History Main / WillfullyWeak

* ''Fanfic/TheMorrigan'': Sabina initially evaluates Ireesha Plano as being middle of the road; A skilled pilot, but not exceptional. A good fighter, but not murderous enough to be dangerous. A smart tactitian, but not confident enough to be a leader. Then Sabina actually endangers Ireesha's girlfriend, and she responds by coming at her with a knife with ''plenty'' of murderous intent. Afterward (and once Ireesha has been talked down), Sabina reevaluates and realizes that Ireesha has never ''once'' received a scratch during mobile suit duels, meaning that she's been intentionally holding herself back despite great skill.

** [[Characters/SupermanMrMxyzptlk Mr. Mxyzptlk]] has way more power than he can safely use -- modifying the universe too much would [[ApocalypseHow damage its structural underpinnings]]. Very, very bad things happened in ''ComicBook/EmperorJoker'', a storyline where he accidentally gave 99% of his power to [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker the Joker]]. Also, the Post-Crisis explanation for his weakness of going back to the Fifth Dimension after being tricked into saying his name backwards was that he imposed it himself to ensure Superman had a fair chance at besting him.

* In ''ComicBook/GiraffesOnHorsebackSalad'', after the Woman Surreal is imprisoned and awaiting trial, Jimmy asks why she doesn't simply free herself with her RealityWarper powers. She explains that she doesn't want to risk hurting anyone with them, as she's frightened by what she might do when scared.

* In Fleetway's ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'', Sonic would rather not have to go Super because Super Sonic is a SuperpoweredEvilSide and likes killing people and destroying entire planets [[ForTheEvulz just to stave off boredom]]. By extension, Super Sonic after he is separated from Sonic (he initially had no memory of his past and retained his new persona even after he remembered who he was). He knows that if he uses his immense powers, he will go crazy and destroy the world.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Spider-Man constantly pulls his punches to avoid accidentally killing someone. During the ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' series, when Dr. Octopus, having [[GrandTheftMe stolen Peter's body]], [[{{Jawbreaker}} snaps Scorpion's jaw off]] with a single punch, he's shocked at the realization of just how strong Spidey really is, as well as the realization that he was holding back all these years.
* ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'': Supergirl holds back the whole time for the same reasons her cousin does: she's too powerful and she'll kill someone if her control slips.

*** Even when she briefly went out of her mind in ''Comicbook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'' due to the influence of the Red Ring, Supergirl instinctively held back because she didn't want to hurt anybody.

** Superman is always doing this because he's so powerful, the rest of the world may as well be made of cardboard, and the slightest lapse in control on his part could kill someone. When ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'' arrived on Earth -in the post-Crisis universe-, it was thought she was actually more powerful than Superman because he had been holding back so long it seemed that even he forgets what he can do when he lets go (it seems she does still have the edge in flight speed, whereas he has an edge in strength and toughness)

** [[RealityWarper Mr. Mxyzptlk]] has way more power than he can safely use -- modifying the universe too much would [[ApocalypseHow damage its structural underpinnings]]. Very, very bad things happened in ''ComicBook/EmperorJoker'', a storyline where he accidentally gave 99% of his power to [[OmnicidalManiac the Joker]]. Also, the Post-Crisis explanation for his weakness of going back to the Fifth Dimension after being tricked into saying his name backwards was that he imposed it himself to ensure Superman had a fair chance at besting him.

** ComicBook/{{Cyclops|MarvelComics}}, DependingOnTheWriter, does this with his energy beams. Normally, they are strong enough to punch through metal, but through disciplined training and special glasses, he can set them to a sort of stun effect. Given that he hasn't yet learned how to stop constantly projecting them through his eyes, this helps people to feel safer around him.

** ComicBook/{{Jubilee|MarvelComics}} has the power to cause explosions. The main limitation on her powers is that she really doesn't want to harm anybody. Quite aside from her potential for mass destruction on a nuclear scale, it's been shown that, if she wanted to, she could set off a small explosion inside someone's skull; luckily, she really doesn't want to. However, she mostly uses her powers to create flash-bang effects. She's only ever done this to a Prime Sentinel, but it can be safely assumed that most humans would not survive it.
** In the 90s, it was established that ComicBook/{{Gambit|MarvelComics}} was so afraid of the potential for his PersonOfMassDestruction powerset that he had Mr. Sinister ''cut out a piece of his brain'' to diminish his ability to use said powers. Without that surgery, Gambit would have total control over kinetic energy, which would not only allow him to both use his StuffBlowingUp power from a distance and target living creatures with it, but also give him a full-fledged set of ComboPlatterPowers, including [[PlayingWithFire setting things on fire]] and [[AnIcePerson freezing them]], absolute motion control, becoming an EnergyBeing, interplanetary teleportation, time travel, and dimension travel. To put things in context, an alternate version of Gambit who never had the surgery was introduced having beaten ''Dark Phoenix'', a creature with the power to destroy and recreate the universe, ''singlehandedly''. Of course, that Gambit had also inadvertently annihilated all life on Earth by accident, so Gambit feels more than a little justified in having the surgery. This plot has been largely ignored since the 90s.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. He seems to move just fast enough to get through a situation and show off, but as the many games and cutscenes show, he is much faster than he lets on. Additionally, in the racing games, it's been stated that he's fast enough on his feet to run circles around the other racers but chooses to use a race car instead for the sake of a fair contest...and because [[RuleOfCool they're cool]].

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. In many games, he seems to move just fast enough to get through a situation and show off, but as the other games and various cutscenes show, he is much faster than he lets on. Additionally, in the racing games, it's been stated that he's fast enough on his feet to run circles around the other racers but chooses to use a race car instead for the sake of a fair contest...and because [[RuleOfCool they're cool]].

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. In many games, he seems to move just fast enough to get through a situation and show off, but as the other games and various cutscenes show, he is much faster than he lets on. Additionally, it's been stated that he's fast enough on his feet to run circles around the other racers but chooses to use a race car instead for the sake of a fair contest...and because [[RuleOfCool they're cool]].

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. In many games he seems to just move fast enough to get through a situation and show off, but we can judge by other games and various cutscenes that he is much faster than he lets on. Additionally, in some of the racing games where Sonic uses a car, the manual states that he's fast enough on his feet to run circles around the other racers, but chooses to use a car instead for the sake of a fair contest...and because [[RuleOfCool race cars are cool]].

** It is implied that [[NiceGuy Papyrus]] is actually much stronger than his fight with you would imply but is holding back because he is simply too nice to hurt you. [=CHECKing=] his stats shows that he's actually the ''third strongest character in the entire game'', just below Toriel and Asgore, and like the latter, he can hold back his strength to let you one single HP, leading you to a cappture rather than a GameOver. Undyne even remarks that the only reason she won't make him a Royal Guard is that she's afraid he won't want to fight back against an enemy that's trying to hurt him, resulting in him getting "ripped into little smiling shreds".

** Both Toriel and Asgore are listed as having 80 ATK and DEF, values surpassed only by the [[spoiler:No Mercy route superbosses]]. But Toriel doesn't actually ''want'' to hurt you [[spoiler:-- neither does Asgore, for that matter --]] and a monster's strength is directly proportional to its KillingIntent.

** It is implied that [[NiceGuy Papyrus]] is actually much stronger than his fight with you would imply but is holding back because he is simply too nice to hurt you (When he defeats you it ends in a capture rather than an actual GameOver). [=CHECKing=] his stats shows that he's actually the ''third strongest character in the entire game'' (just below Toriel and Asgore). Undyne even remarks that the only reason she won't make him a Royal Guard is that she's afraid he won't want to fight back against an enemy that's trying to hurt him, resulting in him getting "ripped into little smiling shreds".

** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': During her imprisonment by the Sangtee Empire Diana both hides and restrains her own power and does not remove the collar limiter they placed on her while planning her and the other women's escape, as the way the Empire has tortured and much [[TailorMadePrison more securely restrained]] a [[SuperPowerLottery Daxamite]] who tried to rebel previously means she knows better than to let them know her true strength and that she can fly. It takes her a bit to fully recover and she ends up collapsing near the end, but she's still able to keep her ace in the hole hidden from her captors until she escapes.

** His brother ComicBook/{{Havok}} works in a similar fashion, using his powers to simulate concussive force by controlling the power of his beams and the distance they travel ''very carefully.'' When he gets serious, he can break the Hulk's bones with direct blasts, absorb enough power from stars to survive in space, and beat the tar out of Vulcan, who normally has complete control over all forms of energy. Overlaps partly with PowerLimiter, as Havok absorbs far more energy out in space than he does on Earth, but he still holds back the vast majority of his power, even on Earth.

* {{Deconstructed}} in ''{{Film/Transformers}}''. Optimus Prime deliberately holds himself back in his FinalBattle with Megatron to avoid collateral damage, which leads to Megatron quickly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] the Prime and [[NearVillainVictory nearly]] claiming the [=AllSpark=]. It takes an air strike and quick thinking on Sam Witwicky's part to kill Megatron and save both the earth and Optimus's life.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', this is stated to be one of the reasons Brock Sampson [[DoesntLikeGuns doesn't typically use firearms]]. While it's partly because he prefers murdering with knives, it's also because he prefers to deliberately limit his weaponry to prevent escalating conflict with the Guild so they won't pull out anything more dangerous. In situations where he's actively outgunned he will try to find a gun.

** The second cour of the ''Thousand Year Blood War'' arc revealed that the members of Squad Zero except for Ichibē are [[spoiler:bound by a blood seal that suppresses the majority of their power and prevents them from using their bankai; and to release it, three of the four members have to die. When it ''is'' released, the remaining member's power skyrockets to the point their spiritual pressure causes earthquakes in Soul Society, the World of the Living, and Hueco Mudo]].

** Ichigo gets a moment of this fighting Dordoni, a [[AlmightyJanitor Privaron Espada]]. He's reluctant to release his now-controllable SuperpoweredEvilSide as he knows that it will leave him weaker for later fights, and also knows that he's going to hit problems if he's releasing it this early on. He's eventually forced to release it, turning a near-defeat into a CurbStompBattle. Normally though, Ichigo fights at full strength.

** The second cour of the ''Thousand Year Blood War'' arc revealed that the members of Squad Zero except for Ichibē are bound by a blood seal that suppresses the majority of their power and prevents them from using their bankai; and to release it, three of the four members have to die. When it ''is'' released, the remaining member's power skyrockets to the point their spiritual pressure causes earthquakes in Soul Society, the World of the Living, and Hueco Mudo.

** When you meet her, [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet Nemona]] is already a Champion-ranked trainer, meaning she's already raised a team of powerful Pokémon, defeated all of the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership official Champion]], Ms. Geeta (with Geeta even stating that Nemona is probably the ''actual'' strongest trainer in the region). However, the game begins with her deciding to train up an entirely new team from scratch for the sole purpose being able to follow you on your journey and serve as a rival, even deliberately picking the starter that's ''weak'' to yours unlike every previous rival, presumably just for [[ChallengeSeeker the extra challenge]]. In fact, it's heavily implied that Nemona has always held back in fights, even against Geeta, and her investment in the player's growth is in good part because she sees you as someone who can ''finally'' give her a worthwhile challenge. In the same game, Bug-type Gym Trainer Katy is the league's designated WarmUpBoss who is specifically told by Top Champion Geeta to go easy on trainers. When you rematch her, she reveals that she's not entirely happy about this arrangement and is pretty excited at a chance to not hold back.

* In ''Fanfic/MyHeroAcademiaUnchainedPredator'': Whenever the Slayer fights heroes, he intentionally holds back his immense strength to dish out instant KOs or severely incapacitate them, as if he unleashed his full strength, the heroes would instantly ''die'', or be crippled for life ''if they're lucky''. Against villains, however, he'll use deadly force without hesitation. When All Might finds out the Slayer is holding back when fighting him, he is able to deduce, much like Gran Torino did, that the Slayer aimed to incapacitate the heroes, not kill them.

* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' has an AllThereInTheManual example with, of all people, Master Asia. As powerful and unstoppable as he is during the series, he's holding back by using the Master Gundam: he has another Gundam, the King of Hearts, which far surpasses both Master Gundam and God Gundam. He never uses it, even though with it he'd probably truly be invincible. This fits with one of his philosophies: he believes that relying on a powerful weapon will weaken a fighter's abilities, so by using the weaker Master Gundam he keeps his skills sharp.

** When you meet her, [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet Nemona]] is already a Champion-ranked trainer, meaning she's already raised a team of powerful Pokémon, defeated all of the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership official Champion]], Ms. Geeta (with Geeta even stating that Nemona is probably the ''actual'' strongest trainer in the region). However, the game begins with her deciding to train up an entirely new team from scratch for the sole purpose being able to follow you on your journey and serve as a rival. In fact, it's heavily implied that Nemona has always held back in fights, even against Geeta, and her investment in the player's growth is in good part because she sees you as someone who can ''finally'' give her a worthwhile challenge. In the same game, Bug-type Gym Trainer Katy is the league's designated WarmUpBoss who is specifically told by Top Champion Geeta to go easy on trainers. When you rematch her, she reveals that she's not entirely happy about this arrangement and is pretty excited at a chance to not hold back.

** Malenia does this constantly. The [[MysticalPlague Scarlet Rot]] that's made her DelicateAndSickly ([[{{Superboss}} by demigod standards]]) is actually a ''[[BlessedWithSuck blessing]]'' from the Outer God that created the Rot, making her a potential goddess of Scarlet Rot. However, as actually ''using'' said divine power would result in [[WalkingWasteland spreading Scarlet Rot everywhere she goes]], she instead struggles to keep it contained within herself, leaving her a MagicallyIneptFighter with a terrible disease instead of a terrifying plague deity. This is reflected in her boss fight: In her first phase, as Blade of Miquella, she fights as she normally would - [[ImplausibleFencingSkills pure swordsmanship]] and [[{{Determinator}} stubbornness]] - and attacks relatively slowly because her focus is constantly split. When she decides that the fight has passed the GodzillaThreshold and embraces her title as the Goddess of Rot, she shows off ''vastly'' increased aggression, flight, clone attacks, and a massive Rot AOE.