History Main / BadassBack

* Szark from ''DominicDeegan'' does a ''[[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-01-06 lot]]'' of things from behind.

* In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]], this is Mega Sceptile's default pose, apparently to make use of its tail as a weapon.

* Would you reckon [[http://gooby.naurunappula.com/org/b9/37/b937abd661e12a5b/0/1192992.gif this]] counts?

* SandyMitchell's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: CiaphasCain'' novel ''The Traitor's Hand'' sees Cain catch a glimpse of a cultist trying to attack him from behind, elbow the cultist ineffectually and then use his chainsword for an under-the-armpit stab.

If both opponents attempt to fight each back to back, this may lead to dizziness on the part of the combatants. This would not make them BackToBackBadasses. It would celebrate the joys of [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spinning]] around like idiots.

[[folder:Music]]
* The ''Moonwalker'' version of "Smooth Criminal" has MichaelJackson shooting down the bad guys from behind while grooving and flirting with the ladies.
[[/folder]]

* The blind warrior Voldo, in the later ''[[SoulSeries Soul Calibur/Soul Edge]]'' games, is the only fighter in the series who can fulfill this trope. He has a full array of moves he can use with his back to an opponent, including throws, and, unlike every other member of the cast, can block attacks directed at his back (at least, as a normal part of his gameplay. Other [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard CPU-controlled]] characters who shouldn't be able to do this ''can'' in [[SoulSeries Soul Calibur III]]).

* In the ''DeadOrAlive'' fighting game series, several of Ayane's most powerful attacks require her to have her back turned towards her opponent before they can be executed.

* Achilles blocks several arrows without looking by throwing his shield on his back in ''{{Troy}}''.

* Archibald Cunningham in ''RobRoy'' will occasionally step past his opponents, blocking their final shot over his shoulder, and then arrogantly saunter away before re-engaging. This exposes one of his {{Fatal Flaw}}s: overconfidence, and nearly gets him killed in his very first scene when Guthrie makes to backstab him after their duel.

* Elizabeth does a backward under-shoulder thrust with two swords in ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean: Dead Man's Chest'', impaling two of Davy Jones' men behind her.
* Ash in ''[[Franchise/EvilDead Army Of Darkness]]'' kills his first deadite with an over-the-shoulder boomstick shot.

* In DC Comics' ''IdentityCrisis'', Deathstroke manages to skewer the Flash on his sword with a blind strike behind him, despite the fact that the Flash at that point is moving so much faster than Deathstroke that the villain must have looked like an inanimate statue to the hero.

* Blindness, a built-in radar and keen enough senses to follow an opponent's moves through scent or air displacement, makes this a standard routine for DareDevil. For years the word on the street was that he was telepathic.

* If DiamondDallasPage, SteveAustin or RandyOrton are showing their back to you, do not run up on them. All threes' finishers are variations of "grab opponent's head while it's over your shoulder and drop", and are in fact *easier* to perform when approached/grabbed from behind.

* In ''TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossTheEighthDimension'', John Bigboote knocks a guy out with a solid punch while standing perfectly still, without even turning or looking in his direction.
* Sword man ''{{Zatoichi}}'' routinely impales attackers coming from behind without turning or looking. But then again he does the same to all attackers since he is blind.

* ''Film/IronMan 2'': After plowing through a wall while fighting [[Comicbook/WarMachine Rhodey]] (and landing with an elegant palm-thruster-boost while Rhodey sprawls on his ass amongst Tony's gym equipment), Tony does this along with an equally condescending "Now, put that back where you found it before somebody gets hurt." Rhodey responds by chucking a [[ImprovisedWeapon barbell weight disc]] at Tony's head. Tony glares at him over his shoulder, and the fight is back on.
* John Preston in ''{{Equilibrium}}'' does this a lot, only with guns.

* In ''{{Firefly}}'', Atherton Wing does this to a sorely outmatched Mal, who tries to attack and gets stabbed. Despite this, Wing later gets distracted and loses.

* The sixth series of ''Series/DoctorWho'' does this with River Song shooting one of [[spoiler: the Silence]] from behind whilst in mid-conversation.
** Doubly awesome because [[spoiler:''she can't remember that it's there or that there's even an enemy.'']]
* In an episode of ''StargateSG1'' a BrainwashedAndCrazy Teal'c is fighting off a Replicator invasion. He has defeated seemingly all of them. Then one quietly crawls along the wall behind him. Teal'c doesn't even bother turning around. He turns his [[{{Boomstick}} staff weapon]] (notoriously difficult to aim) around and blasts it into pieces. It helps that the Replicators make a distinctive metal-on-metal clang when moving. The very next episode showed flashbacks of Teal'c being trained to fight blindfolded by his OldMaster Bra'tac.

-->-- '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9NYYewCSxo&t=1m34s This guy]]''', ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter''

* The climactic drug factory shootout in ''{{RoboCop}}'' features the titular character shooting a thug standing above him by firing over his own right shoulder, and explicitly being able to shoot a mook while looking in the opposite direction.

* Pierson's Puppeteers from LarryNiven's ''KnownSpace'' are [[BizarreAlienBiology naturally evolved]] masters of this art: their eyes are on the end of long flexible necks and can easily look behind them to aim a disemboweling kick with their powerful hind leg. Of course, "badass" is the last word most people would use to describe the [[PlanetOfHats cowardly]] Puppeteers. (Louis Wu speculates that they originally developed the instinct "turn your back on danger and kick it", but it was gradually forgotten over time, degenerating into "turn your back on danger and run from it".)

* Hilariously subverted in the first chapter of ''Anime/MazingerZ'' Creator/GoNagai manga. Sayaka sortie in Aphrodite-A to stop a mysterious HumongousMecha is trashing the city [[spoiler:that mysterious HumongousMecha being Mazinger-Z, "piloted" by a Kouji Kabuto [[FallingIntoTheCockpit had just got on the robot and had absolutely no idea of how controlling the damned thing]].]] When she strikes it, the HumongousMecha easily withstands its attack, heaves her FemBot, throws her away... and then it turns its back towards her. Sayaka is incensed, believing that robot thinks Aphrodite is not good enough to fight and is making fun of her. Her father is worried and requests her being careful because it is a monster is dangerous even if he has its back turned to her. She gets ready to attack, when the HumongousMecha suddenly turns around... and its pilot manages to communicate with her and explain he did all that because he did not know how piloting the robot.

* ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'': [[hottip:Anyone:below Master-Class]] who approaches Miu from behind normally finds themselves on their back.

!Example:

!!Example:

[[folder:Film]]

* ''PulpFiction'' has this as well. Butch slashes the pawn-shop owner with a katana, walks past him, then finishes him off by thrusting it behind him.
* Rafiki in ''Disney/TheLionKing'' knocks a hyena flat with his stunning blind behind the back fist raise.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'' Ronin blocks an attack from behind with the scabbard of his sword, without even a flinch.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* {{Batman}} and his various protégés are rather fond of this one, to the point where it almost seems as though thugs are ''less'' likely to hit him if their attack comes from behind.

* Hilariously subverted in the first chapter of ''Anime/MazingerZ'' GoNagai manga. Sayaka sortie in Aphrodite-A to stop a mysterious HumongousMecha is trashing the city [[spoiler:that mysterious HumongousMecha being Mazinger-Z, "piloted" by a Kouji Kabuto [[FallingIntoTheCockpit had just got on the robot and had absolutely no idea of how controlling the damned thing]].]] When she strikes it, the HumongousMecha easily withstands its attack, heaves her FemBot, throws her away... and then it turns its back towards her. Sayaka is incensed, believing that robot thinks Aphrodite is not good enough to fight and is making fun of her. Her father is worried and requests her being careful because it is a monster is dangerous even if he has its back turned to her. She gets ready to attack, when the HumongousMecha suddenly turns around... and its pilot manages to communicate with her and explain he did all that because he did not know how piloting the robot.