History Main / ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks

** In 5th edition, the rules state you can throw some melee weapons and have them deal the same damage as they would up close, as long as they have the "thrown" property. Javelins, spears, and handaxes, among others, have it. However, [[SubvertedTrope none of the swords do]]. If you do try to throw a sword (or any other weapon that is not made to be thrown, for that matter), it will deal the same damage as an improvised weapon (i.e. a maximum of 4 damage, with the weakest sword having a max of 6 when used as intended). Not ideal, but then again, not ''completely'' useless. Likewise, [[InvertedTrope trying to use a ranged weapon, like a longbow, as a melee one]] will have the same effect.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}''/''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'' crossover "ComicBook/FateIsTheKiller", He-Man throws his sword and it plunges into Skeletor's chest.

* ''ComicBook/{{The Warlord|DC}}'': Travis Morgan uses this tactic multiple times. It is almost always successful.

* ''Film/{{Jumanji}}'': Played with. When confronted with Van Pelt, Alan throws the family sword. It's played straight in that it hits Van Pelt in the shoulder and pins him to a column. It's subverted in that Van Pelt, being a spirit of the game, is unharmed. He simply walks through the blade.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Ninjago.'' Kai throws his sword like a javelin a couple of times, but not as an attack. He does it to knock important objects from someone else's hand. [[ItMakesSenseInContext Like a teacup.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/Ninjago.'' Kai throws his sword like a javelin a couple of times, but not as an attack. He does it to knock important objects from someone else's hand.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Ninjago.'' Kai throws his sword like a javelin a couple of times, but not as an attack. He does it to knock important objects from someone else's hand.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', Batman is dueling with Ra's al Ghul and decides that the best use for his sword would be to throw it at Ghul's DoomsdayDevice which was [[DestructionEqualsOffSwitch seconds away from blowing up half the planet]].

* ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'': And then tosses his sword at a mirror, sending it halfway through the sorcerer Thoth-Amon without even seeing him.

* In ''Manga/BlackClover'', Ladros, upon figuring out that Asta is equipped only with a sword, chooses to engage in BeamSpam from a long distance to ensure Asta can never hit him. Asta quickly becomes aware of what Ladros is pulling and counters by throwing his sword, which squarely hits its target due to the bright lights and smoke from Ladros's ki blasts severely impairing his line of sight to Asta. Ladros is left in shock, especially as he desperately tries to yank the sword out of his shoulder and realizes just how ''heavy'' the sword is (although technically it's lighter to Asta since he doesn't have mana to drain).

* In ''Manga/BlackClover'', Ladros, upon figuring out that Asta is equipped only with a sword, chooses to engage in BeamSpam from a long distance to ensure Asta can never hit him. Asta quickly becomes aware of what Ladros is pulling and counters by throwing his sword, which squarely hits its target due to the bright lights and smoke from Ladros's ki blasts severely impairing Ladros's line of sight to Asta. Ladros is left in shock, especially as he desperately tries to yank the sword out of his shoulder and realizes just how ''heavy'' the sword is (although technically it's lighter to Asta since he doesn't have mana to drain).

* ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'':
** Conan throws his axe at one of the Vanir warlords in the battle of the Mounds.
** And then tosses his sword at a mirror in ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'', sending it halfway through the sorcerer Thoth-Amon without even seeing him.

[[caption-width-right:338:"[[Franchise/StarWars You are unwise to lower your defenses!]]"]]

* ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'' plays with this trope (with a little magical help) in [[http://www.errantstory.com/2009-04-06/959 these]] [[http://www.errantstory.com/2009-04-08/960 two]] strips.

* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'': The Mantis Lords can throw their spear-like nails at you like spinning boomerangs, which even fly back to them.

* In the final cutscene of ''VideoGame/FlashOfTheBlade'', you eventually defeat the true form of Soulstealer - revealed to be a gigantic FacelessEye inside a red void - by throwing your own sacred weapon, the Lightbringer, into [[EyeScream into Soulstealer's pupil]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Gauntlet}}'', Thyra the Valkyrie throws her sword at monsters when she isn't using it for close combat.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Growlanser}}: Wayfarer of Time'', the character Vallery wields a throwing sword as his ring weapon of choice.
* In ''VideoGame/HellgateLondon'', a skill for the Blademaster class called Cross Cutter allows them to throw their sword (the right-hand one if DualWielding). The effective range of this skill is the same as an assault rifle's. They also get a passive skill later on that increases their thrown sword damage.
* In ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'', throwing a knife at an enemy normally has a 50/50 chance of either landing handle-first (which will temporarily knock the enemy to the ground, allowing the player to perform an execution on them) or blade-first (which kills said enemy instantly). However, the snake mask Jake [[MadeOfPlasticine turns every enemy into plasticine]] makes it so that ''any'' thrown weapon (blunt weapons, bladed weapons, and even guns) will now mow through multiple enemies like a hot knife through butter, even if it has lost some of its momentum and is simply sliding across the floor!

** The recurring Strike Raid ability involves hurling the Keyblade at the enemy before calling it back to hand. Throughout the series, it's had several variants like elemental versions and counterattacks. Strike Raid first appeared in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' as one of Sora's special moves. He needs to have locked onto an enemy to perform this, so it never misses (and, with correct timing, can be aimed flawlessly at several Heartless in succession). Unlike most future incarnations of the ability, Sora [[ClingyMacGuffin warps the Keyblade back to his hand]] to throw it again in a combo.
*** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', [[spoiler:Kairi]] gets a variant of this while the character is playable. [[spoiler: After her keyblade lands, she teleports ''herself'' to the blade's location, differentiating her highly aggressive playstyle from Sora's.]]

** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'': Yozora can throw his sword at Sora, and when it reaches him, it will slash at Sora's back of its own volition for a few minutes.

* ''Film/{{Antigang}}'': During the raid in the warehouse, Genu exits the car carrying a baseball bat. His first act is to through the bat at one of the robbers; knocking him out.

* ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'': The latter character throws his blade as a timed anticlimax.

* The ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' do this all the time, particularly Raphael's sai (which works) and Michelangelo's nunchucks (at times, particularly in the games, they [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang return boomerang style]]). Donatello also throws his staff at times, making ironically only the swordsman Leonardo to not hurl his weapon.

* ''ComicBook/TheWarlordDC'': Travis Morgan uses this tactic multiple times. It is almost always successful.
* In his StandAloneEpisode of ''Midnight Sons Unlimited'', Characters/{{Blade}} throws his sword to kill Angela, [[OffhandBackhand who was coming at him from behind]]. [[spoiler:As if anything else could be spoiled, she was trying to avenge her brother, who was also trying to kill Blade.]]
* In ''ComicBook/Ronin1983'', the main character throws his samurai sword early in the first issue with his master even commenting on how the move is not a very intelligent one. [[spoiler:Then again, the main character is a fictional person even within the comic itself.]]
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsPsylocke Psylocke]] wounds [[spoiler:Archangel]] this way in ''Uncanny ComicBook/XForce'', though even she admits that [[MillionToOneChance it's a one-in-a-million shot.]]
* [[Characters/TheMightyThorThorOdinson Thor]] gets a pass with his hammer, since it returns to him when he throws it and he can control it.
* It ''would've'' worked for Storm Shadow in his debut in ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel'', to Scarlett's detriment, but Snake-Eyes catches it between his hands, ''from behind Scarlett, who was wearing a rocket-powered glider at the time.'' The blade was intended for Snake-Eyes, but Scarlett landed in front of him, ''[[HeroicSacrifice intending to take it herself]]'' to save him. It was fortunate for her that he made that catch.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Three}}'', Klaros is very good at this. In the notes, Gillen tries to justify it by pointing out that in classical Greece, both the spear and the sword were primarily hand-held stabbing weapons, and that the sword was actually more practical to throw.
* ComicBook/{{Diabolik}} normally uses actual throwing knives, but in a pinch, he would sometimes throw things that aren't supposed to be thrown, at least that way:
** On one occasion, caught in the act by the victim of his current heist while unarmed, he reflexively grabbed a ''paper knife'' and threw it, hitting him right in the heart. [[spoiler:[[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Given it wasn't a throwing knife nor sharp, the strike just knocked the victim out with a bad wound that wouldn't have been fatal]] had his inheritance-hungry grandson called for help rather than push it further in.]]
** On another occasion, Eva threw his knives... From a ''crossbow''. [[JustifiedTrope She had to simulate Diabolik being in a certain place and isn't anywhere near as skilled with throwing knives as he is]].
** Some of Diabolik's knives are actually ballistic knives capable of shooting their blades (see below in Real Life). He only does it when he can't throw the knife properly.
*** In the DK AlternateUniverse, Diabolik's counterpart had a peculiar variation: having hit an enemy with a BulletproofVest and being held at gunpoint by his comrades, he pressed a button on a remote, and the knives, still embedded in the vest, ignited a charge in the handle to fire themselves deeper, injuring the victim-and then he did it again to prove there was more than one charge in the knives and he could eventually kill him if they didn't let him leave. [[ShootTheHostage The others just shot their companion]].

* Deadpool uses this as a brilliantly timed anticlimax in an issue of ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool''.
* The ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' do this all the time, particularly Raphael's sai ([[TruthInTelevision which works]]) and Michelangelo's nunchucks (at times, particularly in the games, they [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang return boomerang style]]). Donatello also throws his staff at times, making ironically only the swordsman Leonardo to not hurl his weapon!