History Main / PowerpuffGirlHands

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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ppg_hands_guitar_2415.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[FridgeLogic How can she play without fingers]]? Or thumbs for that matter? [[note]]At least she's not [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner typing with boxing gloves on.]][[/note]]]]

->''"So the dog brings out the trash? How can it even hold things with those knubby arms?"''
--> -- '''Mr. Dwicky''', ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' "Vindicated!"

A character in an animated work has no apparent hands, but yet still manages to pick things up and manipulate things as if he/she did. Some do have thumbs, some don't have thumbs, and [[SuddenAnatomy some have thumbs appear when grasping something or gesturing, but disappear otherwise.]]

Tends to be present either western animation or anime. Can sometimes be a feature of a SuperDeformed design.

Subtrope of InvisibleAnatomy.

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!!Examples:

[[AC: Anime and Manga]]
* The ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' characters in ArtShift mode.
* Anime/{{Doraemon}} doesn't have any visible fingers, yet he is able to do things normal people can do, with some minor appearance of his fingers.
** That's because he has a sticky-thing on each of his hand[[note]]It's an extremely localized magnetic field, apparently[[/note]]. He also hates the fact that he can only play rock in rock, paper, scissors.
* Mesousa in ''Anime/PaniPoniDash''. One of his many laments was that he had no thumbs or fingers of any kind, and could barely manipulate objects.
* ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokemon]]'':
** One episode has Ash's Turtwig playing the drums despite having nubs for hands/hooves/feet.
** Jigglypuff have stubby, fingerless paws, yet one Jigglypuff has repeatedly been shown to use markers perfectly well.
* Puar the shape shifting cat from ''Manga/DragonBall''.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has Chopper, who doesn't have stubs for hands, but does have reindeer hooves. And while he can [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshift]] into forms with hands, he prefers to do the majority of his medical work with his less-dexterous hooves. The author has made some attempt at [[http://pl.onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Plik:SBS_Vol_37.02.jpg explanation]], but he shouldn't have human-levels of manipulation with his hooves like he seems to.

[[AC: Fan Works]]
* ''Zany To The Max''
** [[IllogicalSafe Illogica Safe]] has these.
** So does her cousin, [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Ted Newtweight]].

[[AC: Toys]]
* Most ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' characters prior to the '09 line of sets (which first introduced an original hand-piece) manipulated things with their unmoving "hands" in animation, ''if'' you can even call those pieces they had hands. Clenched fists, open palms, pointing finger -- these were all accomplished by the same inarticulate {{LEGO}} piece. Even if a character had fingers, some animations still depicted objects simply sticking to their palms. Averted in the DirectToVideo movies, in which they were given five, at times [[FourFingeredHands four-fingered]] hands. Strangely played straight in a scene from the first movie, however, when Takua uses a never-before seen magnetic force to pull a wooden staff to his palm. In fact WordOfGod claimed that when we don't see the characters using fingers, they utilize their magnetic abilities (also used for keeping their masks on their faces and backpacks on their backs, no matter what material they're made of).

[[AC: Video Games]]
* VideoGame/{{Kirby}} is able to wield [[ArsonMurderandJaywalking swords, hammers, and umbrellas]] among other weaponry with his stubby little arms. The official art of ''Kirby And The Amazing Mirror'' does show his arms wrapped around objects and his cell phone only having two buttons, making it slightly more believable but in the game itself objects just hang on the end of his arms.
* {{Worker|Unit}}s in ''{{Globulation}}'', as the name implies, consist of a handful of blobs, but manage to cut trees, chip stone and make a lot of stuff up to what seems to be steam cannons.
* [[UsefulNotes/NintendoWii The Miis]] all lack fingers, but can handle objects like [[WiiSports tennis rackets, baseball bats, bowling balls, and golf clubs]] [[WiiSportsResort very well]]. They can even ''[[MarioKart drive]]''.
* Several Franchise/{{Pokemon}} have no toes and/or no fingers.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', the player's hand is a solid cube, yet is able to hold and use items.
* All Chao in ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'', excluding the mutant Chaos. The non-human cast also lack toes, but this is more obviously seen with Big the Cat, Tikal the Echidna and [[VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings Darkspine Sonic]].
* VideoGame/{{Blockland}} has this trope in mind.
* Some ''Franchise/{{Mario}}'' enemies like Shy Guys and Boos lack hands, but still grip their equipment just fine in the ''Mario Sports'' games. When someone asked ''Magazine/NintendoPower'' how this worked, they said that when they asked them how they gripped their tennis rackets in ''Mario Tennis'', Shy Guy said something about a complex series of magnets while Boo just muttered something about "sticky ectoplasm".
* The first TheSims game.
* In the first ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'', Gum and Pirahna look as if they're wearing mittens (although during graffiti segments, the hand holding the spray can now has fingers).
* The titular ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'' has pink balls for hands, but despite this he is able to use bombs with ease.
* Basically every single character in ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''. The human PlayerCharacter is portrayed without fingers, but still manages to do anything a normal human can do. And more obviously, all of the animal villagers can also do every mundane activity without trouble. How can a bird villager write with their wings? How can a deer villager use a fishing rod with their hooves? How can a cat villager use a bug-catching net with their paws? Smug-type villagers in ''New Leaf'' will even mention being able to play the acoustic guitar, even though they're a mouse, or koala, or horse, or...
* Moogles in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series have fingerless hands that are fully capable of wielding weapons, be they spears, staves, or rapiers.
* Inkling models in ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' have no toes.
* BB/Balloon Boy in ''Videogame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2'' has ball hands like the aforementioned Bomberman, except his has holes to hold his sign and balloon. Despite this, he's able to drop both items when crawling through the Left Vent and hold them again if he gets into the Office.[[note]]{{Fanon}} also claims he disables the flashlight by taking the batteries out - again, despite his lack of digits.[[/note]] His Nightmare counterpart in ''Videogame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4'', however, averts this by having WolverineClaws.

[[AC:Web Animation]]
* In ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'', every character except Lumpy has only thumbs visible [[SuddenAnatomy most of the time]], but they still show fine motor control, such as clenching objects and manipulating small devices.
** Handy loses this ability when he's on screen (what with having amputated arms).
* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': Strong Bad has boxing gloves for hands, yet still displays excellent fine motor control, such as typing on a keyboard. [[BerserkButton Do]] '''[[BerserkButton NOT]]''' [[BerserkButton ask how they work.]] [[RunningGag They are not boxing gloves, they are his hands.]]
** He can also flip you the bird. As can [[ArmlessBiped Homestar]]. Don't ask how.
** The Cheat, Bubs, and Pom Pom lack distinguishable hands, but they can manipulate things just fine. Coach Z does have hands, but they're more like mittens, with a thumb and one big finger.
** In one video, Strong Bad stuck various objects onto his gloves as "fingers" in order to get people to stop asking how he types "with boxing gloves on", only to find that he was suddenly having much more difficulty typing than normal.
* Not only do people in ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' have circular hands, [[FloatingLimbs they don't have arms]]; their hands just float in space. This is {{lampshaded}} by the credits once, when Yahtzee has injured himself by overusing the ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' controller:
-->Did no-one else think it was weird for the character in image 110 to be wearing a sling when he only has free-floating circular hands?
* Everyone from ''WebAnimation/RetardedAnimalBabies''. This is actually lampshaded in the Thanksgiving episode where Puppy actually forces Bunny to punch a turkey with brass knuckles, but Bunny cannot put them on because he has no fingers. Puppy then proceeds to cut up Bunny's hands so that he now has "fingers."
* Animation/{{Pucca}} doesn't have fingers, neither does anyone in Sooga. This was lampshaded when a character wanted to call on a phone but couldn't dial, when she asked how this works, the others only look at their own hands and answer "I don't know."

[[AC:Web Comics]]
* Characters in ''Webcomic/FruitIncest'' don't seem to have fingers or toes for the most part. They will occasionally gain a finger or two for the sake of pointing, but any fingers not being currently used will simply appear as one giant mitten hand.

[[AC: Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' is the TropeNamer and possibly the TropeCodifier.
** {{Lampshaded}} in an episode in which the Powerpuff Girls end up switching bodies with Professor Utonium, Miss Bellum and the Mayor, leading to Buttercup having trouble using Prof. Utonium's hands. She just kind of waves it around behind the phone, without moving the fingers at all, apparently expecting it to automatically stick to her hand as usual.
-->'''Buttercup:''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Professor! Your hand doesn't work!]]
** Lampshaded again when they play rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets stuck with an unwanted chore. Somehow, they're able to determine who drew what. And [[PoorPredictableRock Bubbles always loses]].
** And yet again when the Girls are forced to travel by foot and Buttercup complains that their feet clearly weren't meant for walking.
---> "I'm using muscles I didn't even know I had!"
** When Mojo Jojo hosted Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, he would joke about how the girls were apparently beating him with "flippers."
* The penguins in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' use their flippers like hands, with their exact dexterity depending largely on [[RuleOfFunny whether its funny or not]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has this, despite producer Lauren Faust apparently placing clear orders against their use. Although most of the time ponies use their mouths or magic to manipulate objects, there are cases where they grab things with their hooves. This is normally a script issue, one storyboard artist relating a tale of a script requiring a character to [[ImpossibleTask use a pointer and speak at the same time.]] Every once in a while they'll come up with a clever aversion though (such as an umbrella that is connected to a saddle rather than having to be held).
** Cello and fiddle-playing ponies like Octavia Melody and Fiddly Faddle mostly avert this using the articulations between hoof, fetlock, and pastern to manipulate the strings and bow.
** In the episodes "Rainbow Falls" and "Equestria Games", Pegasus ponies flying in aerial relay teams are apparently able to hold a horseshoe-shaped baton with one hoof. Some fans have suggested that [[AWizardDidIt the batons are enchanted by unicorns]], but one pony is shown fumbling and almost dropping such a baton.
** A popular fandom explanation for this is that the ponies can use a biological version of [[https://derpibooru.org/472085 Granular Jamming]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales'' has ponies use their hooves as hands almost exclusively, with no difficulties, no explanations, and no lampshading.
** ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' is far from the first instance of equine tool use -- the Houyhnhnm from ''Literature/GulliversTravels'' hold items between the hoof and the pastern.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}}'' often has penguins use their flippers like hands.
* Basically everyone in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' but the title character and Sandy lack fingers, instead having tentacles, claws, fins, and other finger-less appendages which usually [[SuddenAnatomy gain mitten-like digits]] when needed.
* Disney/WinnieThePooh, Piglet, and Tigger have thumbless, fingerless hands like that of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''. Pooh and Tigger also have thumbs that appear only when grasping something or gesturing. Justified in that they're stuffed animals.
* The clay characters in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gumby}}'', such as the title character, have fingerless hands. Justified in that they're made of clay.
** Similar to Patrick Star, they usually have mitten hands when needed.
* The way most characters were drawn in the early episodes of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' they only appeared to have thumbs, but they did [[SuddenAnatomy gain fingers in order to perform certain tasks or emphasize with their hands]], [[ArtEvolution in the later episodes]] their fingers are more visible and the guest stars fingers are usually more pronounced.
* Everybody in ''WesternAnimation/MakingFiends'' has mitten hands.
* The characters in ''WesternAnimation/TheLargeFamily'', similar to the MLP franchise, in that they can hold objects without any problems whatsoever.
** Babar's been doing that long before The Large Family came around. Despite many times they use their trunks to hold things, they tend to carry things on their hooves. Notably in "Babar:TheMovie" Arthur is seen balancing a bowl of cereal on one hand, and in the sequel series Babar:TheAdventuresOfBadou one scene shows a few of the castle staff letting loose and playing electric guitars (Not with their trunks)
* Dolly from ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' has thumbless hands like ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', but she has two lines of stitching on each hand that indicate fingers. Justified in that she is a ragdoll.
* Hilariously subverted in the ShowWithinAShow, ''My Troubled Pony,'' that appears on ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy,'' which contains a scene where two ponies are dangling from a helicopter above a volcano.
-->'''Purple pony:''' ''(hanging onto the other pony's hoof with both of her hooves)'' Hold on to me, Guillermo!\\
'''Guillermo:''' I can't! I don't got no thumbs!\\
''(the purple pony loses her grip and [[BlackComedy falls into the volcano]])''\\
'''Purple pony:''' Ahhhhhhhh!!!!
* A lot of the characters in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' have hands without any fingers or clear separation between their hands and arms, including Darwin (fins), Carrie (rounded "ghost hands"), and Idaho (who has lines for arms). Any of them may [[SuddenAnatomy grow fingers and/or thumbs when they need to use them.]] The Robinson family and Jamie's [[ArtEvolution season three]] design have thumbs, but singular blocks for fingers.
-->'''Darwin:''' Who buys [fireworks] like this? \\
'''Gumball:''' People with fingers to spare. \\
'''Darwin:''' But as you can see (holds up hand), I don't.
* Bloo from ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' has fingerless pointed ''things'' for arms, but can do anything a person can do with their hands.
* Snap from ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'' has fingerless hands, but can easily do things a person needs fingers for easily (including playing the guitar). In the original shorts, [[SuddenAnatomy he could gain fingers and/or a thumb when needed]], but this only comes up once in a blue moon in the series itself.
* Percy and his parents from ''{{WesternAnimation/Clarence}}'' have flipper hands.
* The bear trio from ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' have paws that are stubby and although they have fingers, they stand on their stubs instead of flat on their paws.
* Oogie Boogie from ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' is an insect-filled burlap sack with simple pointed extensions for arms, yet he's perfectly able to throw dice and operate a hand crank, among other things.
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'': Joy's feet lack toes. This may apply to the other emotions as well, but unlike her, they wear shoes.

[[AC:Real Life]]
* A Versaball jamming manipulator is a robotic appendage filled with a sand-like substance that grabs something by wrapping around it and sucking the air out of the sand. [[http://www.popsci.com/blog-network/zero-moment/throw-your-jams-air-morphing-robotic-hands-have-arrived?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=1&con=IMG Applications to prosthetic hands are being considered]].

----

* The penguins in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' use their flippers like hands.

* The clay characters in ''{{Gumby}}'', such as the title character, have fingerless hands. Justified in that they're made of clay.

* Everybody in ''MakingFiends'' has mitten hands.
* The characters in ''TheLargeFamily'', similar to the MLP franchise, in that they can hold objects without any problems whatsoever.
** Babar's been doing that long before TheLargeFamily came around. Despite many times they use their trunks to hold things, they tend to carry things on their hooves. Notably in "Babar:TheMovie" Arthur is seen balancing a bowl of cereal on one hand, and in the sequel series Babar:TheAdventuresOfBadou one scene shows a few of the castle staff letting loose and playing electric guitars (Not with their trunks)

* Not only do people in ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' have circular hands, [[RaymanianLimbs they don't have arms]]; their hands just float in space. This is {{lampshaded}} by the credits once, when Yahtzee has injured himself by overusing the ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' controller:

* In ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'', every character except Lumpy has only thumbs, but still shows fine motor control, such as clenching objects and manipulating small devices.
** They can grow fingers at certain times, just not all the time. "We're Scrooged" anyone?

-->Did no-one else think it was weird for the character in image 110 to wearing a sling when he only has free-floating circular hands?

** One episode had Ash's Turtwig playing the drums despite having nubs for hands/hooves/feet.
** Jigglypuff have stubby, fingerless paws yet one Jigglypuff has repeatedly been shown to use markers perfectly well.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', the player's hand is a solid cube, yet able to hold and use items. (Although, if playing in first person, items [[InvisibleAnatomy float infront of you]])
* All [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Chao]], as well as Knuckles, who has mitten hands. Multiple characters have no toes too.

%%* The first TheSims game.

%%* VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}.

* Inkling's models in ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' have no toes.

** Cello- and fiddle-playing ponies like Octavia Melody and Fiddly Faddle mostly avert this using the articulations between hoof, fetlock, and pastern to manipulate the strings and bow.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales'' had ponies use their hooves as hands almost exclusively, with no difficulties, no explanations, and no lampshading.
** ''MyLittlePony'' is far from the first instance of equine tool use -- the Houyhnhnm from ''Literature/GulliversTravels'' hold items between the hoof and the pastern.
* WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}} the penguin used his flippers like hands.

* Oogie Boogie from WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas is an insect-filled burlap sack with simple pointed extensions for arms, yet he's perfectly able to throw dice and operate a hand crank, among other things.

* Not only do people in ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' have circular hands, [[RaymanianLimbs they don't have arms]]; their hands just float in space. This is {{lampshaded}} by the credits once, when Yahtzee has injured himself by overusing the ''GuitarHero'' controller:

* Mesousa in ''PaniPoniDash''. One of his many laments was that he had no thumbs or fingers of any kind, and could barely manipulate objects.

* One episode of ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon}} Pokemon]]'' had Ash's Turtwig playing the drums despite having nubs for hands/hooves/feet.

* ''WebAnimation/ZanyToTheMax''

* Several Franchise/{{Pokemon}}, but notably Jigglypuff, who in the anime was able to hold and pull the cap off of a marker to draw on people's and Pokemon's faces after they fell asleep listening to its song. All with the lack of fingers.

* All [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Chao]], as well as Knuckles, who has mitten hands.

** The older ''MyLittlePony Tales'' series had them use their hooves as hands almost exclusively, with no difficulties, no explanations, and no lampshading.

* The bear trio from ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' have paws that are stubby and although they have fingers, they stand on their stubs instead of flat on their paws. Look at how Panda is holding his phone.

->''"So the dog brings out the trash? [[LampshadeHanging How can it even hold things with those knubby arms]]?"''

* Basically everyone in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' but the title character and Sandy lack fingers, instead having tentacles, claws, fins, and other finger-less appendages and usually [[SuddenAnatomy gain mitten-like digits]] when needed.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Patrick Star and picks up and manipulates objects despite being a starfish with no appendages.
** As does Plankton.
** And Squidward, but he has tentacles with suction cups anyway.
*** All these characters usually [[SuddenAnatomy gain mitten-like digits]] when needed.

* A common criticism of the first TheSims game.

* VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}.

--> -- '''Mr. Dwicky''', ''InvaderZim'' "Vindicated!"

* {{Pucca}} doesn't have fingers, neither does anyone in Sooga. This was lampshaded when a character wanted to call on a phone but couldn't dial, when she asked how this works, the others only look at their own hands and answer "I don't know."

[[AC: Webcomics]]
* Characters in ''Webcomic/FruitIncest'' don't seem to have fingers or toes for the most part. They will occasionally gain a finger or two for the sake of pointing, but any fingers not being currently used will simply appear as one giant mitten hand.

[[AC: Web Original]]

*** Both characters usually [[SuddenAnatomy gain mitten-like digits]] when needed.

** {{Lampshaded}} in an episode in which the Powerpuff Girls end up switching bodies with Professor Utonium, Miss Bellum and the Mayor, leading to Buttercup having trouble using Prof. Utonium's hands. She just kind of waves it around behind the phone, without moving the fingers at all.

*** Taken even further is that she's actually trying to pick up the phone simply by tapping it, expecting it to automatically stick to her hand. (Which is how it apparently works)

* A lot of the characters in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' have hands with no fingers at all, with no clear separation point between their hands and arms, including Darwin (fins), Carrie (rounded "ghost hands"), and Idaho (who has lines for hands). Any of them may [[SuddenAnatomy grow fingers and/or thumbs when they need to use them.]] The Robinson family and Jamie's [[ArtEvolution season three]] design have thumbs, but singular blocks for fingers.

'''Darwin:''' But as you can see, I don't.

** {{Lampshaded}} in an episode in which the Powerpuff Girls end up switching bodies with Professor Utonium, Miss Bellum and the Mayor, leading to Buttercup having trouble using Prof. Utonium's hands. She just kind of waves it around behind the phone, fingers without moving the fingers at all.