Artificial Limbs: Difference between revisions

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''or [[Evil Dead|act as a replacement]].''|'''Showbread''', "Dead By Dawn"}}

A number of heroes and villains in video games, anime and science fiction either start off with or receive an artificial limb over the course of the story, usually to offset the [[Scars Are Forever|poignant loss of an appendage]]. This can either be due to [[An Arm and a Leg|an injury]], or in rare cases [[Life or Limb Decision|intentional mutilation]]. Said prosthetics [[~~Hollywood~~ Cyborg|will almost always function perfectly]], as if the character had [[Reset Button|never lost the limb to begin with]], save for malfunctions that relate to the story.

A number of heroes and villains in video games, anime and science fiction either start off with or receive an artificial limb over the course of the story, usually to offset the [[Scars Are Forever|poignant loss of an appendage]]. This can either be due to [[An Arm and a Leg|an injury]], or in rare cases [[Life or Limb Decision|intentional mutilation]]. Said prosthetics [[Cyborg|will almost always function perfectly]], as if the character had [[Reset Button|never lost the limb to begin with]], save for malfunctions that relate to the story.

Artificial limbs will often grant [[Super Strength|superhuman strength,]] frequently overlooking the fact that even if your ''arm'' has the strength to lift a tanker truck, doing so would very probably crush your spine [[Required Secondary Powers|unless it were similarly reinforced.]] Or, the arm will bend, but follow the path of least resistance, and simply rip itself out of the shoulder joint.

If you're in an era where cybernetics are not just in the future but ridiculously so, never fear: the [[Rule of Cool]] allows you to get [[Steampunk]] limbs instead. ~~Nevermind~~ that this makes little sense in terms of nerves and muscles. A fantasy world may substitute magical prosthetic limbs (based on the magic that produces the [[Golem]]), but this is rare since such worlds can usually use the same magic to regenerate lost limbs instead.

If you're in an era where cybernetics are not just in the future but ridiculously so, never fear: the [[Rule of Cool]] allows you to get [[Steampunk]] limbs instead. Never mind that this makes little sense in terms of nerves and muscles. A fantasy world may substitute magical prosthetic limbs (based on the magic that produces the [[Golem]]), but this is rare since such worlds can usually use the same magic to regenerate lost limbs instead.

Quite fortunately, this is also a case of [[Truth in Television]]. While they can't give you superhuman powers, prosthetic limbs are becoming more and more advanced, allowing people who've lost a limb a chance to live more normal lives. As a real-life example of artificial limbs being better in some ways than biological ones, the International Association of Athletics Federations has banned certain artificial limbs in competitions it governs, including the Olympics, due to [[wikipedia:Oscar Pistorius|a runner who had lost both of his legs having had them replaced with springs that give back more momentum than ankles do]].

The darker the setting, the more likely cyber-bits are to cause [[Cybernetics Eat Your Soul|loss of humanity of some sort]]~~—sometimes~~ it's actually called "[[Our Souls Are Different|soul]]", but you often get workarounds like "essence" or "vitality", and magic wielders, in settings that have both, generally can't have too much cyberware. Especially common in roleplaying games, as a [[Competitive Balance|balancing measure]] so that rich characters can't just have their whole bodies replaced.

The darker the setting, the more likely cyber-bits are to cause [[Cybernetics Eat Your Soul|loss of humanity of some sort]] — sometimes it's actually called "[[Our Souls Are Different|soul]]", but you often get workarounds like "essence" or "vitality", and magic wielders, in settings that have both, generally can't have too much cyberware. Especially common in roleplaying games, as a [[Competitive Balance|balancing measure]] so that rich characters can't just have their whole bodies replaced.

See also [[Unusual User Interface]] for characters getting "jacks" implanted to connect to computers via cable (or even LAN!), and [[Swiss Army Appendage]] for characters who hot-swap their '''Artificial Limbs'''. Often a result of the [[We Can Rebuild Him]] style of [[Emergency Transformation]]. If the limb is awesome enough, it might be a [[Badass Transplant]], and is usually an example of [[Fashionable Asymmetry]].

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* In ''[[Tokyo Crazy Paradise]]'', {{spoiler|Asago gets a prostheses after having her right arm cut off in a fight; she chooses to get an artificial limb instead of reattaching her arm to cut down on rehabilitation time}}.

* A number appear in ''[[Karakuri Circus]]'', including Arlequin's weapon of choice.

* In [[Naruto]], Chiyo's right arm is artificial and controlled through her puppet jutsu. She can use it to create a chakra shield similar to the puppets in the likeness of her son and daughter-in-law, but it's also vulnerable to getting clogged.

* In ''[[Naruto]]'', Chiyo's right arm is artificial and controlled through her puppet jutsu. She can use it to create a chakra shield similar to the puppets in the likeness of her son and daughter-in-law, but it's also vulnerable to getting clogged.

* Karl and {{spoiler|James}} of ''[[Blood Plus]]'' receive [[Super Soldier|Schiff]] limbs after being amputated.

* [[Yami no Aegis]]: Tate has a metal arm with which he can deflect bullets. It's also his primary weapon.

== Comic Books ==

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* Several examples in ''[[Invincible]]'': Rex Splode gets a robotic hand after having one bitten off by a Lizard Man, Bulletproof apparantley gets one too, to repalce the one he lost while fighting an evil Invincible Doppleganger, Oliver gets a prosthetic arm and jaw bone.Angstrom Levy has a robotic hand replace one that was torn off by Invincible, Conquest has a robotic arm, and an unnamed Viltrumite has a robotic eye.

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== Fan Works ==

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== Fan ~~Fiction~~ ==

* The main character of [[Christian Humber Reloaded]] loses an arm fighting his corrupted self, and gets a robotic arm as a replacement.

* It's safe to say that every character in ''[[That Guy with the Glasses in Space]]'' has these or are complete cyborgs by the time the story starts.

== Film ==

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* Gobber from [[How to Train Your Dragon (animation)|How to Train Your Dragon]] has an artificial arm and leg, the arm which he exchanges for a hammer, axe, tankard for his booze, etc. Toothless has an artificial half tail fin and {{spoiler|Hiccup gets an artificial leg after fighting Green Death.}}

* Silver from ''[[Treasure Planet]]'', who has an artifical leg and arm ([[My Friends and Zoidberg|and]] [[Electronic Eyes|eye]]). Although his leg seems to give him a bit of gyp at times {{spoiler|(especially after Jim stabs it)}}, his arm has [[Swiss Army Appendage|a lot of things in it]], including a cutlass, a gun, several different tools for cooking, and part of an [[Arm Cannon]] (with the other part being stored in his leg).

* {{spoiler|Dr. Gordon}} has one after {{spoiler|he escapes from the bathroom}} in [[Saw]]. It is of the realistic variety, with {{spoiler|Dr. Gordon}} needing a cane to walk with the prosthetic foot. Also, {{spoiler|the woman who survives the opening trap from [[Saw|Saw VI]]}} has a prosthetic arm and complains of needing to use handicapped parking because of it. Because this is [[Saw]], both of these characters have these Artificial Limbs because of a [[Life or Limb Decision]].

* {{spoiler|Dr. Gordon}} has one after {{spoiler|he escapes from the bathroom}} in ''[[Saw]]''. It is of the realistic variety, with {{spoiler|Dr. Gordon}} needing a cane to walk with the prosthetic foot. Also, {{spoiler|the woman who survives the opening trap from ''[[Saw|Saw VI]]''}} has a prosthetic arm and complains of needing to use handicapped parking because of it. Because this is ''[[Saw]]'', both of these characters have these Artificial Limbs because of a [[Life or Limb Decision]].

== Literature ==

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** Mad Eye Moody.

* Spoofed by [[Terry Pratchett]] in ''[[Discworld/The Colour of Magic|The Colour of Magic]]'' with Goldeneyes Silverhand Dactylos, who is such a great architect his employers all tend to try and maim him so he can never make anything more beautiful than the work he's done for them. As he exposits to his current employer, his first employer gave him piles of gold and blinded him (he learned to work by touch, smell and hearing), his second loaded him with silver and then cut off his left hand (he built a mechanical replacement from silver using his knowledge of levers), and his third employer gave him mounds of silk before hamstringing and imprisoning him (he built a hang glider to escape). He winds up by reminding his employer of his promise to let him go free and unharmed now his work is complete, at which his employer says '[[I Lied]]' and promptly has him shot. Dactylos comments on the shoddy quality of the arrowhead before he dies.

* Manuel Garcia O'Kelly Davis from the ''[[Robert A. Heinlein]]'' book ''[[The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress]]'' had a variety of artificial arms that allowed him to ~~electronic~~ work with the built-in tools.

* Manuel Garcia O'Kelly Davis from the ''[[Robert A. Heinlein]]'' book ''[[The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress]]'' had a variety of artificial arms that allowed him to carry out electronics work with the built-in tools.

* [[Scary Dogmatic Aliens|The Yuuzhan Vong]] of the ''[[Star Wars]]'' [[Expanded Universe]] ritually chop off their own limbs to show their devotion to the gods then get them replaced with a [[Organic Technology|Biotech]] appendage. Warriors get limbs from the various predatory animals of their homeworld, while the [[Mad Scientist|Shapers]] replace their fingers with ''surgical ~~intruments~~''.

* [[Scary Dogmatic Aliens|The Yuuzhan Vong]] of the ''[[Star Wars]]'' [[Expanded Universe]] ritually chop off their own limbs to show their devotion to the gods, then get them replaced with a [[Organic Technology|Biotech]] appendage. Warriors get limbs from the various predatory animals of their homeworld, while the [[Mad Scientist|Shapers]] replace their fingers with ''surgical instruments''.

** This actually has some weird connotations. Close to the finale, the Yuuzhan Vong leader has a Rancor's arm attached. Considering ~~Rancor's~~ are huge, it makes you wonder how big he is.

** This actually has some weird connotations. Close to the finale, the Yuuzhan Vong leader has a Rancor's arm attached. Considering Rancors are huge, it makes you wonder how big he is.

*** That depends. Did they specify that it was a ''full-grown'' rancor's arm?

*** If the above is about Tsavong Lah, it wasn't a rancor arm, it was a radank (a creature from the Vong's galaxy) arm.

* Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodsman from ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''. For those who don't know his [[Secret Origin]], his axe was cursed by a witch, and one by one, he chopped off his own limbs. Every time he lost one, he had it replaced with a prosthetic made by a local ~~tinsmith—up~~ to and including ''his head and torso''... but not, alas, his heart.

* Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodsman from ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''. For those who don't know his [[Secret Origin]], his axe was cursed by a witch, and one by one, he chopped off his own limbs. Every time he lost one, he had it replaced with a prosthetic made by a local tinsmith — up to and including ''his head and torso''... but not, alas, his heart.

** For an extra dose of [[Mind Screw]], [[Land of Oz|a sequel]] reveals someone later reassembled and ''reanimated'' the discarded body parts with use of some magic glue... creating a whole new character.

*** [[Fridge Logic|Why didn't he dump the stupid axe?]]

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* The ghost story "The Golden Arm" features a woman with just that, whose husband is very greedy. His greed causes her to starve to death ("Meat and cheese cost more each day./ I will not pay and pay and pay,/ And so throw all my wealth away./ Not one penny will you get today."). Her only request is to be buried with her arm, which the husband does... until he digs it up the next night and [[Chekhov's Gun|leaves it under his pillow]]. The wife's spirit is not pleased about this....

* ''The Fault In Our Stars'' gives us Augustus Waters and this beautiful sentence: "Excellent! You'll find my leg under the coffee table."

* In the ''Abhorsen'' series, {{spoiler|Lirael}} loses a hand in the final battle against the big bad. It's mentioned in the epilogue that Prince Sameth later crafts her a new one, earning her the title {{spoiler|Lirael Goldenhand}}.

* The 1952 [[Science Fiction]] novel "Limbo" by Bernard Wolfe is all about a [[Cold War]] world changed by the new science of cybernetics.

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* Hertzer Herrick in John Ringo's ''[[Council Wars]]'' series lost a hand in the first book and received a very trick [[Steampunk]] replacement. He'd still rather have a real hand, though.

* In one "Bill the Intergalactic Hero" story, the titular character has a Swiss Army Foot.

* In [[Circle of Magic]], Daja, with some help from her foster siblings, creates an artificial leg for her friend Polyam. She also has apparently made a living metal eye.

* In ''[[Circle of Magic]]'', Daja, with some help from her foster siblings, creates an artificial leg for her friend Polyam. She also has apparently made a living metal eye.

** However, her own hand, though coated in living metal, is still just her own hand. It simply produces more of her metal.

* Jack West in [[Matthew Reilly]]'s ''Seven Ancient Wonders'' trilogy sacrificed his left arm to escape from a trap... after he was promised one of these. Luckily for him, this was in the backstory, 10 years before the first novel started so he had time to adjust to his new arm before everything went to hell.

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* In [[The Chronicles of Professor Jack Baling]], a character is described as having blade-like prosthetic legs. Probably something similar to Oscar Pistorius’s. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180522232622/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistorius]

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== Live-Action TV ==

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== Live Action TV ==

* ''In [[The Devil's Whore]]'', Sexby gets his arm lopped off while fighting in Ireland. He returns with a badass metal arm and is not afraid to use it.

* ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'', based on Martin Caidin's 1972 novel ''Cyborg'', embodies this one, as does its spinoff ''[[The Bionic Woman]]''.

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* In the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' story "Revelation of the Daleks", [[Evilutionary Biologist]] arch-villain Davros gets his right hand (his only unparalysed limb) shot off. In the following story, he's only seen from the neck up due to heavily upgrading his wheelchair, but when he returns in "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End" he has a rather Freddy Krueger-esque metal hand with clawed fingertips. He has the talent to make something more realistic, so one can only assume he thinks it looks cool.

* In ''[[All the Small Things]]'', {{spoiler|Olive has an artificial leg}}.

* Subverted in ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined|Battlestar Galactica]]''. Felix Gaeta is shot in the leg by a twitchy crewmate, and doesn't get to medical care in time to save the limb. He is given a prosthetic leg not long after the amputation; however, the prosthetic is the wrong length, doesn't fit correctly, and aggravates his healing surgical scars, making them more susceptible to infection. The series also shows Gaeta becoming more accustomed to the prosthetic and less dependent on crutches gradually, over the course of several episodes.

* Subverted in the remake of ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined|Battlestar Galactica]]''. Felix Gaeta is shot in the leg by a twitchy crewmate, and doesn't get to medical care in time to save the limb. He is given a prosthetic leg not long after the amputation; however, the prosthetic is the wrong length, doesn't fit correctly, and aggravates his healing surgical scars, making them more susceptible to infection. The series also shows Gaeta becoming more accustomed to the prosthetic and less dependent on crutches gradually, over the course of several episodes.

** In another startlingly realistic touch, his stump itches. He can't find a suitable lotion; the itch may be partly psychosomatic. Just before the end of the series, {{spoiler|after he commits mutiny with Tom Zarak, Adama's forces retake the Galactica. When Zarak and Gaeta are standing in front of the firing squad, he smiles and says, "It stopped."}}

* Highlander the ~~series~~ had Xavier something or other, a recurring villain who after his first appearance got his hand chopped off. He replaced it with a [[Hook Hand]].

* ''[[Highlander the Series]]'' had Xavier something or other, a recurring villain who after his first appearance got his hand chopped off. He replaced it with a [[Hook Hand]].

** Also series regular Joe Dawson had two prosthetic legs, having had his own blown off in Vietnam. This is because Jim Brynes who played Joe lost both his legs in a car accident as a teenager. [[Handicapped Badass|This has never stopped either of them from being completely badass.]]

* In [[The X-Files]], Krycek loses his arm in Season 4 and in all subsequent appearances has a prosthetic. This ultimately is his undoing, as he is unable to grab his gun when his other arm is injured.

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* ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'': George Sr. enlists his friend, J. Walter Weatherman, to use his prosthetic limb to teach his kids lessons by creating excessively dramatic arm-removals. The trope is used again later in the show when {{spoiler|Buster}} loses his hand.

* ''[[Ninja Sentai Kakuranger]]'': One of the Youkai, Amikiri, lost her arm to the Blue Ranger's ancestor and had it replaced with a claw weapon. Some other youkai who fell in early episodes were revived with artificial limbs by the efforts of Tengu and Prof. Yugami.

== Mythology ==

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* Similarly, the [[Aztec Mythology|Aztec god Tezcatlipoca]] lost a foot fighting a gigantic earth monster; depending on which version of the story you hear, he either replaced it with a snake or a smoking mirror with magical properties.

* The Brothers Grimm tale [http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/armlessmaiden/index.html The Armless Maiden] features a girl whose hands are replaced with silver after her father chops them off to appease the devil.

* There is a variation of a Norse myth involving Sigurd and his battle with the dragon Fafnir. During the fight his hand is bitten off, but he afterwards receives a fully ~~articulate~~ metal replacement with intricate wiring in place of tendons.

* There is a variation of a Norse myth involving Sigurd and his battle with the dragon Fafnir. During the fight his hand is bitten off, but he afterwards receives a fully articulated metal replacement with intricate wiring in place of tendons.

== Radio ==

* Sergeant McGurk in ''[[Revolting People]]'' has a wooden leg and a metal arm. The arm has a whisky flask built into it (and in sillier episodes will also dispense soda water and ice).

== Tabletop Games ==

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* Emi of ''[[Katawa Shoujo]]'' has these, probably not surprisingly. Having lost her legs below the knee in a car accident, she uses prosthetics. This does not impede her ability to [[Crash Into Hello|run in the hallways]] in the slightest.

== Web Comics ==

== Webcomics ==

* Crustaceo from [[The Incredible and Awe Inspiring Serial Adventure of The Amazing Plasma-Man]] has a bionic crab claw in place of his right arm.

* [http://www.commanderkitty.com/index.php?strip_id=30/ Nin Wah], the red panda in [http://www.commanderkitty.com/ Commander Kitty] has a ''cybertronic'' right arm.

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* Lothar from ''[[Exterminatus Now]]'' had both his legs and his right arm replaced with bionic limbs by the time he joined Eastwood and Virus.

* Ally from [[Stubble Trouble]] has a prosthetic leg to replace her original leg which was severely damaged in a car crash.

== [[Web Original]] ==

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* Dr. Robotnik had a robotic arm in the ''[[Sonic Sat AM|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' cartoon because he accidentally roboticized his arm.

* In the [[Bump in the Night]] episode "Farewell, 2 Arms," while Molly's left arm is detached and under repair, she finds a stronger replacement and feels the need to replace her right arm too. Over the course of the episode, she has her '''entire body''' replaced, creating a completely new entity. {{spoiler|She comes back after Squishy puts all her original parts back together.}}

* Grim Reaper in ''[[The Avengers: Earth's ~~Mightiest Heroes|Avengers Earths~~ Mightiest Heroes]]'' has one that turns into a Scythe.

* Grim Reaper in ''[[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]'' has one that turns into a Scythe.

== [[Real Life]] ==

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* Royal Air Force pilot Douglas Bader lost both legs in an ill-advised bit of stunt-flying a year or two before [[WWII]] broke out. He fought his way out of an invalidity discharge and proved himself capable of being a fighter pilot, knocking down several Germans in the Battle of Britain. Captured in 1942, he made a series of escape attempts, despite the obvious handicap, and was eventually sent to the special camp for persistent escapers, Colditz. He still begged for a place on the emergency escape glider prisoners built secretly in 1945.

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* Royal Air Force pilot Douglas Bader lost both legs in an ill-advised bit of stunt-flying a year or two before [[~~WW 2~~]] broke out. He fought his way out of an invalidity discharge and proved himself capable of being a fighter pilot, knocking down several Germans in the Battle of Britain. Captured in 1942 he made a series of escape attempts, despite the obvious handicap, and was eventually sent to the special camp for persistent escapers, Colditz. He still begged for a place on the emergency escape glider prisoners built secretly in 1945~~...~~.

* And for [[Steampunk]] lovers, may we humbly present [[Götz von Berlichingen (historical figure)|Götz von Berlichingen]], who had a [[Fullmetal Alchemist|strangely]] [[Berserk|familiar]] prosthetic hand.

* Regardless of other drawbacks, a number of prototype prostheses have 360 degree freedom of rotation at the wrist- something that humans have yet to evolve.

* Regardless of other drawbacks, a number of prototype prostheses have 360 degree freedom of rotation at the wrist - something that humans have yet to evolve.

* [[wikipedia:Oscar Pistorius|Oscar Pistorius]], runner, was prevented from competing in the Olympics because this prosthetic legs turned out to be more effective than biological ones.

** There's at least one runner who was barred from competing not due to unfair competition but because his foot blades could endanger other runners.

* In the 2008 ~~summer~~ Olympics, one competitor of the woman's free swim had a prosthetic leg with a "flipper" on it.

* In the 2008 Summer Olympics, one competitor of the woman's free swim had a prosthetic leg with a "flipper" on it.

** The woman with a full-on ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDajDkWGW4c mermaid tail]''. Get her a laser-shooting trident and she can cosplay [[Mega Man 9|Splash Woman]]!

* After miniature sculptor Michael Perry lost his right hand in an accident, he not only learned to sculpt left-handed but had a prosthesis specially built to aid in his sculpting.

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** A great many people make themselves taller by putting shoes on. Granted, Ms. Mullins does have some very ''pretty'' prostheses.

* Similar to the above, the Finnish cartoonist and politician [[wikipedia:Kaisa Leka|Kaisa Leka]] had her lower legs replaced with prostethics due to a deformity that caused her severe pain when walking. She seems remarkably unfazed by the loss of her organic feet.

* Canadian Harold Russell lost both hands in a WWII training exercise - he was outfitted with articulated hooks and, while working in a training film, was chosen by director William Wyler to co-star in "The Best Years of Our Lives" about three returning servicemen's difficult adjustments to home life.

* Canadian Harold Russell lost both hands in a [[WWII]] training exercise - he was outfitted with articulated hooks and, while working in a training film, was chosen by director William Wyler to co-star in "The Best Years of Our Lives" about three returning servicemen's difficult adjustments to home life.

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[[Category:Disability Tropes]]

[[Category:Transhuman Tropes]]

[[Category:~~Artificial Limbs~~]]

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]