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4%%This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.
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6[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/SouthPark https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_princess_kenny.png]]]]
7
8->''"I was gonna say... let's use aggressive fist-to-face sparkles!"''
9-->-- '''Glimmer''', ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower''
10
11Some powers are cool, some are awesome, [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway some are lame]], some are strange, and some powers are made of pink faeries and glitter! This is a trope for any power that can be described as very, very, girly. Such as:
12
13* Summoning cuteness
14* Rainbow Beams: often associated with AllYourColorsCombined
15* Shiny glitter blasts
16
17This doesn't necessarily mean that the user is a girl, just that the power(s) have a certain sort of girliness to them. Sometimes the super cute power is parodied in-universe by showing itself to be useless, leading the other characters to exclaim "WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway". However, if the cutesy power is useful for a creative user, then it falls under HeartIsAnAwesomePower.
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19Just about any MagicalGirl counts, even {{Magical Girl Warrior}}s, with sparkles, [[SayItWithHearts love hearts]], frills, and [[LoveBubbles bubbles]] galore. Averting this tends to be the exception.
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21See also HeartBeatdown (which tends to look cute, but it's not really a subtrope, since its concept is "weaponized power of love") and CareBearStare.
22
23Compare with FightingClown and CampyCombat.
24----
25!!Examples:
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27[[foldercontrol]]
28
29[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
30* In ''Manga/BlackClover'', Mimosa's Plant Magic manifests as bright and colorful flowers, and she can even form a dress for herself made of flowers that boosts her healing ability. Her flower dress even has "Princess" in its name.
31* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Riruka of Fullbringers has a power that focuses on trapping people inside things she finds cute. She can shrink people and trap them in dollhouses, or cutesy decorated fish tanks, or even seal them inside plush dolls. She also has a cutesy-looking squirt gun filled with cute-looking objects she's shrunk inside it that enlarge to their full size when fired, allowing her to shoot things like pink frilly wardrobes at people.
32* Neko from ''Anime/{{K}}'' transforms into a little pink [[CuteKitten kitty]] (as her [[ADogNamedDog name implies]]), and when she uses her illusion powers, things tend to appear and disappear in a flurry of pink flower petals. She's also been known to summon ''giant kitties''.
33* PlayedWith in the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' series: at the start of [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha the original season]], the eponymous protagonist is the TokenMiniMoe of her family and her powers manifest themselves in a pink-and-gold staff with a hot pink jewel that shoots pink beams. It then turns out that little Nanoha is a stone-cold badass and her pink beams-o-friendship are weapons of mass destruction.
34* ''Anime/PrettyCure'', as you would expect, has this trope as its default setting. The only major instance where it deviates is for elemental attacks. Well, those and some of the more vicious [[GoodOldFisticuffs pummelings]] and [[WrestlerInAllOfUs submission holds]] whenever the [[Creator/ToeiAnimation studio]]'s ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' roots resurface. But they ''are'' performed by cute girls in frilly outfits.
35* While most ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' characters avert this (Mami uses magically-created muskets, Kyoko uses a spear, Sayaka uses swords, and Homura uses real-life weapons, including grenades and ''missiles'') Madoka plays this 100% straight, with arrows of pink light being her signature weapon. This is to illustrate her AllLovingHero status, [[spoiler:and later her MessianicArchetype status]].
36* in ''Anime/ReCreators'', Magical Slayer Mamika originated in a MagicalGirl show aimed at elementary schoolers, so all her attacks are cutesy [[HeartBeatdown pink hearts]]. They still hit [[FantasticNuke really hard]], though.
37* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'': One power of particular note is the pink-haired Sailor Chibi Moon's "Pink Sugar Heart Attack" that's every bit as feminine as it sounds. In the '90s anime, it's also completely useless, though in the manga, it was equal to any other Sailor attack (but still cute).
38* ''Anime/TokyoMewMew'' plays with this. The girl's weapons look like pastel musical instruments, and like most ''MagicalGirlWarrior'' shows, are activated by cutesy incantations. While Mint's and Ichigo's attacks are very feminine (feathery arrows and sparkly energy beams, respectively) the other three have powers like control over water, ground-based magic, and a glowing, ribbon-like whip. However, it becomes a little hard to ignore when the [[MacGuffin extremely powerful Mew Aqua]] [[spoiler: takes the form of bubbles flying out of a pink wand.]] The villains completely defy this trope, though.
39[[/folder]]
40
41[[folder:Comic Books]]
42* Dagger of the ''ComicBook/CloakAndDagger'' series can fling "light-knives" at foes, which can pierce armor and act like scalpels to "cut" the wickedness like tumors from her targets. These light-knife attacks appear wrenching and painful on impact, however.
43* Julie Power from ''ComicBook/PowerPack'', like Karolina, flies leaving a rainbow trail, except colors are not as pastel, and form lines. In ''ComicBook/AvengersAcademy'' Julie came out as bi and '''[[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/4/47/Julie_Power_%28Earth-616%29_and_Karolina_Dean_%28Earth-616%29_001.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20131002071150&format=original kissed Karolina flying in the sky with rainbow tails]]'''. In the all-ages version, the rainbow does not form lines and the colours blend together, like with any normal rainbow.
44* ''ComicBook/RelativeHeroes'': Damara "Allure" Sinclair's powers visually manifest by surrounding her with sparkles, making her hair float in a non-existent breeze, tinging her hair ends pink, and giving her a pink aura. Her powers themselves are a mash-up of CompellingVoice, EmotionBomb, {{Glamour}}, and LivingAphrodisiac which she hates as they leave her unsure of anyone's true feeling for her and because of how dangerously people can respond to the desire she inspires in them.
45* Karolina Dean of the ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' turns glittery and rainbow-colored when her powers are activated, and she can fire projectiles and make shields of the same color. She's fittingly the most traditionally feminine of the team. [[StealthPun She is also eventually revealed to be gay.]]
46* Marvel Comics' ''ComicBook/SquirrelGirl'' is a cute teenager with a fluffy squirrel tail, the ability to talk to squirrels (who will come to her aid if asked), and proportionate strength and agility of a squirrel. And if you don't think that's terrifying, ask Dr. Doom, Deadpool, Thanos, Ego the Living Planet, Wolverine...
47--> Squirrel Girl's Marvel Heroes bio: You'd think that young Doreen Green's mutant power was Super-Adorability, but her abilities go far beyond simple cuteness. Her semi-prehensile tail allows her to display amazing feats of agility...well, yeah, that tail IS pretty adorable. How about the empathic bond she shares with squirrels? That's a good power! But, yeah, it's also kind of adorable.
48* ''ComicBook/WonderWomanAndTheStarRiders'': The tagline is "Sparkling Super Heroines!" and their powers include LightEmUp powers that are tinted pink, creating shimmery bubbles, and making flowers bloom.
49* ''ComicBook/XMen''
50** "ComicBook/{{Dazzler}}: [[FadSuper Disco Queen]]", whose mutant power is effectively to make shiny bright sparkling lights in time to music. In reality, her ability is turning sound into light and vice versa, which [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower has staggering implications]]. She once absorbed the sound of a supernova to power up enough to retrieve something from a black hole. ...[[RuleOfCool Just go with it]].
51** ComicBook/{{Jubilee|MarvelComics}}'s powers have been described as "sparkles" or "fireworks". When she gets good and pissed they can make explosions, making her an energy-blaster to rival Cyclops. They ''still'' look like cute fireworks.
52** Pixie can release blasts of hallucinogenic dust. The resulting hallucinations are always cuteness overload, usually adorable animals (sometimes singing and playing musical instruments), and rainbows.
53** The X-Men comics are just as likely to subvert this trope by featuring beautiful young women with grotesque powers:
54*** Husk can turn her body into various substances but has to shed her outmost layer of skin to do so.
55*** Angel Salvadore has lovely gossamer wings...and has to eat by vomiting acid on her food and slurping it up (though this acid can also be used in combat), among other insectoid traits.
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58[[folder:Film — Animated]]
59* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'':
60** The movie series has inherited from [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic the parent show]] its tendency for demonstrations of magic from the protagonists to be glitzy, sparkly, and rainbow-themed.
61** In ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks Rainbow Rocks]]'', before unleashing their [[SuperMode Rainbow Power]] attack on the Dazzlings, the Rainbooms battle the Dazzlings' spectral avatars with magical blasts depicted as showers of rainbows, diamonds, butterflies, and sparkles. [[TheoryOfNarrativeCausality The only reason these aren't enough]] to defeat the Dazzlings is because the movie's [[DecoyProtagonist real protagonist]] hasn't yet joined the battle. The final blow is a giant sparkly [[WingedUnicorn alicorn]] made of light, with flowing rainbow hair, blasting with a massive beam of light.
62* ''WesternAnimation/SpiesInDisguise'': Walter definitely seems to be InTouchWithHisFeminineSide when it comes to his work, as most of his gadgets involve glitter, stuffed animals, kittens, or the color pink. This initially causes embarrassment towards Lance when he's forced to use them in battle, although he learns to [[RealMenWearPink embrace it]] after realizing their efficacy.
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65[[folder:Literature]]
66* E-Claire's primary power in ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImASupervillain'' is to fog people's minds with cuteness. She's not altogether happy about this, since she really wanted her mother's power (fogging men's minds with lust), but it's actually surprisingly powerful.
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68
69[[folder:Video Games]]
70* Maria Renard in the ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}'' series starting with ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'' uses her animal friends to attack, she just throws or directs their movements, contrasting with the usual Vampire Killer whip, she uses doves instead. Rather than crosses, holy water, or stopwatches as her subweapons, she has baby dragons, a turtle shell, and even sings off-key to make notes that damage enemies. Her adult incarnation in the PSP port of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' rounds out the cuteness with owls instead and new Item Crashes, but she still looks somewhat girly doing so.
71* ''VideoGame/CopyKitty'' parodies this with Zerynex Omega, the Hard Mode version of the Zerynex boss. Zerynex is an unholy Frankenstein monster made of dozens of ''other'' monsters and looks the part, but the Omega version is colored pink, launches heart-shaped energy blasts, fires bouncy missiles that squeak upon exploding, and replaces the BGM with cute-sounding noises. The in-game heroine is just as confused by this as the player likely is, while her mentor claims that Zerynex is trying some sort of "intimidation tactic".
72* ''VideoGame/EXTRAPOWERAttackOfDarkforce'': MagicalGirl Ruritia fires rainbows out of her sword, as part of her Anime/PrettyCure {{Expy}} design.
73* [[TheSmurfettePrinciple Sonya Blade]] from the ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' has a KissOfDeath fatality where she blows a kiss at her opponent. Sometimes the kiss takes the form of a floating fireball, but other games have it be a little pink heart that flitters toward the opponent, and once it hits, the enemy [[MoodWhiplash explodes bloodily]].
74* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': The Fairy type tend to have a mix of [[{{Lunacy}} moon-based moves]], such as Moonlight and Moonblast, and cute moves that invoke this trope, such as Charm, Sweet Kiss, [[CareBearStare Baby-Doll Eyes]] and Disarming Voice.
75* Annie in ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' has an impressive suite of star-based superpowers. Magical beams of light filled with cartoon stars, a rainbow-colored SuperMode that adds stars to her attacks, conjuring nebula-like clouds, and all sorts of other MagicalGirlWarrior classics. There's a distinct contrast between Annie's powers and matching public persona, and her true KnightInSourArmor personality.
76* Whenever Amy Rose is playable in the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series, it typically looks cute. Her Piko-Piko hammer is an oversized novelty toy, but she can nevertheless smash robots to bits with it. She can hover by spinning it around into a copter-esque motion, creates heart tornadoes, and her Team Blast has her join Cream and Big in an explosion of twirling, hearts, sparkles, glitter, and lots and lots of pink that [[GameBreaker cracks the game in two]]. While it's just one combat move, the similarly adorable Cream can launch her pet Chao Cheese to home in on enemies. She can also fly by flapping her bunny ears, which is as comical as it is precious.
77* Princess Peach of ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' when she's not the DamselInDistress usually goes for this. Her special moves usually involve some sort of association with love and HeartBeatDown magic. She also wields a beautiful ParasolOfPain as her signature weapon and also uses other DaintyCombat weapons like a FryingPanOfDoom. Most prominently in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', with each version adding new prettiness to her deceptively dangerous arsenal: most prominently heart-shaped blasts, pink ribbons, and rainbows.
78* Parodied in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' with [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness Pyrovision]], where with the right items the Pyro can appear to shoot people with a rainbow bubble blower and hit them with a giant lollipop, causing them to "bleed" balloons and laugh in joy, while in "reality" the Pyro is still [[KillItWithFire burning people to death]].
79* Koishi Komeiji of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' uses a lot of [[SayItWithHearts hearts]] and [[SomethingAboutARose roses]] in her attacks. However, because of her heavy [[AllPsychologyIsFreudian psychological theme]] and her own [[EmptyShell state of mind]], they can [[SubvertedTrope turn out to be more unnerving than cute]].
80* ''VideoGame/{{Transistor}}'': Since heart symbols are cute, this is mixed with HeartBeatDown due to wielding the power of love as a weapon: Switch() tosses out CardiovascularLove-type {{pink|IsErotic}}-colored HeartSymbol projectiles that CharmPerson enemies to Red's side, but they only deal damage when upgraded with Switch() or Purge().
81* ''VideoGame/VirtualOn'' The Fei-Yen series of Virtuaroids are HumongousMecha modeled after a MagicalGirl with a ChestBlaster that fires a burst shaped like a heart. According to the backstory, the designers wanted a regular beam, but the SentientPhlebotinum kept turning it back into a heart.
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84[[folder:Webcomics]]
85* ''Webcomic/AngelMoxie'' has this at your generic MagicalGirlWarrior level for its protagonist Alex, in that her outfit has been described as maxing her look like a "Polly Prissy Princess" and her wand looks more like a plastic toy than a mage's weapon, but her actual powers are mostly just energy blasts. Villainess Candi Shugari on the other hand, in keeping with her persona and look, is [[http://www.venisproductions.com/angelmoxie/archives/1/6/166.html dripping in this]]; she brings with her outbreaks of pleasantry, [[http://www.venisproductions.com/angelmoxie/archives/1/8/181.html plagues of rabbits]], a [[http://www.venisproductions.com/angelmoxie/archives/2/0/204.html demonic boy band]], and ultimately a [[http://www.venisproductions.com/angelmoxie/archives/2/3/238.html giant killer bunny called Cottontail]] (who is the result of the merging of the aforementioned plague of rabbits).
86* [[http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=499#comic One]] ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' comic has a little girl guarding Fort Knox who has the ability to make puppies appear. Which she uses to [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower deadly effect]]. Because she never specified ''where'' the puppies will appear from. [[spoiler:Such as from ''inside'' the villain.]]
87[[/folder]]
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89[[folder:Web Original]]
90* In ''WebVideo/Dimension20'' during the ''Misfits and Magic'' campaign one character's magic all manifests pink and sparkly, and their familiar turns out to be an adorable talking chipmunk wearing a little jacket. They wanted to be a dark and sinister spellcaster with a serpent and are mortified that this keeps happening.
91[[/folder]]
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93[[folder:Western Animation]]
94* ''WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020'' has The Cutening where Dot eats a cupcake that gives her the power to "make everything cute" after which she quotes the trope word-for-word.
95* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
96** The Elements of Harmony, the most powerful magic in Equestria, are powered by [[ThePowerOfFriendship friendship]], manifest as jewellery, and their powers manifest as a giant rainbow WorldHealingWave. They're the main cast's ultimate trump card and the only reliable way to defeat them is to prevent them from firing in the first place.
97** The Sonic Rainboom, a legendary flight move that creates [[http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/187/790/1318688769860.gif a rainbow explosion]] as it breaks the sound barrier.
98* In an episode of '''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', Private gets the power to become so cute, he makes people who see him pass out. Unfortunately, Skipper sees this as an opportunity to weaponize his power to his advantage and get what he wants.
99* The ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Meapless in Seattle" has [[BigGood Meap]] and [[BigBad Mitch]] attacking each other with what [[TheHero Phineas]] describes as [[CutenessProximity "really cute death rays."]] The same episode reveals that Isabella herself is a weapon of mass cuteness, single-handedly defeating Mitch by hitting him with her cutest PuppyDogEyes while saying "What'cha doin'?" in her cutest voice.
100* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' has Glimmer, who teleports and can fire sparkly pink light blasts.
101* In ''WesternAnimation/SheZow'', [=SheZow=]'s powers will not activate if Guy is wearing any colour other than pink. And these powers include the ability to generate hurricane-force winds by fluttering his eyelashes.
102* In ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', ''Kenny'' of all people gets powers like these when [[WholesomeCrossdresser he dresses up as a pretty princess]]. In the show, he becomes a {{UsefulNotes/Kawaisa}} anime girl who instantly charms other men with her extreme cuteness, while in [[VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth the video game]] he uses rainbows and unicorns to attack. {{Subverted|Trope}}, in that said unicorn can impale him rather brutally if he fails his commands.
103* In ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', the magic wand wielded by the titular Princess Star emits blasts that could be described as weaponized cuteness. Her enemies face an onslaught of sparkles, rainbows, puppies, unicorns, narwhals, and just about anything else the GenkiGirl Star finds adorable. Nevertheless, the spells are plenty powerful. The magic takes this form because the wand [[ImaginationBasedSuperpower reflects the character of the wielder]], meaning it gets much less cute in the hands of evil.
104* Pink Raven from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' is ''made'' of this trope. Down to farting on garbage and turning it into unicorns!
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