History Main / VariableLengthChain

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'': When Trevor finds the Morningstar whip in the abandoned Belmont estate, it's only a few feet long. In the battle against Dracula and his generals, the whip is suddenly long enough to reach across the massive hallways of the castle.

* Shizuru Viola in ''Anime/MaiOtome'' has some sort of dual-bladed fighting stick (a bit like Darth Maul, only less - [[MagicFromTechnology or arguably more]] - teched up). Said blades discombobulate into chains of blade-chunks, but these appear to be variable-length and often greatly exceed the length of blade available when the weapon is in one piece. That said, all Otome technology seems to rely heavily on [[HammerSpace hammerspace]] so anything is probably possible. Her ''Anime/MyHime'' incarnation's element (a [[BladeOnAStick naginata]] with WhipSword capabilities) also works this way, as she's able to swing it, wrap the blade around a bell several feet away several times, destroy the bell, and then wrap it aroind Natsuki before pulling it in.

Usually paired with WhipItGood, ChainPain, ChainedByFashion and WhipSword. Sometimes uses InstantKnots.

* The Dark Prince's [[WhipSword Daggertail]] from ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheTwoThrones'' fits pretty well. In its normal form, it's a few links of spiked chain that are embedded in the Prince's arm, but the [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Dark Prince]] can lengthen them to a combat-worthy chain.

** [[GrapplingHookPistol The Hookshot]] (and its variations, the Longshot and Clawshot) certainly qualifies, given it both has a chain long enough, and strong enough, to carry Link a considerable distance, while not having a notable chain hanging out from the device itself. Not to mention that the weapon is one handed and (in the case of the Clawshot) [[http://www.zeldawiki.org/Clawshot#Double_Clawshot can be]] [[DualWielding dual-wielded]].

* Shizuru Viola in ''Anime/MaiOtome'' has some sort of dual-bladed fighting stick (a bit like Darth Maul, only less - [[MagicFromTechnology or arguably more]] - teched up). Said blades discombobulate into chains of blade-chunks, but these appear to be variable-length and often greatly exceed the length of blade available when the weapon is in one piece. That said, all Otome technology seems to rely heavily on [[HammerSpace hammerspace]] so anything is probably possible. Her ''Anime/MaiHime'' incarnation's element (a [[BladeOnAStick naginata]] with WhipSword capabilities) also works this way, as she's able to swing it, wrap the blade around a bell several feet away several times, destroy the bell, and then wrap it aroind Natsuki before pulling it in.

* ''Ninja Spirit'' has the Rising Dragon, a ''kusarigama'' whose chain can be extended and spun to sweep across the screen.

* In the ''Literature/WheelOfTime'' series, the leash between a ''damane's'' collar and her ''sul'dam's'' bracelet seems to be jointed, or woven, or even both, and is explicitly noted to be of variable length, from about a metre long to roughly three depending on need.

* Selphie in ''VideoGame/{{Kingdom Hearts|I}}'', with a jump rope substituting for the [[FightingWithChucks nunchucks]] she wielded in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''. Interestingly, she doesn't have this trope in ''FFVII''.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': The string of Ladybug's KillerYoYo is as long as she wants it to be. Of course, it is magic.

* WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug: The string of Ladybug's KillerYoYo is as long as she wants it to be. Of course, it is magic.

* [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Ladybug]] is a rare Western Magical Girl whose weapon is a KillerYoyo. The amount of string the spool has is dependent on how long she wants it to be.

** Andromeda Shun IS this trope. It's justified, in that his armor is mystic in nature and the chains are [[EmpathicWeapon somewhat]] [[EvilDetectingDog sentient]] on their own, but some of his attacks can get downright ridiculous. Really, the page picture doesn't do his mastery of this trope justice. In the Poseidon arc his fight with Io Scylla has him create a giant web of chains to stop an attack... and ''still'' have enough to attack Scylla. When idle, the lengths of the Nebula Chain hang about 1 or 2 feet long from each of his arms. However, he can unspool them to several dozen yards in a defensive ring around himself; by his own words, the chain can extend across the entire galaxy (and across dimensions!) to strike at a foe. During the Dark Saints arc, when, after Seiya has fallen into a ravine, Shun pulls him up with one of his chains not by hoisting the chain up like rope, as anyone else would have done, but by ''retracting'' it into {{Hammerspace}} as if it were measuring tape. Shun did explain during the battle against the [[EvilCounterpart Cerberus Saint]] that the length and power of the chains is directly proportional to the amount of cosmos the user possesses, and if we take into account the flashback in which his teacher lectures him and his fellow trainees about how a Saint's cosmos is limitless... well, [[MoreThanInfinite you get the idea]]. And Shun loves to mention his chain can reach even ''different dimensions''.

* Kratos' Blades of Chaos/Athena/Exile in the ''VideoGame/GodOfWarSeries'' have less than a foot of chain when on his back, and can become several dozen meters long when in BossBattle cinematics. Justified because the blades are explicitly stated to be magical.

Lots of characters use {{chain|Pain}}s and {{whip|ItGood}}s, mostly [[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon because it's cool]]. However, these often have the pesky problem of having limited reach, and if they're long they'll be heavy and bulky to carry. So how do you keep the cool while downplaying these inconveniences? By using Variable Length Chains! They grow long to reach a target, short when being carried, and even disappear entirely depending on needs. A nessesity for function of most {{Whip Sword}}s.

Lots of characters use {{chain|Pain}}s and {{whip|ItGood}}s, mostly [[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon because it's cool]]. However, these often have the pesky problem of having limited reach, and if they're long they'll be heavy and bulky to carry. So how do you keep the cool while downplaying these inconveniences? By using Variable Length Chains! They grow long to reach a target, short when being carried, and even disappear entirely depending on needs. A nessesity for function of most {{WhipSword}}s.

Lots of characters use {{chain|Pain}}s and {{whip|ItGood}}s, mostly [[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon because it's cool]]. However, these often have the pesky problem of having limited reach, and if they're long they'll be heavy and bulky to carry. So how do you keep the cool while downplaying these inconveniences? By using Variable Length Chains! They grow long to reach a target, short when being carried, and even disappear entirely depending on needs.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/WickedAwesomeAdventure'', JET makes use of a variable-length [[http://www.wickedawesomeadventure.com/2010/06/117-use-hose-to-fill-terrarium.html rubber]] [[http://www.wickedawesomeadventure.com/2010/06/131-use-hose-lasso-with-plot-hook.html hose.]]
* One of the bandits in ''WebComic/HeroOhHero'' uses a chain which expands from his sleeves. [[http://www.neorice.com/hoh_68 Not that it does him much good.]]

* In ''Film/{{Sockbaby}}'', Ronnie can use his leisure suit neck chain as a weapon. (Apparently it's electrified, too.)
* On ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'', Linkara sent the "Scales of Justice" weapon image from ''ComicBook/JLAActOfGod'' to Spoony, who said one of the main things it would need to work was a ''much'' longer chain. Lo and behold this trope en effect when Linda Danvers uses it later, much to Linkara's frustration. Seeing as how the chain went from about a foot to six feet, it's ''really'' noticeable. Bear in mind that this is a universe where magic explicitly does not exist anymore.

* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', Blake's weapon, Gambol Shroud, is attached to a ribbon which lets her whip it around. The ribbon's length is not set, with the reach depending on whatever would make the [[RuleOfCool coolest]] fight.
* ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': Killdra uses chains to fight, which she can make any size or length she wants.

[[folder: Real Life]]

* The Belmont Clan's upgraded Vampire Killer whip in ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games. Some games also have the whip Nebula, which is a direct ShoutOut to the ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' version above, with the more common version of it automatically homing towards enemies.
** The whip equivalent of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' trilogy is combat cross, an alchemically/magically-enhanced weapon with a ''very'' long chain conveniently stored [[{{Hammerspace}} inside the cross]]. With suitable upgrade, a player can use the weapon as a grappling hook to slowly descend from the anchoring point to the floor a few stories below.

[[quoteright:216:[[Manga/SaintSeiya https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/HesIntoChainsInAGoodWay.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:216:Andromeda Shun [[AccidentalInnuendo is into chains]]... ''[[ChainPain in a good way!]]'']]

** The [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gouf's]] heat rod, a metal tentacle that somehow all fits within a forearm only slightly larger than normal. The Gouf got two "corrections" which made the concept more believable: ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam'' introduced the Gouf Custom, a remodel whose heat rod is simply a wire with a magnetic anchor on the end, while ''GundamTheOrigin''[='s=] redesigned the original with a substantially beefed-up arm and slimmed-down heat rod.

* "Manga/Hellsing": In one scene Walter's RazorFloss stretches across a corridor, in another he slices skyscrappers with it.

Lots of characters use [[ChainPain chains]] and [[WhipItGood whips]], mostly [[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon because it's cool]]. However, these often have the pesky problem of having limited reach, and if they're long they'll be heavy and bulky to carry. So how do you keep the cool while downplaying these inconveniences? By using Variable Length Chains! They grow long to reach a target, short when being carried, and even disappear entirely depending on needs.

Usually this is a stylistic effect that's [[RuleOfCool never addressed]]. When it is, the [[ShapeShifterBaggage extra length and weight of chains]] are usually said to be stored in {{Hammerspace}}, or the weapon is actually [[AWizardDidIt magical]], [[EmpathicWeapon empathic]] or somehow alive and able to prestidigitate more links as needed.

* Pretty much any whip-type weapon in the ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' franchise, the most JustForFun/{{egregious}} being the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gouf's]] heat rod (a metal tentacle that somehow all fits within a forearm only slightly larger than normal) and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Nataku's]] dragon fang (a dragon-shaped claw with a seemingly endless "chain" of red boxes, officially stated to be 250 meters in length).
** The Gouf got two "corrections" which made the concept more believable: ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam'' introduced the Gouf Custom, a remodel whose heat rod is simply a wire with a magnetic anchor on the end, while ''GundamTheOrigin''[='s=] redesigned the original with a substantially beefed-up arm and slimmed-down heat rod.

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

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[[folder:{{Film}}]]

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

[[folder:TabletopRPG]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]

[[folder:WebComic]]

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

[[folder: RealLife]]

* Kratos' Blades of Chaos/Athena/Exile'' in the ''VideoGame/GodOfWarSeries'' have less than a foot of chain when on his back, and can become several dozen meters long when in BossBattle cinematics. Justified because the blades are explicitly stated to be magical.