Unskilled but Strong: Difference between revisions

[[File:Trope - Unskilled But Strong 2 6669.jpg|link=Incredible Hulk|frame|Are you really going to criticize his poor form?]]

[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|As the name implies]], this is the inverse of [[Weak but Skilled]].

When seen in a protagonist, their lack of skill is typically only because it's the first episode and they've only just discovered their powers. The initial stages of the series, if not the series as a whole, will then focus on improving the protagonist's innate talents. It also gives the series a justification for why a complete newbie to whatever power they've uncovered is able to fight with or against people who have more experience, or why they can come along in training relatively quickly. One common type of this is the [[Super Prototype]] that the [[Ordinary High School Student]] is [[Falling Into the Cockpit]] of.

In an antagonist, an Unskilled But Strong character is commonly either the very first foe the protagonist faces or one of the last. In the former case, they're a [[Starter Villain]] and may be fond of [[Badass Boast]]s but prove all talk in the face of the much more skilled protagonist. In the latter, they provide a hurdle against which the protagonist must disprove the theory that [[Hard Work Hardly Works]].

{{examples}}

* Many young heroes in the ''[[Gundam]]'' series are notably less skilled than their more experienced [[Ace Pilot]] adversaries, but manage to survive due to [[Falling Into the Cockpit]] of a [[Super Prototype]]. Generally, though, they survive enough battles through the series to become experienced and an ace in their own right.

** In a specific example, in [[Mobile Suit Gundam|the original series]], Amuro Ray (who's been piloting the Gundam for roughly a month and a half at this point) manages to defeat Ramba Ral, a veteran soldier who's been piloting a mobile suit since they were first introduced to the battlefield four years ago. Ral praises Amuro, but tells him not to get cocky, since it was the Gundam's power and not his own skill that won the day; Amuro just calls him a [[Sore Loser]].

* Similarly, Bunshichi Tawara in ''[[Tenjho Tenge]]'' is reported to be entirely self-taught, but was able to defeat a powered up Shin Natsume in a fight.

** Wonderweiss is so fast and strong that he can take on [[Badass Grandpa|Yamamoto]]. The old man complements his power, but quickly reveals that his vastly superior skill and experience is more than enough to turn the tide.

** Yammy is practically brute force incarnate: strong enough to casually break people to pieces. He's also incredibly stupid and arrogant, with no strategy besides attacking head-on. Urahara, and later Kenpachi and Byakuya, wipe the floor with him.

* ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' villains sometimes fell into this category. Pretty much all of them were highly-trained fighters, but often lacked knowledge of certain techniques. Freeza was one of the few villains who knew how to raise and lower his power level, but lacked knowledge on how to sense ki without a scouter. The over reliance on scouters caused his army to underestimate their enemies. A few like Fat Buu relied on raw power and healing to win.

** To expand, Freeza had spent so much time toying with opponents far weaker that he never learned how to stand up in a protracted battle against someone of equal strength. Once raw power was proven not to be enough, it was only a matter of time before the more highly trained (and now more powerful) Goku defeated him.

* Yoshimori is this way in ''[[Kekkaishi]]'', although he's improving, in contrast to his [[Weak but Skilled]] counterpart, Tokine.

* Due to unusual circumstances ''[[Beet the Vandel Buster]]'' can use five of the powerful magical weapons called Saiga, when most individuals can use only one. However, early parts of the series are spent with Beet learning how to fully utilize his five Saiga and Beet has zero ability in the more basic magical skills which are supposed to be the lead up to obtaining a Saiga in the first place. One character even comments that he learns everything backwards.

* Takeshi Sendo from ''[[Hajime no Ippo]]''. His raw power and fighting instincts are top-notch. His biggest weakness is lack of technical skill.

** Subverted and played straight with Brian Hawk. It is the very lack of skillfull boxing that makes him so incredibly dangerous. He doesn't have the limits of the textbook boxing techniques and, combined with naturally insane power, speed and reflexes, becomed completely unpredictable. His fighting style is even described by his trainer as not being boxing but "simply violence." Takamura spends the first half of their fight trying to prove that boxing skill ''is'' of use. It is eventually played straight when Hawks trainer learns how very superior Takamura is through having learned the proper technique and how much of a backbone Brian Hawk lacks because of his lack of proper training.

* ''[[Kinnikuman]]'s'' Buffaloman was not a great fighter at all until he made a [[Deal with the Devil]] and gained his ten million Choujin Power.

* Luffy's victory over Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold in ''[[One Piece]]'' falls into this. The sisters' mastery of [[Ki Attacks|Haki]] allows them to predict Luffy's movements and deflect his attack. Once Luffy goes into his Gear 2nd power-up, however he's able to move so fast that predicting him is useless and his attacks are powerful enough to overwhelm any attempt to block.

** Of the Post-[[Time Skip]] villains, {{spoiler|Hody Jones}} gets accused of this by Jimbei, who effortlessly blocks a powerful attack from him. He's also proven to be absolutely ''no'' match for Luffy whatsoever when they finally begin to throw down.

* Takashi Kawamura from ''[[Prince of Tennis]]''. He considers himself the burden of the Seigaku team, yet can fight [[Genius Bruiser]] Kabaji to a standstill. He then does it again, but against {{spoiler|Gin Ishida from Shitenhouji}}.

* Noted by Touma during his first fight with Accelerator in ''[[To Aru Majutsu no Index]]''. Accelerator's powers are among the most powerful in the series, but is at a bit of a loss when he can't just [[Curb Stomp Battle|curb stomp]] Touma like he has all his previous opponents.

{{quote|'''Touma:''' The strongest esper in Academy City... really has no skills at all, huh? Then grit your teeth, weakling. Because a punch [[Badass Normal|from the weakest]] ''[[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|is gonna hurt]]''.}}

** Another major villain, {{spoiler|Fiamma of the Right}} is obscenely powerful but, like Accelerator, is at a loss when he can't simply win with a [[Curb Stomp Battle]]. One of his comrades, however, {{spoiler|Acqua of the Back}}, is very much strong ''and'' skilled.

* Sanosuke from ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' definitely fits this trope. Unlike many of the characters in the series, his fighting abilities were derived from being a fighter-for-hire. He lacks any formal fighting style other than [[Good Old Fisticuffs]], making up for it in raw power and being [[Made of Iron]]. This is deconstructed in a fight with Saito; He proves to be just as powerful as Sanosuke if not more so, but has learned basic skills like defense. This allows him to pummel Sano with ease while avoiding damage.

* Providing one of the page quotes is Toguro from ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]''. He isn't unskilled, being well-versed in martial arts before his [[Start of Darkness|turn to evil]], but in the present story's time, his philosophy is to rely on his ''enormous'' strength.

* Suzaku in ''[[Code Geass]]''. He's had combat training his entire life, so on foot he doesn't apply. In a Knightmare, however, he's a complete newbie whose natural abilities and advanced Knightmare allow him to dominate most opponents. This is most obvious when he faces off against Kallen, who is both skilled and strong. Suzaku only ever wins against her when he has a distinct advantage (or when luck intervenes).

== Comic Books ==

* Whenever there is a [[Batman]]/[[Superman]] face off then Bats is the [[Weak but Skilled]], with Supes this trope.

** Superman is often subject to this. Other writers recall just ''how much time'' he has spent fighting other superpowered beings as strong or even stronger than he is, and decide he would probably be long dead if he charged at them all the time. This was spelled out with a fight between Superman and [[Evil Counterpart|Ultraman]], where Superman [[Curb Stomp Battle|squashed]] him because Ultraman's method of killing his enemies as soon as he could (as well as presumably sending out his minions) meant that he got very little practice fighting beings on his level.

* Most of the Gauls in ''[[Asterix]]'' have shades of this, but Obelix is the only ''true'' example. Due to being permanently [[Super Strength|superpowered]], he hasn't even had the benefit of unpowered combat training the others had. This is demonstrated abundantly in the (non-canon) comic ''The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'', where one of the trials pits him and Obelix against a Germanic Judo-master. Obelix's attempts to smash through him with brute force are effortlessly redirected, and he quickly proves entirely unable to hurt the little man. Fortunately, Asterix is there to effectively ''talk'' the man into submission... or, rather, distract him with talk and an interest in the man's fighting style that gets the poor German to give Asterix instructions and allow himself to be used as a training dummy, realising he's helped Asterix subdue him only after having his arms and legs tied into knots.

* Galactus, at least in "Top Trumps". Super high stats in everything but weapon Skill. He doesn't seem to have much technique other than draining the enemy to death, but when you eat planets...

* Obadiah Stane from ''[[Iron Man]]''. His Iron Monger armor is a bipedal tank, but he is dependent on his engineers to help him keep up with Tony.

* [[A Knight's Tale|Count Adhemar]]: "No style whatsoever... neither has an anvil."

== Literature ==

== Western Animation ==

* Bamm-Bamm in ''[[The Flintstones]]''.

* The ''[[Superfriends]]'' episode "The Evil From Krypton" featured a General Zod [[Captain Ersatz]] called Zy-Kree. He had all of Superman's powers, but no skill. [[Aquaman]] is able to hold his own and outmaneuver him with tactics. When he and Superman clash, Superman demonstrates that he actually knows how to fight, and pwns him before sending him back to the [[Phantom Zone]].

{{quote|'''Aquaman''': You did it! You defeated him!

{{quote|'''Katara:''' She's strong.

'''Other Master:''' She lacks restraint. }}

== Real Life ==