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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 7 | %% Image selected via crowner in the Image Suggestion thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/ImagePickin/ImageSuggestions64 |
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| 10 | [[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SpiderMan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4683511_7450237894_oxug9.png]]]] |
| 11 | [[caption-width-right:350:Becoming ComicBook/{{Venom}} isn't cause for Flash to throw away his Army training.]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ->'''Jake:''' I thought your power was eyebeams, 'Cyclops', not Kung Fu.\ |
| 14 | '''[[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]]:''' That's not my power. That's my training. I was '''taught''' it. |
| 15 | -->-- ''[[ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen A vs X: Consequences]]'' |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Some heroes win the SuperpowerLottery. SuperStrength, EyeBeams, and [[PureEnergy Energy Blasts]] make issuing a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown a relatively straightforward matter. SoOnceAgainTheDayIsSaved. Hooray and stuff. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Then there's the rest of them. They have bonafide powers that set them apart from PunyEarthlings, but for one reason or another, they either can't or won't just rely on them alone. They've taken [[BoxingLessonsForSuperman Boxing Lessons For All Those Other Poor Schmucks]] and fight very similarly to a BadassNormal most of the time. This can be for any of several reasons: |
| 20 | |
| 21 | * The powers don't directly apply to combat, such as {{Telepathy}}, SpeaksFluentAnimal, and XRayVision. However, they may have indirect uses for assisting. |
| 22 | * The powers ''do'' apply to combat, but only by enhancing existing fighting abilities, without enabling anything fantastic such as flight. The powers may enhance the character's physical attacks, like moderate SuperStrength or an ElementalPunch, or their weapon, like a SpellBlade. They have an advantage against the {{mooks}}, but only if they can stay on their toes and fight smart. |
| 23 | * The character has been BlessedWithSuck. Their powers can easily wipe the floor with most {{mooks}} but are very difficult to use safely, such as having uncontrollable SplashDamage, being CastFromHitPoints, or [[MagicIsAMonsterMagnet attracting even more enemies]]. Or they're subject to {{Magic Misfire}}s or governed by rules they [[HowDoIShotWeb haven't figured out yet]]. In either case, they'd rather use mundane methods than chance it. |
| 24 | * The character is WillfullyWeak. Maybe they're a BloodKnight who has more fun with hand-to-hand, or a SmugSuper that can beat you [[WithMyHandsTied with their powers tied behind their back]]; both are more likely to pull out the big guns for a WorthyOpponent. Alternatively, they might simply detest their powers for some reason ("I don't want to rely on my superpowers too much" is a common one), and thus stick to good ol' non-superpower methods like martial arts or mundane technology. One more possibility is that their powers are ''too strong''. Being able to disintegrate people with a look (and having no "stun" option) is usually not acceptable to a hero with a ThouShaltNotKill moral code. And finally, they might just be trying to hide their true identity and using their powers would blow their cover. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | This trope was also an inadvertent side-effect of CoconutSuperpowers in old shows and serials due to a lack of the special-effects technology to properly depict fantastic powers. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Compare BoxingLessonsForSuperman, where trained fighting is an optional extra the character takes to help with extreme circumstances; and GuileHero, where they prefer trickery to outright confrontation. This trope can overlap with EmpoweredBadassNormal if the character still needs to mostly rely on previous fighting skills post-upgrade. BroughtDownToBadass is when the fighter remains effective in battle despite losing their powers and has no choice but to fight like a normal. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Contrast PowersDoTheFighting, where the fighter does nothing at all and their abilities are still more than enough. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Related to AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength, as this can be one of the ways a character keeps themselves in check to avoid unnecessary damage or harm. |
| 34 | |
| 35 | '''NOTE:''' A {{depower}}ed character such as a HenshinHero only counts if they can voluntarily switch them on and off at will and keeps them shut off most of the time, in which case they're WillfullyWeak. The character must have a choice whether or not to (try to) utilize their powers to qualify for this trope, or otherwise have powers which have no bearing on combat that can't be realistically replicated (such as Longevity, which would remove them from BadassNormal territory). Also, if EveryoneIsASuper then fighting with powers ''is'' normal -- in such a setting, someone who can't or has reason to avoid doing so is actually a HandicappedBadass. |
| 36 | ---- |
| 37 | !!This trope fought its way into these works the old-fashioned way because its [[Administrivia/TVTropesGlossary Wiki Magic]] was just TooAwesomeToUse: |
| 38 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 41 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Yoruichi Shihoin relies almost exclusively on hand-to-hand combat, but she was a captain of Gotei 13 back in the day, meaning she must have achieved shikai and bankai as any other captains have. Flashbacks to a century ago reveal that she used to carry a zanpakuto, but it is nowhere to be seen in the present day. She and Hachigen Ushoda (whose skill lies in kido) are the only exiled Shinigami to have never used their zanpakuto in any way. |
| 42 | * ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'': |
| 43 | ** Kamijou Touma has an AntiMagic right hand which he can only use defensively, so he usually fights [[SuperpowerLottery superpowered individuals]] with fisticuffs. |
| 44 | ** Similarly, Tsuchimikado Motoharu can only use magic in limited amounts as it risks killing him (which his esper ability, [[HealingFactor Auto-Healing]], only partly mitigates). Therefore, he relies on hand-to-hand combat and is even better at it than the protagonist. |
| 45 | ** Non-violent example, but Mikoto's friend Kazari Uiharu is a level 1 esper, who is also a genius computer hacker known in certain circles as "[[RedBaron the Gatekeeper]]." For a long time, it was assumed that her power boosted her hacking abilities in some way. Eventually, we found out her power is temperature regulation--which, obviously, has absolutely nothing to do with computer hacking. She's just that good. |
| 46 | ** Mii Konori fights using martial arts because her power is XRayVision. Her ability is used to scan opponents for concealed weapons. |
| 47 | ** Accelerator, after his DramaPreservingHandicap limits use of his StoryBreakerPower to a few minutes at a time, starts carrying ordinary firearms so he can defend himself when his full powers aren't necessary or are unavailable. |
| 48 | * Several Contractors in ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' have abilities not directly usable in combat and have to fight like any other Muggle if they throw down. One-note antagonist Itzhak is the most noticeable as his power is completely non-offensive, and fights using a rifle. |
| 49 | * ''Manga/{{Dorohedoro}}'': |
| 50 | ** Shin is a mage and in contrast to his partner Noi (who has to fight this way because her power [[HealingHands can only heal people]]), his magic power allows him to dissect people alive at range. Outside an event in his backstory, he prefers beating people to death with a claw-hammer, or simply using his bare hands. |
| 51 | ** [[spoiler:Nikaido]], despite being a mage, fights entirely bare-fisted for the early series. [[spoiler:It is eventually subverted during the latter half of the manga.]] |
| 52 | * Given what the series is known for, it's easy to forget that most of the heroes from ''Manga/DragonBall'' are trained martial artists who know how to fight without using energy attacks. In the original series, Goku, for example, rarely uses the Kamehameha or other advanced techniques and prefers to fight with his fists. This was mostly because energy attacks cost a lot of stamina and were best used for finishers. Some of this can still be seen in ''Z'' where most of the older cast members prefer fighting on the ground and don't beam spam that often. |
| 53 | * Alucard from ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' is a vampire with supernatural powers. Despite that, he prefers to simply shoot his enemies with custom-made guns rather than use his inhuman abilities, mostly because he considers the majority of his opponents not worthy of using his superpowers against them. His guns, both of which qualify as {{Hand Cannon}}s, require his vampiric strength and resilience anyway -- a normal human trying to fire those guns like Alucard does would break both their wrists from the recoil. He's not particularly exceptional in that regard, either; most of the vampires in the series prefer guns or other hand weapons rather than using their vampiric abilities directly. Like Alucard, they're often used in a fashion that would be impossible for a human -- his apprentice, Seras, carries a 30mm cannon that fires rounds designed for AA guns, while a number of minor villains dual-wield machineguns or rifles. |
| 54 | * Biscuit Krueger from ''Anime/HunterXHunter'' demonstrates incredible combat ability upon first meeting the protagonists and is strong enough to have taught their previous mentor, who was no slouch himself. But unlike almost everyone else relevant in the series, who use a hatsu power in combat, Biscuit sticks to simple (but very effective) techniques. Her actual hatsu, revealed later, is a masseuse that gives her spa treatments. |
| 55 | * ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': While fighting a Stand user without [[TakesOneToKillOne your own Stand is exceedingly impractical]] (since you can neither [[InvisibleToNormals see]] nor damage the Stand itself), many characters have Stands with non-combative abilities and fight with their own physical strength. Kenzou of ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'' in particular is already a skilled martial artist; all his Stand does is point him in the right direction. In a non-combative example, [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders D'Arby the Elder's]] only power is that [[AbsurdlyHighStakesGame he gets your soul if he manages to beat you in a game.]] He still has to beat you at the game first, relying entirely on his own skill as a gambler and an inveterate cheat. |
| 56 | * ''Manga/JujutsuKaisen'': |
| 57 | ** Yuji has immense levels of cursed energy, but no cursed techniques of his own, so he primarily fights [[HeroesFightBarehanded barehanded]] and just uses his [[KiManipulation control of cursed energy]] [[EnhancedPunch to make his attacks more damaging]]. |
| 58 | ** Maki was born with a Heavenly Restriction making her a MuggleBornOfMages, [[MagicallyIneptFighter unable to use cursed energy]] at all [[InvisibleToNormals or see curses unassisted]], but granting incredible physical ability. She uses [[MultiMeleeMaster a wide variety]] of enchanted weapons to exorcise curses instead. Her cousin Toji was born with an even more restrictive condition that ''removed'' all cursed energy from his body, which somehow wraps around to giving him SuperSenses that can notice cursed spirits anyway. Maki eventually loses the trace amounts of cursed energy within her, enhancing her physical abilities to match Toji's, with the ability to see and interact with cursed spirits as a bonus. |
| 59 | ** Like Yuji, Todo always fights physically, usually unarmed. It's only against the strongest opponents that he uses his actual cursed technique, [[SwapTeleportation Boogie-Woogie]]. As Boogie-Woogie isn't directly applicable to combat, he uses it purely to move himself and other fighters around in battle to [[DeadlyDodging avoid attacks]] and [[ConfusionFu disorient opponents]] while relying on martial arts to do actual damage. |
| 60 | * Li Ho from ''Manga/TheLawOfUeki''. His power is [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway to turn hair into telescoping bats]], but prefers to use taichi moves in combat. |
| 61 | * Vice Granscenic of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers''. He's technically a mage, but he doesn't have enough magical power to cast combat spells on his own. However, he's also a FriendlySniper with ImprobableAimingSkills, so hand him a SniperRifle or even an unsighted BoomStick and watch as enemies that stronger mages have trouble with start dropping like flies without knowing what hit them. |
| 62 | * Zenkichi from ''Manga/MedakaBox'' only has passive powers [[spoiler: Nullifying coincidence and Parasite Seeing]], so he mostly still has to rely on his savant abilities in fights. |
| 63 | * ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': |
| 64 | ** Protagonist Izuku Midoriya/Deku is a deconstruction of this. He greatly desires to be a superhero despite being [[MuggleBornOfMages among the 20% of people born without a Quirk]]. However, after impressing [[TheCape All-Might]], the hero gives [[SuperEmpowering Izuku his powers]] to train him to be his successor. Great! Except that, because he was Quirkless for most of his life, he views One For All as a sort of superpower and thus his body is not used to the vast accumulated power. In fact, [[HeroicRROD he tended to break his bones whenever he used it]]. As such, he's forced to save his powers for emergencies, and gets by as best as he can with Quirkless moves or playing TheStrategist. However, this is mainly because of his mentality of how he views Quirks. Once he trains under ''All Might's'' mentor, Gran Torino, he begins getting a better hold to accepting it as a natural part of him. He achieves this through "Full Cowling" where rather than focusing ''all'' the power in an attack, he uses a small percentage through his body to improve everything, with him being able to accept more of it over time. It is becoming a {{Reconstruction}} over time because he maintains some of the mentality. |
| 65 | ** Stain is a formidable hand-to-hand fighter and knife user. However, his combat ability is unrelated to his Quirk, which involves ingesting an opponent's blood to paralyze them. Either one alone is potentially dangerous. Combined they make Stain a dangerous enough supervillain to merit the nickname "Hero Killer." |
| 66 | ** The main characters' teacher Aizawa/Eraser Head has a quirk that can [[PowerNullifier deactivate the quirk of whoever he's looking at]]. But seeing as he has only two eyes (and ends up down to one eye and a severely impaired quirk later on) and lacks any superhuman physical abilities, he relies on weapons and a highly aggressive fighting style when he has to fight a group of villains. He still keeps a degree of this even after having to self-amputate a leg. |
| 67 | ** Aizawa passed his fighting style down to Shinso, who, like Aizawa, has a quirk that is very powerful (he can mind-control his victims whenever they reply to him) but not reliable (it won't work if his opponent keeps quiet, and is useless against non-humans like the robots in the entrance exam). |
| 68 | * In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', while it may not be obvious at first, Might Guy is this. While he's not particularly proficient at it, Guy has demonstrated at least some ability in using ninjutsu. He just chooses to focus solely on taijutsu as a show of solidarity with his student, Rock Lee, who is outright incapable of using anything other than taijutsu. Of course, this doesn't stop Guy from being regarded as one of the most powerful Ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village [[spoiler: and as far as taijutsu is concerned, ''Madara Uchiha himself'' states that Guy has no equal amongst ANYBODY he has fought, making him, at least as taijutsu is concerned, the WorldsStrongestMan]]. |
| 69 | * Kazura in ''Anime/NightRaid1931'' avoids using his teleportation ability, apparently considering it a crutch or unfair. |
| 70 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'' has a lot of this; This is after all a world where you can eat any of over a hundred fruits to obtain ''completely'' random powers. Some people obtain extremely useful powers like transforming into and manipulating an intangible element, or an animal form. Some others get powers with seemingly no use at all. With the aid of CharlesAtlasSuperpower and a lot of training, many characters manage to turn these impractical powers to their advantage with creative {{Combat Pragmatis|t}}m, but still often have to rely on their basic fisticuffs to deal damage. |
| 71 | ** While Luffy can be very creative with his RubberMan powers, he's still capable of fighting with fisticuffs, especially when facing Lucci. |
| 72 | ** Mr. 2 can transform himself into others. Of course, this can increase (or decrease) his physical strength, but the fighting techniques themselves will have to be his normal ones, meaning that he's trained himself in non-superpower-related martial arts. |
| 73 | ** Brook starts out only using the sword and fencing skills he acquired in life. This is because he initially believes the power of his Devil Fruit is to resurrect him only once. After the TimeSkip, he discovers [[SoulPower the true extent of his abilities]] and uses his Devil Fruit powers in [[SpellBlade conjunction]] with his fencing skills to [[AnIcePerson freeze his enemies]]. |
| 74 | ** Discussed in the New World. Previously, [[ElementalShapeshifter Logia]] users are really difficult to fight due to their intangibility giving them NighInvulnerability, unless you can counter their specific element. Then comes Armament Haki, allowing anyone to hit a Logia user who isn't themselves trained in Haki, and how common it is in the New World. One character remarks that "Logia users who rely on their powers too much have short lifespans." |
| 75 | ** Absalom can turn himself and anything he touches invisible. He mostly uses plain bazookas strapped to his arms in fight, but he uses his invisibility for the element of surprise's sake: When the bazookas are invisible, no one can see when they're fired, and to those that don't know of his power, [[PowerMisidentification it looks like he's firing a shock wave or beam]], confusing the hell out of a lot of opponents. |
| 76 | ** Kin'emon has a Devil Fruit, but since all it allows him to do is [[GorgeousGarmentGeneration summon clothes]], he fights with his sword. |
| 77 | * ''Literature/Overlord2012'': Ainz is a ridiculously powerful lich, and has a bad case of NormalFishInATinyPond (that is, while he considers himself in the middle of the upper tier of level 100 YGGDRASSIL players, the strongest in the new world are maybe level 30). Thus even as a SquishyWizard, his physical strength and damage resistance is enormous, which is why he can masquerade as a giant warrior DualWielding {{One Handed Zweihander}}s. He later asks for a duel between him (in his lich form) and the Empire's resident GladiatorGames champion, agreeing to use no magic (and even disables his damage resistance). He still trounces the champion with ease, [[spoiler:and the Emperor, seeing that there really is no hope of beating Ainz in melee either, surrenders the Empire to him]]. |
| 78 | * Homura Akemi of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' is the only Puella Magi who doesn't have some sort of magical weapon or directly offensive powers. Instead, she uses firearms stolen from the Yakuza and the JSDF as well as homemade explosives augmented by her time control and BagOfHolding abilities. |
| 79 | * Although combining magic with swordplay is common in ''Literature/TheReincarnatedSwordSaintWantsToTakeItEasy'', the protagonist prefers to fight purely by skill and weaponry alone... [[spoiler:because his sword drains all magic in its area of effect, enforcing the trope, and none has fought him and survived the encounter to tell of its secret.]] |
| 80 | * Golden Lion King from ''Manga/RisingXRydeen'' has no choice but to rely on his hand-to-hand combat skills as his superpower which is that he can glow when he roars is useless in most situations. |
| 81 | * ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'': {{Doppelganger}}s are capable of transmuting anyone's form from person to person by touching one hand to each face; in the case of other monsters, this also carries over powers and abilities. However, they're otherwise no better than humans; the first doppelganger we meet in the series is a human-world criminal who usually only uses his power to mask his allies for an easy getaway. Thus, he trains himself in martial arts, which he notes that humans came up with [[WeakButSkilled because they're weak]]; he almost wipes the floor with the AmazonBrigade of main characters while using [[ActionSurvivor Tsukune]]'s form, and when he gets his hand on [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Moka]]'s [[StrongAndSkilled face]]... |
| 82 | * The titular character of ''Anime/RuneSoldierLouie'' is a mage, yet he prefers to fight with his hands, using his famous "LOUIE PUNCH!". He is called out on it multiple times. |
| 83 | * In ''Manga/SailorMoon'', Sailor Venus and especially Sailor Jupiter are prone to try and just beat the stuff out of their enemies. {{Justified|Trope}} as they both tended to get into brawls before getting their powers, with Venus being implied to know Savate by [[KickChick how she kicks]] and Jupiter being a confirmed martial artist. |
| 84 | * In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', Ivan Karelin[=/=]Origami Cyclone has the NEXT power of shapeshifting to mimic the appearance and voice of others. While this is handy for undercover work, it doesn't make for a particularly useful ability when fighting criminals on live TV. After gaining the confidence to do more than simply [[CorporateSponsoredSuperhero act as a walking billboard for sponsors]] and take a more proactive role in fighting crime, he uses martial arts and ninja weaponry to fight on par with his peers who have powers that are better suited to fighting. |
| 85 | * ''Manga/WelcomeToDemonSchoolIrumaKun'': Balam is one of two Khet-ranked demons at Babyls (the eighth rank out of ten) and is strong enough to hold the two best combatants in the Misfits Class at bay without a scratch for days on end. His actual power is lie detection, which is useful as an exam administrator but not so much while fighting. |
| 86 | * In ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', Hiei is part fire demon and does have powerful fire abilities, but mostly uses martial arts and swordsmanship in his fights, especially once he does a HeelFaceTurn after the story's first arc. (A healthy dose of SuperSpeed also helps him in his fights). It's not until the [[TournamentArc Dark Tournament]] that Hiei uses any fire abilities. This turns out to be justified; Hiei's particular brand of fire powers fall distinctly into AwesomeButImpractical, as they are very difficult to control and run the risk of killing their user, and in fact ''no demon on Earth'' had managed to use it successfully before Hiei does in the tournament. (In the show, powerful demons have to sacrifice a large portion of their power to cross over from the demon world to the human world, and no demon who had come to Earth had managed to regain enough strength and control to use the technique Hiei does.) Furthermore even successful or ''mostly'' successful uses of it [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique are very dangerous]]; Hiei uses his fire technique in the first round of the tournament against a fellow fire demon named Zeru who Hiei cannot defeat with his normal methods, and while Hiei reduces Zeru to an incinerated silhouette on a wall he also severely injures himself in the attempt. In the final round of the tournament Hiei manages to use it more successfully but it drains his stamina to the point that [[PostVictoryCollapse he collapses from exhaustion within minutes of defeating his opponent]]. |
| 87 | [[/folder]] |
| 88 | |
| 89 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 90 | * ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'': Characters/{{Aquaman|TheCharacter}} can communicate with ocean life and has a wide variety of powers, but in the Golden and Silver Ages he fought much like Batman with punches and kicks. Later iterations had him focus more on commanding sea life, using magic and a mystical trident in battle, and giving him super strength via RequiredSecondaryPowers. |
| 91 | * ''Characters/BlackCanary'': Black Canary may be the single best example. Her only [[SuperScream superpower]] is rarely used, and she's probably gone on 15-20 issue streaks of not using it at all, but she's a martial artist good enough to give [[Characters/BatmanLadyShiva Lady Shiva]] pause. Not surprising, as the character was strictly a [[BadassNormal martial artist]] for twenty years before she got her powers. |
| 92 | * ''ComicBook/BlackWidow'': The Black Widow's powers are slowed aging and an unusually powerful immune system against diseases and sickness. In battle, she relies on her martial arts, cunning, and weapons. |
| 93 | * ''ComicBook/{{Checkmate}}'': |
| 94 | ** Jessica Midnight possesses magical powers but relies on her armed and unarmed combat training. This is justified; Jessica having powers is in violation of Checkmate's Rule of Two that each super-powered or otherwise enhanced member in the "Royal Family" must have an un-powered counterpart in a corresponding position of power. Since there are already two bishops in Checkmate with superpowers (Thinker and August General In Iron), Jessica makes a third. Bea da Costa is the only one aware that Jessica has powers since she used them to defeat [[Characters/SuicideSquadOperatives Deadshot]]. |
| 95 | ** Jessica's superior, Sasha Bordeaux also qualifies. Originally she was a BadassNormal and then became a {{Cyborg}}. As her cybernetics were forced unto her, she is not very comfortable with them and mostly relies on her skill with firearms in battle. |
| 96 | * ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsMattMurdock Daredevil]] has no powers except supernaturally heightened senses to make up for his blindness. He combines these with top notch martial arts training. ''Series/Daredevil2015'' further grounds this by showing Murdock regularly ending up winded or even on the verge of collapse from his fights against multiple people, being unable to take down many enemies in one blow, and often getting hit when ganged up on. |
| 97 | * ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsDeadpool Deadpool]]'s sole superhuman power (HealingFactor) has no offensive use, so he tends to fight relying only on his skills, katanas, and guns. Granted, his power still allows him [[ExploitedImmunity to use self-destructive tactics that would get anyone else killed]]. |
| 98 | * ''ComicBook/DoctorFate'': Back in the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks golden age]], Kent Nelsson would often forego the helmet of Nabu in favor of a non-magical 'half mask' version and only rely on the cape of levitation and the amulet of Anubis for crime-fighting. No in-universe reason was originally given for this practice[[note]]the out-of-universe one being that the writers thought it was making him [[InvincibleHero too overpowered]] compared to the thugs and gangsters the character usually fought[[/note]] but ComicBook/AllStarSquadron later revealed that it was because he realized that every time he put it on, Nabu was actually possessing him through it and he was afraid of losing himself. |
| 99 | * ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'': Hellboy is a demon summoned from hell, but he certainly never uses his demonic powers against the monsters, faeries, demons, and gods, and while he has a really good healing factor, he mostly uses his GoodOldFisticuffs, his HandCannon, and other weapons and other religious and magical artifacts. |
| 100 | * ''ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}'': Tommy Monaghan pretty much stopped using his powers entirely after the first twenty issues or so, getting by on charm, badass, and luck. As they consisted of rather unimpressive telepathy and X-ray vision that mostly just gave him a nosebleed, and he was already a career killer before then, it's no surprise that he quite literally stuck to his guns. |
| 101 | * ComicBook/IronFist': Iron Fist for the most part relies on his martial skills in combat. Sure, he has his chi abilities, but he earned those powers by winning a fist-fight with an immortal dragon, so he doesn't much need them. Plus, at first his Iron Fist ability served mostly as a FinishingMove: it was too damaging to use against mooks, and initially left him so tired he couldn't overuse it. |
| 102 | * ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'': Mister Terrific and Doctor Mid-Nite both have powers that, while not entirely useless, are deeply unimpressive: the former can't be detected by machinery, while the latter can see in the dark. However, both of them are extremely intelligent and well-trained and use both facts to good advantage. ComicBook/{{Wildcat}} is also an example of this -- thanks to a magic spell he has nine lives. This offers no offensive use and he simply gets by on his martial arts and boxing prowess. |
| 103 | * ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'': This is what killed Nemesis Kid. When fighting the illusionist Princess Projectra, he [[AdaptiveAbility adapted]] the power to see through her illusions. In response, she simply used her martial arts skills to beat him senseless and [[NeckSnap snap his neck]]. |
| 104 | * ''ComicBook/NewGods'': [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]] possesses matter manipulation, telepathy, mind control, erosion blasts, chronokinesis, and teleportation. However, whenever he battles Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}}, he tends to just fight the Man of Steel with his bare hands while ignoring those other abilities (save for some occasional Omega Beams). Admittedly, a chunk of this is likely due to writers not really understanding Darkseid's powers, but there's an element of him taking such fights seriously; during greater battle scenes and when against fodder he often [[PowersDoTheFighting goes for the opposite trope, walking calmly forward while his Omega Beams obliterate everything]]. |
| 105 | * ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'': As the series goes on, Jesse relies less and less on his CompellingVoice and simply fights his enemies with fists and guns. Jesse explains that he doesn't want to exploit his voice too much for fear that karma will come back around on him. In one instance he even admits that he ForgotAboutHisPowers. Writer Garth Ennis admitted that he'd written himself into a corner with Jesse's powers and began ignoring them to preserve the drama. |
| 106 | ** Inverted in the case of Cassidy. When he and Jesse throw down over Cassidy's betrayals, Jesse points out that ''because'' Cass is supernaturally strong and fast, he never learned how to ''actually fight''. Jesse, meanwhile, was raised in a horrifically abusive household, and ''had'' to learn how to stand up to someone stronger and faster than himself. It goes badly for Cass. |
| 107 | ** In the live action adaptation, they address this by making the Voice [[MagicIsAMonsterMagnet broadcast Jessie's location]]. |
| 108 | * ''ComicBook/{{PS238}}'': Ambriel/Guardian Angel's power is a sort of sentient force that protects her from harm. She eventually got a baseball bat [[StuffBlowingUp that explodes things]], giving her a more combat-ready ability. |
| 109 | * ''ComicBook/TheSilencer'': Honor Guest has the ability to project a sound-dampening field around her body. Since this doesn't usually have any offensive ''or'' defensive use, she mostly uses guns, knives, or martial arts to fight. |
| 110 | * ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'': Spawn has superpowers but prefers not to use them, since they're granted by hell and each use further damns his soul. Instead, he prefers to [[SuperheroPackingHeat pack some major heat]] to deal with his foes. |
| 111 | * ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Ultimate Nick Fury is actually the first super soldier, and he has all the powers of Captain America. But he thought that being Captain America was something that only TheChosenOne would be, and he did not feel like being that one. He still serves his country but fights like a regular person. |
| 112 | * ''ComicBook/{{Venom}}'': When crippled army veteran [[Characters/MarvelComicsFlashThompson Flash Thompson]] was given the [[Characters/MarvelComicsVenom Venom Symbiote]] and became Agent Venom, he still puts his army training to use with his personal symbiote suit reflecting that. Instead of the hulking scary beast with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily, it's slimmed down into a properly humanoid body that wears armor, pouches and other military equipment. Although the symbiote does allow him to pull off stunts and moves that most sane soldiers would deem AwesomeYetImpractical, such as going GunsAkimbo (from handguns to even assault rifles) and to increase his [[MoreDakka dakka]], he can have tentacles carry and shoot ''even more'' firearms. |
| 113 | * ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsLogan Wolverine]] adversary [[Characters/WolverineRoguesGallery Kenchiro Harada, aka the Silver Samurai]], possesses the {{mutant|s}} power to surround his sword with an energy field, effectively transforming it into a lightsaber. That's the extent of his powers, and in order to actually use it effectively, he's reliant on his martial arts training and mastery of swordsmanship. |
| 114 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'': Combat training is standard for the X-Men since many of them have powers that are either not specifically combat-oriented or too dangerous to utilize except as a last resort. Most of them mainly rely on their mutant powers, but exceptions include [[Characters/MarvelComicsCable Cable]] and Bishop, two time-displaced soldiers with vast but hard-to-control powers who normally just use [[MoreDakka guns]]. |
| 115 | [[/folder]] |
| 116 | |
| 117 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 118 | * One ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' fanfic is set in a continuity where Zuko is stripped of his rank and forced to serve in the army rather than exile. Since Ozai ultimately decides his assignments, Zuko is placed in command of a borderline-competent squad and [[UriahGambit assigned to the most dangerous and unpleasant battlefields in the war so he'll hopefully get killed]]. Since a lot of these battlefields are in areas where firebending is impractical or just plain impossible (too cold, too cramped, etc.), and since he doesn't take Iroh with him and therefore doesn't learn any firebending since leaving home, by the time Aang is freed from the iceberg Zuko suffers from severe PTSD and has gotten used to fighting with his bare hands and [[ImprovisedWeapon improvised weapons]], and therefore doesn't really do a lot of firebending in fights. For instance, the first time he fights Katara; instead of taking her on bender-to-bender, he just [[CombatPragmatist steps in under her reach, grabs her by the throat and punches her very hard in the face with gauntleted fists until she stops moving]]. |
| 119 | * ''Fanfic/TheBridge'': Monster X has GravityMaster and EyeBeams abilities, but he primarily fights using martial arts. |
| 120 | * Miya in ''Fanfic/{{Eroninja}}'' taught herself to fight without using any chakra at all. This is because the man she wants to kill (Kisame) is capable of absorbing chakra and using it to heal himself, making chakra usage counterproductive. |
| 121 | * ''Fanfic/FateStarryNight'': As an IneptMage, Ritsuka has taken the opportunity to get physical and martial training from some of the greatest warriors across history and myth. He dodges some casual blows from both Lancer and Archer (though he admits that they were purposefully swinging slower than usual), pulverizes several Dragon Tooth Warriors summoned by Medea with Li Shuwen's bajiquan, and destroys a skeletal crocodile with some pankration taught to him by Chiron and Achilles. He also mentions to Shinji that he knows how to load and shoot a submachine gun. While these skills won't do him much good against a proper Servant, it's better than relying solely on Shadow Servants for protection. |
| 122 | * In ''Fanfic/{{Juxtapose}}'', none of Izuku's three friends have a damaging component to their Quirks, leading them to take up martial arts and [[MartialArtsStaff a staff]] to defend themselves. Izuku is also this to an extent since he uses a staff as well because [[spoiler:his Quirk is too lethal to use against people haphazardly]]. |
| 123 | * In ''Fanfic/LiveAHeroMHA'', Izuku fights almost exclusively with the plethora of knives he has at his disposal due to how uncontrollable his Quirk is and the [[HeroicRROD debilitating side effects it has on him]]. |
| 124 | * In ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'', Kyril Sutherland[[spoiler:, despite having the ComboPlatterPowers that comes with being a [[EldritchAbomination great one]],]] fights like a HunterOfMonsters out of ''VideoGame/BloodBorne'' -- [[SwordAndGun a trick weapon on one hand, and a firearm on the other]]. There's a multitude of reasons for this: some of his abilities don't directly apply to combat (e.g.his [[spoiler:TouchTelepathy and {{Brainwashing}}]]); his other abilities [[spoiler:may cause [[GoMadFromTheRevelation unnecessary collateral damage]] if he is careless]] (e.g.his [[spoiler:BrownNote and OneWingAngel]]), and; he wants to [[{{Masquerade}} conceal the existence]] of anything related to Yharnam and the [[EldritchAbomination great ones]], which includes [[spoiler:said powers and his true nature]]. |
| 125 | * More like Fights Like a Normal ''Trainer'', but in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'', Ash Ketchum possesses [[SuperEmpowering an ability that allows him to give his Pokémon temporary power boosts]]. [[HonorBeforeReason He refuses to use it in competitive battling because he views it as an unfair advantage normal humans can't compete against, and also because he believes in his Pokémon to be able to win by their own strength]], though he's willing to use it if it's to fight a villain or to help someone in need. |
| 126 | * Even after ascending to godhood in the ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9920512/1/Reaching-for-a-Dream Reaching for a Dream]]'' series, Naruto usually just uses his powers to enhance his physical abilities. Sure he ''can'' destroy enemy ships by conjuring meteors to strike them or even willing them to no longer exist, but he'd rather just jump on top of them and rip them apart with his bare hands. On some level, this is due to having spent the first twenty years or so of his life as a mortal and needing to fight that way, unlike his wife who was never mortal and prefers to [[PowersDoTheFighting stand in one spot and use her divine powers to fight]]. |
| 127 | * In ''Fanfic/SupernovaOnePiece'', Luffy mostly fights without using his Devil Fruit powers, in large part because the [[ThePowerOfTheSun sun/plasma]] abilities it gives him are ''incredibly'' destructive and he could easily kill people if he's not careful. This draws a stark contrast with [[PowersDoTheFighting Smok]][[UnskilledButStrong er]] who uses his Devil Fruit constantly while fighting (Luffy actually lamenting that he doesn't have a power that he can use as much Smoker uses his) and is shocked when Luffy reveals that he's a Logia, having assumed that he'd never seen a Logia before. It's not until the end of their fight that Luffy uses his Logia powers which [[ElementalRockPaperScissors overpower]] Smoker's easily. |
| 128 | * The Democratic Republic of Acturus from ''Fanfic/TheTSABActurusWar'' mostly uses its magic as passive adjuncts to mundane weaponry and equipment, such as enhancing the power of nukes or teleportation to auto-load tank rounds. Only the [[SuperpoweredMooks Assault Troopers]] directly use offensive magic. This is in contrast to the TSAB, where even the RedshirtArmy's standard rifles fire mana bolts. |
| 129 | * ''Fanfic/VariantStrain'': |
| 130 | ** Invoked in Peter's fight against the Rhino where his use of tools such as a gun rather than relying on his Hydra powers let him win. |
| 131 | ** Also invoked in chapter 55 where he has to refrain from using Hydra so as to not break his cover in front of some Thunderbolts. |
| 132 | [[/folder]] |
| 133 | |
| 134 | [[folder:Film — Animation]] |
| 135 | * In ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'', [[spoiler: Death itself]] gets fed up with Puss's shenangians and decides to go after him personally. [[spoiler: He takes the form of a wolf wielding two sickles and only uses his supernatural abilities to [[SuperPersistentPredator ensure Puss won't get away from him.]]]] |
| 136 | [[/folder]] |
| 137 | |
| 138 | [[folder:Film — Live-Action]] |
| 139 | * Like in the comics, Black Canary in ''Film/BirdsOfPrey2020'' is first and foremost an elite martial artist and only uses her sonic scream once in the entire film. |
| 140 | * In ''Film/BlackPanther2018'', [[spoiler:[[Characters/BlackPantherEnemies Erik Killmonger]]]] gets enhanced by [[spoiler:the Black Panther herbs]], but he still just fights like a "normal" special forces soldier who just so happens to have SuperStrength. [[spoiler:T'Challa]] is able to beat him because [[spoiler:he has a greater understanding of the Black Panther powers and uses riskier manoeuvres that are only possible with them.]] |
| 141 | * ''Film/TheLegendOfThe7GoldenVampires'': Leyland lacks the martial arts skills and monster-hunting expertise of his companions (save Vanessa), but can still fight with a gun and packs a mean punch. |
| 142 | * Gandalf in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' only used his magic a few times (and one of those is [[MundaneUtility fireworks for Bilbo's party]]), often preferring to go after opponents with his sword and staff. This is more or less true of the original novels as well but it is emphasized more in the movies. According to WordOfGod, Creator/PeterJackson was not a huge fan of seeing magic onscreen and preferred Gandalf to be more physical. |
| 143 | * Neo from ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' trilogy mostly used his kung-fu skills but had the ability to manipulate the Matrix, allowing him the ability to fly, telekinesis, and other powers that he only pulled out when he needed them. This mainly applies in the sequels, because in the first movie [[HowDoIShotWeb it took him some time to figure out how to use his powers]]. |
| 144 | * ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'' and ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'': Characters mostly fight with martial arts, either rarely using their special abilities from the games or not at all. In some fights, special moves would only be used as a finisher or when one is on the verge of losing and needs to regain the advantage. This isn't even getting into characters like Sonya, Kitana and Kano who seem to lack the powers of their game counterparts. |
| 145 | * Pretty much everyone in ''Film/NightWatch'' and ''Film/DayWatch'', since the director Creator/TimurBekmambetov is not a fan of magic (so, [[SarcasmMode of course]], he was the obvious choice to make a movie about modern-day wizards). |
| 146 | * Franchise/{{Tron}}: |
| 147 | ** ''Film/TronLegacy'': Sam Flynn never figures out User powers the way his father did, but once he gets the hang of disc combat (mixed with the martial arts training he has in the ExpandedUniverse), he was able to hold his own against most of Clu's mooks. |
| 148 | ** The AlternateContinuity of ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' had the same thing. Jet Bradley didn't resort to User power at all, instead proving adept with a wide range of weaponry that was used by Programs, with the exception of the LOL (sniper rifle) and the Mesh weapons (designed for the Datawraith mercenaries). |
| 149 | [[/folder]] |
| 150 | |
| 151 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 152 | * ''Literature/ClockpunkAndTheVitalizer'' has Clockpunk, a sort-of TimeMaster who can [[TimeStandsStill slow time for seven seconds]] and [[CombatClairvoyance see seven seconds into the future]]. Both are close to useless against [[MindOverMatter The Vitalizer]], so she sticks to her [[SuperheroPackingHeat non-lethal Kick-Gun]] and wits to stay alive in their confrontations. |
| 153 | * ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': In this setting, magic is sometimes compared to nuclear weapons--it's good to have, and it's good if people know that you have it, but you want to avoid ''using'' it if at all possible. |
| 154 | ** Arch-chancellor Ridcully tends to favor his staff over magic for fighting. His reasoning is that if something can stand up to a solid blow from his staff it's probably immune to magic as well. |
| 155 | ** Granny Weatherwax is a frightfully powerful witch but believes far more in "Headology" (trickery and understanding of human nature) than magic. When backed into a corner, she's more likely to draw a couple of hatpins than cast a spell. This largely goes for the other witches as well, with Nanny dispatching a villain via a cauldron upside the head, and Magrat carrying a bread knife and taking out a pair of CreepyTwins with martial arts. |
| 156 | ** As of ''Snuff'', Samuel Vimes is no longer entirely normal, as a portion of "The Summoning Dark", the vengeful spirit that used him as a host in ''Thud'', remains with him, granting him a small measure of supernatural abilities. He rarely uses them, as he's a cop and mystical mumbo jumbo isn't admissible in court. |
| 157 | * ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': |
| 158 | ** Harry Dresden is a wizard, and in terms of raw power, is in the top 20 or 30 on the planet. He's not averse to slinging fireballs around, but also has no problem using guns or other modern equipment, [[CombatPragmatist exploiting whatever weakness]] a given enemy has, or even just hitting them with his staff. In many cases this is just because blasting an enemy with magic isn't the best option for a variety of reasons, but there's also the element of surprise. It's common for wizards to solve [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer any and all problems with magic]], so enemies often don't expect him to [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim pull a gun on them]] or even just punch them in the face. |
| 159 | ** Similarly, the Wardens all carry guns or [[CoolSword their signature swords]] (or often both) for use when fighting human beings (killing humans with magic is BlackMagic and will almost certainly drive you insane) or non-humans that are ResistantToMagic (which is annoyingly common among non-human supernaturals). |
| 160 | * ''Literature/FateZero'': Kiritsugu definitely has the capacity to be a magus, but instead on relies a lot more on [[BoringYetPractical good ol' human technology]] like firearms and explosives, treating his magecraft abilities as simply yet another tool to be used, which he usually only uses to ''support'' his mundane abilities and devices in a largely indirect manner, unless they prove to be more efficient than mundane methods (e.g. giving himself InnateNightVision) or capable of doing something useful to his purposes that mundane alternatives cannot (e.g. Bounded Fields). This serves him well, since almost all Magi despise the idea of depending on {{muggle|s}}[=-made=] technology, making it a blind spot to them whose true potential they consistently underestimate. A prime example is at the start of Volume 2 (Episode 6 in the AnimatedAdaptation), which sees Kayneth being way too prideful, thinking that nothing would be able to invade his multi-layered magic fortress. In response, Kiritsugu has his colleague Maiya [[DungeonBypass rig the building itself with explosives, thus rendering all of Kayneth's careful preparations useless]]. |
| 161 | * [[CoolHorse Companions]] in the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series are angelic or quasi-angelic beings with human-level intelligence along with a number of psionic and magical abilities. However when violence is called for their go-to option is close-quarters combat using the bites, kicks, and body-checks that are the general repertoire of mundane warhorses. |
| 162 | * The Perpetuals from the ''Literature/HorusHeresy'' series all have CompleteImmortality, able to regenerate from even the most thorough obliteration, but that's about it. To survive in the grim darkness of the far future, they've developed their skills. [[spoiler:Ollanius Pius]] is a retired Imperial Army soldier, though his combat experience stretches as far back as [[spoiler:the First World War and even into Antiquity; he was one of the original Argonauts]]. The only human Perpetual with other powers we know of is [[spoiler:John Grammaticus]], who is also an {{omniglot}}. |
| 163 | * Asha in ''Literature/TheLicaniusTrilogy'' has the power to raze entire towns with Essence, but her preferred method of combat is to grab a sword, strap on some armour, and get right into the thick of combat. |
| 164 | * Limelight in ''Literature/TheReckonersTrilogy'' won't use his superpowers unless he absolutely has to, since using them makes him into an evil psychopath. |
| 165 | * Nova of ''Literature/{{Renegades}}'' can induce ForcedSleep with her touch, but because most of her enemies have ranged abilities, she's also an excellent martial artist and can shoot most weapons. |
| 166 | * When she has to fight, Ida of ''Literature/ShamanOfTheUndead'' uses regular kicks, punches, and knives, as her gifts are restricted to world of the dead only. She's not even BadassNormal - she's an ActionSurvivor who can see ghosts. |
| 167 | * ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': |
| 168 | ** In ''Literature/YoungJediKnights'', Tenel Ka doesn't use the Force if she can achieve her goal with athletic skill. |
| 169 | ** In ''[[Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy I, Jedi]]'', Corran Horn advocates adding unarmed combat to the Jedi training syllabus so as to give Jedi a viable alternative to Force powers and [[LaserBlade lightsabers]], especially if they don't want to kill their opponent. [[spoiler: Luke Skywalker]] takes this on board during his BigDamnHeroes moment late in the book. |
| 170 | * Delta, among others, in ''Literature/StoneBurners'' augment her techie powers with combat training. |
| 171 | * Richard of the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' series has phenomenal wizardly might, but relies almost exclusively on his sword for combat, primarily because he has [[HowDoIShotWeb no bloody clue]] how to get his magic to work at will. This is a borderline example since that sword is itself magic. |
| 172 | * ''Literature/TressOfTheEmeraldSea'': Captain Crow's internal symbiotes can act with incredible speed and power to protect her, but she suppresses them in a fight specifically to [[HopeCrusher rub her enemies' faces]] in how dangerous she is without any supernatural help. |
| 173 | * In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' series, out of the three cats with superpowers, only Lionblaze's are useful in battle (he can't get hurt in a fight). Jayfeather's power is to enter other cats' dreams (though he doesn't fight anyway, since he's a [[TheMedic medicine cat]]), and Dovewing's power -- SuperSenses -- is actually a hindrance in battle because the amount of noise and scents confuses her. |
| 174 | * [[SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy]] in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' actually encourages this, as part of their emphasis on CombatPragmatism, MundaneUtility, and learning that [[WeakButSkilled skill usually beats raw power]]. Able-bodied students are ''required'' to take either [[BoxingLessonsForSuperman martial arts]] or [[CombatParkour Survival and Evasion]], and the first day of both classes involves a baseline teacher (either the OldMaster aikido teacher of the GrizzledVeteran firearms instructor) demonstrating that they can outmaneuver most superhumans through skill alone. This, combined with the vagaries of the SuperpowerLottery, often leads low-to-middle powered students focusing on mundane fighting methods. |
| 175 | ** One of the teachers for the aikido classes is sensei Tolman, who is a Type 3: a black woman with superstrength and mental attack powers who just prefers using aikido. |
| 176 | ** Aquerna is a Type 1: she has squirrel powers, so she is stronger and faster than a baseline human, which means she is considered a campus joke. She has been learning aikido, LeParkour, and martial arts weapons. |
| 177 | ** Several of the smarter (such as Phase) or more pacifistic (e.g. Folder) students are a combination of type 1 and 2; they are rightly AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength (especially regarding baselines), but at the same time, realize that there is AlwaysABiggerFish who could out-muscle them. While this is more a matter of BoxingLessonsForSuperman, the emphasis on ''control'' can lead them to use their powers sparingly if they don't need them. |
| 178 | ** While [[BloodKnight Counterpoint]] (aka [[spoiler: [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Ares]]]]) usually sees 'rules' as an effete self-indulgence, he is known for doing this when facing students known for combat prowess, [[WithMyHandsTied in order to get a 'proper challenge']] (or even [[CherryTapping just to rub it in]]). Also, it seems [[PhysicalGod millennia-old habits are hard to break]]. |
| 179 | * ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': |
| 180 | ** In early books, Rand al'Thor has sufficient latent power in Channeling to be a PersonOfMassDestruction, but defaults to [[SpontaneousWeaponCreation creating swords of Fire]] and fighting normally with them. Several people {{lampshade|Hanging}} what a laughably inefficient use of his abilities it is. |
| 181 | ** When Rand founds an order of Channelers, he orders them to drill in swordsmanship so they can still fight in situations where they can't or shouldn't use their powers -- and so they can deliver a nasty surprise to anyone who expects them to be {{Squishy Wizard}}s. |
| 182 | * Safi and Iseult of ''Literature/TheWitchlands'' are both witches but fight like regular people, as one is a LivingLieDetector and the other is TheEmpath. [[spoiler:Though now that Iseult knows she's a Weaverwitch, able to induce MysticalPlague on people, this might change.]] |
| 183 | * Many superheroes and supervillains in ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' learn how to fight this way, since their powers aren't directly offensive. Characters like [[ScienceHero Armsmaster]] and [[CastingAShadow Grue]] uses their powers to augment their essentially-human combat training, and Victor uses his power to [[PowerCopying give himself]] human martial art skills. |
| 184 | ** Contessa and Number Man have only information-gathering powers to go with their mundane human bodies and can march up to just about any other parahuman in the world and beat them within an inch of their lives. |
| 185 | ** In the 2 years between ''Worm'' and its sequel ''Literature/{{Ward}}'', the main character avoided using her powers because they reminded her of her trauma. However, she still had [[ChronicHeroSyndrome the urge to help people]] so she joined the Patrol Block, a volunteer police department and youth group of sorts, and learned how to fight hand to hand and use guns like an unpowered person. [[ChekhovsSkill This comes in handy later]] when she resumes costumed hero work and goes up against Contender, whose power sucks victims into a pocket dimension where superpowers are disabled. [[BroughtDownToBadass She handles herself just fine.]] |
| 186 | [[/folder]] |
| 187 | |
| 188 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 189 | * In ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}},'' Phoebe learns martial arts because while Prue and Piper have powers with direct combat applications (telekinesis and freezing people, respectively), Phoebe's power of precognition is more passive. |
| 190 | * In ''Series/MortalKombatConquest'' the villains mostly rely on hand-to-hand combat despite having mystical abilities that give them an edge over the [[BadassNormal heroes]]. This is justified in Sub-Zero's case as using his ice powers [[CastFromHitPoints drains his strength.]] |
| 191 | * ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': |
| 192 | ** The Rangers regularly take out the {{Mooks}} without bothering to morph, as part of the series tradition of not escalating a battle beyond what's necessary. Keep in mind, though, that several teams have special abilities that they can and do use even while unmorphed, which disqualifies them for this trope. |
| 193 | ** One episode of ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'' has the Blue Ranger Chad defeating a monster in hand-to-hand combat without morphing. Once the monster whipped out an energy staff, Chad morphed and handed him his ass again. |
| 194 | ** In the MilestoneCelebration team-up in ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'', [[Series/PowerRangersSPD Bridge]] is the only one of the Disney Era Rangers who doesn't use his civilian power (the ability to read energy) in the warehouse fight against the mooks. |
| 195 | * ''Series/ShadowAndBone'': Tolya and Tamar are Heartrenders, Grisha who can [[BloodMagic control blood flow and damage internal organs]]. Despite this, they default to their weaponry and hand-to-hand combat in a fight, and use their Heartrender abilities in support of this rather than as their primary method of attack. |
| 196 | * ''{{Series/Supernatural}}'' |
| 197 | ** Justified. Sam Winchester has the ability to kill Final Boss level demons ''with his mind,'' keeping the human host alive to boot, but the powers aren't worth the price of unlocking them. |
| 198 | ** Ruby's a demon, and while shown she does possessed abilities like other demons, for most of her appearances she's hardly shown, if at all, using them. Throughout season three she's a skilled martial art fighter, and including season four uses witchcraft, and kills other demons with her demon-killing knife in the vein of any human hunter. Until the end, demonic super strength is the only power she appeared to used blatantly. |
| 199 | [[/folder]] |
| 200 | |
| 201 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 202 | * A few advanced classes from the TabletopGame/D20Modern settings: |
| 203 | ** Urban Arcana: The thrasher (Having an impressive damage reduction coming from magic, i.e. SuperToughness), the Speed Demon (A pilot with supernatural enhancements to his/her piloting skills), the Acolyte thanks to VancianMagic (he can break out powerful powers, but they have a very limited number of uses per day, so he either saves them or is forced to fight like a normal when he runs out). |
| 204 | ** Agents of PSI: The Battle Mind, whom can mostly enhance his natural fighting prowess with psionics, along with a few more exotic powers. |
| 205 | * Many primary spellcasters in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons 3.5e'' can hold their own quite well in a fight due to respectable hit point totals, equipment proficiencies, and base attack bonuses. Among these are clerics, druids, warlocks, favored souls, and spirit shamans. |
| 206 | * In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'', it's possible to load up your character with combat stats and skills despite being able to use Magick. If the character doesn't have the Spheres or can't figure out a way to avoid Paradox, it's often advisable to use conventional weapons in a fight rather than Magick. |
| 207 | ** Similarly in ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening''. The risk of Paradox increases with each vulgar spell one casts in a scene, meaning that someone who relies on throwing around fire and lightning in a fight ''will'' either be forced to take damage from mitigating the Paradox or have their spells go hilariously wrong. It's often better to use self-enhancement magics and/or enchanted weaponry. |
| 208 | ** It helps that Rote spells gain extra power if the caster is especially skilled at a mundane skill, often combat skills in the case of more violent spells. The Adamantine Arrow takes full advantage of this by crossing it with BoxingLessonsForSuperman. |
| 209 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': A lot of Awakened metahumans [[MageMarksman fight using guns]]. Adepts can use [[BareFistedMonk their bare hands]] or [[ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge weapon foci]] and mages can use Combat spells to fight ([[TakesOneToKillOne and must in order to effectively harm spirits]]), but guns tend to be just as deadly, require no drain and leave behind no magical signature for magic police to track. |
| 210 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': |
| 211 | ** Many of the [[PsychicPowers psyker]] units in the game are also trained as soldiers in addition to their psychic abilities, and can thus supplement them with ordinary guns and melee weapons. These include SpaceMarine Librarians and their Chaos Space Marine Sorcerer counterparts, ''all'' Grey Knights, Eldar Warlocks (who are explicitly stated to have followed the Path of the Warrior as well as the Path of the Seer), Imperial Guard Primaris Psykers, psychic Inquisitors, and most psychic Chaos Daemons and Tyranids. |
| 212 | ** While this is partially GameplayAndStorySegregation, even those psykers that aren't explicitly trained warriors, such as Eldar Farseers and Genestealer Cult Magi have pistols at least, and can hold their own in a fight. |
| 213 | ** It is in fact probably easier to count those psykers that do ''not'' qualify for this trope. Those would be the Ork Weirdboy and most Daemons of Tzeentch (who, while powerful, only rely on their abilities and/or their psychically augmented [[MagicStaff staves]]), the psykers of the Renegades and Heretics (who are presumably simple Chaos-corrupted civilians and thus have no weapons or combat training), and the Tyranid Zoanthrope (who lacks any conventional combat ability at all due to being [[CripplingOverspecialization specifically created to use psychic powers and nothing else]]). |
| 214 | [[/folder]] |
| 215 | |
| 216 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 217 | * ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'': In the underwater setting of Mahri Nui, Kongu's [[BlowYouAway air powers]] were severely weakened, limiting their use[[note]]he used his powers to force Defilak out of his air bubble, but that's about it[[/note]] and had a mask power that's [[BlessedWithSuck unpredictable to the point of doing more harm than help]], so he relied mainly on his twin [[GatlingGood Cordak Blasters]] in combat. |
| 218 | [[/folder]] |
| 219 | |
| 220 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 221 | * In ''VideoGame/AquamanBattleForAtlantis'', despite his fantastic powers, most of Aquaman's fighting moves consist of basic punches, grapples, and kicks, and so do his enemies'. |
| 222 | * In ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' and the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' series, your character is some manner of immortal being and has access to three different schools of magic. ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' trades magic for guns that fire bullets made out of your own blood, arcane artifacts that also costs bullets to use, and the ability to transform into either a beast or a tentacled EldritchAbomination with a piece of cauliflower for a head. Yet the most common type of character build you will likely face in [=PvP=] involves ignoring all of that crap (besides the innate [[JustifiedExtraLives self-resurrection]]) and focusing entirely on either Strength, Dexterity (Skill in ''Bloodborne''), or both, depending on the weapon they're using, so they can hit you with said weapon really hard. Even if you do pump your magic stats, you can use them solely to cast SpellBlade buffs on a weapon, while your actual ''fighting'' style will still be that of an ordinary physical brute. Or cut out the middleman and just infuse the weapon so that it directly scales off those stats instead of the physical ones. |
| 223 | * ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has the Servants, magic replicas of mythological and historical figures whose baseline is being strong enough to crush someone's skull with their bare hands. While the majority of Servants have flashy powers and impossibly cool weapons, a few stand out as being much closer to normal than the rest. |
| 224 | ** Famous outlaw Billy the Kid shoots down his foes with nothing more than a really quick gun hand. |
| 225 | ** The weirdest thing about William Tell is that he fights like a modern soldier despite living in the 14th century, but that's still mundane enough to qualify for this. |
| 226 | ** Yagyu Munenori is perhaps the most normal of the Servants, as not only does he look like a stern old man in a cast that largely benefits from {{Historical Beauty Update}}s, his fighting style simply relies on clean, efficient bladework. |
| 227 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV:'' Among the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Thancred is the only one whose fighting style doesn't involve the manipulation of aether (read: magic) in any way[[note]]Yda[[spoiler:/Lyse]] is a Pugilist/Monk, whose "chakra" are identified in the job questline as aether regulation mechanisms[[/note]]; he starts off fighting as a Gladiator, but later operates as a Rogue, not using any of the aether-based skills afforded to either of their upgraded jobs. [[spoiler:This turns out to be to his advantage as of ''Heavensward'', where a TeleporterAccident leaves him ''unable'' to manipulate aether; Thancred himself notes that he'd rather not think about [[CareerEndingInjury how he would have reacted]] if he'd taken up magecraft. When he takes up the Gunbreaker job in ''Shadowbringers'', it's mostly for its defensive properties, and he has to rely on others to charge the aether-infused ammunition.]] |
| 228 | * Sigurd of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'' has Major Holy Blood, which entitles him to an InfinityPlusOneSword and some fancy stat bonuses... however, he doesn't get his hands on it until the last chapter he appears in. For the majority of his story, he fights with normal weapons, but he's still highly effective. |
| 229 | * ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': |
| 230 | ** While every character is able to cast powerful elemental spells through Psynergy, the game very much favors melee combat, with weapons unleashing powerful effects almost every other turn in the endgame (even for the SquishyWizard) and spells eventually relegated to healing once in a while. This gets Isaac some not-exactly-unfounded accusations of cheating during the Colosso tournament, where you're supposed to use your non-combat abilities to manipulate the stage beforehand to give Isaac an easier time getting items (during the battle itself, there's nothing stopping Isaac from casting spells, which are apparently InvisibleToNormals, the ethics and use of which are handwaved away with "Psynergy is also a warrior's power"). |
| 231 | ** In ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', Sveta is a beastgirl who can fight and cast like all the others but has a unique ability that allows her to transform into a wolflike creature. This prevents her from using Psynergy or djinn, but it makes her standard attack ridiculously overpowered as it now hits ''every'' enemy, every turn, for free (even multi-target Psynergy deals less damage to isolated enemies). While the transformation ends when she runs out of djinn to fuel it, very few enemies can stand that kind of abuse for so long. |
| 232 | * Happy Chaos from ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear -STRIVE-'' is [[spoiler:the Original, the one who first discovered the Backyard, the source of all magic in the universe, and is the first and greatest magic user known to man.]] Despite this, his main method of fighting is shooting with his [[RevolversAreJustBetter revolvers]], and only uses a bit of magic to help shoot things better. He shows clear signs that he's an amateur gunslinger, which means he chose such a fighting style to [[WillfullyWeak handicap himself]]. |
| 233 | * A flash game FanRemake of ''VideoGame/KungFuMaster'' has a special ability you unlock after beating each of the first three stages, all can lay waste to every mook on the screen. When you get to a boss fight, the main character '''refuses''' to use these specials, on the basis that he can kick their butts without them. Considering who he's fighting in stages 2 to 4, that's a hell of a statement to make. |
| 234 | * ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' has a rather complex example with the mortal warrior Atreus, who ended up becoming [[LegacyCharacter a new incarnation]] of the WarGod known as Pantheon. Originally, [[TwoBeingsOneBody his body was hijacked]] by a celestial "Aspect of War" called Pantheon who used him like armor to physically fight with, but following a duel with the demonic OmnicidalManiac Aatrox, the Pantheon spirit was killed, [[{{Determinator}} but Atreus survived]] while preserving the entity's insane celestial powers. Atreus [[NayTheist came to detest gods]] and believes that [[HumansAreSpecial humans are strong enough to not have to depend on them]], so despite essentially being [[PhysicalGod a god in physical form]], he chooses to fight like any other mortal, [[EmpoweredBadassNormal with a celestial spear and shield in hand]]. |
| 235 | -->'''Atreus''': [[AGodIAmNot I am no more than a soldier]], ''[[HumansAreWarriors and no less.]]'' |
| 236 | * Raziel from the ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' series has plenty of vampiric and ghastly powers at his disposal: A [[EnergyWeapon spectral blade,]] [[PsychicPowers telekinetic projectiles,]] {{Elemental|Powers}} [[AreaOfEffect Glyphs]], etc. But when magic is low and ghost-powers prove ineffective, he's just as likely to grab the nearest pointy object to impale his enemies with. |
| 237 | * Subverted with the Cyborg Ninja in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' who declares a true fight is hand-to-hand and that only a fool trusts his life to a weapon, wanting he and Snake to put away their flashy swords and guns and cyborg powers for a true fistfight. However, as the fight goes on and he begins being beaten he starts to rely on his powers more and more, turning invisible and teleporting and [[MoralMyopia continuing to chastise Snake if he pulls out a weapon]]. It helps that he's trying to prolong the fight because he loves it so much and that he's [[PsychoPrototype stark-raving mad]]. |
| 238 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' has Nergigante, an Elder Dragon with no special elemental abilities, breath weapon, or similar power. What it has is brute force, high-speed healing, and a no-nonsense fighting strategy where it beats down opponents and goes straight for the kill. As a result it can take on Elder Dragons and win despite lacking any elemental advantage. |
| 239 | * Rather than let the PowersDoTheFighting like most psychics, Razputin of ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' relies heavily on his acrobatics training, using his psychic abilities more like FullContactMagic or as gymnastic tools. |
| 240 | * The titular character of ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'' has ResurrectiveImmortality and a [[ArtificialLimbs prosthetic arm]] that can be outfitted with various attachments for use in combat, but he still has to mostly rely on his own skill with a sword. He later gets a fancy cursed sword that can kill immortal beings, but using it in normal combat costs [[{{Mana}} Spirit Emblems]], which are usually better served to fuel his prosthetic attachments, so he'll end up usually only taking it out to deal a finishing blow against an immortal foe after first defeating them with his normal sword. |
| 241 | * ''VideoGame/ThreeTheHardWay'' has Anderson. Already a LightningBruiser in the gameplay, he's shown to be even much more powerful in the [[CutscenePowerToTheMax cutscenes]], where he is able to lay waste on entire armies with a single strike. When other characters lampshade this, he responds that he is no longer the mass-murdering madman he was in the past. |
| 242 | * Among a faction of [[EveryoneIsASuper space ninjas with magic powers]], Vauban of ''{{VideoGame/Warframe}}'' fame relies only on a seemingly endless supply of [[TrickBomb trick grenades]] and his armour, but can still kick as much ass as any other Warframe. |
| 243 | [[/folder]] |
| 244 | |
| 245 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 246 | * ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': |
| 247 | ** Jaune Arc begins the series with no combat training and no Semblance. All he has is a hand-me-down sword and shield, and sheer determination. He has to have his Aura unlocked and learn how to be a Huntsman from scratch, unlike his classmates, who all have years of combat experience behind them. Although he upgrades his weapons in Volume 4, he doesn't unlock his Semblance until the end of Volume 5. Even then, his Semblance is the ability to amplify Aura using his own huge Aura reserves. By amplifying other people's Auras, he can make their natural Aura abilities (such as healing) even better while making their Semblances incredibly powerful. For himself what this means is that.... he just gets more durable when being hit and can heal faster. He still has to rely on ordinary combat skills and Dust just like a non-Huntsman would have to. |
| 248 | ** Pyrrha Nikos is a discussed version of the trope. Pyrrha has a reputation for being "the Invincible Girl". She is a four times Mistral champion and considered unbeatable in combat tournaments. Aside from her great skill at combat, she appears to use no obvious powers beyond recalling weapons to her hand. This is because she hides what her Semblance really is. Mercury spars with her in training very briefly just to get an idea of what her power is before discussing it with Cinder and Emerald: Pyrrha is using her magnetism power to gently nudge weapons and armour of both herself and her opponent to ensure her strikes always hit and her opponent's strikes always miss. Cinder comments that it makes her seem to others as though she's fated for victory when she's really taking destiny into her own hands. |
| 249 | [[/folder]] |
| 250 | |
| 251 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 252 | * Webcomic/AxeCop owns a tornado gun and knows a move that hits his opponent with the adjacent state or province, [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands and who knows what else,]] but his favourite move? "I'll chop your head off!" |
| 253 | * In Universe 3 of ''Webcomic/DragonBallMultiverse'', Vegeta has the upper hand against Broly for the simple reason that he wasn't born with the ability to turn Super Saiyan and had to actually learn how to fight, whereas Broly has always been able to simply mow down everyone in his way. [[spoiler: Its still not enough once Broly activates the legendary form though.]] |
| 254 | * Grace from ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' becomes an example of the WillfullyWeak variant when she [[BoxingLessonsForSuperman takes martial arts lessons]] to give [[UnskilledButStrong herself]] a nonlethal fighting option, [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=634 between the extremes]] of "[[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown tear them to shreds]]" and "[[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath talk it over peacefully]]". |
| 255 | * ''Webcomic/GhostKiss'''s LaserGuidedAmnesia is triggered by kissing her opponents. This has limited combat applications so she regularly works out and learns martial arts, at times not even using her power at all. |
| 256 | * The main characters of ''Webcomic/SidekickGirl'' often do this. |
| 257 | ** Val's main power (to not die, and eventually heal, from injuries) is pretty much useless in direct combat, so she punches and kicks people, hits them with [[ICallItVera Mr. Bat]], or [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim just shoots them]]. |
| 258 | ** Illumina's powers (floating three feet off the ground and emitting light) are also mostly useless in battle. While Illumina is usually just [[SuperZeroes completely useless]], on the few occasions later in the comic when she does fight, she demonstrates a punch powerful enough to One Hit KO people. |
| 259 | ** Chris's power (causing confusion) is usually only shown in the form of people being [[AmbiguousGender confused over his gender]], but he's got a pair of tonfa and he knows how to use them. |
| 260 | * ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'': Being TheImmune in addition to being a mage enables Lalli to fight the setting's PlagueZombie monsters up close and keep his energy-draining magic powers for tasks that actually require them. Non-immune mages, by contrast, can contribute to fights only via long-range magic. |
| 261 | * ''WebComic/{{Unsounded}}'''s [[MagicKnight Duane]] outright [[HonorBeforeReason refuses to utilize pyramy]] against non-wright foes despite his comparatively [[OurLichesAreDifferent frail]] physical stature. |
| 262 | [[/folder]] |
| 263 | |
| 264 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 265 | * ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'': Walter "Doc" Hartford has a Series Five implant like his team members, but his enhances his TechnoWizard skills in hacking and machine manipulation and is relatively useless in combat. When the fighting starts, he relies on [[GentlemanSnarker his wits]], his fists, a blaster, and (when he was really lucky) [[HeroesPreferSwords a sword]]. Sometimes {{deconstructed|Trope}} as the other three have to cover him while he works, but truly awesome when he was able to take down the nastiest foe in the series ''singlehandedly.'' |
| 266 | * ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': |
| 267 | ** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': |
| 268 | *** Aside from his firebending skills, Prince Zuko is also trained in swordsmanship and his skills come in handy when there are situations where he shouldn't use his powers, like in Season 2 when he is hiding in the Earth Kingdom. During that period, Zuko only uses his firebending once, against a particularly tricky opponent. |
| 269 | *** Zuko's uncle Iroh is shown to be a highly effective fighter without needing to firebend, such as sending Zhao flying with a flick of his wrist and heaving boulders with chains. Given his role as Zuko's mentor, this is something he probably taught him as he compliments Zuko's form after the latter shatters Iroh's chains with a single kick. Plus during Season 3, Iroh escapes from prison using ''only'' his strength while firebenders are depowered thanks to an eclipse. |
| 270 | *** Despite being one of the most skilled firebenders of her time, Azula somewhat qualifies. While she does not "fight" with her fists, oftentimes, especially in close combat, she will refrain from using firebending. Instead choosing to elude and avoid. Only choosing to use firebending when with an intent to cause major physical harm, though this was done to show that she was a precise tactician rather than a pacifist. |
| 271 | ** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': |
| 272 | *** Amon fights primarily using chi blocking, which is a non-supernatural fighting style designed to [[AntiMagic counter bending]]. He also has the ability to remove someone's bending, courtesy of [[spoiler:being an incredibly powerful Waterbender who can Bloodbend any time, no full moon needed, and can do so with a DeathGlare alone]], but that isn't the kind of thing that he can do while being attacked. His ability to avoid all bending attacks makes him one of the most intimidating characters in the franchise, but [[spoiler:he's also using his psychic bloodbending to help him throw off his opponents' movements, giving him a nigh unbeatable edge. Technically, this means that [[PowerMisidentification he really]] [[SubvertedTrope isn't fighting like a normal]]]]. |
| 273 | *** In Book 3, [[spoiler:[[EmpoweredBadassNormal Harmonic Convergence-empowered]] Bumi]] plays with the trope: He ''does'' use his bending in combat; however, he seems to only know how to do so ''defensively''. As far as offense goes, he seems to favor grappling -- for example, when fighting [[spoiler:Red Lotus earthbender [[MagmaMan Ghazan]]]], he actually [[CombatPragmatist resorts to]] [[ByTheHair hair-pulling]] and ''[[ManBitesMan biting]]''. |
| 274 | *** Being a trained martial artist (as well as extensively studying Air Nomad culture and philosophy) before he was in prison is why Zaheer is so good at airbending so quickly after gaining the ability (even though he doesn’t bend like a typical airbender; it’s more like firebending). |
| 275 | * Macbeth from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' is almost totally immortal; he doesn’t age, can’t die of natural causes and there’s only one person in the world that can kill him (and she won’t because she’d die too). However, he is not invulnerable and doesn’t appear to have a HealingFactor so he can’t just tank damage indefinitely. As such he relies on his arsenal of weapons and centuries worth of combat skill in fights rather than his immortality. |
| 276 | * In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' in which the Dark Hand goes on a talisman-empowered crime spree, [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Hak Foo]] has the talismans of levitation, healing, and immortality, but feels he barely needs them. When a disgruntled Finn, who got some of the far less flashy talismans, makes note of how they're going unused, Hak Foo disdainfully tosses them his way. |
| 277 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Rarity -- a fashionista whose main magical talent lies in beautification and beautiful things -- can on several occasions be seen punching out her enemies in typical fisticuffs (hooficuffs?) fashion. Unlike her friend Twilight Sparkle, she lacks combat magic, but she won't let that stop her. |
| 278 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', Hunter is the only character that primarily relies on physical attacks instead of magic. While he does use magic to aid him in combat (mostly SuperSpeed and TeleportSpam), he typically takes down his opponents by kicking, punching, and occasionally headbutting them, and is the only witch to use their Palisman primarily as a melee weapon. This makes sense, since [[FictionalDisability Hunter has no innate magic of his own]], and needs to be able to defend himself even when he doesn't have his staff. |
| 279 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': Ahsoka starts out the "Walkabout" arc in [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS7E5GoneWithATrace "Gone With a Trace"]] doing this, having left the Jedi Order and among ordinary civilians who don't see the Jedi as heroes. She is still able to easily [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] two ordinary criminal thugs who threaten her friend Trace. However, as Ahsoka and the Martez sisters go up against the dangerous Pyke Syndicate later in the arc, Ahsoka winds up having to use her Force powers openly in battle: during their escape in [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS7E7DangerousDebt "Dangerous Debt"]], she starts using her powers a fair bit, but ''only'' when no one will notice or realize that she has them. |
| 280 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': Kanan uses a regular blaster on a lot of his ops, only breaking out the Force powers and lightsaber when he's in serious trouble. {{Justified|Trope}} as he's a Jedi on the run from TheEmpire, and revealing himself as such puts a huge bullseye on himself (which actually happens in the [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsSparkOfRebellion pilot]]). However, as the series progresses he starts to use his lightsaber more often, as taking an apprentice means he has to relearn how to fight like a Jedi. Culminates in Season 3: after [[spoiler:being blinded in the Season 2 finale]], he can't really hide his Jedi status anymore, and although he still carries his blaster he uses it much less. |
| 281 | * Jefferson Twilight of ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'' (a ''ComicBook/{{Blade}}'' {{Expy}}) is in the "powers are too minor/noncombative to help him fight" category. Specifically, he can sense the presence of black vampires ("{{Film/Blacula}}s", as he calls them), and he is "[[LiminalBeing between worlds]]", meaning he can have a presence in the physical world and the spiritual world when projected there in some manner -- an ability so minor and vague he didn't even realize he had it until he got shoved into the right situation. Because of this, he relies almost entirely on his DualWielding skills and his army training, something he's grumbled about when both of his companions have FunctionalMagic. |
| 282 | [[/folder]] |
| 283 |
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