History Main / AimForTheHorn

* The mighty Gargantis from ''Literature/CryptOfTheSorcerer'', a fearsome horned monster reared by the dreaded sorceror Razaak, is most vulnerable in it's nasal horn. If the Gargantis is frozen by a Rod of Paralysis, severing it's horn will kill it.

* ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'' ends with the heroes battling Dagoth the horned god, which Conan finally defeats by ripping Dagoth's forehead horn off. Part of the plot involves Conan finding the Horn of Dagoth so the villains can [[LivingStatue place it on Dagoth's statue to bring him to life]], so there's a [[DoItAgainBackwards magical reason for this trope working]].

* ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'' ends with the heroes battling Dagoth the horned god, which Conan finally defeats by ripping Dagoth's forehead horn off.

* ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' boss [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Fracktail]] ([[spoiler:and its prototype [[BonusBoss Wracktail]]]]) can be defeated by hitting their antenna horns.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'': Horns are among the breakable body parts of large monsters. In most cases, the horn is nothing but a body part used in display and defense (as in the case of monsters such as Great Baggis and Diablos). However, many Elder Dragons use their horns to channel their elemental powers and damaging them will lessen the chance of elemental attacks and lower the damage inflicted by the monster. Especially noticeable with Alatreon and Kirin, which rely on their horns to perform most of their attacks.
** This is further reinforced in ''Videogame/MonsterHunterWorld'' with the High Rank Quest involving the Elder Dragon Kulve Taroth, a lizard-like monster with two spiral-shaped horns and a golden armor. The quest is completed only upon breaking the elder dragon's horn.

* The {{Trope Namer|s}} is a misquote from the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/PokemonS1E58RiddleMeThis Riddle Me This]]". Since the Ground-type Pokémon Rhydon [[NoSell can't be harmed by electrical attacks]], Ash inexplicably tells Pikachu to aim at its foe's horn (and you're absolutely right if [[GameplayAndStorySegregation that doesn't make any sense at all]]). Obviously, [[BeyondTheImpossible it works]]. As often happens in memes, the original source was misquoted and the [[BeamMeUpScotty actual quote from the anime]] is "The horn!". To add insult to injury, the trope gets defied in regards to the Rhyhorn line, as multiple medias show them using their horn as lightning rods to nullify Electric-moves (e.g. after the introduction of the ability Lightning Rod in Generation III).

* The TropeNamer is a misquote from the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/PokemonS1E58RiddleMeThis Riddle Me This]]". Since the Ground-type Pokémon Rhydon [[NoSell can't be harmed by electrical attacks]], Ash inexplicably tells Pikachu to aim at its foe's horn (and you're absolutely right if [[GameplayAndStorySegregation that doesn't make any sense at all]]). Obviously, [[BeyondTheImpossible it works]]. As often happens in memes, the original source was misquoted and the [[BeamMeUpScotty actual quote from the anime]] is "The horn!". To add insult to injury, the trope gets defied in regards to the Rhyhorn line, as multiple medias show them using their horn as lightning rods to nullify Electric-moves (e.g. after the introduction of the ability Lightning Rod in Generation III).

* The TVB adaptation of ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' has Sun Wukong and friends battling a Rhino Demon, who tries using his nasal horn to stab the heroes. Wukong swiftly dodged a horn strike, which comically ends up in [[PainToTheAss Pigsy's anus]], and as the Rhino Demon pulls his horn out and turns around, he then receives a blow to the face by Wukong's golden staff. Later on, the Rhino Demon gets arrested by Buddha with a stump on his face.

* ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'': [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Suiryu]] breaks off both of Choze's horns after the latter tries to destroy him using an [[HornAttack energy blast from his horns]]. Their fight continues for a little while before ending in Suiryu's rather swift victory.

SubTrope of AttackItsWeakPoint and AchillesHeel. Compare AttackTheTail.

* ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'': In the final arena battle, Mace narrowly avoids getting trampled by the rampaging, rhino-like Reek, until Mace slices one of its front tusks using his lightsabre.

* The Franchise/UltraSeries uses this trope a lot, to the point where every time a horned kaiju shows up, audiences can be counting down on how long it'd take for the Ultra to snap the monster's horns in the penultimate battle. It's practically OnceAnEpisode (or Once A Season) for the franchise overall, a tradition proudly embraced [[LongRunners since 1966]]...%%[[note]]The character sheets of each show ''does'' mention the horn-breaking stuff, but again it's usually listed under AchillesHeel or AttackItsWeakPoint... maybe change the wick if it's launched or something.[[/note]]
** It dates all the way back in the original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' with its most iconic kaiju foes, Gomora the horned [[TheJuggernaut juggernaut]], who is delivering a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on Ultraman until the Ultra lands a knee into Gomora's right horn, snapping it and causing great agony on Gomora. Followed by Specium Ray into the broken part. A later episode has Ultraman battling a monster called Zaragas and breaking its horn with an upward chop before finishing it off. Possibly a suit example of a CastingGag, as Gomora and Zaragas are [[PropRecycling made from the same suit]].
** The equally iconic ''Series/{{Ultraseven}}'' monster, Eleking, has rotating horns in place of its eyes serving as sensory organs. Ultraseven severs both horns using his Emerium Ray, leaving Eleking a sitting duck to the Eye Slugger. OffWithHisHead quickly follows.
** In ''Series/ReturnOfUltraman'' the first monster who requires Jack to come up with out-of-the-box strategies to defeat is Kingsaurus III, its uranium-powered horns capable of deflecting Jack's energy attacks. Jack learns a new move, the Meteor Drop Kick, at the end of the episode, leaping above the kaiju's defenses and breaking both its horns, depriving it of force-field abilities.
*** A later episode have Jack facing two [[WeatherManipulation weather-controlling]] monsters, Seamons and Seagoras, with Seagoras -- the more powerful of the two -- using its horn as a lightning rod. Jack fares badly in the final battle until the MAT Defense Team fires a powerful laser severing Seagoras' horn, allowing Jack to defeat the monsters.
*** And there's the monster Paragon, whose tusks on its chin gets stomped by Jack in the penultimate battle until they broke. Bonus points for the prop department painting the broken tips' interior ''red''.
** ''Series/UltramanAce'' has an {{Oni}} kaiju called Onidevil, whose horn can emit powerful flashes that blinds targets. Ultraman Ace got around it by somersaulting over Onidevil and snapping its horn with a stomp, causing enough damage to kill Onidevil a minute later.
** Eleking actually makes a comeback in ''Series/UltramanTaro'', reviving [[ContinuityNod in the very same lake Ultraseven killed it years ago]], thanks to its horns absorbing moonbeams. Ultraman Taro ends the battle by creating a chain with Ultra-energy and pulling off both of Eleking's horns, causing Eleking's unstable body to dissolve. This time, Taro took the horns he ripped off ''away'' from Earth to prevent the monster's return.
** ''Series/UltramanLeo'' does this quite a few times, to devastating effect, due to Leo's nature as a BareFistedMonk.
*** As Alien Karly turns to kaiju form and blast Leo with its electrified tusks while trying to skewer the Ultra, a missed stab results in Karly [[LeftStuckAfterAttack stuck to a building]]. Leo then breaks both of Karly's tusks, depriving the alien of his best weapon, and for added insult [[EyeScream stabs the alien in his eyes]] with his ''own'' tusks.
*** Alien Giro has horn-like appendages which can release a powerful foam that Leo chops off. Turns out Giro's horns are more than ''just'' a weapon -- they're also part of the alien's life-force, and with the horns broken Giro then dies in a few seconds.
*** Another monster, the {{Cephalothorax}} Alien Akumania, has distinctive horns on either side beside its body (which is a giant eyeball). So of course Ultraman Leo does the most obvious and breaks off one of Akumania's horns, before [[EyeScream throwing it into its pupil]].
*** Black End, the ''last'' monster of the series, has horns all over its body and four major ones -- two front, two back -- as means of balance. Leo turns the battle around by ripping off both back horns (both at once) and using those to skewer its mouth, before causing Black End to trip forward, snapping the two front ones as well.
** The ''Series/UltramanEighty'' monster, Zarudon, is a RealityWarper whose powers lies in its central horn, which Ultraman Eighty severs with a series of energy beams in the final battle.
*** Surprisingly averted with the two-episode ArcVillain monster Gymaira. Its nasal horn can emit powerful energy blasts, but despite being a ''very'' obvious weak spot, Ultraman Eighty never targets said horn. The battle ends with Ultraman Eighty performing a DivingKick seemingly aimed for Gymaira's horn -- but [[DefiedTrope instead hits the monster's throat]], killing it without any damage to the horn.
** ''Series/UltramanTiga'' have two of these instances:
*** Gakuma (type β) has its horns being its source of powers, which can fire [[ShockAndAwe electrifying energy blasts]] until Tiga chops them off.
*** Another horned monster, Gagi, has a single horn that can create an impenetrable force-field and rapid-fire energy bolts. Until Tiga breaks it off, of course.
** The ''Series/UltramanGaia'' monster Antimatter is a monster resembling two bodies fused together, ''both'' its heads resembling horns. Both end up being blasted off by Ultraman Gaia, one at a time.
*** Subverted in the final episode's battle against Zogu, the series' BigBad, who transforms herself into a kaiju ''larger'' than the city itself. Ultraman Gaia and Ultraman Agul managed to break two of her horns, but she has ''six''.
** Lafreshion from ''Series/UltramanNeos'' has a golden horn which allows it to fire electrical beams, before it gets severed by Ultraman Neos via kicking. The final episode's villain, Mensch Heit, has a coral-like horn as well which gets blasted off by Ultraman Neos' and Ultraseven-21's combined energy bolts.
** ''Series/UltramanCosmos'' has a TragicMonster called Neldorand, who used to be a GentleGiant until it's converted by the vile Alien Nowar into a weapon via implants in its horn. Ultraman Cosmos managed to reverse Nowar's modifications by destroying the horn-like appendages where the controlling beacon is located, but this ends up killing Neldorand instead.
** ''Series/UltramanMax'' brings back another Eleking in the second episode, and for [[RuleOfThree the third time]] in the franchise, again Max goes for the horn. There's also a monster called Eraga who has a nasal horn, but that gets severed by Max too.
** The first Kelbeam from ''Series/UltramanMebius'' has its horns blasted to bits when GUYS tests their combined phaser beams for the first time, giving the Ultra some much-needed assistance. There's also the monster Daigarugu whose lava-spewing horns gets hacked off by Ultraman Mebius' Mebium Blade.
** ''Series/UltramanX'' has X being double-teamed by Alien Nackle and his horned kaiju henchman, Black King, and the battle seems hopeless until the sudden arrival of Franchise/UltramanZero, pulling off a BigDamnHeroes moment by landing a DivingKick into Black King's head and snapping the horn, forcing Nackle to collect his minion and leave. In a later scene, Black King's severed horn has been replaced with [[ThisIsADrill a mechanized drill]].
** ''Series/UltramanOrb'' has a returning monster from the series, Bemular, being granted a new modification -- horns capable of absorbing energy. It's predictably no match for Ultraman Orb's Orb Calibur, which severs those horns with one swing turning it back to a regular Bemular.
** ''Series/UltramanTaiga'' have the titular Ultra battling Skull Gomora (a variant of the aforementioned Gomora from the very first series) and deciding to tamper with energy from the kaiju rings. This only makes Ultraman Taiga lose control of all actions and becoming insanely savage, demonstrated when Taiga breaks Skull Gomora's horn with a chop. (A neat MythologyGag to the original series over 50 years ago, Skull Gomora's severed horn is the same side as the original's).
** ''Series/UltramanZ'' has another returning kaiju, Neronga, whose horns can generate electricity like the original until Ultraman Z breaks it off. As a ChekhovsGun, Neronga's severed horn was later recovered by STORAGE to be used as a power source.
** ''Series/UltramanTriggerNewGenerationTiga''
*** Deathdrago, a monster that appears prior to the series' events, shows up in a flashback scene where its initial rampage is stopped when Shizuma managed to pilot a GUTS Fighter and blow up one of its horns. Said monster then retreats into hibernation before showing up in the episode, sans one horn but still as powerful as ever.
*** Metsu-Orochi, an extremely powerful monster showing up halfway into the series, has a silver horn capable of absorbing and reflecting energy attacks, until Ultraman Trigger and Trigger Dark decides to team up and chop it off.

* The TropeNamer is a misquote from the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/PokemonS1E58RiddleMeThis Riddle Me This]]". Since the Ground-type Pokémon Rhydon [[NoSell can't be harmed by electrical attacks]], Ash inexplicably tells Pikachu to aim at its foe's horn (and you're absolutely right if [[GameplayAndStorySegregation that doesn't make any sense at all]]). Obviously, [[BeyondTheImpossible it works]]. As often happens in memes, the original source was misquoted and the [[BeamMeUpScotty actual quote from the anime]] is "The horn!". To add insult to injury, the trope gets defied in regards to the Rhyhorn line, as multiple medias show them using their horn as lightning rods to nullify Electric-moves (e.g. after the introduction of the ability "Lightning rod" in Generation III).

* The TropeNamer is a famous misquote from the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/PokemonS1E58RiddleMeThis Riddle Me This]]". Since the Ground-type Pokémon Rhydon [[NoSell can't be harmed by electrical attacks]], Ash inexplicably tells Pikachu to aim at its foe's horn (and you're absolutely right if [[GameplayAndStorySegregation that doesn't make any sense at all]]). Obviously, [[BeyondTheImpossible it works]]. As often happens in memes, the original source was misquoted and the [[BeamMeUpScotty actual quote from the anime]] is "The horn!". To add insult to injury, the trope gets defied in regards to the Rhyhorn line, as multiple medias show them using their horn as lightning rods to nullify Electric-moves (e.g. after the introduction of the ability "Lightning rod" in Generation III).

* The TropeNamer is a famous [[BeamMeUpScotty misquote]] from the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/PokemonS1E58RiddleMeThis Riddle Me This]]". Since the Ground-type Pokémon Rhydon [[NoSell can't be harmed by electrical attacks]], Ash inexplicably tells Pikachu to aim at its foe's horn (and you're absolutely right if [[GameplayAndStorySegregation that doesn't make any sense at all]]). Obviously, [[BeyondTheImpossible it works]]. As often happens in memes, the original source was misquoted and the [[BeamMeUpScotty actual quote from the anime]] is "The horn!". To add insult to injury, the trope gets defied in regards to the Rhyhorn line, as multiple medias show them using their horn as lightning rods to nullify Electric-moves (e.g. after the introduction of the ability "Lightning rod" in Generation III).

* ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'': [[spoiler: The dragon Leventhan, after hibernating in the Crystallization Cauldron and absorbing all of Erion's Phozons, becomes a massive serpent. However, careful observation shows that the crown of King Valentine, which was placed on the dragon's head prior to grant the whelp immense power, is now wrapped tight around one of his horns, creating a weak point. Damaging the weak point enough ''snaps'' the horn off, and judging from Leventhan's expression afterwards, it was enough to kill the monster.]]

* The FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/TecmoKnight'' is a horned EldritchAbomination whose final weak point is - you guessed it - it's horn. You'll need to bypass his fireball projectiles, dodge his claw attacks, weaken him enough by hitting his fact and exposed heart, and finish him off by using the "grab" button to rip off his front horn which then kills him for good.