We Do the Impossible: Difference between revisions
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The character hasn't just beaten the odds once. He's survived several [[Suicide Mission|Suicide Missions]]. The [[Uriah Gambit]] failed. He won the [[Last Stand]]. In short, the hero has repeatedly accomplished so-called [[Impossible Task|Impossible Tasks]]. And his superiors or the world at large have taken notice... and unfortunately for the poor hero, he or she is now the [[Who You Gonna Call|go-to person]] for missions that are thought impossible for anyone else. |
The character hasn't just beaten the odds once. He's survived several [[Suicide Mission|Suicide Missions]]. The [[Uriah Gambit]] failed. He won the [[Last Stand]]. In short, the hero has repeatedly accomplished so-called [[Impossible Task|Impossible Tasks]]. And his superiors or the world at large have taken notice... and unfortunately for the poor hero, he or she is now the [[Who You Gonna Call?|go-to person]] for missions that are thought impossible for anyone else. |
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Characters like this can get this reputation a number of ways. |
Characters like this can get this reputation a number of ways. |
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One possible deconstruction of this trope is that the [[Big Good]], [[Big Bad]], or some other powerful or [[Manipulative Bastard|manipulative]] figure has been arranging things such that the characters always succeed, or at least have even odds. Once this aid is exposed, they have to face ''real'' impossible missions. |
One possible deconstruction of this trope is that the [[Big Good]], [[Big Bad]], or some other powerful or [[Manipulative Bastard|manipulative]] figure has been arranging things such that the characters always succeed, or at least have even odds. Once this aid is exposed, they have to face ''real'' impossible missions. |
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Subtrope is [[Surprisingly Elite Cannon Fodder]]. One of the reasons [[ |
Subtrope is [[Surprisingly Elite Cannon Fodder]]. One of the reasons [[It's Up to You|It's Up To]] the [[Player Character]], [[One-Man Army]], and [[One Riot, One Ranger]]. In [[Video Games]], [[Save Scumming]] probably helps. Compare [[Impossible Thief]], who does (usually even more blatantly) impossible things in a different context. |
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{{examples |
{{examples}} |
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== Anime and Manga == |
== Anime and Manga == |
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== Film == |
== Film == |
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* ''[[The Fifth Element]]:'' Korben Dallas is types 2 and 3. Helps that he's [[Bruce Willis]], which crops up in many of his roles. |
* ''[[The Fifth Element]]:'' Korben Dallas is types 2 and 3. Helps that he's [[Bruce Willis (Creator)]], which crops up in many of his roles. |
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* ''[[Die Hard (Film)|Die Hard]]:'' Nevermind anything else this overworked NYPD cop does, he ''takes out a helicopter with a police car''. Types 1 and 2 (though not intentional canon fodder, pretty much hardly ever, he's just a mook that always ends up in the wrong place at the right time, or as they say in ''Live Free Or Die Hard'': "That's what makes you That Guy." |
* ''[[Die Hard (Film)|Die Hard]]:'' Nevermind anything else this overworked NYPD cop does, he ''takes out a helicopter with a police car''. Types 1 and 2 (though not intentional canon fodder, pretty much hardly ever, he's just a mook that always ends up in the wrong place at the right time, or as they say in ''Live Free Or Die Hard'': "That's what makes you That Guy." |
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* John [[Rambo]] arguably meets all three criteria. |
* John [[Rambo]] arguably meets all three criteria. |
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* The Prince in ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines]]'' wants to kill off the PC, but [[The Uriah Gambit|since he can't order an execution sends us on increasingly dangerous suicide missions]]. |
* The Prince in ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines]]'' wants to kill off the PC, but [[The Uriah Gambit|since he can't order an execution sends us on increasingly dangerous suicide missions]]. |
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* Deconstructed in ''[[Bio Shock]]'', where {{spoiler|the protagonist was genetically ''designed'' to cut through Rapture like a hot knife through butter.}} The [[Respawn Point|Vita Chambers]] help. |
* Deconstructed in ''[[Bio Shock]]'', where {{spoiler|the protagonist was genetically ''designed'' to cut through Rapture like a hot knife through butter.}} The [[Respawn Point|Vita Chambers]] help. |
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* The arcade mode in ''[[Ace Combat 5]]'' applies this to Mobius 1, the player character of the [[Ace Combat 04|fourth game]]. The mission commander explains that Mobius 1 was chosen to put down an Erusian rebellion ''by himself'' because his kill count exceeds that of ''[[One |
* The arcade mode in ''[[Ace Combat 5]]'' applies this to Mobius 1, the player character of the [[Ace Combat 04|fourth game]]. The mission commander explains that Mobius 1 was chosen to put down an Erusian rebellion ''by himself'' because his kill count exceeds that of ''[[One-Man Army|entire squadrons]]''. Oh, and the Erusians know him as "[[Red Baron|the]] [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Grim]] [[The Grim Reaper|Reaper]]." |
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* Played with in ''[[Mass Effect (Video Game)|Mass Effect]]''. Shepard, on his/her own, is a clear type two, and was selected as the first human Spectre specifically on account of being a Badass - what he/she did, the player chooses at the character creation screen. Shepard's ''[[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|squad]]'', on the other hand, tends to be closer to type one; most of them aren't as obviously Badass as Shepard when they first join, but by the time the games are over, they've done enough [[Level Grinding]] that impossible tasks are just another day's work. |
* Played with in ''[[Mass Effect (Video Game)|Mass Effect]]''. Shepard, on his/her own, is a clear type two, and was selected as the first human Spectre specifically on account of being a Badass - what he/she did, the player chooses at the character creation screen. Shepard's ''[[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|squad]]'', on the other hand, tends to be closer to type one; most of them aren't as obviously Badass as Shepard when they first join, but by the time the games are over, they've done enough [[Level Grinding]] that impossible tasks are just another day's work. |
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** Played with by giving you a whole squad of Type 2's in [[Mass Effect 2 (Video Game)|Mass Effect 2]]. [[Badass Crew|Every squadmate]] is either the best in their profession or just ridiculously tough - [[Badass Grandpa|Zaeed]] in particular is described as just like Shepard except for the fact he takes cheques. According to the squad, they're also sent into suicidal odds about twice a day. |
** Played with by giving you a whole squad of Type 2's in [[Mass Effect 2 (Video Game)|Mass Effect 2]]. [[Badass Crew|Every squadmate]] is either the best in their profession or just ridiculously tough - [[Badass Grandpa|Zaeed]] in particular is described as just like Shepard except for the fact he takes cheques. According to the squad, they're also sent into suicidal odds about twice a day. |
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* ''[[Air Force Delta]] Strike'': Need a team to [[Airstrike Impossible|fly into the eye of a tornado to destroy its generator]], [[Violation of Common Sense|destroy rail-gun artillery by flying down the barrel]], or clear an [[Absurdly Spacious Sewer|absurdly spacious subway]] of enemy weapons? Call in the Delta Squadron. |
* ''[[Air Force Delta]] Strike'': Need a team to [[Airstrike Impossible|fly into the eye of a tornado to destroy its generator]], [[Violation of Common Sense|destroy rail-gun artillery by flying down the barrel]], or clear an [[Absurdly Spacious Sewer|absurdly spacious subway]] of enemy weapons? Call in the Delta Squadron. |
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* [[The Hero|Lightning]] almost invokes this trope word for word in ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'', declaring she, the other party members, and [[Humans Are Special|humanity as a whole]] to be Type 2. By this point the gang has taken down [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu|multiple god-like beings]], some of them had to be defeated several times, and the party is still going. |
* [[The Hero|Lightning]] almost invokes this trope word for word in ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'', declaring she, the other party members, and [[Humans Are Special|humanity as a whole]] to be Type 2. By this point the gang has taken down [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|multiple god-like beings]], some of them had to be defeated several times, and the party is still going. |
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{{quote| "We live to make the impossible possible!"}} |
{{quote| "We live to make the impossible possible!"}} |
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* Type 2 is almost exactly how Samus is characterized in the manual for the original ''[[Metroid]]'', having completed countless missions that others would have deemed impossible. |
* Type 2 is almost exactly how Samus is characterized in the manual for the original ''[[Metroid]]'', having completed countless missions that others would have deemed impossible. |
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** Currently, she's pretty much a Type 5, having blown up Zebes, SR388, The Space Station circling SR388, The Bottleship, and the Phazon Planet. |
** Currently, she's pretty much a Type 5, having blown up Zebes, SR388, The Space Station circling SR388, The Bottleship, and the Phazon Planet. |
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* ''[[Ace Attorney]]'': In a less physical version of this trope, Phoenix Wright makes a living of turning an impossible trial on its head. If the only choices he has are the impossible and the [[Buffy |
* ''[[Ace Attorney]]'': In a less physical version of this trope, Phoenix Wright makes a living of turning an impossible trial on its head. If the only choices he has are the impossible and the [[Buffy-Speak|even more impossibler]], he'll do ''both simultaneously''. |
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