History Main / OldMaster

** Biscuit Krueger is a subversion, as she's in her late 50s but [[OlderThanTheyLook uses her powers to resemble a young girl]], and even in her [[AmazonianBeauty true form]] she doesn't look older than mid-30. She was a master of Nen as well as Netero's style of kung-fu, and trained Gon & Killua throughout the Greed Island and Chimera Ant arcs.

* ''Fanfic/VowOfNudity'': The old Firbolg slave who trains Haara in the flashbacks. Haara never learns his full power level, but his daily duties are always finished despite nobody ever seeing him working, he's able to seemingly appear anywhere he wants at any time, and nobody even knows the full roster of disciples he's tutoring at any given time. And this is all *despite* him wearing a magic-nullifying armband for being a known spellcaster.

* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'': Master Asia's not as old as he looks [[note]] Apparently the IncurableCoughOfDeath somehow makes him look older than his actual age of 50. [[/note]] but he is still past his prime and the Grand Master of the School of the Undefeated of the East. He can effortlessly catch cannonballs and demolish HumongousMecha with his bare hands, and when putting forth some actual effort can punch a ''skyscraper'' hard enough to launch it into the air. While ''G Gundam'' is a WorldOfBadass, virtually no one else is ''that'' badass. In fact, he's ''so badass'' that his use of the Master Gundam is him basically ''[[WillfullyWeak handicapping himself]]''.

** The series has the Greybeards, masters of the [[MakeMeWannaShout Thu'um]] (the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent draconic]] LanguageOfMagic). The Greybeards have trained their voices to such an incredible extent that even a misplaced whisper could kill a person. They play a major part in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', where they summon the [[PlayerCharacter Dragonborn]] to High Hrothgar, their monastery on the Throat of the World, the tallest mountain in Tamriel, for training in the Thu'um. When they greet the Dragonborn with a politely whispered "Dovahkiin", ''the whole mountain shakes'' from the force of it. Even when they speak in full voice to summon the Dragonborn to High Hrothgar, ''all of Skyrim hears it''. It should be noted that this [[GamePlayAndStoryIntegration isn't just lore fluff]], the four Greybeards are some of the highest level-[=NPCs=] in the game, with Arngeir sitting pretty at level 150.

** Granny's grandmother, Alison Weatherwax, is implied to have been as powerful, if not more so - when she was even older than Granny at the time, she went out to Uberwald and encountered the previous Count Magpyr. He was a very old master vampire, the stronger and subtly smarter uncle of the very powerful and dangerously intelligent Count Magpyr of ''Literature/CarpeJugulum''. She beat him in a fair fight and rammed a stake through his heart. She was ''75''. Even Granny is impressed by that, and filled with a certain family pride, implying that he'd have been a far harder opponent than the younger Count. For context, he nearly destroyed her, both physically and mentally, and she had to resort to [[spoiler: putting her mind into her own blood, let the entire clan of vampires drink it, [[MustBeInvited tricking them into inviting her in]]. As she says with some satisfaction - "I ain't been vampired. You've been Weatherwaxed." While brilliant, she admitted she was forced to do it because she couldn't beat him in a straight fight, and she was also backed up by a vengeful [[spoiler: phoenix]] and a priest who'd just become a BadassPreacher. With that in mind, Alison's feat is all the more impressive.

* As of ''Film/TopGunMaverick'', Mav has become this. With over forty years of piloting experience under his belt, he's good enough to fly circles around his students, all of whom were top of their class in TOPGUN just like he and Iceman were back in their day.

* Maria Calavera frmo ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' is a very elderly and blind huntress who was once the Grimm Reaper. Through both her skill and her immensely powerful silver eyes, she rose to become a legendary huntress, until she was blinded and went into retirement following an encounter with mercenaries implicitly hired by the BigBad. She doesn't do much fighting, but gives Ruby advice on how to use the power of ''her'' silver eyes. She does eventually fight in volume 8, [[spoiler:taking on Neopolitan, who up until that point has been one of the show's best fighters. Maria fights her off with one arm behind her back, laughing like she's having the time of her life]].

* Sensei Wu in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}''. He can beat up attackers with just an [[SimpleStaff old bamboo staff]] despite his old age. Not to mention that he knows [[FantasticFightingStyle spinjitsu]] better than just about anybody.

* Saisyu Kusanagi, Chin Gensai, Takuma Sakazaki, and a number of others from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters''. Several of them got together to form the Old Man Team one year: Saisyu, Takuma and ColonelBadass Heidern (despite them not being ''that'' old, compared to Chin). In ''KOF 2002 Unlimited Match'', Chin joins the team in Saisyu's place, due to the game being a dream match for the ''99'' to ''2002'' editions and Bao occupying his position in the Psycho Soldier team. Lampshaded with their theme song, ''In Spite of One's Age'', a soft and relaxing tune. You may want to hear the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ZWxCCkjew '98 version,]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHbjU6D1gcU 2002 Unlimited Match version.]]

* The Master from ''VideoGame/PaperMario''. While he appears to be asthmatic and weak, when he goes quite literally Super Saiyan on Mario, he turns out to be quite possibly the game's hardest foe.
* ''VideoGame/ParappaTheRapper'': Chop Chop Master Onion, anyone?

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'', there was originally going to be a battle with Prof. Oak, who apparently keeps the Pokémon neither you nor your rival chooses. He would have been the strongest Trainer in the game - even better than the Champion - but, for some reason, the battle was dummied out. However, using a VideoGame/GameShark, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7u2AbkkJ5I the battle]] can still be accessed.

** The [[''VideoGame/Yakuza2'' sequel]] adds Granny White, an elderly woman who trained (''and''kicked the asses of) Lau Ka Long and the Snake Flower Triad.

* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'': Master Asia's not as old as he looks [[note]] Apparently the IncurableCoughOfDeath somehow makes him look older than his actual age of 50. [[/note]] but he is still past his prime and the Grand Master of the School of the Undefeated of the East. He can effortlessly catch cannonballs and demolish HumongousMecha with his bare hands, and when putting forth some actual effort can punch a ''skyscraper'' hard enough to launch it into the air. While ''G Gundam'' is a WorldOfBadass, virtually no one else is ''that'' badass.

* ''Film/{{Red}}'' appears to be this, with a team of retired black-ops investigating their former employer. The designation itself stands for '''R'''etired, '''E'''xtremely '''D'''angerous.

* TheMaster in ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans: Path of the Furon'', who is a parody of [[Series/KungFu Master Po]].

* Grasshopper, Master Po from ''Series/KungFu'', surely one of the TropeMakers of the Old Master, and owner/operator of a DisabilitySuperpower to boot. Or The Ancient One from ''Kung Fu The Legend Continues'', who might have been several hundred years old.

[[folder:Pinballs]]
* Master Bim Bam Boom from ''Pinball/TheChampionPub''.
[[/folder]]

* Monks in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' eventually gain Timeless Body, which means that while they still visibly age they take no penalties for aging and are every bit as physically powerful as they were at their prime. At the level a monk gains that ability he/she is also not to be trifled with, or at least not unless [[TierInducedScrappy you're pretty much any other class at the same level]].
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', Sidereals will eventually become this, if they aren't already. They know the best SupernaturalMartialArts there are (that ''only'' they can learn), they rely on subtle but masterful measures, their non-martial-arts powers require esoteric wisdom to make good use of, and they keep low profile-- though that last one is a magically enforced rule of reality.
* The Old Master archetype from ''TabletopGame/FengShui'' has the highest starting Martial Arts and Chi scores of the whole archetype list and five Fu Schticks, and though he only starts with a Body score of 4, his Unique Schtick allows him to use unarmed attacks to wallop characters with 10 base damage (equivalent of Body 8 or 9). You just know it's a bad move to mess with him.
* The Archangel Michael is the second or third oldest angel in the universe in ''TabletopGame/InNomine'' -- and since he's also the Archangel of ''War'', he can take down just about any opponent or group of opponents you care to name. After he personally booted his older brother Lucifer out of Heaven, the rest of the demonic army [[OhCrap decided to show itself out.]]
* Sebastian Crenshaw from ''TabletopGame/MutantChronicles''. P55 years old in a universe where average life expectancy is 40, but still the Solar system's most skilled assassin, swordsman and martial artist.

* ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'':
** Mister Fixer is a devastatingly skilled martial artist who WordOfGod holds is the most skilled martial artist in the setting (other people might hit harder, but they usually use superpowers to do it) - and [[BlindWeaponmaster being blind]] doesn't slow him down. Originally conceived in-universe as a {{Blaxploitation}} / kung fu FadSuper when those were the new hotness, ReimaginingTheArtifact positioned that as the exuberance of youth, with the years since then having left him as a beaten-down old man with a few extra decades of regrets, coming out of retirement to take on the crime syndicate poisoning his city - with his skills as sharp as ever, even though he's set aside his bo staves and nunchaku in favour of [[ImprobableWeaponUser tyre irons, jack handles and crowbars]].
** John Rhodes, aka The Scholar, is a friendly-looking older man who typically wears a bathrobe and gives off strong Creator/JeffBridges vibes. He's over a hundred years old, not that he looks it, and is possibly the most skilled true alchemist in the world.

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'': Beware of any [[ProudWarriorRace krogan]] who has lived past the age of 1,000. Since krogan are predisposed to spend their lives in combat, very few of them reach old age... and those that ''do'' have probably seen more battles than every human in an army put together. Such krogan are often known as "Battlemasters" and are considered some of the most dangerous warriors in all of existence. Asari matriarchs (from a race that lives just as long as Krogan) tend to also qualify, although they're less likely to be front-line specialists.

* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': Belgarath, sure he looks like a scruffy old vagabond, but he's also [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld 7000 years old]] and the single most powerful sorcerer EVER. The BigBad's followers consider him to be {{Satan}} and need a change of underwear at the mention of his name.
** The other Disciples of Aldur are no slouches either. Or even the Disciples of Torak. No one with that much power and age (and thus knowledge and, hopefully, wisdom) should be underestimated.

** Cohen the Barbarian, the greatest (and oldest) barbarian hero in the world. Those who underestimate him because of his age don't realize that living to be over seventy in a dangerous profession such as barbarian heroism means he's ''good'' at it. The book ''Literature/InterestingTimes'' introduces the Silver Horde, a group consisting of Cohen and some of his fellow elderly barbarians, all of whom are still incredibly dangerous (despite one of them being in a wheelchair). The seven of them conquer a continent roughly analogous to China. This is shown to be a mix of being so experienced that they don't ''have'' to be fast to win and being masters of CombatPragmatism.

'''Six Beneficient Winds:''' Oh, my...\\

** Lu-Tze, first appeared in ''Literature/SmallGods'', but really got to strut his stuff in ''Literature/ThiefOfTime''. And Lu-Tze ''mastered'' the technique (mentioned with Cohen earlier) of letting his reputation precede him: particularly ''Rule #1''. Because, although he rarely uses it, Lu-Tze has the capability to knock even [[spoiler:the personification of Time]] for a loop.

** On another branch is Granny Weatherwax. What she lacks in physical skills ([[BadassBookworm which is less than you might think - she's deadly with a hairpin]]), she more than makes up for in her knowledge of Discworld psychology (or "headology", as she puts it). She is no less a master of reputation than Cohen or Lu-Tze, and reputation and psychology are her primary weapons. Like Lu-Tze, everyone questions whether she is a real witch, but she has shown the ability (if not the eagerness) to perform very powerful magic when she really needs it. Such as when she moved the entire kingdom of Lancre forward in time 15 years (in ''Literature/WyrdSisters'').
** Pretty much any of the wizards (except maybe the Bursar), because while they appear to be old, fat, and a maybe slightly demented, they've all gotten old and fat while surviving the [[KlingonPromotion unbridled ambitions]] of both their companions of age, and much younger, fitter wizards.

*** The leader, Arthur Langtry, is called the Merlin and is the strongest of the lot. A master of defensive magics, he once created a barrier ward on the fly to hold back [[spoiler:an entire court of evil vampires and monsters from beyond the universe]]. The most impressive aspect is the wards need to be grounded by some threshold, like the one guarding a home. Lacking one means the ward's strength is reduced greatly. So, even without that essential quality to make a good ward, he maintains one against an incredible danger.
*** Ebenezer [=McCoy=] is one of the youngest members. He once nearly killed a vampire by just clutching his fist and Force-choking her with no effort on his part. He destroys enemy bases by [[spoiler:dropping old satellites orbiting in space on them]]. Professional smartass Harry Dresden [[RespectedByTheRespected addresses him as, "sir".]]
*** Ancient Mai, a miniature senior citizen type, has an incredibly sharp intellect and deduction capabilities. What is known is limited, but when the hero Harry Dresden sees her escort of battle harden Wardens, magical soldiers trained to kill other mages and dark things, one is holding her umbrella. She has made guardian statues able to detect dark magic.
*** Joseph "Injun Joe" Listens-to-Winds is a Native American shaman, best healer in the Council, regularly goes back to med school every ten years to see what new things have come about, and is a master of shapeshifting, having once [[spoiler:sent a walking physical god running in fear of its destruction after a shapeshifting battle]].

** Skaldi Skjeldson is one of Odin's Einherjar. He has been around for roughly 2,000 years. While he may look like a middle age man, he is a skilled combat fighter. When one of Harry's friends train against him, Skaldi never loses. At the last moment before Skaldi would lose, he pulls out some new move or trick to secure a victory.

* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', there's a figure of legend who got this close to kill the originator of all demons, a demon slayer samurai who kept his humanity but had skills that practically made him inhumanly strong, almost divine in nature; it turns out he managed to live for 80 years and in his final moments still wanted to dispatch his older twin brother who became a demon, his brother notes than even as an 80 years old man his skills still seemed absurd, something that made a demon who kept his youth feel envious.