History Main / FightsLikeANormal

* ''ComicBook/NewGods'': [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]] possesses matter manipulation, telepathy, mind control, erosion blasts, chronokinesis, and teleportation. However, whenever he battles Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}}, he tends to just fight the Man of Steel with his bare hands while ignoring those other abilities (save for some occasional Omega Beams). Admittedly, a chunk of this is likely due to writers not really understanding Darkseid's powers.

* [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] is a wizard, and in terms of raw power, is in the top 20 or 30 on the planet. He's not averse to slinging fireballs around, but also has no problem using guns or other modern equipment, [[CombatPragmatist exploiting whatever weakness]] a given enemy has, or even just hitting them with his staff. In many cases this is just because blasting an enemy with magic isn't the best option for a variety of reasons, but there's also the element of surprise. It's common for wizards to solve [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer any and all problems with magic]], so enemies often don't expect him to [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim pull a gun on them]] or even just punch them in the face.

* ''ComicBook/{{Venom}}'': When crippled army veteran [[Characters/MarvelComicsFlashThompson Flash Thompson]] was given the [[Characters/MarvelComicsVenom}} Venom Symbiote]] and became Agent Venom, he still puts his army training to use with his personal symbiote suit reflecting that. Instead of the hulking scary beast with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily, it's slimmed down into a properly humanoid body that wears armor, pouches and other military equipment. Although the symbiote does allow him to pull off stunts and moves that most sane soldiers would deem AwesomeYetImpractical, such as going GunsAkimbo (from handguns to even assault rifles) and to increase his [[MoreDakka dakka]], he can have tentacles carry and shoot ''even more'' firearms.

* ''ComicBook/DoctorFate'': Back in the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks golden age, [[Kent Nelsson]] would often forego the helmet of Nabu in favor of a non-magical 'half mask' version and only rely on the cape of levitation and the amulet of Anubis for crime-fighting. No in-universe reason was originally given for this practice[[note]]the out-of-universe one being that the writers thought it was making him [[InvincibleHero too overpowered]] compared to the thugs and gangsters the character usually fought[[/note]] but ComicBook/AllStarSquadron later revealed that it was because he realized that every time he put it on, Nabu was actually possessing him through it and he was afraid of losing himself.

* ''Series/ShadowAndBone'': Tolya and Tamar are Heartrenders, Grisha who can [[BloodMagic control blood flow and damage internal organs]]. Despite this, they default to their weaponry and hand-to-hand combat in a fight, and use their Heartrender abilities in support of this rather than as their primary methods of attack.

** In the MilestoneCelebration team-up in ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'', [[Series/PowerRangersSPD Bridge]] is the only one of the Disney Era Rangers who doesn't use his civilian powers in the warehouse fight against the mooks.

** Ruby's a demon, and while shown she does possessed abilities like other demons, for most of her appearances she's hardly shown, if at all, using them. Throughout season three she's a skilled martial art fighter, and including season four uses witchcraft, and kills other demons with her demon-killing knife in the vein of any human hunter. Until the end, demonic super strength is the only power she appeared to used blantantly.

* In ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}},'' Phoebe learns martial arts because while Prue and Piper have powers with direct combat application (freezing people and telekinesis, respectively), Phoebe's power of precognition is more passive.

* Honor Guest, ComicBook/TheSilencer, has the ability to project a sound-dampening field around her body. Since this doesn't usually have any offensive ''or'' defensive use, she mostly uses guns, knives, or martial arts to fight.

* ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} can communicate with ocean life and has a wide variety of powers, but in the Golden and Silver Ages he fought much like Batman with punches and kicks. Later iterations had him focus more on commanding sea life, using magic and a mystical trident in battle, and giving him super strength via RequiredSecondaryPowers.
* Characters/BlackCanary from the DCU may be the single best example. Her only [[SuperScream superpower]] is rarely used, and she's probably gone on 15-20 issue streaks of not using it at all, but she's a martial artist good enough to give [[Characters/BatmanLadyShiva Lady Shiva]] pause. Not surprising, as the character was strictly a [[BadassNormal martial artist]] for twenty years before she got her powers.
* The ComicBook/BlackWidow's powers are slowed aging and an unusually powerful immune system against diseases and sickness. In battle, she relies on her martial arts, cunning, and weapons.

* Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}} has no powers except supernaturally heightened senses to make up for his blindness. He combines these with top notch martial arts training. ''Series/Daredevil2015'' further grounds this by showing Murdock regularly ending up winded or even on the verge of collapse from his fights against multiple people, being unable to take down many enemies in one blow, and often getting hit when ganged up on.
* [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]] possesses matter manipulation, telepathy, mind control, erosion blasts, chronokinesis, and teleportation. However, whenever he battles Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}}, he tends to just fight the Man of Steel with his bare hands while ignoring those other abilities (save for some occasional Omega Beams). Admittedly, a chunk of this is likely due to writers not really understanding Darkseid's powers.
* Characters/{{Deadpool|WadeWilson}}'s sole superhuman power (HealingFactor) has no offensive use, so he tends to fight relying only on his skills, katanas, and guns. Granted, his power still allows him [[ExploitedImmunity to use self-destructive tactics that would get anyone else killed]].
* When crippled army veteran [[Characters/MarvelComicsFlashThompson Flash Thompson]] was given the [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Venom Symbiote]] and became Agent Venom, he still puts his army training to use with his personal symbiote suit reflecting that. Instead of the hulking scary beast with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily, it's slimmed down into a properly humanoid body that wears armor, pouches and other military equipment. Although the symbiote does allow him to pull off stunts and moves that most sane soldiers would deem AwesomeYetImpractical, such as going GunsAkimbo (from handguns to even assault rifles) and to increase his [[MoreDakka dakka]], he can have tentacles carry and shoot ''even more'' firearms.
* Also back in the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks golden age]]. [[ComicBook/DoctorFate Kent Nelsson]] would often forego the helmet of Nabu in favor of a non-magical 'half mask' version and only rely on the cape of levitation and the amulet of Anubis for crime-fighting. No in-universe reason was originally given for this practice[[note]]the out-of-universe one being that the writers thought it was making him [[InvincibleHero too overpowered]] compared to the thugs and gangsters the character usually fought[[/note]] but ComicBook/AllStarSquadron later revealed that it was because he realized that every time he put it on, Nabu was actually possessing him through it and he was afraid of losing himself.
* ComicBook/{{Hellboy}} is a demon summoned from hell, but he certainly never uses his demonic powers against the monsters, faeries, demons, and gods, and while he has a really good healing factor, he mostly uses his GoodOldFisticuffs, his HandCannon, and other weapons and other religious and magical artifacts.
* ''ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}'s'' Tommy Monaghan pretty much stopped using his powers entirely after the first twenty issues or so, getting by on charm, badass, and luck. As they consisted of rather unimpressive telepathy and X-ray vision that mostly just gave him a nosebleed, and he was already a career killer before then, it's no surprise that he quite literally stuck to his guns.
* ComicBook/IronFist for the most part relies on his martial skills in combat. Sure, he has his chi abilities, but he earned those powers by winning a fist-fight with an immortal dragon, so he doesn't much need them. Plus, at first his Iron Fist ability served mostly as a FinishingMove: it was too damaging to use against mooks, and initially left him so tired he couldn't overuse it.
* ComicBook/MisterTerrific and Dr. Midnite from ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' both have powers that, while not entirely useless, are deeply unimpressive: the former can't be detected by machinery, while the latter can see in the dark. However, both of them are extremely intelligent and well-trained and use both facts to good advantage. ComicBook/{{Wildcat}} is also an example of this -- thanks to a magic spell he has nine lives. This offers no offensive use and he simply gets by on his martial arts and boxing prowess.

* ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'': as the series goes on, Jesse relies less and less on his CompellingVoice and simply fights his enemies with fists and guns. Jesse explains that he doesn't want to exploit his voice too much for fear that karma will come back around on him. In one instance he even admits that he ForgotAboutHisPowers. Writer Garth Ennis admitted that he'd written himself into a corner with Jesse's powers and began ignoring them to preserve the drama.

* In ''ComicBook/{{PS238}},'' Ambriel/Guardian Angel's power is a sort of sentient force that protects her from harm. She eventually got a baseball bat [[StuffBlowingUp that explodes things]], giving her a more combat-ready ability.

* ComicBook/{{Spawn}} has superpowers but prefers not to use them, since they're granted by hell and each use further damns his soul. Instead, he prefers to [[SuperheroPackingHeat pack some major heat]] to deal with his foes.
* [[ComicBook/TheUltimates Ultimate Nick Fury]] is actually the first super soldier, and he has all the powers of Captain America. But he thought that being Captain America was something that only TheChosenOne would be, and he did not feel like being that one. He still serves his country but fights like a regular person.
* Characters/{{Wolverine|JamesLoganHowlett}} adversary [[Characters/WolverineRoguesGallery Kenchiro Harada, aka the Silver Samurai]], possesses the {{mutant|s}} power to surround his sword with an energy field, effectively transforming it into a lightsaber. That's the extent of his powers, and in order to actually use it effectively, he's reliant on his martial arts training and mastery of swordsmanship.
* Combat training is standard for the ComicBook/XMen since many of them have powers that are either not specifically combat-oriented or too dangerous to utilize except as a last resort. Most of them mainly rely on their mutant powers, but exceptions include Characters/{{Cable|NathanSummers}} and Bishop, two time-displaced soldiers with vast but hard-to-control powers who normally just use [[MoreDakka guns]].

-->-- ''[[Comicbook/AvengersVsXMen A vs X: Consequences]]''

* Jefferson Twilight of ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' (a ''ComicBook/{{Blade}}'' {{Expy}}) is in the "powers are too minor/noncombative to help him fight" category. Specifically, he can sense the presence of black vampires ("{{Film/Blacula}}s", as he calls them), and he is "[[LiminalBeing between worlds]]", meaning he can have a presence in the physical world and the spiritual world when projected there in some manner -- an ability so minor and vague he didn't even realize he had it until he got shoved into the right situation. Because of this, he relies almost entirely on his DualWielding skills and his army training, something he's grumbled about when both of his companions have FunctionalMagic.

'''NOTE:''' A [[DePower depowered]] character such as a HenshinHero only counts if they can voluntarily switch them on and off at will and keeps them shut off most of the time, in which case they're WillfullyWeak. The character must have a choice whether or not to (try to) utilize their powers to qualify for this trope, or otherwise have powers which have no bearing on combat that can't be realistically replicated (such as Longevity, which would remove them from BadassNormal territory). Also, if EveryoneIsASuper then fighting with powers ''is'' normal -- in such a setting, someone who can't or has reason to avoid doing so is actually a HandicappedBadass.

** A major component of Blackbeard's plan to become the strongest from behind the scenes is consuming a Devil Fruit that, amongst other powers, allows him to [[PowerNullifier totally disable a Devil Fruit user's powers by grabbing them.]] A snag in this plan is discussed by his crew as they watch his battle with Ace; he needs to draw his opponent towards him in order to grab them, leaving him vulnerable to characters who can also fight like a normal. Ace demonstrates this by managing to injure Blackbeard even after he had been grabbed.
** Discussed and Enforced in the New World. Previously, [[ElementalShapeshifter Logia]] users are really difficult to fight due to their intangibility giving them NighInvulnerability, unless you can counter their specific element. Then comes Armament Haki, allowing anyone to hit a Logia user who isn't themselves trained in Haki, and how common it is in the New World. One character remarks that "Logia users who rely on their powers too much have short lifespans."

** Aizawa’s buddy Present Mic likely counts as well. He can level buildings with his [[SuperScream voice]] but is also shown to have a few close range chops to supplement it or use when the risk of using his voice is too great. “D.J. PUNCH!”

* Characters/BlackCanary from the DCU may be the single best example. Her only superpower ([[SuperScream]]) is rarely used, and she's probably gone on 15-20 issue streaks of not using it at all, but she's a martial artist good enough to give [[Characters/BatmanLadyShiva Lady Shiva]] pause. Not surprising, as the character was strictly a [[BadassNormal martial artist]] for twenty years before she got her powers.

** The main characters' teacher Aizawa/Eraser Head has a quirk that can [[PowerNullifier deactivate the quirk of whoever he's looking at]]. But seeing as he has only two eyes and lacks any superhuman physical abilities, he relies on weapons and a highly aggressive fighting style when he has to fight a group of villains.

* [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] is a wizard, and in terms of raw power, is in the top 20 or 30 on the planet. And while he's not averse to slinging fireballs around, he also carries a gun whenever he expects danger, and later in the series takes martial arts training. Partly this is because many of the foes he faces can ignore his fire spells for one reason or another, but mainly it's because of the element of surprise. Most wizards prefer to solve [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer any and all problems with magic]]. The last thing anyone expects is for a wizard to [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim pull a gun on them]].

* Kazura in ''Anime/NightRaid1931'' avoids using his teleportation ability, apparently considering it a crutch or unfair.

** Jessica Midnight possesses magical powers but relies on her armed and unarmed combat training. This is justified; Jessica having powers is in violation of Checkmate's Rule of Two that each super-powered or otherwise enhanced member in the “Royal Family” must have an un-powered counterpart in a corresponding position of power. Since there are already two bishops in Checkmate with superpowers (Thinker and August General In Iron), Jessica makes a third. Bea da Costa is the only one aware that Jessica has powers since she used them to defeat [[Characters/SuicideSquadOperatives Deadshot]].

* ComicBook/MisterTerrific and Dr. Midnite from ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' both have powers that, while not entirely useless, are deeply unimpressive: the former can't be detected by machinery, while the latter can see in the dark. However, both of them are extremely intelligent and well-trained and use both facts to good advantage. ComicBook/{{Wildcat}} is also an example of this -- thanks to a magic spell he has nine lives. This offers no offensive use and he simply gets by on his martial arts and boxing prowess.

* When crippled army veteran [[Characters/MarvelComicsFlashThompson Flash Thompson]] was given the [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Venom Symbiote]] and became Agent Venom, he still puts his army training to use with his personal symbiote suit reflecting that. Instead of the hulking scary beast with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily, it's slimmed down into a properly humanoid body that wears armor, pouches and other military equipment. Although the symbiote does allow him to pull off stunts and moves that most sane soldiers would deem AwesomeYetImpractical, such as going GunsAkimbo (from handguns to even assault rifles) and to increase his [[MoreDakka dakka]], he can have tentacles carry and shoot ''even more'' firearms.

* Miya in ''Fanfic/{{Eroninja}}'' taught herself to fight without using any chakra at all. This is because the man she wants to kill (Kisame) is capable of absorbing chakra and using it to heal himself, making chakra usage counterproductive.
* ''Fanfic/TheBridge'': Monster X has GravityMaster and EyeBeams abilities, but he primarily fights using martial arts.
* In ''Fanfic/SupernovaOnePiece'', Luffy mostly fights without using his Devil Fruit powers, in large part because the [[ThePowerOfTheSun sun/plasma]] abilities it gives him are ''incredibly'' destructive and he could easily kill people if he's not careful. This draws a stark contrast with [[PowersDoTheFighting Smok]][[UnskilledButStrong er]] who uses his Devil Fruit constantly while fighting (Luffy actually lamenting that he doesn't have a power that he can use as much Smoker uses his) and is shocked when Luffy reveals that he's a Logia, having assumed that he'd never seen a Logia before. It's not until the end of their fight that Luffy uses his Logia powers which [[ElementalRockPaperScissors overpower]] Smoker's easily.
* Even after ascending to godhood in the ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9920512/1/Reaching-for-a-Dream Reaching for a Dream]]'' series, Naruto usually just uses his powers to enhance his physical abilities. Sure he ''can'' destroy enemy ships by conjuring meteors to strike them or even willing them to no longer exist, but he'd rather just jump on top of them and rip them apart with his bare hands. On some level, this is due to having spent the first twenty years or so of his life as a mortal and needing to fight that way, unlike his wife who was never mortal and prefers to [[PowersDoTheFighting stand in one spot and use her divine powers to fight]].
* More like Fights Like a Normal ''Trainer'', but in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'', Ash Ketchum possesses [[SuperEmpowering an ability that allows him to give his Pokémon temporary power boosts]]. [[HonorBeforeReason He refuses to use it in competitive battling because he views it as an unfair advantage normal humans can't compete against, and also because he believes in his Pokémon to be able to win by their own strength]], though he's willing to use it if it's to fight a villain or to help someone in need.
* In ''Fanfic/LiveAHeroMHA'', Izuku fights almost exclusively with the plethora of knives he has at his disposal due to how uncontrollable his Quirk is and the [[HeroicRROD debilitating side effects it has on him]].
* In ''Fanfic/{{Juxtapose}}'', none of Izuku's three friends have a damaging component to their Quirks, leading them to take up martial arts and [[MartialArtsStaff a staff]] to defend themselves. Izuku is also this to an extent since he uses a staff as well because [[spoiler:his Quirk is too lethal to use against people haphazardly]].

* "Literature/ClockpunkAndTheVitalizer" has Clockpunk, a sort-of TimeMaster who can [[TimeStandsStill slow time for seven seconds]] and [[CombatClairvoyance see seven seconds into the future]]. Both are close to useless against [[MindOverMatter The Vitalizer]], so she sticks to her [[SuperheroPackingHeat non-lethal Kick-Gun]] and wits to stay alive in their confrontations.

* Characters/BlackCanary from the DCU may be the single best example. Her only superpower ([[MakeMeWannaShout sonic scream]]) is rarely used, and she's probably gone on 15-20 issue streaks of not using it at all, but she's a martial artist good enough to give [[Characters/BatmanLadyShiva Lady Shiva]] pause. Not surprising, as the character was strictly a [[BadassNormal martial artist]] for twenty years before she got her powers.