Underestimating Badassery: Difference between revisions

{{quote|'''Billy Jack:''' [[Badass Boast|I'm gonna take this right foot, and I'm gonna whop you on that side of your face... and you wanna know something? There's not a damn thing you're gonna be able to do about it]].

'''Mr. Posner:''' ''(sarcastically)'' [[Tempting Fate|Really.]]

 

We all know just how awesome the [[Badass]] is, whether they look the part [[Mugging the Monster|or]] [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass|not]]. Unfortunately, not everyone else in the film or TV show does, even when the former is the case.

 

{{examples}}

* In ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', Edward Elric is often underestimated due to his height. [[The Napoleon|Bad]] [[Berserk Button|idea]].

* ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'': Because Simon is a skinny young kid, no one (except Kamina) ever respects him as much as they respected his muscular older bro, even though Simon is and always has been infinitely more powerful than Kamina.

* The Thompson sisters in ''[[Soul Eater]]'' make this mistake regarding the skinny boy in the suit who comes looking for them. It's also noted in canon by Maka that Kid looks so 'low-key' and unimpressive that it's easy to forget he's a death god and so a ''very'' formidable opponent when he feels like it. His [[Super OCD|eccentric behaviour]] only enhances that impression. A similar claim could be made about his father Shinigami, although all who have encountered ''him'' so far know what they're dealing with and are appropriately wary.

* A serial occurrence in ''[[Naruto]]'' (indeed, in a lot of shonen) due to a combination of this trope and [[Just a Kid]]. [[Once an Episode|The amount of times a villain has smack-talked]] one of [[Bunny Ears Lawyer|the heroes]]...

** Kabuto is a repeat offender, even when, by all rights, experience should have taught him better. Then again, he is [[Smug Super]] and a colossal [[Jerkass]]. {{spoiler|Surprisingly averted by ''Madara'' (the real one), of all people. He actually respects Naruto's abilities, and this is a guy who considers everyone but the First Hokage an unworthy challenge.}}

* A lot of antagonists from ''[[Pumpkin Scissors]]'' think War Relief Section III is a group of incompetent idealists. They are quickly proven wrong when War Relief Section III manages to derail villains' plan all by themselves. Especially applies to [[The Big Guy|Randel]], a [[Super Soldier]] who can stop tanks ''on foot''.

* Several characters made the mistake of underestimating a certain blonde haired gentleman by the name of [[Monster (manga)|Johan]] [[Complete Monster|Liebert]].

* The current [[Big Bad Duumvirate]] of [[Bleach]] made a big, big mistake of underestimating Ichigo.

** Actually their plan to beat him, which had one of them get the jump on him and take his powers, worked just as they planned it. Though the other one still had problems since Ichigo was much stronger than him and only ended surviving because of said plan, and because [[More Than Mind Control|he had Ichigo's friends helping him.]] Afterwords, a [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment caused Ichigo to get all of his old powers back.

** Similarly, Zorin, despite being warned by the Major that Integra and Seras Victoria weren't to be underestimated, disobey orders and attacked the Hellsing mansion, assuming it was helpless without Alucard around. She ends up killing and insulting Seras [[Love Interest]], leading her to evolve into an actual vampire and granting her a death that would have made Alucard proud.

 

* This happens a few times in ''[[Watchmen]]'', especially a number of times with Rorschach: attacked by bullies when he was a kid, when he and Nite Owl hunt for info in a bar, when he's attacked in prison…

* This is why Apollo and Midnighter lose to [[Captain Atom]] in ''Captain Atom: Armageddon''. The pair think Atom is just another super-powered mook, not realizing that Atom is more powerful than all the members of [[The Authority]] combined, including Jenny Quantum. The only reason they last as long as they did is that Cap refuses to go all out against people he barely knows, even ones who are currently trying very hard to kill him.

* Countless Super Villains: [[Batman]]'s just a [[Badass Normal|guy in a costume.]]

** And a few super heroes think [[The Joker]]'s [[What an Idiot!|just a]] [[Monster Clown|clown with too much free time.]]

** Psh, [[Robin]]'s just some [[Tagalong Kid]] [[Sidekick]]. And [[Nightwing]]'s just a pretty boy in spandex.

* In the fourth and final issue of the ''[[JLA-Avengers]]'' crossover, the supervillain Prometheus, who can pretty much download any fighting capabilities he wants, confronts [[Captain America (comics)]] and says, "I've just uploaded Batman's fighting skills. [[Tempting Fate|That'll be more than enough to defeat you]]." Cap replies, "[[Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner|Oh]]?" On the next page, Cap is seen hitting Prometheus hard enough to break his helmet.

** To be fair, it would have been an even fight, but remember that they would have beaten the crap out of ''each other''.

* Happens to [[Spider-Man]] quite frequently. He's a lithe guy who swings around a lot, wears silly pajamas, and makes stupid jokes. New villains tend to forget that he's held his own with the Avengers, the X-Men, and fought just about every villain in the Marvel Universe.

* Has happened a few times to [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]], whether because his identity was still secret and therefore it's assumed that he's just a rich playboy who needs a bodyguard to protect him, or because it's assumed that he's helpless without his armor. The thing is, it's generally a bad idea to attack someone who's been taking lessons from [[Captain America (comics)]] for about a decade unless you're a professional, considering Tony once [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|beat the crap out of a bunch of Skrulls]] who were pretending to be [[The Avengers (Comic Book)|The Avengers]], and he did so with his ''bare hands'' while ''naked'' and while his heart was ''slowly giving out''. And then there is, of course, this immortal exchange:

** That entire story is set up by the fact that the all-powerful Roarks thought it would be a piece of cake to frame a murder on a big, ugly drunk, unaware that he was extremely dangerous.

* Most people of Alysia in the first books of [[Les Legendaires]] mainly remember the Legendaries as a bunch of failed heroes who caused the infamous Jovenia Incident that turned everyone into a child when trying to save the world. As such, in the first books, their name wasn't even impressive to anyone, to the point two thugs are shown laughing when they introduce themselves. What those people tend to forget is that the Legendaries also foiled several times the plans of a[[The Dreaded|much feared]] [[Sorcerous Overlord]] with a massive body count, and actually succeeded in defeating said [[Sorcerous Overlord]]. They fortunately get their respect back after the Anathos Cycle.

 

== Fan Works ==

* The four, who mostly look normal and wimpy, take advantage of being underestimated whenever possible in ''[[With Strings Attached]]''. In fact, they win the day because the skahs (and Jeft, for that matter) cannot conceive of them being competent, especially after George and Ringo are [[Brought Down to Normal|depowered]].

* ''[[Ultimate Sleepwalker|Ultimate Sleepwalker: The New Dreams]]'' features [[Psycho for Hire]] Bullseye, who brags about being an A-list supervillain and mocks the supposedly C-list 8-Ball when they end up fighting during a [[Mob War]]. {{spoiler|The ensuing fight ends with 8-Ball using his jet-propelled cue stick to flick Bullseye's detached head into a garbage can.}}

 

== Films -- Live Action ==

** Also not a direct fight, but in several of Wedge's appearances in the ''[[New Jedi Order]]'' and later ''[[Legacy of the Force]]'', people underestimate his abilities in all kinds of things. Not piloting, but things like the ability to tell when he's being used as a political pawn about to be sacrificed, and in general his extraordinary resourcefulness and endless skill with the [[Indy Ploy]] and, sometimes, [[Xanatos Speed Chess]].

* ''[[Codex Alera]]'': Anyone who is in a fight with [[Badass Normal|Tavi]]. Period. That [[The Call Put Me on Hold|"furyless freak"]] ''will'' hand you your ass if you get him angry.

** Most people don't take the three main characters too seriously, either, until they start winning. Meanwhile, Neville, Luna and Ginny ran a successful resistance against Voldemort's reign for the better part of the school year.

* In [[Larry Niven]]'s ''Known Space'' setting, the [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Kzin]] first encountered humanity in the form of an unarmed colony ship from a pacifist world, carrying only a skeleton crew. Seeing easy prey, they attacked. Unfortunately, "unarmed" and "pacifist" don't add up to "harmless"...

* ''[[Doctor Who]]''. "Oh look, here comes this weirdo in stupid clothing. He couldn't possibly be that smart...how dangerous could he be?" Just... look him up.

** Another time, a Dalek (who are supposed to be pure evil) assumes that, as a companion, the person in front of him will be compassionate and merciful. The person in question merely says, "I'm River Song. Check your records again." It then begs for mercy... ''three times''... and it '''still''' didn't work.

*** [[Doctor Who/Recap/S32/E07 A Good Man Goes to War|And the Cybermen would also later discover that when he asks a question, best not push him to repeat it.]]

** Daleks have underestimated companion badassery before. "[[Batter Up|Who are you calling small]]!?"

 

== Web Comics ==

** Gilgamesh had that trope reversed on him later on, not realizing that Vole was holding back to avoid seriously hurting the Baron's son. {{spoiler|1=However, [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110727 he is no longer worried about that.]}} [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20110815 The end of this fight] also makes him one of the very few people who managed to ''scare a Jäger''.

* ''[[Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic]]'': "You know what we wicked pirates do with naked tied-up women, don't you?" SMACK. "Underestimate them, apparently."

* ''[[Tales of the Questor]]'': Quentyn gets this a lot when he first starts out. Chances are it'll happen again; he does, after all, look like an animate plush toy...

** Apparently, Rules-Lawyering is the greatest ability a warlord on Erf can possess.

* [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0830.html in] ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'', [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0830.html Tsukiko assumed she could threaten Redcloak to his face, figuring he was the spineless wimp Xykon always treated him as]. Instead, {{spoiler|Redcloak proceeds to take control of her wights, give her a [["The Reason You Suck" Speech]], and have the wights kill her.}}

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

** And Zhao does it again against Aang in a later episode; when warned by his former master that he is not ready to fight the Avatar, Zhao arrogantly replies "I think I can handle a child". The result ? Aang makes him look like a fool by tricking him into [[Nice Job Fixing It, Villain|destroying his own fleet]], thus defeating him ''without any shot''. Obviously, Zhao never learns.

** On the surface, Zuko's Uncle Iroh looks like a quirky old man who'd rather do little else besides sleep and drink tea. Of course, he's exactly that, but he's ''also'' the Dragon of the West and ''will'' kick your ass six ways from Sunday if you give him a reason to. There's more than a few of his foes that don't seem to get that.

 

== Real Life ==

* The Jews in the the [[Jewish Revolts]] were a tiny province that gave ''Rome'' the hardest fight she had had for ages. So hard that just subjugating them was considered worthy of a triumph and made the commander [[The Emperor]].

* In the 12th century, the Khwarezmian emperor who ruled much of Greater Iran, thinking that Genghis Khan was only the leader of a small, weak group of nomads, killed and shaved his messengers to humiliate him. The Mongols responded by completely demolishing his empire and adding it to their own in a campaign that was brutal even by their own standards. In large part because they ''also'' have underestimated how troublesome the locals can be. Instead of an expected limited and straightforward action (yet another punitive raid against yet another depraved envoy-killer, and perhaps a small conquest) they met [[The Hashshashin]]s and found themselves in an entirely new area of the "ugly mess" scale - somewhere between an anti-insurgency campaign and Inquisition.

** It's actually a rather common occurence for thieves to horribly underestimate the people they rob. On any given occassion, that random passerby they attempt to hold up might just be a [[Badass Normal]] or packing heat...

** Yeah http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218651/Thugs-attack-men-dresses--turn-cage-fighters.html

*** A local news item in Tampa during the 1980s involved some men who attempted to mug an attractive, harmless-looking lady in a mall parking lot. She happened to be a third-degree black belt, and a former AAU national champion in Tae Kwon Do. It was a long time before those guys were in a condition to try to mug anyone else.

*** Most hilariously, while the article translates "Mu tak molek" as "You're disgusting", it actually means something a little more along the lines of "You are not cute!"

* [[Chuck Norris]] was taking a walk one day when two men came up to him and told him to give them his wallet. Police were called and came by later to find Chuck Norris standing idly while both men sat along the curb with broken arms. The cop laughed and asked, "Didn't you guys know who he was?" The two men replied, "Yeah, but we thought all that T.V. stuff was fake."