History Main / WeaponTwirling

It's well known that when it comes to fictional fight scenes, what looks exciting and cool is far more important than what would be effective in real life. That's where Weapon Twirling comes in because [[SpectacularSpinning spinning is spectacular]]. It's visually interesting and looks like it may be difficult to pull off, and is thus [[RuleOfCool cool]]. It's also used when a character would otherwise be standing idly since someone just standing around with a weapon isn't as interesting as that person doing fancy tricks with that weapon.

* ''Film/{{Tombstone}}'' has one of the best yet subtle ones of all time: Doc Holliday is pointing twin pistols at one of his enemies. Mind you, he is utterly shitfaced levels of drunk and this happens:
-->'''Thug''': The drunk piano player. You're so drunk you can't even see straight. ''(he pulls his big knife out)''
-->'''Doc Holliday''': I have two guns. ''(he twirls the pistols IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY and points them at the thug in perfect sync)'' One for each of ya.
** There was an even better scene earlier when the best gunfighter of the villain's gang, Johnny Ringo, decides to show off with some fancy, quick pistol twirling to antagonize Doc Holliday. It goes on for ''quite some time.'' He finishes, then stares at Doc in challenge. Doc then calmly replicates Ringo's entire showoff routine perfectly...with his ''drinking cup.'' While making mocking faces at Ringo the whole time. Capped with "holstering" the cup when he's done. Ringo is understandably livid at being mocked in public so effectively and it's fuel to the fire with their [[spoiler: eventual showdown in the climax.]]

* A certain character in ''Literature/BrotherbandChronicles'' is named Jurgen Half-Foot. He tells people that he lost half his foot in a battle, [[ExactWords which is technically true...]] only he was spinning his battleax around his head and [[RealityEnsues he dropped it]].

In some instances, spinning weapons are used to [[SpinToDeflectStuff block projectiles]] or create [[BlowYouAway wind attacks]].

*** [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesZeroNoKiseki Elie]] has her twirling her gun before firing her [[LimitBreak S-Craft]].

* The infamous scene in ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' where a swordsman does this to show off and Indy [[CombatPragmatist just shoots him]].

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The one class in ''D&D'' 3.5 for whom the weapon twirling as in-game effect is the Warblade. Warblades recover their spent maneuvers by spending a swift action and making an attack or full-attack action -- or, if no opponent is within range, doing a weapon flourish.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film - Animation]]

-->'''Rapunzel''': Too weak to handle myself out there, huh, Mother? Well, tell that to my frying pa--*''clonk''*

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', there is a "Flourish Weapon" ability mapped to a key, and can be used to spin blasters, swords, and lightsabers(!) around dangerously. Including the [[DoubleWeapon double-bladed lightsabers]].
* The later ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'' games include some twirling of lightsabers. In ''Jedi Outcast'' it's mostly just the animations for activating or deactivating a lightsaber while standing still[[note]]as well as an EasterEgg "taunt" function where your character lifts his current weapon above his hand with the Force, spins it around, then lowers it again; active lightsaber blade passing harmlessly through his head during this optional[[/note]], but ''Jedi Academy'' incorporates a lot of spinning and twirling into the fighting styles for {{dual|Wielding}} or double-bladed sabers.
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsJediFallenOrder'': Pressing left on the D-Pad will activate Cal's lightsaber, but not before the handle does a few twirls in the palm of his hand. In this same fashion, when he exits combat and deactivates his lightsaber, Cal will occasionally twirl the handle rapidly before clipping it to his belt. There's no purpose to this, other than to look like a complete badass.

* Units in ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' games will often do this before scoring a CriticalHit.
** Chrom from ''VideoGame/{{Fire Emblem Awakening}}'' does this after felling an enemy.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', Claude will do this with his arrows in his idle animation if equipped with a bow. Similarly, Edelgard's axe animation has her twirl it behind her after any hit, critical or otherwise.
* Yosuke from ''VideoGame/Persona4'' does this while in battle and in the opening animation. It backfires when he nearly drops his dagger in both.
* In ''VideoGame/KidNikiRadicalNinja'', Kid Niki attacks by spinning his sword in front of him.
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Yuri weaponizes it with his Shining Fang arte, twirling his weapon to slash the enemy multiple times.
* [[BlackMagicianGirl Anise Tatlin]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' twirls her staff like a baton during spellcasting.
** Similarly, Yuan from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' twirls his bladed DoubleWeapon above his head when casting spells.
* Mages in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' frequently do this, with their combat having evolved from the simple point-and-click casting of the first game, into a full-body form of Wushu that turns their BladeOnAStick into a veritable font of destruction.
** Mage Hawke's SignatureMove in cut-scenes is to repeatedly twirl their Staff, whilst [[PlayingWithFire summoning an inferno]] and roasting their enemies alive.
* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', The Spy and Scout do this a lot with their weapons. The Spy opens and closes his ButterflyKnife this way (or spins it around his finger if it isn't a butterfly knife), and the Scout flips his [[BatterUp bat]] before grabbing it. He also does this with the Crit-a-Cola and Bonk! Energy Drink (it looks like he's spilling it everywhere, but it works just fine).
* The [[AnAxeToGrind Ravager]] skill "Round and Round" in ''VideoGame/AuraKingdom'', weaponising the spinning to deal continuous damage to all surrounding targets [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/cf25cc9c1043b8c17c96740935c2da04/tumblr_n66j1dw7Qh1r06ifyo3_1280.jpg in a cyclone]] for three seconds as well as absorbing some of that damage to restore health.
* This is Seren's pre-attack animation in ''VideoGame/PanelDePon''.

* It happens in the ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'':
** Estelle from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' will twirl her staff as a victory animation and during cutscenes when she wants to show off. At one point in ''FC'', she even manages to deflect a bullet this way.
** [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesZeroNoKiseki Elie]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel IV'' has her twirling her gun before firing her [[LimitBreak S-Craft]].
** Rean in ''Cold Steel IV'' also twirls his katana twice before unleashing [[spoiler:his final S-Craft of the Erebonia arc.]]
* Revolver Ocelot from the VideoGame/MetalGear series twirls with his revolvers in impressive ways.
* To show off his status as ClimaxBoss and strength, Velstadt the Royal Aegis from ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' does it with his giant (as in, bigger than ''you'') two-handed [[MixAndMatchWeapon hammer-slash-magic staff]]. With one hand.
* The Dust Storm technique in ''VideoGame/DustAnElysianTail'', when performed on the ground, is a weaponized version of this, causing a ton of weak hits, sucking in nearby items, and [[CombinationAttack powering up Fidget's otherwise incredibly pitiful magic attacks when they get caught in it.]]
* Cayde-6 from ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' twirls his pistol literally every time he pulls it out, to the point that it’s like a CharacterTic for him.
* ''VideoGame/Onimusha3DemonsSiege'' has Heihachi's SuperMode, where his spear turns red and he slowly walks forward, twirling the blade in ample circles before stopping.
* In ''VideoGame/OnimushaDawnOfDreams'' the three-combo weapons for Tenkai involves essentially lots and lots of twirling as he walks forward, as well as his special technique "Awakening", where he twirls his weapon around himself while rotating his torso and forming a dome of spinning pain around himself.
* In ''VideoGame/{{cloudphobia}}'', players can twirl the Núllpunktur vibroblade indefinitely by holding down the fire button, which can be effective for dealing with weaker enemies.
* Ibuki from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' does this with her kunai in her generic intro when she is on point after her partner is shown in ''Street Fighter X Tekken''.

* Beck nearly gives away his secret identity as the Tron impostor in ''WesternAnimation/TronUprising'' to TheDragon by doing this with what appears to be the Grid's equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife.

-->[[HypocriticalHumor "Show-off!"]]
* Kevin of ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'' frequently does this after firing his Zapper.
* Dreadwing in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' kept spamming this move.
* In a DeletedScene of ''WesternAnimation/{{Bionicle}}: The Legend Reborn'', which was to be an [[ShoutOut exact replica of]] the scene from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', a bone hunter swordsman tries to intimidate Kiina this way, but she blasts him away with water.

* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsJediFallenOrder'', pressing left on the D-Pad will activate Cal's lightsaber, but not before the handle does a few twirls in the palm of his hand.
** In this same fashion, occasionally when he exits combat, and deactivates his lightsaber, he will twirl the handle rapidly before clipping it to his belt. There's no purpose to this, other than to look like a complete badass.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', Link twirls the Master Sword before sheathing it after every boss battle. Lampshaded in one fight when he does his victory sheathe, but then notices that the boss is still barely alive; after finishing it off he quickly returns the sword to its scabbard without showing off. [[note]]Humorously enough, said victory sheathe was entirely unnecessary considering the sword hadn't even been used during said fight.[[/note]]
** In the same game, Link also twirls his sword while L-Targeting. It's an {{idle animation}}.

** [[VideoGame/ZeroNoKiseki Elie]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel IV'' has her twirling her gun before firing her [[LimitBreak S-Craft]].

* ''Manga/AkagamiNoShirayukihime'': Obi tends to spin his throwing knives between his fingers when he's waiting for his allies or targets to reach his location.

* ''[[{{Literature/Gate}} Gate]]'': Rory Mercury has this down to an art form--with an axe that's taller than she is, and heavy enough to hospitalize humans trying to lift it.

* Yosuke from ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' does this while in battle and in the opening animation. It backfires when he nearly drops his dagger in both.

* It happens in the ''VideoGame/KisekiSeries''.

** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', Claude will do this with his arrows in his idle animation if equipped with a bow.

* In ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'', Rapunzel is justifiably pleased with herself after dispatching an intruder.

* In colorguard and winterguard, although not real weapons, will do this with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I7I-nYJa_w wooden rifles]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9c9-dKQeqU blunt sabres]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kleNKSn9SY oddly shaped airblades]], the three of are part of weapons (also called spinning, because calling it twirling [[BerserkButton makes them angry]].

* In ''Film/TheFellowshipOfTheRing'', Boromir twirls his sword a few times while waiting for the goblin horde to break into Balin's Tomb in Moria. Though, as the Real Life section points out, this is more likely a case of him stretching.

* Riddick does some knife-twirling in ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick''.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts'': In the original, at the Coliseum, Sora will imitate the victory dances of Cloud and Squall, this is the result.

It's well known that when it comes to fictional fight scenes, what looks exciting and cool is far more important than what would be effective in real life. That's where Weapon Twirling comes in because EverythingIsBetterWithSpinning. It's visually interesting and looks like it may be difficult to pull off, and is thus [[RuleOfCool cool]]. It's also used when a character would otherwise be standing idly since someone just standing around with a weapon isn't as interesting as that person doing fancy tricks with that weapon.

Supertrope of GunTwirling. Subtrope of EverythingsBetterWithSpinning.