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Single-Stroke Battle: Difference between revisions
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** Parodied mercilessly earlier in the same Tenka Ichi Budokai, during Jackie Chun and Krillin's match. They rush each other, there's a flash of action too fast for the eye to follow, and they land... and Krillin collapses. But since the audience (and the announcer) missed it, they pantomime the entire event all over again, for the audience's benefit, with running commentary on the dozens of techniques and attacks they used in that split-second rush.
** Actually played straight in one instance. Yajirobe defeats Cymbal with one stroke of his sword.
* ''[[Bleach]]'' plays with this. Few battles are truly of this trope in their entirety but will end this way. After [[Inaction Sequence|a few episodes of monologuing]], taunts, releasing ''zanpakuto'' and [[Explaining Your Power to the Enemy|explaining their abilities]], [[Flash Back|flashbacks]], [[Super-Powered Evil Side|Superpowered Evil Sides]], random philosophy, and building up one's [[Battle Aura]], both parties agree to end the fight in a single strike. At that point, this trope gets played straight.
** Ichigo versus Kenpachi. Ichigo is the first to fall (with an intact sword), believing he's lost. Then Kenpachi confirms Ichigo won and collapses next to him, his sword being revealed as shattered. Confirmed in the [[All There in the Manual|Official Bootleg]] that Kenpachi did indeed lose the fight.
** Ichigo versus Byakuya. They agree that they have no strength left to prolong the fight so decide to end it in a single strike. Ichigo staggers, blood flowing everywhere as he desperately tries to prop himself up with his sword to avoid falling over. Then Byakuya staggers (but doesn't fall), blood spurts and he opens his hand, revealing his sword had shattered. He graciously concedes defeat to Ichigo on those grounds.
** Ichigo and Jin Kariya at the end of the anime Bount arc.
** Ichigo and {{spoiler|Captain Amagai}}. Subverted. It looks like this but Ichigo's opponent isn't killed and goes on to attack someone else.
* In ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'', Hiei and Shigure {{spoiler|fight to the death for Mukuro's edification. Both deal out lethal wounds too quickly to spot, and have a keel-over moment afterwards. Of course, Mukuro revives them both, and even ends up falling in love (sorta) with Hiei.}}
** Hiei also pulled this trope out much earlier, in the battle against Seiryuu of the Four Saint Beasts (in the manga, anyway; the anime extended the fight by a few minutes, though Seiryuu still went down faster than the other three beasts).
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* The last issue of [[Batman|Robin's]] solo title has Tim Drake being challenged to a duel to the death by his teacher, Lady Shiva. They meet, and have what looks like one of these, after which Tim is stumbling, with three broken ribs, while Shiva is standing triumphantly. {{spoiler|Then, Shiva collapses, and Tim explains that he slipped her a paralytic poison, activated by a heightened heart beat, ''before she even made the challenge''.}}
* The duel between [[Scott Pilgrim]] and Roxanne is a direct [[Shout-Out]] to ''[[Ninja Gaiden]]'', ending with a [[Diagonal Cut]].
* The final battle between Leonardo and the resurrected {{spoiler|Shredder}} ends this way in the first volume of ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage]]''.
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* Baiken's Instant Kill from ''[[Guilty Gear]]'' is a classic Single Stroke Battle, concealed by a paper screen. (After the beat, there's a splash of blood onto said screen as the blow takes effect.)
* Sora in ''[[Kingdom Hearts]] II'' can initiate a reaction command when fighting a Samurai Nobodies. When pressed, everything else on the screen freezes as Sora and the samurai take stance. There are even cherry blossoms fluttering over their heads. After about 2 or 3 seconds, the words "The End" appear in one of your (now empty) command boxes. You have to get to and click on "The End" in time to win the face-off. Regardless of who wins or loses, the two opponents suddenly strike each other, the screen goes white for a second, and the victor is shown behind the victim with their weapon drawn as the opponent recoils with pain.
** In the [[No Export for You|Japan-only]] ''[[Limited Special Collectors' Ultimate Edition|Final Mix+]]'' version of the game, {{spoiler|the same applies to their controller, Roxas (now a boss, instead of a cutscene). Initiating the Duel Stance reaction command shows a scene of the two charging at each, Keyblades at the ready and in slow-mo. If Sora selects the right command in time, he'll knock Roxas into the air and telekinetically ''steal'' his Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades, using them in tandem with his regular combos for a short period of time until Roxas (now reduced to his [[Light'Em Up]] powers) steals them back. If Sora fails, let's just say he'll be feeling sore in the morning. [[For Massive Damage|Or not.]]}}
** After fighting Luxord in the World That Never Was, the battle ends when {{spoiler|Luxord tries to put up a wall of cards around himself, but Sora just sprints right at him and slices through the cards (and Luxord) with one swing.}} Cue Sora's [[Asskicking Pose]].
** Also in ''II'', [[Bonus Boss]] [[Final Fantasy VII|Sephiroth]] always opens up the battle with and afterwards periodically uses a move called "Flash", where the screen darkens, Sephiroth makes a short remark ("That's enough."), and he dashes past Sora with quick footwork. If Sora doesn't use the "Reflect" reaction command (or--with ''very'' good timing--use Reflect or even jump), Sora is struck by multiple invisible blows that usually bring Sora's health down to critical levels (if underleveled/unprepared, this almost certainly spells [[One-Hit Kill|disaster]]).
** Terra in ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep|Birth by Sleep]]'' can meld together other commands to get Zantetsuken to use in normal combat. Much like its ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' origins, it can take out a normal enemy in one swing, if you're lucky. Otherwise, it just does regular damage. It's ineffective against bosses though.
* At the end of the "YMCA" level of ''[[Elite Beat Agents]]'', a ship captain engages in this against a pirate skeleton. The level "La La" also uses it, as a white blood cell ([[Anthropomorphic Personification|portrayed as a nurse]]) fights a virus this way... several times. Yes, it's a weird game.
** Not to be outdone, the "Julia ni Shoushin" level of ''[[Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan|Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2]]'' features a Single Stroke Battle between two rival barbers. The winner shaves the kanji for "loser" into his opponent's head.
*** Naturally, this is also the ending to one of the multiplayer scenarios-- the vampire and the yeti do this, and depending on which player played better (or maybe they tied, it's surprisingly common), one (or both) of them falls down in defeat.
* The opening to the NES game ''[[Ninja Gaiden]]'' features such a scene. It plays out almost exactly as the scene described in the main article.
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