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Whirlwind

A melee attack centred on the user that strikes every enemy within weapon reach on all sides in one action, usually as a spin, instead of hitting a chosen target, bursting at range, or carrying a swing over to a second foe

Also known as: Whirlwind Attack, Whirling Blade Technique, spin attack, spinning attack, charged attack, Special Attack, Whirlwind Kick, Double Lariat, Judgment, Slashing Cyclone

Definition

A whirlwind is a melee attack centred on the user that strikes every enemy within weapon reach on all sides in one action, usually as a spin, with no target choice and no sequence. A fireball bursts at a chosen point away from the user. Cleave, one extra attack triggered by the first blow, is a separate form, as is chain lightning’s hop. Where pushing enemies away is the point, the act is knockback; a knock-away riding on the damage stays here. A charge strikes one chosen target after a rush. Reach is settled by hitboxes and hurtboxes in action games and by grid movement on squares and hexes.

Behaviour

In action games the spin is a hitbox around the user: A Link to the Past’s attack affects “any enemies nearby”, including one behind Link, and Diablo II widens the radius with long weapons. Tabletop forms resolve one attack per adjacent foe within one action, each with its own roll or modifier card. Output grows with the number of enemies in reach; World of Warcraft caps it at four. Counterplay is spacing, and the user is exposed during a charge-up.

Variations

  • Charged spin (A Link to the Past; Tears of the Kingdom): hold to charge, release to spin once.
  • Mobile or sustained whirlwind (Diablo II; League of Legends): the spin lasts and hits repeatedly while the user moves.
  • Health-cost special (Final Fight): each connecting use drains the user’s vitality.
  • Attack substitution (Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd edition; Gloomhaven): one attack roll or modifier draw per adjacent enemy replaces the usual attacks.
  • Partial arc (Gloomhaven): the Brute’s Sweeping Blow attacks a fixed three-hex arc, not all-around.

Gating

Early video forms cost nothing to trigger and are paid in health or time: vitality in Final Fight, a two-second charge in A Link to the Past. Tabletop forms gate by build and action: the 3rd edition feat ends a four-feat chain and replaces the full attack, and Gloomhaven’s card is lost when used. Diablo II spends mana per spin and World of Warcraft rage behind a stance; League of Legends has no cost and a cooldown. Tears of the Kingdom draws on the stamina used for climbing and gliding, so the spin competes with movement.

History and provenance

Final Fight (Capcom, 1989) is the earliest documented whirlwind: a Special Attack that costs vitality, in its Super Famicom manual of 1990, and “knocks away enemies” on all sides in the 1993 Sega CD manual. The move’s presence in the 1989 arcade original rests on a wiki. Double Dragon II’s Hurricane Kick (1988) is unconfirmed, and earlier beat ’em ups remain unsurveyed. A Link to the Past (1991) is the earliest instance cited from a source of its own period, its 1992 booklet naming the Whirling Blade Technique. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1978) and Player’s Option: Combat & Tactics (1995) multiplied attacks against weak foes; these separate attacks are antecedents. The Whirlwind Attack feat of Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd edition (2000) is the earliest tabletop form cited, kept by the 5th edition (2014) for the Hunter. Diablo II, World of Warcraft, and Gloomhaven all use the name Whirlwind.

Notable examples

Notable examples, in chronological order. Notes describe how the ability behaves in each game; gating is what limits its use there; the latest reference is a widely played game from 2020 or later.
GameYearMediumGatingHow the ability behaves
Final Fight
Capcom		1989VideoAt willIn the 1993 Sega CD manual, Attack and Jump pressed together, or a Special button, unleash a Special Attack that knocks away enemies on all sides; Haggar's form is the Double Lariat and Guy's the Whirlwind Kick. Each use that connects drains some of the user's vitality, and the attack stays available until vitality is almost gone.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Nintendo		1991VideoAt willHolding B for about two seconds charges the sword; releasing it executes a whirling attack that affects any enemies nearby, including one standing behind Link. There is no resource cost; the charge time is the price.
Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd edition
Wizards of the Coast		2000Tabletop RPGAction costThe Whirlwind Attack feat requires Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack, Int 13, Dex 13, and base attack bonus +4. On a full attack the user gives up all regular attacks for one melee attack at full base attack bonus against each opponent within 5 feet, in any round the full attack is taken.
Diablo II
Blizzard North		2000VideoManaA Barbarian combat skill from level 30, described as a fierce spinning attack, in which the Barbarian moves to a clicked point and strikes monsters within weapon range as he passes. Each use costs mana, 12.5 at level 1 rising by 0.5 per level in Lord of Destruction, weapon damage is reduced at low skill levels, and potions cannot be used mid-spin.
World of Warcraft
Blizzard Entertainment		2004VideoManaA Warrior ability trained at level 36, usable only in Berserker Stance and costing 25 rage, the class's shared pool. It attacks up to 4 enemies within 8 yards, causing weapon damage to each. Its cooldown at launch is unconfirmed.
League of Legends
Riot Games		2009VideoCooldownIn current data (patch 16.21.1), Garen's Judgment spins his sword for a duration, damaging nearby enemies several times; the nearest enemy takes increased damage, and champions hit enough times lose armour. It has no resource cost, a cooldown of 9 falling to 6 seconds by rank, and a radius of 325, and a recast ends it early.
Dota 2
Valve		2013VideoMana, CooldownJuggernaut's Blade Fury spins a bladestorm around him for 5 seconds, damaging enemy units within 260 every 0.2 seconds (85 to 175 per second), makes him debuff immune with 80% magic resistance, and ends in a strong dispel; 110 mana, 30 to 18 s cooldown in 2026 data. His own attacks during it hit only units the spin does not, such as wards.
Path of Exile
Grinding Gear Games		2013VideoMana, Ultimate chargeCyclone is a melee attack made in a spin; since 3.7.0 it is channelled, costs 2 mana (from 12), and gains stages while channelled, up to 3 at gem level 1 and 6 at level 20, with melee range modifiers applying to its area radius. Vaal Cyclone spends 35 souls per use (3.3.0).
Gloomhaven
Isaac Childres (Cephalofair Games)		2017Board & cardAction cost, ConsumableThe Brute's level-5 card Whirlwind has a top action of Attack 4 targeting all adjacent enemies, with 1 experience per enemy targeted. Each target is a separate attack with its own modifier card within one action, and the action's lost icon removes the card from play for the scenario.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Latest
Nintendo		2023VideoManaHolding Y charges a weapon and releasing it spins Link; the longer the hold, the more powerful the attack, and charge attacks deal damage in a wide area. The charge draws on the stamina wheel shared with sprinting, climbing, and gliding, and running it dry leaves Link vulnerable.

Provenance

Earliest documented use: Final Fight (1990), video. Confidence: low. The earliest documentation cited for Final Fight's special attack is the manual of the Super Famicom version (21 December 1990), which gives the two-button input and the vitality it costs; the US Super NES manual names Haggar's Super Spin, and the Sega CD manual (1993) says it knocks away enemies on all sides. The year is that of the 1990 manual. That the move was in the 1989 arcade original rests on Wikipedia, since the arcade kit manual covers installation and switch settings only and the 1991 home-computer instructions do not describe it. Double Dragon II: The Revenge (1988) has a Hurricane Kick whose behaviour is unconfirmed, and earlier beat 'em ups remain unsurveyed. A Link to the Past (1991) is the earliest instance cited from a primary source of its own period, the 1992 US booklet. The earliest tabletop form cited is the Whirlwind Attack feat of Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd edition (2000); the multiple attacks against weak foes in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1978) and Player's Option (1995) are separate attacks and count as antecedents.

Sources

  1. Capcom (Sega). (1993). Final Fight CD instruction manual (Sega CD, US). Rulebook Moves list, Special Attack; status display, Vitality. Accessed 2026-10-24. The Special Attack that knocks away enemies on all sides, its button input, the per-character names, and the vitality cost.
  2. Capcom. (1990). Final Fight instruction manual (Super Famicom, JP). Capcom. Rulebook Special attack (必殺技) and vitality (体力) passages. Accessed 2026-10-27. The special attack made by pressing the buttons together, the small loss of vitality and the meter drop on each use, and the advice to use it when in trouble; the Super Famicom version was released on 21 December 1990.
  3. Capcom. (c. 1991). Final Fight instruction booklet (Super NES, US). Capcom USA. Rulebook pp. 7-8, Haggar's Wrestling Technique, Cody's Boxing Technique; p. 11, Survival Tactics. Accessed 2026-10-27. Haggar's Super Spin and Cody's Super Kick on the Y and B buttons pressed together, each use depleting strength.
  4. Wikipedia. Final Fight (video game); Double Dragon II, The Revenge. Wiki The spinning attack in the 1989 arcade original and its release date; the Hurricane Kick of Double Dragon II, without its behaviour.
  5. Nintendo. (1992). The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past instruction manual (SNES, US). Nintendo of America. Rulebook Using the Controller, Whirling Blade Technique. Accessed 2026-10-24. The charged whirling attack that affects any enemies nearby, including one behind Link.
  6. Wizards of the Coast. System Reference Document 3.0, Feats. Wizards of the Coast. Rulebook Feats, Whirlwind Attack [General]; Cleave; Great Cleave. Accessed 2026-10-24. The 3rd edition feat text and prerequisites, and the Cleave feats that grant one extra attack after a creature drops; Wayback snapshot of 2004.
  7. Wizards of the Coast. (2016). System Reference Document 5.1. Wizards of the Coast. Rulebook Ranger, Hunter archetype, Multiattack, Whirlwind Attack (p. 38). Accessed 2026-10-24. The 5th edition Hunter's Whirlwind Attack; the rules date from the 2014 edition.
  8. Blizzard Entertainment (Blizzard North). (2000). Diablo II manual. Rulebook Barbarian skills, Combat Skills, Whirlwind. Accessed 2026-10-24. Whirlwind described as a fierce spinning attack.
  9. Blizzard Entertainment. Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, Barbarian Combat Skills. Website Whirlwind. Accessed 2026-10-24. The required level, mana table, movement through packs, the wider radius of long weapons, and the animation frames on which hits are checked.
  10. BradyGames. (2006). World of Warcraft Master Guide, 2nd edition. BradyGames. Book Warrior chapter, Berserker abilities, Whirlwind; Arms talents, Sweeping Strikes. Accessed 2026-10-24. The level, rage cost, target cap, and radius of Whirlwind, and the cleave-type Sweeping Strikes.
  11. Blizzard Entertainment. (2006). World of Warcraft: Warrior spells. Website Whirlwind. Accessed 2026-10-24. The official description of an attack on a number of enemies within a radius of yards.
  12. Riot Games. (2026). Data Dragon, Garen champion data (patch 16.21.1). Website spells, Judgment. Accessed 2026-10-24. The spin, its cooldowns by rank, the absence of a cost, and the radius.
  13. Isaac Childres (Cephalofair Games). (2017). Gloomhaven rulebook. Rulebook p. 17, lost cards; p. 21, Area Effects. Accessed 2026-10-24. Lost ability cards, and each target of an area attack resolved as a separate attack within one action.
  14. any2cards. Worldhaven card database: Gloomhaven Brute, Whirlwind and Sweeping Blow. Wiki The card text and levels of Whirlwind and Sweeping Blow.
  15. Gary Gygax. (1978). Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Players Handbook. TSR. Rulebook p. 25, note to the Fighters', Paladins' & Rangers' Attacks per Melee Round table. Accessed 2026-10-24. The antecedent of one attack per level against creatures of less than one hit die.
  16. L. Richard Baker III and Skip Williams. (1995). Player's Option: Combat & Tactics. TSR. Rulebook Chapter One, Heroic Frays. Accessed 2026-10-24. The antecedent doubling of attacks against hordes of weak monsters when outnumbered, cited from the AD&D Core Rules 2.0 Expansion CD-ROM text.
  17. Gamer Guides. (2023). All Combat Controls in Tears of the Kingdom. Website Accessed 2026-10-24. The charged attack on a held Y button and its stamina drain.
  18. Joshua Boyles (GGRecon). (2023). Zelda Tears of the Kingdom combat basics. Article Accessed 2026-10-24. Charge attacks dealing damage in a wide area and depleting stamina.
  19. Grinding Gear Games. (2018). Path of Exile: Incursion (Content Update 3.3.0) Patch Notes. Website Accessed 2026-10-24. Vaal Cyclone's cost of 35 souls.
  20. Grinding Gear Games. (2019). Path of Exile: Legion Patch Notes (3.7.0). Website Accessed 2026-10-24. Cyclone as a channelling skill, its mana cost, stages by gem level, and melee range modifiers applying to its area radius.
  21. Valve. Dota 2 hero data, Juggernaut. Website Blade Fury. Accessed 2026-10-25. Current duration, radius, tick rate, damage per second, debuff immunity and magic resistance, the closing strong dispel, mana, cooldown, and the note on attacks during the spin.

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West, James, Jr. (2026). "Whirlwind." Game Mechanic Compendium, updated 2026-10-27. http://localhost:4321/abilities/whirlwind

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