History Main / WondertwinPowers

* In ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'', the Planeteers all have rings with individual powers but [[AllYourPowersCombined only when all five of them use them together can they summon Captain Planet.]] Actually the only Planeteer who is ''absolutely'' necessary to form Captain Planet is Ma-Ti, with the power of Heart. There's an episode where Linka and Wheeler are abducted by aliens that collect endangered species to house in a sanctuary on their home planet. The remaining Planeteers are still able to create Captain Planet (admittedly he can't fly without Linka's power of Wind but they do manage to create him). More exactly, the Heart Planeteer is the one who's vital to summon Cap. In another episode Ma-Ti is knocked unconscious ''in the middle of the summoning'', and Gaia solves the trouble via temporarily handing the Heart Ring to a Native-American boy that [[HeroicBystander had helped the Planeteers before.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'', the Planeteers all have rings with individual powers but [[AllYourPowersCombined only when all five of them use them together can they summon Captain Planet.]] Actually the only Planeteer who is ''absolutely'' necessary to form Captain Planet is Ma-Ti, with the power of Heart. There's an episode where Linka and Wheeler are abducted by aliens that collect endangered species to house in a sanctuary on their home planet. The remaining Planeteers are still able to create Captain Planet (admittedly he can't fly but they do manage to create him). More exactly, the Heart Planeteer is the one who's vital to summon Cap. In another episode Ma-Ti is knocked unconscious ''in the middle of the summoning'', and Gaia solves the trouble via temporarily handing the Heart Ring to a Native-American boy that [[HeroicBystander had helped the Planeteers before.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'', the Planeteers all have rings with individual powers but [[AllYourPowersCombined only when all five of them use them together can they summon Captain Planet.]] Actually the only Planeteer who is ''absolutely'' necessary to form Captain Planet is Ma-Ti. There's an episode where Linka and Wheeler are abducted by aliens that collect endangered species to house in a sanctuary on their home planet. The remaining Planeteers are still able to create Captain Planet (admittedly he can't fly but they do manage to create him). More exactly, the Heart Planeteer is the one who's vital to summon Cap. In another episode Ma-Ti is knocked unconscious ''in the middle of the summoning'', and Gaia solves the trouble via temporarily handing the Heart Ring to a Native-American boy that [[HeroicBystander had helped the Planeteers before.]]

Presumably, their in-built weakness is being ineffective unless they're together. Also presumably, they have at least one way around even that built-in weakness. [[MostCommonSuperpower Not truly related to a certain kind of "Wonder Twins."]] See also {{Synchronization}}, FusionDance, SiblingTeam and BashBrothers. Contrast with AllYourPowersCombined.

* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' and their human partners. Which always gave rise to the question, how did ''wild'' Digimon [[PowerLevels evolve]] without ThePowerOfFriendship?
** It seems that it happens easily enough with time -- there are isolated incidents of non-partnered Digimon being able to do it on their own, and it also seems to be hinted at with the level names in the original Japanese ('Child', 'Adult', etc). Essentially all the Power of Friendship does is let the kid partners skip a few levels for a couple of minutes.
*** The biggest proof of this is Gatomon: since she didn't get to meet her partner early enough, she had to survive all by herself. As a result she evolved naturally, and her Adult form is her standard form, meaning she doesn't need her partner's power to keep it that way. However, going beyond it does require her partner's help. Later seasons would have partners of all stages.
** In ''[[Anime/DigimonTamers Tamers]]'' and ''[[Anime/DigimonFrontier Frontier]]'', it seems they do this by killing each other and absorbing the loser's data. Even those seasons, though, have civilian Digimon of high levels, such as a Mega-level ''shopkeeper'' and ''old Jewish couple.'' (Well, the Jewish-ness may be limited to the English dub...)
*** A more traditional example is Nefertimon and Pegasusmon, who have an attack that requires both of them.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Two abilities called "Plus" (exclusive to Plusle) and "Minus" (exclusive to Minun). Each raises the Special Attack stat of a partner with the other by 50% -- but ONLY when both are present in a double battle. Their stats make them [[JokeCharacter almost absolutely worthless]] in any other scenario.
** As of ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', these abilities are no longer exclusive, Plus/Plus and Minus/Minus pairs still boost and can potentially be used to greater effect with the new Triple and Rotational battles. This is still a problem though, as none of the 3 new users are very good, and are fairly redundant with each other.

[[quoteright:236:[[ComicBook/WonderTwins https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Wonder_Twin_Powers_Activate_5653.jpg]]]]

** The ''actual'' ComicBook/WonderTwins have since turned up. Complete with "Powers, activate!"

* In ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'', the Planeteers all had rings with individual powers but [[AllYourPowersCombined only when all five of them used them together could they summon Captain Planet.]] Actually the only Planeteer who is ''absolutely'' necessary to form Captain Planet is Ma-Ti. There was an episode (the name escapes me but it does exist) where Linka and Wheeler were abducted by aliens that collected endangered species to house in a sanctuary on their home planet. The remaining Planeteers were still able to create Captain Planet (admittedly he couldn't fly but they did manage to create him). More exactly, the Heart Planeteer is the one who's vital to summon Cap. In another episode Ma-Ti was knocked unconscious ''in the middle of the summoning'', and Gaia solved the trouble via temporarily handing the Heart Ring to a Native-American boy that [[HeroicBystander had helped the Planeteers before.]]

''[[DescribeTopicHere Form of... a TV Tropes description!]]''

-->--''Toys/{{Bionicle}}''

* The {{Trope Namer}}s are the ShapeShifting ComicBook/WonderTwins Zan and Jayna from ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}} The All-New Superfriends Hour]]''. When they [[HandshakeSubstitute bumped fists]] to activate their powers, Zan could change into various forms of [[MakingASplash water]]/[[AnIcePerson ice]], while Jayna could transform into animals. Sadly the writers were either unable or forbidden to come up with [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway actual, useful applications for their powers]]. Their counterparts from the ''Superfriends'' comics of the time were much better with their powers. On the other hand, if a large enough creature passed between them, they needed only to put their fists into that creature's form simultanelously and their weakness was promptly nullified.
* Más y Menos from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' whose powers depend on physical contact with each other, usually by pressing their palms together or holding an electrical conductor between them. They themselves derive from the Tornado Twins of Creator/DCComics (who did not have this limitation).

** The two Barhag individually have all of the powers of the Bohrok, but they also become more powerful the closer they are to each other, and when they are next to each other they are completely invulnerable.
** The Skakdi race have been granted ElementalPowers, but they can only be used in tandem. This is a safety measure -- since the Skakdi are AlwaysChaoticEvil but all hate each other. The prospect of having to work together is sometimes enough to keep them from tapping into the elements. Unfortunately, they also won the SuperPowerLottery, so being unwilling to use elemental powers is hardly a hindrance to them.

** ''[[Anime/DigimonXrosWars Xros Wars]]'' vacillates between this and FusionDance: some [=DigiXros=] combinations transform one character into a new form for the other to wield, such as Dorulumon turning into a cannon for Shoutmon to aim and fire.

* ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoTetris 2'' reveals that Jay and Elle have the ability to locate anything they want by being in contact with each other, even if that "something" is on a different world (Tee), or if they don't know the specific details [[spoiler:(such as when, trying to find the source of Marle's corrupting powers, they discover someone is controlling her)]].

* ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo Tetris 2]]'' reveals that Jay and Elle have the ability to locate anything they want by being in contact with each other, even if that "something" is on a different world (Tee), or if they don't know the specific details [[spoiler:(such as when, trying to find the source of Marle's corrupting powers, they discover someone is controlling her)]].

** Played with in ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021'' where the Masters originally think they can only transform with Adam then later realize they can change on their own.

* Marvel's [[Characters/MilesMorales Bombshell]] (Lana Baumgartner) and her mother (Lori Baumgartner, "[[IncrediblyLamePun Momshell]]") share the same HavingABlast powers, but need to be in each other's company in order to access them. Even after they're no longer connected, their powers are considerably weaker when the other isn't around. This is Lori's favorite way to [[AbusiveParents manipulate her daughter]] as Lana tries to [[HeelFaceTurn become a hero]].

A good [[ConservationOfCompetence leash]] to amazing powers is the need for two characters to work together to activate them. Sometimes this is a supervillain and superhero, other times it's a superhero duo. Most of the time, the characters even get to be twins. Interestingly, their actual powers sometimes have nothing to do with their inherent twinness, unless their powers tap into [[CreepyTwins specific eerieness]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2003}}'' (2003), assassin duo Mr. Touch and Mr. Go need to bump fists in order to (temporarily) access their powers: super-strength for Mr. Touch, super-speed for Mr. Go. Given that these fade in a matter of minutes, they're [[ThoseTwoBadGuys always together]].

* Marvel's ComicBook/{{Bombshell}} (Lana Baumgartner) and her mother (Lori Baumgartner, "[[IncrediblyLamePun Momshell]]") share the same HavingABlast powers, but need to be in each other's company in order to access them. Even after they're no longer connected, their powers are considerably weaker when the other isn't around. This is Lori's favorite way to [[AbusiveParents manipulate her daughter]] as Lana tries to [[HeelFaceTurn become a hero]].

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', ''Art of Magic'' splat book, there is a spell temporarily binding the minds of the caster and another character. This allows them to both use the best natural roll they make for initiative, and also increase their spellcasting effectiveness if they cast spells at the same target.
* In ''TabletopGames/MagicTheGathering'', the Kenrith twins, Will and Rowan, are unusual among planeswalkers in that they share a single Spark, meaning that they're only capable of planeswalking together.

[[caption-width-right:236:Form of ... [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway a bucket of water!]]]]

* In ''Webcomic/AliceAndTheNightmare'', it's revealed that Dee and Dum can only work as a team because otherwise their powers are cut in half. [[spoiler:It's because Dee is secretly a Reversal, whose powers are opposite those of a regular Suit]].

* At least one version of the alien "Blood Brothers" required them to be near each other in order to keep up their massive strength. IronMan once beat them by getting Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} to lure one away, so their individual strength dropped.