# how hard is it to rip someone's head off **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276 "2019-03-17T21:41:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/1 "2019-03-17T21:41:12Z")
Don’t need answer fast, mainly just curious. I was reading Eaters of the Dead and the grendels seem to like ripping off arms, legs and heads and I was just sort of wondering how much force it takes. I could sort of extrapolate from parting out chickens and turkeys, maybe … but I bet there might be someone out there who actually knows. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/2 "2019-03-17T22:13:32Z")
[THREAD=745776]”His head just popped right off!”[/THREAD] [THREAD=543285]”On a human, does neck snap = instant death?”[/THREAD] [POST=16573489]”Killing someone by twisting their head”[/POST] Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/3 "2019-03-18T02:07:46Z")
The estimates from [Could a gorilla tear a human’s head off?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=833028) suggest that even a gorilla couldn’t do it. Related queries … [can you tear off someone else’s arm (by hand)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=818621) [“I’ll tear you limb from limb!” – Possible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=515612) [Is it possible for a person to pull off someone else’s arm?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=195952) [How Easy Is It To Sever A Head?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=477872) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/4 "2019-03-18T02:30:42Z")
There are some darkly curious souls around here. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/5 "2019-03-18T18:22:03Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > There are some darkly curious souls around here. why thank you =) I read a lot, and a wide range of genres, and odd questions pop into my mind occasionally. And the Dope is a great place to get answers. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/6 "2019-03-18T19:53:32Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > There are some darkly curious souls around here. They shouldn’t teach _Grendel_ in high school literature classes, kids are too impressionable. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/7 "2019-03-19T09:54:21Z")
[Obligatory encore presentation of “The Passion of the Bat.”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7128461&postcount=21) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/8 "2019-03-19T12:52:36Z")
\*\*How hard is it to rip someone’s head off ? \*\* …need answer fast. Well, _somebody_ was going to say it. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/9 "2019-03-19T17:39:33Z")
> [@Arjuna34](#): > > The estimates from [Could a gorilla tear a human’s head off?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=833028) suggest that even a gorilla couldn’t do it. > … So not that easy that a caveman could do it. Therefore, more difficult than buying insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Anita\_Dayoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Anita\_Dayoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anita_Dayoff)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/10 "2019-03-20T00:46:34Z")
. . . . . nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/11 "2019-03-20T00:47:19Z")
I saw a documentary in which a man claimed to have seen “grown men rip their own heads off.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-rip-someones-head-off/831276/12 "2019-03-20T04:46:52Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I was reading Eaters of the Dead Great book, maybe my favorite from Crichton.