[[quoteright:327:[[Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gunnerkrigg-superprototype.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:327:Left: Seraph 1. Right: Seraph 13.]]
->''"Why would a prototype be more efficient than the finished model? Did they think that [[Franchise/BioShock Big Daddies]] being fast, flexible and capable of self-preservation was just not being fair on everyone else?"''
-->-- '''Yahtzee''', ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation''

A Super Prototype is a testbed version of some piece of technology -- like a HumongousMecha, SpaceFighter, or KillerRobot -- that is, for some reason, superior to the mass-produced version. A super prototype will have better weapons, stronger armor, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking higher-quality speakers]] than the units rolling off the assembly line. Even when there isn't very many of whatever device was designed in the first place, the prototype model is almost always the most powerful, or has at least some advantage over the other models.

A question that often comes up is ''why'' the super prototype is so, well, ''super'' compared to the production model. The typical reason given is that the production model is far cheaper or easier to make in large numbers. Sometimes, the technology that makes the device so much more powerful is LostTechnology (although one wonders why a prototype of a future possible design would include tech the mass-produced versions would never be capable of including), and thus not easily replicated. Or the technology in the prototype is difficult to use, thus ''requiring'' an AcePilot to operate, while the later models are less powerful but stable enough for normal soldiers to use. Mass-production models were likely made (in the grand tradition of military equipment) by the lowest bidder, who cut corners wherever possible. But mostly, it just lets TheHero be [[RuleOfCool that much more awesome]].

In RealLife, a prototype is simply the first unit of a model to be built, usually made in order to do real-world tests of the design and correct any flaws before mass production begins. As such, you want your test unit to be as similar to your production unit as possible, so prototypes are frequently indistinguishable from standard models. [[note]]Additionally, in RealLife prototypes of armoured vehicles (and this would apply to armour-clad Gundams and such as well) are typically made from "soft" (non-armour grade) steel to simplify building and modification, so their life on the battlefield would've been rather short[[/note]] However, a real-world concept that more closely resembles the super prototype is the experimental unit, which is intended to test out new technology without ever being meant for mass production at all. As cost-effectiveness is less important, experimental units frequently ''do'' have superior performance to eventual mass production models.

Military test pilots refer to this as "pushing the envelope" - the upper edge is height, the left edge is speed. Visualize this as the kind of envelope you mail somebody and you realize that particular area is [[IncrediblyLamePun where the postage gets canceled]]. This distinction is rarely made in fiction, however. [[note]]As an aside, often times in electronics, companies will ship out the most powerful unit first to show what the next gen is capable of. All subsequent models are usually lesser versions of that first release (which are usually production units that failed and are either ran at lower performance or have parts chopped off), though occasionally when technology improves, they might make a revision to the design to make it even better.[[/note]]

May be the result of a BlackBox; the "super" parts of the prototype are [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup unreplicable.]] A specific instance of OlderIsBetter: the prototype came first, so it is better than all that came after it. The {{Opposite Trope|s}} is the FlawedPrototype. A closely related trope is the AceCustom. See also BiggerStick.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* The ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' metaseries makes extensive use this trope. Pretty much any mecha with "Gundam" in its name will be either a SuperPrototype, an AceCustom, or both. Which justified in-universe with reason of cost-effectiveness, the prototype usually carries better reactor, alloy and trinkets which later changed to cheaper and inferior version or removed from the mass production unit so they can produce a lot more with same amount of budget and resources. Few exceptions are:
** ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam'' [[ZigZaggingTrope twist it]]. While the titular Victory Gundam is superior to its simplified sister model [[RedShirt Gun EZ]], the actual mass production model is identical to the prototype. The Victory 2 was meant to be a limited-production model, but the other suits were destroyed prior to being fielded, leaving Uso's V2 as a unique unit.
** While it appears to play straight in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' with Strike Dagger being inferior to Strike Gundam, [[AllThereInTheManual sidestories]] reveal that Strike Dagger is merely a stopgap production, the actual mass production model, the 105 Dagger, is superior to Strike Gundam. Sure, it has limited laminate armor instead of full body PS armor, but with [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere pretty much every mobile suit using beam weapon by that point]], the latter isn't as useful as it was.
*** The Astray line is an odd case. The colored Frames (Red, Blue, Gold, Green and Mirage) were all prototypes, but weren't anything incredible. Only by the wonders of AceCustom that they became superior to the later mass produced Astray units. And even then, the Astray could take on the prototypes, as the Red Frame was once easily taken down by a simple Astray (granted one piloted by Coordinator.)
*** However, ''Gundam SEED'' does play the trope straight with the Moebius mobile armor. The Moebius Zero prototype sports four detachable and independently maneuverable gunbarrels in a precursor to the DRAGOON system later used to great effect by certain BiggerStick mecha like the Providence; the production model Moebius lacks these, using only the forward-fixed central cannon. This is {{justified}} in that only a select few OMNI pilots had the spatial awareness and piloting skills required to use the detachable gunbarrels anything like effectively, and of those pilots only AcePilot Mu la Flaga survived the Battle of Endymion prior to the start of the anime, so paring down the design was an unfortunate necessity.
** ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX'' initially [[AvertedTrope averts]] this, with the prologue showing that the titular Gundam was mass produced, and Garrod's is simply the [[LastOfHisKind Last Of Its Kind]].
** It's also noteworthy that in ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' this trope becomes the shtick of Paptimus Scirocco. Over the course of the series he cranks out one-shot, scratch-built mobile suits at an astonishing rate. The Messala, Pallas Athena, Bolinoak Samaan and The-O are all unique Scirocco designs, while the Gabthley and Hambrabi are limited production models designed by Scirocco for the Federation's use and only 2-4 of each were ever made. In general, Scirocco's godlike ability to crank out butt-kicking mobile suits is used as a catch-all explanation for all Titans SuperPrototype suits that aren't the Psyco Gundam.
*** And the Gundam Mk-II actually inverts this - even though it was a SuperPrototype and, for awhile, could one-up the Titans' Hi-Zack units, there was nothing special about it outside of its special lighter frame system and it's easily outclassed early on.
** The Tallgeese in ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Wing]]'' was the precursor to all mobile suits in that universe. It's so powerful it can hold its own against the first generation of Gundams in that series. It did have one glaring design flaw: it was so powerful that it ''killed its own pilots''. The Leos that were based on its design are far weaker but also safer for people to pilot.
** Tough in general, the super prototype remain superior only to the same generation series as technological race is a strong theme in gundam series making the next generation units usually better than the previous generation super prototype.
** ''The08thMSTeam'' actually averts this. The series is known for instead of making a traditional Gundam series about a boy FallingIntoTheCockpit and getting involved in the current war, and instead focuses on the everyday soldiers in the One Year War. Because of this, most pilots in the series don't have brand-new prototype Mobile Suits. Instead they have things like the Gundam Ground Type, which is merely spare parts from the RX-78-2 Gundam, made into a mass-produced Gundam designed for ground combat. There's also the Gundam Ez8, which is a Gundam made from spare parts FROM the Gundam Ground Type!
* ''SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' usually averts this, with the production models being built up from the prototype's capabilities. Even ''MacrossZero'' only uses FlawedPrototype in the form of the VF-0 Phoenix: despite having flight performance head-and-shoulders above conventional jet aircraft and even limited capability for ''underwater operation'', it's a maintenance-hog and the war's outbreak meant that the engineers couldn't wait until the intended space-capable reactor engines were completed so they simply slapped on the strongest airbreathing jet engine they could get their hands on and crossed their fingers.
** The majority of ''MacrossPlus'' consists of a contest between two super prototypes (YF-19 and YF-21) competing to be the new mass production model; they eventually choose the YF-19 after the YF-21's UnusualUserInterface proves to be [[SarcasmMode a little unsafe if the pilot gets distracted during flight]]; the [[spoiler:destruction of the YF-21 prototype]] doesn't help either. This is actually a realistic portrayal of the prototyping system; similar contests have actually occurred in real life.
** The VF-25 the good guys use in ''MacrossFrontier'' also has superior performance to the military standard-issue VF-171 along with a redesigned Armored Pack that won't lock the Valkyrie into battroid mode; while the civilian protagonist recognizes it on sight, it's confirmed as still undergoing official performance evaluations.
*** [[TheMovie The Movies]] both subvert this, and then play it straight. The Tornado Pack is noted to be AwesomeButImpractical, itself the FlawedPrototype to Alto's [[MidSeasonUpgrade YF-29 Durandal]], which pretty much confirmed to be the most advanced fighter craft in the Macross-verse to date. Even then, it's bright red color scheme is noted to be because of it's status as a prototype, and not [[LawOfChromaticSuperiority the other reason.]]
* ''OnePiece'' has the World Government-developed Pacifistas. The original, created by [[WeCanRebuildHim rebuilding]] BadAss Bartholemew Kuma into a HollywoodCyborg, is able to make short work of some later models, though this is mostly because Kuma had Devil Fruit powers that apparently couldn't be transferred to the others or technologically duplicated. [[spoiler:It is stated that more powerful models have been created over the TimeSkip, though it has not yet been shown how well Kuma would stack up against them.]]
* The police protagonists on ''{{Patlabor}}'' had three prototype AV-98 Ingram mechs. One episode focused on the introduction of a mass-produced line of Ingrams, subverting the trope a bit in that the prototypes weren't exceptionally good so much as the mass-produced ones were exceptionally shoddy. Also, other kinds of mass-produced police and military mechs are shown to be close in quality to the Ingrams.
** The first film has the Type Zero which was supposed to be an advanced replacement for the AV-98. It proved to be a fearsome opponent in melee combat against other labors and when it was overtaken by the Babel virus, it completely mopped the floor with Ohta's Ingram and Noa barely managed to subdue it. Seeing as the Type Zero wasn't seen in the subsequent films, it can be assumed that the design was abandoned.
* One character from ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', [[spoiler:Subaru Nakajima]] is a self-admitted homage to ''SuperRobotWars''. [[spoiler:It turns out that she]] is the prototype to the Number cyborgs, stronger than the rest of them, and [[spoiler:so is her sister Ginga]]. The special moves "borrowed" from such {{Super Robot}}s like ''Gear Fighter Dendoh'', ''GaoGaiGar'', ''CombattlerV'' and more make this homage especially apparent.
** Fate Testarossa is another super prototype in a way -- she was [[spoiler:the very first successful ArtificialHuman created by an illegal cloning project run by the master of the Numbers, Jail Scaglietti. She bears the project's original name, and is the prototype that Jail used to create all the other Artificial Mages of the setting]]. However, to her mother, Fate is a FlawedPrototype because [[spoiler:she was meant to be a clone of her dead daughter Alicia, but ended up gaining quirks of her own which royally pissed off mommy dearest.]]
* Simultaneously subverted and played straight in ''SentouMechaXabungle''. The titular mecha (''referred to as such'' by the regularly no-fourth-wall characters) is both a production model -- they get ''two'' of them, unheard of in a mecha show up to that point -- and a prototype in the sense that a) no prior Walker Machine is built specifically for combat (hence the series name -- Combat Mecha) and b) it incorporates a number of features that imply it to be a space machine. The Walker Gallier in the second half of the show is a textbook example (and even has a production model of sorts in the Brackary). It's famously "Super" enough to ''catch and throw'' a falling ICBM (albeit a museum copy, but still).
* Ram-Dass in ''SoukouNoStrain'' is an illegally made mecha where the Union only condones standard issue. Because Sara saved them in it, it's explained away as a "prototype" to anyone that asks. Her brother's Gloire, on the other hand, is an AceCustom.
* Remarked upon in ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', in reference to the [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Grappals/Gulaparls]] compared to the Gurren Lagann:
-->'''Gimi:''' Anyway, aren't Grappals supposed to be superior to Gurren Lagann? There's something wrong with a prototype being stronger.
** The trick here wasn't intentionally dumbing down the mass-produced version but rather the designers being ignorant of one crucial fact: the Gurren Lagann, like all Ganmen, is an EmpathicWeapon. Simply copying the machinery won't help if they don't know what makes it tick. Once this fact is discovered, they quick-fix the situation with the addition of Spiral weaponry but they're still nowhere near enough [[RealityWarper Ganmen territory]].
** As seen in the movies, if your will is high enough, even the mass production models can grow into galaxy sized bots, a la "Tengen Toppa Grappal/Gulaparl" and fire planet system-sized shotgun rounds.
* ''CodeGeass'' features several super prototypes, [[LensmanArmsRace progressing in power with the times.]] Supplementary materials explain the backstory of KMF development, where they were literally putting pieces together just to see how it worked; the best subversion of this trope is the Ganymede, the very first KMF to be built. It has no internal power source, only batteries; no weapons, no closed cockpit and insufficient motive power to do anything other than harmlessly cruising. [[MundaneUtility It can make the world's biggest pizza, though.]]
** Another [[FlawedPrototype subversion]] is the Gawain, when Lelouch jack it, it was AwesomeButImpractical KMF. Notable for the hadron cannons, which have too big blast radius, thus the beam loss much of its destructive power and have high risk of hitting allies. Then it's double subverted, with the hadron cannons modified, making the beam to be more concentrate, Gawain become quite deadly machine. Its mass-production version, the Gareth, doesn't even have hands anymore since its slightly weaker hadron cannons have been moved from the shoulders to {{Arm Cannon}}s.
** To a smaller extent, the Vincent: the Vincent Ward final version scraps the needle blazer weapon to ease production. Of course, no one can forget the Vincent's own SuperPrototype, the Lancelot: the world's first seventh-generation KMF, later upgraded into the one-of-a-kind ninth-generation unholy terror known as the [[AceCustom Lancelot Albion]].
** One the opposite side of the coin, Guren Nishiki gets two successors: the limited-production Gekka and the mass-production Akatsuki (as well as Tohdoh's [[AceCustom Zangetsu]]). Neither can hold a candle to the original, especially after it receives its own ninth-gen upgrade into the Guren SEITEN.
* Appears as an UnbuiltTrope in ''MazingerZ'', the archetypal SuperRobot series. Mazinger Z was lacking a lot of its special features at first and regularly had to be upgraded and re-outfitted with new equipment. At the same time, the manga introduced the Mazinger Army, a trio of weaker robots each designed to wield one of Mazinger's distinctive weapons. All three made minor appearances in the ''{{Mazinkaiser}}'' movie, and [[spoiler:all three were destroyed, with only Million Alpha putting up any kind of a fight]].
** Averted in, of all things, ''GreatMazinger'' -- the Mikene Empire get a hold of Great's plans and mass produce it perfectly (with the exception of its wings). They usually show up in any ''SuperRobotWars'' installment when the ''Great Mazinger'' storyline is used.
** And it was also averted in ''{{Mazinkaiser}}'': Shin Great Mazinger and Mazinkaiser are explicitly stated to be the finished models, their predecessors are the prototypes.
** And averted in ''ShinMazinger'' as Energer-Z was able to go toe to toe with Mazinger-Z.
* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' does strange things with this trope. Units 00, 01, and 02 are referred to as the prototype unit, test unit, and production unit, respectively, but they're functionally identical in operation. ''EndOfEvangelion'' features "mass produced Evas" that are superior in basically every way, but aren't really a refinement of the original Evas so much as the same underlying technology taken in a different direction.
** ''RebuildOfEvangelion'' gives us Provisional Unit-05 which is very much a FlawedPrototype, if not for the flight thrusters no other Eva has.
* ''SkyGirls'' features this: The three original Sonic Divers are prototypes, and they do their job well. Subverted in the fact that the mass production model can do just as well, but the WORM attacks the production assembly plant, making the only one model that was completed a super prototype in its own way.
** Also used straight when the [[spoiler:[[{{Gradius}} Vic Vipers]]]] make their debut, it is marketed as cheap, much better and more heavily-armed alternative to the Sonic Divers that the titular characters use, and hence, is mass-produced. Not only it really is underperfoming in comparison, the best thing it can do is act as support rather than replacement. It actually even gets beaten by an old, conventional fighter piloted by the show's TheAce in the end, and ''it's a two-against-one battle''.
* ''MetalArmorDragonar'' plays with this a bit. The beginning of the series shows the Dragonars as a set of stolen super prototype units, but their pilots are inexperienced, and the AceCustom units trounce them frequently. After a while, the Dragonars are used as the template for a new Mass Production model that has specs stronger than any of the Dragonar units. However, after Professor Plato guides the heroes back to the military, the Dragonars are upgraded into Ace Custom Super Prototypes.
* Pretty much the only mechs that accomplish anything important in ''EurekaSeven'' are super prototypes, with the two Nirvash (which are actually ''[[EmpathicWeapon alive]]'') units being the most prominent. There's also Holland's late-series mount, the TB-303 Devilfish, which is ridiculously powerful and has enough firepower to wipe out multiple capital ships, but requires the pilot to take life-threatening drugs to operate it... Aside from those, the rest of the powerful LFO's are all {{Ace Custom}}s. Anything with "KLF" or "Mon-Soono" in its name is [[MechaMooks utter cannon fodder]].
* Sagara Sousuke of ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' handles the [[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/Kuruni/MS-Story/Vault-Other/arx-7.jpg ARX-7 Arbalest]], one of the first mecha to be fielded by MITHRIL to possess a Lambda Driver. Later in the series he goes up against many enemy mecha with Lamba Drivers of their own, but proves his to be the more powerful while defeating them in combat. It is suggested that this is because the Lambda Driver in Sousuke's mecha is a prototype model compared to the mass-produced variants fielded by the enemy, and is capable of increased output at the cost of stability. It does, indeed, fail to function properly on a number of occasions, leading Sousuke to become thoroughly frustrated with it. Said Lambda Driver is later put into the ARX-8 Laevatein which, despite the serial number, is actually an AceCustom put together in a hurry. It can still kick the asses of everything mass-produced, though.
* Partial subversion in ''VipersCreed'', in the last episode we see a prototype white mech with greater speed, armor and two additional arms; but its software is not optimized, so at critical moments it freezes from bugs.
* Played straight in ''OutlawStar''. The [=XGP15A-II=] was purpose built using advanced military tech for the purpose of reaching the Galactic Leyline.
* [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Chachamaru]] of ''MahouSenseiNegima'', the first of [[MadScientist Hakase, Chao, and the engineering club's]] line of androids, which Chachamaru refers to as her little brothers and sisters. As [[ChineseGirl Ku Fei]] mentioned before she kicked the asses of multiple mass-production versions of Chachamaru at once, as long as it's not Chachamaru herself, the fight is easy.
* Clamp managed to do this in an episode of ''AngelicLayer'' to the titular toys when the design team unleashed against the tourney players a new prototype model with improved capabilities. Also, the original series can go to "Hypermode" which the later versions can't. Subverted by Shuko using a prototype that can barely move to beat the later version doll Wizard around like a, well, ragdoll even with vastly inferior tech and movements simply because she's that good.
* ''GetterRobo'' Āḥ has mass-produced Getters who are nowhere near the godly power of Shin, who was too terrifyingly destructive to replicate. There's also the fact that limiting the amount of Getter Rays the machines can hold prevents them from [[spoiler:turning sentient]].
** In ''Getter Robo Armageddon'', Professor Saotome mass produces Getter Robo G in massive numbers with the sole purpose of forming them into Shin Dragon. Ryouma doesn't care and still beats the machines to a pulp.
* The [[EliteMook Hyper-Zoanoids]] in ''{{Guyver}}'' are, like ordinary Zoanoids, genetically-altered humans. The "hyper" designation is usually applied to prototype genetic templates, which are designed around an individual soldier's DNA; mass-production designs must be simplified to allow them to work on a wider range of humans, so the Hyper models tend to be considerably more powerful.
* [[spoiler:Genesic GaoGaigar]] from ''GaoGaiGar FINAL'' -- [[spoiler: GaoGaiGar and [=GaoFightGar=]]] are both based on its blueprints, but are significantly weaker, partialy due to [[spoiler:humans]] being unable to perfectly copy [[spoiler:alien]] design, partialy on purpose, as some of original's weapons were modified to serve non-offensive purpose.
* In ''LightNovel/InfiniteStratos'', it turns out that Ichika's [[PoweredArmor IS core]] is actually the very first one ever made. It's noted that the inventor "poured all [her] heart and soul into that core," since it was her first creation. Note that this is ''not'' the reason he can use the IS ([[GenderRestrictedAbility he's the only male who can]]); rather, that is [[spoiler:never revealed. Not even the original inventor understands why]].
** Houki's fourth-generation Aka Tsubaki might appear as an AceCustom but one cannot forget that it was personally built by the inventor mentioned above and is thus guaranteed to be superior to future fourth-gen designs (for reference, various companies around the world have only begun prototyping and performance testing of ''third''-gen IS units).
* In ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'', the Ogre AN-21 is the prototype to the Al-Zard NP-1. Ogre has the same bio-computer system as Al-Zard, but it also caused the deaths of 2 test drivers due to the fact the car was unable to satisfy the talent the bio-computer needed.
* The Sizzlers of ''GunBuster'' are mass-produced versions of the Gunbuster itself, smaller and weaker (yet powerful enough to fight dozens of alien bugs easily!)
* ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'' had a lot of fun with this. The original Aestivalis were already Super Prototypes when two more appeared, Akatsuki's special Aestivalis ([[AceCustom with new armor material and engine, befitting the CEO of Nergal]]) and the FlawedPrototype X-Aestivalis. By the time of the movie, they've mass produced the Aestivalis to remove its MechaExpansionPack and the need to be constantly recharged and they ''still'' build Super Prototypes of the Aestis, in this case the Aestivalis Customs and the Super Aestivalis.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* This happens when any villain tries to replicate a SuperSerum. The first villain to try it is bigger, stronger, faster than the original, but the original never pushes it to the limits because of the [[IdiotBall idiocy-inducing effects of an overdose]], or the subject becoming completely musclebound or even ''[[LudicrousGibs exploding]]''. On the rare occasions that the villains continue to use the super serum on {{Mooks}}, they will have much smaller doses and usually be sent in groups.
* Related to the above, CaptainAmerica is the super prototype for the Super Soldier program. Villains are constantly trying to replicate his success with results ranging from mental retardation (''Truth: Red, White and Black'') to creating the Hulk (UltimateMarvel) and the Weapon Plus program ({{Wolverine}}, aka Weapon X/Ten; Rogers is Weapon I).
** Captain America's shield is a Super Prototype as well, being the precursor to adamantium. Adamantium is the attempt to recreate the material of his shield, but even primary adamantium is weaker than it.
* The comic book version of ''ComicBook/IronMan'' both subverts this trope and plays it straight. The subversion comes from Stark constantly producing improved models after the original prototype. The straight examples come from any even vaguely mass-produced derivatives, like the Guardsman armors, which are never on par with Iron Man's own gear. Of course, readers probably wouldn't want a bunch of glorified prison guards to be as powerful as the superhero.
** And, in fact, it's explained that Iron Man himself doesn't want a bunch of glorified prison guards to be as powerful as he is. He deliberately withholds the best tech for himself and even goes so far as to build in exploitable weaknesses in case the armors are ever used against him. Considering the number of times Stark's technology has been stolen, duplicated or reverse-engineered, he's got a right to be paranoid and hold back technology. (Although, as seen in the ''Armor Wars'' story, sometimes he takes that right too far, beating up innocent people like Stingray and Captain America.)
* The {{Blackhawk}}s' aircraft during WorldWarII was the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XF5F_Skyrocket Grumman XF5F Skyrocket]], an aircraft that never made it past the prototype stage in RealLife.
* In a way, TheHulk. While created by accident, Hulk was the first gamma mutant, and most following gamma beings (the Leader, the Abomination, Madman, Ravage, etc) were based off either recreating that accident or specifically copying his DNA. While some have had greater base-line strength than the Hulk, and most have retained their higher intelligence where as the Hulk is most often shown to be a savage, Hulk's potential strength (increasing with anger) and his other abilities (HealingFactor, psychic resistance) have shown him to be the most powerful of the gamma beings.
* SuperDinosaur is superior to the successive Dino Men because of his armor which grants him unparalleled firepower.
* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog'', the Metal Sonic Troopers, Rotor and Uncle Chuck-designed and built Metal Sonics based off of the original Metal Sonic, are easily dispatched when they're turned against everyone, compared to the original Metal Sonic, who gave Sonic and co. a very hard time.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''FanFic/{{Exoria}}'', a modern-day ''Zelda'' FanFic, Epona is a [[CoolBike prototype military motorcycle]], codenamed MRX-402A (second prototype model of the fourth generation military reconnaissance X-series). Aside from being able to achieve speeds over three hundred kilometers per hour, it has onboard electronic systems that allow it to analyze the terrain ahead instantly and adjust the suspensions real-time. It also has an auto-drive function, and two .50 machine guns. Seatbelt not included.
* In ''FanFic/TheOpenDoor'', the ''Stiletto'' is the first craft built by [=newChaos=] as a test bed for the combination of the technologies available to them. Although officially rated as a frigate, it can punch far, far above its supposed weight. Eventually, with its long shakedown cruise over, its equipment receives rather drastic tonedown.
* Subverted and defied in ''FanFic/AnEntryWithABang[=!=]'': The first GDI monitor is an unstable hodgepodge of Clancy-Earth and ''{{Battletech}}''... uh, tech. The first prototype [=BearCat=] aerospace fighter is not mounting weapons. Both in-universe and at the writers' level, there has generally been agreement to take things slow and not do any funky stuff.
* In ''FanFic/ProjectIgnition'', there's the [=TYPE-Sione=] new model NEXT, which is obscenely powerful...[[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope The three stolen TYPE-Siones are actually production models, not prototypes. The Prototype is actually the exact same machine given to an unknown pilot. However, the Union stealing the TYPE-Sione is enough to start the Interior-Omer war.]]]] Also there's the [=XAF-Kushina=], a prototype Arms Fort that actually is serving as Omer Science Technology's Main AF [[spoiler: The Kushina is merely a prototype attempt at creating an XG-70 with Kojima Technology-- it doesn't perform to Omer's standards, despite being able to lay waste to an entire continent.]], lastly there's the Fudai, a Light-weight NEXT being developed by Arisawa, following a recommendation from Tadashiro- subverted in that the ''Zephyr Fudai'' is merely a [=TYPE-Lahire=] with proof of concept parts, and is quite inferior to what Tadashiro has in mind for the actual Fudai. [[spoiler: It matches one on one with Adler's Zephiris, and Tadashiro has never piloted a NEXT before that point.]]
* C.L. Werner's ''[[{{FanficRecs/Godzilla}} New Era]]'' ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' stories were set to feature the [[Franchise/{{Gamera}} Ultra-Gyaos]], progenitor of the entire Gyaos race. It was a creation of ancient Atlantis meant to be used to destroy Mu, but when they saw it was powerful enough to betray and destroy them, the Atlanteans were rightly frightened and [[SealedEvilInACan sealed it away in an orihalcyon chamber deep beneath their kingdom]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''StarWars'', Darth Vader's TIE fighter was a custom model with a distinct appearance. At least one ExpandedUniverse technical manual says it's one of a Low-Rate Initial Production batch of unsuccessful {{Super Prototype}}s; the design was rejected as too expensive and the TIE Interceptor was selected instead.
** This was further explained in the Expanded Universe, specifically the [[TIEFighter TIE Fighter]] game. They had designed a model of Vader's TIE Advanced X1 that was intended for mass production, known as the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/TIE_Avenger TIE Avenger]], but it and its successor, the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/TIE/D_Defender TIE Defender]], were shelved due to too many resources expended during internal civil war. Which was probably a good thing for the Rebels, seeing as how the Defender was widely considered to be the most advanced starfighter of its time.
** The Trade Federation in ''ThePhantomMenace'' uses two types of battle droids, that look the exact same. You have the OOM models, which possess advanced and independent programming, and the B1 models, which are [[TooDumbToLive dumb as a box of rocks]]. The kicker, the [=OOMs=] are the prototypes. You would think that with code being easily replicated, ALL battle droids would be [=OOMs=], but instead the Trade Federation decided to shoot themselves in the foot.
* Batman's costume in ''Film/BatmanBegins'' is a prototype armor suit that was rejected by the army because it was too expensive. The same with the batmobile, which was designed for jumping gaps to lay cables for bridges.
* The ''{{RoboCop}}'' program arguably nailed the concept in ther first try, but failed to deliver a single functional/reliable cyborg after that. In ''RoboCop2'' a string of subsequent models fails in increasely gruesome ways - it turns out there are certain qualities the person must possess for the operation to work properly. Knowing this, the corporation [[TooDumbToLive resorted to a junkie drug lord]] with [[DarkMessiah messiah complex]] as source material, reasoning that his addiction and vanity would help keep him in line (ItMakesSenseInContext). The results were quite unsavory, to say the least.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
* Apocryphally, Lilith. The first woman created by God, made of dust (like Adam) instead of being made from part of Adam. She wanted to be treated as Adam's equal but her strong will caused a bunch of relationship troubles, so they got divorced and God settled for a more passive production-model woman in Eve who would be more supportive (and/or more subservient) to Adam.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In Joel Shepherd's Cassandra Kresnov trilogy, the title character is a prototype of a new and improved version of the [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots "GIs"]] used as soldiers in interstellar combat. The main improvement is in her intelligence rather than her physical capabilities. She is creative and capable of lateral thought, making her more flexible and independent than lower level [=GIs=] who mostly serve as grunts that follow orders.
* In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' novel Final Frontier (no relation to the fifth movie), it was revealed that the ''Enterprise'' was the prototype for the Constitution class line. It was deliberately overbuilt, explaining how Kirk (and Scotty) could constantly push it past its design limits. Constitution ships-of-the-line were economized, resulting in them being more delicate ships.
* The ''Long Shot'' in Larry Niven's ''KnownSpace'' 'verse is the only Quantum II hyperdrive ship ever built. Big motor in the biggest hull made left no room for profitable cargo.
* In ''Mad Skills'' by Walter Greatshell, coma patient Madeleine Grant is a testbed for an experimental brain surgery that uses leech brain cells to supercharge her mind to Singularity levels. [[spoiler:Actually, she's a prototype testbed for a ''lot'' of separate projects, qualifying as an ArtificialHuman to some degree; [[TomatoInTheMirror her body is the repurposed shell of a brain-dead pop star]], while her brain is entirely artificial and contains [[FakeMemories heavily-edited memories]] [[BrainUploading taken from an orphan girl who was quietly killed]], and ''that'' brain is what's upgraded with the Leech-Tron. The Leech-Tron also incorporates a wi-fi connection that allows subliminal commands and advertisements to be beamed directly into her brain, but the amount of brainpower she has available allows her to [[PhlebotinumRebel slip the leash]] by mid-book.]]
* In ''Literature/{{Daemon}}'' the first [=AutoM8=] is an armoured, solid-tired Hummer that is ImmuneToBullets. Later versions use normal cars as a base and are thus less survivable.
* Mack Maloney's ''Wingman'' series makes liberal use of this trope, particularly in the case of Hawk Hunter, the titular Wingman. His main aircraft is arguably ''both'' a super prototype ''and'' an AceCustom, as he usually flies an F-16XL[[hottip:*:only 2 were ever built]] which he has further modified with MoreDakka and advanced avionics. When circumstances force the Wingman to use a different type of aircraft for more than a chapter, he will generally take the time to similarly customize his new plane, often even transplanting the avionics from his F-16 into the aircraft.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The CoolStarship equivalent is the USS ''Defiant'' in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. In its debut, it took a dozen Jem'hadar attack ships (just ''three'' of which had shown themselves capable of easily destroying the previous most powerful ship in Starfleet) to disable the ''Defiant'', and that was after it was heavily damaged in an ambush. Not to mention, they hadn't even worked all the bugs out of the design yet; in later appearances it was even more formidable. The specs indicated that it was about 1/10 the mass of the ''Enterprise''-D yet carried armament equal to it. Starfleet eventually does make others which are apparently just as powerful ([[spoiler:including a replacement for the original when the Dominion finally manages to destroy it]]), but it takes a while to get them into production.
** Franchise/StarTrek actually kept a pretty good eye on its tech level as various ships are introduced. The registry for the prototype ships usually have an NX prefix. The ''Excelsior'' was originally NX-2000 and was more of a testbed for the (ultimately failed) "Transwarp" engine more than anything else. Once the testing phase was over, she was given a proper NCC prefix. Otherwise, it didn't appear to completely outclass other starships like the ''Enterprise'' in terms of combat performance. In later series it seemed that the ''Excelsior'' design was actually one of the most versatile in terms of longevity, the design showed up as modern starships as late as ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'''s fourth season, more than 80 years after it was introduced.
*** The titular ship of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', the NX-01 ''Enterprise'', also subverted the super prototype as her successor, the NX-02 ''Columbia'', left drydock with capabilities that surpassed and were later retrofitted into ''Enterprise''. Production designs for the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen uproduced fifth season]] of ''Enterprise'' and WordOfGod statements from Doug Drexler recently revealed that the entire NX class was one big work-in-progress and that every ship was its own prototype, as evidenced by [[http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/nx-01-refit-diagram/ these sketches]] showing off the engineering hull that was to be added to the "NX-01.5".
* Western subversion: ''KnightRider'': In "Trust Doesn't Rust", KARR takes KITT for an "inferior production-line model" and assumes himself to be a super prototype. He turns out not to have any apparent technological advantage over KITT (of course, KITT is hardly "production-line"), aside from a slightly improved speech module (In the next episode, KITT's is replaced by one similar to KARR's), though when KARR reappears in the third season, while still not more advanced than KITT, he does possess a number of features which KITT had only gained during the second season.
* ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' has the Paleozords, abandoned mecha from the early days of Project Ranger. The reason they were abandoned is because the zord tech hinges on bio-energy fields of living beings, and the Paleozords (based on dinosaurs, as you might have guessed from the name) were trying to connect to creatures that no longer existed, which made them powerful but uncontrollable. By the time the Rangers rediscovered them, the technology had advanced enough to bring them under control.
** In ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce,'' the Quantum Ranger and his Quantasaurus Rex Zord were created during the early days of Time Force, and lost in an early time travel experiment until being rediscovered. However, they're quite stronger than the main five Rangers and any of their tech. However, there's a drawback: the main five have a DNA lock, so only you or your IdenticalGrandson can use it (hence Wes). The Quantum powers have a ''voice'' lock, making it easier for, say, the MonsterOfTheWeek to sic your Zord on the Rangers with just a voice imitation device.
* In ''DenjiSentaiMegaranger,'' the Megasilver suit is a lot stronger than the others... until we find out that its power only lasts two and a half minutes. (In ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace,'' the 2.5 minute problem existed for different reasons and the suit wasn't a prototype.)
* Averted in KamenRider, but played straight in spin-off KamenRiderFaiz, the Riot Troopers are nowhere as good as Faiz, though this may be due to Faiz being far more experienced [[spoiler:and an extremely powerful Orphnoch to boot.]]
** Also, the prototype Kamen Rider Birth suit in ''KamenRiderOOO'' has fewer weapons than the main Birth suit.
** ''KamenRiderWizard'' has Kamen Rider Beast, who uses an ancient belt while Wizard uses a modern one. Despite this, Beast's default form is as strong as Wizard's MidSeasonUpgrade form. However, he's also considerably less versatile, having far fewer magic rings than Wizard does.
* The eponymous "super-sub" in GerryAnderson's series ''Series/{{Stingray 1964}}''. All the other W.A.S.P. ships that we see are more-or-less conventional-looking (for the 1960s) submarines, and there is no indication that there is more than one of the class. ExpandedUniverse material in the ''TV Century 21'' comic and official novels imply either that a second ''Stingray''-class sub has been built (and enters service just in time to be stolen by the Mysterons) or that ''Stingray'' is an ungraded version of a standard W.A.S.P. patrol vessel with superior capabilities to its sister craft.
* The robot Imperiser/[[SpellMyNameWithAnS Imperialiser]] from ''UltramanMebius'' is insanely hard to destroy with thick armor capable of self-regeneration and can evolve ''right in the middle of battle''. The mass production version lacking said qualities, they are still deadly nonetheless. And since they retain teleportation ability, [[WeHaveReserves their strength in numbers does made up with it]].
* The ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' prequel ''{{Caprica}}'' features a super prototype, the first U87 Cylon equipped with a metacognitive processor displays the potential for near human autonomy. The problem with this is this level of intelligence is only achieved in a single prototype, if the MCP is placed in a different cylon it does not display sentience.
** The Original ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Classic}}'' series had the C.O.R.A. Viper. Very fast, full A.I. computer piloting system, equipped for long range patrols, double the thrusting power of any other Viper -- at the expense of the guns!
* On ''{{Chuck}}'', Chuck is the first successfull Intersect and remains the only prototype due to repeated sabotage of the project. However, when they finally decide to create more Intersect agents, they turn out to be way too inflexible in their thinking and tend to overreact in combat situations.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Done in the ''BattleTech'' setting, which involves a lot of LostTechnology from the Star League era, technology which was only just catching up to where it had been around the time of the Clan invasion. Depending on the narrative era a Battletech game is set in, it is quite plausible to find older, more powerful versions of later knock-off technology.
** Reversed with ''actual'' prototypes and test 'mech mounting new technology. These experimental 'mechs are typically more frail than a production model would be, as they were built for testing systems and not for fighting wars. So while digging up a 250 year old 'mech might get you a SuperPrototype because you got a lost production model with better-than-modern-version lostech on it, building a new machine with experimental technology and putting it through the ringer will not get you similar results.
* Since they're one of the only factions in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' whose technology is actually ''improving'', the Tau exhibit this trope when it comes to their [[PoweredArmor battlesuits]]. Ace battlesuit jockeys are given the chance to field-test advanced prototypes, and if a Tau commander does ''really'' well they may end up with their own AceCustom suit. Unfortunately these shiny new features tend to come with a drawback or two, something notably absent in normal Tau technology.
** This kinda applies to any sort of technology used by the Humans (of any faction). The most powerful weapons are inevitably some super-ancient prototype relic. Kind of hand-waved due to a.) the Adeptus Mechanicus's fear of inventing, b.) the relics themselves being of Alien origin and/or a sacred relic and c.) sometimes the owners flat out refuse to let anyone tinker around with their one-of-a-kind toy.
*** The Thunder Warriors are specifically stated to be cruder, more poorly armored versions of the process that creates modern SpaceMarines, but at the same time, a single Thunder Warrior is to a squad of marines what marines themselves are to a squad of [[RedshirtArmy regular guardsmen]]. Unfortunately they are nowhere near as stable, mentally or physically. [[spoiler: The Emperor had them all (mostly) wiped out after conquering Earth in favor of the more reliable Space Marines.]]
*** The Adeptus Custodes ''may'' qualify, as superior warriors rumored to be forged from the Emperor's gene-code, rather than a Primarch's. It's not clear whether the Custodes or the Space Marines came first. Unfortunately, as the comatose Emperor's PraetorianGuard, [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot they have been essentially confined to the role of the guarding the Imperial Palace since the Heresy.]]
** Played straight with the Primarchs, who are superior to any other soldier the Imperium has and are the templates for almost all of the Space Marines in existence today. However, the process which created them were extremely intensive and the Emperor only managed to create 20 of them, which he later deemed to be used as the templates for the Space Marine Legions and commanders for said legions. They were, however, basically DesignerBabies (from the Emperor's DNA himself) where Space Marines are people born normally with genetic engineering applied later.
* ''JovianChronicles'', Dream Pod 9's Franchise/{{Gundam}} inspired setting is naturally filled with them. A couple of the prototypes do get mass produced version, but they pale in comparison to their predecessors.
* MagicTheGathering manages to avert it in one respect; the [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=49046 Myr Prototype]] is way overpriced for what it actually does.
* TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}} introduced a trio of uber-powerful, almost godlike AIs. Once the Crash 2.0 hit and the three of them are (apparently) gone, AIs are now roughly as powerful as human hackers in the Matrix (to the point where they are options for player characters).
* Appears in ''TabletopGame/HeavyGear'', specifically as the background to the South's Gold Mamba design. The Gold Mamba was basically a prototype built at the same time as the common Black Mamba, but contrary to typical design theory (build something up until it works at the level you want), its designers approached it from the other side of the spectrum (put the most expensive equipment you can find on it and scale down until it doesn't work). This means that the Gold Mamba is an extremely powerful combat machine that is head and shoulders above the Black Mamba's performance, but ultimately it is extremely expensive and rare.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The OriginalGeneration mecha of ''SuperRobotWars'' is ''overloaded'' with super prototypes (and {{Ace Custom}}s), there's far too many to mention.
** Averted in ''SuperRobotWars3''. When you begin the game, the GetterRobo team is piloting the Proto-Getter Robo. instead of normal Getter Robo. When Proto-Getter attacks and doesn't kill an enemy, Ryouma gripes that the Proto-Getter is just weaker than the normal Getter and is actually happy when the original Getter is dropped in a few stages later.
* In the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' series, the prototype Metal Gear RAY is of far superior quality to the mass-produced models later encountered by Raiden as a boss battle; then again, it may have been actually designed for its supposed purpose (to defeat REX derivatives) whereas the mass-produced versions were actually tactical defense units for Arsenal Gear.
* The [[CoolShip Delphinus]] from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' is a possible example, but it's not entirely clear whether the weaker mass-produced equivalent (the Spectre-class battleships) are scaled-back mass production versions or the immediate predecessors of the Delphinus.
** The Delphinus was a proof-of-concept model, but doesn't necessarily fit the trope, and THE Flagship for the entire Armada- it was overkill for the reason of it being an AceCustom essentially.
** The trope is directly subverted in the terms of the [[WaveMotionGun Moonstone Cannon]]. When you encounter the prototype, it's terrifyingly powerful. The Delphinus has the PRODUCTION Model of the weapon. It's easily several times as powerful as the "Test Cannon".
* The fictional planes of ''AceCombat'' occasionally fall under this trope, particularly the X-49 Night Raven of ''AceCombat3'' and the ADFX-01 "Morgan" of ''AceCombatZero''.
** The real planes also have a bit of this. ''5'' in particular both subverts it (the F-15 S/MTD is better than the stock F-15 it was modified from) and plays it straight (the S-32 is better than the later Su-47)
** ''AceCombatX'' brought us the Fenrir. The original models had optical camoflage, ungodly maneuverability and a microwave weapon. the production models don't have any of that aside from the ungodly maneuverability at the cost of ammo. In the same vein, the Varcolac from ''Joint Assault'' is shown to have a rear mounted machine gun that shoots down any and all missiles that approach it. In game, it doesn't have that but it's still the best plane in the game if you give it the right mods.
* The Smithy Gang in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' (Mack, Bowyer, Yaridovich and the Axem Rangers) are the super prototype models for their production lines. When you reach the last area, you discover that Smithy is creating an entire army of the bosses, though the Machine-Made versions are less powerful than the actual bosses.
* The Edelweiss in ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'', made by Isara's father for Welkin's father for the previous war. It was found to be an incredible tank, but it was too expensive for any kind of mass production.
* Subject Delta ''VideoGame/BioShock2'' isn't just a Big Daddy -- he's the ''first'' Big Daddy; unlike the production models, he's nimble and has plasmid powers. [[ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] pokes fun at this trope in his review of the game. It's justified in-universe as his creators realized that Daddies like Delta are not only too costly to make but would potentially become too powerful to properly control. As such, the later ones were nerfed.
** Specifically, the later models are [[JustifiedTrope stronger and more durable, and lack free will]] - which better suits the one task they are built for.
* Vivi, like all Black Mages in ''FinalFantasyIX'', is an animated doll. However, as the prototype model, his power is greater than that of his "brothers", and his lifespan is much longer, as well.
* A ContinuityNod in ''ThunderForce'' series. The mass production model of Styx in ''III'' appear as {{NPC}} in ''IV''; The Rynex in ''IV'' has its production model appear in ''VI'' and also serve as prototype of Gauntlet in ''V''. It take MidSeasonUpgrade the Gauntlet into AceCustom Vambrace and MechaExpansionPack Brigandine module that Earth's fighter can fight the Rynex. It's justified since Gauntlet is Earthling's replica, built with alien technology they aren't fully understand.
* ''FinalFantasyVI'''s Kefka was the very first Magitek Knight (a normal human given magical powers by way of an infusion from an Esper). He consistently has much stronger magic then Celes, a later-generation Magitek Knight that joins your party.[[hottip:* : The first time you fight him as a boss, he is Level 18, and has spells like Blizzara, Poison, Drain, and all three 1st level FireIceLightning spells. Celes would only have Blizzard, Antidote, Imp, Cure, and Scan at that same level.]] Unfortunately, as a prototype, he was exposed to an imperfect version of the infusion process, which resulted in him going just a teensy bit [[PsychoPrototype insane]].
* In the ''Compilation of FinalFantasyVII'', Sephiroth is a super prototype who is much stronger and more powerful than regular [=SOLDIERs=] and much more physically stable than the competing Project G prototypes Angeal and Genesis, who are subject to degradation. Unfortunately, Sephiroth could not be duplicated and he cannot replicate his genetic traits in monsters (like Angeal) or in humans (like Genesis).
* An interesting version of this is in ''FateStayNight''. Gilgamesh has all the prototypes of every Servant's Noble Phantasm, and goes on to explain exactly why his prototypes are that much more powerful. However, this is subverted in Unlimited Blade Works when [[spoiler:Shiro "traces" or copies all of Gilgamesh's super prototypes with his Reality Marble, essentially creating a water-downed mass production type version of each one; right after explaining although his versions are weaker imitations, there is no rule about the imitations losing to the originals, he states that he will prove his imitations are superior by destroying all of Gilgamesh's weapons and Gilgamesh himself. Cue CrowningMomentOfAwesome.]]
** Doubly Subverted, as every prototype of Gilgamesh's [[HyperspaceArsenal Gate of Babylon]] is in fact one rank higher than the actual Noble Phantasm (due to Nasuverse's OlderIsBetter rule), while [[spoiler: the traced weapons]] are by default one rank ''lower'', being copies. [[spoiler: Shiro's advantage was in speed and quantity, not quality.]]
* ''FrontMission 3'' has a couple interesting examples. In the start of the game your character is a test pilot for Kirishima Heavy Industries and your first mission is actually a final test run of a new prototype Wanzer for the Japanese Military. The Shunyo Mk. 111 is far more powerful than the test Wanzers you fight against. The true Super Prototype of the game, though, is the Hoshun. This is a Wanzer that [[spoiler:is somehow sent to you through the Internet]] and not only has more HP than any other pilotable Wanzer, but also has one of the only [[WaveMotionGun beam rifles]] in existence.
** Interestingly, the starting wanzer Kazuki pilots, the Zenith RV (misromanized as Zenislev), is the super prototype of the next game, Front Mission 4, obtainable in Elsa's scenario. Since 4 canonically happens before 3, this indicates how much Wanzer development has progressed.
* Prometheus, the last boss in ''{{VideoGame/Starsiege}}'' human campaign is the first [[AIisACrapshoot Cybrid]]. For the Cybrid campaign, you become one once you reach the highest rank.
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarZero'' makes fun of this trope to a degree. Occasionally you will find messages with tips in them. A message talking about a particular robotic enemy in that area says, "Production model & Prototype. Do we need to spell out which one is more powerful?"
* The backstory of ''VideoGame/VirtualOn'' provides both aversions and straight examples. Some prototypes like Viper Alpha and Proto Temjin have inferior armaments to their production model. Original Fei Yen is [[BonusBoss much more powerful than the production model]] but is sentient and eventually runs away from lab.
* Near the end of the first planet in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', you get to win a swoop bike race on a bike modified with a prototype accelerator. The adversary tries to deny your prize on the grounds that it was an unfair advantage, but the prize, being a Jedi, takes matters into her own hands by breaking out and killing most of the bad guys.
* In ''SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'', any prototype starts out one experience level ahead of a normal unit. This means that, with a Command Center and [[HollywoodCyborg Bioenhancement Center]], a prototype is Elite right off the rack.
** However, this is justified in the background material: Factions entrust their newest tech to their most experienced and effective troops and crews; the actual equipment is not significantly different from that given to subsequent units. Furthermore, prototypes take longer to build (unless the base has a Skunkworks), indicating the extra resources needed to work out the kinks. The actual equipment is probably not a prototype at all, but first-generation production.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' has some really powerful prototype stuff. Example: MPLX Novasurge, a unique plasma pistol which greatly increases damage and the critical multiplier at the cost of doubled power usage and weight. It was developed by a "Section A61" shortly before the Great War broke out. The prototype survived the war by being beamed aboard Mothership Zeta approx. 200 years before the Lone Wanderer found it in the ship's cargo hold.. Or the MP-47/A power armor prototype with a built-in medical dispenser and an onboard AI.
** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' shows that at least one prototype model of eyebots had a TV-screen, and not just a built-in radio. ED-E, however, is ''not'' quite this trope, despite being a prototype and much more powerful than its mass-produced cousins: it was the prototype to a series of combat-adapted eyebots that were scrapped in favour of Hellfire power armor, with the common eyebot being its predecessor rather than its successor.
** There's also the Tesla-Beaton Prototype, a unique Tesla cannon, and a prototype Laser Rifle with a green laser. The Q-35 Matter Modulator is a SuperPrototype and also has some backstory to {{Retcon}} why the FO3 plasma rifle is so different from the original plasma rifle (dubbed the "Plasma Caster" in FONV): The plasma caster was too expensive, had an awkward form factor, and required too much training to be proficient in, so a military project was started to adapt it to a more familiar pistol-grip rifle form factor, and lower the cost.
* A similar effect occurs with the ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander'' Experimental units. Any player will realize that these 'experiments' are always a great success, and utterly trounce dozens if not hundreds of the 'tested' units. And although you can build more than one of them, the too-expensive-justification is in full effect, as you need a very solid economy before you can start building one.
* Happens in ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' where a prototype superweapon called ''Odin'' is stolen from the Dominion. It doesn't just have more hit points than any other unit in the game and do more damage than anything short of hero units -- it's also got several luxury amenities, including a restroom for the driver and an onboard nuke launcher. Rory Swann, the engineer of ''Hyperion'', says it's too impractical to mass-produce, at least with the facilities available to Raynor's Raiders, so a scaled-down machine called a Thor is slated for mass production. ([[GameplayAndStorySegregation Oddly, the Dominion seems to have agreed with Swann, as the Odin is one of a kind and the Dominion only ever fields Thors aside from it.]]) There's also the ''Loki'', a prototype for a new class of battleship, which boasts ridiculous firepower and toughness, completed at the same research station.
* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'', the [[HumongousMecha King]] [[RealRobot Oni]] is a hulking behemoth capable of bull-charging enemy tanks and shoot EyeBeams for the glory of the [[ImperialJapan Empire of the Rising Sun]]. Apparently, the original King Oni is a super prototype, given to Emperor Yoshiro as a gift, which he uses when the enemy approaches his palace. It notably includes a set of Rocket Launchers for dealing with aerial threats, something the standard King Oni lacks. It's implied that this King Oni takes much more maintenance to take care of than the standard King Oni, but given that it's the ''emperor's'' personal machine, no expense was spared.
* Played with by Prototype Jack in ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''. While it's unknown what happened between him and Jack (both survived the original tournament), P. Jack was soundly scrapped by Jack-2 in ''Tekken 2''. However, P. Jack's ability to fly was implemented in all subsequent playable Jack models.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'', the ARS armor that Sam Gideon is wearing is a prototype of a new weapons system being developed by DARPA, and he is taking it along on the assault on Providence for two reasons: to test out its capabilities in live fire combat, and because the military is desperate for any weapon they can use to stop the colony's microwave array from being fired. In-game, it is indicated that the ARS has several limitations, primarily among them being that the suit will [[ExplosiveOverclocking explode if it overheats too much.]]
* The Excavated [[AMechByAnyOtherName ATACs]] in ''VideoGame/VanguardBandits'' are super prototypes from which all basic [=ATACs=] were reverse-engineered.
* ''VideoGame/CustomRobo'' is all about "ace customs" but your "super prototype" has a drawback for each advantage it has against mass produced robos of the same class.
* ''TheUnholyWar'' has a regular unit called Razorfane, a robot that attacks with circular saw blades. One of the secret unlockable characters is called Betarazor, which is basically just an upgraded version of Razorfane, with more health and more powerfull attacks.
* Invoked (but not in any meaningful manner) in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''. One of E-123 Omega's combo-score quips is "Worthless consumer models!"
** Additionally, when he earns an E-Rank at the end of a stage, he laments that he "Couldn't even beat Gamma or Beta..."
** Averted and then Invoked in SonicAdventure by Omega's predecessor [[WhatMeasureIsAMook E-102 Gamma.]] During his story, he faces off against his older brother E-101 Beta for a spot on Robotnik's E-100 series of enforcer mechs and soundly defeats him in battle. Later on, [[HeelFaceTurn after revolting against Robonik]], Gamma goes on a mission to destroy his brothers to save the [[LivingBattery animals trapped inside]]. After handily defeating all of his brothers, [[spoiler:E-101 shows up again, having gotten a ''DRAMATIC'' overhaul with abilities far surpassing Gamma's. Gamma is still able to defeat him without too much trouble, though Beta [[TakingYouWithMe sees to it that Gamma doesn't leave the battlefeild.]] ]]
** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' has the Biolizard, the prototype ultimate life form which was enormous compared to its successor Shadow the Hedgehog. It was locked in suspended animation by GUN until Dr. Eggman reactivated it in the process of inserting the Chaos Emeralds into the Eclipse Cannon and sent the ARK hurtling towards Earth, after which it was [[spoiler:defeated by Shadow but recovered and merged with the Eclipse Cannon in order to ensure that the colony would fall, only to be defeated again by the combined efforts of Super Sonic and Super Shadow.]]
* ''VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}}'' has this trope play on two examples. First is the Destroyer Robot, while the prototypes are still far inferior to {{Magitek}}-based Deus Machina, at least it can withstand some beating. The mass production model can be destroyed by Demonbane's ''head vulcan guns'' and one of them even got disabled by [[BattleButler Winfield]], who punched through its sensor camera, ''on foot''. The second examples are [[TomeOfEldritchLore various grimoire]], their original appear as [[TokenMiniMoe little girl]]s with magic power, the copies are just books.
* The eponymous armor from ''VideoGame/{{Vay}}'' has been copied and mass-produced by [[TheEmpire the Danek Empire]] to create their massive robotic army. However, once the five magic orbs are retrieved and the Vay Armor's power is fully realized, it can stand toe-to-toe with almost anything Danek can throw at it.
* Subverted and played straight in ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}: Cataclysm'': the player ship ''Kuun Lan'' subverts it as, while the second of the two Explorer-class ships built by the Soomtaw, [[AllThereInTheManual has superior armour, engines and module capacity than the prototype due correction of design flaws discovered during construction]], while the Soomtaw Acolyte-class fighter plays it straight, as it's based on a Bentusi design that is slightly faster, has about five times its number of hit points and sports guns about twice as powerful.
* The Spartan-[=IIs=] of ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' serve as this to the Spartan-[=IIIs=] and [=IVs=]. The [=IIs=] tend to be larger, stronger, and just more naturally talented overall, due being subject to a much more stringent selection criteria than their successors. On top of all that, their [[PoweredArmor MJOLNIR armor]] is far better than at least the [=III=]'s SPI armor. On the other hand, the [=IIs=] were also much more costly to produce and equip, and the process of augmenting them had a much higher failure rate than with the [=IIIs=] and [=IVs=], making them much fewer in numbers and much less expendable. ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' gives a good example of this trope, where Jorge, the BigGuy of Noble Team and its only Spartan-II, towers above his Spartan-III squadmates and effortlessly carries a giant machine gun that the others would be greatly slowed down by.
** The [=IVs=] are superior in both equipment quality and numbers compared to the [=IIIs=]. However, while the former ''are'' highly-skilled volunteers drawn from the best veterans and recruits, the latter (and the [=IIs=]) were trained to be the perfect soldiers from ''[[TheSpartanWay childhood]]''; this difference manifests itself most clearly in the somewhat unprofessional demeanor of some of the [=IVs=].
** Averted by the Spartan-I program, which did not have the success that the later programs did; if [[spoiler:Sergeant Johnson]] is any indication, they're just slightly better than the best [[BadassNormal Badass Normals]]. In fact, the Spartan program as a whole had to be renamed from "Project Orion" in order to distance the S-[=IIs=] from their predecessors (who themselves were retroactively renamed "Spartan-Is" to acknowledge they ''did'' provide the necessary data for the success of the later programs).
** There's also the [[http://www.halopedia.org/HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL_Mark_I_Prototype_Armor_Defense_System HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I]] PoweredArmor, which was this to the [[http://www.halopedia.org/HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL_Mark_IX_Armor_Defense_System Mark IX "Mantis"]] MiniMecha. Whereas the Mark I had flight, rockets, chainguns, mines, a bubble shield, and ''a nuclear self-destruct system'', the Mantis only has a chaingun, a rocket launcher, and standard DeflectorShields; the latter's still a force to be reckoned with, though.
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' normally averts this trope, and hero Gears are usually either [[AceCustom Ace Customs]] or relics of LostTechnology. The one major case of a prototype that's clearly superior to the followup model is Grahf's Alpha Weltall, [[spoiler: which is built using 4000-year-old [[LostTechnology Lost Nanotechnology]] that can't be replicated in the modern world. Fei's Weltall is essentially a kitbashed knockoff designed by modern engineers, and is itself a FlawedPrototype; several of the compromises in the original design are patched out when Weltall is redesigned by Taura]].
* ''StrangeJourney'' has the insanely overpowered ''Lightning'', which is in many ways a fully-retrofitted version of the game's standard dimensional-crossing warship. It's got even RealityWarper tech (too energy-consuming to move or deploy the plasma shield, but ''still''...) even in-game, the difference between the ''Lightning'' and the other ships is is explicitly compared to a fully-tuned and upgraded car against one fresh from the dealership.
* Zigzagged in the Videogame/{{X}} series. Prototype vessels tend to fare differently than their production versions, some having quirks that make them better or worse (such as higher weapon energy recharge but lower rudder speed). That said, some ships designated as prototypes fit the trope: The Paranid Hyperion Vanguard is a limited prototype run of Corvettes that far eclipses all other corvette classes (Among its many advantages, its the only one that can carry fighters and is either the top or tied for top in terms of speed, durability, and offensive potential amongst M6 vessels). The Hyperion Vanguard never entered full production run however (Which is why they cannot be bought by the player - only acquired through boarding existing copies). And all prototype ships, once they're acquired, can be reverse-engineered and then produced in the PlayerHeadquarters in practice like the factory-produced versions.
* As one might expect from a ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' game, ''VideoGame/GihrensGreed'' has its share of [[SuperPrototype Super Prototypes]]. However, it plays the "production cost" angle brutally straight; building an army of Gundams is [[AwesomeButImpractical prohibitively expensive]], but a force of [=GMs=] will do the job at a fraction of the cost, so super mobile suits are best used as force multipliers in the hands of your aces.
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[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', uberninja Mongo, the result of early ninja gene experimentation, wields chainsaw nunchucks and has "All the speed, agility, martial arts ability [of a ninja], combined with giant like strength and general insane awesomeness." The reason they didn't make more? It's too expensive. [[spoiler: The "InverseNinjaLaw" is an actual in-universe force and the maker knows this, so that might also be a factor]].
* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' has a room full of them. Most notably, the first robot of the Seraph series, S1, looks much better than the more recent ones. And it has actual hands, rather than the simple claws of the later S models. The explanation given is that, since the original designer died, no one (not even the prototypes themselves) understands the cutting-edge technology underpinning them (for example, these robots have [[MagiTech no visible power source, or motor, or means of moving their limbs]]). The robots were forced to simplify their designs just for future robot generations to survive.
** This trope is actually deconstructed in time. When one of the first generation robots is revived, he's impressed by the design of his descendants, because their simpler parts are more efficient and easier to repair.
* From ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': The one or two Dingbots that Agatha has actually personally built, referred to as [[FanNickname Dingbot Prime]], are much better in every way than their successors. This is because most Dingbots are [[MookMaker built by other Dingbots]], and each generation is inferior to the previous one, leading inexorably to this trope.
* According to ''{{Spinnerette}}'', the 1st Edition DungeonsAndDragons sourcebook is indeed a magic book that the Drow-themed Evil Spinnerette uses to turn herself into a {{Drider}}.
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[[folder:Web Original]]
* There's ''twenty-six'' Ilivais prototypes that fit this to a T in ''IlivaisX'' (well, twenty-five, as A is [[WeakButSkilled anything but "super"]]. They range from having slightly stronger weaponry to controlling six classical elements at once to being powered by a freaking PerpetualMotionMachine, but all of them are way more powerful than the MP units. The Aztecs hardly rely on them -- their tactics are built specifically to best make use of a OneManArmy unit.
* ''Website/{{Starwalker}}'': Starwalker was built to test a new drive system
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' is both a super prototype and an AceCustom (so customized, in fact, that no one but Coop can pilot it, simply because he changed the controls that much). Megas was originally a Glorft design, [[GrandTheftPrototype stolen]] by Kiva.
* [[spoiler: The eponymous character]] in ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex''. [[spoiler:Rex's nanites]] come from an earlier batch that had already received full programming and testing. The nanites that were spread all over the world in the MassEmpoweringEvent came from a later batch with incomplete programming.
** Alpha, the BigBad of the {{crossover}} with ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'', is a prototype model control nanite from when the creators were still working out a way to control the nanites. Alpha is so powerful he has the potential to destroy the world ''single-handedly!''
* The main character of ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' is notably much smaller than the previous robot in the XJ line. She {{lampshade|hanging}}s this in a late-series episode to which her creator explains that she had to cut down on her size to fit her personality in.
* WesternAnimation/RoughnecksStarshipTroopersChronicles has the Cybernetic Humanoid Assault System, or [[FunWithAcronyms C.H.A.S]]; when introduced, it's a walking tank with heavy armour, enough strength to tear trooper bugs apart in hand-to-hand combat, a number of armaments, the sensors of a bomb-sniffing robot, and an "adaptive learning AI" -- in essence, the ability to mentally grow and develop as a result of its experiences, something that leads it to performing a HeroicSacrifice. Later versions, seen in a couple of episodes, are pretty much MechaMooks and easily taken down by a single bug each. Justified when one remembers the end of the episode featuring the first [=C.H.A.S=] notes that the project was more or less scrapped because they were considered "less cost-effective" than human soldiers.
** [[SharePhrase Roughnecks HO!]]
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