[[quoteright:340:[[ComicBook/CaptainBritain https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/captain_britains_quarterstaff.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:340:"Is that a telescoping quarterstaff in your costume, OrAreYouJustHappyToSeeMe"]]

This weapon is an expandable Staff (stick fighting weapon), able to change its length and/or girth (paging Dr. Freud!); possibly [[{{Pun}} extending]] into TelephonePolearm proportions. The ability of the staff to become smaller is more often used for portability's sake, though it can still have practical purposes.

There is often not a clear mechanism for this, so some can be magical, controllable by the user's mind, or manipulated by some other technology.

Some may likely be an {{Expy}} or reference to [[OlderThanDirt Sun Wukong's (a.k.a. Son Goku)]] Expanding Bo-Staff from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', especially in Eastern works. Expect {{Monkey King Lite}}s to wield one as their weapon of choice.

Subtrope to RetractableWeapon and MorphWeapon. Note that the default state is still a ''staff'' or polearm, not a baton or other size-changing weapon.

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': Goku's Nyoibou (dub-translated as Power Pole) is his principal weapon for most of the [[Manga/DragonBall first series]] but largely disappears in ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. The said first saga at this point was loosely based on ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', hence Son Goku's adventures. Adding into this is the fact that Goku's name and his staff (and cloud) have the exact name renderings as Sun Wukong himself, only in the Japanese on'yomi reading.
* ''Manga/GokuMidnightEye'': the telescoping staff is the titular character's weapon of choice. It also extends to such length and with such force that he regularly uses it to pole vault across the cityscape.
* ''Manga/LoveHina'': When Naru played Son Goku in the play of ''Journey to the West'', she made the staff extend. However, when [[ButtMonkey Keitaro]] played the part and uses the staff, it does not do this for him.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': The Third Hokage's monkey summon Enma can transform into an extending and expanding staff made out of Adamantine. Again, another Wukong reference.
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'': [[AnimeChineseGirl Ku Fei]]'s pactio artifact, Shintetsu Jizaikon, is a replica of the staff used in ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest''. It even supposedly shares the same name. Notably, its width can increase in proportion to its length, meaning that it can be used as a ''artillery'' because being stuck by the end of it when it's expanding is comparable to being hit by a train.
* ''Anime/ReadOrDie'': A clone of [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest Tripataka]] uses Sun Wukong's expanding staff.
* In ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', Tuxedo Mask has a cane that can magically extend at will.
* By proxy, in ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'', another Sun Wukong/Son Goku interpretation has the same type of Nyoibou as well, which in chapters not seen in the anime explains that it was from a sealed jar as a cursed weapon which can repair itself in fine condition whenever its summoned. It can also turn into a sansetsukon (three-section staff) as well.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
** ComicBook/{{Robin}} uses one across media, especially in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' and the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' video game. In the comics proper, it was given to [[ComicBook/Robin1993 Tim Drake]] by [[Characters/BatmanLadyShiva Lady Shiva]]. She offered to train him to perfection in the weapon of his choice, and Tim picked the staff because it's non-lethal potential while the other Robins have different iconic weapons.
** Stephanie Brown also uses one once she becomes ComicBook/{{Batgirl|2009}}.
* A telescoping staff was one of the original weapons of ComicBook/CaptainBritain.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsGambit Gambit]] from ''ComicBook/XMen'' uses one, often made out of Adamantium, which he can channel his explosive power through as it will survive the blasts.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}},'' Loki transforms his Chitauri scepter into a longer, bladed staff. He likely employs illusions to achieve this effect.
* As with Wukong "The Monkey King" himself, the staff was featured in ''Film/TheForbiddenKingdom''.
* In ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy'', Nuada's weapon of choice is a spear which can extend and retract, apparently by magic.
* ''Film/TheMonkeyGoesWest'', a tetralogy of films made by Creator/ShawBrothers based on ''Journey to the West'', notably had Wukong using his iconic ''jingu bang'' in all four movies, which he uses to beat up various demons.
* Saberstaffs in the Franchise/StarWars universe. Introduced with Darth Maul in the films, but more common in the games. [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords Atton Rand]] comments about how they're known for "more slaughter per swing" and are favored by Dark Jedi and Sith, with the Jedi of the era seeing them as a sign the wielder is showing signs of falling. [[spoiler: And in the first KOTOR game, that's certainly the case with Bastila.]] But come the ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' era, they're the favored weapons of Sith assassins and Jedi Shadows (a sub-set of Consulars who focus on some of the less-pleasant missions of the Order). Oddly enough, they also work ''very'' well for Form Three/Soresu lightsaber combat, a form that is primarily defensive. (Shadows and Assassins can be tank-specced and Darth Zannah used the form to compensate for her petite build.) Which makes some sense, because two blades theoretically allow you to block twice as many attacks at a time.
* Donatello's bō is given this treatment in ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014''.
* Light batons, system guard staves, and Rod weapons in the ''{{Franchise/Tron}}'' universe. They're second only to {{DeadlyDisc}}s as weapons of choice. Quorra in ''Film/TronLegacy'' uses a "light katana" as her primary weapon. In the AlternateContinuity of [[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh Tron 2.0]], Mercury's weapon of choice is her lightcycle rod, which has been modified to include several weapon functions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The neo-Zulu in Neal Stephenson's ''Literature/TheDiamondAge'' wear telescoping spears.
* A technological, rather than magical, telescoping staff appears as a weapon in ''Literature/GrandCentralArena''. It's explicitly mentioned that the designer was inspired by Sun Wukong's staff.
* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'':
** The {{Lancer}} Sun Wukong (a.k.a. Son Goku read in on'yomi), who possesses an expandable staff made out of Adamantine, known as the Ruyi Jingu Bang or Nyoi Kinko Bou (Compliant Gold-Rimmed Pole).
** Even if it is not brought up as often, [[TheBigGuy Sha Wujing]]'s weapon in the novel is a special club made of mahogany wood and gold. According to him, it can stretch and enlarge at will just like Sun Wukong's staff, but since he doesn't fight as much as him, this fact is often overlooked.
* In the third book of ''Literature/RuneBreaker'', Pele gets a SteamPunk version of this. In the final book, she jams it into a monster's mouth and activates it.
* Ged's staff in ''Literature/AWizardOfEarthsea'': He picks a blade of grass, he speaks to it to expand it into a full-sized wooden staff, and to suit this trope, it is able to shrink/grow it again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'', Dylan Hunt's Force Lance would expand from a small hand-held cylinder to a full staff when given a good hard shake. It would also fire "smart" projectiles or plasma bursts, making it also a BoomStick.
* Sara Lance/The Canary is trained by the League of Assassins and highly skilled at using this as her weapon of choice in ''Series/{{Arrow}}''; it can split into a pair of Eskrima sticks and doubles as a BifurcatedWeapon.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'': The Minbari fighting pike is a two-meter-long metal staff that retracts down to the size of a soda can, making it easy to carry in a pocket when it's not in use. In the hands of an experienced wielder it's quite lethal. [[BlatantLies Also works as a medical scanner]] [[SchmuckBait if you look at the end of it]] [[TapOnTheHead and give it a firm shake.]]
* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
** Series/KamenRiderKuuga's Dragon Rod would start as a short staff which would lengthen when deployed in battle.
** Series/KamenRiderDouble's Metal Shaft works similarly to the above.
** ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'' has the Riyu Jingu Bang itself as part of the Saiyuu Journey Ride Wonder Book as a arm-mounted weapon, which is part of Saber's Crimson Dragon combo form.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
** Early editions of had the Rod of Lordly Might. One of its functions turned it into a spear up to 15 feet long.
** The magic quarterstaff in ''Unearthed Arcana'' (1985). Normally 6 feet long, could be expanded up to 12 feet long.
** Although not a weapon, the third edition has a collapsible pole in a sourcebook that could be extended to a ten-foot pole.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCurseOfDarkness'' you can build the Nyoi-Bo staff using {{Orichalcum}}, five bamboo spears, and five bamboo swords. It's quite weak, but has the greatest reach and is perfect against multiple, weak opponents.
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors 6'': the staff weapon will expand as you up your renbu meter.
** ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi 2'' actually puts Sun Wukong/Son Goku himself in the cast with this staff.
** Also, [[VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors Hideyoshi]]'s staff can extend as well as bend to pummel his enemies (with it being a sansetsukon). He IS nicknamed Monkey after all...
%%* Raijin, a [[GoldfishPoopGang recurring enemy]] from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', wields one of those.
* ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' introduces the Staff ability to the series, which gives Kirby a staff that can extend itself. It's yet another shout-out to Sun Wukong's staff, as the Staff ability's hat includes Sun's golden fillet.
* Wukong and his weapon from ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' - appropriate, being a largely inspired by Sun Wukong/Son Goku.
* In ''VideoGame/MegamanZero'', Zero has access to the Triple rod, basically a spear that can be extended up to three times or can be used to bounce over enemies.
* Jade in ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' has this as a part of her arsenal.
** In ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', Kitana uses Jade's staff (as well as her shuriken) as one of her variant fighting styles, aptly titled "Mourning".
* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', Ryuji’s penultimate weapon is the Ruyi Jingu Bang itself, the ''original'' telescoping staff, furthering his MonkeyKingLite traits, which is made from itemizing Hanuman. In ''Royal'', it gets a stronger variant called the Fine Ruyi Jingu Bang, which is made from itemizing Hanuman while a Fusion Alarm is sounding.
* Nanase from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterEX'' uses a bō staff of this nature. Her Meteor Combo involves her using the weapon to launch out of orbit, then utilizing her gain in speed and momentum to pummel her foe during atmospheric re-entry.
* Hualin, a bonus character in ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur III]]'', fights using the Create-A-Soul staff discipline. Some of her moves (namely her unblockables) involve it growing to mammoth proportions, using changes to throw the opponent from a range.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha 2'', the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaijy4o2Wpk RyuJinKi]] wields Sun Wukong's "Nyoi Kinkoubou" staff as its main weapon. Most notably it can [[DeathFromAbove drop a giant Kinkoubou from the sky to crush enemies]], which then [[SummonToHand shrinks and flies back to its hand]]; its upgraded form in ''Alpha 3'', Shin [=RyuKoOh=], retains this attack.
* Used a couple of times in ''VideoGame/TalesSeries''
** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' Leia Rolando uses staves and can elongate it upon a perfect dodge. In a variation, her staff doesn't elongate physically, but is enhanced with some kind of HardLight-looking magic. Leia also uses the same power for her [[ExSpecialAttack Arcane]] and [[LimitBreak Mystic]] artes.
** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfArise'' Dohalim il Qaras has the same gimmick as Leia, but his staff elongates physically this time. His version also lets him to land more {{Critical Hit}}s.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
%%* ''Webcomic/TheCyantianChronicles'': Darius is [[http://cyantian.net/blog/2010/06/18/06182010/ given one]] for his [[http://cyantian.net/blog/2010/06/16/06162010/ birthday]].
%%* Danzig from ''Webcomic/{{Flipside}}'' uses one of these.
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': Hannelore gets one of these for self-defense, and [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1575 ends up hitting herself in the knee]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse: Big Barda wields her Mega Rod in combat. Its length can change to suit her needs. Also doubles as a BoomStick.
%%* The Serpent of ''WesternAnimation/{{Detentionaire}}'' uses one with [[DoubleWeapon dual blades]].
* In the ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons1983'' cartoon, Diana has one of these as her magic item. Another ability it has is an easy way to repair it if it breaks -- she can do so simply by holding the pieces together, as she did in one episode.
* Chat Noir in ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' has a magic staff that can extend hundreds of times its length.
* Prince Pyrus from ''WesternAnimation/ShadowRaiders'' uses one in combat situations.
* ''WesternAnimation/StormHawks'': Piper's staff can collapse to become shorter.
* Robin on ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' has a telescoping bo staff in his tool belt.
* Cheetara in both ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'' series uses one.
* ''WesternAnimation/RocketRobinHood'': Little John carried a collapsible quarterstaff.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* A common prop for many a StageMagician is the appearing cane, which expands to a full-size walking stick from the size of a roll of change.
* There are a few collapsible staves you can purchase (one of which displayed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huqLASjXI4o here]]). That said, they're AwesomeButImpractical, since, as they're hollow inside, they're not useful as actual weapons.
[[/folder]]
----