History Main / FutileHandReach

* An odd variant at the end of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'', when Ed and Al, in parallel dimensions, both reach toward the sky out train windows while the voiceover shows that they're determined to get back together. Presumably they clench hands when their hands "cross".

** Another one in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6''. In the ending of the second chapter of Chris's campaign, Chris reaches out for Finn through the bars of the gate while Finn is transforming into a B.O.W cocoon.

* Link at the end of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', tries desperately to reach out for [[spoiler: the King of Hyrule, so he can come with him as he rises to the surface. The King, for a moment, extends his hand too, but lowers it, knowing that his place isn't in the world of the living.]]
** He does it again at the end of ''Twilight Princess'', as Midna prepares to sacrifice herself to take out Ganon. She warps him and Zelda to safety before he can get to her.
** Also done in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'' by Link, as Zelda's body is carried off by Cole and Staven.
** A cutscene at the beginning of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' has the latent powers kick in variant. Zelda stands in front of Link with her hand up, which should be ineffectual against the possessed guardian: but because she loves Link the power of the Goddess activates and kills the guardian.

Ah yes, the [[TitleDrop Futile Hand Reach]].

You've probably seen it in movies, TV shows, comic books; in fact, probably everywhere.

Usually this happens when a character, (probably a protagonist or his [[{{Sidekick}} sidekick]]) sees another character about to be stabbed in the back/taken control of by an evil force, fall to their death, etc. He will put his hand out towards the camera/reader, even though he knows it is futile. Often, he will [[SayMyName scream the person's name]] and/or [[BigNo "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"]]

Ah yes, the Futile Hand Reach.

Usually this happens when a character, (probably a protagonist or his [[SideKick sidekick]]) sees another character about to be stabbed in the back/taken control of by an evil force, fall to their death, etc. he will put his hand out towards the camera/reader, even though he knows it is futile. Often he will [[SayMyName scream the person's name]] and/or [[BigNo "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"]]

It happens quite a lot in action and scifi movies, though shows and movies based on comic books seem to like this trope quite a lot. Also a common Anime Opening trope. It is somewhat common in a fantasy setup with magic or psychic powers to have someone perform this trope straight only for their latent abilities to trigger thus subverting the "futile" part.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': The infamous ''End of Evangelion'' features [[AcePilot ace mecha pilot Asuka]] finally overcoming her issues and saving the day when [[DysfunctionJunction every single other pilot is incapacitated.]] Angelic music plays as she [[{{Gorn}} brutally tears apart the creepy baddies]]...and then they all regenerate, completely unharmed...at which point they animalistically tear her [[HumongousMecha Evangelion]] to shreds with her in it, all while she can ''feel it happening.'' She reaches up to the sky, completely helpless as they fly over her like buzzards, trying to grasp at them, whispering that she'll kill them...and, believe it or not, [[spoiler:she doesn't. They descend. [[GoryDiscretionShot We are mercifully spared from seeing what happens.]] And things only get worse for everyone.]]

* This was a staple of illustrations in Victorian-era publications like ''The Illustrated Police News'' and ''Punch'', drawn in a style we might now call [[GiantHam overblown]] or comically melodramatic.

* Played to it's most heartbreaking levels in ''VisualNovel/NewDanganRonpaV3'' when Shuichi and Kaede reach for each other...[[spoiler: as Kaede's being dragged off to be executed.]]

* In the true ending of ''[[VideoGame/NiGHTSIntoDreams NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams]]'', Will and Helen desperately reach out toward [[spoiler: [=NiGHTS=] as s/he smiles, takes a bow, and DisappearsIntoLight.]]

* The page image is from Guy Ritchie's ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', but is not quite an example of the trope in that rather than being a futile emotional reaction, it's a rather clear-headed attempt at protecting his colleagues: Watson realises he has triggered a grenade and in the few seconds before it explodes has the presence of mind to remember Holmes and Irene Adler will be on his heels, and turns to warn them with a gesture and a shout to keep back. Holmes promptly obeys the gesture and is therefore standing several meters away from the centre of the explosion when the grenade goes off. If the film was less... muddled... about the effects of what standing at the centre of (several) grenade blasts will do to you, Holmes' distance would have meant the difference between life and death for the detective (and a very practical, but very final act of heroism for a very deceased Watson). Admittedly, a series of further explosions triggered by the first mean ultimately Holmes is little better off where he is than if he'd run right up to Watson, but Watson wasn't to know that would happen. Could be explained in that the explosions seemed more focused on destroying the warehouse they'd just escaped from(which had been used as a refinery for the villain's death gas) and less about killing the heroes.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'': Rapunzel reaches out to [[AbusiveParents Gothel]] as she topples out a window, despite everything she's done to her.
* During the climax of ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'', Ralph sees Vanellope failing to exit ''Sugar Rush'' due to her glitch while Cy-Bugs are approaching. He quietly but desperately [[SayMyName calls out her name]] while reaching out to her in vain.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Happens in Manga/{{Bleach}} in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=XgCzOP-QhDE&vq=hd720#t=20 this episode]] [[spoiler: when Ulquiorra and Orihime try [[http://www.mangakong.com/manga/Bleach/353/21 to grab each other's hands]]. [[TearJerker DEFINITELY a tear jerker.]]]]

* [[TearJerker Played for sadness]] in ''{{Manga/Berserk}}''. After awakening days after the Eclipse, Guts rushes to his lover Casca to attempt to comfort her [[spoiler: as she had been through a truly horrific ordeal of being savagely raped by their former commander and friend Griffith and Guts was helpless in saving her.]] However, the event traumatized Casca so much that [[GoMadFromTheRevelation she went insane]] from a severe case of [[spoiler: [[RapeLeadsToInsanity rape trauma syndrome]]]] and now goes into a panic attack whenever Guts tries to touch her. Appearing to be [[DoesNotLikeMen fearful of all men]] after what had been done to her, Guts attempts to reach out to Casca one last time, but Casca rejects him in fear. This was the last straw for Guts before going through a massive FreakOut.

* [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion The infamous End of Evangelion]] features [[AcePilot ace mecha pilot Asuka]] finally overcoming her issues and saving the day when [[DysfunctionJunction every single other pilot is incapacitated.]] Angelic music plays as she [[{{Gorn}} brutally tears apart the creepy baddies]]...and then they all regenerate, completely unharmed...at which point they animalistically tear her [[HumongousMecha Evangelion]] to shreds with her in it, all while she can ''feel it happening.'' She reaches up to the sky, completely helpless as they fly over her like buzzards, trying to grasp at them, whispering that she'll kill them...and, believe it or not, [[spoiler:she doesn't. They descend. [[GoryDiscretionShot We are mercifully spared from seeing what happens.]] And things only get worse for everyone.]]
* In the last episode of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', [[spoiler:Homura]] reaches out to [[spoiler:the recently deified Madoka]] like this while she is [[spoiler:dragged out of Madoka's atemporal cosmic dimension and back to Earth. From her perspective, Madoka DisappearsIntoLight]]. It doesn't get much more futile than that.
** A less spoilery version of that scene is depicted in the ending theme.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* During the climax of ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'', Ralph sees Vanellope failing to exit Sugar Rush due to her glitch while Cy-Bugs are approaching. He quietly but desperately [[SayMyName calls out her name]] while reaching out to her in vain.

* Luke pulls one on Hoth after Obi-wan appears to him in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''.

* In ''Film/{{Hulk}}'' (the 2003 one), Bruce Banner's mother pulls one of these, not towards Bruce, but towards a [[spoiler: gigantic Gamma mushroom cloud]].
* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''Film/IronMan2'', when Tony reaches out to Rhodes during the battle with [[spoiler: Crimson Dynamo!Whiplash. He's really trying to signal Rhodey to use a [[ChekhovsSkill Chekhov's Skill]] from a few scenes before.]]

* The page image is from Guy Ritchie's ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', but is not quite an example of the trope in that rather than being a futile emotional reaction, it's a rather clear-headed attempt at protecting his colleagues: Watson realises he has triggered a grenade and in the few seconds before it explodes has the presence of mind to remember Holmes and Irene Adler will be on his heels, and turns to warn them with a gesture and a shout to keep back. Holmes promptly obeys the gesture and is therefore standing several meters away from the centre of the explosion when the grenade goes off. If the film was less... muddled... about the effects of what standing at the centre of (several) grenade blasts will do to you, Holmes' distance would have meant the difference between life and death for the detective (and a very practical, but very final act of heroism for a very deceased Watson). Admittedly, a series of further explosions triggered by the first mean ultimately Holmes is little better off where he is than if he'd run right up to Watson, but Watson wasn't to know that would happen.
** Could be explained in that the explosions seemed more focused on destroying the warehouse they'd just escaped from(which had been used as a refinery for the villain's death gas) and less about killing the heroes.

* The titular character in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' reaches for his brother Loki as the latter [[DrivenToSuicide lets himself fall from the Bifrost bridge into the void below it]].
* ''Film/TheAbyss'': Despite the antagonism between them, Lindsay and Coffey do a mutual version of this when they both place their hands on the windshields of their submarines just before [[spoiler: Coffey's vehicle falls into the Cayman Trough and implodes with him still inside.]]

[[folder:Manhua]]
* In ''[[Manhua/RavagesOfTime The Ravages of Time]]'', Liaoyuan Huo does this when Xiao Meng kicks him out of the way of incoming enemy spears, taking two in his own side and plummeting to his seeming death. When Xiao Meng is impaled with a thrown spear to prevent him from assassinating Cao Cao and falls off of a roof, he [[CallBack sees Liaoyuan Huo reaching out for him]]... and when he's executed via sword and then a mass of impaling with spears, the final page of the chapter is just covered in spears and Xiao Meng's hand.
** A decade in-story and over a hundred chapters later, when Liaoyuan Huo[[note]]now under the ''nom de guerre'' [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Zhao Yun]][[/note]] is trapped under a myriad of incoming spears that he's just managed to block and parry but nevertheless believes himself about to die under, it's not his life that flashes before his eyes -- it's Xiao Meng reaching for him through the spears.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* During the climax of ''Disney/WreckItRalph'', Ralph sees Vanellope failing to exit Sugar Rush due to her glitch while Cy-Bugs are approaching. He quietly but desperately [[SayMyName calls out her name]] while reaching out to her in vain.

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeriesXMen''

* The page image is from Guy Ritchie's ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', but is not quite an example of the trope in that rather than being a futile emotional reaction, it's a rather clear-headed attempt at protecting his colleagues: Watson realises he has triggered a grenade and in the few seconds before it explodes has the presence of mind to remember Holmes and Irene Adler will be on his heels, and turns to warn them with a gesture and a shout to keep back. Holmes promptly obeys the gesture and is therefore standing several meters away from the centre of the explosion when the grenade goes off. If the film was less... muddled... about the effects of what standing at the centre of (several) grenade blasts will do to you, Holmes' distance would have meant the difference between life and death for the detective (and a very practical, but very final act of heroism for a very deceased Watson). Admittedly, a series of further explosions triggered by the first mean ultimitely Holmes is little better off where he is than if he'd run right up to Watson, but Watson wasn't to know that would happen.

* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaidArielsBeginning'': In the prologue, King Triton does this as a pirate ship is about ram into Queen Athena.

* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' has Elizabeth silently reaching out for Booker's hand [[spoiler:as the Songbird swoops away with her in its grasp. He reaches back but misses, and both Elizabeth and the Songbird disappear through the hole in the tower.

* [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion The infamous End of Evangelion]] features[[AcePilot ace mecha pilot Asuka]] finally overcoming her issues and saving the day when [[DysfunctionJunction every single other pilot is incapacitated.]] Angelic music plays as she [[{{Gorn}} brutally tears apart the creepy baddies]]...and then they all regenerate, completely unharmed...at which point they animalistically tear her [[HumongousMecha Evangelion]] to shreds with her in it, all while she can ''feel it happening.'' She reaches up to the sky, completely helpless as they fly over her like buzzards, trying to grasp at them, whispering that she'll kill them...and, believe it or not, [[spoiler:she doesn't. They descend. [[GoryDiscretionShot We are mercifully spared from seeing what happens.]] And things only get worse for everyone.]]

See also MilkingTheGiantCow and GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger for more examples of [[LargeHam dramatic]] hand gesture.

See also MilkingTheGiantCow for another [[LargeHam dramatic]] hand gesture.

** This turns out to be the cause of Elizabeth's missing finger (and resulting ability to open tears. [[spoiler:When she was a baby, her father gave her up to the Luteces. As they took her through a tear, she reached out for her father, and the tear closed on her finger, leaving part of her in two different realities.]]
[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome And then Booker gets to his feet and charges right after them]].]]