History Main / EveryoneHasASpecialMove

!Examples:

* The [[FighterMageThief three player characters]] in the original ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' had unique special abilities (item repair for Warrior, trap disarm for Rogue, and staff recharge for Sorcerer), while basically sharing the pool of abilities they could theoretically learn. In ''Diablo II'', each character essentially has their own unique special move ''trees''.

!Examples

* In ''Franchise/DragonBall'' [[Characters/DragonBallSonGoku Son Goku's]] signature special move, the [[KamehameHadoken Kamehameha]], is perhaps the most popular example ([[OldMaster even if it's not strictly exclusive to him]]), but many characters in ''Dragon Ball'' develop their own special techniques. For example: Krillin's terrifyingly-titled [[DeadlyDisc Destructo Disc]].
* In ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', almost every one of the eponymous warriors has a unique fighting technique (such as Miria's FlashStep or Undine's DualWielding), and the best of them receive [[RedBaron respectful titles based on their techniques]].
* In ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', pretty much everyone who was any kind of warrior had his or her own major style (usually based on Hokuto or Nanto) with their own special moves.

* Kenichi of ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' spends a decent amount of time lamenting his lack of a unique "death blow," since everyone else seems to have one. Then his friends point out that he already ''has'' one, or rather a sequence of attacks that chain into each other very well, which he tends to use to end fights. He later gains a few non-combo special moves of his own.
** The Mightiest Disciple manga delves into some thoughts at times about the art of learning techniques and the implications therein; for example, they equate the fact that singling out a technique as a special move means that it has special characteristics that differs from basic non-named but generally effective kicks and punches: meaning that like most tools it has a time and place where it is used effectively, and that spamming it outside of that may be wasteful and counterproductive, especially against an attentive foe.
* Aside from already having strong personalities, almost every main character in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' has a unique fighting style. In fact, battles in this series are literally defined by the heroes using their crazy powers to circumvent the enemy's crazy powers.
** In the first two parts, ''Manga/PhantomBlood'' and ''Manga/BattleTendency'', [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness Stand abilities didn't exist yet]], but characters still find unique ways to fight. The heroes rely on [[ThePowerOfTheSun Hamon]] in combat, but use it in different ways: Jonathan mostly infuses his fists (and later his sword) with Hamon energy, his grandson Joseph is a CombatPragmatist who uses a wide variety of weapons (especially [[KnowsTheRopes ropes]]) in conjunction with Hamon, Caesar mixes Hamon with soapy water to [[BubbleGun launch long-range bubble attacks]], and Lisa Lisa [[ClothFu channels Hamon through her specially-made scarf]]. As for the villains, Dio mainly relies on [[AnIcePerson his flash-freezing ability]] to prevent his opponents from even touching him, and the three main Pillar Men each have their own [[ElementalPowers elemental Mode]].
** Starting with ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'', most characters get a unique Stand (and we mean ''unique''), with powers ranging from reverting items to a previous state, to turning one's body into string.
* Invoked in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. All the characters get training to create unique special moves, even beyond the unique nature of their quirks. Kirishima, for example, learns how to temporarily become even tougher than usual, while [[HavingABlast Bakugo]] learns to create focused armor-piercing blasts. Tsuyu learns how to camouflage herself, and so on. Not only do these moves capitalize on their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses, they also serve as part of a hero's branding, tying into the image they want to present.

* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', every Nen user has specific abilities that should fit their personality and/or fighting style. Developing abilities that don't fit the Nen user at all will become fatal for the user in combat.
* The cast from ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' have unique abilities fitting to the respective characters' fighting styles and it happens rarely that two or more people have identical fighting abilities. A mage who is trained by another one usually develop only similar, but not identical abilities or have an even entirely different fighting style. Even when different characters use the same spells, it often happens that they are not identical, e.g. Nanoha, Subaru and Vivio's Divine Buster have different performances. The most blatant example is Erio Mondial, whose ''Thunder Rage'' and ''Shiden Issen'' look ''entirely different'' than Fate and Signum's, respectively.
* All of the major characters in ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' use different fighting styles and have unique moves. At the extreme of this, Hajime Saito's fighting style is almost entirely just his one signature move. He has polished and refined to the point that he doesn't need anything but it and some minor variations for specific situations. He even uses that same move when fighting bare-handed!
* ''Manga/HajimeNoIppo'' has an interesting take on this. The majority of the boxers in the manga have a special finishing blow, known in series as a 'Sunday Punch'. However, the most skilled boxers in the series ''don't'' have a specific special move because they're so effective with just the fundamentals that they don't need to have special attacks or gimmicks.

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[[folder:VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' not only has a selection of special moves for everyone, it also has a "Drive" mechanic, which is the core part of each character's gameplay, and all of them differ in usage and effect from each other. E.g Ragna's Drive "Soul Eater" are LifeDrain attacks, while Rachel's "Sylpheed" is her manipulating air currents to assist her movements and attacks, Valkenhayn's "Wehrwolf" turns him into a wolf with its own unique moves, and so on.

* In ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3 Red Alert 3]]'', every unit has a special move, from offensive to defensive, and from supporting to transforming (usually used by the units of the Rising Sun), which are very crucial in terms of strategy.

* In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', each race has a innate trait and a special ability unique to them that can be used once per day.

* Before going into their special talent trees, each of the Vault Hunters in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'', ''[[VideoGame/Borderlands2 2]]'' and [[VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel the Pre-Sequel]] are defined by their Action Skill -- a special ability that is completely unique to them (inside their own game, anyway).

* ''[[VideoGame/OneHundredPercentOrangeJuice 100% Orange Juice]]'': Each character has their own "Hyper" card which is normally unique to them unless they get swapped by card effects. Many can easily turn the flow of the game, so long as you’re still in the good graces of the RNG.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', starting from ''Brawl'', not only does every character have a unique moveset, but they all have unique Final Smash attacks too. (Well, except for a few notable duplicates -- the ''VideoGame/StarFox'' characters all seem to love their Landmaster tanks, though even then the exact specifications of the tanks are slightly different for each of the three characters.)

* The Marvel Cinematic Universe does this particularly well with it's cast of assorted super-powered individuals, and elite warriors. The Avengers are instantly identifiable even in silhouette during fight scenes, as are most of the side character. Even War Machine and Falcon, both of whom have wings, are still clearly made distinctive by their wildly different flying styles. Captain America of course, has his shield which gives his fights a very distinctive look. Wanda being a mid-range fighter is also particularly distinctive. The villains also get this treatment as well.

* ''Videogame/BlazBlue'' not only has a selection of special moves for everyone, it also has a "Drive" mechanic, which is the core part of each character's gameplay, and all of them differ in usage and effect from each other. E.g Ragna's Drive "Soul Eater" are LifeDrain attacks, while Rachel's "Sylpheed" is her manipulating air currents to assist her movements and attacks, Valkenhayn's "Wehrwolf" turns him into a wolf with its own unique moves, and so on.

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'':

* Before going into their special talent trees, each of the Vault Hunters in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'', ''[[VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}} 2]]'' and [[Videogame/BorderlandsThePreSequel the Pre-Sequel]] are defined by their Action Skill -- a special ability that is completely unique to them (inside their own game, anyway).

* Every character in the ''OVA'' RPG has at least one Attack that they can use, and unlike other Tabletop Games, you do not have to pay for each attack you come up with for your character.

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* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', every Nen user has specific abilities that should fit his/her personality and/or fighting style. Developing abilities that don't fit the Nen user at all will become fatal for the user in combat.

** Each party member in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' except the Hawke siblings has a unique talent tree tailored to their personality and background, such as [[PirateGirl Isabela's]] various pirate-y attacks. [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]] instead can choose two of three unlockable specializations specific to his/her class, while Carver and Bethany only gain an additional skill tree ([[spoiler:Templar]] and Force Mage, respectively) in Act III (or II with DLC missions).

* ''VideoGame/DragonAge'':

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/EarthX'' is a {{Deconstruction}} of this trope: In a world where literally ''every human on Earth'' has gained a superpower or special move of some sort, human society is crumbling. Most supers are just normal people who waste their powers or have no use for them, while a substantial number abuse their new abilities for selfish gains. Both types have caused numerous wars and conflicts, to the point that superheroes and supervillains had to step in to maintain governments. Many of the original heroes are totally unable to adjust to no longer being outliers; they've either [[DespairEventHorizon succumbed to apathy]] or begun to fight a doomed war against human self-destructiveness.
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* The combinations of "traits" and other abilities in ''WebAnimation/HoloChronicles'' causes every single talent to fight in their own unique way. To give a few examples, Gura can generate a trident from the moisture in the air (or her own blood, if necessary), manipulate water at a larger scale if near the ocean or during rainfall, and utilize her Predator Trait as a sort of SuperMode, Suisei utilizes her SuperSpeed and spatial/magnetic properties in combination with almost ''exclusively'' [[AnAxeToGrind axes]], Roboco is a primarily LongRangeFighter with a transformation that drastically changes her moveset while still being a power-up, [[WorldsStrongestWoman Sora]] lets her summoned knight spirits do the fighting for her while deleting any attacks that come her way through her Purity Trait, and Enma has a set of 16 different techniques named after the layers of Japanese/Buddhist Hell that she uses through her anything-killing katana.

** All the different baby characters from ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland DS'' have one or more special attacks/abilities.

* Almost every character in ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}''[[note]]as in, everyone that's shown up in a game and has a name that isn't "Lily"[[/note]] will have spellcards, which are basically these. And saying ''a'' special move is rather inaccurate, as only midbosses ever use just one, and even they generally get more later.
** In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZpY-dXxQyU this fanvid (starting from 0:44),]] even mooks use special moves.

** This is common in many real-time strategy games; in ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'', for instance, nearly every unit has either a unique special ability, or an upgrade that applies only to it. Even the {{Worker Unit}}s had unique powers. Unlike in fighting games, though, the focus is not on making individuals feel different, but to help build up [[ACommanderIsYou the army's general theme]].

* Each party member in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' except the Hawke siblings has a unique talent tree tailored to their personality and background, such as [[PirateGirl Isabela's]] various pirate-y attacks. [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]] instead can choose two of three unlockable specializations specific to his/her class, while Carver and Bethany only gain an additional skill tree ([[spoiler:Templar]] and Force Mage, respectively) in Act III (or II with DLC missions).

* Similarly, in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', each party member was given a unique ability ("Loyalty Power"), although it only became unlocked after their corresponding loyalty mission was cleared. Shepard, too, gained a power unique to his/her class (such as Biotic Charge for the Vanguard, or Tactical Cloak for the Infiltrator). This carried over into ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', though unlocking party member's powers became simpler. In both games, Shepard can additionally learn one of the squadmates' unlocked powers for a moderate fee.
** In the Multiplayer, almost every character had at least one unique ability out of the three, and no two characters (except a bonus soldier with unique visuals) have the same set. Some of the characters added later on even have powers that aren't found anywhere in the base game.

* The Limit Break system in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series, which first appeared in the series in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', gives each playable characters one to five, depending on the game, powerful abilities that only they could use.

* Aside from already having strong personalities, almost every main character in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' has a completely unique Stand (and we mean ''unique''), with powers ranging from turning one's self into string to simply punching things really effectively. In fact, battles in this series are literally defined by the heroes using their crazy powers to circumvent the enemy's crazy powers. Even before when [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness Stands didn't exist, or they were rudimentary powers]], everyone was still defined by their abilities, such as Joseph's usage of the Ripple being different than Ceasar's.

** Taken UpToEleven in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZpY-dXxQyU this fanvid (starting from 0:44),]] where even mooks uses special moves.

That is where this trope comes into play. A character's personality can be shown by [[TellMeHowYouFight how they fight]]. Giving every character in an action series a unique SignatureMove can be a good way to show off their personalities (For example: the BigGuy could have a ShockwaveStomp while TheSmartGuy could use an AttackDrone). Superpowers can also work in the same way, as distinct superpowers can individualise the characters.

This trope uses rule of RuleOfCool, to significantly push up the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief on character development. Characters in said series can be a StaticCharacter who never really changes much but don't need to if the trope is well done.

That is where this trope comes into play. A character's personality can be shown by [[TellMeHowYouFight how they fight]]. Giving every character in an action series a unique SignatureMove can be a good way to show off their personalities (For example: the BigGuy could have a earthquake stomp attack or TheSmartGuy could use machines). Superpowers can also work in the same way, as distinct superpowers can individualise the characters.

This trope uses rule of [[RuleOfCool cool]], to significantly push up the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief on character development. Characters in said series can be a StaticCharacter who never really changes much but don't need to if the trope is well done.

This trope shows up quite a lot in {{Shonen}} FightingSeries, Comic Books, and Video Games where pretty much every fighting character who is not a mook has at least one. Whether or not said special move has any effectiveness is completely dependent upon the needs of the story and the character's general role in it. A comic relief JokeCharacter, for example, may have a completely useless special move, or it can be subverted by making [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass it seem that way until he gets serious]].

In gaming, this trope is a basic form of CompetitiveBalance, as these special moves, powers, or skills provide different advantages for every character so nobody will be too weak. Also, it can let players find the one character with special moves that suits their style.

Sister trope of SuperPowerLottery. See also CastOfSnowflakes, ColorCodedCharacters, PersonalityPowers. Compare EveryoneIsASuper, which will likely result in this trope as well if everyone's superpowers are unique to them. SubTrope of SignatureMove, where it's not necessary to have everyone get at least one of that. Very important in FightingSeries and ProfessionalWrestling.

* By necessity, '''every''' FightingGame has each of their characters having SpecialAttack and (when applicable) LimitBreak of their own.
** But sometimes fighting games special moves don't have "proper" names. For example, with Dizzy from ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', her special moves "names" are just her saying what she uses it for practical use.
** ''Videogame/BlazBlue'' takes it further with its "Drive" mechanic, which are the core part of each character's gameplay, and all of them differ in usage and effect from each other. E.g Ragna's Drive "Soul Eater" are LifeDrain attacks, while Rachel's "Sylpheed" is her manipulating air currents to assist her movements and attacks, Valkenhayn's "Wehrwolf" turns him into a wolf with its own unique moves, and so on.
** The 2013 version of ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' does something similar with its "combo traits", which allow each character to create unique combos no one else can do. In addition, activating [[ComebackMechanic Instinct Mode]] also grants different bonus for each character.

** Almost every single character also has a magical ability no one else has. This can vary from the simple "manipulation of fire" to the abstract "manipulation of boundaries" to the absurd "power to sense the coming of spring". Unusually, part of this is explained as a cultural thing, with it being [[UniquenessValue trendy for people to come up with a "signature ability" with which to advertise themselves]]. In some cases this leads to characters having "abilities" which are [[MetaphoricallyTrue metaphorical]], [[MundaneMadeAwesome more mundane than they sound]], a [[ThemeDeck limited application of a much broader power]], or [[BlatantLies just plain made up]].

That is where this trope comes into play. A character's personality can be shown by [[TellMeHowYouFight how they fight]]. Giving every character in an action series a unique SignatureMove can be a good way to show off their personalities (For example: the BigGuy could have a earthquake stomp attack or the SmartGuy could use machines). Superpowers can also work in the same way, as distinct superpowers can individualise the characters.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Every person in the world of Remnant has a Semblance, which is a unique (though apparently somewhat hereditary) power that manifests after extensive training, and can be used in combination with Aura practice and Dust weapons to manifest as a powerful combat technique.
** Some highlights for example: Ruby can travel at SuperSpeed, Yang gets stronger and more durable the more punishment she takes and has a SuperMode that she can unleash like a LimitBreak, Blake can FlashStep to create [[DoppelgangerAttack shadow]] [[NinjaLog decoys]], and Weiss can [[SummonMagic create]] [[InstantRunes Glyphs]] [[SteppingStonesInTheSky that]] [[GeometricMagic simulate]] [[GravityMaster magic]].

* The combinations of "traits" and other abilities in ''WebAnimation/HoloChronicles'' causes every single talent to fight in their own unique way. To give a few examples, Gura can generate a trident from the moisture in the air (or her own blood, if necessary), manipulate water at a larger scale if near the ocean or during rainfall, and utilize her Predator Trait as a sort of SuperMode, Suisei utilizes her SuperSpeed and spatial/magnetic properties in combination with almost ''exclusively'' [[AnAxeToGrind axes]], Roboco is a primarily LongRangeFighter with a transformation that drastically changes her moveset while still being a power-up, and [[WorldsStrongestWoman Sora]] lets her summoned knight spirits do the fighting for her while deleting any attacks that come her way through her Purity Trait.

* The combinations of "traits" and other abilities in ''WebAnimation/HoloChronicles'' causes every single talent to fight in their own unique way. To give a few examples, Gura can generate a trident from the moisture in the air (or her own blood, if necessary), manipulate water if near the ocean or during rainfall, and utilize her Predator Trait as a sort of SuperMode, Suisei utilizes her SuperSpeed and spatial/magnetic properties in combination with almost ''exclusively'' [[AnAxeToGrind axes]], Roboco is a primarily LongRangeFighter with a transformation that drastically changes her moveset while still being a power-up, and [[WorldsStrongestWoman Sora]] lets her summoned knight spirits do the fighting for her while deleting any attacks that come her way through her Purity Trait.