History Main / CherryTapping

[[folder:{{Collectible Card Game}}s]]

* There's a ''TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}}'' TCG deck called the "No Energy Stall." It contains a bunch of high-HP Pokémon, healing Trainers, and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin no energy whatsoever]] - which means you ''can't use any attacks.'' The point is to hold out as long as you can until the other player runs out of cards.

* In the ''TabletopGame/AliensVsPredator'' card game, it was entirely possible to weaken the fearsome Predator with a barrage from your heavily armed Colonial Marines, such that the final killing blow could come from a rescued pet cat.
* In ''VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft'', killing someone with something that deals one damage. Whether it's the Mage's Hero Power, a weak minion like Wisp or Murloc Tinyfin, or a 1 damage spell like Razorpetal or Frost Shock, it's pretty humiliating.
** There's also a common practice of self-cherrytapping. When a player knows he's going to lose, he can get style points by using his cards to set up an elaborate suicide (perhaps by ridiculously overbuffing one of the enemy's minions, then attacking it).
** It's also possible to grind an opponent down to 1 health and then ''keep them alive'' while maintaining board control and making sure they can't wear down your health. Depending on how late you are in the game, you can keep this up until they run out of cards and lose.

* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'' episode 44, Last Smile- the heroes defeat the OneWingedAngel FinalBoss using their ''LEVEL 1'' forms. Note that these are [[ItMakesSenseInContext chibi, oversized, completely but adorably uncoordinated game-sprite Rider forms,]] so why do they use them? It's a callback to the very first episodes, in which level 1 was the only level capable of separating the virus from its host, which is basically what the one winged angel form ''is.''
* In ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', Eliot specializes in this, having defeated opponents with everything ranging from plastic bats to an appetizer. However his best example comes from this:
-->'''Hardison:''' Look, nobody's asking Eliot to kill someone with a Nerf sword...\\
'''Eliot:''' Damascus. 1992.

--->'''The Doctor''': I want you to be famous for those exact words. I want people to call you Colonel Run-Away. I want children laughing outside your door, 'cos they've found the house of Colonel Run-Away. And when people come to you and ask you if trying to get to me through [[BerserkButton THE PEOPLE I LOVE]] is in any way a good idea... I want you to tell them your name.

-->'''The Doctor: '''I'll use my unrivaled knowledge of trans-temporal extirpation methods to neutralize the residual electronic pattern.
-->'''Rose: '''You what?
-->'''The Doctor: '''[[ExpospeakGag I'm gonna tape over it.]]

* On later seasons of ''[[Series/{{Wipeout2008}} Wipeout]]'', the thing that is causing more and more players to consistently get knocked around the most are the smaller bits of an obstacle that fire off out of nowhere. For instance; crossing a thin platform against a wall with moving steering wheels and gas pedals. No one told you about the air bag that just randomly goes off on one of them.

* In ''Series/BattleBots'', Jabberwock defeated Mauler 5150 by lightly nudging it. Because Mauler fights by rapidly spinning its entire chassis, this nudge sent Mauler off-balance and ultimately flipped it over with no way to right itself. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS9i8JgLjTU Here is the match.]]

* ''VideoGame/InfiniteSpace'' has the Taurus, a space station that can take out the players entire fleet in a few attacks... unless you fly right up to it, where you are too close for its weapons to attack you, and spend the rest of the fight hitting it repeatedly with your own short-range weapons, which cause anything between about 1 and 3 damage. Maybe 10, if you get a critical hit.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', you are literally invincible during the final battle. This gives you plenty of opportunity to, if you have time to kill, hack the Big Bad apart with the most pathetic weapons, characters and techniques in your arsenal -- and you don't even have to do that either: You can sit back and let the boss whittle his own health away with percentage-based attacks that affect everyone including himself, and land the finishing blow when his attacks stop damaging him.
** Also from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' is Evrae Altana, who is inflicted with Zombie status. [[ReviveKillsZombie Throw some healing items at it and it's gone]].
*** There are several such enemies - often bosses - in the series. A ''revivify'' or a ''Phoenix Down'' is all you need to take down the Phantom Train in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''.
** You can do a "No Sphere Grid Play through". Basically you keep your characters at ''level 1'', and yes, people have finished the game this way.
** When you have an enemy down to single-digit HP, you're ''supposed'' to hit them with your most powerful attack and go for the Overkill. Still, it's much more fun to have Yuna or Lulu finish them off. Especially Lulu, with her dolls. Seeing a [[DemonicSpiders Malboro]] go down at the hands of a Moogle is not something easily forgotten.
** It gets worse when you consider that the first weapon you get with Deathstrike is Lulu's Fatal Cait Sith.
** The best thing is giving one of Lulu's dolls Death Strike and Counter Attack. She will OneHitKill enemies with a backhanded slap!
* In ''VideoGame/Persona3'' this appears more as a tactic to conserve SP. However it's kind of hilarious to see Yukari do a critical hit on a strong enemy with her bow. It gets better since Yukari's weapon (or rather bows in general) has a tendency to be BlessedWithSuck.
* Try beating the entirety of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' using the Buster Sword. Okay, no problem? Now beat the Sephiroth at the end ''without'' using the limit break.
** Then there's killing Ruby Weapon, the second-strongest enemy in the entire game, with a level one character. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJWPI5Ticwc Like this.]]
* You actually have the option in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' to not be equipped with a weapon and fight with your bare hands, which makes it more gratifying when you return to early parts of the game after leveling up and punching enemies to death.
** Killing enemies with bare hands is all well and good (high combo chance and all of that), but what is truly humiliating is getting killed by a Measure, a weapon so weak that it will actually buff the target, and it deals pathetic damage, even for an armor-piercing weapon. Ending the BigBad through this method makes the scene after totally worth it, even at max stats.
*** Measures aren't supposed to be used as offensive weapons in the first place... you're supposed to use them to buff your own party for free.
*** If you think beating enemies with measures is pathetic enough, try beating a boss by ''throwing rocks at it'', aka Knots of Rust. This item also appeared in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2''.
* The job system recurrent in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series can allow for particularly fun humiliation.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'':
*** It is not exceptionally difficult to beat the FinalBoss of using a party of Dancers, and !Dance as their only offensive move. It is, in fact... a cakewalk.
*** You can beat it with level 2~4 characters. The boss fights do not give you any EXP, in the original Japanese SFC version, and you only get a handful of fights that give you EXP that you cannot escape from. The game is designed so that you can beat most bosses quite easily if you have the right combination of abilities and items. You do need to temporarily boost your functional level with the Chemist skill in a fight to about 80 or so, and a boss you need get a staff from, and you get about 1/6 chance of a one hit kill. (You can farm for the loot beforehand.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' can be beaten with level 7~12 characters.

* ''VideoGame/MinecraftDungeons'': If you unequip your melee weapon, your character is forced to attack enemies by punching them, which deals only 1 HP of damage per hit.
* Some ''VideoGame/NetHack'' players like to slay AntiClimaxBoss Vlad the Impaler, with an oddball object such as a thoroughly rusted tin opener which they then name "Vladsbane".
** Meanwhile, some classic tales of silliness from the roguelike ''VideoGame/{{Angband}}'' include The Shoveller, named for fighting monsters only with a tool intended for clearing rubble, and the Bookless Mage, whose weapon of choice was a thrown spellbook.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', a special title can be gained if Lloyd goes through roughly a third of the game wielding only the wooden swords he starts the game with.
** Defeating Abyssion using the poison Pow-Hammer strategy. Basically it involves a physically weak character defeating the game's toughest optional boss by throwing a rubber hammer at him, waiting a few minutes, and then hitting him once(a total of two hits for a boss with hundreds of thousands of HP). You can continue to attack after the hammer affects him but it's more fun to just watch.
*** Beating Magnadeus from ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny 2'' using the little WhiteMagicianGirl is similar, although there are no {{Game Breaker}}s involved. You just have to keep attacking... [[DeathOfAThousandCuts A lot]].
* A multitude of the ''VideoGame/{{Tales Series}}'' games have the Minimum Damage skill, which makes you only deal one HP of damage with all of your attacks. It's mostly meant for practicing combos, but whatever you decide to use as a target dummy is going to go down eventually.
* Wiegraf, ThatOneBoss of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', can be defeated by spending turn after turn evading him and using temporary stat-boost moves to bring up the speed and strength stats to [[PhysicalGod insane]] levels, then ending the fight by one-shotting him with... a thrown book.
** Also fun: Beating down any of the bosses to single digit hit points, then killing him via thrown-rock-to-the-face.
** Or better yet, don't get them down that low and beat them with a dash. Off a cliff. Only works on some levels, though.
*** Even funnier: hit an enemy with a thrown rock just to make him move one space and fall of the cliff.
** Finishing [[spoiler: Argath]] off with a crossbow. Sure, [[CoolSword swords]], [[KillItWithFire fireballs]], and [[HolyHandGrenade Holy]] are all perfectly usable substitutes, but killing the bastard with [[spoiler: the same type of weapon [[MoralEventHorizon he used to kill Tietra]]]] [[KarmicDeath is]] ''[[KarmicDeath much]]'' [[KarmicDeath more satisfying]].

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPdwIpvsv-8&feature=related F.E.A.R.]] from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' definitely counts. Watching a Level 1 Rattata decimating a Level 100 anything brings laughs to you and humiliation to your foes. In addition, any examples below that involves using a particular move is not only a direct example of this trope, it's an indirect one as well: As a Pokémon can only know 4 moves at a time, in order to engage in that sort of cherry tapping, they had to set aside one of those four moves solely for that one thing. In other words, the cherry-tapping Pokémon is using only 3 moves compared to the opponent's 4.
** Also Shedinja, who has the dubious honor of being the only Pokémon weaker that the one it evolves from (strictly speaking), but, thanks to the fact that it cannot be harmed by attacks that are not super effective, it can stand up to some game-breakers such as Kyogre or Palkia, who usually cannot hit it despite being behemoths in their own right.
*** Perhaps the most humiliating thing you can do to someone in Pokémon is taking them out with a final gambit by Shedinja. Final Gambit is a move that faints the user and deals damage to the opponent equal to the HP the user had. Shedinja only has ''one'' measly little hitpoint. To be KO'd by Shedinja's final gambit is incredibly embarrassing.
** In general this can apply to anyone in the competitive online Pokémon battling scene who uses Pokemon from the Neverused-or-under tiers in a Standard (or worse, Uber) tier battle for the purpose of humiliating an opponent that is presumably using entirely Overused Pokémon.
*** Or not fully evolved? For example, a Hypnosis Yanma trained for Speed. You've never seen someone swear so loud as when they get stomped by a little red bug.
*** Bibarel can knock out the likes of Uber teams, especially those that run multiple Arceus/Mewtwo/Deoxys teams. The laughs are amazing, and humiliations abound. Utilize Neverused Pokémon sparingly if you want to keep your competitive friends.
*** Of course, this is mostly because of the ability Moody, which is now banned in competitive communities due to being [[GameBreaker overpowered]] and [[LuckBasedMission based on luck over skill.]]
*** So you think getting epically owned by a Bibarel is bad? How about having a team of ubers and legendaries beaten by a team of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3uROelepGY Bidoof]]?
** [[MagikarpPower Magikarp]] goes on a legendary God cherry tapping spree [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye7b3bOQ6lY here]].
** Managing to defeat somebody with Constrict is definitely humiliating. Why? Because Constrict has a whopping ''10'' base damage.
** The AI certain computer-controlled opponents tends to do this as well; if your Pokemon is low on HP, they'll attack with the weakest move in their moveset.
** In Black and White, it's possible to defeat Cynthia--the champion of Sinnoh--with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkVT1KjojCk a team of level 1 Pokemon.]]
** [[http://youtu.be/ciuAcwbny6w This]] X-and-Y [=PvP=] Triple battle culminates in a [[OneHitPointWonder Shedinja]] using [[CastFromHitPoints Final Gambit]] to KO the last enemy Pokemon.
** Invoked with the attack Fell Stinger. It has a measly base power of 30 (Tackle was stronger than that ''before'' it was buffed), but if the attack successfully knocks out an opponent, the user's Attack doubles.
** This trope is actually referenced in a trailer for for ''Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire''. After blocking several attacks, Mega Sableye gets crushed under the weight of its own gem when Mega Lopunny jumps over and taps it in the shin.
* The "Let's Play" review of ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic KOTOR 2]]'' chose to display extra special contempt for the mid-boss Darth Nihilus by disarming all his characters to fight him barehanded. Or, as he put it, they played a game called [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/KOTOR%202/Update%2053/index.html Punch The Sith Lord]]. (Scroll down towards the end)
** Then again, considering that you deal [[GoodOldFisticuffs almost as much damage bare-handed as you can do with a lightsaber...]]
* In the ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' console [=RPGs=], the [[ImprobableWeaponUser squeaky mallet]] was expressly designed for this, as it does 1 HP of damage at most and gives you additional experience points for landing a hit.

* ''VideoGame/PhantomBrave'':
** You can kill someone by slapping them in the face with a fish. Or a handful of grass. Or a sunflower, another enemy, the ''corpse'' of an enemy slime that you just killed with a handful of grass. Admittedly, you can level it into an [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Fish]], but still.
** There is the special attack "Dud", which consists of using a nonfunctioning bomb to repeatedly beat someone in the face.
* ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' actually offers battle trophies concerning the Metal Pipe (Fayt's first weapon) which range from defeating a opponent with it, defeating certain bosses with it, and doing the maximum ammount of damage with it. Thankfully, all of these trophies are obtainable by [[InfinityPlusOneSword enhancing the Metal Pipe]] with the item customization system.
* Late game bosses in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' don't flee when they reach low hit points. With a bit of judicious number-crunching (or sadistic use of the "Mercy" spell), it's possible to knock the FinalBoss down to 10 HP of about 200,000 and then finish him off with literally anything. Such as a [[EmergencyWeapon shoulder check]] from a [[MechaMooks Gespenst Mk. IIM]] piloted by Russel, for example.
** The game also tends to use this in-story as well, where the heroes try to disable a BrainwashedAndCrazy friend's mech by using their weakest weapon to destroy a key system. The practice gets subverted in the second Original Generation game.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsJudgment'' you can unlock a PoweredArmor [[Literature/FullMetalPanic Bonta-kun]]. While not as effective as the [[LightningBruiser Arbalest]], its attacks and the bosses' reactions to them make it worth obtaining.
* It's an old joke from the postapocalyptic classic ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'' that by [[LevelGrinding climbing way too many sand dunes until your character has superhuman attributes and melee skills]] you can kill the game's most powerful creature, the Scorpitron, by using common non-weapon items such as canteens or hand mirrors.
* In ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'', the interface allowed the player to use absolutely everything as a thrown weapon, with damage being dependent on the item's weight. If the character was properly built, he could defeat even powerful enemies by hurling newspapers, precious gems and gold coins at them.
* ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'':
** There's the Needle of Eternal Agony which is a total pain in the ass to get (you got to defeat the one boss maneater, which turns out to be 2 bosses) and only deals 10 physical damage per hit, making it completely useless for such a hard game, but extremely funny to brag about in [=PvP=].
** It seems you can [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Gnwe2BkUI beat the game in level 1]].
* In Episode 1 of ''VideoGame/PennyArcadeAdventures'', one of your party members is a cat whose hairball attack always inflicts 1 damage to all enemies. He is therefore all but useless, unless you manage to get an enemy down to 1HP. (There is even a trophy/achievement for doing this.)
** Of course, it's a lot easier when you find out the fact that it has an instant kill move, and you can get the achievement doing that. Granted, this attack activates around 2% of the time, IF that much, but it's certainly a sight to see when it happens.
* In ''[[VideoGame/SummonNight Summon Night: Swordcraft Story]]'', you can defeat any weapon-using enemy by [[StoneWall blocking, switching weapons, healing and using Weapon Durability]] to chip away at his/her weapon durability, eventually making them break it. You get a bonus for doing so, too. Namely, you get a blueprint for the weapon you've just broken. Using the Curry Ladle to defeat monsters is fun, too.

* The AI in ''VideoGame/FossilFighters'' will always use a vivosaur's most basic attack to take one of your vivosaurs down when its HP is low enough.
* Using your weakest weapons in ''VideoGame/Grandia1'' actually gives you better experience (more hits, more exp) than just using your strongest ones and finishing the enemy in one blow.
* It is quite possible and was popular when it was new among "extreme" gamers to beat ''[[VideoGame/FableI Fable]]'' and its expansion pack ''Fable: The Lost Chapters'' using no healing items or magic and no other weapons or armor than the Apprentice Robes and [[ImprovisedWeapon wooden stick]] you get at the start of the game.
* ''VideoGame/WildArms'' rewards you for cherry tapping with the very low-power spell ''Lucky Shot'' which, if it kills the enemy, grants even the rarest of enemy drops.

* in a non gameplay element it is possible to kill a [[BubbleBoy quarian]] by simply removing their helmet and coughing on them. [[TheCowl Garrus]] does [[DeathByIrony this to one who had turned virus maker on Omega.]]
* In ''VideoGame/FragileDreamsFarewellRuinsOfTheMoon'', it's perfectly possible to beat the final boss wielding a broken stick. In fact, it may be necessary due to the game's frustrating item-breaking system.

* In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' you can totally do stuff like this to both Bosses and other players. [[JokeItem Whip]] builds are the most popular and amusing just because of how much the two available whips suck.
* ''VideoGame/TheLastStory'' has bosses that must be taken down in a way more similar to an action game by putting it in a weakened state or expose its weakpoint in some way. Or, you can just attack it head on, dealing minimal damage but relying on chains to deal more damage anyway, and diffusing healing circles as they come to keep your party alive.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' actually ''encourages'' this thanks to the game's skill increase system in order to level up your weapon skills. Every successful hit, regardless of how much damage it does, counts the same towards increasing that skill. Stabbing something 100 times with the [[JokeItem Fork of Horripilation]] will lead to a greater increase of your short blade skill than [[OneHitKO one-shotting]] that same foe with a Daedric dagger. Inversely, this works on you to level up your armor skills. Simply deck yourself out in a full suit of armor, find a rat, and allow said rat to cherry tap YOU. Each hit will count towards increasing the armor skill for the type of armor you are wearing.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', the ''Hearthfire'' DLC gives you opportunities for this. You can pick up a low-damage table knife or fork (or ''both'' and then [[DualWielding dual wield]] them) or fight with a [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter wooden sword]] intended to be used as a gift for your children. It can be incredibly satisfying to slay a tough foe with what amounts to ''a toy sword''.
** [[AssholeVictim Grelod the Kind]] from the first Dark Brotherhood literally has a ''single point'' of HP. She can be killed by throwing something at her, [[MakeMeWannaShout shouting]] at her, hitting her with a wooden sword or stabbing her with a fork, or punching her once. Bonus points for killing her because it nearly always results in an unarmed finishing move, resulting in the hilarious potential sight of a tiny Breton mage suddenly killing an old woman (possibly mid-speech) [[WrestlerInAllOfUs with a body slam or a German suplex]].
** In the 'Dawnguard' DLC the player must defeat the seconds antagonist on a balcony. It's meant to be a climactic battle against a formidable opponent — in reality, the duel can be finished in seconds by using the Unrelenting Force shout to knock him off of the balcony.

* At one point during ''ComicBook/DarkReign'', [[TokenGoodTeammate the Sentry]] knocks out the captive Hawkeye as gently as possible -- the sound effect is actually "TAP".
* In ''ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist'', Dog Brother #1 once killed a man with a mere "Standard Issue Punch" after slicing his head into three perfect segments but leaving him momentarily barely alive.

** Likewise, anything relying on the smaller autocannon, like the ''JagerMech''--a heavy 'Mech easily bested by mediums due to its combination of slow speed, paper-thin armor, and anemic arsenal. The ''Rifleman'' also, since it has these problems ''and'' is easy to overheat.

* High-level TabletopGame/{{Chess}} is usually played with a restricted number of viable openings. An opening that is not viable and is usually not found in manuals, opening databases and theory books is the [[http://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1401479151063.pdf Bongcloud]] (also known as [=Ke2=]) and its many variations (like the much more seriously-named King David's Opening). Against a player with any semblance of skill, the only thing this family of openings does is waste time and bring your king ahead into danger and unable to castle. Born as a joke and eventually becoming a [[MemeticMutation meme]] in the Chess community, the opening has restricted uses: as a handicap for the stronger player (in a didactic setting or otherwise), for [[ConfusionFu confusing your opponent]] (especially at an amateur level), as a viable strategy in [[ChessVariants variants]] such as King of the Hill, or this trope. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kttctaODjP0 Here]] is GM Hikaru Nakamura demonstrating its potential for humilitation.

* in VideoGame/{{Nethack}} Vlad the Impaler used to be a frequent victim of this, due to being a rather underwhelming boss for the point of the game in which he is encountered. It was a joke in the fandom to kill him with throughally rusty -3 cursed tin openers or other similarly ineffective weapons and name the object in question [[WeaponofXSlaying 'Vladsbane']] afterwards. He has since been buffed and is no longer a pushover boss though.

-->'''Liquid''': Weird... hey, tranq rounds?
-->'''Big Boss''': Yeah, he only ever used nonlethal ammo.
-->'''Liquid''': That is both a really bad idea and totally awesome.

* This is the basis of Kat's fighting style in ''Webcomic/NotAVillain''. She uses unconventional "Special" attacks that manifest as hideously-drawn smiley faces, and attack in "nice" ways such as making you overwhelmingly happy, or attacking you only if you attack someone else.
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', during a trading card game tournament, Luke plans to lose his match quickly and get on with his real objective so he starts by playing a weak card but after his opponent insults him for it he [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1876 decides to win with the deck he presumably created to be easy to defeat]].

* ''WebAnimation/{{hololive}}'': Inugami Korone invokes this in her playthrough of ''VideoGame/Doom2016'', where she deliberately uses the pistol to kill a Revenant, cheerfully asking it how humiliating it is to be killed by her weakest weapon.

--> '''Kyle''': Cartman, what are you doing?
--> '''Cartman''': I'm killing you. Unfortunately I could only afford a [[NerfArm wiffle bat]], [[EpicFail so it's gonna take a while.]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode, "That Will be All," has the Crystal Gems tying up Holly Blue Agate with her own whip. Garnet then walks up to her, pulls out her gauntlet, and goes "I've been waiting to do this all day!" She then lightly taps Holly in the stomach with her free hand and knocks her over.

* The End actually does this to ''you'' in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3''. He only uses tranquilizer rounds, but since he's so good at sniping, it actually makes for a fairly effective weapon. Plus, losing to him is actually even ''more'' inconvenient than just dying, since he knocks you out and carries you back to the basement of a lab you went through earlier. You can do it to him as well, though, as the only way to get his rifle is to defeat him with the tranquilizer pistol you've been carrying since the beginning of the game.
* ''VideoGame/{{Transcendence}}'' offers up much potential for Cherry Tapping - as much as it does for [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverKill overkill]]. Due to the ability to enhance even low level weapons to rather ridiculous levels, one of the most over-looked weapons in the game, the dark acid cannon, can be used to kill the final boss.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}'' games reward the player for doing this: It's called "iron fist." Weaken an enemy with gunfire, then finish them off with one punch. Your reward is more points to buy bonus materials with.
** Later on, you can add insult to injury as you can pick up somethings during certain brawls - allowing you to KO someone with say... a ''fish''.

* Killing the most powerful tanks with infantry in ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars''. Takes a lot of units, but it feels so satisfying.

** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ Saisei-hen'', one of the attacks of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack Amuro and his Nu-Gundam]] deals a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown towards the enemy and ends it with a dynamic kill ''using its vulcans''. Its sequel ''Jigoku-hen'' has [[Anime/ArmoredTrooperVOTOMS Chirico and his Burglary Dog]]'s last attack which ends with him shooting a mech ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4on7FjPWn4 with his pistol]]''.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV'', [[Anime/CrossAnge Ange]] has one of her weaker attacks having a dynamic kill that makes her open the Vilkiss' cockpit and having her shoot the enemy by aiming a machine gun at the enemy. Unlike Chirico who has a mask on, she can execute this attack [[BatmanCanBreatheInSpace even in space]] ''without any sort of oxygen mask or space clothing''. And she's already wearing a {{Stripperific}} outfit on top of that. This attack was unfortunately removed in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX''.
* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsT'' has [[Anime/CaptainHarlock Captain Harlock]] personally steps in the tube the Arcadia fires at the enemy[[note]]in the show, he goes there to stop the enemies from boarding the Arcadia[[/note]] and he use his sword-gun to shoot at his enemy in the Arcadia's final attack. Bizarrely enough, this isn't considered as a dynamic kill.

* In ''[[VideoGame/SummonNight Summon Night: Swordcraft Story]]'', you can defeat any weapon-using enemy by [[StoneWall blocking, switching weapons, healing and using Weapon Durability]] to chip away at his/her weapon durability, eventually making them break it. You get a bonus for doing so, too.
** Namely, you get a blueprint for the weapon you've just broken.
** Using the Curry Ladle to defeat monsters is fun, too.

* in VideoGame/Nethack Vlad the Impaler used to be a frequent victim of this, due to being a rather underwhelming boss for the point of the game in which he is encountered. It was a joke in the fandom to kill him with throughally rusty -3 cursed tin openers or other similarly ineffective weapons and name the object in question [[WeaponofXSlaying 'Vladsbane']] afterwards. He has since been buffed and is no longer a pushover boss though.

** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', there is a rather difficult BonusBoss that can have his A.I broken in a hilarious way. If you hide behind a rock on the stage, the boss's A.I will try to hit you through the rock. To easily defeat him ,simply stand behind the rock and spam Strike Raid or one of its variants, some of the weakest and earliest obtained commands in the whole game.
** Also in ''Birth by Sleep'', Terra's Double Impact ability allows him to follow up with his Slide or Air Slide with a full-body tackle. It deals a small amount of damage to enemies and stuns them for a moment; the purpose is as a panic button so [[MightyGlacier Terra]] can get some space to breathe and wind up for his next attack. However, the fact that it stuns enemies means you can use it to keep your enemies in a stunlock loop, and the fact that it deals damage means that the guy with a [[{{BFS}} BFK]] can ''tackle his enemies to death, '''including the [[BonusBoss Iron Imprisoner]]'''.''

* The bosses of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' have many hit points, hit for massive damage and of course have predictable patterns that enable a player to kill them without getting hurt. As a result there are a number of videos showing someone killing a Cyberdemon or Spider Mastermind with a lowly pistol or even fists.
** In ''Doom 3'' you can bludgeon people to death with the ''flashlight''.

* If you play VS mode in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'', nothing spells humiliation for the infected players than having a survivor beat you to death with his gun (or worse, his medkit) instead of shooting you. Although, Boomers explode when killed and Tanks are not affected by shoves.
** This actually was both effective and humiliating, since the survivors can just huddle in a corner during big horde rushes and basically be untouchable. Even worse, a glitch meant you could hit the button for shoving, then quickly switching weapons or equipment to reset the shove's normal cooldown, allowing for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93IOL_pYkp4 several punches per second]]. When the bug was fixed, a fatigue meter was also added where shoves would gradually get alonger and longer cooldown.

** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsJudgment'' you can unlock a PoweredArmor [[Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic Bonta-kun]]. While not as effective as the [[LightningBruiser Arbalest]], its attacks and the bosses' reactions to them make it worth obtaining.

* The page quote comes from ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick2004'', in which the eponymous badass further establishes his badass nature by killing a guard with a teacup[[note]]He smashes the thin metal mouth of the cup onto a rock, deforming it and giving jagged edges. Then shoves it into the man's chest.[[/note]]. He makes the rest of the guards run away when he threatens to follow this up by killing them with a can key.

* In the Literature/XWingSeries book ''Starfighters of Adumar'', Wes Janson gets into a duel with a pompous and arrogant native noble using "blastswords," basically blasters on a stick, the prefered weapon for such things. First, he [[IShallTauntYou hurls a bunch of insults]], prompting a hasty attack from the noble, which ends with the noble disarmed. Then, Wes throws his own blastsword away and proceeds to deliver a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown all the while explaining what it means to be a real warrior. It ends when the guy is so beaten down and disoriented that he doesn't even know where Wes is (standing right in front of him), who then knocks him out with a slap to the face, specifically for this purpose.
-->'''Wes''': At least you could say you were struck down with a good blow of the fist. If I were going to be nice to you, that is. ''[raises up open hand, waits for his opponent to focus on it, then... SLAP!]''
* The climax of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows''. [[spoiler: Voldemort, the Dark Lord, has his Killing Curse deflected back to him by Harry's Expelliarmus. Basically, Voldy is killed by a spell also known as the Disarming Spell, a spell specifically chosen by Harry as his signature attack because of its non-lethality]].
** Also - not exactly non-lethal, but definitely primitive compared to a wand: in the final phase of the Battle of Hogwarts, Neville [[spoiler: fights the entire time using only the Sword of Gryffindor - no magic.]]

* In ''LightNovel/LogHorizon'', in a fantasy world that happens to operate on MMORPG rules, Shiroe and Nyanta humiliate Demikas, the leader of a power-mad guild, by leaving him with a single unit of HP left over, so they can rub his defeat in his face (as a pre-emptive measure to break his spirit and prevent him from repeating his crimes). When Demikas gets angry enough to attack them again regardless, the very low-level Serara reflexively hits him over the head with her staff, upon which he suffers CriticalExistenceFailure from the loss of that single HP. An even more humiliating end to his [[HumiliationConga conga]].
* ''LightNovel/TrappedInADatingSimTheWorldOfOtomeGamesIsToughForMobs'': When Leon is dueling the five princes and Leon asks Luxion to prepare "[[ExactWords my finest blade]]", Luxion equips Leon’s MiniMecha with... [[ShovelStrike a shovel.]] This was Luxion wanting to humiliate Leon’s opponents because they pressed his BerserkButton by mocking the mech he created. Leon proceeds to win.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* On ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', Eliot specializes in this, having defeated opponents with everything ranging from plastic bats to an appetizer. However his best example comes from this:
-->'''Hardison''': "Look, nobody's asking Eliot to kill someone with a Nerf sword..."\\
'''Eliot''': "Damascus. 1992."
* On ''Series/DoctorWho'', the Doctor has brought down entire ''empires'' using (among other things) a satsuma, a recorder, and the master tapes of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* The page quote comes from ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'', in which the eponymous badass further establishes his badass nature by killing a guard with a teacup[[note]]He smashes the thin metal mouth of the cup onto a rock, deforming it and giving jagged edges. Then shoves it into the man's chest.[[/note]]. He makes the rest of the guards run away when he threatens to follow this up by killing them with a can key.

** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaHarmonyOfDespair'': Menace only takes 1 damage if you don't hit its weak points. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmZsXlqy9Oc Ignoring them can make killing him take a while,]] but put on two Master Rings and can farm weapon EXP faster than any other way (as you usually kill things too quickly otherwise).

** If you're going for uses of the kick, ''Aria Of Sorrow'' has the best example of cherry tapping you can get. Remember Julius Belmont? ThatOneBoss? Wanna know how to totally punk him, possibly without getting hit? Kick him in the face. He'll always recoil and fly back long enough for you to jump up and do it again until the battle's over.
** Remember the Iron Golem? The monster with 9999 health, resistance to everything and literally INFINITE defense? Remember how you're supposed to kill him by switching his HP and MP values with that lame 'magic handkerchief'? Some people didn't have that the first time they saw the Iron Golem; and because everything hits an Iron Golem for 1 damage anyway (yes, even criticals) YOU KICK AN IRON GOLEM 9999 TIMES.

** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheUmbrellaChronicles'', it's possible to take down pretty much all of the boss-monsters can be taken down with your weak infinite-ammo pistol. This includes the [[ImplacableMan Nemesis and Lisa Trevor]], giant snake Yawn, [[ManEatingPlant Plant 42]], even the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Tyrant Armored Lethal Organic System]].

* In the 2008 ''Videogame/{{The Incredible Hulk|2008}}'' game, the Hulk can pick up and throw anything. Everything he throws does damage -- so you can knock down buildings or kill bosses by throwing ''[[GrievousHarmWithABody pedestrians]]'' at them. That's gotta hurt.

** Two videos showcased a Pyro utterly decimating an entire enemy team with nothing but his [[AnAxeToGrind axe]], [[FlareGun flaregun]], and [[PlayingTennisWithTheBoss airblast.]] One fansite was so [[https://web.archive.org/web/20100326022129/http://www.ubercharged.net/2008/09/26/don-newman/ impressed]], they began a machinima.

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'', one of the chefs, Horst, is said to have done time, but he changes the story every time he's asked. One story is that he robbed a bank using only a ballpoint pen, another is that he killed a man with his right thumb.

* How about the dildo in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas''? No, wait, it gets even worse: you can beat people to death even with a goddamn ''flower bouquet''. Yep.
** The best part is that all of these weapons are obscenely powerful, killing any non-boss in three hits!

** Throws and kicks actually do a flat rate of 10 damage (in the third game, at least), regardless of what difficulty you're on (yes, even Instant Kill).
* In ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' you can kick, which is the weakest attack in the game (but it has its own button!). But the satisfaction of killing a dragon by just relentlessly kicking at it's feet is just... Incomparable (and it's also just horrendously funny). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwautVeV5RE Observe]].
** From ''Monster Hunter Dos'' and onwards, there's a gesture that makes your character start [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowboxing shadowboxing]], the punches it does are ''even weaker'' than the kick (1 damage, the kick does 2), and yet, with really crazy careful planification (or cheating) you can still kill a gigantic dragon by punching his tail.
*** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' continues the tradition with the [[Franchise/StreetFighter Hadoken and Shoryuken]] gestures. Though admittedly it looks a ''lot'' more badass when you do it.

** Though not quite as extreme as the previous examples, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8k7jv5P27E this video]] of ''Monster Hunter Tri'' shows Cha Cha, a very weak computer-controlled sidekick who's only meant to provide minor support for the player, killing the Great Jaggi ''on his own.'' Though granted, this is very dependent on Cha Cha wearing the False Felyne mask, as it would otherwise take much longer.

[[folder:Action]]
* There is an entire collection of videos for the Xbox remake of ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'', demonstrating defeat of the game's single-battle (one of them aside) missions using the Wooden Sword, which is the weakest weapon that can actually hurt all enemies. There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvg8OdIsndc this video]] of someone killing an enemy by doing nothing but juggling him with shurikens, which is the REAL most weakest weapon in the game. It can't damage bosses or certain enemies, though.
* ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' deserves mention for the sheer thud and manly scream that comes with Isaac's curb stomp attack, which can only be performed on enemies who are already knocked down on the floor.
* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' also has an achievement/trophy for beating the game using only the Plasma Cutter, the first weapon picked up during play.
* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'' gives you a bonus spell if you defeat the secret boss Gergoth using the Blank Book, Charlotte's weakest weapon. It's not that hard since you have to ''finish'' him with the book, so if you count down his HP until he has just enough to survive one more hit, it's easy.
** Portrait of Ruin has 2 joke weapons - the paper airplane and the cream pie. Anything can be cherry tapped by hitting them enough times, but special mention must go to the memory of Richter Belmont. The pie happens to inflict dark elemental damage, which is Richter's sole weakness. This along with granting momentarily stun means the cream pie is one of the more effective weapons to cheese him with.
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'':
*** There's a move for Alucard, the Drop Kick, which essentially mimics [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario's]] [[GoombaStomp "jump on something's head to kill it"]] trick. And it lets you repeat said move ''infinitely.''
*** The fist weapons, or just plain ol' punching unarmed. They can hit literally as fast as you can mash the attack key (with the exception of the Blue Knuckle, which is kind of crap) and have an ''insane'' crit chance, offsetting their very short range. So you can, quite literally, [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Punch Out Cthulhu]]. Or, you know, [[TheGrimReaper Death]]. Or even [[{{Dracula}} The Big Man Himself]]!
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'' introduces an ability that makes the Drop Kick even better: Medusa Soul. It lets you stay perfectly still in the air for as long as Soma's MP holds out. The Drop Kick's damage is based on airtime in this game, and Medusa Soul can be used within its animation. As a result, it's possible to begin the kick, then hold the Medusa Soul for a very long time before finally descending in a glorious, insanely damaging impact on whatever the poor thing is right under you.
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' had a Medusa Soul as well that worked the same way, but the kick didn't gain any extra strength with longer airtime.
** If you're going for uses of the kick, ''Aria Of Sorrow'' has the best example of cherry tapping you can get. Remember Julius Belmont? ThatOneBoss? Wanna know how to totally punk him, possibly without getting hit? Kick him in the face. He'll always recoil and fly back long enough for you to jump up and do it again until the battle's over.
** Remember the Iron Golem? The monster with 9999 health, resistance to everything and literally INFINITE defense? Remember how you're supposed to kill him by switching his HP and MP values with that lame 'magic handkerchief'? Some people didn't have that the first time they saw the Iron Golem; and because everything hits an Iron Golem for 1 damage anyway (yes, even criticals) YOU KICK AN IRON GOLEM 9999 TIMES.
* ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' features a wide variety of {{Joke Weapon}}s, as it is a ZombieApocalypse game set in a shopping mall ripe with {{Improvised Weapon}}s. Some are much less effective than others, but it is still possible to kill zombies with stuffed teddy bears, ping-pong ball launchers, frisbees, and coat hangers. However, one joke weapon can actually be used effectively in a boss battle against a human sniper. By using a hockey stick to shoot pucks, the hero can shoot the sniper from cover (as only the stick is not covered) and literally ''beat the sniper into submission with hockey pucks''.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp'', an [[VideoGameRemake extensive remake]] of ''VideoGame/MegaMan1'', defeating a Robot Master using only the [[EmergencyWeapon Mega Buster]] unlocks him as a secret character.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'':
*** Link must battle the otherwise-invulnerable dark wizard Agahnim by reflecting his own magic back at him, using the legendary Master Sword (which you spend the entire game up until that point trying to acquire). Turns out that the Bug-Catching Net that a kid in Kakariko Village lets you play with accomplishes the feat just as well.
*** There are two upgrades to the Master Sword that increase its damage. You can beat the game while avoiding both upgrades, but the un-tempered Master Sword is so weak that it cannot hurt the final boss without charging the sword and using the spin attack.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'': To make Ganondorf vulnerable to attack, first you must reflect his magic attacks back at him. This can be done with the Master Sword... or an empty bottle. With the latter, it takes more reflections to finally break his guard, but the window on the bottle swing is much wider, meaning that it becomes much, much easier to time the attack. The bottle also has a faster swing.
** The bottle also works against Phantom Ganon in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': Using the fishing rod[[note]]The Coral Earring, a royal piece of jewelry received earlier in the game from Prince Ralis the Zora, is automatically attached as the fishing hook when obtained -- likely serving as the reason for Ganondorf's distraction[[/note]] to swing at him [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny makes him drop his nigh-unbreakable guard as he just STARES]]. Proceed to unsheathe your sword and slash him to pieces.
** Also, in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'', where the shovel may be used instead of the sword to deflect the attacks of the shadow Agahnim form of the final boss.
** And of course, going back to the route of all evil: ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' allows you to stop the final boss in his tracks... With your Bug-Catching Net.
** One surprisingly effective way of defeating [[ThatOneBoss Dark Link]] is the [[NerfArm Broken Giant's Knife.]] Due to a [[GoodBadBug bug]], Dark Link cannot do the "stand on your sword and unavoidably hit you" attack, making him easy to hit if he actually attempts it.
* In the video game version of ''VideoGame/TheGodfather'', one hit contract gives you bonus cash for taking out an enemy boss by throwing glass bottles. Difficult to do, as there aren't enough bottles in the vicinity to do even noticeable damage to him.
** Take down the Barzini Compounds, hardest on the SortingAlgorithmOfEvil, using only the level 1 snubnose and a level 3 character? [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUZ71j-a1UY It's doable!]]
* In ''VideoGame/GodHand'', if you land enough hits on an enemy without taking any yourself, they go dizzy and you can use a special attack on them. Usually this is one of four -- [[RapidFireFisticuffs Pummel]], Stinger (on fat enemies), Cobra Twist (on skinny enemies) or Spank (on female enemies) -- but if they're down to the absolute last sliver of life (so that it doesn't even show in their life bar), the attack becomes "Poke of God"... which sees Gene simply push them over with one finger. This attack is most impressive when used against the game's demon opponents, who literally explode into dust when they die.
* In Chapter 13 of ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', Captain Walker is confronted by a mob of angry civilians. Trying to move forward without either [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential shooting them]] or scaring them off with a warning shot will result in one of the civilians shoving Walker back and inflicting a small amount of damage. Your RegeneratingHealth is disabled in this segment, meaning that moving forward enough times without killing or dispersing the crowd will result in Walker literally being shoved to death.
* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'', you can opt to forgo using your various bladed weapons during combat for your [[GoodOldFisticuffs bare fists]]. The awesome part is that ''this works pretty well'' when fighting opponents one-on-one; sure, Altair can't block, but your opponents can't counter or parry your fists, making it entirely possible for you to literally pummel your assassination targets to death.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'':
** You can use a ''broom'' as a weapon, which works and even sounds just like a war hammer. There's even an achievement for it.
** You can also kill the last boss by kicking him in the shins over and over again, and he is powerless to stop you.
* ''Canis Canem Edit'' (AKA ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'') has humiliation attacks, where you can spit in the faces of your opponents, force them to beg, and perform other such juvenile attacks. Even better, it is entirely possible to WEDGIE someone to defeat, since it does a (small) amount of damage when you perform it. Even on [[TheBrute Russell]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'': Amaterasu, the wolf protagonist of the game, can learn the moves Golden Fury and Brown Rage. The former involves Ammy cocking a leg and peeing on her enemy, while the latter involves Ammy throwing her ''exploding poop'' at them.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay''. At the end of the very first level, you meet a gargoyle blocking a bridge you must cross. So you fetch the first thing that could come in handy, which is a frying pan. As anyone would expect, using a frying pan against a stone gargoyle is like putting out a forest fire with a water gun. The gargoyle knows this and starts laughing, and he laughs so much that he eventually [[OhCrap loses his grip]] and falls off the bridge. All because of a frying pan (which becomes Conker's [[ImprobableWeaponUser primary weapon]] from then on -- except when the situation demands otherwise).
* In the GBA rendition of ''[[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Return of the King]]'', the Witch-king of Angmar can be slain with a ''spoon''. [[NoManOfWomanBorn No man can kill him]], [[LiteralGenie but it doesn't say anything about cutlery]].
* In the 2008 ''Videogame/{{The Incredible Hulk|2008}}'' game, the Hulk can pick up and throw anything. Everything he throws does damage -- so you can knock down buildings or kill bosses by throwing ''[[GrievousHarmWithABody pedestrians]]'' at them. That's gotta hurt.
* ''VideoGame/BloodRayne 2'' 's Harpoon does very little damage in and of itself, and you would normally use the move while in slow motion, in order to set up multiple plummeting kills for maximum "Carnage" (the game's equivalent of a "Rage" mechanic). Sometimes the opponent was just that weak that a single shot with the harpoon would kill them, causing them to simply fall while the harpoon was rapidly retrieved.
* ''VideoGame/BeyondOasis'' had the Alt. Knife, the unbreakable side-weapon you are given at the beginning of the game, which could be used in lieu of other, better (but typically breakable) weapons you are given. It's the weakest weapon in the game, and its only real benefit is its special attacks, which can be fairly difficult to perform regularly, and for getting the unbreakable versions of stronger weapons.
* In ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter'', the player is given a large variety of weapons, including an M-16, an M-9 Grenade Launcher and, finally, to make you wonder what it was for - a Taser. The Taser could be considered the Cherry Tapper, as it didn't actually damage them, just made them shake in place... unless you held the button down. In which case, the enemy eventually just caught on fire from the sheer amount of volts being pumped into them. Still a humiliating way to go.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'':
** Using a wand or a staff or other melee weapons as a Necromancer or Sorceress.
** The ''Telekinesis'' spell, particularly in ''Diablo I'', is the ultimate way to cherry tap your enemies.
** The Sorceress does have access to a spell that adds substantial fire damage to any ranged or melee weapon, potentially turning any weapon (or even her bare fists) into a harbinger of fiery doom. Likewise, the Necromancer, when equipped with any dagger, can perform a special stab that causes incredible poison damage over time.
** A very obscure Barbarian build for [=PvP=] is based around using a poison damage buffing wand in each hand along with an [=AoE=] Whirlwind attack and an inventory completely full of powerful poison damage charms. The result is slaying other well-equipped players while holding what looks like two venomous forks.
** One forum member at the inc.gamers ''Diablo 2'' fan site tried to make a Boxer build with the Barbarian class, aka no weapon at all. Punching always does 1-2 damage in-game, so he had to rely on percentage-reduction damage bonuses. Needless to say it was very item-dependent and, as he admitted, very boring due to how repetitive it got.
** In the spirit of the trope, though, one player tried to play through the game using nothing but the Sorceress' weakest, most basic spell.
** The Amazon, in ''{{VideoGame/Diablo}} 2'', is said to be able to beat Diablo with a broken short bow on Hell difficulty.
** And the Druid can have his ravens peck the BigBad to death. It only takes about 30 minutes of realtime for Normal difficulty...
* Try to beat the end boss of ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 Ratchet & Clank]]'' by using the blaster. Then the flamethrower. Then the bomb glove. Then the suck cannon on the final stage. You even get a bunch of suckable enemies, just in case you're out of ammo.
** Later ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank'' games award skill points for beating various levels or bosses using only your wrench.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'': Defeating Albert Wesker exclusively with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfwhXHplOHQ#1m16s rotten eggs.]] [[MemeticMutation "You will give me an egg,"]] indeed.
** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheUmbrellaChronicles'', it's possible to take down pretty much all of the boss-monsters can be taken down with your weak infinite-ammo pistol. This includes the [[ImplacableMan Nemesis and Lisa Trevor]], giant snake Yawn, [[ManEatingPlant Plant 42]], even the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Tyrant Armored Lethal Organic System]].
* Actually the best way to win the final boss battle in ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours''. The programmers apparently didn't expect anyone to sheath their weapons and pummel [[BigBad Sosa]] with their bare hands, and he reacts by standing there passively until he's dead.
* In ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'', you can take down the Splitworm with the knife.
* How about the dildo in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas''? No, wait, it gets even worse: you can beat people to death even with a goddamn ''flower bouquet''. Yep.
** The best part is that all of these weapons are obscenely powerful, killing any non-boss in three hits!
* Broken weapons in ''VideoGame/WayOfTheSamurai'' do negligible damage (except on [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Instant Kill difficulty]]). The third game has 2 achievements for defeating enemies with broken weapons.
** Throws and kicks actually do a flat rate of 10 damage (in the third game, at least), regardless of what difficulty you're on (yes, even Instant Kill).
* In ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' you can kick, which is the weakest attack in the game (but it has its own button!). But the satisfaction of killing a dragon by just relentlessly kicking at it's feet is just... Incomparable (and it's also just horrendously funny). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwautVeV5RE Observe]].
** From ''Monster Hunter Dos'' and onwards, there's a gesture that makes your character start [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowboxing shadowboxing]], the punches it does are ''even weaker'' than the kick (1 damage, the kick does 2), and yet, with really crazy careful planification (or cheating) you can still kill a gigantic dragon by punching his tail.
*** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' continues the tradition with the [[Franchise/StreetFighter Hadoken and Shoryuken]] gestures. Though admittedly it looks a ''lot'' more badass when you do it.
** In all of the games, throwing a paintball or stone at a monster will also deal a measly one HP of damage to them (Five instead if you have a certain skill equipped).
** In the same vein as paintballs and stones, it is possible to kill a monster, particularly one you're supposed to capture instead of kill, [[DeathByIrony with a Tranq Bomb]].
** Though not quite as extreme as the previous examples, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8k7jv5P27E this video]] of ''Monster Hunter Tri'' shows Cha Cha, a very weak computer-controlled sidekick who's only meant to provide minor support for the player, killing the Great Jaggi ''on his own.'' Though granted, this is very dependent on Cha Cha wearing the False Felyne mask, as it would otherwise take much longer.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Manhunt}} 2'', there are a variety of small objects you can pick up and throw to distract enemies. However they can also do miniscule amounts of damage to anybody they hit. It is entirely possible to kill an enemy just by repeatedly throwing an empty soda can at him.
* In ''VideoGame/InfinityBlade'', defeating the God King with Ruin, the weakest weapon in the game (attack power: ''1'') unlocks the "Insult to Injury" Achievement.
* In ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', the Idol Transformation ability can only be used successfully on a foe that is just shy of death... but if they are, you take out the foe, and you get [[BraggingRightsReward their statue]] without having to play the Idol Toss MiniGame.
** The fourth boss of the game is the Great Reaper. You can shoot him in the chest and head until his forehead splits open, at which point you can deal the finishing blow. Or, you can just pummel his feet until he falls to the floor (did we mention he's three stories tall?) with his untouched head inexplicably split open. Palutena lists it as an option, and Pit explains that [[AgonyOfTheFeet Stubbing your toe hurts a lot]].
** Some weapons have extraordinarily weak melee (Flintlock Staff, for example, is exclusively a ranged weapon), and you probably won't use a weapon with weak melee that still has stats in melee attacks. Good idea in multiplayer, the single player, however, has a couple enemies that can only be taken out by melee or it's just a better idea to use melee, at which point you're either cherry tapping them for a long time before they die, or just shooting them and dealing with the consequences.
** Heavenly Light seems to be made solely for cherry tapping anyone near you. You can also deal minimal damage with Super Speed and [[DynamicEntry Angelic Missile]].s
* Happens ''in universe'' in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta 2}}'', at the end of the final boss battle. You're fighting an omnipotent god who storywise and gameplay wise is even stronger than the previous game's final boss, who had to be killed by ''punching them into the sun''. The twist is, after a long, NintendoHard battle involving giant [[AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield flashy arenas]], giant satellites, giant lasers, and [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs giant satellites firing giant lasers]], in the end you end up weakening and depowering the boss so much, that after you send them flying through the air with your final attack (canonically stronger than the one in the first game), they keep going until they fall into the mouth of [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Gommorah]]... the weakest summon in the first game, and the first boss of the sequel. It eats him. Talk about humiliation.
* ''VideoGame/MysticTowers'' gives you unlimited ammunition with the Ice spell, which is basically just throwing a snowball at the monsters. Still, the availability of high locations that only flying monsters can threaten, and the monsters' limited territory, means that a talented player can use HitAndRunTactics to defeat even powerful monsters with this spell. (If you're not careful about conserving your ammunition with the more powerful spells, you might even have no choice.)
* In ''VideoGame/ShadowComplex'', it's possible to kill a Restoration solider with the Hookshot, which does ''very'' little damage to them. There's an achievement added for the game's ''Remastered'' version that requires killing a soldier as such.
* In ''VideoGame/TailConcerto'', you are constantly encouraged to CatchAndReturn every bomb and missile thrown at you back at enemy mechs in order to make the game easier on yourself. However, Waffle's Police Robo also comes equipped with a BubbleGun that is mostly used to restrain {{Mooks}} long enough for you to capture them. At the same time, the game also tells you that your Bubble Gun can be used to deal light damage to enemy mechs and bosses. While the developers might expect you to mix both into your combat strategies, there is also nothing stopping you from using ''only'' the Bubble Gun against every encounter.
[[/folder]]

* In ''{{VideoGame/Diablo}}'':

Last Stand-paladin. Told you they were going to come up a lot. A talent that allows the paladin to absorb incoming damage, based on the number of enemies they are fighting. Only kind of a Cherry Tap because you can't kill anyone with it, and a protection spec paladin is not likely to kill anyone anyway, but in competitive pve it could be considered a Cherry Tap. The paladin essentially becomes invincible because the effect stacks infinitely: thus allowing them to stand for hours whittling down enemies.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'': Every class and job in the game can perform an Auto-Attack. The primary purpose is for tanks and physical DPS classes to keep dealing damage while their weaponskills are on recast or they're under a status condition that locks weaponskills. Killing an enemy with nothing but auto-attacks from a Strength-based class is already mocking, but what about a magic class (which, with the exception of TheRedMage, receives no benefit from strength-boosting items)? Or, if you really want to go UpToEleven, you can do it with a crafting/gathering class, which ''cannot deal damage'' with anything other than auto-attack. Beating an enemy to death with a Culinarian's FryingPanOfDoom or a Fisher's RodAndReelRepurposed isn't just cherry tapping, that's cherry-''pit'' tapping.

Reckoning-paladin. This ability allowed the paladin to do extra damage after getting critical hit. The gimmick was that it stacked infinitely. Inevitably, there was a paladin crazy enough to get critical hit repeatedly (backstabs were automatic critical hits at the time), and then go solo-kill a world boss.
Windfury-shaman. Shamans have the unique ability to put enchantments on their weapons, and Windfury was one of them. Each weapon strike had a chance to knock an opponent back. The thing was, the Windfury effect itself had a chance to cause Windfury. So shamans could put you in an infinite chain of knockbacks.
Cyclone-druid. It's a standard crowd control ability, except it can be used as transportation by the caster. At one point druids could use it to get into battlegrounds before they started. Since they also have stealth, this was a pain in the butt. Nowadays more esoteric methods are required to break into places players aren't allowed.
Lockpicking-rogue. Not a combat ability, but it's a kind of Cherry Tap because of how it allows this class to exploit the game's economy. There are random loot boxes in the game. Most of the time they have useless stuff in them. Occasionally they have extremely good raiding gear, otherwise unobtainable items, or even legendary items in them. Only rogues, and characters with the jewelcrafting profession, can open them. Everyone else can auction the boxes, but their prices are modest.
Spellsteal-mage. It's exactly what it sounds like: you can steal a spell that the enemy has cast on themselves. Some raid bosses have extremely powerful magical defenses. Occasionally Blizzard forgets to make them immune to spell-stealing. This is a chronically recurring problem. Most recently it is famous for causing an exploit in the Black Rook Hold dungeon (in combination with the ability listed below), used by serious Mythic+ dungeon running groups.
Enslave Undead-Death Knight. Again, exactly what it sounds like: you can mind-control an undead creature. While this doesn't apply to bosses, it can be used on elites and other mobs found it dungeons. Some of which are ridiculously strong, or automatically cast useful spells on their allies. Or can be exploited by another party member as in the Black Rook Hold dungeon where an undead mage can be enslaved by the party's tank and then have their buff taken off them by the party's mage.