Line #12 Main/InvincibleMinorMinion


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11	[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/DonkeyKong3 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/donkey_kong_3_enemies_4.png]]]]
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13	->''"Warning: some enemies cannot be killed. Beware of these immortal creeps!"''
14	-->-- From the ''VideoGame/{{Super Mario Bros\|1}}'' instruction manual
15
16	This is a small videogame creature that just can't die. They will still be standing when the BigBad falls. People [[LordBritishPostulate try to kill them for the challenge.]] Sometimes, the game will have a rare weapon or powerup that can take them out where the rest of the player's arsenal has failed.
17
18	Rarely is it explained why only the {{Mooks}} are MadeOfIndestructium while the higher-ranking villains remain killable. Also, it would make much more sense for them to be holding the key than the bosses. Typically, they are put into the game [[GameplayAndStorySegregation for purely mechanical reasons]] such as preventing the player character from going [[BorderPatrol off the map]], or to areas [[BrokenBridge they shouldn't have access to for story reasons]], or for more gameplay purposes like [[StealthBasedMission to force them to use stealth]], or {{push\|yMooks}}ing players into hazards.
19
20	Compare the BossInMookClothing, which is a minion that, while killable, is strong enough to pass off as an outright BossBattle.
21
22	----
23	!!Examples:
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:The Legend of Zelda]]
27	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'':
28	** "Bubbles" are flaming skulls that disable Link's ability to use a sword for a while. There is absolutely no way to kill them. This is even worse in the Second Quest, where two new versions are added — a red one which takes away the sword ability completely, and a blue one which restores it. Touching the first requires touching the second, which is sometimes in a completely different room. You could also drink a Water of Life to end the red-Bubble effect, but with the Nintendo Hard already cranked Up to Eleven in the second quest, this is widely considered a bad move. In most of the 2D games following the original, Bubbles often remain invincible to attacks, but in ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' and the 3D games, Bubbles take regular damage (though they're usually very tough or protected by their flames).
29	** Ghinis spawned by disturbing graves cannot be harmed -- Link's attacks pass right through them.
30	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'':
31	** Nothing can kill a wandering [[https://zelda.gamepedia.com/Thief thief]] in the Lost Woods.
32	** The Deadrocks found on Death Mountain are invulnerable to almost every item in Link's arsenal, only being stunned for a short time before recovering. The only way to kill them is to use the Quake Medallion or Magic Powder on them first, which transforms them into weaker enemies. ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'' toned them down a bit, where now the Magic Hammer can smash them to pieces after being turned to stone.
33	** The Anti-Fairies that circle around blocks or walls in the dungeons though Magic Powder can turn them into normal Fairies... except the four in a particular room of the Eastern Palace, who are immune.
34	* In many of the ''Zelda'' games, attacking the normally peaceful Cuccos [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment will cause them to swarm and attack the player]]. Attacking one in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' earns you a brief [[GrandTheftMe body-swapping experience with it]]. They're indestructible, with rare exceptions.[[note]]A quest in the [=GBA=] remake of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' temporarily lets you [[CessationOfExistence "erase" them]] by catching them in a one-slot basket and then catching something else. You can also kill them in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' by way of the Magic Powder or Magic Rod.[[/note]]
35	* [[BlobMonster Chu Chus]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' can be "killed" in the sense that you hit them with an attack and they pop, but without fail they will reconstitute themselves in about 10 seconds or so no worse for wear. They're also able to ''completely'' NoSell Goron Link's punch, which only makes them briefly jiggle. Since they are a ''guaranteed'' item drop of a heart, magic container, or arrow (depending on the color), one serves as a platform when frozen, and they are a slow-moving weak absolute minor threat at best, this benefits you more than anything since you can farm items after resetting time and they have a habit of appearing in rooms where arrows and magic are needed.
36	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': The big pig in Outset Island is immortal and also deals out more damage per hit than nearly every enemy and boss in the game (three hearts, only matched by the Mighty Darknut's and Ganondorf's strongest attacks). The other two pigs you can optionally catch are only half-immortal; you can't kill them, but they die anyway.
37	* Blade Traps appear in several Zelda games, and they're almost always invincible. In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', Link temporarily takes control of a giant statue with a giant hammer that can smash the things, and it's glorious.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Mega Man]]
41	* The archetypical "piece" of a character is the Metool/Met helmet from ''Franchise/MegaMan''. Metools resemble a face wearing a construction helmet. While he could be beaten easily enough when he peeks out, with his helmet down he deflects ''all'' of Mega Man's attacks (except for latter Mega Man games, starting in ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'', where the characters have ways of getting through that defense and flip the Met over, exposing their vulnerable undersides). This has led fans to wonder what the heck those helmets are made of, and why doesn't Dr. Wily just make a robot out of it?
42	** In ''VideoGame/MegaMan4'', Ring Man's weapon can apparently slice right through this metal as it can destroy hiding Metools or Garyoby (those little assholes who speed up when you're on their platform) with no problem.
43	** In ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'', using the Power Armor mode of Rush armor lets you use a charged up punch to destroy a hiding Metool.
44	** In ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'', the titular Blue Bomber's charged weapon can't break through this metal but it ''can'' knock enemies who are hiding behind it off-balance, rendering them vulnerable to buster fire until they manage to get their guard up again.
45	** In ''Webcomic/MSPaintMasterpieces'', a webcomic retelling of Mega Man, he ''[[http://bobandgeorge.com/paint/archive.php?comic=237 did.]]'' It also goes on to say that the armor works by spreading the force of attacks and sending it around their body. Since Enker has multiple plates of armor, overloading him with energy while he has no way to get rid of it makes him ''[[http://bobandgeorge.com/paint/archive.php?comic=249 explode.]]''
46	*** Enker was actually a boss in ''VideoGame/MegaManDrWilysRevenge''. Normally completely invulnerable to all weapons, one of his moves absorbs shots from Mega Man's standard ArmCannon into his sword and unleashes a wave of energy as a counter, and only then do they damage him.
47	* Gabyoalls/Spines are unaffected by all weapons save a couple. They're those low, disk things with two spikes that move faster when Mega Man's on the same platform. Also a [[TheSpiny spiny]].
48	* In ''3'' (DOS), there are turrets randomly placed around the levels, usually in platform-heavy sections. You can't destroy them, no matter how hard you try or with any of your special weapons. All you can do is stand in a safe place and memorize their patterns, and hope to dodge their insanely fast bullets/lasers. There is no "or".
49	* The concept arises again in ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' with the Servbots, mostly incompetent flunkies to the game's GoldfishPoopGang. Completely invulnerable to all forms of damage. In the spinoff game ''The Misadventures of Tron Bonne'' you can exploit this by sending them into otherwise fatal dangers to retrieve treasure. They're not completely invulnerable since you can knock them out, but they will ''always'' be back to normal once you return to the same room.
50	* The Mets in the ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' series, while still impervious to most attacks while hidden under their helmets, can be destroyed with any of a number of attacks that can penetrate guards. The Appull viruses in the fifth game, however, are completely incapable of being harmed by direct attacks while closed up, even ones with the aforementioned property.
51	* ''VideoGame/MegaManX6'' has the Nightmare Bugs and Nightmare Mantises, the latter of which is an enemy that appears in Commander Yammark's stage and the former [[GeoEffects a stage "hazard"]] that appears in certain stages after going through Yammark's stage. The former has no form of attack but is invincible to almost all damage, mainly meant to serve as an annoyance getting in the way of X and Zero's attacks that won't leave unless struck several times, and the latter is a decently tough enemy with annoying attacks that can be destroyed but will regenerate from a wire-frame left behind after a short time to keep harassing you. The only way to permanently destroy either of them is to use the [[AttackDrone Yammar Option]] obtained from beating Yammark.
52	* ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'' has the Pulse Cannons, only located in the [[FloatingContinent Floating Ruins]]. They are stationary and incapable of actually hurting you themselves outside of collision damage, but they're almost completely invincible and hated for one reason: their pulse attack ''disables the jump ability and all related functions'' for a short period of time, meaning you can't jump, fly, hover, or air dash in any of your forms with the sole exception of Model H's falling glide. Considering the abundance of BottomlessPits in this level, they're hell to deal with, and their pulses are one of if not ''the'' fastest attacks in the game (for reference, it's impossible to avoid their pulses even with [[BulletTime Chronoforce's Time Stop in effect]]). The only thing in the game capable of destroying them is [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile Bifrost's bite attack]] (and Bifrost is one of the last Pseudoroids fought and unlocked as a playable form, and definitely isn't available the first time you need to traverse the ruins). The only saving grace is that they fire ''only'' if they detect you using a jump-related ability while within their range and the game is merciful enough to provide enough pathways that they can be avoided on a straight run (though if you're searching the level for collectibles or side-quests, that's another story).
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Super Mario Bros.]]
56	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'': The Fire Bars and Podoboos (fireballs), the latter being listed among the enemies in the manual (so not merely a trap). Later games reclassified the Fire Bars as hazards, as noted in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'' which groups it in the Gizmo category. In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'', there is one castle where you have the opportunity to kick a Koopa shell at one. You get points for the kill, but a new one spawns immediately in the same spot.
57	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'': Buzzy Beetles are effectively rendered this in World 9-1. They're already immune to fireballs, and because it's an underwater level, they also can't be stomped on.
58	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' has Phanto, who begins chasing you as soon as you pick up a key. However, he stops chasing you once you put the key down. He'll start chasing you again when you pick it up, so it's mostly a game of either out-running him or drop-and-pick cycles. There's a glitch that allows you to kill it, but it's difficult to pull off.
59	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'':
60	** There's the trap-enemy Rotodisc, which can be killed in the latter game by using the Tanooki suit to turn into a statue and fall on it at the right moment. The same thing can be done with the Boos.
61	** Jelectros are truly invincible, but completely stationary. Munchers are almost equally invincible, but pressing a P Switch turns them into coins.
62	** This game also is the first appearance of the Dry Bones, who will get up after most attacks. Only invincibility, or rare powerups (the Hammer Bros. suit or the Tanooki suit) can defeat them permanently. In later games, Dry Bones varies in how difficult it is to kill.
63	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'':
64	** Boos and Big Boos shrug off most attacks and can only be killed by sliding down a hill at them.
65	** It also has Ball 'N Chains and Bullet Bill's third cousin, [[PainfullySlowProjectile Torpedo Ted]], the course in which they appear is practically a PainfullySlowProjectile variant of BulletHell.
66	** In the GBA remake, you can defeat Torpedo Ted by playing as Luigi, bringing a Yoshi into the level, and having him eat other enemies and spit them at the Teds.
67	** Eeries (blue dinosaurs in ghost houses) can only be taken out by a Starman.
68	** "Invincible" Koopa Troopas are claimed to be this in the manual, they result when a shelless Koopa goes into a yellow shell and flashes like when Mario has a Starman, and although they are fairly hard to kill, a Starman easily takes them out, and they can even be taken out by a spin jump, a Yoshi jump, or when eaten by Yoshi. Yoshi can gain all three shell powers at once by eating them.
69	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins'': Space Zone has invincible stars (not stars that turn you invincible, stars that are invincible and will kill you). Like Jelectros, they only appear in one stage, a frustrating auto-scroll. Unlike Jelectros, some can move. There are also [[Franchise/{{Kirby}} Gordos]], but they only shake a little when Mario comes near them and are not hostile.
70	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'':
71	** Whether they hop or march, Tap Taps are virtually indestructible. The only way to get rid of them is to knock them into a bottomless pit or into lava or use a fire Watermelon or Ice Watermelon. Sure enough, when you face Tap Tap as a halfway boss, you have to knock it into the lava under the arena. If there are several, you can knock one into the others to kill them.
72	** Spitting or rolling a Pill Bug at them (like in 1-7) is one of the few ways to deal with them. You'll face another one as a sub-boss in a scrolling level. Unlike the boss fight, there's no lava - only apparently bottomless pits. If you knock him in, ''he'll eventually jump out again''.
73	** Blindfold Boo has no vulnerabilities. Fortunately, as the name implies, he can't see you; he'll just make a beeline for wherever he last heard you.
74	* ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'':
75	** The snowmen in Cool, Cool Mountain and Snowman's Land. While the jumping variety are truly unbeatable, the kind that pop up to throw snowballs at you can be defeated by running circles around them and making them dizzy.
76	** The Kuromame enemies, the tiny black balls that spit fire at you. Though in the DS remake, Yoshi can eat them for a single-use fire breath.
77	** The Heave Ho enemies, a rare enemy that only appears in Wet-Dry World and Tick Tock Clock. They can't directly harm Mario unless you let them hurl him high into the air, but they're completely invincible to Mario's attacks.
78	** Bubba[[note]]replaced by Boss Bass in the DS remake[[/note]], a giant Cheep-Cheep that [[UniqueEnemy only shows up in the large section of Tiny-Huge Island]]. While he moves slowly, he can kill you instantly if he swallows you, and it's absolutely impossible to kill him.
79	** The infamous "Mystery Goomba" in Bowser in the Sky, a Goomba that accidentally spawns out of bounds on the level's death barrier (Goombas are programmed to appear in groups of three, and the platform they're on is just too narrow, making one of them spawn off of it). The Goomba is absolutely impossible to reach or kill, even with hacking or every glitch exploitation and TAS trick in the book. Even the legendary ''Mario 64'' player WebVideo/Pannenkoek2012 hasn't been able to find a way to reach it.
80	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' has the infamous Cataquacks, duck-like enemies that chase Mario down and fling him upwards with their beaks. They can be stunned briefly by spraying them with water, and they can be properly defeated by launching them with a Dune Bud, but the ones that don't go near said buds are totally invincible.
81	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'': Thwomps are so massive that there's no way to defeat them, not even with the Rainbow Star.
82	* ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'': The Fuzzies. This isn't the only game they appear in, but it's the only one where they're invulnerable to everything except the Star.
83	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart'': There are invincible Thwomps on Rainbow Road. Touching them makes you spin out and lose coins. Even the Star item does nothing to them.
84	* ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'' has the Chain Chomps, although they only appear on Rainbow Road.
85	* ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'': TheSpiny can roll into a ball and make itself completely immune to damage. Its upgraded version uses the invulnerability time to boost its power then attack before uncurling itself.
86	* Gordos and Munchers in the ''VideoGame/{{Something}} series''. The Munchers even get a level, Hungry Vegetation, to themselves.
87	* Piranha Gabyoalls in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorldPiranhaIsland'' are immune to every attack in Mario's arsenal, but they only appear in Thorn Temple.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Other]]
91	* The manual to ''VideoGame/AlexKidd in Miracle World'' states: ''"Don't try to attack the FLAME. It's invincible. Just avoid it all costs."''
92	* The shadow at the fireplace and the dancers in ''VideoGame/AloneInTheDark1992'' became this if you ever ''touched'' them.
93	* In ''VideoGame/TheAngryVideoGameNerdAdventures'', the ghosts in the "[[BigBoosHaunt Boo! Haunted House]]" stage cannot be killed, but can be frozen by the [[SmartBomb Glitch Gremlin]].
94	* ''VideoGame/ArxFatalis'' suffers from a bug where attacking a zombie or a mummy with a weapon enchanted to Paralyze may make them completely invincible. The only thing you can do in such case is run away; mummies are arguably worse as they move faster and can cast Paralyze back at you, which is really annoying.
95	* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''.
96	** The living pipes in Rusty Bucket Bay not only can't be killed, but they can hurt you ''when you're using Wonderwing'', which is supposed to make you invincible (though that part could just be game designer oversight.)
97	** Some of the enemies in ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'' are impossible or all but impossible to kill. Being able to kill them wouldn't help much, given the speed with which enemies respawn in ''Banjo-Tooie''.
98	** [[WarmUpBoss Conga the Ape]] is technically this, as you can't completely defeat him, but three hits will make him give up his jiggy. Attack him again and it's a game of avoiding more and more oranges until you're knocked off the podium.
99	* ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}'':
100	** There's the rubber ducky of doom, who cannot be killed - just flipped over when defeated, coming to its senses a few seconds after. And you can attack it only from behind, otherwise it will [[OneHitKill unleash a vicious lightning-fast pecking assault which can send your toad crashing through the wall]].
101	** And then there's Scuzz, who you race in [[ThatOneLevel Rat Race]], and who can only be killed with a very-hard-to-pull-off glitch.
102	** The final level, "The Revolution", has Daddy Swellcheeks. When it appears, all you can do is hold onto a mast to avoid being blown away until it leaves. There's also the [[UniqueEnemy lone]] Yellow Swellcheeks, which cannot be hit, only be dodged.
103	* ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'':
104	** Any enemy made out of stone is immune to anything save for the needle-tears of ''Afterbirth''[='=]s Euthanasia or the Chaos Card. Most of the stone enemies are stationary mooks that remain even after clearing the room, but ''Afterbirth+'' has the Stoney, a statue version of the Fatty enemies that moves around and dies when all killable enemies in the room are dead.
105	** The Death's Head enemies are floating skulls that bounce around the room diagonally and are immune to anything that is not a rare, special OneHitKill weapon. They die when all other killable enemies die. ''Afterbirth'' introduces two sub-varieties that can be killed, and one of the varieties must be killed to clear the room. ''Repentance'' has more varieties in its alternate path, including a ghost-like one that moves in a wave-like pattern.
106	* ''VideoGame/{{Bug\|1995}}'' Only one that's actually an enemy as the other "invincible" enemies are traps of sorts. The spiny lizards of [[ShiftingSandLand Reptilia]] could not be killed via ''any'' means. Not even the [[ShockAndAwe Zap Cap]], or [[InvincibilityPowerUp Stunt Bug]] would even touch them. Your only option was to avoid them like the plague.
107	* An archetypal enemy in ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' is the "blood" or "red" monster, usually a skeleton. These enemies never die permanently -- they simply collapse into a pile of bones, much like Dry Bones above, and get back up a few seconds later. ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'' actually gave two ways for the player to kill Red enemies... one a special spell with a casting time so long that the only time you'll ever cast it is when it's required by the plot, and another a special weapon obtained by a late-game quest, when you probably will never see such an enemy again and wouldn't really care about the damage from any you do chance to encounter. Oh, and they give mediocre experience if you do take them out. You could also kill them with Spyha's ice spell in ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania III\|DraculasCurse}}''. Meanwhile, ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCurseOfDarkness'' has an Innocent Devil that will randomly cast a spell that will destroy one undead monster onscreen, even the red skeletons.
108	** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia'' also has red skeletons, which can be killed, but only by using the dominus glyph union, which kills you as well.
109	** The skeletons in ''Undying'' were the same way, they'd always get back up after being taken down with conventional weapons. The only way to lay them to rest was to cast Dispel on them while they were standing.
110	** The blood skeletons in ''VideoGame/{{Terranigma}}'' function the same way. However, if you dish out enough damage, they stay collapsed and vanish offscreen.
111	** The giant skulls in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''[='=]s inverted castle have the standard "not phased by anything" invincibility, although you can use Soul Steal on them to heal yourself.
112	* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'', Basil races back and forth across the bottom of the Egg Corridor and can kill you in one hit. You can't kill Basil.
113	** There's also [[spoiler: Rolling in the Sacred Grounds. Two of them accompany the Heavy Press during the fight with it.]]
114	* The fifth (haunted warehouse) level of ''VideoGame/ChipNDaleRescueRangers 2'' has a room where the lights turn on and off and the background portraits' faces turn to skulls it the dark. If, however, the lights turn off with a portrait onscreen, it will spawn a little cloud-like ghost which follows you and is completely invulnerable to any of your attacks.
115	* ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen'': In the first trilogy, almost all robotic enemies are impervious to damage, even the ones that can only push you around. In the second, most unkillable enemies are the tough rather than minor ones (such as the Berkeloids and Dopefish in ''Secrets of the Oracle'', or Robo Red and Sphereful in ''The Armaggeddon Machine'').
116	* ''VideoGame/DarkCastle'' has many enemies that can be stunned or knocked down but not killed. In some cases this barely makes sense, such as the torturer whom you go after with a spiked mace.
117	* The Skeletons in the Catacombs in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' can be killed, but they'll keep resurrecting until the nearby necromancer is slain. They can also be permanently destroyed if they are slain with a Divine weapon.
118	* ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' features looters that are only marginally tougher than zombies - except if they're behind the counter of their stores (which somehow makes them invincible.)
119	* The video game adaptation of ''Film/DennisTheMenace'' has invincible owls and fire monsters. Mr. Wilson in level one is also invincible.
120	* ''VideoGame/DigimonWorld3'' has the Knightmon guarding Amaterasu City. To engage one in battle is effectively suicide, as you cannot win. Period. [[DevelopersForesight They are not even beatable via hacking]].
121	* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry''
122	** The original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' has Stop and Go Station, a level designed entirely around invincible enemies. Rock-Crocs (Kremlings made of stone, with {{glowing\|EyesOfDoom}} {{red eyes\|TakeWarning}}) infest the mineshaft, pacing back and forth for all eternity. Get in their way, and you're toast. The only way to deal with them is to touch the floating barrels to get them to change from a green "GO" to a red "STOP", which causes the Rock-Crocs to fall asleep. This only lasts for a few seconds, and upon its expiry the barrels' labels are reversed and the sleeping enemies wake up again, so [[TogglingSetpiecePuzzle you must race from barrel to barrel to avoid getting hit]]. It's not really that difficult, but is infamous for being one of the scariest parts of the whole series. In the Japanese version, Rock-Crocs can be defeated with Donkey Kong's handslap.
123	** In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'':
124	*** Red [[BeeAfraid Zingers]] can only be killed with [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill barrels full of explosives]] or with the assistance of a "!" invincibility barrel. They can even survive [[GoombaSpringboard being jumped on by a rhino]]. Looks rather silly when the [[KingMook boss version]] of the Zinger can be defeated by a bird that spits eggs.
125	*** Similarly so was the skeletal kremling phantom, Kackle, that you find in the mineshaft level of the haunted woods area. This guy is more or less invulnerable to any attack or thrown object you have (not that you could throw anything since you meet them in the middle of mine cart tracks) and ''will'' kill you if the [[StalkedByTheBell timer above you runs out]], which is easy since they chase you for portions of the time you're in the cart. The only way you can avoid being killed by them is by beating the time you get from the beginning of the phantom's chase portion (marked by a door you enter) and make it to that portion's "exit" (another door) before time runs out. If not, that phantom will automatically kill one of your Kongs.
126	*** The blood-red piranha-like Lockjaws. Most underwater enemies are unkillable unless you ride/are a certain animal buddy, but Lockjaws are both VERY fast and out for your blood.
127	** In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' "Fish Food Frenzy" underwater stage, a snook-like Nibbla follows you around, and it has a gimmick. It starts out blue, then as it gets hungrier, it will turn purple, pink, then red (which it then attacks you). It would stay full as long as you manipulated it to eat the clownfish in the level, and not the urchins. If it ate an urchin, it would suddenly get a level hungrier. Not that making it eat urchins is a completely bad idea, one blocks the route to a bonus stage.
128	* ''VideoGame/DeadlyRoomsOfDeath'':
129	** Wubbas are completely immune to swords. However, they also can't harm the player. This means they just usually tend to get in the way. However, they can be destroyed using BenevolentArchitecture.
130	** Gentryii are not only invincible to swords, but unlike wubbas, they are just as deadly as any other monster. They are also too heavy to push into pits and immune to bombs and fire traps, making them very difficult to kill -- just about the only way is collapsing a bridge under one, if there is a bridge in the room.
131	* ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' had a couple, but the most remembered ones are probably the big brute No. #4 cats in the Down the Tubes level. They can't be killed by anything except plasma, and there is typically a hanging ledge above the area they patrol. You usually have to hang onto said ledge and pull your body up to avoid detection from these guys.
132	* ''VideoGame/EnterTheGungeon'' has a few -- Lead/[[spoiler:Flesh]] Cubes which charge at the player dealing [[CollisionDamage contact damage,]] Dead Blow hammers which periodically spawn in and strike the floor which sends out a spread of bullets, the Gunreaper who hurls a spread of homing bullets towards the player, and the Lord of the Jammed, an apparition that appears after accruing a high enough curse level who [[ImplacableMan relentlessly chases you between rooms]] and periodically fires bullets in all directions.
133	* ''VideoGame/TheEscapists2'' adds in dogs. They are first released once the Security Level reaches two stars, then again once the Security Level reaches 4.[[note]]To be more precise, two are deployed at 2 stars, 4 are deployed at 4 stars.[[/note]] They can track down objects and cannot be harmed.
134	* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyIVLegendsOfTheTitan'': The Imperial airships patrol the Cloudy Stronghold as if they were FOE, yet they cannot be fought in battle (much less defeated) and have to be avoided at all costs, because getting caught by one will fully incapacitate the GlobalAirship and make the characters respawn in Tharsis with only 1 HP each and all food that was gathered lost. By the time the characters earn the Empire's friendship (even being able to recruit Imperial-class explorers to the party), the airships are simply gone.
135	* ''VideoGame/{{Eversion}}'''s rock monsters are completely immune to any attack at all, and only pause for a second when you hop on them. [[spoiler: And in X-8 in the newer versions, the regular mooks can only be stopped for a short period of time before they regenerate. Not respawn, ''[[RevivingEnemy regenerate]]''.]]
136	* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas: Dead Money'' has Ghost People, who can only be temporarily knocked down unless decapitated, dismembered, or consumed by Dog, and Holograms, which are entirely invincible to physical attack, although some can be hacked or have their emitter disabled.
137	* ''VideoGame/{{Forsaken}}'' plays with this trope in the Space Station level. On your way out, there's a little [[Franchise/StarWars mouse droid]] roaming one of the rooms. Mo matter how much you shoot it or what you shoot it with, it will not die. The game will display a message asking you if this little critter is really that annoying that you feel the need to kill it.
138	* ''VideoGame/GianaSistersDS'': Piranhas, Crabs, Ghosts and Worms are completely unkillable and must be jumped over or completely avoided.
139	* ''VideoGame/Gift2001'': Little Clears and Darks, Guardians and Patrollers. Little Clears and Darks can be killed by light or darkness respectively, though.
140	* ''VideoGame/TheGodfather: The Game'': You may occasionally encounter mooks who you can't touch at all even though their stated rank is below what you may be routinely slaughtering by then. Fortunately they almost never show up in real combat situations.
141	* ''VideoGame/GojiraKun'': Hedora is the only monster that can't be killed by Godzilla's MegatonPunch, only pushed back a little.
142	* ''VideoGame/GreyArea2023'' has Borbos, seemingly based on the Gordos from ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'': floating spike balls that cannot be harmed.
143	* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'': The sentry turrets can only be defeated by knocking them over somehow. You can't actually ''kill'' them. They will resume their function when placed upright. The upshot is that they can't be permanently disabled when they're rewired to work for you, either.
144	* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' has several undefeatable enemies that act more like stage hazards. These include the armored worm-like Goams, which emerge from and retract into floors and ceilings; Charged Lumaflies, which are sort of intangible but periodically generate a damaging electric field; Garpedes, giant burrowing creatures that crawl continually through, up and down certain passageways and have armor plating that makes them invulnerable to your attacks; and Void Tendrils, masses of tentacles and eyes that surge out of pools of Void to lash at anything that comes close. Their entries in the MonsterCompendium, which are normally filled in by killing a certain number of each enemy, are filled by inspecting remains of these creatures found in the world map -- a fossilized Goam is found in a hidden room in the Forgotten Crossroads, a jar of preserved Lumaflies is in the Teacher's Archives, one side room in Deepnest contains the corpse of a Garpede that was cut in half by something unspecified, and an area of the Abyss contains an imprint of Tendrils left on stone.
145	* ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' has "Blits", feral chunks of {{nanomachines}} that eat other nanomachines. Only one weapon in the entire game ([[spoiler:the Null Driver]]) can kill them, although one log comments that it is possible to launch them into outer space and they'll eventually starve into... "whatever it is, it's not recyclable."
146	* ''[[VideoGame/MontyMole Impossamole]]'': Many of the GoddamnedBats and DemonicSpiders, including the sword guys in Orient, the swarms of {{ghost pirate}}s in the Bermuda Triangle, and any underwater enemy. The Amiga/C64 version has both killable and invincible variants of many {{mook}}s, such as bats and skeletons, and they're hard to tell apart.
147	* ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'': The jumping and flying [[http://kidicarus.wikia.com/wiki/Pluton Pluton]] thieves in [[VideoGame/KidIcarus1986 the original game]] are {{Bandit Mook}}s that deal no damage to Pit, but in return are completely unaffected by Pit's arrows. In ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', Plutons can be defeated, but they move so fast that it's rather hard to do so; plus they run away after a while, taking your stolen items with them. Instead, the newest Invincible Minor Minion is the Orne, which is not only invincible, but touching it is an [[OneHitKill instant death]]. Only the Three Sacred Treasures can kill them, and you use them only in very specific instances.
148	* ''VideoGame/JusticeLeagueHeroesTheFlash'': Circe creates four stone warriors to attack Franchise/TheFlash during her boss fight. They can only be destroyed when Circe disposes of them, presumably because they haven't killed the player by that point.
149	* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}''
150	** Gordos are completely indestructible, even if you run into them with invincibility activated (which normally kills every other enemy in the game, including bosses). Thankfully, they just fly in set patterns or are thrown by another enemy, making them easy to avoid. Gordos could be destroyed in ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'', but the method for doing so was only available in the boss rush level and is unavailable in all later games, where the boss rush is separate from levels. ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2'' featured Captain Stitch, a mini-boss with the look and properties of a Gordo, but it had to sacrifice its invincibility to actually attack.
151	** Shotzo cannons are this as well. However, unlike Gordos they follow the rules of gravity, so you can drop one down a bottomless pit if it's standing on a breakable block, but that is less common than how often you can have a Gordo fly off-screen. Also, in ''Kirby's Dream Land'', it is possible to destroy them with invincibility, but it takes some time and Kirby must stand in them.
152	** ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'' has the Tough Waddle Dee, a silver version of the Waddle Dee that is completely invincible and (mostly) immobile. However, it only shows up in the copy ability room [[TrainingDummy for training purposes.]] It also avoids CollisionDamage.
153	* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' had a glitch that would occasionally cause a random [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Common]] to become invincible. As if that wasn't bad enough, the AI teammates didn't even notice that Common anymore, and it could kill them. The only was to escape would be to shove the invincible zombie into a closet, and then run. Luckily, this glitch has been patched.
154	* ''VideoGame/LegendOfMakai'', a fantasy platformer arcade game from Creator/{{Jaleco}} has an indestructible eye monster fly after your hero if you run out of time.
155	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfTianding'': During the boss fight against Nakamura, the villain has two regular mooks who drops sandbags on you from a high platform. You can scale the platform and attack the mooks, but they cannot be killed in any way. After you defeat Nakamura the mooks then flees.
156	* ''VideoGame/LittleRedHood'': The bear you encounter is invincible in addition to being a OneHitKill.
157	* ''VideoGame/{{Littlewood}}'': The Wompers in the Dust Caverns can only be dodged, not incapacitated. The Ultimate Upgrade for the Dust Caverns will result in them being immobile and not doing any harm if the player still bumps into them despite this.
158	* ''VideoGame/MediEvil2'' loves these, examples include the police officers, the vampire girls and the Mullocks.
159	* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
160	** ''VideoGame/Metroid1'': The Rippers can be frozen, but not destroyed with any of your regular beams. They're only properly killable with the Screw Attack, later games adding on Shinesparking and Super Missiles.
161	** ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'': Automs cannot be destroyed, only avoided. Steptoggs, flitts and proboscum are invincible too, but they can't hurt Samus.
162	** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'': Reaper Vines and Aqua Reapers are supposed to be indestructible and can only be forced to retreat by shooting them -- unless you fully charge a shot from the Plasma Beam, which will kill them outright (until you leave the room for long enough anyway).
163	* ''VideoGame/MikuMonogatariYumeToTaisetsuNaMono'': Some stages has a rolling spike ball enemy that's cannot be killed. However, they're still could be pushed back with any attacks.
164	* ''VideoGame/NinjaShadowOfDarkness'' has green acidic BlobMonster enemies in the underground caves that cannot be harmed in any way, with the only option being jumping over them and fleeing.
165	* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'' has Spiny-like enemies circling some platforms in the Ginso Tree that can't be killed.
166	* ''VideoGame/PathwaysIntoDarkness'': Banshees are impervious to physical attacks, while the Green Oozes and "Giant Purple Hellbeasts" encountered on "Earthquake Zone" are completely invincible. The Oozes avoid you if you're poisoned.
167	* ''VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'': Some of the panels have so many hit points, it's impossible to kill them before they leave the screen. ''Gokujyou Parodius'' takes this up to 65536 by giving us the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45sbFbx_I3Y 16-Bit Block]].
168	* ''VideoGame/PerfectDark Zero'': The Spiderbots are invincible in the later levels, and will constantly pursue you if alerted, until their sensor is destroyed.
169	* [[SeriesMascot Rappies]] of all kinds on ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' and ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' can not die. After taking a certain amount of damage they will fake death and run away once a specific amount of time has passed or the player had moved a certain distance away at which they can be hit again for additional loot. (Or in the case of the former, any loot at all.) On the former this is unexplained but on the latter it's explained they are suspected to be interdimensional beings and are subject to ongoing study by ARKS scientists.
170	* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies2ItsAboutTime'' has the dinosaurs in Jurassic Marsh. None of them can be damaged or harmed at all by your plants, and they help the zombies by [[DungeonBypass pushing them further into the lawn]]. Thankfully, you can SetAMookToKillAMook by using the Perfume-Shroom, which [[MookFaceTurn turns the dinosaurs against the zombies]].
171	* ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia1'': The skeleton in level 3. The only sure way to get rid of it is pushing it down a deep pit. The Super Nintendo port adds reviving skeletons as in ''Prince of Persia 2'', and a [[SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom crushing trap]] to finish off the level 3 skeleton.
172	* ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia2: The Shadow and the Flame'': The skeletons can be defeated, but, like Dry Bones, they will get up a few seconds later. Two special enemies are completely invulnerable: the skeleton on the RopeBridge (which falls victim to a scripted event), and the floating FlamingSword.
173	* ''VideoGame/PrinnyCanIReallyBeTheHero'': [[AnthropomorphicFood Metal Corn]], Metal Imps, [[DemonicDummy Black Marionettes]] and [[LivingStatue Gargoyles]] (and their sub-variants the [[FlamingSkulls Flaming Gargoyle Heads]]) cannot be killed by any attack. They're even immune to the blast of energy released by opening a dimensional portal. (Which even kills sub-bosses immediately.) It's not a problem with the Corn, which can only jump up and down and regular Gargoyles which don't move from their positions and it's only a minor problem with the Marionettes and Flaming Heads because they only move in a set pattern (and the Marionettes can be killed by tricking them into walking off a high drop as they don't like you getting too close to them) but the imps (which can fly very quickly) will chase you until you manage to get far enough away. The only real way to deal with Imps is to stun them and then knock or throw them into a bottomless pit. Averted with Mudmen (aka Forsaken Ones) which appear to be this at first but are in fact just extremely durable.
174	* ''VideoGame/{{Purple}}'': There is a family of rolling barrels, trashcan mooks and spikeballs in the sewers. Of them three, only barrels can be destroyed using the [[InvincibilityPowerUp moon item]].
175	* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'': The Tetramites are invincible insect swarms that can digest ''anything'' by touch. Ratchet's weapons can't harm them, with the game explicitly calling them invincible. They are said to hate water and won't cross it, but spraying water at them with the Hydronator has no effect. Their are only two ways they can be killed; for some unexplained reason, the wrench, which is the weakest weapon in the series, can kill them even though none of the far more powerful weapons have any effect on them at all, and they will explode if you get them to touch ivy. In both cases, more will just spawn from their indestructible nests, making it pointless.
176	* ''VideoGame/Rayman3HoodlumHavoc'': The Knaaren are invincible, but their champion Reflux can be defeated in a boss fight, and then again later after he becomes even more powerful.
177	* ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad'': The ballistikraft (big robots) are completely invincible. Even the GodMode projectile attack (which can kill the FinalBoss in one hit) is useless against them.
178	* ''VideoGame/{{Rygar}}'': Whether it's your [[DeadlyDisc Diskarmor]] or the SmartBomb rune you can pick up, nothing you have can harm Death once your timer has run out. All you can do is RunOrDie and unfortunately Death moves increasingly faster as you progress in the game.
179	* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'':
180	** Pinchers, who jump up out of pits in ''VideoGame/ShantaeRiskysRevenge'' and ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndTheSevenSirens''. In the latter game, the Jellyfish Monster Card allows damaging it.
181	** ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndTheSevenSirens'': The unnamed spike monsters that live in the water and come in move-in-a-pattern and StationaryEnemy forms, cannot be damaged by anything, and are mainly used to necessitate precision controls.
182	* ''VideoGame/ShovelKnight'':
183	** The Mollusks are the only enemy that cannot be killed, though if they are crawling on a block when it's destroyed they will be temporarily stunned.
184	** Ghosts are a half example. They cannot be killed in the Lich Yard, only stunned, but a special item allows you to kill them in the Hall of Champions.
185	* ''VideoGame/{{Snailiad}}'' has the [[ElectricJellyfish Jellyfish]] and the spikeballs, though you get to take revenge when you get the [[UpgradeArtifact Devastator.]]
186	* Mummies are this in both Creator/DataEast's ''Spinmaster'' and Krobon's ''VideoGame/PharaohRebirth''. No matter what you do, they always put themselves together.
187	* Squee-Gs in the single-player campaigns of ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' can't be killed, only stunned momentarily. Since they also erase ink trails you make, which you probably need to get past obstacles or climb something, [[GoddamnedBats this trope makes them very, very annoying to deal with]]. At least they can't directly hurt you... that's the job of their equally invulnerable older siblings, the Industrial Squee-Gs.
188	* ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}'' has the Erchius Ghost, which appears on moons when you try to plunder their precious resources. Cannot be killed, cannot be stopped, can float through solid objects, and will drain your health if you're too close and outright kill you if they can touch you. Their only weakness is that they're somewhat slow, so running is an option... as long as you're a fast digger.
189	* ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'''s broodlings launched by Brood Lords (no longer via Spawn Broodling). They do initial impact damage, then stay around a while chomping and clawing everything in reach, but can't be shot at or controlled.
190	* Garrisoning units in ''VideoGame/StickWar'' will summon castle archers in your base depending on the number of units garrisoned, which can't be manually controlled but are also invulnerable and will automatically whittle away at attacking enemies. In ''Stick War 2'', Castle Archidons are instead provided by a researched upgrade, and the [[EvilEmpire Chaos]] and [[ElementalEmbodiment Elemental]] empires have their own equivalents ([[OurZombiesAreDifferent Deads]] and [[PlayingWithFire Fire Elementals]] respectively). ''Stick War 3'' uses both of these mechanics, although because there are no predefined factions, your castle defenders will always be Archidons no matter what your army composition is.
191	* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
192	** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'': In Adventure Mode, Jyks move in a certain pattern, damage you when you touch them, and cannot be hurt. They still count as enemies, though. Since they cannot be defeated, it's also impossible to capture them, so their trophy can only be obtained by clearing the BossRush mode with 20 characters.
193	** ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'': Smash Run mode uses Ornes from ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', and they are every bit as unkillable ([[OneHitKill and lethal]]) as before.
194	* Your wife in ''VideoGame/TakeshisChallenge'' has infinite health, which the game (along with all its other traps and pitfalls) neglects to tell you when it offers you the option to punch her and start a fight. One wonders if this was Creator/{{Takeshi\|Kitano}} just [[TrollingCreator screwing with the player]], a case of VideoGameCrueltyPunishment for deciding to hit your wife, or both.
195	* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'', there is one enemy in the Moria Gallery area, known as 'Urchin', that takes the form of a tiny green worm. However, the green worm is both practically indestructible and very dangerous-- it's able to deliver 9999 damage to any character it touches, killing them instantly.
196	* ''VideoGame/TerraCresta'', in its later areas, has [[GoddamnedBats goddamned spiked balls]] that (temporarily) surround you, slow you down, and prevent you from firing.
197	* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' has a pair of enemies exclusive to the Dungeon that cannot be damaged: The Blazing Wheel, a ring of fire that runs along surfaces, and the Spike Ball, which stays in one place and spins in a circle. Because they are invincible, neither of them has a Bestiary entry, as Bestiary entries for enemies are based on kill count.
198	* ''VideoGame/TerraTech'': The Better Future corporation has transparent, untouchable [=G.H.O.S.T=] drones appear in one mission to defend its Giga Stack facility. The drones have been taken over by a computer virus, but thankfully they deal ScratchDamage and the player can barge past them with a tough enough tech.
199	* ''VideoGame/ThunderForce IV'' had these in the [[LethalLavaLand lava cavern]] stage. Part of a larger mook, these things would break off once destroyed, and then orbit around the player character, blocking your shots. The only way to defeat it was to lure it into the walls, doing collision damage to them and eventually killing them.
200	* ''VideoGame/TheTowerOfDruaga'' has the [[WillOTheWisp Will O'Wisps]], which [[StalkedByTheBell appear if you take too long on any floor]] and are present from the start on some floors. Incidentally, three items counter the Will-o-the-Wisps in question, [[GuideDangIt but if you miss even one of them]], [[{{Unwinnable}} you won't make it past floor 59]]. Oh, and the second of these three items [[MutuallyExclusivePowerups negates the effect of the first]] and is required for the third, which combines the effects of the first two.
201	* In the Macintosh game ''[[https://youtu.be/ky9qMc0THpQ Toxic Ravine]]'', the "super" mutants that hatch from the five randomly-scattered eggs if you bomb them (or [[StalkedByTheBell take too long to clean out the ravine]]) are indestructible and can only be temporarily immobilized.
202	* ''VideoGame/{{Tyrian}}'' would make some of its later boss battles tougher by introducing a small but invincible enemy with good firepower but extremely poor targeting ability. Sounds pretty par for the course, but it ran around the bottom of the screen and shot upward, forcing you to evade fire from at least two directions.
203	* In ''VideoGame/{{Whizz}}'', the red-and-white enemies are impossible to kill.
204	* ''VideoGame/WitchHunt'': Whisperers are black shadowy spirits that cannot be killed in any way and chase you down if you get too close, and if they reach you, they [[JumpScare flash a freaky distorted red face across the screen and scream at you]], taking away a small portion of your HP and all of your Mana.
205	* Bacura, the floating mirror panels from ''VideoGame/{{Xevious}}''. It is also invincible in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' except for its rare MetalSlime appearance outside the mines.
206	* On the higher difficulties in the 3D ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' games, in addition to the [[ElementalRockPaperScissors color-coded enemies]], there are black enemies that are completely invincible.
207	[[/folder]]
208
209	[[folder:Non-Videogame Examples]]
210	[[AC:TabletopGame]]
211	* One type of creature in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' is characterized by being low power, low toughness, fairly cheap to play, and either hard to kill or easy to somehow return to the battlefield after being killed. [[DemBones Skeletons]] are particularly prone to this. [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=376297 Darksteel Mutation]] is another example which can be used both offensively and defensively, turning some useless creature into an unkillable blocker, or turning an enemy's most powerful monster into a harmless bug.
212
213	[[AC:WebComics]]
214	* The unnamed OddOrganUpTop mooks in ''Webcomic/HeroOhHero''. To defeat them, GoForTheEye. [[https://www.neorice.com/hoh_395 The catch?]] [[EyelessFace Well...]]
215	[[/folder]]
216

Context Main / InvincibleMinorMinion