“I Took an Arrow in the Knee” is a catchphrase from the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim which inspired the snowclone phrasal template “I used to X, then I took an arrow to the knee.”
In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the town guard non-player characters (NPCs) repeated “I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee.” when the player walks near them.
The restating of such a specific story over and over again by so many different guards caused it to be noticed by players, who then proceeded to post about it in gaming forums and image boards.
In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the town guard non-player characters (NPCs) repeated “I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee.” when the player walks near them.
The restating of such a specific story over and over again by so many different guards caused it to be noticed by players, who then proceeded to post about it in gaming forums and image boards.
I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee.
I used to give a fuck, then I took an arrow in the knee.
I used to give a fuck, then I took an arrow in the knee.
by luv-xoxo December 9, 2011
by Annoyed Gamers January 6, 2012
by Spongebob1 March 8, 2012
to plan on doing something, having done something, or did something, only to get shot in the knee by an arrow.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's version of Stop right there criminal scum!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's version of Stop right there criminal scum!
1. I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow to the knee.
2. I used to have severe acne. Then I took an arrow to the knee.
2. I used to have severe acne. Then I took an arrow to the knee.
by HighKingTorygg December 4, 2011
Catch phrase from the game 'The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim' in which the guards have a repeating phrase throughout the game. Sparked an internet meme, including much fan art and responses from other existing memes.
by Arswaw December 8, 2011
A popular internet meme which has derived from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, in which town guardsmen will often say to the player "I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow to the knee".
The meme is often used as a response in forum posts or YouTube comments, particularly to people thinking of past events in their life.
Guy 1: "Look at my new Gamecube!"
Guy 2: "Yeah I used to have one of those"
Guy 1: "...Then I took an arrow to the knee"
Or as a way of expressing the fact that Skyrim is the game to be playing right now. For example:
YouTube comment from 2008 - "GTA IV is the best game ever! I'm gonna play it forever!"
Reply to the comment from 2011 - "Then I took an arrow to the knee."
Guy 1: "Look at my new Gamecube!"
Guy 2: "Yeah I used to have one of those"
Guy 1: "...Then I took an arrow to the knee"
Or as a way of expressing the fact that Skyrim is the game to be playing right now. For example:
YouTube comment from 2008 - "GTA IV is the best game ever! I'm gonna play it forever!"
Reply to the comment from 2011 - "Then I took an arrow to the knee."
by Someone you don't need to know January 10, 2012
I was an adventure like you until I got a arrow to the knee
by skyrim March 18, 2015