History Main / ImprobableAge

** Willow becomes the most powerful person on the entire planet at the age of 21 (after learning magic was real at 16), and in the season 8 comics Buffy is one of the leaders of the Slayer Organization at 23, Xander, who is [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection mission control]] is also 23, and Dawn ([[spoiler:who's now in a relationship with him]]) is 18. These people could take over the world if they wanted to.

* Done in Videogame/WorldOfWarcraft depending on the player's race. While some are adults (and in the case of Draenei, likely thousands of years old), [[ALoadOfBull Tauren]], [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orcs]], and [[OurTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]] player-characters are all explicitly stated as starting their adventures as soon as they come of age (which seems to be mid-teens). So, come Mists of Pandaria, Lorewalker Cho is right when he identifies the player as an old veteran in a young warrior's body. Your character is canonically in their early 20s at best but has already slain enough EldritchAbominations that it's [[ButForMeItWasTuesday routine.]]

* In ''DeathNote'' [[MagnificentBastard Light Yagami]] starts the series at 17, yet he manages to take on the best detective in the world (who himself is only 24), and [[spoiler: even out-gambit him]]. This example is particularly striking because both characters can predict human behaviour near-perfectly -- which takes experience that they're just not old enough to have yet.

** In Rebuild, Asuka's a ''captain''. This is plausible with the practice of making civilians officers when they have rare and important skills such as piloting HumongousMecha.

* MuammarGaddafi was only 27 when he ousted the King of [[UsefulNotes/{{Libya}} Libya]] and established a military dictatorship.

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* ''MetalGearSolid3'' deliberately goes the opposite direction with 100+ year old sniper "The End." In one of the series famous NoFourthWall tricks, you can cause him to die of old age by adjusting your system clock.

** While we're on the subject of ''MetalGearSolid'', Solid Snake was mentioned to have been attached to the Green Berets during the Gulf War. Snake would have been around 18-19 at the time, which is not to young for military service, but is too young to be a member of Special Forces. One of the entry requirements of joining the Green Berets is to be at least in your mid-twenties.

* There's a belief that the great theorists (mainly in physics and mathematics) make their most ground-breaking discoveries before the age of 30, and work they do after is of lesser importance or an elaboration of their early work.

* In ''DeathNote'' [[MagnificentBastard Light Yagami]] starts the series at 17, yet he manages to take on the best detective in the world (who himself is only 21), and [[spoiler: even out-gambit him]]. This example is particularly striking because both characters can predict human behaviour near-perfectly -- which takes experience that they're just not old enough to have yet.

** Uryu Ishida is the same age as Ichigo. When he fought Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi he displayed Quincy skills beyond anything [[MadScientist Mayuri]][[hottip:*: who'd studied a great many master Quincy inside and out, to the point that he ''thought'' he knew everything there was to know about them]] had ever seen, to the extent that he [[CurbStompBattle kicked Mayuri's ass]] upon unleashing his ultimate ability. Although Mayuri lampshaded how improbable it was for such a youngster to possess such high level Quincy ability, Uryuu's father has stated that Uryuu's power is still under-developed and immature and that the power he used against Mayuri was therefore not the true extent of his abilities.

** Uryu Ishida is the same age as Ichigo. When he fought Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi he displayed Quincy skills beyond anything [[MadScientist Mayuri]][[hottip:*: who'd studied a great many master Quincy inside and out, to the point that he ''thought'' he knew everything there was to know about them]] had ever seen, to the extent that he [[CurbStompBattle kicked Mayuri's ass]] upon unleashing his ultimate ability. According to Uryuu's father, Uryuu's power is still under-developed and immature, so that wasn't even the true extent of his abilities.

** Uryu Ishida is the same age as Ichigo, and when he fought Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi he displayed Quincy skills beyond anything Mayuri (who'd studied a great many master Quincy [[MadScientist inside and out]], to the point that he ''thought'' he knew everything there was to know about them) had ever seen. To the point that he [[CurbStompBattle kicked Mayuri's ass]] upon unleashing his ultimate ability. According to Uryuu's father, Uryuu's power is still under-developed and immature, so that wasn't even the true extent of his abilities.

** Uryu Ishida is the same age as Ichigo, and when he fought Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi he displayed Quincy skills beyond anything Mayuri (who'd studied a great many master Quincy [[MadScientist inside and out]], to the point that he ''thought'' he knew everything there was to know about them) had ever seen. To the point that he [[CurbStompBattle kicked Mayuri's ass]] upon unleashing his ultimate ability. According to Uryuu's father, Uryuu's power is still under-developed and immature. In other words, this isn't the extent of what he's capable of.
** Ryuuken Ishida is the Director of Karakura General Hospital, and a trained surgeon, but his age doesn't fit his role. In a flashback mini-arc set 20 years before the manga begins (5 years before his son is born), he's a high schooler (so 18 at most). Uryuu's own flashbacks to when he was an elementary school child reveals Ryuuken was already the director by then. Japanese medical education assumes a minimum of 6 years student training, then 2 years as a trainee generalist doctor, followed by 5-6 years as a trainee specialist doctor. If he entered college at 18, he shouldn't have fully qualified as a surgeon for at least 13 years, let alone become director. Even after the time-skip, he's only 40 years old ''at the most'' but he's been the director for at least nine years. While he's been shown to be so intelligent he can keep up with ''Urahara'', this is still ridiculously young for his job.

** Ryuuken Ishida is the Director of Karakura General Hospital, and a trained surgeon, but his age doesn't fit his role. In a flashback mini-arc set 20 years before the manga begins (5 years before his son is born), he's a high schooler (so 18 at most). Uryuu's own flashbacks to when he was a very small junior school child reveals Ryuuken was already the director by then. Japanese medical education covers 6 years student training (assuming no repeat years which is very common), followed by 2 years as a trainee generalist doctor, followed by 5-6 years as a trainee specialist doctor. If he entered college at 18, he shouldn't have fully qualified as a qualified surgeon for at least 13 years, let alone becoming director. Even after the time-skip, he's only 40 years old ''at the most'' but he's been the director for at least nine years. While he's been shown to be so intelligent he can keep up with ''Urahara'', this is still a very young age to be doing his particular job.

** Ryuuken Ishida is the Director of Karakura General Hospital, and a trained surgeon, but his age doesn't fit his role. In a flashback mini-arc set 20 years before the manga begins (5 years before his son is born), he's a high schooler (so 18 at most). Uryuu's own flashbacks to when he was a very small junior school child reveals Ryuuken was already the director by then. Japanese medical education covers 6 years student training (assuming no repeat years which is very common), followed by 2 years as a trainee generalist doctor, followed by 5-6 years as a trainee specialist doctor. If he entered college at 18, he shouldn't have fully qualified as a properly trained (specialist) doctor for at least 13 years, but around that time he's already confirmed to be director. Even after the time-skip, he's only 40 years old ''at the most'' but he's been the director for at least nine years. While he's been shown to be so intelligent he can keep up with ''Urahara'', this is still a very young age to be doing his particular job.

** Ryuuken Ishida is the Director of Karakura General Hospital, and a trained surgeon, but his age doesn't fit his role. In a flashback mini-arc set 20 years before the manga begins (and 5 years before his son is born), he's a high schooler (so 17-18 at most) Uryuu's own flashbacks to when he was a very small junior school child reveals Ryuuken was already the director by then. Japanese medical education covers 6 years student training (assuming no repeat years which is very common), followed by 2 years as a trainee generalist doctor, followed by 5-6 years as a trainee specialist doctor. If he entered college at 18, he shouldn't have fully qualified as a properly trained (specialist) doctor for at least 13 years, but in that time, he'd already made director. Even after the time-skip, he's only 40 years old ''at the most'' but he's been the director for at least nine years. While he's been shown to be so intelligent he can keep up with ''Urahara'', this is still a very young age to be doing his particular job.

** Ryuuken Ishida is the Director of Karakura General Hospital, and a trained surgeon, but his age doesn't fit his role. In a flashback mini-arc set 20 years before the manga begins (and 5 years before his son is born), he's a high schooler (so 17-18 at most) Uryuu's own flashbacks to when he was a very small junior school child reveals Ryuuken was already the director by then. Japanese medical education covers 6 years training (assuming no repeat years which is very common), followed by 2 years as a trainee generalist doctor, followed by 5-6 years training as a specialist doctor. If he entered college at 18, he shouldn't have fully qualified as a properly trained (specialist) doctor for at least 13 years, but in that time, he'd already made director. Even after the time-skip, he's only 40 years old ''at the most'' but he's been the director for at least nine years. While he's been shown to be so intelligent he can keep up with ''Urahara'', this is still a very young age to be doing his particular job.

** Ryuuken Ishida is the Director of Karakura General Hospital, and a trained surgeon, but his age doesn't fit his role. In a flashback mini-arc set 20 years before the manga begins (and 5 years before his son is born), he's a high schooler (so 17-18 at most) Uryuu's own flashbacks to when he was a very small junior school child reveals Ryuuken was already the director by then. Japanese medical education covers 6 years training (assuming no repeat years which is very common), followed by 2 years as a trainee generalist doctor, followed by 5-6 years training as a specialist doctor. If he entered college at 18, he shouldn't have fully qualified as a properly trained (specialist) doctor for at least 13 years, but in that time, he'd already made director. Even after the time-skip, he's only 40 years old ''at the most'' but he's been the director for at least nine years.

* Ichigo Kurosaki from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' managed to become one of the strongest shinigami in the series at age 15 (whereas most of the other shinigami have been training for decades, if not centuries). There's also Toshiro Hitsugaya, who achieved the rank of Captain while having the physical body of a twelve year old and Yachiru, who is a Vice Captain despite looking about seven years old. Of course, these two are [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld older than they look.]]
** Hitsugaya is still considered very young in shinigami years, though, hence his status as a prodigy. He's progressed so quickly that Shunsui Kyoraku (one of the oldest and most skilled shinigami, with over a thousand years of experience under his belt, (and [[spoiler:the new Captain-Commander]]) believes that Hitsugaya's only about a century away from surpassing him.
*** Likewise, while Gin Ichimaru is an adult in the main storyline, in the flashback "Turn Back the Pendulum" arc he was the great child prodigy of his generation. Gin's apparent age in that arc was around that of Hitsugaya's right now, and he was already a highly competent fighter capable of killing a third-seat with ease. Adding to this the fact is that in every appearance during that arc (as well as all but one during the present-day arcs), Gin has never shown the true extent abilities.
** Uryu Ishida is the same age as Ichigo, and when he fought Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi he displayed Quincy skills beyond anything Mayuri (who'd studied a great many master Quincy [[MadScientist inside and out]], to the point that he ''thought'' he knew everything there was to know about them) had ever seen. To the point that he [[CurbStompBattle kicked Mayuri's ass]] upon unleashing his ultimate ability.

* Probably destined to become a problem for LupinTheThird. He has [[VagueAge no definite age]], and his series runs on ComicBookTime and NegativeContinuity, so you wouldn't think this trope would be an issue. But he ''is'' still Lupin '''The Third''', grandson of ArseneLupin, who was born in 1874. The timeline isn't impossible yet, but every year it becomes a little harder to reconcile Lupin being a young-ish guy with his family history.

** On the other hand, she's 26 or so by the time she's [[spoiler:promoted to admiral]], and she doesn't think she's really qualified. [[spoiler:She never actually commands ships in battle, either; it's more of a political appointment.]]

** Which Slater doesn't find at all weird, especially since their precinct also has a cartoon cat (who's their best cop) and a [[{{Terminator}} liquid-metal cyborg]] (played by RobertPatrick, of course).

** Seems to be a cultural phenomenon on Amidala's home planet of Naboo: her successor Queen Jamillia's age went unstated but was probably in her twenties, Jamillia's successor Neeyutnee was an undefined teenager, and the last pre-Imperial ruler of Naboo, Queen Apailana, was played by then-thirteen-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes. The sheer number of young queens suggests that Naboo considers adulthood, or at least emotional maturity, to begin much earlier than real-world Western culture, and also might have been backlash against the fact that Amidala's predecessor King Veruna was, by complete contrast, a highly unpopular ''old man''.
** Canonically, Jabba the Hutt was improbably young when he first established himself as one of the most prominent crime lords on Tattooine at the age of 80. Although that would be old by human standards, the Hutt age of majority is 100, so it would be the equivalent of a teenager taking over a Mafia crime family.

** Spectacularly funny when you consider that the 4 star General Phillip Sheridan in charge of the US Army at the time spent 8 years as a 2nd Lieutenant and moved up in 3 years to 2 star general.
** The long time in grade was not at all unusual for the US Army during peacetime in this era. Generally promotions only took place when someone farther up died or retired. Many senior Civil War officers only regained their ranks well into their 50's of 60's.

** Justified in that they were all cadets until the future Romulan ship wiped out the entire federation fleet, forcing an obscene amount of battlefield promotions. Also, other Franchise/StarTrek canon has established that teaching techniques and human intellect have improved dramatically - children are taught advanced calculus when they are only 8-10 years old, and humanity is renowned for its scientific and engineering prowess.
** WordOfGod has it that Starfleet only accepts genius-level applicants.
** In Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries, Kirk is around 30, older than most examples on this page--however, according to [[AllThereInTheManual background material]], at this age, he is the youngest-ever full Captain or commander of a first-rate Starfleet ship.

** To be fair, she is only an Assistant District Attorney, and both versions look at least as old as the [=ADAs=] on Series/LawAndOrder for example. She's also sleeping with the District Attorney (who is himself also an example of this trope), which could explain her rapid ascension.

* Son Goku of ''DragonBall''. Master martial artist, breaking rocks in one punch that are about the size of his head by his mid-late teens. Goes off on a wild adventure with the 16 year old Bulma at the age of 12. Somewhat justified in that he's a member of a ProudWarriorRace.

* Professional StarCraft players tend to be in their teens or early 20s. Over 25 is considered old; WhiteRa is nearly 30 and is commonly called Grandfather Protoss.