Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Videogame/TheLastOfUsPartII'': The first confrontation between Ellie and Abby has Abby beating Ellie and Dina to a pulp and would have killed them if not for Lev's intervention. When they meet again over a year later, Abby has been held captive for several months, having lost most of her muscle mass due to both starvation and lack of physical activity on top of being very weak overall. This allows Ellie to fight her on a more even footing and Ellie wins this time around (even though she took was recently impaled).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
*** In the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' expansion, ''Artorias of the Abyss'', {{Superboss} Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
to:
*** In the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' expansion, ''Artorias of the Abyss'', {{Superboss} {{Superboss}} Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 40 (click to see context) from:
* Black Knife Assassins are usually fairly strong field bosses, but the one in Limgrave begins the fight at half health, making her a reasonable early-game challenge. This BKA also has a unique model with several slashes across her torso, implying that she just won a fight with whatever the original dungeon boss was, but was left badly hurt before the Tarnished came along to finish her off.
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* Black Knife Assassins are usually fairly strong field bosses, but the one in Limgrave begins the fight at half health, making her a reasonable early-game challenge. This BKA also has a unique model with several slashes across her torso, implying that she just won a fight with whatever the original dungeon boss was, but was left badly hurt before the Tarnished came along to finish her off.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 87 (click to see context) from:
** Each of the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]] are considerably weakened when players encounter them. C'Thun and Yogg-Saron were heavily weakened by their imprisonment by the [[{{Precursors}} Titans]], while Y'Shaarj had already been killed in the backstory with players only facing remnants of his power. The only Old God to avert the trope and be fought at his full power is N'Zoth, who is explicitly stated to be the weakest of the four, having only survived as long as he did due to being a patient behind-the-scenes [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]].
to:
** Each of the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]] are considerably weakened when players encounter them. C'Thun and Yogg-Saron were heavily weakened by their imprisonment by the [[{{Precursors}} Titans]], while Y'Shaarj had already been killed in the backstory with players only facing remnants of his power. The only Old God to avert the trope and be fought at his full power is N'Zoth, who is explicitly stated to be the weakest of the four, having only survived as long as he did due to being a patient behind-the-scenes [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]].Chessmaster]]--and he still gives the adventurers who fight him the fight of their lives.
Changed line(s) 90 (click to see context) from:
** Burning Crusade gives us Kil'jaeden, the de facto leader of [[TheLegionsOfHell the Burning Legion]], who was in the middle of a summoning and at about half his power -- and players still needed help from a BigGood or two to beat him (and all that really means is just pushing him back through a portal).
to:
** Burning Crusade ''Burning Crusade'' gives us Kil'jaeden, the de facto leader of [[TheLegionsOfHell the Burning Legion]], who was in the middle of a summoning and at about half his power -- and players still needed help from a BigGood or two to beat him (and all that really means is just pushing him back through a portal).portal). Like Ragnaros, though, players eventually got to fight Kil'jaeden at full power during the ''Legion'' expansion.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 12 (click to see context) from:
* The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] without being instantly destroyed is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the [[PersonOfMassdestruction same level of power]] as him, and the Task Force just distracted Black into taking a full-force attack from the other two.
to:
* The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') ''VideoGame/ActionTaimanin'' makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] without being instantly destroyed is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the [[PersonOfMassdestruction same level of power]] as him, and the Task Force just distracted Black into taking a full-force attack from the other two.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/PathfinderWrathOfTheRighteous'' has Prelate Hulrun, who is weakened and level-drained by a nabasu when the low-level party meets him in Kenabres. If the party doesn't kill Hulrun, he ends up showing his true strength as an ally in the Crusade.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* In ''VisualNovel/{{Sunrider}} 4: The Captain's Return'', [[ConquerorFromTheFuture Crow Harbor and his forces]] are nowhere near full strength by the time the crew of the Maray encounters them. His [[{{Precursors}} ancient Ryuvian]] ships may be more advanced and more powerful than anything else in the setting, but they're also heavily damaged from the battle that flung them all into the present day, and the infrastructure needed to repair and refuel them simply doesn't exist in the modern galaxy. Also, most of his men are either dead or juiced up on PsychoSerum, leaving him with only a handful of crazed Ryder pilots for backup. He still gives Kayto Shields's crew the fight of their lives despite this, but it's a fight they can potentially win instead of a curb stomp in Crow's favor.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 41 (click to see context) from:
* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': Literature/{{Beowulf}} points out the reason why he fought the dragon at the end of his story to a mutual kill was because he had been an elderly man at the time and obviously not as strong as he had once been. Eventually, Beowulf, summoned in his physical prime, gets a chance to take the dragon on in a rematch and demolishes it.
to:
* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'':
** Literature/{{Beowulf}} points out the reason why he fought the dragon at the end of his story to a mutual kill was because he had been an elderly man at the time and obviously not as strong as he had once been. Eventually, Beowulf, summoned in his physical prime, gets a chance to take the dragon on in a rematch and demolishesit.it.
** Gawain explains that during the fall of Camelot, Mordred killed him by attacking him after he was exhausted after having fought a duel with Lancelot.
** By the time Achilles shows up in the Atlantis Lostbelt, he has already been shot in the heel and has lost his shield, making him lose his invulnerability and 70% of his speed. He doesn't let it stop him from fighting.
** Literature/{{Beowulf}} points out the reason why he fought the dragon at the end of his story to a mutual kill was because he had been an elderly man at the time and obviously not as strong as he had once been. Eventually, Beowulf, summoned in his physical prime, gets a chance to take the dragon on in a rematch and demolishes
** Gawain explains that during the fall of Camelot, Mordred killed him by attacking him after he was exhausted after having fought a duel with Lancelot.
** By the time Achilles shows up in the Atlantis Lostbelt, he has already been shot in the heel and has lost his shield, making him lose his invulnerability and 70% of his speed. He doesn't let it stop him from fighting.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 94 (click to see context) from:
* VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon: Ichiban gets worried, when in the rematch with Sawashiro, he grabs a katana off the wall. Adachi wonders why when Ichiban already beat him once. Ichiban explains Sawashiro real strength lies in when uses weapons. Ichiban in fact guesses the first fight he either A) just lucked out or B) Sawashiro for what ever reason was simply holding back.
to:
* VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon: Ichiban gets worried, when in the rematch with Sawashiro, he grabs a katana off the wall. Adachi wonders why when Ichiban already beat him once. Ichiban explains Sawashiro real strength lies in when he uses weapons. Ichiban in fact guesses the first fight he either A) just lucked out or B) Sawashiro for what ever reason was simply holding back.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon: Ichiban gets worried, when in the rematch with Sawashiro, he grabs a katana off the wall. Adachi wonders why when Ichiban already beat him once. Ichiban explains Sawashiro real strength lies in when uses weapons. Ichiban in fact guesses the first fight he either A) just lucked out or B) Sawashiro for what ever reason was simply holding back.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 12 (click to see context) from:
* The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] without being instantly destroyed (as he threatened to do in the past) is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the [[PersonOfMassdestruction same level of power]] as him, and the Task Force just distracted Black into taking a full-force attack from the other two.
to:
* The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] without being instantly destroyed (as he threatened to do in the past) is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the [[PersonOfMassdestruction same level of power]] as him, and the Task Force just distracted Black into taking a full-force attack from the other two.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 12 (click to see context) from:
* The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the [[PersonOfMassdestruction same level of power]] as him, and the Task Force just distracted Black into taking a full-force attack from the other two.
to:
* The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] without being instantly destroyed (as he threatened to do in the past) is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the [[PersonOfMassdestruction same level of power]] as him, and the Task Force just distracted Black into taking a full-force attack from the other two.two.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 12 (click to see context) from:
* The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the same [[PersonOfMassdestruction level of power]] as him.
to:
* The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the same [[PersonOfMassdestruction same level of power]] as him.him, and the Task Force just distracted Black into taking a full-force attack from the other two.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added DiffLines:
*The {{Ecchi}} game ''Action Taimanin'' (a LighterAndSofter spin-off of the {{Hentai}} franchise ''Taimanin Asagi'') makes it extensively clear in its 19th chapter that the only reason the Task Force is able to stand against (and eventually defeat) [[BigBad Edwin Black]] is that he has spent the ''twelve hours'' between the preceding chapter and that one in a MeleeATrois fight against [[TheUndead The King of the Death Wraith]] and [[PlayingWithFire Astaroth]], two archdemons on the same [[PersonOfMassdestruction level of power]] as him.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 61 (click to see context) from:
* The trope is inverted in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', as Kai Leng is introduced in the midst of his attempts to assassinate the Citadel Council. If earlier gameplay requirements have been met, [[spoiler: Shepard is able to thwart him with the help of Thane Krios, who was also an assassin but is now in the terminal stages of a fatal disease. As Thane puts it, "he let a terminally ill drell stop him from completing his mark." Thane does end up fatally wounded, but it is stated that his advanced illness is the reason why treatments for his injury are ineffective]].
to:
* The trope is inverted in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', as Kai Leng is introduced in the midst of his attempts to assassinate the Citadel Council. If earlier gameplay requirements have been met, [[spoiler: Shepard is able to thwart him with the help of Thane Krios, who was also an assassin but is now in the terminal stages of a fatal disease. In fact, he should have died ''six months ago''. As Thane puts it, "he "That assassin should be embarrassed. He let a terminally ill drell stop him from completing his mark." Thane does end up fatally wounded, but it is stated that his advanced illness is the reason why treatments for his injury are ineffective]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 65 (click to see context) from:
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'', interestingly, has a literal example of this. {{Supoerboss}} [[spoiler:The Reaper]] can actually catch the flu if fought under specific weather conditions, making what's normally a very difficult fight very easy.
to:
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'', interestingly, has a literal example of this. {{Supoerboss}} {{Superboss}} [[spoiler:The Reaper]] can actually catch the flu if fought under specific weather conditions, making what's normally a very difficult fight very easy.easy.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' likes this trope to explain how you're able to go against bosses that by all accounts should be out of your league.
** In ''Heavensward'', Estinien uses the Eye to weaken Nidhogg, so you don't fight him at full strength. [[spoiler:Until Nidhogg possesses Estinien himself and regains both of his Eyes.]]
** In ''Endwalker'', [[spoiler:you fight Zodiark and Hydaelyn, said to be the most powerful of primals. However, Zodiark is only 8/14 rejoined, while you are 9/14 rejoined thanks to merging with Ardbert, and summon seven champions of Light with the Crystal of Azem. Furthermore, the Ascian who used to be Zodiark's heart, Elidibus, is gone, and the primal is now piloted by Fandaniel, an OmnicidalManiac and DeathSeeker who ''wants'' to lose as part of his scheme. As for Hydaelyn, by the time you fight her, most of her strength has been spent on containing Zodiark, shielding you, and empowering Minfilia on the First to prevent its total annihilation; furthermore, she's not fighting you and the Scions to the death, but rather testing your strength.]]
** In ''Heavensward'', Estinien uses the Eye to weaken Nidhogg, so you don't fight him at full strength. [[spoiler:Until Nidhogg possesses Estinien himself and regains both of his Eyes.]]
** In ''Endwalker'', [[spoiler:you fight Zodiark and Hydaelyn, said to be the most powerful of primals. However, Zodiark is only 8/14 rejoined, while you are 9/14 rejoined thanks to merging with Ardbert, and summon seven champions of Light with the Crystal of Azem. Furthermore, the Ascian who used to be Zodiark's heart, Elidibus, is gone, and the primal is now piloted by Fandaniel, an OmnicidalManiac and DeathSeeker who ''wants'' to lose as part of his scheme. As for Hydaelyn, by the time you fight her, most of her strength has been spent on containing Zodiark, shielding you, and empowering Minfilia on the First to prevent its total annihilation; furthermore, she's not fighting you and the Scions to the death, but rather testing your strength.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 37 (click to see context) from:
** Dragonlord Placidusax is clearly not in the best shape when you fight him; he's lost one set of wings, several of his heads, and a good chunk of his scales. He still puts up all the fight you'd expect from a former Elden Lord, but it's clear he's nowhere near as terrifyingly powerful as he would have been during his reign.
to:
** Dragonlord Placidusax is clearly not in the best shape when you fight him; he's lost one set of wings, several his tail, three of his five heads, and a good chunk of his scales. He still puts up all the fight you'd expect from a former Elden Lord, but it's clear he's nowhere near as terrifyingly powerful as he would have been during his reign.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Dragonlord Placidusax is clearly not in the best shape when you fight him; he's lost one set of wings, several of his heads, and a good chunk of his scales. He still puts up all the fight you'd expect from a former Elden Lord, but it's clear he's nowhere near as terrifyingly powerful as he would have been during his reign.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
It's really barely present in DS 1. Most of the bosses are either not any weaker (Manus, O and S, Priscilla, Gwyndolin, Sif, Iron Golem, Ceaseless, Butterfly, Sanctuary Guardian, all of the demons) or are explicitly powered up (Artorias, Pinwheel, Seath, Four Kings). Speaking of which, nothing states Seath is weakened, and we know he has tools now that he didn't always (immortality and crystal breath). He lacks stone scales, but he always lacked those, that's how he was born, and thus not this trope.
Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
* Omnipresent in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' where your character shouldn't even beat half the bosses and monsters if they weren't hollow, insane or weakened by other means (Seath the Scaleless takes the cake with being an insane blind dragon with a terminal disease). Most of the boss fights could be considered MercyKill. For more specific examples:
to:
* Omnipresent Sometimes occurs in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', where your character shouldn't even beat half the bosses and monsters if they weren't hollow, insane or weakened by other means (Seath the Scaleless takes the cake with being an insane blind dragon with a terminal disease). Most of the boss few fights could be considered a MercyKill. For more specific examples:
Changed line(s) 20 (click to see context) from:
** [[spoiler: Gwyn]] is only fought after a millineum of [[spoiler: burning in the First Flame]], leaving him a shadow of his former self.
to:
** [[spoiler: Gwyn]] is only fought after a millineum millennium of [[spoiler: burning in the First Flame]], leaving him a shadow of his former self.
Changed line(s) 24 (click to see context) from:
*** In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' Seath the Scaleless is, as mentioned, mad, corrupted, and was the only one of his species to not possess the stone scales that made their race immortal in the first place (leading him to betray them out of jealousy). {{Supoerboss} Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
to:
*** In the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' Seath expansion, ''Artorias of the Scaleless is, as mentioned, mad, corrupted, and was the only one of his species to not possess the stone scales that made their race immortal in the first place (leading him to betray them out of jealousy). {{Supoerboss} Abyss'', {{Superboss} Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
Added DiffLines:
** Actually inverted in the spiritual predecessor, ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'', where almost none of the bosses are weakened and quite a few are actually explicitly powered up by being turned into demons. The true forms of Ostrava, Alfred (Tower Knight), Oolan (Phalanx), Metas (Penetrator), and Allant (False King Allant) pale in comparison to their demon forms. However, it's played straight by exactly one foe: the Dragon God, who you encounter already chained up and in a death trap that you simply have to activate. [[{{Kaiju}} He'd be completely invulnerable to you in any other situation.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': Literature/{{Beowulf}} points out the reason why he fought the dragon at the end of his story to a mutual kill was because he had been an elderly man at the time and obviously not as strong as he had once been. Eventually, Beowulf, summoned in his physical prime, gets a chance to take the dragon on in a rematch and demolishes it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 23,24 (click to see context) from:
** The ancient race of Archdragons in particular rely on this trope to varying degrees to even give you a chance against them, and even then they're usually among the series' most brutal {{Bonus Boss}}es. It took an alliance of all the ancient gods who found the Great Souls in the First Flame, as well as the aforementioned Seath's betrayal of his kin, to end their reign over the world.
*** In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' Seath the Scaleless is, as mentioned, mad, corrupted, and was the only one of his species to not possess the stone scales that made their race immortal in the first place (leading him to betray them out of jealousy). BonusBoss Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
*** In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' Seath the Scaleless is, as mentioned, mad, corrupted, and was the only one of his species to not possess the stone scales that made their race immortal in the first place (leading him to betray them out of jealousy). BonusBoss Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
to:
** The ancient race of Archdragons in particular rely on this trope to varying degrees to even give you a chance against them, and even then they're usually among the series' most brutal {{Bonus Boss}}es.{{Superboss}}es. It took an alliance of all the ancient gods who found the Great Souls in the First Flame, as well as the aforementioned Seath's betrayal of his kin, to end their reign over the world.
*** In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' Seath the Scaleless is, as mentioned, mad, corrupted, and was the only one of his species to not possess the stone scales that made their race immortal in the first place (leading him to betray them out of jealousy).BonusBoss {{Supoerboss} Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
*** In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' Seath the Scaleless is, as mentioned, mad, corrupted, and was the only one of his species to not possess the stone scales that made their race immortal in the first place (leading him to betray them out of jealousy).
Changed line(s) 31 (click to see context) from:
** When ([[BonusBoss or if]]) you fight Malenia, Blade of Miquella, she's just come out of a comatose state, the Scarlet Rot has ravaged her so badly that she's blind and three of her limbs are prosthetics, and she's forced to attack slowly and cautiously as her focus is split on fighting you and holding back the Rot. [[{{Superboss}} You may not notice this while she's turning you into paste.]] [[spoiler: Though in her second phase, her disabilities are presumably compensated for by her going full Goddess of Rot.]]
to:
** When ([[BonusBoss or if]]) If you fight Malenia, Blade of Miquella, she's just come out of a comatose state, the Scarlet Rot has ravaged her so badly that she's blind and three of her limbs are prosthetics, and she's forced to attack slowly and cautiously as her focus is split on fighting you and holding back the Rot. [[{{Superboss}} You may not notice this while she's turning you into paste.]] [[spoiler: Though in her second phase, her disabilities are presumably compensated for by her going full Goddess of Rot.]]
Changed line(s) 57,61 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Videogame/{{Nioh2}}'', Shuten Doji is one of the Three Great Yokai, supposedly on par with the BigBad. However, his movements during his boss fight are slow and easy to read due to him being drunk (which is true to real life folklore). Players get to fight him at his prime as a BonusBoss in the second DLC -- even with the aid of a powerful NPC companion, he is one of the hardest fights in the game since his movement is sped up dramatically to make him a LightningBruiser.
* In ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'', it's explained later that the reason Oswald lost to Mercedes during the Ringford rebellion was because his power was weakening, and he lost his power entirely when trying to fight baby Levanthan.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'', interestingly, has a literal example of this. BonusBoss [[spoiler:The Reaper]] can actually catch the flu if fought under specific weather conditions, making what's normally a very difficult fight very easy.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', halfway through the game Alex is given a "cure" that zaps him of all of his powers besides his strength, speed, and shapeshifting. He gets better.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} with Von-Kaiser. Prior to his first match he's [=KO'd=] by what appears to be a ''kindergarten student'' and mocked by all the kid's friends, making him suffer from a nasty inadequacy complex when facing you for the first time, resulting in weakened attacks and a tendency to cower with fear and beg for his mother. Unlike the other characters who [[TookALevelInBadass Take a Level in Badass]], change tactics, or ''cheat'' to up their game for the [[NewGamePlus Title Defense match]], Von Kaiser merely gets so angry that you have the championship belt that he gets over his complex and shows up at full strength to challenge you. [[spoiler:It's played with because, while he's about as difficult as the Major Circuit opponents from before, the "full strength" Von Kaiser is still laughably easy to beat.]]
* In ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'', it's explained later that the reason Oswald lost to Mercedes during the Ringford rebellion was because his power was weakening, and he lost his power entirely when trying to fight baby Levanthan.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'', interestingly, has a literal example of this. BonusBoss [[spoiler:The Reaper]] can actually catch the flu if fought under specific weather conditions, making what's normally a very difficult fight very easy.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', halfway through the game Alex is given a "cure" that zaps him of all of his powers besides his strength, speed, and shapeshifting. He gets better.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} with Von-Kaiser. Prior to his first match he's [=KO'd=] by what appears to be a ''kindergarten student'' and mocked by all the kid's friends, making him suffer from a nasty inadequacy complex when facing you for the first time, resulting in weakened attacks and a tendency to cower with fear and beg for his mother. Unlike the other characters who [[TookALevelInBadass Take a Level in Badass]], change tactics, or ''cheat'' to up their game for the [[NewGamePlus Title Defense match]], Von Kaiser merely gets so angry that you have the championship belt that he gets over his complex and shows up at full strength to challenge you. [[spoiler:It's played with because, while he's about as difficult as the Major Circuit opponents from before, the "full strength" Von Kaiser is still laughably easy to beat.]]
to:
* In ''Videogame/{{Nioh2}}'', Shuten Doji is one of the Three Great Yokai, supposedly on par with the BigBad. However, his movements during his boss fight are slow and easy to read due to him being drunk (which is true to real life real-life folklore). Players get to fight him at his prime as a BonusBoss {{Superboss}} in the second DLC -- even with the aid of a powerful NPC companion, he is one of the hardest fights in the game since his movement is sped up dramatically to make him a LightningBruiser.
* In ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'', it's explained later that the reason Oswald lost to Mercedes during the Ringford rebellion wasbecause that his power was weakening, and he lost his power entirely when trying to fight baby Levanthan.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'', interestingly, has a literal example of this.BonusBoss {{Supoerboss}} [[spoiler:The Reaper]] can actually catch the flu if fought under specific weather conditions, making what's normally a very difficult fight very easy.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', halfway through thegame game, Alex is given a "cure" that zaps him of all of his powers besides his strength, speed, and shapeshifting.shape-shifting. He gets better.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} with Von-Kaiser. Prior to his firstmatch match, he's [=KO'd=] by what appears to be a ''kindergarten student'' and mocked by all the kid's friends, making him suffer from a nasty inadequacy complex when facing you for the first time, resulting in weakened attacks and a tendency to cower with fear and beg for his mother. Unlike the other characters who [[TookALevelInBadass Take a Level in Badass]], change tactics, or ''cheat'' to up their game for the [[NewGamePlus Title Defense match]], Von Kaiser merely gets so angry that you have the championship belt that he gets over his complex and shows up at full strength to challenge you. [[spoiler:It's played with because, while he's about as difficult as the Major Circuit opponents from before, the "full strength" Von Kaiser is still laughably easy to beat.]]
* In ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'', it's explained later that the reason Oswald lost to Mercedes during the Ringford rebellion was
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'', interestingly, has a literal example of this.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', halfway through the
* Played with in ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} with Von-Kaiser. Prior to his first
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
** Renalla was once a terrifyingly powerful mage, but as of the present has lost her mind due to the TraumaCongaLine she's suffered. The fight isn't so much about beating her as beating the flunkies keeping up her shield. [[spoiler: And when you fight her in her prime in the second phase, it isn't really her but a projection made by her daughter Ranni. Though the strength and versatility of her spells, her having nearly the exact same health as the real deal, and the fact that you still get a "Legend Felled" message for destroying it all heavily suggest that the projection is on par with the real Rennala.]]
to:
** Renalla was once a terrifyingly powerful mage, but as of the present has lost her mind due to the TraumaCongaLine she's suffered. She barely takes any action against you at all. The fight isn't so much about beating her as beating the flunkies keeping up her shield. [[spoiler: And when you fight her in her prime in the second phase, it isn't really her but a projection made by her daughter Ranni. Though the strength and versatility of her spells, her having nearly the exact same health as the real deal, and the fact that you still get a "Legend Felled" message for destroying it all heavily suggest that the projection is on par with the real Rennala.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
** Renalla was once a terrifyingly powerful mage, but as of the present has lost her mind due to the TraumaCongaLine she's suffered. The fight isn't so much about beating her as beating the flunkies keeping up her shield. [[spoiler: And when you fight her in her prime in the second phase, it isn't really her but a projection made by her daughter Ranni.]]
to:
** Renalla was once a terrifyingly powerful mage, but as of the present has lost her mind due to the TraumaCongaLine she's suffered. The fight isn't so much about beating her as beating the flunkies keeping up her shield. [[spoiler: And when you fight her in her prime in the second phase, it isn't really her but a projection made by her daughter Ranni. Though the strength and versatility of her spells, her having nearly the exact same health as the real deal, and the fact that you still get a "Legend Felled" message for destroying it all heavily suggest that the projection is on par with the real Rennala.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 33 (click to see context) from:
** The invader Festering Fingerprint Vyke isn't all that hard, but he's also a shadow of his former self, who's currently trapped in the Lord Contender's Evergaol.
to:
** The invader Many bosses fight you in projection form, and are invariably weaker as projections than they are in-person. Obviously, this is averted when you fight them in the flesh. Examples include Festering Fingerprint Vyke isn't all that hard, but he's also a shadow of his former self, who's currently (his true self is trapped in the Lord Contender's Evergaol.Evergaol), Mohg's "Omen" form underneath Leyndell, Godfrey's golden shade near the Elden Throne, Loretta's spirit form in Raya Lucaria, and Margit (who's actually just a projection of [[spoiler:Morgott, the Omen King]]).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 37 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, in the rare cases where a mortal directly contends with a [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]], said Prince is either weakened (such as manifesting on Mundus, the mortal plane, where metaphysical laws typically weaken their power), is WillfullyWeak, or said mortal has been empowered by one of the [[SaintlyChurch Divines]] or another Prince.
to:
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, in the rare cases where a mortal directly contends with a [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]], said Prince is either weakened (such as manifesting on Mundus, the mortal plane, where metaphysical laws typically weaken their power), is WillfullyWeak, WillfullyWeak (Hircine especially likes this, because a Daedric-Prince-On-Mortal hunt wouldn't be sporting), or said mortal has been empowered by one of the [[SaintlyChurch Divines]] or another Prince.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 29 (click to see context) from:
* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': Starscourge Radahn was once the strongest of the demigods, but being infected by scarlet rot destroyed his body and mind. By the present day, he's hardly more than a feral beast whose legs have rotted away, he's riddled with the spears and arrows of past fights, and is far past his prime. Nevertheless, he's an absolute monster of a boss with multiple OneHitKill attacks and [[OneManArmy is more than capable of taking on a small army all by himself]].
to:
* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': It's downplayed compared to ''Dark Souls'', as many enemies are explicitly being fought at full strength, but the sheer ''number'' of bosses means there's still a long list where the trope applies.
** Starscourge Radahn was once the strongest of the demigods, but being infected by scarlet rot destroyed his body and mind. By the present day, he's hardly more than a feral beast whose legs have rotted away, he's riddled with the spears and arrows of past fights, and is far past his prime. Nevertheless, he's an absolute monster of a boss with multiple OneHitKill attacks and [[OneManArmy is more than capable of taking on a small army all byhimself]].himself]].
** When ([[BonusBoss or if]]) you fight Malenia, Blade of Miquella, she's just come out of a comatose state, the Scarlet Rot has ravaged her so badly that she's blind and three of her limbs are prosthetics, and she's forced to attack slowly and cautiously as her focus is split on fighting you and holding back the Rot. [[{{Superboss}} You may not notice this while she's turning you into paste.]] [[spoiler: Though in her second phase, her disabilities are presumably compensated for by her going full Goddess of Rot.]]
** Elder Dragon Greyoll is completely immobile and defended by her children, but she'd be quite literally unfightable if she did take action, because she's so giant she ''crashes the game'' when she moves.
** The invader Festering Fingerprint Vyke isn't all that hard, but he's also a shadow of his former self, who's currently trapped in the Lord Contender's Evergaol.
** Renalla was once a terrifyingly powerful mage, but as of the present has lost her mind due to the TraumaCongaLine she's suffered. The fight isn't so much about beating her as beating the flunkies keeping up her shield. [[spoiler: And when you fight her in her prime in the second phase, it isn't really her but a projection made by her daughter Ranni.]]
** The Fire Giant boss is still suffering from wounds he took during Marika's war with the Giants, and hitting those wounds deals extra damage.
** The [[spoiler: Radagon of the Golden Order]] fight takes place after your opponent is HalfTheManHeUsedToBe. It's somewhat disconcerting.
** Starscourge Radahn was once the strongest of the demigods, but being infected by scarlet rot destroyed his body and mind. By the present day, he's hardly more than a feral beast whose legs have rotted away, he's riddled with the spears and arrows of past fights, and is far past his prime. Nevertheless, he's an absolute monster of a boss with multiple OneHitKill attacks and [[OneManArmy is more than capable of taking on a small army all by
** When ([[BonusBoss or if]]) you fight Malenia, Blade of Miquella, she's just come out of a comatose state, the Scarlet Rot has ravaged her so badly that she's blind and three of her limbs are prosthetics, and she's forced to attack slowly and cautiously as her focus is split on fighting you and holding back the Rot. [[{{Superboss}} You may not notice this while she's turning you into paste.]] [[spoiler: Though in her second phase, her disabilities are presumably compensated for by her going full Goddess of Rot.]]
** Elder Dragon Greyoll is completely immobile and defended by her children, but she'd be quite literally unfightable if she did take action, because she's so giant she ''crashes the game'' when she moves.
** The invader Festering Fingerprint Vyke isn't all that hard, but he's also a shadow of his former self, who's currently trapped in the Lord Contender's Evergaol.
** Renalla was once a terrifyingly powerful mage, but as of the present has lost her mind due to the TraumaCongaLine she's suffered. The fight isn't so much about beating her as beating the flunkies keeping up her shield. [[spoiler: And when you fight her in her prime in the second phase, it isn't really her but a projection made by her daughter Ranni.]]
** The Fire Giant boss is still suffering from wounds he took during Marika's war with the Giants, and hitting those wounds deals extra damage.
** The [[spoiler: Radagon of the Golden Order]] fight takes place after your opponent is HalfTheManHeUsedToBe. It's somewhat disconcerting.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
The barrier is tied to his survival but is never even once implied to sap his power in any way or require any active commitment on his part.
Changed line(s) 29 (click to see context) from:
* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': Starscourge Radahn was once the strongest of the demigods, but being infected by scarlet rot destroyed his body and mind. By the present day, he's hardly more than a feral beast whose legs have rotted away, he's riddled with the spears and arrows of past fights, and is far past his prime. Nevertheless, he's an absolute monster of a boss with multiple OneHitKill attacks and [[OneManArmy is more than capable of taking on a small army all by himself]], giving the impression that, if he were still in his prime, there'd be no chance at all you and your followers would be able to defeat him. [[spoiler:After the fight is over, it's shown he was actually using most of his willpower to hold back a huge storm of meteors that were going to devastate the Lands Between as he was fighting you.]]
to:
* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': Starscourge Radahn was once the strongest of the demigods, but being infected by scarlet rot destroyed his body and mind. By the present day, he's hardly more than a feral beast whose legs have rotted away, he's riddled with the spears and arrows of past fights, and is far past his prime. Nevertheless, he's an absolute monster of a boss with multiple OneHitKill attacks and [[OneManArmy is more than capable of taking on a small army all by himself]], giving the impression that, if he were still in his prime, there'd be no chance at all you and your followers would be able to defeat him. [[spoiler:After the fight is over, it's shown he was actually using most of his willpower to hold back a huge storm of meteors that were going to devastate the Lands Between as he was fighting you.]]himself]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
%%%
%%
%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
%%
%%%
Times where WorfHadTheFlu in VideoGames.
----
* ''VideoGame/AceCombat'':
** The first Yellow Squadron member shot down in ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'', Yellow [[spoiler:Four]], is revealed to have sortied with poorly-maintained engines. The rest of the squad retreats immediately because they're not in any better shape after their runway was bombed by a local resistance group.
** In ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'', Gelb 2 mentions that his squad would often be sent from one mission to another without even any basic maintenance on their planes. This plus the fact that Gelb is one of only two story-ace squadrons in the game that doesn't outnumber you by at least two-to-one results is a slightly easier Ace fight than normal, despite them flying an end-game plane a while before the player has anything that should be comparable.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'', this is pretty much the major reason for most of Ragna's losses. Hakumen's sword can nullify his HealingFactor, Hazama could use his Azure Grimoire to shut down Ragna's, effectively crippling him, and almost all his losses in ''Chronophantasma'' were a result of Celica's presence not only shutting down the Azure Grimoire, but also making him lose use of both his right arm and eye entirely.
** A major reason for Terumi's humiliating defeat at Kokonoe's hands in ''Chronophantasma'' was due to her rewiring her brain so she felt no hatred towards him. With his [[ThePowerOfHate power source]] cut off, the fight could only go downhill for him.
* In ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'', despite being built up as TheDreaded (as well as a playable character in a [[Videogame/BorderlandsThePreSequel spinoff]]), Wilhelm goes down very easily when you finally fight him, because [[spoiler:Handsome Jack poisoned him before the battle as part of a BatmanGambit requiring the Vault Hunters to defeat him]].
* In ''VideoGame/CallOfJuarezGunslinger'', Silas Greaves admits the only way he was able to survive a duel with John Wesley Hardin (one of the fastest gunfighters who ever lived) was because the latter was drunk after a wild birthday celebration and thus didn't count his shots.
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' there is a sequence where your party has all of their money and equipment taken from them. Unless you have [[spoiler:[[BareFistedMonk Ayla]]]] in your party, this sequence becomes a stealth mission. Strangely, you are unable to fight even if you have magic.
* Omnipresent in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' where your character shouldn't even beat half the bosses and monsters if they weren't hollow, insane or weakened by other means (Seath the Scaleless takes the cake with being an insane blind dragon with a terminal disease). Most of the boss fights could be considered MercyKill. For more specific examples:
** You only fight Gravelord Nito after his Lord Soul has been greatly diminished because he gave away most if it, and Pinwheel has been sapping his power for a while.
** The Bed of Chaos's weak core is because [[spoiler: it's the result of the Witch of Izalith destroying herself with a failed attempt at re-creating the First Flame.]]
** [[spoiler: Gwyn]] is only fought after a millineum of [[spoiler: burning in the First Flame]], leaving him a shadow of his former self.
** [[spoiler: Vendrick]] in the second game is fought naked and Hollowified, and ''still'' requires Giant Souls to give you a chance at beating him. If you try to attack him when you meet him in his prime (in a memory), you can't even get him to aggro. Your attacks are ''that'' unthreatening.
** The Twin Princes in ''3'' have to fight together, because both of them are crippled and barely alive. If either Lothric or Lorian could move on their own, the Ashen One would be in for one nightmare of a fight.
** The ancient race of Archdragons in particular rely on this trope to varying degrees to even give you a chance against them, and even then they're usually among the series' most brutal {{Bonus Boss}}es. It took an alliance of all the ancient gods who found the Great Souls in the First Flame, as well as the aforementioned Seath's betrayal of his kin, to end their reign over the world.
*** In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' Seath the Scaleless is, as mentioned, mad, corrupted, and was the only one of his species to not possess the stone scales that made their race immortal in the first place (leading him to betray them out of jealousy). BonusBoss Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
*** The Ancient Dragon in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' is a massive DamageSpongeBoss which has attacks that are almost all a OneHitKill, but you can still kill it in single combat; however [[spoiler:it turns out to (apparently) not be a true Archdragon at all, but a facsimile created by Lord Aldia with a Giant Soul at its core]]. Sinh the Slumbering Dragon from the ''Crown of the Sunken King'' DLC is another incredibly dangerous opponent, but he was impaled completely through the body by a gigantic spear when Shulva fell, which is still lodged there where you fight him.
*** Darkeater Midir from ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' was an Archdragon raised by the gods themselves to fight the all-consuming Abyss, and has become corrupted by it over the centuries. While this has enhanced his power in some ways (such as giving him a laser beam breath and dark sorcerous attacks), it's also implied to be eating away at him. He still remains possibly the toughest boss in the entire series.
* At the end of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', [[spoiler:despite having reached levels of power that surpass nearly ''anything'' from previous games, Vergil is weakened and exhausted from his DuelToTheDeath with the similarly powered-up Dante, and despite his bravado is easy pickings for Nero despite having a massive advantage over the younger Devil Hunter in experience and power even with Nero unlocking his own proper [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]]]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'': The justification for why the party is able to defeat Estark if he is supposedly even stronger than the Final Boss is that he's still not at full strength due to just waking up.
* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': Starscourge Radahn was once the strongest of the demigods, but being infected by scarlet rot destroyed his body and mind. By the present day, he's hardly more than a feral beast whose legs have rotted away, he's riddled with the spears and arrows of past fights, and is far past his prime. Nevertheless, he's an absolute monster of a boss with multiple OneHitKill attacks and [[OneManArmy is more than capable of taking on a small army all by himself]], giving the impression that, if he were still in his prime, there'd be no chance at all you and your followers would be able to defeat him. [[spoiler:After the fight is over, it's shown he was actually using most of his willpower to hold back a huge storm of meteors that were going to devastate the Lands Between as he was fighting you.]]
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, in the rare cases where a mortal directly contends with a [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]], said Prince is either weakened (such as manifesting on Mundus, the mortal plane, where metaphysical laws typically weaken their power), is WillfullyWeak, or said mortal has been empowered by one of the [[SaintlyChurch Divines]] or another Prince.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' and its spinoffs, Cloud's first victory over Sephiroth can be chalked up to this. Despite his overwhelming physical superiority and experience advantage, [[spoiler:he was in the midst of a psychotic breakdown, he had already been worn down by a duel with Zack Fair, Cloud took him completely by surprise and dealt a devastating sword blow to his midsection to open the battle, and he fatally underestimated Cloud's resolve to defeat him. Likewise, in their next duel, he had already been left weakened after his Safer form was beaten by Cloud and his party and Cloud's will has grown stronger. Anytime they fight afterwards, Sephiroth proves to be easily more than a match and the only reason Cloud wins some of those is because Sephiroth either lets him win or he was taking his sweet time humiliating him and was open]].
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade'', Hector, who in the prequel was established as being a major badass, is quickly and effortlessly wasted by [[BigBad Zephiel]]. However, he is 20 years past his prime and cannot fight as effectively as he once could.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', [[spoiler:Greil's death at the Black Knight's hand]] is revealed to have been because of a number of factors. His weapon really was not a proper weapon to fight him, [[spoiler:and Greil crippled his good arm because of a insanity-induced rampage he went on]]. When the Black Knight learns of this he realizes his victory was hollow.
** In the original Japanese version of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'', the Black Knight claims to Ike that he beat him at the end of ''Path of Radiance'' because some malfunctioning warp powder sent a shade of himself to fight him. The English translation changes this to a case of ILetYouWin, as the Black Knight wanted to give Ike more time to surpass Greil's power and reach his full potential.
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'':
** Zeus pulls this on Kratos in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarII'' by tricking him into using a magic sword to defeat a giant statue at the start of the game. However Kratos had to deplete all his energy in doing so making him easy pickings for Zeus to kill him. As the end of the game shows though, Kratos at full power is more than a match for Zeus. The statue's outstretched hand slamming into Kratos while his back was turned didn't do him any favors either.
** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'': In contrast to the previous games, Kratos, the warrior who once flipped over Titans the literal size of mountains now visibly strains and struggles against Trolls no bigger than the Cyclopses he once casually knocked out, and most tellingly is visibly winded and exhausted after his bouts with The Stranger in spite of once not even breaking a sweat beating the life out of Hercules and Zeus himself. WordOfGod states this is because he's [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent out of practice]] and he's also playing WillfullyWeak as he is acting as if he is just a normal but great warrior to his son.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'':
** ''VideoGame/GoldenSun1'': When the party faces Saturos on the roof of the Mercury Lighthouse, they are able to defeat him. However, it's revealed that because he's a Fire Adept, he's weakened by being on the Water-aligned lighthouse roof (strangely enough, although Water Adept Mia is able to recover her MP, Fire Adept Garet suffers no disadvantages). Saturos is stronger (and backed up by Menardi) when fought on the complementary Earth-aligned Venus Lighthouse.
** ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'': When you fight Agatio and Karst at Jupiter Lighthouse, they're tired and worn down from their fight with Isaac's party, while Felix and co. are at full strength as they were healed by Alex shortly before the battle began. Karst even acknowledges this at one point, but later attempts to double-cross you and invoke YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness anyway.
* [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIVTheLostAndDamned Johnny Klebitz]]]], during his single scene in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', is crippled by his meth addiction, reducing him to a withered shell of the OneManArmy he once was. [[spoiler:It gets him stomped to death by Trevor (who, in contrast, is a FunctionalAddict).]]
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'', Sora's party manages to rescue WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}} from Cerberus. As the party leaves, Phil is utterly flabbergasted as to how they managed to do it. Hercules then says that he had managed to "soften up" Cerberus a bit before Sora appeared. Later in the game, you can fight Cerberus at his full power.
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', Hercules has been fighting Hades' minions non-stop for days or weeks ''and'' suffering from a HeroicBSOD that saps at his confidence and willpower. When he fights [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Auron]], he's so worn down physically and mentally that Auron is able to overpower him and would have killed him if Sora and friends hadn't saved him.
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII''’s endgame involves Kairi getting captured by Xemnas with embarrassingly little resistance [[FauxActionGirl in spite of her previous training to be a Keyblade wielder]], with the only seeming justification being that he’s painfully twisting her arm when he kidnaps her. The ''[=Re:Mind=]'' DLC adds a new scenario into the middle of the moment to [[{{Retcon}} recontextualize this]], showing her actually fighting Xemnas and noticeably giving him more difficulty than any other guardian, such that he resorts to a [[ThePowerOfTheVoid Nothingness attack]] to drain her, as well as Sora. After both are rescued from this, while Sora benefits from [[ItMakesSenseInContext his future self’s heart returning to reinvigorate him]], Kairi has no such assistance and is too worn out to put up any resistance when her kidnapping from the original game happens.
* ''VideoGame/LuminousPlume'': The Crystal and Ashen Calamities are in the process of recharging their aura, meaning Raven can kill them before they reach their peak performance. At their full power, they're supposed to be nigh-unstoppable beings that [[spoiler:Raven and Victor fled from in the past.]]
* The trope is inverted in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', as Kai Leng is introduced in the midst of his attempts to assassinate the Citadel Council. If earlier gameplay requirements have been met, [[spoiler: Shepard is able to thwart him with the help of Thane Krios, who was also an assassin but is now in the terminal stages of a fatal disease. As Thane puts it, "he let a terminally ill drell stop him from completing his mark." Thane does end up fatally wounded, but it is stated that his advanced illness is the reason why treatments for his injury are ineffective]].
* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'' the effect that causes the two universes to merge also evens out the power levels of the characters. Or else Liu Kang fighting Superman hand-to-hand would just be silly.
* In ''Videogame/{{Nioh2}}'', Shuten Doji is one of the Three Great Yokai, supposedly on par with the BigBad. However, his movements during his boss fight are slow and easy to read due to him being drunk (which is true to real life folklore). Players get to fight him at his prime as a BonusBoss in the second DLC -- even with the aid of a powerful NPC companion, he is one of the hardest fights in the game since his movement is sped up dramatically to make him a LightningBruiser.
* In ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'', it's explained later that the reason Oswald lost to Mercedes during the Ringford rebellion was because his power was weakening, and he lost his power entirely when trying to fight baby Levanthan.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'', interestingly, has a literal example of this. BonusBoss [[spoiler:The Reaper]] can actually catch the flu if fought under specific weather conditions, making what's normally a very difficult fight very easy.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', halfway through the game Alex is given a "cure" that zaps him of all of his powers besides his strength, speed, and shapeshifting. He gets better.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} with Von-Kaiser. Prior to his first match he's [=KO'd=] by what appears to be a ''kindergarten student'' and mocked by all the kid's friends, making him suffer from a nasty inadequacy complex when facing you for the first time, resulting in weakened attacks and a tendency to cower with fear and beg for his mother. Unlike the other characters who [[TookALevelInBadass Take a Level in Badass]], change tactics, or ''cheat'' to up their game for the [[NewGamePlus Title Defense match]], Von Kaiser merely gets so angry that you have the championship belt that he gets over his complex and shows up at full strength to challenge you. [[spoiler:It's played with because, while he's about as difficult as the Major Circuit opponents from before, the "full strength" Von Kaiser is still laughably easy to beat.]]
* ''VideoGame/RadiantArc'':
** Terra the Earth Spirit had to have her magic power weakened in order for the Morians to control her, meaning the party didn't defeat her at her full strength. At the same time, Lexie, Terence, and Aria were bedridden during that fight, meaning the party wasn't at its full strength either.
** [[spoiler:Linky's mother is actually the human avatar of Irin and is still powerful enough to be the guardian of one of the Grand Crystal shards, but she can't access her full divine powers, meaning she doesn't stand a chance against Seperus.]]
* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'': [[spoiler:In this case, Arthur Morgan has tuberculosis, and he still gives [[BigBad Micah Bell]] some trouble. In his prime, Arthur would've probably flattened the guy easily.]]
* ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'': Isshin Ashina is easily the greatest swordsman in the world, but when [[spoiler:you fight him on the Shura route]], he's ninety years old, terminally ill, and [[spoiler:literally hours away from death]]. He's ''still'' strong enough to easily kick the crap out of you. [[spoiler:Isshin the Sword Saint, the version of him you fight on any other route, is him in the prime of his life, and makes any other boss in the game look like a warm-up.]]
* Despite being the strongest non-Xel'naga in the universe, in ''Videogame/StarCraftIILegacyOfTheVoid'' Kerrigan gets tossed around by a hybrid with ease. Shortly afterwards, she comments that she's been fighting hybrid for days and was exhausted.
* In ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', [[ScaryBlackMan Birdie]] uses this as the actual explanation for his original loss against Ryu when they meet again in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha''; [[{{Handwave}} it also explains]] why [[RaceLift he was white]] in [[VideoGame/StreetFighterI the first game]], and why he's overweight in the fifth.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Gaiden'', many people seems to come to term that Lamia Loveless was hit with this trope that she accidentally got hit by so many {{Distress Ball}}s. She only got caught by the Bartolls on the first place because she was not in her mecha (the same goes to Kusuha, Arado, Seolla and Latooni), and later on, Juergen managed to 'kill' her because for the same reason, added by the fact that she was just recently and forcefully been plugged out from her cockpit that binds her. She doesn't really have much impact after being rescued, but should you bring her to battle against the Bartolls in Chapter 34, she will express disgust on the Bartolls and show them that in the right conditions, they are no match for her. Unfortunately, however, she could never do it on Juergen (nor that she has any special lines against him when they face off in Free Battle).
* In one of ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''[='=]s ''Meet the Team'' videos, a [[FragileSpeedster Scout]] kills a [[MightyGlacier Heavy]] with his baseball bat. He then can be seen munching on the Heavy's SatiatingSandwich. [[FridgeBrilliance Do note, however]], that the Heavy in question was trying to eat his [[FunetikAksent Sandvich]] before the Scout interrupted him -- and the whole point of eating a Sandvich is [[HyperactiveMetabolism to regain health]].
* Given the power levels of many ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' characters this trope is used by many fans to explain the defeat of certain characters, since everyone in Gensokyo is battling under the Spellcard system, and if they weren't HoldingBackThePhlebotinum, the fighting between magicians, time-stopper, ancient vampires, embodiments of death and afterlife, immortals, wielder of '''NUCLEAR POWER''', and assortments of gods would have wiped Gensokyo off the map.
* In ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'', this is how the Orochi beats the Tokugawa. They arrive and launch their attack on Edo castle just in time when Honda Tadakatsu is away scouting the area. Considering Tadakatsu is often considered ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors''' [[VideoGame/DynastyWarriors Lu Bu]], the battle might have a different outcome if he is ever present.
** In Warriors Orochi 3, several warriors end up dying in the normal timeline due to being weakened in a previous fight. Thanks to Kaguya's time traveling abilities, the heroes can go back in time and provide needed help for said warrior so that they end up surviving in an alternate timeline and join the heroes.
* Used pretty often in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' to justify how small groups of unnamed adventurers can kill one of the most powerful beings on the planet with no help whatsoever from the {{Big Good}}s.
** Each of the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]] are considerably weakened when players encounter them. C'Thun and Yogg-Saron were heavily weakened by their imprisonment by the [[{{Precursors}} Titans]], while Y'Shaarj had already been killed in the backstory with players only facing remnants of his power. The only Old God to avert the trope and be fought at his full power is N'Zoth, who is explicitly stated to be the weakest of the four, having only survived as long as he did due to being a patient behind-the-scenes [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]].
** When first fought in the Molten Core in ''Classic'' World of Warcraft, Ragnaros the Firelord had just come out of hibernation and was considerably weakened due to being cut off from the energies of his realm, the Firelands. However, a few expansions later, in ''Cataclysm'', players got to fight Ragnaros at full power in the Firelands, subverting this trope.
--->'''Ragnaros yells:''' TOO SOON! YOU HAVE AWAKENED ME TOO SOON, EXECUTUS!
** Burning Crusade gives us Kil'jaeden, the de facto leader of [[TheLegionsOfHell the Burning Legion]], who was in the middle of a summoning and at about half his power -- and players still needed help from a BigGood or two to beat him (and all that really means is just pushing him back through a portal).
** During the DuelToTheDeath between [[spoiler:Cairne Bloodhoof and Garrosh Hellscream]] in the ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' novel ''Literature/TheShatteringPreludeToCataclysm'', [[spoiler:Cairne]] gets some good hits in on [[spoiler:Garrosh]], but after taking a hit from his opponent's weapon, which unbeknownst to either of them, was poisoned, slows down long enough to take a fatal hit to the neck.
** Thrall's fights with Garrosh tend to be this. The first time, Thrall held back to avoid humiliating Garrosh. The second time, Garrosh's dark shaman had twisted the elements around Orgimmar so Thrall couldn't use most of his powers. [[RuleOfThree Finally the third time they fight]], Thrall tries to match Garrosh in pure melee combat. [[spoiler:Once Thrall calls upon the elements, he easily overpowers and kills Garrosh.]]
* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' uses this tropes extensively to actually explain why each RecurringBoss is more powerful each time they're fought instead of just leaving it as a gameplay contrivance:
** Zeke [[spoiler:was toying with the party and intentionally holding back to various degrees.]]
** Brighid and Morag [[spoiler:are never fought with both parties fighting at full strength. In the first fight, Brighid is separated from her Driver; in the second, Morag is attempting to non-lethally arrest Rex; in the third, Rex's party are holding back as they just try to talk through a misunderstanding.]]
** Malos [[spoiler:was crippled in the backstory, he gets his power back during the plot, and pilots Aion as the FinalBoss.]]
** Akhos, Patroka, and Mikhail all use Blades like the party and use more powerful ones later [[spoiler:more specifically, their own weapons as Flesh Eaters]]. They're also fought alone or in pairs to start; their toughest battle comes when they team up and mirror the player party's DamagerHealerTank dynamic.
** Most notably, any fight with [[StoryBreakerPower Jin]] on his terms in nothing but a CurbStompBattle in his favor. The only times the party win come from outside influence, in order: [[spoiler:Fan la Norne suppressing his powers, Pneuma awakening her ability to [[RealityWarper rewrite reality]] to level the playing field, and being on the cusp of death by ether stagnation.]]
----
%%
%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
%%
%%%
Times where WorfHadTheFlu in VideoGames.
----
* ''VideoGame/AceCombat'':
** The first Yellow Squadron member shot down in ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'', Yellow [[spoiler:Four]], is revealed to have sortied with poorly-maintained engines. The rest of the squad retreats immediately because they're not in any better shape after their runway was bombed by a local resistance group.
** In ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'', Gelb 2 mentions that his squad would often be sent from one mission to another without even any basic maintenance on their planes. This plus the fact that Gelb is one of only two story-ace squadrons in the game that doesn't outnumber you by at least two-to-one results is a slightly easier Ace fight than normal, despite them flying an end-game plane a while before the player has anything that should be comparable.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'', this is pretty much the major reason for most of Ragna's losses. Hakumen's sword can nullify his HealingFactor, Hazama could use his Azure Grimoire to shut down Ragna's, effectively crippling him, and almost all his losses in ''Chronophantasma'' were a result of Celica's presence not only shutting down the Azure Grimoire, but also making him lose use of both his right arm and eye entirely.
** A major reason for Terumi's humiliating defeat at Kokonoe's hands in ''Chronophantasma'' was due to her rewiring her brain so she felt no hatred towards him. With his [[ThePowerOfHate power source]] cut off, the fight could only go downhill for him.
* In ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'', despite being built up as TheDreaded (as well as a playable character in a [[Videogame/BorderlandsThePreSequel spinoff]]), Wilhelm goes down very easily when you finally fight him, because [[spoiler:Handsome Jack poisoned him before the battle as part of a BatmanGambit requiring the Vault Hunters to defeat him]].
* In ''VideoGame/CallOfJuarezGunslinger'', Silas Greaves admits the only way he was able to survive a duel with John Wesley Hardin (one of the fastest gunfighters who ever lived) was because the latter was drunk after a wild birthday celebration and thus didn't count his shots.
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' there is a sequence where your party has all of their money and equipment taken from them. Unless you have [[spoiler:[[BareFistedMonk Ayla]]]] in your party, this sequence becomes a stealth mission. Strangely, you are unable to fight even if you have magic.
* Omnipresent in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' where your character shouldn't even beat half the bosses and monsters if they weren't hollow, insane or weakened by other means (Seath the Scaleless takes the cake with being an insane blind dragon with a terminal disease). Most of the boss fights could be considered MercyKill. For more specific examples:
** You only fight Gravelord Nito after his Lord Soul has been greatly diminished because he gave away most if it, and Pinwheel has been sapping his power for a while.
** The Bed of Chaos's weak core is because [[spoiler: it's the result of the Witch of Izalith destroying herself with a failed attempt at re-creating the First Flame.]]
** [[spoiler: Gwyn]] is only fought after a millineum of [[spoiler: burning in the First Flame]], leaving him a shadow of his former self.
** [[spoiler: Vendrick]] in the second game is fought naked and Hollowified, and ''still'' requires Giant Souls to give you a chance at beating him. If you try to attack him when you meet him in his prime (in a memory), you can't even get him to aggro. Your attacks are ''that'' unthreatening.
** The Twin Princes in ''3'' have to fight together, because both of them are crippled and barely alive. If either Lothric or Lorian could move on their own, the Ashen One would be in for one nightmare of a fight.
** The ancient race of Archdragons in particular rely on this trope to varying degrees to even give you a chance against them, and even then they're usually among the series' most brutal {{Bonus Boss}}es. It took an alliance of all the ancient gods who found the Great Souls in the First Flame, as well as the aforementioned Seath's betrayal of his kin, to end their reign over the world.
*** In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'' Seath the Scaleless is, as mentioned, mad, corrupted, and was the only one of his species to not possess the stone scales that made their race immortal in the first place (leading him to betray them out of jealousy). BonusBoss Black Dragon Kalameet is (almost) completely impossible to even fight until you get Hawkeye Gough to snipe him out of the sky, nailing one of his wings to his side and causing him to crash, preventing him from flying for more than a few seconds at a time. The stone dragon you find in Ash Lake as the keeper of the Path of the Dragon covenant goes one further by being the only character in the entire game to be ''completely invincible-'' you can cut off its tail to use as a weapon, but it doesn't even ''notice'' and it's implied it will simply regenerate in time.
*** The Ancient Dragon in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' is a massive DamageSpongeBoss which has attacks that are almost all a OneHitKill, but you can still kill it in single combat; however [[spoiler:it turns out to (apparently) not be a true Archdragon at all, but a facsimile created by Lord Aldia with a Giant Soul at its core]]. Sinh the Slumbering Dragon from the ''Crown of the Sunken King'' DLC is another incredibly dangerous opponent, but he was impaled completely through the body by a gigantic spear when Shulva fell, which is still lodged there where you fight him.
*** Darkeater Midir from ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' was an Archdragon raised by the gods themselves to fight the all-consuming Abyss, and has become corrupted by it over the centuries. While this has enhanced his power in some ways (such as giving him a laser beam breath and dark sorcerous attacks), it's also implied to be eating away at him. He still remains possibly the toughest boss in the entire series.
* At the end of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', [[spoiler:despite having reached levels of power that surpass nearly ''anything'' from previous games, Vergil is weakened and exhausted from his DuelToTheDeath with the similarly powered-up Dante, and despite his bravado is easy pickings for Nero despite having a massive advantage over the younger Devil Hunter in experience and power even with Nero unlocking his own proper [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]]]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'': The justification for why the party is able to defeat Estark if he is supposedly even stronger than the Final Boss is that he's still not at full strength due to just waking up.
* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'': Starscourge Radahn was once the strongest of the demigods, but being infected by scarlet rot destroyed his body and mind. By the present day, he's hardly more than a feral beast whose legs have rotted away, he's riddled with the spears and arrows of past fights, and is far past his prime. Nevertheless, he's an absolute monster of a boss with multiple OneHitKill attacks and [[OneManArmy is more than capable of taking on a small army all by himself]], giving the impression that, if he were still in his prime, there'd be no chance at all you and your followers would be able to defeat him. [[spoiler:After the fight is over, it's shown he was actually using most of his willpower to hold back a huge storm of meteors that were going to devastate the Lands Between as he was fighting you.]]
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, in the rare cases where a mortal directly contends with a [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]], said Prince is either weakened (such as manifesting on Mundus, the mortal plane, where metaphysical laws typically weaken their power), is WillfullyWeak, or said mortal has been empowered by one of the [[SaintlyChurch Divines]] or another Prince.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' and its spinoffs, Cloud's first victory over Sephiroth can be chalked up to this. Despite his overwhelming physical superiority and experience advantage, [[spoiler:he was in the midst of a psychotic breakdown, he had already been worn down by a duel with Zack Fair, Cloud took him completely by surprise and dealt a devastating sword blow to his midsection to open the battle, and he fatally underestimated Cloud's resolve to defeat him. Likewise, in their next duel, he had already been left weakened after his Safer form was beaten by Cloud and his party and Cloud's will has grown stronger. Anytime they fight afterwards, Sephiroth proves to be easily more than a match and the only reason Cloud wins some of those is because Sephiroth either lets him win or he was taking his sweet time humiliating him and was open]].
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade'', Hector, who in the prequel was established as being a major badass, is quickly and effortlessly wasted by [[BigBad Zephiel]]. However, he is 20 years past his prime and cannot fight as effectively as he once could.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', [[spoiler:Greil's death at the Black Knight's hand]] is revealed to have been because of a number of factors. His weapon really was not a proper weapon to fight him, [[spoiler:and Greil crippled his good arm because of a insanity-induced rampage he went on]]. When the Black Knight learns of this he realizes his victory was hollow.
** In the original Japanese version of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'', the Black Knight claims to Ike that he beat him at the end of ''Path of Radiance'' because some malfunctioning warp powder sent a shade of himself to fight him. The English translation changes this to a case of ILetYouWin, as the Black Knight wanted to give Ike more time to surpass Greil's power and reach his full potential.
* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'':
** Zeus pulls this on Kratos in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarII'' by tricking him into using a magic sword to defeat a giant statue at the start of the game. However Kratos had to deplete all his energy in doing so making him easy pickings for Zeus to kill him. As the end of the game shows though, Kratos at full power is more than a match for Zeus. The statue's outstretched hand slamming into Kratos while his back was turned didn't do him any favors either.
** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'': In contrast to the previous games, Kratos, the warrior who once flipped over Titans the literal size of mountains now visibly strains and struggles against Trolls no bigger than the Cyclopses he once casually knocked out, and most tellingly is visibly winded and exhausted after his bouts with The Stranger in spite of once not even breaking a sweat beating the life out of Hercules and Zeus himself. WordOfGod states this is because he's [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent out of practice]] and he's also playing WillfullyWeak as he is acting as if he is just a normal but great warrior to his son.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'':
** ''VideoGame/GoldenSun1'': When the party faces Saturos on the roof of the Mercury Lighthouse, they are able to defeat him. However, it's revealed that because he's a Fire Adept, he's weakened by being on the Water-aligned lighthouse roof (strangely enough, although Water Adept Mia is able to recover her MP, Fire Adept Garet suffers no disadvantages). Saturos is stronger (and backed up by Menardi) when fought on the complementary Earth-aligned Venus Lighthouse.
** ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'': When you fight Agatio and Karst at Jupiter Lighthouse, they're tired and worn down from their fight with Isaac's party, while Felix and co. are at full strength as they were healed by Alex shortly before the battle began. Karst even acknowledges this at one point, but later attempts to double-cross you and invoke YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness anyway.
* [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIVTheLostAndDamned Johnny Klebitz]]]], during his single scene in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', is crippled by his meth addiction, reducing him to a withered shell of the OneManArmy he once was. [[spoiler:It gets him stomped to death by Trevor (who, in contrast, is a FunctionalAddict).]]
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'', Sora's party manages to rescue WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}} from Cerberus. As the party leaves, Phil is utterly flabbergasted as to how they managed to do it. Hercules then says that he had managed to "soften up" Cerberus a bit before Sora appeared. Later in the game, you can fight Cerberus at his full power.
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', Hercules has been fighting Hades' minions non-stop for days or weeks ''and'' suffering from a HeroicBSOD that saps at his confidence and willpower. When he fights [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Auron]], he's so worn down physically and mentally that Auron is able to overpower him and would have killed him if Sora and friends hadn't saved him.
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII''’s endgame involves Kairi getting captured by Xemnas with embarrassingly little resistance [[FauxActionGirl in spite of her previous training to be a Keyblade wielder]], with the only seeming justification being that he’s painfully twisting her arm when he kidnaps her. The ''[=Re:Mind=]'' DLC adds a new scenario into the middle of the moment to [[{{Retcon}} recontextualize this]], showing her actually fighting Xemnas and noticeably giving him more difficulty than any other guardian, such that he resorts to a [[ThePowerOfTheVoid Nothingness attack]] to drain her, as well as Sora. After both are rescued from this, while Sora benefits from [[ItMakesSenseInContext his future self’s heart returning to reinvigorate him]], Kairi has no such assistance and is too worn out to put up any resistance when her kidnapping from the original game happens.
* ''VideoGame/LuminousPlume'': The Crystal and Ashen Calamities are in the process of recharging their aura, meaning Raven can kill them before they reach their peak performance. At their full power, they're supposed to be nigh-unstoppable beings that [[spoiler:Raven and Victor fled from in the past.]]
* The trope is inverted in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', as Kai Leng is introduced in the midst of his attempts to assassinate the Citadel Council. If earlier gameplay requirements have been met, [[spoiler: Shepard is able to thwart him with the help of Thane Krios, who was also an assassin but is now in the terminal stages of a fatal disease. As Thane puts it, "he let a terminally ill drell stop him from completing his mark." Thane does end up fatally wounded, but it is stated that his advanced illness is the reason why treatments for his injury are ineffective]].
* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'' the effect that causes the two universes to merge also evens out the power levels of the characters. Or else Liu Kang fighting Superman hand-to-hand would just be silly.
* In ''Videogame/{{Nioh2}}'', Shuten Doji is one of the Three Great Yokai, supposedly on par with the BigBad. However, his movements during his boss fight are slow and easy to read due to him being drunk (which is true to real life folklore). Players get to fight him at his prime as a BonusBoss in the second DLC -- even with the aid of a powerful NPC companion, he is one of the hardest fights in the game since his movement is sped up dramatically to make him a LightningBruiser.
* In ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'', it's explained later that the reason Oswald lost to Mercedes during the Ringford rebellion was because his power was weakening, and he lost his power entirely when trying to fight baby Levanthan.
* ''VideoGame/Persona5'', interestingly, has a literal example of this. BonusBoss [[spoiler:The Reaper]] can actually catch the flu if fought under specific weather conditions, making what's normally a very difficult fight very easy.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', halfway through the game Alex is given a "cure" that zaps him of all of his powers besides his strength, speed, and shapeshifting. He gets better.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} with Von-Kaiser. Prior to his first match he's [=KO'd=] by what appears to be a ''kindergarten student'' and mocked by all the kid's friends, making him suffer from a nasty inadequacy complex when facing you for the first time, resulting in weakened attacks and a tendency to cower with fear and beg for his mother. Unlike the other characters who [[TookALevelInBadass Take a Level in Badass]], change tactics, or ''cheat'' to up their game for the [[NewGamePlus Title Defense match]], Von Kaiser merely gets so angry that you have the championship belt that he gets over his complex and shows up at full strength to challenge you. [[spoiler:It's played with because, while he's about as difficult as the Major Circuit opponents from before, the "full strength" Von Kaiser is still laughably easy to beat.]]
* ''VideoGame/RadiantArc'':
** Terra the Earth Spirit had to have her magic power weakened in order for the Morians to control her, meaning the party didn't defeat her at her full strength. At the same time, Lexie, Terence, and Aria were bedridden during that fight, meaning the party wasn't at its full strength either.
** [[spoiler:Linky's mother is actually the human avatar of Irin and is still powerful enough to be the guardian of one of the Grand Crystal shards, but she can't access her full divine powers, meaning she doesn't stand a chance against Seperus.]]
* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'': [[spoiler:In this case, Arthur Morgan has tuberculosis, and he still gives [[BigBad Micah Bell]] some trouble. In his prime, Arthur would've probably flattened the guy easily.]]
* ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'': Isshin Ashina is easily the greatest swordsman in the world, but when [[spoiler:you fight him on the Shura route]], he's ninety years old, terminally ill, and [[spoiler:literally hours away from death]]. He's ''still'' strong enough to easily kick the crap out of you. [[spoiler:Isshin the Sword Saint, the version of him you fight on any other route, is him in the prime of his life, and makes any other boss in the game look like a warm-up.]]
* Despite being the strongest non-Xel'naga in the universe, in ''Videogame/StarCraftIILegacyOfTheVoid'' Kerrigan gets tossed around by a hybrid with ease. Shortly afterwards, she comments that she's been fighting hybrid for days and was exhausted.
* In ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', [[ScaryBlackMan Birdie]] uses this as the actual explanation for his original loss against Ryu when they meet again in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha''; [[{{Handwave}} it also explains]] why [[RaceLift he was white]] in [[VideoGame/StreetFighterI the first game]], and why he's overweight in the fifth.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Gaiden'', many people seems to come to term that Lamia Loveless was hit with this trope that she accidentally got hit by so many {{Distress Ball}}s. She only got caught by the Bartolls on the first place because she was not in her mecha (the same goes to Kusuha, Arado, Seolla and Latooni), and later on, Juergen managed to 'kill' her because for the same reason, added by the fact that she was just recently and forcefully been plugged out from her cockpit that binds her. She doesn't really have much impact after being rescued, but should you bring her to battle against the Bartolls in Chapter 34, she will express disgust on the Bartolls and show them that in the right conditions, they are no match for her. Unfortunately, however, she could never do it on Juergen (nor that she has any special lines against him when they face off in Free Battle).
* In one of ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''[='=]s ''Meet the Team'' videos, a [[FragileSpeedster Scout]] kills a [[MightyGlacier Heavy]] with his baseball bat. He then can be seen munching on the Heavy's SatiatingSandwich. [[FridgeBrilliance Do note, however]], that the Heavy in question was trying to eat his [[FunetikAksent Sandvich]] before the Scout interrupted him -- and the whole point of eating a Sandvich is [[HyperactiveMetabolism to regain health]].
* Given the power levels of many ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' characters this trope is used by many fans to explain the defeat of certain characters, since everyone in Gensokyo is battling under the Spellcard system, and if they weren't HoldingBackThePhlebotinum, the fighting between magicians, time-stopper, ancient vampires, embodiments of death and afterlife, immortals, wielder of '''NUCLEAR POWER''', and assortments of gods would have wiped Gensokyo off the map.
* In ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'', this is how the Orochi beats the Tokugawa. They arrive and launch their attack on Edo castle just in time when Honda Tadakatsu is away scouting the area. Considering Tadakatsu is often considered ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors''' [[VideoGame/DynastyWarriors Lu Bu]], the battle might have a different outcome if he is ever present.
** In Warriors Orochi 3, several warriors end up dying in the normal timeline due to being weakened in a previous fight. Thanks to Kaguya's time traveling abilities, the heroes can go back in time and provide needed help for said warrior so that they end up surviving in an alternate timeline and join the heroes.
* Used pretty often in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' to justify how small groups of unnamed adventurers can kill one of the most powerful beings on the planet with no help whatsoever from the {{Big Good}}s.
** Each of the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]] are considerably weakened when players encounter them. C'Thun and Yogg-Saron were heavily weakened by their imprisonment by the [[{{Precursors}} Titans]], while Y'Shaarj had already been killed in the backstory with players only facing remnants of his power. The only Old God to avert the trope and be fought at his full power is N'Zoth, who is explicitly stated to be the weakest of the four, having only survived as long as he did due to being a patient behind-the-scenes [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]].
** When first fought in the Molten Core in ''Classic'' World of Warcraft, Ragnaros the Firelord had just come out of hibernation and was considerably weakened due to being cut off from the energies of his realm, the Firelands. However, a few expansions later, in ''Cataclysm'', players got to fight Ragnaros at full power in the Firelands, subverting this trope.
--->'''Ragnaros yells:''' TOO SOON! YOU HAVE AWAKENED ME TOO SOON, EXECUTUS!
** Burning Crusade gives us Kil'jaeden, the de facto leader of [[TheLegionsOfHell the Burning Legion]], who was in the middle of a summoning and at about half his power -- and players still needed help from a BigGood or two to beat him (and all that really means is just pushing him back through a portal).
** During the DuelToTheDeath between [[spoiler:Cairne Bloodhoof and Garrosh Hellscream]] in the ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' novel ''Literature/TheShatteringPreludeToCataclysm'', [[spoiler:Cairne]] gets some good hits in on [[spoiler:Garrosh]], but after taking a hit from his opponent's weapon, which unbeknownst to either of them, was poisoned, slows down long enough to take a fatal hit to the neck.
** Thrall's fights with Garrosh tend to be this. The first time, Thrall held back to avoid humiliating Garrosh. The second time, Garrosh's dark shaman had twisted the elements around Orgimmar so Thrall couldn't use most of his powers. [[RuleOfThree Finally the third time they fight]], Thrall tries to match Garrosh in pure melee combat. [[spoiler:Once Thrall calls upon the elements, he easily overpowers and kills Garrosh.]]
* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' uses this tropes extensively to actually explain why each RecurringBoss is more powerful each time they're fought instead of just leaving it as a gameplay contrivance:
** Zeke [[spoiler:was toying with the party and intentionally holding back to various degrees.]]
** Brighid and Morag [[spoiler:are never fought with both parties fighting at full strength. In the first fight, Brighid is separated from her Driver; in the second, Morag is attempting to non-lethally arrest Rex; in the third, Rex's party are holding back as they just try to talk through a misunderstanding.]]
** Malos [[spoiler:was crippled in the backstory, he gets his power back during the plot, and pilots Aion as the FinalBoss.]]
** Akhos, Patroka, and Mikhail all use Blades like the party and use more powerful ones later [[spoiler:more specifically, their own weapons as Flesh Eaters]]. They're also fought alone or in pairs to start; their toughest battle comes when they team up and mirror the player party's DamagerHealerTank dynamic.
** Most notably, any fight with [[StoryBreakerPower Jin]] on his terms in nothing but a CurbStompBattle in his favor. The only times the party win come from outside influence, in order: [[spoiler:Fan la Norne suppressing his powers, Pneuma awakening her ability to [[RealityWarper rewrite reality]] to level the playing field, and being on the cusp of death by ether stagnation.]]
----
