Whenever TheFederation deploys a new HumongousMecha, they usually begin with a prototype to test out the technologies involved before approving it for mass production. This prototype is usually at least an order of magnitude more powerful than the mass-produced versions will ever hope to be. Aside from a more distinctive appearance, it usually has more weapons, heavier armor, and more powerful thrusters than its more numerous cousins.

This trope, found mostly in RealRobot series, seems to have its roots in the SuperRobot genre from which it split. The prototype is usually the mecha piloted by the hero of the story, and so tends to stand out, particularly in combat. The mass-produced mecha, on the other hand, are typically put in the hands of the RedshirtArmy, and as such give a much lesser showing on-screen. In a few series, the Super Prototype will virtually be a full-fledged SuperRobot.

A similar phenomenon is the '''AceCustom''', a mass-produced or prototype mecha customized or re-designed for the use of an AcePilot, taken from the customized paint jobs of planes used by Ace pilots (particularly the Germans, and [[RedBaron especially one]]) of World War I. These are often essentially Super Prototypes, with the only difference being that it was made ''after'' the mass-produced mecha. In addition to a personalized paint job, an Ace Custom may have a tweaked engine, extra sensors, or a distinctive weapon, all keyed to the individual fighting style of its pilot.

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, as a result of or resulting in budget cuts. The designers may have put in some stuff they decided wasn't feasible, possibly for the express purpose of impressing the approval committee. Sometimes, the technology that makes the mecha so much more powerful is BlackBox tech (although one wonders why a prototype of a future possible line of mecha would include tech the mass-produced versions would never be capable of including), and thus not easily replicated (if at all), or may not be as useful for normal human pilots. But mostly, it just helps the hero stand out more.

This can sometimes seem like TruthInTelevision, given that military prototypes will often post impressive test results that will never be replicated by production models. This happens simply because the point of a prototype is to test the limits. Anyone actually trying to use the thing will never approach the limits to avoid having to get an overhaul after every usage, or to avoid getting themselves killed by exceeding the limits. There is some overlap with the idea of an experimental model, which has great abilities but was never intended to enter production. 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]].

In some cases, like what happened in the Soviet Union from time to time, the difference will be in the quality of production. The prototype will be handcrafted with top-of-the-line materials and much attention put into perfection. The mass production models will be churned out as fast as possible with shoddy materials by under-skilled factory workers, leading to a drop in quality.

Also, series may use this because TheHero does, after all, have to TravelCool.

See also: ConservationOfNinjitsu. Contrast with NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup and DisposableSuperheroMaker. {{Antonyms}} with FlawedPrototype. May result in ExplosiveOverclocking or TimTaylorTechnology.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* The RX-78-2 Gundam from ''MobileSuitGundam'', compared to the mass-produced RGM-79 GM.
** The infamous Zaku II used by Char Aznable ("Three times faster than a regular Zaku") is the UrExample of the Ace Custom.
*** What's interesting is that despite Zeon's numerous Ace Customs they had almost no Super Prototypes. The quality of Zeon MS generally kept going straight up right untill war's end, from the clumky, unrefined MS-01 all the way up to the devastatingly powerful, [[EmpathicWeapon telepathically controlled]] Zeong. The few prototypes we see on screen, such as the Zakrello are woefully ill-suited to actual combat, being as they were never meant to really fight & are quickly dispatched by the enemy. For example, the mass-production version of the Big Zam was apparently meant to be far superior to the original, which was simply a test platform for its [[DeflectorShields I-field]] & [[WaveMotionGun giant Mega-particle cannon]]. The one possible exception to this is the YMS-14 (later rechristened MS-14S) which is both a Super Prototype and an Ace Custom, as the were given to various aces to field test them prior to the release of the MS-14 proper, although the 14S's superior performance may simply be due to being field-modified to their pilots' specs or simply to superior pilots.
**Though it was somewhat subverted by the RX-79[G], the mass-produced Gundam, of which there were, despite its name, only about 20 with no spare parts.
*** Ironically, the entire RX-79[G] run was built out of the spare parts that did not meet the high specifications of the original RX-78 project.
*** In fact, nearly every Mobile Suit called a "Gundam" is either a Super Prototype or, less often, an Ace Custom.
** Ironically, the RX-78-2 was {{retcon}}ned to be one of the ''weakest'' of the RX-78 prototypes - all Amuro had was a beam rifle and some beam sabers. To see what the other six Gundam prototypes had to their name, [[http://gundam.wikia.com/wiki/RX-78_Gundam look no further]].
** Avoided in ''[[{{GundamIGLOO}} MS IGLOO]]'', where mosts prototype are deeply flawed machines: Jormungand, an outdated cannon; The Zudah, which breaks apart when used at maximum speed; or Oggo, a space pod created from whatever parts were handy at the moment when its designers really, ''really'' needed to get something working.
** ''GundamWing'''s Wing Gundam Zero plays with the trope: while it is the design off which the five main characters' Gundams were based, and more powerful than any of them, it was never constructed because its creators realized it would be too powerful for anyone to be trusted with.
*** The Tallgeese carries this trope to possibly its most bizarre extreme, it's the prototype from which all other mobile suits were created, and despite being so old that Zechs Marquise actually takes it from a ''museum'', it can outfight hundreds of the modern, mass produced models. This is mostly because it was made so high-spec that it can potentially kill the pilot.
**** Notably, the Leo, the most basic MechaMook of the series, is almost ''identical'' to the Tallgeese, aside from losing various bits of armor (some of which seem more cosmetic than anything), the ultra-high-thrust shoulder verniers (the element that makes Tallgeese potentially lethal to its own pilot), and the [[BFG Dobergun]] (though in a few cases Leos are given Doberguns; apparently their lighter weight makes them less able to handle the recoil). If you look carefully, when the Tallgeese is first being taken out of the museum and assembled for use, you'll notice its head ornamentation being lowered onto a standard Leo head.
*** This may just have been his rather melodramatic way of saying that it was extremely dangerous to fly.
** ''GundamSEEDDestiny'' has one of Gundam's few on-screen subversions of this trope, with the mass-production [=GOUFs=] being ''identical'' to the prototype model in every way except the paintjob.
*** However, ''GundamSEED'' also features a number of straight uses of the trope; all five of the GAT-X-number HumongousMecha which carry most of the action for the first half of the series are prototypes developed by Morgenroete for the Earth Alliance, and the first production model developed from the Strike, the Strike Dagger, might as well be made of cardboard in comparison to the original (though this is mainly because of [[SoLastSeason how damn ''long'' it took to get them into production]]). The same is true of the Moebius Zero mobile armor piloted by Mu La Flaga versus the considerably pared-down mass-produced Moebius mobile armors, but in its case there's more justification: Of all the Earth Alliance's mobile armor pilots, only five were [[PsychicPowers able to manage]] the Zero's [[AttackDrone detachable railgun-pods]] well enough to be at all effective, and of those five only Mu survived the Battle of Endymion prior to the beginning of the series.
**** However various sources indicate that the various prototypes of most Gundams for the Earth Alliance eventually had mass produced counterparts which had more features then their prototypes or replacements pending on model (eg. Laminated Armor for the GAT-01A1 Dagger aka "105 Dagger"). However [=ZAFT=] never considered mass produced Freedoms as officer suits (poor man's multi-lock anybody?)
*** In a rather unusual subversion, GundamSEED also has a rare example of some of the characters themselves being super-prototypes. Kira himself is essentially a prototype for the Ultimate Coordinator (With his Manga counterpart Canard Pars being a slightly "less" super-prototype). In addition, the three extended used by the Earth Forces for the second half of the anime are themselves super-prototypes for the extended who are then used in GundamSEEDDestiny. This latter example is played straight as it is shown that the extended of the first season are superior pilots who are able to rival even Kira and Athrun in SEED mode. On the other hand, the extended of the second season are superior in terms of reliability and autonomy (read "less AxCrazy and only need half as many drugs to stay alive"), but do not appear to have even remotely the level of sheer ability demonstrated by the previous generation.
** Same with the M-1 Astray models. The [[GundamSEEDAstray Red Frame, Blue Frame and Gold Frame]] are all superior.
*** Astray provides an interesting case study in the usefulness of the Ace Custom: One of the stories involves a battle between two ace pilots, who both have custom machines that get badly damaged by each other, forcing them to use more standard gear in their next missions. As a result one of them, Miguel Aiman, gets killed in the third episode of SEED, while the other, Gai Murakumo, ends up nearly losing to a Junk Tech with little to no combat experience. He ''does'' end up in the abovementioned Blue Frame in the end, though.
*** What's strange is that the SEED series has a few lines of mass-production suits such as the M-1 Astray, the transformable Murasame & the colossal (even by Gundam standards) limited-production [[GiantMook Destroy]]s that actually are Gundams. Most aren't as powerful as the unique SuperPrototype Gundams, but they're still Gundams.
**** Which is likely based on the lesser-known Zeta + line from Gundam Sentinel & subsequent media set in that time period, though they were eventually phased out in favour of cheaper non-transformable MS. Even the ZetaGundam itself apparently got a modest limited production run if you go by the various spin-offs.
** In ''{{Gundam 00}}'', Celestial Being never has mass production unit and each generation of the Gundams are better than their prototype (with slight exception for Exia as it's focus on close combat while its prototype Gundam Astraea's general purpose machine). On other hand, the Throne series are stronger than the mass production GN-X.
***Not really, of the three assaults the Thrones suffered they were only able to take down one or two GN-X's altogether (one of those kills being due to a surprise attack by the Thrones), compared to CB wiping out nearly all of them. on a interesting note while the GN-XIII plays this straight by being weaker than the original, it's successor the Ahead has performance equal to and greater than the first lot of 3rd generation Gundams, and then the innovator suits push that bar even higher.
**** The Thrones were stronger than the GN-Xs, it's just that they were outnumbered, and the GN-X pilots were ''much'' better than Team Trinity.
***And then there's Gundam 00P - a side story "photonovel", in which one of the main plotlines involves the battle of two Super Prototypes - a Gundam and a Tieren. Despite being a prequel, both robots show capabilities that the units in the anime could only dream of.
**** The Gundam in question (Sefer Rasiel) is in some ways the prototype for the 00 Raiser, which is so powerful it might as well be called "[[DeusExMachina Deus Ex Mecha]]", and Sefer Rasiel's [[AttackDrone GN Proto-Bits]] are ''much'' bulkier than the various GN Fangs and Cherudim's Shield Bits that were developed from them. As for why the Tieren Kyitwo would perform better than the Tieren Taozi that was developed from it...you got me.
* ''SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' usually averts this, with the production models being built up from the Prototype's capabilities. The Ace Custom trope is confined to Maximilian Jenius and his wife, Zentrani defector, Milia Fallyna, being granted the privilege to give their mechas distinctive paint jobs for being the top pilots of the force.
** Ditto in ''MacrossFrontier'', where the all the custom packs does not make them all-around better, just specialized, such as Mikhail's Long-Range Pack and Luca's EW Pack. Super Packs and Armored Packs does make standard VF-25s better, but it's never so dramatically overpowered.
* The titular mecha of ''{{Gunbuster}}'' is powerful enough to take on entire alien fleets on its own, orders of magnitude more capable than the grunt units that came before, and still substantially more powerful than the mass-produced Sizzlers, based on its design.
** In fact, looking closely at its transformations in the 5th and 6th episodes, it seems to have gotten an overhaul for the final battle.
** Gunbuster is actually a '''subversion'''. The mass produced Sizzlers are [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2The3tMCYI&fmt=18 more powerful and more efficient]] than the prototype Gunbuster, just not as overengineered (no redundant Degeneracy Engine). We just [[InformedAbility never got to see the Sizzlers in action]], and Gunbuster is apparently mostly so strong because of its pilots.
* 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.
* 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 SuperPrototype 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]].
* 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.
** Not to mention the Walker Gallier in the second half of the show, which 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 Ace Custom.
**[[spoiler:The Emily doll also turns out to have been a very early prototype Mimic... with a very cruel origin that the current Union knows nothing about.]]
* Gurren Lagann in ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' is significantly more powerful than the [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Grappals/Gulaparls]] created from it. Justified in that the point of Gurren Lagann is that it becomes more powerful the stronger [[HeroicResolve the pilot's will]] is. The series also [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the use of this trope:
-->'''Gimi:''' "Anyway, aren't Gulaparls supposed to be superior to Gurren-Lagann? There's something wrong with a prototype being stronger."
** It then [[JustifiedTrope justifies the use]] when Lordgenome remarks that Gurren, Lagann, and all the other Ganmen were made for combat with Anti-Spirals, while the Grappals were not.
* ''CodeGeass'' features several [[SuperPrototype Super Prototypes]], including the Lancelot, Guren Mk-II, Gekka, and Gawain. The trope is carried to completion in the OddlyNamedSequel, which introduces mass production versions of the Lancelot (Vincent) and Gekka (Akatsuki). The Vincent's inferiority to its prototype is especially obvious.
** Mech history gets very interesting in ''CodeGeass''. The first ever prototype KMF is now shelved due to obsolete technology and is reduced to [[MundaneUtility baking giant pizzas]]. The non-canon ''Lost Colors'' feature both Lancelot Club and Gekka Pre-Production Test Type which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. In R2, Vincent is a prototype of the true mass-produced version, the Vincent Ward. The Chinese Shenhu, Japanese Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight-Elements Type and the Britannian Lancelot Albion are prototypical machines, the former two actually built only as a proof-of-concept machines with so high spec that nobody can pilot it, but of course, an AcePilot appears for all of them.
*** It's the timing, I think. Unlike Gundam, KMF development goes back in time far enough that they were literally putting pieces together just to see how it worked. Also, the Lancelot has existed for two years with nothing but an [[MechaExpansionPack increase in terrain access and new weapons]]; something like the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N., which was outfitted with the latest tech for all-round new badassery, would have no problems stomping it flat.
** And then, you have the Ace Customs. On the extreme, Britannian side, the Knights of the Rounds are an elite, 12-person Ace Custom squad piloting highly personal, one-of-a-kind mechs, including the TransformingMecha Tristan (It should be noted, that at least three of said 'Aces' are shown piloting basic suits (apparently because they weren't important enough to draw up new mecha for them), and almost all of them are killed right afterward). The Japanese side has Akatsuki Jikisan Type, and the Zangetsu as their Ace Customs. A notable subversion is the Lancelot Frontier, C.C.'s custom KMF wielded late in the series. It is destroyed fairly quickly due to the fact it is a custom made of spare parts of the old Lancelot, which is already near-obsolete given the series' rapid tech advancement, thus making it markedly inferior when compared to the original. That and it's up against the new, shiny Guren.
*** In fact that's how it normally seems to work. The specs of the mass produced model are up to scratch, but the pilots of the original are better, and an episode later they come out with a new mecha generation that renders the old one obsolete. ''CodeGeass'' jumps about 4 generations over the show, each one far more powerful than the last.
**** If you ask me though, the Ward was just nothing more than a slightly faster and better-armored [[RedShirt Sutherland]]. Only the MVS made it to the factory line.
*** There were also the Burai Customs that proved to be much stronger than the other 4th generation Knightmares and, in the right hands, were more than a match for 5th generation Knightmares like the Sutherlands and the Gloucesters.
***Subverted with the Gawain. Despite the fact that the unit featured state of the art targeting system with a perfected Hadron Cannon as well as TEN freaking Slash Harkens, the unit proved to have a fatal flaw. Although it displayed huge power when fighting KMF by the masses, it proves to be practically inept when it comes to fighting fast targets in a 1 on 1 basis. Cornelia with her past generation Gloucester (it wasn't even special either, in fact it had ''LESS'' weapons than the original because Cornelia liked to fight fair with no tricks) but even then she positively WALKED all over the thing because it had no melee weapon to defend itself with. It would have been trashed had it not been for Lelouch's backup plan to disable her unit from outside intervention.
* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' technically follows ''and'' averts this trope; the prototype Unit-00 is apparently less powerful than any EVA that follows it, yet the test-type Unit-01 is more powerful than both it and the full production model Unit-02. Having said, the [=EVAs=] aren't strictly robots and their performance has a lot to do with how well they synch with the pilots. Also played straight in {{TheMovie}} where Asuka's Unit-02 rips apart nine mass-produced models in a matter of minutes. [[spoiler:And brutally subverted moments later.]]
* Interestingly, ''MazingerZ'' has this despite being the archetypical SuperRobot series. 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 the Mazinkaiser manga, though. The Mazinger Army saves Kouji's ass big-time, display tremendous competence in battle against the enemy robots and work together to compensate for using weaker units, and [[spoiler:all the pilots survive]].
*** Although Mazinkaiser itself is actually an example too, being the first robot Kouji's grandfather made before deeming it too powerful, and building Mazinger Z instead.
**** Averted in the manga and [[{{OVA}} OVAs]], wherein Mazinger Z [[spoiler: and Great Mazinger]] were prototypes to be later refined into Mazinkaiser [[spoiler: and True Great Mazinger]].
***** Played Straight in the OTHER kaizer OVA, where everybody has mass production Great Mazingers which obviously get easily smashed. Any appearance of MP Great in a Super Robot Wars game features the same thing (usually can't fly, slower, worse weapons).
* For a show filled with {{Lolicon}}, ''SkyGirls'' also 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''.
*** To be fair, its debut was against a regenerating MonsterOfTheWeek, in which even the titular team had a lot of problem. They did manage to help with that, but later, they essentially became nothing more than a RedshirtArmy to provide distraction during the final battle...
* ''MetalArmorDragonar'' plays with this a bit. The beginning of the series shows the Dragonars as a set of stolen SuperPrototype units, but their pilots are inexperienced, and the Ace Custom units just trounce them often. After a while, the Dragonars are used as the template for a new Mass Production model that has specs stronger then any of the Dragonar units. However, after Professor Plato's XanatosGambit guides the heroes back to the military, the Dragonars are upgraded into Ace Custom Super Prototypes... SoYeah.
* 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 Customs. Anything with "KLF" or "Mon-Soono" in its name is utter [[MechaMooks cannon fodder]].
* Sagara Sousuke of ''FullMetalPanic'' handles the 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.
** It may also be that everyone else powers their Lambda Drivers on either PsychoSerum or raw AxCrazy, whereas Sousuke prefers [[ThePowerOfLove angst]].
***It was once mentioned that he was quite the pilot at Arm Slave combat. Doesn't help that the ARX-7, being third-gen outstrips just about all other models in hardware and software until only recently.
** And then there's ''Bonta-kun''...
* ''ArmoredTrooperVOTOMS'' subverts this trope utterly - for most of the series, if Chirico has a say in what mecha he uses, he picks a Scopedog (the Gilgamesh mook mecha). And proceeds to wipe the floor with his opponents in it.
* Midway through ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'', ace mechanic Seiya Uribatake begins work on a SuperPrototype Aestivalis nicknamed "X-tivalis" as a pet project. Unfortunately it turns out to be a failure, with the mecha's WaveMotionGun being so unstable that it would cause the machine to explode. This is subverted when [[spoiler:Admiral Munetake]] underwent a brief bout of psychosis and attempted to pilot the X-tivalis through sheer [[{{Determinator}} willpower]]. He fired the WaveMotionGun... [[spoiler:and it blew up]].
* 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.
** Mind you, that was probably more for emotional reasons - Ku would have trouble beating up her classmate, but if it's just a machine... ...which then brings up the point that Chachamaru does seem to be the only one that's more than just a machine (waiting to see what exactly the hell was going on with [[spoiler:Negi using ''BlackMagic'' to force a pactio, in the face of her apparently not having a soul.) Well, now she certainly does]]...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* A non-mecha example, 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Variation: In the movie ''TheLastStarfighter'', the ship flown by the heroes was a SuperPrototype because it was a prototype of the NEWEST version.
* In ''StarWars'', Darth Vader's TIE fighter was a custom model with a distinct appearance.
** Arguably justified, since Vader is an exceptional pilot, a genius mechanic, a cyborg and the second-ranking person in the Empire to boot.
** At least one ExpandedUniverse technical manual says its one of a Low-Rate Initial Production batch of unsuccessful SuperPrototypes; the design was rejected as too expensive and the TIE Interceptor was selected instead.
** The various ''Star Wars'' space sims featured prototype craft: ''X-Wing'' featured the Rebel B-Wing and the Imperial Assault Gunboat; ''TIE Fighter'' featured a whole host of prototype [=TIEs=] being developed by Zaarin's R&D group as well as new introductions to the Imperial Navy fleet. The player is often tasked with protecting, escorting, and eventually flying prototype fighters as part of their missions. The TIE Defender in particular (infamous as the GameBreaker of ''TIE Fighter'') would eventually see production, but its limited numbers, both due to its cost and its figurative flying in the face of standard doctrine, were too few to turn the tide of the Galactic Civil War.
** Subverted in ''StarWars: The NewJediOrder'', in which, because it was a ''demonstration'' model, the prototype of the Yuuzhan Vong Hunter (YVH) droids is much less effective--because it's armed with ''powered-down'' weapons. Armed with proper guns, they become outright badass--so much so that a couple can reliably threaten a Jedi in later novels...
*** Their effectiveness in their intended role was not so much that as in their use: announcing themselves as machines superior to the rabidly anti-technology Yuuzhan Vong, causing its targets to ''raaaaaaage''.
*** The fact that they all talk like Lando Calrissian, their creator, in the Yuuzhan Vong language helps.
** In the ''RogueSquadron'' game series, craft from the prequels - which should be decades out of date in-story - are among the most potent weaponry available.
*** Not necessarily. TIE Fighters were built to be cheap and expendable, while the Rebel Alliance didn't have the resources of the Old Republic. The starfighters used by the Clones towards the end of the war likely ''were'' superior to the [=TIEs=] and X-Wing/Y-Wings. And the Jedi fighters, of course, are by definition Ace Customs.
**** The Jedi starfighters themselves are an example, with the decently-shielded Episode II prototypes, and the smaller, poor-shielded, crazy fast production models from The Clone Wars and Episode III.
***You neglect the Naboo Starfighter, which packs the fastest speed and some of the most destructive cluster missiles of the game. Not to mention the flying Buick, which is arguably the most out-of-date (although the games do take place a long time ago).
***It doesn't really help matters that the Empire was carrying out a clampdown on technology the whole time.
** ''Galactic Battlegrounds'' features a level in which ''Colonel'' Veers is road-testing an experimental walker named the AT-AT. (Yes, those big mean ones on Hoth). The early version is, if this troper remembers correctly, a hero unit when Veers takes control, permitting it to regenerate health.
** Vader's ship is arguably a subversion in the EU, where its one of an entire series of prototypes (TIE Advanced). The nearest cousin to the x1 is the TIE Interceptor, which is significantly faster, more manueverable (described in one of the books as the most maneuverable fighter in the galaxy, hands down), better armed (6 weapons instead of 2, though usually only 4 were actually mounted so as to conserve the Interceptor's more limited power supply) and significantly cheaper to boot. Of course the Interceptor lacks shields and hyperdrive by default, but they can be added one, reducing speed and maneuverability down to x1 levels while retaining better weapons.
*** Eventually, Vader's TIE Advanced x1 is developed into a model simply called the TIE Advanced, also known as the TIE Avenger. The Avenger basically combines all of the advantages of the Advanced x1 with those of the TIE Interceptor, and with the addition of being even faster than the Interceptor. Like the TIE Defender (which is only slightly more of a GameBreaker than the Avenger, in fact), it saw very limited use because of its cost and its contradiction of [[ZergRush standard Imperial fighter doctrine]].
** ''Star Wars'' also features another example of this trope. All of the Clonetroopers/Stormtroopers are clones of the bounty hunter Jango Fett, who himself had (presumably self-taught) battle skills far superior to any of his Imperial-trained clones. He also raised a particular clone as his son (Boba Fett) who was NOT subjected to the same growth hormone as the others, and yet turned out to be far superior in terms of battling prowess.
*** And when the Stormtrooper corp expanded to also accept non-clones (as well as using clones of people other than Jango), they became, well, [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy Stormtroopers]].
* Variation: In the film version of ''Film/IronMan'', Stane's Ironmonger armor is derived from the prototype (which [[FeedMe TONY STARK BUILT IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!]]), rather than the more advanced versions later in the film.
** 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.
** One could argue whether or not the Iron Monger armor is better/worse then the Mark III Iron Man armor, being as both were created from the same prototype design, just taken in different directions. Tony went with aerodynamic, much more "armor" like, with fewer weapons (though his repulsors make up for a lot) and made to be taken apart. Stane went with military grade design, and such his is (much) larger, more of a mecha than armor, and carries a small battalion of weaponry.
** Don't forget in the film that [[spoiler:Stark's prototype Arc Reactor (yes the one built in a cave with a box of scraps.) was vastly inferior to a more improved model. It only managed to save the day because the improved model was stolen, and it was all there was but even then it was very limited.]]
*** If you match them up based on their specs at maximum power, Stark wins mainly because his version of the armor can go supersonic and the RT units are pure energy weapons that outstrip Stane's limited ammunition. Also, during the fight, Stark's weapons went offline leaving him with only flares. His guns and missiles were not operational after losing power to emergency levels.
** The Iron Monger suit was little more than an upscaled version of Tony's primitive suit; if the Iron Man suit was at full power, it could have flown rings around it.
[[/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.
* HonorHarrington examples include the original HMS Fearless, which was explictly a testbed and quite underpowered. Honor makes it work off sheer grit all but being taken out in the process, several books later the Admiral in charge of R&D begs apologies as it wasn't suppose to be ever deployed, especially after a poor showing in war games.
** The USS Medusa and Nasty Kitty, although not strickly customs are the first ships of their class actually getting into service. The new versions of Pods and Laser warheads they respectifully have make them especially potent.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* The CoolShip equivalent is the USS Defiant in ''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. 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.
** The explanation given was that the Defiant was designed to fight a very specific enemy, and had severe design flaws to boot (such as the fact that ''it would literally rip itself apart if the engines were used at full power!''). When the threat from that enemy seemed to recede, Starfleet (being only MildlyMilitary) decided they had little need for a single-purpose warship, so even after the flaws were ironed out they didn't build any more. Until a huge quadrant-wide war broke, and Starfleet basically needed nothing ''but'' dedicated warships.
** Also fully justified in that the Defiant was Starfleet's first dedicated warship in recent memory-not even tailored to fight a single threat, it was the first Starfleet vessel designed and built expressly for combat, rather than the science vessel/warship hyrbids that most Starfleet ships are, and as such has little purpose when the Federation is not at war. However, the ''Prometheus'' class may or may not indicate that Starfleet is reconsidering this position-the ''Prometheus's'' full capabilities are unknown, but it is a tremendously powerful warship.
** A subversion of this appears in the SNES game ''StarTrek: Starfleet Academy'', where one of the simulator missions involves a battle against a stolen prototype ''Excelsior''-class ship. Of course, you end up being able to use one...
* Western subversion: ''KnightRider'': In "Trust Doesn't Rust", KARR takes KITT for an "inferior production-line model" and assumes himself to be a SuperPrototype. 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 surprisingly, 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.
* ''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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Oral Tradition]]
* It's not just for mecha, either: in [[OlderThanDirt mythology]] the first member of a given species is almost always far more powerful (and, usually, larger) than its lesser cousins.
** Especially true for vampires - the earlier the generation, the more powerful they are, in seemingly every piece of vampire-related fiction this troper has ever seen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Done in the ''BattleTech'' animated series, and in the world setting for the original game as well. Many "ace" Mechwarriors have unique mech variants, such as Justin Allard/Kai Allard-Liao's Yen-Lo-Wang ''Centurion'' or Natasha Kerensky's "Widowmaker" ''Diashi''. Ironically, Kerensky, possibly the most badarse Mechwarrior of all time, became most famous while piloting an entirely stock mech that she took from battlefield salvage.
** [=OmniMechs=], with swappable hardpoints, were pretty much specifically invented to allow players to build their own Ace Customs as well as give particular pilots mechs that can only be described as Ace Customs among Ace Customs.
** Prototype Battlemechs are almost invariably ''less'' powerful then the production models. The earliest prottypes were built on "primative" technology that made them slower, more vunerable and far less effiecient.
* Since they're one of the only factions in ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' whose technology is actually ''improving'', the Tau exhibit this trope when it comes to their [[PoweredArmor battlesuits]]. The standard "Crisis" Battlesuit is model [[http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m490179_99120113005_TauXV8BattlesuitMain_873x627.jpg XV8]], but seasoned warriors are given the chance to field-test more advanced prototypes, such as the [[http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m490114_99110113017_TauShadowsunMain_873x627.jpg XV22]], [[http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/xv81.htm XV81]], [[http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/xv84.htm XV84]], or [[http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/xv89.htm XV89]]. If they ''really'' do well, Tau commanders may end up with their own [[http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/rmyr.htm custom suit]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The OriginalGeneration mecha of ''SuperRobotWars'' is ''overloaded'' with Super Prototypes and Ace Customs, there's far too many to mention.
** Although it does subvert the trope: Lune Zoldark's Ace Custom "Valsione" is ''weaker'' than the "Valsion" because it's a custom version of it. Lune disliked the bulky and infernal appearance of the original, so father Bian Zoldark redesigned it as a small, swift mecha [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot resembling a cute girl]] at the expense of armor, as well as lacking the defensive capabilities the Valsion had that made it extremely difficult to hit.
*** That being said, Lune's Valsione is much more nimble and harder to hit. It also can be equipped with additional weaponry, something the Valsion can't, and can fulfill a crowd-control duty due to its SphereOfDestruction.
** A possible subversion are the "Alt Eisen" and "Weiss Ritter". The Alt was built as a Super Prototype for a proposed Gespenst MK III line and the Weiss an Ace Custom for the mass-produced Gespenst MK II, but due to both being cost-ineffective and the finalization of the Huckebein and Lion lines by TheFederation, all plans to mass-produce either were scrapped.
*** However, this is played straight by the second ''SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'', wherein the Alt and Weiss receive upgrades that ''far'' outclass the Huckebein and Lion mass-produced lines ''combined''; moreso on the Weiss' upgrade, it being tinkered by a CosmicHorror.
** Another example, although justified, are the original Gespents. When going up against the surprisingly powerful "Gespenst Type-S", more than a few characters voice their shock at its power, before being told since it's one of the prototypes, its funding had been astronomical in comparison to the funding for the mass produced Gespensts.
*** Plus it's mentioned the Gespenst Type-S they are facing isn't ''actually'' the original: it's a more powerful recreation by the [[HumanAlien Aerogaters]].
** The "R-Blade" is completely averted: it's inferior to the equivalent of its production model "R-Eins".
** In a rather bizarre case, ''Ouka Nagisa'' is a Super Prototype, having much better stats than the rest of The School children, despite being an "older model", although this may be the case because she is a RecurringBoss character.
** Played with in ''SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Gaiden'': Mai Kobayashi wonders whether, since in all the robot anime AscendedFanboy Ryusei Date has shown her, the prototypes are always the strongest, if the "[[CombiningMecha SRX]]" will become weaker coming out of its research phase; OrSoIHeard, anyways, thanks to [[NoExportForYou No Export For Me]].
*** Actually, it is: if continuity for the third ''SuperRobotWarsAlpha'' follows for ''SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'', the SRX will end up being upgraded into its final, projected unit, the "SRX Altered Banpreios", notable for being a LightningBruiser in ''Alpha 3'' that reaches near [[GameBreaker game breaking levels]].
**** And it's only 'near' Game Breaking because the Banpreios has to share a game with [[SpaceRunawayIdeon Ideon]], a.k.a. the universe destroyer.
* In the ''MetalGearSolid'' 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.
** Despite this, [[spoiler:that RAY is defeated by the damaged, unmaintained, and radome-less original Metal Gear REX after Otacon uploaded a program allowing REX to fight as agilely as RAY, despite Snake having shot it with missiles aplenty nine years before]].
*** [[spoiler: It has been suggested that the RAY fought in [=MGS4=] is a production model retrofitted to accommodate a human pilot, due to significant differences between the model seen in [=MGS2=], such as a lack of tail, and weapons similar to the the production models. In addition, as revealed at the end of the game, Liquid Ocelot ''wanted'' Snake to win, which implies that he wasn't trying to defeat Snake...]]
* Rockman / MegaMan is regularly one-upped by his older "Brother" Blues / Protoman. Sometimes explained as having to do with Mega Man originally being a lab assistant, or alternatively, Protoman's nuclear core (which is apparently pretty dangerous, thus its not being used for Mega Man).
** Not to mention, of course, that MegaMan regularly wipes the floor with armies of robot masters presumably based off his own design, made by one of the same two creators. And it's even worse with [[MegaManX X]], where a robot built at least 60 years before the start of the series and presumably upgraded only by parts which were also built decades before it starts does the same thing with futuristic robots with AI based off his own. Then Zero is presumably a hundred years out of date by the time his series starts...
*** Of course, this one's justified in the backstory as Dr.s Light and Wily being ''just that good''. Reploids, of which X was only a ''figurative'' prototype, were really little more than crappy knock-offs created by Dr Cain's rather poor attempt to replicate the vastly superior X. It took a ''very'' long time just to fix the bugs in the reploids, before they could even begin improving them, and the line only finally and completely shakes the horrible flaws from being bad copies ''after'' ''MegaManZero''. Indeed, it might even be argued that X is an ''aversion'', being as he wasn't a prototype, he was the pinnacle of the MegaMan line's development--Mega Man was the prototype, and X averts this trope by surpassing Mega Man by orders of magnitude.
** Protoman does it through GenreSavvy. He pulls FakeDefections left and right, sees Wily's tricks a mile off, and last but not least whistles his own {{Leitmotif}} before entering any battle, guaranteeing a ThemeMusicPowerUp.
** Varied with Axl and the New Generation Reploids in the [[MegaManX X series]]: Axl can easily beat his mass-produced brethren in combat, but that's not what they're made for. Their main feature is the ability to copy the forms of other Reploids. Axl is demonstrably inferior in this regard.
* Early in ''StarFox Assault'', the player is attacked by a powerful enemy, referred to only as "some kind of prototype." The same enemy reappears in the last level, more powerful than ever. (You'd think the Aparoids could have mass-produced it by now!)
* The [[CoolShip Delphinus]] from ''SkiesOfArcadia'' is a possible non-mecha 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's unique status, though, is explained by the fact that its construction had been completed mere days before its introduction, and it was intended to be Prince Enrique's flagship. It's entirely possible that the Valuans intended to build more like it, but constructing a battleship tends to be a rather time-consuming endeavor (while viewers might accept the idea of a giant robot being built in a month or less, 600 foot long battleship takes years; it's unlikely that a flying battleship would be any quicker to build).
** Far less ambiguous is the game's non-mecha example of AceCustom units: all but one of the Valuan admirals have heavily customized versions of the Serpent-class battleship, which in its non-custom form is the standard {{mook}} airship. Some of them have purely cosmetic alterations, while others have unique weapons and armor to suit the combat styles and personalities of the admirals. The latter type are the ones that the player actually gets to fight, naturally.
* The fictional planes of ''AceCombat'' occasionally fall under this trope, particularly the X-02 Wyvern "Switchblade" of ''Ace Combat 04'' (and which can be unlocked in both ''5'' and ''Zero'') and the ADFX-01 "Morgan" of ''Ace Combat Zero''.
** Subverted with the ADFX-01 and ADFX-02 "Morgan" from ''Zero''. The latter, being boss-use only, is superior in every way, including better manueverability, armor, speed, and can swap between all three special weapons without needing to RTB like the former, thus making the Morgan a subversion of the trope.
** Also subverted by the ADF-01 Falken. The canonically first copy, the "Falken ZOE" from ''2'', lacks the iconic and [[GameBreaker Gamebreaking]] laser of the variants in later games. However, played straight if you factor in the Falken variant from ''Zero'', which has more special weapons options than the one that appears in ''5''.
** You also have Ace Customs after a fashion, as a far bit of the HundredPercentCompletion in post-''Electrosphere'' games comes from getting enemy aces' paint schemes.
* Inverted in the ''{{Halo}}'' series, where the ancient, one-of-a-kind Arbiter armor is actually ''less'' powerful than the newer, mass-produced Elite armor suits. Specifically, the cloaking device only lasts for several seconds, instead of nearly indefinitely, and also is disrupted by weapons fire. Also played straight in the ExpandedUniverse, where the more widely-produced armour given to the Spartan-[=IIIs=] lacks the DeflectorShields of the Spartan-II MJOLNIR armour. In said novel, ''Ghosts of Onyx'', the Spartan-II programme is explicitly called a proof of concept by the man proposing the Spartan-III programme, which he compares to mass production.
** Of course the Spartan-IIIs weren't being used a SuperSolders, they were being used as cheap disposable shock troops.
* The Edelweiss in ''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.
** It's also mentioned that the basic Edelweiss was really good, but that it was then customized out the wazoo, making it even better. That being said, it ''still'' has a hard time going up against enemy Medium or Heavy tanks without even ''more'' modifications in-game.
* ''BioShock 2'''s protagonist [[spoiler:isn't just a Big Daddy - he's the ''first'' Big Daddy; unlike the production models, he's nimble and has plasmid powers.]]
** However, [[spoiler:in the said game it's also explained that later Big Daddy models ''intentionally'' had the ability to use Plasmid powers engineered out. This makes sense to an extent, as it's easy to imagine having completed the prototype and seeing the results...that they'd opt to not have the hulking behemoths wandering around also all have psychic capability.]]
** Plus there creator was forced to follow a budget because they didn't have the means to make them like the prototype.
* Subverted in ''CaveStory''. About a third of the way through the professor appears and gives you a prototype jetpack, with very limited functionality. The game doesn't make the following obvious at all, but it's possible to avoid the encounter altogether and keep playing without the jetpack (made ''much'' easier if the player has the machinegun weapon, whose ridiculously strong recoil enables the player character to kinda-sorta fly). When you meet the professor again he'll give you the full-blown version of the jetpack, which is far more useful. Note that if you get the prototype you're stuck with that for the rest of the game - the professor [[LostForever never gives you the final version]].
* Subverted in the first ''{{Riddick}}'' game. Assault rifles in the game require your DNA to be entered into a database before you can use them. While you manage to accomplish this, you eventually get captured and your DNA access is revoked. When you come across a prototype assault rifle (without DNA encoding) later in the game, [[SortingAlgorithmOfWeaponEffectiveness you assume that it must be better than the earlier assault rifles]], right? Actually, the prototype has a broken ammo counter and half of the old assault rifle's clip size. Still a good weapon, but the mass-produced variant is much better.
* Getting technical, any of the titular mecha from ''ArmoredCore'' are {{Ace Custom}}s. Each one is a specially built engine of destruction that accommodates the pilot's fighting style and can wield an astounding array of weaponry. Also, when Armored Core 4 appeared, mass production models of Cores appeared as {{mooks}}-- Normals. The newer NEXTS now being the weapon of choice for Ravens, err Lynx.
** The Armored Core series also has a subversion: AC technology was developed from MT (Muscle Tracer) technology, which serves as the mooks of the first three games and their spin-offs. MTs, however, are usually custom-designed for specific purposes, such as construction, long-range bombardment, or close combat. The ACs superiority isn't from their improvement over the basic design, but from their adaptability and weapon load. The NEXTs, on the other hand, ARE technologically superior: Lynx pilots actually form a semi-psychic bond to the mech, allowing even better control than MT technology. Plus, you know, ''shields''...
* In ''[[SonicTheHedgehog Sonic Adventure 2]]'', we're introduced to two "ultimate life-forms" created as part of Project Shadow: The final product; a hedgehog similar to Sonic, albeit with jetboots, Chaos Control, and a supposed infinite lifespan, and the prototype; a gigantic dinosaur that projects a forcefield around itself, spits energy balls, and also possesses Chaos Control. While Shadow is certainly very strong, smart, and fast, the Biolizard could be considered practically invincible. However, the Biolizard proved imperfect, and was reduced to being connected to an enormous life-support system just to keep surviving, which explains ''why'' it's not the final product.
* The first super soldier you defeat in ''Return to Castle Wolfenstein'' can take far more punishment than the ones you meet later in the game, as well as being armed with a tesla gun rather than the Venoms of his mass-produced cousins.
* Subverted by ''ZoneOfTheEnders'', where the prototype Orbital Frame Idolo seems to be rather less powerful than later high grade frames like Jehuty and Dolores. But then both Anubis and Jehuty (later, at least) have sole possession of the Zero Shift FlashStep, which none of the mass-prod mook Frames have.
** But when one considers Nohman's megalomaniacal nature, and the fact the Anubis and Jehuty were stolen it isn't too unreasonable to see why that system was never mass produced.
* 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.
*In ''{{Prototype}}'', you ''are'' the SuperPrototype. And you're also [[PsychoPrototype psychotic.]]
** Given that we never meet another runner of the same strain, it's possible they'd all be as tough as Alex or the Supreme Hunter.
***Of course it doesn't really count, since Mercers creation was completely unintentional.
* ''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.]] Unfortuntely, as a prototype, he was exposed to an imperfect version of the infusion process, which resulted in him going just a [[MonsterClown teensy]] [[OmnicidalManiac bit]] [[PsychoPrototype insane]].
** And Magitek knights were meant to replicate Terra's power, and since Terra herself is [[SuperMode waaaaay]] [[GodModeSue overpowered]] (even for a FinalFantasy protagonist), it counts as well
* An interesting version of this is in Fate/staynight. Gilgamesh has all the prototypes of everybody's noble phantasm, and goes on to explain exactly why his prototypes are that much more powerful. However subverted in ubw when[[spoiler: Shiro "traces" or copies all of Gilgamesh's super protypes in his ubw, essentially creating a water-downed mass production type version. And then goes on to kick his ass in a {crowning moment of awesome} right after explaining although his versions are weaker imitations, there is no rule about the imitations losing to the originals, and that he will prove that his are superior by destroying all of gilgamesh's weapons and gilgamesh himself]]
* ''Front Mission 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, and if you pick the [[spoiler: Alisia Story Path]] you get to use them in an actual battle where you pretty much mop the floor with the opposition. Either way you won't encounter these Wanzers later in the game at which point you're facing off against them and they're still extremely powerful, but so is your party and thus they're a bit more manageable. And by this time you might have access to the true Super Prototype of the game: The Hoshun Mk. 112. 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, the other two existing on bosses. The Hoshun can soak up immense ammounts of punishment, the beam rifle can one-shot most enemies (though suffers a recharge time because of the immense AP cost), and all the parts are capable of giving insane bonus skills. One skill will cause a retalitory strike that destroys the body of its attacker on the opponents turn (thus effectively destroying the enemy unit), one removes all AP cost of a combat action (thus negating the large AP cost of firing the beam rifle), and one will result in an attack that automatically destroys the targeted enemy's body. Of course these skills have a very low chance of happening but they are still deadly when they occur. In addition by this time your pilots will probably have learned certain skills which will allow the beam weapon to be fired with no AP cost anyway if it's used in the offhand for a Double Assault (melee/range combo initiated by a melee attack) or a Double Shot II (a {{Guns Akimbo}} skill that works regardless of the ranged weapon combo used) skill, thus putting one of those pilots in command of the Hoshun will make it a nearly unstoppable force.
* Prometheus, the last boss in ''Starsiege'' human campaign is the first Cybrid. For Cybrid campaign, you become one once reach highest rank.
*X3: Terran Conflict plays this trope straight with Super Prototype spaceships, which are generally superior to the mass-produced versions and cannot be mass-produced by reserve-engineering in player headquarters, and subverts it with [[spoiler: The Aldrin Prototype weapons, which are inferior to their modern Terran equivalents. Though this is partially compensated by having better compatibility, allowing bigger types of guns on smaller ships.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''GunnerkriggCourt'', the first robot of the S 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 the original designer is no longer around and no one maintains the robots in the Court, so when they start to break down they have to create new bodies for themselves on their own with their limited knowledge.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The e-frames given to Able Squad in ''ExoSquad'' were all modified versions of the usual models, testing new features which inevitably turn the tide in the first battle they are used in.
* MegasXLR is both a Super Prototype and an Ace Custom (so customized, in fact, that no one but Coop can pilot it, simply because he changed the controls that much). Although it is technically a "prototype" (the main villain refuses to call it Megas), you never see what production line models of it would be until the last episode where they go to a BizarroWorld, where Coop's EvilTwin has an army of easily-destroyed production models. Subverted, however, in that Evil Coop has a vastly superior later-generation bot, which is ultimately defeated by sheer willpower.
* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''TheMightyDucks'' when the [[CoolCar Migrator]] is greatly damaged, and [[GadgeteerGenius Tanya]] reveals she's been working on a next-generation model. However, while the engine works well enough for a villain to steal it, the new vehicle's various gadgets and weapons don't work right, (when the ducks know how to use them) and it eventually [[MadeOfExplodium explodes]] when they try to drop in a new engine. At the end, Tanya rolls out plans for a ''third'' generation model, and the ducks decide they're happy with the old one.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* TruthInTelevision: up till quite recently, most prototypes of new fighter aircraft were painted in bright colours not too dissimilar from those found on the title mecha of a HumongousMecha series. Example [[http://www.sci.fi/~fta/f16073.jpg here]].
** You got it reversed; the mecha series took the colors from RealLife, which were in turn developed to be intentionally highly visible (it kinda helps to see what the prototype is doing before you mass-produce it)
** On the other hand, such prototypes were almost always less capable than the finished product that went into mass production.
** On the other other hand, this troper remembers reading somewhere that A-12, the prototype of the famous supersonic SR-71 Blackbird, was actually faster than the SR-71.
*** According to Wikipedia, which has unreliable mph and km/h speeds listed, the A-12 did in fact reach Mach 3.35 in its limited run while the SR-71 has a listed speed of Mach 3.2--though potentially higher. Various sources ambiguously list the A-12 as the fastest airplane in the world, while others will grant this position to the SR-71.
**** The A-12 was actually a secret CIA version that was mass-produced (at least as mass-produced as the SR-71 was). Though it did come first, you could think of it as being both a SuperPrototype and an AceCustom - it had some features and capabilities the later SR-71 didn't have, and it was highly customized for the CIA. [Citation ''Really'' Needed]
** Another good example of a prototype colour scheme [[http://wallpaper.searchrealm.com/Jets/jet-CF-105AvroArrow.jpg here]]. The vehicle depicted would indeed have been far less capable than the production version, if the production version had ever flown... as it was, the RCAF had to make do with the [[strike:F-101]] CF-101 Voodoo, which didn't measure up even when compared with the Mark I prototypes, due to [[ExecutiveMeddling Political Meddling]].
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