History Main / CallingYourAttacks

** When people ''don't call out their attacks, the comic often includes helpful text naming them anyway.

* Justified in ''Webcomic/{{Heartcore}}'': like in ''Literature/TheSlayers'', magic spells require a vocal command to use. This can range from simply calling out the spell's name with weaker spells, like a fireball; to long incantations ending in the spell's name, like Ame's "Devil Drive" attack.

!!TROPE... ''EXAMPLES!!''

-->'''Lucy:''' You know, you really should announce your weapons ''after'' you fire them, Mr. Gru. For example... (''shoots Gru with a tazer'') ''[[ShoePhone lipstick tazer]]''!

* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe1'': "[[FreezeRay FREEZE RAY]]! FREEZE RAY! FREEZE RAY!"
* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'' [[DeconstructedTrope points out the problem with this.]] When Lucy Wilde of the Anti-Villain League shows up on Gru's doorstep, he tries to freeze her. She counters with a flame-thrower and explains:

* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'': Parodied during the fight between Jack Horner and Kitty Softpaws. Jack pulls out an axe from his magic nanny bag, while making a snarky comment about "burying the hatchet" before he swings it. This gives Kitty enough time to kick him ''into'' the nanny bag.
-->'''Jack:''' [[LampshadeHanging Oh, I shouldn't have telegraphed it!]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'': The guardians sometimes yell out the names of their respective elements during battle.

* ''Literature/SorcererStabberOrphen'': Any time when anyone casts a magical spell. Sword of Light is a popular one. Justified by the fact that the magic human sorcerers wield is powered by their voice.

[[folder:Light…NOVEEEELS!!]]
* ''[[LightNovel/KirbyLightNovel The Kirby novel series]]'' has some characters do this starting with the "Kirby Clash Team Unite!" novel.
* ''[[LightNovel/SorcererStabberOrphen Sorcerous Stabber Orphen]]'': Any time when anyone casts a magical spell. Sword of Light is a popular one. Justified by the fact that the magic human sorcerers wield is powered by their voice.
[[/folder]]

** ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'':

* Justified in ''Webcomic/{{Heartcore}}'': like in ''LightNovel/TheSlayers'', magic spells require a vocal command to use. This can range from simply calling out the spell's name with weaker spells, like a fireball; to long incantations ending in the spell's name, like Ame's "Devil Drive" attack.

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''WebVideo/TheKingDragonCanon''.

** In later seasons, largely starting when Chase Young enters the picture, Omi in particular begins to call his nonmagical attacks as well, since [[spoiler:Chase teaches him how to do it]]. The most famous one is "Repulse the Monkey" which is Chase's, and later Omi's, signature move (indeed, at one point Omi [[spoiler:realises that someone is allied with Chase when he uses Repulse the Monkey]]), but later on the moves become more ridiculous, with such moves as "Grasshopper Doing Dog-Paddle", "Dogs Playing Poker" and "Spider Doing The Hokey-Pokey".

* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'': [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/010911c "Flaming pink dragon kidney punch"]]

* And let's not forget [[Webcomic/DominicDeegan DEATH FROM ABOVE!!]]

** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0615.html This isn't manga!]]

-->'''Zoe:''' You gave me enough time to set a trap. A little trap I like to call ... ''[[http://sluggy.com/daily.php?date=090630 MISSILE BARRAGE!]]''

* In ''Webcomic/TheBoyWhoFell'', Pafhelo Sorian likes to do this, with the moves having her name in them. The author has stated that they're running out of uncreative Sorian attack names, but whether this is true remains to be seen.
-->"Sorian bomb!"\\
"Sorian slam!"
* In ''Webcomic/TheGodOfHighSchool'', many characters announce the names of their attacks before using their signature moves. Sometimes they double as {{Pre Ass Kicking One Liner}}s, as when you see them coming you know someone is about to go down.
* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'':
** Lampshaded with Team Outrageous, who do this as Undine and Heartful Punch snark about how showy they are, how ''they'' don’t have attack names, and how one of the three ''doesn't'' employ AddedAlliterativeAppeal.
** Undine's team, Team Alchemical, used attack names for team attacks. Sylvia's air and Sally's fire become "Firestorm", Gwen's earth and Undine's water become "Fertile Soil", while earth and fire become [[TheTriple "Lava Whatever" because Sally's not creative and Gwen doesn't care]].
* In ''Webcomic/UndeadFriend'', despite it not being necessary, Brigger prefers to yell out fancy names he makes up when using his lightning magic, even though Wylie thinks it's stupid.
* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': Generally averted though wrights do have to say their spells to get them to work they do so rapidly and not in a casually spoken language. Elka still goes ahead and says, ''Pointy stick!'' when using a lamppost to skewer a monster after Sette yells that wrights are less use than a pointy stick in a fight.

* Discussed in ''Fanfic/{{Justice}}''. When [[Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse Hawkgirl]] mentions [[Manga/OnePiece the Straw Hat Pirates]] do this in battle, the rest of the League finds it odd and slightly amusing, but Queen Hippolyta rationalizes that they're so confident in their strength that they can afford to do such things.

* Leidr, The BigBad of ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/237978/how-trixie-somehow-saved-hearths-warming How Trixie (Somehow) Saved Hearth's Warming]]'', does this with his attacks during the FinalBattle. Trixie, being [[LargeHam Trixie]], considers it a sign of him truly being clever for naming his attacks.

* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'': "[[FreezeRay FREEZE RAY]]! FREEZE RAY! FREEZE RAY!"

** The girls of ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' do the same thing.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Played straight at first, but justified in that you ''have'' to say the name of the spell in order to cast it. However, it gets subverted when a major portion of the sixth-year curriculum turns out to be learning how to cast spells ''without'' calling them, specifically so that you don't alert your enemies as to what you are doing.

** When the gaang are sparring, Sokka tries to get Aang from behind (who can tell he's there anyway) while yelling "Yaaaaaaaaw, SNEAK ATTACK!" to be instantly blocked by Aang who responds, "Sokka, [[WithCatlikeTread sneak attacks don't work if you yell it out loud]]."

** A rare intentional and justified example can also be found when the gaang encounter a blood bender. As both Sokka and Aang are trying to avoid hitting Katara, it is not unsurprising that they both do this.

For a long time, only flashy {{Finishing Move}}s or powerful {{Limit Break}}s were considered worthy of calls. Two well-known examples are Kenshiro spelling out the spectacular death he just dealt to his foe and Son Goku's signature "[[KamehameHadoken KA... ME... HA... ME... HAAAAAA!!]]" A few pro wrestlers did this as well ("Power bomb!"). It wasn't until the advent of {{Fighting Game}}s, particularly ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', that shouting out every little spinkick and ki ball became standard practice.

** In addition to callin out (and sometimes mocking) the actual attack names from the anime, the trope is further parodied having made-up names called out for completely ordinary punches and kicks. For example, in Episode 51 Trunks yells "Future Kick!" when [[DivingKick jump-kicking Semi-Perfect Cell]]. And in Episode 47, Piccolo [[KilledMidSentence tries]] to call out "Nail Gun" ([[CallBack one of the names Nail suggested in Episode 36]]) before Imperfect Cell breaks his neck.

-->'''Bardiche:''' Photon Lancer: [[spoiler: Deicide Shift]]

*** Ride Players have deliberately weak mass-produced suits the bad guys made so unsuspecting humans who think it's all a game will get themselves killed against much stronger monsters. Nico [[spoiler: is so skilled at games that she kicks ass by avoiding attacks and using clever methods to dispatch the enemy. She yells out attacks she invented because Ride Players don't ''actually'' have attacks]].

*** Archer of Black/Chiron subverts the trope: since [[spoiler: his Noble Phantasm, Anteres Snipe, is an arrow shot from the constellation Sagittarius itself, so he does not need to call its name and can instantly deploy it. This is balanced by the fact he can only use it once per night.]]

* Mocked quite entertainingly in [[http://www.exploitationnow.com/2002/01/21 these]] [[http://www.exploitationnow.com/2002/01/23 three]] [[http://www.exploitationnow.com/2002/01/25 strips]] of ''Webcomic/ExploitationNow''. [[spoiler: Tentacle Monster to captives: "Anybody up for a game of Monopoly or something while we wait for her to finish shouting the name of her ultimate attack?"]]
* Mocked in ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'' -- "'''[[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2007-01-05/comic/black-and-white/sneak-attack/ BEAM SWORD HURL ATTACK!]]'''
** Also, [[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2011-08-16/comic/the-cesspool/super-bar-fighter-ii-turbo/ this]]:

* In ''Webcomic/PrincessChroma'', June's powers in MagicalGirl mode work this way. Oddly enough, her predecessor, [[spoiler: Princess Chroma the First]], seems to not need to do any such thing. [[ZigZaggingTrope Usually]].

* Lampshaded in ''Webcomic/OneOverZero'', [[http://www.undefined.net/1/0/?strip=938 when Marcus tries to make a spark]].

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': Tucker does this after he gets his sword, saying either "swish" or "stab" for either sort of attack. He only knows those two.

*** ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne'': "(Progrise Key) Impact/Blast (Fever)/Dystopia/Utopia/Destruction/Spark/The End!"
*** ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'': "Hissatsu Dokuha! (Wonder Ride Book) Issatsu Geki! Fire/Water/Thunder!" or "Hissatsu Dokuha! Rekka/Nagare/Ikazuchi Battou! (Wonder Ride Book) Issatsu Giri! Fire/Water/Thunder!"