History Main / AttackTheTail

* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': Ephsephin grabs Sette by the tail and swings her around by it. She only get out of the encounter with her life and without being enslaved because Duane [[BigDamnHeroes shows up to save her]].

%% Needs Context * ''VideoGame/HatofulBoyfriend Holiday Star'': "Yuuya, wait! Your tail! Your tail is burnt! [[InappropriateHunger It smells delicious!]]"

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/attack_the_tail.png]]]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'', there's hardly an episode where a tail isn't crushed, burned, severed, or hurt in any other way. Tom is the usual victim. The short "WesternAnimation/DrJekyllAndMrMouse" provides the page image, where Jerry sticks Tom's tail in a waffle iron, and then burns it, causing it to turn into a waffle.

*** Tailpasarans, a bobbit worm-like enemy found in [[WombLevel Jabu-Jabu's Belly]]. Its EnemyScan pretty much speaks for itself that the tail is its weak point, but it's best to attack it from a distance, such as with the Boomerang, since doing so on contact will deal damage to Link in return. However, the Spin Attack is the only sword technique that can defeat a Tailpasaran without dealing damage to Link.

* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'': Hiccup discovers that damaging the tail fin of a Night Fury reduces its stability so badly that it's practically unable to fly. This sets up Toothless as the AndroclesLion for Hiccup to tame and befriend.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': During the final battle, Tai Lung is tricked into biting his own tail, causing the giant anthropomorphic snow leopard voiced by Ian [=McShane=] to make a comedic kittenish "Mew!" which would be familiar to any cat owner who has trodden on his pet's tail.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleOfSeasons'': The miniboss Syger (a rolling tiger) has to be hit in the globe at the end of its tail to be damaged.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': Like in the Nintendo 64 games, Dodongos can only be killed if Link attacks their tails or throws a bomb at them, though this time you're also given the option of shooting an arrow into their mouth. Likewise, the tail is also the weak point for Darkhammer, [[LizardFolk a heavily-armored Lizalfos]] and the MiniBoss of Snowpeak Ruins; [[spoiler:doing so with Mortal Draw or Jump Strike will [[OneHitKill kill it in one hit]].]]

* In the beginning of ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'', Danny accidentally slams the door against Sawyer's tail.
* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'', Hiccup discovers that damaging the tail fin of a Night Fury reduces its stability so badly that it's practically unable to fly. This sets up Toothless as the AndroclesLion for Hiccup to tame and befriend.
* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'', Mowgli actually defeats [[BigBad Shere Khan]] by tying a tree branch to his tail; the branch in question caught fire after being hit by lightning. Unfortunately, it's revealed in the sequel that this was actually a bad idea, and [[KnightOfCerebus Mowgli learned it the hard way]]. Similarly, Kaa is often defeated by having his tail being tied to a tree trunk.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', Tai Lung is tricked into biting his own tail in the final battle, causing the giant anthropomorphic snow leopard voiced by Ian [=McShane=] to make a comedic kittenish "mew!" which would be familiar to any cat owner who has trodden on his pet's tail.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheNutcrackerPrince'', during the StoryWithinAStory, the Mouse King's tail gets smashed by a collapsing pillar, which was knocked down by a transformed Hans. This later becomes a RunningGag in the film's actual events, in which his bent tail either [[RumpRoast gets burnt]] or crushed again.
* Joanna, [[EvilPoacher Percival McLeach's]] pet goanna from ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'', was actually also tricked into biting her own tail at one point in the film.
* During the WizardDuel from ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'', Merlin at one point actually tricks Mad Madam Mim (who is turned into a rattlesnake) into biting her own tail (Merlin, as a mouse, actually attempts to try it himself while Mim is still a tiger).

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'': Bowser is defeated by being grabbed by the tail and being thrown across the arena.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'', there's hardly an episode where a tail isn't crushed, burned, severed, or hurt in any other way. Tom is the usual victim. The short "WesternAnimation/DrJekyllAndMrMouse" provides the page image, where Jerry sticks Tom's tail in a waffle iron, and then burns it.

** Dodongos return in this game, and they have to be attacked from the tail.
** Twinmold are two giant centipedes whose only weak points are the head and the tail.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'': Twinmold are two giant centipedes whose only weak points are the head and the tail.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys'': Mr. Snake has to use his tail to manipulate objects, such as when reaching into Officer Luggins' briefcase at the charity gala to get the passcode to the vault where the Golden Dolphin is being kept. The caper is nearly thwarted when Luggins unknowingly shuts the suitcase on his tail, and it isn't until Mr. Piranha starts improvising a song to distract her that he manages to free himself.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]] have the Dino Piranhas (both the regular and the [[PlayingWithFire Fiery]]) and Peewee Piranha, bosses that Mario can defeat only by attacking the bulb at the end of their tails, knocking it up to strike their head. Moreover, in the first game, during the Bowser fights, you have to let Bowser try to crush you on the blue glass, where he ends up [[Rump Roast burning his tail]] after breaking it and exposing the lava, at which point Mario has to attack Bowser's tail while it is on fire to damage him.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]] have the Dino Piranhas (both the regular and the [[PlayingWithFire Fiery]]) and Peewee Piranha, bosses that Mario can defeat only by attacking the bulb at the end of their tails, knocking it up to strike their head. Moreover, in the first game, during the Bowser fights, you have to let Bowser try to crush you on the blue glass, where he ends up burning his tail after breaking it and exposing the lava, at which point Mario has to attack Bowser's tail while it is on fire to damage him.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'', there's hardly an episode where a tail isn't crushed, burned, severed, or hurt in any other way. Tom is the usual victim. Providing the page image is Jerry sticking Tom's tail in a waffle iron in "WesternAnimation/DrJekyllAndMrMouse".

* ''Franchise/ActionMan: Destruction X'' have a boss battle against a [[KingOfTheDinosaurs T-Rex]] which is being controlled by the villain, Dr. X, via a beacon attached to it's tail. The T-Rex itself is invulnerable to all your attacks, and the only way you can hurt it is by shooting it's tail enough times to disable the beacon.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]] have the Dino Piranhas (both the regular and the [[PlayingWithFire Fiery]]) and Peewee Piranha, bosses that Mario can defeat only by attacking the bulb at the end of their tails, knocking it up to strike their head.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': Like in the Nintendo 64 games, Dodongos can only be killed if Link attacks their tails or throws a bomb at them, though this time you're also given the option of shooting an arrow into their mouth. Likewise, the tail is also the weak point for Darkhammer, a heavily-armored Lizalfos and the MiniBoss of Snowpeak Ruins; [[spoiler:when attacking Darkhammer's tail with either the Jump Strike or Mortal Draw, doing so will [[OneHitKill kill it in one hit]].]]

Attacking the tail for extra damage. Common in cartoons, especially for cats.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': Like in the Nintendo 64 games, Dodongos can only be killed if Link attacks their tails or throws a bomb at them, though this time you're also given the option of shooting an arrow into their mouth.

** ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'': The optional miniboss of Pleasant Path, Kent C. Koopa, has a defense of 6, which makes him pretty much impenetrable, but his tail is his weakest point. You just need to flip him on his back and keep him asleep long enough to keep attacking it.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]] have the Dino Piranhas (both the regular and the Fiery) and Peewee Piranha, bosses that Mario can defeat only by attacking the bulb at the end of their tails, knocking it up to strike their head.