Chekhov's Skill: Difference between revisions

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== Fan Fic ==

* In ''[[Kyon Big Damn Hero (Fanfic)|Kyon Big Damn Hero]]'' Mikuru asked Yuki to teach her to be a paramedic in order to build confidence and have an helpful skill [[Year Inside, Hour Outside|while Kyon and Kanae are training]]. This becomes useful later when Kyon got hurt after a battle and [[Power Nullifier|Yuki can't heal him]].

* In ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero (Fanfic)|Kyon Big Damn Hero]]'' Mikuru asked Yuki to teach her to be a paramedic in order to build confidence and have an helpful skill [[Year Inside, Hour Outside|while Kyon and Kanae are training]]. This becomes useful later when Kyon got hurt after a battle and [[Power Nullifier|Yuki can't heal him]].

* This is more like Chekhov's Habit, but there's a [[Running Gag]] in ''[[Hunting the Unicorn (Fanfic)|Hunting the Unicorn]]'' of David writing down ''everything'' relevant to the Warblers (and especially Blaine). {{spoiler|It proves useful when he has hard evidence that Blaine has a stalker.}}

* In the [[Transformers (Film)|Transformers]] fanfic series [[Black Crayons (Fanfic)|Black Crayons]], Ironhide begins teaching Annabelle how to speak Cybertronian. First, it is a cute way learn about the Twin's pranking plans. {{spoiler|Later, it becomes a life saving skill when she overhears a key piece of information from Starscream}}.

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* In ''[[Iron Man (Film)|Iron Man]]'', [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]] is testing his Mk. II armor's flight capabilities, {{spoiler|and decides to break the altitude record, just because. He fails because the suit builds up a layer of ice which shorts out its systems; Tony later [[Hand Wave|Hand Waves]] a fix for this. Later in the movie, he lures the [[Big Bad]] Iron Monger to similar altitudes, causing Iron Monger's suit to freeze up while his own suit is protected.}}

* In ''[[Iron Man (Film)|Iron Man 2]]'' a similar thing happens {{spoiler|during the fight at his birthday, Tony and Rhodey [[Beam-O-War|connect repulsor blasts]] and cause an explosion, they later use the same technique to defeat Whiplash.}}

* ''[[The Karate Kid]]'': Paint the fence, paint the house, [[Wax On Wax Off]]...Danny Laruso tended to use a new [[Chekhov's Skill]] as the main means of defeating opponents at the end of a movie. He tended to get his ass kicked across the screen for the remainder of all three movies. Each film featured a Chekhovs Skill, the most famous one being the Crane Kick. When the crane kick [[So Last Season|failed in the second movie]], Daniel had to turn to the drum technique. The third movie had Daniel psych out his opponent his kata moves he learned, and in the fourth movie Julie used the praying mantis kick. The remake has Drey mimic the woman who was controlling the cobra with extreme concentration.

* ''[[The Karate Kid]]'': Paint the fence, paint the house, [[Wax On, Wax Off]]...Danny Laruso tended to use a new [[Chekhov's Skill]] as the main means of defeating opponents at the end of a movie. He tended to get his ass kicked across the screen for the remainder of all three movies. Each film featured a Chekhovs Skill, the most famous one being the Crane Kick. When the crane kick [[So Last Season|failed in the second movie]], Daniel had to turn to the drum technique. The third movie had Daniel psych out his opponent his kata moves he learned, and in the fourth movie Julie used the praying mantis kick. The remake has Drey mimic the woman who was controlling the cobra with extreme concentration.

** Also from the fourth movie: Julie learning how to fight blindfolded. It comes in handy when she cops [[A Handful for An Eye]].

* In ''[[Kill Bill]] Volume II'', we learn in flashback that the Bride's amazing skills were taught to her by Pai Mei. This is effectively demonstrated in the ''Texas Funeral'' sequence (in which the utility of the one-inch punch triggered the flashback in the first place - also a [[Shout Out]] to [[Bruce Lee]]). Then {{spoiler|she uses the eye-pluck to permanently disable Elle Driver (foreshadowed thrice: a Crazy 88 henchman in Vol. I, Bill mentions it when he delivers her to Pai Mei, then Elle herself, in flashback, suffers it)}}. Later, during the final duel with Bill, {{spoiler|we finally see the Bride use Pai Mei's final secret, that he taught no one else: the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique}}.

* In ''[[Kill Bill]] Volume II'', we learn in flashback that the Bride's amazing skills were taught to her by Pai Mei. This is effectively demonstrated in the ''Texas Funeral'' sequence (in which the utility of the one-inch punch triggered the flashback in the first place - also a [[Shout-Out]] to [[Bruce Lee]]). Then {{spoiler|she uses the eye-pluck to permanently disable Elle Driver (foreshadowed thrice: a Crazy 88 henchman in Vol. I, Bill mentions it when he delivers her to Pai Mei, then Elle herself, in flashback, suffers it)}}. Later, during the final duel with Bill, {{spoiler|we finally see the Bride use Pai Mei's final secret, that he taught no one else: the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique}}.

* Quatermain, in ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'', spends a very Dramatic Scene teaching impudent Tom Sawyer how to shoot his elephant gun, counseling him on taking his time and feeling the shot. This is vitally important at the climax, when this skill is needed to take down the escaping [[Big Bad]].

* The original ''The Man Who Knew Too Much'' does it with guns.

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* In ''[[Outlander (Film)|Outlander]]'', Wulfren challenges Kainen to a friendly contest of shield-jumping, and Kainen turns out to be the first person to match Wulfren's skill. Kainen later volunteers himself and Wulfren to serve as bait to trap a monster: they use shields atop posts as stepping-stones over the pit, and when the monster tries to follow, it falls in.

* In ''[[Quest for Camelot]]'' Kayley defeats [[Big Bad]] Ruber by dodging out of the way of his strike at the last moment, causing him to put Excalibur back in the stone, a technique she learned from Garrett earlier in the movie.

* ''[[Sky High]]'' gives us a bunch of sidekicks, each with [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart Anyway|rather strange powers]] (glowing, turning into a guinea pig, melting, [[Green Thumb|making plants grow at will]]). And they all get their own Crowning Moment of Useful during the prom invasion.

* ''[[Sky High]]'' gives us a bunch of sidekicks, each with [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|rather strange powers]] (glowing, turning into a guinea pig, melting, [[Green Thumb|making plants grow at will]]). And they all get their own Crowning Moment of Useful during the prom invasion.

* In ''[[Star Wars]] A New Hope'', [[The Obi-Wan|Obi-Wan]] began teaching Luke about how to sense things out with the force and not rely on sight. This was used in a lightsaber training exercise, but a voice from beyond Obi-Wan gives Luke the same advice when it came to making the [[Million-to-One Chance]] of hitting the Death Star's [[Achilles Heel]], instead of relying on targeting computers that had failed another pilot before.

* ''[[Tenacious D]] in The Pick of Destiny'' is filled with these. The boys use their power slide to get through a closing security door and the infamous cock push-up to press a security button. While evading the police, KG uses his video game driving skills, though this point was mostly left on the cutting room floor. And, of course, they use the power of their rocking to save themselves from Satan.

* Used straight and then inverted in ''[[Yes Man]]''. Carl learns to play guitar, speak Korean, and fly a plane. The ability to speak Korean and play guitar are used to his advantage...{{spoiler|but the plane lessons and Korean get him targeted by Homeland Security.}}

* Used straight and then inverted in ''[[Yes-Man]]''. Carl learns to play guitar, speak Korean, and fly a plane. The ability to speak Korean and play guitar are used to his advantage...{{spoiler|but the plane lessons and Korean get him targeted by Homeland Security.}}

* In ''[[Zoolander]]'', Derek Zoolander is obsessed with perfecting his new "Magnum" expression. Later, in the climax, he uses it to stop a shuriken aimed at the Prime Minister of Malaysia, halting the projectile in midair.

* In ''[[Titanic]]'', Jack teaches Rose how to "spit like a man," and she later uses it to get away from Cal when she distracts him by [[Crowning Moment of Funny|spitting in his eye]]

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** Of course, [[Forgotten Phlebotinum|she never uses this skill at any other times it would be helpful]], such as subduing the Big Bad.

* In one episode of ''[[Monk]]'', Randy spends most of his time playing jenga. In the showdown at the end of the episode, he uses these skills to knock out the bad guy using a stack of lumber.

** In another episode, we find out Adrian met his wife when she wrote her phone number on a piece of paper on his back, for another guy. Natalie refers to this as a [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart Anyway|really useless superpower.]] Later in the episode he's able to find out where someone is staying as she wrote it on his back at the beginning of the episode.

** In another episode, we find out Adrian met his wife when she wrote her phone number on a piece of paper on his back, for another guy. Natalie refers to this as a [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|really useless superpower.]] Later in the episode he's able to find out where someone is staying as she wrote it on his back at the beginning of the episode.

* ''[[The Wire]]'': Snoop and Chris teach Michael how to pull off murders, which {{spoiler|allows him to figure out when * he* is being set up for one and turn the tables.}}

* In an episode of ''[[Sister Sister]]'', Lisa claims that she has a sixth sense, citing that she once saw a ghost of a relative. This is played off as a joke, [[Laugh Track]] and all. Later in the episode, she meets the ghost of Ray's old wife.

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* In the ''[[Merlin-1998 (TV)|Merlin]]'' series (the one with Sam Neill) and novelization, Merlin uses his magic this way. At the end of the film, he {{spoiler|restores the youth of himself and Nimue using the same Hand-Wizardry that didn't work while Mab was alive.}} The novelization goes further, by elaborating that Merlin has the power to [[Reality Warper|alter reality]] by combining fairy illusion with human feeling, something only [[Half-Human Hybrid|Half Human Hybrids]] can do, a trick he only uses once early on but later uses in the final book of the trilogy.

* ''[[The Gates]]'': To break the ice when trying to talk to his son in "Identity Crisis", Nick performs an old sleight of hand trick, making a coin disappear from his hand. Later, he uses the same trick {{spoiler|to hide a flash drive containing info on the identities of ~10,000 vampires}}.

* In ''[[~~Doctor Who (TV)|~~Doctor Who]]'', Donna Noble's claim that she is 'the best temp in Chiswick' seems somewhat irrelevant, but comes in handy on several occasions: in realizing that not one member of the staff at ATMOS had ever taken a single day of sick leave, and they were in fact hypnotized drones, in noticing that the numbers throughout the underground of Messaline were datestamps, and in operating Davros' typewriter-like death ship control panel, for example.

* In ''[[Doctor Who]]'', Donna Noble's claim that she is 'the best temp in Chiswick' seems somewhat irrelevant, but comes in handy on several occasions: in realizing that not one member of the staff at ATMOS had ever taken a single day of sick leave, and they were in fact hypnotized drones, in noticing that the numbers throughout the underground of Messaline were datestamps, and in operating Davros' typewriter-like death ship control panel, for example.

* In "The Great Game," in [[Sherlock]], Sherlock showcases his ability to judge fluctuations in weight to the half-pound, by commenting on Molly's three pound weight gain (though she claims it's only two and a half). A similar skill helped him {{spoiler|deduce Irene Adler's exact measurements}} in "The Scandal in Belgravia."

** Inverted in the same episode: John casually mentions at the beginning of the episode, to everyone's hilarity, that Sherlock has no idea the earth revolves around the sun; near the episode's end Sherlock almost fails to solve a case in time because of his lack of knowledge about the solar system. John [[Lampshade|lampshades]] this nicely.

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== Video Games ==

* The ''Zelda'' series typically has the boss of each dungeon's weakness based around whatever piece equipment Link finds in (and sometimes before) it. For example, if you find the Bow expect to be shooting arrows at a weak spot, if you find a hammer then expect to smash some armour and so on. The more recent a game is, the more they do this.

** Early on in ''[[The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time]]'', Link can learn how to use Din's Fire, a reasonably useful area-effect fire spell, but like the other magic spells, not perfectly necessary. It isn't until he gets to the Shadow Temple that Din's Fire becomes ''essential'', as its the only way to light the torches at once and open the doorway.

** Early on in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time]]'', Link can learn how to use Din's Fire, a reasonably useful area-effect fire spell, but like the other magic spells, not perfectly necessary. It isn't until he gets to the Shadow Temple that Din's Fire becomes ''essential'', as its the only way to light the torches at once and open the doorway.

*** And to get rid of the [[Descending Ceiling|big walls of wooden spikes]] that are protecting the [[Interchangeable Antimatter Keys|Boss Key]] for that temple.

** In ''[[The Legend of Zelda Oracle Games (Video Game)|Oracle Of Seasons]]'', the Rod of Seasons can be used to smack enemies out of the way, but it doesn't actually do any damage, which makes it pretty much useless...right up until phase 2 of the final boss.

** And odd little one shows up in in ''[[The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess]]''. Near the beginning of the game, if you speak to the mayor of the village, a goat comes flying out of the Ordon ranch, and you either catch it by holding 'A' or get run over. This 'skill' is used in the final fight with Ganondorf, while you're both in animal form.

** And odd little one shows up in in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess]]''. Near the beginning of the game, if you speak to the mayor of the village, a goat comes flying out of the Ordon ranch, and you either catch it by holding 'A' or get run over. This 'skill' is used in the final fight with Ganondorf, while you're both in animal form.

*** The goat-catching skill comes into play a lot earlier, when Link is climbing [[Death Mountain]] and ends up dealing with charging Gorons in the same manner, officially making this a [[Chekhov's Boomerang]].

* In ''[[Tales of Eternia (Video Game)|Tales of Eternia]]'', Rid gets the Kyokku skills (Aurora Artes) in three parts. The first two form his two-stage "Hi-Ougi", the high-powered low-HP sort of move most Tales leads get at some point. The last one is completely useless (and unusable) except as a requirement for the final [[Puzzle Boss]].

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* In the ''[[American Dad (Animation)|American Dad]]'' episode "With Friends Like Steve's", Steve expresses utter boredom with all of Stan's CIA tricks like speaking Dolphin and [[Mugged for Disguise|stealing uniforms]]. After he gets shipped off to a prison camp on an oil rig, Steve uses all these skills to escape.

* In the ''[[Superman the Animated Series]]'' episode "A Little Piece Of Home", Lois throws scrunched up paper balls into a wastepaper basket early in the episode and claims it helps her think. Later on she has to throw a chunk of Kryptonite into a [[It Makes Sense in Context|lead goblet so that Superman can fight a mechanical T-Rex]]

* In ''[[Thundercats 2011 (Western Animation)|Thundercats 2011]]'', Young [[Hero]] Lion-O is introduced as a hobbyist [[Collector of the Strange]], acquiring and tinkering with [[Black Market]] [[Lost Technology]]. Though rudimentary, his familiarity with it helps him figure the user interface of a [[Black Box]] that he uses to blow up [[Walking Tank|Walking Tanks]] invading his city, and, as time goes on, gives him a leg up on his companions when they encounter [[Schizo Tech]].

* In ''[[Thundercats 2011 (Western Animation)|Thundercats 2011]]'', Young [[Hero]] Lion-O is introduced as a hobbyist [[Collector of the Strange]], acquiring and tinkering with [[Black Market]] [[Lost Technology]]. Though rudimentary, his familiarity with it helps him figure the user interface of a [[Black Box]] that he uses to blow up [[Walking Tank|Walking Tanks]] invading his city, and, as time goes on, gives him a leg up on his companions when they encounter [[Schizo-Tech]].

* Christy's marble skills in ''[[Care Bears Movie IIA New Generation (Film)|Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation]]'' are used to save the Care Bears from their [[Crystal Prison]].

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'': Twilight Sparkle is shown as ''very'' organized in "Winter Wrap-Up". It comes in handy when she's not allowed to use her unicorn magic to help [[Painting the Frost On Windows|clean up the winter weather in preparation for spring]], but eventually learns the clean-up efforts of her friends and neighbors are horribly disorganized.

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[[Category:Skills and Training Tropes]]

[[Category:Chekhovs Skill]]

[[Category:Trope]]