History Main / ImprobableUseOfAWeapon

* In ''Film/HotShotsPartDeux'', Topper's machine gun runs out of ammunition. He spies a crate filled with bullets and throws them at the bad guys... killing them. Unlike other examples, the improbability is the point of the scene considering it's a comedy movie.

** Thor often makes creative use of [[DropTheHammer Mjölnir]] outside of combat, usually by taking advantage of the weapon's OnlyTheChosenMayWield nature. In his [[Film/{{Thor}} solo movie]] he restrains Loki by placing the hammer on his chest, knowing that Loki is not worthy and won't be able to move it on his own. In ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' he combines the worthiness clause with the hammer's ability to return to his hand when thrown as a GodTest to expose the fact that Loki is disguising himself as their father (the real Odin being worthy of the hammer). Thor throws the hammer into the distance, grabs "Odin" by the neck and holds him in the return path. Loki opts to dodge and drop his disguise rather than risk having his face caved in.

* ImproperlyPlacedFirearms

* In ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', Kamina's first impression of a gun is to use its butt as a hammer to bash his enemies [[note]]This is a completely legitimate tactic in real life, but it's not recommended because that's why you have a knife.[[/note]] After almost shooting himself in the crotch through that method, he realizes how it's supposed to be used (but still holds it upside down). Later, during his first fight against Viral, he more cleverly uses an arrow as a makeshift knife.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing''s strongest melee attacks are specific to clubs. With the rare Iron Palm technique, fighters can use swords as if they were clubs by making their hand impervious enough to grip the blade and pummel with the hilt.

** Wario can eat any explosive item, which explode and damage nearby enemies (and himself).
** This is a DiscussedTrope in [[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake's]] Codec call on [[VideoGame/StarFox Falco]]. Slippy informs Snake that Falco's [[AttackReflector Reflector]] is supposed to be held in place to reflect projectiles, which is how Fox uses it. However, Falco uses it by kicking it to send it flying around like a boomerang. Snake comments that there's no reason a weapon can't have more than one use, and adds that the Reflector's versatility shows just how well Slippy designed it.

* In ''Film/{{Narc}}'', two detectives puzzle over the shooting death of a gang-banger until they reason out that he had tried to use his own shotgun as a bong and blew his face off.

* Aric Jorgan, the Trooper's ranged damage companion in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', qualifies as his combat stance is referred to as "Sniper Mode." His weapon of choice is also a [[{{BFG}} blaster autocannon]] held at hip level. Usually, people use sniper rifles to do their sniping, but not Jorgan. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Hathcock#Legacy Then again, neither do certain real-life war heroes]] mentioned in the real life section of this page, but Jorgan doesn't even use a scope or bipod, and, again, [[ImprobableAimingSkills shoots from the hip]]. As of the Knights of the Fallen Empire re-vamp of SW:TOR across the board, this is no longer the case.
* Axl Low of ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' uses a kusarigama with a second sickle in place of the weight on the other end of its chain.
** Sol wields his sword upside-down, in order to evoke the imagery of [[Music/{{Queen}} Freddie Mercury]]'s baseless mic-stand.
* ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy'' series:
** Anna can whack her enemy with her bow (via the aptly-named Bow Whack skill) in ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy5''. Its complete inability to kill foes (leaving them at 1 HP instead), alongside its increased chance to get them to surrender makes it useful for capturing them.
** Lance's Crush skill (renamed Armor Crush in [[VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy5 EBF5]]) has Lance pull out whatever [[{{BFG}} shoulder-mounted gun]] he has equipped and whack them with it. Matt and Lance both get quotes for this skill in the fifth game:
--->'''Lance''': Ouch, that attack takes a lot out of my back! (I need to lift more weights...)
--->'''Matt''': Do you even lift, bro? You'll break your back if you swing it like that!
** Matt, meanwhile, has the ability to throw his sword like a boomerang via the Sword Cyclone skill. This can overlap with ImprobableWeaponUser, given Matt's arsenal features a guitar and a hockey stick, among other things.
* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'', the machine gun's most powerful upgrade has intense recoil... powerful enough that if you fire it downward, it propels you upward. In other words, you can use the machine gun as a makeshift jetpack, and it's actually better at this than the ''actual jetpack'' you acquire (unless you manage to get the jetpack's upgraded form, which is far more maneuverable).
* In ''VideoGame/SaltAndSanctuary'', the Trinity Scepter is basically a scepter once used for channeling magic. But due to its massive size, it is used and classified as a Greathammer in-game for bashing your enemies.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing''s strongest melee attacks are specific to clubs. With the rare Iron Palm technique, fighters can use swords as if they were clubs by making their hand impervious enough to grip the blade and pummel with the hilt.

* The characters in the ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' SNES beat-em-up don't have any ranged attacks, which leads to the bow-wielding Kimberly just beating everything to death with her bow.
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' has a Photon Art titled "Crazy Smash" for [[{{BFG}} launchers]]. What does it do? It makes you swing the launcher like a golf club, and has nice knock back to boot.
* The titular ''VideoGame/{{Transistor}}'' is shaped like a {{BFS}}, and Red uses it to fire bursts of energy and projectiles, set mines, summon a Process animal familiar...everything except use it as a sword. The only thing she actually uses it like a proper sword on is [[spoiler:[[DrivenToSuicide herself]].]]
* ''VideoGame/Persona3'' has an example of the user not understanding how to use it: Junpei uses two-handed swords like they were baseball bats. The Evokers the party uses to summon their Personae are usually shaped like handguns, which they use to ''shoot themselves in the head''.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': Due to the YourMindMakesItReal nature of the MentalWorld of the Palace, even prop weapons, such as a toy gun Ryuji gives the protagonist early in the game, are able to work as fully functioning weapons that can damage Shadows, although [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome the amount of ammo it can fire is still limited]]. This also explains how Goro is able to use laser swords and ray guns as weapons.
* Bowguns and Bows in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' can actually be used for melee attacks (sluggishly hitting monsters with your gun or your arrows, respectively). [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome It's about as effective as it sounds and usually not worth the effort]].
* In ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013'', the stealth kill animations show Lara using her bow as a makeshift garrotte to choke out enemies.
* In ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'', Opera has a laser rifle... ''That she [[PistolWhipping smacks people with]].''
* Vulcan Raven, one of the bosses in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', is codenamed after the [[GatlingGood M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon]] he carries into battle. The weapon and its feeding system typically weigh more than 400 lbs. and was originally fitted on a fighter jet.

* Among the many weapons available in ''VideoGame/AkibasTrip'' is an anti-material rifle...which is used as a two-handed beatstick.
* The Dust Storm attack in ''VideoGame/DustAnElysianTail'', when performed on the ground, is basically weaponized WeaponTwirling, though the attack can't be performed for too long or Dust will actually hit ''himself'' with the attack by accident.
* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' has Urien's Aegis Reflector, which is ostensibly an AttackReflector, but since it deals continuous ScratchDamage for as long as it contacts the opponent, it's best used after herding your opponent into a corner to lock them into a CycleOfHurting and open them up for combos.
* Vyse from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' holds [[DualWielding one of his swords]] in a ReverseGrip, but he holds it by the crossguard like a tonfa.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Brawlhalla}}'', some of the available weapons are used in odd fashions: the bow can be used as a melee weapon in combos, as well as used to fire an enemy you manage to catch. The rocket lance's exhaust can be used to attack the enemy and the cannon can be carried and used to clobber your enemy with it.

* Of the four Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, only Leonardo comes close to fighting appropriately with his weapon. Donatello is decent, but never uses half the techniques for a bo, Michelangelo is missing 95% of his nunchuku skills since he dual wields them, and Raphael uses his sai as knives instead of defensive bludgeon tools. The last one varies somewhat by work: in the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 2012 series]] Raphael actually uses his sai to catch and break weapons ([[MechaMooks and limbs]]), although he still occasionally uses them to stab as well.
* On ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', when Peter becomes a professional jouster, he tries to fish toast out of the toaster and butter it with his lance. It works about as well as one might expect.
* Kanan from ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' knocks out Fenn Rau by bludgeoning him with the hilt of an unignited lightsaber.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'': In a flashback episode, some guards from Katolis are shown using their halberds (which are seemingly based on the Chinese ''ji'' and fitted with curved sideblades to slash) as javelins against the Magma Titan, tossing them across the air at the beast. The lack of effectiveness is apparently put on the fact that the target is made of living magma.