History Main / WeaponTwirling

* A certain character in ''Literature/TheBrotherbandChronicles'' 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 [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome he dropped it]].

** In "Corporate Warriors," Mac twirls the katana he's testing while Lindsay observes. He did not do so with the other martial arts weapons he tested just before this, so possibly a case of stretching, a la the [=LoTR=] example above / Real Life section below.
** In "Redemptio," Sheldon is caught up in a prison riot. Upon being introduced as a fellow inmate by one of them to a group of others holding the warden hostage, he is handed a billy club and is told to use it on the warden as revenge. He hesitates, then twirls it much the same as a sword fighter would do. Just as he starts to swing it for real, the first inmate stops him and convinces the group that they don't need to harm the warden any further, but to use him as leverage.

** Played straight for the usual badass versions, but [[KnightInSourArmor Sandor Clegane]] scoffs at [[TomboyPrincess Arya Stark]]'s twirl-heavy [[SheFu waterdancing]] technique, [[AwesomeButImpractical saying that it's a recipe for getting herself killed]]. He then [[WouldHitAGirl proceeds to demonstrate how.]]

* 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 [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome he dropped it]].

** ''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]] Link also twirls his sword while L-Targeting as an IdleAnimation.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': Moblins holding a one-handed melee weapon such a sword will perform occasional flourishes with it when in combat, flicking it into the air and catching it again by the hilt before striking a blow.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'': Mages 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.

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'': Units in the games will often do this before scoring a CriticalHit.

* Marc in ''Fanfic/MarcBeingInAGangRights'' tends to twirl his knives [[BladeEnthusiast to show how good he is with them]].

* VideoGame/{{[BushidoBlade}}:
** In the first and second games, the character Katze twirls his revolver as a [[VictoryPose "victory pose"]].
** In the second game, Jo twirls her sword, similar to Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy, as her victory pose.

** In the spin-off series, Series/{{Angel}} often does this [[AnAxeToGrind when he's using an axe]].

* ''VideoGame/AuraKingdom'': The [[AnAxeToGrind Ravager]] skill "Round and Round" weaponizes 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.

* UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}n UsefulNotes/{{Cossack|s}} saber-dancing with the ''shaksha'' sword is spectacular to watch, especially when performed with two swords. Even if formal sword-teachers from other traditions sniffily talk about "moulinette" and "windmilling". Ksenia Rogers is a mistress of the art and can be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piI692DS7YY seen here.]]

* UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}n saber-dancing with the UsefulNotes/{{Cossack|s}} ''shaksha'' sword is spectacular to watch, especially when performed with two swords. Even if formal sword-teachers from other traditions sniffily talk about "moulinette" and "windmilling". Xenia Rogers is a mistress of the art and can be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piI692DS7YY seen here.]]

* Russian sabre-dancing with the Cossack ''shaksha'' sword is spectacular to watch, especially when performed with two sabres. Even if formal sword-teachers from other traditions sniffily talk about "moulinette" and "windmilling". Xenia Rogers is a mistress of the art and can be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piI692DS7YY seen here.]]

In certain cases, some weapons have large rings or straps at the end of their handles, allowing the ability to spin or twirl their weapon much easier. The former is more common in short-bladed weapons such as knives or daggers (kunai and karambits are good examples) and for the latter it's more commonly seen with blunt weaponry (namely batons[[labelnote:*]]In fact it's common to see straps on {{Lawman Baton}}s used by {{Old Fashioned Copper}}s and then used as they twirl them around while patrolling, whistling a tune may or may not be required.[[/labelnote]]).

* The titular heroine in ''Anime/SailorMoon'' regularly uses weapons which she sometimes twirls before firing the actual attack, such as during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlNTm9waNo0 Moon Healing]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCCTVMwVyTo Escalation]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHMQMyUbXbw Moon Spiral Heart Attack]]. The egregious example is likely [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWNUU2osFY4 Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss]], where she ''[[MindOverMatter telekinetically]]'' twirls her rod.

* [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel's]] ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' is very well-known for holding the leather strap of his mighty hammer Mjölnir and spinning it around. This serves a practical purpose however, as rapidly twirling Mjölnir has a variety of uses. From building up momentum [[NotQuiteFlight to launch himself up in the air to fly over great distances akin to flight]][[note]](although later on he would just get proper flight powers)[[/note]], increase the impact strength of his strikes to quickly dispatch sturdy foes or send large swathes of {{mook}}s flying, using his status as the god of thunder to create thunderstorms with the rapidly spinning Mjölnir and that's not the last bit.

** ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'': The later 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/Onimusha3DemonsSiege'' has Heihachi's SuperMode, where his spear turns red and he slowly walks forward, twirling the blade in ample circles before stopping.

-->[[HypocriticalHumor "Show-off!"]]:

* 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]]).
* The Rajput weapon known as the Aara (or Urumi), is actually used ''exclusively'' by twirling, as it is basically the lovechild of a sword and giant whip (it is composed of a normal sword hilt and one or more multi-foot blades so flexible that the weapon is worn like a belt when not in use). The user twirls around in circles simply to keep track of the weapons forward momentum and not injure themselves (although this has the additional effect of being a 360 area-attack). Whoever created this weapon actually managed to out-Hollywood Hollywood. Not only does the weapon make a noise like a cross between a whipcrack and two cookie-sheets banging together whenever it strikes something, but watching someone who knows how to use it demonstrate just that is like a cross between watching someone do the same thing with a whip, and ribbon dancing. The result is actually far more awesome and badass-looking than anything Hollywood has ever dreamt up. However, not only was the weapon intended to shock-and-awe and bitch-slap rather than do real damage, but it may be the single hardest weapon to master in pre-gunpowder history. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCQMtsyPuK0 Watch a two-blade version in all its glory here]]
* Russian sabre-dancing with the Cossack ''shaksha'' sword is spectacular to watch, especially when performed with two sabres. Even if formal sword-teachers from other traditions sniffily talk about "moulinette" and "windmilling". Xenia Rogers is a mistress of the art and can be seen ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piI692DS7YY here]]''.

* Marc in ''Fanfic/MarcBeingInAGangRights'' tends to do this with his knives [[KnifeNut to show how good he is with them]].

* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': In "Corporate Warriors," Mac twirls the katana he's testing while Lindsay observes. He did not do so with the other martial arts weapons he tested just before this, so possibly a case of stretching, a la the [=LoTR=] example above / Real Life section below.

In certain cases, some weapons have large rings or straps at the end of their handles, allowing the ability to spin or twirl their weapon much easier. The former is more common in short-bladed weapons such as knives or daggers (kunai and karambits are good examples) and for the latter it's more commonly seen with blunt weaponry (namely batons[[labelnote:*]]In fact it's common to see straps on old {{Lawman Baton}}s and it's pretty well-known that lawmen twirl around the baton when out patrolling[[/labelnote]]).

Supertrope of GunTwirling. Subtrope of SpectacularSpinning.

In certain cases, some weapons have large rings or straps at the end of their handles, allowing the ability to spin or twirl their weapon much easier. The former is more common in short-bladed weapons such as knives or daggers (kunai and karambits are good examples) and for the latter it's more commonly seen with blunt weaponry (namely batons[[labelnote:*]]In fact it's common to see straps on old {{Lawman Batons}}s and it's somewhat of a well-known stereotypical action of old-fashioned lawemn just twirling it around their fingers when patrolling.[[/labelnote]]).

* [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel's]] ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' is very well-known for doing this with his mighty hammer Mjölnir. This serves a practical purpose as rapidly twirling Mjölnir around his hand by holding its leather strap, builds up momentum that he uses in a variety of ways. Such as launching himself to fly over great distances akin to flight (although later on he would just get proper flight powers), increase the impact strength of his strikes to quickly dispatch sturdy foes or large amounts of mooks.

* ''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).

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. In certain cases, some weapons have straps or large rings at the end of their handles. Allowing the user to spin or twirl them much easier. The former is more common in short blades like knives or daggers (specifically kunai or karambtis) and the latter is seen with blunt weaponry (like batons, hammers and etc).