Normally, in order for someone to be considered awesome, that someone will have to do something. Even if it's something as mundane as eating apotato chip. Sometimes, however, a character is so overflowing with the awesome that they don't actually have to do anything. All they have to do is walk into the room, or in in the most extreme cases, stand there. Their simple existence alone irradiates an effect of awesomeness that causes tangible physical harm to their enemies, and makes men and women fall in love with them. And all we can do is watch.
"Whoa, Dude... that guy is awesome..." "What do you mean? He isn't doing anything- whoa, he is awesome..."
Characters can be made of it. Groups can be made of it. Scenes can be made of it. Entire movies can be made of it. If Pure Awesomeness didn't exist, how could anything ever be so cool it can be used as a laxative?
This trope (in case the multiple uses of the word "awesome" as if it has an objective meaning didn't tip you off) is by its very nature almost completely irrational and often used for comedy. Do not try to ruminate over the meaning of this trope. Either accept the physical manifestation of Rule Of Cool, or watch a more logical show.
Not to be confused with something awesome happening off-screen, where the awesomeness's effect was probably justified by something tangible actually happening.
Might overlap with Awesomeness Is Volatile.
Spiral Energy in general allows the heroes' hot-bloodedness to manifest itself as anything from giant drills to galaxy-sized giant robots. Essentially, Pure Awesomeness is a law of physics. Which is why the Anti-Spirals are against the use of Spiral Energy: the universe won't be able to handle so much awesome and, as such, collapse.
Kongou Banchou invokes this trope in front of every normal person he meets.
In One Piece, especially powerful individuals can strike weaker ones unconscious through their mere presence, through the power of "Haki" (Ambition). Two other types of Haki enable users to gain split-second precognition and harden their defenses or strengthen attacks to harm immaterial or Haki-using enemies, but only one in a million inherently awesome people can use the Conqueror's Haki.
Whitebeard is also a walking 18-foot tall pile of refined, 101% awesomeness.
In Bleach, the spiritual pressure of a soul reaper is enough to immobilize less powerful ones. Examples of this occur in the soul society arc: First when Kenpachi's spiritual pressure completely disables Hanatarô, and nearly incapacitates Ichigo, and then when Shunsui and Ukitake are facing off against Yamamoto. Nanao follows Shunsui and Ukitake intending to help and is literally rendered unable to move by Yamamoto's spiritual pressure alone. The symptoms of this are not pretty; people affected by an overly strong spiritual pressure begin to sweat profusely, cry uncontrollably, and start foaming at the mouth before falling unconscious.
When Aizen Sousuke and his army arrives in Fake Karakura Town, their spiritual pressure is so strong that are disabling and even exploding lesser beings (such as simple hollows) that are in Kagamino City, 22 kilometers away. It also tends to make normal humans explode.
Coyote Starrk, Primera Espada, has such immense spiritual pressure that before becoming an Arrancar (and being allowed to seal away most of his power) it would kill lesser hollows just by being in the vicinity.
It can, of course, be hidden by the exceptionally powerful, however this just serves to make it more awesome when they finally exert themselves.
The Elder can destroy the massive gate to Ryozanpaku, which most people can't even budge, without even touching it. The Elder is just that Bad Ass.
In Naruto, a number of strong ninja, like Zabuza, Orochimaru, and Sasuke with Orochimaru's power, are capable of giving off a "killing intent" so strong that it paralyzes weaker enemies, despite apparently not being an actual jutsu of any kind. This is taken to ridiculous levels with the First Hokage, who can literally cause the room he's standing in to crack just by flaring his chakra.
Medaka Box has Hinokage Kudo, who no one knows, remembers, or even notices despite his large size. Why does no one notice him? Because he's so damn powerful people subconsciously repress the memory of his existence out of absolute fear. His unnotability has not earned him the nickname "Mr.Unknown." He hasn't earned this nickname 'cos no one knows who he is and therefore can't address him as anything in the first place.
Except Zenkichi for some weird reason.
In Hunterx Hunter, Nen users can kill non-users through sheer force of awesome Nen.
Gildartz from Fairy Tail has this and it bring Natsu to tears.
Prussia from Axis Powers Hetalia seems to only think that he's too awesome. Though given his Blood Knight tendencies and refusal to die despite not technically being a country anymore, it's not entirely groundless.
In Toriko, certain powerful characters can frighten aware weaker ones with a power called 'Intimidation.' It usually personified as a horrific monster, though the actually appearence varies from person to person. Toriko's looks like some kind of leering ogre, while Tommyrod of the Bishokukai's looks like it'd be more at home in Cthulu mythos.
As they are leaving, several programs are shown on their knees, praying, and Kevin Flynn walking out, holding his hands in a Christ-like manner.
Literature
A somewhat subtler form of this exists in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Middle-Earth in general was heavily inspired by folklore and heroic sagas. The characters' abilities have less to do with tangible physical characteristics like strength, endurance or skill and more to do with a more amorphous concepts such as "might" or "countenance." Hence, the greatest elves of the elder days could stand against balrogs and dragons simply because they possessed the might to do so. The actual tactics and details of the battles were irrelevant, the outcome was decided by a direct conflict of might.
The Wheel of Time has the Ta'veren, who bend probability and to some extent even reality, just by existing. The Dragon Reborn, the strongest Ta'veren in the whole of the reincarnating Pattern, eventually becomes able to do it intentionally.
Tabletop Games
In the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons, many powers have the mechanical effect of bolstering allies or hindering enemies through the awesomeness of the power or the character using it.
The Exemplar class lets you pick one skill which can be used to impress people, in a manner so awesome that everyone in 60 ft becomes undyingly loyal to him.
Warhammer 40000 overflows with characters that through their sheer presence can invigorate allies to near-invincibility, render enemies catatonic with fear or anything in between, ranging from Tau Ethereals (members of the ruling class), Space Marine Chaplains (Super SoldierBadass Preachers), and fiery incarnations of the Eldar god of War and Murder.
And then there's Creed, tactical genius, who can use his awesomeness to hide a Baneblade on open ground. Partially through camouflage, mostly through badassery. And the orks - the orks get this a lot.
Professional Wrestling
Motel Vontavious Porter was half man, half amazing and one half the tag team champions. The only man amazing enough to have three halves.
Video Games
In Billy Vs SNAKEMAN, if a player manages to obtain trophies (ranging in difficulty from completing low-level plotlines to beating an insanely difficult, once a week minigame eleven times), Awesome points are given out which can be spent on bonus abilities. Also, certain levels of awesome are required for some quests.
World of Warcraft has a section where you are battling through an city filled with demons and undead with the main leader of your faction. Their presence alone makes you nigh invincible.
This is echoed twice in the Cataclysm expansion; once in Gilneas with the Gilnean people fending off the Forsaken, and another time as you and four other people travel back in time and take part in the battle for the Well of Eternity, cutting through a swathe of demons thanks to the help of Tyrande and Illidan.
Parodied by the game designers briefly during the Cataclysm beta. When fans complained that the Maelstrom (a whirlpool formed when the source of magic itself imploded) wasn't epic enough, Blizzard added a zombie playing a guitar, riding a tyrannosaurus rex that itself was riding a flying shark with a laser cannon. It was called "Epicus Maximus, Paragon of Epicosity".
In Fate/stay night, the mere presence of the Servants has a little bit of this. And when a character like Lancer gets serious, the pure awesome makes both you and the air freeze in fear. The most extreme example of this is Gilgamesh, who nearly makes Shirou shit himself without even showing any killing intent. Justified in the fact that Gilgamesh is one of the most powerful beings in the Nasuverse and can defeat Berserker without even trying and is in possession of a weapon capable of Earth Shattering Kabooms.
The characters of Sengoku Basara regularly cause huge explosions from the presence of their sheer manly awesomeness. Yes, even the women.
Suburban Knights has many instances of parodying this - the reviewers find they can do amazingly awesome things just because the character they're role-playing as (and in one case the actor playing the character they are role-playing as) possesses some form of Pure Awesomeness.
Dr. Diabolik of the Whateley Universe. When a long-range attack aimed at Cincinnati is spotted on radar, the U.S. Air Force goes into action. When they figure out it is Dr. Diabolik, the entire might of the U.S. military pretty much runs and hides under the covers.
In Imaginationland, The Woobie Butters Scotch brings an entire sub-universe back into existance after it is blasted into non-existence by a nuke. With nothing to work with but his own imagination. He even brought back his friends from the real world.
In the two-parter "Pandemic", Craig Tucker saves the world from giant guinea-pigs by refusing to be a plaything of the universe and thinking for himself - he accidentally steps on a special tile and stands there shooting paralyzing lasers from his eyes.
Craig:(with mild concern) Okay, now there are sparks shooting out of my eyes...
In the movie, Jerk Ass Cartman ends up saving the world from an invasion by Hell when he takes control of the bullying V-Chip and shoots lightning from his entire body.
Real Life
People used to lose their shit over Michael Jackson just standing on stage.
And before him, Elvis. And before him, Frank Sinatra.
Sinatra's early career subverted this, as the girls in his audience who were really, really losing their shit and fainting in the aisles were hired plants put there to create hype.
This needs reiteration. They didn't even see the woman's husband. They saw a picture of him. And you can bet those men are spending the rest of their lives in a state of pure terror.
