Power Loss Makes You Strong: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
A superpowered character finds himself [[Brought Down to Normal|without powers]]. Suddenly, saving the day is a hell of a lot harder. But he [[Took a Level In Badass|rises to the challenge, and succeeds.]] Usually [[Status Quo Is God|gets his powers back at the end.]] This can serve to show that the hero is a hero for more reasons than just their powers, or at least that they are dangerous.
A superpowered character finds himself [[Brought Down to Normal|without powers]]. Suddenly, saving the day is a hell of a lot harder. But he [[Took a Level in Badass|rises to the challenge, and succeeds.]] Usually [[Status Quo Is God|gets his powers back at the end.]] This can serve to show that the hero is a hero for more reasons than just their powers, or at least that they are dangerous.


Compare [[Handicapped Badass]], which is the loss not of a superpower, but of a normal human ability, [[Brought Down to Badass]], in which the loss of a superpower does very little to hamper the character's fighting skill, and [[Disability Superpower]], when the handicap itself ushers a superpower. Contrast [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]. Inversion of [[Badass Abnormal]].
Compare [[Handicapped Badass]], which is the loss not of a superpower, but of a normal human ability, [[Brought Down to Badass]], in which the loss of a superpower does very little to hamper the character's fighting skill, and [[Disability Superpower]], when the handicap itself ushers a superpower. Contrast [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]. Inversion of [[Badass Abnormal]].
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* As often as Clark loses his powers on ''[[Smallville]]'', this happens quite a bit, most notable being taking a bullet for Lois while weakened by kryptonite.
* As often as Clark loses his powers on ''[[Smallville]]'', this happens quite a bit, most notable being taking a bullet for Lois while weakened by kryptonite.
** In the Season Nine opener "Savior", Clark is threatened by a woman with a katana while he is powerless, ''[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|and he kicks her ass]]''. In that season's finale, he does a fair job of holding his own against Zod himself in a brawl between the two where both are powerless. But he ultimately must make a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] in order to "win."
** In the Season Nine opener "Savior", Clark is threatened by a woman with a katana while he is powerless, ''[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|and he kicks her ass]]''. In that season's finale, he does a fair job of holding his own against Zod himself in a brawl between the two where both are powerless. But he ultimately must make a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] in order to "win."
** In the episode "Mortal", he takes out ''three'' baddies who had superpowers, albeit with the help of a flashbang and a sledgehammer.
** In the episode "Mortal", he takes out ''three'' baddies who had superpowers, albeit with the help of a flashbang and a sledgehammer.
* Done on ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' when she turned 18 to see if she could function without powers, in the charming Watcher tradition known as the Cruciamentum. It was supposed to involve locking her in a house with an insane vampire. [[It Got Worse|Then he broke free]]. Astonishing really, that most Slayers die young with that kind of a support system.
* Done on ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' when she turned 18 to see if she could function without powers, in the charming Watcher tradition known as the Cruciamentum. It was supposed to involve locking her in a house with an insane vampire. [[It Got Worse|Then he broke free]]. Astonishing really, that most Slayers die young with that kind of a support system.
** Actually somewhat of an [[Invoked Trope]] on the part of the Watcher's Council - if the Slayer could kill a vampire ''without'' her powers, then she would probably do a good job saving the world ''with'' them. If she ''couldn't'', well... a new Slayer would be Called.
** Actually somewhat of an [[Invoked Trope]] on the part of the Watcher's Council - if the Slayer could kill a vampire ''without'' her powers, then she would probably do a good job saving the world ''with'' them. If she ''couldn't'', well... a new Slayer would be Called.
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== Literature ==
== Literature ==
* In [[The Dresden Files|Ghost Story]], Harry is this. {{spoiler|Because he's "dead". But he gets better.}}
* In [[The Dresden Files|Ghost Story]], Harry is this. {{spoiler|Because he's "dead". But he gets better.}}
* In the ''[[Sword of Truth]]'', Richard has one of these in the finale arc. It's just one of the countless call-backs to the first books.
* In the ''[[Sword of Truth]]'', Richard has one of these in the finale arc. It's just one of the countless call-backs to the first books.


== [[Western Animation]] ==
== [[Western Animation]] ==
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** In the third season, Zuko experiences a hefty power loss once he begins to train Aang and figures out that his letting go of his anger and [["Well Done, Son" Guy]] tendencies (and the frustration that brought him) has prevented him from using the [[The Dark Side]] version of Firebending the Fire Nation believes in. After a "life-changing field trip" with Aang he learns the "pure" form of Firebending and gets a dramatic enough increase in his abilities to successfully fight Azula one on one in the finale. Until she cheats, anyway.
** In the third season, Zuko experiences a hefty power loss once he begins to train Aang and figures out that his letting go of his anger and [["Well Done, Son" Guy]] tendencies (and the frustration that brought him) has prevented him from using the [[The Dark Side]] version of Firebending the Fire Nation believes in. After a "life-changing field trip" with Aang he learns the "pure" form of Firebending and gets a dramatic enough increase in his abilities to successfully fight Azula one on one in the finale. Until she cheats, anyway.
* The [[Sonic Sat AM]] episode ''Super Sonic'' involved Sonic losing his speed and saving the day without it.
* The [[Sonic Sat AM]] episode ''Super Sonic'' involved Sonic losing his speed and saving the day without it.
* Disney's version of [[Hercules (Disney film)|Hercules]]. He killed a Cyclops without his [[Super Strength]].
* Disney's version of [[Hercules (1997 film)||Hercules]]. He killed a Cyclops without his [[Super Strength]].
* An episode of ''[[Batman Beyond]]'' featured Terry not only losing his technologically advanced batsuit, but having to face off ''against'' it when it's taken over by a [[AI Is a Crapshoot|rogue A.I.]]
* An episode of ''[[Batman Beyond]]'' featured Terry not only losing his technologically advanced batsuit, but having to face off ''against'' it when it's taken over by a [[A.I. Is a Crapshoot|rogue A.I.]]
** He even lampshades the moment as defining character growth for himself, admitting to Bruce before the showdown that he needed to know whether he really had what it takes to be Batman personally, or if it was just the powers the suit gave him that made him a hero.
** He even lampshades the moment as defining character growth for himself, admitting to Bruce before the showdown that he needed to know whether he really had what it takes to be Batman personally, or if it was just the powers the suit gave him that made him a hero.
* In ''[[The Longest Journey]]'', April Ryan is able to slip between the worlds whenever she is threatened. By the time of ''[[Dreamfall]]'', she has lost that power (due to fear, ironically) and had to become good at fighting to compensate. She partially gets her powers back, but not enough to use them reliably.
* In ''[[The Longest Journey]]'', April Ryan is able to slip between the worlds whenever she is threatened. By the time of ''[[Dreamfall]]'', she has lost that power (due to fear, ironically) and had to become good at fighting to compensate. She partially gets her powers back, but not enough to use them reliably.
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