Combat Breakdown: Difference between revisions

Kind of the [[Inverted Trope|opposite]] of the videogame trope of [[With This Herring|starting off with a weak weapon]] [[Sorting Algorithm of Weapon Effectiveness|and picking up more and more dangerous ones as you progress]].

 

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* The most recent chapter of "[[Fairy Tail]]" has this happen. {{spoiler|[[Mirror Match|Erza and her Edoras counterpart]] destroy the floating island they were fighting on, [[Breakable Weapons|each other's weapons,]] [[Clothing Damage|EACH OTHER'S CLOTHES,]] and use up all their magic in the process so their battle eventually breaks down to a fist fight, and finally leaves them both too exhausted to move. Earthland Erza still technically wins due to convincing Edoras Erza that stealing magic at the cost of lives is wrong.}}

* Goku in [[Dragonball]] before becoming a Super Saiyan tended to end up his fights in such a way, particullary against King Piccolo, Piccolo and Vegeta: In the first one, Goku ended up crippled, and the fight ended when he propelled himself against Piccolo, bursting clean through his torso and killing him. Against Piccolo, Goku ended up with a hole the size of a fist in his shoulder, and won by dropping from the sky against Piccolo and knocking him out of the ring (they were still on a tournament fight). The fight against Vegeta, it started quite even and Goku quickly gained the upper hand... Then Vegeta turned into a giant ape. Goku ended the fight lying in the ground with all his bones broken, while Vegeta lost because a giant 5-year old wereape fell on him.

 

 

* [[Played for Laughs]] in ''[[Robin Hood Men in Tights|Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]'' with Robin and Little John's fight over the creek. It starts off as a staff fight, and eventually it becomes a strange version of Bloody Knuckles/Quarters.

** Possibly the purest example here; the weapons were ''actually breaking down''.

* [[James Bond]] vs. Janus in ''[[Goldeneye (Film)|Goldeneye]]''.

* The big fight scene in ''[[The Matrix]] Reloaded'' starts as a weapon brawl, and eventually traverses car chase into a fist v. sword fight on the back of a speeding semi, and ends with a game of chicken...

* In the final battle of ''[[Serenity (Film)|Serenity]]'', Mal and the Operative start by fighting with pistols, but [[Throw Away Guns|rapidly lose their respective firearms]], resorting to [[Sword Fight|melee combat with sword and screwdriver]], before finally resorting to a [[Good Old Fisticuffs|blunt bare-handed fistfight]].

* The Roman Polanski film version of ''Macbeth'' has the final fight between Macbeth and Macduff turn into a protracted anything-goes match including punches, kicks, and Macduff swinging at Macbeth with a piece of firewood when he's been disarmed.

* The final shown battle in ''[[Kingdom of Heaven]]'' has the Saracens breaching Jerusalem's walls. The battle goes from a stereotypical fight to what seems like the two sides ''pushing back and forth''.

* The ending duel in ''[[House of Flying Daggers]]'' has the two male leads fighting one another with their swords. Eventually the fight devolves from them fighting skillfully to them just slashing each other.

 

== Western Animation ==

 

* When [[Dexters Laboratory|Dexter and Mandark's]] dads throw down (ironic considering Mandark's father is a peace loving hippie), it starts out as a flat-out fist fight, then degrades into a wrestling match. Then they start throwing food and stray animals at each other. Then they just jump into their cars and ram each other for the rest of the day. The episode ends with Mandark and Dexter arguing over whose ''mom'' is tougher.