History Main / TimeToUnlockMoreTruePotential

* Amber Rodriguez took on one of [[Wrestling/BlackRose La Rosa Negra]]'s old managers, Rico Casanova, in Ring Warriors, who naturally knew most of La Rosa's tricks, besides the new ones she had been learning with Wrestling/KevinSullivan.[[/folder]]

* OlderThanPrint: The mythical [[CelticMythology Celtic]] hero Cúchulainn's training under the immortal warrior woman Scathach conforms pretty closely to this trope.

* Ubiquitous in [[ChineseMythology Chinese legends]] and folklores, to the point that some mythical figures have this as their entire story. The trainer were almost always humans who have transcended human limitations, or outright supernatural beings. Even the [[JourneyToTheWest Monkey King]] (of whom [[Manga/DragonBall Son Goku]] was loosely based on) had met his matches -- and he used to lead an army that could match the legions of Heavens.

* The Kings Of Wrestling, Wrestling/ClaudioCastagnoli and Wrestling/ChrisHero, were the most dominant {{tag team}} in the United States Of America bar none but when they went to Wrestling/ProWrestlingNOAH in 2009, they mostly go their asses kicked, leading Hero to train in their dojo to improve.

* ''SamuraiDeeperKyo''. Oh my God. SO made of it, that they don't even try to make it logic. The protagonist is trapped into the body of his worst enemy, that they both share (long history, read the manga), but he's still strong as hell. Then he is surpassed and taken down... and suddenly he gets up, shouts something like "I remembered how this body fights!" and proceeds to kick his foe's ass. After some point, EVERY fight has this. Every character, sometimes more than once during the same battle if it's a long one, gets another upgrade by ThePowerOfLove, ThePowerOfFriendship, [[SuperMode the awakening of their hidden power]], [[RightMakesMight the pursue of their true convictions]] ([[AvertedTrope even when they know]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist that their acts are evil]])... Man, even the bad guys get their upgrades this way, during the ''very same battle that the good guys!''

* ''Haikyuu'' has Hinata, who starts to get frustrated that he can't improve his unique quick attack with Kageyama simply by trying, especially with Kageyama telling him it's as good as it will get. Cue Ukai taking him to see [[spoiler:his grandfather, the senior Coach Ukai with a reputation for extremely demanding training. Hinata learns to apply more complex thought and technique to his spikes, and becomes a much more formidable opponent on the court in the Spring tournament.]]

* ''Manga/Haikyuu'' Hinata starts to get frustrated that he can't improve his unique quick attack with Kageyama simply by trying, especially with Kageyama telling him it's as good as it will get. Cue Ukai taking him to see [[spoiler:his grandfather, the senior Coach Ukai with a reputation for extremely demanding training. Hinata learns to apply more complex thought and technique to his spikes, and becomes a much more formidable opponent on the court in the Spring tournament.]]

** There are hints that he self-taught during the gap between Episode 5 and 6, coming back with much more powerful force techniques, and declaring himself a Jedi Master.

* ''Manga/DragonBall'' and ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' take this to dizzying levels; anyone more than a century old and not evil will either impart new techniques or glow eerily, increasing the main characters' strength either way. Gohan sorta embodies this trope in the Dragon Ball world since he is the one with the most "hidden powers."
** It should be noted that Gohan's "true potential" was unlocked ''twice'' (once by Guru, once by Old Kai), making him a very literal example of this trope. Three times, if you count him becoming a Super Saiyan 2.

** It should be noted that Gohan's "true potential" was unlocked ''twice'' (once by Guru, once by Old Kai), making him a very literal example of this trope.

->''"There's a Super Saiyan '''Three''' now?"''
-->-- Master Roshi, ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. It would later turn out that there's a Super Saiyan Four as well.

-->-- Master Roshi, ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. It would later turn out that there is a Super Saiyan Four as well.

* Glaring example at the end of ''Film/KungFuHustle''. Possibly the most absurd number of [[TookALevelInBadass badass levels gained]] ever committed to film.

* Claus from ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' never gets any ability aside from [[DefeatMeansFriendship making pacts with summons]]. By the half of the game, you need to gather 4 elementals for him to progress the game. Other summons in the future aside from Origin are totally optional.

-->-- Master Roshi, ''Anime/DragonBallZ''

** It was only two times for Ranma in the entire manga that he actually get some useful martial arts training from Cologne. Ryoga only got one training from her and the rest was often self-taught and from fighting with other and against Ranma.Ryoga stated that he was surprise with his vastly icreased speed and declare that it was due to him sparring with Ranma.He then replicated Ranma speed thought it fell short because Ranma progress even further.

* In Manga/{{Scryed}}, Kazuma, Ryuho, [[spoiler:Cougar, and Mujo]] all get more powerful versions of their Alter powers [[spoiler:after passing into the "Alter world" and back]].

* ''Manga/DragonBall'' and ''Dragon Ball Z'' take this to dizzying levels; anyone more than a century old and not evil will either impart new techniques or glow eerily, increasing the main characters' strength either way. Gohan sorta embodies this trope in the Dragon Ball world since he is the one with the most "hidden powers."