History Main / RocketPunch

* In ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'', Unit 01 has one. It's a very special case involving [[GodModeSue haxmagic]] and an energy-based "replacement" arm, but it's a ''freaking rocket punch!''. To be fair, the rocket in this case is ''Zeruel''. Still, when you can [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom launch an enemy for what has to be a couple of miles with your badass energy arm,]] no one is really looking for clarification any longer.

* ''Anime/TheBigO'': Big Fau uses its entire forearms as missiles in the GrandFinale. Since the MegaDeus robots in Big O have forearms that are about as big as their torsos, this would seem like a more formidable attack than the typical super robots'. Fortunately, since it's piloted by the BigBad, it fails, resulting in Big Fau being literally disarmed. The Big O itself [[AvertedTrope averts this]] with its "Sudden Impact" punch, though, which is as RocketPunch-y as you can get without actually being a Rocket Punch.

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': [[{{Robeast}} Sachiel]] has the piston punch variant: The elbow spikes go through the arms and can be slammed into the target through the palms of the hands.
** In ''Rebuild'', Unit 01 has one. It's a very special case involving [[GodModeSue haxmagic]] and an energy-based "replacement" arm, but it's a ''freaking rocket punch!''. To be fair, the rocket in this case is ''Zeruel''. Still, when you can [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom launch an enemy for what has to be a couple of miles with your badass energy arm,]] no one is really looking for clarification any longer.

* Lugnut from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' possesses a rather different kind of Rocket Punch, in which jet engines attached to his forearm propel his explosive-tipped (and still attached) fist into the ground at supersonic speed. The result is an enormous explosion of kinetic force that can level a city block. Bulkhead counters this by triggering the explosive prematurely with his wrecking ball. [[CrazyAwesome Wreck-Gar just used a high-five]].

SubTrope of RocketPoweredWeapon.

* ''Series/UltramanZ'': In a nod to Mazinger, the series re-introduces the robot kaiju, Sevengar, and gave him rocket-propelled fists which are effective against weaker kaijus. Such as Gigass which goes down after one hit.

** Likewise, Android 16 in ''Anime/DragonballZ'' has this ability, and uses it against Cell. The trope isn't played quite straight, as the arm doesn't explode, and he has to grab it and reattach it after using the attack.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** Also present in ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'' due to a boss in a mech suit. Amusingly, [[keet Ryuji]] is so impressed by it that [[TeamMom Makoto]] has to remind him to get out of the way.

** Also present in ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'' due to a boss in a mech suit. Amusingly, [[Keet Ryuji]] is so impressed by it that [[TeamMom Makoto]] has to remind him to get out of the way.

* In one ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' strip, Sealand, who is [[TruthInTelevision literally made out of metal]], tells Japan how much he likes {{Sentai}} shows. Japan then teaches him how to turn into a HumongousMecha, complete with one of these.
** In a gloriously hilarious {{Deconstruction}}, ''it doesn't come back'', forcing the poor kid to call his ''target'' and beg for its return.

* ''{{Compiler}}'': In one story of this manga from Creator/KiaAsamiya, a humanoid robot appears that is a blatant ShoutOut to ''Anime/MazingerZ''. It has ALL its weapons (EyeBeams, ChestBlaster, missiles stored inside its midsection...), including a RocketPunch ([[AffectionateParody and even a Rocket Boot]]).

* Chachamaru does this to her creator in the ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' manga after getting particularly flustered. As does the robot Tanaka in the TournamentArc. Both are attached to cables that can be used to quickly reel their arms back in.
** She also does it to Negi after he recover from his initial fight with Kagetaro.
** Earlier, during the battle with Evangeline, She Rocket ''Nose-flicks'' Asuna, who {{Cross Counter}}s with a flick of her own.
*** And now Negi's gotten into the act with a lightning-based version.
*** And now Dynamis too, with a shadow-based one. Kind of. He ''teleports'' his shadow hand and ''[[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impales]]'' Negi with it. And later in that fight, he ''[[SpamAttack spams]]'' it.

* As a rare no-Mecha example in Manga/TerraFormars Michelle K. Davis has ''Michael's Hammer'' as her weapon, basically she had rocket thrusters strapped to her back, ankle's and elbows, delivering [[RocketPunch RocketPunches]] is one of the things she does wih them.

* LightNovel/SagaOfTanyaTheEvil features an AK ace of aces pulling one off using his own severed arm in a duel with Tanya.

* Unzan from ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' shoots giant [[RealMenWearPink pink]] fist-shaped [[BulletHell bullets]]. He's also a giant pink living cloud.

** OlderThanTheyThink The original 1967 manga of ''Anime/GiantRobo'' featured the mecha GR2 who could shoot rocket punches as a means of naval combat and a way of knocking around the titular mecha

* ''LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan'': Nyarko [[ShoutOut performs]] Series/KamenRiderFourze's Rider Rocket Punch in episode 11 of the second TV series.

* The 4th edition of the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' setting TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} has this. A Paragon Path for Artificers called the Self-Forged starts by replacing a hand with a {{Magitek}} replacement called a [[PowerFist Battlefist]]. The ultimate "spell" for the Path allows the Artificer to shoot the Battlefist away on a chain of energy, allowing them to continue to control it even while it's detached from their body.

*** The Blood Wind spell from 3.5 lets a creature throw its natural weapons, which return [[AWizardDidIt by magic]]. Monks treat their unarmed strikes as natural weapons, and can make unarmed strikes with any part of their body.

* ''Series/YltramanZ'': In a nod to Mazinger, the series re-introduces the robot kaiju, Sevengar, and gave him rocket-propelled fists which are effective against weaker kaijus. Such as Gigass which goes down after one hit.

* ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'': The MEC Trooper from the ''Enemy Within'' ExpansionPack has a "Kinetic Strike Module" as an optional subsystem, acquired at level 1. As a backup melee weapon, it's highly effective, dealing 12 raw damage at a point where most enemies will be below 10 even on harder difficulties, and unlike other subsystems, it has unlimited uses and absolutely no cooldown. It can be upgraded with the "MEC Close Combat" Foundry project that makes the punch cost only one action point instead of ending the trooper's turn, which by itself is already good, but with the kicker that it also increases the damage of the module from 12 to a massive ''18''[[note]]the only enemies that can survive an upgraded KSM punch are Cyberdiscs (Classic and above), Muton Elites (Impossible), Mechtoids (Normal and above), Berserkers (all difficulties) and Sectopods (all difficulties); the only one that can survive ''two'' punches is the Sectopod, thanks to [[DamageReduction Reinforced Armor]], and even then not by much[[/note]]. Subverted in that while the KSM is rocket-powered, it never detaches from the MEC, so it's exclusively melee.

* In ''Disney/BigHero6'', Hiro upgrades his RobotBuddy Baymax with a suit of armor that includes rocket-punch gauntlets. [[spoiler:This ends up saving Hiro and Abigail's lives later on, as Baymax uses his rocket hand [[MundaneUtility as an improvised thruster for the transport pod]].]]

* One of the Tachikoma Omake episodes from the first ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' TV series has one firing off a fist like a rocket, whilst saying the name of the trope, a second one beside him tries...and everything but his fist goes flying, the first one claims the second one is 'skillful'.

* ''Series/DenkouChoujinGridman'' (and to a lesser extend) ''Series/SuperhumanSamuraiSyberSquad'' had a CombiningMecha named God Zenon (or Zenon for short) that could shoot its fists at the MonsterOfTheWeek. The fists automatically returned to Zenon's arms after landing a blow.

* ''Series/SuperhumanSamuraiSyberSquad'' had a CombiningMecha named Xenon that could shoot its fists at the MonsterOfTheWeek. The fists automatically returned to Xenon's arms after landing a blow.

** In ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'', the Master Gundam has the Distant Crusher, which is a Rocket Punch on a wire (though it's more of a Rocket Stab, used with the hand positioned as if preparing for a handshake).

* ''Anime/KotetsuJeeg'' -another Creator/GoNagai series- has two different versions: Dynamite Punch -the normal version- and Knuckle Bomber -the two-handed one-.

* Video-game themed Series/KamenRiderExAid's first upgrade form, [[MechaGame Robot Action Gamer]], comes with [[PowerFist a big robotic left hand]] that, in the finisher, shoots out like a good old rocket punch, then Ex-Aid runs torwards the hand, now pining the enemy to a wall, ''then punches him again''.