Line #1 Main/ThoughtControlledPower


1	Activation of most superpowers and magic spells requires you to use parts of your material body in some way: [[FullContactMagic physical contact]], [[MagicalGesture specific hand gestures]], [[BlastingTime targeting with]] and/or [[HandBlast firing from your hands]], [[LanguageOfMagic uttering incantations]] and/or [[ByThePowerOfGrayskull activation phrases]] with your lips, establishing [[NoEyeInMagic eye contact]], [[EyeBeams firing from your eyes]], etc., etc..
2
3	This trope is about characters who have honed their powers to such a degree that they don't require any of the above, and can activate and control them solely by thought or will. Such characters are almost inevitably feared, because they can attack anyone without any warning at all, [[OffhandBackhand without even looking at them]]. Moreover, they cannot be prevented from using their powers with BoundAndGagged treatment, so any captor will have to either keep them unconscious at all times or use some kind of PowerNullifier, if one exists. As such, this tends to be very high on TheLawOfPowerProportionateToEffort.
4
5	The rule of thumb to determine if a character's power falls under this trope is to check whether he or she can still use it when tied up, gagged, and blindfolded.
6
7	Many instances of {{Telekinesis}} fall under this, but not all telekinetic powers are thought-activated and not all thought-activated powers revolve around moving physical objects. This trope is less about ''what'' the power does and more about ''how'' it is triggered/controlled.
8
9	One SubTrope is ConcentrationBoundMagic, where magic lasts only so long as the wielder is exerting continuous focus and effort. PstandardPsychicPstance is not ''required'' by these folks, but they might do it anyways.
10
11	Also, such a character will inevitably be a master of OminousWalk. RequiredSecondaryPowers usually include some kind of SuperSenses to complement the ability to act in all directions with sensing in all directions at once. In combat, expect that PowersDoTheFighting while they stand still.
12
13	Not included in the definition are psychics who [[MindManipulation use their minds to affect other minds]], since their powers are usually this by default and don't cross into the material world directly.
14
15	----
16	!!Examples:
17
18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
21	* In ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'', the powerful arrancar Coyote Starrk usually fires cero beams from his "guns", but can fire them from his hollow hole without posing. This comes as a surprise to the opposition.
22	* Galatea from ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' can manipulate flows of yoki (demonic energy) around her just by thinking about it. Most of her encounters with powered enemies therefore boil down to calmly walking past them while redirecting each their hit to miss her with her mind.
23	* Most geass in ''Anime/CodeGeass'' require [[NoEyeInMagic eye contact]]. Rolo's [[TimeStandsStill pseudo-time stop]] instead has an AreaOfEffect triggered completely at will.
24	* Diclonii in ''Manga/ElfenLied'' possess several pairs of invisible hands called "vectors" that can pass through material objects but cut human flesh with ease. Their captors keep them inside steel spheres just thick enough for their vectors not to reach the outside.
25	[[/folder]]
26
27	[[folder:Fan Works]]
28	* By ''Ghosts of the Past'', sequel of ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', Harry doesn't actually need to move his hands or anything similar to use his PsychicPowers. Nor, indeed, does any sufficiently skilled psychic, mage, or similarly empowered being. However, it does seem to make it easier to focus, in the same way that using a wand does. He also retains a tendency to use a BadassFingerSnap, which Hermione disapprovingly refers to as a piece of unnecessary theatrics.
29	* Ringo in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'' and even more especially in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone'', which makes him the scariest person on C'hou to anyone who realizes exactly what he could do with his telekinesis/mindsight combination. Good thing he's an ActualPacifist.
30	** John, to a degree, though he needs his eyes and hands most of the time. But he can still get plenty of stuff done without them—like the time he rusted away the armor and weapons of six annoying guys.
31	* Parodied in ''Fanfic/Plan7Of9FromOuterSpace'' when [[Film/{{Firefox}} fighters with thought-controlled weapon systems]] are chasing a FlyingSaucer and end up [[TriggerHappy destroying]] the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_Building#/media/File:LAX_LA.jpg LAX terminal]].
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Film]]
35	* Although he prefers {{Magical Gesture}}s, Film/BruceAlmighty's powers count as this, as he is able to use them to do absolutely anything (except mess with free will or tell anyone he's God) simply by exerting his will.
36	* In the Creator/ClintEastwood's movie, ''Film/{{Firefox}}'', one of the reasons that the Western Powers want the new Soviet fighter plane, code-named "Firefox," is that the weapons system is fired through thought processes rather than a fire button on the pilot's joystick. The hitch: the command must be given in Russian. Eastwood's character, Mitchell Gant, grew up with a Russian mother so he was qualified to steal the plane. In the finale, [[spoiler:as he is being chased by the second prototype plane, he is shouting, "Fire rearward missile! Fire rearward missile!" It doesn't work until he ''thinks the command in Russian.'' Cue fireball on the second plane.]]
37	* Fully-trained Jedi Knights from ''Franchise/StarWars'' are capable of using many of their Force powers sans MagicalGesture or [[NoEyeInMagic eye contact]] (case in point: Luke Skywalker levitating C-3PO in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''). They still tend to do so anyway, as it's how they're trained to use their powers and it does help with focus.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Literature]]
41	* Sorcerers in the ''Literature/TheBelgariad'' and ''Mallorean'' series use the "Will and the Word." Belgarath says he's fairly sure you don't really need the Word, if your Will is strong enough [[spoiler: and given that Poledra doesn't seem to need the Word at all, he's probably right.]]
42	* Magic in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' is emotion shaped and directed by will, but wizards almost always use (made-up) incantations to help focus their minds, almost like mnemonics. When Harry casts a spell mentally, he's left with a headache and a wicked case of synaesthesia. In ''Changes'', he [[spoiler:summons the faerie Queen Mab]] just by imagining the ritual in perfect detail.
43	* Charlie's pyrokinetic powers in ''Literature/{{Firestarter}}''. To a lesser degree, her parents' respective powers.
44	* In ''The Imager Portfolio'', the titular mages just need to imagine something and it happens. Comes with a nasty side of PowerIncontinence, as daydreams or even regular dreams can trigger imaging. For this reason, no imager can sleep (literally sleep, not have sex) with anyone, including their spouse, parents, or children.
45	* The final stages of mastery of magecraft in ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'' involves casting without a MagicTool, words, or anything. Very few mages can do this since it requires lifelong practice and discipline. It is also one of the advantages that divine magic has over academic magecraft; one just imagines the desired effect and it happens.
46	* In ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'' Kelsier explicitly points out while training Vin that you don't need to gesture to use Ironpulls or Steelpushes.
47	* Certain forms of '''Magyk''' in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'', unlike other forms, can be used without the help of words or Charms.
48	* ''Literature/{{Lensman}}''. Helmuth has a mysterious device acting as BetrayalInsurance in his personal safe that can be activated by a thought. When our hero realises this, he keeps up his own mental and physical assault so Helmuth can't risk lowering his mindshield even for a moment to activate it.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
52	* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Hiro's teleportation and time dilation powers. Although, in one case, Ando was able to activate Hiro's powers by squeezing Hiro's eyes manually. It's possible this triggered some sort of reflex.
53	* Upon the arrival of the Ori Priors in the ''Series/StargateSG1'' canon, the Stargate teams had to completely overwrite their previous alien containment techniques. Against the Goa'uld, who used chicanery and technological trinkets to simulate godhood, binding and gagging their foes would be enough, but the Priors could trigger massive shockwaves by ''blinking,'' could easily perceive things others missed, and had limited telepathy.
54	* In the second ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Star Trek]]'' pilot "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E3WhereNoManHasGoneBefore Where No Man Has Gone Before]]", Gary Mitchell gains ESP powers from the Galactic Barrier and nearly takes over the ship. Dr. Elizabeth Dehner also gains power, but slower since her potential was a little less than Mitchell's.
55	* In the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS6E23Fury Fury]]", Kes returns to the ''Voyager'' with her boosted PsychicPowers. She is shown walking through a hallway with the bulkheads exploding around her without even a hand wave.
56	* The idea is discussed in ''Series/Merlin1998'' when Merlin is getting his training. His instructors are disappointed that he never quite got that far in skill, and suspect he just didn't want to. The only character who actually displays the ability is Mabb, a fae goddess.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Roleplay]]
60	* While many characters in ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues'' require some external stimulus to activate their power, a few instead need simply use their minds:
61	** Ciro doesn't require any physical action in order to activate his {{invisibility}} and [[BarrierWarrior force-field]] powers. While this makes them very versatile, it also puts him at greater risk of having his powers fail if his concentration is broken.
62	** Harriet has a spear that she can [[MindOverMatter telekinetically]] control. While normally the spear inflicts physical damage, she can also give it a mental command to inflict illusions or SensoryAbuse instead.
63	** Naturally, Zia only requires a thought to use her {{telepathy}}. It makes her one of the most dangerous and unpredictable characters to fight against.
64	** Jacob's power to create miniature time loops doesn't require him to move or speak. This actually works against him, as he uses it [[PowerIncontinence subconsciously]] and keeps injuring himself by rewinding dust motes into his body.
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
68	* Most activatable powers in ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Supers'' are this by definition unless the character's creator gives them a disadvantage that requires some special activation technique. (Most powers affecting things beyond the character's own body will still require some appropriate sense to ''aim'' properly -- so being blindfolded can still be an issue --, just not to ''activate'' in the first place.)
69	* In early editions of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', innate creature spell powers and psionics were usually activated "at will" unless specifically described otherwise. In some editions, certain spells can be cast without any verbal or somatic (hand movements) components, or can be made as such via using various abilities.
70	* Improvised spells in ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' are purely mental, powered solely by the mage's connection to the Supernal Realms and personal understanding of the magical discipline being used.
71	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': In contrast with other magical disciplines' [[MagicalGesture gestures]] and [[MagicalIncantation incantations]], {{Psychic\|Powers}} magic is fueled by mental constructs and emotional states, with no outward sign of the spellcasting.
72	* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' mages can cast spells just by concentrating on doing so. It's possible for a mage to voluntarily use gestures or speech as a centering technique or be forced to do so because of a geas.
73	* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'': Magic is this by default, but casting by thought alone is ''hard''. {{Magical Incantation}}s and [[MagicalGesture Gestures]] help to focus the mind and boost the mage's power, to the extent that there's a small but worthwhile bonus for being extra-dramatic in their spellcasting. A mage can train in specific spells to negate the penalty for casting them mentally.
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Video Games]]
77	* By the end of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition - Trespasser'' DLC, [[spoiler:Solas]] seems to have gained this power as part of the whole PhysicalGod package, which he demonstrates by turning the episodic villain Viddasala to stone in a literal blink of an eye, even with his back turned to her.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Webcomics]]
81	* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': "Tacit casters" like Duane are born with an extra connection to the BackgroundMagicField in their souls, which lets them cast spells just by thinking the MagicalIncantation rather than speaking it out loud. Speed and secrecy make tacit casting a huge tactical advantage, but they still need the same expertise in the LanguageOfMagic as normal spellwrights.
82	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', most magic is this which comes in handy when Elliot shapeshifts in order to [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2004-03-05 escape being tied up with a guard within earshot.]] In contrast, his non-shapeshifting related offensive magic requires both a MagicalGesture and speaking the LanguageOfMagic (in this case Japanese) and thus [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2003-12-09 utterly fails.]]
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Western Animation]]
86	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
87	** While most bending requires some sort of movement, Combustion Man's [[HavingABlast explosions]] in ''Last Airbender'' and [[spoiler:[[PeoplePuppets bloodbending]] as used by Yakone and Noatak]] in ''Legend of Korra'' explicitly require only the user's focus. For the latter this is used to obfuscate that they were bending at all.
88	** Very skilled benders can also skip the limb movements, such as Bumi (able to bend using only his chin) and [[spoiler:Toph]] (able to move with her arms behind her back).
89	%%* Ace's reality warping powers evolve into this in the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' epilogue.
90	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ThoughtControlledPower