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* During the Battle of Stalingrad, a 30-man platoon of Soviet soldiers were ordered to defend an apartment building and hold the surrounding blocks of the city. The Nazis forces, certain that this would be an easy victory, began trying to capture the strategically-located building. What began with orderly assaults soon devolved into a 58-day-long ZergRush that threw entire divisions of troops, heavy artillery, and tanks at the structure. At the end, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlov's_House Pavlov's House]] was battered but still standing and uncaptured as the Red Army's counter-offensive arrived to retake the city.
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* In ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Thor tries to destroy the Dark Ether (which once resisted the entirety of Asgard's power) with the hammer Mjolnir. It fails.
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* In ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Thor tries to destroy the Dark Ether Aether (which once resisted the entirety of Asgard's power) with the hammer Mjolnir. It fails.
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* {{Film/Dune}}: Paul tells the Fremen has a obelisk was "cut from your hardest rock". He has them kick it, yell at it and cut it with a laser. Nothing. Then he blasts it with the [[{{BFG}} weirding module]] and shatters it.
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* {{Film/Dune}}: ''{{Film/Dune}}'': Paul tells the Fremen has a about an obelisk was "cut from your hardest rock". He has them kick it, yell at it and cut it with a laser. Nothing. Then he blasts it with the [[{{BFG}} weirding module]] and shatters it.
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* In ''Film/IndependenceDay'' the US military launches a nuclear missile at a city-sized alien spacecraft. The ship's deflector shields repulsed normal missiles from jet fighters earlier, but everyone is truly demoralized when the intense fireball explosion subsides, only to reveal that the alien craft is without even scratch damage.
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* In ''Film/IndependenceDay'' the US military launches a nuclear missile at a city-sized alien spacecraft. The ship's deflector shields repulsed normal missiles from jet fighters earlier, but everyone is truly demoralized when the intense fireball explosion subsides, only to reveal that the alien craft is without hasn't even scratch damage. suffered a single scratch.
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* A ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon, "Much Ado About Nutting", features a squirrel getting a hold of a coconut and finding it harder than normal to break open. This escalates until the coconut is dropped off the roof of a skyscraper and finally opens... revealing another coconut shell.
to:
* A ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon, "Much Ado About Nutting", "WesternAnimation/MuchAdoAboutNutting", features a squirrel getting a hold of a coconut and finding it harder than normal to break open. This escalates until the coconut is dropped off the roof of a skyscraper and leaving only a crater in the street, before falling off of it's stand and finally opens...opening... revealing another coconut shell.
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* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', it's Thor again, this time trying to break out of a containment cell built for the Hulk. He's surprised when it actually holds against his first hammer hit. After he's been dumped with the cell into free-fall, he adjusts his technique and flies straight at the crack he made with the first hit, breaking through.
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* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', it's Thor again, this time trying to break out of a containment cell built for the Hulk. He's surprised when it actually holds against his first hammer hit. After he's been dumped with the cell into free-fall, he adjusts his technique and flies straight at the crack he made with the first hit, breaking through.
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* In the ''{{Scrubs}}'' episode "My Best Laid Plans" Turk's phone withstands, unharmed, JD hurling it to the floor then stamping repeatedly on it, and being thrown from a fourth storey window.
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* In the ''{{Scrubs}}'' ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' episode "My Best Laid Plans" Turk's phone withstands, unharmed, JD hurling it to the floor then stamping repeatedly on it, and being thrown from a fourth storey window.
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* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Accelerator, in a fit of rage, once attempted to destroy the Windowless Building which houses Academy City's leadership. He did this by throwing an entire skyscraper at it at multiple times the speed of sound. Result? Not a scratch. Later novels note that the Windowless Building is made out of some kind of self-aware material (named "Calculate Fortress") that is able to intelligently alter its composition and vibration properties to withstand any amount of force. The only way to break it is to exploit logical weaknesses in its self-altering procedures.
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* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Accelerator, in a fit of rage, once attempted to destroy the Windowless Building which houses Academy City's leadership. He did this by throwing an entire skyscraper at it at multiple times the speed of sound. Result? Not a scratch. scratch (though the thrown building was totally pulverized). Later novels note that the Windowless Building is made out of some kind of self-aware material (named named "Calculate Fortress") that Fortress", which is able to intelligently alter its composition and vibration properties to withstand any amount of force. The only way to break it is to exploit logical weaknesses in its self-altering procedures.
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* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Accelerator, in a fit of rage, once attempted to destroy the Windowless Building which houses Academy City's leadership. He did this by throwing an entire skyscraper at it at multiple times the speed of sound. Result? Not a scratch. Later novels note that the Windowless Building is made out of some kind of self-aware material (named "Calculate Fortress") that is able to intelligently alter its composition and vibration properties to withstand any amount of force. The only way to break it is to exploit logical weaknesses in its self-altering procedures.
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-->'''Goku''': I guess it's not called "the hardest metal in the universe" for nothing...
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* {{Literature/Dune}}: Paul tells the Fremen has a obelisk was "cut from your hardest rock". He has them kick it, yell at it and cut it with a laser. Nothing. Then he blasts it with the [[{{BFG}} weirding module]] and shatters it.
to:
* {{Literature/Dune}}: {{Film/Dune}}: Paul tells the Fremen has a obelisk was "cut from your hardest rock". He has them kick it, yell at it and cut it with a laser. Nothing. Then he blasts it with the [[{{BFG}} weirding module]] and shatters it.
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* In the HilariousOuttakes of ''ToyStory2'', Buzz and co [[UseYourHead uses Rex's head]] as a battering ram to open a gas vent, and failed. (They succeeded in the actual story.)
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* In the HilariousOuttakes of ''ToyStory2'', ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'', Buzz and co [[UseYourHead uses Rex's head]] as a battering ram to open a gas vent, and failed. (They succeeded in the actual story.)
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Added missing [[/folder]] to literature section.
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[[/folder]]
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** [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S2E1TheSerpentsLair}} "The Serpent's Lair"]] had the Air Force fire a pair of ballistic missiles tipped with 1-gigaton [[DepletedPhlebotinumShells naquadah-enhanced nukes]] at a pair of orbiting Goa'uld ''Ha'tak''-class motherships. Apophis and Klorel raise shields and the missiles impact rather pathetically to no effect whatsoever.
to:
** [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S2E1TheSerpentsLair}} [[Recap/StargateSG1S2E1TheSerpentsLair "The Serpent's Lair"]] had the Air Force fire a pair of ballistic missiles tipped with 1-gigaton [[DepletedPhlebotinumShells naquadah-enhanced nukes]] at a pair of orbiting Goa'uld ''Ha'tak''-class motherships. Apophis and Klorel raise shields and the missiles impact rather pathetically to no effect whatsoever.
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[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
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[[folder:Live-Action TV]] TV]]
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* In ''Film/IndependenceDay''the US military launches a nuclear missile at a city-sized alien spacecraft. The ship's deflector shields repulsed normal missiles from jet fighters earlier, but everyone is truly demoralized when the intense fireball explosion subsides, only to reveal that the alien craft is without even scratch damage.
to:
* In ''Film/IndependenceDay''the ''Film/IndependenceDay'' the US military launches a nuclear missile at a city-sized alien spacecraft. The ship's deflector shields repulsed normal missiles from jet fighters earlier, but everyone is truly demoralized when the intense fireball explosion subsides, only to reveal that the alien craft is without even scratch damage.
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Added REAMDE CD breakage example
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[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''{{Literature/REAMDE}}'' Peter tries to snap a CD with his hands, expecting it to break easily. Then he exerts his full strength and the CD shatters, cutting his hand.
** Its worth noting that this is TruthInTelevision: don't try to destroy a CD with your bare hands.
* In ''{{Literature/REAMDE}}'' Peter tries to snap a CD with his hands, expecting it to break easily. Then he exerts his full strength and the CD shatters, cutting his hand.
** Its worth noting that this is TruthInTelevision: don't try to destroy a CD with your bare hands.
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* In a famous episode of ''Series/TheTwilightZone'', a father finds that his daughter's "Talky Tina" doll can't be destroyed by any of the power tools in his basement, which include a rotating saw blade and a blowtorch.
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I am very good at messing up and not spotting a typo until after I post something. ._.
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* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' has a notable example in door confusion. Most locked doors go and tell you whether or not they can be battered down or blasted open, and is shown as effectively a health bar. What isn't shown is how damaging a weapon it takes to actually damage it. This sometimes, but not always, corresponds with how much health it starts with. Sometimes you can crowbar your way into a door only to later find a door with the same amount of health that said weapon can't scratch. Likewise, after finding the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Dragons Tooth Sword]] and maxing out the low-tech weapons skill, many locked doors with finite durability can be destroyed with it. Then sometimes you encounter a fairly low-durability door that still shrugs off everything sot of explosives.
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* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' has a notable example in door confusion. Most locked doors go and tell you whether or not they can be battered down or blasted open, and is shown as effectively a health bar. What isn't shown is how damaging a weapon it takes to actually damage it. This sometimes, but not always, corresponds with how much health it starts with. Sometimes you can crowbar your way into a door only to later find a door with the same amount of health that said weapon can't scratch. Likewise, after finding the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Dragons Tooth Sword]] and maxing out the low-tech weapons skill, many locked doors with finite durability can be destroyed with it. Then sometimes you encounter a fairly low-durability door that still shrugs off everything sot sort of explosives.
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* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' has a notable example in door confusion. Most locked doors go and tell you whether or not they can be battered down or blasted open, and is shown as effectively a health bar. What isn't shown is how damaging a weapon it takes to actually damage it. This sometimes, but not always, corresponds with how much health it starts with. Sometimes you can crowbar your way into a door only to later find a door with the same amount of health that said weapon can't scratch. Likewise, after finding the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Dragons Tooth Sword]] and maxing out the low-tech weapons skill, many locked doors with finite durability can be destroyed with it. Then sometimes you encounter a fairly low-durability door that still shrugs off everything sot of explosives.
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Surprisingly Super Tough Thing is when an inanimate object, building, or vehicle is attacked with futility, even though the attackers expect it to be outright destroyed.
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Surprisingly Super Tough Thing is when an inanimate object, building, or vehicle is attacked with futility, even though the attackers expect it to be outright destroyed.
destroyed.
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* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', it's Thor again, this time trying to break out of a containment cell built for the Hulk. He's surprised when it actually holds against his first hammer hit. After he's been dumped with the cell into free-fall, he adjusts his technique and flies straight at the crack he made with the firs hit, breaking through.
to:
* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', it's Thor again, this time trying to break out of a containment cell built for the Hulk. He's surprised when it actually holds against his first hammer hit. After he's been dumped with the cell into free-fall, he adjusts his technique and flies straight at the crack he made with the firs first hit, breaking through.
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* In the HilariousOuttakes of ToyStory2, Buzz and co [[UseYourHead uses Rex's head]] as a battering ram to open a gas vent, and failed. (They succeeded in the actual story.)
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', Gimli tries to destroy the One Ring. Rapidly, his axe shatters upon striking it. Elrond then explains that the Ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', Gimli tries to destroy the One Ring. Rapidly, his axe shatters upon striking it. Elrond then explains that the Ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
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* In the HilariousOuttakes of ToyStory2, ''ToyStory2'', Buzz and co [[UseYourHead uses Rex's head]] as a battering ram to open a gas vent, and failed. (They succeeded in the actual story.)
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', Gimli tries to destroy the One Ring.Rapidly, his His axe shatters upon striking it. Elrond then explains that the Ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', Gimli tries to destroy the One Ring.
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* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', it's Thor again, this time trying to break out of a containment cell built for the Hulk. At first he tries to just hammer the walls with Mjolnir, but in a literal case of WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer, he just adjusts his technique. Launching himself off the wall, he crashes through the opposite side of the cell. However, since he expected the wall to break under his initial attack, it still counts.
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* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', it's Thor again, this time trying to break out of a containment cell built for the Hulk. At He's surprised when it actually holds against his first he tries to just hammer the walls hit. After he's been dumped with Mjolnir, but in a literal case of WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer, the cell into free-fall, he just adjusts his technique. Launching himself off technique and flies straight at the wall, crack he crashes through made with the opposite side of the cell. However, since he expected the wall to break under his initial attack, it still counts. firs hit, breaking through.
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Not a bad thing
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* Late in ''[[Franchise/DragonBall Dragon Ball Z]]'', the legendary power of the Z Sword was tested against a brick of Katchin, the densest metal in the universe. Everyone thought it would be short work because not only was it a legendary sword, but everything in the universe was MadeOfPlasticine around the ridiculous power of the heroes. They all got a nasty surprise, though, when [[NiceJobBreakingItHero it broke the sword]].
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* Late in ''[[Franchise/DragonBall Dragon Ball Z]]'', the legendary power of the Z Sword was tested against a brick of Katchin, the densest metal in the universe. Everyone thought it would be short work because not only was it a legendary sword, but everything in the universe was MadeOfPlasticine around the ridiculous power of the heroes. They all got a nasty surprise, though, when [[NiceJobBreakingItHero it broke the sword]].sword.
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Oops
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[[/folder]]
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Not entirely sure about the Much Ado About Nutting one, but it seems to fit the trope.
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* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU2i2wmxPVU A segment]] in the final episode of ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' features Mio and Yukko going to greater and greater extremes in the course of trying to break open a pumpkin.
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* A ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon, "Much Ado About Nutting", features a squirrel getting a hold of a coconut and finding it harder than normal to break open. This escalates until the coconut is dropped off the roof of a skyscraper and finally opens... revealing another coconut shell.
* A ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon, "Much Ado About Nutting", features a squirrel getting a hold of a coconut and finding it harder than normal to break open. This escalates until the coconut is dropped off the roof of a skyscraper and finally opens... revealing another coconut shell.
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!!Examples
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!!Examples:
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[[/folder]]
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It\'s best to now the names of the characters of famous movies. :p
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* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', one character tries to destroy the One Ring. Rapidly, his axe shatters upon striking it. Another character then explains that the Ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
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* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', one character Gimli tries to destroy the One Ring. Rapidly, his axe shatters upon striking it. Another character Elrond then explains that the Ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
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* In one episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}'', Doyle attempts to ram a gate in his car, but the gate holds.
--> '''Doyle:''' Damn, that's a good gate.
--> '''Doyle:''' Damn, that's a good gate.
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Surprisingly Super Tough Thing is when an inanimate object, building, or vehicle is attacked with futility, even though the attackers expect it to be outright destroyed.
However, the futility of the attack has nothing to do with the actual vulnerability of the object. The object can even be a vase made of paper thin glass; all things being relative, what's MadeOfIndestructium to an ant is MadeOfPlasticine to a human. The key word here is "surprisingly": this trope isn't about objects that are indestructible, it's about objects that are surprisingly so to an attacker who expects their destruction (or at least destruction from their initial attacks. If they change their weapon or adjust their technique which succeeds in destroying the object, then their failed first try still counts toward this trope).
Interestingly, this trope is omnipresent in video games. Since every object that doesn't have a damage model coded for it is effectively invincible barring exploitation of glitches, many players invoke this trope when using their weapons on random things lying on the ground instead of enemies.
Be aware that when adding examples, be sure that A) There is a building, vehicle, or item B) a character judges that thing to be destructible within their abilities, and C) the object is attacked with very little to no effect. Be especially careful with B; a character attacking something they know they can't destroy because of instinct, desperation, mind control, or spite does not count. Regardless of the quality of their judgement, if the character in question believes they can harm or destroy the object in question, requirement B is fufilled. Even if omnipotent gods have failed to destroy the MacGuffin, if Average Joe is stupid, arrogant, mentally ill, or intoxicated enough to think his mortal punches will crush it, then it counts.
For things that really are indestructible, and not those that just seem that way, check out MadeOfIndestructium. If a character's most powerful attack or weapon invokes this trope, it can overlap with TheWorfBarrage. Compare NoSell, which is more about characters fighting each other than failing to destroy inanimate items. TonkaTough toys may invoke this trope in real life.
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!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Late in ''[[Franchise/DragonBall Dragon Ball Z]]'', the legendary power of the Z Sword was tested against a brick of Katchin, the densest metal in the universe. Everyone thought it would be short work because not only was it a legendary sword, but everything in the universe was MadeOfPlasticine around the ridiculous power of the heroes. They all got a nasty surprise, though, when [[NiceJobBreakingItHero it broke the sword]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film]]
* {{Literature/Dune}}: Paul tells the Fremen has a obelisk was "cut from your hardest rock". He has them kick it, yell at it and cut it with a laser. Nothing. Then he blasts it with the [[{{BFG}} weirding module]] and shatters it.
* In the HilariousOuttakes of ToyStory2, Buzz and co [[UseYourHead uses Rex's head]] as a battering ram to open a gas vent, and failed. (They succeeded in the actual story.)
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', one character tries to destroy the One Ring. Rapidly, his axe shatters upon striking it. Another character then explains that the Ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
* In ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Thor tries to destroy the Dark Ether (which once resisted the entirety of Asgard's power) with the hammer Mjolnir. It fails.
*In ''Film/TheAvengers'', it's Thor again, this time trying to break out of a containment cell built for the Hulk. At first he tries to just hammer the walls with Mjolnir, but in a literal case of WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer, he just adjusts his technique. Launching himself off the wall, he crashes through the opposite side of the cell. However, since he expected the wall to break under his initial attack, it still counts.
* In ''Film/IndependenceDay''the US military launches a nuclear missile at a city-sized alien spacecraft. The ship's deflector shields repulsed normal missiles from jet fighters earlier, but everyone is truly demoralized when the intense fireball explosion subsides, only to reveal that the alien craft is without even scratch damage.
*In ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', there's a brief shot during the first French castle attack where Lancelot is visibly stabbing the wall. Granted, Lancelot's AxCrazy, but some of the other knights are seen hacking at the wall in between being pelted with farm animals.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
*In ''Series/BreakingBad'', Walt attempts to break a window in Ted's office building with a plant decoration. He does not succeed and is escorted out by security officers.
* In ''Series/JustShootMe'', Dennis gets an ugly home-made vase Jack made in pottery class. Dennis tries to "accidentally" break it, but no matter how hard he drops it, the vase proves indestructible.
* In the ''{{Scrubs}}'' episode "My Best Laid Plans" Turk's phone withstands, unharmed, JD hurling it to the floor then stamping repeatedly on it, and being thrown from a fourth storey window.
-->'''JD''': This phone is indestructible, if it has a camera I am so getting one!
*In ''Series/TheGoldbergs'' episode "Kara-Te", Barry signs up for a school talent show. Onstage, he attempts to break a wooden board with his martial arts skills, but it fails hilariously with the board not even cracking.
* The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E22Valiant "Valiant"]] had the eponymous ''Defiant''-class fire a modified torpedo at a Jem'Hadar dreadnought, expecting it to disrupt the ship's antimatter containment system. Cue titanic explosion, only to have the dreadnought come out of the fireball with no apparent damage and blast the USS ''Valiant'' to pieces in minutes.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
** [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S2E1TheSerpentsLair}} "The Serpent's Lair"]] had the Air Force fire a pair of ballistic missiles tipped with 1-gigaton [[DepletedPhlebotinumShells naquadah-enhanced nukes]] at a pair of orbiting Goa'uld ''Ha'tak''-class motherships. Apophis and Klorel raise shields and the missiles impact rather pathetically to no effect whatsoever.
**In [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S10E11TheQuestPart2}} "The Quest, Part 2"]] the team searching for the Sangraal is faced with a dragon. They eventually settle on trying to blow it up by throwing all their C-4 in a bundle at it. Teal'c grabs the makeshift satchel charge and throws it at the dragon, trying to hit the underside because Cam thinks that's where dragons are weakest; it turns into FeedItABomb when the dragon snaps it out of midair, swallows it, and has the C-4 go off in its stomach to no effect whatsoever. The OhCrap look on Teal'c's face is hilarious.
** TheTeaser of [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S5E22Revelations}} "Revelations"]] had Thor's starship ''Beliskner'' fire on a ''Ha'tak''. The Asgard had long held a technological edge over the Goa'uld, but this time the ''Beliskner's'' weapons did absolutely squat. In the ensuing off-screen battle the ''Beliskner'' was destroyed and Thor captured.
** The first encounter with a [[BossInMookClothing Kull warrior]] in [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S7E11EvolutionPart1}} "Evolution, Part 1"]] had Teal'c and Bra'tac shoot at it with staff weapon and zat guns, since in this 'verse [[ArmorIsUseless armor is usually useless]]. The weapons had no effect, but luckily for them it keeled over from unrelated cardiac arrest about five seconds later.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:VideoGames]]
Since, as stated above, everything in a video game that doesn't have a damage model is invincible from the player's point of view, and there is at least one object in almost every video game that will invoke this trope on a destruction happy player, a list of straight examples would be too long to list. Please focus on aversions, inversions, subversions, lampshade hangings, and parodies.
*In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', there are lanterns in towns which you can vandalize, and dynamite crates which blow up when shot. You can also shoot the "arms" off of cacti.
*In the text based RPG ''Mobile Armored Marine'', your character must get past a heavily fortified door to continue the mission. One of your options is to try to blast it away with your weapons. That will fail, much to your described (remember, it's text based) surprise. However, after that you have the option of piling all your grenades against the door, which will work. The first plays this trope straight, but the latter part of this example inverts it.
* In ''Videogame/DevilMayCry'', all objects that can be interacted(meaning it reacts to an attack) with are breakable, with the following exceptions:
** "Red/blue devices" (Basically, switches in the form of a a pedestal with a ships's-wheel-like thing on it or a shield in the case of ''DMC'') which appear throughout the original franchise which can only be activated by Dante/Nero/Vergil's only means of interacting with the environment: attacking it. They won't break even if you use the character's strongest attack, though they'll activate faster if you do that.
** Combat Adjudicators in ''DMC 3'' & ''4''. They react to weapon attacks but not firearms. And they are invulnerable except for their KryptoniteFactor {{Element|al Powers}} or [[OnlyICanKillHim character]] (either Nero or Dante).
** ''DMC 4'' has Gyro Blades, torch/top-like devices which at least have the excuse of being sturdy enough to destroy indestructible doors and pedestals. slashing it once it's ignited will make it spin faster and move faster when launched with the Devil Bringer.
*** The Giant Dice from the same game which activates a Board Minigame, Nero can shoot, slash, and punch it all he wants and it will never break. Later subverted when it turns out you can actually destroy it, which Dante does by pulling off a DiagonalCut on it before it activates the minigame.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:RealLife]]
*Sometimes, when police raid a building, they may find that doors that look normal from the outside are quite strongly reinforced and barricaded on the inside.
* 1967: Missouri Tigers football coach Dan Devine tried to movitate his team for the upcoming game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers by playing the Cornhuskers fight song over and over again, whose band played it every time they scored a touchdown. On game day he picked up the record and said "I never want to hear this song again!" and threw it down on the floor, expecting it to shatter. Instead it bounced up into the air. He tried the floor again and failed again. He picked it up and bent it, but it still wouldn't break. He hurled it against a wall and it bounced back again.
-->I don't know when I've ever been so embarrassed and humiliated. Finally, I just went over to a window, opened it, and threw the record out. Then I got out of there as fast as I could.
::Despite the pep talk setback, the Tigers went on to win the game 10-7.
*As stated in the description, those plastic and/or metal playthings can be known to be quite surprisingly formidable, what with being mere toys.
[[/folder]]
However, the futility of the attack has nothing to do with the actual vulnerability of the object. The object can even be a vase made of paper thin glass; all things being relative, what's MadeOfIndestructium to an ant is MadeOfPlasticine to a human. The key word here is "surprisingly": this trope isn't about objects that are indestructible, it's about objects that are surprisingly so to an attacker who expects their destruction (or at least destruction from their initial attacks. If they change their weapon or adjust their technique which succeeds in destroying the object, then their failed first try still counts toward this trope).
Interestingly, this trope is omnipresent in video games. Since every object that doesn't have a damage model coded for it is effectively invincible barring exploitation of glitches, many players invoke this trope when using their weapons on random things lying on the ground instead of enemies.
Be aware that when adding examples, be sure that A) There is a building, vehicle, or item B) a character judges that thing to be destructible within their abilities, and C) the object is attacked with very little to no effect. Be especially careful with B; a character attacking something they know they can't destroy because of instinct, desperation, mind control, or spite does not count. Regardless of the quality of their judgement, if the character in question believes they can harm or destroy the object in question, requirement B is fufilled. Even if omnipotent gods have failed to destroy the MacGuffin, if Average Joe is stupid, arrogant, mentally ill, or intoxicated enough to think his mortal punches will crush it, then it counts.
For things that really are indestructible, and not those that just seem that way, check out MadeOfIndestructium. If a character's most powerful attack or weapon invokes this trope, it can overlap with TheWorfBarrage. Compare NoSell, which is more about characters fighting each other than failing to destroy inanimate items. TonkaTough toys may invoke this trope in real life.
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!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Late in ''[[Franchise/DragonBall Dragon Ball Z]]'', the legendary power of the Z Sword was tested against a brick of Katchin, the densest metal in the universe. Everyone thought it would be short work because not only was it a legendary sword, but everything in the universe was MadeOfPlasticine around the ridiculous power of the heroes. They all got a nasty surprise, though, when [[NiceJobBreakingItHero it broke the sword]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film]]
* {{Literature/Dune}}: Paul tells the Fremen has a obelisk was "cut from your hardest rock". He has them kick it, yell at it and cut it with a laser. Nothing. Then he blasts it with the [[{{BFG}} weirding module]] and shatters it.
* In the HilariousOuttakes of ToyStory2, Buzz and co [[UseYourHead uses Rex's head]] as a battering ram to open a gas vent, and failed. (They succeeded in the actual story.)
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', one character tries to destroy the One Ring. Rapidly, his axe shatters upon striking it. Another character then explains that the Ring can only be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
* In ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Thor tries to destroy the Dark Ether (which once resisted the entirety of Asgard's power) with the hammer Mjolnir. It fails.
*In ''Film/TheAvengers'', it's Thor again, this time trying to break out of a containment cell built for the Hulk. At first he tries to just hammer the walls with Mjolnir, but in a literal case of WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer, he just adjusts his technique. Launching himself off the wall, he crashes through the opposite side of the cell. However, since he expected the wall to break under his initial attack, it still counts.
* In ''Film/IndependenceDay''the US military launches a nuclear missile at a city-sized alien spacecraft. The ship's deflector shields repulsed normal missiles from jet fighters earlier, but everyone is truly demoralized when the intense fireball explosion subsides, only to reveal that the alien craft is without even scratch damage.
*In ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', there's a brief shot during the first French castle attack where Lancelot is visibly stabbing the wall. Granted, Lancelot's AxCrazy, but some of the other knights are seen hacking at the wall in between being pelted with farm animals.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
*In ''Series/BreakingBad'', Walt attempts to break a window in Ted's office building with a plant decoration. He does not succeed and is escorted out by security officers.
* In ''Series/JustShootMe'', Dennis gets an ugly home-made vase Jack made in pottery class. Dennis tries to "accidentally" break it, but no matter how hard he drops it, the vase proves indestructible.
* In the ''{{Scrubs}}'' episode "My Best Laid Plans" Turk's phone withstands, unharmed, JD hurling it to the floor then stamping repeatedly on it, and being thrown from a fourth storey window.
-->'''JD''': This phone is indestructible, if it has a camera I am so getting one!
*In ''Series/TheGoldbergs'' episode "Kara-Te", Barry signs up for a school talent show. Onstage, he attempts to break a wooden board with his martial arts skills, but it fails hilariously with the board not even cracking.
* The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E22Valiant "Valiant"]] had the eponymous ''Defiant''-class fire a modified torpedo at a Jem'Hadar dreadnought, expecting it to disrupt the ship's antimatter containment system. Cue titanic explosion, only to have the dreadnought come out of the fireball with no apparent damage and blast the USS ''Valiant'' to pieces in minutes.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
** [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S2E1TheSerpentsLair}} "The Serpent's Lair"]] had the Air Force fire a pair of ballistic missiles tipped with 1-gigaton [[DepletedPhlebotinumShells naquadah-enhanced nukes]] at a pair of orbiting Goa'uld ''Ha'tak''-class motherships. Apophis and Klorel raise shields and the missiles impact rather pathetically to no effect whatsoever.
**In [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S10E11TheQuestPart2}} "The Quest, Part 2"]] the team searching for the Sangraal is faced with a dragon. They eventually settle on trying to blow it up by throwing all their C-4 in a bundle at it. Teal'c grabs the makeshift satchel charge and throws it at the dragon, trying to hit the underside because Cam thinks that's where dragons are weakest; it turns into FeedItABomb when the dragon snaps it out of midair, swallows it, and has the C-4 go off in its stomach to no effect whatsoever. The OhCrap look on Teal'c's face is hilarious.
** TheTeaser of [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S5E22Revelations}} "Revelations"]] had Thor's starship ''Beliskner'' fire on a ''Ha'tak''. The Asgard had long held a technological edge over the Goa'uld, but this time the ''Beliskner's'' weapons did absolutely squat. In the ensuing off-screen battle the ''Beliskner'' was destroyed and Thor captured.
** The first encounter with a [[BossInMookClothing Kull warrior]] in [[Recap/{{StargateSG-1S7E11EvolutionPart1}} "Evolution, Part 1"]] had Teal'c and Bra'tac shoot at it with staff weapon and zat guns, since in this 'verse [[ArmorIsUseless armor is usually useless]]. The weapons had no effect, but luckily for them it keeled over from unrelated cardiac arrest about five seconds later.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:VideoGames]]
Since, as stated above, everything in a video game that doesn't have a damage model is invincible from the player's point of view, and there is at least one object in almost every video game that will invoke this trope on a destruction happy player, a list of straight examples would be too long to list. Please focus on aversions, inversions, subversions, lampshade hangings, and parodies.
*In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', there are lanterns in towns which you can vandalize, and dynamite crates which blow up when shot. You can also shoot the "arms" off of cacti.
*In the text based RPG ''Mobile Armored Marine'', your character must get past a heavily fortified door to continue the mission. One of your options is to try to blast it away with your weapons. That will fail, much to your described (remember, it's text based) surprise. However, after that you have the option of piling all your grenades against the door, which will work. The first plays this trope straight, but the latter part of this example inverts it.
* In ''Videogame/DevilMayCry'', all objects that can be interacted(meaning it reacts to an attack) with are breakable, with the following exceptions:
** "Red/blue devices" (Basically, switches in the form of a a pedestal with a ships's-wheel-like thing on it or a shield in the case of ''DMC'') which appear throughout the original franchise which can only be activated by Dante/Nero/Vergil's only means of interacting with the environment: attacking it. They won't break even if you use the character's strongest attack, though they'll activate faster if you do that.
** Combat Adjudicators in ''DMC 3'' & ''4''. They react to weapon attacks but not firearms. And they are invulnerable except for their KryptoniteFactor {{Element|al Powers}} or [[OnlyICanKillHim character]] (either Nero or Dante).
** ''DMC 4'' has Gyro Blades, torch/top-like devices which at least have the excuse of being sturdy enough to destroy indestructible doors and pedestals. slashing it once it's ignited will make it spin faster and move faster when launched with the Devil Bringer.
*** The Giant Dice from the same game which activates a Board Minigame, Nero can shoot, slash, and punch it all he wants and it will never break. Later subverted when it turns out you can actually destroy it, which Dante does by pulling off a DiagonalCut on it before it activates the minigame.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:RealLife]]
*Sometimes, when police raid a building, they may find that doors that look normal from the outside are quite strongly reinforced and barricaded on the inside.
* 1967: Missouri Tigers football coach Dan Devine tried to movitate his team for the upcoming game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers by playing the Cornhuskers fight song over and over again, whose band played it every time they scored a touchdown. On game day he picked up the record and said "I never want to hear this song again!" and threw it down on the floor, expecting it to shatter. Instead it bounced up into the air. He tried the floor again and failed again. He picked it up and bent it, but it still wouldn't break. He hurled it against a wall and it bounced back again.
-->I don't know when I've ever been so embarrassed and humiliated. Finally, I just went over to a window, opened it, and threw the record out. Then I got out of there as fast as I could.
::Despite the pep talk setback, the Tigers went on to win the game 10-7.
*As stated in the description, those plastic and/or metal playthings can be known to be quite surprisingly formidable, what with being mere toys.
[[/folder]]
