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{{trope}}
[[File:SupermanvsHulk 8477.jpg|frame|Superman, we know you're the top [[Face]] and all, but come on.]]
In [[Speculative Fiction]], there are [[Kryptonite-Proof Suit|a lot]] of [[Anti-Magic|ways]] for characters to resist the [[Stock Super Powers]] of their adversaries and nullify said opponent's resistances to one's own powers. These can come in the form of powers themselves, such as a [[Power Nullifier]] disabling other people's powers, or [[Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors]]. Other times, a hero is [[The Determinator|just so determined]] that they can [[Fight Off the Kryptonite]] and use their abilities in unfavorable circumstances. Resourceful characters may discover an enemy's [[Achilles' Heel]] or [[Weaksauce Weakness]], or lure them onto unfavorable [[Geo Effects]].
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The [[Inverted Trope|inversion]] is [[No Saving Throw]] (for when the attack always works) or [[Shooting Superman]] (for when you're the attacker).
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* In ''[[Dragon Ball]]'', Taopaipai cannot be harmed by the Kamehameha no matter how powerful it is. It just glances around his body like water. [[Clothing Damage|His clothes can't say the same]].
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** Brook is able to No Sell Ikaros Much's moisture-sucking squid spears thanks to the fact that he's a living skeleton. There's nothing to drain.
** Since his upgrade, Brook is able to survive {{spoiler|most physical harm (even decapitation) due to his newfound 'soul' powers. Turns out his true form is that of a spirit, and he's merely possessing his old body.}}
* ''[[
** Of course, if one were to, say, sever his right arm, he would be relieved of this power. Good thing Touma is the sort of person who can no-sell ''[[Laughing Mad|losing a]] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|freaking arm]].'' {{spoiler|In the latest{{when}} light novel, severing his arm just unleashes something ''worse.''}}
** Terra of the Left's power is to assign numbers to people and objects. Nothing can be harmed by something of a lower number. By doing this to himself, he's practically invulnerable. This also works in reverse, allowing higher-ranked flour to slice through lower-ranked brick walls. The Knight Leader has a similar ability to Terra's, by making the opponent's attack power change to zero.
** Also Accelerator in a way reflect every thing thrown at him unless you're Touma
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** In [[Code Geass: Tales of an Alternate Shogunate]], {{spoiler|Suzaku defeats Matthew Perry by preventing him from using his Geass, presumably with his sword's reflection}}.
* [[Naruto]]: {{spoiler|Itachi's}} Susanoo's Yata Mirror allows him to no sell any attack.
** The Third Raikage no sells a {{spoiler|GODDAMN [[
*** He apparently did this with pretty much ''any'' attack. The only attack capable of damaging him was actually {{spoiler|his own attack}}.
* ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'': Lordgenome's Lazengann has a hidden row of teeth on its abdomen - which, coincidentally, are strong enough to stop and shatter a [[Finishing Move|Giga Drill Break]] from Simon.
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'''nameless Cyricist''': <[[Oh Crap]] + [[Big No]]> }}
== Fan Works ==
* The titular Legion from the 1990s-2000s vintage [[Self-Insert Fic]] cycle ''[[Legion's Quest]]'' is immune to ''everything'' due to the nature of his empowerment. Even non-visual sensors refuse to register him.
== Film ==
* For the most part of the first movie the agents in ''[[The Matrix]]'', then Neo during and after the climax, and throughout the series until he fought the Oracle-empowered Smith.
* Played with in ''[[Spaceballs]]''. When Lone Star tries to give the Vulcan neck pinch to one of the Spaceballs, it has no effect. The Spaceball then says "No, no, you're doing it all wrong. It needs to be at the
* The ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' films:
** In ''[[X2: X-Men
** In ''X-Men 2'' Magneto performs a No Sell of his own in the same movie, thanks to his telepathy-blocking helmet: while the mind-controlled Xavier is attacking the mutants of the world with his powers, Magneto is completely immune to the psychic attack that has literally every other mutant on Earth writhing on the ground in agony. For good measure, once he's managed to temporarily disable Cerebro and stop the attack, he finds himself face to face with Jason, who makes one final attempt at telepathically attacking him- to no avail; cue [[Oh Crap|horrified stare from Jason]], as Magneto smugly taps the side of his helmet by way of explanation.
** In ''[[X-Men: First Class]]'', Shaw's helmet, later Magneto's, enables him to protect himself from Xavier's abilities. {{spoiler|In the climax, he enters a psychic-proof chamber in his submarine, and he ''still wears the helmet''. This turns out to be [[Genre Savvy|a perfectly sensible precaution]].}}
* Inverted in ''[[Serenity]]'', {{spoiler|when Mal sells a nerve-cluster blow that doesn't actually affect him in order to fool his opponent. }}
* ''[[Star Wars]]: [[Return of the Jedi]]''
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** Watto: "What you think you are, some kind of Jedi, waving your hand around like that? I'm a [[Space Jews|Toydarian]]! Mind tricks don't work on me, only money."
* In ''[[Superman Returns]]'', one criminal tries to [[Moe Greene Special|shoot Supes in the eye]]. The only effect is [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|a little 'doink' sound]]. And a flattened bullet.
* ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]''{{'}}s Davy Jones does this, even going so far as to disarm {{spoiler|Will in ''At World's End'' after he stabs Davy with a rapier, by reaching round and bending the point of the rapier so it couldn't be drawn out of his body}}.
{{quote|[[Humanoid Abomination|Jones:]] {{spoiler|"Missed!... Did you forget? I'm a heartless ''wretch!''"}}}}
* Variation in ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' when Indy is fighting the massive German mechanic at the airfield. The mechanic obviously feels the punches and grunts with each hit, but [[Punch-Punch-Punch Uh-Oh|he doesn't even move despite Indy throwing his fists full-force into his jaw]]. Then the mechanic delivers a single jab that knocks Indy on his ass.
* [[The Dragon]] in ''[[The Millennium Trilogy|The Girl Who Played With Fire]]'' can't feel pain, so he tends to do this to any attacks against him.
* Somewhat lampshaded when The Man In Black attacks an unmoving Fezzick in ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]''.
{{quote|"I just wanted you to think you were doing well!"}}
* ''[[Captain America: The
* In ''[[Red Dawn]]'', the Wolverines are being pursued by a Hind gunship and they managed to hit it with an RPG. Unfortunately, although the helicopter sways violently at the hit, it recovers and continues the pursuit.
* The eponymous ''[[Prince of Space]]'', at least in the English translation, is fond of reminding his foes that their guns have no affect on him (though he will still try to dodge).
{{quote|'''Prince of Space:''' When will you learn? Your weapons are uselss against me!
'''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000|Crow T. Robot]]:''' Though they scare the crap out of me anyway. }}
* In ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2]]'', Tigress has spent the last 20 years punching ironwood trees both as a way to work out anger and to toughen up. When she spars with Po, he punches her outstretched palm and hurts himself, and she doesn't even blink.
* ''[[Kung Fu Hustle]]'': In the midst of showing off just how much of a [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]] he is,
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* In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]],'' Tom Bombadil is shown to be completely immune to the corrupting powers of the One Ring, as well as it's more practical effects like invisibility.
** This turns out to be a case of [[Blessed with Suck]] for Frodo and the other Hobbits; they can't ask Tom to keep the One Ring safe for them, because he's so disinterested in its power that he'd likely forget about it and leave it somewhere.
* In [[Michael Moorcock]]'s ''[[The Elric Saga|Elric Saga]]'' even the title character's sword-shaped demigod "Stormbringer" is unable to do anything against a demon with a wardpact against swords.
== Live
* ''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'': The 1998 episode "Warriors" sees the leader of a supremacist group kidnap a genetic researcher, so he can force her to share her secrets to help him in his ultimate goal ... create an army of genetically superior soldiers that can help him rob banks, murder, rape women and control the drug and black markets. The enforcer of the group is one of their creations, a muscle man whom Walker cannot faze at all, even with his patented roundhouse kick. When the muscle man beats up Trivette and attempts to slam him into a concrete wall, Walker tries to shoot the man ... but he simply absorbs the bullets, thanks to the DNA that allows him to be instantly healed and not be hurt by gunfire. During the final confrontation, the man mountain has Walker beat ... but the researcher shows up, throws flammable liquid in his face and then a torch, which sets him aflame ... and stuns him long enough for Walker to recover and finally dropkick him to his death (out a plate-glass window and into a storage area conveniently full of gasoline barrels).
* ''[[The Wonder Years]]'': In the 1989 episode "Fate," Kevin tries standing up for Winnie's honor when - upon learning that her (temporary) boyfriend, Billy, the school bully - has been bad-mouthing her behind her back. Kevin confronts Billy and tells him to knock it off. Billy does a "says who?" act, after which Kevin slugs him with an uppercut ... that doesn't even faze Billy. Of course, Kevin gets the hell kicked out of him, before Billy calls him pathetic and he and his buddies leave Kevin writhing in pain.
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* In the aftermath of [[Hulk Hogan]]'s first major starring role in the 1989 movie "No Holds Barred" (a professional wrestler battles a corrupt television producer), a storyline was devised to pit Hogan against co-star Tiny Lister Jr., in Lister's role of man-monster Zeus, in a "real life" feud. (The explanation being that "Zeus" was annoyed and jealous over Hogan's star billing.) Zeus the wrestler made several appearances at wrestling cards, usually to interfere in matches involving Hogan and his friend, Brutus Beefcake, and the trope came into play when Hogan and/or Beefcake would try to fight off Zeus ... but Zeus would stand there, absorb the blows and smile as though he were not hurt! Eventually, a match was set up for Summer Slam 1989, with Hogan-Beefcake taking on Zeus and [[Randy Savage]] (with whom Hogan had been feuding, and Beefcake starting that spring); Zeus initially no-sold everything Hogan and Beefcake threw his way, but eventually they figured out his lone weak spot: his eyes, which – if you poked his eyes – you could stun him long enough to hurt him. The "unfazable monster" gimmick worked for awhile, but eventually Zeus succumbed to Hogan, and in a "final" steel cage match in December 1989, Zeus little more than jobbed to Hogan ... a far cry from the imposing monster that was initially promoted as "unbeatable." (In actuality, Lister – whom actually shared mutual respect for Hogan and had no problems with his second billing – had very little formal wrestling training, and Hogan has written in his autobiography that he agreed to go easy on Lister because of this.)
* Quite a few wrestlers use this as their main gimmick. [[Kevin Nash]]'s career took off after he used the No Sell.
* In various shows, [[Ric Flair]] will often say "I made you" to [[
* A staple for [[The Undertaker]], where he incorporated the no sell into his "rising from the dead" persona, where he would sit up after taking his opponent's Finishing Move. If you see him lying out completely straight after taking a finisher, he's very likely about to do this, especially if his opponent hasn't covered him immediately. Cue an [[Oh Crap]] face from said opponent.
** [[
*** Kane's fairly regular associate the Big Show also does this, especially against smaller opponents.
* [[Hulk Hogan]] made it part of his persona as well. The first step in his "Hulking Up" process is to start no-selling everything. After that, [[Five Moves of Doom|it's all over]].
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Generally, immunities to specific attacks and/or [[Standard Status Effects]] are almost always present and are the main purpose of [[Damage Typing]]. As a game model grows, it's [[Serial Escalation|more and more likely]] to get into [[Lensman Arms Race]] of effects, immunities and immunity-breaching effects.
* In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', up to 3rd edition, monsters like golems and Will O' Wisps are immune to most kinds of magic. When fighting such a creature, typically the wizards will sit around and feel useless while the warriors run up and hit it with swords.
** Amusingly, clay golems are No Sell to warriors as well, since their clay skin resists sharp things such as swords and arrows and spears. (Oh, and their fists can inflict cursed wounds.) Even worse, it's possible for a clay golem's creator to lose control of it, in which case it becomes a rampaging menace that attacks anything that moves (and unlike flesh golems, there is no way to resume control; fortunately this is not a problem with stone and iron golems). It's up to the hammer-wielding cleric or paladin to smash them in with bludgeoning, or the wizards to polymorph into a better form, or to the wizards to use Sunfire which ignores magical resistances.
** This was also a trait of the most powerful of demons. In the earliest versions of the game, the Balrog was completely immune to spells cast by casters of sixth level or below—on top of general 79% magic resistance.
** In the BECMI edition of D&D, Immortals are the equivalent of gods. An Immortal's true form was completely immune to even the most powerful mortal magic, and the most that even the most powerful of mortal magical weapons (+4 or +5) could do to them is [[Scratch Damage]].
** In D&D 4e, Gods are immune to anything thrown at them from anything below level 21. Anyone not of epic level, who have some trace of divinity themselves, is completely incapable of affecting the gods in any way.
** Theoretically, ''sphere of invulnerability'' or ''antimagic shell'' gives everyone inside
*** And some are simply hardened to dispel (spells with strong and weak sides were widespread in sourcebooks before the rules got dumbed down in D&D3; e.g. removing some powerful curses would need caster level above a certain threshold, or higher than that of the cursing caster, rather than a common roll; sometimes other spells were given such hindrances for dispelling; conversely, some get dispelled automatically). An old answer from Ed Greenwood (from Q&A/errata on ''Prayers from the Faithful''):
{{quote|You ask of Tenfold Ironguard's immunity to dispel magic and anti-magic shell, "how can that be?" Don't forget that both of those very effective magical quellers are themselves magical effects - not true magic-dead fields (or they would destroy themselves upon creation, collapsing without effect), rifts in the Weave, wild magic chaos, or anything of the sort, but rather: created magical effects. Thus, a crafter of sufficient skill (for wizards) or a deity with care enough for details, and the desire to do so (for priests) can readily create spells that are either immune to dispel magic and anti-magic shell, or that modify their effects.}}
** ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' had a (mostly implicit) history of magic "arms races" - development of spells intended to defeat spells that in turn were developed to defeat the older and simpler spells.
*** A few spells compromise even 'antimagic shell' (it suppresses other magic, ''not'' makes a true magic-dead zone, or it would disable itself upon activation) by working on a deeper level: 'Lauthdryn's Cleaving', 'Lesser Cleaving', 'Mystra's Unraveling' and 'spell shear'<ref>an elven spell never given in stats</ref>. Also, 'Sphere of Ultimate Destruction' (non-FR spell) ignores it, due to creating a controlled sphere of annihilation — planar rift that does naughty things to the underlying continuum; and so does 'Black Blade of Disaster' (due to creating… a rift of similar nature, but fancy-shaped).
*** The main purpose of 'Silence' spell is to disable [[Magical Incantation|verbal components]] of other casters. What [[Forgotten Realms]] "arms race" did to this one? Introduced 'Vocalize', which allows its caster to circumvent this specific side of silence.
** Damage resistance in D&D also works as a kind of No Sell, although it is limited to low to mid level damage. And of course there are ways to weaken or boost it.
* A particular trait of a bad game master will be to arbitrarily nullify the character's actions regardless of a die roll if it would upset his storyline or make his [[Villain Sue]] look bad.
** Subverted by ''[[Paranoia]]'', where the rulebook specifically tells GMs to disregard any and all inconvenient dice rolls, including ''rolling dice in plain view'' and '''ignoring''' the results.
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* One of the advanced Dementation abilities in ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'' (available only to characters of sixth generation or lower, which generally includes only NPCs and [[Cannibalism Superpower|diablerists]]) allows the character to completely ignore an object for the duration of an encounter. For example, everyone else may see a perfectly ordinary sword pass straight through him harmlessly, but the character himself will wonder why the unfriendly chap is swinging his empty hand around like that.
* Strangely implemented in ''[[BattleTech]]'' with what is known as the Phantom 'Mech ability, the only sort of 'mystical' ability put forward by the franchise. In the Kell Hounds sourcebook, the ability basically disrupts enemy targeting systems by causing the 'Mech to 'disappear' from sensors, making the pilot using it nearly impossible to hit by imposing an automatic +4 to-hit penalty as well as doubling the range counted by the weapon. This could mean that an enemy just a few spaces distant suddenly counted as twice as far away (and incurring some horrific range difficulty modifiers, up to +4), or worst of all, considered 'out of range' of a weapon. The average pilot needs to roll a 4 or higher out of 2d6 to hit a stationary target. Suddenly, that previously 4-or-better hit requirement now requires an 8 or higher because of this ability, and the shot becomes much more difficult...or impossible. Canonically, only three pilots ever exhibited the ability in the course of the Warrior trilogy, with two of them genetically related and the third being a primary antagonist to the first two. The effect of not selling enemy attacks in the fiction, though, is considered both so rare and so traumatizing that the only warriors to survive the experience take themselves out of battle and into retirement or hermitage for a timespan on the order of years.
== Video Games ==
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* Characters in ''[[City of Heroes]]'' with high enough defense can no sell pretty much anything, making a "soft capped" defensive build extremely valuable. Negating attacks is also the hallmark of several endgame Destiny powers, which (in addition to serving as a massive [[Status Buff]]) also allows you to no sell an attack for the entire league. (Clarion negates controls, Rebirth can heal through almost anything, Ageless can counteract slow and endurance drain effects, and Barrier just makes you [[Nigh Invulnerable]]). The rarely seen "Phase Shift" effect also allows you to become completely immune to everything, but prevents you from affecting anyone but yourself.
* ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' has a rare heroic example: When {{spoiler|the Assassins under Abbas try to use Assassinations on Altair, it only hurts him, but doesn't [[One-Hit Kill]] him like when he does it to others.}}
* A few bosses in ''[[Paper Mario|Paper Mario: The Origami King]]'' have complete immunity to certain moves that cannot be alleviated in any way: The Earth Vellumental takes no damage from jump attacks; Rubberband can only be damaged meaningfully and beaten with the 1000 Fold Arms, damage from any other attack cannot lower its HP below 1 and is immediately healed; Tape counters jump attacks and [[Nonchalant Dodge|effortlessly dodges]] fireballs.
== Web Comics ==
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* ''PITCH BLACK'' with "[http://pitchblack.thecomicseries.com/comics/209 Animal Guards]".
* Inverted in ''[[Battle Bunnies]]'', [http://www.collectedcurios.com/battlebunnies.php?s=51 page 51]: Your defense won't work against me.
== Web Original ==
* One of the most iconic abnormalities of the ''[[SCP Foundation]]'' is SCP-682, the "Hard-To-Kill Reptile". This beast is practically the embodiment of Hate, a monster who detests everything and everyone, and also cannot be killed. Not that the Foundation hasn't tried. They've tried burning it, freezing it, cutting it to pieces, melting it in acid, and it regenerated from all of it, although the last seems at least able to keep it contained. They tried luring it to the Gate Guardian, a [[Physical God]] with a sword literally hotter than the sun. Nothing. They tried showing SPC-096's face to it, 096 (the "Shy Guy") being a creature who will hunt down and kill anything that sees its face; 096 ''tried'' to attack it, only to be reduced to a sobbing, cowering wreck. Trying to convince [[Serial Killer| SCP-106]] ("the Old Man"), SCP-049 ("the Plague Doctor"), and SPC-173 ("The Sculpture") and other dangerous Keters was ineffective, as all refused to go near it. It seems the thing is truly immortal.
** Of course, one problem is, SCP-682 has a lot of [[Popularity Power]] too. Fans of the site would never forgive them if they actually killed off one of their favorite SCP!
== Western Animation ==
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{{quote|'''Aquaman:''' ''[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|King of the seas, remember?]]''}}
* In ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'', when Dr. Orpheus attempts to read the mind of Henry Killinger, the latter simply stands there until Orpheus passes out from a [[Psychic Nosebleed]].
* It is established in ''[[Helluva Boss]]'' that demons are not immortal and can die, at least temporarily. However, as seen in "Murder Family" (where the villain tries to burn Blitzo and Millie on a stake) fire doesn't harm them.
== Real Life ==
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:
[[Category:Combat Tropes]]
[[Category:Screw This Index, I Have Tropes]]
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