| 1 | [[quoteright:350:[[Manga/StoryOfADumbPrefectAndHighSchoolGirlWithInappropriateSkirtLength https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/power_limiter_armband.jpg]]]] |
| 2 | ->''"Most fighters wear armor to protect themselves from their opponent, but I'm the opposite. I actually wear this armor to protect my opponent from'' myself." |
| 3 | -->-- '''Bui''', ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' |
| 4 | |
| 5 | A device of some kind used to restrict a character's [[PowerLevels power level]] or super power. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | These can [[DramaPreservingHandicap lighten the load]] on the SortingAlgorithmOfEvil or give new characters a chance to shine. Releasing these limiters in time of need may be difficult: |
| 8 | * If the limiting was [[WillfullyWeak voluntary]], it's AlwaysNeedWhatYouGaveUp... |
| 9 | * [[IAmNotLeftHanded Releasing a previously unmentioned power limiter]] can provide a last minute save against a particularly powerful BigBad. If done badly, the limiter becomes a plot device the author [[AssPull pulled out of their ass]]. A reader expects [[{{Foreshadowing}} clues]] that the limit was in place before the character says they're going to release it. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | The reasons for this can be because their powers are [[AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength too dangerous]] or too [[PowerIncontinence uncontrollable]] to be let loose at their fullest all the time. [[ImposedHandicapTraining A person may also willingly wear a Power Limiter as a form of training, as training with their power suppressed helps increase their power.]] Weighted clothing is often used in this fashion, in fiction and RealLife. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | The upgraded version is the PowerNullifier, which outright [[BroughtDownToNormal removes superhuman abilities]]. This can sometimes be combined with PowerCrutch (things that let them focus their power) especially for those with incontinence issues. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | See also RestrainingBolt, WeaksauceWeakness, CoverBlowingSuperpower, ShedArmorGainSpeed, IAmNotLeftHanded, ContainmentClothing and HoldingBackThePhlebotinum. Compare MoralityChip. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | ---- |
| 18 | !!Examples: |
| 19 | |
| 20 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 21 | |
| 22 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 23 | * ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'': |
| 24 | ** Used by goddesses and demons in the form of jewelry. Releasing them without permission is a big no-no, but Kami seems to be a bit flexible about this depending on situation and especially the personality of the goddess: Urd is often the ButtMonkey of this compared to her more forward-thinking sister Belldandy, as Belldandy, being a 1st Class Goddess rather than a 2nd Class like Urd, is allowed to access far more of her full power (when Urd is temporarily given 1st Class power as part of her promotion exam, it's shown she's actually ''far'' more powerful). |
| 25 | ** When Urd's mother Hild comes to Earth for a visit, she admits her excessive amount of gaudy jewelry (a total of ''twenty'' pieces, each one a separate power limiter comparable to the ''one'' that Belldandy wears) is mostly to keep her ''arrival'' from leaving their home a smoking crater. In fact, if Hild were to remove ''all'' her limiters while on Earth, she'd be a danger to the planet simply by ''existing''. |
| 26 | * In ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}'', there's a special medicine known as "Seven Day Ointment", which keeps a person's eyes forcibly closed during a week. Since this is a story with extremely powerful ninjas, if anyone gets a dose of this to the eyes, they're ''severely'' limited -- and double if their superpowers '''involve their eyes'''. [[spoiler:Gennosuke, whose power is basically a '''literal''' DeathGlare, has a dose of it thrown at him and spends quite a bit of the story as a HandicappedBadass. On the other hand his girlfriend Oboro, whose own powers involve [[PowerNullifier neutralizing ninja powers with her own glate]], willingly seals her eyes with the ointment after she accidentally uses her skills against one of her clansmates.]] |
| 27 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' has several examples: |
| 28 | ** Soul Reapers aren't allowed to release their Zanpakuto into either Shikai or Bankai without permission. This applies to both Soul Society and the living world. The damage they can do is too much to contemplate without power limiters. As a result, they also have a further limit on their power. To protect humans in the living world, Soul Reaper of Captain and Vice-captain ranks have to wear a limiter that reduces their power by 80% in the form of a tattoo of their division's symbolic flower. They again can't release this without express permission. |
| 29 | ** [[AxCrazy Kenpachi]] normally wears a parasitic [[EyepatchOfPower eyepatch]] that was specially designed to [[EnergyAbsorption guzzle some of his energy]]. This limits the amount of energy he can use in battle to [[BloodKnight prevent him]] from dispatching his opponents too fast. He wears it on purpose in order to make his fights more challenging. |
| 30 | ** When Ichigo first encounters the true form of [[PetalPower Senbonzakura]], [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Senkei]], he realises that being [[DeathInAllDirections surrounded on all sides]] by thousands of swords puts him in a very bad position. Byakuya [[FlechetteStorm guesses what he's thinking]] and tells him not to be concerned. Apparently, Byakuya once made a [[PillarsOfMoralCharacter vow]] to only ever use Senkei on someone he intended to kill [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy with his own two hands]]. As a result, he can't maximize the [[StormOfBlades potential]] of his bankai's [[DeathByAThousandCuts thousands of swords]] because he can only wield the blades [[HonorBeforeReason one or two at a time]] from the palms of his hands. [[spoiler:As of the Thousand Year Blood War arc, Byakuya can now easily call upon every single sword of Senkei to strike down his opponent. It's only been seen once (as ''Bleach'' ended), but we can assume he would go back to limiting his power after the Quincies are defeated.]] |
| 31 | ** Ikkaku possesses Bankai but keeps it secret, since if people knew about it he'd be pressured to become Captain of his own squad, when he'd rather stay in his current one. Even when he finally enters Bankai, he doesn't power straight into its full form the way the others do. He first has to re-engage the fight with the active, but weakly powered, Bankai until he makes a first cut. Only then does it "awaken". Once the dragon crest on the highest blade turns fully red, Ikkaku finally is able to wield his weapon at full strength. |
| 32 | ** Findorr Calius' mask functions as one. When it's whole, Hisagi notes that his power is only around that of a 5th Seat's, but as Findorr chips away pieces of it, his power rises. When only one piece remains around his left eye, his power is comparable to a Lieutenant, and he proves it by giving Hisagi a close fight ([[AdaptationalExpansion especially in the anime]]). When he chips off the last piece of it (90% broken) for a last-minute power-up to try and defeat Hisagi while in Resurreccion, he boasts that he's now comparable to a Captain. It doesn't help. |
| 33 | ** When Yumichika releases his Zanpakuto, it rather uselessly splits from one to four blades. Then it's revealed this is a fake Shikai and he is hiding his Zanpakuto's true abilities. He deliberately calls his Zanpakuto by [[EmbarrassingNickname a nickname it hates]] to piss it off and make it refuse to help him. When he calls it by its [[SayIt proper name]], it releases its true form: a snaking mass of unbreakable flower vines that [[EnergyAbsorption drains]] an opponent to death. His fake Shikai gives him no abilities, forcing him to fight with [[{{Determinator}} only base skill and resolve]]. However, his real Shikai is so powerful that he's achieved a [[CurbStompBattle single-strike victory]] every time he's used it. The reason he won't use it is the same reason Ikkaku won't use his Bankai: he wants to stay in his squad (the same squad as Ikkaku, even). Squad 11 consists entirely of {{Blood Knight}}s who value only physical strength and think kido is for pussies. As Yumichika's real Shikai is a kido-type, it would get him kicked out of the squad. Or at least he thinks it would; at the very least it could get him ostracized. |
| 34 | ** Ichigo himself is actually under two, both acquired around the same time. |
| 35 | *** His [[spoiler:Substitute Shinigami badge]] actually decreases the power he can draw out thanks to [[spoiler:Soul Society remembering the last time a Bankai-wielding substitute ran around freely.]] |
| 36 | *** In the Thousand Year Blood War arc, he learns that Old Man Zangetsu has been a limiter all along. He represents Ichigo's Quincy powers [[spoiler:and is supposed to kill him if he uses any other form of ability, but doesn't want to. Instead, he fakes Soul Reaper powers and limits Ichigo's real ones, which interferes with his abilities and causes instability in his power.]] On the other hand, it's not all bad: [[spoiler:since as a Quincy it means he can use defensive abilities like Blut, which actually saved him a few times.]] |
| 37 | * In ''Manga/Brave10'', it turns out [[spoiler:the Kushimitama isn't the source of Isanami's PowerOfTheVoid: it's keeping it at bay.]] |
| 38 | * In ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'', Fukuzawa's ability effectively gives his subordinates a finer degree of control over their own abilities. For example, Atsushi went from an InvoluntaryShapeshifter to a VoluntaryShapeshifter when he joined the Armed Detective Agency. |
| 39 | * In ''Manga/ChainsawMan'', the Violence [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Fiend]] Galgali is [[BoxedCrook forced by Public Safety]] to constantly wear a PlagueDoctor mask that disperses poison gas in order to keep his SuperStrength in check, HulkingOut whenever it's removed. |
| 40 | * In ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', the Youma suppression pills were designed to dampen a Claymore's power and let her act covertly. Later on they were used to [[spoiler:allow seven warriors to survive a suicide mission by faking their deaths]]. |
| 41 | * In ''Anime/DieBuster'', all of the Topless wear a small sticker on their foreheads that keeps their powers in check. Given that without it, they're low-level, localized {{Reality Warper}}s, this is understandable. |
| 42 | * ''Anime/DigimonXrosWarsTheYoungHuntersWhoLeaptThroughTime'' has Gumdramon, who has a golden band on his tail. The band was put there to keep him from using his abilities selfishly and becomes an AmplifierArtifact when exposed to ThePowerOfFriendship. |
| 43 | * ''Franchise/DragonBall'' |
| 44 | ** The weighted training clothes that Son Goku and Piccolo (Jr.) wear are used to this effect in the Piccolo Jr. Saga and Saiyan Saga of ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. However, the ever-increasing power threshold of the show quickly leads to the effect becoming meaningless and replaced with [[SuperMode super modes]] and [[FusionDance fusing]]. Goku never takes his off ([[ClothingDamage intentionally]]) and Piccolo only removes his for [[TheCoatsAreOff dramatic effect]]. In the Otherworld Tournament arc, a Namek-like figure named Pikkon (who Goku eventually fights in the finals) uses the technique as well. Goku appreciates this because he'd also been holding back, and both decided then to cut loose. |
| 45 | *** Ironically, this ultimately ends up to still be the case. In ''[[Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF Resurrection 'F']]'', Piccolo removes his and throws it to some Frieza Soldiers, who despite having vastly increased their power by this point, can't even hold up his ''hat'', revealing the weight has been ''drastically'' increased. |
| 46 | ** Majin Buu has his good half, Fat Buu. At the expense of use of a large portion of his power, Fat Buu provides Super Buu with some much needed sanity and the idea of self-preservation. |
| 47 | ** Broly of the movies wears a technological device created by his father designed to keep him from using too much of his power and going berserk. It causes the "Super Saiyan" trademark gold hair to take on a turquoise hue instead. By the time he becomes angry enough, his power overloads the device and he achieves his maximum power, growing almost triple his normal size in muscle mass yet sacrificing none of his speed. It becomes quite obvious why his father was so adamant about keeping him under control... |
| 48 | ** Frieza has an interesting variation: his transformations. His final and most powerful form is his natural state: all of his weaker forms are deliberately designed to keep his power in check. It's obvious why: when he finally does go all-out against Goku, he starts strong, almost evenly matched, but quickly burns out and loses power at a drastic rate. |
| 49 | ** ''Manga/DragonBallSuper'' gives us Gas of the Heeter family, who wears a headband which prevents him from unleashing his full power at the cost of going completely berserk. This causes problems for our heroes when he learns to retain control of himself while unleashing his full power. |
| 50 | * In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', Kyo has a power limiter in the form of a bracelet; if it comes off he transforms into his monstrous "true form." |
| 51 | * ''Manga/FushigiYuugiGenbuKaiden'' has Hikitsu put an eyepatch (or bandages) over his right eye, where his symbol is located. If it isn't covered, he can easily see into another person's heart, make them relive horrible memories to make them remember details, [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands inexplicably view the memories held within an inanimate object]] and similar. |
| 52 | * In ''Manga/GakuenAlice'', there are power-limiting masks and earrings. |
| 53 | * ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'': |
| 54 | ** In ''Anime/GundamBuildFightersTry'', the Build Burning Gundam has a unique one -- it was hidden within the shell of a MS-09 Dom. |
| 55 | ** ''Manga/MobileSuitCrossboneGundam'': Crossbone Gundam X3 has two variations on this trope. Its built-in [[BeehiveBarrier I-field]] generators have a cool-down period longer than their operational period (which finally gets fixed in Steel Seven by simply adding two more generators). And its Muramasa Blaster initially has a safety Tobia doesn't know about -- which isn't a huge problem, as that just makes it a club rather than a beam saber. |
| 56 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans'': The Alaya-Vijnana System used by some Mobile Suit pilots and particularly by the Gundam Frames links the pilot's nervous system to the control systems of the Suit, allowing the pilot to control it via thought. However, the A-V System has safeties in place that prevent full synchronization between the pilot and the robot. While full synch grants the pilot unparalleled control and superhuman speed and reflexes, it also causes severe neurological damage, permanently paralyzing large parts of the user's body unless it's currently linked to the robot. |
| 57 | * Yuki Nagato from ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' requests permission from her boss to use her powers, and later adds a second layer of restriction in the form of Kyon. |
| 58 | * ''Manga/HellTeacherNube'': |
| 59 | ** The titular character wears a black glove to keep his [[RedRightHand Oni Hand]] hidden away, and so it looks and functions as a regular human hand. When the glove comes off, the hand becomes monstrous in size and appearance, but he still keeps limits on his power with his own spiritual abilities and the help of his mentor's spirit. |
| 60 | ** A more direct application lies in the Oni-Sealing Bracelets which En no Gyōja left scattered throughout Japan (usually to [[SealedEvilInACan seal]] something ''else'', which Nube then has to contend with after taking the bracelet.) When he wears these on his Oni Hand, he can consciously allow a [[PowerLevels specific percentage]] of the Oni's power to manifest itself, while remaining in full control. |
| 61 | * ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'': |
| 62 | ** Alucard uses the "Control Art Restriction System", which divides his vampiric powers into six levels, with Level 5 as his weakest and Level 0 being his full unsuppressed power. Considering how ridiculously overpowered he is, enemies tend not to be [[BloodKnight worthy enough]] to have him unlock any levels at all. The full Level 0 release, which happens in Volume 8, involves [[spoiler:Alucard unleashing every one of the millions of souls he has personally devoured and enslaved to do his will]]. The "good news" is that he can't go full power on his own accord -- full release requires approval from Integra Hellsing. When under threat, he can release a few restrictions until the threat is destroyed, such as with his fight with Luke Valentine. |
| 63 | ** Also of note, his state of dress also indicates what power level he is at. From least to most powerful, they are his red coat-and-hat ensemble, a black body suit covered in leather straps, and [[spoiler:at Level Zero, a full suit of medieval plate-mail from the days when he was called Vlad the Impaler, a.k.a. {{Dracula}}]]. |
| 64 | * We see a couple of instances of this in ''Manga/KamisamaKiss''. The first is [[spoiler:Tomoe]] who had one placed on him when he became a familiar. Next we find out that the reason Kurama's powers in the human world are very weak is because a tengu's powers are derived from the mountain they were born on and the further away they are they are, and the longer they are away, the weaker those powers get. |
| 65 | * A non-superpowered variant can be seen in ''Manga/KyojinNoHoshi'', where the protagonist is forced to wear a spring-loaded training harness that restrains his movements, forcing him to build up his musculature so he can actually move around it. Creator/RumikoTakahashi seems to have particularly liked this harness' design, as replicas of it appear in three of her works; ''Manga/MarisTheChojo'', ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' and ''Manga/UruseiYatsura''. |
| 66 | * In ''Manga/TheLegendOfKoizumi'', during "The Twilight Of The Gods" story arc, the Pope is revealed to have been wearing "The Shackles Of Golgotha", a set of heavy wrist weights, for years in order to restrain his true power. (Koizumi remarks that he's probably been using less than a tenth of his full potential until then.) This is still a manga about playing ''mahjong''. |
| 67 | * ''Manga/LifeWithAnOrdinaryGuyWhoReincarnatedIntoATotalFantasyKnockout'': Following his SuperGenderBender, Tachibana spends most of his time wearing a CoolCrown that limits the effect of his SoBeautifulItsACurse looks so people won't fall madly in lust with him on sight. The crown acts like a PerceptionFilter, but it is not perfect. Tachibana's power will still kick in on anyone focused on him intently enough. |
| 68 | * ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'': |
| 69 | ** The first two seasons of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' featured 10-year-old girls with PowerLevels exceeding the power meter of 1,000,000 points, and then introduced many other characters able to match them. When the series proved popular enough to go on to a [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers third season]], government-required power limiters were introduced to knock them down several ranks, with them only able to use full power when authorized by a high-ranking Bureau member. |
| 70 | ** The new recruits have power limiters of their own; after getting their devices, they have a four-stage limiter set on them, which restricts how much power and what abilities they can use. One stage typically gets removed just before every major battle, so they can more easily get accustomed to their devices. |
| 71 | ** In the aftermath of ''[[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS StrikerS]]'' Lutecia and Agito are also given limiters, reducing them to mage rank D for the duration of their probation. |
| 72 | * Used in the background of the ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' franchise, in which Variable Fighters have, by the time of ''Anime/MacrossPlus'', achieved a top performance level which exceeds human survivability, capable of applying G-forces which would kill the pilot, and a top atmospheric speed where friction with the air would cause the plane itself to burn up. Other limiters include maximum safe thrust in a vacuum due to heat buildup. By ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'', new technology has allowed some of these limits to be removed; most mentions now are just a ContinuityNod to ''Plus'', where it served as a plot device to [[spoiler:further demonstrate Guld's [[RedemptionEqualsDeath sacrifice]], as he disables his limiters in order to get the performance he needed to destroy the X-9 Ghost, [[HeroicSacrifice at the cost of his own life]]]]. |
| 73 | * In ''Manga/MarisTheChojo'', [[HumanAliens Thanatosians]] wear strength-restraining harnesses that look a lot like the one from ''Manga/KyojinNoHoshi'' to control their SuperStrength. Unfortunately for the titular character, ''she'' is [[BlessedWithSuck so much stronger]] than the average Thanatosian that even ''with'' her limiter, [[PowerIncontinence she tends to destroy whatever she touches]] unless she's paying careful attention. |
| 74 | * ''Manga/MedakaBox'' has Unzen Myouga, little sister of head Enforcer Unzen Myouri, who fights using [[EpicFlail six 30kg ball-and-chains]]; when she removes them she becomes incredibly agile. This example is [[ShoutOut explicitly compared]] to Goku's weighted clothing, both by Myouga and her opponent. |
| 75 | * In what is probably a ShoutOut to Rock Lee, [=MegaMan=] and [=ProtoMan=] both have 'limiter programs' that are essentially giant weights that they drop off in their last battle in the bonus chapter of the final ''Anime/MegaManNTWarrior'' manga. [[spoiler:The battle ends in a tie.]] |
| 76 | * ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': |
| 77 | ** Rock Lee has one of the more famous examples of this when fighting Gaara. His master (Guy) gives him permission to take his leg weights off, so he hops up onto a statue and tosses them down. Those watching note that it's pointless, as shedding a few dozen pounds wouldn't make nearly enough of a difference to let him overcome Gaara. The weights then land with a thunderous, ground-cracking, crater-forming slam, showing just how ludicrously heavy they were. Lee, who was already one of the fastest fighters present, is now capable of moving fast enough that the other's can't even track him, even passing Gaara's automatic sand defense, allowing Lee to become the first person to actually land a direct hit on him. |
| 78 | ** The Eight Inner Gates are limiters of a shinobi and only the more powerful and truly skilled can remove them, such as Might Guy, a master of Taijutsu. He can unlock the other gates to gain more power, but when he unlocks Eighth Gate of Death, he surpasses the five Kage, [[spoiler: and becomes powerful enough to injure ''Ten-Tails Madara''!]] |
| 79 | ** Kakashi keeps his eye patch for most fights, because without his EyepatchOfPower his power is always on and will cost him all his energy too quickly. He also has a limit on his [[spoiler:Mangekyō Sharingan (which punch unavoidable holes into reality taking body parts of his enemies apart)]] -- twice in one fight! That power could end any threat real quick if not for the 3 limits... the [[spoiler:holes in reality]] take a long while to get started, 2 weeks of recovering in bed for doing them, and not being able to train this dangerous power means he can't aim [[spoiler:holes in reality]] well... yet. |
| 80 | ** Jinchuriki have the seals containing their Tailed Beasts tend to act as limiters, restricting the flow of chakra until their host activates it when in need. When they master their Tailed Beast, the Jinchuriki can fully unlock the seals to use their full power and can enter a transformation called Tailed Beast Mode, which allows them to fully turn into their Tailed Beast, but in Naruto and Minato’s case, they take on an avatar of the Nine Tails. |
| 81 | * In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', Evangeline is an enormously powerful vampire sorceress who's spread havoc and destruction on a colossal scale, ravaging Europe for many hundreds of years. In her heydays at least. After her defeat by Nagi Springfield [[WorldsStrongestMan the Thousand Master]], she's been constrained to remain as student in [[ElaborateUniversityHigh Mahora Academy]] for the last fifteen years. The curse he placed on her seals away most of her ability while the school's {{Magitek}} barrier weakens her significantly. Considering that the one time we see her without the power limiters, she takes out ''a demon god'' in [[OneHitKill one shot]] it's probably good that she isn't perpetually at full power. [[IAmNotLeftHanded That doesn't go to say]] she doesn't [[WaifFu have some tricks up her sleeve]]. [[OldMaster Hundreds of years of life will do that]]. In times of dire need, the headmaster is willing to release her curse temporarily for a good DeusExMachina. |
| 82 | * In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', the Evangelions' armor doesn't serve to protect the Eva and its pilot as much as it serves to limit the Evangelions' power and allow humans to control the Eva. If an Eva goes ''really'' berserk, it can actually break the armor from the inside, but this requires a strength of mind that pretty much exceeds any human's ability, and if the human pilot becomes so synchronised with the Eva that this can happen (this requires the human to have a ''400%'' synch ratio), that pilot's probably not coming back. |
| 83 | ** In ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'', Unit-02 is shown to not only possess armor, but actual limiters implanted into its back which release once [[spoiler:Mari unlocks the Eva's beast mode]]. |
| 84 | * One ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' strip, titled "Limiter Release," implies that taking off the weighted ribbon in Annaka's hair lets her jump or even ''fly'' at least ten feet off the ground. |
| 85 | * In ''Anime/PlasticMemories'', Giftias are equipped with one that restricts their super strength and speed. [[spoiler:One reason Wanderers are so hazardous to face is because this limiter is switched off when a Giftia becomes a Wanderer.]] Alternatively, the limiter can be switched off manually, [[spoiler:which is part of SAI's protocol in using their own Giftias to subdue Wanderers]]. |
| 86 | * ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'': |
| 87 | ** The wrist/leg weights are used in a regular basis during training to develop more focus and leg strength. [[MasterOfDisguise Masaharu Niou]] from Rikkaidai also uses additional wristbands to tap his own potential, and utterly ''refuses'' to take them off. |
| 88 | ** [[spoiler:It turns out that ''this'' is what Shiraishi's bandages cover. Underneath them he wears a heavy arm band; when it's removed, the speed of his left arm sky-rockets.]] |
| 89 | * A-Ko, from the parody series ''Anime/ProjectAKo'', wears Wonder Woman-like bracers to keep her from crushing everything she picks up. This is because she is implied with as much subtlety as a brick to the nuts to be ''the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman''. |
| 90 | * Power Limiters are essential in ''Manga/PsychicSquad'', as the girls' powers at their max can wreck an entire city block. At first, they were in the form of chokers, but Minamoto's persuasion changed them to a bracelet, earring and ring -- much more stylish and less degrading. However, the limiter can only be deactivated when the emergency levels are at their highest. |
| 91 | * ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': |
| 92 | ** The mail-order [[PoweredArmor Power Suit]] that Gosunkugi buys. All things considered, it's extremely powerful tech: it can withstand Ranma's full-power punches without even a dent (and injuring Ranma's knuckles in return,) provides its wearer the speed to deliver RapidFireFisticuffs on par with Ranma, and, naturally, also provides SuperStrength. What prevents misuse and abuse by any common crook? Three basic rules: a) it's unbelievably ''heavy'', so once assembled, it effectively locks into place and the user cannot budge one inch until his rival is in range, at which point [[ChainedHeat it automatically latches onto them with a retractable handcuff]] and powers up; b) once latched onto the rival, the armor will deactivate and fall apart by itself as soon as the user successfully strikes the enemy; and c) the user has a time limit to accomplish this, otherwise the armor will self-destruct. |
| 93 | ** During the Hiryu Shoten Ha arc, as part of the TrainingFromHell to learn the titular super-technique, Ranma is made to wear a spring-loaded harness similar to the one from ''Manga/KyojinNoHoshi'' that reacts to the heat of BattleAura by locking up, forcing him to learn how to fight without emitting such an aura. |
| 94 | * ''Manga/RecordOfRagnarok'': Unlike in mythology where the Járngreipr gloves increase Thor's strength so he can lift his hammer, the gloves limit his strength so that he does not accidentally crush his hammer before it can awaken its full powers. The gloves are extremely heavy and make a crater when he takes them off. |
| 95 | * In ''Manga/ReKan'', Hibiki's [[ISeeDeadPeople ability to see ghosts]] never gets out-of-control as such, but her [[ChronicHeroSyndrome utter inability to refuse help to any ghost she encounters]] does take its toll on her. At one point, when she's been pushed to utter exhaustion, her friends force her to wear her mother's Sixth Sense Blocking Spectacles, which prevent her from seeing (and even hearing) ghosts, giving her a much-needed reprieve. |
| 96 | * ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'': |
| 97 | ** Moka's rosary serves to keep her power in check [[spoiler:among other things]]. It can only be removed by [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Tsukune]] in times of extreme need. |
| 98 | ** There's also Tsukune's Holy Lock, which keeps Moka's blood in his veins from turning him into a mindless massacre machine. |
| 99 | ** Moka's older half-sister Kahlua wears a pair of cross earrings. Removing the right earring [[OneWingedAngel transforms her right arm into razor-sharp wings]]. |
| 100 | ** Sun Otonashi's notebook. At first it seems to merely be a way for the "mute" girl to use TalkingWithSigns, but it's later revealed that she's a powerful Siren who uses the notebook to help keep [[MakeMeWannaShout her lethal voice]] under control. |
| 101 | * In ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' a Cloth is a weapon and protection for his wielder. For Shun, however, it was this, as he doesn't like killing and [[WillfullyWeak his Cloth's chains allowed him to fight without using his true strength, that he expected to inevitably kill his opponent]]. Aphrodite (a Gold Saint, thus theorically vastly more powerful than a mere Bronze Saint as Shun) found the hard way during their battle, when he found the chains too annoying and reacted by destroying the entire Cloth-and died soon after. |
| 102 | * ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'': |
| 103 | ** The "good" youkai of Shangri-La generally wear jewelry-like power-limiters to keep them human-shaped and closer to human-strength when in mixed company. After the Minus Wave, very few youkai are sane enough to even think about wearing limiters. Two of the protagonists wear limiters nearly all the time: Goku's diadem and Hakkai's ear cuffs. (Goku's is many, many times stronger than a standard youkai limiter due to his SuperPoweredEvilSide.) Hakkai at full strength scares the shit out of even his friends and he's more susceptible to Minus Wave influence without the ear cuffs. Goku's unlimited form is strong enough to be a direct threat to Heaven; Sanzo's the only non-god who can put the diadem back on. In both cases, if and when the limiters come off, you'd best run and not look back. |
| 104 | ** Once, when Sanzo got hurt, Goku was so upset his power overloaded his limiter... The quartet's 'patron goddess' had to put it back on. Total beatdown on the bad guys that time, though, SuperPoweredEvilSide style. |
| 105 | * Miyanaga Saki from ''Manga/{{Saki}}'' takes off her shoes to get a power up in mahjong. |
| 106 | * Parodied twice in ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei''. In one instance, Harumi's glasses are revealed to have a tremendous weight and prevent her from exercising her full athletic potential (and she's an amazing athlete with the glasses on). The terminology used to describe them is a ShoutOut to the RestrainingBolt for mecha in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. On another occasion, Nozomu is challenged by Lee Nakanao who is a parody of the stock Rival/ WorthyOpponent of shounen fighting anime. Lee is a white haired {{Bishonen}} with an EyepatchOfPower, and when providing stats on him, the manga indicates that the eyepatch restrains his full power and he'd go berserk if he removed it. |
| 107 | * Peacemakers in ''Literature/ScrappedPrincess'' have four "modes": compressed [[spoiler:(when they look and behave like ordinary little kids)]], normal [[spoiler:(adult mages of tremendous powers)]], limited battle form [[spoiler:(levitating monstrosities that level entire cities within minutes)]], and fully released form [[spoiler:(clearly OverNineThousand and forbidden to use inside the atmosphere)]]. |
| 108 | * ''Manga/SgtFrog'': Sergeant Keroro wears a power limiter during the monsoon season to prevent him from turning into "Keroro From [[NoodleIncident Back Then]]". |
| 109 | * Shadow's golden-yellow armbands are revealed to seal away a significant portion of his power for his own safety in ''Anime/SonicX''; taking them off allows him to become faster and stronger, with the standard caveat of exhausting his stamina at a higher rate. |
| 110 | * ''Manga/SquidGirl'': The protagonist's stupidity keeps her from fully using her power. |
| 111 | * ''Manga/StoryOfADumbPrefectAndHighSchoolGirlWithInappropriateSkirtLength'': In Tasaki's [[ShowWithinAShow BL manga]], Sakuradaimon and Izubuchi take off their armband and health committee jacket, respectively, to unleash their full power. Izubuchi's coat is apparently heavy enough to dent the floor, which shocks his EvilTwin. |
| 112 | * In ''Manga/TokyoGhoul :Re'', this is the key difference between normal [[HalfHumanHybrid One-Eyed Ghouls]] and the Quinx. While the methods to create them are essentially the same, the Quinx have a system installed to limit their powers (and therefore, how close to being a true half-Ghoul they are). The Frame System consists of five layers of Quinque Steel, encasing the [[BadassTransplant transplanted Kakune]] inside them to limit how much it changes the host's biology. Removing each layer increases the potential power output by 20%, but increases risk of losing control or becoming a true half-Ghoul. [[spoiler:Once Hisae did this, he returned to his old identity as Ken Kaneki.]] |
| 113 | * ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'': |
| 114 | ** [[TheAlcoholic Mansam]] limits his strength with Knocking. Without the Knocking, he's a [[TheJuggernaut rampaging near-unstoppable]] [[TheBerserker berserker]]. |
| 115 | ** [[TheParalyzer Knocking master Jirou]] uses similar seals to limit his strength, but after he removes the seals, he transforms into a monstrous version of himself, and then [[spoiler:[[BishonenLine into a middle-aged man]]]]. |
| 116 | * ''Manga/{{Totsugami}}'': Tasaku's glasses prevent him from seeing the monsters and yokai he would usually see without them. |
| 117 | * ''Literature/TrinityBlood'': |
| 118 | ** Abel Nightroad is the only [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Crusnik]] who can release his powers in three stages (40%, 80%, and 100%). These restrictions are self-imposed, following a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment long before the series' begin. |
| 119 | ** His EvilTwin [[MeaningfulName Cain]] long before had ''permanently'' locked himself into 100% power, with [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity results]] that demonstrate why Abel's Power Limiter is a really good idea. Their younger sister Seth seems to vary only between not activating the power at all and using it at 100%. |
| 120 | * In ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', Fay's phoenix tattoo (which covers his entire back) restrains his huge innate magical powers. When he trades it to Yuuko for a place in the traveling party, he swears off using his magic for fear of what might happen without the limit in place. Although, [[spoiler:it turns out he's MORE dangerous with it than without, due to being cursed to kill the first person he meets whose magic exceeds his own. Suppressing his magic only makes it more likely he'll run across someone stronger]]. Just as a reminder, without that limiter, [[spoiler:Fay's magic can destroy an entire world/dimension/at least country when he has a SuperPowerMeltdown]]. |
| 121 | * ''Manga/UruseiYatsura:'' In addition to an early story where Ataru has Cherry make him a PowerNullifier to use on Lum, another story features Ten trying to train his strength. Intending to be helpful, Lum gives the already-overburdened oni infant a spring-loaded strength-training harness like the one from ''Manga/KyojinNoHoshi''. It takes Ten ''hours'' to drag himself home and he immediately throws it off in disgust once he's safely back. |
| 122 | * While pretty common in Sports anime in general, ''Manga/YowamushiPedal'' goes all out with this trope. The main character, from the very very beginning, is constantly under limiters and that is in fact the *only reason* he isn't already Inter-High level. Throughout the show, it's far less him getting stronger and far more his teammates just removing his limiters one at a time and watching him go from mediocre to incredible just from that. |
| 123 | * In ''Anime/YuGiOh'', Joey Wheeler says that the card "Gearfried the Iron Knight" uses his suit of armor to control his power. Joey then plays "Release Restraint" to reveal Gearfired's true form: the much more powerful "Gearfried the Swordmaster." |
| 124 | * Aki Izayoi (Akiza Izinski)'s hairband in ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'' supposedly holds back her psychic powers, although whether or not it's really a MagicFeather remains to be seen. When it falls out of her hair while fighting against Yusei, her psychic powers seem to really hit home, but that may be psychological. |
| 125 | * ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': |
| 126 | ** Bui, an enemy from the Dark Tournament arc, wears heavy armor over every inch of his body and wields a gigantic axe. Everyone thinks this is to protect him from attack, but it turns out that the armor was actually a Power Limiter, and once it's removed, he shows off an impenetrable BattleAura that lets him defeat Hiei's WaveMotionGun, the Dragon of the Darkness Flame/Kokuryuha. |
| 127 | ** Similarly enough, Hiei himself wears 2 limiters. His headband suppresses his Jagan's demon energy, while the bandages suppress the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, with ''very'' good reason; without said limit, Hiei's demon energy was so powerful, if his aura were to clash with Bui's, the resulting reaction was said by Kurama to be powerful enough to destroy the entire stadium. |
| 128 | ** It was revealed in the Dark Tournament arc that Yusuke was given "spirit cuffs" by Genkai because his constant effort to overcome it would buff up his spirit energy. |
| 129 | ** Karasu (on the same team as Bui, his skill is HavingABlast) normally wears a mask. The mask is this trope because it keeps him from having full access to his mouth, keeping a DangerousForbiddenTechnique locked up. |
| 130 | [[/folder]] |
| 131 | |
| 132 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 133 | * In ''ComicBook/AstroCity'', Lord Sovereign has a fragment of the [[ArtifactOfDoom Sekhmet Stone]] embedded in his armor; it's the only thing that allows him to control [[LovecraftianSuperpower his dark energies]] and prevent them from overwhelming him. |
| 134 | * ComicBook/BetaRayBill's cyborg body was built with one of these, releasing it more than triples his power for a short time, but runs the risk of [[PowerIncontinence burning out his power]]. |
| 135 | * ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'s HealingFactor is restrained by his own cancer and vice versa. Without his healing factor, the cancer will go wild and kill him. Without his cancer, his healing factor will go wild and kill him. Sucks, doesn't it? |
| 136 | * A future version of ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'''s Franklin Richards known as Psi-Lord wears a specialized power armor designed to drain his immense psychic abilities. Without it, he was able to release power equivalent to the Big Bang. Before that, Reed Richards had to install mental blocks within Franklin when his powers started to manifest. Of course, putting it on him while putting him in a coma did near him a WhatTheHellHero from Sue. |
| 137 | * ComicBook/{{Ghost Rider}}s are their own power limiters. The human Riders limit naturally only use a mere fraction of the potential power of their Spirits, who, it’s been said, essentially have the power of a god when carrying out their duties. The Rider’s job is to focus and direct that power in whatever way they choose. If the Rider is knocked out or gives control to the Spirit, the limit is removed, but the Spirit might stop the fight if they don't approve of the opponent, as they only fight the guilty and sinful. The best example of this is in ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'', where Johnny Blaze attempted to talk the Hulk out of his rampage, then attempted to get him out of the city when he couldn't. Hulk ended up hurting Johnny enough he blacked out, giving control over to Zarathos, his spirit. Zarathos, however, dropped the fight, as he felt Hulk was innocent and the injured party in the matter. |
| 138 | * The ComicBook/GreenLantern Corps were given various restrictions on the power of their rings by the Guardians of the Universe, such as the inability to directly kill someone with them. The Guardians later released these restrictions. |
| 139 | * Typically, ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk has basically unlimited strength, but while Bruce Banner can manifest different versions of the Hulk, they come with their own limits. This is particularly relevant for the incarnation of the Hulk known as 'the Professor'; representing Bruce Banner's ideal self, the Professor Hulk has a default strength level able to lift up to a hundred tons and an intellect equal to Banner himself, but at the cost that he will revert to Bruce Banner with the mind of the savage Hulk if he loses control of his temper. |
| 140 | * Five of the six [[ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet Infinity Gems]] act as control rods for the sixth, the Reality gem, which cannot be used alone (unlike the other five). Trying to do so will result in RealityIsOutToLunch (as Thanos painfully found out). |
| 141 | * The newest version of Steel (a member of the ComicBook/{{Justice Society|OfAmerica}} not to be confused with John Henry Irons) wears a solid metal skin with no joints in order to resist his strength enough for him to function. It ensured that he wouldn't exert so much strength that he might accidentally crush his family or damage doors just by opening them, but has draw backs like not being able to feel pretty much anything. |
| 142 | * In the post-[[CosmicRetcon Zero Hour]] ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'', blocks were put on the higher levels of Saturn Girl's telepathy when she was a child. When the blocks came off years later, she started using her powers without realizing it. |
| 143 | * During ''ComicBook/NewAvengers2015'' and ''ComicBook/USAvengers'', Sunspot suffers from a disease that puts his mutant power into overdrive and gives him strength comparable to a PhysicalGod. Since this also [[CastFromLifespan takes years off his lifespan]], Toni Ho invents a headband that regulates the amount of solar energy he absorbs and allows him to use his power at a weaker, non-lethal level. |
| 144 | * Albert Cranston in ''ComicBook/PS238'' is implied, early on, to have one of these around his head. Apparently, they limit his (apparent) telekinetic abilities to a level where he is barely able to press a keyboard button with his mind, and it seems that he is keeping the fact that he is even able to do this a secret from the remaining staff, implying it was meant to be a power-nullifier. |
| 145 | * The lightning bolt embedded in ComicBook/RadioactiveMan's head acts as a control rod, preventing the nuclear reaction in his body from going supercritical (and turning him evil). |
| 146 | * ComicBook/TheSpectre's power is severely limited when sealed in a mortal host. The Spectre still has near-omnipotent power but can only use it to punish murderers (and not every murderer at that). During the Day of Vengeance event, the Spectre was between hosts and fell prey to Eclipso's manipulations and decided that magic was an affront to the Presence's will and had to be destroyed. The Spectre declared war on all magic in the universe. And pretty much won. Without anything holding him back, the Spectre [[ForcedTransformation turned Phantom Stranger into a mouse]], forced Blaze and Satanus to flee for their lives, kicked a souped up Captain Marvel's ass, killed Shazam in the place where he was strongest, and killed all of the Lords of Order and Chaos. Unfortunately for the Spectre, that last one was the final straw for the Presence. The Presence promptly demonstrated the difference between near-omnipotent and truly omnipotent power by sealing the Spectre into his new host. |
| 147 | * ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': |
| 148 | ** During ''ComicBook/TheThirdKryptonian'', Superman had Chris Kent wear a watch much of the time that emitted red sunlight to keep him normal as he hadn't learned to control his powers yet. He could take it off any time he wanted but kept it on most of the time out of respect for his foster father. |
| 149 | ** In ''ComicBook/SupermanAndBatmanGenerations'', [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara Kent]] wore a red sunlight pendant during early childhood when her powers started manifesting. Lois had previously worn the same pendant when she was pregnant with Kara to keep the Kryptonian infant from damaging her. |
| 150 | ** In ''ComicBook/SupermanSecretOrigin'', Martha Kent forged a pair of glasses for Clark using pieces of the glass from the rocket that brought him to Earth as the lenses in order to shield his heat vision in case it accidentally went off until he was able to learn to get it under control (she had noticed the glass seemed to be able to absorb the heat). |
| 151 | * In the New Power arc of ''ComicBook/{{WITCH}}'' it turns out that the original forms of the Guardians of Kandrakar are this, with their power being a mere fraction of what they would really be and the full power being released to them [[GodzillaThreshold only in case of dire emergency]]. Considering the damage [[FallenHero Nerissa]] did with said limit, [[ProperlyParanoid it's a good thing]]. |
| 152 | * For the longest time, it was suggested that ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s adamantium skeleton was this for both his healing factor and his animalistic tendencies. When Magneto torn his adamantium out of his body and his healing factor recovered from being taxed, it came back stronger than ever, but started a downward spiral of losing himself, made full when Genesis tried to give him back his adamantium and brainwashed him, which didn't work out at all. |
| 153 | * ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': |
| 154 | ** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': The Amazons' bracers which are welded on when they swear their fealty to Aphrodite limit their strength, and when they are removed it is difficult for an Amazon to stay in control rather than fly into a berserker rage. The bracers are also their AchillesHeel, as if they are welded together by a man an Amazon's powers are drained to near baseline human standards. Diana still manages to pull chains welding her bracers together apart, it's just a bit harder than normal. |
| 155 | ** ''ComicBook/WonderWomanDeadEarth'': Diana's exceptional strength led to the Amazons crafting strength limiting bracers for her. When she flies into a rage while her bracers were removed its as if she blacked out for all the control and memory she's left with for the event. [[spoiler:She also destroyed civilization in the ensuing fight with Superman]]. |
| 156 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'': |
| 157 | ** In the '80s, a retcon introduced the idea that Professor Xavier placed a mental block in Jean Grey's mind as a child to keep her more extreme powers from manifesting. |
| 158 | ** Also, in ''ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga'', Jean unconsciously put blocks on her vast cosmic power to keep it at a level she could handle. Then, Mastermind started removing them. [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity BAD move]]. |
| 159 | ** Also, Cyclops' goggles, which keep his uncontrollable EyeBeams under wraps. If he takes his glasses off completely and opens his eyes fully he can hold off even the ''Juggernaut'' (for a little while, anyway) and once ''atomized'' a Sentinel. The bad news is that it means destroying everything else in the area too, so he doesn't do it often. |
| 160 | ** ComicBook/{{Cable}}'s PsychicPowers are canonically Phoenix-class-or-higher, but the majority of his power is constantly occupied, holding back the techno-organic virus that threatens to consume him. As such, he typically relies on {{BFG}}s and the occasional nowhere-near-Phoenix-class telekinetic feat. |
| 161 | ** It's eventually revealed that [[Characters/MarvelComicsGambit Gambit]] is naturally immensely powerful, but suffered from dangerous PowerIncontinence. Whereas Gambit's usual power is to charge an unliving object he touches with kinetic energy until it explodes, his full energy manipulation powers could potentially explode anything - or anyone - he can perceive. At least one of his AlternateUniverse versions killed everyone on his Earth in a moment of PowerIncontinence, and was also able to step between alternate worlds, twist time itself, and assume an energy form. However, when Gambit's powers started to increase and slip out of his control, long before he joined the X-Men, he made a bargain with villain Mister Sinister to surgically limit them, avoiding this fate on the main Marvel earth. |
| 162 | ** Multiple Man's power of SelfDuplication is triggered by impact when he absorbs kinetic energy. When he was a boy, his father, Dr. Daniel Madrox, created a suit for him designed to absorb the kinetic energy so Jamie wouldn't keep creating duplicates every time he bumped into something. |
| 163 | [[/folder]] |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[folder:Fairy Tales]] |
| 166 | * The Runner from the fairy tale "Literature/HowTheSixMadeTheirWayInTheWorld" wore a single weighted boot, so he wasn't running around at full speed all the time. |
| 167 | * "Literature/TheFoolOfTheWorldAndTheFlyingShip": The Runner has to tie one of his legs up or he'd move so fast he'd travel to the ends of the Earth in an instant. |
| 168 | [[/folder]] |
| 169 | |
| 170 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 171 | * ''Fanfic/AdorableMurderbeasts'' : A fanfic where a Self-Insert is put into the Young Justice universe with six Pokeballs and all the items from the games, he uses the Macho Brace, Power Bracers, and Power Anklets to increase his training so he can faster match the various threats of the DC Universe. |
| 172 | * In ''Fanfic/TheAwakeningOfAMagus'', it turns out Snape had a block placed on him during the school days, locking away most of his potential. It seems Voldemort was paranoid about Severus having the power to beat him. ProperlyParanoid. |
| 173 | * One ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' story shows Yachiru's entire uniform is covered in power limiters similar to Kenpachi's. They're also stated to be the reason she appears as a little girl as they seal away too much power for Yachiru to maintain her adult form. |
| 174 | * In the fanfic ''Fanfic/CoOpMode'', James can help those he invites into his Party into gaining Skills, but it is limited by them only learning up to the number they have for [[SuddenGameInterface INT.]] As per WordOfGod, this is so as to avoid logical exploits like [[GameBreaker learning a thousand Skills in order to get through fights with just the passives]]. |
| 175 | * ''Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit'': In the second chapter of the fourth story, ''The Diplomat's Life'', after meeting her great-niece, Princess Celestia mentions that as foals, her parents put limiters designed for infant alicorns on she and Luna until they were a year or so old. She doesn't know them herself until Magic speaks up and shares them with she and Twilight, allowing them to perform the same spell on Cadance's infant. |
| 176 | * ''Fanfic/TheElementsOfFriendship'': Book II reveals that Celestia's regalia are this to her, as the full untapped extent of her PowerOfTheSun would either incinerate or irradiate everything around her. |
| 177 | * What kicks off the plot in ''Fanfic/EscapeFromTheHokagesHat''. During the Sasuke retrieval mission, Naruto managed to win his fight against Sasuke but almost died. He aimed for Sasuke's wing which took Sasuke down but threw the aim off the Chidori from his heart to most of his right side and his whole right arm while Naruto was suffering from charka exhaustion to boost. While in surgery Tsunade finds multiple limiters on Naruto ranging from intelligence dampening to massively suppressing his hormones and libido and his motor functions. The reason she isn't on Jiraiya's (resident seal master) case for not notifying her of the seals is because they were [[BloodMagic blood seals]] made from Naruto's own blood so they wouldn't be seen by a regular medical scan. While Jiraiya says removing them would give him a major permanent boost (the seals held a large chunk of Naruto's power), there is a downside to it due to the seals being so ingrained into Naruto's body. Naruto would generally have the motor functions of a 5 month year old, Kage level reserves with zero control and a brain that's just started working at normal capacity. |
| 178 | * ''Fanfic/EscapeFromTheMoon'': Doa has one on her thaumatics, preventing her from using more than a minimal amount. |
| 179 | * In ''{{Fanfic/Everqueen}}'', for a long time, Isha is only allowed to leave her rooms while wearing special enchanted manacles. |
| 180 | * ''Fanfic/FateOfTheClans'': |
| 181 | ** Chiron's is the form he takes. If he's in a more human-like form it makes him weaker. He takes this form in order to conceal his True Name since he's basically the only centaur Heroic Spirit. |
| 182 | ** Nagare's full power is restrained by a straightjacket since he's unable to hold his power in on his own. Only by destroying it can he show his power as King. But it can only remain active for a time. Once he hits that limit, he collapses and has to wait to recharge. |
| 183 | ** [[spoiler:Cú Chulainn Alter's chains are actually holding him back. When he gets rid of them his power rivals Tamamo's three tails state.]] |
| 184 | * The admins in ''Fanfic/TheInfiniteLoops'' originally designed subspace pockets to drain power away from Loopers in order to keep them from accidentally collapsing a universe. The fact that the pockets also serve as HammerSpace and carry things between loops is just an added bonus. |
| 185 | * ''Fanfic/NerveDamage'': Samson covers his hair with strips of rawhide to prevent it from being cut off and depowering him. The cost is that covering his hair reduces his strength. He can remove the rawhide to significantly boost his strength but then his hair will become vulnerable to attack. |
| 186 | * In the ''Fanfic/PokeWars'' series it is revealed that [[spoiler:Pokémon ''and'' humans]] possess natural power limiters that keep their attacks to a non-lethal level and reduce their bloodlust and aggressiveness. The series revolves around what happens after those limiters are suddenly released and [[spoiler:the Pokémon are psychically commanded to kill all humans]]. |
| 187 | * Harriett Potter, in ''Fanfic/TheRigelBlackChronicles'', is overwhelmed by the maturation of her magical core on her thirteenth birthday, bedridden and in pain from being bloated with magic. She then learns that her mother had a similar problem and wears a power-suppressing bracelet all the time. Even once Harry recovers from the initial shock, her magic reserves are just too big for her to handle, overloading her spells and potions, so she commissions a power-suppressing ring. The results are mixed; she regains control, but it becomes much harder to use high-level magic, and she's advised by several experts that the underlying problem will only get worse the longer she tries to squash that part of herself. [[spoiler:Eventually, the choice is taken away from her, when her ring is destroyed and she has no alternative but to come to terms with herself and her magic.]] |
| 188 | * In ''Unwell'', Twilight Sparkle is said to be on these as a result of an illness that's exacerbated by excessive magic levels. And had been since foalhood. The results of another pony taking her medications are ... BAD. |
| 189 | * ''Fanfic/VoyagesOfTheWildSeaHorse'': Minor recurring antagonist Chaser Kiyoshi wears a heavy metal-laced coat that prevents her from moving at her full speed, which means that when she [[ShedArmorGainSpeed tosses it aside, her speed goes through the roof]]. In her case, it not only doubles as [[ImposedHandicapTraining a way to passively train her strength and speed]], it also actually functions as armor. |
| 190 | * ''Fanfic/WithThisRing'': After [[spoiler:Paulphidian enhances him with the [[SuperSerum Danner formula]], giving him SuperStrength]], Robin makes himself a power-suppressing armband similar to the collars used to control metahuman prisoners, so that he can adapt more gradually. He eventually doesn't need to wear it any more. |
| 191 | [[/folder]] |
| 192 | |
| 193 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 194 | * Jafar is defeated in the first ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' movie by the limits of being a genie. "PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS... itty-bitty living space." |
| 195 | * ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'': Queen Elsa has near-constant [[PowerIncontinence lack of control over her powers]], causing her to freeze everything she touches and accidentally create snow and/or ice whenever she moves her hands too quickly. To counteract this, she wears [[ConspicuousGloves gloves]]. It's shown to work... unless she's particularly distressed, for example when her parents die, she's shown to have coated a large area around her in ice, despite the gloves. Since Elsa's powers activate due to strong emotions, it's very likely that her gloves work [[MagicFeather like a placebo]]; she thinks that the gloves might help her, which calms her down and prevents her ice powers from activating. |
| 196 | * Given to Mewtwo in ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie''. When he meets with Giovanni for the first time, he barely has control of his psychic abilities and is given the armor to slowly focus his power. |
| 197 | [[/folder]] |
| 198 | |
| 199 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 200 | * In ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'', the world's fastest runner constantly has a ball and chain attached to each of his feet. |
| 201 | * In ''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'', Carol spends most of the movie with a small disc on her neck that the Kree said was there to help her control her power. [[spoiler:It was actually there to control her ''by'' controlling her power, so she couldn't use it to rebel against the Kree, and to keep her from accessing the full potential of her abilities to keep her reliant on the other Starforce members, and the Kree in general.]] |
| 202 | * In ''Film/ManOfSteel'', [[spoiler:the Kryptonians' PoweredArmor filter their SuperSenses whilst on Earth. When Superman breaks Zod's face mask after repeatedly punching him in the face, he suffers SensoryOverload. He adapts, though.]] |
| 203 | * ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': |
| 204 | ** In ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', not to mention in the [[ComicBook/XMen original comics]] it was based on, we learn that Professor Xavier placed a mental block in Jean Grey as a child, to keep her more extreme powers from manifesting. |
| 205 | ** In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', Erik observes that Mystique's physical strength is effectively halved because she is concentrating on [[IJustWantToBeNormal maintaining a human appearance.]] This explains her tendency to "decloak" for her fight scenes in the original movies. |
| 206 | [[/folder]] |
| 207 | |
| 208 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 209 | * ''Literature/TheBeginningAfterTheEnd'': Right before he begins attending Xyrus Academy, Arthur approaches the artificer Gideon for a seal that would hide his fire and water attributes. His reason for getting such an artifact is to hide his identity from Lucas Wykes (an adventurer his age whose actions led to a near TotalPartyKill for the party they were both in), whom not only would be attending Xyrus alongside him, but also hails from a very powerful and influential family which would put his (Arthur's) family at great risk. |
| 210 | * In ''Literature/{{Bequin}}'', a choice made by those who choose to summon Daemonhosts; the more of the Daemon's power is permitted to escape, the less control is possible. [[spoiler:Cherubael is weaker working for Eisenhorn because Eisenhorn wants to keep him under control.]] |
| 211 | * ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses'': Cassian and Azriel use Siphons to filter their power. |
| 212 | * In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series, a Wizard's natural instinct is to build a magic tower, and then obliterate every other wizard standing (it's noted that the plural of "wizard" used to be "war"). The [[WizardingSchool Unseen University]] with its associated lifestyle of multiple rich meals a day, bureaucracy, and general work-avoidance, acts as a Power Limiter helping keep those instincts in check, and when the system is temporarily upended in ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'', things go ''very bad, very fast''. |
| 213 | * Done by choice in the ''Taltos'' novels of the ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'' series, where [[spoiler:Sethra Lavode]] is revealed to be one and the same with [[spoiler:Kiera the Thief]], and in this persona achieved success with hard work and minimal use of magic, refusing to use any resource or knowledge she didn't gain as [[spoiler:Kiera]], even though in her true form she is an equal to the gods. Her explanation was simply that she got bored. |
| 214 | * ''Literature/TheEminenceInShadow'': |
| 215 | ** The Cult of Diablos uses several artifacts and devices to deprive their opponents of their power. However, one can bypass this and retain almost all of their magic if he or she can turn it so dense that it's impossible for it to be taken. |
| 216 | ** More hilariously, as part of his overall scheme as Mundane Mann (acting the role of someone who's seen as a complete weakling who is secretly the WorldsStrongestMan), Cid dresses himself in weighted armor to limit his speed (which even still does very little since very few people can see his light-speed movements). When he takes them off in front of Annerose and drops them, they crack the ground where they land. |
| 217 | * In the ''Literature/ExtremeMonsters'' book series, monster athletes wear Neutralizer Wristbands to weaken their monster powers so that they can compete fairly against humans in sporting events. |
| 218 | * In the ''Literature/{{Fingerprints}}'' series, Rae's PsychicPowers initially drive her into a mental institution. In later books, she starts putting wax on her fingertips as a sort of improvised Power Limiter to keep other peoples' thoughts out of her head, since [[PowerIncontinence she can't turn her ability off]]. |
| 219 | * Employed by the government in ''Literature/HarrisonBergeron'' to make sure that nobody ever excels at anything, ostensibly to make everyone equal. |
| 220 | * In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Neville and Ron both start out with hand-me-down wands which explicitly did not choose them and are not suited for them. Ron accidentally breaks his in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'' and has to get it replaced after which he has a lot less trouble performing spellwork. A part of Neville Longbottom's problem performing magic is the fact that he is using his father's wand for the first ''5 books'' until it gets broken in a fight in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix''. Once he gets one that chooses him and is suited for his skills, his abilities improve dramatically. |
| 221 | * ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': The entire guild lobby was outfitted with runes that suppress [[spoiler:Mia's hammerspace ability]] so she can control it instead of turning into a blackhole. |
| 222 | * ''Literature/TheKeptManOfThePrincessKnight'': Protagonist Matthew, along with the other six members of his former adventuring party, was cursed by the Sun God to be only able to use his former SuperStrength when in direct sunlight. [[spoiler:He ''can'' also simply brute-force past the curse with extreme effort, but only for brief periods.]] |
| 223 | * In the ''Literature/{{Ravenor}}'' books, Wystan Frauka has a power limiter which can turn off his [[AntiMagic psychic blanking effect]]. Which is handy, when the hero is a powerful psychic. In the sequel series ''Literature/{{Bequin}}'', the blanks trained at the Maze Undue for the Inquisition have bracelets serving the same function. |
| 224 | * Merlin Athrawes is actually a machine posing as one of the planet Literature/{{Safehold}}s legendary ''seijin.'' This lets him perform above and beyond your average human, but he still keeps a Power Limiter active to avoid being ''too'' above and beyond, and only removes them in extreme circumstances. |
| 225 | * ''Literature/SevenYearsAwesomeLuck'': Kester's watch holds a transformation spell that gives him a generic "John" appearance, but also locks his magic away until he takes it off. [[spoiler:This comes back to bite him when he's kidnapped and his hands are tied so he can't reach the watch.]] |
| 226 | * Exploited for LoopholeAbuse in ''Literature/ThereIsNoEpicLootHereOnlyPuns'', when a party challenges a boss that [[LevelScaling becomes stronger in proportion to their own strength]]. The boss' strength ''doesn't get recalculated if they become stronger partway through'', so they briefly apply armbands to restrain their magic, start the fight, then take the armbands off. (It's a clever solution, but since the party is also a bunch of contemptuous jerks, the [[ADungeonIsYou dungeon core]] isn't impressed, and retaliates as soon as they reach the next floor.) |
| 227 | * In ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'', the Istari ("wizards"), most prominently including Gandalf (as well as Saruman and others) all have a built-in power limiter, albeit one that is barely hinted at in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''; for full reveal, ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' must be perused. [[spoiler:The Istari are actually Maiar, a subtype of Ainur, members of the first race of beings brought forth by the Creator before the dawn of time.]] Although of "lesser order and power" than the godlike Valar, they also are immortal of the ''CompleteImmortality'' variety, and their ethereal "natural form" vastly exceeds the power and ability levels of all but the very greatest mortals in Middle-Earth history (none of which are around by the time of the War of the Ring; Galadriel at the height of her power is little more than a reflection of the abilities of her greatest ancestors). However, because of ancient and complex rules, restrictions, and covenants, [[spoiler:they are only allowed to help in the war against the dark powers in an advisory capacity]]. While occasionally capable of feats beyond men or elves (such as the White Council banishing Sauron from Dol Guldur, alluded to in ''Literature/TheHobbit'', Gandalf destroying the Balrog in Moria, breaking Saruman's hold over Theoden of Rohan and later stripping Saruman of his power altogether, or repeatedly repelling the Ringwraiths), most of the time they are just what is says on the tin -- wizened, crotchety old men that only those in the know have any reason to be wary of. Gandalf's power limiter is not removed when he is promoted to Gandalf the White (in reward for his efforts on behalf of Middle-Earth and so that he may finish his task) -- it is merely dialed down a notch. |
| 228 | ** [[spoiler:The reason they are only allowed to help in an advisory capacity because, quite simply, every time the Ainur have gone to war, [[WorldSundering it's reshaped the face of the world]]]]. |
| 229 | * In the ''Literature/TowersTrilogy'', Xhea initially believes that she is an UnSorcerer with no magic whatsoever, but later learns that she possesses dark magic which has been suppressed by a limiter for most of her life. [[spoiler:Her mother cast the limiter spell on her when she was a child to prevent her dark magic from killing her, but it breaks when Xhea pushes herself into a HeroicRROD at the climax of ''Radiant'']]. |
| 230 | * ''Literature/TsuyokuteNewSaga'': Seran turns out to be wearing not one but dozens of them, and one said restraining bracelet increases the weight by five times. |
| 231 | [[/folder]] |
| 232 | |
| 233 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 234 | * One ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode revolves around Gunn helping Gwen Raiden, a ClassyCatBurglar with [[ShockAndAwe electric superpowers]], to steal a device capable of acting as a Power Limiter for her. She wanted it because without it she instantly killed anyone who she had skin contact with, [[CantHaveSexEver to her inconvenience]]. When they obtained it, she celebrated by losing her virginity with him. |
| 235 | * ''Franchise/KamenRider'': |
| 236 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'' has [[spoiler:Blood Stalk]], who flips the franchise's entire dynamic around by being inherently ''much'' stronger than his own TransformationTrinket. He just keeps using it because outing himself as being clearly not human would be pretty bad for his plans, which rely way more on manipulating others than raw power. |
| 237 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'': |
| 238 | *** In official materials, the Horoscopes' cloaks limit their powers, and removing them allows each Horoscope to fight at full strength. It acts as one level of three, the others being [[IAmNotLeftHanded Cloakless]] and [[SuperMode Supernova]]. |
| 239 | *** Fourze himself has one in that he can't change to his [[SuperMode Cosmic States]] if the bond between him and his friends weakens. Although by the time they figure that out he's fighting the strongest villains in the show and it doesn't pose much of a problem for him anymore, because he can't believably be fighting them without it. |
| 240 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'': |
| 241 | *** Wataru (the titular hero) has his [[spoiler:{{Dhampyr}} and]] Rider abilities are chained in two ways: symbolically in that being a [[spoiler:HalfHumanHybrid denies him most of the powers of his vampiric heritage]], and literally with the chains adorning Kiva's armor that bring its power down to manageable levels. When he unlocks [[SuperMode Emperor Form]], the TransformationSequence actually begins with one of his sidekicks shattering the chains. |
| 242 | *** Later in the series, Wataru gets his hands on an EvilWeapon that makes him go berserk. His {{Battle Butler}}s use a fragment of their souls to create a new Power Limiter that lets him use the sword without going crazy. |
| 243 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': The season's power-scaling uses "Levels" to categorize a Rider's current power. To destroy a Bugster Union and permanently save a patient, the Rider has to devolve from their Level 2 state down to the bulky Level 1, as being too strong can hurt the patient as well as the monster infecting them. The final battle sees the Doctors [[spoiler: destroy Gamedeus' Bugster Union with these starter forms, as opposed to their upgrades]]. |
| 244 | * In ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'' [[SixthRanger Hikaru]] ends up having to put a time limit on the main team's [[SuperMode Legend Modes]] so that they don't [[PowerAtAPrice lose their humanity]]. |
| 245 | * The classic tokusatsu example is ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'''s Color Timer, where once he transforms has only [[HourOfPower three minutes to kill the monster and change back]] or "Ultraman will never rise again." The InUniverse explanation is that Earth's atmosphere is harmful to Ultraman, and three minutes is the longest he can safely stay on Earth; the Color Timer is a grafted device that serves to tell him how much longer he has before he is too weak to continue and could potentially die (more than once, being beaten badly enough by the MonsterOfTheWeek has caused the Color Timer to go off prematurely). This trait is also shared by all the other heroes of the ''Franchise/UltraSeries''. |
| 246 | * ''Series/{{Wednesday}}'': The Sirens attending Nevermore wear necklaces that neutralize their siren song. They are not foolproof, however, meaning they may still subtly influence other students. That is the reason why Xavier broke up with Bianca in the past, since he could never be sure if his feelings were genuine or if she was manipulating him. [[spoiler:In the Season 1 final, when they need to use their siren song at full power to save the school, [[LetsGetDangerous they remove the necklaces]].]] |
| 247 | [[/folder]] |
| 248 | |
| 249 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 250 | * In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', Mars, the goddess of war and battles, wears her hair in braids while training her soldiers, and each braid binds up some of her strength and skills so that she doesn't accidentally kill them. |
| 251 | * In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', a few creatures have some way to become more powerful if certain conditions are met, and many of these are implied to be removal of a power limiter of some kind. |
| 252 | * Creator/GamesWorkshop games: |
| 253 | ** In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'' and ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', the Chaos God Tzeentch created the Blue Scribes to collect every spell and psychic power in existence. Knowing the [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder mentality of his followers]] however, Architect of Fate altered the Scribes to ensure that they couldn't effectively use the knowledge they acquire. P'tarix can transcribe the spells they find, but can't read. Xirat'p, on the other hand, can read his brother's writing, but can't understand it. They're also both Blue Horrors so that they would eternally be at each other's throats (as well as being dumber than two halves of a peanut), never getting the idea that they could work together to utilize the power they hold effectively. |
| 254 | ** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' specific examples: |
| 255 | *** Many Imperial Guard Sanctioned Psykers have augmetic dampers implanted to reduce the potency of their powers. |
| 256 | *** The Animus Speculum worn by Culexus Assassins are designed to absorb and contain the anti-soul energies of the Blanks that wear them. This is so that the Assassins can operate within normal people without causing them to experience a violent case of Uncanny Valley. Unlike other examples though, it can fire this stored energy when the eye opens, turning it into a localized negative space wedgie that tears your soul from your body. |
| 257 | *** Ork Weirdboyz carry copper rods that ground the Waaagh! energy that accumulates in them from the presence of other Orks. This serves to drastically reduce the odds of the Wierdboy accidentally exploding someone's head (possibly thier own). In battle their Minderz will take the rod away, point the Weirdboy in the general direction of the enemy and hope for the best. |
| 258 | [[/folder]] |
| 259 | |
| 260 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 261 | * In ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'', Deus's cape is shown to be weighted, as evidenced in episode 15.5. |
| 262 | * ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries'': |
| 263 | ** The [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividuals Adepts]] of the [[MegaCorp Sumeragi Group]] are kept under control through the use of Glaives that contain their extracted septimosome, the physical source of their powers, though they can still use at least a weakened version of their powers. By merging with them, they can regain access to their powers [[AmplifierArtifact and then some]] to achieve a state called "weaponization"/"Armed Phenomenon" and they can summon them remotely from the Sumeragi Headquarters when needed for combat. [[BigBad Nova]] takes the cake, however, in that he's so strong that he needs ''three'' of these Glaives to restrict his power (most need only one)... and even then he's strong enough that he can rival the power of his strongest underlings when they've ''released'' their Glaive. [[OneWingedAngel His fully-released form]] is compared to [[AGodAmI a god more than a man by both himself and others]]. By ''Azure Striker Gunvolt 3'', these types of Glaives are considered "old-fashioned" and a new type that can inhibit Septimas as a field effect without extracting the septimosome are the standard. |
| 264 | ** Of the Sumeragi Swordsmen, [[PestController Stratos]] has a second one in the form of the S.E.E.D., a special synthetic drug Sumeragi scientists had been testing to suppress Septimas without actually extracting the septisome. Unfortunately, the drug also turned out to be [[PsychoSerum highly addictive]] and coupled with the [[PlayingWithSyringes various other experiments]] being run on him, Stratos is a [[AxCrazy barely sane individual]] inflicted with HorrorHunger. Gunvolt ends up destroying the flower producing S.E.E.D., resulting in Stratos going on a rampage and ''eating'' several unlucky Sumeragi mooks before fighting Gunvolt, and despite the fact that normally the Swordsmen need authorization to summon their Glaives, Stratos is able to summon his at will and transform. |
| 265 | ** On the heroes' side, [[spoiler:Asimov's glasses are revealed to be his own special Power Limiter to hide his [[ShockAndAwe Azure Striker]] Septima, which he has [[PowerIncontinence trouble controlling]]]]. Only a select few amongst QUILL knew about this, and Gunvolt himself only learns about it [[spoiler:when Asimov [[TheGlassesComeOff takes them off]] for the TrueFinalBoss battle]]. |
| 266 | ** In ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt2'', [[TheDragon Tenjian]] of [[SuperSupremacist Eden]] uses a Glaive created by Eden from data [[spoiler:his sister Zonda]] stole from Sumeragi to assume his own Armed Phenomenon form, but the resulting power boost is lacking since the Glaive doesn't contain his septimosome [[WarmUpBoss and he's beaten easily]]. Indeed, the new TransformationTrinket introduced for this game called Grimories are straight-up {{Amplifier Artifact}}s due to reverse-engineering Glaive technology to ignore the Power Limiter aspect. |
| 267 | ** ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt3'': |
| 268 | *** This game introduces the Binding Brands, the [[SuperPrototype original spiritual tools the technology of the Glaives would be based on]]. They were intended to be used to manipulate the energy flow of dragon veins across Japan and allowing for the creation of several special protections and defenses around the country such as the [[TheWallAroundTheWorld Kamishiro Barrier]] [[spoiler:and were secretly used to help seal the Primal Dragon [[GooGooGodlike Moebius]].]] Unlike their Glaive successors, however, the Binding Brands due to their innate energy don't require sealing an Adept's power to allow them to transform with them. |
| 269 | *** Kirin's [[SupernaturalSealing Radiant Fetters]] allow her to seal and limit the power of other Adepts and other supernatural powers. In the beginning of the game, she seals Gunvolt's [[ScaledUp Primal Dragon powers]] in order to keep his [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt world-ending potential]] in check (which has the side-effect of [[ForcedTransformation turning him into a dog-like form]]) and can help him release some of that power to return to human form and unleash hell on his foes. To emphasize how effective it is, Sumeragi used ''1000'' Glaives to keep him sedated and under control for decades, but he ultimately broke loose of them once his power grew too strong. |
| 270 | * It is revealed near the end of ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' that [[spoiler:the Siphon actually limits Elizabeth's powers at the request of Comstock to better manage and keep her under control. By destroying the Siphon Tower using Songbird, Elizabeth gains the full potential of her powers which allowed her to see through the multi universe of the world and its truth.]] |
| 271 | * ''Franchise/BlazBlue'': |
| 272 | ** In ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift Continuum Shift]]'', Hazama explains that Noel's Nox Nyctores Bolverk actually functions as a limiter to sustain her emotions. Thus when Bolverk breaks, Noel unlocks her true form -- Mu-12. This only happens because he's riling her up at the time, however. When Rachel takes Bolverk from her in an AlternateTimeline, she instead loses all self-confidence and dissolves into tears. |
| 273 | ** ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueChronophantasma Chronophantasma]]'' gives us Azrael's Enchant Dragunov (indicated by the tattoos adorning his body) that he uses so he doesn't kill his opponent too soon. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqPXKxalTTI This is his power without said seal...]] |
| 274 | * In the ''Ringed City'' dlc content of ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'', it is revealed that [[spoiler:the Darksign]] is apparently a power limiter. [[spoiler:Gwyn placed a "seal of fire" on the Pygmy Lords and their Ringed Knights to cut them off from the power of the Abyss which they could command due to their mastery of their Dark Soul fragments. This now waning seal bears an eerie resemblance to the Darksign.]] |
| 275 | * In ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided'' Adam Jensen is revealed to have a bevy of experimental augmentations that while very potent will severely destabilize him if he activates them on top of his existing augs. He can get around this by either disabling certain mods (including HUD elements) or obtaining a MacGuffin that will allow his surgeon (presuming that he's still alive) to eventually remove the limiter entirely. |
| 276 | * In the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' series, the first humans of Sanctuary (and Sanctuary itself) were Angel-Demon hybrids called the Nephalem. They possessed power beyond any angel or demon and more significantly were ImmuneToFate. The Angels feared their power and tuned the Worldstone to limit their power. Then Tyrael was forced to destroy the Worldstone after Baal corrupted it in ''Throne of Destruction''. Cue [[VideoGame/DiabloIII the sequel]], and the first of the new Nephalem become powerful enough [[spoiler:to slay the reincarnated ''GodOfEvil''.]] |
| 277 | * The Slayer class in ''VideoGame/DungeonFighterOnline'' is a swordsman with a [[DemonicPossession red, demon-possessed arm]] that constantly tries to take over the rest of his body. Right from the start, he's got a Power Limiter in the form of mystical shackles attached to the arm. One of his class advancements, the Blade Master, receives a more-powerful version called a Regulator, which allows him to focus nearly entirely on his swordplay and supresses the demon so strongly his arm [[PowerGlow turns white and glows.]] His alternate class advancements are much less positive, which involve [[DealWithTheDevil striking a bargain with the demon]] to trade his eyes for power, learning to enslave the demon and others like it which will ultimately end up with him dead due to them or just giving into the possession completely. |
| 278 | * The Elona+ expansion for ''VideoGame/{{Elona}}'' has the fourth-level god gifts, which are equipment pieces that provide lots of armor, but decrease that god's favored attributes and skills by an extraordinary amount. They're meant to be used for training; attributes and skills that are very high gain levels slowly, but by lowering those attributes and skills and setting up the right situation, you can continue to train them in a time-efficient manner. |
| 279 | * In its obsessive dedication to accuracy, ''VideoGame/EuroTruckSimulator2'' imposes the speed limiters required by law in Europe on the game's trucks. [[IAmNotLeftHanded Later versions let you disable the limiter.]] [[PowerIncontinence This generally results in a hard lesson as to ''why'' those laws were made in the first place.]] |
| 280 | * ''VideoGame/GetInTheCarLoser'': In the second DLC, the Adversarial Zodiac causes various combat penalties to be applied to Sam, Grace, and Valentin, since the stars reject their presence in the alternate timeline. The party has to accumulate Adversarial Zodiac Points and spend them in the planetarium in order to remove each penalty. |
| 281 | * In ''VideoGame/GodHand'', Gene wears the "Deistic Brace" on his titular godhand presumably so that he can keep control over the awesome power it contains. [[spoiler:The braces, along with Gene's other arm, are removed for the final fight.]] |
| 282 | * In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII'', Hercules starts out as a MightyGlacier, but when Kratos pulls off his armor and weapons, he becomes much faster, turning into a LightningBruiser. |
| 283 | * In ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', Proto Bahamut looks like it has its hands and mouth tied up, its tail bandaged, and is blindfolded. They come off when it reveals its true power. In its raid boss battle, it breaks these limiters once its health is halved. |
| 284 | * Potemkin in ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' wears a restraint system designed to keep him under control during the years he was a slave; his [[SlaveCollar collar]] had a [[ExplosiveLeash bomb wired into it]]. Even now, having gained freedom, he still wears it to keep his strength in check. In his [[FinishingMove Instant Kill]], he briefly removes it, and then kills the opponent with one punch. |
| 285 | ** As well as Sol Badguy, who wears a pseudo-magical headband which suppresses his true nature as a SuperPrototype of a gear Gear, a race of magical living weapons of mass destruction, and allows him to retain his sanity. However, this comes at a cost of somewhere in the vicinity of 90% of his power. Given his already amazing battle skill, and his ability to destroy commander-level Gears with minimal effort, his true potential can be rather frightening to consider. |
| 286 | ** Still, [[BigBad That Man]] seems to casually fight him after Sol removes his limiter. Even at the end of the battle, barely any damage was done to That Man. Makes one wonder how powerful That Man really is. |
| 287 | *** Sol admits after that fight that he still didn't go all out, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity probably again for the sake of his sanity.]] |
| 288 | * In the digital card game ''VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft'' we have the card 2 mana cost card [[http://hearthstone.gamepedia.com/File:Ancient_Watcher(153).png Ancient Watcher]] which has a massive 4 attack and 5 health but has a limiter which prevents it from attacking. Silencing the card will disable this limiter and makes it a potent threat. |
| 289 | * ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'': |
| 290 | ** K' is forced to wear a special gauntlet, lest his flame control powers run wild. Normally, flame-users in KOF have perfect control, but since K' got his powers through an imperfect process, he has no control over them. As of ''2003'' and ''XIII'', it's implied he doesn't need it anymore but now wears it out of habit. |
| 291 | ** Both K9999/[[spoiler:Krohnen]] and Nameless have this too. Nameless's in particular is tied to his backstory, as it contains the essence of his deceased lover Isolde, who has similar abilites to Kula Diamond (being born from the same project) and is used to mediate Nameless's flame powers. |
| 292 | ** Rugal Bernstein and Krizalid have first forms wherein they wear a tuxedo for Rugal or a huge coat for Kriz. Once they come off...well, [[SNKBoss don't say we didn't warn you]]. Rugal's tux is probably worn by Rugal to flaunt his status as a ManOfWealthAndTaste, where as Kriz's coat is unexplained but could be this. Rugal flings his off, and Krizalid burns his, by the way. |
| 293 | * ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': Throughout ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'' and the early part of ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII II]]'', Riku wears a blindfold to suppress his [[CastingAShadow darkness]] and SuperpoweredEvilSide. When fighting Roxas and losing, however, he was forced to remove the blindfold; doing so [[ShapeshifterModeLock traps him in the form of Xehanort's Heartless]], but nonetheless gives him enough power to K.O. Roxas with ease. |
| 294 | * Inhibitors in ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' limit the enemy's nexus into summoning weaker minions instead of the mighty super minions. However, this is mainly to HandWave why destroying such structures grants your team super minions. |
| 295 | ** It was stated in the lore once, but possibly retconned out later, that the Nexus and summoning spell that calls the Champions onto the Fields of Justice regulate power as well, to ensure an even playing field. This is more or less a necessity when the champions range from an anthropomorphic hamster with a blowgun to minor deities. |
| 296 | ** There is also a lore-only example in Xerath, a mage who turned himself into what seems to be a being of pure magical energy but was then sealed in a metal sarcophagus. An unspecified amount of centuries later, the sarcophagus is broken into pieces, allowing him to move about and cast some spells, but they're still attached to him and limiting his power, though he is trying to remedy the situation. |
| 297 | * In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', [[GreaterScopeVillain The Imprisoned]] has an involuntary one in the Sealing Spike in his head. Normally, the spike serves as a [[SealedEvilInACan seal]] on him, keeping him imprisoned in the Sealed Grounds. But due to the weakening seal, he manages to emerge in a [[MonstrosityEqualsWeakness monstrous, albeit weakened]], state due to the spike sealing his power. [[BigBad Ghirahim]] aims to remove said seal by [[spoiler:sacrificing Zelda's soul to give The Imprisoned the strength to break it and return to his true form, Demise.]] |
| 298 | * In ''[[VideoGame/LenEn Len'en Project]]'', the main protagonist Yabusame Houren has the ability to cross dimensions. She has to wear a "two-dimensional" cloth to keep her from just hopping to different dimensions on a whim. |
| 299 | * ''VideoGame/LieOfCaelum'': After accidentally nuking part of the planet with his power, Syou sealed most of his power in the Inverse Towers. |
| 300 | * ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' has an interesting example. Raiden's new cyborg body has all the bells and whistles, including systems to allow him to fight on while injured/damaged. [[spoiler:It turns out these are also keeping "Jack the Ripper", his long-suppressed ChildSoldier side, in check. When an attempt to [[BreakThemByTalking break Raiden by talking]] works [[GoneHorriblyRight a little too well]], he demands Doktor turn ''off'' his supposedly-helpful pain inhibitors, allowing his CombatSadomasochist SuperpoweredEvilSide to let rip.]] |
| 301 | * In ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'', there's a unit item actually named [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Limiter]] that reduces all your stats. However, if you get 20,000 kills with it equipped, it becomes an Adept, which raises all stats and cuts MP consumption. |
| 302 | ** The Lame D'Argent and Sealed J-Sword follow similar rules, becoming the Excalibur and Tsumikiri J-Sword after 10000 and 23000 kills (respectively). Both are among the best Hunter class weapons in the game and the Tsumikiri J-Sword can unleash a 360° wave attack by using some of your [[LimitBreak Photon Blast gauge]]. |
| 303 | * Certain held items in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' act as simultaneous Power Limiters and PowerAtAPrice. The various "Power ________" items sacrifice Speed to increase another stat's development speed. The Iron Ball cuts Speed and removes the Flying-type immunity to Ground moves, but gives the strongest possible base power for the move Fling. Certain abilities, like Truant and Slow Start act as Power Limiters. |
| 304 | ** Machoke's belt is also an example, preventing it from expending all its power at once. |
| 305 | ** ''Diamond and Pearl'' show that the Poké Balls themselves serve as Power Limiters on [[OlympusMons particularly powerful mons]], driving [[BigBad Cyrus]] to seek alternative methods to enslave the local gods of time and space. |
| 306 | ** The chest seals on Golett and Golurk keep their power at a manageable level. |
| 307 | ** Espurr and Meowstic keep their ears folded to hold back the immense, uncontrollable psychic power that they produce. They are even classified as the "Restraint Pokémon" and "Constraint Pokémon" respectively. |
| 308 | ** Type: Null's mask is designed to keep its powers and speed in check. When it evolves into Silvally, the mask is destroyed and it gains a noticeable boost to its base Speed stat. |
| 309 | * ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'': Dogen Boole has [[PowerIncontinence uncontrollable psychic powers]] that cause people's heads to explode. He mentions that his parents make him wear his tinfoil skull cap so he doesn't have any more "accidents". |
| 310 | * The coat worn by the [[ImplacableMan T-103 Tyrant]] in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', according to [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary materials]], is specifically designed to prevent him from mutating. Once it's burned off [[MakeMyMonsterGrow he grows to twice his size]], sprouts [[WolverineClaws big claws]], and becomes ''[[LightningBruiser far more aggressive and faster]]''. |
| 311 | ** This is actually seen by a group of Umbrella soldiers in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOperationRaccoonCity'' |
| 312 | ** The same concept applies to just about any clothed Tyrants in the franchise. If it wears a BadassLongcoat, odds are good that the coat is keeping it from turning into a mindless monster. |
| 313 | ** The CGI movie ''Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation'' shows this off nicely, without the graphical limitations, the coat doesn't look just like a snazzy trenchcoat, but has bolts, latches, and seems to be segmented at places, designed to fall apart when the limiter is broken, most of the design seems to indicate that the coat isn't ''just'' a power limiter, also a restraint to keep the Tyrants from breaking loose from their Containment Pods. |
| 314 | ** It's also seen with The Nemesis in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis''. After getting its coat burned off mid-way through the game, it sprouts tentacles, begins acting more erratically, and forgoes its rocket launcher in favor of CombatTentacles and brute force. |
| 315 | * In ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa2'', if you kill Rockbouquet before Noel, he will not allow you to make peace with him and will attack at full power; it is even worse if he is the only remaining hero since he will be the penultimate boss in the final dungeon; he will be in his second form and without the limiter, meaning he will use every technique at his disposal. |
| 316 | * In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', [[{{Superboss}} Alilat]] serves as one of these. While now Metatron can siphon a bit of his power back, it means now [[ThatOneBoss Demiurge's]] power lines just got unclogged... |
| 317 | * In the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series, the gold rings on Shadow's wrists act as a limiter, but he's only ever removed them once in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006''. When Mephiles surrounds Shadow by [[DoppelgangerAttack duplicating himself several hundred times]], Shadow removes the rings from his wrists and proceeds to curbstomp the entire clone army. He immediately puts them back on afterward. |
| 318 | * In ''VideoGame/StarCraft'', the Terran Ghosts go through brutal training to suppress their innate abilities and allow their superiors to keep better control over them. It can be reversed, though; Infested Kerrigan raids a Terran ship to find out how to do it, unlocking the Psionic Storm attack. |
| 319 | * ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'''s final boss Indalecio used his daughter Filia as a limiter on his power. If, after reaching the final level of Fienal, the player decides to trek all the way back to Central City, do a private action and encounter Filia again, Indalecio will find her and kill her, removing his limiter. With his limiter off, he's almost unstoppable. |
| 320 | * ''Franchise/StreetFighter'': |
| 321 | ** ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'''s Oro willingly wears one of his arms in a sling while fighting as to use both would run the risk of killing his opponent due to his sheer power. During one of his [[LimitBreak Super Arts]], however, he removes the arm and beats the crap out of the opponent. |
| 322 | ** [[VideoGame/FinalFight Cody Travers]] wears his prison-issued handcuffs in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 3'' and ''Super VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' for much the same reason, though he does so in order to up his own challenge as well as give his opponent a fair(er) bout. He proves it's a limiter by casually removing his cuffs during his taunts in order to stretch his wrists. |
| 323 | * In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', pretty much every SuperRobot used by the Shadow-Mirrors is able to deactivate its power limiter by reciting a code word or phrase, i.e. "Code: Kirin". This is never used as a plot point, however, just an implied powerup during the characters' strongest attacks. |
| 324 | * Used ''twice on the same character'' in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''. A piece of AppliedPhlebotinum is used to bring Jade down 30 levels so he wouldn't be spectacularly overleveled for most of the game. Later, through a sidequest or two, you learn that Jade's eyes are where his ability to use fonic artes is most concentrated, and his glasses prevent all the fonic energy from going out of control and destroying him and whatever he happens to be standing by. ([[TheGlassesComeOff The glasses do come off]] for the final battle against the BigBad, however...) |
| 325 | * Conflicts in the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' games involve [[SuperpowerLottery incredibly powerful beings]] fighting using nonlethal [[BulletHell Spellcards]] instead of their true powers to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath especially when beings vital to the existence of the world]] are involved. Thus, even weak {{youkai}} stand a chance when pitted against beings like [[PersonOfMassDestruction Flandre Scarlet]], who can destroy anything by clenching her fist, and nobody has to worry about accidentally killing [[{{Miko}} Reimu Hakurei]] and thus bringing about the end of the Barrier keeping the mundane world separate from [[FantasticNaturePreserve Gensokyo]]. |
| 326 | ** [[WarmUpBoss Stage 1 boss]] [[DarkIsEvil Rumia]] wears a ribbon-like amulet that she cannot take off or even touch. What exactly the amulet does has never been shown in canon, but a popular and likely theory goes that it's a power limiter. The fandom refers to the hypothetical unsealed entity as "EX Rumia", and she is usually portrayed as [[SuperpowerLottery excessively powerful]], [[PowerGivesYouWings winged]] and [[{{BFS}} wielding a giant sword.]] |
| 327 | * ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'': [[spoiler:The "golden contract" functions as this for Azul's [[PowerParasite unique magic]]; without it, he'll rob his victims of ''all'' of their powers due to the magic's powerful nature, and thus he'll [[OneWingedAngel overblot]] very quickly.]] |
| 328 | * Deathwing from ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft:'' ''Cataclysm'' has massive elementium plates welded onto his body to keep his own power from tearing him apart. He's still noticeably "leaking" power despite them, and is in constant agony. When the final battle comes, you tear off the plates to defeat him [[spoiler:only for his body to transform into a DraconicAbomination capable of single-handedly killing any of the other Aspects and ending the world in a minute flat]]. |
| 329 | * In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', Shulk ponders early on that there must be a reason why the Monado can't cut people and faced Mechon. Later it turns out [[spoiler:the Monado's is "in shackles" in its current form. Once Zanza unlocks it into the Monado II, those restrictions no longer apply. And it turns out that even that form is still limiting its power when the Monado III is revealed.]] |
| 330 | * ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' has the surface dwellers' and Solarians' powers limited by a nanomachine device literally called a Limiter. You get to destroy this Limiter later and unlock awesome new techs for your character. |
| 331 | ** Limiters are used in a lot of ways, not just to ensure that surfacers and Solarians can't attain their full power. [[spoiler:Fei also gets a Limiter that keeps his SuperpoweredEvilSide under control, with a system that allows him to release his Id powers in a controlled fashion. It breaks later.]] |
| 332 | ** Later on, the heroes remove the Limiters on ''everyone''. [[spoiler:It turns out that removing the Limiters of [[NominalImportance nameless NPCs]] is [[NiceJobBreakingItHero a bad idea]].]] |
| 333 | [[/folder]] |
| 334 | |
| 335 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 336 | * ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': |
| 337 | ** The Heaven's Feel scenario has Shirou [[spoiler:losing an arm and having Archer's arm (and Magic Circuits) grafted on (supposed to be impossible, [[MyFutureSelfAndMe but...]])]], which would kill him if he used it much at all, thus forcing him to utilize a magical shroud to block it off. |
| 338 | ** Heaven's Feel also reveals that Rider's blindfold is actually another Noble Phantasm, Self-Sealing Dark Temple. The blindfold blocks her Mystic Eyes, which would otherwise kill nearly everyone around her. [[spoiler:Her eyes are specifically Mystic Eyes of Petrification, because she is Medusa]]. |
| 339 | ** Rider's blindfold functions similarly to Shiki's glasses in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''. In fact, [[Literature/TheGardenOfSinners Touko]] also creates a pair of glasses for Rider for everyday purposes. |
| 340 | ** ''Anime/FatePrototype'', ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' and ''Literature/LordElMelloiIICaseFiles'' shows that this applies to the offensive Noble Phantasms of King Arthur, in any iteration. Both Excalibur and Rhongomyniad have thirteen seals with conditions for their release having been set by the Knights of the Round Table ([[https://typemoon.fandom.com/wiki/Restraints_of_the_Round_Table See here for a full list]]). This corresponds to said weapons displaying exponentially greater power the more seals are released and, in Rhongomyniad's case, half are required to even be able to evoke its true name. |
| 341 | [[/folder]] |
| 342 | |
| 343 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 344 | * All "morally-compromised malefactors" sent to ''WebAnimation/{{HFIL}}'' have one of these placed on their ankles so they can't use their full power and escape. |
| 345 | [[/folder]] |
| 346 | |
| 347 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 348 | * Black Mage from ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'' has a huge amount of untapped potential power that is indicated to be enough to bring about at least ''one'' of the X-classes on the ApocalypseHow scale. How does the universe stop this OmnicidalManiac from destroying all reality? His physical body limits the amount of power he can access. As a result, after [[OhCrap he died the first time]] ([[EvenEvilHasStandards and a large hoard of terrified demons]] and the ''[[PragmaticVillainy villains of the comic]]'' stuck him [[PersonOfMassDestruction back into his physical form]]), the universe has been very careful to make sure he doesn't die. |
| 349 | * ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan's'' younger brother Gregory learned WhiteMagic while afflicted with blight of the undead, already fairly powerful when the blight got ripped out he released a burst of white fire that healed the gaping wounds in himself and everyone around him. Similarly, their mother Miranda the archmage discovered that her power had been limited by a geas from her predecessor and when it was removed her strength was so great as to be unmanageable, a simple energy bolt spell causing a huge explosion. |
| 350 | * Kili's [[PowerTattoo tattoos]] in ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'' limit her shaman powers and protect her from [[ISeeDeadPeople insanity through dead people]]. Note that she's still the best shaman in the world, and her tattoos would ''[[PowerNullifier completely negate]]'' the powers of a normal shaman. |
| 351 | * Eclair from ''Webcomic/DragonMango'' is always seen wearing armor, which fits her concept as she is a swordfighter. But it's also made of iron, which hurts and weakens an elf (which she is) by its mere touch! She is also a graduate of swordfighting style with an insanely dangerous training method (most students either flee, die or go insane long before completing training) focused on enduring the touch of iron. When she goes up against an extremely powerful enemy, she drops the armor to unleash her ''full'' potential. |
| 352 | * Agatha's brooch in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' inhibits her "[[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder spark]]" of [[MadScientist Mad Science]] genius [[spoiler:and later prevents her from being [[GrandTheftMe taken over by her mother]]]]. |
| 353 | * Kin in ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'', as part of her enslavement to Dellyn, has been fitted with a magical leash that suppresses her magic abilities and prevents her from harming anyone else if the leash is being held. |
| 354 | * {{Discussed|Trope}} in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower''. Superpowers in the setting are extremely varied, and their origins are unknown (mostly, [[JackOfAllTrades Halo's]] are alien artifacts and [[EmotionEater Vehemence's]] is magical), so any "one size fits all" power limiter is impossible. [=ArcAEGIS=] is, however, very creative when it comes to {{Tailor Made Prison}}s; A superhero who creates portals is kept in a pressurized cell, so any attempt at teleporting would cause explosive decompression, and an EmotionEater who gains power from violence is kept high of his ass and provided with cutesy, non-violent entertainment. On the few cases where they let him out for "feeding", they keep Halo around so she can dump him into outer space the moment he gets uppity and let him choke until he surrenders. |
| 355 | * ''Webcomic/KarinDou4koma'': Seren has to wear one (in the form of bunny/cat ears!) to contain her immense power and allow her to use it for trivial things. Without it, focusing even a little bit of magical energy would make it become a high-class magic. |
| 356 | * In ''Webcomic/KnightsOfBuenaVista'', Adriana's PlayerCharacter has a 90% chance of accidentally casting magic thanks to MinMaxing. To reduce this, she uses special gloves, and a meditation ability. |
| 357 | * ''Webcomic/NerfNow'' suggests [[https://www.nerfnow.com/comic/2532 Sonic is wearing weighted shoes]] in ''VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames''. |
| 358 | * ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'': During Saitama's fight with Boros, the armor the latter is wearing turns out to be one when it gets broken weathering one of Saitama's trademark punches. |
| 359 | -->'''Boros:''' This set of armor, which was used to seal in my immeasurable, irresistible power, has now been broken.\ |
| 360 | '''Saitama:''' ''[[[DullSurprise deadpan]]]'' OK. |
| 361 | * In ''Webcomic/RescuingDara'', like in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', Chivais' Everstone prevents her from evolving, which would make her an even more powerful fighter than she already is. |
| 362 | * In ''Webcomic/{{Sidekicks}}'', alcohol suppresses a supublic's powers. It's the reason why Darkslug [[spoiler:(and later Nightmare)]] is always drinking wine; so they don't [[CurbStompBattle annihilate]] opponents so quickly. |
| 363 | * In ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'', on the Floor of Death in the Hell Train arc, Urek Mazino wears an anklet that masks the aura of his power to keep him from being detected by Princess Garam, and which will break if he uses more than 5% of his power, making it an effective Power Limiter. All this really serves is to show off how powerful he is, because a small fraction of his power is still enough to CurbStomp [[spoiler:Karaka]], who's a very powerful character by most standards. |
| 364 | [[/folder]] |
| 365 | |
| 366 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 367 | * The villain, Wolf from ''Literature/TheDescendants'' has an 'inhibitor' that lets him control his were-wolf like transformations. Unlimited, he turns into a large wolf but is much dumber. |
| 368 | * The Hawthorne Cottage resident Olympia, from the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''. She's an enormously strong brick with energy powers, and she's insane. The school has her wearing a golden 'power armor suit' that she thinks increases her strength. It's a Power Limiter. Everyone's hoping she doesn't figure this out. |
| 369 | [[/folder]] |
| 370 | |
| 371 | [[folder:Websites]] |
| 372 | * This was the intended purpose the ''Website/SCPFoundation'' had for convincing [[RealityWarper SCP]]-[[LittleMissAlmighty 239]] that she was a witch, thus limiting her power to a few "spells" that she needed a book and wand to do. It worked for a while, but then Incident 239-B happened and they just opted to put her in a coma. |
| 373 | [[/folder]] |
| 374 | |
| 375 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 376 | * From ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'', Ben gains a new alien form called NRG that comes automatically equipped with a massive metal suit of power-inhibiting armor. The reason for this is that NRG's true form is a being of pure nuclear energy whose very presence is dangerous due to emitting high levels of natural radiation. |
| 377 | * [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Count]] [[ComedicSpanking Spankulot]], a recurring VillainOfTheWeek in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', has the ability to turn other people into Spank-Happy Vampires by spanking his victims without his gloves; wearing the gloves prevents him from doing so. This also applies to everyone he transforms. |
| 378 | * Late in ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' season two, we learn that the heroes function as these to the powers of their kwami. When circumstances conspire to force Plagg to take action on his own, a [[FingerPokeOfDoom single tap of his finger]] [[MonumentalDamage topples the Eiffel Tower]] and unleashes a spreading pattern of cracks across Paris. When you see the devastation a light tap wreaks for ''miles,'' you'll believe that he's not kidding about having [[PhlebotinumKilledTheDinosaurs wiped out the dinosaurs]]. Truly, [[CallingYourAttacks Cataclysm]] is an {{Understatement}}. |
| 379 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': |
| 380 | ** In this universe, there's "Fledgling Forbearance", a spell used to curb a foal's PowerIncontinence. It was introduced in the episode "The Crystalling"; [[GooGooGodlike Baby Flurry Heart]] has said incontinence to UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom levels, [[spoiler:but she's curbed at the end with Sunburst's help]]. |
| 381 | ** In "Keep Calm and Flutter On", Princess Celestia casts a new spell that prevents Discord from directly stealing his only weakness: the Elements of Harmony. And since doing so was the only way he could freely be a PersonOfMassDestruction in the past, he now has to be TheTrickster indirectly, to satisfy his [[TheHedonist Hedonism]]. |
| 382 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': |
| 383 | ** The Coven system functions as one of these. When a Witch joins a Coven, all magic not related to that Coven's particular focus is locked off forever with a special sigil. As demonstrated by Eda and The Emperor's Coven, those without it are insanely powerful. A few students from Hexside break this rule by studying two Covens at once, while Luz, a human who uses glyph magic, studies everything. [[spoiler:It eventually turns out that sigils are vital to Belos' plan on the Day of Unity, and will allow him to [[FinalSolution enact genocide]] on the entire population in a single stroke.]] |
| 384 | ** Speaking of Luz, she can't do any type of magic modern day witches use because she's not magically empowered due to being human; instead she uses [[GeometricMagic glyph magic]], which was a practice used in the old days before witches evolved their own internal magic supplies. [[YourMagicsNoGoodHere This stops working]] when she's in the human world [[spoiler:and the [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds In-Between Realm]]]]. |
| 385 | * ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'': Hexadecimal's mask is this, though you wouldn't know it until it comes off. It prevents her nearly unlimited power from overloading her body and exploding. |
| 386 | [[/folder]] |
| 387 | |
| 388 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 389 | * The good old human body. Although those stories about a mother lifting a car to save her child are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterical_strength mostly]] urban legend; scientists estimate that the amount you can lift consciously (say in the gym) is about 2/3 your absolute maximum (before things tear and break) because of built-in limitations. At a lower level things start to hurt, persuading you to stop if carrying on isn't important, a long time before any damage is done. |
| 390 | * The MSTN gene is responsible for the production of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myostatin myostatin]] in mammals, a protein that works to inhibit muscle growth in order to prevent cardiac issues and birthing difficulties. The British powerlifter Eddie "The Beast" Hall, TheRival to Creator/HafthorJuliusBjornsson, was born with a mutation causing myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy which allowed him to win multiple strongman competitions and achieve the world record for deadlifting 1,102 lb in 2016 (which Hafthor broke four years later, lifting 1,104). |
| 391 | * Ever put a bell on your cat so you'll always know where they are? Well, the things they hunt can tell too, effectively removing their stealthiness. [[CatsAreMean Until the cat learns to silence the bell with a paw.]] |
| 392 | * Several real-life training methods involve limiting one's power. While most people will think of weighted clothes (vest, ankles, gloves), there is also running underwater, sled dragging, or even practicing certain things at night when your eyes are not as useful. Real-life weighted clothing is much lighter than that used by many superhuman characters in fiction, because not only would weight in the hundreds of pounds require clothing too bulky to move around in, it would be too heavy for the human body to handle. CharlesAtlasSuperpower doesn't exist in reality, so there's limits to how much even the strongest humans can carry without causing serious damage to their bones, muscles, and ligaments. |
| 393 | * Many forms of automobile racing use [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictor_plate restrictors plates]] to limit the air intake, and thus the maximum power output of an engine. |
| 394 | ** UsefulNotes/{{NASCAR}} uses them at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway, where they are used to bunch up the field and reduce speeds to prevent cars from going airborne in a wreck (a side effect of this is the likeliness of a large multi-car pileup known as a 'Big One'). This incidentally means that the restrictor plate races tend to have more lead changes than non-plate races (since drivers have to draft instead of rely on shifting gears), but have larger wrecks. |
| 395 | ** Other racing sports use restrictor plates to ensure parity or competitiveness between different cars (Le Mans Prototypes, GT racecars). |
| 396 | * When you install custom firmware on your router, you can set the transmit power to anything you want. It's worth noting that setting the power too high will result in the router [[ExplosiveOverclocking quickly frying itself]]. For example, setting a router to 8 times its manufactured limit is quite likely to result in you having a brick in just 6 months time. |
| 397 | * Boring ordinary example would probably be Speed Limits. Most vehicles on the road can likely go faster than the legal limit. |
| 398 | ** This is actually deliberate for two (plausible) reasons: |
| 399 | *** After 65MPH/105KM/H, the air resistance imposed on all but the most aerodynamically designed cars ramps up dramatically, thus increasing your fuel consumption by a huge amount. For those who haul large loads with trucks, monitor and note your fuel consumption at 55MPH and 75MPH. Allegedly in the '70s during the fuel crisis, the US imposed a national 55MPH speed limit so people wouldn't eat up as much gas. |
| 400 | *** If cars were designed with a top speed just above the speed limit, the engines would run near red line all the time. Redlining an engine is a great way to kill it faster. |
| 401 | ** Really fancy cars such as the Bugatti Veyron have speed-limiting "valet keys". ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, it's meant to restrict the car's speed and power when having a valet park drive them, which, given the fact the aforementioned Veyron has over 1000 brake-horsepower and tops out somewhere past 250 miles and hour, is a good thing to use when having someone park the car for you. |
| 402 | ** Motorcycle manufacturers agreed in 2000 to build motorcycles that can't go any faster than 300 km/h for safety reasons. However, they're limited by way of their [=ECUs=], not by design. |
| 403 | ** Often times there's a rev limiter to prevent redlining, or the ECU has imposed limits so it doesn't let you use the full potential of a car... until you unlock it. We could say this is the original jailbreaking/rooting. |
| 404 | * Many modern cars these days are also receiving power limiters related to other aspects of performance, notably traction control, which does {{exactly what it says on the tin}}. These will either limit power by restricting the throttle when it detects traction giving, or may apply the brakes automatically on select wheels. Others have a limp mode where, if the ECU detects a potentially major engine problem, it will ''severely'' restrict engine performance to protect it, and put on the Service Engine light. In some manual transmission cars you can induce this behavior by putting the car into too low a gear for your speed and releasing the clutch, forcing the engine to an RPM beyond its redline limiter, which happened on ''Series/TopGearUK''. DontTryThisAtHome, if you don't know what you're doing you '''''really will''''' destroy your engine. Watching an engine rod shoot through the hood is ''not a pleasant sight''. |
| 405 | ** Some tuned cars take this one step further. One such Mercedes featured on ''Series/TopGearUK'' needs its traction control on to floor the gas, otherwise it would just make the tires explode. ''At a standing start.'' |
| 406 | * The purpose of an anti-lock brake system is to limit the brakes' strength so that they don't overtake the tires' ability to retain traction with the road. Ironically, this ''improves'' the penultimate stopping power of the car, as tire traction is actually ''more'' important for stopping the vehicle. |
| 407 | * The [[TankGoodness M1A1 Abrams MBT]] has a "rev limiter", since its jet engine ''doesn't have a max speed'' and the thing will catastrophically fail. That is very bad. |
| 408 | * Military fighters have had limiters of various forms in them for a while, some of which are removed when necessary. |
| 409 | ** Alpha limiters, commonly found on modern fighter planes, restrict the rate at which a plane can pitch. Why? Because if you didn't have them, they'd pitch so fast that the air flow will no longer be passing through the wings, but rather ''against'' the wings and control surfaces, resulting in a stall. Incidentally this performance characteristic is what enables Pugachev's Cobra and the Kulbit, but can be dangerous in any plane without thrust vectoring, as they lose virtually all control during a stall. It can also lead to undesirable situations, such as if a pilot wants a maximum performance turn to avoid an enemy attack, he may accidentally turn too fast, resulting in a loss of control, and likely a swift death by enemy fire. |
| 410 | ** More common are soft power limiters on engine thrust, which go all the way back to UsefulNotes/WorldWar2. Pilots are often restricted with how much power they are permitted to draw from their engines during normal operating, and can only call upon maximum power (sometimes called Wartime Emergency Power) in an emergency, such as being engaged by enemy forces. This is because using the engine at full power results in significantly more maintenance when the plane lands, so don't try to do this just because you think no one's looking, the maintenance crew will figure it out pretty quick when you land, and even if they don't, you have to break a physical wire seal on the throttle to access it anyhow, and if you don't have a ''damn'' good reason for it, expect a ''very'' thorough chewing out ''at the very least''. |
| 411 | ** Modern fighters can pull ''g''-forces well beyond what their pilots and airframes can handle. Because of this, fighters with fly-by-wire controls have limiters coded into their software to prevent them from exceeding around 7-''g''. If necessary, pilots can pull harder maneuvers by engaging an override -- usually a lever on the control column that needs to be squeezed, as depicted in ''Film/TopGunMaverick''. |
| 412 | * Lawn mowers can jump from about 2 MPH to ''60+'' MPH by removing the limiter. People ''race them''. And they use the Le Mans start (drivers start outside of their cars at one side of the road, cars at the other side, when flagman waves the green, the drivers run across the track to their cars, hop in, and get them started; this formation was used from the first running in 1924 to 1969). A classic, almost ''regal'' starting formation, used to start ''lawnmower'' races. Nothing else needs to be said. |
| 413 | * This isn't uncommon for engines as a whole, even for the most basic. Washing machines are a particularly amusing example, thanks to the ridiculous results of removing the limiter; the internet is ''full'' of videos starring washing machines self-destructing in a spectacular manner once someone throws a brick or other heavy object into them once this limiter's out. |
| 414 | * When a top of the line [[UsefulNotes/CentralProcessingUnit CPU]] or [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]] comes back defective, often times the manufacturer puts the settings lower by default or disables sections of the chip that aren't working and sells it as a cheaper model. Some people have found ways to "unlock" unused portions of the chip for more performance. The most famous case of this was with AMD's tri-core processors, which were quad-cores with a defective core. Unfortunately this is a rare thing now, as the section will be completely neutered of its communications. (This is to prevent people from buying cheaper units and unlocking the defective parts, then reselling them as higher-end models.) |
| 415 | ** Thermal throttling. Most modern [=CPUs=] and [=GPUs=] will monitor their internal temperature, and deliberately lower their clock speed and running voltage to protect the chip from damage if it gets too hot. |
| 416 | *** Which gave rise to the idea of "turbo clocks". Silicon with this tech can run stably at their "turbo" clock speed, but would exceed the current they're able to handle safely if above a certain core utilization. Thus, they monitor utilization (or in some cases the current draw directly) and adjust clock speed to keep things within spec. This is useful because many applications cannot reach utilization levels above that threshold, so the extra clock gives them a little more oomph. |
| 417 | ** Intel sells "unlocked" processors, which allows for more overclocking headroom than "locked" processors. The locked part is the frequency multiplier. |
| 418 | ** Graphics cards from AMD come with different official BIOS/firmware configurations. The default one tries to keeps the card at reasonable temperature and noise levels when running something. The "uber" versions just let the GPU run as fast as it wants within thermal tolerances (i.e., not frying itself). |
| 419 | ** Cooling systems themselves can be thought of as power limiters. Since the only way to increase performance of a part once it's in the consumer's hands is overclocking, you can only overclock as much as the cooling system can keep the chip cool (among other factors, but this is the biggest one). |
| 420 | * The U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights acts as one for the American Government. Despite [[CommonKnowledge popular belief]], the Constitution does not "grant" people rights such as freedom of speech or the right to bear arms, but rather asserts the rights as naturally belonging to the people by virtue of their existence (i.e. "God-given"), and protects those rights by explicitly restricting the ability of lawmakers to interfere with them. The distinctive wording is a big part of why it takes such enormous, coordinated, overwhelming effort (2/3 of Congress and ''3/4'' of states) to add or repeal Constitutional amendments (so that, unlike normal laws, they can't simply be arbitrated into or out of existence by whichever party happens to hold majority at the time). |
| 421 | [[/folder]] |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / PowerLimiter
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
