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4[[quoteright:349:[[Wrestling/HulkHogan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hulk_hogan_net_worth.jpg]]]]
5[[caption-width-right:349:It's not just his fangs that he's baring.]]
6
7->''"It's anime law: whenever a male shōnen protagonist takes off his shirt, all of his attributes increase exponentially."''
8-->-- '''Kurama''', ''WebVideo/YuYuHakushoAbridged''
9
10Bob the Strong is going to be in a major fight, like with TheDragon or the BigBad, or just with a huge amount of {{Mooks}}. As he approaches the enemy, he--
11
12[[ShirtlessScene Wait, he's taking off his shirt?]]
13
14Battle Strip is when a character, especially one who is modest, either has a {{Stripperific}} battle uniform (for the gals), or doesn't [[ShirtlessScene wear a shirt in a fight]] (for the guys). The main reason is that clothing could restrict movement/attacks, or it's also a sign of badass. It also gives the opponent fewer things to grab and pin the fighter down with. However, sometimes it's just plain FanService.
15
16Related to TheCoatsAreOff (when a character takes off his coat before joining battle),
17ShedArmorGainSpeed, TheGlassesComeOff (a BadassBookworm removing his glasses before fighting), ActionDressRip, and FullFrontalAssault. Can overlap with ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing if the clothes must be removed before transforming, or are destroyed by it . Not to be confused with ClothingDamage, when the character's clothing gets destroyed ''during'' a battle, or GivingThemTheStrip, when clothing is torn or discarded to escape being grappled and ''avoid'' a battle.
18
19----
20!!Examples:
21[[foldercontrol]]
22
23[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
24* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'': It is kind of hard to ignore the fact how just about every time Kenshiro goes into [[LimitBreak Rage mode]] (usually for emotional reasons), his touki incinerates his shirt. This similarly applies to major villains in battle against them. Kinda makes you wonder how their [[LimitedWardrobe Clothing magically reappears]] at a later time, considering the post-apocalyptic nature of their world. The only thing in fact to change as such are Kaioh's or Raoh's helmets. Raoh tends to remove his cape when fighting, and one or more of his shoulder pads usually burst off his shoulders when the pressure points in them are activated.
25** Juza does this in the "normal" way, breaking his shoulder pauldrons and ripping off his clothes with his own hands before his rematch with Raoh. Turns out this was [[JustifiedTrope justified]] as [[spoiler:he had oiled up his upper body's skin to slip thru Raoh's hands and get close to him, all in preparation for Juza's own secret techniquYuji.
26* "Manga/JujutsuKaisen":
27** After Yuji consumes the first of [[ArtifactOfDoom Ryomen Sukuna's fingers]], Sukuna himself takes over Yuji's body for a few seconds before Yuji takes back control, but not before Sukuna rips off Yuji's shirt while going on a diatribe about his resurrection. This shows off Yuji's slim, yet [[HeroicBuild muscular body]].
28** Aoi Todo tends to remove his school uniform jacket when he's about to fight other sorcerers or [[TheHeartless Curse Spirits]], before literally ripping his t shirt off. He's even more jacked than Yuji.
29* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
30** The Raikage whips off his long coat in battle. [[WalkingShirtlessScene Not that it covers a lot in the first place...]]
31** It is also somewhat memetic that all male members of Akatsuki tended to lose their cloaks before their deaths, either by voluntary removal or regular ClothingDamage.
32** Kimimaro removed his top when he started actually fighting. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that clothes would only get in the way of his bone-based powers.
33* In ''Manga/ShamanKing'', during the Tournament, Horo-Horo's outfit includes an open long-coat, but no shirt.
34* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', several of the main characters will drop some of their clothes when they need to "get serious" -- usually stripping down to either bare-chested (Leorio) or undershirt (Gon, Killua, Kurapica).
35* Mecha Mode in the manga ''[[Manga/KarakuridoujiUltimo Ultimo]]''. [[spoiler:The doji masters are in their underwear (at least in the American edition).]]
36* Fate Testarossa from ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha''. Her summonable combat gear has been optimized for her favored combat style of a FragileSpeedster, so she is not exactly wearing much in her most powerful forms.
37* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
38** When the leader and former leader of Soul Society's stealth specialist squad fight, it just so happens that their most powerful moves blast off any clothing on their shoulder blades. Did we mention they were both extremely attractive female ninja ([[NinjaPirateRobotZombie ghost samurai]], and one is also a CatGirl)? The trope is also averted, as it's also revealed that their particular squad wears ''sleeveless'' inner clothes (at the direction of the former leader, realizing the technique would do this), so even at their most powerful, they're still decent.
39** Yamamoto is an even better example. Though, Yamamoto's sword has a tendency to set everything around it on fire, so this might be justified, as it would be somewhat hard to fight when Yamamoto himself is on fire. Though mainly it's just to show off how surprisingly ''ripped'' the old man is.
40** Tier Harribel removes her jacket before activating her [[OneWingedAngel Resurrecion]].
41* ''Manga/CryingFreeman'' often took it a step further. Before many battles, Yoh would strip ''[[FullFrontalAssault completely naked]]''.
42* ''Anime/YakitateJapan'' shows two contestants of a cooking competition taking off their clothes to freak each other out. Definite {{Fanservice}}.
43* In the finale of ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'', Noriko rips open a part of her uniform so that, by using [[MotionCaptureMecha the Gunbuster's motion tracing control mechanism]], she can rip open the chest armor on the mecha and remove its AppliedPhlebotinum, fully exposing her left breast in the process. Notably, when she's shown again a few minutes later, [[SceneryCensor a scrap of fabric now covers her breast]].
44** ''Anime/{{Diebuster}}'' pays homage to the scene twice. In the first episode, the chest of Nono's waitress uniform gets stuck on a [[{{Kaiju}} Space Monster]]'s spiky hide as it flies up into space, so she grabs it and tears it right off, leaving her breasts [[FullFrontalAssault hanging out in the open for the rest of the battle]] and giving poor Lal'C quite a shock. Then in the last episode, Lal'C gets in on the action as well and, exactly like Noriko, rips her uniform's top to open Dix-Neuf's chest cavity for ''[[EleventhHourSuperpower inserting]]'' the aforementioned AppliedPhlebotinum. Notably, Lal'C gets the benefit of BarbieDollAnatomy unlike the others, who were both [[NippleAndDimed fully drawn]].
45* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
46** Gray has a habit of stripping to his boxers because his training in ice magic involved running through a blizzard in his underwear. It's ''very'' [[MrFanservice clear that he's intended to lure in an]] EstrogenBrigade.
47--->"[[RunningGag Gray,]] [[PhraseCatcher your clothes.]]"
48** When he and Lyon (his fellow student) prepare to fight Racer, they strip simultaneously, much to Racer's confusion and Sherry's delight.
49** In the anime version of the Natsu vs. Gajeel fight, they take off their shirts.
50--->'''Lucy:''' [[LampshadeHanging Um, why did they strip?]]
51** PlayedWith with Erza. Her magic involves summoning different sets of magical armor for combat, and many of these armors are quite skimpy. However, some of the armors aren't skimpy at all, and her everyday wear armor is on the practical side.
52* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
53** Dynamis burst all his clothes (except his [[CoolMask mask]]) in a preparation for [[spoiler:his becoming a OneWingedAngel]]. He stood a few moments completely naked, though, causing some shocked reactions from everyone present.
54** Negi himself loses his shirt the first time he activates "[[SuperMode Raiten Taisou 2]]".
55** Jack Rakan once shredded the [[SleevesAreForWimps sleeves off his jacket]] simply by powering up a bit. He also tends to take off his shirt for demonstrations and the like, [[RuleOfCool for no apparent reason]].
56--->'''Konoka:''' Why'd he take his shirt off?\
57'''Setsuna:''' I don't know.
58* In ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'', Ulube rips off his uniform before he fights. And he is ''ripped.'' His Gundam also removes its armor and takes a muscular boxer form.
59-->'''Ulube:''' It's a good thing I prepared for this by continuing to work on my body!
60* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
61** The series mostly uses ClothingDamage as an excuse to get its male leads naked, but there are occasions where the heroes take off their clothes before battle.
62** One such occasion is the fight with Raditz at the beginning of ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', where both Goku and Piccolo were wearing weighted clothes, and stripping increased their power levels.
63** In [[Manga/DragonBall the manga]], Tenshinhan also always removes his shirt before battle and eventually stops wearing a shirt altogether.
64* In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', both Amon and Professor Cobra do this before fighting each other (revealing ''both'' of them to have Adonis-like frames).
65* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', Alex Louis Armstrong does this all the time, to the point of lampshading. Frequently he destroys his own shirt ''by flexing''.
66-->'''Hawkeye:''' Did he have to strip?\
67'''Havoc:''' You surprised? He's clearly insane...
68* ''[[Manga/BakiTheGrappler New Grappler Baki]]'':
69** Before a fight [[spoiler:with Speck]], [[{{Yakuza}} Hanayama Kaoru]] calmly removes his shoes, grabs the hems of his pants legs, pulls up, and ''tears off his entire suit''. He proceeds to fight wearing only a {{Fundoshi}}.
70** Don't forget Doppo's fight with Dorian, where the two men first face off in suits. While the latter discards his jacket, tie, and shirt to fight bare-chested, the former strips down to a pair of trunks.
71* Most fights in ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' end with at least one fighter shirtless, but Kuwabara is the most likely to remove his shirt before the fight begins, rather than have it shredded mid-fight as many others prefer.
72* The TournamentArc in ''Manga/CynthiaTheMission'' has a few examples:
73** [[spoiler:Hypnotized]] Araya [[FlungClothing throws off her school uniform]] shortly into the fight, [[DressedInLayers revealing]] a skimpier and frillier outfit.
74** Padre Phantom enters the ring in a Baron Samedi-inspired outfit, then slips it off and fights wearing only trunks.
75** Lingyu Bao enters the ring by doing a flip off of the school roof, [[ShirtlessScene slipping out of his jacket along the way]].
76* Not only does Detective Kaipan in ''Manga/{{Kochikame}}'' go around in a Speedo, he always [[FullFrontalAssault removes it]] before fighting.
77* Dragon Shiryu from ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' often ends up removing his armor in the middle of his fights. Doing so will ''invariably'' lead to him fighting shirtless. In the very early anime, Shiryu fought Seiya. In the climax of the fight, ''both'' of them battle-stripped to be in fully equal conditions.
78* ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'''s title character actually used this as a battle tactic once, removing his shirt to escape the explosive bugs that Tommyrod planted on him. [[MrFanservice Granted, Toriko does have a tendency to fight shirtless anyway...]]
79* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' has a character named Shikijo who jumped straight into battle with Sanosuke by tearing off his jacket and revealing his manly physique.
80* After Satsuki sends Honnouji Academy on a "battlefield trip" to conquer the rest of Japan in ''Anime/KillLaKill'', Aikuro decides to retire his teacher disguise and resume his position as officer in LaResistance. More specifically, Splendid Naked Officer of Nudist Beach. His battle attire is [[FullFrontalAssault exactly what his title would suggest.]]
81** Both Senketsu and Junketsu combat uniforms become utterly {{Stripperific}} when in battle mode. Actually justified, as the protection they give results from augmenting their wearers rather than covering them, and besides, [[spoiler: too much skin to uniform contact is dangerous for the wearer and may make them lose control]].
82* One contractor in ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' had to remove her clothing in order to use her powers. As a result, she's almost naked by the end of the battle.
83* PlayedForLaughs in ''Literature/TheDevilIsAPartTimer''--when [[spoiler:Suzuno]] attacks Maou, she's horrified that he begins to undress, and then neatly folds his clothes before actually fighting. [[SeriousBusiness Like he would risk ruining his [=MgRonald's=] uniform]]. He's still wearing a tank top with his boxers, but when her first attack [[ClothingDamage blows it off]], she [[HypocriticalHumor screams at him to stop stripping]].
84* In ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'', Kenichi takes off his chainmail shirt before his climactic battle with [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Shō]] [[EvilCounterpart Kanō]]. Justified in this case as the chainmail only barely blocked Shō's initial attack and Kenichi didn't want anything that would weigh him down more than absolutely necessary since the extra weight could mean the difference between life and death against someone like [[TheAce Shō]].
85* Joseph Joestar, during Part 2 of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', would often rip off his shirt when sufficiently angered in a fight, leaving him in a skin-tight undershirt.
86* A commonly used bit of StockFootage in ''Manga/SorcererHunters'' is [[PunnyName Tira Misu]] taking off her glasses and cloak to reveal the dominatrix fighting outfit she wears underneath. She also takes off her high-heeled shoes - and is shown fighting in a different pair of high heeled shoes of a color that matches her new outfit.
87* In a MythologyGag to his very first game sprite, Brock strips his shirt and vest during a practice battle with Kiawe in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon''. This allows him to reveal a Key Stone necklace to Mega Evolve his Steelix.
88* ''Manga/BootyRoyaleNeverGoDownWithoutAFight'': Main character Haebara Misora strips to fight repeatedly due to her karate skills being a marketable gimmick in her career as a gravure model. During the TournamentArc she shows up to her first bout wearing a slingshot bikini under her ''gi''; afterwards, several other fighters follow her lead by fighting in bikinis or, in the case of female sumo wrestler Nagisa Nosaka, pasties.
89[[/folder]]
90
91[[folder:Animation]]
92* Abyo of ''Animation/{{Pucca}}'' always rips off his shirt before he fights.
93[[/folder]]
94
95[[folder:Comic Books]]
96* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': The Hulk is a common example. No fanservice involved. [[NightmareFetishist Unless...]][[note]]At the times Hulk wore more clothes, he would Battle Strip after the inevitable ClothingDamage. Grey Hulk did it to [[LetsGetDangerous get dangerous]] on someone who already [[BerserkButton ruined his Armani suit]].[[/note]]
97* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' has a common variant, when he's not ducking in a phone booth you can bet he's taking off his Clark Kent getup in this fashion.
98** The "Death of Clark Kent" story actually has him do this when he removes his shirt and cape before fighting Conduit.
99* One ''ComicBook/XMen'' storyline has ComicBook/{{Storm|MarvelComics}} returning to Africa to deal with bad guys invading her hometown. At one point, when in full 'weather goddess' mode, she chooses to battle wearing nothing but [[CensorSteam always-strategically-placed lightning]] because she wants to show herself as a force of nature.
100* Necromancers in ''ComicBook/DeathVigil'' have a tendency to take off their shirts when using their powers. Allistor's dialogue suggests it's a matter of comfort, in that their sigils tend to itch when in use, so removing their shirts help alleviate it. It doesn't stop Sam [[RunningGag from complaining every time a Necromancer strips down around him]].
101[[/folder]]
102
103[[folder:Comic Strips]]
104* In one ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'' storyline, one of the guys runs Sara's character in her absence. When [[RulesLawyer Brian]] points out that [[RPGMechanicsVerse shedding encumbrance increases her chance to gain initiative]], they take this to the logical conclusion and have the character [[FullFrontalAssault charge into battle naked carrying nothing but a weapon]]. This works for a while but eventually gets her killed. Sara is not amused when she finds out.
105[[/folder]]
106
107[[folder:Fan Works]]
108* Parodied in ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'', where Raditz missed the whole "weighted clothing" part and [[CorrelationCausationGag assumed that nudity made you stronger on Earth]].
109-->'''Raditz:''' So, nudity makes you stronger on this planet?'' [unzips pants]''\
110'''Goku:''' Uh, no. We're wearing weighted clothing.\
111'''Raditz:''' ''[immediately zips pants back up]'' Of course! Because that would be ridiculous!
112* Xu Chu does this in ''Fanfic/FarceOfTheThreeKingdoms'', both to freak Ma Chao out and so he can put his [[NaughtyTentacles Naughty Tentacle]] to [[MundaneUtility combat use]].
113* Also in ''WebVideo/YuYuHakushoAbridged'', providing the page quote.
114* ''Fanfic/MegamiNoHanabira'': [[spoiler: [[BigBad Father Phillips]] throws away his sunglasses, priest's stole, hat, and jacket before engaging Mai and her friends personally.]]
115* Fanfic/MyDriverAcademia: Izuku pulls off his shirt just before facing Bakugou in the Sports Festival finals. Bakugou responds in kind.
116[[/folder]]
117
118[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
119* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/{{Beowulf|2007}}'' fights Grendel completely naked. While this is intended to make him look badass, the gratuitous use of SceneryCensor makes it come off as a bit silly.
120* Inverted in the film ''WesternAnimation/HeavyMetal''. Taarna, the Last Taarakian, starts out naked and gets dressed in extremely stripperific armor to go after the Loc-Nar.
121* The princesses in ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'' actually tear off parts of their dresses before taking down Prince Charming's henchmen. In their case, it's more justified than usual, in that their dresses are slightly restrictive, and they need the freedom of movement in a fight.
122* ''WesternAnimation/WonderWoman2009'': Diana rips off the dress that Steve gave her, revealing her usual swimsuit-like costume underneath, while fighting a monster sent by Ares - after having previously removed her shoes before the fight started.
123* ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'' spends most of his movie in a loincloth, [[spoiler: but when he decides to go back to England with his new human friends, he wears a fancy suit of clothes that his father left behind. When he returns to the jungle to save the gorillas from the zoo (or in Kerchak's case, the taxidermist's), he removes his clothes before he starts fighting the hunters.]]
124[[/folder]]
125
126[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
127* In ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' Ripley strips down to a T-shirt before going into the main nest. It gets hot under an exploding nuclear reactor.
128* ''Film/DDay'' have Ivan ripping his shirt open to expose his muscles before the final battle, to intimidate Gelda who just removed his shirt too.
129* ''Film/FightClub'': No shirts, no shoes. Except for Bob, who is exempt from the rule without comment or debate [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bitchtitsbob.jpg for obvious reasons.]]
130* The climax of ''Film/NoRetreatNoSurrender'' has Jason's last opponent, Ivan ripping his vest open in a show of intimidation.
131* In ''Film/WayOfTheDragon'', Creator/BruceLee and Creator/ChuckNorris prepare for their big fight by taking off their shirts. Then KnuckleCracking.
132* Borderline example: In ''Film/RobRoy'', the deadly fop Cunningham prepares for sword fights by removing his elaborate wig, revealing his near-naked scalp.
133* Done quite ridiculously in ''Film/FutureWar'', where [[NoNameGiven the Runaway]] somehow peels off his fully buttoned and tucked dress shirt in about half a second in the middle of the final fight. Well, not quite that he ''peels'' it off; it looks more like the shirt just accidentally fell off somehow.
134* Done in ''Film/{{Undefeatable}}'' during the infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxkr4wS7XqY final battle.]]
135* During the Corridor fight scene in ''Film/{{Oldboy 2003}}'', one mook does it, after seeing his buddies get their butts kicked.
136* In ''Film/{{Snatch}}'', Mickey, the leader of a campsite of UsefulNotes/IrishTravellers, has challenged pugilistic [[OopNorth Yorkshire]] boxer Gorgeous George to a bare-knuckle match in exchange for returning the money he cheated from George and his friend Tommy. After [[MadeOfIron repeatedly tanking Gorgeous George's physical blows]] throughout most of the match, Mickey stands up against George's warnings and pulls off his shirt and vest, displaying his tattooed torso. Gorgeous George briefly appears frightened...and for good reason, because then Mickey hits him with a OneHitKO and downs him.
137* In ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'', Liu Kang prepares for his battle with Shang Tsung by slipping off the robe he was disguised in, revealing his bare upper body. Tsung responds by casting off his own BadassLongcoat, revealing his somewhat less badass waistcoat.
138* In ''Creator/JackieChan's Film/WhoAmI1998'' the final fight features Chan in a tag-team battle with two skilled martial artists. When Chan uses the first one's jacket and tie against him, the second one sensibly removes his before he jumps into the fight.
139* ''Franchise/{{Predator}}'':
140** Dutch strips down to some scraps of clothing and a ''lot'' of mud for his final fight with the eponymous monster.
141** Billy Sole strips to the waist and then cuts a slash in his own chest with his Bowie knife while waiting to try and delay the Predator for his friends to escape. Sure, the next we see of him is the Predator ripping out his spine and skull as a trophy, but it was still AWESOME.
142** The spiritual successor, ''Film/{{Predators}}'' duplicates the ShirtlessScene (with some changes) using Royce and Hanzo, as the capstone homage in a movie filled with them.
143** In most movies, if a Predator finds its prey worth it will remove its weapons, armor and mask to fight its opponent fairly.
144** In ''Film/AliensVsPredatorRequiem'', the Wolf Predator does this in its fight with the Predalien after losing most of his weapon and his self-destruct mechanism has been damaged, knowing that he can no longer leave the planet alive and would rather go out honourably in a different way.
145* Spoofed in ''Film/TheNakedGun 33 1/3'' during the prison riot at the beginning, when two fat convicts rip off their uniforms... turning into two sumo fighters.
146* During the climactic fight in ''Film/TheOne'', Yulaw unzips the top of his coveralls and ties it around his waist. Why? Because he's wearing the same outfit as Gabe and they're both played by Creator/JetLi. Otherwise, the audience would be confused about who was who, and most audience members aren't proficient enough in martial arts to notice that they use different styles.
147* Played for laughs in ''Film/TheWorldsEnd'': In flashback, a young Andy rips his shirt as part of an unexplained group spat. Late in the actual plot, he rips his cardigan just prior to a bar brawl.
148* In ''Film/TheShallows'' Nancy uses the remaining sleeve of her wetsuit to hang from the buoy she's stuck in order to retrieve some flare ammo that is floating in the sea, but when the shark attacks the buoy since her wetsuit is still attached to the buoy, Nancy is forced to remove her wetsuit in order to survive and combat the shark. Also qualifies as a GivingThemTheStrip.
149* In ''Film/TheLegendOfTarzan'', Tarzan, who had spent most of the movie in hiking gear, strips to just his pants before preparing to face his ape brother in battle.
150* ''Film/BlackPanther2018'': Killmonger challenges T'Challa to a sacred duel with the title of ruler of Wakanda on the line. While T'Challa changes into a loincloth for the duel, Killmonger just removes his shirt.
151* ''Film/UniversalSoldierTheReturn'': Romeo suddenly tears off his shirt and tactical vest to fight a security guard. Both Romeo and the guard are played by WCW wrestlers.
152* In ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', Jason/Nesmith/Commander Peter Taggart rips off his shirt to fight the rock alien, which apparently he was known for, as Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus acidly remarks "I see you managed to get your shirt off."
153[[/folder]]
154
155[[folder:Literature]]
156* In the ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'' novel ''HMS Surprise,'' Stephen Maturin takes off his shirt to fight a pistol duel because he doesn't want cloth in the wound.
157* In the second book of ''Literature/TheCinderSpires'', Baron Valesco, an Auroran [[SuperSoldier Warriorborn]] professional duelist does this during his fights. One possible reason given is to avoid cloth getting into his wounds. Then, the real one is shown. Valesco has won nearly three hundred duels and killed his opponent in each one. He doesn't have a single scar. He's also an AxeCrazy monster who slowly tortures his first opponent to death under a facade of legality. It's not so much fanservice as a pure threat, a statement that he is invincible in a duel. His second opponent is Albion's premier duelist, Commodore Bayard, who is shorter, older, and not Warriorborn - he's beaten Warriorborn before, but Valesco is a different kind of monster, and he admits to his BestFriend and second for the duel, Captain Grimm, that he can't beat him. [[spoiler: Bayard is non-critically poisoned by his girlfriend to keep him out of the fight. Grimm, meanwhile, is not a duelist. [[CombatPragmatist He beats Valesco by letting him get in several wounding strikes, presenting his thigh as an easy target, trapping the blade, and Valesco himself, before hacking his head off.]]]]
158* In ''Literature/{{Cerberon}}'', Aladavan removes his coat and shirt before his DuelToTheDeath, not to impress or intimidate anyone, but simply to avoid having his clothing soiled or damaged during the fight. It was a wise move, considering his opponent runs him through with an AbsurdlySharpBlade. [[spoiler:He gets better, of course.]]
159* In one ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' story, Caramon has to fight a half-ogre bandit chief. Since he doesn't have any armour, he strips down to his loincloth.
160* ConversationalTroping in ''Literature/InterestingTimes'', when Caleb the Ripper explains to Teach "Sign of a good berserk, taking all your clothes off. Frightens the hell out of the enemy. If anyone starts laughing, stab 'em one."
161* ''Literature/EmpireOfTheVampire'': {{Justified}}. Armour is largely useless against even juvenile vampires, who have enough raw strength to twist metal with their grip. Thus, Silversaints employ an "aegis" instead - a set of beautiful, complex tattoos writ with silvered ink, depicting holy images and icons. Such a pattern is difficult to so much as look at for most vampires, and actively [[HolyBurnsEvil burns them]] should they touch it, whilst also allowing the hunters to enjoy maximum mobility and agility thanks to being unencumbered.
162* Literature/ModestyBlaise does this a lot in her novels, going topless to duel the fencer Wenczel in ''A Taste for Death'', and facing the lethal Mr. Sexton not only completely naked but also greased up in ''The Silver Mistress''. She also practices a move she calls The Nailer, where she gains extra time when she has to go through a door into a room full of thugs by walking in topless, guaranteeing that she gets the first move while most or all of the thugs are still looking at her chest. Yeah, despite the name, Modesty Blaise is pretty much made of {{Fanservice}}.
163* There are several scenes in ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'' where Vin rips off her PimpedOutDress in order to be able to fight effectively. Vin doesn't find it very remarkable to be running around in her underwear (it apparently doesn't cover much less skin than what she used to wear as a street urchin) but more or less everybody else does.
164* Heading toward the climax of ''Literature/OldScores'', vampires Simon and Salem strip off their coats and shirts for freedom of movement. They are unbothered by the December cold, but the trope is specifically averted for human Anita, since she has neither the cold immunity nor the need for close-quarters combat.
165* One short story set in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'' had an ActionGirl take off her dress to fight. It's too expensive to [[ActionDressRip rip]], and she doesn't have any pants, so she just fights in her underwear.
166* While on a date in a brand-new expensive gown in ''So Not A Hero'', the heroine Kayo sees a villainous energy-blaster attack the neighborhood. Since her usual costume isn’t available, she strips down to her bra and panties before charging into battle so that the bad guy can’t torch her dress.
167[[/folder]]
168
169[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
170* In the Season 4 finale of ''Series/CobraKai'', Robby and Eli are fighting in a tournament match. Robby's gi top gets damaged, so he takes it off and tosses it aside. Eli looks at the referee, who just shrugs, and then removes his top as well, turning the fight into a gratuitous ShirtlessScene.
171* Parodied in ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'', with Ensign Oates from "Scott of the Sahara" stripping all his clothes off as he fights the giant electric penguin--which includes about ten sweaters.
172* In the ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' episode "My Day at the Races", both Turk and Todd rip off their tops (with hilarious ease) during JD's Kung Fu ImagineSpot.
173* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' / ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
174** In America, we've had [[Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy Leo]] and [[Series/PowerRangersWildForce Cole]] [[ShirtlessScene showing off their]] [[StupidSexyFlanders well-sculpted physique]] for big fights, ripping their shirts off for extra appeal. Interestingly, both are Red Rangers with a lion motif.
175** Leo's case is particularly gratuitous, as he morphs about five seconds later. Moreover, when the opening gets revamped, the "Danny Slavin as Leo" bit goes from him fighting [[{{Mooks}} Stingwingers]] in the premiere to the famous dramatic shirt rip, so you got to see it ''every week!'' (Interestingly, the opening was revamped with the clip ''before'' the episode it came from aired.)
176** Doggie Kruger of ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'' twists this trope. When he transforms, his coat vanishes thus making him shirtless, before his Dekamaster suit gives him his ranger uniform. His [[Series/PowerRangersSPD SPD]] counterpart Anubis Cruger has him toss out his coat as the ranger suit forms beneath. The former applies this trope more because we actually see a moment where he is shirtless unlike the latter.
177** Speaking of Red Rangers, [[Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger Daigo Kiryu]] pulls [[http://media.tumblr.com/341100b93f78db0314cebec8abd1886a/tumblr_msf68w8z2b1s0mokmo1_250.gif a spectacular one]] before fighting against several {{mooks}} in the episode he gets his power-up form. He isn't quite as huge as Leo or Cole, but still pretty ripped.
178* Parodied also in an episode of ''Music/TenaciousD'' in which the two members of the band square off in the style of a kung-fu movie. Kyle Gass tears off his shirt to reveal a second, identical shirt.
179* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': As PhysicalGod Illyria is about to fight Team Angel, [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl she strips off all her clothes]] ([[EatingTheEyeCandy causing her underling]] to JawDrop) then uses her powers to replicate a [[SpyCatsuit skintight leather catsuit]], presumably [[MsFanservice so the audience will worship her too]].
180* Done for pragmatic reasons in season five of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' -- [[SourSupporter Castiel]] rips open his shirt in the middle of a fight with angels so he can [[spoiler:activate the angel-banishing sigil he has carved into his chest]].
181* ''Series/{{Letterkenny}}'': {{Parodied|Trope}} and {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d when some {{Jerk Jock}}s try, ineptly, to pick a fight:
182-->'''Daryl:''' You take your shirt off but leave your sunglasses on?\
183'''Wayne:''' What sort of [[SophisticatedAsHell backwards fuckin' pageantry]] is that?\
184'''Daryl:''' Y'gonna fight with those shades or play [=pokerstars.com=]?
185[[/folder]]
186
187[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
188* This is one of Wrestling/HulkHogan's trademarks, as shown at the top of this page.
189* Wrestling/JerryLawler, Wrestling/KurtAngle, and Wrestling/BigELangston have a variant where they pull down the straps of their singlets when things get serious. As does Wrestling/JackSwagger, Wrestling/KevinNash, and pretty much any wrestler who wrestles in singlet-type gear is pretty likely to pull down the straps, usually to telegraph their FinishingMove.
190* Wrestling/JeffHardy does this sometimes, as does his team xtreme stablemate Wrestling/{{Lita}}.
191* [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]] throws away his elbow pad before performing [[MundaneMadeAwesome the most electrifying move]] in all of entertainment!
192* Early in his career, Wrestling/{{Carl|itoColon}}y Colon wrestled in a wife beater and would often pull it off during the tail end of his matches, or when getting a "hot tag". His little brother Eddie then started a variant where he'd whip off his t-shirt.
193* [[Wrestling/HunterJohnston Delirious]], on his way to winning the International Wrestling Cartel's Super Indy Tournament, constantly pulled off and put back on his elbow pads during his matches.
194* One of Taichi Ishikari's signature spots is to pull off his pants in the middle of the ring...he usually has shorts on underneath.
195* After Brazo De Oro Jr became La Máscara, his tecnico gimmick became wearing several articles of clothing and stripping more and more them off the longer his matches went.
196* ''Wrestling/DramaticDreamTeam'': Danshoku Dino and Michael Nakazawa wore multiple thongs, which they continually stripped off during a match, almost to the point of them getting naked.
197* Since coming back from injury after Wrestlemania 32, Cesaro comes out in a nice suit before pulling it off to reveal his tights underneath. He had been doing this for years as Double C Wrestling/ClaudioCastagnoli in Swiss Money Holding, but back then he kept most of the suit on.
198* Pretty much a staple for brand extension-era WWE Superstars since merchandise sales are a big part of the business, with many entering the ring wearing their T-Shirt and other merchandise, which they remove for the match. Wrestling/JohnCena is probably the most obvious. Others have standard entrance gear like jackets, robes, etc. that they will remove.
199* At Wrestling/{{WSU}} event, "Portugal's Perfect Athlete" Shanna wore three tops, the first being a Brazilian football uniform, which she took off [[IKnowMaddenKombat after scoring a goal]] on Wrestling/{{Hania|TheHowlingHuntress}}. A fan in the front row handed her two dollars, so after winning the match Shanna took off her regular top and skimmed the crowd to collect more dollar bills, [[VictoriasSecretCompartment which she stuffed down her bra.]]
200[[/folder]]
201
202[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
203* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' includes an optional rule called "Bulletproof Nudity", which allows greater defensive bonuses depending on how much clothing is revealed, ranging from sleeveless to total nudity.
204[[/folder]]
205
206[[folder:Video Games]]
207* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
208** In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'', Alex does this before every fight in the style of Hulk Hogan, and Urien makes his suit explode into nothing and leave him wearing nothing but a loincloth.
209** Bison also throws off his cape in his pre-fight animation in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''. He fights with his cape on in the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' games, however.
210* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'':
211** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4SonsOfThePatriots'', [[spoiler:Liquid Ocelot]] removes his [[BadassLongcoat coat]] before fighting Snake, and fights him shirtless. [[spoiler: This could be considered part of his 'Liquid Snake' charade as the latter was shirtless in the final battles of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' while Ocelot himself was always conservatively dressed.]]
212** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', The Boss unzips the front of her [[SpyCatsuit sneaking suit]] to show Naked Snake her [[spoiler:scar]] before the final battle. Inexplicably, she leaves the suit unzipped for the battle and then the rest of the game.
213** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', Raiden escorts the Prime Minister of an African country while wearing a business suit. When Desperado mercs arrive to abduct the Prime Minister, Raiden shucks off the suit, revealing his CyberNinja body underneath.
214* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': Litchi Faye-Ling does this [[http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkrm9mpXy11qbdg3jo1_500.gif before a match begins.]]
215* In recent ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games, the Invisible Man drops takes off his hat, trenchcoat, and [[FullFrontalAssault pants]] before attacking (because he's an InvisibleStreaker).
216* ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'':
217** Every time a major fight is about to take place, you can count on Kazuma, his opponent, or really any yakuza in general to fling off their shirt. Probably to show off their awesome tattoos.
218** It happens so often and implausibly that ''VideoGame/Yakuza6'' all but parodies it when Kiryu goes spearfishing. Despite potentially wearing a red tucked-in polo shirt whose top button is undone and his neck visible, he's somehow able to fling the shirt off in one motion and reveal a skin-tight diving suit that stops just below his chin!
219* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': When Shiva is summoned, she's wearing a cloak that she throws off dramatically (and Yuna steps forward to catch it).
220* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'': In the opening cinematic, Class Zero arrives on the battlefield wearing red cloaks and cowls, which they throw off as Ace finishes their InTheNameOfTheMoon speech.
221* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'': Little Mac's entrance animation has him throw off his pink sweatsuit to reveal his boxing gear.
222* This is a gameplay mechanism in ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' where you can activate Frantic mode by making the character strip into their underwear, turning them into {{Glass Cannon}}s.
223* In ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' the titular character's outfit is made of her hair, which she uses for a variety of attacks. She gets more {{Stripperiffic}} with every combo she performs and her clothes come off entirely whenever she summons a demon to finish off larger enemies.
224* In ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia'', when Gilgamesh decides to use his full power, he loses the upper half of his armor and goes topless.
225* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'': Wesker's shirt (well, the top half of his [[HellBentForLeather combat uniform]], anyway) ''disappears'' before the final battle. It's not quite clear whether he took it off deliberately, or if it's more of a villainous example of FinalBattleInducedShirtLoss: he was falling from a plane, so it's understandable that his BadassLongcoat could have just fallen off, but exactly where the shirt went is never explained.
226* In ''VideoGame/BulletGirlsPhantasia'', characters can perform this in order to [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext sacrifice their underwear]] and use the souped-up version of their normal LimitBreak, without having to worry about normal damage utterly destroying it first. In-universe, it's referred to as the T.H.A.A.D. (Take Hold An Air Dress) maneuver.
227* ''VideoGame/{{OFF}}'': Dedan's battle sprite depicts him with his coat open while his overworld sprite depicts it as closed, [[ImpliedTrope implying]] he unbuttoned his coat to fight the Batter.
228* Characters in ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsIII'' always wear nothing from the waist up while fighting sword duels, regardless of whether the characters are male or female. This is actually an example of the developers [[ShownTheirWork Showing Their Work]] as many historical people really did duel this way. While duels weren't necessarily intended to be fought to the death, before modern medicine a piece of clothing shoved into a duelist's flesh by their enemy's blade would mean near-certain death by infection.
229* A subverted example [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]] occurs late in ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet''. At the end of the Starfall Street storyline, Director Clavell reveals that he's [[spoiler:really been Clive]] this whole time. He does so by dramatically ripping off his [[PaperThinDisguise disguise]] just before he battles you, only to reveal that he was wearing his usual suit under it the whole time.
230* The resident SuperBoss of ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' is Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Afflicted with the Scarlet Rot, Malenia initially snaps her three prosthetic limbs into place and fights in full plate armor. For the second stage of the fight, she emerged from the Scarlet Aonia flower with just her prosthetics and sword. It's more FanDisservice than fanservice, though, as this shows just how much rot her armor was hiding.
231[[/folder]]
232
233[[folder:Web Animation]]
234* Parodied in ''WebAnimation/GirlchanInParadise'' with the character of Swirly Glasses, who takes off his shirt despite being extremely scrawny and not that good in a fight.
235* In ''WebAnimation/DeadFantasy'', when Kairi prepares to fight Momiji, she removes her pink dress to reveal she's wearing Namine's white dress underneath. Then she ''turns into Namine'' and kicks ass.
236* ''WebAnimation/RoosterTeethAnimatedAdventures - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTRy2pXPUrY Dance Floor Fight]]'' has an {{Aversion}} as Michael explains the New Jersey protocol for confronting another man who tries to dance with his girlfriend.
237--> '''Burnie:''' Oh this is Jersey style! Does the shirt come off?
238--> '''Michael:''' The shirt does ''not'' come off.
239** [[spoiler:Despite this, the end of the animation depicts Michael tearing his shirt off "Jersey Style".]]
240* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''
241** Seeing that Shay D. Mann is setting her up for an obvious ambush, Yang takes the time to remove her leather cuffs and tails from her outfit to prepare for the tussle.
242** During Ghira Belladonna's first fight, he throws off his blue long coat and extends his WolverineClaws to fight to his fullest.
243** Hazel tears his jacket apart with his hands to free up his arms so that he can stab raw dust crystals into himself, pumping himself up for a fight against Ozpin/Oscar.
244** Hazel removes his entire shirt just before his fight [[spoiler:against Salem]] to free up even more space for dust crystals to fight at his strongest.
245[[/folder]]
246
247[[folder:Webcomics]]
248* ''Webcomic/CaptainSNES'' saw Alex doing this when impersonating Hulk Hogan. [[VideoGame/BreathOfFireII Katt]] wanted to [[InnocentFanserviceGirl imitate the move]], and Alex [[ChivalrousPervert forced himself]] to tell her not to do it.
249* ''Webcomic/EarsForElves'': In [[http://www.earsforelves.com/archives/630 this guest comic]] (canonocity unknown), it's revealed that [[CasanovaWannabe Elon]]'s diary has [[WishFulfillment a story]] about him being TheHero, [[ShirtlessScene ripping off his shirt]], saving the day when Luero is conveniently defeated, and having a make-out session with Tanna and Zalanna.
250* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': [[https://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/2007-11-07 This]] sketchbook strip alludes to superman's use of this trope as Grace prepares to change into a presumably squirrel themed superheroine.
251* Chapter 13 of ''Webcomic/FurryFightChronicles'' has Nyarai and Peki rip off the battle outfits they wore at the end of the fight [[spoiler:to symbolize their betrayal of their respective teams for the creation of Team Firestorm.]]
252* ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'':
253** Vehemence throws off his jacket and shirt, exposing his ripped physique, just as he joins the superhero battle royale. [[http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1491 Sydney immediately lampshades this.]]
254--->'''Sydney:''' What are you, an old Italian man?
255** [[https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/comic/grrl-power-1124-battle-undress Strip #1124 – "Battle (un)dress"]] see new villain Super Massive discards his furred cape and top in one move as he's ready to fight Maxima. The latter is absolutely flabbergasted to realize he was wearing a ''breakaway business suit'' just for such an occasion, and immediately categorizes him as a big douchebag.
256** Another character with breakaway clothing is Ray Cosmos, the sleazy alien tour guide. However, in his case it's more justified, in that him preparing for a fight involves HulkingOut, so his shirt wouldn't survive anyway.
257* Puripuri Prisoner of ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'' rips all of his clothes off before fighting. He calls this "transforming into Angel Mode".
258* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0436.html #436]], during the Battle of Azure City, the Death Knight rips his Xykon-decoy robe, revealing his heavy armor, before charging at the breach.
259* [[http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/comic/title-457/ Strip 457]] of ''WebComic/BrawlInTheFamily'' had [[spoiler:FutureBadass [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Luigi]]]] doing this before his battle with [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ganon]].
260[[/folder]]
261
262[[folder:Western Animation]]
263* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
264** Agni Kai duels are traditionally fought shirtless.
265** During Aang's initial reunion with [[spoiler:King Bumi]], the latter is wearing a body covering robe. When they fight a duel, the robe comes off, revealing that he's ripped.
266** In the GrandFinale, [[EvilOverlord Fire Lord Ozai]] [[PlayingWithFire incinerates]] his [[BlingOfWar robe]] before he fights Aang.
267* ''Franchise/{{Cars}}'': Mater actually blows off his hood about halfway through his bullfight with Chuy the bulldozer (just right after his DisneyDeath) in the ''Cars Toon'' [[WesternAnimation/PixarShorts "El Materdor"]].
268* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': In "Spaghetti Western and Meatballs", school bully Choo-choo insists that he and Gene take off their shirts prior to a fight. When Bob tries to break it up, Choo-choo's father arrives and takes off his own shirt, as he plans to beat up Bob.
269* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Happens in "Power Animal" when Finn tries to escape the gnomes who've kidnapped him.
270-->'''Finn:''' No more games. No more PAJAMAS!!! (''rips pajamas'')
271* In the season 2 finale of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Twilight's friends [[FlungClothing throw off their bridesmaid gowns]] as they charge to get the Elements of Harmony during the Changeling invasion of Canterlot. [[NeatFreak Rarity]] stops to catch them so that the dresses don't get damaged or dirty.
272* Used in the ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers'' episode "Pig of Action", when a very buffed-up [[WesternAnimation/PorkyPig Eager Young Space Cadet]] defies K'Chutha Sa'am (Yosemite Sam) to a duel, and they both rip their shirts (revealing nipple-rings for the Cadet).
273* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' episode "The Fry Cook Games". For the final contest, Bun Wrestling, Spongebob rips off his bathrobe to reveal he's wearing a Speedo. Patrick rips off his to reveal... a business suit. [[DressedInLayers He rips that off that]] to reveal his Speedo.
274** In "Karate Island" both Sandy and Master Udon tear apart their clothing before fighting each other.
275* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "The Losing Edge", Randy Marsh would take his shirt off before starting a drunken brawl with a rival team's dad during the Little League games. This always leads to him being arrested by the police with his shirt off and his pants around his ankles.
276* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': In "Temporal Edict", Commander Jack Ransom completely rips off the shirt of his Starfleet uniform just before his TrialByCombat.
277* In the ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'' episode "The Battle Royale," Commander Peepers rips off his shirt so that he can fight [[MirrorCharacter Sylvia]]. The moment calls back Season 1's "The Buddies," which revealed that he's a TopHeavyGuy under his uniform.
278[[/folder]]
279
280[[folder:Real Life]]
281* Men doing this is the source of the expression, "keep your shirt on". (It was more necessary in the days of heavily starched shirts that restricted movement.)
282* Scottish Highlands warriors would remove kilts [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_charge for a charge]], so they could run faster.
283* Creator/BruceLee.
284* The Celts, specifically Picts, believed that nudity conferred powers of invincibility. They used woad as BodyPaint.
285-->'''[[http://www.cracked.com/article_16972_the-5-most-terrifying-civilizations-in-history-world.html#ixzz1U8O79MZN Random Celtic warrior:]]''' I am not afraid of you, and to prove it, I have just laid my dong on your sword.
286* Folk wrestlers and bare-knuckle boxers in the old days would often remove their shirts for bouts. Today fighters have to wear special garments like shorts or leotards.
287* One of Pablo Francisco's jokes is how men should take off their pants instead of their shirts when they get into fights to freak out their opponents.
288* It was not uncommon for 19th-century duelists to fight shirtless (or even, in one famous case, completely nude) because it decreased the chance of dying afterward from an infected wound. When women began fighting topless epee duels for this reason, the male public considered it titillation, which is why those women tried to make sure that no man would be in the vicinity to spy on them.
289* The "Rob Ray Rule" in the UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague was implemented to keep players from deliberately stripping their jerseys off when engaging in fights. Ray was notorious for rapidly ejecting his jersey and pads when starting a fight.
290[[/folder]]

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