Quotes / Only a Flesh Wound

Man: It was a bullet, wasn't it?
Forrest Gump: A bullet?
Man: That jumped up and bit you.
Forrest Gump: Oh, yes sir. Bit me right in the buttocks. They said it was a million dollar wound, but the army must keep that money 'cause I still haven't seen a nickel of that million dollars.

— Forrest Gump

"Yeah, kind of a Easy Company tradition, getting shot in the ass."

— Unknown Easy Company soldier, Band of Brothers

Dr. McNinja: I see. You're refusing to leave without me.
Death: I'm afraid so.
Dr. McNinja: Well, I'm sorry, but all those bullet holes.... They're. Just. FLESH WOUNDS!!!!

— The Adventures of Dr. McNinja

Tom Jones: If I have broke my arm, I consider it a trifle in comparison to what I feared on your account.
Sophie Western: Broken your arm?!
Tom Jones: I'm afraid I have, madame. Yet I have another to lead you home.

— Tom Jones

Mal: The leg is good. Lots of bleeding, and we avoid any unnecessary organs.
Guard: I was thinking more of a graze...
Mal: Well, we don't want it to look like you just gave up.

— Serenity (2005)

Chief Hubbard: [referring to Foley, who was recently shot in the arm] What is that man doing here?
Axel Foley: Bleeding, sir.

— Beverly Hills Cop

"Flesh wound? Flesh wound? They're all flesh wounds! No one ever says "Ooh look! I've just been shot in the bones, but it missed my flesh completely!"

— Ayatani Zweil considers this trope, His Last Command

"The Others are hardy; one warrior removes his own spine and uses it as a bludgeon. I wondered how he remained standing and had movement in his limbs, but it didn't seem to bother him."

— Roger Ebert, reviewing Night Watch

"Did you actually think a single bullet to the shoulder would kill me? I always thought you were smarter than that..."

— Acastus Kolya (after Sheppard expresses surprise at his survival), Stargate Atlantis

As a side note, understand that there is no such thing as a "non-lethal" weapon. This is because any weapon or gas that can reliably incapacitate or render unconscious a 300 pound world wrestling champion will be strong enough to instantly kill a small child or elderly person.

— Atomic Rockets, "Exotic Sidearms"

"Dunno why they call it a flesh wound. I mean, what if they'd got me in the ticker, eh? Without hitting any bones? I can see it my tombstone now: 'Vila Restal. Just a flesh wound, they said'."

— Vila in the Blake's 7 fanfic "Limiters"

Reese: [Winces] I think it missed the major blood vessel, Shaw.
Shaw: Oh, but your deltoid is gonna hurt like hell.

— Person of Interest, "Pretenders"

Nerd: Cool, so is this Season 1 where you kill every mother***er with a pulse, or Season 2 & 3 where you just give people crippling injuries that will make every day of the rest of their lives a hell on earth?
Arrow: I'm not a killer. I know that now.
Nerd: (draws and readies an arrow) Got it, injuries, hell on earth, et cetera. Non-lethal, non-lethal... (he releases) Zing!
(arrow hits the first guard in the eye, immediately killing him)
Nerd: Whoops. Okay, I can do this. (readies and fires another arrow) Zing!
(it hits the next guard in the eye as well)
Arrow: I said no killing!
Nerd: Henchmen eyes are like arrow-magnets! I got this! (readies and fires a third arrow) Zing!
Henchman: (takes the arrow to the thigh) Ow!
Nerd: Yes! Consider him incapacitated!
Henchman: (begins profusely bleeding from his arrow-wound) Oh my God! My femoral artory! (he immediately falls over, also dead)
Nerd: Whew, this human body is complicated.

—Robot Chicken, "The Nerd on The CW"

A-arms? Who needs arms when you have legs like these?

—Mettaton, Undertale

"I wasn't going to kill McLaughlin. I was only going to shoot him in the neck, to stop him from saying those stupid things."

— Machete, Machete

Daniel: Jesus, Chozen. We gotta get you to a hospital!
Chozen: Oh, just a flesh wound.
Daniel: Yeah, but it's like all your flesh!

— Cobra Kai, "Head of the Snake"

"Don't take me away! I can still race!"

— A totaled race car, Cars

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