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Unblockable Attack: Difference between revisions
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Some characters are defensive powerhouses, like the [[Barrier Warrior]] who raises the use of [[Deflector Shields]] into an unassailable art form. One popular tactic for dealing with such a formidable defense is to use an attack that their defenses can't block, an [[Title Drop|Unblockable Attack.]] It can be a punch, weapon, or spell that if it connects breaks whatever defenses the target has and leaves them reeling. This attack is ''so'' powerful that even a perfectly timed Block / [[Counter Attack]] won't work, the only choices the target has are dodging (thus dropping their defense) or preemptively attacking ''before'' their assailant finishes their attack.
The Unblockable Attack usually has one or more drawbacks to keep it from being naturally overpowering. It may have a [[Charged Attack]] mechanic so the defender can potentially survive either by immediately dodging or [[Hit and Run Tactics|jabbing very fast]] to stop the charge-up. Another limitation is it doesn't usually have a lot of [[Area of Effect]] or "splash" damage, giving the target plenty of space to run to in order to avoid getting hit. Similarly it will not be an [[Always Accurate Attack]] that can home in on targets wherever they may be and even if they dodge (in fact, an [[Always Accurate Attack]] will probably do [[Power At a Price|less damage as a tradeoff)]]. If the unblockable attack lacks these drawbacks it gives the attacker an [[Instant Death Radius]] that makes the game [[Nintendo Hard]] and the opponent akin to a god.
The [[Unblockable Attack]] is similar to how a spell with [[No Saving Throw]] will [[No Sell]] a target's mystic and mental defenses... provided it hits. The difference is that [[No Saving Throw]] attacks can be prevented from hitting by certain defenses, while an Unblockable attack can never be intercepted, only avoided or interrupted.
This works equally well on actual physical defenses like fists, swords and shields, as well as intangible ones like a [[Beehive Barrier]]. The [[Boss Battle]] is likely to have this, and [[Mooks]] probably have attacks like this to make sure the player doesn't spend all the fight just blocking. The [[Unblockable Attack]] is usually signaled with a special animation.
In fighting games, grapple/throw maneuvers tend to be unblockable attacks as a rule, to encourage a player to use their defenses wisely; it also creates a [[Tactical Rock-Paper-Scissors]] where Defend beats Attack, Throw beats Defend, and Attack beats Throw.
See also [[Worf Barrage]]. Compare [[Invulnerable Attack]] and [[Armor-Piercing Attack]].
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{{examples|Examples: }}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' (and [[Love Hina]]) has [[Sword Beam|Zanmaken: Ni no Tachi]], a sword attack designed to ignore all and any [[Deflector Shields|magic barriers]].
* In ''[[Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple]]'', when the titular hero fights against {{spoiler|Ethan Stanley}}, he wins with a technique that he learned {{spoiler|from The Elder himself}} and for which there is no defense, at least when the opponent is a non-master-class fighter. However, when Kenichi uses the same technique against {{spoiler|Tirawit Koukin}}, Kenichi's [[Genre Savvy]] opponent, instead of trying to defend himself, simply launches a counter-attack.
* In ''[[To Aru Majutsu no Index]]'', One of Fiamma of the Right's powers via the Holy Right is to annihilate anything it hits without any destructive force, resulting in this. And there's no known drawbacks to using it.
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== [[Tabletop RPG]] ==
* ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'', particularly older editions, reveled in all kinds of "[[No Saving Throw|no-save" spells,]] i.e. spells that offered the target no chance to avoid, defend, or even mitigate damage or other effects.
* ''[[Exalted]]'' has various Charms that make an attack unblockable, undodgeable, or both. Of course, attacks like this will always fail before a [[No Sell|perfect defense]].
== [[Video Games]] ==
* ''[[Art of Fighting|Art of Fighting's]]'' Ryuko Ranbu couldn't be blocked and was so devastating that only Ryo, Robert, and the game's secret boss {{spoiler|Mr. Karate}} had access to it. It was toned down in ''[[The King of Fighters]]'', particularly the later installments where it was made blockable and did considerably less damage. At least, until ''2002'', where Robert gained a HDM version that has short range (as opposed to the usual fullscreen dash animation), but is again unblockable and drains just over half the opponent's energy.
** Worth noting that Art of Fighting was the first fighting game to feature unblockables along with desperation attacks in general.
** [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|Michelangelo]] pays homage to Ryuko Ranbu with his own rendition of it in the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] version of [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament Fighters|TMNT: Tournament Fighters]]. As is the case in ''Art of Fighting'', Mikey's "rage guage" must be full, resulting in a full screen dash and an unblockable beatdown.
* ''[[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow]]'' gives every monster this mechanic.
* In ''[[Distorted Travesty]]'', "death wheels" (late game obstacles/attacks) cannot be dashed through.
* In the ''[[Gundam]] Battle Assault'' line of games, [[Laser Blade|Beam Saber]] attacks are unblockable, but slower to strike (and more telegraphed) than normal attacks. Deathscythe Custom's beam scythe, which it uses for its regular attacks, are also unblockable.
* In ''[[Iji]]'', [[Mercy Invincibility]] won't protect you from being hit by the [[Wave Motion Gun|Velocithor]], Nuke or [[One-Hit Kill|Phantom Hammer]].
* Ralf Jones (originally from ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'') gains in later installments of ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' a (S)DM (that's ''KOF'' terminology for a super) called [[Megaton Punch|Galactica Phantom]]. It's unblockable and does absurd damage off the bat. Using it as a [[Counter Attack]] deals ''even more'' damage to opponents (it can even result in an [[One-Hit Kill|instant KO]]), and the move can even bite a chunk out of the [[SNK Boss|bosses']] lifebar. [[Awesome but Impractical|The tradeoff?]] It takes quite a few seconds to fully charge, making it something of a [[Death or Glory Attack]]. And even if your opponent gives you the time to muster up your strength, a simple jump or roll is all that's needed to dodge it. The only exception to this is ''EX2: Howling Blood'', where the move has a ''much'' shorter charge time (at the expense of some power) and is included as one of Ralf's ''normal'' specials.
* The Legendary ''[[Pokémon]]'' Giratina has a hugely powerful [[Signature Move]] called Shadow Force. Giratina disappears on the first turn and strikes on the next. The only way to not get hit by Shadow Force is to Dig or Fly, or be a normal type immune to Ghost attacks.
** Similarly (but less impressively), the move Feint can hit through Protect and Detect.
** A lesser example is Brick Break, which hits through Reflect and Light Screen for full damage and dispels them.
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* There are quite a few of these in ''[[Mortal Kombat]]''. [[Multi-Armed and Dangerous|Sheeva]] is practically a specialist in this, with a [[Death From Above|jump]] [[Ground Pound|move]] that crushes the opponent (but can be easily sidestepped), a [[Shockwave Stomp|ground stomp]] that hits the entire level (but anyone in the air avoids it), and four separate grab moves.
* ''[[Fear Is Vigilance]]'' has the body-slam attack -- which is slow, but breaks through blocking.
* Almost all [[Limit Break|Final Smash]] attacks in ''[[Super Smash Bros.|Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' are unblockable, even by characters with special countering attacks.
* Many of the stronger enemies and bosses in ''[[Dark Souls]]'' have attacks that will hurt you no matter how good your shield is, and many of them ignore [[Counter Attack|parrying]].
** Although if you boost your Endurance enough and carry a high stability shield, you can block pretty much anything, even from things five times your size.
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