History Main / RestrainingBolt

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'': ComicBook/{{Ultron}}, due to being created by [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] and being an A.I. based on Hank's brain patterns, has programming that prevents him from ever harming Hank's girlfriend [[ComicBook/TheWasp Janet Van Dyne]]. Ultron has to resort to ordering his minions to deal with her. At least, this is the case with Ultron-''5''. Ultron-6 does not have this problem.

* ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' features collars that disable mutant powers.

* As in canon, Eren and [[spoiler:Cinder]] are fitted with shock collars around their necks while enslaved at the Glass Unicorn, in "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13858618/1/ Attack on Titan A New Path]]''. Of course, since Eren's nape is [[AchillesHeel his weakpoint]], it prevents him from Shifting.

* As in canon, Eren and [[spoiler:Cinder]] are fitted with shock collars around their necks while enslaved at the Glass Unicorn, in "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13858618/1/ Attack on Titan A New Path]]''. Of course, since Eren's nape is [[AchillesHeel his weakpoint]] is prevents him from Shifting.

* As in canon, Eren and [[spoiler:Cinder]] are fitted with shock collars around their necks while enslaved at the Glass Unicorn, in "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13858618/1/ Attack on Titan A New Path]]''. Of course, since Eren's nape is [[Achilles'Heel his weakpoint]] is prevents him from Shifting.

** Kaede forces Inuyasha to wear a magical, non-removable necklace she created that is controlled by a trigger-word spoken by Kagome. Whenever Kagome uses the trigger-word ("Sit, boy!"), the necklace's enchantment painfully forces Inuyasha to the ground (at times with enough force to crush wooden bridges or crater earth). Early in the series, she uses this ability in self-defense and to enforce morality on the MadeOfIron half-demon, but later on it is invoked less frequently until she eventually stops using it all together. In the anime, it's used much more frequently, and its use never fully dies off because it's used for comedy. In the third movie, a collision of several powerful forces actually breaks the necklace, causing it to fall apart into its component beads. Since the movies are not officially canon, however, the ResetButton is duly pressed in the final scene and the necklace goes back on, even though by that point it's no longer necessary.
** His sword Tessaiga. Without it (if it's separated from him or if it breaks), Inuyasha's demon half sends him into an UnstoppableRage and turns him into a mindless monster. Tessaiga was made so that this wouldn't happen to him (and the sword's a lot better than what he'd get for letting his demon half take over).

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' golems are fully sapient, but the same holy words that give them life (their "chem") also tell them to obey orders and not to harm humans (although not ''necessarily'' in the order Asimov put them). This does not apply to self-owned golems, who also obey orders and avoid harming humans, but because they ''choose'' to do so.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' golems are fully sapient, but the same holy words that give them life (their "chem") also tells them to obey orders and not to harm humans (although not ''necessarily'' in the order Asimov put them). This does not apply to self-owned golems, who also obey orders and avoid harming humans, but because they ''choose'' to do so.

* The eponymous ''VideoGame/AstralChain:'' acts as this for Neuron, serving as binding chains for captured chimeras and turn them into Legions, enabling them to use them to fight chimeras. After being assigned their own Legion, the Player Character and the team moves into action, and due to circumstances, the team gets thrown into the Astral Plane, their Legatuses malfunction, disabling the chains, and their Legions break free, until the Player Character recaptures his. While the Player Character manage to hold his own for a while, the rest of the team doesn't, and Max, the Player Character and his/her twin's adoptive father and Captain, orders them to escape while he holds back the escaped Legions. Knowing the danger of staying in the Astral Plane on top of fighting off chimeras, the twins refuses, and had to be carried and forced to escape. [[spoiler: Later in the story, upon returning to the Astral Plane, the Axe Legion, Max's former Legion, is encountered. While it may not be a surprise, as all Legions has been recaptured at this point in time, Max's Legatus is shown to be attached to it, showing that Max never stopped attempting to recapture it.]].

* The ''franchise/TouhouProject'' character Rumia wears on her hair a small ribbon that, according to her official profile, is actually some kind of amulet that she cannot touch. The most widely held fan theory is that the amulet-ribbon is some kind of "seal", and that taking it off will release her true power... in some doujins she becomes [[BonusLevelOfHell EX-Rumia]], in which form she has wings and wields a giant sword.

** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] the Amazons's bracelets weren't just for deflecting bullets. It wasn't just that if they were bound together, they lost their powers. If they took them off, they went crazy.

* Sam Hell (Wrestling/RoddyPiper) in not-so-cult-classic ''Hell Comes To Frogtown'' had his balls clamped with a codpiece bomb that would detonate if he defied the government's order to rescue some hot women from captivity and have steamy, procreational sex with them.

* The titular {{AI}} supertanks of the ''Literature/{{Bolo}}'' series had been given full artificial intelligence with the Mark XX model, but various restraints were put on their sentience in all but full-up battle mode out of fear of their going rogue, and required a human supervisor even though the AI could think and act much faster than a human.

* ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'': Moka's titular Rosario keeps her true nature sealed. Tsukune's holy lock in the manga prevents him from turning into a ghoul.

* The "Super Go Karts" ride at Ride/ActionPark featured this: the titular karts had governor devices limiting their maximum speed to 20 miles per hour (that's 32 kilometers per hour for non-Americans). [[SubvertedTrope However]], the employees knew how to disable the governors by wedging tennis balls into them, and would do so for any curious parkgoers. [[RealityEnsues This did not end well]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Drive}}'': Every ship in the armada has a governor on it's ring drive, as not even the Continuum can handle it's full power.

** Kryten, a [[ArtificialHuman mechanoid]] is partly governed by "behavior protocols" to help him act morally and follow social customs.

*** In the last season, the bolt also lessened in how effective it was, for the sake of comedy or plot. Originally if Spike so much as tried to attack someone, he'd be sent to the ground writhing in pain. Later on, he outright hits people, and the only consequence is a sharp, short jolt of pain.

** ComicBook/{{Victor|Mancha}}'s programming includes a series of questions designed to cause his brain to do a literal HeroicBSOD in the event that he deviated from his original mission (killing every other superhero on Earth.) Chase uses one of these questions ("Could God create a sandwich so big that even He couldn't eat it?") to shut Victor down during his FaceHeelTurn.
** At the end of the second series, [[Characters/{{Runaways}} Nico Minoru]] places a spell on [[spoiler:Dale and Stacey Yorkes]] that makes them fully aware of everything that will happen to them, but unable to change their fates, in order to prevent them from doing further damage to history after they inadvertently learn that they're going to die.

** At the end of the second series, ComicBook/{{Nico|Minoru}} places a spell on [[spoiler:Dale and Stacey Yorkes]] that makes them fully aware of everything that will happen to them, but unable to change their fates, in order to prevent them from doing further damage to history after they inadvertently learn that they're going to die.

* Some theorize the frontal lobe of the brain serves this function, as it (among other things) affects your self control and people who suffer damage to the frontal lobe often [[TheSociopath lose all sense of conscience and humanity]]

** Similarly, putting a collar with a bell onto your cat can TheCrocIsTicking prevent them from sneaking up on you]].

*** Averted with the cat collar, as cats can and will learn to move about without making the bell ring. Once taken off, they become much more effective at stealth. Think of it like {{Manga/Naruto Rock Lee taking off his weights in his fight with Gaara.}}

** Similarly, putting a collar with a bell onto your cat can [[TheCrocIsTicking prevent them from sneaking up on you]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002'', He-Man and his friends create what can really only be defined as an evil chastity belt and trick Skeletor into putting it on. He can't do, speak, or even think evil acts without receiving a painful shock...and yet he manages to find a way to be evil anyway.

* ''Manga/TheFoxAndLittleTanuki'': Senzou, an evil fox sealed by the gods, is given a divine rosary bead collar before he is set free. It causes him pain whenever he neglects or is a jerk to Manpachi, a {{tanuki}} pup he has been tasked with raising to be an upstanding servant of the gods.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** The cursed seals placed on members of the Hyuga branch family. These act as a traditional restraining bolt in that they stop members of the branch family from harming (or in some cases thinking about harming) members of the head family, so that they remain a servant clan to the head family. And it also stops the devastating advanced bloodline of the Hyuga family from getting into enemy hands, by sealing away the Byakugan when the wearer dies.
** Later, it is revealed that Sai (and every other member of his black ops division) possesses another kind of Restraining Bolt, one that prevents him from disclosing any information about his boss. If he does, then the curse mark will paralyse him (and thus, render him unable to speak). [[spoiler:It's been confirmed that all ROOT members' tongue seals vanished at the time of Danzo's death.]]
* ''Manga/InuYasha'':
** Kaede forces Inuyasha to wear a magical, non-removable necklace she created that is controlled by a trigger-word spoken by Kagome. Whenever Kagome uses the trigger-word ("Sit, boy!"), the necklace's enchantment painfully forces Inuyasha to the ground (at times with enough force to crush wooden bridges or crater earth). Early in the series, she uses this ability in self-defense and to enforce morality on the MadeOfIron half-demon, but later on it is invoked less frequently until she eventually stops using it all together. In the anime, it's used much more frequently, and its use never fully dies off because it's used for comedy. In the third movie, a collision of several powerful forces actually breaks the necklace, causing it to fall apart into its component beads. Since the movies are not officially canon, however, the ResetButton is duly pressed in the final scene and the necklace goes back on, even though by that point it's no longer necessary.
** His sword Tessaiga. Without it (if it's separated from him or if it breaks), Inuyasha's demon half sends him into an UnstoppableRage and turns him into a mindless monster. Tessaiga was made so that this wouldn't happen to him (and the sword's a lot better than what he'd get for letting his demon half take over).
* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': It was implied in the original series and outright shown in ''Manga/ShinMazingerZero'' that Z has a Restraining Bolt: its pilot. If Mazinger lacks a pilot to control and restrain its power, it can became a demon and destroy the world. ''Anime/{{Mazinkaiser}}'' showed if the HumongousMecha is not controlled, it simply goes berserk and destroys all it meets. ''Manga/ShinMazingerZero'' elaborated further on this, showing that [[spoiler:if it is not piloted or it is piloted by someone is dominated by negative emotions (sadness, hurt, fury, hatred, helplessness...), Mazinger-Z evolves into an EldritchAbomination and destroys the world]].
** Minerva-X's circuit partner. Without it, she would be unable to tell friend from foe and would go berserk.
* The armor worn by the HumongousMecha in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' serves the dual purpose of protective gear and Restraining Bolt.
** Apparently it keeps the Evas from going berserk and killing everything, and instead forces them to obey orders from the pilots. Given that the Evas are the ultimate weapons, [[spoiler:with minds of their own, and a very bloodthirsty inner nature]], it's a fair notion. Although Unit-01 tends to go berserk whenever she feels like it anyway, and eventually is the one to break her armor off.
*** Imagine you made a [[spoiler:clone of a physical god, then you surgically removed a portion of its spinal column]] to allow someone of your choice to control its actions, to use it in a war against [[spoiler:its own kin]]. It is at least borderline sentient and quite aware of what you're doing during this process. Now imagine just how important keeping said [[spoiler:physical god]] restrained would be. How far does this go? Their power source is missing, specifically so that if it gets out of control they can pull the plug and let the batteries run down. [[spoiler:Oh, and don't ask about what happened to the originals, you won't like the answers. The first action taken by one when it has a limitless power supply is to break said restraints and allow itself to be hauled back into its cage, grinning with the knowledge that it is effectively unstoppable now.]]
** ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion 2.0'' modified this a bit. Unit 02 has literal restraining bolts below the [[VerticalMechaFins fins]] and along its back. When Mari removes these...'''holy shit'''. If berserk means "uh oh", Beast mode means "OH FUCK!!!"
** The original function of the Lances of Longinus was to keep [[spoiler:Eggs like Adam and Lilith sealed if they accidentally land on a planet that already has an Egg. The Lances are essentially control rods that keep Eggs dormant]].
* ''[[Anime/GaoGaiGar GaoGaiGar Final]]'' had the villains capture the main character and implant a mind-controlling Restraining Bolt that did, in fact, look like giant bolts.
* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Lelouch is given the power to [[CompellingVoice give others an absolute order]] [[HypnoticEyes which they cannot disobey]], essentially whatever type of Restraining Bolt he likes. He theorizes that if someone is given an order that they find completely repugnant or badly against their true nature, they could resist it a little, as seen when [[spoiler:he accidentally orders his half-sister Euphemia to "kill all the Japanese" and she resists at first, but eventually gives in]]. Merely ordering someone to kill himself or herself is ''not nearly sufficient'' to invoke this; the order has to be truly against the very nature of the person in question.

*** This has interesting results in two instances : [[spoiler: against Bismarck, this translates into him being scared to death and wanting to run away from the fight]].
*** Then, once he becomes [[spoiler: [[TheDragon Knight of Zero]]]], he somehow manages to twist it into a CursedWithAwesome DefenseMechanismSuperpower via InsaneTrollLogic: [[spoiler: even again a deadly foe who would trigger the curse of the geass, forcing him to "live" by any means available... well, it turns out, once he gets a grip on the flight-or-fight reflex the curse tends to cause, he can willingly choose to "fight" with an improved reaction time]].
* The titular demon of ''Manga/{{Nora}}'' has a habit of coming up with various iterations of "(His) Ingenious Plan" to take the remote control for his particular bolt from the boy to whom he's been bound. Most of these are single-step plans involving things like [[RocksFallEveryoneDies dropping rocks on the kid]] while he's asleep or making him fall into hastily-dug holes. Since Nora's 'victim' is a MagnificentBastard-in-training, it's safe to say that FailureIsTheOnlyOption.
* After her first appearance, Victoria in ''Manga/FrankenFran'' has a chip put in her head that jolts her severely if she gets violent. Fran, her "sister" and the person who put the chip in there, has hopes that it will teach the kill-crazy Victoria to appreciate life. The odds of that are pretty low.
* Moka's titular Rosario in ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', as well as Tsukune's holy lock in the manga.
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', there's a rare mineral called [[{{Unobtainium}} Seastone]] that can nullify the effects of Devil Fruit; Smoker claims that it "gives off a wavelength that is the same as the sea itself", so touching it has the same effect as the ocean does on a Devil Fruit user, making him unable to use his powers. The Marines use this to restrain such prisoners, making handcuffs and shackles out of it. (They also often use it to make bars for jail cells, weapons, and even hulls of ships; somehow they seem to have vast quantities of this stuff [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere that's supposed to be rare]].)

* Demons in ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' are often subject to a geas cast on them by their masters. It first shows up when Lerajie is contracted to Azmaria's foster father, but uses Azmaria's powers to break free from it. Later in the manga, it's revealed that Pandaemonium has the ability to cast geas on demons [[spoiler:because their horns connect them to her. Aion and the rest of the sinners tear out their own horns to keep themselves from being controlled by her]].
* The School Curse thingy that Evangeline is under in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' doubles as a power limiter in sealing her magic power and (apparently) the majority of her shinso powers as well. But as for this trope, it forces her to attend a middle school full of...well, full of ''Negima'' characters. And also prevents her from causing chaos. The only ways for her to get free are A) Nagi breaks the curse; B) the principal constantly signs forms to let her leave campus, letting her automatically regain her powers; C) the school barrier is destroyed, which is generally far too difficult to take down to be practical...even though it happens at least twice. She doesn't get her magic unless she stops being a jerk.
** Actually, the School Curse prevents her from leaving the Mahora campus, and the school barrier limits her powers (its purpose is to limit the powers of any monstrously powerful being on campus, and Eva qualifies). The school barrier has been shut down twice in the manga, once during a power maintenance black-out, and again as part of Chao's scheme. Eva didn't take advantage of the second instance.
*** That we know about or that has yet become apparent. During the "bad future" period, it's commented in the manga that she's out of Chachamaru's detection range. She certainly had most of a week for vacation time, and had knowledge of and exploitable access to some of the time travel methods used in that arc.
* Senri's [[EyepatchOfPower eyepatch]] in ''Manga/PlusAnima'' acts as a restraining bolt. Since [[spoiler:his Anima is basically the spirit of a homicidal bear that terrorized his village when he was younger]], it's pretty important that it stays on.
* Also used in ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' by those members of the team who need them (although they do gain more power making it partly IAmNotLeftHanded)
* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachikoma Tachikoma]] walking tanks in ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' have a literal restraining bolt covering their chin-mounted projectile weapons, which can only be removed by human(oid) personnel. As far as the trope is concerned, said bolts are artifacts of the numerous physical and procedural limitations placed on the Tachikomas, given that they're ''just'' smart enough to get into trouble.

* During the ''[=FireRed/LeafGreen=]'' arc of ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', Giovanni shows that he is CrazyPrepared as he ''claimed'' that he didn't expect Mewtwo to show up and try to kill him, but he apparently always brings around with him a special suit specifically meant to restrain Mewtwo and limit its massive power. In a MythologyGag, the suit was identical to the armor that the anime version of Giovanni made Mewtwo wear in ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie''.)

* All inmates of the titular ''Manga/DeadmanWonderland'' are fitted with a collar that contains multiple devices to ensure obedience to the prison. This forces criminals of all sorts to participate in deadly contests and humiliating shows to avoid death by a poison being injected into them.
* In ''Manga/TheWorldGodOnlyKnows'', Keima's primary motivation for capturing the loose souls is to prevent the collar around his neck from exploding and killing him. In order to do that, though, he must make women fall in love with him in order to get them out of hiding. To complicate things, [[{{Otaku}} Keima]] believes that the [[RealLife real world is flawed]] and spends most of his time playing {{Visual Novel}}s.
* This shows up a few times in the ''Franchise/DragonBall'' series.
** A PlayedForLaughs version appeared early on in the original series. When Oolong tries to run away due to not wanting to go to Fire Mountain, Bulma fed him a pill that gives him intense diarrhea whenever he heard the word "Piggy" to ensure he behaved.
** In ''Anime/DragonBallZBrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan'', Broly's father Paragus has his scientists create a headband which restrains Broly's psychotic tendencies. Eventually, seeing Goku (against whom he has a ridiculous grudge) causes Broly's power to destroy the device and allow Broly to wreak havoc.
*** The version of Paragus from ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'' instead uses an electric ShockCollar to keep Broly under control, furthering the comparison between his treatment of Broly and that of a trained animal. Cheelai steals the remote control and destroys it, which frees Broly of the collar [[NiceJobBreakingItHero but also prevents Paragus from bringing Broly down when his rage becomes uncontrollable.]]
** Kid Buu in the Majin Buu saga. Anyone he had an attachment to (namely, Mr. Satan) is off-limits for killing as long as Fat Buu is inside his body. Once he spits him out, he is no longer restrained from attacking these people.
*** This was forced upon him by the previous Supreme Kai, who realized that he was outclassed but baited Buu into absorbing him, which not only prevented him from using all his power but acted as a conscience to the monster and gave him some degree of intelligence. Super Buu (created when the fat version was absorbed by his own inner evil) is dependent on Fat Buu to keep his mind and not revert back to a brainless OmnicidalManiac.
* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': In Touma's right arm is Imagine Breaker, which [[AntiMagic cancels the effects of any magic, esper, and divine abilities]] it comes in contact with. It also passively cancels abilities that are indirect, such as telepathy and [[spoiler:a near-total reality wipe]]. It doesn't completely give him a pass, as on a few occasions he has had his arm lopped off (with magic) in an effort to stop Imagine Breaker. Aside from causing him heartache ("Such misfortune"), when it's not saving him from being electrocuted, the "restraining bolt" aspect of the power is that [[spoiler:Touma is hiding something powerful inside his right arm]].
* Riki's Pet Ring in ''LightNovel/AiNoKusabi'' is a restraining bolt and was often used as a ShockCollar (among other things) by Iason when Riki misbehaved.
* This is how familiar contracts work in ''Manga/KamisamaKiss''. [[{{Kitsune}} Tomoe]], who is something of an [=InuYasha=] {{expy}}, gets one placed on him by Nanami at the start of the series. Nanami tends to use it to stop Tomoe from killing people.
* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', [[BigBrotherBully Illumi]] shoved a pin in Killua's head in order to cause him to value his own life over that of his best friend Gon. Killua later located the pin and violently removed it.

* The School Curse thingy that Evangeline is under in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' doubles as a power limiter in sealing her magic power and (apparently) the majority of her shinso powers as well. But as for this trope, it forces her to attend a middle school full of...well, full of ''Negima'' characters. And also prevents her from causing chaos. The only ways for her to get free are A) Nagi breaks the curse; B) the principal constantly signs forms to let her leave campus, letting her automatically regain her powers; C) the school barrier is destroyed, which is generally far too difficult to take down to be practical...even though it happens at least twice. She doesn't get her magic unless she stops being a jerk.

* In the ''ComicBook/PlanetHulk'' storyline, [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]] and other gladiators were implanted with a restraining disc, which forced them to follow orders. In ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'', those he felt had wronged him got to wear one too.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', Wadsworth, the player's robot butler in Megaton will greet them with a cheery "How can I serve you, Master?" and a mumbled "Not that I ''want'' to."

* The ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' character Rumia wears on her hair a small ribbon that, according to her official profile, is actually some kind of amulet that she cannot touch. The most widely held fan theory is that the amulet-ribbon is some kind of "seal", and that taking it off will release her true power... in some doujins she becomes [[BonusLevelOfHell EX-Rumia]], in which form she has wings and wields a giant sword.

** In ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'', she's revealed to have another one: [[spoiler:Wheatley, a literal IdiotBall programmed to give her a constant stream of bad ideas]]. Additionally, the mainframe into which [=GLaDOS=] ([[spoiler:and later Wheatley]]) is plugged includes a number of built-in directives that function as restraining bolts, including an irresistible urge to conduct tests, a euphoric response to subjects completing a test, and the inability to reveal the solution to a test. Finally, the mainframe is programmed with an emergency override in the event of excessive core corruption, forcing it to be replaced.

* ''Videogame/EarthBound'' has [[spoiler:the Devil's Machine, that infamous [[FreudWasRight giant mechanical vagina]] and/or small intestine that is both [[WombLevel the lead-up]] to Giygas's [[FinalBoss boss battle]] as well as a part of his first form as a boss. It [[PowerLimiter contains Giygas' psychic powers]], which grew so much since [[VideoGame/EarthboundBeginnings first appearance]] that the ensuing PowerIncontinence led to the complete destruction of Giygas' body [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity and mind]]. Even with the machine, there is only ''some'' rhyme or reason to his actions. And then Porky shuts it off..]].

* In the opening of ''Videogame/DivinityOriginalSinII'' your player character and their fellow Sourcerers are outfitted with Source Collars that inhibit your ability to use Source magic. The collar cannot be removed and also takes up the Amulet equipment slot, so removing it becomes a top priority. Near the end of the first Act you will encounter an NPC who can remove the collars from your entire party. [[spoiler:You can also remove the collar from your main character by becoming the champion of the Fort Joy Arena. This impresses the local blacksmith who knows how to remove the collar. However, she will remove ''only'' the main character's collar. Also, being seen without your collar in Fort Joy will not go unnoticed by the Magisters guarding the Fort.]]