History Main / InvulnerableAttack

* VideoGame/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}'s spindash charge in the original games left him protected from enemy CollisionDamage. He was still vulnerable to attacks, spikes, projectiles, etc., so not completely invincible.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'': The Aurora Bomber isn't really invulnerable (what happens is that it flies so fast it outruns all projectiles), and is invulnerable only when ordered to attack (so no scouting either). It's especially vulnerable after attacking since it slows down to half speed, making it an extremely expensive suicide unit if used incorrectly.

Everyone knows ThatOneBoss is so hard (among ''many'' other reasons) because he's only vulnerable for five seconds out of every sixty. Won't he be [[CherryTapping pleasantly surprised]] when he realizes the {{Player Character}} has [[HeKnowsAboutTimedHits learned to do this too!]]

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has a variety of moves ("Dig", "Fly", "Dive", and "Bounce") that provide one turn of invulnerability to most attacks before striking the opponent on the next turn. This is moderately useful in single player, but less so in competitive multiplayer where a opponent knows how to quickly counter or defend against the incoming strike.

* VideoGame/{{Iji}}'s Retribution move.

* ''Franchise/StreetFighter''

* In ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', characters are invincible while using their Final Smash. Interestingly, a couple of characters have another attack that provides a brief period of invincibility during execution, but these attacks aren't nearly so spectacular; in Captain Olimar's case, it's his ''whistle''.
** A few Final Smashes do leave the player open to taking damage during its duration, but prevent any knockback (Such as Bowser's Giga transformation). Ike's normal Aether attack works this way too.

* In the VideoGame/CapcomVs crossover games, Omega Red becomes immune to projectiles if he hits with his Energy Drain attack. This is actually a contrast to ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'', where a projectile could interrupt him while he was performing an Energy Drain (though generally only Juggernaut could hit him due to his projectile attack traveling low enough that Omega Red's tentacle would go over it).

* In ''Videogame/MegaManX'' games, quite a number of attacks make the player character invulnerable during their execution, the more notable examples being X and Zero's various [[LimitBreak Giga Attacks]].

* The "Boss starts charging, use the guard command" is used in a few fights in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', because 4 introduced the "guard" command.
** Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}},'' the best way to avoid The Hermit's charge attack is to score a critical hit and knock him out of it.

%%** This is used against the player with Tela Vesir, in VideoGame/MassEffect2.

* Most ShootEmUp games will make the player invincible while they use a SmartBomb. Taking advantage of this is generally an acceptable technique in some games. Especially the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games, wherein it is more a basic survival method rather than a means of dealing damage.

* The Phoenix in ''Videogame/{{Archon}}'' as well as the Firebird and Juggernaut in ''Archon II'' are essentially invulnerable while attacking. The downside is that their attacks are fairly short-ranged -- both birds' attack consists of briefly exploding into a fireball that can only damage a nearby opponent, and the Juggernaut is basically a 'living missile' whose attack consists of trying to run its target over while the player holds down the button.

* In ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', Travis is invulnerable while executing a charged attack. It's mostly useless throughout the game, because none of the charged attacks last very long, and they're a ''huge'' drain on your weapon's power...until you get the InfinityPlusOneSword and its power upgrades. It comes with a charged ''combo'' and the upgrades give it infinite energy, making it pretty much a GameBreaker, especially in subsequent playthroughs.

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'': [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo & Kazooie]]'s Wonderwing special has them do a DashAttack that's leaves them completely invincible for the whole duration. However, it requires one golden feather to use, and you only have 5 of these per stock. It can be stopped by grabs.

* Not an attack per se, but in ''{{Mabinogi}}'', you can dodge delayed attacks like the generally fatal Fireball by taking advantage of invincibility frames in the ''throw paper plane'' action. Which has the effect of the character nonchalantly throwing the plane after being struck (but not affected) by the attack.

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighter''

* The Autopilot item in early ''VideoGame/{{Wipeout}}'' installments would take over control of your ship when activated, turning it into an AI drone for a few seconds. In this state, it would ''ignore wall collisions''. You could literally head directly towards a crash barrier or plummet towards the ground, activate autopilot at the last moment and flawlessly pull out of the dive or clip right through the wall on your way back to the ideal line. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Horribly averted]] in recent titles where you will actually crash in this situation; not only that, but the [[ArtificialStupidity autopilot]] does not know how to [[PinballProjectile activate the airbrakes]] around [[CompletelyMissingThePoint difficult corners]], which makes you wish the semi-godmode was reinstated.

* ''VideGame/StreetFighter''

* In the CapcomVsWhatever crossover games, Omega Red becomes immune to projectiles if he hits with his Energy Drain attack. This is actually a contrast to ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'', where a projectile could interrupt him while he was performing an Energy Drain (though generally only Juggernaut could hit him due to his projectile attack traveling low enough that Omega Red's tentacle would go over it).

%%** This is used against the player with Tela Vesir, in MassEffect2.

** The Leaf Bracer ability introduced in ''{{VideoGame/Kingdom Hearts|I}} [[UpdatedRerelease Final Mix]]'' [[BoringButPractical turns all Cure spells into these]].
** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'' includes a number of high-level attacks with invincibility frames. Almost all of them returned in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]'', but [[{{Nerf}} without the invincibility]]. It also includes Shotlocks, which make your character fully invulnerable while they execute.

* The Autopilot item in early ''VideoGame/{{Wipeout}}'' installments would take over control of your ship when activated, turning it into an AI drone for a few seconds. In this state, it would ''ignore wall collisions''. You could literally head directly towards a crash barrier or plummet towards the ground, activate autopilot at the last moment and flawlessly pull out of the dive or clip right through the wall on your way back to the ideal line. [[TropesAreNotBad Horribly averted]] in recent titles where you will actually crash in this situation; not only that, but the [[ArtificialStupidity autopilot]] does not know how to [[PinballProjectile activate the airbrakes]] around [[CompletelyMissingThePoint difficult corners]], which makes you wish the semi-godmode was reinstated.

An attack during which the player character is invulnerable. A savvy player can use this to "[[DefendCommand block]]" otherwise unblockable and unavoidable area attacks. Even if the boss is ''also'' immune to the charged attack during his own "unavoidable attack", the player can save a boatload of health. Similarly, part of beating most bosses involved players learning to dodge or avoid the parts of their attack pattern where they're invulnerable.

* Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}'s spindash charge in the original games left him protected from enemy CollisionDamage. He was still vulnerable to attacks, spikes, projectiles, etc., so not completely invincible.

Everyone knows ThatOneBoss is so hard (among ''many'' other reasons) because he's only vulnerable for five seconds out of every sixty. Won't he be [[CherryTapping pleasantly surprised]] when he realizes the {{Player Character}} has [[HeKnowsAboutTimedHits learned to do this too!]]

There are two kinds of Invulnerable Attack; the first happens in games that have a ChargedAttack mechanic, and while it's charging the player is invulnerable to enemy attacks (though he might still suffer knockback). The second is when the charged attack executes, so while the overly long CGI plays out the player can take a nuke to the face [[ImmuneToFlinching without flinching.]] The charge part or attack part might make the performer [[HitboxDissonance lose their collision hitbox/hurtbox]] while they're covered in active hitboxes (i.e those that hit things).

The aversion is pretty common though, that being hit during the charge up or execution to the attack ''does'' cause damage and may even interrupt it altogether. Usually it's far, far more common for a charged attack to leave you motionless and vulnerable - this is usually [[NecessaryDrawback an intentional counterbalance to charge up attacks being more powerful.]]

A savvy player can use this to "[[DefendCommand block]]" otherwise unblockable and unavoidable area attacks. Even if the boss is ''also'' immune to the charged attack during his own "[[AlwaysAccurateAttack unavoidable]] [[UnblockableAttack attack]]", the player can save a boatload of health. Similarly, part of beating most bosses involved players learning to dodge or avoid the parts of their attack pattern where they're invulnerable.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* In the original ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' {{Light Novel}}s, Lina describes how a magic user is protected by a weak forcefield while chanting a spell - it's not usually powerful enough to repel an actually dangerous attack but it helps a little. When she sees Xelloss' field deflect an incoming fireball she knows that she is dealing with someone who is really quite powerful. His amplification trinkets don't hurt, mind, and the resultant spell is... ''very'' messy for the victim.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Non-videogame example: Creator/MarvelComics' [[ComicBook/XMen Cannonball]] is invulnerable when using his power.
[[/folder]]

** The Leaf Bracer ability introduced in ''{{VideoGame/Kingdom Hearts|1}} [[UpdatedRerelease Final Mix]]'' [[BoringButPractical turns all Cure spells into these]].

* In ''Franchise/DevilMayCry 3'' and ''4'', Dante is invulnerable during a Royal Release. Only a Royal Release, mind, not a normal Release. DeathOrGloryAttack much?

* ''VideoGame/SilentHill4TheRoom'' gives Henry the charged attack. This mechanic is counterbalanced by making the charge time directly proportionate to the weight of the weapon being used.

* Lightning Bolt from ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' ends up becoming one of the most useful weapons in the game, especially for Mega, entirely for it's invincibility frames as opposed to the underwhelming damage it deals on most bosses. The attack animation is long and you're invulnerable for all of it, including the charge up. These invincibility frames help immensely with the final boss's fast and erratic bullet patterns, make King's first phase possible to beat by standing in the centre of the room and not moving at all if you have the energy saver and in the case of the King Jet fight as Mega it's almost required to beat the boss since if you use it in mid-air you will hover in place for the duration of the attack animation, allowing you to make otherwise impossible jumps caused by the King Jet destroying platforms while still being safe from other attacks.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'': The Aurora Bomber isn't really invulnerable (what happens is that it flies so fast it outruns all projectiles), and is invulnerable only when ordered to attack (so no scouting either). It's especially vulnerable after attacking since it slows down to half speed, making it an extremely expensive suicide unit if used incorrectly (one fanfic had this cause a huge scandal in-universe).

* The character doing a dragon punch in ''StreetFighter II'' is immune from damage while going up.

*** On the flipside, ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' inverts this by having the startup frames of many supers be able to be snuffed by weak attacks such as jabs. Of course, once they get going for a while, the supers are death on wheels.

* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'''s [[MemeticBadass Bang Shishigami]] has this as a game feature. His drive allows him to do a special attack, and there's a nice, long second during each of these attacks that he's completely invulnerable to damage. If he gets hit during this, and the attack is successfully blocked, you can teleport behind the enemy and hit them there. [[GameBreaker Jin Kisaragi]] has something similar with a few of his attacks. Iron Tager has some as well, most clearly with his Magnatech Wheel Distortion Drive, and has been given more invincible attack frames as part of his ''Continuum Shift'' buffs. As a counter-example, Hakumen was considered low-tier not just from [[MightyGlacier sloth]] but also from a shortage of these making him quite punishable.

* Leon from ''BrutalPawsOfFury'' is invincible when using his guitar riff attack, which hits continuously for its duration. This makes him an excellent choice for fighting Dalai Llama, who is invincible during his smoke attack but can't block immediately as the attack ends.

* MassEffect2 and MassEffect3 has a notable example; characters who have a charge-type attack such as Vanguards and the multiplayer-only Turian Havoc can target an enemy and charge across the entire battlefield to deliver the attack. During their charge animation, they are invulnerable. By timing it correctly, the player can avoid a lot of powerful attacks, especially with the Havoc, whose charge is not instant but instead causes him to hop into the air briefly using his jetpack before he charges. The Havoc can tank even the most powerful bosses using this technique as well as his quick evasions.
** This is used against the player with ThatOneBoss, Tela Vesir, in MassEffect2.

** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep]]'' includes a number of high-level attacks with invincibility frames. Almost all of them returned in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]'', but [[{{Nerf}} without the invincibility]]. It also includes Shotlocks, which make your character fully invulnerable while they execute, and were enough of a GameBreaker to not return in ''3D'' at all.

** Smashing time power-ups also makes you invulnerable for the length of the animation. Being grabbed from the front also makes you practically invincible. This is pretty much a GameBreaker - no matter how many enemies there are, it's ludicrously simple to abuse the abundant invulnerability frames to escape.

* In ''DynastyWarriorsGundam'', enemy pilots don't suffer knockback when they're charging up for a Musou attack (typically only used when [[TurnsRed the pilot's health is more than halfway depleted]]).

* Non-videogame example: Creator/MarvelComics' [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Cannonball]] is invulnerable when using his power.