History Main / KillerYoyo

* Mike Jones' primary weapon in ''VideoGame/StarTropics'' is a yo-yo. You upgrade the weapon as the game progresses.
** There's also a bola weapon.

* A standard Western yo-yo, as noted above, can become the bane of babysitters and parents everywhere. Those fancy trick yo-yos that were briefly fashionable around the turn of the millennium are even worse. And ones made of aluminum, especially the ones with weighted inserts, are even more dangerous. Anyone just starting to learn tricks would be wise to use a mouthguard and mind their hands/wrists when throwing/returning the yoyo with any significant amount of force.

According to legend, the ancient, simple child's toy known as the yo-yo took on use as a deadly weapon in the hands of Filipino tribesmen centuries ago.[[note]]There is no historical evidence of this. Historians attribute the legend to Filipino hero Jose Rizal, who claimed it either as [[ItAmusedMe a joke]] or a fun, creative story -- he used to carve and play with yo-yos while traveling on ships, and founded a massively successful company that produced and sold yo-yos in the United States, which generated a mass yo-yo craze that lasted even throughout TheGreatDepression.[[/note]] Whether it's true or not, if you see a yo-yo in a series with combat, particularly in an anime or video game and particularly in the hands of a young child, it's a safe bet that it will be slung with deadly intent and accuracy.

* In ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' and ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', one of VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'s exclusive copy abilities is a yo-yoo, taken from the [[https://kirby.fandom.com/wiki/Gim Gim]] enemy. One of its attacks consists of [[DanceBattler breakdancing]] on top of the yo-yo ([[ShoutOut and a backward]] [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 baseball cap]]).

* ''VideoGame/{{Superfrog}}'': The titular character fights enemies with a yo-yo, but sadly, it only works against flying enemies.

* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'': Malin usually wields a knife, but also uses yo-yos (with or without blades) as well as electric batons and a [[DropTheHammer giant hammer]].

* ''Frak!'' for the UsefulNotes/BBCMicro starred a caveman armed with a yo-yo.

* In his origin story, a young ComicBook/{{Bullseye|MarvelComics}} was shown throwing a yo-yo and killing a bird with it.
* ''Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}'' foe the Jester wields a weighted yo-yo as a weapon.
* The Trickster, from ComicBook/TheFlash's RoguesGallery, has included yo-yos in his arsenal.
** While under the Top's [[{{brainwashed}} influence]], his near-obsessive use of the yo-yo (commented on by one of the G-men) is probably also a tell for the normally playful James being buried under the stern, serious Agent Jesse, possibly as a bit of a slip in Top's mind screw.
* In ''Comicbook/{{Flashpoint}}'', the AlternateUniverse Joker's sidekick, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Yo-Yo]], uses a pair of these when fighting against Batman. In [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueTheFlashpointParadox the animated adaptation]], her yoyos glow yellow and pink.
* ComicBook/TheJoker once pulled one of these in a fight and was ridiculed for using such a cliched weapon. The intended victim asked him "let me guess, it's really heavy or it explodes or shoots acid or something?" Joker proceeds to unwind the cord of the perfectly normal yo-yo and strangle the guy with it.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons [[ComicBook/TheSimpsons Comics]]'' #131 featured a manga-styled segment. Lisa appears at the end, wielding two yo-yos and sporting understandably [[Manga/DragonBall Super Saiyan]]-like hair. Pretty much a general ShoutOut to Sukeban Deka.
* Comic book example: Frank Einstein, the eponymous ''Comicbook/{{Madman}}'', uses a lead weighted yo-yo among other toy-based weapons.

* Showed up in a special issue of ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'', where the villain wielded one and made a reference to the aforementioned Filipino arts.

* The main weapon of Ladybug in ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug''. She mainly uses it for [[Franchise/SpiderMan Spidey]]-style {{Building Swing}}ing. The string is [[VariableLengthChain as long as she wills it to be]], she can SpinToDeflectStuff with it, the whole thing is indestructible by mundane means, ''and'' she use it as a video phone. It's [[AWizardDidIt explicitly the product of the magical artifact that provides her powers]].

A type of EpicFlail. See also ImprobableWeaponUser. Compare BattleTops. Your Killer Yoyo is likely to be wielded by a BadassAdorable or a LittleMissBadass, if the writer is playing up the "deadly yet cute" aspect of this trope.

* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'': Yo-yos are part of the melee class, and a legitimately good sub-category. They are thrown out to attack and follow the mouse for a set period of time, do continuous damage as long as they make contact with an enemy, then retract. They can be difficult to master, not so much for lacking damage but because of poor crowd control and knockback; the fact that they follow the mouse allows the player to attack from behind cover, making for easy but cheesy strategies. They also have accessories that can increase their length, launch out a counterweight (or several), and even send out a second yo-yo. Further along in the game, powerful yo-yos don't retract unless you release the button and some even spawn separate projectiles.

* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' introduces yo-yos as a melee weapon type. They can be thrown out to attack, follow the mouse for a set period of time, then retract. They do continuous damage as long as they make contact with an enemy. They can be difficult to master, but the fact that they follow the mouse allows the player to attack from behind cover. They also have accessories that can increase their length, create a counterweight, and even send out a second yo-yo.

* In ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' and ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', one of VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'s exclusive copy abilities is Yo-Yo, taken from the Gim enemy. It consists of [[DanceBattler breakdancing]] with a yo-yo ([[ShoutOut and a backward]] [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 baseball cap]]).

* The yo-yo is pretty well-documented as [[http://www.yoyomuseum.com/museum_view.php?action=profiles&subaction=yoyo one of the oldest toys in the world,]] but there's just about no historical evidence that it was ever used as a serious weapon. It might have been used as an anti-snake device in Filipino farm fields, but that's about it.

* ''Anime/CombattlerV'': One of the first and most well-known examples in anime is the Choudenji Yoyo (Super Electromagnetic Yo-Yo), the signature weapon of the titular SuperRobot.

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'': Bridget wields a yo-yo that can also turn into into weird and deadly contraptions as her weapon; this is likely part of the joke, as it goes nicely with the nun habit, in-line skates, and teddy bear. And giant handcuff belt-hula hoop thing.
** Which, according to one of her win animations, also doubles as a yo-yo holster.

->''A variation on throwing weapons, yo-yos allow you to both throw the weapon a short distance and then have it come back to you, without any antigravity generators or built in homing devices.''

According to legend, the ancient, simple child's toy known as the yo-yo took on use as a deadly weapon in the hands of Filipino tribesmen centuries ago.[[note]]There is no historical evidence of this. Historians attribute the legend to Filipino hero Jose Rizal, who claimed it either as [[ItAmusedMe a joke]] or a fun, creative story -- he used to carve and play with yo-yos while traveling on ships, and founded a massively successful company the produced and sold yo-yos in the United States, which generated a mass yo-yo craze that lasted even throughout TheGreatDepression.[[/note]] Whether it's true or not, if you see a yo-yo in a series with combat, particularly in an anime or video game and particularly in the hands of a young child, it's a safe bet that it will be slung with deadly intent and accuracy.

* ''Anime/BestStudentCouncil'': Nanaho Kinjo

* ''[[VideoGame/GanbareGoemon Legend of the Mystical Ninja]]'': The best weapon in the game is the bladed "Yokohama Yo Yo." This yo-yo is not seen in any other ''Ganbare Goemon'' games, though the chain pipe serves a similar purpose as a long-range weapon.

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear XX'': Bridget wields a yo-yo that can also turn into into weird and deadly contraptions as her weapon; this is likely part of the joke, as it goes nicely with the nun habit, in-line skates, and teddy bear. And giant handcuff belt-hula hoop thing.

* ''Film/WinnerTakesAll'', a 1982 martial arts spoof film, have the hero being ambushed by various ninjas near the finale. The hero whips out a pair of yo-yos and wipes out ''all'' the ninjas in one fight scene. There's even a moment where the lead ninja, [[FightingWithChucks who uses dual nunchucks]] goes into a weapon-posing contest with the hero.

* ''VideoGame/GaiaCrusaders'' has an enemy mook (a guy in shades wearing a trench coat) who DualWields spiked yo-yos to attack your players.

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear XX'': Bridget wields a yo-yo that can also turn into into weird and deadly contraptions as his weapon; this is likely part of the joke, as it goes nicely with the nun habit, in-line skates, and teddy bear. And giant handcuff belt-hula hoop thing.
** Which, according to one of his win animations, also doubles as a yo-yo holster. (Yes. [[UnsettlingGenderReveal His]]. Likely part of the same joke, at least via culture context).

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/{{Earthbound}} Ness]] demonstrates, at the expense of [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Sheik.]]]]

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'': One of the ranged weapons is a yo-yo. It's practically useless, but ''all'' ranged weapons (except Jeff's best ones) suck in this game. Strangely enough, in his appearances in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, his yo-yo attacks are much more useful: in the first game, they do massive damage, and in ''Melee'', can be used in a Ness-only glitch to make him virtually-untouchable.

* In ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' and ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', one of VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'s exclusive copy abilities is Yo-Yo, taken from the Gim enemy. It consists of [[DanceBattler breakdancing]] with a yo-yo ([[ShoutOut and a backward]] [[VideoGame/EarthBound baseball cap]]).

* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'': Malin is usually a KnifeNut, but also uses yo-yos (with or without blades) as well as electric batons and a [[DropTheHammer giant hammer]].