You Can Barely Stand: Difference between revisions

Sure, a writer could give their [[The Chessmaster|master manipulator]] a [[Humongous Mecha]] or have your [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|amoral industrialist]] secretly be a [[Authority Equals Asskicking|martial arts master]], but there's also something satisfying in bringing the invincible hero down a few pegs. Many pegs. To the point where they're already a few moments from death when they meet; this has the effect of showing that the character isn't fearless simply due to having superior power, but superior ''character''-strength even when stripped of those abilities.

 

 

Either way, the hero will eventually get a [[Heroic Second Wind|dramatic burst]] and fight on despite his weakened state, and will usually defeat their foe by the slightest of margins. Only once they've won will they be allowed the luxury of [[Post Dramatic Stress Disorder|collapsing]]. For a truly [[Bittersweet Ending]], they might [[Heroic Sacrifice|never get up again]].

* In ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni]]'', Rika has one of these during her [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] when she {{spoiler|stands up against Shion and kills herself rather than die by torture}}.

* This trope is so overused in ''[[Saint Seiya]]'', the heroes are brought down to this level in pretty much every story arc after facing a few mooks. This trope needs to be renamed "You Can't Even Stand" to refer to the more serious instances.

** Seiya is poisoned by by Royal Demon Roses on his way to the Pope's chamber, until all he could manage was crawl his way to the chamber. Once there, the Pope made him {{spoiler|blind, deaf, dumb, and robbed him of his sense of smell and touch as well, then banished him to another dimension.}} [[Heroic Second Wind|He won anyway.]]

* In ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'', Simon {{spoiler|is lifted out of his Lagann mini mecha by Lordgenome, looking bruised and almost totally defeated. However, just as Lordgenome is about to finish him off for good he summons his remaining strengh and slams the his drill pendant into his enemy's chest before twisting it and blowing him apart with the spiral energy it contains.}}

* In ''[[Wolfs Rain]]'', Toboe tries to bite Darcia's arm off despite being seriously wounded {{spoiler|and dying from it shortly afterward}}.

* The {{spoiler|"Bang" scene}} that concludes ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''.

* In ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'', the final battle between Kenshin and Shishio is like this, and Kenshin actually ''does'' collapse during the fight before getting back up.

** Also in the anime when he fights Shura {{spoiler|Kenshin is hit by a poisoned dart and can't exactly see properly or stand up straight}}.

* ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 4'': {{spoiler|after dealing with a bad heart/rebellious nanomachines, crawling through a hallway full of microwave radiation, and barely surviving a final assault by a bunch of mini-bots, Snake is captured by Liquid Ocelot, who challenges him to one last fight to the death. To ensure that it will be a fair match, Liquid injects Snake with some awesome drug, then, as they [[Cutscene Power to The Max]], they continue to inject themselves with more and more of the drug, until despite their advanced ages, they are able to fight as if they were in their prime. This ''quickly'' devolves, however, to a [[You Can Barely Stand]] battle, as, at the end, the drug wears out, and it goes from two accomplished hand-to-hand combatants duking it out to two old men savagely slugging each other with whatever power they can muster. Note that Ocelot has a good 4 life bars, one for each game in the solid series, in different styles!}}

* Amusingly used in ''[[Disgaea (Video Game)|Disgaea]]''. A villain springs one of Larharl's weaknesses, forcing you to go into a fight with his stats halved. That weakness? {{spoiler|''Giant breasts''.}}

** Later in the game, at Venus Lighthouse, you fight Saturos and his partner Menardi to prevent them from lighting the lighthouse. Due to your massive increase in strength since the previous fight at Mercury, you defeat them with (relative) ease. After the fight, Mia actually says outright, "You can barely stand," in response to a comment from the injured Saturos. [[Fusion Dance|Cue Mia eating her words, dragon style.]] This trope, but with the roles reversed.

** The sequel ''Lost Age'' also has two incidents of this trope After the fight with replacement baddies Agatio and Karst atop the Jupiter Lighthouse. Regardless of how the fight goes, they're forced to make a hasty retreat because the fight with Felix and Co. took to much out of them, and the heroes from the last game are on their way up. Once the villains leave, Issac and co. arrive a tense standoff ensues between the two teams (long story). Ivan defuses the situation by suggesting they return to the local village to resolve things, as both teams are too tired to fight.

== Webcomics ==

* Gilgamesh Wulfenbach in ''[[Girl Genius]]'', [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080310 here]. Near passing out at the start of the fight.