History Main / OnePersonOnePower

* In the universe of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', every pony, Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth, has a "special talent" that is reflected in their cutie-mark. This can be fairly mundane, like a normal talent, or a legitimate superpower. Twilight Sparkle has a particularly versatile one, since her talent is being good at magic in general (as opposed to other unicorns, whose magic generally helps them in something more specific).

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''

* In ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'', each character's profile state their ability alongside their name and [[BossSubtitles title]], giving the impression of this trope. It's actually a {{subversion}}, as the abilities are self-declared by the characters themselves, and they can include anything. They range from abilities actually unique to the character (e.g. Flandre's ability to destroy anything), species-wide abilities (e.g. Nitori's ability to control water which is shared with all other {{kappa}}, or Kagerou, a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf's]], ability to transform into a wolf), to not actually their own (e.g. Seiga's ability to pass through walls is from a magical artifact she owns).

** There are exceptions to this trope i.e. people who possess multiple Quirks. Many people can tolerate two Quirks at best, on the condition that they are physically fit. Very few people can endure more than two Quirks without turning into mindless living dolls. The most infamous among them is [[BigBad All For One]] whose original Quirk can [[PowerParasite steal numerous Quirks for personal use]] or [[SuperEmpowering transfer them to others]]. All For One's sidekick, Dr. Garaki can surgically transplant Quirks to create [[EliteMooks Nōmus]]/{{Artificial Human}}s. However the brain functions of these creatures are affected by Quirk Overload. Villains like [[spoiler:Wolfram, Nine, Gigantomachia, and Tomura Shigaraki can endure multiple Quirks with their sense of self intact.]]
** [[spoiler:Izuku Midoriya]] is presently the only hero with multiple Quirks. This is because [[spoiler:One For All has been storing the original Quirks of its previous users, and Midoriya is the first user who can wield all seven Quirks.]]

** Most people are born with only a single [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual "Quirk"]], usually one of their parents' powers or a merger of both[[note]]Katsuki Bakugo got really lucky on this one: his father sweats nitric acid, his mother can produce glycerin, and he got a combination of the two meaning he sweats [[HavingABlast nitroglycerine]][[/note]].
** It's mentioned that "superpower marriages" are a thing in this setting, with people specifically choosing their spouses for their powers in the hopes of siring super-strong children; Shoto Todoroki is the prime example of this: his mother has [[AnIcePerson ice powers]], and his father has [[PlayingWithFire fire powers]]. Todoroki's Quirk is a hybrid version that allows him to use both to great effect, though there is an element of SuperpowerLottery with Shoto, as his three siblings developed pretty mundane abilities.
** It is thought to be genetically impossible for a person to have more than one Quirk. The [[EliteMook Nōmus]]/{{Artificial Human}}s are humans who have been genetically engineered to hold several Quirks but at the cost of mental faculties of a normal person.
** [[BigBad All For One's]] original [[PowerParasite Quirk]] can steal other Quirks for personal use or [[SuperEmpowering grant them]] to someone else. This allows him to bypass the rule and he can use multiple Quirks without suffering from Quirk overload.
** The original One For All Quirk is a fusion of a [[PowerUp Stockpiling Quirk]] and a useless [[SuperEmpowering Transfer Quirk]] that belonged to All For One's frail little brother. Many wielders of One For All were already born with a Quirk of their own before obtaining One For All itself, allowing them to wield at most two Quirks simultaneously. [[spoiler: One For All's current wielder, Izuku Midoriya is also revealed to be an exception to this rule because he is the first user to inherit [[AllYourPowersCombined all the six original Quirks of his predecessors]].]]
** Some characters, though, have powers that end up being multiple powers by nature. For instance, Tsuyu Asui has the Quirk "Frog", which means she has the same physiology as a frog - that includes super-strong legs and jumping, changing skin color, a sticky tongue, wall-crawling, excellent swimming, secreting an extremely weak poison, and being able to inflate her stomach.

* Downplayed in ''Literature/ATaleOfMagic''. Every fairy can do numerous spells, but they have one “specialty.” A specialty comes so naturally, it can be uncontrollable.

''Comicbook/{{Harbinger}}'': the titular Harbingers all have one psiot power each with the exception of Omega Harbingers who have ''every'' power.

* Normally, each mutant in ''ComicBook/XMen'' have only one unique power, but it's occasionally subverted with secondary mutations, which are rare and often have little or nothing to do with the original one.
''Comicbook/Harbinger'': the titular Harbingers all have one psiot power each with the exception of Omega Harbingers who have ''every'' power.

[[folder: Comic Book]]
''Comicbook/Harbinger'': the titular Harbingers all have one psiot power each with the exception of Omega Harbingers who have ''every'' power.

[[/folder]]

''ComicBook/Harbinger'': the titular Harbingers all have one psiot power each with the exception of Omega Harbingers who have ''every'' power.

* ''Literature/LegendOfNightfall'', by Creator/MickeyZuckerReichert: Individuals with single "natal talents".

* ''Literature/{{Graceling}}'': Graces are abilities some members of the population just happen to be born with, signified by their heterochromatic eyes. These graces enhance one's ability in a particular field- Main character Katsa, for example, has a killing grace (which turns out to actually be a ''[[spoiler: survival grace]]''), deuteragonist Po is graced with enhanced perception, and the main antagonist King Leck is graced with telling lies that people will believe.

* ''Literature/{{Graceling}}'': Graces are abilities some members of the population just happen to be born with, signified by their heterochromatic eyes. These graces enhance one's ability in a particular field- Main character Katsa, for example, has a killing grace, deuteragonist Po is graced with enhanced perception, and the main antagonist King Leck is graced with telling lies that people will believe.

[[folder:{{Webcomics}}]]

* ''Webcomic/TheGamer'': Certain people can gain a power called a Natural Ability which is granted by the Earth itself. The main character is a Natural Ability User that is given the power of titular 'The Gamer', which allows him to live his life like an RPG game. There also others who gain their abilities through training and past knowledge called Acquired Abilites which range from KiManipulation using martial arts to magic.

[[folder:{{Web Original}}]]

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': All living things have an [[SoulPower Aura]]. With training, they can strengthen their Aura and use it for a range of effects, such as [[SuperToughness preventing injury]] or [[HealingFactor healing injuries]] that do manage to be inflicted, or blocking strikes by [[BarrierWarrior projecting Aura]] like a forcefield. However, every single person possesses the ability to develop a Semblance, a manifestation of Aura that is unique to every individual. Among the main characters, Ruby can engage in [[SuperSpeed feats of extreme speed]]; Weiss can create magical glyphs that perform a range of [[GeometricMagic faux-magical effects]], such as the ability to summon and command ice-versions of her fallen foes; Blake can create shadow-clones that take the blows meant for her; Yang can tank damage and [[CriticalStatusBuff convert it to deal increased damage back]] to her foes; Jaune has the ability to [[SuperEmpowering amplify everyone else's Aura]], increasing the effectiveness of their abilities; Nora can tank electricity to [[SuperStrength increase her strength]]; Pyrrha can [[MagnetismManipulation use magnetism]] to achieve a range of effects, from creating tornados of soda cans to winning battles by subtlely manipulating warriors' armour and weapons to ensure they lose fights without ever knowing why; and Ren can [[EmotionSuppression mask people's emotions]], making them invisible to the [[AnimalisticAbomination monstrous]] [[EmotionEater Creatures of Grimm]].

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In the universe of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', every pony, Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth, has a "special talent" that is reflected in their cutie-mark. This can be fairly mundane, like a normal talent, or a legitimate superpower. Twilight Sparkle has a particularly versatile one, since her talent is being good at magic in general (as opposed to other unicorns, whose magic generally helps them in something more specific).
[[/folder]]

* In the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', this is how most superpowers work... while a person might have several abilities, they are usually just variants and special-purpose uses of their one superpower.

* ''Literature/Graceling'': Graces are abilities some members of the population just happen to be born with, signified by their heterochromatic eyes. These graces enhance one's ability in a particular field- Main character Katsa, for example, has a killing grace, deuteragonist Po is graced with enhanced perception, and the main antagonist King Leck is graced with telling lies that people will believe.

See also EveryoneHasASpecialMove, SignatureMove. Compare OneSuperOnePowerset and ThemeDeck.

* ''Webcomic/ScoobAndShag'': The cartoon characters we know and love are actually an alien race and each member is born with a unique power called a "Ballyhoo", corn from the adoration of humans. Each one is named after TV or video recording terminology. For example, [[WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog Courage]]'s "On Demand" lets him turn into any kind of object at will, [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit]]'s "ProductPlacement" lets him summon branded objects for [[SwissArmySuperpower a variety of purposes]], and WesternAnimation/{{Droopy}}'s "DirectToVideo" summons creepy paintings that he can see through.

* ''VideoGame/Suikoden'' series have special runes called True Runes, that represent certain aspects like beginning, fire, beasts, and change. They can either bring a curse or blessing depending on the rune. One could cause them to become vampiric, control dragons, connect worlds, or bring monsters into existence.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sidekicks}}'' all supublics are born with a [[SuperpowerLottery single superpower]]. Superheroes subvert this by gaining a second superpower thanks to their [[SuperheroesWearCapes hero]] [[BadassCape capes]] and the villains working with Metheos do so [[spoiler:via the Third Prana]].

See also EveryoneHasASpecialMove, SignatureMove. Compare OneSuperOnePowerset.

* Anyone with the titular Geass from ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has one ability that can be used in a variety of ways should the user get experimental, as series protagonist Lelouch demonstrates early on.
%% ''Manga/{{Aphorism}}''
* The Contractors in ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' follow this rule strictly. Some of them even explicitly lack RequiredSecondaryPowers.
%% ''Anime/WitchHunterRobin''
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', there appears to be only one of each Devil Fruit, and nobody can have two Devil Fruit powers (except [[spoiler: Blackbeard]]). Trying to will result in the death of the person trying to obtain the second power. Averted with Haki, which can be learned by anyone and used in tandem with Devil Fruit powers or other abilities.
* ''Manga/{{Needless}}'': The Needless each have a power called Fragments, which originated from one human source before he disappeared, that can be shape-shifting, creating threads, manipulating gravity, and even copying other Fragments.

** Espers always only have one power but the versatility of this power can vary. Electromasters control electromagnetism, which allows for LightningCanDoAnything, but Meltdowner essentially creates plasma and is mainly only useful for destructive purposes. The absolute king of this is Accelerator, whose Vector Control can do literally ''anything'' that involves movement, from stopping bullets to '''slowing the planet's rotation by borrowing some of its kinetic energy for a MegatonPunch'''.

* ''Anime/TigerAndBunny's'' heroes all have different powers, and it's considered surprising when Barnaby is introduced with exactly the same power as Wild Tiger. However, another NEXT having the same or similar powers is a known phenomenon. Wild Tiger was inspired as a boy by a hero who had the same power he did and nobody makes anything of it when his daughter initially seems to develop the same power.
* In ''Manga/AliceAndZoroku'', those who possess the "Dreams of Alice" are {{Reality Warper}}s whose power is themed around a certain "Card", allowing for varying versatility. One of a pair of twins creates a simple bow and arrow while her sister can create anything with a chain, ranging from actual chains to bicycles to wrecking balls.
* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', this applies to any human who can use [[ThePowerOfTheSun Hamon]] or a [[FightingSpirit Stand]] without being able to use the other. This isn't very likely in the first place since Hamon was only deadly to vampires, [[VillainPedigree who were replaced by human Stand users as the main threats]]. The Stands, in particular, tend to work differently from each other.

* ''Manga/DarwinsGame'' has powers granted to people who play the titular smartphone game called Sigils. The abilities it can give are a living lie detector, controlling string-like object, short-term predictions of the future, invisibility, or teleportation.
* ''Manga/IrisZero'' has the titular Iris, MagicalEye powers that 99% of people of the world have. The specific effects are unique per person, such as LivingLieDetector or seeing people's inner emotions.

* ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' has their power that come from Nen, which is basically KiManipulation, but a user can create their own unique abilities based on their Nen category and personality along with the option to create rules and restrictions to make it more potent.

* In ''Literature/{{Graceling}}'', the Gracelings each have one Grace (which is either a skill at which they are superhumanly proficient or an outright superpower.)
* The psychic children of the ''Gotterelektrongruppe'' in Ian Tregillis' ''Literature/BitterSeeds'' and [[TheMilkweedTriptych sequels thereof]].
* The Magicals/Actives of ''[[Literature/TheGrimnoirChronicles Hard Magic]]'' all have one power each, albeit with RequiredSecondaryPowers included.
* ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' by Michael Grant features several superpowered kids with a single power each, with the eventual exceptions of Brittney, Drake, and [[spoiler: Gaia]].
* In ''Literature/ShadowOps'', "Latents" (humans who develop magical powers) only develop within one specific "school" of magic. Some of these are limited, i.e. pyromancers can only create fire. Others are impressively diverse, such as terramancers, who can control earth, shape and grow plants, and mind-control animals.
* ''Literature/TheExtraordinaryAdventuresOfOrdinaryBoy'' has an entire city with this.
* ''Literature/StrengthAndJustice'': One [[MagicByAnyOtherName dyna]] per person.
* By the time of ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'', the magical bloodlines have diluted such that there are no more Mistborn or Feruchemists: nobody has more than one Allomantic and one Feruchemical power. Twinborn are those with one of each, and Compounders are Twinborn with matching powers--which, due to a quirk of the magic system, means that they can get more out of their Feruchemy than they put in, breaking the EquivalentExchange and creating an infinite loop. The only Compounder in the first book is Miles Hundredlives, who uses gold to store health and get a HealingFactor that makes Wolverine look like a wimp.
* Pretty much true in ''Literature/SuperPowereds'', although [[MindOverMatter telekinetics]] are invariably [[PsychicPowers telepaths]] as well. It's thought that the two are really variations on the same ability. Some powers are more versatile than others. Most Supers are [[VoluntaryShapeshfiting Shifters]], requiring them to switch to their alt-mode in order to use their powers. That alt-mode can be ''anything''. Some are lizards, some turn into themselves with metal skin, some are robots with missile launchers and flying capability. Extremely-powerful elementals are able to take on certain characteristics of their element (e.g. a Super's mastery of electricity also allows him to attain SuperSpeed). Some Supers don't have a power that is useful in combat, such as Nick, who can manipulate luck (most combat isn't based on luck). However, as shown in ''Year 1'', at full power, even his ability can have devastating results ([[spoiler:when using it to stop a truck on a highway, he manipulates the luck of the vehicle to simultaneously cause half a dozen improbable malfunctions that nearly rip the truck to shreds]]).
* PlayedWith in Jack D. Ferraiolo's ''Sidekicks.'' There are three categories of power: strength, speed/agility and mental[[note]]Which gives both SuperIntelligence and {{Telekinesis}}[[/note]]; people can have two (indeed, we don't meet any characters who have strength or speed/agility alone) but nobody has ever been known to have all three. [[spoiler:Until the end of the novel, where we learn that the villain and the LoveInterest do]].
* ''Literature/AlcatrazSeries'': The Semdrys are a family with a Talent, which is an ability that a family member has. The main character's Talent is being able to break things.
* ''{{Literature/Outliers}}'' subverts the trope; while the first generation of supers only got the one power (although they tended to be fairly broad to make for it), the second generation often get multiple, including some [[FlyingBrick flying bricks]].

* ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'' have people called Adepts with powers called Septima which range from electrokinesis, creating wormholes, summon and create flies, and necromancy.

* ''Videogame/BlazBlue'' has the Drives, abilities that are derived from connecting one's soul towards the Azure. The Drives' effects are unique per person, such as Rachel's wind manipulation to Valkenhayn's werewolf transformation.

* In ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'', each character's profile state their ability alongside their name and [[BossSubtitles title]], giving the impression of this trope. It's actually a {{subversion}}, as the abilities are self-declared by the characters themselves, and they can include anything. They range from abilities actually unique to the character (e.g. Flandre's ability to destroy anything), species-wide abilities (e.g. Nitori's ability to control water which is shared with all other {{kappa}}, or Kagerou, a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf's]], ability to transform into a wolf), to not actually their own (e.g. Seiga's ability to pass through walls is from a magical artifact she owns).

* Most descendant powers work this way in ''Literature/TheDescendants.'' There are exceptions, but they're rare enough that the fact that magic users don't conform to this rule is an immediate tip off that something is stranger than usual about them.
** The series gets away with FlyingBrick, FlyingFirepower, and FlightStrengthHeart by lumping them into either ElementalPowers of a kind of InvoluntaryShapeshifting called 'protomorphism'.

* In ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs'', most of the cast has a power that base around the works of the writers they are named after for.

* In Manga/BungoStrayDogs, most of the cast has a power that base around the works of the writers they are named after for.

* In ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'', each character's profile state their ability alongside their name and [[BossSubtitle title]], giving the impression of this trope. It's actually a {{subversion}}, as the abilities are self-declared by the characters themselves, and they can include anything. They range from abilities actually unique to the character (e.g. Flandre's ability to destroy anything), species-wide abilities (e.g. Nitori's ability to control water which is shared with all other {{kappa}}, or Kagerou, a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf's]], ability to transform into a wolf), to not actually their own (e.g. Seiga's ability to pass through walls is from a magical artifact she owns).