History Main / BadassBack

* In the ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' series, one of the characters, K' has a backward walking animation which is just him turning around and walking the opposite way.

* The blind warrior Voldo, in the later ''[[VideoGame/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 [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur III]]).

* The most badass version? Yoshimitsu in the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' series and his same-named ancestor in the ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur'' games. Why is it the most badass? Well, the move's English names are [[DeliberateInjuryGambit Suicide and Turning Suicide]] ...

* In ''ComicBook/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.

* Kitsune of ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'' pulls this off twice against two consecutive foes. Once as part of his [[https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2022/03/22/nine-tail-god-fist/ Anime/FistOfTheNorthStar parody]], and once as a triad with his [[https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2022/12/09/go-kaiger/ fellow godly beings.]]

* In the first season of ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', Gourry pulls this off while alone and searching for Lina after she gets kidnapped by Zelgadis. Accidentally disturbing a huge BeastMan in the form of a cat-man with horns and sabre fangs, he turns his back to it upon realizing it isn't Lina and, after effortlessly dodging its blows, reaches back with one hand and breaks a fang clean out of its mouth with a single flick of the finger. Said Beastman promptly decides to beat a hasty retreat.

* ''LightNovel/FateRequiem'': Koharu tries to attack Nzambi from behind while she she is busy talking to Erice, but Nzambi swats her out of the air without turning around.

* In a one-shot manga by Tsugumi Ohba, famous for ''Manga/DeathNote''. The main character has made a reputation for always fighting with his back facing the enemy. The reason? [[spoiler:If people recognized who he was everyone would be constantly looking for a fight.]] And that's just too troublesome.

* Legolas drops Wormtongue's final henchman with a casual backhand blow in Creator/PeterJackson's ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers''.

* Archibald Cunningham in ''Film/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.

* Swordsman ''Franchise/{{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.

* Anyone noticed that in ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Yuki defeated Asakura with her back turned to her? The fact that she kept her stoic attitude despite being pierced through by metal spears and energy lances doesn't exactly lower the awesomeness.

* Franchise/{{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.
** In an EXTREMELY [[RuleOfFunny hilarious]] example in [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries 1990s animated series]], Batman actually got ''Decked'' by [[CloudCuckoolander The Creeper]] while the latter was trying to hit up Harley Quinn, and was sent across the room, without the Creeper even ''acknowledging his presence''.
* In a Franchise/StarWarsLegends comic, Vader fights a clone or copy of [[spoiler:Darth Maul]], and in order to win [[DeliberateInjuryGambit stabs himself through the torso]] to get at [[spoiler:Maul]], who's behind him at the time. It's an attempt at symbolism through the trope, because the Dark Side Adepts who provided his opponent say he is unworthy as a Sith, as he doesn't hate purely enough - they say that his love for Padme is still there and weakens him. After he's defeated their champion, said champion asks in his last breath who or what he can hate so much to defeat him. Vader's answer? [[spoiler:"Myself."]]
** There's a moment in Episode I when Darth Maul finds himself with his back to the two Jedi, and flips his double-bladed lightsaber back and forth to perfectly deflect both their attacks in quick succession.

* In DC Comics' ''ComicBook/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.
* And of course Gwen Di Marco finishes off a mook of the week in just such a way in the intro sequence to ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' the series.
* The Soft Master from ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel G.I. Joe]]'' (Marvel series) does this against Destro...who had just fired ''rockets'' at him.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Ronin}}'', the main character actually stabs himself through the side in order to kill a demon who was attacking from behind. (This was necessary: to kill that demon requires the blood of an innocent.)
* ''ComicBook/SinCity'': Miho purposefully shows her back to a mob enforcer in order to enrage him enough to attack. The fight ends with [[spoiler: her kicking his head off his shoulders.]]
* 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 ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}. For years the word on the street was that he was telepathic.

* Rafiki in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' knocks a hyena flat with his stunning blind behind the back fist raise.
* In ''WesternAnimation/Epic2013'' Ronin blocks an attack from behind with the scabbard of his sword, without even a flinch.

* ''[[Franchise/TheChroniclesOfRiddick Riddick]]'' does this ad nauseam.

* ''Film/TheAvengers1998''. While Mrs. Peel is swordfighting with Steed, she briefly turns her back to him but continues to block his blows over her shoulder.
* The almost-final scene in ''Film/TheMatrix''. Doubly Badass because the rest of the film was pretty much establishing how awesome the Agents were, and triply Badass because Neo (NOT Mr. Anderson) looked utterly bored while doing it.

** Bigbou''té''! ''Té''!
* Sword man ''Franchise/{{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.

* The climactic drug factory shootout in ''Film/RoboCop1987'' 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.
** Having a targetting system helps. Prior to becoming Robocop, Murphy was a terrible shot.

* In ''Film/TheFifthElement'' Leeloo gets several of these during the opera scene. The most amusing example is at the end: she's lining up a dazed mook (in front of her) for a final blow when another approaches from behind, seemingly unnoticed. She takes them both out with a one-two punch [[MickeyMousing right in time with the music]].
* In ''Franchise/StarWars Episode VII:'' ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', Han Solo manages to shoot a First Order Stormtrooper without even looking at them. Goes to show that even old age won't stop Han from shooting first.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', when Cheetor reaches Transmetal 2 level, he shows off how bad ass he is by casually shooting Waspinator, who was sneaking up behind him, over his shoulder without looking.
* Chase Young from ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' does this several times, mostly while fighting/"training" Omi during Seaason 2.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManX6'': [[TurtlePower Rainy Turtloid]] will always have his back facing out towards the screen, showing off the two crystals in his shell. This is to highlight his powerful defenses which can only be compromised by destroying both crystals.

* Machinima/RedVsBlue: Tex (who else?) pulls this off during the training session against three other Freelancers in Season 9. Rather than actually attacking her opponent though, she simply ducks and lets his punch hit the opponent in front of her.

* Lara does this to Larson in the original ''VideoGame/TombRaider''.

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

* Gin of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' once released his extending sword from its sheath without looking behind him.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Ronin}}'', the main character actually stabs himself through the side in order to kill a demon who was attacking from behind.

Similarly, for a finishing move in a sword fight, the user can thrust their sword under their shoulder, stabbing the opponent in the process. Characters with [[HealingFactor super regeneration]] have even been known to stab the enemy through themselves. If the hero is fighting against an opponent before him simultaneously, he may nevertheless wreck a rear attacker with a DangerousBackswing.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'': [[KingOfBeasts Fistleo]] will occasionally show off his back to Vent/Aile while glowing with an ominous BattleAura in a manner highly reminiscent of [[VideoGame/StreetFighter Akuma]]. It's so badass, in fact, that if you try to attack him he'll launch a devastating CounterAttack.

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighter'' 's Akuma tends to do this after winning a fight, especially if he ends it with his lethal signature attack, the Shun Goku Satsu. The back of his gi also glows with the kanji for "heaven," where some of his opponents surely get sent after being felled by his fist. He takes it even further in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' and with his Shin incarnation in the ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom'' series. In those games, after either winning or successfully pulling off the Shun Goku Satsu, his back becomes emblazoned with a unique kanji that means '''"GODLIKE."'''

** Cammy also turns her back as part of one of her victory poses. In some games she does it while flashing a peace sign at the screen with her hat off, and in others she does it while giving a thumbs up and her hat still on.

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighter'' 's Akuma tends to do this after winning a fight, especially if he ends it with his lethal signature attack, the Shun Goku Satsu. The back of his gi also glows with the kanji for "heaven," where some of his opponents surely get sent after being felled by his fist. He takes it even further in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' and with his Shin incarnation in the ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom'' series. In those games, after successfully pulling off the Shun Goku Satsu, his back becomes emblazoned with a unique kanji that means '''"GODLIKE."'''

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' 's Akuma tends to do this after winning a fight, especially if he ends it with his lethal signature attack, the Shun Goku Satsu. The back of his gi glows with the kanji for "heaven," where some of his opponents surely get sent after being felled by his fist. He takes it even further in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' and with his Shin incarnation in the ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom'' series. In those games, after successfully pulling off the Shun Goku Satsu, his back becomes emblazoned with a unique kanji that means '''"GODLIKE."'''

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'''s Akuma does this after successfully pulling off his one-hit-KO special attack, Shun Goku Satsu. His back glows with the symbol for what amounts to "GODLIKE" for good measure.

* If Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, Wrestling/SteveAustin or Wrestling/RandyOrton are showing their back to you, do not run up on them. All three use a FinishingMove that's a variation 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 the first season of ''{{LightNovel/Slayers}}'', Gourry pulls this off while alone and searching for Lina after she gets kidnapped by Zelgadis. Accidentally disturbing a huge BeastMan in the form of a cat-man with horns and sabre fangs, he turns his back to it upon realizing it isn't Lina and, after effortlessly dodging its blows, reaches back with one hand and breaks a fang clean out of its mouth with a single flick of the finger. Said Beastman promptly decides to beat a hasty retreat.

* Apparently deciding that taking out a dragon wasn't enough for proving her badass credentials, [[spoiler:Yue Ayase]] of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' managed to do this to a demon trying to sneak up on her by stabbing it in the torso with a {{BFS}} she pulled out of thin air.

* Part of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMUkjcI1s3M SSJ4 Gogeta's ultimate move]] in ''VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokai 3''

** Especially frustrating example: ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'', where the Jackal Snipers do this. It doesn't help that the beam kills no matter where it hits, and ricochets off of walls.

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 4'' [[spoiler: Nero impales the final boss with a sword held backhand while facing away.]]

* Starting with ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'', the Hunters in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' acquire a behind-the-back melee, which is an instant kill on Legendary difficulty.

* ''Videogame/Injustice2:'' Darkseid, fond as he is of the ReverseArmFold, actually pulls one for his Super attack, looking away with a chuckle before casually sending out a particularly strong burst of [[EyeBeams Omega]] [[HomingLaser Effect]], which goes all the way over him to hit his hapless enemy anyways.
* ''Franchise/MegaMan''

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