History Main / NeverForgottenSkill

* ''VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga'': ''Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast'' has a lot of years go by and Kyle Katarn seems to have lost his Force abilities. However, judging from the way he uses his lightsaber and the speed of regaining his Force abilities, he clearly didn't forget how to use them.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Xander got magically transformed into an army soldier. After the transformation wears off, he still has the skills he "learned" even though he rarely uses them.

* ''DrWho'': After being [[spoiler: erased from all of time and space, then reappearing as an Auton Roman centurian then re-integrated back into history after The Doctor restarts the big bang,]] Rory still remembers the whole experience, including details of [[spoiler: living as a Roman]] despite it technically never happening.

* In ''Film/TheAddamsFamilies'', The Mamushka turns out to be this, as Gordon can dance it almost instinctively.

-->Harry: If I break it, they can take it out of my pay.

* ''Anime/DragonBallGT'': Played with quite oddly. After being turned back into a kid, Goku is unable to use his Instant Transmission technique and Trunks theorizes that since Goku is a kid again, he can't use any technique he learned when he was an adult. However, Goku pulls off the techniques of flying, turning Super Saiyan, shooting out ki blasts, and sensing energy with little difficulty...despite the fact that he never learned them back when he was a kid.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Throughout the show, they have stated that Cutie Marks represent a pony's special talent and destiny, implying that a pony could never forget the skills associated to that talent. "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure Magical Mystery Cure]]" confirms this. First, by showing that when five ponies get their Cutie Marks switch, they try to do what the Cutie Mark represents, but they fail miserable. Finally, by showing that when Twilight gets them to remember what they are good at, they get their Cutie Marks back where they should be, and that their skills remain the same regardless of what Cutie Mark they have.

* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'' (Creator/{{NBC}}): Exemplified, where the world has suffered an electricity blackout for 15-and-change years, but all of the soldiers have more or less retained all of their smooth skills behind the fighter stick of a Huey helicopter ("[[Recap/RevolutionS1E11TheStand The Stand]]").

* ''InDeath'' series: Roarke was quite the accomplished pickpocket and thief in general in his youth. He still is, actually, and he'll never forget his skills at stealing as long as he lives.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': The episode "The High Road" shows a POI who is an expert safecracker who can crack a combination safe by ear. He retired a long time ago and had been living as a husband and family man in the suburbs...until his partners-in-crime found him and pulled him in for one last job. Despite not have practiced for years, he managed to pull off this rare lost art of a skill like a professional.
* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'' (NBC): Exemplified, where the world has suffered an electricity blackout for 15-and-change years, but all of the soldiers have more or less retained all of their smooth skills behind the fighter stick of a Huey helicopter ("[[Recap/RevolutionS1E11TheStand The Stand]]").

* ''VideoGame/InfinityBlade'': The character you play never loses his experience levels, item mastery, or skills once he gains them. Not even if he dies multiple times, and not even if you go back to the very first cycle.

* ''Film/TheBourneSeries'': Jason Bourne is introduced with having amnesia. However, his memory loss does not affect his combat skills in the slightest.

* ''Film/TrueLies'': DoubleSubverted and PlayedForLaughs. When Gib says Harry can ''fly a Harrier jump-jet'', despite reportedly not having touched one for fifteen years. For extra points, he says this to the ''actual'' pilot of the Harrier. Harry has some trouble at first, crushing the roof of a police car with his nose gear ("Sorry!") and sending the onlookers scrambling for cover with his thrusters, then gets the hang of it and heads off for Miami.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Xander got magically transformed into an army soldier. After the transformation wears off, he still has the skills he "learned" even though he rarely uses them.

* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'' (NBC): Exemplified, where the world has suffered an electricity blackout for 15-and-change years, but all of the soldiers have more or less retained all of their smooth skills behind the fighter stick of a Huey helicopter.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': As of the Legendary update, the game has this trope. Even if, for example, you reset your Destruction Magic skill back to level 15 from level 100, you can still cast your Master-level magics that you learned from books. Books that, bear in mind, you strictly must have level 100 Destruction to find.
* ''[[VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic Might and Magic: Heroes VI]]'': Lampshaded, where after a Hero and his orc friend, Kraal, hijack a boat, they talk about sailing it.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening: The main character [[IHaveManyNames Robin/Tactician/My Unit]] is found in a field with no memory of anything really. However that doesn't stop him/her from using a sword, casting spells, being a master Tactician. [[spoiler: Turns out that there is a reason for this.]]

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* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'' (NBC): Exemplified, where the world has suffered an electricity blackout for 15-and-change years, but all of the soldiers have more or less retained all of their smooth skills behind the fighter stick of a Blackhawk helicopter.

* ''VideoGame/{{XIII}}'': The story starts with a man with amnesia. Just like Jason Bourne, his combat skills are not at all affected by the memory loss.
* Lampshaded in ''[[VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic Might and Magic: Heroes VI]]'', where after a Hero and his orc friend, Kraal, hijack a boat, they talk about sailing it.
--> '''Kraal''': Kraal is island Orc. Will be okay. Sailing is like riding a horse:
--> '''Sandor''': Because once you know how you never forget?
--> '''Kraal''': No. Because you fall off a lot. Heh heh heh.

* Lampshaded in [[VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic Might and Magic: Heroes VI]], where after a Hero and his orc friend, Kraal, hijack a boat, they talk about sailing it.

There is a StockPhrase representing this trope called "Like riding a bicycle/bike" as well as the phrase "An elephant never forgets". However, the page is not about either stock phrase. On an interesting side note, Russia has an equivalent phrase that says "мастерство не пропьёшь" (masterstvo ne propʹëšʹ), which literally translates to "skill not (you) drink away". As laugh-inducing as that may sound, any skill that doesn't go away due to alcohol has to qualify for this trope.

* ''Film/TheBourneSeries'': Jason Bourne is introduced with having amnesia. However, his memory loss does not affect his combat skills in the slightest.

This trope can result in DamnYouMuscleMemory. BagOfSpilling can happen and subvert this trope. This is the polar opposite of ForgotAboutHisPowers, in other words, an InvertedTrope. Compare and contrast with InstantExpert, NoStatAtrophy, SuddenlyAlwaysKnewThat.

* ''VideoGame/OneMustFall'': Played with. While the trope is played straight for the most part, if you spend too much money buying improvements for your robot, you get penalized by having your Strength, Agility, and Endurance stats decreased. A message even explains that apparently your character was so busy raising funds for buying the improvement that s/he neglected her/his training which resulted in the decrease of all three stats.