Line #48 Main/CuttingThroughEnergy


1	[[quoteright:267:[[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/atomic_axe.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:267:The Atomic Axe! It slices! It dices! It cuts through energy! (Even the tough, cloudy variety!)]]
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4	Cutting through energy is when a character uses ImplausibleFencingPowers to slice through PureEnergy. Whether that means stabbing through DeflectorShields, parrying a KamehameHadoken, or being able to harm EnergyBeings, this trope applies whenever someone is able to cut through something that ''should'' be insubstantial like it was a physical object.
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6	Successfully cutting energy usually requires ImplausibleFencingPowers, but may be at least partially {{Justified\|Trope}} by using an AppliedPhlebotinum weapon like a SoulCuttingBlade or a LaserBlade -- a blade of PureEnergy can presumably cut through other things made of PureEnergy because it TakesOneToKillOne. Still, expect this trope to be restricted to the MasterSwordsman -- and with ''truly'' absurd amounts of skill, they'll be able to pull it off even with completely blunt equipment. CombatClairvoyance is often used in place of (or in addition to) pure skill with a blade, as well -- it's easier to put your sword ''exactly'' where it needs to be (to [[TechnoBabble hit a resonance point in the energy matrix]], or something) if you can see where it needs to be a few seconds in advance.
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8	See also ParryingBullets for deflecting projectiles (energy or material) with melee weapons, and BeamOWar for defeating an energy attack with ''another'' energy attack.
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10	----
11	!!Examples
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13	[[foldercontrol]]
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15	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
16	* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
17	** In ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'', Nils Nilsen's Sengoku Astray can slice through incoming beam attacks with its [[KatanasAreJustBetter katanas]] -- notable that he's doing it with ''physical blades'' despite [[LaserBlade beam sabers]] being ubiquitous in the setting.
18	** And the sequel, ''Anime/GundamBuildFightersTry'', has Yuuma's rival Sakai using the unabashedly SuperRobot Tryon 3 to pull this off by cutting through an enormous WaveMotionGun-sized beam blast when Yuuma fired it at him.
19	* In ''Manga/TouhouBougetsushou'', Watatsuki no Yorihime cuts through Marisa's Master Spark with her sword. Noted as doubly impressive because of how fast the beam was travelling towards her.
20	* ''Franchise/OnePiece'': In a series ''filled'' with ImplausibleFencingPowers, "Foxfire" Kin'emon has them all beat for sheer impossibility. The man can ''cut explosions''.
21	** Subverted during Rayleigh's fight with Kizaru, the living light-man; the former managed to harm the latter with his feet and later a normal sword. The subversion comes in the secret behind it - Rayleigh uses [[KiManipulation Haki]] (the Armament version) in his attacks, that lets him (or anyone, really) safely hit anyone with Devil Fruit powers including Kizaru.
22	* ''Franchise/LupinIII'': Goemon, the gang's resident {{Samurai}}, has been known to cut things like lightning bolts and tornadoes in half with his trademark AbsurdlySharpBlade.
23	* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': Silver Chariot is capable of skewering ''flames'' on its blade, to show off Polnareff's fencing skills. This, of course, never comes back into use.
24	* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'': Kurt Godel manages to cut Negi when the latter was transformed into lightning.
25	* ''Anime/SamuraiSeven'': the samurai can do basically whatever the hell they want with their katana, up to and including deflecting {{Wave Motion Gun}}s -- though only the most skilled of them can pull that one off.
26	* In ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'', after some experience with ParryingBullets in another game, Kirito figures out how to cut through the spells in ''Alfheim Online'' by [[HitboxDissonance striking a tiny hitbox at their center]].
27	* The Runesave from of the Ten Powers sword in ''Manga/RaveMaster'' has this as its unique function. It can cut anything that normally can't be cut, like magic, smoke, water and the like.
28	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Kakashi's Raikiri (Lightning Cutter) technique, which [[EnhancedPunch electrifies his bare hand to let it function as a spear]], apparently got its name from how he once [[EarnYourTitle cut a bolt of lightning]] with it.
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31	[[folder:Comic Books]]
32	* ''ComicBook/{{Annihilators}}'': ComicBook/{{Quasar}} tries to restrain Doctor Dredd with a cage made of quantum energy. Dredd, who is surrounded by a magical cutting edge that lets him slice through anything, simply cuts the cage apart and walks out.
33	* ''ComicBook/Camelot3000'': The series ends with the reincarnated Myth/KingArthur using the very point of Excalibur to split an ''atom''. This [[ArtisticLicenseNuclearPhysics initiates a nuclear explosion]].
34	* ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'': The Persuader's Atomic Axe is so sharp it can cut through anything: including gravity (making targets float) or the rays of the yellow sun (cutting off Superboy's power).
35	* ''ComicStrip/SnarfQuest'': Telerie Windyarm gains her name from her "sword that can split the wind," which is capable of deflecting magical blasts or chopping them straight out of the air.
36	* ''ComicBook/XMen'': This is what happened to poor [[spoiler:Rockslide]] in the story ''ComicBook/XOfSwords'', Summoner cutting through his body and destroying his energy form.
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39	[[folder:Fan Works]]
40	* ''[[Fanfic/StarWarsVsWarhammer40K Star Wars vs Warhammer 40K]]'': Chapter Master Davik Thune of the Crimson Razors wields a pair of modified [[WolverineClaws Lightning Claws]] that are shown to easily penetrate [[DeflectorShields ray shields]] and cause them to pop them like bubbles.
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43	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
44	* The Jedi Knights and Sith of ''Franchise/StarWars'' are all about this. They routinely use their light-sabres to deflect and parry incoming "blaster" fire. Now while Mythbusters was able to completely bust the myth that the heroes could possibly dodge incoming blaster fire, ala ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy, a throwaway segment shows an actual Star-Wars stunt choreographer who coordinates the light-sabre duels was able to use a simulated light-sabre (a wooden practice sword to be precise) to deflect simulated blaster projectiles about 20% of the time, in fact, actually deflecting the very first projectile without practice or preparation. So it certainly seems plausible for Jedi and Sith to be able to do it, not only due to superior sabre training, but the canon explanation of having superhuman reflexes and CombatClairvoyance thanks to the Force.
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47	[[folder:Literature]]
48	* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series, Death's scythe and sword are both said to be capable of cutting daylight. In ''Literature/ReaperMan'', he uses sunlight to sharpen his scythe in preparation for a battle with his replacement, and demonstrates its quality by slicing the words of another character while they are being spoken.
49	* In ''Literature/ForgingDivinity'', Taelien demonstrates the ability to cut through magical fire with an ordinary sword.
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52	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
53	* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': [[Recap/TheFlash2014S4E4ElongatedJourneyIntoNight Breacher's blade is able to cut through the forcefield Cisco tried to trap him with]].
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56	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
57	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
58	** A powerful enough combatant can cut through the PureEnergy barrier of a "Wall of Force" spell -- with great difficulty, since it has much greater DamageReduction even than [[MadeOfIndestructium Adamantine]] and has a boatload of HitPoints to boot. This is a break from its spiritual predecessor, ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 3.5 Edition, where the Wall of Force is outright immune to physical harm.
59	** The Spell Sunder rage power allows those with sufficient antipathy toward magic to attack ongoing spells, suppressing their effects or destroying them entirely. Ironically, this is a magical ability in itself.
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62	[[folder:Video Games]]
63	* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'': Travis Touchdown can do anything and everything with his beam katana, even blocking a WaveMotionGun. But if [[PhlebotinumBreakdown the battery dies]], he's screwed.
64	* ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'': Weiss can do this. At one point, Vincent uses the Death Penalty to fire a freakin' [[BuffySpeak death laser thing]] at him. Weiss responds by promptly [[SpinToDeflectStuff spinning his blades]], which somehow disperses the blast.
65	* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsIntoReverie'', during the assault towards the final dungeon, [[spoiler:the Tower of Babel fires its WaveMotionGun at the [[CoolShip Arseille II]]. The huge laser beam gets deflected by Aurelia, Victor, Matteus, Wallace, and Vandyck ''on foot'' with nothing but their weapons enchanted by Roselia and Vita.]] It's as ridiculous as it sounds even for the ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries''.
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68	[[folder:Webcomics]]
69	* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'': Toma’s sword is able to cut through spells as they fly along intangible Khert lines to their destination due to being made with First Materials.
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72	[[folder:Western Animation]]
73	* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'': The Contumelia, the 5-D species that [[spoiler:created the universe]], have a ContainmentField surrounding the [[spoiler:Annihilargh (which the villain Maltruant has replaced with his own) while preparing to drop it into the void and create the Big Bang]]. They claim that the extradimensional field is impossible to breach. Ben [[BeyondTheImpossible proves them wrong]] by [[spoiler:having Skurd morph Ben's arm into a sword made out of [[RealityWarper Alien X's DNA]], a multidimensional being from [[OutsideContextProblem beyond the universe]]]]. [[AllPowerfulBystander The Contumelia]] find this feat "interesting".
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Context Main / CuttingThroughEnergy