Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / ThePowerOfLove

Go To

1%%%
2%%
3%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
4%%
5%%%
6
7%% Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1319766341087699800
8%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
9%%
10[[quoteright:257:[[Anime/SailorMoon https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Spiral_Heart_Moon_Rod_remastered2_8845.PNG]]]]
11[[caption-width-right:257:One EmpathicWeapon, coming up!]]
12
13->''"Love is a very powerful force. Even more so when it's focused into a coherent beam of destruction."''
14-->-- '''Black Mage''', ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater''
15
16->''(For an even better effect, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl6Ery4Q_uE listen to this]] [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic while reading the page]].)''
17
18[[Music/HueyLewisAndTheNews The Power of Love]] is [[LoveMakesYouCrazy a curious thing]]. It makes [[LoveHurts one man weep]], and [[HappilyMarried another man]] [[WaxingLyrical sing]]. It can [[LoveRedeems change a hawk to a little white dove]]. [[LoveImbuesLife Bring inanimate objects to life]]. It might just save your life. It makes people want to give up personal freedom to [[PropertyOfLove belong to each other]]. Don't you dare mock it, [[Music/HueyLewisAndTheNews it's more than a feeling]], [[Film/BackToTheFuture1 that's the Power of Love]].
19
20Even more than ThePowerOfFriendship and ThePowerOfFamily, the Power of Love can be applied in dire situations to make things better. In fact, in many Creator/{{Disney}} movies it's the solution to everything. It's also an occasionally useful DeusExMachina.
21
22Common applications of the Power of Love include activating an EmpathicWeapon, [[IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight freeing]] a loved one from [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind control]], [[PowerOfTrust strengthening a loved one]], and converting a Real Death into a DisneyDeath. Even when the power of love is not literally and directly responsible, the scene is often set such that the audience is left with the impression that it was "really responsible". Although, Love is more powerful than magic as it usually helps break spells.
23
24DontYouDarePityMe can sometimes be overcome by the Power Of Love; however, it may take time, and the love itself must be [[CharacterDevelopment purified]] of any pity it does contain.
25
26The GreenEyedMonster may come into play. In more idealistic shows, it is a sign of an immature love, where trust and faith is insufficient. However, more cynical shows may treat it as normal, and even let it overcome CannotSpitItOut.
27
28In cynical times, this can feel like a rip-off. It depends on where you, and the scene in question, fall on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism.
29
30LoveRedeems evil but it can also [[LoveMakesYouEvil turn you evil]]. Combining the two, it can [[UnholyMatrimony support said baddies]].
31
32Sometimes, love for someone who's threatened can give someone a HeroicSecondWind, especially a MamaBear[=/=]PapaWolf.
33
34A more passive but no less impressive display of the Power of Love is its ability to use the RedStringOfFate to reunite the [[ReincarnationRomance reincarnated lovers]].
35
36A SuperTrope to HeartBeatDown, TrueLovesKiss, and SexuallyTransmittedSuperpowers. A SisterTrope to LightEmUp (light based powers) and HolyHandGrenade (holy powers) which are [[LightIsGood generally good]]. Compare CareBearStare which includes ''all'' positive feelings (happiness, peace, love etc).
37
38Compare and contrast with ThePowerOfLust. Contrast with ThePowerOfApathy and ThePowerOfHate. [[HeartBeatDown Occasionally classified]] as one of the ElementalPowers.
39
40As seen with TheFourLoves, the word "love" can be used in several different ways, including [[ThePowerOfFamily for family]], [[ThePowerOfFriendship for friendship]], or simply [[AllLovingHero unconditional self-sacrifice]] just to do the right thing. However, this trope primarily refers to romantic love, partly because [[TheILoveYouStigma the English word "love" is taken to mean romantic in non-familial contexts]].
41----
42!!Example subpages:
43[[index]]
44* ThePowerOfLove/AnimeAndManga
45* ThePowerOfLove/FanWorks
46* ThePowerOfLove/{{Literature}}
47* ThePowerOfLove/LiveActionTV
48* ThePowerOfLove/VideoGames
49* ThePowerOfLove/WesternAnimation
50[[/index]]
51
52!!Other examples:
53
54[[foldercontrol]]
55
56[[folder:Comic Books]]
57* ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'': In ''ComicBook/Aquaman1986'', Arthur realizing that despite everything he does love his brother is what stops Orm's powers, as the crystals have no aggression to feed on.
58* ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'': The finale of Abnett & Lanning's run depends on this. To go with the [[ApocalypseHow Class 2 Apocalypse]], there's a [[BodyHorror horrific and intelligent virus]] floating around that ends up infecting Apollo, prompting Midnighter to look desperately for a cure. He's called north, eventually finding an island, which turns out to be a [[GeniusLoci giant]], ComicBook/SwampThing-like Century Baby named Gaia. In return for his help, she gives him an apple, and tells him to remember Avalon, the isle of apples: [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic "The fruit of immortality... of love..."]] Two pages later, Apollo's fine.
59* ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': In the OGN ''Avengers: Rage of Ultron'' [[spoiler:Starfox uses his psionic ability to make people experience love to defeat Ultron (who had been merged with his creator Hank Pym), resulting in Ultron realizing what he had become and fleeing.]]
60-->'''Starfox:''' [[spoiler:There is a solution. It's so simple. Love yourself.]]
61* ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': In one comic, a spell that keeps Buffy asleep can only be broken by the kiss of someone who is in love with her. [[spoiler:One of her Slayers, Satsu, does it]].
62* ''ComicBook/DarkAvengers'': it's heavily implied that The Power Of Love is all that's keeping ComicBook/TheSentry from unleashing [[EnemyWithin the Void]] and raining Biblical plagues down on humanity. Unfortunately his wife, Lindy, is ''terrified'' of him, and when she tries to kill him in the hope of preventing a mad rampage, that's exactly what she gets. Norman Osborn recognizes that Lindy could set the Sentry off again at any time; [[WrongGenreSavvy unfortunately]] his solution is [[spoiler: to kill her and make it look like a suicide]]. Initially that seems to work, but the next time we see the Sentry he ramps up to a SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum ''very'' quickly and eventually [[spoiler: provokes Thor into killing him]]. The last we see of the Sentry and Lindy [[spoiler: is two empty graves, side by side...]]
63* ''ComicBook/DCPride2022'': The twisted doppelgangers are destroyed by Harley and Ivy expounding on their love for each other.
64* ''ComicBook/{{Elfquest}}'': The comic has this as a recurring theme. It shows itself through all dealings with BigBad Winnowill, who tries to avoid this at all costs, and stated almost verbatim by all-loving High One Timmain, who almost states that this central trope keeps the Palace in balance. In a ''Rogue's Curse'' story arc, Winnowill can't even enter a shard of the Palace -her hate and the [[http://elfquest.com/read/index.php?s=RC&p=226 love of the spirits within]] keep her out.
65* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Referenced in a classic Creator/StanLee / Creator/JackKirby ''ComicBook/FantasticFour1961'' story line, when Reed Richards, alerted by the Watcher, takes on the ComicBook/SilverSurfer. When Sue Richards asks the Watcher how Reed can take on the "all-powerful Silver Surfer", the Watcher answers, "All-powerful? There is only one who deserves that name. And his only weapon -- is love!"
66* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'':
67** The Power Of Love allows the Flash to come back from an other-dimensional speedster heaven that no one had ever returned from. Several times.
68** It lets [[spoiler:Barry Allen break the Anti-Life Equation's hold over Iris Allen in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''.]]
69** Flash-type speedsters rely on this trope to keep them from being absorbed by the Speed Force (the aforementioned speedster heaven). It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic -- the [[ParentalSubstitute paternal bond]] between Max Mercury and Bart Allen is a beautiful example of such -- but yes, the three main Flashes rely on their wives for it. Another case of paternal bond getting used is in ''ComicBook/DCRebirth''. Wally thought he is permanently trapped in the Speed Force when his "lightning rod", Linda Park, doesn't even remember him; [[spoiler:it was Barry Allen, Wally's father figure/mentor, that allowed him to escape.]]
70* ''ComicBook/GiraffesOnHorsebackSalad'': When the Woman Surreal begins falling in love with Jimmy, her RealityWarper powers are quickly amplified to the point where she begins altering ''the entire world'' into a [[WorldOfWeirdness surrealistic fantasyland]].
71* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': Star Sapphire and the [[TheChosenMany Star Sapphire Corps]] that succeed her are fueled by love. If uncontrolled (as can happen when all the power is consolidated into a single person), it is of the [[{{Yandere}} insane, possessive, destructive sort]], which is why the entity that provides their power is called The Predator, but they run on all kinds of love (be it between a man and woman or a mother and her child or so on and so forth) and the Predator is actually the one that is corrupted by its hosts, not the other way around.
72** One Star Sapphire uses [[spoiler:Soranik Natu's love for Kyle Rayner and channeled it ''to bring him back to life'']].
73** The Star Sapphire's BadassCreed:
74--> For hearts long lost and full of fright,
75--> For those alone in ComicBook/BlackestNight
76--> Accept our ring and join our fight.
77--> Love conquers all-with violet light.
78* ''ComicBook/{{Harbinger}}'': Subverted. [[spoiler: After Torque develops feelings for Faith he becomes weaker because his power comes from his own insecurity.]]
79* ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'': For a split second, it looks as if this trope is going to be averted in the story arc "Princes of Darkness" -- Jade's the Power of Love speech to Obsidian fails to halt his evil rampage -- but it's really only a set up for their father, the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] ComicBook/GreenLantern, to come in and deliver it successfully.
80* ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'': Ultra Boy is saved from [[MindControl The Blight]] by The Power Of Love in the issues right before ''Legion Lost''.
81* ''ComicBook/NinjaHighSchool'': Jeremy uses this to bring back his friend, CuteWitch turned dark, Mimi. (The story's also a bit of a homage to [[ComicBook/XMen Dark Phoenix]] so take that as you will).
82
83* ''ComicBook/{{Providence}}'': Dr. Alvarez, of all people, cites Love as the force that defines life.
84--> '''Dr. Alvarez''': Love is the only substantial thing. It is [[SexIsGood noble in its noises and odours]], I think. From where I look at this, to not love is to waste the existence. Even life is a small matter beside it. You see, it is not interrupted by death. Without it, this world cannot be endured.
85* ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'':
86** In Volume 4, the "Power of Love" manifests in the form of a flaming sword Scott earns upon confessing his love to Ramona... but the trope is eventually {{Subverted|Trope}} because loving Ramona isn't enough for Scott to surmount the last Evil Ex. [[spoiler:That requires the far more important Power of Understanding, which Scott gets from seeing [[NotSoDifferentRemark how similar he is to Gideon]], and how that is a very bad thing]].
87** In Volume 1, this protects Wallace, Jimmy, and those in the immediate vicinity from the effects of "Last Song Kills Audience", although they weren't in as much danger as the name implies.
88* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': The Power Of Love (for his son Harry) once turned ComicBook/NormanOsborn sane after he relapsed as the Green Goblin. Both the sanity and the love failed to stick.
89* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': In ''ComicBook/SupermanReborn'' Lois and Clark's love (for the partner and for their son Jon) is so strong that it has repaired what was broken. More specifically, [[spoiler: the pre-Flashpoint and New-52 versions of Clark and Lois are merged back together.]]
90* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol. 1]]: The power of love allows ComicBook/SteveTrevor to cheat death, ''three times''. At least one of those times he was aided by Aphrodite herself.
91* ''ComicBook/{{X 23}}'': Despite everything the Facility did to break her and forge her into an emotionless killing machine, it was Sarah Kinney's love for her as a daughter, defying orders to not treat her as a child whenever she could by reading to her and offering an emotional connection that saved her humanity and helped her break free of the Facility's control.
92* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Defied in ''ComicBook/XCampus''. Magnus claims he will show them the greatest power of the world. "Love?" asks Storm. "Magnetism".
93* ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'': Played absolutely straight when Billy is [[spoiler:unable to fully access his Demiurge powers]]. His fiancé, Teddy, who [[spoiler:had previously left to try to figure out whether he ''actually'' loves Billy after Loki insinuated that Teddy may have been accidentally wished into existence in the first place by Billy's powers, returns and decides that it doesn't matter to him whether or not he's alive because Billy subconsciously wanted someone like him to be]]. After TrueLovesKiss, Billy immediately and effortlessly [[spoiler:becomes the Demiurge and [[RealityWarper nonchalantly rearranges the universe]] [[PhysicalGod the same way most people organize things in the fridge]]]]. It's lampshaded in-story.
94-->'''Loki:''' Oh, ugh. Is love ''really'' going to save us all?\
95'''America:''' [[ManlyTears Of course]] [[SincerityMode it is]]. [[TalkToTheFist Anyone who thinks otherwise gets stomped into paste]].
96* ''ComicBook/ZombiesChristmasCarol'': Fan and Fred both embody this, and Scrooge's love following his reformation is so strong he heals all of the zombies.
97[[/folder]]
98
99[[folder:Comic Strips]]
100* The New Zealand comic ''ComicStrip/FootrotFlats'' features a scene where the main character, [[IntellectualAnimal the Dog]], finds himself able to ''walk on water'' due to his love for Jess, the neighbour's dog [[note]]this phrase used to avoid the perhaps-inevitable misunderstandings resulting from the phrase "neighbour's bitch"[[/note]]. After this initial success, he demonstrates that there is no such thing as The Power Of Lust, by sinking as soon as he moves from "Love ''can'' work miracles!" to "I'm coming baby!"
101[[/folder]]
102
103[[folder:Films — Animation]]
104* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheMagicOfPegasus'': The [[MagicWand Wand of Light]] can only unleash its power for good and good alone; [[ThePowerOfHate if used with negative emotions such as anger,]] [[NoSell it refuses to work.]] Annika had to figure that out the hard way.
105* ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'':
106** A major theme of the film.
107--->'''Del Toro:''' It’s the story of two lovers who refuse to be separated by anything... it's about love not giving up.
108** Manolo Sanchez. His voice actor states that his true power is love.
109* ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'': When Merida reconciles with her mother Elinor near the end of the movie, this is what "mends the bond torn by pride" and the queen is returned to normal.
110* The trope frequently pops up in the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon (and in ''Creator/{{Disney}}'' in general).
111** ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch2StitchHasAGlitch'' has perhaps the best designed example: [[spoiler:Near the end of the movie, Stitch sucumbs to the glitch and finally shuts down. Lilo and the others mourn him so deeply that their Love and Sorrow seemingly overturn Death itself. Jumba even admits that there is [[DoingInTheScientist no scientific explanation]], declares it a miracle, and celebrates.]]
112** ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'': Chillingly, Maleficent is one of the few villains who knows how powerful love is. Rather than trying to undo the TrueLovesKiss CurseEscapeClause, she decides to build it into the IronicHell she's arranged for Prince Philip. She gives him a terrifying HannibalLecture about how she'll release him once the full hundred years have passed, so that Aurora (who has slept in NarniaTime) will awaken to a broken, decrepit old man. If it weren't for [[DivineIntervention the fairies' meddling]], love would've kept Phillip going before destroying him.
113** ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'': [[EccentricMentor Merlin]] tells Wart that love is a powerful force after a lovelorn female squirrel becomes heartbroken when Wart is transformed back into a human.
114--->'''Merlin:''' You know, lad, that love business is a powerful thing.\
115'''Wart:''' [[CallBack Greater than gravity?]]\
116'''Merlin:''' Well yes, boy, in its way... yes, I'd say it's the greatest force on earth.
117** Disney's ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' where the Beast, [[DisneyDeath seemingly dead]], is revived and turns into a Prince when Belle tells him she loves him.
118** While love doesn't actually accomplish anything supernatural in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' films, the fact that genies can't cause people to fall in love puts Love on the same level of ''greater''-than-phenomenal-cosmic-power as Life or Death.
119** The love ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' feels towards Meg pushes him to [[TakeMeInstead lay down his life]] and attempt to rescue her soul from the Underworld. His [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice]] proves that he is indeed a true hero and restores his godhood, allowing him to both save Meg and return to Olympus with his fellow gods. His saving of Meg stands out among his countless other heroic deeds in that it was motivated not by a desire to be famous or to return home, but rather by his selfless desire to save the one person in the world he cared for the most even if it killed him, which is explicitly pointed out to him by Zeus to be the true measure of what makes a hero.
120--->'''Zeus:''' A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the size of his heart.
121** In ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'', an act of true love is the only thing that [[spoiler:can save Anna from turning into solid ice. And in a surprising twist for a Disney movie, the act of love is ''not'' TrueLovesKiss, or even romantic love, but Anna [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing herself]] for [[ThickerThanWater her sister Elsa]] - an act of true ''familial'' love on ''Anna's'' part. Love also turns out to be the trigger that allows Elsa to control her ice powers.]]
122* In ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings'', Kubo [[spoiler:defeats his grandfather the Moon King by applying a ''weaponized'' version of this!]]
123* Averted, in the DVD version of the Disney film ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}''. She invokes this in the song "If I Never Knew You," singing that with their love she thought "Somehow we'd make the whole world bright", but as she notes in the following line, that didn't exactly work out. Much of the hostilities in the film are an unintended result of their relationship, though she regrets nothing.
124* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}'', the power of love is what gives Blu [[spoiler:the power to fly]].
125* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'': Only when her children are in mortal danger does Mrs. Brisby's love and courage become a tangible force, with the Stone as a foci. Even more explicit is the Stone's inscription: ''You can unlock any door, if you only have the key.'' According to the ThemeSong "Flying Dreams," ''Love is the key.''
126* In ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'', the only thing that can break the power of a {{love potion}} is true love.
127* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'', the only way to break Odette's curse is to make a vow of everlasting love and prove it to the world. Prince Derek does this by defeating Rothbart so that she could live as well as asking for her forgiveness and telling her the reasons that he loves her.
128* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Wolfwalkers}}'': Wolfwalkers normally need to be asleep to let their spirits become wolves. [[spoiler:Although it helped that Bill was straining against his neck chain to the point of passing out, his sheer paternal need to protect his daughter from the Lord Protector allows him to shift into his wolf form in the nick of time.]]
129* ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine'': To defeat the glove, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QfEiDO9opg All You Need Is Love]].
130[[/folder]]
131
132[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
133* The trope [[TropeNamers takes its name and first sentence]] from the Music/HueyLewisAndTheNews song of the same name, which was written for and featured in ''Film/BackToTheFuture1''. The film provides many examples of The Power of Love. This is also apparent in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII'', when Clara Clayton transforms herself from a quiet schoolteacher to a full-on superwoman, who can scale trains in motion, in order to catch up with Doc before he goes back to 1985.
134* The tagline for the film ''Film/BreakingTheWaves'' is "Love is a mighty power", though the film employs this trope in [[KillTheCutie the most horrific manner imaginable]].
135* ''Film/TheChristmasToy'' uses this near the end. Mew is seen out of place and as a result is frozen. This causes Rugby to [[JerkassRealization realize how much of a jerk he'd been to Mew, who'd been nothing but helpful to him throughout the film]]. Rugby glumly sings a song about how much he loves Mew, and this thankfully brings Mew back to life. Then we see the other toys in the playroom singing the same song and bringing the other toys who'd been frozen back to life as well ([[PlotHole how they knew about the magic song that brings frozen toys back to life before Rugby came back in and told them about it is never explained]]).
136* ''Film/CirqueDuSoleilJourneyOfMan'' uses this trope in conjunction with TheFourLoves as TheEveryman protagonist/narrator goes on his metaphorical journey through life. The story postulates that a person's fulfillment comes when they hold three metaphorical keys within them: "Dreams, faith, and love." Love turns out to be the most important of them. As a child, he has all three with Affection/Family (represented by his guides, the Flounes) as the source of love, but adolescent rebellion and a desire for Romantic Love as a young adult leads him to pursue the latter via a DealWithTheDevil for material gain. Because TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget, he loses his dreams and faith along with ''any'' kind of love, becoming an aloof middle-aged man alone in the world -- then a Vagabond Girl and her companions reach out to him with Friendship. This moves him enough that in accepting their love [[LoveRedeems he not only regains all three keys]] but also becomes an embodiment of Unconditional Love and a completely fulfilled person who can guide others towards similar enlightenment.
137* Averted in ''Film/DanceOfTheDead'', after the students [[spoiler: (well, MOST of them anyway)]] manage to escape the school and the zombie infestation, Jimmy and Lindsey share a passionate kiss in front of the school, at the exact same time as the building explodes. The timing would indicate that it's the passion between the two rekindled young lovers that is causing the explosion, but it's really [[EarthshatteringKaboom just the metric ton of C4 Coach Keel set up around the perimeter]].
138* This is the whole {{Aesop}} of Disney's ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'', right down to TrueLovesKiss.
139* In ''Film/ErnestScaredStupid'', trolls can be killed by milk (which represents "a mother's care"). When Trantor becomes more powerful, milk can't stop him. The only thing Ernest can do is to defeat him with "the heart of a child" -- unconditional love -- and hugging and dancing with him does the trick.
140* At the end of the 1926 film adaptation of ''Film/{{Faust}}'', Faust flings himself onto Gretchen's pyre as she is being burned at the stake, and they are TogetherInDeath. Mephisto believes that he has won TheBet with the archangel and now has dominion over the earth. The archangel holds otherwise, saying that one word has broken Faust's contract with Mephisto, won the bet for the angel, and saved humanity from Mephisto's rule. The film ends with a zoom in on the single word: "LIEBE."
141* ''Film/TheFifthElement'', where the five central elements in the universe are earth, fire, wind, water [[spoiler:... and [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119116/faq love]].]] Could also be a subversion as, according to Luc Besson, the titular element is actually [[spoiler: sex.]]
142* The original [=HBO=] synopsis of ''Film/TheFly1986'' described it as the story of "a scientist who is transformed by love -- [[HalfHumanHybrid literally]] and metaphorically": [[ThePowerOfLust It begins when he awkwardly approaches a beautiful journalist at a party]], their romance inverts LoveMakesYouUncreative and allows him to perfect his work, his TragicMistake is born of AlcoholInducedIdiocy when he thinks he's being cuckolded, and as he undergoes a SlowTransformation her willingness to be a LivingEmotionalCrutch is the one thing that keeps his SplitPersonalityTakeover from progressing faster; when he realizes he ''will'' eventually hurt her without meaning to, [[IAmAMonster he convinces her to leave him]]. When she seeks to abort the child he's sired, though, his heart and mind break together and render him [[LoveMakesYouCrazy crazed]] and [[LoveMakesYouEvil wicked]]...[[spoiler: She's saved from Romantic Fusion with him by her ex-lover managing to get a second wind ''after'' Seth maims him with corrosive vomit, while Seth ends up a Clipped-Wing Angel who puts his faith in this trope to end his suffering (and, perhaps, atone for his crimes) by communicating that he wants to die by her hand. She obliges him]]. The song playing in the background during the bar scene, Bryan Ferry's "Help Me", even has the repeated lyrics "There's a power in love/There's a danger in love/But I need love to help me find a way..."
143* At the end of the 1910 Edison Studios adaptation of ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'' the monster fades into nothing while standing in front of a mirror. When Dr. Frankenstein looks in it he sees the monster's reflection, but his better nature and love for his wife make it change back into his own.
144* ''Film/FreakyFriday2003'' has a non-romantic example, in which Tess and Anna must demonstrate familial "selfless love" in order to return to each other's bodies.
145* In ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'', during the film's climax the Baroness [[spoiler: is able to subdue the nanites that are controlling her]] because [[spoiler: her love for Duke is stronger than the nanites' influence over her mind]]. Looks like love > technology!
146* In the first ''Film/HarryPotter'' film (see its main mention under Literature), the sacrificial love protection that protected Harry from Voldemort's curse is taken a step further from the book when [[spoiler: it enables Harry to reduce Quirrell to a pile of dust by touching him]].
147%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ''Film/{{Help}}'': Most of the songs are about this topic.
148* In ''Film/{{Hook}}'', the grown up Peter regains his ability to fly when he remembers the love and joy he felt when his son was born.
149* ''Film/TheHuggaBunch'''s hugs are a symbol of love, and Bridget wants to keep her grandma healthy so she can keep receiving hugs. After Queen Admira freezes her, Bridget's friends from the Hugga Bunch are able to restore her to normal through hugs.
150* In ''Film/{{Interstellar}}'', [[spoiler:Cooper's love for his daughter enables him to transcend time and space to give her younger self the information required to save humanity]].
151* In ''Film/{{Krull}}'', the Power of Love manifests itself at the climax as the ability to throw fireballs.
152* In ''Film/{{Manborg}}'', love is what gives [[{{WorldsStrongestMan}} #1 Man]] the strength and hope to fight for humanity again. To quote an exchange between him and the Baron:
153--> '''The Baron:''' What pathetic human desire made you throw it all away? It wasn't love, was it?\
154'''#1 Man:''' [[BluntYes Yes.]]\
155'''The Baron:''' ''[looks down somewhat dejectedly]'' Oh.
156* In the denouement to ''Film/AMatterOfLifeAndDeath'', [[spoiler:the protagonist wins a second chance at life by virtue of love being the most powerful force in the world of the living, and therefore triumphing over the power of the celestial jury.]]
157* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', it appears that Neo's transformation into The One is sparked by Trinity telling his mostly-dead body that she loves him. However, the Power of Logic is also implicated: She loves Neo. She was told by the oracle that the man she loved would be the One; therefore, Neo is the One. The One would not be dead; therefore, Neo cannot be dead. And the fact that the sensation of Trinity kissing him makes Neo realize that despite the Matrix input, he isn't actually dead, so it makes sense.
158** A recurring theme of the sequels is how the Machines who control the Matrix have a poor understanding of love. The Architect in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' tries to force Neo’s hand with a ColdEquation but Neo’s love for Trinity proves too strong and illogical for the Machines to drown out. The Analyst in ''Film/TheMatrixResurrections'' tries to exploit the power of love by [[spoiler:placing Neo and Trinity just out of reach in the simulation and thus creating extra power from their emotions]], but playing with fire in such a manner eventually backfires.
159* In ''Film/TheNakedGun'', Frank's power of love breaks Jane's MindControl.
160* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreetPart2FreddysRevenge'': Pretty much what beats Freddy, as Jesse's love for Lisa stops him from killing her, and in turn, her love for Jesse makes him able to break free from Freddy.
161* In ''Film/{{Next|2007}}'', the precognitive abilities of Nicolas Cage's character only allow him to see up to 2 minutes into his own future, except, for no apparent reason, for one recurring vision that presages the arrival of his eventual love interest. Once he's finally met and slept with her, he can see further ahead than ever before.
162* Believe it or not, this is how Freddy Krueger is defeated in ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreetPart2FreddysRevenge''. When Freddy possesses the hero of the film, Jesse, and chases his girlfriend Lisa, Lisa states that she still loves him and kisses Jesse/Freddy. Jesse gains the strength to fight Freddy from within and destroy him, regaining control of his body.
163* ''Film/OneWayPassage'' is a tragic romance between two doomed lovers -- Dan is an escaped convict being taken back to San Francisco by boat to be executed, while fellow passenger Joan has a terminal illness. Throughout the film, Dan and Joan have been making toasts, breaking the glasses, and lying the stems of the shattered glasses on top of each other, as a symbol of their love. Dan and Joan pledge to meet each other at the Agua Caliente restaurant on New Year's Eve. When they land, Dan is taken away to Death Row, and Joan faints, presumably dying. The last scene is at a bar on New Year's. A melancholy Skippy is drinking at the Agua Caliente bar, with neither Dan nor Joan in attendance. Suddenly a sound of breaking glass is heard. The last shot shows the stems of two shattered glasses, one lying on top of the other one.
164* ''Film/PacificRim'': Because {{Synchronization}} requires two people, they have to get along really well with no secrets.
165* In ''Film/PeterPan'', Wendy asks if she can give him a "thimble" and kisses him. This actually makes the guy BURST INTO FLIGHT WITH A HUGE SMILE ON HIS FACE, and his feelings for Wendy allows him to come back and beat Hook (with the help of the Darling siblings and the Lost boys chanting "Old! Alone! Done for!" towards Hook).
166-->'''Wendy:''' This belongs to you, and always will.
167* In ''Film/PoltergeistIITheOtherSide'', it's the "light of the family" shed by the Freelings' love for one another that repels the BigBad on the Other Side.
168* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' references the power of "true love" several times. In the very beginning, Westley asserts that he will be reunited with Buttercup because of the power of their love. Later in the film, he [[spoiler:resists deadly torture by becoming only "mostly dead." When his comatose body is asked why he's still "slightly alive," Westley moans, "Truuuuee loooove."]] Buttercup also asserts that her love cannot be denied, but [[spoiler:it's mostly for show. She's ready to kill herself when Westley suddenly appears and scolds her for her lack of faith]].
169* ''Film/SantoVsLaHijaDeFrankestein'': Santo's girlfriend is hypnotized and ordered to cut out his eyes and deliver them to Dr Frankenstein. She gets as far as holding the knife over the helpless luchador's face before this trope snaps her out of it.
170* Parodied in ''Film/ScaryMovie3''. Upon hearing Cindy and George express their love for each other, the corpse of Tabitha turns into a beautiful little girl and says that their love has broken the curse and she won't ever have to kill again. "Really?" asks Cindy and Tabitha turns back into a corpse and admits "Nah, I was just screwing with you."
171* ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' subverts the trope. [[spoiler:Scott gains a weapon called The Power of Love from proclaiming his love to Ramona in the climax. The weapon isn't strong enough, so he dies. On his second attempt, he instead proclaims that he's fighting for himself and gets The Power of Self-Respect, which is vastly superior.]]
172* In the film version of ''Film/{{Stardust}}'', Yvaine's love for Tristan [[spoiler:allows her to go supernova and incinerate Lamia. Because of her love, Tristan now "possessed the heart a star" and got bonus immortality too.]]
173* A theme throughout the ''Franchise/StarWars'' saga. In ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', it's how Luke helps his father Darth Vader get out of the Dark Side and become Anakin Skywalker again.
174* There are few places where Film/{{Tron}} shows off its Creator/{{Disney}} origins, but this and ThePowerOfFriendship overrides even the nastiest brainwashing. In the first, the title character pulls his "counterpart" (equivalent of "wife") Yori out of a repurposed state. In the [[Film/TronLegacy second]]... [[spoiler: a good, solid look from Flynn pulls him back from ''twenty years'' of enslavement]].
175* A more cynical and indirect usage: In the film ''Film/Ultraviolet2006'', the heroine weeps over a dead boy, causing him to come back to life -- because her tears infected him with vampirism.
176* In ''Film/TheWolfman2010'', Lawrence's feelings for Gwen [[spoiler:bring out what's left of his humanity, but only right before Gwen "sets him free."]]
177* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
178** ''Film/XMenFirstClass'': When Charles is helping all of the mutants train, the most effective memory to focus Erik's powers is Channukah with his mother, before the Holocaust.
179** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': If Charles has a secondary mutation, it would be this -- he has the ability to "transform" the people around him into better versions of themselves. [[spoiler:His unwavering love and support for his daughter figure Jean allows her to overcome her fears about her Phoenix power, and she fries Apocalypse with deadly efficiency, saving the world and the Professor's life in the process. Magneto pulls a HeelFaceTurn when he realizes that his love for Xavier is stronger than his hate towards human society, which has murdered his family twice over.]] Peter could've easily returned to his mother's basement and continued wasting his potential after the FinalBattle (especially considering that he had decided to withhold from Erik that he's his son), but it's implied that Maximoff was touched by Charles' worry for his well-being when Xavier had created a telepathic link between them while Quicksilver was fighting Apocalypse. Charles hadn't spoken to Peter in a decade, but the former's capacity for love is so great that he had opened his mind to a young mutant whom he barely knows, and he sincerely cared about whether Maximoff got hurt or not. The self-described "total loser" Quicksilver is now a member of the X-Men who can make a positive difference in the world.
180%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* In a way ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' is an example of this. It's probably the one version of Frankenstein, where Doctor Frankenstein actually learns to love and accept his creation, which also leads to it being the one version of the story where every thing works out happily!
181[[/folder]]
182
183[[folder:Music]]
184* Subverted in the Glass Hammer song [[http://www.ghfan.net/ontoev.html#angel/ Junkyard Angel]]
185* Music/HueyLewisAndTheNews on the ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' soundtrack had a song called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XDat5SPY3Y "The Power of Love."]]
186** The band I Fight Dragons did a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl6Ery4Q_uE cover]] of this song. They even paid homage to the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTGyeGgMpk8 original theme song]] of ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' in the cover's intro.
187* Country singer Music/CharleyPride had one of his last major hits with 1984's "The Power of Love," a No. 9 hit late that summer.
188* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfptieWXEJA Alive with the Glory of Love]], by Say Anything. About the singer's grandparents surviving the Holocaust to be together again.
189* Played straight in Nightwish's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VF0BlXP-0Y Ghost Love Score]], essentially a ballad about two lovers who separate and reunite, but amped-up to insanely epic power metal proportions. [[MemeticMutation Epic Love Maneuver!]]
190* Music/JAMProject's GONG. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0TiqIjF-uk I GET THE POWER OF LOVE!]]
191* Rozalla's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5UYYNt6dbM Faith]]". 'Cause you've gotta have faith ♪ In the power of love ♪ You've gotta have faith ♪ In the power of love ♪
192%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* {{Music/Switchfoot}}'s "Your Love Is a Gun", the older version of "Bullet Soul".
193%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ''Two People Fell In Love'' by Music/BradPaisley.
194%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Music/TheBeatles' "All You Need Is Love":'And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make'
195* Much of what Music/CelineDion has sung, including one song with the Trope Name. A running theme is that love grants the (figurative) power of flight. "Because You Loved Me" has "you gave me wings and made me fly / you touched my hand, I could touch the sky". The French track "En Amour" is all about love and flight. "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" has the line "Two hearts that need one another / Give me wings to fly." Other examples include the obscure "Love Lights the World", and "The Power of Love" with its bridge "The sound of your heart beating made it clear suddenly / The feeling that I can't go on is light years away."
196%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Music/LutherVandross has his own song based on this trope of the same name.
197* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShN8UIk5-mw Frankie Goes To Hollywood and their video celebration of the Nativity.]]
198* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSMNbnC9Kp8 ''Unstoppable'', by Rascal Flatts.]]
199* The parson from Music/JeffWaynesMusicalVersionOfTheWarOfTheWorlds has something to say referring to this trope:
200--> "What kind of weapon is love when it comes to the fight?
201--> And what use are good and mercy, against all Satan's might?"
202* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWIjlwdNLos Through the Barricades]] by Music/SpandauBallet suggests this trope as a means of overcoming divisions caused by UsefulNotes/TheTroubles.
203* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3564XqELyeY Amy Grant -- "That's What Love Is For."]] ''Round off the edges, talk us down from the ledges...''
204%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* The topic of quite a few Music/MichaelJackson songs. Probably one of the straighter examples is [[http://www.mtvmusic.com/artist/jackson_michael/videos/15223/don_t_stop_til_you_get_enough "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough."]]
205* Harry and the Potters' third album is titled "Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love" which is entirely based upon Half-Blood Prince.
206* In the Music/{{Ayreon}} album "The Human Equation", one of the main 'characters' is the human emotion of love (ItMakesSenseInContext). There is a Track called [[http://youtu.be/uIT6vdjsqsc "Day 11: Love."]] and Love is one of the major themes of the album.
207--> "You'll find me here, when ever they oppose you, I am the strongest of them all."
208* Creator/HaydenPanettiere sings about it in the song "I Still Believe" from ''WesternAnimation/CinderellaIIIATwistInTime''. In the music video, Hayden's love for her boyfriend adds color to a black and white world like ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}''. The bridges note this
209-->''Love can make miracles, change everything''\
210''Lift you from the darkness and make your heart sing''\
211''Love is forever, when you fall''\
212''It's the greatest power of all''
213* Aaron Lines' "Love Changes Everything" is a series of vignettes in how the power of love changes people who are feeling down.
214* Music/CarrieUnderwood, "So Small": "And when you figure out love is all that matters after all / It sure makes everything else seem so small".
215* "If You've Got Love" by Music/JohnMichaelMontgomery:
216-->If you've got love, you can move a mountain\
217A little further down the line\
218You can move it all at once or one rock at a time\
219You can turn an ordinary picture into a priceless work of art\
220That's what you can do if you've got love in your heart
221* One of Music/BlueOysterCult's [[SignatureSong most well-known songs]], DontFearTheReaper, is about how true love can transcend even death.
222* This shows up in the song "Ten Pound Hammer", written by Dennis Linde and recorded by both Aaron Tippin and Barbara Mandrell:
223-->If somebody would've told me\
224One woman could hold me\
225And leave me weak as a baby\
226I'd have told 'em they were crazy\
227You see, love hit me like a ten pound hammer\
228A ten pound hammer with a five foot swing...
229* Also from the pen of Dennis Linde is Music/DonWilliams' "Then It's Love":
230-->Well, if it knocks you off your feet, then it's love, then it's love\
231If it makes your life complete, then it's love, then it's love\
232If it turns you upside down, then it's love, then it's love\
233If it makes your world go 'round, then it's love
234* "Immortal" by Music/MarinaDiamandis says that love is the only thing that transcends death and the end of the world.
235* "From the Ground Up" by Music/DanAndShay is about a relationship that the narrator hopes will still be around 65 years from the present.
236* "Levitate" by Music/ImeldaMay is another song that uses metaphors of physical power to describe the intensity of romantic love. ''"I levitate towards you/And the way that you move..."''
237* Music/TearsForFears: The message of "Sowing the Seeds of Love" is that love can solve the world's problems.
238-->''Sowing the seeds of love\
239Seeds of love\
240Sowing the seeds\
241\
242High time we made a stand\
243And shook up the views of the common man\
244And the lovetrain rides from coast to coast\
245Every minute of every hour\
246I love a sunflower\
247And I believe in love power\
248Love power\
249\
250An end to need\
251And the politics of greed\
252With love''
253* Music/{{Aha}}'s music video duology "Take On Me" and "The Sun Always Shines On T.V." shows the protagonist turning [[spoiler:comicbook Morten Harket into a real person]] withher love -- and [[spoiler:turning him back into a comicbook character]] when her love for him cools.
254[[/folder]]
255
256[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
257* ''Literature/TheBible'':
258** In ''Literature/EpistlesOfJohn'', John stated that {{God}} is love, and whoever does not love does not know God.
259** In ''Literature/BookOfCorinthians'', Paul writes how talks about the divine love, or Agape that is God's love towards His children, and the love of His children between each other. You'll probably recognize it; the verse is now a stock reading at weddings.
260---> "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
261%%* This is all over Literature/TheBible, with the most obvious being 1 John 4:8, which simply states "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." That's right, God, the omnipotent force behind the entire universe IS Love. The Power of God IS the Power of Love.
262* The ''Hone-onna'' or Bone-Woman of Japan are ghosts driven by love to remain in the world of the living, rather than hate and revenge like other onryo ("vengeful ghosts"). The problem is that while their spirit remains so does the disgusting, rotting corpse they once had. The create a sort of {{Glamour}} to the object of her love and drains him of his life so they can be together in death. [[GlamourFailure The disguise doesn't work if she's not after you]], so it can be disconcerting at the least to see one's master flirting with a walking corpse. Her problem is her love comes off as a selfish sort of love; when she is found out she becomes desperate and the more desperate she becomes the more her "lover" drains away until he dies or is nearly-dead.
263* In the Brazilian folk tale "Literature/TheStoryOfTheYara", Alonzo (a young man on the brink of marrying his love) hears the Yara's song while bathing in the forest's pools. His bride, Julia, begs him not to go back until they're married, for fear of the Yara killing him. He manages to resist the urge to go to the pools for three days because he can't stand to see Julia's tears and anxiety about him. In the end, he survives his encounter with the Yara only because of his love for Julia and the shell full of her singing that she begged him to carry.
264[[/folder]]
265
266[[folder:Podcasts]]
267* ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'': Taako lampshades this by asking up front if the seventh Grand Relic was love the whole time. [[spoiler: As it turns out, the power of strong emotions (including love) does exist. Certain inexplicable magical phenomena that the party has witnessed like Hurley healing Sloane of an incurable poison are because strong emotion is an energy unto itself like light, heat, and magic that can affect the physical and arcane worlds. The lich elves that run Wonderland are using this to sustain themselves and keep from descending into insanity by siphoning off the misery and suffering of those around them. Barry and Lup's love for each other and the rest of the IPRE sustains their lich forms. And the Starblaster's bond engine allows Tres Horny Boys to summon loved ones to help defeat The Final John in their final battle against the Hunger.]]
268[[/folder]]
269
270[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
271* Brother Love: Parodied, inverted, subverted and averted with Bruce Pritchard's gimmick of a smarmy, rosy-cheeked faux preacher. Many times, he claimed to preach "The Book of Love," but it was more a "love" of the WWF's top villains of the late 1980s and early 1990s, including Wrestling/TedDiBiase and Wrestling/AndreTheGiant, and showing the "power of love" by setting up good guys such as Wrestling/HulkHogan for beatings by the heels.
272[[/folder]]
273
274[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
275* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'': True Love gives a bonus to stay strong in difficult situations and to any action that protects the beloved. It's such an integral part of the character that it can't be affected by [[EmotionControl magic]] -- though the same goes for [[ThePowerOfHate other passions]] that run just as deep. It's also not exclusive to romantic love, so it can be adapted to similarly profound attachments.
276* The [[FunWithAcronyms ANIMa]] from ''TabletopGame/BlissStage'' create a HumongousMecha and its weapons entirely out of, as WordOfGod has it, "''weaponized love.''" Most stats revolve around relationships with the other [=PCs=].
277* In the [[TabletopGame/OldWorldofDarkness Classic]] and TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness:
278** Fetches in ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'' are {{Artificial Human}}s created by TheFairFolk out of trash and shadow-stuff to replace the humans they kidnap. Consequently they are almost always sterile and their offspring tend to be [[TheSoulless soulless monsters]]; the only exception is when a fetch who [[AchievementsInIgnorance believes itself to be human]] has a child with someone they sincerely love.
279** Most ''Classic World of Darkness'' systems have a merit called True Love for strong romantic, familial or platonic ties. Its effect usually translates to some more HeroicWillpower when fighting for said love. True Loves in TabletopGame/WraithTheOblivion can serve as a [[HauntedFetter fetter]] for the Wraith to enter the physical world, provide [[EmotionEater emotional sustenance]], and inspire HeroicWillpower for possibly the most powerful asset the Wraith has.
280** ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'' suggests that regular contact with a mortal who sincerely loves the vampire should stabilize the vampire emotionally, helping them resist the SanitySlippage and [[UnstoppableRage Frenzy]] to which the undead are vulnerable.
281** ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful:'' The Court Of Swords is all about this trope. Princesses of Swords can use their magic more cheaply when either blessing or defending those they love, several of their Charms create flames whose heat is proportionate to the love they feel, and other Sword Charms can detect, renew, or even create True Love. It doesn't have to be ''romantic'' love, any of TheFourLoves will work.
282* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
283** 4[[superscript:th]]-Edition deities associated with love can grant this power, which focuses on protecting and healing allies.
284** The infamous third-party 3.5 sourcebook ''The Book of Erotic Fantasy'' has a more easily-accessible version of the Resurrection spell. The somatic component is kissing the recently deceased, and it only works on someone who you love.
285* The Virtue of Compassion in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}''.
286** Subverted, however, with Black Claw Style, which is based around the premise that love is a lie. The capstone Charm allows you to rip people's hearts out, and becomes much more powerful if your target happens to be in love with you.
287** Also subverted with Sidereal Charm ''Shun the Smiling Lady'', a charm whose sole utility is to make the target unlovable and make anyone who once loved them fall out of it. This is an [[DiscOneNuke entry level power]], so many Sidereals just pick it up as a prerequisite to other charms. Then it's just sitting in your panoply, [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential ready to be used at any time...]]
288** One of the most powerful examples: if an Abyssal Exalted finds and truly cares for their Lunar Mate, almost ''all'' of the drawbacks of their state are blown away.
289* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''
290** The game compares The Power Of Love to the power of [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=27249 rhinos]].
291--->''Love is like a rhino, short-sighted and hasty; if it cannot find a way, it will make a way.''
292** While Red is the color of all manner of passions and feelings, for practical reasons, the main ones displayed on cards are variants on UnstoppableRage and ThePowerOfHate. So it was considered a wonderful step forward in increasing the depth of the color when [[http://dougbeyermtg.tumblr.com/post/150405253149/in-the-abstract-one-of-reds-specialties-is a card was successfully made]] about undoing a painful knot of sorrow and pain with rekindled familial love.
293* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has the Imperium of Man, the biggest faction in the crapsack universe, and it runs on the Power of Love for the GodEmperor of All Mankind, who never wanted to be a god in the first place, but in his own words "wanted the best for his people". It's also his massive willpower born from love for Mankind that has allowed him to keep the Chaos rift at Terra closed and the Astronomican galactic beacon lit despite getting reduced to an undying corpse. That, and the sacrifice of a thousand souls every day so he can endure such a hellish state.
294** You can see how much he actually cared about Mankind as a whole on the quote attributed to him on the creation of the Grey Knights, his ultimate weapon against the forces of Chaos:
295--->'''The Emperor:''' One unbreakable shield against the coming darkness, One last blade forged in defiance of fate, Let them be my legacy to the galaxy I conquered, And my final gift to the species I failed.
296** Imperial Saints' dedication to the Emperor and acts of Faith in his name actually have managed to save the day for the Imperium on more than a few occasions when all seemed lost. This is actually a game mechanic for some factions, which allow the player to pull the imperial equivalent to some warp powers.
297** Disturbingly, Nurgle the Chaos god of disease runs on a different kind of love: stuff like a mother desperate to save her child from sickness and FriendToAllLivingThings (someone has to be a friend to plague rats, bacteria and the like) powers him. He's the ''nicest'' of Chaos gods, often referred to without irony as Grandfather Nurgle, and is always happy to shower his children with gifts of pestilence and decay.
298[[/folder]]
299
300[[folder:Theatre]]
301* In ''Theatre/{{Brigadoon}}'', Tommy asks if "a stranger like... well... me" could [[IChooseToStay choose to stay]] in Brigadoon. Mr. Lundie replies: "A stranger can stay if he loves someone here -- not jus' Brigadoon, mind ye -- but someone in Brigadoon enough to want to give up everythin' an' stay with that person. Which is how it should be. 'Cause after all, lad, if ye love someone deeply, anythin' is possible." Fiona comments, "I think I like that part best," clearly anticipating the show's happy ending.
302* Music/RichardWagner's version of the FlyingDutchman trope allows the character -- traditionally cursed to sail forever, to be saved by the power of love.
303** According to Website/TheOtherWiki, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Dutchman_%28opera%29 most of of his subsequent operas]] use this trope too.
304** Inverted in ''Theatre/DerRingDesNibelungen'', only the one who renounces love will be able to forge the ring that will let him rule the world.
305* In ''Theatre/DamnYankees'', Joe manages to thwart the devil partly because of his unswerving fidelity to his wife. He spends the final scene cuddling up to her while she sings to him and ignoring Applegate's increasingly desperate pleas for him to renew their deal.
306* One way of looking at the end of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' is that Gertrude has cottoned on to Claudius's plan and drinks the poison to reveal his plan and save Hamlet. If so, this is the only time in the play she puts her son before anyone, including Claudius.
307* Possibly the grandest and most edifying theme of ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' is that this trope is indeed the answer to the evils and suffering of the world. Fantine and Éponine's final words as they escort Valjean to the afterlife:
308-->"Take my hand, I'll lead you to salvation.\
309Take my love, for love is everlasting.\
310And remember the truth that once was spoken:\
311To love another person is to see the face of God."
312* Surprising, given the style of the play, but in the final scene of ''Theatre/{{Rent}}'', death is converted to DisneyDeath by a love song.
313* In ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'', half-lives are so filled with the love of others that being in the Underworld gives them the power to grant their own wishes.
314* In ''Theatre/LOrfeo'', Orpheus's song of love moves Persephone to tears and she begs Hades to let Eurydice go. Hades, while wary of what fate has in store, agrees due to his love for his wife.
315* In ''Theatre/OrfeoEdEuridice'', as a reward for Orpheus and Eurydice's undying love, Cupid brings Eurydice back to life even after Orpheus fails and the couple departs happily.
316* ''Theatre/DisneysBelieve'' states that love is what makes a garden grow, and nurturing the love between parent and child helps Dr. Greenaway's relationship with Sophia grow.
317[[/folder]]
318
319[[folder:Visual Novels]]
320* In the DLC case of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'', Phoenix argues that a witness was able to arrive at the scene of the crime far sooner than should be possible due to the power of love. Specifically, [[spoiler:he saw his bride being attacked and hurried to the crime scene. The normal route would take too long so he took a much shorter and much more dangerous route in spite of a serious injury.]] Edgeworth mocks the idea, but is shut down by the (happily married) judge, [[spoiler:and when the final witness confirms that this actually happened, he's more than a little bewildered.]]
321[[/folder]]
322
323[[folder:Web Animation]]
324* This is, ultimately, what the web animated series ''WebAnimation/BrokenSaints'' is all about, and what drives its EarnYourHappyEnding.
325-->'''Mama Tui:''' All things must die, Shandala. We cannot change this. But you can bring the heavens to your heart in life. Give yourself to those that need. If you do this, then the world is truly blessed... for it has known your love.
326* In ''WebAnimation/DrawWithMe'', this is what compels the boy to [[spoiler: break through the glass, and later the girl to cut off her hand]].
327[[/folder]]
328
329[[folder:Webcomics]]
330* Hilariously mentioned and subverted in ''Webcomic/AndShineHeavenNow'' after Marian, a ParodySue, attacks [[spoiler: the I-Jin of [[Literature/JeevesAndWooster Jeeves]]]] and musses up his hair, which he points out is unlikely:
331-->'''Marian:''' It's not unlikely at all. You're an enemy of Integra. So there's no way you can beat me. Because I have the most powerful thing in the universe on my side -- the power of true love!\
332'''[[spoiler: [=iJeeves=]]]:''' Indeed. [[spoiler:slices Marian in to pieces]] As a tactic, it leaves something to be desired.
333* In [[http://www.beaverandsteve.com/index.php?comic=201 this]] ''Webcomic/BeaverAndSteve'' story arc, love comes from another dimension populated with evil hearts that want to take over the earth.
334%%Administrivia/WeblinksAreNotExamples* [[http://www.bmoviecomic.com/?cid=283 This]] ''Webcomic/TheBMovieComic'' strip and the associated [[TheRant rant]].
335* [[http://buttersafe.com/2007/09/27/the-power-of-love/ According to]] ''Webcomic/{{Buttersafe}}'', "love is the source of energy that fuels [[EyeBeams eye lasers]]."
336* Used in [[http://www.captainsnes.com/2009/08/01/584-eyes-wide-open-to-the-world-now-new/ this]] ''Webcomic/CaptainSNES'' strip. The power of love and friendship helps win a fight.
337%%Administrivia/WeblinksAreNotExamples* Parodied in [[http://cerintha.comicgenesis.com/interludestarringdiscordia.html this series]] of ''Cerintha and the End of the World'' filler strips.
338* ''Webcomic/CucumberQuest'': Love plays an important role in the climax of Chapter 3. [[spoiler:Sir Carrot starts seeing himself as TheLoad for being a total coward, thinking that he's useless to his friends and [[LoveInterest Princess Parfait]]. But when he finally reads the LoveLetter that he lost to the Guardener, he learns that he's the reason why Parfait continues to endure her captivity, which causes him to gain his courage and [[TookALevelInBadass level up]]. Parfait powering Carrot with her love and faith through their lockets takes it further and transforms Carrot's hodgepodge knight uniform into a shiny suit of heart-themed armor that grants him the ability to use magic weapons. All this is what allowed him to stand a chance against a Hocus Crocus-powered Rosemaster]].
339* Used and nicely summed up in the final part of ''Webcomic/{{Demonology 101}}'', when [[spoiler:[[AffablyEvil Isaac]] [[CainAndAbel Jenner]] and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Madeline]] get [[UnholyMatrimony married]].]] Two Witnesses attend the wedding and one comments on the Power Of Love.
340-->'''Aaron:''' What do you think it means?\
341'''Banai:''' It probably means the same thing it meant [[StarCrossedLovers when you married Lily.]] That love is one of those annoying things that somehow manages to [[ScrewDestiny transcend destiny]], [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Nature]], and whether or not you were born with horns on your head.
342%%Administrivia/WeblinksAreNotExamples* Done perfectly straight in ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'', with Dex Garrit, who (as he's immune to ''all'' magic) is apparently on his deathbed... [[http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-12-02 until]] [[http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-12-04 this]] [[http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-12-06 happens]].
343* Chloe in ''Webcomic/EerieCuties'', being a [[SuccubiAndIncubi succubus]] and all that [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/It%20just%20got%20wronger can enjoy it]]... [[PowerHigh very much]]... to GlowingEyes and DramaticWind.
344* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'': Subverted in [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2004/11/27/8-bit-chronicles-3-of-3/ this strip]], where Black Mage explains that his [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]] spell isn't so much powered by love as ''with'' love, in that it siphons some love out of the universe every time it is cast. Black Mage himself isn't sure how much, but he's given to understand the divorce rate ticks upwards with each blast. Also, he got the spell by [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2004/12/09/episode-489-oh-that-black-mage-of-ours/ sacrificing nine orphans to a god of evil]].
345* ''Webcomic/EnnuiGo:'' As Darcy lies bleeding out after getting harpooned in the gut, she [[http://ennuigo.thecomicseries.com/comics/984 flashes]] back to the time she met Izzy in college. She then sees how their relationship grew, fell apart, then meeting again and [[WorkingWithTheEx begrudgingly working together]] and meeting Tanya before stopping to the time their [[{{Polyamory}} polyamorous relationship]] began. Soon enough, upon looking back, Darcy manages to rise up and goes to fight Captain Orca again, driven by the love she has for her girlfriends.
346* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Apparently it's enough to make Agatha [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100310 wrest control of her body away]] from the soul of her evil and ([[ExactWords literally]]) possessive mother. Well, that's what it looks like anyway.
347* ''Webcomic/{{Girly}}'' has ''loads'' of this throughout the series, but especially in the final arc, where all the artificial sidekicks explode when exposed to love (except for the sidekick cops, who are [[CrazyPrepared armored against love]]). Half the enemies are taken out by a sex god and his ex-wife, while the other half (including the sidekick cops) are dealt with by a pair of real cops through a combination of ClothingDamage and dirty dancing. The protagonists defeat the FinalBoss by having hot, steamy lesbian sex next to her.
348* The ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' interlude comic ''City Face'' is described by its author as "a story of how love can save the world." It turns out pigeon love and the resulting pigeon babies prevent humanity from bringing about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
349* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', NobleWolf Bec's love for Jade is so strong that [[spoiler: when he sacrifices his body to save her and inadvertently imbues the BigBad with his own strength and form, said BigBad is tormented by the feelings of loyalty that were transferred, and can not bring himself to kill Jade when he finds her.]] As of the End of Act 5 flash, [[spoiler: he killed the Courtyard Droll in an act of vengeance, and then laid Jade on her Quest Bed after CD managed to kill her in an explosion.]]
350* In ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' love defuses the WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Galatea, [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/280 here]] and [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/281 here.]]
351* ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo'':
352** As with many things, the exact nature and significance of love in the comic is ambiguous, but {{magical girl}}s appear to draw their power from it, and it's widely known to be a force to be reckoned with:
353--->'''Largo:''' Dude, I'm battlin' zombies and all I got is luv pow3r from a n3wb magical grrl. Help me out here.\
354'''Clerk:''' All ya got? That's enough, mate.
355** The power of ''obsessive adoration'', meanwhile, is a separate matter altogether, albeit ''possibly'' connected.
356* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
357** Haley becomes able to pick a lock [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0262.html when Elan encourages her]].
358--->'''Vaarsuvius:''' Love makes the world go round. And has been known to provide a +2 circumstance bonus to certain skill checks.
359** The time when Haley had started speaking gibberish and [[spoiler:breaks out of it when she tells Elan she loves him. She had been honestly trying to tell the truth and overcome her mental problem for some time, but finally managed it when her cynicism told her that Elan was going to leave her "just like everyone else" if she didn't recover right now.]]
360%%Administrivia/WeblinksAreNotExamples* ''ComicStrip/ThePerryBibleFellowship'': Hilariously twisted in [[http://www.pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF077-Bunny_Pit.jpg this comic]].
361%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* PlayedForLaughs with Darius and his 'children' in ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned''.
362%%Administrivia/WeblinksAreNotExamples* ''Webcomic/{{Thespiphobia}}'': Played scarily straight and lampshaded in [[http://thespiphobia.comicgenesis.com/d/20070413.html this page]].
363* In ''Webcomic/YuMeDream'', Fiona's decision to [[spoiler:attempt to go back into the Dream World to find Lia]], especially considering [[spoiler:Sadako had banned Fiona from the Dream Land]], as well as the possibility that [[spoiler:Fiona may never return to the real world if she finds Lia]].
364* In ''Webcomic/YumisCells'', the Love Cell has a special pink costume and is the most powerful of all Yumi's brain cells. Unfortunately, it was DePowered and put into a coma after a break-up a few years before the story begins. It starts recovering as Yumi finds (potential) new romance.
365[[/folder]]
366
367[[folder:Web Original]]
368* [[http://community.livejournal.com/jla_watchtower JLA Watchtower]][=/=]Roleplay/DCNation -- the Titans, led by Arsenal and Nightwing, challenge [[http://community.livejournal.com/jla_watchtower/423725.html?thread=8606509#t8606509 Hades, God of Death]], to retrieve Omen and Troia. Hades plays dirty [[spoiler:including killing off both Dick and Roy]], and finishes it off by sending out a zombie horde against the heroes. Clan Arrow's response was to grab Eros's love arrows and start shooting. When things ''really'' started to go badly, [[spoiler:out comes an army of the heroes' fallen friends, relatives, and loved ones -- ''including'' the fallen Nightwing and Arsenal -- to start kicking undead butt]].
369* In the ''VideoGame/ColourMySeries'', it's implied that the protagonist's coloring powers are based off of love. Or, rather, the two go hand in hand.
370* In ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'', apparently even the RandomNumberGod bends to the power of love.
371** In this universe, by the Dungeon Master's homebrew rules, the resurrection of dead characters can fail based on dice rolls, and anyone attempting a resurrection ritual can make up to three offerings (with associated skill checks) to increase the chance of success. When [[spoiler: Percy]] is killed, Vex admits she's in love with him and [[TrueLovesKiss kisses him]]. She rolls a Natural 20 on her skill check, and the ritual ultimately succeeds.
372** Something even more incredible happens at the end of Campaign 2, after the resurrection ritual for [[spoiler:Mollymauk]] fails. As the Mighty Nein begin to grieve, Caduceus sneaks off to a quiet corner to try Divine Intervention, a notoriously unrealiable ability as it requires a player to roll under their Cleric level (15, in Caduceus's case) on a d100, and is essentially the same as praying for a miracle. Caduceus makes a quiet plea to the Wildmother to give his friends [[spoiler:Molly]] back, as they have definitely earned it... and proceeds to roll a 2 on his d100. Matt, unwilling to give him a True Ressurection for free, re-rolls the resurrection die and rolls a 12, high enough for the ritual to succeed.
373* In ''Roleplay/MallFight'', Eric brings Connor back to life with this trope.
374* ''WebVideo/PiratesSMP'': In the finale, it's revealed that [[spoiler:the Corruption]] is [[TheHeartless made from and feeds on pure negativity]] and can be countered by positive energy like [[spoiler:the petrification, i.e. HumanSacrifice via being TakenForGranite]], which was then regarded to be the "only" way to stop the spread of [[spoiler:the Corruption]]. However, [[spoiler:the pirates' recurring friendship and kindness towards Cruppy, Ivy's familiar]], in the series manages to give [[spoiler:Ivy, the host of the Corruption]], enough hope for the goodness of humanity that [[spoiler:she is petrified and the Corruption is defeated ''without'' the use of Iris' corrupted witchcraft, thus freeing the Faction Isles from the Corruption as well as Iris' machinations to stay in power]]. It also helps that [[spoiler:their concern for Cruppy and their deceased friends who were victims of being TakenForGranite]] were what drove the pirates to [[spoiler:turn against Iris and fight for Ivy]] in the first place; in other words, ThePowerOfLove has driven the victories against both major antagonists of the series.
375* Frank and Sadie Doyle of ''Podcast/TheThrillingAdventureHour'' have conquered a fair share of supernatural baddies through the power of their love. A Valentine's Day special dedicated to them featured the Doyles [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth blowing up a succubus after it tried to devour their love]], attracting the attention of Freya and Bacchus because an oracle declared ''their'' love the strongest of all, and thwarting a Will o' the Wisp from stealing their souls before it even started by the simple fact that their souls belong to each other.
376* In one of the possible endings of ''VideoGame/TodayIDie'', love gives the protagonist strength to survive.
377* Supervillainess Sahar, in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''. She has a psychic ability to -- once she's seduced a Psi -- get so close that she can learn to copy that Psi's best 'knacks'. This makes her a ruthless femme fatale, until she falls in love with a mark, Zenith. She doesn't know how to handle that. So it takes a different kind of love -- [[ThePowerOfFriendship friendship]] -- to get her to finish her HeelFaceTurn. And she gets Zenith back.
378[[/folder]]
379
380[[folder:Real Life]]
381* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Band_of_Thebes The Sacred Band of Thebes.]]
382* Mary Ann Patten the wife of the Captain of the Clipper ''Neptune's Car'', got the ship around the Horn propelled by this.
383* An underweight failing newborn was saved by a hug from her tiny twin sister in [[http://www.planetdeb.net/spirit/rescue.htm this]] unspeakably adorable story from 1995.
384* Similar to the above, there's the concept of "Kangaroo Care", where a baby is held closely to the mother's chest. Babies born prematurely or with low birth weight that are given this treatment tend to become healthy faster than those kept in incubators.
385* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weinsberg#Middle_Ages The Castle of the Faithful Wives]], thought this one crosses strongly with GuileHero. To sum it up: A group of woman are allowed safe passage during a war out of enemy territory with whatever they could carry, they chose to leave with their families doing a piggie ride.
386* Love, romantic or otherwise, is often considered one of the most powerful motivational forces in the human psyche. There are even claims that it can cause the brain to release chemicals that allows a person to accomplish things that he/she could not or would not have been able to normally do. These factors are the basis for the "Power of Love" in fiction.
387[[/folder]]

Top