View source for Beyond the Impossible

{{trope}}
{{quote|''"Go [[Trope Namer|beyond the impossible]] and [[Screw the Rules, I Have Supernatural Powers|kick reason to the curb]]! That's how Team Gurren rolls!"''|'''Kamina''', ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]''}}

=== '''Note:''' This [[Trope]] has been subjected to some misuse. Please read this article before listing it ===

"[[This Cannot Be!|That's impossible!]]" 

No, no it's not. This trope is for actions and events that defy the limits set within a series. In [[Real Life]] they just wouldn't work, but the rules of fiction are somewhat looser, i.e. whatever the author laid down when constructing it. Someone who, for instance, gains the power to fly when no one else can is not this trope; that is [[Applied Phlebotinum]] or [[Functional Magic]] or some other trope defining the character's power. [[Like Reality Unless Otherwise Noted]] is a good thing to keep in mind when adding examples; aspects of the fictional reality not covered by the author's rules are covered by real life. For the example to count it has to be '''impossible''' according to the internal logic of the story. 


In short, whenever someone 'touches the untouchable' or 'breaks the unbreakable',<ref>"[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|ROW! ROW! FIGHT DA POWAH!]]</ref> they are going [[Beyond the Impossible]]. 

This could done by the [[Crazy Awesome]], who ignores the rules, or the [[Idiot Hero]], who doesn't know them. Thus, going beyond the impossible can be [[Achievements in Ignorance]]. Just as easily, however, it could be a calculated endeavor by [[Awesome By Analysis]] trying to subvert the rules. [[Tropes Are Flexible|These are just examples, there could be others.]]

Distinct from [[Up to Eleven]] in two respects. 1.) there is no 'topping' involved; topping the previous maximum is not necessarily the motivation. 2.) The action is ''literally'' [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|beyond the impossible]] instead of being one step higher than the current best. For example: Alice punches Bob and he steps back from the force. [[Up to Eleven]], Alice punches Bob [[Punched Across the Room|across the room]]. [[Beyond the Impossible]], Alice punches Bob ''backwards in time''. The former is just a stronger punch while the later has nothing to do with strength. 

If you're looking for the old definition, 'a series tops itself over and over', go to [[Serial Escalation]]. Do not confused with [[Rule of Cool]] (where the [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]] is stretched because the example is cool) [[Crazy Awesome]] (which is characters that are effective because of their mudane craziness, though [[Crazy Enough to Work|they may be the only ones crazy enough to try]]) or [[Badass]] which is [[Rule of Cool]] personified. This trope is about events not the characters involved in them. For someone who fails at something in a extreme way, see [[Epic Fail]].

Compare the various [[Screw This Index, I Have Tropes]], which are more about breaking ''social'' rules than ''physical'' ones. 

Contrast [[Magic A Is Magic A]], when even supernatural elements have rules that cannot be broken.

Named for one translation (of many) of one of [[Crazy Awesome|Kamina]]'s (many, many) [[Catch Phrase|Catch Phrases]] from ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]''.

'''Note''': If you came to this page from a pothole used for exaggeration or 'awesome' or something that sounded like [[Up to Eleven]], it is incorrect. Please remove it and help speed up the wick clean up. 

'''[[No Real Life Examples, Please]]''' For obvious reasons.
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* [[Beyond the Impossible/Anime And Manga|Anime And Manga]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Comic Books|Comic Books]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Fanfic|Fanfic]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Film|Film]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Literature|Literature]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Live Action TV|Live Action TV]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Music And Sound Effects|Music And Sound Effects]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Tabletop Game|Tabletop Game]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Video Games|Video Games]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Visual Novels|Visual Novels]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Webcomics|Webcomics]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Web Original|Web Original]]
* [[Beyond the Impossible/Western Animation|Western Animation]]

{{reflist}}
[[Category:Tropes of Legend]]
[[Category:Pothole Magnet]]
[[Category:Consistency]]
[[Category:Trope Names From Memes]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Beyond the Impossible]]
[[Category:No Real Life Examples, Please]]