Confusion Fu: Difference between revisions

* [[Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple|Kenichi Shirahama]] attempts this against Siegfried, because Siegfried can seemingly predict every single move Kenichi makes. In a rare subversion, it doesn't work, and Siegfried sees through it and ends up still countering Kenichi's moves.

* ''[[Bleach]]'': Happens during the fight between Starrk and Kyouraku. After it becomes clear there are a lot of similarities between these two reluctant fighters, Starrk is convinced he's fighting a kindred spirit. Then it's revealed that was a red herring and the only thing they truly have in common is that they're both [[Brilliant but Lazy]]. Lampshaded by Kyouraku himself:

'''Kyouraku''': "It's not good to keep forcing this characteristic thing, Espada-san. And, if you're going to talk about characteristic, not having a characteristic behaviour is characteristic of me." }}

* Near the end of ''Chocolate'', Zen gets rather badly beaten by {{spoiler|a man with Tourette's syndrome. Her usual method of evading attack, anticipation, is ruined by his tics - she can't tell them apart from his attack tells. Only when she starts mimicking his tics does she get any offense in.}}

* ''[[Serenity]]'': So says [[Joss Whedon]] in the commentary, regarding the [[Curb Stomp Battle|end fight]] between River and the Reavers:

* In ''[[Quantum of Solace]]'', this is what lets the physically unthreatening villain stay alive (temporarily - not a spoiler, it's a ''Bond Film''). He flails about so wildly that [[James Bond (film)|Bond]] can't really fight him effectively - that is, until the ''downside'' of wild flailing is illustrated, when the villain performs an inadvertent axe-foot interface that is excruciating to watch.

* In ''[[Push]]'', this is how the good guys hide their plan from the precognitive Pop Girl. Nick writes the individual steps of the plan down and seals them in envelopes, which are marked as to when and where they are to be opened. He then has his memory wiped so even ''he'' won't know what the group's going to do until he opens the envelopes he carries.

* ''[[The Elenium]]'' by [[David Eddings]]: Taking it to other levels, the reason Sparhawk can stick the metaphorical middle finger up to the gods is because he moves outside destiny, and therefore even the ''gods'' can't predict what he's going to do next. In one of the few cases of this ''ever'', this is [[Jossed]] ''in-universe''. To wit: {{spoiler|In ''[[The Tamuli]]'' trilogy which follows on the heels of the ''Elenium'', one of the fundamental forces of the universe says that even its own path may be thwarted by random chance; lesser beings like mere Gods are just as subject to deviation from their intended plan. The gods are freaked out at Sparhawk/Anakha because Anakha is said universe-shaping powers' ''son'', making him not only a God but a God more powerful than any in the world, unique in the universe - if only he could release his full potential.}} It's implied (though never directly stated) that the whole "lack of destiny" deal is a smokescreen to help keep him from realizing exactly what all of this implies.

* Rincewind of ''[[Discworld]]'' too is a walking entropy generator. [[The Grim Reaper|Death]] once said so himself, and his [[Death's Hourglass|hourglass]] is equally unpredictable due to its strange shape.

** This has less to due with Rincewind himself, and more to do with Rincewind being The Lady's favorite pawn.

*** There is a reason that Rincewind is her favorite pawn. Even without her favor (which works against you just as often as for you) he's still capable of achieving victory by a mixture of base cowardice, chance, a whole lot of cunning, and by being very sensitive to danger. Hero of a thousand retreating backs indeed.

* The woman known as Schrodinger's Cat in Eric Flint's ''[[Joe's World|Joes World]]'' series. When she fights it's possible to keep track of where she is, or what she's about to do, but not both.

* In ''[[A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court]]'', the narrator notes:

* ''[[The Dresden Files]]'': Harry Dresden often defeats opponents with hundreds, sometimes ''thousands'' of years of experience on him, buttloads more magical talent and skill, and vastly superior physical abilities often by doing things that are the exact opposite of sensible. With a bit of [[Gambit Index|every Gambit trope ever]] thrown in. Yes, even [[Unwitting Pawn]]. On Harry.

* '[[Ender's Game|Shadow Quartet]]'': Achilles from the is stated to be one of these; though he is not a particularly smart genius compared to others from Battle School, he is able to orchestrate globally significant events by being unpredictable.

* "The world's best swordsman need only fear its worst, because he has no idea what that idiot will do." See the Quotes page.

* Often seen in the chess world. Many's the amateur who succeeds through offbeat play, and even at the grandmaster level, some players favour bizarre openings like 1. b4. A 19th-century example, William Potter, is described in ''Lasker's Manual of Chess'':

** Though not nearly as often as popular culture would think it happens. While you can certainly irritate grandmasters with offbeat variants in the opening, leading them astray from their vast knowledge (and often crazy preparedness) about mainstream openings, trying confusion fu later in the game will way more often than not lose you the game in a single move without you even realizing it. The problem is that the general knowledge (as opposed to the specific knowledge of Lasker's time) got way more advanced during the last centennium.

* [[Douglas Adams]] invoked this trope when he coined the word "Aboyne", which he described as ''"To beat an expert at a game of skill by playing so appallingly bad that none of his clever tactics or strategies are of any use to him."''

* [[Bruce Lee]] was in fact a huge advocate of this trope:

* "Beginner's luck" may sometimes come from this -- in a game of moves, counter-moves and counter-counter-moves, sometimes the correct move against a professional is the most basic one. Until he dials down his strategy, of course.

* Chess playing computers play like this -- not bound to any strategy or school, but simply by picking the moves that will, in the long run, have the greatest chance of success. Or should have... Kasparov did win his 3rd and 4th games in a 4-game match against a computer by ensuring that there was no positive history for the computer to rely on in the games they'd played--and going into purer Shrodinger Fu than the computer was designed for netted him a win while playing black.