History Main / ChoresWithoutPowers

* In the ''Series/FrontierMagic'' books, where magic has many [[MundaneUtility mundane uses]], the protagonist's sister has married a man who belongs to a movement that disapproves of magic. Out of loyalty to him, she does chores manually; as they're living in a prairie settlement, this is very hard work [[spoiler: and she is driven to betray her no-magic principles when it comes to protecting her children from mosquitoes]].

A character has a superpower or magical ability that would make doing a mundane chore easier, but ends up doing it the old-fashioned way. This is usually doled out as a punishment, with a parent/teacher/boss/general/other authority figure in charge sentencing them to perform a tedious or physically demanding task (mopping floors, washing dishes, digging holes, PeelingPotatoes, etc.) without using their powers. If the person in charge is especially strict, the hero may get a PowerLimiter, PowerNullifier, or RestrainingBolt slapped on to prevent them from cheating their way out of it. If they do try to cheat by using their powers, expect [[NoFairCheating things to go hilariously wrong]] and the episode to deliver AnAesop about not taking shortcuts to success.

* ''Anime/AhMyGoddess'': While her powers aren't stripped away, Belldandy is punished for using her powers without permission and restricted from using them for a week. Any use of her powers in that time would see a permanent ban, no matter the justification she used. This doesn't really affect her day-to-day routines, as Bell typically does the household chores without her powers anyway (Keiichi in the early days was fearful she'd be found out and asked her not to use them unless it was an emergency, so she is accustomed to doing things in a mundane way). However, when a device Skuld created to make a storeroom BiggerOnTheInside malfunctions and turns the room into an infinite space with Bell and Keiichi at the middle, Bell fears that Keiichi might starve in the slotted week. Fortunately, Keiichi remembers that Skuld's device affects width and breadth, but not height. He and Bell are able to exit by removing a floor panel.

* ''ComicBook/DouweDabbert'': In "De kast met duizend deuren" ("The Closet with a Thousand Doors"), wizard children Pief, Kijfje and Domoli get into an argument that quickly escalates into a huge FoodFight. As a punishment, their fathers have the kids clean up all the mess without using magic. It keeps them up all night.
* One ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' comic had the Professor feeling the girls had been putting off cleaning their room for too long, and telling them they couldn't go outside until they had finally cleaned it. The girls first try cleaning it with their powers, but when they try to show that they've cleaned their room to the Professor, it has mysterious wound up just as messy as it was before. Confused, they try cleaning it again without their powers the second time, but the same thing happens again, and they figure something is up. Turns out HIM was making their room messy again everytime they cleaned it for his own amusement and to make it so the girls wouldn't be able to leave the house to fight crime.

* ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'': Sparkler is a unicorn, while her mother Derpy is a pegasus. One time, when Sparkler was a filly, Derpy took her along on her mail-carrying job to show her how hard it was, and had her carry filly-sized mailbags. When Sparkler complained that it was easier for Derpy since she could fly, Derpy came down and walked the rest of the route with her on hoof.

** Belgarath is forced to help his daughter and son-in-law build their house without using magic, since they want it done "honestly." It doesn't stop him from resorting to using magic whenever their backs are turned, though.

** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': After Harry uses the Sectumsempra curse on Malfoy and ends up hospitalizing him, he is punished with being sent to the school's archive where he has to copy out the records of crimes and punishments from years ago without using magic.

* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': Early on in the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology Luke makes a concious decision to limit the amount he uses his force powers when a group of aliens tell him that he and other Jedi are too reliant on them, and do more things the old fashioned way.

* In the ''Series/FrontierMagic'' books, where magic has many [[MundaneUtility mundane uses]],the protagonist's sister has married a man who belongs to a movement that disapproves of magic . Out of loyalty to him, she does chores manually; as they're living in a prairie settlement, this is very hard work [[spoiler: and she is driven to betray her no-magic principles when it comes to protecting her children from mosquitoes]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo:'' After Robin's physical attacks prove useless in a fight against the Hive while the other Titans effortlessly defeat them with their powers, he challenges them to go a full day without using their powers just to prove that it's not so easy as they think. He even orchestrates an obstacle course with them thinking that he's in serious danger, goading them to use their powers and lose the challenge. Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven all end passing the course and seeing through his ruse, ultimately proving that he really is as useless as they assumed.

Subtrope of PunishmentDetail, related to BroughtDownToNormal and MiseryBuildsCharacter, and a subversion of MundaneUtility and UtilityMagic. Compare WeWillUseManualLaborInTheFuture, where a science fiction setting features manual labor despite the presence of labor-saving devices like robots or {{Matter Replicator}}s. If the KidHero complains about having to do this, it may overlap with KidsHateChores. If these chores are part of physical training, it can overlap with WaxOnWaxOff.

* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': Belgarath is forced to help his daughter and son-in-law build their house without using magic, since they want it done "honestly." It doesn't stop him from resorting to using magic whenever their backs are turned, though.

* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'' and ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The WarGod Khorne's domain has vast forges where enslaved sorcerers and cowards are forced to create magic weapons for his worthier champions to use.

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A character has a superpower or magical ability that would make doing a mundane chore easier, but ends up doing it the old-fashioned way. This is usually doled out as a punishment, with a teacher/boss/general/other authority figure in charge sentencing them to perform a tedious or physically demanding task (mopping floors, washing dishes, digging holes, PeelingPotatoes, etc.) without using their powers. If the person in charge is especially strict, the hero may get a PowerLimiter, PowerNullifier, or RestrainingBolt slapped on to prevent them from cheating their way out of it. If they do try to cheat by using their powers, expect [[NoFairCheating things to go hilariously wrong]] and the episode to deliver AnAesop about not taking shortcuts to success.

* ''Literature/Discworld'': Witches and Wizards are constantly warned to not use magic for personal tasks. A common admonition is that the hardest thing about magic is not doing it. This isn't as a punishment as it is a warning, as magic is inherently unpredictable and dangerous. Tiffany Aching once stated that if you tried to sweep the floor magically, the hard part would be to not rip up the flagstones as well.

** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'': When Harry and Ron get detention for crashing the Weasley family's car into the Whomping Willow, Harry has to help Lockhart answer his fan mail, while Ron has to polish the silver in the Hogwarts trophy room using elbow grease. Harry comments that he'd gladly switch, as he's had lots of practice cleaning while living with the Dursleys.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact''. Some daily commissions require the player to perform chores for various residents, such as cleaning dirt away from buildings or watering some plants. There is ''no'' way to complete them without using either Anemo or Hydro powers. Thankfully, every account will have since the Traveler starts with Anemo abilities and Barbara is obtained for free after completing the game's prologue.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact''. Some daily commissions require the player to perform chores for various residents, such as cleaning dirt away from buildings or watering some plants. There is ''no'' way to complete them without using either Anemo or Hydro powers, which thankfully every account will have since the Traveler starts with Anemo abilities and Barbara is obtained for free after completing the game's prologue.

It's not always a punishment; sometimes a character with powers chooses to do something by hand as a way of [[CatharticChores dealing with their emotions through hard work]], to put themselves on equal footing with a companion who doesn't have powers, or out of curiosity about how the local {{Muggles}} do it.

Subtrope of PunishmentDetail, related to BroughtDownToNormal and MiseryBuildsCharacter, and a subversion of MundaneUtility and UtilityMagic. Compare WeWillUseManualLaborInTheFuture, where a science fiction setting features manual labor despite the presence of labor-saving devices like robots or {{Matter Replicator}}s. If the KidHero complains about having to do this, it may overlap with KidsHateChores.

-> "From now on you are forbidden to use you "''super powers''"! You will do things like '''NORMAL LITTLE GIRLS!'''"
-->-- Ima Goodlady (actually Sedusa in disguise) enforcing this on WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Anime/AhMyGoddess'': While her powers aren't stripped away, Belldandy is punished for using her powers without permission and restricted from using them for a week. Any use of her powers in that time would see a permanent ban, no matter the justification she used. This doesn't really affect her day to day routines, as Bell typically did the household chores without her powers anyway (Keiichi in the early days was fearful she'd be found out and asked her not to use them unless it was an emergency, so she was accustomed to doing things in a mundane way). However, when a device Skuld created to make a storeroom BiggerOnTheInside malfunctions and turns the room into an infinite space with Bell and Keiichi at the middle, Bell fears that Keiichi might starve in the slotted week. Fortunately, Keiichi remembered that Skulds device affected width and breadth, but not height. He and Bell are able to exit by removing a floor panel.

-->'''Sparkler''': ...Momma...why did you walk all the way?
-->'''Derpy''': Because, muffin, you were bright, it wasn't right for me blue fly while you bad to walk. I'd never take my muffin do something I wouldn't do myself.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E11WinterWrapUp Winter Wrap-Up]]", Twilight participates in Ponyville's annual Winter Wrap-Up, where the ponies clear away the snow, awaken the animals, and plant crops [[PaintingTheFrostOnWindows to make way for spring]]. Since Ponyville was founded by earth ponies, it is tradition to do the event without magic. Twilight is a unicorn who relies on magic to do most things, so she struggles to find something she can do without magic. When she sees everyone arguing over the disorganization of the event, it hits her what she can do—coordinate all the tasks and ponies so that everything gets done correctly and on time.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': In "[[Recap/ThePowerpuffGirlsS1E1MonkeySeeDoggieDoMommyFearest Mommy Fearest]]", the villainess Sedusa becomes the girls' WickedStepmother and forces them to clean the house. The heroines accomplish the task in a split second thanks to their SuperSpeed, but Sedusa retaliates by thrashing the living room and ordering them to clean it again as "normal little girls". Forbidden from using their powers, the girls become unable to answer the city's calls for help, as they only manage to finish the job by nightfall.

A character has a superpower or magical ability that would make doing a mundane chore easier, but ends up doing it the old-fashioned way. This is usually doled out as a punishment, with a teacher/boss/general/other authority figure in charge sentencing them to perform some kind of physically demanding task (mopping floors, washing dishes, digging holes, PeelingPotatoes, etc.) without using their powers. If the person in charge is especially strict, the hero may get a PowerLimiter, PowerNullifier, or RestrainingBolt slapped on to prevent them from cheating their way out of it. If they do try to cheat by using their powers, expect [[NoFairCheating things to go hilariously wrong]] and the episode to deliver AnAesop about not taking shortcuts to success.

'''Indices''': CrimeAndPunishmentTropes, MagicAndPowers, SuperheroTropes, ServantTropes

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'': In "Mommy Fearest", the villainess Sedusa becomes the girls' WickedStepmother and forces them to clean the house. The heroines accomplish the task in a split second thanks to their SuperSpeed, but Sedusa retaliates by thrashing the living room and ordering them to clean it again as "normal little girls". Forbidden from using their powers, the girls become unable to answer the city's calls for help, as they only manage to finish the job by nightfall.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E11WinterWrapUp Winter Wrap-Up]]", Twilight participates in Ponyville's annual Winter Wrap-Up, where the ponies clear away the snow, awaken the animals, and plant crops [[PaintingTheFrostOnWindows to make way for spring]]. Since Ponyville was founded by earth ponies, it is tradition to do the event without magic. Twilight is a unicorn who relies on magic to do most things, so she struggles to find something she can do without magic.

* ''ComicBook/ActionComics'': In Superman's recent Warworld Rising arc, Kal-El gets enslaved, and ends up fighting as a gladiator. He's depowered as long as he remains on that planet, as it's under a red sun.