History Main / InTheBack

** When Squad 6 come to arrest Rukia in Season 1, Ichigo tries to intervene and fights the Squad 6 lieutenant Renji Abarai. Just as Ichigo is winning, captain Kuchiki Byakuya {{Flash Step}}s in from behind and breaks Ichigo's sword. As Ichigo turns to face him, Byakuya {{Flash Step}}s again behind Ichigo, stabbing him in the back right through his heart, ending the fight and leaving Ichigo to die. In a show where most fights last several episodes, [[CurbStompBattle this one]] is [[OneHitKill over in seconds]]. In fact, it all happenes so fast that Ichigo is on the ground before he even knows that he's been attacked. (Renji reveals that this is Byakuya's favorite attack for minor opponents. In their HeroicRematch it doesn't work so well.)

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has an example, when [[spoiler:Lust stabs Havoc in the back after having pretended to be his sweet and loving girlfriend]].

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed'', NiceGuy [[AntiVillain Nicol Amalfi]] dies while trying to stab [[TheHero Kira Yamato]] in the back; Kira turns around and proceeds to cut Nicol (not [[HumongousMecha The Blitz]] but Nicol himself) nearly in half. Nicol's action is never portrayed as anything other than sympathetic, given that a) it's a war, b) The Blitz is too damaged to confront Kira and The Strike head on, and c) he's trying to save his best friend, Athrun, from Kira.

** In ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', [[spoiler:[[Characters/MCUNormanOsbor the Green Goblin]] manages to stab [[Characters/SpiderManTrilogySpiderMan his universe's Spider-Man]] when he's distracted. And this is after he just saved the Goblin from being killed by [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan MCU Spidey]], so this is ''purely'' a KickTheDog moment. Fortunately, the act doesn't kill him.]]

** In ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', [[spoiler:[[Characters/MCUGreenGoblin the Green Goblin]] manages to stab [[Characters/SpiderManTrilogySpiderMan his universe's Spider-Man]] when he's distracted. And this is after he just saved the Goblin from being killed by [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan MCU Spidey]], so this is ''purely'' a KickTheDog moment. Fortunately, the act doesn't kill him.]]

* Gino Weinberg of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' certainly isn't above this: This is how he [[spoiler:kills Senba of the Four Holy Swords, and how he destroys the otherwise [[BeehiveBarrier highly guarded]] Shinkirou much later]].

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'':

* ''Film/ChristmasBlood'': The [[BadSanta Santa killer]] murders Ritika by throwing his axe so it strikes her in the back.

** ''Manga/StoneOcean'': After Pucci [[spoiler: fully evolves his Stand into Made In Heaven]], the first of his victims is [[spoiler: Narciso Anasui,]] who is slain from behind.

** ''Manga/GoldenWind'': [[spoiler: Bucciaratti and Abbacchio]] are both impaled from behind by King Crimson's fist. [[spoiler: It's fatal in both cases, but thanks to [[CreatingLife Giorno]], Bucciaratti is at least able to make it to Rome before he expires.]]
** ''Manga/StoneOcean'': After Pucci [[spoiler: fully evolves his Stand into Made In Heaven]], the first of his victims is [[spoiler: Anasui, who is slain from behind]].

** ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'': J. Geil's [[FightingSpirit Stand]] stabs Avdol in the back, with the coup-de-grace being a bullet in the head, courtesy of Hol Horse. [[spoiler: It's revealed that Avdol survived the headshot by dodging in a way that the bullet only grazed him, but how he survived the stabbing is left unclear.]]

** ''Manga/BattleTendency'': [[BigBad Kars]] quickly proves what a dishonorable cheat he is when he distracts Lisa-Lisa with a body double and stabs her in the back after he had just agreed to a fair duel with her for the Red Stone of Aja.
** ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'': J. Geil's [[FightingSpirit Stand]] stabs Avdol in the back, with the coup de gras being a bullet in the head, courtesy of Hol Horse. [[spoiler: It's revealed that Avdol survived the headshot by dodging in a way that the bullet only grazed him, but how he survived the stabbing is left unclear.]]

* ''Film/Mortuary1983'': Christie kills [[spoiler:Paul]] by chopping him in the back with [[AnAxeToGrind an axe]], thus saving Greg's life.

* ''Film/RobinHoodTheRebellion'': In a KickTheDog moment, the Sheriff shoots the serving girl who is helping Robin in the back. she topple forward and [[DiedInYourArmstonight dies in Robin's arms]].

* ''ComicBook/{{GI Joe|ARealAmericanHeroMarvel}}'' provides the page image, wherein the original Cobra Commander, after having a crisis of conscience, is shot in the back by Fred-7, a Crimson Guardsman who then briefly takes over the role unbeknownst to the rest of Cobra, wearing the Commander's new armor.

* In the original ''ComicBook/{{GI Joe|ARealAmericanHeroMarvel}}'' comic, the original Cobra Commander is shot in the back by Fred-7, a Crimson Guardsman who then briefly takes over the role, wearing the Commander's new armor.

* ''Film/ElDiablo'': Naive cowpoke Billy Ray (Creator/AnthonyEdwards) has this exchange with grizzled gunslinger Van Leek (Creator/LouisGossettJr):
-->'''Billy Ray:''' You just shot that man in the back!\\
'''Van Leek:''' [[CombatPragmatist His back was to me.]]
:: : Later, it gets an IronicEcho when Billy Ray does it to the eponymous BigBad, as Van Leek gives the line, and Billy Ray shrugs and replies as Van Leek did earlier in the film. Van Leek chuckles.