Super Weight

So, your character's Power Level is Over Nine Thousand. That's just swell! Too bad it doesn't actually mean anything. Therefore, we here at TV Tropes (having nothing but free time and a whole lot of boredom at work/school) have created a "scale" to measure a character's power. The Super Weight scale doesn't quantify power by Random Power Ranking using arbitrary numbers, but qualifies the relative power level into nine broad categories based on what a given character can do.

It's not uncommon to see characters all over this scale in a setting; or for them to change Weight Class during the course of a story, up or down. Pure power isn't everything either; a Guile Hero or antagonists can beat an opponent that's more powerful than them with clever tactics and forethought. Thus, defeating somebody does NOT mean that you're a higher Weight Class than your victim, although the greater the class difference between the lower weight victor and the higher weight victim, the more the defeat qualifies as an example of Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?.

When editing the page, remember that power levels only take into account actual power and abilities, what the character is literally capable of. While characters such as Batman and The Doctor can take on gods, they do this through intellect, not pure power, and thus remain relatively low on the list compared to their defeated opponents.

Also note that this isn't Gushing About Characters You Like; when adding examples, make realistic assessments of their power level according to the scale and in terms of the setting.


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 * Weight Class || Description || Example Traits and Abilities ||
 * Muggle Tier ||||||
 * Fragile Weight: -1 || Can't do things Muggles take for granted, have next to no combat ability and may even die if left alone for too long. These characters may rely extensively on luck, outside help or constant vigilance (assuming they aren't a burden in the first place). Note that merely being The Load or dying often doesn't put you in this weight, nor does being annoyingly dependent. This weight is for characters that are physically (or mentally) undeveloped/handicapped and cannot do what the average adult human can do. || Mouse World, Tagalong Kid, Ill Girl, Made of Plasticine ||
 * Muggle Weight: 0 || These characters are not significantly stronger or weaker than normal for a human, and tend to be Innocent Bystanders and (you guessed it) Muggles. Though not necessarily humans, they should be close to normal people in ability. || Action Survivor, Innocent Bystander, Unfazed Everyman, Non Action Guys ||
 * Iron Weight: 1 || These characters are Made of Iron Badass Normals who can push the upper limits of what a human is capable of. They may have gotten Training From Hell, be (low grade) cyborgs, or are experts at martial arts, Good Old Fisticuffs, Gun Kata, Le Parkour, Improbable Weapon Usage and the like. Basically, a character anyone could become, bar the setting. However, do note that Red Shirts typically go here, as most of them are trained Mooks that make the danger more palpable by showing the fate of non-protagonists. This weight is also for any natural wildlife that could take down an unarmed human single-handedly. || Badass Normal, Action Hero ||
 * Super Tier ||||||
 * Abnormal Weight: 2 || Characters in this weight have gained an ability, trait, or talent that is supernatural or superhuman, but are otherwise (comparable to) human(s). However, their abilities are generally very specific and limited and may be useless in some situations, rendering the characters just as helpless as normal un-powered humans. With few exceptions, characters of this type lack the Required Secondary Powers to optimize or protect themselves from their own powers. Perhaps their only powers are to cancel other powers. Most of the time, their ability is something we can mimic or even surpass using common science or low-grade cybernetics. Muggles and Irons that are Beast Men or Cyborgs may also end up here. || Transhuman, Beast Man, Anti-Magic / Power Nullifier ||
 * Super Weight: 3 || Characters in this weight are no longer normal humans. Their powers, even if they are limited, can be used in a variety of ways. They also have Required Secondary Powers when they are necessary. Their abilities may be due to using Functional Magic or having Stock Super Powers. Most of your run-of-the-mill Super Heroes, Shounen characters, and Mages will likely start here, possibly being pushed higher as they continue their adventures. || Magic and Powers ||
 * Hyper Weight: 4 || These characters have abilities that can typically cause, stop, or even reverse large scale disasters, or have a reality warping power with few limitations. A protagonist of this weight or higher risks becoming a God Mode Sue, because their abilities tend to be story breaking, making it difficult to give them a plausible challenge. That said, a protagonist at this weight can have engaging adventures, the author just has to be careful to scale the Sorting Algorithm of Villain Threat accordingly. || Person of Mass Destruction ||
 * Cosmic Tier ||||||
 * World Weight: 5 || These characters have abilities that can affect an entire world, either positively or negatively, or may even be a manifestation of a planet, with all that implies. Reality Warpers that are powerful enough to create separate worlds / planes of existence (that are difficult to destroy) also go here. Many a Big Bad ends up here, especially if they're omnicidal maniacs, though you'll also find their opposite in The Messiah. || World Wrecking Wave, World Healing Wave, Physical God ||
 * Cosmic Weight: 6 || Characters that are this powerful aren't so much characters as forces of nature, wielding power beyond observable human science. As a kind of Cosmic Entity, they may be a Reality Warper with Reset Button abilites, Anthropomorphic Personification on a cosmic scale, Celestial Body, or Sentient Cosmic Force. These characters often go about their business in the universe, unaffected by traditional conflicts. For better or worse. || Cosmic Entity, Sentient Cosmic Force ||
 * Author Weight: 7 || Characters at this weight are absolutely Omnipotent and likely Omniscient. They are capable of exerting their will on all of reality and the entire universe (multiverse?) or even the plot itself without exception. Destiny/Fate is their play-thing. They cannot be killed/destroyed by any means, and can only be defeated by someone of the same weight. Any limits they have are self-imposed. While this weight is almost always reserved for (capital 'G') God and the Author, characters can be written for at this level. Just don't expect it to be a normal story. || The Omnipotent, God ||

See also Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu? when a character defeats someone who's much higher in Super Weight scale. Characters that have Won the Superpower Lottery will usually end up on the higher levels of this scale.

No Real Life Examples Please

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