History Main / CumbersomeClaws

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'': While Alex the lion is exiling himself to the far side of the island after turning feral, his newly-sharpened claws cause leaves to get stuck on his paws and then get them lodged in a tree's trunk.

** ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'': The RX-160 Byarlant was designed for aerial superiority and intercepting enemy forces entering Earth's atmosphere from orbit. However, the unique shape of its hands (basically three articulated claws) meant that it couldn't use the mass-produced weapons of other Mobile Suits and so was completely reliant on its built-in palm-mounted beam cannons or uniquely-shaped beam sabers.
** The RX-160S Byarlant Custom that appeared in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' was even less able to use weapons: instead of the small finger-like claws of the original Byarlant, the Byarlant Custom's forearms were gigantic claws capable of grappling with enemy Mobile Suits. However, unlike the original Byarlant, this wasn't considered a flaw: the Byarlant Custom's new function was rapid assault, and so the claw arms (coupled with how the beam sabers were now emitted from the now wrist-mounted beam cannons) were deemed conducive to its function.

* ''ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics'': This is actually a problem for Crash Man, whose hands terminate in spikes that fire his crash bomber. Mega Man even gets in a dig on Crash about that during their initial fight. After being rebuilt Crash Man is seen in a few background panels futilely trying to help rebuild Wily's fortress, much to his growing frustration. When he finally confronts Wily about this design flaw, he's informed that his arms do actually transform into hands, Wily had simply not informed him as it wasn't needed for the original plan he'd been part of. And afterwards Wily had simply forgotten.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'': Miguel is glad that his claws, which are extended by default, [[RequiredSecondaryPowers reflexively retract when he touches his own skin]] because otherwise going to the bathroom would be a huge chore... But he's not quite as lucky with other tasks. While he's still getting used to his claws, it was a very common occurrence for him to wake up with shredded sheets or to accidentally tear his clothes. At one point he was surprised that a mattress he'd sat down on was a waterbed and accidentally punctured it, then hastily slapped webbing on the holes to keep it from leaking. It doesn't help that unlike most clawed characters, whose claws extend vertically outwards in line with their fingertips, Miguel's claws extend ''horizontally'', poking straight down from his fingertips, making them even more cumbersome than regular claws. It even leads to Miguel accidentally slitting the throat of his second supervillain opponent, the Specialist, by complete accident.

** Discussed when some characters mention that MadScientist Scorponok's most impressive feat is being such a successful mad scientist despite having massive scorpion claws for hands.

* ''Film/{{Azumi}}'': The second movie, ''Death or Love'', has Azumi being menaced by a group of ninjas armed with WolverineClaws strapped to their wrists, allowing them to climb buildings, leap all over the place and perform all kinds of summersaults without becoming loose. But this backfires for the ninja leader -- as he missed a swing at Azumi, the leader [[LeftStuckAfterAttack accidentally stabs his claws into a guardrail]], and quickly gets his entire hand hacked off by Azumi before she kills him.

* ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'': A behind-the-scenes example actually influenced the design of Franchise/{{Godzilla}} in this film. The special effects team found that the traditional length of the eponymous {{Kaiju}}'s feet and talons (originally designed for the [[PeopleInRubberSuits suit actor's]] actual feet to fit in them) made it surprisingly tricky to animate his walk cycle. To compensate, they redesigned him with short, almost elephant-like digits that wouldn't get "snagged" on stuff, which would stay mostly unchanged in later Franchise/MonsterVerse entries.

* ''Literature/AccelWorld'': This is something Kuroyukihimi laments about her Brain Burst avatar. Focused around attack, Black Rose's hands are swords, completely incapable of anything but cutting her opponents to ribbons. She's unable to shake hands, clap friends on the back, or even casually hug people unlike the vast majority of other avatars, including those also infused by the black color. This actually extends from her hidden fear that she herself is incapable of doing anything but causing harm to those she loves, manifested by the Accelerated World's programming.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Band Geeks". After a failed band practice, Harold blames their failure on Mr. Krabs attempting to play his instrument with claws. He takes offense to this, causing a fight to break out.

* This is why primates (including humans) and ''only'' primates evolved nails instead of claws in the first place: unlike other arboreal animals, who have claws that better grip when climbing trees, claws made it difficult for them to grab smaller branches and twigs, so primates evolved nails to allow them to do what other arboreal animals cannot instead.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'': Miguel is glad that his claws, which are extended by default, [[RequiredSecondaryPowers reflexively retract when he touches his own skin]] because otherwise going to the bathroom would be a huge chore... But he's not quite as lucky with other tasks. While he's still getting used to his claws, it was a very common occurrence for him to wake up with shredded sheets or to accidentally tear his clothes. At one point he was surprised that a mattress he'd sat down on was a waterbed and accidentally punctured it, then hastily slapped webbing on the holes to keep it from leaking.

** The pre-war government had a habit of invoking this on people who pissed them off. The process of "Empurata" involved hands being sliced off and replaced with bulky claws, as happened to Whirl and Shockwave. For Whirl, who wanted to be a clockmaker, it's a source of his serious psychological issues, but at the same time it's mentioned he could get them replaced with proper hands. He just doesn't because he's gotten so used to being so messed up he'd rather not.

-->-- ''The Monster Princess''

* ''The Monster Princess'' by D. J. [=MacHale=] tells the story of a furry bugbear-like monster girl who decides to dress up and act like a princess. As she descends the stairs to the ball in the castle, unfortunately, the claws on her feet rip her gown and cause her to fall down the stairs to her embarrassment.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'': Miguel is glad that his retractable claws [[RequiredSecondaryPowers reflexively retract when he touches his own skin]] because otherwise going to the bathroom would be a huge chore... But he's not quite as lucky with other tasks. While he's still getting used to his claws, it was a very common occurrence for him to wake up with shredded sheets or to accidentally tear his clothes.

* Played with in ''Creator/IDWPublishing'''s ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' comics when some characters mention that MadScientist Scorponok's most impressive feat is being such a successful mad scientist despite massive scorpion claws for hands.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'': Hook Hand is a piano player with a hook for a hand who gets his sheet music caught on it.

* [[https://www.deviantart.com/tricksywizard/art/Trust-Fall-318964502 This]] ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' comic involves a Pawniard (a humanoid with [[BladeBelowTheShoulder metal blades in place of hands]]) helping its trainer at various tasks. This becomes a huge problem when the trainer finds themselves hanging at the edge of a cliff... and the Pawniard has no hands to help him up.

Cumbersome Claws are often portrayed in a humorous light because of the juxtaposition of characters trying and failing to do normal actions with abnormal hands. This is particularly true when a non-clawed character has a FreakyFridayFlip or PhysicalAttributeSwap with a clawed character and suddenly has to deal with the new impediment. But there are also times when such situations are PlayedForDrama, especially if it involves a would-be CuddleBug who can't safely cuddle others or a TragicMonster who accidentally injures or even kills people with its claws.

-->--''The Monster Princess''

** Kassen is [[ForcedTransformation turned into]] a yinglet, a type of creature with clawed fingers. At one point he writes about wanting to ball his hand into a fist to punch someone, but that would just jab the claws into the puffy paw pads he has now. He also initially has trouble holding a quill, making his handwriting sloppier-looking than it used to be until he adjusts.