Scarily Competent Tracker: Difference between revisions

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* Especially early on in the series, Gon from ''[[Hunter X Hunter]]'' was talented at tracking, being able to locate shapeshifting foxes who specialized in stealth in the middle of a dense forest at night.

* Shampoo from ''[[Ranma ½]]'' managed to track Ranma for over a thousand miles, across at least two countries, and the Sea Of Japan. To make this even more impressive, at the time she barely knew his name and only knew of his [[Attractive Bent Gender|female form]], which meant she could only follow him when he was in one form, completely losing him whenever he returned to normal.

* Mayaa found his way to ~~[[Azumanga Daioh|~~Sakaki]] in what's apparently Tokyo despite the fact that she'd left Iriomote Island by boat, and then left Okinawa by airplane. Granted, the only boats he might've stowed away on would take him to Okinawa, but how'd he then manage to pick the right plane, much less find one girl in a city of millions (''and'' just in time for a [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment)?

* In ''[[Azumanga Daioh]]'' Mayaa found his way to Sakaki in what's apparently Tokyo despite the fact that she'd left Iriomote Island by boat, and then left Okinawa by airplane. Granted, the only boats he might've stowed away on would take him to Okinawa, but how'd he then manage to pick the right plane, much less find one girl in a city of millions (''and'' just in time for a [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment)?

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* In the [[Cyberpunk]] movie ''Circuitry Man'', there are these two cops who keep showing up in pursuit of the main characters, all the way across the U.S. They're clearly rather incompetent—both the heroes and the villains are constantly getting away from them—but ''they keep showing up''.

* Part of the advertising for ''[[The Wolfen]]'' said, "They can track you by yesterday's shadow."

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* ~~The title character of~~ Dersu Uzala (subject of a book and two movies) is a real-life hunter and super-tracker in the Russian ~~far~~ ~~east~~.

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* The titular rangers from [[Ranger's Apprentice]] can track amazingly well - even on horseback.

* Lew Wetzel (a/k/a "Deathwind") and Jonathan Zane in Zane Grey's ''The Last Trail.''

* ''[[Animorphs]]'' had an ~~[[Insectoid~~ ~~Alien]]~~ version of this, Taxxon trackers. The Animorphs had a very hard time losing them in the book they were featured in.

* ''[[Animorphs]]'' had an insectoid alien version of this, Taxxon trackers. The Animorphs had a very hard time losing them in the book they were featured in.

* The ''[[Redwall]]'' books have a number of these. One in ''Triss'' is even able to keep tracking her target even after they go through a river by picking out broken reeds that they left in their path.

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* ''[[Dersu Uzala]]'' (subject of a somewhat-biographical book and two movies) was a real-life hunter and super-tracker, native of the Russian Far East.

* ''[[Labyrinths of Echo]]'' has Masters of Tracking, who can follow the quarry's footsteps, movement for movement. Which e.g. allows to use transport, but the tracker may drive only if quarry drives. Also, the quarry feels the presence (symptoms range from mild headache to fatal in extreme cases). And this normally works only if the quarry is alive. The trackers, even real masters, become obsessed with the chase and fairly oblivious to surroundings, which makes them very vulnerable to ambush by anyone else, unless accompanied by a bodyguard (Lesser Secret Investigations Force lost their first Masters of Tracking this way).

** [[Our Ghosts Are Different|Ghosts]] see a glowing line (height and other parameters being individual) trailing after any living human, so if a ghost wants to follow someone, there's no way to shake it off. Which is part of the reason why the provincial unit of Secret Investigations composed entirely of ghosts did consistently show the best performance, despite having to oversee the biggest and busiest trade port in the kingdom.

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* ''[[The Adventures of Brisco County Jr]]'' has Lord Bowler. "Dirt talks to me, Brisco."

** And Brisco himself.

{{quote|'''Brisco studies tracks from the saddle~~''':~~ Hmmmm...

{{quote|'''Brisco''': (studies tracks from the saddle) Hmmmm...

''Comet whinnies''

'''Brisco''': No, I don't know why they left the road. }}

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== Tabletop Games ==

* In ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' it is technically possible to track a hamster across dry rock, one week after the fact, and it ''snowed yesterday''. (DC 39). Depending on bonuses and equipment, this is reliably doable as a frighteningly low level.

* In ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' 3.x it is technically possible to track a hamster across dry rock, one week after the fact, and it ''snowed yesterday''. (DC 39). Depending on bonuses and equipment, this is reliably doable as a frighteningly low level.

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== Webcomics ==

* Subverted by Belkar in ''[[Order of the Stick]]'', who as a ranger is supposed to be a scary-accurate tracker (and was hired as one) but actually has no skill at all at tracking, ~~and~~ has on more than one occasion forgotten it's what he was supposed to be doing.

* Subverted by Belkar in ''[[Order of the Stick]]'', who as a ranger is supposed to be a scary-accurate tracker (and was hired as one) but actually has no skill at all at tracking - instead, he is a parody of a combat twink who chooses to be ranger not for their class specialties, but for whatever perks they can exploit in combat. And has on more than one occasion forgotten it's what he was supposed to be doing.

** Well, actually Belkar seems to have some tracking ability, but he is too stupid and uncaring to use it....until Roy points out (falsely) that the person Roy wants him to track has insulted Belkar.

{{quote|'''Belkar:''' "Oh, that's it! I'm gonna track them down and kill their whole family!"}}

*** The next strip, however, Belkar forgets that he was tracking anybody.

** Belkar is a parody of a combat twink who chooses to be ranger not for their class specialties, but for whatever perks they can exploit in combat.

* Parodied early in ''[[8-Bit Theater (Webcomic)]]'', Fighter attempts to find their way out of the forest by following tracks. When asked to describe the ones who made these tracks, [[Winnie the Pooh|he gives perfect descriptions of himself and Black Mage.]]

* [[Deconstructed Trope|Deconstructed]] by ''[[Abstruse Goose]]'' [http://abstrusegoose.com/384 here].