History Main / BreakingTheBonds

* ''Mindstar Rising'' by Creator/PeterFHamilton. The hero Greg Mandell and a fellow prisoner free themselves by using their neural implants to cut off their pain receptors, then stomping on a wrist to shatter the bones so they can slip free. Even without pain, it's as {{squick}}y to them as it sounds.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the OldMaster of Earthbending, King Bumi of Omashu, pulls this off during [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome what's generally considered his most impressive act]]. However, he was not handcuffed, or even tied up -- he was restrained in a solid metal box with only his face showing. He escaped from this box, ''with his face'', and went on to [[OneManArmy chase an entire occupying army out of his city]].

** Alma and Amulek, after preaching repentance to the city of Ammonihah, are thrown in prison, where the chief judge of the city visits them and mockingly ''[[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor challenges]]'' them to break themselves out, claiming that [[ReligiousRussianRoulette then he'll believe that God will destroy the city as they warned]]. After completely ignoring him for a while in the face of increasing harassment, they eventually call on God and break their bands in front of him, after which an earthquake levels the prison, killing the judge and his compatriots.

* During Goku's match against Kaiju Giran in the first TournamentArc, Giran spits out a gooey substance to trap Goku called "Merry-Go-Round Gum" (''Gurugurugamu'' in Japanese), which Goku is initially unable to break out of. After his tail grows back, however, Goku's strength increases and his able to burst free of the gunk with minimal effort.

* Done three times in ''Franchise/DragonBall'', all involving handcuffs.

* ''Manga/SaintSeiya'': In the Poseidon arc, after having all of his techniques worked around, his armor crushed and ending up bound in Shun's chains to spare him, Determinator Scylla Io pulls a [[VillainousValor truly epic]] one on Shun, doubling with a IAmNotLeftHanded and a LetsGetDangerous moment, before unleashing his stronger technique that does NOT depend on his armor.

* Pete Malloy does this in the ''Series/Adam12'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5061075/1/Into-the-Forest Into The Forest]]". One of the guys holding him and his girlfriend prisoner tries to rape his girlfriend. Despite being injured and exhausted, Pete breaks the leather strap he's tied to a tree with and charges the guy, ready to kill if he has to. They don't escape, but the villains learn how they shouldn't tick him off.

See also WithMyHandsTied, ChainedToARock, and ChainedByFashion. If a chair is involved, we might have a BenchBreaker. If the character uses their broken bonds as a weapon, you get ChainPain.

* Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in ''Film/TotalRecall1990'' breaks through metal shackles... twice.

* In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', Finrod Felagund breaks his bonds, then kills a werewolf bare-handed (though he does die as well).

* In the second season of ''Literature/{{Bakemonogatari}}'', when Araragi wakes up and realizes he has been chained up by his girlfriend Senjougahara, he is disturbed but overall rather calm about the whole thing. Until Senjougahara mentions that his [[BigBrotherInstinct little sisters might be in danger]]... and we're suddenly reminded that he does indeed still have vampiric strength when he snaps the chains like rubber bands.

* Played for Drama in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' with Miss Piggy snapping her bonds to save her frog.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2010'', Stoic the Vast wrenches apart [[spoiler:the harness that Toothless was trapped inside]] while ''underwater''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'', Stoic the Vast wrenches apart [[spoiler:the harness that Toothless was trapped inside]] while ''underwater''.

* Kan'u Unchou does this in ''Anime/IkkiTousen: Dragon Destiny''.

* ''Anime/BlackButler'': In one episode, Sebastian quietly submits to arrest and is chained up in the Tower of London for several hours. [[TooKinkyToTorture Although he does seem to enjoy his interrogation]], he's really only there because Ciel [[PlayAlongPrisoner ordered him to cooperate]] -- the moment his master [[SayMyName calls for him]], he easily breaks his chains and escapes, casually [[PayEvilUntoEvil murdering the shocked torturer]] on the way out.

* In ''[[Literature/DresdenFiles Fool Moon]]'', Harry Dresden is bound by wrapping his ankles and wrists in duct tape. He {{lampshades}} the idea that [[DuctTapeForEverything duct tape is an unbreakable restraint]], pointing out that while it's fine if the prisoner is supervised, if you leave him alone for a few minutes it's not all that difficult to weaken it and break free.

* The ending of the story of Samson in ''Literature/TheBible'' (making this at least OlderThanFeudalism).

* ''Anime/BlackButler'': In one episode, Sebastian quietly submits to arrest and is chained up in the Tower of London for several hours. [[TooKinkyToTorture Although he does seem to enjoy his interrogation]], he's really only there because Ciel [[PlayAlongPrisoner ordered him to cooperate]] -- the moment his master [[SayMyName calls for him]], he easily breaks his chains and escapes, casually [[KickTheSonOfABitch murdering the shocked torturer]] on the way out.

* In the second season of ''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}'', when Araragi wakes up and realizes he has been chained up by his girlfriend Senjougahara, he is disturbed but overall rather calm about the whole thing. Until Senjougahara mentions that his [[BigBrotherInstinct little sisters might be in danger]]... and we're suddenly reminded that he does indeed still have vampiric strength when he snaps the chains like rubber bands.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse features a magical varation where Luz and her friends are all bound by restraints made of abomination goo. When Amity hits her RageBreakingPoint [[spoiler:after her mother tells her that she's going to forcibly break her up with Luz]], she proceeds to rip her restraints apart then use her own abomination magic to morph it into a spiked fist.

Heroes showing off their power -- literally or symbolically -- by busting out of chains, ropes, or similar restraints. Sometimes it involves the "flex my pecs to bust these bindings" thing, or it can be "I'm so pissed off, it's like my handcuffs are made of lead." Whichever the case, HeroicResolve or UnstoppableRage is usually at work.

** And in ''Anime/DragonBallSuperSuperHero'', Pan proved strong enough to break through the cuffs [[BadassAdorable even though she's just three years old.]] Not that she wanted for a while though, as she kept them on to be a PlayAlongPrisoner for an undercover Piccolo.

* In the ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' episode "Run!", Jessica is implied to break free from handcuffs purely by her own strength.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "The Purple Smurfs" (the AnimatedAdaptation of [[ComicBook/TheSmurfs the comic book story]] "The Black Smurfs"), Lazy as a purple Smurf is shown to be strong enough to break the ropes that are binding him. Hefty as a Purple Smurf also breaks the ropes in the same fashion.