History Main / MultiarmedMultitasking

* In ''VideoGame/MagrunnerDarkPulse'', the six-armed Gamaji is the main character's mentor and can seen in-game manipulating multiple data screens and holding a cup of coffee at once.

* ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': During the la Boeufs' masquerade party, a guy in an octopus costume uses the tentacles to hold glasses of wine. When he sees [[ItMakesSenseInContext a dog in a mermaid costume chasing two frogs wearing a disembodied giraffe's head]], he looks baffled and [[NoMoreForMe pours out all his drinks at once]].
* Long John Silver in ''Disney/TreasurePlanet'' isn't multiarmed but still manages to pull off this trope in the kitchen, thanks to his multi-purpose cybernetic arm with little armlets.

* Subverted in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' franchise with the four armed pokemon Machamp. It's pokedex entry specifically states that "Any delicate or complicated work causes it's arms to get tangled up".

** The mail-sorting alien in ''[=MIB=] 2''.

* Subverted in the {{VideoGame/Pokemon}} franchise with the four armed pokemon Machamp. It's pokedex entry specifically states that "Any delicate or complicated work causes it's arms to get tangled up".

* In ''Manga/ShinryakuIkaMusume'', Ika appears to specialize in this with her tentacle hair.

Also note that some cases of Multitasking may be considered more {{Heroic|Ambidexterity}} than others.

* And the guy in the octopus costume from ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' uses the tentacles to hold glasses of wine. When he sees [[ItMakesSenseInContext a dog in a mermaid costume chasing two frogs wearing a disembodied giraffe's head]], he looks baffled and [[NoMoreForMe pours out all his drinks at once]].

* And the guy in the octopus costume from ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog''.

** In ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'', a multi-armed monster is seen cramming for his final exams by holding up several textbooks and reading from them, and another is seen drinking several cups off coffee to stay alert.

* Played with in Music/TroutFishingInAmerica's "Two Brains", in which the narrator proposes growing extra legs and arms (and a second brain) to keep up with everyday life � so he can do more at once without being stressed out.

* Techpriests in the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' universe can do that.

* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squiddly_Diddly Squiddly Diddly]]'' did this sometimes. (In fact his pic on TheOtherWiki shows him playing three musical instruments at once.)

* The bar-tending octopus cartoon from ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''.

!! Examples:

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* Ceres from ''WesternAnimation/ObanStarRacers'' an Animesque racing series co-produced by French and Japanese animation studios.
* In ''ShinryakuIkaMusume'', Ika appears to specialise in this with her tentacle hair.
* Kamaji in ''Anime/SpiritedAway'' operates the bathhouse boiler room. He has six spidery arms, which he uses to multitask: reaching into the hundreds of herb cabinets, pouring boiling water, grinding potions with his yagen (related to a mortar a pestle, but using a wheel in a narrow trough) and responding to wooden tags on ropes signalling requests from the bathhouse above.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* In ''ComicBook/{{Ironwood}}'', first mate Tif makes full use of all four of her hands while having a threesome with a jinn and a crewmate.

[[folder: Fan Works ]]

* There was once a ''MortalKombat'' fan fic where Sheeva was driving somewhere with the heroes, and had two arms on the wheel, one on the transmission, and one out the window (and no, it doesn't mention how she learned to drive).

[[folder: Films -- Animated ]]

[[folder: Films -- Live-Action ]]

* The bar-tending octopus cartoon from ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''.
* The twin {{Mission Control}}s from ''Film/MenInBlack''.
** the mail-sorting alien in ''[=MIB=] 2''.

* At one point in ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Voluntary Shapeshifter]] T-1000 grows a third arm to pilot a helicopter and load a machine gun at the same time.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Mythology ]]

* Different Buddhas are sometimes depicted with many arms.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* In ''VideoGame/MagrunnerDarkPulse'', the six-armed Gamaji is the main character's mentor and can seen in-game manipulating multiple data screens and holding a cup of coffee at once.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* An episode of [[RoosterTeeth RT Shorts]] involves Geoff having additional arms surgically added so he can communicate over more social networks at once.

[[folder: Tabletop RPG ]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' has the Multiple Arms [[PointBuildSystem advantage]] available for player characters, but you also need to buy special coordination to use them fully- otherwise they are only good for holding things, not performing more than one task at a time.
** In ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'', the Ananasi werespiders can take this ability, though it's a fairly high-level spell, since it requires a fair deal of mental skill.
* Techpriests in the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' universe can do that.

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* Played with and subverted - and then played straight for good measure - in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary''. One of the mercs, a guy named Andy, belongs to a race of four-armed aliens. During his initial interview, he bragged about quad-wielding handguns, but Thurl just pointed out that he still only had two eyes, so no matter how many weapons he's got, he'll only hit one target. There has been incidents where he HAS used it, though - including wielding a two-handed assault-rifle and two handguns at the same time - but it's been purely for intimidation-value. Or sometimes just for fun.
** Schlock himself has demonstrated on multiple occasions that he can not only form extra hands when needed, but also use them quite effectively. The fact that he can have multiple eyes (if he can get hold of them) means he could aim at multiple targets.
* ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}'' uses her 6 arms to knit - all at once and while using silk she produced herself.
** Later on, Sahira [[PowerCopying copies Spinnerette's arms]] in order to clean her apartment faster. She's then seen to clean 6 different surfaces at once.
* ''Webcomic/AtArmsLength'': When not fighting evil, Ally, Reece and Sheila are not above using all four arms to cut corners in mundane activities.
** The entire Enchanter race, which is naturally four-armed, is built around this trope.
* Snap Fahrenheit, the titular main character of ''Webcomic/HowToRaiseYourTeenageDragon'', is a four-armed dragon.
* Lakshmi in ''Webcomic/BratHalla'' is based on the Hindu goddess of the same name which gives her the requisite four arms. [[http://brat-halla.com/comic/214-pantheon-games-mischiefs-in-the-air/ Puts them to good use on a date with Loki]].

[[folder: Western Animation ]]