The term "blood-and-thunder" is commonly used to describe a style of literature or entertainment that is filled with graphic violence, sensationalism, and melodrama. To find antonyms for this phrase, we must look for words that represent the opposite qualities, such as subtlety, understatement, and sophistication. Some possible antonyms for "blood-and-thunder" might include cerebral, intellectual, nuanced, elegant, refined, subtle, understated, and sophisticated. These words suggest a more restrained and refined approach to storytelling, one that emphasizes complex ideas and emotions over crude sensationalism and violence.