“I Took an Arrow in the Knee” is a memorable quote originating from the role-playing video
game The Elder Scrolls
V:
Skyrim. An often repeated stock line throughout the
game, it went on to inspire the snowclone “I used to X, then I took an arrow to the knee.”
Largely owing to the positive reception of
Skyrim, “I Took An Arrow To The Knee” eventually became perceived as a hyper-saturated cliche, similar to “The Cake Is A Lie” from the puzzle action
game Portal. In response to the indiscriminate usage of the phrase, some fans of the
game began posting satirical animations and image macros criticizing its hackneyed nature.
It is also argued that Taking an arrow in the knee is a Nordic saying meaning "Getting married." Thus, "I used to be an adventurer like you...then I took an arrow in the knee," actually means that getting married ended his adventuring career.
