Knows the Ropes: Using a rope or string as a weapon.
- Lightning Lash: A whip that uses or is made of electricity.
- Nail 'Em: Using a nail gun as a weapon.
- Pile Bunker: Using a pile driver as a weapon.
- Powerful Pick: Using a pickaxe as a weapon.
- Prongs of Poseidon: Tridents associated with and used as weapons by sea creatures or ocean deities.
- Razor Floss: Strings sharp enough to cut.
- Rings of Death: A large hoop used as a weapon.
- Sonic Stunner: Weaponized sound.
- Static Stun Gun: Weaponized electricity meant to stun.
- Taser Tag Weakness: Using electricity to defeat a powerful foe.
- Variable-Length Chain: The chain is as long as you need it to be.
- Whip of Dominance: Using a whip as a symbol of dominance, control, authority, or sadism.
Bladed Weapons
See also swords-specific tropes
- Absurd Cutting Power: Cutting things that normally can't be cut so easily.
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: Sharp enough to cut through just about anything.
- Asian Cleaver Fever: Someone (usually East Asian) uses blades theatrically in cooking.
- Audible Sharpness: Using or unsheathing a blade produces a distinct sound.
- Barehanded Blade Block: A character stops a sword being used on them with their bare hands.
- Bayonet Ya: A blade attached to the end of a gun.
- The Blade Always Lands Pointy End In
- Blade Brake: Stabbing a blade into a surface to slow your fall.
- Blade Enthusiast: People who love and/or collect bladed weapons.
- Blade Lock: During a sword fight, it's inevitable that the opponents will have their blades pressed against each other for several seconds.
- Blade on a Rope: A bladed weapon attached to a rope, string or chain.
- Blade Reflection: Blades used to reflect an image, especially in promotional artwork.
- Blade Run: Standing, walking, or running along the length of a blade.
- Blade Spam: Striking and stabbing with improbable speed.
- Chastity Dagger: A woman carries a dagger with her to defend herself (often from getting raped).
- Clean Cut: A blade passes swiftly and completely through its target with little difficulty.
- Combat Cue Stick: Using a cue stick as a club.
- Criss-Cross Attack: Multiple strikes from multiple sides.
- Cutlass Between the Teeth: Holding a blade with your teeth.
- Cutting Through Energy
- Detachable Blades
- Devious Daggers: Short blades are for sneaky people.
- Diagonal Cut: Cutting through something so cleanly that it takes a moment for it to fall apart.
- Druidic Sickle: Druids tend to carry sickles or similarly shaped blades.
- Excalibur: King Arthur's legendary sword.
- Excalibur in the Rust: A legendary blade looks worse for wear but is as effective as ever.
- Excalibur in the Stone: Excalibur portrayed as the Sword in the Stone despite not being so in the original legend.
- Fanning the Knives: Fanning throwable objects as a form of intimidation before actually throwing them.
- Five-Finger Fillet: A game consisting of stabbing a blade between fingers.
- Hammer Hilt: Using the hilt of a bladed weapon as a bludgeon.
- Implausible Fencing Powers: Swords do not work that way.
- Instant Death Stab: Getting hit with a blade kills instantly.
- Inverse Law of Sharpness and Accuracy: Sharper blades are less likely to hit their target.
- Knife Fight
- Knife Outline: Several thrown blades just barely miss, leaving their target's shape on the wall behind them.
- Kukris Are Kool: A curved Nepalese blade good for chopping.
- Licking the Blade: Lick your blade to demonstrate or increase your unsettling-ness.
- Lodged-Blade Recycling: Getting stabbed, then pulling out the blade to use for yourself.
- Machete Mayhem: Using a machete as your weapon.
- Never Bring a Knife to a Fist Fight: Pulling a knife on an unarmed opponent only to lose to them anyway.
- Never Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight: Firearms beat bladearms.
- Oddly Shaped Sword: A blade has a shape that looks cool but is impractical for damaging things.
- Psycho Knife Nut: Psychotic characters who have a thing for knives.
- Reforged Blade: A broken blade is repaired.
- Royal Rapier: High-class people using rapiers as their weapon.
- Serrated Blade of Pain: Serrated blades are for evil people.
- Sewing Needle Sword: A very small character uses a sewing needle as an improvised sword.
- Sharpened to a Single Atom: An absurdly sharp Absurdly Sharp Blade.
- Shear Menace: Using dual hinged blades as your weapons.
- Single-Stroke Battle: A duel based around a single strike and who can make it first.
- Sinister Scimitar: Curvy Blade = Bad Guy.
- Sinister Scythe: Using scythes and other farming blades as your weapons. Grim Reaper allusions often ensue.
- Sinister Shiv: A blade created by sharpening something that isn't a weapon.
- Sinister Switchblade: Switchblades are scary.
- Slice-and-Dice Swordsmanship: Slashing with a stabby blade, or stabbing with a slashy blade.
- Split Hair: Demonstrating a blade's sharpness by slicing something impossibly thin.
- Storm of Blades: Lots of blades falling on someone.
- Suave Sabre: A curved sabre is a noble warrior's weapon of choice.
- Swipe Your Blade Off: Swinging a blade flings away all that nasty blood and gore, leaving it impeccably clean.
- Sword Cane: A blade hidden inside a cane.
- Sword Lines: Sharp blades leave trails of light to demonstrate their speed.
- Sword Plant: Stabbing your blade into the ground for a variety of reasons.
- Sword Pointing: Pointing a sword at your opponent to show you're ready to fight.
- Sword Sparks: Blade + Blade = Sparks.
- Throw the Sheath Away: To demonstrate that you're ready to fight NOW.
- Unorthodox Sheathing: Cool and unusual ways to put your blade away.
- Whip Sword: A sword that can convert into a bladed whip.
- Wolverine Claws: Claw-like blades attached to the hands.
Blunt Instruments
- Baguette Beatdown: A long loaf of bread is specifically used as a weapon.
- Barbell Beating: Using a barbell or a dumbbell as a weapon.
- Batter Up!: Using a baseball bat as a weapon.
- Boulder Bludgeon: Using a stone as a weapon.
- Cane Fu: Using a cane as a weapon.
- Carry a Big Stick: Any large and blunt item used as a weapon.
- Drop the Hammer: Using a hammer as a weapon.
- Edible Bludgeon: Using food as a weapon.
- Frying Pan of Doom: Using a frying pan as a weapon.
- Golf Clubbing: Using a golf club as a weapon.
- Grievous Bottley Harm: Using a glass bottle as a weapon.
- Hammer Hilt: Using the hilt of the sword instead of the blade.
- Lawman Baton: Cops use batons when they're not using guns. Often used as a symbol of police brutality.
- Pipe Pain: Using a piece of pipe as a weapon.
- Primitive Clubs: Primitive characters use clubs as weapons.
- Rolling Pin of Doom: Hitting people with a rolling pin.
- Savage Spiked Weapons: Spiky weapons are typical of violent people.
- Shield Bash: Using a shield offensively.
- Shovel Strike: Using a shovel as a weapon or a defensive implement.
- Thunder Hammer: A hammer that can either channel electricity or summon lightning.
- Wrench Whack: Using a wrench as a weapon.
Bombs and Explosives
See also Grenade Tropes, Naval Weapons
- Big, Bulky Bomb: Very, very large bombs.
- Bombproof Appliance: Mundane things like fridges can protect you from an explosion!*
- Bomb Disposal: Removing or disarming bombs in ways that would never work in Real Life.
- Boom in the Hand: Holding an armed explosive and proceeding to be injured or killed.
- Cartoon Bomb: A bomb that consists of a black sphere with a fuse hanging off of it.
- Cigar-Fuse Lighting: Lighting an explosive with smoking implements.
- Cut the Fuse: To stop the explosion.
- Dynamite Candle: An explosive's fuse disguised as a candle wick.
- Eat the Bomb: To safely dispose of it, of course!
- Empty Quiver: A powerful explosive has gone missing.
- Explosive Leash: A device that kills its wearer if they disobey.
- Explosive Stupidity: You blew yourself up!
- Fake in the Hole: Scare your enemies by throwing a fake grenade at them!
- Fantastic Nuke: A magical or fictional weapon or spell that has the effect of a nuke.
- Feed It a Bomb: Kill an enemy by throwing a bomb into their mouth.
- Gas-Cylinder Rocket: Pressurized gas cylinders fly around like rockets when their nozzle is broken off.
- Grenade Hot Potato: An explosive has just landed next to you. Better pass it to someone else, or better, throw it back.
- Grenade Launcher: A gun that shoots grenades.
- Grenade Spam: Grenades in larger numbers than is logical.
- Harpoon Gun: A gun that shoots spears.
- High-Speed Missile Dodge: Dodging a speeding weapon coming at you.
- Holy Hand Grenade: Holy power weaponized.
- Incredibly Obvious Bomb: An unhidden bomb.
- Insert Grenade Here: Hopping on a tank or similar vehicle and dropping an explosive inside to disable it, or at least disable its operators.
- Jettison Jetpack Attack: Letting go of your jetpack to send it flying at a target to explode.
- Land Mine Goes "Click!": Mines that don't explode until after the weight is removed.
- Macross Missile Massacre: Firing lots and lots of missiles at once.
- Misguided Missile: Leading a guided missile away from its original target by getting it to target you instead.
- Missile Lock-On: Technology that allows you to lock onto a target before firing the missile.
- Molotov Cocktail: An improvised thrown explosive consisting of a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid and with a flaming rag stuffed into the neck.
- Neutron Bomb: A thermonuclear bomb specifically designed to use radiation to kill people while leaving building relatively unharmed.
- Nuke 'em: Using a nuke sooner than is logical.
- Phlebotinum Bomb: Explosives that leave certain things undamaged.
- Plunger Detonator: A little box with a handle that activates explosives when pushed down.
- Powder Trail: A trail of gunpowder for a makeshift fuse.
- Riding the Bomb: A missle is launched with someone riding it.
- Rocket Jump: Fire a rocket at the ground to propel yourself into the air.
- Satchel Charge: A pack of explosives, usually intended for use in warfare to clear obstacles, destroy enemy fortifications, or sabotage enemy vehicles.
- Sea Mine: A mine made for naval use.
- Space Mines: A mine made for cosmic use.
- Sticky Bomb: A bomb that sticks to its target (or thrower).
- Strapped to a Bomb: A character is tied to an explosive or vice versa.
- Super-Persistent Missile: A homing missle that will hit you no matter what gets in its way.
- Time Bomb: A bomb with a set time to detonate. Almost always has a convenient built-in clock.
- Trick Bomb: A bomb that does something other than exploding.
- Unplanned Manual Detonation: When remote activation fails, better do it yourself.
- Why Am I Ticking?: A character hears a ticking sound coming from themselves and realizes that this is because they have an explosive inside them.
- You Nuke 'Em: Players using nukes.
Defense
See also Tropes in Shining Armor
- Adaptive Armor: Armor that can change form based on the wearer or the situation.
- Attack Reflector: A defensive move that causes the attack to rebound.
- Deflector Shields: A force field.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Using a shield as a shield.
- Orbiting Particle Shield: A shield consisting of objects rotating around the user.
- Powered Armor: Mech-like armor, usually with all kinds of fun gadgets built-in.
- Save Sat: A satellite crashing down has a beneficial/defensive effect.
- Some Kind of Force Field: A force field that's invisible until you get close.
Guns
See also Guns and Gunplay Tropes
- Backpack Cannon: A gun or similar weapon attached to the user's back.
- BFG: A gun so huge it would be impractical to use in Real Life.
- Briefcase Blaster: A gun contiained in or disguised as a briefcase.
- Bubble Gun: A gun that shoots bubbles.
- Fantastic Firearms: Weapons that mimic the ease-of-use of a gun but function by way of some other mechanism than burning gunpowder.
- Firearms Are Cowardly: Gun users are portrayed as dishonorable.
- Firearms Are Revolutionary: Introducing guns to a society for the first time will change everything.
- Flare Gun: A gun that fires a glowing projectile, meant to be used as a signal but can still be weaponized.
- Freeze Ray: A gun that spontaneously creates ice on it's target.
- Gun Accessories: Doohickeys, doodads, and watchamacallits added onto guns to make them cooler.
- Gun Fu: Gun play with acrobatics.
- Gun Kata
- Gun Nut: A character whose life revolves around guns.
- Gun Twirling: Spinning a gun by the trigger around your finger.
- Kinetic Weapons Are Just Better: In the future we'll still use old-school ballistics instead of energy weapons.
- Marked Bullet: A bullet or other projectile with a message added to it.
- More Dakka: Keeping shooting at them until they die!
- Never Bring a Gun to a Knife Fight: Melee weapons are superior to ranged ones.
- No Range Like Point-Blank Range
- No Scope
- Painfully Slow Projectile: Bullets in video games are slow and easy to dodge.
- Pinball Projectile
- Pistol-Whipping: Knocking someone out by hitting them with the butt of a pistol.
- Ranged Emergency Weapon
- Recursive Ammo: Projectile that spits out more projectiles.
- Removable Turret Gun
- Sawed-Off Shotgun
- Sean Connery Is About to Shoot You: Cover character points a weapon at the audience.
- Short-Range Long-Range Weapon
- Short-Range Shotgun
- Shoulder Cannon
- Shrink Ray: A ray gun that shrinks people and objects.
- Smart Gun: Combining the action of a firearm with the utility of a computer.
- Sniper Pistol: Handguns exceeding their expected range.
- Sniper Rifle
- Sniper Scope Glint: A sniper's scope produces glints of light, giving away their positions.
- Sniper Scope Sway
- Spread Shot
- Stick 'em Up
- Trick Bullet: Bullets that do something more unusual than just kill.
- Trigger-Happy: A character who will shoot at a moment's notice.
- Weak Turret Gun
Lasers
See also Ranged Energy Attack Tropes
Powered Weapons
Slings and Arrows
- Annoying Arrows
- Archer Archetype
- Archery
- Arrow Catch
- Arrowgram
- Arrows on Fire
- Automatic Crossbows
- Bows and Errors
- Bows Versus Crossbows
- Brats with Slingshots
- Energy Bow
- Great Bow
- Horse Archer
- Invisible Bowstring
- Master Archer
- Multishot
- No "Arc" in "Archery"
- Rain of Arrows
- The Straight and Arrow Path
- Sacred Bow and Arrows
- Splitting the Arrow
- Suffer the Slings
- Trick Arrow
- William Telling
Sticks, Staves, and Spears
- Battle Baton
- Boom Stick
- Broomstick Quarterstaff
- Cane Fu
- Carry a Big Stick
- Golf Clubbing
- Jousting Lance
- Lawman Baton
- Magic Staff
- Magic Wand
- Martial Arts Staff
- Matchstick Weapon
- Motorcycle Jousting
- Naginatas Are Feminine
- Primitive Clubs
- Savage Spiked Weapons
- Serpent Staff
- Shock Stick
- Telescoping Staff
- A Thicket of Spears
- Wooden Stake
- X on a Stick
Super Weapons
- Alpha Strike: Everyone fires everything at the same target.
- Battering Ram: A device meant to knock down enemy gates or fortifications.
- Biological Weapons Solve Everything
- Death Ray
- Doomsday Device
- Earthquake Machine
- Hostile Terraforming
- Immortal Breaker
- Improvised Catapult
- Interstellar Weapon: A weapon capable of striking targets in other stellar systems or further away.
- Kill Sat: A satellite that snipes or bombards things beneath it.
- Siege Engines: Weapons and vehicles meant for attacking enemy fortifications.
- Sword of Damocles
- Weaponized Landmark
- Weapon of Mass Destruction
- Weather-Control Machine
Throwing Weapons
Weapons on Wheels
Weird Weapons
See also Improbable Weapon User
- Anchors Away: Using an anchor as a weapon.
- Arsenal Attire: Weapons that double as clothing accessories.
- Art Attacker
- Bad with the Bone: Using a bone as a weapon.
- Battle Tops
- Bee-Bee Gun
- Cat-apult
- Chairman of the Brawl
- Clothing Combat: The clothes they wear
- Cloth Fu: A piece of fabric
- Combat Haircomb
- Combat Hand Fan: Using a hand fan as a weapon.
- Comedy as a Weapon
- Cross Attack: Crucifixes or other X-shaped weapons
- Crowbar Combatant
- Door Fu
- Edible Ammunition
- Fire Hose Cannon
- Food Slap
- Fork Fencing
- Gardening-Variety Weapon
- Gemstone Assault
- Greek Fire
- Grievous Harm with a Body: Using a person as a blunt instrument.
- Handbag of Hurt
- Homemade Flamethrower
- Improvised Weapon
- Instant Knots
- Instrument of Murder: A musical instrument is used as a weapon.
- Killer Yoyo
- Lethal Letter Opener
- Money Mauling
- Musical Assassin: Music and sound itself
- Once Killed a Man with a Noodle Implement: A character brags about killing someone with an ostensibly harmless object.
- Paper Fan of Doom
- Parasol of Pain
- Rescue Equipment Attack: Rescue equipment ironically used as means of distraction and as weapons.
- The Pen Is Mightier
- Shamu Fu: Using a fish as a weapon.
- Sheath Strike
- Shoe Slap
- Snake Whip: Animate whips shaped like snakes.
- Sock It to Them
- Solar-Powered Magnifying Glass
- Telephone Polearm
- This Banana is Armed
- Throw the Book at Them
- Tricked-Out Shoes
- Trophy Violence
- Unusual Weapon Mounting
- Weaponized Ball
- Weaponized Camera
- Weaponized Headgear
- Weapons of Their Trade: A specific style of Improvised Weapon when a tradesperson uses the tools of their trade as combat weaponry.