Possession Implies Mastery: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
{{quote|''"How do people in movies always know how to do this stuff without practice?"''
|'''[[Roger Ebert]]''' in a review for ''[[Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time]]''}}
A reasonably common fallacy based on the notion that the possession of a piece of technology, excluding things specifically described as a [[Black Box]], implies that the owner has a full understanding of its workings and mechanisms, the principles on which it operates, and can adapt and use those principles in other matters in a reliable way, and can even undermine them as necessary.
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:It is a plot point in ''Unlimited Blade Works'' that {{spoiler|Gilgamesh and Shirou}}, as mere "owners" rather than "wielders" of their weapons, generally suck in comparison to other servants in direct combat because they don't have the mastery gained by focusing in one weapon. {{spoiler|Shirou actually points this out, and wins because Unlimited Blade Works provides him with an infinite amount of duplicates that are summoned faster than Gilgamesh pulls stuff out of his arsenal. He uses the duplicated proficiency and overloads the duplicates to repel or destroy Gilgamesh's originals and forces the latter on the defensive.}}
** It helps that {{spoiler|Shirou}}, when recreating his weapons, copies the history of how they were made and ''how they were wielded'', giving him a level of skill with them.
* This is the power of the Gandalfr Familiar, the position held by Saito, in ''[[
* Haru Glory's Ten Commandments sword in ''[[Rave Master]]''. It has ten forms, and Haru seems to know exactly what every form does the moment he needs it, such as bringing out {{spoiler|Runesave}} to save {{spoiler|Elie without having to kill her}}. This is however justified since the Rave of Knowledge explicitly provides this insight.
* In ''[[Bleach]]'', this is quite the opposite for pretty much anyone with spirit abilities. Especially captains, no matter how much of a genius they're stated to be. Which explains just why characters like Ichigo and Toushiro can keep getting pretty much curb-stomped, despite their power levels and genius. They have it—doesn't mean they have mastered it yet. Kubo seems to take great pleasure in avoiding this trope.
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== Comic Books ==
* Subverted mercilessly in Marvel Comics' ''GLX-mas Special #1'', where the second Grasshopper is taking his first jumps in a brand-new super-suit. After foiling a villain, Grasshopper is approached with a dinner invitation by his unwitting sister. After denying her advances, he makes a heroic exit by engaging the suit's "Maximum Jump" ability, {{spoiler|which propels him into space, killing him instantly. Sidenote: to this day,{{when}} there have been three Grasshoppers in Marvel continuity, and not one have them have survived more than a single issue. The most recent one debuted and was killed in all of three panels.}}
* Played totally straight with the character Adept from ''[[Strikeforce: Morituri]]'', whose superpower was the ability to analyze and understand anything she touched. Since their primary opponents were a race of alien [[Planet Looters]] with scavenged technology, this was ''very'' useful.
* Averted for most of the [[Blue Beetle]] legacy. The first one, Dan Garett, got powers from it by saying a magic word (ultimately revealed to be misusing it, and the magic likely damaged its true function). Then Ted Kord came into possession of the scarab but never got it to work, instead borrowing its motif for his costume and gadgets. It was only the third owner, Jaime Reyes, who had it work as intended - but he still hasn't mastered it; the scarab activated because ''it'' chose to, and he still argues with it over what to do at times.
* ''[[Ultimate X-Men]]'' member Colossus lampshades this when Weapon X forces him to stop a train, pointing out that just because he's super strong doesn't mean he's strong enough to do this
** This being the Ultimate Universe, things aren't quite that simple though.
*** Which brings up the [[Fridge Logic]] of
* In a similar
== Fan Works ==
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* Averted in the ''[[Honor Harrington]]'' novels where Admiral Shannon Foraker is quite frank about how even when they capture Mantie technology they can't actually use it because they don't have the same tech base or miniaturisation technology, but that it's still worthwhile because it gives them ideas on how to do it, and how to develop countermeasures.
* Subverted in ''[[Stephen King|The Tommyknockers]]''. The titular entities have no clue HOW their stuff works, but somehow managed to figure out how to make it.
* Inverted in ''[[Harry Potter and
** Averted in ''[[Harry Potter]]'' as a whole. Just because you have a broomstick/wand/crystal ball/whatever doesn't mean you can ''use'' it without going to school first.
* Averted in ''[[The Bartimaeus Trilogy]]'', where Nathaniel gains possession of an extremely powerful magical artifact and tries to use it against his enemy. Bartimaeus notes that there's no chance of him being able to master it on his first try, but stops when he succeeds in generating a massive surge of magical energy. Then he loses control and the backlash knocks him unconscious.
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