Invincible Hero: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

Compare [[Invincible Incompetent]], where the hero is still usually untouchable, but more due to [[The Fool|dumb luck]] and [[Laser-Guided Karma]] than any real competance of their own.

Contrast [[Kryptonite Factor]] and [[Good Flaws, Bad Flaws]], the main ways to make an [[Invincible Hero]] more... [[Perfectly Cromulent Word|vincible?]]

* [[Schoolgirl Lesbians|Saki and Nodoka]] from ''[[Saki (Manga)|Saki]]'' both lose ONE time, and against the same opponent.

* From [[Hareluya II Boy]], we have Hibino Hareluya, who has yet to even be pushed into being serious during a fight. Manages to not be boring because he's ''[[Rule of Funny|hilarious.]]''

* [[Golgo 13]] never fails an assignment, or for that matter misses a shot. If he did, he'd lose his reputation as an assassin and there would be no series. Later chapters solve the problem by focusing more on the people who hire him and how their situations deteriorate to the point that they need to bring in a hitman. (Infamously, he doesn't appear in one story at all; the central character merely uses Golgo 13's reputation as a weapon.) The fact that the stories are standalone and bounce around time help in this regard. For completeness sake, there have been several occasions of him missing, at least once by weapons sabotage creating a misfire, and one complete miss caused by the target's allegedly psychic bodyguard.

* ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'' cannot be stopped, only slowed down. Despite of being early on mentioned to have half of vampire's strength and half of the weaknesses, he has since become such a [[Marty Stu]] that literally nothing that the most powerful entities in his world can dish out at him can even [[The Stoic|can even make him change his expression.]] The only one who could even remotely threaten him is his [[Dracula|daddy dearest.]]

** The trope is also somewhat [[Justified Trope]] in that Ginko is shown to do ''a lot'' of research into ''mushi'' in his time, probably more than most others in his trade; however, his young age might count against him in this (particularly in the manga, where he seems barely out his teens; the anime places him more in his late twenties or thirties).

* [[Played for Laughs]] in ''[[Tentai Senshi Sunred (Manga)|Tentai Senshi Sunred]]'', in which the [[Harmless Villain|villainous organization Florsheim]] are ''way'' below the league of their mortal enemy [[Sentai|Sunred]], who inevitably defeats whoever they've scrounged up to defeat him in a single hit. Considering the show is a sitcom, adding actual battles and drama wouldn't fit in anyway.

** Notice that while Yang ''does'' win almost any battle as long as he's involved, it's often mentioned and hinted that he'll still lose in some areas. For example, while he nearly kills Reinhard during Battle of Vermillion, {{spoiler|Mittermeyer captures Alliance's capital, forcing Yang's fleet to ceasefire}}. In two other battles he wins over the Empire, capturing back Iserlohn Fortress, but {{spoiler|he lost Bucock and Fischer, one being his father figure, and another the "heart" of his fleet}}. It's even notified that {{spoiler|Yang won't stand a chance if Reinhard attacks again after Fischer is killed}}.

** Reinhard, on the other hand, is also considered as Invincible from the beginning of the story to the point that {{spoiler|he effectively ends the whole war and unifies the universe ''half way through the story''}}, but interestingly he'll always feel that his victory isn't complete when Yang is there to disrupt him from getting a total victory. The only real time he gets a crushing defeat is the time Battle for the Corridor {{spoiler|where he lost two top admirals to Yang's ragtag fleet}}.

** His other character, Fatoma the Jungle Queen, was pretty much Stardust's [[Distaff Counterpart]].

** DC's ''[[The Spectre]]'' is a bit like this, being nigh-omnipotent (sometimes), a lot of his older comics focused on the [[Fate Worse Than Death|Fates Worse Than Death]] he'd inflict on his enemies.

** It must be mentioned that this is the entire point of Squirrel Girl. She is a displaced [[Silver Age]] comic hero - meaning that no matter how insane, ludicrous, or absolutely useless her power appears to be, she will always win. Always. Silver Age heroes all fit this trope - ridiculous 'powers', immaculate track records. Case in point - the Red Bee. Not even a [[Badass Normal]], just some dude in a stupid costume who had a pet bee. That was his entire schtick. No matter what he was up against, he would always win. Period.

* [[X-Men (Comic Book)|Wolverine]], thanks to his ridiculous [[Healing Factor|regenerative abilities]], can now regenerate from [[From a Single Cell|only a few cells]] in a matter of minutes. While still a very popular and interesting character, his ability pretty much kills any dramatic tension.

** And [[Redshirt Army|the Imperial Guard]]... well you know...

** The Ork logic goes something along these lines: "Orkz are never beaten in combat, if we win we win, if we die, we die fighting so that doesn't count and if we run away it's ok because we're always back for <s>another</s> [[Funetik Aksent|anuvver]] go".

* This is criticism that is very often leveled against ''[[Exalted]]'', as the eponymous Exalted themselves are always portrayed by the system as completely indestructible übermensch that can outplan Batman, outdrink [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]], outfight Everyone and survive any attack.

** Until you grind down their Essence supplies. Most of the main-book Perfect Defenses can also be defeated by manipulating them into a position that exploits the virtue flaw you have to choose.

** Except if one has a [[Hopeless Boss Fight]] in it in which the trope won't be played. This happens a lot in [[RPG]].

** Toward the end of [[Persona 3]], the characters discuss how they've never lost. Of course, since the game is [[Nintendo Hard]], it's pretty much a guarantee that they ''aren't'' this trope to the player.

** Although this doesn't apply to all Hopeless Boss Fights; some will simply proceed as if you lost, but some will give you a new ending if you beat them.

* ''[[Disgaea]]'' spoofs this as characters are [[Genre Savvy|well aware]] that this trope is one of the privileges of the Main Character/[[The Hero|Hero]] and will [[Hostile Show Takeover|try to steal the spot]] when they can. However, in the actual storylines, the main character usually has his ass completely handed to him by character a thousand levels higher at least once.

[[Category:Sturgeons Tropes]]

[[Category:Invincible Hero]]