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* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 4th edition, shard minds can break into shards and use it as movement and disorientation. It's not very effective though.
** Take a few feats and you can do it twice an encounter, throw it, and increase the aura.
*** An epic feat makes it deal damage.
** Oh, and it doesn't have to roll to hit.

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* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 4th edition, shard edition:
** Shard
minds can break into shards and use it as movement and disorientation. It's not very effective though.
**
though. Take a few feats and you can do it twice an encounter, throw it, and increase the aura.
***
aura. An epic feat makes it deal damage.
** Oh, and
damage. And it doesn't have to roll to hit.



* ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' had this twisted example of a type of necromorph ([[OurZombiesAreDifferent Undead-like monster]] enemies that attack you throughout the game). This type of necromorph attacks similarly to most other necromorphs (get close enough and slash), but distinguishes itself by being tall and spindly in build. Once you 'kill' one of these by doing enough damage to it, however, it splits up into its head and four separate limbs and continues crawling, slithering (yes, the head slithers) and attacking the player via these appendages.
** And if you get overwhelmed by them your head gets torn off and its head replaces it.

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* ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' had this twisted example of a type of necromorph ([[OurZombiesAreDifferent Undead-like monster]] enemies that attack you throughout the game). This type of necromorph attacks similarly to most other necromorphs (get close enough and slash), but distinguishes itself by being tall and spindly in build. Once you 'kill' one of these by doing enough damage to it, however, it splits up into its head and four separate limbs and continues crawling, slithering (yes, the head slithers) and attacking the player via these appendages.
**
appendages. And if you get overwhelmed by them your head gets torn off and its head replaces it.


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* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyIIITheDrownedCity'': The boss of the Molten Caves, the Gatekeeper, has the ability to separate its body parts so each of them can attack independently. When the parts regroup, they can shoot a potentially lethal laser attack, so the party has to strive to destroy at least one of the parts (though doing that will trigger a very dangerous SelfDestructMechanism to another part).
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* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'': As the Toughs' gear improves, they start getting access to things like autonomous combat armor that can detach, float, and shoot independantly of the wearer until they're essentially all WalkingArmories.
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* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', characters with the Skeleton ancestry can take the "Well-armed" feat, allowing them to remove one of their arms and continue wielding a weapon with it. The detached arm has no locomotion and must be held by the other arm to be useful, but it gives them additional reach with their attacks and the unorthodox technique catches opponents off-guard.
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* Purgatory Viola from ''Anime/MetallicRouge'' can detach her [[BladeBelowTheShoulder bladed forearms]] from the rest of her body and use them to attack from a distance. They remain connected to their stumps by tendrils of purple energy while she's doing this. Justified due to her nature as an advanced combat android.
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* ''VideoGame/EighthMan1991'' has a recurring robot enemy who can detach itself from the waist and attack you as two entities. Destroying one of the halves (usually the legs) will have the other wandering around in circles while trying to attack you; leaving it idle for longer periods of time and it will leave.

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* ''VideoGame/EighthMan1991'' ''VideoGame/EightMan1991'' has a recurring robot enemy who can detach itself from the waist and attack you as two entities. Destroying one of the halves (usually the legs) will have the other wandering around in circles while trying to attack you; leaving it idle for longer periods of time and it will leave.
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* ''VideoGame/EighthMan'' has a recurring robot enemy who can detach itself from the waist and attack you as two entities. Destroying one of the halves (usually the legs) will have the other wandering around in circles while trying to attack you; leaving it idle for longer periods of time and it will leave.

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* ''VideoGame/EighthMan'' ''VideoGame/EighthMan1991'' has a recurring robot enemy who can detach itself from the waist and attack you as two entities. Destroying one of the halves (usually the legs) will have the other wandering around in circles while trying to attack you; leaving it idle for longer periods of time and it will leave.
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* One of the many random grab-bag of powers of ''Film/EvilCat'', an ancient feline demon who possesses humans to go on a killing spree. After the Evil Cat took over Tina, at one point she detaches her limbs from the shoulders and uses them to attack a priest trying to exorcise her.

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* One of the many random grab-bag of powers of ''Film/EvilCat'', an ancient feline demon who possesses humans to go on a killing spree. After the Evil Cat took over Tina, at one point she detaches her limbs from the shoulders and uses them to attack a priest Master Cheung who's trying to exorcise her.
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* One of the many random grab-bag of powers of ''Film/EvilCat'', an ancient feline demon who possesses humans to go on a killing spree. After the Evil Cat took over Tina, at one point she detaches her limbs from the shoulders and uses them to attack a priest trying to exorcise her.
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* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainLaserhawkABloodDragonRemix'': {{VideoGame/Rayman}} [[spoiler:knocks out a security guard this way by using his floating right hand to [[TapOnTheHead neck chop the mook]] while being held at gunpoint]].
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* The second boss in ''VideoGame/WolverineAdamantiumRage'' had four bladed arms, which he would detach and fling around at will.

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* The second boss in ''VideoGame/WolverineAdamantiumRage'' ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}: Adamantium Rage'' had four bladed arms, which he would detach and fling around at will.
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** Of note would also be Nebulous Prime, proginator of the combiners and creator of the Spark of Combination. Unlike other combiners, Nebulous himself is the primary robot form, but he can still separate into five independent robots. Of course because of this nature, the five components are also fragments of Nebulous's own mind and not all together there. They also seem to search each other out when separated, working to combine back into Nebulous.

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** Of note would also be Nebulous Nexus Prime, proginator progenitor of the combiners and creator of the Spark Enigma of Combination. Unlike other combiners, Nebulous Nexus himself is the primary robot form, but he can still separate into five independent robots. Of course because of this nature, the five components are also fragments of Nebulous's Nexus's own mind and not all together there. They also seem to search each other out when separated, working to combine back into Nebulous.Nexus.

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Contrast with CombiningMecha and the horrific mutilation tropes: AnArmAndALeg, OffWithHisHead and HalfTheManHeUsedToBe. User of this trope may fool their enemy into thinking that the three aforementioned tropes happen, only to surprise them by making the detached body parts move.

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Contrast with CombiningMecha and the horrific mutilation tropes: AnArmAndALeg, OffWithHisHead and HalfTheManHeUsedToBe. User of this trope may fool their enemy into thinking that one of the three aforementioned mutilation tropes are happen, only to surprise them by making the detached body parts move.
move. Similarly, tactically separating CombiningMecha can be useful in the right situation.


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* ''Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon'': The titular CombiningMecha is frequently forced to separate one or more of its components when the enemy has them in a tight spot. Notably, the sub-mecha usually don't have to transform back from 'robot mode' to continue fighting.
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* ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngelII'': In the climax of Zettai ''Ryouiki no Tobira'', it's revealed that [[TheBattlestar the Luxiole]] can split between the upper and lower sections, allowing both to be controlled independently (the upper half has most of the weapons while the lower one has the shield generators). This ability is used again in the final battle of ''Eigou Kaiki no Toki'' when each one of the sections is equipped with one half of the [[WaveMotionGun Dual Chrono Break Cannon]] to fire from different directions.

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* ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngelII'': In the climax of Zettai ''Ryouiki no Tobira'', it's revealed that [[TheBattlestar the Luxiole]] can split between the upper and lower sections, allowing both to be controlled independently (the upper half has most of the weapons while the lower one has the shield generators). This ability is used again in the final battle of against the Astral Sorbet in ''Eigou Kaiki no Toki'' when each one of the sections is equipped with one half of the [[WaveMotionGun Dual Chrono Break Cannon]] to fire from different directions.
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* ''VideoGame/Tekken6: Bloodline Rebellion'''s [[RobotGirl Alisa Bosconovitch]] can remove her arms during a battle. She can also detach her head and use it as an explosive.

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* ''VideoGame/Tekken6: ''Franchise/{{Tekken}} 6: Bloodline Rebellion'''s [[RobotGirl Alisa Bosconovitch]] can remove her arms during a battle. She can also detach her head and use it as an explosive.
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* ''Anime/PatlaborTheTVSeries'': The Griffon sacrifices its hydrojet pontoons to draw Noa's fire while the rest of it climbs out of the water to ambush her.

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* ''Toys/LegoGalaxySquad'': The main gimmick employed by the titular Squad is the use of vehicles that split into smaller vehicles/MiniMecha.



* ''Toys/LegoGalaxySquad'': The main gimmick employed by the titular Squad is the use of vehicles that split into smaller vehicles/MiniMecha.
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* ''Toys/LegoGalaxySquad'': The main gimmick employed by the titular Squad is the use of vehicles that split into smaller vehicles/MiniMecha.
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* ''VideoGame/BoundByBlades'' has Necromata, an AnimatedArmor boss whose head can detach from the shoulders, set itself alight, and chase after you as you're busy fighting it's body. It reconnects after flying around for a few seconds.
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* Monsoon of ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' is capable of separating his entire body due to his body being made up of magnets. He can make use of this ability to avoid Raiden's sword attacks, and to attack Raiden with his various body parts both independently and from a distance. In the end, Raiden kills him by [[spoiler:slicing through the one critical part that he can't separate: his neck itself.]]

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* Monsoon of ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' is capable of separating his entire body due to his body being made up of magnets. He can make use of this ability to avoid Raiden's sword attacks, and to attack Raiden with his various body parts both independently and from a distance. In the end, Raiden kills him by [[spoiler:slicing through the one critical part that he can't separate: his neck itself.]]head itself right between his upper and lower jaws.]] The fact that the rest of his body finally exploded after that helped seal the deal.
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** One of Sirene's signature attacks in the ''Manga/{{Devilman}}'' series is her ability to fire off her arms at opponents -- generally she'll fire one arm while keeping the other attached in most situations. She can use the detached arm to grab enemies and immobilise them, as seen when she used it on Ryo Asuka to stop him interfering in her fight with Devilman, or use her antennae to direct the arm towards opponents as a wickedly sharp missile or DeadlyDisc to tear straight through them.

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** One of Sirene's signature attacks in the ''Manga/{{Devilman}}'' ''Franchise/{{Devilman}}'' series is her ability to fire off her arms at opponents -- generally she'll fire one arm while keeping the other attached in most situations. She can use the detached arm to grab enemies and immobilise immobilize them, as seen when she used it on Ryo Asuka to stop him interfering in her fight with Devilman, or use her antennae to direct the arm towards opponents as a wickedly sharp missile or DeadlyDisc to tear straight through them.
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* "Arm-Fall-Off Boy" of ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' infamy. It should be noted that Arm-Fall-Off Boy was just a joke in the comic's letters page, but he became a CanonImmigrant in at least one 'boot.

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* "Arm-Fall-Off Boy" of ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' infamy. It should be noted that Arm-Fall-Off Boy was just a joke in the comic's letters page, but he became a CanonImmigrant in at least one 'boot.



* This is Israfel's Instrumemory System power in ''FanFic/ALittleAngelOnMyShoulder''.

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* This is Israfel's Instrumemory System power in ''FanFic/ALittleAngelOnMyShoulder''.''Fanfic/ALittleAngelOnMyShoulder''.



* Sekibanki of ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}''. Her spell cards has her [[LosingYourHead head]] flying off from her body to shoot at you. One series of spell cards even has her [[DoppelgangerAttack creating duplicates of her flying head to fight you with]].

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* Sekibanki of ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}''.''Franchise/TouhouProject''. Her spell cards has her [[LosingYourHead head]] flying off from her body to shoot at you. One series of spell cards even has her [[DoppelgangerAttack creating duplicates of her flying head to fight you with]].
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* ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngelII'': In the climax of Zettai ''Ryouiki no Tobira'', it's revealed that [[TheBattlestar the Luxiole]] can split between the upper and lower sections, allowing both to be controlled independently (the upper half has most of the weapons while the lower one has the shield generators). This ability is used again in the final battle of ''Eigou Kaiki no Toki'' when each one of the sections is equipped with one half of the [[WaveMotionGun Dual Chrono Break Cannon]] to fire from different directions.
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** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' introduces the ''Prometheus''-class escort, a "one-ship task force" capable of separating into three independently warp-capable sections for combat. Once split apart, the three component ships can surround an enemy vessel to create a devastating crossfire.

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** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': "Message In A Bottle" introduces the ''Prometheus''-class escort, USS ''Prometheus'', a "one-ship task force" capable of separating into three independently warp-capable sections for combat. Once split apart, the three component ships can surround an enemy vessel to create a devastating crossfire.
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* ''Animation/{{Mechamato}}'': Champbot can detach his body parts to play as 4 runners in a 4 x 100m relay race, with his torso, two arms and pelvis with legs at each of the checkpoints. Each body part has a face and is equally capable in mobility, even his torso and arms which each gain little legs.
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** ''Manga/PhantomBlood'': Zeppeli explains that this is sort of how his Zoom Punch works: he temporarily dislocates his arm to extend the range of his punch, while using [[SupernaturalMartialArts the power of the Ripple]] to block the resulting pain and heal himself.
** ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'': Yuya Fungami's Highway Star can break its body down into dozens of small feet to rush a target. It proves useful against Koichi, who can only attack one at a time, and in the anime, it's used to great effect fighting Enigma, where as he's being turned to paper, Highway Star detaches and extends his arm far enough to rescue the similarly paper Koichi and Josuke.
** ''Manga/GoldenWind'': Bucciarati can do this with his zippers, detaching an arm and reeling it out on a length of zipper. Also Ciocolatta can do this with some improvisation from his Stand Green Day and this leads to one of the nastiest, most gruesome usages of this trope.
** ''Manga/StoneOcean'': Jolyne Kujo pulls this off while fighting Enrico Pucci due to her ability to unravel herself.
** ''Manga/SteelBallRun'': Mountain Tim can do this with his rope Stand, Hot Pants can separate her body parts with her flesh spray, Blackmore can do this in rain (which he likes to use for sneak attack biting), and Johnny Joestar can separate his body parts with his holes.
** ''Manga/JoJolion'': Joshu's Stand, Nut King Call, can detach parts of people, but he can also detach parts of himself and move it around, such as by detaching his tongue and making it lick Hato's ears. Also, Wu Tomoki's Stand allows him to crumble into tiny stone fragments which can take control of someone if they get inside their body. In a play on this ability, he doesn't have much control over the fragments if they get small enough so he has to rely on things like air conditioning systems and sprinklers to propel him around.

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** ''Manga/PhantomBlood'': ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Phantom Blood]]'': Zeppeli explains that this is sort of how his Zoom Punch works: he temporarily dislocates his arm to extend the range of his punch, while using [[SupernaturalMartialArts the power of the Ripple]] to block the resulting pain and heal himself.
** ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'': ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Diamond is Unbreakable]]'': Yuya Fungami's Highway Star can break its body down into dozens of small feet to rush a target. It proves useful against Koichi, who can only attack one at a time, and in the anime, it's used to great effect fighting Enigma, where as he's being turned to paper, Highway Star detaches and extends his arm far enough to rescue the similarly paper Koichi and Josuke.
** ''Manga/GoldenWind'': ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'': Bucciarati can do this with his zippers, detaching an arm and reeling it out on a length of zipper. Also Also, Ciocolatta can do this with some improvisation from his Stand Green Day and this leads to one of the nastiest, most gruesome usages of this trope.
** ''Manga/StoneOcean'': ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'': Jolyne Kujo pulls this off while fighting Enrico Pucci due to her ability to unravel herself.
** ''Manga/SteelBallRun'': ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'': Mountain Tim can do this with his rope Stand, Hot Pants can separate her body parts with her flesh spray, Blackmore can do this in rain (which he likes to use for sneak attack biting), and Johnny Joestar can separate his body parts with his holes.
** ''Manga/JoJolion'': ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureJoJolion JoJolion]]'': Joshu's Stand, Nut King Call, can detach parts of people, but he can also detach parts of himself and move it around, such as by detaching his tongue and making it lick Hato's ears. Also, Wu Tomoki's Stand allows him to crumble into tiny stone fragments which can take control of someone if they get inside their body. In a play on this ability, he doesn't have much control over the fragments if they get small enough enough, so he has to rely on things like air conditioning systems and sprinklers to propel him around.



* ''Anime/{{Raideen}}'': '''[[AC:God Bird, Change! Head Cutter!]]'''

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* ''Anime/{{Raideen}}'': '''[[AC:God '''God Bird, Change! Head Cutter!]]'''Cutter!'''



[[folder:Films — Animation]]

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[[folder:Films -- Animation]]



[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

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[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]



* ''Series/{{Angel}}''. The VillainOfTheWeek in "I Fall to Pieces" can detach an eye to EyeSpy or detach his hands and send them [[EvilHand scuttering off to strangle people]]. Angel ends up knocking off his head, then buries him in separate metal boxes in a [[CementShoes freeway construction site]] just in case he can reattach that as well.

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* ''Series/{{Angel}}''. ''Series/{{Angel}}'': The VillainOfTheWeek MonsterOfTheWeek in "I "[[Recap/AngelS01E04IFallToPieces I Fall to Pieces" Pieces]]" can detach an eye to EyeSpy or detach his hands and send them [[EvilHand scuttering off to strangle people]]. Angel ends up knocking off his head, then buries him in separate metal boxes in a [[CementShoes freeway construction site]] just in case he can reattach that as well.



** In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' the saucer of the ''Galaxy''-class can separate and fight independently of the stardrive. However the saucer section is only seen participating in combat in "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II". On all other occasions it is used as a large escape pod for the non-combatants like the families of the crew. Which was the original intention of the saucer separation feature; using it as an actual weapon was a tactic of desperation.

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** In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', the saucer of the ''Galaxy''-class can separate and fight independently of the stardrive. However However, the saucer section is only seen participating in combat in "The "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds The Best of Both Worlds, Part II". II]]". On all other occasions occasions, it is used as a large escape pod for the non-combatants like the families of the crew. Which crew, which was the original intention of the saucer separation feature; using it as an actual weapon was a tactic of desperation.



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* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'': In the episode "Bem", the titular character was a colony creature who could separate his head, upper torso, and lower torso (at least).
* The ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' could separate their T-Sub, much like the [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Fantasticar]]. Cyborg occasionally remote-controlled his hands or limbs for various purposes, though it was never his first option.

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* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'': In the episode "Bem", "[[Recap/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeriesS2E2Bem Bem]]", the titular character was a colony creature who could separate his head, upper torso, and lower torso (at least).
* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': "[[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS2E01StrangeEnergies Strange Energies]]": Ransom detaches and enlarges his head to confront the Cerritos directly, by trying to eat it, while his headless body remains behind and continues his alterations to the planet. He later grows disembodied hands for more accurate combat.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'':
The ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' could Titans can separate their T-Sub, much like the [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Fantasticar]]. Cyborg occasionally remote-controlled remote-controls his hands or limbs for various purposes, though it was although it's never his first option.
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* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Majin Buu; being made of bubblegum-like goo, he can control any piece of it that's been separated from his body. Apart from using his legs to knock out Tien, he takes advantage of this so he can catch his enemies by surprise and absorb them (which he does by engulfing them in a piece of his goo and reabsorbing it into his body).

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* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Majin Buu; being made of bubblegum-like goo, he can control any piece of it that's been separated from his body. Apart from using his legs to knock out Tien, he takes advantage of this so he can he's catch his enemies by surprise and absorb them (which he does by engulfing them in a piece of his goo and reabsorbing it into his body).body, along with them.
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** Buggy the Clown's abilities from the Chop-Chop Fruit. All parts of his body can fly around at will, but only if his feet are grounded. He's also immune to stabbing and cutting weapons.

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** Buggy the Clown's abilities from the Chop-Chop Fruit. All Fruit let all parts of his body can fly around at will, but only if his feet are grounded. He's also The effect is the same when he's forcibly cut, rendering him immune to stabbing and cutting weapons.



** Marine captain Berry Good also has this as his power, but by becoming bouncy balls.

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** Marine captain Berry Good also has this as can turn parts of his power, but by becoming body into bouncy balls.
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* The titular character of the ''Literature/OrsonCart'' series, a boy who was hit by a [[ILoveNuclearPower radioactive]] lawn mower and can now separate his body parts at will.

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* The titular character of the ''Literature/OrsonCart'' series, a boy who was hit by a [[ILoveNuclearPower radioactive]] radioactive lawn mower and can now separate his body parts at will.

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