First Blood
Opening strike drawn
First blood refers to the first wound or injury inflicted in a fight, duel, or combat—the moment when someone first draws blood from an opponent.
In competitive contexts, it extends to the first point scored or advantage gained: The away team drew first blood with an early goal.
The 1982 film First Blood, which launched the Rambo franchise, cemented the phrase in popular culture, and in video games it commonly announces the match's first kill.
- Die HardYippee-ki-yay thriller
- inauguralFirst in office
- RamboRecklessly aggressive lone fighter
- Vietnam vetSoutheast Asian conflict veteran
- action heroFilm's combat-driven protagonist
John Rambo · initiative · Predator · introduction · Dirty Harry · conflict · precursor · pioneer · duel · struggle · skirmish · premiere · precedent · harbinger · strike · retaliation · The Deer Hunter · box office
- 1982 FilmsE.T., Blade Runner, Poltergeist, Tootsie, Gandhi
- Boxing FilmsRocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V
- Vietnam WarVietnam War, Vietnam, Tet Offensive, My Lai Massacre, Viet Cong
First Bloodfinal blow
Decisive finishing strike
coup de grâce · finishing move · fatal wound · knockout blow · last hit
First Bloodceasefire
Agreed halt to fighting
truce · peace · total defeat · annihilation · unconditional surrender
first, blood, firstly, bloods, bloody, bloodied, bloodying, bloodier, bloodiest