History Main / AwakeningTheSleepingGiant

* ''Literature/TreeOfAeons'': Aeon has a longstanding policy of non-interference in other countries' business, so long as they don't attack him. He actually approves of conflict between them, since it results in rapidly gaining levels, which means more individuals strong enough to make a difference in a fight against an invading demon king, which is what he really cares about. But eventually, thanks to his efforts against the demons, the world has been safe from external attack long enough that the other continents' wars against each other can really escalate, and they start to stir up propaganda against ''him'', to the point where a crusade is about to ignite, apparently having forgotten or never believed just what his legions of giant beetles, EliteArmy of high-level Valthorns, and inner circle of demigods are capable of. [[spoiler:He starts out by kidnapping their leaders en masse, which they are helpless to prevent, and introducing them to the ''real'' war he's fighting; those who won't behave can be exiled to a demonic world permanently.]]

A SubTrope of NeutralNoLonger and related to HeroicNeutral. Compare SummonBiggerFish, CreateYourOwnHero, and StumblingUponTheLostWizard. May serve as a DeusExMachina and/or StoryBreakerPower (and/or GameBreaker, if the work is a game) if the giant was an AllPowerfulBystander. If this occurs in video games during gameplay instead of the plot, see SavageSetpiece. For cases in which an evil character has been awakened, it's a SisterTrope of EvilLearnsOfOutsideContext. Compare BullyingADragon and DefaultToGood.

* David Weber's ''Literature/OutOfTheDark'': When the alien invaders are about to make the human race extinct, someone on Earth [[spoiler:(Count Dracula)]] finally decides to come out of his self-imposed exile and show them what ''real'' monsters can do. The sequels take this UpToEleven, revealing that all of humanity is this now. The Hegemony has been dominant in the galaxy for tens of thousands of years, and now there's a growing power that may shake the very foundation of galactic status quo. Of course, that was [[spoiler:what the Hegemony was trying to avoid in the first place by quietly sending the Shongairi to take care of humanity before they became a threat]].

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/{{Thor}}'s aptly-named "Sleeping Giant"
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* David Weber's ''Literature/OutOfTheDark'': When the alien invaders are about to make the human race extinct, someone on Earth [[spoiler:(Count Dracula)]] finally decides to come out of his self-imposed exile and show them what ''real'' monsters can do.

* For Creator/{{Nintendo}} and Creator/{{Sega}}, Creator/{{Sony}} was an aversion of sorts after Nintendo ditched Sony for the UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} add-on and Sega rebuked them afterwards. Before this, Sony was "only" a general electronics manufacturer whose only involvement in video games was the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}}, the [=SNES=]'s sound chip and the development team Creator/SonyImagesoft, but they had no interest in making a console of their own. After, they were the first manufacturer to overtake Nintendo's popularity (and did so multiple times) and became one of the biggest console manufacturers in the world, eclipsing all their other electronics businesses. But rather, it wasn't so much either of their would-be competitors as the key braintrust, Ken Kutaragi. Also, it's important to note that at the very same time, Sony was expanding from a mere electronics giant to a major entertainment conglomerate, having purchased CBS Records and Columbia Pictures in the span of less than 2 years.
** While working with Nintendo, Ken, believing that the future of gaming lay in CD-ROM, urged Nintendo in late 1988 to allow development of a CD-ROM add-on to the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem titled the "Play Station", months after in-secret development of the system's [=SPC700=] sound chip. Nintendo did not believe that gamers would stand for loading times in their games though and refused. Ken convinced them that they would only create software and take royalties on the system for everything but video games, so Nintendo, believing them at their word, let them do as they pleased. As mentioned though, Sony had been expanding their operations into entertainment, and in early 1989, opened their first video game studio/publishing wing, Sony Imagesoft. By now it had become clear Sony, or at least Ken, [[LoopholeAbuse created a loophole]] to profit through the new system, which, running on a new media created by Sony[[note]]and certainly not the first or last[[/note]], the Super CD, which would also see use on other players as a source of royalties, most notably at the expense of Nintendo. The wording of their contract meant Sony would have full ownership and profits over the add-on's games, much to the horror of Hiroshi Yamauchi. Whoops. But rather than re-negotiating the contract, Nintendo secretly went to Phillips (who helped co-develop the CD-ROM with Sony) to make a second version. Sony didn't find out until Nintendo revealed the partnership at the 1991 Consumer Electronics show, enraging Ken Kutaragi into seeking a collaboration with Sega, and after Sony's upper management had agreed to work with both Nintendo and Philips again on a CD-ROM add-on, this time with a contract favorable to all three companies[[note]]Nintendo had final oversight and royalties on game software, Sony for other software, and Philips retained access to Nintendo IP for CD-i software[[/note]], Ken convinced Sony to allow him to break the deal and strike out on their own (Ken realizing they had the ability to make a standalone console of their own). This resulted in the creation of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, one of the most successful lines of video game consoles of all time that beat out the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 and the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube.
** Sega (or more specifically, Sega of Japan) did this when Sony approached them after the 1991 [=CES=] to help them make the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation, since Sega was Nintendo's fierce rival. Sega of America was more than willing to work with them, but when they pitched it to Sega of Japan it was shot down, mostly on the basis that [=SoJ=] fought with [=SoA=] on nearly every decision they made. Unlike Nintendo, [[HeadInTheSandManagement Sega of Japan]] forgot that Sony was a major electronics manufacturer that made the [=MSX=], the Walkman, and other devices, and had game development experience through Creator/SonyImagesoft. While Sega bowing out of the console-manufacturing market wasn't entirely Sony's doing (more Sega of Japan/America in-fighting was the major factor), the UsefulNotes/PlayStation costing $100 less than the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn killed interest in it completely, and the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 following up on the success of the original was enough to seal the death of the UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}}, forcing Sega out entirely.

* ''Literature/TreeOfAeons'': Aeon has a longstanding policy of non-interference in other countries' business, so long as they don't attack him. He actually approves of conflict between them, since it results in rapidly gaining levels, which means more individuals strong enough to make a difference in a fight against an invading demon king, which is what he really cares about. But eventually, thanks to his efforts against the demons, the world has been safe from external attack long enough that the other continents' wars against each other can really escalate, and they start to stir up propaganda against ''him'', to the point where a crusade is about to ignite, apparently having forgotten or never believed just what he's capable of. [[spoiler:He starts out by kidnapping their leaders en masse, which they are helpless to prevent, and introducing them to the ''real'' war he's fighting; those who won't behave can be exiled to a demonic world permanently.]]

* ''Literature/TheRavenTower'': The Strength and Patience of the Hill is a [[TimeAbyss truly ancient]] god who makes no demands of its worshipers and rarely bothers to communicate, in contrast with the more active {{Patron God}}s. Then its worshipers are attacked by a foreign god's people, and in one instant of TranquilFury, the Strength and Patience of the Hill [[CurbStompBattle strikes the god dead]].

* In ''Franchise/HarryPotter'', the motto of Hogwarts school is "never tickle a sleeping dragon" and would appear to be the wizarding equivalent of this saying. [[spoiler: It turns out not to refer to Hogwarts ''itself'' as a superpower, but rather the fact that to attack Hogwarts is to put in danger nearly every wizarding child age 11 to 17. This has the rather JustForFun/{{egregious}} effect of pissing off every witch or wizard related to someone at the school, ''which is damn near all of them.'']] Taken a bit further when [[spoiler:Kreacher is able to turn the entire house-elf staff of Hogwarts to side with Harry rather than stay out of the fight. Not only do the elves have powerful magic, they are also small and carry very sharp knives, easy for attacking one's knees and shins]].

A SubTrope of NeutralNoLonger and related to HeroicNeutral. Compare SummonBiggerFish and StumblingUponTheLostWizard. May serve as a DeusExMachina and/or StoryBreakerPower (and/or GameBreaker, if the work is a game) if the giant was an AllPowerfulBystander. If this occurs in video games during gameplay instead of the plot, see SavageSetpiece. For cases in which an evil character has been awakened, it's a SisterTrope of EvilLearnsOfOutsideContext. Compare BullyingADragon and DefaultToGood.