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1%% Trope was declared Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease via crowner by the Real Life Maintenance thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php?crowner_id=6gq9so7v
2
3%% Quotes go on the QuotesWiki page. Click the blue quote marks above.
4%% We want to start right off with the rule from the title.
5[[quoteright:300:[[WesternAnimation/SoulMusic https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Soul_Music_cover_9468.jpg]]]]
6[[caption-width-right:300:[-Death playing an electric guitar with a piece of his shattered scythe as the pick. Do you really need to question anything here?-]]]
7%%
8%% Again, where we are defining a rule, we want to open with the rule.
9%% Quotes do not help.
10%%
11%%
12%%
13%%
14%% Administrivia/{{Zero Context example}}s are not allowed on wiki pages. "Rule of Cool"
15%% doesn't mean you can add whatever you personally think is 'cool'.
16%%
17%%
18%%
19''The limit of the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief for a given element is directly proportional to its awesomeness.''
20
21Stated another way, all but the most pedantic of viewers will forgive liberties with reality as long as the result is wicked sweet or awesome. This applies to the audience in general; there will naturally be a different threshold for each individual. Also known in some circles as a "[[TotallyRadical rad]] [[RedHerring herring]]", in which something doesn't make sense within the guidelines of the story's reality, but it's too cool ''not'' to include it.
22
23The Rule of Cool is another principle that seeks to dispel arguments among fans over implausibility in fiction. It has been cited by animation director Steve Loter (of ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', ''WesternAnimation/ClerksTheAnimatedSeries'', ''[=Tarzan=],'' and ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'') in response to questions from fans attempting to justify temporary breaches in logical consistency. It is a complement to BellisariosMaxim and the MST3KMantra.
24
25Of scientific laws that this trope circumvents, the [[LawOfInverseRecoil third law of motion]] is probably the most frequently revoked, with the SquareCubeLaw probably a close second. The Second Law of Thermodynamics is third and a mention has to go to the laws of relativity, which prevent us from attaining FasterThanLightTravel and [[CasualInterstellarTravel going to a distant planet in just a few hours]].
26
27Note that you only get to invoke the Rule of Cool if the end product is, in fact, cool. Note also that different opinions on what is "cool" create [[FlameWar the most arguments]] over this. The Rule of Cool is very subjective. Failure to properly use this trope can cause [[PunchAWall collision damage with walls]].
28
29Since it's subjective, it doesn't have to be cool in the sense of "Grim reaper on a mountain playing an electric guitar". [[GunsAreUseless The protagonist might not use guns]] because it's cooler to have them fight vampires with knives and stakes. You might have Missing Parent Syndrome because it would be weird to have parents with you on a road trip across the country. Basically, Rule of Cool works differently for whichever genre you're writing for.
30
31There are no instances of this trope being justified, nor can there be -- after all, the entire point is that it's about things that don't make sense but we still gladly accept just because they're cool.
32
33You will need to refer to TheUtterlyAndCompletelyDefinitiveGuideToCool.
34
35A SubTrope of ArtisticLicense.
36
37SisterTrope to RuleOfFun!
38
39Compare ThePowerOfIndex, CoolOfRule, RuleOfFunny, RuleOfScary, RuleOfDrama, RuleOfRomantic, RuleOfCute, MasculinityTropes, GarnishingTheStory, DramaticDangling.
40
41Contrast ViewersAreMorons.
42
43[[index]]
44[floatboxright:
45'''Also see:'''
46+ BadassTropes
47]
48[[folder:Sub-tropes]]
49* AbsurdCuttingPower
50* AbsurdlyCoolCity
51* AbsurdlySharpBlade
52* AbsurdlySharpClaws
53* AGodIsYou: The player character is omnipotent.
54* AnachronismStew
55* AnimalBattleAura: A cool fighting move is accompanied by an image of a roaring beast.
56* AntiGravityClothing
57* ArtisticLicenseBiology
58* ArtisticLicenseMartialArts
59* ArtisticLicensePhysics
60* AudibleSharpness: ''SHING!''
61* AwesomeButImpractical
62* AwesomeMcCoolname
63* AwesomenessIsAForce
64* AwesomenessIsVolatile
65* BadassCape
66* BadassLongcoat
67* BattleBallgown
68* BeamOWar: Sustained energy attacks meeting in the battle like a super-powered arm wrestle.
69* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: Real Life historical figures had secret fantastical lives.
70* BeyondTheImpossible
71* {{BFG}}: An absurdly large gun.
72* {{BFS}}: An absurdly large sword.
73* BioluminescenceIsCool
74* TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn
75* BladeRun: Standing on your opponent's blade.
76* BlingBlingBang: Gold-plated, bejeweled, and otherwise gaudy weapons.
77* CarloadOfCoolKids
78* ChainsawGood
79* ChainsawGripBFG
80* ClothFu
81* ClothingCombat
82* CoatCape
83* CoolAirship
84* CoolBike
85* CoolButInefficient
86* CoolButStupid
87* CoolCar
88* CoolChair
89* CoolHorse
90* CoolHouse
91* CoolKey
92* CoolOfRule: Pulling off something cool without breaking or revising the setting's rules makes it even cooler.
93* CoolPlane
94* CoolShades
95* CoolShip
96* CoolSword
97* CoolTrain
98* CoolVersusAwesome
99* CraterPower: A character is so powerful that they can create a crater by themself.
100* CrazyIsCool
101* CrystalSkull (in that it doesn't matter that they were hoaxes; it's still cool to have these)
102* CutTheFuse
103* CutlassBetweenTheTeeth
104* CuttingThroughEnergy
105* DissonantSerenity
106* DivingKick
107* DramaticHighPerching: Standing on tall structures to make yourself look cool.
108* DramaticWind
109* DreamTeam
110* ElectricSlide: Running on power lines.
111* EnergyWeapon
112* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows
113* EverythingsDeaderWithZombies
114* EvilIsCool
115* ExplosionPropulsion
116* FastAsLightning
117* FauxSymbolism
118* {{Fiction 500}}
119* FighterLaunchingSequence (in that they can be done a lot faster in fiction than in real life)
120* FlamingSkulls
121* FlamingSword
122* FloatingWater
123* FlyingOnACloud
124* {{Flynning}} (sword fights that are meant to look cool, not be realistic)
125* FossilRevival
126* FreeFallFight
127* FreakyIsCool
128* GratuitousNinja
129* GrindBoots
130* GunFu
131* GunKata
132* HarbingerOfAsskicking
133* HollywoodFire
134* HomingLasers
135* HorsebackHeroism
136* HotBlade
137* HumanPincushion: A person is ran through with various (usually sharp or pointy) objects.
138* HumongousHeadedHammer: A war hammer with an absurdly huge head.
139* HumongousMecha: Violates the SquareCubeLaw, but it's too awesome not to have.
140* ImplausibleFencingPowers
141* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon
142* ImprobableAimingSkills
143* ImprobableSportsSkills
144* ImprobableUseOfAWeapon
145* IncendiaryExponent
146* InexplicablyAwesome
147* InstantAwesomeJustAddMecha
148* IntimidationDemonstration
149* IronWoobie (it doesn't matter that they are TheWoobie; as long as the good guys still stand, despite their many misfortunes, it's still cool and amazing.)
150* KatanasAreJustBetter
151* KickingAssInAllHerFinery
152* KnockbackSlide
153* LaserBlade
154* LavaAddsAwesome
155* LightningGun
156* MacrossMissileMassacre
157* MadeOfExplodium
158* MadeOfIncendium
159* MagnusMeansMage
160* MarkedChange: A pattern appears on a character's skin as a visual shorthand for them tapping into their full power.
161* MartyStu - Because TropesAreTools
162* MechaTropes
163* MegaMawManeuver: A vehicle gets captured by a much larger vehicle through a maw-like opening.
164* MoreDakka: Lots and lots and ''lots'' of bullets.
165* MundaneMadeAwesome
166* NameTron
167* NewRulesAsThePlotDemands
168* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: The combination of several cool things, "making sense" be damned.
169* OldSchoolDogfight: Modern aerial engagements happen over very long distances, often as soon as the enemy enters visual range, but this isn't as exciting as watching aerial combat at close range, UsefulNotes/WorldWarI style.
170* OutrunTheFireball
171* OverlyCoolPlaySpace: No way those kids made that playset themselves.
172* PantheraAwesome -- The ultimate awesome animal.
173* ParryingBullets
174* PedalToTheMetalShot -- Because the real way you accelerate at high speeds doesn't look as flashy.
175* PipeMaze
176* PiratesVersusNinjas
177* PlasmaCannon
178* PocketRocketLauncher: A small rocket launcher that handles like a regular firearm.
179* PowerDyesYourHair
180* PowerEchoes
181* PowerFist
182* PowerFloats
183* PowerGivesYouWings
184* PowerGlows
185* PowerMakesYourHairGrow
186* PowerMakesYourVoiceDeep
187* ThePowerOfRock
188* PummelDuel
189* PurpleIsPowerful
190* RapidFireFisticuffs
191* RatedMForManly
192* RayGun
193* ReadingsBlewUpTheScale
194* RearingHorse
195* RecursiveAmmo: Bullets/missiles that shoot bullets/missiles.
196* RentAZilla
197* RevolversAreJustBetter
198* RidiculouslyPotentExplosive -- For when normal explosives just don't give the necessary cool-factor.
199* SavedByTheAwesome: Breaking the rules is fine as long as you do something awesome.
200* ScaryImpracticalArmor
201* SchizoTech: Anachronistic but awesome technology.
202* SciFiNameBuzzwords
203* SciFiFlyby
204* SerialEscalation
205** SequelEscalation
206* SharpenedToASingleAtom
207* SheFu
208* ShotgunsAreJustBetter
209* ShoulderSizedDragon
210* SimpleYetAwesome: Just because something isn't flashy or elaborate, doesn't mean it can't be cool.
211* SkyPirate
212* SlowDoors
213* SlowElectricity
214* SlowLaser
215* SnapToTheSide
216* {{Spectacle}}
217* TheSomethingForce
218* SpectacularSpinning
219* SquatsInAName
220* StabTheSky
221* SteppingStonesInTheSky
222* StuffBlowingUp
223* SuperCivilServices
224* SymbolicSereneSubmersion -- Some examples would require extreme SuperNotDrowningSkills, but they're cool enough to let it slide.
225* ThemeMusicPowerUp
226* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill
227* ThreePointLanding
228* TrenchcoatWarfare
229* TrickedOutGloves
230* ThroneRoomThrowdown
231* {{Troperiffic}}
232* TwinkleInTheEye
233* UnflinchingWalk
234* UnscientificScience
235* TheUtterlyAndCompletelyDefinitiveGuideToCool
236* WalkingArmory
237* WalkOnWater
238* WeaponsKitchenSink
239* WingedUnicorn
240* WingsDoNothing
241* WireFu
242* WorldOfHam
243* XMakesAnythingCool
244* ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld
245[[/folder]]
246[[/index]]
247
248!!Example Subpages:
249[[index]]
250* [[RuleOfCool/VideoGames Video Games]]
251[[/index]]
252
253!!Series that exist because of this rule:
254
255[[foldercontrol]]
256
257[[folder:Advertising]]
258* Some of the items sold by such catalogues as ''Skymall'' and ''The Bradford Exchange'' would never exist were it not for this trope. Here are a few examples:
259** The wall-sculpture [[http://www.collectiblestoday.com/ct/product/prdid-103040001.jsp?_/_prod/_88/_/_60/_1070/_/_Y&endeca=true&abbr=wl ''Night Flight'']]. Depending on your point of view, it's either awesome on top of awesome or actually kind of impressive in terms of sheer ridiculousness.
260** They have some other Eagle-themed wall art. Even a Thomas Kinkade painting looks awesome when reproduced [[http://www.collectiblestoday.com/ct/product/prdid-900184.jsp?_/_prod/_120/_/_72/_1062/_/_Y&endeca=true&abbr=tk on the outstretched wings of a large Eagle sculpture]].
261** [[http://www.collectiblestoday.com/ct/product/prdid-901127001.jsp?_Fantasy/_prod/_682/_/_36/_/_/_Y&endeca=true&abbr=fan# dragon on a motorcycle]]
262* There's an Orbitz commercial where a guy is watering his lawn, and a scientist-type from an earlier spot floats down in a hovercraft. Getting out, he strides over to the guy and removes an envelope from his coat.
263-->'''Scientist:''' Hi! You booked a flight and the price went down, so here's an Orbitz Price Assurance check for the difference.\
264'''Guy:''' Thanks! But why didn't you just mail it?\
265'''Scientist:''' ''[looks confused, points backward]'' [[MundaneUtility We have a hovercraft.]]
266* The Droid phone commercials are all about the visually impressive TechnologyPorn. It is relevant? No, but it makes a big statement.
267* This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbD0sV5KZlU Hahn Super Dry advertisement]]: "Super goes in, ''Super Dry'' comes out."
268* This six minute long ad for the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Rf5QX7bNc Mercedes A-Class]], which features a high-speed chase through a high-tech cyberpunk city with a food truck that only serves people who can catch it. How does it stay open when its entire business model involves running away from customers? Who cares?
269[[/folder]]
270
271[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
272* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': The titular demon slayers are trained under varied swordsmanship styles, classified by ElementalMotifs with heavy visual embellishments matching those motifs. These embellishments are purely StylizedForTheViewer, with the author directly confirming that the elements are there just because the attacks look cooler that way.
273* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' basically runs on this trope, since a lot of it's plot elements don't make much sense but were really awesome on the other side. The [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood first part]] alone is about a man using a mysterious martial art [[ThePowerOfTheSun that draws its power from the sun]] to fight [[CainAndAbel his evil adoptive brother]] [[EvilMask who used a stone mask]] that, [[ThePowerOfBlood when drenched in blood]], grows thorns and actives acunputure points in the brain of its wearer, [[TranshumanTreachery turning him]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent into a vampire]]. And that's ''the starting'' StoryArc of nine.
274* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
275** Sasuke can start a fire with his eyes. Instead of just setting fire to the Juubi, he throws it, combining it with Naruto's Rasenshuriken, creating Scorch Release: Halo Hurricane Jet Black Arrow Style Zero (a.k.a. throwing star shaped like a windmill and arrow blacker than liqueur) to set fire to the Juubi.
276** ''Naruto'' also has the eight-tailed beast host who goes by the name "Killer Bee". He looks like someone straight out of the Music/WuTangClan, [[WarriorPoet raps and writes it down]] [[CasualDangerDialogue in the middle]] [[ExcuseMeWhileIMultitask of battle]], uses ''[[DualWielding seven swords at once]]'' (holding them in such places as his armpit and between his neck and shoulder but ''not'' in either of his hands) which he uses by spinning around like a buzz saw, and transforms into a giant bull with octopus tentacles. Despite how weird that sounds, he was able to utterly rip Sasuke a new one. Then he later faked being captured by transforming into a severed tentacle and the actual tentacle into himself. This wasn't discovered until the Akatsuki were busy sealing what they thought was his tailed-beast ("...it's a tentacle"), making Sasuke and the entirety of Akatsuki looks like a bunch of idiots. Then it turns out he used the opportunity to his benefit to ''go on vacation''. Oh, and he nearly boom-headshots [[spoiler:Kisame]] with [[ThePenIsMightier a pencil]] that'd he'd been using to write lyrics. He also shoots a Bijuu Dama [[spoiler: straight down the [[EldritchAbomination JUUBI'S THROAT]]]] while it's [[SuckingInLines charging its attack.]]
277* ''Literature/NinjaSlayer'': Everything and [[WorldOfHam everyone]] is so over the top that it has to be seen to be believed. Just think "American '80s and '90s ninja movies" meets ''[[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren Lagann]]'', and ''then'' taken to the next level.
278* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': There is an in-universe reason for all the strange awesomeness but why would you care with such hammy hot blood and HumongousMecha?
279** ''Everything'' the characters or mechs do, and even the laws of physics themselves, are subject to Rule Of Cool. The fight scenes especially make absolutely no logical sense whatsoever, but it really doesn't matter because they're so awesome.
280** Throwing galaxies like ninja stars.
281** Kamina, resident badass draws his [[KatanasAreJustBetter trusty katana]], and it keeps coming out of the sheath for ten feet, for no reason other than it looks cool while battling someone wielding a meat cleaver. The length of Kamina's sword seems directly proportional to the length of the speech he is making while drawing it.
282** The end of the anime is also a deconstruction of the Rule Of Cool via the Spiral Nemesis, the theoretical end of the universe via an overuse of Spiral Power (which is functionally the Rule Of Cool in AppliedPhlebotinum form.) Simply put, being able to bend the laws of physics, probability and reality itself just because it'd be awesome would eventually cause reality itself to come undone. [[spoiler: By the end of the anime, Simon resolves to prevent the Spiral Nemesis, starting with abandoning Spiral Power altogether (not even using it to resurrect Nia after her death even though he probably could) to [[WalkingTheEarth Walk The Earth]] as his allies go on to use it more responsibly.]]
283** In the same vein, ''Webcomic/DoubleK'', the buddy cop version of the anime, combines how Rule Of Cool driven both types of shows are.
284* ''Mazinger'': Creator/GoNagai [[WordOfGod explicitly said]] that this is the reason ''Anime/MazingerZ'' (and as a result the SuperRobotGenre) is what it is. He DID his research about science and technology, but ultimately he did what he thought seemed cooler.
285* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': Thus, we've got a MadeOfIndestructium eighteen-meter-tall humanoid war machine [[spoiler:and EldritchAbomination]] created by a MadScientist, piloted from within, powered with AppliedPhlebotinum, equipped with {{Rocket Punch}}es that can be thrown at the enemy, [[EyeBeams optical weaponry]], [[BreathWeapon corrosive gusts of wind]] and [[ChestBlaster heat blasts]] capable of melting within seconds a monster made of metal, that can [[IfItSwimsItFlies fly, swim]] and withstand a nuclear blast. [[ButWaitTheresMore It is also capable of]] being dunked in magma for a short while, and [[MonsterOfTheWeek constantly fights]] robotic gladiators able to [[ShockAndAwe shoot lightning bolts]] and make 3-D mirages in thin air without a screen, flying medieval knights, whales loaded with nukes, three-headed dragons, giant crabs that set off earthquakes, TransformingMecha that turn into giant landmines, {{Ninja}}s, archers, snipers and humanoids that can fly at Mach 6 speed. And that is without getting into some of the first {{Action Girl}}s in anime, the HomeBase equipped with a BeehiveBarrier, the zombie cyborg {{Mook}}s, the [[AbusivePrecursors ancient civilizations]] that [[LostTechnology built superweapons]], one of the CoDragons that is a half-tiger cyborg, or the SuperVillainLair that in reality is a humongous HumongousMecha disguised like an IslandBase.
286* ''Anime/GreatMazinger'': Great Mazinger has twin swords for DualWielding, ArmedLegs, [[ShockAndAwe shoots lightning bolts]], and its RocketPunch rotates relentlessly to increase the punching strength (combining the trope with ThisIsADrill and SpectacularSpinning). TheProfessor is a The HomeBase's upper part can detach off the main building and fly, and the lower part can also detach off and swim through the ocean. The BigBad is a GodEmperor, ruler of an ancient civilization BeneathTheEarth, the DragonInChief is a giant CapedMecha with a sword can cleave a mountain in half, and the {{Robeast}}s resemble beasts, ancient warriors or evil spirits. And one of their bases is a mobile IslandBase that is a blooding volcano can erupt at will.
287* ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'': The main character is an alien prince that pilots the mechanical embodiment of his planet's god of war, that is armed with a double-edged scythe that emerges out of its shoulders, and it can be combined with devices allow it bury underground, swim or fly in space. When the main character wants to ride Grendizer, he leaps since a tall hatch and shouts loudly his name, transform his clothes into his LatexSpaceSuit as airborne.
288* Just how ''did'' [[BlackBox mercurion work]] in ''Anime/StrainStrategicArmoredInfantry''? What ''is'' it? All we know is it's {{Green|Rocks}}. Why was the special ship pink, and what was with the big arm... Well, it looked cool.
289* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' can be very confusing if taken on surface value, with only five episodes needed to tell the full narrative. Despite this fact, the entire twenty-six episodes remains a standard of great anime for it's smoothness, filmic style, well choreographed action sequences. This is only one element that enabled the show to succeed.
290* ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' has little to no narrative and is often too weird or silly to be taken seriously. Fans like the show for its devil may care attitude and breakdancing samurai battles. ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks'' television series was heavily inspired by ''Samurai Champloo'' and is one of the main reasons it was made in the first place.
291* ''Manga/BusoRenkin'': Captain Bravo freely admits that his odd mannerisms and LargeHam public persona due to his belief that things are "cooler that way!"
292* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' relies on this to set itself apart from the rest of the Anime/MobileSuitGundam franchise. Series director Imagawa said that by the second episode, he'd decided not to worry about whether or not anything made sense, just so long as it looked cool.
293** Among the concepts that walk the infamous thin line between "clever" and "stupid" are a [[McNinja German ninja]], a giant robot mummy, and a martial arts master who takes off his sash and [[ImprobableWeaponUser uses it to slash an enemy robot in half]].
294** The fact that the main character's special technique is called "[[PowerGlows Shining Finger]]" is also helped by this rule.
295** Everyone [[CallingYourAttacks yells the name of their techniques]] as they use them, and the two main characters use ThePowerOfLove to [[spoiler:defeat the BigBad by summoning the physical incarnation of the King of Hearts to blast a heart-shaped hole through it]].
296** The entire series is a TournamentArc ''with HumongousMecha''. The winner of which rules the world until the next tournament.
297* ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'':
298** What else can you say about a series where a cyborg combines with an alien robot lion, a bullet train, a drill car, and a stealth fighter to form a [[HumongousMecha Humonguous Robot]] that uses a space-warping screwdriver and a HyperspaceMallet capable of turning whatever it strikes into light particles? And of course, the series features a rather famous MemeticMutation to [[LampshadeHanging explain it all]]: "With courage, 1% becomes 100%!"
299** The HyperSpaceMallet came with several by virtue of being a transforming tank. Then it becomes a transforming [[spoiler:''triad of spaceships'']].
300** Mic Sounders' famous Tower Bridge Guitar Riff also qualifies. He literally defeats Percurio alone, by playing rock music on Tower Bridge. By using the bridge as a huge guitar, no less!
301** Soldato-J riding a torpedo through several walls, and hits one of the Primevals, who're about to finish off Guy. Not because he wants to save Guy, but because he wants to defeat the 31 Primevals and Guy himself.
302** Invoked in the preceding series, ''Anime/BravePoliceJDecker'', as the reason the Build Tiger combined robot form has a tiger head on the chest.
303* Played with in ''Metal Fighter Miku''. Early in the series, the team's mentor asks the girls to explain the purpose of the robot-like metal suits used in their wrestling league. After one team member gives a detailed explanation of the various computer systems and sensors built into the outfits, he dismisses it all with a simple "Because it looks cool!" In the end, it is revealed that his overarching goal has been to convince everyone to do away with all the pseudo-futuristic glitz and return the sport to the muscle-and-technique competition that wrestling is supposed to be.
304* ''Manga/BlackLagoon'':
305** An anti-heroine who is able to backflip seven feet into the air, shoot three people dead mid-jump and has the vision range of a chameleon. She's taken out several speedboats chasing the Lagoon by jumping from each to each and shooting everyone on board, or making them shoot each other... all whilst listening to something that sounds like exercise music on an Platform/{{MP3}} player.
306** A torpedo boat performing a joust against a gunship -- and winning by using a boat-wreck as a ramp and torpedoing it ''mid-air''!
307** A one-eyed seventy year old nun who runs a gun-smuggling [[CorruptChurch 'church of violence']] and whose weapon of choice is [[HandCannon a golden Desert Eagle she fires one handed]]?
308** [[ImplacableMan Roberta]] is a nigh unstoppable ShoutOut to the {{Franchise/Terminator}} capable of surviving being squished into a shipping container by a multi-tonne muscle car and [[DrivesLikeCrazy driving in a way]] that would make [[Manga/AzumangaDaioh Mrs. Yukari]] proud... all without anything more than a crack in her ScaryShinyGlasses! Then, she engages Revy in a gunfight that somehow leads to explosions and electric arcs flashing above the shipping containers they're fighting among!
309* In an episode of ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'', the Major one-handedly fires a enormous .50-caliber sniper rifle and reloads the bolt-action by using her knee and the force of the recoil. Why one-handed? Because she's ''missing her other arm.'' Even considering the fact that she is a full-on cyborg, the scene borders on absurd but is it jaw-droppingly ''awesome''? Yes, oh yes, oh yes....
310* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', if examined with a critical eye, would collapse under the weight of its FridgeLogic... if not for how it essentially ''created'' the Rule Of Cool-based {{Shonen}} series. It's hard to complain about the implausibility of the premise when you're trying to retrieve your jaw following the fight scenes.
311* ''Anime/GiantRobo''. Giant mechas, supernaturally gifted fighters in [[BadassInANiceSuit sharp clothes]] and all rounded up by a pompous Wagnerian soundtrack.
312* ''Anime/{{Karas}}'': How else can you explain the ludicrously overpowered kick-arse hero who can transform into a jet and a car to combat the rise of blood-drinking cyborg demons?
313* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
314** Erecting a sprawling civilian metropolis directly atop a military base that is ''certain'' to be attacked by aliens wielding doomsday weapons is just Saddamesque enough to be cool.
315** Skyskrapers slide down underground to hang from the roof of the Geofront whenever one of the aforementioned aliens turn up. This ends poorly but seeing them rise back above ground after a fight with ''that music'' is a CMOA.
316** The ''entire reason'' Hideki Anno decided to go with the name isn't because of [[FauxSymbolism religious symbolism]], but because he thought the words ''sounded cool''.
317* ''VideoGame/DinosaurKing''. The plot involves cards that become dinosaurs (or dinosaurs that are cards) and an evil gang who wants to use them for world domination. Makes no sense? Watch one of the dinosaur fight scenes. All your complaints will be blown away by the sheer awesomeness of dinosaurs attacking each other with elemental powers.
318* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
319** Jack Rakan based his entire fighting style on this. His moves include summoning a building-sized sword, [[http://www.mangahere.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v25/c226/13.html surfing on a sword]], and ''shattering a magical pocket dimension just by being awesome.'' It's repeatedly lampshaded by other characters.
320--->'''Chamo:''' This shouldn't be physically possible.\
321'''Jack:''' It just takes a little spirit.\
322''[and...]''\
323'''Kotomi:''' He just ignores the laws of magic.
324** The Negi vs. Rakan fight. The ridiculous lengths that it goes to ([[spoiler:Negi reveals that [[IAmNotLeftHanded he is not left handed]] ''five times'']] in a single chapter) would just be overkill if it weren't so freaking awesome.
325* ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'':
326** The Tezuka Zone, wherein Tezuka Kunimitsu doesn't move one step from wherever he is standing, and all balls, no matter how they are hit, are attracted to him.
327** Atobe Keigo's World of Ice, which attacks his opponent's weak spot... and takes the form of flying shards of ice. Yes, this is still about tennis.
328** Synchro is the ultimate doubles technique, during which doubles partners enter a trance-like state and are perfectly in tune with each other... and their eyes become swirling vortexes of color.
329** Tooyama Kintaro's Super Ultra Great Delicious Daisharin Yamaarashi is about as realistic as you would imagine from the name.
330* ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'': Monou Fuuma destroys Ebisu Garden Plaza with empty soda cans and the power of his own awesomeness.
331* ''Anime/CodeGeass'':
332** Lelouch constantly uses Rule Of Cool to his advantage. He lampshades it saying that people don't give a damn about reason, but they can't resist miracles. However, this is more a case of WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief among characters than among the audience.
333* ''Manga/HaventYouHeardImSakamoto'': Essentially the entire premise for the show. Sakamoto frequently performs unlikely, or sometimes, outright impoossible acts.
334* ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'' the fight scenes in second CGI movie ("Appleseed Ex Machina"), which opens and closes with combat sequences that would make a Cirque du Soleil-trained Green Beret turn flushed with jealousy and admiration.
335* ''Anime/BurstAngel'': Jo, an awesome fighter, even if not sociable at all, can pilot a mecha as if it was her own body, do incredible stunts with weapons, and save her DamselInDistress.
336* ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' is set (theoretically) in the Sengoku Period but it features a [[HumongousMecha Mecha Samurai]] who is twenty feet tall with a drill, JetPack and miniature treads on his feet, as well as a horse outfitted with [[MyHorseIsAMotorbike motorcycle handlebars and a tailpipe]].
337* ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' has characters DualWielding guitars and a giant hand that is actually a giant spider cowboy robot whose arms are the hand's fingers.
338* ''Manga/SoulEater'''s character designs are chock-full of martial arts, scythe-spinning and slicing through things at just about every given opportunity.
339* ''Franchise/OnePiece'':
340** Several characters specifically invoke this trope, such as Luffy gaining power from an afro or Garp bursting through a wall because it's cooler than using the door.
341** ''One Piece'' ignores all laws of physics except when realism ''makes it more awesome,'' such as its treatment of HarmlessFreezing.
342* ''Manga/GetterRobo'':
343** Nothing, not even the [[HotbloodedSideburns sideburns]], are realistic. No one notices because their heads are exploding from the incredible amount of [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome moments]].
344** In the original ''Getter Robo'', How does the giant robot Texas Mack and its pilot Jack King move a giant UFO away from a city, so that its explosion won't kill everyone? This being a SuperRobot show, you'd clearly use a KamehameHadoken attack to do the trick, right? Not so for Jack King, who has his giant robot ride a ''giant robot horse'' controlled by his dog, and then pulls the UFO with a ''lasso'' while shouting: "COME ON, SWEET UFO!"
345** The pilots in ''New Getter Robo'' are utterly bananas. By the end of the series they've become so crazy, powerful and, well, ''badass'', the only logical step for the series to go in was for them to fight the four Buddhist Kings. Something they gladly do, with one of them acting completely berserk in the process.
346* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
347** The beginning of the Arrancar arc has the first 'fighting in mid-air' battles. It has a justification (soul reapers can walk on spirit particles) but it still counts because it's damn cool.
348** A specific example in soul society of bending the rule that meant they couldn't 'fly' in the first place - the DynamicEntry into the cells where Rukia is held is assisted by a giant winged device that is ONLY useful in the Seireitei. A giant wing comes from nowhere while Ichigo radiates his badass aura, to the surprise of two captains, before discarding it and landing next to Rukia.
349* In ''Manga/{{Biomega}}'', for its special forces [[MegaCorp Toha Heavy Industries]] makes a ''folding'' gun that shoots ''hypersonic'' projectiles using ''brain waves''. With this thing, Zoichi takes out a handful of intercontinental ballistic missiles within a few minutes of launch.
350* ''Manga/BlackJack'': Tezuka does not [[ArtisticLicenseBiology fail biology]] but that didn't stop him from making up crazy new stuff for the titular hero to deal with. For example, extracting a parasite from his intestines ''while under attack by dingoes''.
351* Lampshaded in ''Anime/BravePoliceJDecker''. Three of the main robots eventually combine to form a [[HumongousMecha bigger robot]] called Build Tiger -- which, appropriately enough, has a large tiger face in its chest. When asked why, the designer states: "Because it looks cool!"
352* ''Manga/MyBrideIsAMermaid'' plays this for laughs. When ever a character wants to appear cool or impressive they ArtShift into a Kenshiro clone complete with BattleAura.
353* ''Manga/SaintSeiya'': It's hard to question the plot when bishonen in cosmic armor and [[EightiesHair eighties multicolour hair]] are beating the ever-loving stuffing out of each other for every reason under the sun, and with every attack under the sun too (from MindRape to SomethingAboutARose) whilst running up stairs and visiting Hades in time for tea. It's so much fun you just HAVE to go along with it!
354* ''Anime/FateStayNight'' has this to thank for at least one difference from the original visual novel. In the game's Fate storyline (which the anime is primarily based on), one of the main villains of the series, Gilgamesh, approaches Saber and Shiro. After severely wounding Shiro, Saber launches a series of attacks at Gilgamesh, which he shrugs off with his armor, thereby averting ArmorIsUseless. In the anime, this is replaced by Gilgamesh summoning swords from his Noble Phantasm, the Gate of Babylon, so that they block the path of Saber's swings, a method much more visually appealing than just having him stand there and take it.
355* In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', if something doesn't follow game mechanics, this is why, and no, we don't need ''humans'' getting directly involved in our Pokémon battles, up close and personal with the danger, but things sure do get a lot more awesome that way.
356* ''Anime/FinalFantasyUnlimited'': In relation to Kaze and his extremely long Magun summoning sequences. In RealLife it would be impractical but in the show it looks so cool!
357* ''Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead'': Anime school girls with big knockers? Been there, done that. Anime school girls with big knockers... fighting hordes of zombies? SIGN ME UP!
358* ''Anime/YuGiOh'':
359** There's no reason that turbo duels have to be played on motorcycles in ''Anime/YuGiOh5ds''. The format works just as well when played on a table. The anime pays lip service to it being important by stating that the more speed counters you have the faster you can go, but going faster has no tangible effect on the gamestate.
360** In ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'' characters will regularly get sent flying back after taking a sufficiently powerful attack. While this would happen in the previous shows, there's no reason for it to happen here because the monsters ''aren't actually there''. While the previous shows used holograms that actually had a limited capacity to affect the environment around them, duels in ZEXAL are conducted using augmented reality.
361** Maximum Monsters in ''Anime/YuGiOhSEVENS'' are so gigantic that when Neiru summoned his inside a museum, it actually caused physical damage to the building. Same for the game-winning attack launched by Yuga's own Maximum Monster monster. The damage to the building somehow disappeared along with the holograms at the end of the duel, implying the building being ''cut in half'' by a giant energy sword wasn't actually real.
362* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'': EldritchAbomination [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] [[WhoYouGonnaCall serving the descendants of Abraham van Helsing]] [[CoolVersusAwesome versus]] [[StupidJetpackHitler a souped up exiled battalion of]] {{Ghostapo}} Nazi vampires who [[WarForFunAndProfit wage war for fun]] led by an AxCrazy [[ThoseWackyNazis SS]]-[[ChaoticEvil Major]] versus a secret [[AnimeCatholicism catholic]] [[DoomTroops organisation]] and their [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity crazy]] [[ChristianityIsCatholic Catholic]] [[ChurchMilitant paladin]].
363* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': When Mustang fights Envy he [[spoiler:continuously snaps to continue burning him to death. However, he ignites Envy with the first attack, making the snap unneeded due to how his alchemy functions, by changing the explosive gas concentration in the air. The snaps are added purely to make Mustang look cool as he roasts Envy alive]].
364* In ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'', the fight sequences (long enough that you can consider the other scenes "non-fight sequences") consist entirely of "cool", and little to no realism. Just a few examples:
365** During one of the motorcycle fights, Loz leans over, digs his ''piston-powered gauntlet'' into the pavement, then swings around on it, with his bike clamped between his legs, to ''throw the whole bike'' at the hero with beyond-lethal velocity.
366** The hero is ''thrown several hundred feet into the air'' by his friends (one of which is a GHOST) in order to ''slice a dragon god in half with his sword''.
367** Part of the final fight has the hero and the BigBad swordfighting while ''jumping and balancing on slabs of a falling building'', to a soundtrack of ''hammering electric guitar with a [[OminousLatinChanting chanting Latin chorus]].''
368** Nomura has gone on record by saying he told TheTeam to ignore the laws of physics and just do what looked coolest.
369** ''Advent Children'' is what happens if you take a ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' game and make ''every'' attack a LimitBreak. Alternatively, it's an answer to the question, "Just what would it really look like to have level 99 characters who can kill just about anything?" In a game, much of that is covered by numbers increasing, but the movie shows that kind of personal power in practice.
370* ''Anime/TransformersCybertron''. Half Rule of Cool, half very long commercials for the toyline. 100% ''[[Administrivia/TropesAreTools awesome.]]''
371* ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman'': A huge sea/air/spaceplane turning into a giant bird of flame. To take down giant mecha. Hinotori or Firey Phoenix or Firebird mode, it is awesome. And then there was the episode with the ''Icebird''.
372* ''Manga/DragonBall'':
373** You have a race of space pirates that transform into giant apes or golden haired Gods battling slug people that can regenerate limbs and materialize anything using their antenna, a pink Djinn that can turn anything into candy, an intergalactic, racist realestate speculator and giant humanoid cicada created from stolen DNA because... why not!
374** Zen-o evokes the rule in his tournaments. If it's cool, he's okay with it.
375** Goku, when he wasn't defeating armies on his own armed with only a magic pole and a flying cloud, he was transforming into a giant Ape and destroying anything in his path, using air to one shot his opponents, kicking peoples asses with rock-paper-scissors, using his tail to fly like a helicopter, flying into the air and punching holes through demon aliens with only one arm and '''using his power pole to sodomize a ninja.''' And this stuff happened when he was a ''child''.
376** Tao Pai Pai killed a man ''with his tongue'' and he did this '''during his debut in the show'''. He later taps a pillar and breaks it out, while leaving the building completely intact then throws the pillar and jumps onto it while it's moving. Tao Pai Pai's only comment on that matter is, "Who needs a jet when when we've got a perfectly good pillar."
377** Vegeta turned Saibamen into pulp and made Cui explode like a firework by just pointing at them and did it so casually.
378** Pretty much all of the Ginyu Force, even Guldo, who can stop time by apparently holding his breath. Recoome is a standout example though, having fought Vegeta, Krillin and Gohan back-to-back in a manner that gave the impression of ''casual'' invincibility - part praising, part mocking and all around toying with his opponents, [[LargeHam hamming it up]] throughout.
379** Freeza impaled Krillin in the chest with one of his horns on his head and then started to shift his head up and down, further injuring Krillin and causing more blood to leak out of him, used a paintball style BeamSpam on Piccolo, threw a mountain at Goku using his mind and imprisoned Goku in an golden sphere of energy and then toyed around with like a soccer ball and made Krillin implode from the inside out without touching him.
380** Gotenks, not counting the AwesomeEgo nonwithstanding, he is able to tear dimensions with his scream, his attacks are summoning explosive ghosts and even turns Super Buu into a ball at one point to be played in a game of catch.
381*** Not to mention his ability to turn Super Saiyan 3 with little effort, actually managing it better than the person who showed them the technique. The person in question, Goku in comparison finds the transformation exhausting and it takes everything to draw out its power in an all out battle.
382** Vegito is even more ridiculous, while overpowered on his own, even by the show's standards, he manages to deal humiliating damage to Buu after being turned into a chocolate jawbreaker, noting that normally one can't move or think, let alone speak well enough to taunt Buu some more.
383** Majin Buu as a whole is literally ''made'' of CrazyIsCool and with each new form, the amount of crazy awesomenss he produces skyrockets:
384*** Fat Buu turned Dabura, the King of the Demon Realm, into a cookie and then ate him, destroyed a city by breathing at it and turned dozens of humans into clay and used that clay to build his own house.
385*** Super Buu goes even further. The first thing he does in his debut is kill a psychopathic gunman by pouring himself down the gunmen's throat until he explodes, while laughing. Then he murdered the entire human race in under a minute without having to move an inch by firing billions of ki blasts into the air. Oh, and he did this out of boredom. To cap off his crazy awesomeness when Piccolo attempts to outsmart Buu by blowing up the entrance to the time chamber, locking him in the pocket dimension. Buu's response is to tear a hole between the dimensions and escape.
386*** Kid Buu is completely unrestrained in battle; his fighting involves BeamSpam while using SelfDuplication stretching his limbs to extreme lengths and even taking time to whistle or beat his chest in midst battle. And unlike most villains who are ArrogantKungFuGuy, Kid Buu is too crazy to care about ego and how to attack.
387** Broly, being a massive BreakoutCharacter, who is a Super Saiyan BloodKnight who uses sheer SuperStrength, and not any fancy moves to make the Z Fighters look like amateurs for most of the fight
388** Janemba, who releases all the denizens of Hell at one point, while turning the Afterlife into a jelly bean dimension, creating a clone of Goku to counter the Kamehameha technique, a bunch of clones and control of inter dimensional portals to launch attacks. After going OneWingedAngel, he enhances his dimensional portals to teleportation, beats a Super Saiyan 3 Goku, a feat that the aforementioned Kid Buu couldn't pull off and has a sword that '''cuts through dimensions from the swipes of the sword'''
389** Beerus, used King Vegeta's head as a footstool in front of his own son Prince Vegeta while making him treat him to an Eight-Course Banquet, curbstomped Super Saiyan 3 Goku with a single chop on the back of the knock, used chopsticks to defeat Tien and knock Piccolo out with pressure point attacks, defeats Super Gotenks by spanking him, effortlessly defeats Vegeta with a single pressure point attack to the forehead and one shot all the other Z-Fighters including Android 18, Ultimate Gohan and Majin Buu. Oh, and he also needs the sounds of ''multiple bombs exploding continuously and simultaneously'' just to wake up.
390* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': 3DMG in reality would encounter much the same problem jetpacks do, not enough fuel. And operating one safely, forget it. Damn if it doesn't look cool though.
391* ''Literature/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'': Happens InUniverse with the title character, who can [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshift]] instantly with just a thought, but deliberately gave herself a full-fledged TransformationSequence into her combat form entirely because she's a massive {{Otaku}} who thinks that sort of stuff looks awesome. This is also the reason her combat form resembles a combination of the [[VideoGame/WildArms2 Knight Blazer]] and a Franchise/KamenRider, rather than anything more [[Creator/HPLovecraft Lovecraftian]].
392%%* ''Manga/SgtFrog'': ...narrow it down to ''one'' example? Um.
393* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'': Sousuke Sagara certainly has innovative methods to solve every situation. For example, when a guy wanted to blackmail Kaname by putting less-than-idolized pictures of her onto the internet, how did Sousuke stopped him? He unleashed a freakin' EMP blast and destroyed every piece of electronics in the school. Or a more radical example: when a Hind was chasing his HumongousMecha, how did he got rid of it? He threw Kaname high up into the air without warning to free up his mecha's hand, took out the Hind with a knife thrown into the cockpit then safely caught the screaming girl on her way down. As awesome as it was, it put even [[TheStoic Sousuke]] on edge - not because of any danger to her but because she's a {{Tsundere}} and he knows how she'll react once she wakes up from fright-induced unconsciousness.
394* ''Manga/{{Gals}}'' has Tatsuki Kuroi, who makes a habit of doing rather stupid things in an awesome way (and them to work out in the end). The best example is that time the train from Machida (where he lives) to Shibuya (where his girlfriend and protagonist Ran lives) was down and he needed to go to her: instead of waiting for the train to come back on line he borrowed a bike, pedaled for over a hour, and just as Ran said out loud that Tatsuki had once promised he'd fly to her if she ever needed he ''took off, flew and landed before her'', all in more time that it would have taken by waiting for the train and taking that.
395[[/folder]]
396
397[[folder:Art]]
398* [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/star-wars-rock-out.jpg Star Wars Rocking Out]].
399* ''[[http://io9.com/5492977/the-most-self+explanatory-painting-in-human-history Batman fighting a shark with a lightsaber]]''.
400* [[http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m53/nightmaj/stephen_colbert_paladin_by_todd_loc.jpg This piece]] of Creator/StephenColbert fanart. Until his producers nixed it, this was going to be a ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' card. It's the little details that make it: notice the microphone and eagle talon in the hilt of the flaming sword. All that's missing is him riding a flaming unicorn/pegasus while wielding a flaming laser chainsaw and fighting Hitler and UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden on a Hydra, who is also on fire. Someone please draw that.
401* A [[http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/9/70/5356c8b5d43db.jpg drawing]] of Colbert as ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk stabbing a bear through the head with the American flag.
402[[/folder]]
403
404[[folder:Comedy]]
405* This was also Denis Leary reacting to his new super-hi-tech stereo system on the ''Lock and Load'' album.
406-->"...and the other stuff where you don't even know what it does but it looks fuckin' great! It's ''reeeeally shinyyy''."
407[[/folder]]
408
409[[folder:Comic Books]]
410* The reason for the existence of {{superhero}}es in general. ComicBook/{{Superman}} became Mr. NewPowersAsThePlotDemands during the forties and fifties because it fulfilled Rule of Cool for the target demographic. This is also the reason why ComicBook/{{Batman}} will always have a T. rex and a giant penny in the Batcave even as he shifts between DarkerAndEdgier and LighterAndSofter. Damn near every superpower or fantastic element needs Rule of Cool to shield it from an onslaught of [[FridgeLogic logic-wielding refrigerators]], although a few hits will get through, usually aimed at Superman's [[ClarkKenting disguise]] or how ComicBook/SpiderMan can stick to surfaces.
411* ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'' with its [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Zombie Lantern Superheroes]], ComicBook/{{Superman}} suddenly being the general of a 1000+ Kryptonian army, and so on. [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] influences have crept into MediaNotes/{{the Modern Age|of Comic Books}}.
412* The premise of ''ComicBook/{{Godyssey}}'' would not work from a theological perspective but there's no denying that it's really really cool. It is thus; The Greek pantheon appears before Jesus on the cross and demands that he stop mocking divinity by renouncing the low and filthy mortals he serves. Jesus responds by removing himself from the cross and '''[[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/6Hcns beating the shit out of them all]]'''.
413* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': The Red Hulk punched [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien a Watcher]] during one of his "[[AlienNonInterferenceClause sworn only to watch, never interfere]]" speeches to the reader. Why? Creator/JephLoeb.
414* This is the ''canonical'' explanation for the name of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers''. What are they avenging? Nothing; the Wasp off-handedly suggested the name, and Ant-Man decided that it sounded cool.
415* ''ComicBook/Hitman1993'': How else do you describe a plot about a professional killer from Gotham City who got superpowers after being bit by an alien parasite having to deal with everything from demons with magic guns to [[RaisingTheSteaks zombified zoo animals]]?
416* ''ComicBook/SuperDinosaur'': How else can one explain a series about a T-rex who wears battle armors to fight dinosaur mutants armed with {{BFG}}s or {{BFS}}s?
417* ''ComicBook/CadillacsAndDinosaurs'' is lampshading this from its very title. Caddillacs and Dinousarurs are cool.
418* ''ComicBook/{{Revival}}'' is a gritty, realistic look at a fantastic situation. Then the Amish ninja assassin and her equally-Amish ninja assassin tween daughter appear to kick ass and take names. Only the flimsiest explanation is offered: [[spoiler:she was born Amish, got pregnant, got stabbed by a ninja, got better, then the ninja trained her]].
419* ''Comicbook/RexTheWonderDog'' is ''made'' of this. Initially, he was simply an ordinary, non-talking non-magical dog that could fish using a rod and reel, drive cars and boats, had a successful career as a newspaper photographer, and once killed a T. rex using a nuclear bomb. Then it was revealed that he was an decorated war hero from UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and a SuperSoldier with a similar origin to ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. Then, after all the newspaper photography career and T. rex killing, he drank from the fountain of youth, gaining the ability to speak the language of every thing that lives on planet Earth, as well as eternal youth and unspecified magical powers noted to be among the strongest on Earth.
420* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': Lex Luthor, especially in MediaNotes/{{the Silver Age|OfComicBooks}}. He once ''[[CureForCancer cured cancer]]'' just to trick Superman into believing that he'd reformed. Plus, he's a normal human who is the greatest enemy of one of the most powerful superheroes ever created.
421* ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW Transformers Ongoing]]'':
422** Issue 23 gives us Orion Pax (Optimus Prime before he had the Matrix), a tough no-nonsense police captain who, when his subordinates are murdered by senate goons trying to free Whirl (a bullying officer under Prime who himself was jailed for beating on a wrongfully-incarcerated pre-evil Megatron), ends up having to use the corpse of his lieutenant Springarm in motorcycle mode to dispatch of the two goons... one of them by ''tearing one of his smokestacks off his shoulder and stabbing it in said goon's face''. He bought the time to even come up with this plan by grabbing his stacks of Autobot badge awards off the shelf and using them as improvised throwing weapons; why they were given such sharp edges is anyone's guess.
423*** And after this, his immediate reaction is to march over to the Senate building, ''wade through'' their army of paranoid and heavily armed security guards, just so he can scold the Senate for being a bunch of dicks. His reaction to two goons trying to drag him out is to just get irritated and demand he be allowed to finish asking how the Cybertronian people can ''get rid'' of the Senate.
424** Whirl. It's mentioned in ''[[ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye More Than Meets The Eye]]'' that he punched himself in the fact to prove that he's super invincible. He also has a habit of introducing himself by saying he has "no known weaknesses". When he and Rung were once held hostage by Fortress Maximus, he defuses the situation by straight-up ''telling Fort Max to shoot him.''
425** Hot Rod/Rodimus proves himself no slouch in the first issue he appears in, back in [[ComicBook/TheTransformersMegaseries Spotlight: Hot Rod]], when he manages to infiltrate the most secure and brutal prison the Decepticons have by ''surfing on a meteor''.
426* Used InUniverse in ''ComicBook/{{NextWave}}'', where the S.I.L.E.N.T. terrorism cell and the [[FunWithAcronyms Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort]] organization both build superweapons almost entirely based on how cool they are, which annoys the StraightMan characters in the comic like Monica Rambeau who finds the over-the-top nature of their opponents annoying. At one point one of the protagonists (Elsa Bloodstone) comes across a squad of samurai robot soldiers and promptly discards her handguns, realizing that InUniverse there is no way something as mundane as a 'gun' could beat samurai robots. [[TheManMakesTheWeapon She then dismantles the squad with a shovel.]]
427[[/folder]]
428
429[[folder:Fan Works]]
430* [[http://1d4chan.org/images/8/86/Hell_Yeah_by_Gannadene.jpg The Angry Marines]], a homebrewed chapter of Warhammer40K Space Marines, fought a [[EldritchAbomination Greater Daemon of the Chaos God Nurgle]] to a near standstill, throwing everything they could at it. Then, when that was not enough, they threw what they couldn't: [[ColonyDrop Their Battle Barge, The Litany Of Litany's Litany.]] That shut the demon up. [[RefugeInAudacity Just long enough for them to hit it with a second battle barge, The Maximum Fuck]]. And the Angry Marines may or may not have been rocking out on it while it descended in flames upon the demon's head.
431* ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'' changes the simple mood of [[ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes the original strip]] to a decidedly more [[ActionizedSequel action-packed]] one with a lot of [[BetterThanABareBulb lampshades]] concerning its use of this trope.
432* The ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11085119/1/Heaven-Smiting-Masked-Magician Heaven-Smiting Masked Magician]]'' is about BlackMage Guile going to outer space without supporting equipment to destroy an incoming meteor that lies beyond the Moon. He gets past the Earth's atmosphere without getting fried up by flying as fast as a rocket (with of course, a massive speed boost by blasting the ground with a KamehameHadoken). He then reaches the meteor by using the thrust resulted from blasting the surface of the moon with a KamehameHadoken (similar to how he gets past the atmosphere safely). He finally returns to Earth by using the recoil from the energy blast he fires at the meteor, destroying the meteor as well.
433* Ichigo in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7471458/1/The_First_Guardian The First Guardian]]'' operates on this. He purposely grows his hair to look like a shonen hero, actually tries to attach ''speakers'' to his Shinigami outfit so he can have his theme song (which is "Number One" of course) playing when he fights, constantly talks to his just as crazy Zanpakuto and chooses to do things based on "coolness factor". On the other hand, his crazy way of thinking allows him to enhance his Zanpakuto in various ways (from gathering spirit particles to strengthen it a la Quincy style, shaking the particles already in there to, temporally, turn his blade ''into fire'', and to shape shifting it into different forms) ''without even showing shikai yet.'' And, no, his Zanpakuto ''isn't'' Zangetsu. And that's only a small sample of the awesome stuff he does.
434* ''Fanfic/{{Game Theory|LyricalNanoha}}'' deconstructs this trope rather harshly. Nanoha's crazy, reckless plans tend to backfire horribly with serious consequences.
435--> '''[[WordOfGod Aleph]]:''' One of the things that Game Theory has as a major theme is that SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs, and that doing something crazy-awesome and insane... is crazy and insane, and doesn't have to work just because it's the hero doing it.
436* ''[[Fanfic/ThirtyHs HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH]]'' freely dispenses with both the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' canon and narrative logic wherever it can conceive of something ten times more awesome.
437* In the ''{{Videogame/Pokemon}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/AMidSinnohNightsDream'', well, the protagonist's partner Pokemon turns into the [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren Lagann]] on multiple occasions, a PintSizedPowerhouse sends an opponent into the stratosphere, and a Pikachu is heavily implied to run some sort of mafia. Does any of it make sense? ''What? Just who the hell do you think they are?''
438* In the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{PRIMARCHS}}'', Everything the titular Primarchs do: using skyscrapers as swords? Drop kicking the moon on someone? Using the [[Franchise/StarWars Death Star]] as a baseball bat? PoweredArmor which doubles as a ChainMailBikini? Dissing the authors of the work? All of it!
439* ''Fanfic/QueenOfAllOni'': This is how Jade picks all her [[OperationBlank plan names]], regardless of the actual content of the plan, leading to some nonsensical names.
440* Most of ''Fanfic/SonicXDarkChaos'' runs on this with a generous topping of DarkerAndEdgier and [[{{Gorn}} graphic violence]] out the wazoo. From battlestations the size of ''stars'' to [[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon six-necked demonic guitars that can blast warships apart]] to murderous killer androids to ''Franchise/DragonBall''-esque Chaos powers, it's here. According to WordOfGod, most of the physics and science run on this too.
441%%* [[http://fav.me/d4a27sp Super Milestone Wars]].
442[[/folder]]
443
444[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
445* The entire ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'', especially the wolf characters. Unlike most people who believe this is a mistake. A majority of the wolves have AnimeHair and a few have eye colors discommon to actual wolves. This also includes wolf society portrayed on this movie.
446* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': The battle between the Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex could never have happened, given that the species were separated by 77 million years at the very least. That's not to mention a few anatomy errors of both. But no one's complaining. Wicked music, great animation, incredible synchronization? Sit back and relax.
447* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0AiN8vrn9Y Be Prepared]], Scar's [[VillainSong song]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' has the ground lifting up to the moon while Scar and the Hyenas are standing on it to make a menacing tower, in addition to lots of green lighting and smoke coming out of the ground. Why? Because it's COOL!
448* As to be expected, ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' takes ArtisticLicenseMartialArts and runs with it. [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1 The Furious Five fighting Tai Lung on a robe bridge, Tai Lung fighting Shifu with his paws on fire]], and [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2 Po using tai chi to redirect cannonballs]] is just the tip of the iceburg.
449* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'': Yeah, there is absolutely no way DJ Pon-3's [[TransformingVehicle transformer car]] and [[AscendedMeme BASS CANNON]] could be seriously explained within the context of the movie. Do we care? NO! It's just too awesome.
450* An in-story example appears in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'': Almost no-one (Woody being the exception) calls out Buzz Lightyear on his delusion about being a real space hero as opposed to a toy, because he's just that cool.
451* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' and ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' both contain scenes with characters with no driving experience whatsoever somehow managing to successfully drive vehicles on busy roads to their destination by working together despite being a assortment of ''living toys'' in the former, and a ''fish'' and a ''octopus'' in the latter. The audience is supposed to accept these scenes because of this trope and RuleOfFunny, and judging by how successful both films are, it worked, or at least was tolerated by most people despite being completely ridiculous scenes.
452[[/folder]]
453
454[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
455* The ''Bounty'' built for the 1962 movie ''Film/MutinyOnTheBounty'' was twice the size of the real ship. Occasionally, replicas of old warships are made slightly larger to accommodate the taller sailors of today, but never to this extent.
456* The 1963 SwordAndSandal epic ''Film/JasonAndTheArgonauts'' features what has been called one of the greatest FinalBattle sequences in film history, and certainly the greatest stop-motion fight sequence in film history. Creator/RayHarryhausen's previous film, the 1958 ''Film/The7thVoyageOfSinbad'', featured a sword fight scene between the hero and an evil sorcerer's animated skeleton; it went down so well that for his next film he decided to up the ante and do ''three'' heroes fighting ''seven'' skeletons.
457* ''Film/SixStringSamurai''. After the Russians nuke everything, Music/{{Elvis|Presley}} becomes King of the remains of Lost Vegas. A samurai Music/BuddyHolly battles [[Music/GunsNRoses Slash]] to claim his throne. "Only one man can kill so many Russians. Bring his guitar to me!"
458* ''Film/{{Crank}}'': Near the end of the first film [[spoiler:after Chase is disarmed, he makes a gun out of his finger and thumb, points it at a guy, goes "Bang" ''and it kills him.'' It turns out to be his backup, but for a few seconds everyone watching the movie went "''Mind bullets''...?! Okay, mind bullets, let's go with that."]]
459* ''Film/TheMatrix'': The premise involves robots imprisoning humans into a computer generated PlatonicCave. However, most of the series involves [[ThePhilosopher rebellious philosophers]] in {{Badass Longcoat}}s fighting [[TheMenInBlack artificially-intelligent Agent programs]] [[BadassInANiceSuit in corporate attire]], all through [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting Martial Arts]]. ''[[BulletTime In Slow Motion]]''. It also helps that the Wachowski sisters' inspiration for creating the trilogy was Anime.
460** The rooftop scene where Neo first dodges bullets. Trinity puts a gun to the agent’s head, and says “dodge this” before shooting. Which would of course have given the agent time to duck… if it wasn’t so damn cool.
461** The famous lobby scene. There was no reason for them to be there except for a cool shootout.
462** Neo draws his sunglasses ''before he starts to fight Smith''. THAT is the Rule Of Cool in action.
463** This trope is the sole reason the "Burly Brawl" scene in ''Reloaded'' exists. It's ten minutes of Neo fighting endless clones of Smith for no real plot-enhancing reason. It just looks cool.
464** When Neo kicks Agent Smith and then instead of taking his foot down, he moves it in air and then put it down. Totally Frigging Cool.
465** The Agents (and later Neo's) ability to [[DodgeTheBullet dodge bullets]] is never replicated to dodging much slower punches and kicks. This is due to Rule Of Cool, because if they did the fights would last all of five seconds.
466* ''Film/GoldenEye'': The ChaseScene. Yes, [[TankGoodness that chase scene]].
467* ''Film/{{Transformers|FilmSeries}}'': There is no other reason for these films to exist or for anyone to watch them except that [[TransformingMecha Giant Transforming Robots]] are inherently cool. It could be argued that Creator/MichaelBay's career rests on taking a premise and making it cool.
468* In the second ''Film/{{Austin Powers|The Spay Who Shagged Me}}'' movie, Basil Exposition turns to the camera and tells the audience [[BellisariosMaxim not to get upset]] about any [[TimeyWimeyBall contradictions]] in the TimeTravel plot of the story. Why? Because we have a secret agent using a time machine to go back to the sixities and fight a evil mastermind in his secret volcano lair.
469* The ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise has many:
470** ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'':
471*** It has impenetrable force-fields that turn on at the most dramatically convenient times.
472*** Why does Darth Maul use a polearm lightsaber? Why not?
473** Similarly, Kylo Ren's saber from the sequel trilogy. What's even better than a lightsaber? A lightsaber with two other lightsabers shooting out of the handle perpendicular to the blade, making it look like a medieval longsword. Justified in that the design requires plasma to be vented out due to the damaged crystal within, it offers more hand protection than the traditional saber, and that Ren uses the crossguard to injure his opponents while in a BladeLock.
474** The revelation in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' that R2-D2 had the ability to fly was cheered enthusiastically, even though he never showed this ability in the original trilogy.
475** General Grievous would not exist were it not for this trope. An [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot evil alien cyborg general]] with [[MultiArmedAndDangerous four arms]] who hunts Jedi for sport? Hell yes!
476** ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars Clone Wars]]'': You once see the same weapon on the ''Millennium Falcon'' being carried around by ''[[{{BFG}} a single ARC trooper]]'', and instead of using four arms, Grievous juggles four light-sabers around between his hands and prehensile feet (albeit as an "unwelcome surprise"), making for some of the best fights in ''Franchise/StarWars'' history.
477** Lightsabers, themselves. They're swords ''and'' lasers. They cut through most everything.
478** Basically, all forms of combat featured in ''Franchise/StarWars'' are glowy sci-fi futuristic space versions of some form of RealLife combat that was (and is) considered to be extremely cool. Lightsaber duels? Swordfighting. Starfighters? {{Old School Dogfight}}ing. Starship battles? Naval battles. The Clone Wars? Huge armies tearing each other apart. The Force and Force-based PsychicPowers only add more awesome to the mix.
479** The reason why Darth Vader is still in his suit by the time the original trilogy rolls around is obviously because of how cool he looks in his suit.
480** The AT-AT Walkers' practical problems include: high center of gravity, multiple fully-exposed points of failure, extremely poor visibility, severe weakness in that they can be easily tripped up and disabled, offensive weapons which only point forward, no way to defend against an attack from below... the list goes on and on. In a nutshell, these machines would be far less effective in battle than a modern tank but they are undeniably cool.
481** Why is the planet Crait in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' a red mineral planet covered with a layer of white salt? Because the visual of geysers of red earth exploding from beneath the white surface looks FREAKIN' AWESOME!
482** In ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' Poe puts the Millennium Falcon and his gang all at risk through hyperspace skipping (AKA lightspeed skipping) while evading the First Order TIE Fighters. Does it, in a way, go against what Han Solo said about space travel Film/ANewHope? Maybe. But is it epic and intense? ''Most definitely''.
483* Anything Creator/QuentinTarantino is involved in. For instance:
484** The end of ''Film/FourRooms'', has the most understated rule of cool bet ever. [[spoiler:For a $1000 tip, the bellboy wields the ax in a car-or-pinky-finger bet about whether or not one of the guys can start his lucky Zippo lighter 10 times. Chop, snatch and strut out the door]].
485** ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''. It's [[HollywoodTactics not tactically smart]] to try guerrilla warfare when you don't have the home advantage, but is it badass? Hell yes and especially when you put Creator/EliRoth in a wifebeater and give him a baseball bat.
486%%* film version of ''[[Literature/AlexRider Stormbreaker]]''
487* ''Film/ThreeHundred''. If you're bothered by the fact that Xerxes' army did not, in fact, include cave trolls, ninjas and rhinos, and that Spartans wore armor and had backup, you should recite the MST3KMantra. Even in-universe there's an explanation. The story of the 300 is being told by a lone survivor, [[spoiler: leading an army of Greeks about to fight the Persians]], so ''of course'' it runs on Rule Of Cool
488* The Martial Arts genre wouldn't exist without this trope and the {{Wuxia}} genre absolutely thrives on it. How else can you explain somebody jumping 30 feet in the air, and then ''jumping off of their sword in midair to gain more altitude?'' The Flying Guillotine was made infamous because of these movies. It's a nasty little contraption that consists of a basket with blades and a chain. You throw the basket onto somebody's head, pull the chain, the blades go to work, and it's OffWithHisHead!
489* ''Film/ShootEmUp'': There is a shootout ''while skydiving''. This isn't a movie, it's a religious experience.
490* {{Flynning}} looks cooler than real fencing. Just ask [[Film/ThePrincessBride Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes]].
491* In the commentary for ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', Creator/JossWhedon discusses the scene where [[spoiler: the good guys come through the opaque and sensor-killing "ion cloud" followed by an army of Reavers to back them up against the Alliance. Because my cloud kept the Alliance from seeing them coming, it was a perfect cavalry-coming-over-the-hill moment]]: 'I don't know what an "ion cloud" is, we just made that up but I would have sold all my knowledge of science to get that scene.' (paraphrased)
492* ''Film/TheForbiddenKingdom'' had the working title of ''The J & J Project''. ([[spoiler: [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny The whole point of which was to make the Jet Li vs. JackieChan dream fight ''finally'' happen on camera]]]]).
493* The entirety of ''Film/{{Doomsday}}'':
494** A detachable bionic eye/camera? Rule of Cool. Foam grenades? [[AwesomeButImpractical Rule of Cool]]. ''Glasgow!?'' Rule of Cool. The entire thing is an exercise in attaching balls to walls.
495** Supposedly the director had a dream about a showdown between a medieval knight and a modern soldier, and decided to write a movie around it.
496** [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Scottish cannibal ninja stripper punks]]!
497* ''Film/{{Wanted}}'' as well as the director's previous films, ''Film/NightWatch'' and ''Film/DayWatch'', where things exist for no other reason than because they're cool. Example: Let's drive a car across a building. Why? Why not? You get the feeling that when they were thinking of the concept for this movie, someone said, "What would happen if you took all the cool stunts from ''Film/TheMatrix'', and turned them up a notch?"
498* The ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' films rely heavily on this as well as the RuleOfFunny.
499** One example, pointed out by Bob Gale on a DVDCommentary, occurs in the [[Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII third film]]. Doc and Marty try to get the [=DeLorean=] up to eighty-eight miles per hour by pulling it with horses. Gale pointed out that the Doc would know horses don't run that fast and the Doc even ''points that out in the scene''. However, the filmmakers ''had'' to do that shot with the [=DeLorean=] being ridden across Monument Valley like a covered wagon because it would look ''cool''.
500** The fact that the time machine itself is a [=DeLorean=] is Rule Of Cool in itself. What self-respecting geek hasn't fantasized about having a time-traveling [=DeLorean=]? This is specifically invoked as one of the reasons Doc chose the [=DeLorean=]. He starts to give a practical reason, but is interrupted and doesn't revisit it.
501---> '''Doc:''' ''The way I see it, if you're going to build a time machine, why not do it with some'' style?
502* ''Film/{{Tron}}''. This movie has become a cult movie, heavily enjoyed by geeks and people into computers, even though it's obvious to any such person, or for that matter, anyone above the age of seven, that computer programs are not glowing people running around inside a computer. It's just so much fun that this doesn't matter.
503* This notion was the central focus of ''Film/Underworld2003''. This is [[FurAgainstFang a world where vampires are at constant war with werewolves.]]
504%%* ''[[Film/TheBourneSeries The Bourne Trilogy]]''
505* ''Franchise/IndianaJones''
506** ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'':
507*** The jungle swordfight between Mutt and the bad girl. Realistic? Not in the least. Supremely friggin' awesome? Hell yes.
508*** The fridgenuking! What if that was the writers saying "Dr. Jones is badass enough that you can't kill him with nukes, or whatever is immediately surrounding him"?
509** The scene in the original ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', where Indy shoots the giant, black-draped swordsman in the Cairo marketplace, was originally to have been a complex whip-and-sword duel. It was cut due to a general ailment among the cast and crew that day.
510* [[http://www.cracked.com/article_16256_near-misses-6-worst-movies-hollywood-almost-made.html 6 funny examples]] how Rule Of Cool can mingle with something and get rabies. "...should be pretty cool. Right?"
511* Creator/AlfredHitchcock [[InvokedTrope invoked this trope]] when he made ''Film/NorthByNorthwest'' by answering the question "Why would someone use a crop duster as a murder weapon?" with the understanding that the audience would be too engrossed in watching the next pass to care.
512* ''Film/JamesBond'': The gadgets, the {{Evil Plan}}s, some of the more improbable (and more awesome) fight/chase scenes... all the stuff Agent 007 does is governed by this trope.
513* The climactic fight scene in [[TheFilmOfTheBook the movie version]] of ''Film/VForVendetta''. It's an overblown ''[[Film/TheMatrix Matrix]]'' ripoff given that in the comic [[spoiler:V just lets Finch shoot him]], but still completely awesome. Considering that it was written by the Wachowski sisters, it's not surprising. They made ''The Matrix'' too.
514* The ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' franchise. Giant robots? Check. Radioactive dinosaurs? Check. Awesome {{Fight Scene}}s? Check and double check. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Great music?]] Check! This is the trope namer for JustHereForGodzilla. You better believe it's cool.
515* Creator/RogerEbert says in his [[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/iron-man-2008 review]] of the ''Film/IronMan1'' movie that military weapons tend not to look nearly as cool as Iron Man, but also that "It wouldn't be nearly as much fun to see a fight scene between two refrigerators crossed with the leftovers from a boiler room."
516* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'': You got your pirates, your undead, your curses, your sea monsters, your totally impossible swordfights and [[InsistentTerminology Captain]] Jack Sparrow.
517%%* ''Film/TheThirteenthWarrior'' is loaded with this.
518* ''Film/TheItalianJob1969''. Minis that would normally collapse with that much gold jump across gaps, drive on the roof of a building and then off again.
519* ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'' features a PoweredArmor CarChase through Paris, an underwater dog fight, and Snake Eyes. In the "making of" commentary on the DVD, one crew member attributes the mantra (loosely paraphrased) "overdo everything; then make it even bigger" to director Stephen Sommers, and says that they were reminded of this policy daily during the production of the film.
520* ''Film/{{Postal}}'' the movie. From a notoriously bad director, based on a non-politically correct game, starring unknowns and having a ridiculous plot, all of which is redeemed by a constant onslaught of "how in the hell did they get away with this; this is unbelievably cool".
521%%* ''Film/SpeedRacer'':
522* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', due to Tolkien's terminology ("wings of shadow") describing the [[EldritchAbomination Balrog]], nobody on the production team was quite sure whether the wings were literal or metaphorical. Creator/PeterJackson later admitted they added the wings just because it looked cool.
523* In ''Film/JurassicPark'', why does the [[UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex T. rex]] [[AlwaysABiggerFish show up in the nick of time]] to save Grant, Ellie and the kids from becoming Raptor chow? Because the T. rex is ''awesome'' and the animators wanted to show it off some more.
524* ''Film/JurassicWorld'':
525** The creation of the ''Indominus Rex'' is a deconstruction of this trope. They wanted a bigger, badder, tougher, and smarter dinosaur than ''T. Rex'' or ''Velociraptor''...but what they got was a psychotic hybrid hell-bent on destruction, and ItCanThink as well!
526** The finale is over the top, and their solution could have easily put them into additional danger (and it's never really explained why ''it didn't''), but at least it was awesome to watch.
527* ''Film/{{Avatar}}''.
528** Despite eschewing SpaceOpera tropes, it's hard to deny that the film is built around the idea of three-meter-tall blue quasi-Algonquian catpeople fighting mecha from space, and it plays fast and loose with the laws of physics and probability to make that happen.
529** Anyone with even the tiniest bit of knowledge in basic botany or zoology would know that Pandora's flora and fauna primarily evolved to look visually impressive to moviegoers. How would a giant species with impenetrable armor plating and no apparent predators not quickly overpopulate? Why the extra legs and bio-luminescence when they serve no function and could even be a liability? Cuz' they ''look'' cool, now less thinky, more watchy!
530** It's also the only justification for some of the tactics depicted. Even if the hero knows nothing of his own world's history, common sense should tell him that having lightly armed cavalry charge armour and machine guns is suicide but it's such cool, heroic suicide that he does it anyway.
531* ''Film/{{Zombieland}}''. Why would you go to an amusement park and turn all the lights on, turning your location into a gigantic target? Why would you jump ''out'' of the car and let it sink into the river, instead of hitting the brakes suddenly? Why would you try to con the first signs of life instead of going with them, then why would you leave? Why would you take a motorcycle or a shovel to fight zombies? Why? Why? ''Because it's awesome.''
532* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g54Ee07wOI&feature=player_embedded This song]] from the film ''Sivaji: The Boss''. As [[http://www.scifiwright.com/2010/07/zen-and-the-art-of-napping-on-motorcycles/ this blog post]] puts it, "the waycool approach is to ride up, while napping, on a motorcycle that you drive with your feet, dismount by means of wheelie on the front tire, and shoot the bad guys with a machinegun hidden in your guitar. Then the stunningly attractive Bollywood actress will sing and dance with you."
533* [[http://pics.livejournal.com/mkthudsons/pic/00029x75 This promo poster]] from ''Film/{{Watchmen}}''. True, he could be lighting the cigar purely from the {{convection|Schmonvection}} of heat, or off the barrel of the flamethrower, but you do NOT want to taste a cigar that's been lit off a kerosene flame.
534* ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' : Why do all of Ramona's evil exes meet some requirement of video game boss style, explode into coins when defeated, and everyone naturally is just that good at martial arts? So that when Scott wins the girl, it's really cool.
535* ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' series features this trope in abundance, but it really reaches its apex in the climax to ''Film/FastFive''. The heroes steal a 10-ton vault by attaching it via steel cables to two souped up Dodge Chargers, then use the cars to tear the vault from the building. They then proceed to drag the vault all over the city in a huge car chase, with the vault careening all over the place and causing massive destruction while still going fast enough to outrun police cars. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of physics knows that this is impossible, but it's so cool that few people complain about it.
536* ''Film/PacificRim'':
537** Why Creator/GuillermoDelToro helped to make this movie. It's giant mecha vs giant monsters. Therefore, it's cool.
538** The only reason why the [[ImprovisedWeapon tanker]] didn't buckle under its own weight when used as a melee weapon against a Kaiju or why the Jaeger and the Kaiju don't [[SquareCubeLaw buckle]] either.
539** Gypsy Danger's pilots don't use their sword until halfway through the movie. If they had pulled it out right away, they couldn't have used the very cool tanker, and they couldn't have used the sword in midair!
540** Are those flaming chainsaw blade weapons of the BigBad Jaeger in ''Film/PacificRimUprising'' impractical? You bet they are, but they're wonderful to look at.
541* ''Dynamite Warrior'' is a Thai movie about cowboys (well, buffalo traders and buffalo thieves, technically) who either have extraordinary Muay Thai skills, have magical powers, or (in the case of the titular character, the protagonist) fight using primitive rockets. In one scene two characters escape pursuit by using some of the rockets to propel their cart away from the people chasing them.
542* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
543** ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' is generally considered at its best when it remembers that it's about Hugh Jackman running around stabbing people in the face.
544** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'': It's unlikely that a functional interior room like a kitchen at the Pentagon would be designed with a circular shape like, but it makes Quicksilver's WallRun look cooler, so who cares?
545* ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'': Gazelle's prosthetic legs serve as her weapons of choice. Also features lots of cool gadgets ''Film/JamesBond'' style like an umbrella that serves as both a shield and a gun or a detonator in the shape of a lighter. Lots and lots of slow motion action, dynamic editing and impossible choreography too.
546* The feats of strength Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger's characters tended to display, outside of fight scenes, cross this trope over with CutscenePowerToTheMax. Examples include his casually lugging around trees in ''Film/{{Commando}}'' and his ripping a bolted-down bed out of the floor, one-handed in ''Film/TheRunningMan''. About the only time that kind of StrongAsTheyNeedToBe factor makes a difference in the actual plot is his freeing himself from the [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable Mind-Wipe Chair]] in ''Film/TotalRecall1990''.
547* ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'':
548** Special mention has to go to the Coma-Doof Warrior. An insane, blind guitarist, wearing his dead mother's face for a mask, rocking out in front of a massive wall of speakers, careening through the desert at high speeds, with a team of drummers bringing up the rear, and the guitar shoots fire. Not only is it awesome, it's also practical; Immortan Joe uses the music for morale and to relay commands to the rest his convoy, like a next-level drummer boy.
549** Another standout element is the Doof Wagon, which is basically a stage on wheels with speakers galore, holding a team of six Taiko drummers in the back and a Warboy, the eponymous Doof Warrior, shredding on a flame-spewing electric guitar on the front. Not only is it completely fucking awesome on its own, it's also practical; Immortan Joe uses the music as a morale booster for his army, as well as a way to relay his orders, akin to Civil War era drummer boys.
550* ''Film/TheWall'': This is a film based on a Music/PinkFloyd album, which is one of their most popular alongside ''Music/WishYouWereHere1975'' and ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon''.
551** Special mention goes to how some of the songs were re-done specifically for the movie. Namely, "Another Brick In the Wall, Part III", which rerecorded at a faster pace, and "In the Flesh" (A DarkerReprise of "In the Flesh?"), which was redone with an entire orchestra for the Hammerskin Rally scene.
552** The walking hammers in the animated parts of "Waiting for the Worms".
553* The growing trend of classic movies being screened with the recorded soundtrack replaced by a live orchestra's rendition.
554* ''Film/FemaleAgents'': Rather than {{Action Girl}}s, AmazonBrigade or {{Femme Fatale Sp|y}}ies, female SOE agents were more likely to be used for the BoringButPractical work of wireless operator (because it didn't look suspicious for a woman to stay at home all day, whereas a man would be out working) or courier (because women were less likely to be searched, or rounded up for forced labour in Germany).
555* ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'': Lampshaded. During the final battle against Ultron at Sovokia, Hawkeye (Clint Barton) saves Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) by grabbing her and diving into a building for cover. In an attempt to motivate her, he says:
556-->''"We're fighting an army of robots -- and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense."''
557* ''Film/TheSuicideSquad'': {{Invoked|Trope}} when Bloodsport and Peacemaker begin to one-up the other's attempts at stylish kills.
558--> '''Bloodsport:''' No one likes a show-off!\
559'''Peacemaker:''' Unless what they're showing off is DOPE as FUCK!\
560'''Bloodsport:''' ''[mutters]'' Fuck! That's true!
561* The 2016 Chinese EpicMovie ''Film/TheGreatWall'' runs on this trope. You have massive war drums beaten by nunchucks, an [[AmazonBrigade all-female]] warrior corps who fight bloodthirsty monsters with [[DeathFromAbove weaponized bungee-jumping]], [[ThrowingYourShieldAlwaysWorks sawblade shields that you can throw]], giant blade obstacles, and war balloons!
562[[/folder]]
563
564[[folder:Literature]]
565* ''Literature/NightfallSeries'': InUniverse example: Prince Vladimir riding techniques and tricks. Tristan finds them unnecessarily pompous.
566* ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfHuckleberryFinn'': Tom Sawyer decides that [[spoiler:freeing Jim from the plantation simply by getting the key and letting him out of his cell]] isn't romantic enough and wants to make an elaborate plan with Rope Ladders, a journal made of leaves, and food poisoned with sleep medicine, just like in the books. [[spoiler: The "cool" swashbuckling achieves nothing except getting him shot.]]
567* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
568** The page image is from a cover of ''Literature/SoulMusic'' - Death, about to bring down a pick made of his shattered scythe on a magical, sentient guitar that may or may not be the host of an EldritchAbomination.
569** This is the nature of witchcraft. A witch is simply someone GenreSavvy enough to take advantage of this rule.
570** There exists an order of monks known as the Monks of Cool, who seek ultimate coolness instead of zen enlightenment. An acolyte has achieved this when his master takes him into a room full of all types of clothing and asks, "Yo, my son, which of these is the most stylish thing to wear?" and he responds, "Hey, whatever I select." [[TotallyRadical Cool, but not necessarily up-to-date]].
571* ''Literature/SnowCrash''. A Mafia-controlled pizza delivery company, chaingun battles with aircraft carriers, ninja skateboard couriers, and intersections being shut down by sniper fire from rival road construction companies are just the beginning. Eventually you get to the part with the supersonic attack dogs and the BadassBiker who has a nuclear torpedo in his motorcycle's sidecar. ''Then'' you get to the supersonic motorcycle swordfights....on the ''internet.''
572* Author Creator/ChristopherMoore lampshades his use of this in the afterword to ''[[Literature/LambTheGospelAccordingToBiff Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal]]''. At one point in the story Jesus goes to China and studies both Buddhism and martial arts at a Shaolinesque temple. Moore admits the temples wouldn't have been around at the time, but then adds this: "But to remain historically accurate, I would have to leave out an important question that I felt needed to addressed, which is, '[[KungFuJesus What if Jesus had known kung fu]]?'" Because Josh [[TechnicalPacifist doesn't believe in using weapons]], he and Biff make up their own unarmed martial art called the "Way of the Jew." Or, "[[{{Pun}} Jew Do]]."
573* Creator/GarthNix' ''The Literature/KeysToTheKingdom'' is Nix trying to see how much cool magic stuff and mythology he can put into one series. Answer: ''a lot''.
574* In one of the books of the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' [[Literature/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch relaunch novels]], an interstellar portal (which, mind you, could have led to anywhere in the galaxy) just happens to lead to a Malon garbage scow that had been taken over by a Hirogen hunter. Why? So that Taran'atar, their local Jem'Hadar character, could fight with him, of course!
575* In ''Literature/{{MEG}}'', [[TheProtagonist Jonas Taylor]] is swallowed by a 40 ton shark and he cuts through the stomach lining to get into the heart chamber. Then he rips the heart and goes back through the stomach and reach the surface with only a broken escape pod, an air tank, a mask and a 200 million year old tooth. Logical? HELL NO! Awesome? Yeah!
576* While most animal-themed GladiatorGames involve tigers, bears and the like, ''[[Literature/GentlemanBastard The Lies of Locke Lamora]]'' features gladiator equivalents who stand on platforms over water and fight ''sharks''.
577* ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials '': Iorek Byrnison and the Panserbjorne. No, {{bears are|BadNews}}n't [[AvertedTrope always bad news]], especially if they're sentient and armored and ''blacksmiths''.
578* The last book of the ''Literature/XWingSeries'', ''Starfighters of Adumar'', gives us [[AwesomeButImpractical awesomely implausible]] personal weapons, the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Blastsword blastsword]]. It exists solely because it's cooler than dueling with normal swords.
579-->'''Wes Janson''': "So it's like a blaster you have to hit someone with. I've got to have one."
580%%* Creator/MatthewReilly's books. ''All'' of them.
581* Why is Literature/HarryPotter's scar shaped like a lightning bolt?
582--> '''Creator/JKRowling''': "To be honest, because it’s a cool shape. I couldn’t have my hero sport a doughnut-shaped scar."
583* Creator/GeorgeEliot noted in ''Literature/SillyNovelsByLadyNovelists'' that stories trying to do it via "let's throw it in" method
584--> ...remind us of the pictures clever children sometimes draw "out of their own head," where you will see a modern villa on the right, two knights in helmets fighting in the foreground, and a tiger grinning in a jungle on the left, the several objects being brought together because the artist thinks each pretty, and perhaps still more because he remembers seeing them in other pictures.
585* ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudiceAndZombies'' (and its various sequels and imitators) has no real reason to exist except for this rule; zombies are cool and seeing [[ProperLady proper ladies slaughter them]] is even cooler.
586* Scourge of ''Literature/WarriorCats'' is a cat who wears a collar with dog teeth sticking out of it. It's uncomfortable, but he wears it because he knew it was awesome.
587* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' is, by the admission of [[Creator/JimButcher its author]], constructed out of this. When the main character magically blasts werewolves through walls, fights vampires alongside mob bosses, running into the middle of a [[TheFairFolk faerie]] {{apocalypse|How}}, [[spoiler:reanimating a ZOMBIE]] T. REX and PUNCHING OUT SANTA CLAUS (who is also [[Myth/NorseMythology Odin)]] you KNOW it's this trope.
588* ''Literature/TheForeverWar'' is a hard sci-fi but author Joe Haldeman has no problem in creating a make-believe [[AppliedPhlebotinum "stasis field"]] that makes it impossible for anything to move faster than 26m/s so he can have [[RecycledInSpace swordfighting IN SPACE!!]]
589* This seems to be one of Willy Wonka's guiding principles in ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' -- why make ''ordinary'' ImpossiblyDeliciousFood when you can make ''awesome'' sweets such as sugar eggs that dissolve in your mouth and leave a little pink sugar baby bird on your tongue? It's not enough that he has a subterranean river of melted chocolate running through his factory -- he also loves to travel down it via a boiled-sweet boat that looks like a Viking longship. Many of the inventions mentioned only in passing are absolutely ridiculous-sounding, but also sound like great fun: fizzy lemonade swimming pools, marshmallow pillows, toffee apple trees that can be planted in backyards! Also, the Great Glass Elevator he uses to zip through the factory? It turns out to be equipped for ''space travel'' in [[Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory the sequel]].
590* ''Literature/ThursdayNext''. The hero, Next, can visit inside books. The mechanics of this are explained as, 'If it works, it works'. Which leads to the Chesire Cat manifesting a Kraken to defeat what is essentially a toast-based dictatorship.
591* ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'' is based on one very simple concept: medieval knights riding dinosaurs into battle. How do you tame a dinosaur? ''Can'' you tame a dinosaur? If you tamed it, could you ride it? Would it even want to charge into battle? It does not matter -- what matters are ''medieval knights riding dinosaurs into battle''.
592* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/DavidStarrSpaceRanger'': Sanito tables are made out of force fields. Why? Because they're easy to clean. However, the initial force fields worked too well, and they had to be made to purposely glitter so people would see that their plates and cutlery actually rested on something tangible.
593* ''Literature/ASymphonyOfEternity'': Commodore Horatia TJ Jackson is a ReligiousBruiser, MultiMeleeMaster and any fleet under her is considered unstoppable once unleashed, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and she's a sentient human-sized tarantula]].
594* ''Literature/TheCampHalfBloodSeries'':
595** Percy Jackson. Constantly making dorky, sarcastic quips [[UnpopularPopularCharacter that make him popular out of universe and make him seem annoying to his enemies]], and is crazy enough to insult Mars/Ares in front of the Roman camp, snowboard down a hill with a sausage plate, and dunk Juno/Hera into the River Tiber. Also the most powerful demigod in the lore by the time of ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus''. His best feats include besting the god of war in a swordfight at the age of 12, saving the world from Kronos and [[OneManArmy wiping out 200 skeleton warriors]] [[spoiler: (thanks to bathing in the River Styx)]] by age 16, and defeating an entire Roman legion in a game of Capture The Flag thanks to his [[LightningBruiser unique fighting style]].
596* [[CoolOldGuy Great Uncle Ebbitt]] from ''Literature/TheSeventhTower'' definitely comes under this. Not only is he willing to attempt feats of magic and crazy stunts that even [[ActionGirl Milla]] would think twice about and has the competence to pull them off, he actively enjoys them. He doesn't just play the trope but actively enjoys it. It's half {{lampshaded}}, half a plot point later on in the book.
597[[/folder]]
598
599[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
600!!!'''In General:'''
601* {{Toku}}satsu shows in ''general.''
602** The sole reason that the monsters [[DefeatEqualsExplosion explode into fireballs]] upon defeat. It's a flashy way to get rid of a monster without more expensive post-editing effects.
603** Why do the bad guys send monsters one by one?
604** How are HumongousMecha, let alone CombiningMecha and TransformingMecha possible?
605** What's with those wacky villain getups and PeopleInRubberSuits?
606** How the heck does spandex deflect fireballs?
607** How do you summon suits from thin air anyway?
608** ''Why'' would you pose dramatically before doing so, and often after?
609** Why doesn't the monster just attack you while you're still posing?
610** How do they do those poses their first time out as if they'd practiced them, ''in unison'' in the case of teams transforming together?
611** Why does posing sometimes cause ''giant explosions'' in the background?
612** How do fists cause sparks?
613** Not only do monsters explode, but why the ''hell'' would you turn ''away'' from the monster when you think it's going to explode, since they don't ''all'' die with the first use of a FinishingMove?
614** The answer to these questions is another question: would it be as much fun if they didn't?
615!!!'''By Series:'''
616* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'':
617** Following the events of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', Coulson has taken steps to avert S.H.I.E.L.D.'s SigilSpam, removing the emblem from the cars and many other obvious places. He couldn't bring himself to remove the giant symbol on the top of the plane, though, because it's just too cool.
618** Coulson has Fitz make him a device that projects an energy shield for the sole reason that they both agreed it would be cool for the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. to have a shield. For bonus points, it's in the shape of Captain America's shield, though with the S.H.I.E.L.D. symbol rather than his star.
619* ''Series/AguilaRoja'' pretty much lives on the Rule of Cool. For starters, the titular hero is a [[GratuitousNinja Gratuitous]] McNinja in the 17th century Madrid. This means that AbsurdlySharpBlade and KatanasAreJustBetter often come into play.
620* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
621** "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E1BuffyVsDracula Buffy vs. Dracula]]" had [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Buffy fighting Dracula]]. In adapting the Count for their show, the writers let him keep all his most memorable traits (sleeping in a coffin, hypnotizing people, turning into a bat, etc.) even though [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Buffyverse vampires don't normally work that way]]. He even got to dwell in a BigFancyCastle, despite the show being set in California, where castles are rare to nonexistent (and, [[LampshadeHanging as Riley points out]], you'd think the MainCharacters would have noticed their town had a giant castle in it before now). This is all excused because, without those things, he just wouldn't feel like Dracula, and [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny Buffy vs. Dracula]] would never have happened.
622** Creator/JossWhedon has specifically cited this as the reason why, in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E22Chosen Chosen]]", all of the Ubervamps suddenly start dying easier than regular vampires seem to, even when being fought by normal humans.
623* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'':
624** The premise of a computer being downloaded into a guy's mind makes no sense whatsoever, and when that computer is upgraded to make him magically learn kung fu, all plausibility goes flying right out the window but Chuck can kick people in face, so who really cares?
625** Sarah's knife-throwing [[ImprobableAimingSkills exploits]] fall firmly into this trope.
626** If Casey is coming to the rescue, why bother with making him take the door when you can have him parachute in through a glass ceiling with a team of Special Ops commandos?
627** The tricked-out Nerd Herder has hidden passenger-side controls, a remote control, a hidden central console, handcuffs that come out of the steering wheel to detain prisoners, and a driver's seat that can be ejected out the door. Why? Because it does, that's why.
628** Within canon, when Morgan can't think of a way to pick the Buy More's new assistant manager, he finally decides to go with a bouncy harness cage match. Not that anything involving Jeff and Lester can be terribly cool, but it's the principle of the thing.
629* Creator/StephenColbert on ''Series/TheColbertReport'' uses this trope when he was protecting the identity of a former employee deployed in Afghanistan - "For security reasons I can't show his photo, and for cool reasons I will refer to him as '[[AwesomeMcCoolname Tank Gunbullet]]'."
630* Nothing in ''Series/DoctorWho'' makes any sense at all. Not the [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld centuries-old]] [[TheNthDoctor regenerating]] HumanAlien who travels around time and space in a police box, not the {{Technobabble}} they [[MotorMouth deliver at a hundred kilometres an hour]] to justify the latest ReversePolarity, not the [[ContinuitySnarl perpetually vague or contradicting continuity]], ''definitely'' not the TimeyWimeyBall, not the OmnicidalManiac motorised pepper pots armed with a whisk and a toilet plunger, and absolutely not the screwdriver that gets NewPowersAsThePlotDemands. There is also, however, not a single person that cares.
631-->'''Simmons:''' [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E6Dalek What you gonna do, sucker me to death?]]\
632''[Dalek [[NightmareFuel promptly suckers him to death]][=]=]''
633** [[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion "The Christmas Invasion"]] features MURDEROUS ALIEN TIN SANTA CLAUSES who shoot FIRE OUT OF THEIR TUBAS and a [[DuelToTheDeath swordfight to the death]] between the Doctor and a Sycorax for planet Earth. Just 'cause.
634** In the climax of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E2ToothAndClaw "Tooth and Claw"]], the Tenth Doctor uses [[spoiler:a telescope and diamond to fire a beam capable of lifting a werewolf, easily weighing 3-400 lbs, into the air, using only moonlight]].
635** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E14TheNextDoctor "The Next Doctor"]] features a [[spoiler:GIGANTIC [[SteamPunk STEAMPUNK]] [[HumongousMecha CYBERMECHA]].]] Sure, it was ridiculous, but... [[spoiler: gigantic steampunk cybermecha]]!
636** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E15PlanetOfTheDead "Planet of the Dead"]]: Flying alien stingrays! On a desert planet! And a flying bus!
637** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E3VictoryOfTheDaleks "Victory of the Daleks"]]: [[CoolPlane Spitfires]] InSpace
638** [[Recap/DoctorWho2010CSAChristmasCarol A flying shark pulling a sled.]]
639** A [[LizardFolk Silurian lady]] fighting crime in Victorian England with her human maid/lesbian lover? [[KatanasAreJustBetter WITH A KATANA??]] Admit it, you want to watch that episode now.
640** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E13TheWeddingOfRiverSong "The Wedding of River Song"]]'s AnachronismStew: Balloon powered cars floating around a 'modern' London with flying-lizards, Roman soldiers on the underground, Charles Dickens on early-morning TV to talk about his latest book and Winston Churchill riding into parliament on his personal mammoth.
641** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E2DinosaursOnASpaceship Dinosaurs!]] ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E2DinosaursOnASpaceship On a spaceship!]]''" What more could you want?
642* ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' features this due to the creator's desire to include cool-looking SpaceWestern themes whether they [[FridgeLogic really made sense or not]]. From the DVD commentary:
643-->"Nice floating train. Floating trains are cool."\
644"And I'll tell you for why, it's because they're floating, and also, trains."
645* In the GrandFinale of ''{{Series/Fringe}}'', [[MadScientist Walter]] has developed AbnormalAmmo that will not only kill their typically-ImmuneToBullets enemy, but cause the bodies to float in the air due to [insert TechnoBabble here]. When Peter asked why they'd need them to float them if it could kill them, Walter says, as if he'd been asked the painfully obvious, "Because it's '''cool.'''"
646* ''Series/TheFutureIsWild'' BBC miniseries, a followup to the ''Walking with ___'' series, focuses on what life might be like millions of years in the future. It's got elements of evolutionary biology, but most of it is rule of cool all over.
647* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Why would anyone build a clockwork map of the world? Because it looks really really cool, that's why. The little-cogs-in-a-larger-machine effect satisfies the RuleOfSymbolism as well.
648* ''Series/HappyDays'': The Fonz can channel this trope [[PercussiveMaintenance through his fist and into a jukebox to activate it to impress chicks]].
649* ''Series/TheLateShowWithDavidLetterman.'' From the January 5, 1994 show:
650-->[[http://www.jokebug.com/joke/top_ten_jokes/27_4_9139/top_ten_words_that_sound_great_when_spoken_by_james_earl_jones.html "Top Ten Words That Sound Great When Spoken By James Earl Jones"]]
651* One of the key selling points of ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' is the authenticity of the wardrobe and the skill of the costume department at making it so. Then Arthur has a trenchcoat. Why? Because it looks cool.
652* ''Series/MythBusters'':
653** TheTeam usually follows up a "busted" myth (and plausible and confirmed myths too) with an over-the-top experiment under improbable circumstances just to see how cool it looks like when it explodes. After all, "we've replicated the circumstances of the myth, now let's replicate the results", and "if it's worth doing, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill it's worth overdoing"]].
654** While testing to see if small amounts of dynamite can clean the inside of cement trucks of solidified cement, they fill one up with FBI-provided high explosives and blow it up to smithereens. Why would this be considered important information in the busting of this myth? The correct answer is: Who cares?
655--->'''Jamie:''' [[LampshadeHanging This has got nothing to do with the myth;]] [[StuffBlowingUp it's just a big boom.]]
656** It boggles the mind that they made a cannon entirely out of duct tape. The damned thing ''worked''.
657* The ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' franchise got its success by being practically fueled by this trope, the premise alone involving a small group of teens doing martial arts and [[SuperSentaiStance making awesome if slightly goofy team poses]] while wearing motorcycle helmets and fighting giant monsters by piloting [[HumongousMecha transforming giant robots]] might seem very silly, but if you tell it to any Power Ranger fan, you'll likely get the response "Who cares? it's freaking awesome!"
658* ''Series/{{Primeval}}'': It's implausible and silly half the time, but it's about crazy scientists fighting '''[[TimeTravel time-traveling]] DINOSAURS'''. The development team [[ShownTheirWork does their research]], but they don't apply it at all and instead take ArtisticLicenseBiology in heedless abandon. One episode even featured a [[RaptorAttack raptor]] chase through a shopping mall. On motorbikes.
659* The creators of ''Series/{{Rome}}'' admitted they ignored the date the real Atia died simply because they loved the character and wanted to keep her on. Most fans agreed.
660* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', being a Franchise/{{Superman}} show that ran for ten years, and with one of the producers a fan of MediaNotes/{{the Silver Age|OfComicBooks}} madness, sure has its moments.
661** The "[[BulletTime Clark time]]" effect. They love it so much they give SuperSpeed to dozens of villains that usually don't have them, because it looks so blasted cool.
662** Lana Lang with the [[spoiler:Prometheus armour. It is "armour" that gives not the slightest trace of being worn, and gives kryptonian level speed and strength. Oh, and you need to start some fires... over a water tank... containing the test subject... and there is no energy input... Yes, it makes no sense but it is all forgiven when Lana bursts out of the lab like a phoenix from the flames and does a BulletCatch]].
663* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': You could fill a hundred encyclopedias with all the technical and narrative inaccuracies; two dimensional space, clear contradictions in the standard operating procedures of Starfleet, glaringly inefficient ship designs, unrealistic scale of space, unrealistic equipment, convoluted timeline of events, the list is infinite. However....when ''Trek'' fires on all [[strike: cylinders]] warp nacelles, NOBODY gives a damn.
664* In the season four premiere of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', the Enterprise's targeting sensors are disabled, requiring the ship to get close enough to the target to eyeball it. This serves no plot purpose but the target happened to be a facility in Nazi-occupied New York. The result was the Enterprise flying over New York City, fighting [[StupidJetpackHitler Stukas with plasma cannons]].
665* ''Series/TopGear'': Why race a Bugatti Veyron against an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon? Why attempt to turn a Reliant Robin into a space shuttle? Why do any of the things they do? Because they're cool, dammit!
666* Early seasons of ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower really had her pushing the limits]] of BadassNormal. She could fight one-on-one with a PhysicalGod or solo against armies and win. As a specific example: In one scene, she jumps from a cliff and horizontally spins hundreds of feet onto a passing ship. She could do this because she was Just That Cool. Her [[ThemeMusicPowerUp blood-quickening theme music]] sung by the Bulgarian Women's Choir always accompanied such feats. Later seasons had plot-devices and {{Flashback}}s explaining various powers.
667* Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger: The whole team, really. Marvelous deflects bullets by ''shooting faster'', the team has weaponized their poses successfully , Don has used branches, trapeze ropes, and falling and ''wins'', the team's solution to dealing with a meteor about to crash into earth is to ''throw'' one of the mecha into it with another mecha; just about every other episode will have insane, hilarious, and over-the-top badassery.
668* The titular protagonist from ''Series/SledgeHammer''; his catchphrase is "[[BlatantLies Trust me. I know what I'm doing.]]", and in the beginning of the first episode, he takes out a sniper by ''blowing up the building under him''(after making sure everyone inside had been evacuated, of course).
669* ''Series/AmericasGotTalent'', of all shows, brings us [=ArcAttack=], who have pioneered the use of ''[[LightningCanDoAnything Tesla coils]]'' as a musical instrument. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_Tesla_Coil For real.]] And it gets better... The founder of the group is one of the group of guys who ''invented'' the singing Tesla coil in the first place. And their act is so dangerous and uses so much power that after the audition, ''they weren't allowed to perform in the theater'', and had to have a special stage built for them outside.
670* Jeremy Clarkson of ''Series/TopGear''. In the show's various challenges (convert a vehicle to be amphibious and drive it across a body of water; buy a cheap two-wheel-drive car and cross Botswana), he inevitably goes for more flash, more speed, and [[TimTaylorTechnology more power]]. As a result, he always seems to achieve magnificent success or equally magnificent {{Epic Fail}}ure.
671* Showa-Era Franchise/KamenRider, being the franchise that gave us such things as [[StupidJetpackHitler Wizard Starfish Hitler]], has a fair number of such characters, but special mention must be given to Series/KamenRiderStronger. Stronger is ''[[LargeHam THE WARRIOR OF JUSTICE]].'' Where other cyborg riders were unwilling victims rescued at the last moment before brainwashing, Stronger deliberately underwent the procedure and beat the brainwashing through pure force of will, at which point he beat the shit out of his captors. Stronger's Super-Mode is so hardcore that he must exhaust its power when using it, or ''explode.'' Stronger can punch a Kaijin so hard that it will not only be reduced to a twinkle in the sky, but will explode shortly thereafter. Stronger once beat the shit out of Heath Ledger's Time-Displaced Ghost, at which point he exploded. Guns are sexually attracted to Stronger, as shown by the opening title sequence.
672* [[Series/KamenRiderDenO The Owner of the Den-Liner.]] To specify, he has a habit of eating plates of food while trying to avoid tipping over a small flag in the center...but he a gun that shoots a barrage of these flags as sleeping darts used to knock out an entire room full of people in seconds? Using one of these flags to take down a forcefield? Running along side a time traveling bullet train that's going at full speed? Using a normal everyday bicycle to POWER said time traveling bullet train with his own leg power brings this trope to the next level!
673* Continuing our Kamen Rider tradition is [[Series/KamenRiderFourze Gentaro Kisaragi]]. A delinquent who has one mission: [[MundaneMadeAwesome make friends with everyone in his new school.]] His first moment of awesome? Screaming at a fellow student for dumping a girl's love letter to him and then jumping into a cold river to pick it up. Then he has crazy weapons for his arms and legs like a paintbrush, faucet, drill, rocket, etc. Oh and his screams are enough to be heard ''across the universe and back'', not to mention that he has ''pompadour sense''.
674* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''
675** Among their inventions include: a lead balloonthat actually flew; a fully functional duct tape cannon, ''two'' gliders made of concrete, boats made of ice and duct tape, ''two'' hovercrafts, ''four'' historical weapons, a bridge made of duct tape, and a functioning seesaw that can take 40,000 pounds of force without being damaged.
676** [[StuffBlowingUp They made a full-sized cement truck vanish in a fraction of a second.]]
677** They've waterskied behind a cruise ship, dropped a car from 4000 feet. Making a seesaw that can take something like 40000 pounds of force without breaking or even bending and still works as a seesaw.
678** You can't make a sailboat sail by blowing on the sail with a fan that's mounted in the sailboat itself. It's against the laws of physics. They built one. It ''worked''. It ''sailed''. ''[[BeyondTheImpossible They broke a law of physics.]]'' "I reject your reality and substitute my own" is all that needs to be said.
679[[/folder]]
680
681[[folder:Music]]
682* This is the basis of the Music/LemonDemon song, "Music/UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny" (which inspired a [[http://www.ultimateshowdown.org/ well-known Flash video]]), in which Neil Cicierega describes a battle royale started by Franchise/{{Godzilla}} and Franchise/{{Batman}}. As the fight went on, more pop culture icons join in, including Shaquille O'Neal, Abraham Lincoln, [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]], Creator/JackieChan, Franchise/IndianaJones, the Franchise/PowerRangers, Creator/ChuckNorris, [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]], Comicbook/{{Superman}}, UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini, and countless others:
683-->''The fight raged on for a century,'' \
684''Many lives were claimed, but eventually'' \
685''The champion stood, the rest saw their better:'' \
686''[[spoiler:Mr. Rogers in a blood-stained sweater]].''
687* Music/{{Muse}}: Rule of Cool is the reason for Muse's existence. Considering how their stuff is crazy-awesome GenreBusting with generous heaps of operatic flamboyance, who cares if the concepts don't entirely make sense at times?
688** The video ''Music/KnightsOfCydonia'' features cowboys, androids, birds of prey, seduction, kung fu, rayguns, dirtbikes, execution, Soviet imagery, holographic band members, a unicorn and a [[EarthAllAlong half-submerged Statue Of Liberty]], and is set in a goldrush town named after the Martian region of Cydonia. It doesn't make a great deal of sense, but it is still awesome!
689** Another song is about "superstars sucked into the supermassive", with huge riffs and piano's that would make an appropriate soundtrack to [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's Inferno]]. Oh, and the live shows are truly awesomely epic, with extended improvised jams and exaggerated theatricality. ThePowerOfRock, indeed.
690* The video for "Music/ShineOnMe" by Chris Dane Owens. It's every fantasy movie imaginable fed through a wood chipper and shaken up, spliced with shots of a Legolas lookalike strumming a guitar.
691%%* The reason anyone likes Music/DragonForce.
692* CaptainDan. More specifically, ''Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew,'' a group of rapping pirates with song titles like "Hook it up," and "Keel Haul 'Em."
693* Seasick Steve is a folk singer who used to be a hobo. He plays a three-string guitar.
694* Music/{{Rush|Band}}'s "Music/TwentyOneTwelve" is 20 minutes long and the vocals account for less than 10 of them. Does most of the rest of the song have anything to do with the story it tells? For the most part, no, but that's not going to stop it from being awesome.
695* ''Liquid Tension Experiment''; when Music/DreamTheater members gave up any semblance of composition and just dazzled everyone with their unbelievable instrumental prowess.
696* "Franchise/{{Godzilla}} Eats UsefulNotes/LasVegas". It's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
697%%* Michael Angelo Batio. The Double and Quad guitar. Look it up in Youtube.
698%%* Music/FrankZappa's "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar" series and "Black Page Pt. 2"
699* The album cover of ''Painkiller'' by Music/JudasPriest has a silver angel riding a motorcycle with buzzsaw blades for wheels, and a chassis that is a dragon. This shiny angel rides his impossible motorcycle through the air over a bunch of skyscrapers slowly sinking into lava.
700* Music/NinjaSexParty's song "Dinosaur Laser Fight". It's about dinosaurs having a laser fight in space with sharks and robots because a tyrannosaurus couldn't get a high-five.
701* Music/{{Bananarama}}. With fire, a woman dressed as the devil, a woman with huge bat-like wings, a woman in a beret pushing a man from one table to another, the band dancing and singing, and all those different women being worshipped by men, and a woman in a wedding dress coming out of a casket, and with none of these different elements acknowledging each other, the video for "Venus" runs on this.
702* French band Music/NouvelleVague made a career out of playing popular tunes from TheEighties in a bossa nova style.
703* Former Music/HollywoodUndead member and current solo rapper, Deuce, has a music video for "Let's Get it Crackin" where he spends most of the video dancing with hot girls in typical rap star fashion, but then takes out a gun and nonchalantly shoots them all dead for no apparent reason. Despite the sheer randomness of this, fans still liked the video a lot, possibly for two reasons. First, because the video started out so typical, and then had a never-before-done twist. Secondly, randomness aside, it's still sex and violence. Which is almost always a win.
704* Why is The 1812 Overture, a piece commemorating a Russian victory over French forces, prominently featured in many ''American'' Independence Day celebrations? It has cannons in it.
705* Music/{{Gloryhammer}}: The plot to Their two albums is as follows: Undead unicorns invade dundee, their leader Zargothrax the EvilSorcerer is imprisoned in ice, then released by the Chaos Wizards, and the second album ends with Korviliath the Elder God from the 18th Hell Dimension being prevented from being unleashed by the [[EarthShatteringKaboom earth being destroyed by a neutron star powering a cyborg exploding.]]
706* Two words: Music/LadyGaga. This is the lady who wore a [[http://s-ak.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/terminal01/2010/9/14/16/enhanced-buzz-15488-1284496566-20.jpg Meat]] [[http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2010/stylewatch/blog/100927/lady-gaga-300x400.jpg Dress]]. Not only did she wear it, in public, in a ''totally'' casual way, but she ''actually managed to make it look good''.
707* Music/{{Pink}}. ''Especially'' in concert. She did a world concert tour for her "I'm Not Dead" album, and at every venue sang [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgbgWXNlIsU "Fingers" while doing a 'Cirque de Soleil' act forty feet above an ''unpadded'' stage. With no net if she fell.]] Even real Cirque de Soleil performers don't perform songs at the same time! ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3stsDXki__U She did something similar at the Grammies, but with her song "Glitter In The Air"]].) This tour, she's singing a song and simultaneously doing a trapeze act that starts with her being lifted into the air blindfolded.
708* Music/{{Queen}} staging an all-female nude bicycle race to promote "Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race", to say nothing of some of their concert acts and videos (Freddie Mercury swordfighting [[Film/{{Highlander}} Connor MacLeod]] with a microphone stand in the "Princes of the Universe" video, just for example)
709* Music/MileyCyrus:
710** Her 2009 Wonder World Tour, especially her filmed appearance at London's O2 Arena, can definitely count as this. She entered the stage "breaking free" from a "block of ice" prop, rode moving hotel dollies and airport carts, "rode" a motorcycle across the audience while singing "I Love Rock And Roll", played a piano rising from an elevator for "When I Look At You", flew on a harness in a giant white dress for "Fly On The Wall" (after riding a giant van to the front of the stage), and basically hammed it up in full "rock chick" persona for much of the rest of the show. The projected films, dancers (often scaling walls), laser and light shows, and multiple costume changes added to the theatrics. And she ''sang live'' (if understandably breathlessly at times) the whole time. It was one of the hottest tours of that concert season. She (somewhat) scaled down for the Gypsy Heart Tour a few years later.
711** ''Bangerz Tour'' brings back the pyro, but appropriately for her change of image and sound is filled with giant dog statues, over the top costumes and masks, a very unconventional dance troupe, and wildly colored rear projection effects. Not to mention [[HotterAndSexier Miley's]] [[RefugeInAudacity stage]] [[RuleOfFun presence]].
712* Music/KaizersOrchestra is quite the embodiment of this trope. Think alt-rock and Norwegian folk music stuck in a blender with Blue Man Group-style theatrics on stage and a dark musical mythos involving lunatic asylums, the mafia, and an only semi-defined "resistance" operating in the midst of it all. As for the "awesome" part? Well...[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxv0LsJ9kvc her]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNozTHSQH_o du]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYrPdOCM4y0 går]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOKLu-jX7YQ min]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOGgviDEV2I Costanze]].
713* Definitely Music/MaximumTheHormone. Besides their famous themes for ''Manga/DeathNote'', their hit [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiBepyEfr0I "Koi No Mega Lover"]] mixes DeathMetal with JPop and punk rock into one track. Bizarre and eyebrow-raising? Yeah. Simultaneously insane and epic? Hell yes.
714* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXMuWi0dUBc This guy from Croatia]] is a One Man Band! He plays the guitar, the tambourine, the kazoo, the harmonica, a bicycle horn, ''and'' a kick drum! Not simultaneously, but it actually sounds like an actual band!
715** And the inversion, by Stringfever: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5MLNMgpywk 4 Cellists, One Cello.]]
716* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamantaka_Eye Yamantaka Eye]]. Best known for his work with Music/{{Boredoms}} and as the singer for [[Music/JohnZorn Naked City]], Eye is also known for performing under the name Hanatarash. Live performances for these were notorious for their [[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Hanatarash dangerous and destructive nature]] with antics that include a backhoe and trying to throw a Molotov cocktail on stage.
717* Music/{{Rammstein}}. How many other musical artists can you think of that have [[IncendiaryExponent lit themselves]] [[ManOnFire on fire]] for 3+ minutes once a show ''every show'' for three straight tours with solely the protection of [[GogglesDoNothing a pair of welding goggles]], and have been claimed to ''enjoy'' it? The drummer Cristoph Schneider was quoted once as saying that the band's motto was "Do your own thing. And overdo it!"
718** When played live, "Mein Teil" sees the lead singer drag the keyboardist out in a ''boiling pot.'' And then ''using a flamethrower on it while the poor guy is still in there.''
719* Both members of Music/{{Angelspit}}. These are the guys who created a music video about a secret society devoted to cannibalism and vivisection, regularly use synths to fuck songs up beyond belief, ''built their own instrument and subsequently destroyed it for the purposes of recording the sounds it made while being destroyed'', made some awesome music out of a salad bowl and a lampshade, and instead of simply making a video asking for video entries from those who wished to be their new videographer, created a video where [=ZooG=] killed the old videographer, asked for video entries, and finished the vid with 'I need a knife, a fork, and an oven built for one. Happy New fucking Year!'
720[[/folder]]
721
722[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
723* Mythological gods and heroes in general are full of this. That's half the ''point'' of most of them. Hercules, Gilgamesh, the entire cast of ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms''... all fuelled by Rule of Cool. Where else are you going to hear that an Eight-Headed Snake was defeated by ''Sake'' of all things[[note]]Besides ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', which is based on this sort of thing[[/note]]. In fact, most mythological heroes weren't necessarily heroic in the modern sense. A lot of the time, all it took to be a "hero" was strength and daring, not morality.
724[[/folder]]
725
726[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
727* Some wrestling moves (especially the more elaborate finishers) fall into this category. The effectiveness of every move used in pro wrestling is directly proportionate to how cool it looks.
728** [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]]'s Petey Williams' "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov1rNg0wsIg Canadian Destroyer]]", a flip piledriver that [[ArtisticLicensePhysics would break the laws of physics]] if the opponent weren't helping -- but it looks incredibly awesome, so it doesn't matter too much.
729** The People's Elbow could finish anyone off, despite being done from a standing position, as well as [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]] bouncing off the ropes twice for no reason.
730* Surely, a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot wrestling grave-digger zombie biker]] would be a laughable gimmick, but surely enough, Wrestling/TheUndertaker has been alive (undead?) and kicking for about 20 years now, and has become one of the most iconic figures in all of wrestling.
731* Wrestling/{{Boogeyman}} smacks himself over the head with a ''clock'', setting off the pyro for his entrances and wrestles with ''the glass stuck in his head!''
732[[/folder]]
733
734[[folder:Roleplay]]
735* ''Roleplay/TVTropesRollToDodge'': A heavy factor in the gameplay. This is Knighted's main power source, and Dreadnought used it once as well.
736-->'We're badass enough that a few broken bones won't hinder us'
737--->-- Makuta to to Mu Nu Xi after a particularly nasty fall.
738[[/folder]]
739
740[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
741* In ''TabletopGame/Space1889'', the things requiring most suspension of disbelief are also the coolest; dinosaurs on Venus, Victorians in Space, supertough Martians riding on big scary birds, canals of Mars and flying ships. There are rather detailed and reasonably plausible explanations for these, if you accept slightly different natural laws, though. Perhaps the most blatant example of greater need for suspension of belief for extra cool stuff is two prototype giant steam robots in the adventure Tom Fleet and his Steam Colossus in Challenge 61 -- yes, of course they end up having a cool giant robot on giant robot fight, do you even need to ask?
742* Several Creator/WhiteWolf games have a literal Rule of Cool called Stunting.
743** This is ''the'' central rule of the ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}''. Not only do many, many things in the setting exist solely because they're cool, but it's an ''actual rule'' -- although it doesn't use that name, it's a mechanical manifestation of it in spirit -- where giving a cool description to accompany an action grants a Stunt bonus to perform it. The more awesome it sounds, the bigger the bonus.
744** Case in point for the ''Exalted'' Rule of Cool outside of the Stunt mechanic: ''{{chain|sawGood}}klaves''. Then the Alchemicals had to go and beat it with the gyroscopic chakram: for when ComicBook/CaptainAmerica needs to get in on the ChainsawGood.
745** Stunting also makes it into ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'', in the specific context of Dream Combat, and with some caveats appropriate to that.
746** ''TabletopGame/{{Scion}}'' uses the same "stunting" rule as ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}''.
747* The open-source game [[http://wiki.saberpunk.net/Wushu/HomePage Wushu]] thrives on a stunting rule, giving you dice for every detail that you hammer down for a given action and everything you describe happens unless the other players veto it.
748* The indie ''TabletopGame/LegendSystem'' [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is published by]] ''Rule of Cool Games''.
749* The ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' campaign setting in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. For one thing, there's a [[DungeonPunk magic train]] that exists for the sole purpose of players fighting on its roof. Then there's the LostWorld continent, the modular magic-powered robots known as the Warforged (who are a PC race!), the [[HorseOfADifferentColor dinosaur-riding]] halflings...
750* The small RPG company Atomic Sock Monkey Press has a particular obsession with the Rule of Cool. At least one of their games ("[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot]]") relies entirely upon the principle behind the Rule to exist. Most games from the company incorporate a rule called "Being Badass," where if the player describes something he does in a particularly cool or effective way, the attempt gets a + 2 on the dice roll (and in a game that uses only two six-siders, even + 2 is a worthwhile bonus).
751* The RPG ''TabletopGame/FireBorn'' from Fantasy Flight Games was built on this trope, featuring as it does reincarnated dragons. Who fight the forces of darkness in [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture near-future London]]. [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting With kung fu]]. As the game progresses, they get flashbacks to when they ruled the [[{{Atlantis}} ancient world]] as full-size dragons.
752* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
753** Physics ''is'' the Rule Of Cool, and it's [[NightmareFuel fueled by abyssal nightmares]]. [[SpaceOrcs The Orks]] can change the laws of physics through [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve blithering ignorance]], while the Ruinous Forces of [[EldritchAbomination Chaos]] have a whole [[HyperSpaceIsAScaryPlace dimension]] that lets them grow extra bits of ''[[BodyHorror everything]]'' by way of literal OffscreenVillainDarkMatter.
754** [[BadassBiker Wazdakka Gutsmek]] is an Ork who decided his bike's guns weren't big enough. [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:Wazdakka_Gutsmek.jpg So he mounted fully automatic tank cannons on it.]] And thats tame by the standards of most Ork Characters...
755** He once took out a Titan by ''ramping'' his bike into it, bypassing its force fields (which set him on fire, by the way). He carries the crew's skulls with him and to this day, they're ''still on fire''.
756** Ork flyboys are orks whose obsession with speed is considered insane even by other orks. To quote the [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Deffkopta deffkopta]]'s inventor, Kog da Flymek, "Wot's faster than a warbuggy, more killy than a warbike, and flies through da air like a bird? I got no bleedin' idea, but I'm gonna find out."
757* In ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' the Rule of Cool is neatly quantified for {{Game Master}}s wishing to run cinematic campaigns: ''"The "cinematic" campaign is one where realism doesn't rule because if it did, it would constantly get in the way of the story. In a cinematic campaign, swashbuckling heroes can defeat dozens of foes because the story calls for it. Spacecraft whoosh or roar in the silence of space because fast things whoosh and powerful engines roar. Rightness always overrules mere correctness."''
758* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' has been described thusly: "Say your mission was to get a can of coke from a vending machine. Step four can be 'pull out rocket launcher' and nobody will blink."
759** With the proper min/max techniques, it is possible to acquire an ECM-equipped armored stealth helicopter equipped with a long-range armor-piercing missile launcher with 36-hour operational endurance and a secondary heavy machine gun as a basic starting character. Whether your game master will ''let'' you, on the other hand...
760** A certain selection of Adept powers boost your character's unarmed combat ability. If you boost your Magic attribute high enough, it is easily possible to create a character who can punch through an armored battle tank without breaking into a sweat.
761** Misuses of the Restricted Gear quality could fill pages. Want a helicopter with a heavy laser cannon? Go ahead. 5 kilometer range remote-guided armor-piercing missile launcher? Sure. Power-armored troll with an assault cannon? It would take two applications of the quality to get military-grade armor ''and'' the assault cannon, but yes.
762* Being a mash-up of cyberpunk and Tolkienien urban fantasy, ''Shadowrun'' regularly begs for absurd and amazing scenarios. One of the most memorable setting moments involves the Great Dragon Dunkelzahn running for and winning the presidency of the United Canadian and American States, only to shortly be assassinated upon the commencement of his term. Subsequently the creators of the game published [[http://www.shadowruntabletop.com/game-resources/dunkelzahns-will/ Dunkelzahn's Will]], a huge document full of [[ShoutOut Shout Outs]], hilarious jokes, and multiple campaigns' worth of intriguing plot hooks.
763* ''TabletopGame/SpiritOfTheCentury'', besides having [=PCs=] able to pull off basically anything they've ever seen in a movie, fight gorillas on top of a zeppelin, ride dinosaurs, etc., asks the GM to stop and think, before declaring any rule, "What happens if the [=PCs=] succeed, and what happens if they fail?" and is expected to come up with a sufficiently interesting answer for both, just to guarantee every roll will have cool enough results either way to be worthwhile. The game also encourages things like taking gangsters and making them zombie gangsters, or making their leader a talking gorilla, etc.
764* ''TabletopGame/StarWarsSagaEdition'' has the Second Wind mechanic, Force Points, and Destiny Points, which work as ''Rules FOR Cool''. The Second Wind ability allows a heavily beaten character to pull himself back on his feet and return to the fight for a short duration. The rare Force Points significantly increase the chances for success in critical situations, while the even rarer Destiny Points can almost guarantee success when it is vital for everything he fought for. (Like having only one single shot left before the Death Star blows all your friends up.)
765* This is an explicit rule of design in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. Anything can see print if it's cool enough.
766* The independent game ''TabletopGame/{{Cosmopol}}'' only exists because of this rule; ''UsefulNotes/TheodoreRoosevelt'' having four terms as president and ''Buckminster Fuller'' designing an entire city!
767* Champions and the TabletopGame/HeroSystem invoke this rule repeatedly. The rules emphasize "dramatic realism" but we all know what they mean by that. Combine it with the fact they have strength tables high enough to permit a PC to lift a castle.
768* ''TabletopGame/{{Torg}}'': Humanoid dinosaurs? Check. Oppressive cyberpunk theocracy? Check. Two-fisted archeologists? Check. Ninjas fighting megacorporations? Check. Ancient astronauts? Check. Lovecraftian horrors in the jungle? Check.
769* "Infinity": you can (with some minor list restrictions) pick any models from a faction you like "because they look cool" and be able to win with them. One faction is made up of the most bad ass French to ever exist, Russians, British and US Special Forces, Scotsmen in Kilts waving broadswords and assault rifles AND werewolves. That is one single faction.
770* What ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' runs on. Players even get Story Points that allow them to pull off the craziest things and alter the plot.
771* ''TabletopGame/{{Mythender}}'' has a very abstract rule system partly so it can focus on this. Whatever cool thing you can think of to do, you can definitely do it, and it will definitely work. In fact, the cooler it is, the more powerful it makes you, so you're encouraged to go nuts. All that power will eventually turn you into an EldritchAbomination, sure, but you'll look ''really'' cool along the way!
772* Basically, any time a player makes an investment in something for their character that is strictly *not* optimal in terms of game mechanics yet appeals to a player's wants/sense of style, they are opting to follow the Rule of Cool (if only in a small way).
773RuleOfCool:
774* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}''. It has two martial arts dealing with flamethrowers and another that uses a chainsaw version of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's shield. The main characters are assumed to go SerialEscalation on a daily basis. The default starting character types, the Solars, have to deal with fate ninjas who don't like them, elemental-powered samurai monks who ''really'' don't like them, and extradimensional living cities that absolutely hate them. Oh, and the mechanical spiders that control fate have a soft spot for feats of epic awesomeness, making the really insane stuff more likely to succeed. Given that it has been described as ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', this was frankly inevitable.
775[[/folder]]
776
777[[folder:Toys]]
778* ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' qualifies with such things as giant-sized, biomechanical tigers that can extend their neck and have caterpillar tracks instead of back legs; robotic heroes surfing on lava or riding on rock slides with buzz saws attached to their feet; humongous insects with powerful blasters implanted onto their bodies; desert bandits riding on dinosaurs; and all kinds of warriors/villains/monsters you can [[BuiltWithLego build out of Lego sets]] with the most bizarre powers you can imagine. Even such mundane things as transportation were cool when the setting called for it. Nowadays, the story tends to focus less on these aspects and more on the actual plot -- that is why the introduction of cybernetic dinosaurs with laser targeting-systems was so welcomed.
779[[/folder]]
780
781[[folder:Web Animation]]
782* Creator/MontyOum lived by this rule, tending to go with what looks cool rather than what looks realistic:
783** ''WebAnimation/DeadFantasy''. The characters of ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' and ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' beat the crap out of each other with no regards for little things like the laws of physics.
784** Action in ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' is built on cool. For instance, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt9vl8iAN5Q the White trailer]] involves a girl duelling a GiantMecha with her elementally-powered rapier by jumping off SteppingStonesInTheSky.
785** According to the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' creators, the Rule of Cool got a little away from them in the Season Two episode "Breach." The heroines effortlessly defeated dozens of enemies, but the Grimm seemed weak and underpowered, removing much of the dramatic tension. Later seasons made the Grimm much tougher, preventing most one-shot kills but amping up the technical complexity of the fight scenes to compensate.
786* ''WebAnimation/SuperMarioBrosZ'': A ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''[=/=]''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' crossover done with ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' physics. It also features a JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient that approaches ''one'' during some fight sequences that quite frankly [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDrukfontFg=related have to]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It2Sn5IiXBM&feature=related be seen]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zDuJxM99IQ&feature=related to be]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMyPYwHKnmo&feature=related believed]]
787* ''WebAnimation/KingsOfPowerFourBillionPercent'': There's not much logic behind the animation, but when it looks that cool, does it need any?
788* Flash games ''New York Shark'', ''Sydney Shark'' and ''Miami Shark''. It's about sharks eating fishes, humans, boat, baseballs, planes, Spider-Man, etc. and then destroying the Earth with a meteor.
789[[/folder]]
790
791[[folder:Web Comics]]
792%%* This [[http://wickedpowered.com/d/20070702.html page]] from a webcomic called WICKEDPOWERED
793* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja''
794** The inclusion of raptor-riding banditos alone proves the point here, but if that doesn't convince you, there's also Dracula, who happens to have a ''moon base'' with a ''moon laser.'' He hangs out with Paul [=McCartney=], the real Michael Jackson, and Tupac.
795** See also [[http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/14p24/ this strip]] and the one directly following it. No other webcomic features a ninja MD flying a private jet into a thunderstorm where he will be attacked by missile volleys and [[strike:pterodactyls]] [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology birdosauruses]], which he will subsequently defeat in a single minute so that he may continue on to the apocalyptic Aztec tennis temple to save the world's greatest tennis champion who must play a game of tennis against the avatar of the Aztec god of destruction in order to save the world from imminent doom. The only reason any of the above makes any sense, at all, is because it is ''so goddamn cool''.
796** King Radical comes from Radical Land, which is even more like this; ''everything'' there is based on the Rule Of Cool. Not just almost every plot point like in the normal setting of the comic, but everything else too. Even the Sun wears sunglasses. Given the general nature of the comic, it makes perfect sense when he reveals (in "A Cumberland Ninja in King Radical's Court") that [[spoiler: the world of the comic is halfway between Radical Land and a boring universe like ours, influenced by the energies of both, which is why it looks like the world we know with the addition of the occasional ninja doctor or vengeful astronaut ghost or an ogre running a supermarket]].
797* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' uses this mixed with RuleOfFunny to make its [[FantasyKitchenSink bizarre and frequently absurd mythology]] work. As an example, the "Holiday Wars" arc. Bun-bun, a [[KillerRabbit murderous]] [[TalkingAnimal talking rabbit]] with the stolen powers of Halloween and the Easter Bunny, leads an army of ghouls in battle against a mutated, alien Santa and his own army of black ops elves. Santa and Bun-bun have their final showdown where they fight each other at SuperSpeed using the same ability that lets them deliver presents/hide eggs all over the world in a single day. Eventually [[spoiler:Bun-bun performs a CoupDeGrace on Santa using a Nerf gun]]. [[http://sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/031221 Take a look for yourself]].
798* In ''Webcomic/MixedMyth'', this is treated as one of the laws of the universe (under the name of Cynmatics). It causes anything that looks awesome to be inherently more powerful, such as how a gold wand with crystals in it is more powerful than a wooden wand. The GenreSavvy characters take advantages of this.
799* [[Webcomic/AnsemRetort This comic]] [[http://www.ansemretort.org/ansemretort/index.html?comic=516 brought to you by a man on a shark fighting a]] [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Werepire]]
800* [[http://www.badkarmaproductions.com/jc/?p=35 In the Name of the Gun]]. Jesus is fed up with God's inaction and comes back to Earth circa 1940. He proceeds to kill Nazis with the help of other celebrities, like Ernest Hemingway.
801* ''Webcomic/RockPaperCynic'' espouses wisdom such as the following: [[http://www.rockpapercynic.com/index.php?date=2009-08-21 "At some point we must all chose between what is right and what is awesome"]].
802* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Rule of Cool is regularly invoked by the local bard, Elan. He deliberately pushes a self destruct button so he can jump away from the explosion 'like a Vin Diesel movie'.
803* ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness'' states that all good webcomics needs pirates because pirates are cool.
804* In ''Webcomic/{{Snowflakes}}'', Wray's logic and knowledge of history, and even her grip on reality, are often come into question. But who cares if Erik the Red never piloted the Enterprise, or whether there are wraiths? It's awesome.
805* In ''Webcomic/MobTies'', there is a clan of time traveling yakuza monkeys.
806* Invoked by the protagonist of ''Webcomic/QuentynQuinnSpaceRanger'' in-comic [[http://www.rhjunior.com/QQSR/00037.html here.]]
807-->'''Plotya Foreshadow''': But why did you fire a salvo of photon torpedoes to detonate it? A remote self-destruct command would have done the job...
808-->'''Quentyn Quinn''': Well yeah, but this way looked cooler.
809* ''Webcomic/AxeCop'': The t-rex with CoolShades has chainguns for arms and can breathe fire and can turn into a dragon with rocket wings. [[http://axecop.com/comic/episode-52/ Seen here]].
810* ''Webcomic/TheThrillingAdventuresOfLovelaceAndBabbage'': The premise is "wouldn't it be a lot cooler if Charles Babbage had completed his Difference Engine, then gone on {{Steampunk}} adventures with Ada Lovelace?" ([[WunzaPlot He's an engineer, she's a mathematician, they fight crime!]] And street music!)
811* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'':
812** In the (hugely spoilerific!) [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=007138 [S] Dirk: Synchronise]], why does Dirk do a handplant while he's flying around on a rocket board? Because it's ''goddamn cool''. Why does he ride through space on a rocket-powered skateboard, high-five an alien while in motion, carry around a robot just so he can fist-bump it later, and save all of his friends lives by kissing them and decapitating himself? Because it's ''goddamn cool''.
813** [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Bro]]. Like Dave, he has a katana, but prefers to kick Dave's ass with a different weapon: '''[[DemonicDummy Li'l Cal]]'''. How? By utilizing so much [[FlashStep Flash Stepping]] that it looks like ''Li'l Cal'' is alive and ''doing the fighting for him''. When he's doing this, you can barely see him on-screen as a blur. And when said [[CurbstompBattle ass-kicking]] is over, he flies away on a ''rocket-skateboard''. In a series that runs off the sheer absurdity of the characters and situations, it really says something when this guy is the craziest and coolest of them all.
814** [[spoiler:Post-flipout, [[MonsterClown Gamzee Makara]] picks up the CrazyIsCool slack. His Strife Specibus is Jokerkind. What kind of weapon does Jokerkind consist of? WHATEVER THE MOTHERFUCK HE WANTS. Including the [[InfinityPlusOneSword WARHAMMER OF ZILLYHOO]]. When he isn't brutally murdering people, he's {{Flash Step}}ping around, tricking people into gathering in one place so he can kill them more easily later, swapping items while people are holding them, generally [[HellIsThatNoise scaring the shit]] out of Karkat, and, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking apparently, kissing Tavros's severed head]]. Then there's the [[DecapitationPresentation MOTHERFUCKIN JURY]]]].
815* ''Webcomic/DragonBallMultiverse'': Broly was found unconscious and transformed (powered-up) at the same time, which does not happen in DBZ. The authors stated they did that for the coolness, and the readers didn't approve.
816* ''Webcomic/DeepDiveDaredevils'': It's a DieselPunk webcomic about a CoolBoat, with a {{Cyborg}} captain, two characters wearing an EyepatchOfPower (only because it's cool), a [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent Were-whale]], {{Dracula}} (who wants to TakeOverTheWorld) and a [[ChekhovsVolcano volcano about to blow its' top]]. Yeah, it's cool.
817* In the nondescript space future of ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' wars are literally FOUGHT on the Rule of Cool: the point of it is to get the public to think you have the coolest army. Case in point: CommanderBadass wants to punch his superior officer. Any other army: that'd get him immediately punished, probably demoted, and lucky not to get kicked out. In an army running on this trope: they decide it could be 'mad bitching' and set ground rules to give the Commander one free no-strings-attached sucker punch on the Admiral (preferably in public). However, the concept is also deconstructed and averted: sometimes Rule of Cool isn't the best option: red jackets may look cool, but make the wearer a big target. And the military has no problem emotionally manipulating their soldiers to make them be 'more like Batman', which is what actually led to the case in point. (And by the way, no, the Commander hasn't punched the Admiral yet. It's not about punching him, it's about him knowing he's getting punched.)
818** On a smaller scale, Angel's survival derby is decided by who has the raddest team/base. They technically didn't say who won the most recent one, but considering the Commander made a DynamicEntry on a megalodon wearing a sweater (the megalodon, not the Commander), it's reasonable to guess his team did.
819* An InUniverse example in ''Webcomic/ImTheGrimReaper''. It's Satan's justification for the physical changes he makes to Scarlet, which includes giving her a pair of horns, fangs, black and red hair, and even a tail. She, on the other hand, is less than thrilled.
820* Invoked in [[https://www.nerfnow.com/comic/2917 this]] ''WebComic/NerfNow'' strip (which is literally named after this trope), in which Morgan points out all the flaws mecha have and how tanks are superior in every way. Jane's counterarguement? "Can a tank suplex a kaiju?"
821-->'''Morgan:'''...can't argue with that.
822* Sydney of ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'' is a [[GenkiGirl hyperactive]] [[{{Geek}} comic store owner]] with a taste for [[BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce corrosively-hot curries]], a [[SirSwearsALot vocabulary that can and does make sailors blush]], [[EstablishingCharacterMoment and, in her first fight scene]], [[http://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/241 threw a guy by his tongue]]. ConfusionFu is her speciality. And in terms of actual powers, the only people on her team who outshine her are [[FlyingBrick Maxima]] and [[ComboPlatterPowers Dabbler]], the two most powerful supers on Earth. It [[OhCrap severely worries]] both the latter when Sydney's powers ''[[TimeToUnlockMoreTruePotential level up]]'' after an early battle.
823* Kiel'ndia of ''Webcomic/DrowTales'' has definitely crossed over to this. She's always been a little out there (she treated the readers as her imaginary friends). After the timeskip, she's ''weaponized'' us. The readers are now manifest as a swirling cloud of black demons that apparently only she can see, and she uses us to fight other characters and capture demons.
824* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Adrian Raven [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2008-04-18 comments]] on the subtitle of the "Sister II" arc questioning if "awakenings" is [[PerfectlyCromulentWord even a word]] but Catalina claims no one cares because it sounds cool.
825[[/folder]]
826
827[[folder:Web Original]]
828* Website/ChuckNorrisFacts is all about this; Chuck Norris can do X because it would be cool.
829* Parodied in the [[Website/TheOnion Onion News Network]] video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyph_DZa_GQ&feature=channel Supreme Court: Death Penalty Is 'Totally Badass']]. See also [[http://www.theonion.com/articles/nation-demands-tax-dollars-only-be-wasted-on-stuff,17704/ this]] article from ''Website/TheOnion'', in which the Rule Of Cool is applied to federal government.
830* 4chan, particularly in /m/, the section devoted to HumongousMecha, often generally has any argument about... well, just about anything, really, solved by using this as the defining factor.
831* The Terran Confederacy in Ralts Bloodthorne's web serial ''First Contact'' applies this rule to their history. As one character puts it: ''"Yeah, it may be bullshit, but it's cool, so I choose to believe it."'' [[spoiler:This is mostly because a lot of their history was lost in various conflicts, so they had to make things up to fill in the gaps - and if you have to make something up, you might as well make it cool.]]
832[[/folder]]
833
834[[folder:Web Videos]]
835* In WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick class on how to spot evil, Nella says that black leather coats are bad, unless you're a post-apocalyptic AntiHero. Then it's cool.
836* Creator/MatthewMercer [[ConversationalTroping talks about how to use this trope]] in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWZDuFIYkf0 an episode]] of his series about GameMaster tips on the ''Geek & Sundry'' web channel. His main point is that you should allow the players to try interesting things, but also be careful to not do it too often, since that can mess up the structure and cohesiveness of the game.
837* WebVideo/TheUnluckyTug discusses this at the end of "EVERY {{WesternAnimation/Thomas|AndFriends}} Movie Ranked"; he says that he doesn't mind if the climax is slightly unrealistic as long as it's exciting and wraps up the story.
838[[/folder]]
839
840[[folder:Western Animation]]
841* ''WesternAnimation/DinoRiders'' is about people from the future riding into battle on dinosaurs ''with [[SlowLaser Frickin' Laser Beams]] [[Film/AustinPowers attached to their heads!]]''
842* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfVoxMachina'': Their team motto being "they fuck shit up". Vox Machina has prevailed through performing acts of feat. Vox Machina suggests that Scanlan use his magic hand to get them airborne. Scanlan protests that they're all too heavy... and then he realizes that the ''music'' he needs should be heavy, and he starts playing a heavy metal electric guitar solo on his lute.
843* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
844** Several commercials for the [[Film/Transformers2007 2007 movie]] were constructed of the robots appearing onscreen and onlookers standing around saying "cool."
845** ''[[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Animated]]'' takes it to new extremes. For starters, Optimus Prime has ''a rocket-powered axe.''
846** Prowl is an alien ninja robot. Who turns into a motorcycle. Why would giant alien robots have ninjas, you ask? Stupid question.
847** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6unfoqFkB4 Optimus Prime and Soundwave getting into a rock-off?]]
848* Much of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' is built between the Rule of Cool and the RuleOfFunny, resulting in varying controversy. Many recurring questions that [[Headscratchers/TeenTitans2003 linger in the fandom]] are the identity of Red X, the identity of Slade and the fuel behind his motives, and which of the Robins Robin is. Glen Murakami on the other hand has openly expressed that he couldn't care less about any of these things, so long as the [[AnimationAgeGhetto kids]] liked it and found it cool. In one interview, he uses the word "[[TotallyRadical cool]]" a good fifteen times to answer just about every other question. Inevitably, the series concluded with [[KudzuPlot more unresolved plotlines than you can count on your hand]]. Invoked In-Universe with the HIVE Five's name.
849-->'''Kid Flash:''' If you're called the HIVE Five, why are there six of you?\
850'''See-more:''' Because... it sounds cool?
851* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', where the VirtualGhost of a Martian justifies their embarking on a pointless project that drove their race into extinction with "Because it's cool." He proved himself right, too. [[spoiler: They turned their entire planet into one giant moveable spaceship]]. That's pretty dang cool!
852* ''WesternAnimation/RamboTheForceOfFreedom'': Demonstrates the caveat listed in the description: You can only use the rule of cool when the result is, in fact, cool. Highlights of this show include Rambo wrestling a panther ''under water'', driving a motorcycle ''on top of a train'', and jumping out of a burning aircraft with a rocket launcher and somehow managing to turn around and ''blow up several missiles headed straight for his ally's helicopter with it''. It's just cringe-worthy how ridiculous it all is, the flawed animation and complete insanity of the idea of basing a cartoon for children on an ultra-violent action hero making it impossible to take seriously.
853* The creators of ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'', the ContinuityReboot to ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', were looking for a way to set their series apart from the rest. So, they made a spin-off movie entitled, ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman... [[WesternAnimation/TheBatmanVsDracula versus]] {{Dracula}}''. '''Batman. Versus. Dracula.''' The bat-imagery crossover lets it make a twisted kind of sense. The movie lives up to the concept. [[spoiler:Yes, Batman finds a cure for vampirism at the end, and all the citizens of Gotham who were vamps go back to normal]]. The Penguin becomes TheRenfield. Oh, and as if it wasn't cool enough already, ComicBook/TheJoker is turned into a vampire [[spoiler:for a while]]. VAMPIRE. JOKER.
854%%
855%%Do not respond to the above post. We don't want conversations on the main page.
856%%
857* In ''WesternAnimation/GeorgeShrinks'', Becky asks George why his ghost catching machine requires bells and horns. His answer: "they're cool!"
858* In one episode ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' jumped off a plane without a parachute. Even while she was falling towards her doom, she didn't panic and just by sheer luck was she saved by a blimp. While asked why Kim would do such a deadly stunt, the director answered that it was cool.
859* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'':
860** Enzo's birthday party. During the festivities, [[EvilOverlord Megabyte]] crashes the party, and brings out... a guitar? With a [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap dial turned to 11?]] Megabyte begins jamming. Then Bob steps up to face him, seemingly angry at him for crashing the party. Then he commands his [[SwissArmyWeapon keytool]] to turn into a guitar and thus begins a rocking '''guitar duel''', between [[GoKartingWithBowser the Hero and the Big Bad!]] The whole thing ends with Megabyte giving Enzo his guitar, "I've always wanted to do that" and then leaving. Sure, it could've been a trap, or just about anything, but those thoughts never crossed ANYONE'S mind because it was just that freaking AWESOME.
861** Near the end of the third season of [[spoiler: with the system crashing, "User" characters from every game seen prior to the episode suddenly begin appearing in Mainframe]]. This is [[HandWave explained]] by the instability of the system releasing "undeleted RAM" -- but it seems more like a thinly-veiled excuse for a battle royale between the cast and every User at once. Nobody complained.
862* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' was inspired by the glorious lunacy of [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Creator/DCComics so ''of course'' it focuses on coolness above all else.
863-->'''Aquaman''': Outrageous!
864* ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNu6_dxWbNo badass opening theme song]], a giant robot ''with a car for a head'' that's piloted with a video game system. Coop can pull off amazing and special moves because he played video games all his life. It can all be summed up by these two lines, from the episode where Coop enters Megas into a car show:
865-->'''Coop:''' Man, there's some tough competition this year.\
866'''Jamie:''' Competition? Dude, you have a ''giant robot from the future'', with a '''car for a head.'''
867* Tried, but failed, in the ''WesternAnimation/MisterT'' animated series. [[note]] (If it managed to fail at the Rule Of Cool despite having Creator/MrT as the main character, you know it failed big-time).[[/note]] While a few moments (most notably ''[[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Mister_T/Mystery_of_the_Golden_Medallion.aspx spinning an alligator over his head]]'') managed it, the [[{{Anvilicious}} punctuating thuds of anvils landing]] got in the way.
868* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
869** Sokka has a ''space sword.'' A '''sword''' made from '''meterorite.''' Suddenly being TheTeamNormal became a much cooler position.
870** The giant drill -- that could have been done so many other less cool ways.
871** From Season 2, we are introduced to Varrick, a fun-loving corporate executive. A mad inventor who invented ''film'' for fun, whose girlfriend (?) is his smoking hot leading lady, and who, when he gets in a pinch, hides in a Platypus-Bear to remain undetected! Oh, his yacht? It's also a giant ''speedboat'' and carries a biplane ("What sort of ship wouldn't have a plane?") but no runway. Not only that, he owns one of the very first Battleships ("I wanted one so I got it!"). When he's later arrested for attempting to kidnap President Raiko, he reveals he has already built himself a custom cell in the prison which his company made [[CrazyPrepared since he always thought he'd end up there someday]], and finally when his cell is busted open [[spoiler:during [[HumanoidAbomination Unalaq]]'s attack on Republic City,]] he immediately puts on goggles and Zhu Li, his HyperCompetentSidekick, jumps onto his back, attaches herself to him and they both fall out of the cell, then glide away on a ''glider'' he had just in case!
872--->'''Varrick:''' Zhu Li...''do the thing!''
873--->'''Zhu Li:''' ''[attaches a box to her back, runs over and jumps on Varrick's back and both jump out of the cell and glide away]''
874* ''WesternAnimation/SWATKats'': How did they build a serviceable jet fighter from parts in a salvage yard? One better than the official military's jets? After building a secret hangar? Many of their Special Missiles violate logic ''and'' physics. Their jet crash into the water with stalled engines ''and they get the engines restarted '''underwater''' and fly away''. Who cares? It's [[{{Pun}} RADICAL]] and plays to an awesome electric guitar soundtrack.
875* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' has this as a guiding principle when writing the setting. It was all but outright stated in a featurette that Rule of Cool dictated the writing sessions for Tartakovsky and his creative team. They would sit down and ask: What cool thing can we invoke this episode that we saw on TV when we were kids? Why are there robotic Celtic demons, cowboys riding jet-powered horsebots, robotic Viking warriors, boisterous Highlanders with machine-guns for legs, Spartan warriors with rocket spears, immortal monks and magical portals? Because ''awesome''.
876* The ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' episode "The Mandalore Plot" featured a villain with a lightsaber and not just any lightsaber but one with a ''[[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon black blade]]'' shaped like a {{katana|sAreJustBetter}}. WordOfGod said that this was a case of ExecutiveMeddling on Lucas's part, who didn't allow the [[MadeOfIndestructium kortosis]] [[{{Vibroweapon}} vibrosword]] to be used against a lightsaber..... which was planned to be used for this trope's sake in the first place.
877* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'': The stuff that happens on a typical episode would be laughable anywhere else, but the fans overlook that little detail because it has 10-year-old secret agents with homemade weapons and vehicles.
878* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongebobSquarepantsMovie'', the climax consists of [=SpongeBob=], seemingly doomed because of Plankton's EvilPlan, singing about the Goofy Goober using a visor and microphone from nowhere to distract Plankton, and when Plankton finally instructs his minions to attack [=SpongeBob=], the microphone and visor are gone just as easily as they appeared and [=SpongeBob=] now has a ''wizard costume with a peanut pattern'' as well as a Goofy Goober guitar which he uses to play a solo which involves lasers fired from the guitar destroying Plankton's mind-controlling helmets. Despite the blatant, out-of-nowhere DeusExMachina, this sequence is too cool to question.
879* ''WesternAnimation/{{Motorcity}}'': nukes, tornado stunts, tanks, and car chases that basically says "SCREW YOU" to physics. Think a more child-friendly Anime/{{FLCL}}, except with cars instead of guitars.
880%%* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' and ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower''
881* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' and its sequels:
882** A wrist-mounted device that shapeshifts the wearer into ten (or more) forms with varied superpowers? Having it means meeting alien heroes, beating down bad guys, and being able to do your chores in a hurry? Oh heck yeah.
883** Ben's alien form Rath takes the cake. Basically, he's a tiger standing on two legs who looks like he took trash talk lessons from Randy Savage or Hulk Hogan, and ''fights'' like them. He cemented his "cool" status by ''jumping down into the stomach of an intergalactic overlord'' to save the prince of a planet he had to tend for and threatened that he'd knit a sweater out of his organs if it happened again because "EATING BABIES IS NOT! COOL!" Not to mention that he is super strong, very angry and all around BADASS.
884* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Two (later three) kids get to tag along with HumanAliens on space adventures to learn about science. Unrealistic? Yes. Totally awesome and way more fun than simply looking up information on the internet? Also yes. This even gets lampshaded in "[[Recap/ReadyJetGoS2E11PotatoesOnMarsBortronLeprechaun Potatoes on Mars]]".
885* ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'': As implied by the title, this is a setting where [[WorldOfBadass anyone can become a superhero (or supervillain)]], simply by fighting or doing enough deeds to level up like in a RPG game. Heroics are also commonplace enough that finishing off a KillerRobot by falling out of the sky with a shoulder tackle is treated no differently than a daily routine.
886* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in the ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' episode "The Old Man and the Seat" with the leader of The Monogatrons, an obvious [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]] pastiche with long tubes apparently surgically implanted into his back. The ending shows they're literally just stuck to him and they serve no purpose other than being a cool accessory:
887-->'''Leader's Wife:''' How much water are you sucking through these stupid fucking tubes on your back?! ''[pulls them off]''
888'''Leader:''' THESE TUBES ARE ''COOL!'' And I want a divorce!
889[[/folder]]
890

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