History Main / OvershadowedByAwesome

** Arguably worse in the movies, where he's [[{{Flanderization}} mostly reduced to comic relief]].

* [[TheWatson Doctor Watson]], friend and helper of SherlockHolmes, is a skilled medical practitioner, a former soldier, and is quite probably a good bit smarter and more insightful than your average man. When it comes to criminal investigations however, he is constantly struck silent by Holmes' deductive powers and his [[BuffySpeak all round big-brainyness]]. This is probably why Watson is so often {{Flanderized}} into a bumbling idiot in adaptations of Sir Doyle's works.

** The keyblade you receive from Neverland hits this the hardest. Before the endgame worlds, Neverland is the last world you complete. Literally ''right after'' you complete it, you have to go start an event somewhere else. And most of the time? You get a ''better'' keyblade that is essentially the InfinityMinusOneSword...and for Ventus? His InfinityMinusOneSword pretty much criticals even ''harder'' than the Neverland keyblade anyways, so what's the point of using it?
** ''KingdomHeartsII'' also has this happen a little, but mostly near the end, when you get keyblades left and right. The Decisive Pumpkin and later Oblivion keyblades are pretty much the InfinityMinusOneSword, and around the end, you get ''plenty'' of keyblades from completing worlds or doing sidequests that are most easily doable...pretty much al of which inferior to those two. The only one(s) that are better are the ultima weapon and some that [[NoExportForYou aren't available]] outside the final mix version, especially for the abilities.
** ''KingdomHearts'' didn't actually have this happen as much, since there were some pretty good reasons to use many of the endgame weapons (Lady Luck, Oblivion, Oathkeeper, Lionheart) until you got Ultima Weapon.

** Zuko is this within his own family. His sister Azula is a firebending prodigy who uses awesome blue fire and ''lightning,'' but he's not nearly as talented. This, among other reasons, is why he's the UnFavorite.

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* The [[GenreSavvy genre savvy]] member [[TheLastAirbender of the Gang, Sokka]] suffered from being the sole non-bender in a group full of master benders, at least until he TookALevelInBadass.

*** ''Sacred Stones'' gives us Innes, Dussel, and Saleh. Saleh is overshadowed because by the time he joins, you already have Ewan (Unless you shelved him, not realizing the MagikarpPower), Lute, Artur, and maybe even L'Arachel promoted, and you don't need ''another'' magic user. Innes because you had Neimi earlier, and Dussel because, by the time he joins, you have at least ''three'' mounted fighters (Four depending on what you did with Amelia).

Unfortunately, HardWorkHardlyWorks , so you can expect them to [[CantCatchUp remain overshadowed]] throughout the show...

** Akane Tendo,the remaining top martial artist in the district, is able to quickly defeat a mob of about thirty fighters from her school each morning in the beginning of the series; later, she only escapes becoming a DistressedDamsel through her default reaction being to try and solve her problems on her own, her actually being able to help Ranma and co on occasion, such as against Orochi, or Taro. She still gets abducted various times in both canons, occasionally overpowered or otherwise kicked around by rivals and [[VillainOfTheWeek challengers from out of town]]), but does appear to considerably increase her martial arts skill towards the end of the series.

* The ''[[Film/ResidentEvil Resident Evil]]'' films positively ''stink'' of this trope. What's that, Jill? You like a moment to display some actual competence in this movie? Well, too damn bad. Now shut up and step aside so [[GodModeSue Alice]] can burst in and rip off ''TheMatrix'' again.

See also WhatMeasureIsANonSuper, InTheEndYouAreOnYourOwn.

** Kuwabara gets this treatment to a degree. While he's probably not as strong as former Spirit Detectives (and fellow humans) Shinobu Sensui and Kuroko Sanada, Genkai speaks very highly of his abilities, and damn right she knows what she's talking about. In the dub, she indicates he has the potential to be the strongest human alive. Though in terms of physical strength he's left in the dust by his demon and half-demon companions, Kuwabara does eventually gain the power to rip through dimensions. Unfortunately for him, this turns out to not be such a good thing....

* Be honest with yourself, how many YOU out there have suffered this? No matter how good you at are something, there is always that one person you run into that makes all your hard earned effort look like an amateur's work in compared to their own skills. Can be worse when you for the first time sign up for some club or class to specficially train yourself the area of your interest, but you're surrounded by people who have been there for years. So you're surrounded by a whole group of people that can be perceived better than you.

** [[{{Bishonen}} Takayanagi]]. While the first two episodes basically states how incredibly super-strong he is, [[spoiler:he gets owned by his own brother around episode 8, leaving him without anything to do the rest of the show. Really, he doesn't do anything. This all while the main character, whom Takayanagi beat the crap out of during their first encounter, keeps getting stronger and eventually surpasses everyone. SoYeah.]]

* Parodied in ''{{ThatMitchellAndWebbLook}}'' with the crime fighting duo of the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFuMpYTyRjw BMX Bandit and Angel Summoner]]. In every situation it's just easier and less dangerous to summon angels to defeat the terrorists and eventually the BMX Bandit develops a complex about it and leaves... to be replaced by Gymkhana Girl and her sugarlumps.

*While Robin may be the leader on {{Teen Titans}}, when your teammates have {{eye beams}}, an {{arm cannon}}, the ability of {{Animorphism}}, and [[GreenLanternRing basically any power at all]] you might get lost in the shuffle after yelling Titans Go!. Strongly subverted in an episode where Robin leaves the country to seek out a new martial arts mentor and all of his teammates sneak into his room to put on his spare uniforms and pretend they're as cool as they think he is.

* Hit Girl. Just Hit Girl. By the end of the movie, she manages to reduce Film/{{Kick-Ass}} to practically a spectator in his own movie.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]
* In [[{{Ptitle0028gzjm}} Kyon: Big Damn Hero]], Kyon becomes a badass with his PDA and BadassLongcoat. However, he hangs out with a DangerouslyGenreSavvy Haruhi, who is running a MemoryGambit on herself to prevent a HeroicBSOD, and Yuki, the PhysicalGod, who provides Kyon with tons of technology, including gravity manipulating tools, and lessons in martial arts that last a year. Every single night.
[[/folder]]