History Main / GiantEqualsInvincible

* In [[Film/Dune1984 both]] [[Film/DunePartTwo film versions]] of ''Literature/{{Dune}}'', the blaster weapons of the Hakonnen/Sardaukar forces can't do anything against the {{sand worm}}s weaponized by Paul/Muad'Dib and the Fremen in the FinalBattle.

* In ''Franchise/PowerRangers,'' if you don't have a HumongousMecha, you should basically run. It's ''exceedingly'' rare that the most godlike weapons used at human scale can scratch the monster after MakeMyMonsterGrow ensues. And yes, it ''is'' freaking awesome and remembered forever when a Ranger manages to avert this. (As you can imagine, of the three times it happens, once it was [[LawOfChromaticSuperiority a Red Ranger]], once it was a SixthRanger, and once it was [[MemeticBadass Tommy]].)

** Part of the reason for the hate for the first American ''Film/{{Godzilla 1998}}'' movie is that this is averted. While Godzilla[[note]]and despite his InNameOnly reputation and the Toho ruling that in all future appearances [[RetCon this creature is officially renamed "Zilla,"]] legally the one in this movie ''is'' Godzilla[[/note]] is pretty much immune to small arms fire, big guns and bombs are able to hurt him, and late in the movie he is injured and eventually killed by conventional weaponry. ''Gamera'' director Shusuke Kaneko is quoted as saying "Americans seem unable to accept a creature that cannot be put down by their arms." Thankfully for fans, this would be fixed in [[WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries the animated spinoff,]] see WesternAnimation below.

* Despite the aversion in the American ''Godzilla'' film, ''WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries'' plays this straight. Godzilla in this series, is now capable of taking multiple hits from human ''AND'' alien weaponry. Not only him, but the [[MonsterOfTheWeek other monsters that appeared in the series]]. The only time they would die is by Godzilla or the Leviathan alien's weapons. And fighting each other.

* ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'': Subverted. The regular army is useless when it is time to fight [[{{Robeast}} Angels]] or even [[HumongousMecha Evas]]. No weapon of theirs can damage them. However, Asuka -who in this setting is ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}''- can fight them more effectively with her bare hands than with a giant robot despite of being an average-sized human. In fact she manages [[spoiler:taking Armisael down and surviving, something no Eva could do]].

* Averted in ''Shadow's Fall'', where the "unpowered" retired super hero Lester Gold takes on a T-Rex by tricking it into swallowing a grenade, leading to "your head asplode". Played straight with the Great Wurm, Cromm Cruach.

* Averted in Taylor Anderson's ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'' series, where the alternate Earth features many extant dinosaurs and other giant creatures (such as Mountain Fish, which are enormous whale-like creatures that eat ships for breakfast). Enough bullets, especially firing at eyes or opened mouths will bring down any creature. Hell, several times, attempts to ''scare off'' a Mountain Fish resulted in their accidental death. Turns out it can't handle a depth charge very well. In fact, one of the main characters, a BoisterousBruiser named Dennis Silva, turns a Japanese anti-aircraft gun into a {{BFG}} musket he calls the Doom Whomper, designed specifically to hunt the allosaur-like superlizards but doubling as a sniper rifle in a pinch.

* ''ComicBook/AlanFord'': Averted in the (anti?) climax of ''Sun, sky, air and...'': when the villain, Gim, dives in the size-increasing powder and emerges from the ocean as a 50 foot tall giant to kill the heroes, but Minuette swiftly kills him with a single shot of an harpoon gun to the heart.

** Played straight in ''ComicBook/TheUnknownSupergirl'': The Infinite Monster is so big that its head touches the upper atmosphere, and its already extra-tough body is protected by a personal force field. It cannot be harmed by the army or the local superheroes, and Kara's godlike strength is not enough to even ''move'' it. Finally, she resorts to build a changing-size ray and shrink it down to miniature size to defeat it.

* ZigZagged in the '90s ''Film/{{Gamera}}'' trilogy. Gamera is shot down from flight by anti-air missiles, but they don't seem to actually hurt him all that much, at most seeming to startle or annoy him when it comes to damage. In the same movie, Gyaos also gets bombarded with missiles and the most it does it wake it up. While Legion appears to be much tougher than both of them, firing at her weakest area, specifically the joints on her small claws, allow them to weaken her force field. Iris, however, plays this completely straight, as nothing Gamera or the JSDF throw at it can so much as make it flinch. It takes Gamera literally ''punching'' a hole in Iris with a MegatonPunch made of explosive fire to kill it.

** In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', he easily takes out two leviathans (one in the [[FunnyBackgroundEvent background even!]]), something the Hulk and Thor had to struggle with briefly in ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. He also kills [[TheBrute Cull Obsidian]] very easily and [[AccidentalMurder presumably accidentally]], a foe the Avengers had to struggle a lot against in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', even after [[AnArmAndALeg chopping off his arm]]. In fact, the movie is forced to write him off by giving him a different mission in order to justify him not directly fighting ComicBook/{{Thanos}} in the end.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'', the army throws its entire arsenal at the giant alien robot without leaving so much as a scratch. And even after that, the President shoots a few rounds at it, just to show that he's a brave president. It is then that they decide to [[SummonBiggerFish sic the monsters at it]], but even ''they'' have a hard time defeating it. Considering that even the largest of the "monsters", [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever Ginormica]], is still tiny compared to the robot, this is justified.

* Played almost entirely straight in the opening sequence of ''VideoGame/DinoCrisis 2'', where David scores a direct headshot on a rampaging T-Rex with an RPG, which was developed to destroy enemy vehicles, tanks and fortified emplacements (all things presumably sturdier than a dinosaur skull). This does result in the Rex [[EyeScream losing an eye]], but it quickly recovers and keeps chasing the heroes like nothing happened. Later averted when Dylan dispatches the even bigger Giganotosaurus (which itself dispatched the aforementioned Rex) by activating a KillSat, but then, the satellite's beam is powerful enough to not only [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill vaporize the Giganotosaurus, but also burn a massively deep crater into the ground underneath it]]. As you can infer from the above, none of the weapons he or Regina carry have any appreciable effect on either of these dinos (though Regina does temporarily stun it at one point by luring its face into jets of intense flame).

* Played almost entirely straight in the opening sequence of ''VideoGame/DinoCrisis 2'', where David scores a direct headshot on a rampaging T-Rex with an RPG, which was developed to destroy enemy vehicles, tanks and fortified emplacements (all things presumably sturdier than a dinosaur skull). This does result in the Rex [[EyeScream losing an eye]], but it quickly recovers and keeps chasing the heroes like nothing happened. Later averted when Dylan dispatches the even bigger Giganotosaurus (which itself dispatched the aforementioned Rex) by activating a KillSat, but then, the satellite's beam is powerful enough to not only [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill vaporize the dino, but also burn a massively deep crater into the ground underneath it]].

* ''Manga/GiantRobo'' takes place in a world where 'Experts' have various superpowers and can duke it out with each other, to the detriment of the landscape. But with a title like ''that'', guess where the ''real'' force is. The show mostly plays it straight - Giant ''does'' equal Invincible, unless you're [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique prepared to die soon afterwards]].

After generations of {{Kaiju}} movies including Franchise/{{Godzilla}}, Film/{{Gamera}} and countless imitators, viewers seem conditioned to accept that any giant monster or robot is [[ImmuneToBullets completely immune to conventional weaponry]]. This can be a problem for filmmakers, either making the military in their films [[IdiotBall look stupid]] for [[ArmiesAreUseless even being there]] or destroying the audience's SuspensionOfDisbelief when FiveRoundsRapid ''[[{{Anticlimax}} actually]] [[RealityIsUnrealistic works]].'' Not much can be done about this.

It would seem that audiences usually like to see a [[TennisBoss more]] [[YourMindMakesItReal creative]] [[CosmicKeystone method]] for destroying the monster than MoreDakka or StuffBlowingUp.

There are a few methods for overcoming this, including a {{Superweapon}}, DepletedPhlebotinumShells and (inexplicably) attaching the very same weapons to another giant robot or monster. On the other hand, simply laying out poisoned bait for these critters and letting their appetites do them in will [[JustEatGilligan never]], ''ever'' occur to anyone[[note]]except in ''Film/GameraVsGyaos'', where this ''almost worked''.[[/note]].

This trope is a staple of the SuperRobotGenre and RealRobotGenre, since it justifies the existence of HumongousMecha: if normal weapons don't work on the Giant Enemy, you need a Giant Good Guy.

Contrast the SquareCubeLaw, which suggests larger things should actually be ''weaker''. However, assuming that the Square Cube Law is in effect, and they still don't collapse and die, then this trope is justified because the creature [[RequiredSecondaryPowers needs to be super-strong and massively durable]] simply to withstand their own weight and be able to move with any reasonable efficiency (indeed, beyond a certain size, the body would have to incorporate substances stronger and more durable than anything that exists in real animals). For example, a human scaled-up by merely twice his own height would weigh eight times more. The strength necessary to move his own body weight as fast as normal human would make him incredibly overpowered versus normal-sized opponents.

It's also TruthInTelevision to the extent that a massive difference in size between two animals can render the smaller animal [[PunchPunchPunchUhOh largely incapable of meaningfully harming the larger one]] (such as an ant biting a human or a human punching an elephant) without injecting venom, [[AttackItsWeakPoint attacking a vulnerable area]], using a powerful weapon (such as a gun), or otherwise attacking with something other than its own strength (or having [[ZergRush a few dozen friends]] help). In real-life ecosystems, simply being very, very large has proven an entirely viable defense mechanism, evident in both prehistory with sauropods and the modern day with elephants and large whales.

** Also averted in one depicting a massive, slain mastodon, [[AttackItsWeakPoint with a minuscule arrow in its buttock]].

** ''Film/GodzillaVsDestoroyah'' subverts this. Turns out that too much radiation ''can'' kill Godzilla. The downside is that it'll cause him to go into a meltdown and destroy the world. Granted, nuking Godzilla is a bad idea in the first place since it'll make him larger and more powerful before it has any fatal effects on him.

** Part of the reason for the hate for the first American ''Film/{{Godzilla 1998}}'' movie is that this is averted. While Godzilla[[note]]and despite his InNameOnly reputation and the Toho ruling that in all future appearances [[RetCon this creature is officially renamed "Zilla,"]] legally the one in this movie ''is'' Godzilla[[/note]] is pretty much immune to small arms fire, big guns and bombs are able to hurt him, and late in the movie he is injured and eventually killed by conventional weaponry. ''Gamera'' director Shusuke Kaneko is quoted as saying "Americans seem unable to accept a creature that cannot be put down by their arms". Thankfully for fans, this would be fixed in [[WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries the animated spinoff,]] see WesternAnimation below.

* ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' introduces the Mega Mushroom, which transforms Mario into an invincible, screen-filling giant who can plow through even normally indestructible objects like pipes. Some bosses can at least manage to bounce Mario off of them if he walks into them, but if he stomps on them, it's an OHKO.

* As previously mentioned, the SquareCubeLaw means that any real giant creature would need to be extremely strong and durable to hold its body up. If such a monster ''was'' weak enough to be vulnerable to conventional weapons, it would be squashed by its own mass before we'd ever need to fire a shot. If you ever do [[TemptingFate meet a kaiju IRL]] and it hasn't collapsed into jelly, you can safely assume this trope is in effect.

* The biggest of dinosaurs are thought to have adhered to this trope at least somewhat. At their adult size, animals like ''Argentinosaurus'' would likely have had little to fear from predators, and the few predators that could fight them still had to be careful and couldn't guarantee that their attacks would be effective. In essentially a RealLife lampshading of this trope, one sauropod closely related to ''Argentinosaurus'' was named "''Dreadnoughtus''," which translates to "Fears Nothing."
** The largest examples of extant life have little in the way of natural predators besides technology-equipped humans or fights within their own species. Adult whales will sometimes be attacked by orcas, but deaths are very rare. Elephants, rhinos, and hippos are basically immune to the teeth and claws of every predator in Africa. Polar bears are pretty much unchallenged on land.

[[caption-width-right:299:If you think this is going to stop [[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} him]], you're watching [[WrongGenreSavvy the wrong movie]].]]

Let's face it -- things that are bigger than us are scary, and not just because of their size. A large part of the fear invoked by truly gigantic things is that while they could crush you where you stand, [[PunyEarthlings puny little you]] likely couldn't even scratch them. Instinctually, it seems we know that the bigger something becomes, the harder it is to damage. And in fictionland, things can get [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale very, very big.]]

After generations of {{Kaiju}} movies including Franchise/{{Godzilla}}, Film/{{Gamera}} and countless imitators, viewers seem conditioned to accept that any giant monster or robot is completely [[ImmuneToBullets immune to conventional weaponry]]. This can be a problem for filmmakers, either making the military in their films [[IdiotBall look stupid]] for [[RedshirtArmy even being there]] or destroying the audience's SuspensionOfDisbelief when FiveRoundsRapid ''[[{{Anticlimax}} actually]] [[RealityIsUnrealistic works]].'' Not much can be done about this.

It would seem that audiences usually like to see a [[PlayingTennisWithTheBoss more]] [[YourMindMakesItReal creative]] [[CosmicKeystone method]] for destroying the monster than MoreDakka or StuffBlowingUp.

There are a few methods for overcoming this, including DepletedPhlebotinumShells and (inexplicably) attaching the very same weapons to another giant robot or monster. On the other hand, simply laying out poisoned bait for these critters and letting their appetites do them in will [[JustEatGilligan never]], ever, ''ever'' occur to anyone[[note]]except in ''Film/GameraVsGyaos'', where this ''almost worked''.[[/note]].

This trope is a staple of the SuperRobotGenre and RealRobotGenre, since it justifies the existence of the HumongousMecha. Since a {{Robeast}} can not be defeated through conventional weaponry, it must be fought with another giant enemy.

Contrast the SquareCubeLaw, which suggests larger things should actually be ''weaker''. However, assuming that the Square Cube Law is still in effect, and they still don't collapse and die, then this trope is justified because the creature [[RequiredSecondaryPowers explicitly needs to be super-strong and massively durable]] simply to withstand their own weight and be able to move with any reasonable efficiency (indeed, beyond a certain size, the body would have to incorporate substances stronger and more durable than anything that exists in real animals). For example, a human-scaled up by merely twice his own height would weigh eight times more. The strength necessary to move his own body weight as fast as normal human would make him incredibly overpowered versus normal-sized opponents. It's also TruthInTelevision to the extent that a massive difference in size between two animals can render the smaller animal [[PunchPunchPunchUhOh largely incapable of meaningfully harming the larger one]] (such as an ant biting a human or a human punching an elephant) without injecting venom, [[AttackItsWeakPoint attacking a vulnerable area]], using a powerful weapon (such as a gun), or otherwise somehow attacking with something other than its own strength (or having [[ZergRush a few dozen friends]] help). In real-life ecosystems, simply being very, very large has historically proven an entirely viable defense mechanism, evident in both prehistory with sauropods and the modern day with elephants and large whales.

** ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' is an interesting reversal, actually - instead of making the mechs tougher than conventional tanks, they made the tanks weaker. For one thing, tanks are smaller targets, but no more difficult to hit than a 'mech. For another, although the mechs are depicted as having more exposed or lightly armored parts, the odds of a critical hit are higher versus a tank than a mech.

* Ultimately subverted in ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'': while bigger [=PCs=] and [=NPCs=] get harder and harder to take down (especially when [=PCs=] take "{{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le") they ''will'' fall eventually. It's more about players not having to spend sessions trying to grind down one giant and to keep a sense of danger when a giant PC fights as when they are fighting a kaiju, they're in the same boat as the lizard.

* ''VideoGame/MechAssault'' and ''VideoGame/TheIncredibleHulkUltimateDestruction'' both have harmless infantry enemies. The former is excused in that they're members of a fanatical cult who aren't afraid to die. The latter are member of the US army, but they'll try to avoid the Hulk...for the most part. If he can get close enough, they'll try rifle-butting him, which works about as well as you'd expect.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'', the army throws its entire arsenal at the giant alien robot without leaving so much as a scratch. And even after that, the President shoots a few rounds at it, just to show that he's a brave president. It is then that they decide to [[SummonBiggerFish sic the monsters at it]], but even ''they'' have a hard time defeating it. Considering that even the largest of the "monsters", [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever Ginormica]]/Susan, is still tiny compared to the robot, this is justified.

* Perhaps not as ridiculous a trope as it seems; a 50 meter tall, 20,000+ ton monster would most certainly ''need'' to be made of a very strong and durable substance, simply to ''[[SquareCubeLaw keep itself from falling apart at the seams]].'' Any monster that huge that was so flimsy as to be vulnerable to conventional weapons would be squashed by its own mass before we'd ever need to fire a shot. If on the odd chance you ever do [[TemptingFate meet a kaiju IRL]] and it doesn't collapse into jelly the moment it steps out of the ocean, you can safely assume this trope is in effect.

** And even with weapons designed to take out such vehicles, size brings benefits to durability. Weapons that would reduce a tank to burned-out scrap metal will mostly just poke a hole in most warships, and even among warships aircraft carriers are both the largest and most durable. Soviet anti-carrier missiles were universally colossal weapons, not only to achieve the range and speed asked of them, but because they needed to carry very large warheads to put carriers out of action.

* Averted by giant Transformers Omega Supreme and Trypticon in ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'', who despite their massive size advantages can be defeated by conventional Transformers. Played straight by Metroplex in [[VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron sequel]] who is only once slowed by enemy assault.

[[caption-width-right:299:If you think this is going to stop [[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} him,]] you're watching [[WrongGenreSavvy the wrong movie.]]]]

* For the most part Played Straight in ''Series/PrehistoricPlanet'', where extremely large animals are virtually immune to attack and shrug off any hits they actually take. The ''Kaikaifilu'' in "Coasts", in particular, is more ''annoyed'' by the plesiosaurs attacking it than actually hurt. But subverted with a male ''Mosasaurus'' and a male ''Dreadnoughtus'', as both face the one thing that there size doesn't defend against -- [[BehemothBattle another member of their own species]].