History Main / FantasticFragility

Everything has a weakness, every lock has a key, [[CurseEscapeClause every curse a loophole]], and the flaw [[LawOfConservationOfDetail will come into play]] to [[FlawExploitation bring down]] the device.

When {{justified|Trope}} in a setting, it's usually explained that {{magic|AIsMagicA}} is [[PowerAtAPrice not free]], and the [[MagicPrerequisite only way to make]] an unstoppable whatever is to, {{iron|y}}ically, build in a weakness that makes it stoppable. Clever creators may even keep the weakness a secret to use in case the machine ([[PhlebotinumRebel or person]]) should be {{turned|AgainstTheirMasters}} [[HoistByHisOwnPetard against them]]. Others may try to make it an ImpossibleTask.

* Metal Gear REX from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' is designed in a way that if the radome dish is destroyed, the otherwise inpenetrable cockpit has to open and expose the ''very'' vulnerable pilot otherwise he will be completely blind. Oddly enough this was an intentional design quirk on the part of [[ReluctantMadScientist Hal Emmerich]], who felt the machine needed a weakness (along with teeth-shaped metal pieces around the mouth-like cockpit) to "add character".

* The ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' power rings have three. One, each ring must be recharged periodically - it used to be regularly every 24 hours; these days it's treated more like a battery charge where using it more means needing to recharge more often. Two, [[KryptoniteFactor the rings have no effect on anything that's yellow]]. And finally, the ring requires thought and concentration to use; if you're tired or distracted, you're useless. The weakness against yellow was originally meant to have been a built-in fail safe in case any one Green Lantern went rogue and tried to use the ring for their own gain. Nowadays it's an unavoidable trait of the green energy the ring wields, though it's something that can be overcome with effort.
* The titular ritual of ''ComicBook/{{Revival}}'' is only reversible because one of the revivers happened to be pregnant. The undead infant serves as a bridge between worlds and is the only person capable of closing it.

* The ComicBook/GreenLantern power rings have three. One, each ring must be recharged periodically - it used to be regularly every 24 hours; these days it's treated more like a battery charge where using it more means needing to recharge more often. Two, [[KryptoniteFactor the rings have no effect on anything that's yellow]]. And finally, the ring requires thought and concentration to use; if you're tired or distracted, you're useless. The weakness against yellow was originally meant to have been a built-in fail safe in case any one Green Lantern went rogue and tried to use the ring for their own gain. Nowadays it's an unavoidable trait of the green energy the ring wields, though it's something that can be overcome with effort.

[[folder:Film]]

* Curses and spells cast by the BigBad in Disney works generally have an escape clause, although it's rarely stated why they're included.

* ''Literature/TheHobbit''. Smaug the dragon is viewed to be nigh-invulnerable by everyone who knows of his existence, including the dragon himself. His scales form a powerful armor in and of themselves, and what would normally be a soft belly is covered by innumerable hard gems embedded in his flesh from years of sleeping atop Dwarven treasure. There's just this one little exposed patch, but you'd need sharp Hobbit eyes to make it out in a dark cavern. [[SarcasmMode And come on, what are the odds of a Hobbit being anywhere near a dragon cave?]]

* The [[SealedEvilInACan Demon Prison]] Zzyzx in the ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'' series was constructed according to this principle. If the magicians had attempted to make it utterly inescapable, the magic would have weakened and inevitably failed. By leaving the loophole of the keys, the magic may be kept strong, although the keys must then be defended. Destroying them would result in them reappearing randomly sometime later. To their credit, the architects really did just about everything to make it as hard as possible to successfully unlock the prison.
* In Creator/EstherFriesner's ''Elf Defense'', an elf explains that "only the Infinite is infinite" -- which means anything ''not'' the Infinite has to have a weakness. (Specifically in this case, an elven vulnerability to Latin.)
* In ''The Literature/BookOfSwords'', Shieldbreaker is the greatest of all the Swords. It can destroy any weapon brought against its wielder. However, it is completely useless against an unarmed opponent, as such an opponent has no weapon to destroy. [[spoiler: In the final book, it is also revealed that it cannot destroy Woundhealer, which technically isn't a weapon due to the fact that it can't hurt anyone.]]

* Subverted in the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Valiant". The cadets crewing the ''U.S.S. Valiant'' believe that the Dominion battleship they're planning to attack has a weak spot in its antimatter tanks. They get a clean shot off that causes a spectacular explosion...only to then be blown to scrap because the "weak spot" really wasn't.

[[folder:Tabletop RPG]]

** TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost's are taught that everything has a price but nothing is truly forbidden; this comes to the forefront with fetches, some of which have a catch called Fragile Creation in which one specific thing will destroy the fetch utterly - but '''nothing''' else will. In most cases, though, ColdIron will do the trick.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', the can holding the [[SealedEvilInACan Yozis]] prison is the body of their own king, Malfeas. Their imprisonment was deliberately made imperfect (allowing the lesser [[TheLegionsOfHell Legions to Hell]] to escape sometimes) for fear of what the Yozis would have done to resist being imprisoned if it had been perfect. (One Yozi's petty and petulant response to imprisonment destroyed ''roughly 2/3rds to 90% of all reality'' as it is!)
** The Exalted themselves have perfect defensive charms that can make them invulnerable, but which always come with some sort of situational or tactical flaw. For example, a [[ShowyInvincibleHero Solar]] invulnerability might only work in the presence of someone they care about, or might force them to advance on their most powerful opponent. For [[CardCarryingVillain Abyssals]], their invulnerability might '''fail''' in the presence of someone they care about, or force them to '''flee''' their strongest foe. For the [[DealWithTheDevil Infernals]], their perfect defenses possess a flaw based on the Yozi patron that grants it. Thus, invulnerability charms granted by Malfeas the Demon City only function in a developed area, while charms from the Ebon Dragon, made from the [[LivingShadow shadows of everything in existence]], cannot defend against holy attacks.
* Though it's touched on in the novels of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', the [[TabletopGame/TheDresdenFiles RPG]] makes it explicit: If you want SuperToughness, a HealingFactor, or just to be [[NighInvulnerability Nigh-Invulnerable]], you ''have'' to have a KryptoniteFactor called "The Catch," which, depending on the availability, gives a discount to powers from those power sets. Having one that's [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere well known and abundant]], such as iron to TheFairFolk, gives a bigger discount than one that's obscure or hard to get a hold of.
* The old Champions [=RPG=] and the similar GURPS system let you buy a power for X cost, then add modifiers to it. An innate power that couldn't be blocked was the most expensive. An innate power that could be blocked by something rare was less, the more common the blocking agent the cheaper. (Think kryptonite.) A power that was from a focus cost less still, and a power from an obvious focus (the rays shoot out from the jewel set in your forehead) was cheaper, and an obvious, accessable focus (A magic wand that could be stolen from you) even more so.

* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'': The Primordial Crystal, an extraordinarily powerful magical artifact that Seath the Scaleless studied to obtain his power, and which grants him ''invincibility''... can be shattered with a simple punch. Just because it's powerful doesn't mean it isn't fragile. To Seath's credit, he's clearly aware of this, hiding it behind multiple secret passageways and an army of magical creatures to guard it.

* According to WordOfGod, magic in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' universe is more powerful if you give it [[MinMaxing some sort of get out clause]] (even an absurd one). Hence the series' premise that the petrification spell on the Gargoyles was undone by the criteria "until the castle rises above the clouds." A regular gimmick on the show. The aforementioned spell is broken in modern times when the castle is moved stone by stone to the top of a skyscraper. Another spell is set to end "when the sky burns" - this condition is met by having robots spread a layer of combustible gas in the atmosphere over the city, then igniting it. Demona and Theatre/{{Macbeth}} have a spell of immortality on them - they will live forever, unless one of them kills the other.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ShrekForeverAfter'', Shrek's wish to live "for one day as an ogre" does indeed have an escape clause. He must receive true love's first kiss. Too bad Fiona, having had to rescue herself, is now a Badass warrior leading LaResistance and NOT the least bit impressed by Shrek's attempts to court her. And he has literally one day to do it.

[[folder:Anime]]

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', trying to survey [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2012-09-11 Jesus]] or [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2013-01-27 the Reality Zone]] overloads the drone's capacity.
* In ''Webcomic/ThePrideOfLife'', eating the fruit of the World Tree grants a person superpowers and extends their natural lifespan by up to 500 years... while at the same time subjecting them to a curse that ensures a violent death. There's also no predicting what sort of powers you're going to get, and you don't get any powers at all until the fruit is fully digested, a process taking eight hours. This last one in particular is something that [[IdiotHero Kedamono]] doesn't learn until it's very nearly too late.

* The Franchise/GreenLantern power rings have three. One, each ring must be recharged periodically - it used to be regularly every 24 hours; these days it's treated more like a battery charge where using it more means needing to recharge more often. Two, [[KryptoniteFactor the rings have no effect on anything that's yellow]]. And finally, the ring requires thought and concentration to use; if you're tired or distracted, you're useless. The weakness against yellow was originally meant to have been a built-in fail safe in case any one Green Lantern went rogue and tried to use the ring for their own gain. Nowadays it's an unavoidable trait of the green energy the ring wields, though it's something that can be overcome with effort.

* In ''The Literature/BookOfSwords'', Shieldbreaker is the greatest of all the Swords. It can destroy any weapon brought against its wielder. However, it is completely useless against an unarmed opponent, as such an opponent has no weapon to destroy. [[spoiler: In the final book, it is also revealed that it cannot destroy Woundhealer, which technically isn't a weapon due to the fact that it can't hurt anyone]].

* Though it's touched on in the novels of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', the [[TabletopGame/TheDresdenFiles RPG]] makes it explicit: If you want SuperToughness, a HealingFactor, or just to be {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le, you ''have'' to have a KryptoniteFactor called "The Catch," which, depending on the availability, gives a discount to powers from those power sets. Having one that's [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere well known and abundant]], such as iron to TheFairFolk, gives a bigger discount than one that's obscure or hard to get a hold of.

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]],'' Hephaestus creates an invincible, sentient suit of armor for Ares, but like all his creations, he builds it with one fatal flaw that he keeps secret if it were to be used against him (or possibly because Zeus considers it blasphemous for perfection to exist in anything except gods): the suit is powered by conflict, so [[SheatheYourSword if nobody is fighting around it, it shuts down,]] which may not sound like much of a weakness until, say, someone throws rocks at you from 10 miles distant, too far away to activate the amour. This weakness is removed by [[EvilSorcerer Felix Faust]] when he uses it as his new body. Fortunately Hawkgirl's weapon is the KryptoniteFactor for the suit. Franchise/WonderWoman's armor apparently has such a weakness too. When she goes to ask Hephaestus directly how to stop the Annihilator, he refuses to tell her, asking if she would want him to tell people about the weakness he built into her own gear.
* In ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} Shrek Forever After]]'', Shrek's wish to live "for one day as an ogre" does indeed have an escape clause. He must receive true love's first kiss. Too bad Fiona, having had to rescue herself, is now a Badass warrior leading LaResistance and NOT the least bit impressed by Shrek's attempts to court her. And he has literally one day to do it.

** TabletopGame/{{Vampire|TheRequiem}}s gain new powers only if they gain new weaknesses, probably how the whole immortality vs sun thing happened.
** TabletopGame/{{Promethean|TheCreated}}s can do all kinds of nifty stuff with their bodies, except the power that animates them is utterly unnatural and the universe acts accordingly.
** TabletopGame/{{Mage|TheAwakening}}s have phenomenal cosmic power... but are still {{squishy wizard}}s. They are also loathed by the universe which allows paradox to do nasty things to them.
** [[TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters Sin-Eaters]] have it relatively easy though; they get brought back from the dead for the low-low price of a kinda-sorta EnemyWithin urging them to indulge in TheDarkSide by fulfilling all its old vices, which is often told to shut-it.

This applies to basically every "[[NoSell immovable]] [[NighInvulnerability object]]" and "[[OneHitKill unstoppable force]]" in fiction, be they objects, characters, science, or magic. The idea is twofold: inside the story, the creator of the device or technique may incorporate a NecessaryDrawback that will make it stronger, while the author gives the characters (hero, villain, neutral etc.) a way to defeat it and maintain suspense and narrative flow by [[JustForFun/HowToStopTheDeusExMachina limiting]] the DeusExMachina.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Devil's Fruit is like this. The stuff gives whoever eats it a useful superpower. There's a catch, however: You lose the ability to swim, ''forever''. This is dangerous on a world where seafaring plays such an important role, and pirates who take a chance and use the Fruit are risking their lives.

** From [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]]: During the Second Chronicles, the thaumaturge Kasreyn said that each of his theurgies contained a single deliberate flaw, because perfection could not endure within the imperfect world. He claimed that white gold would allow him to overcome this.

* In the ''Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' series, all curses and such have this. If they don't, [[TheoryOfNarrativeCausality the Tradition]] will put one in.

* ''[[TabletopGame/ProseDescriptiveQualities Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies]]'' allows kolduns to lay hexes, essentially making some use of a magical Gift persistent. The catch is that the koldun has to set a taboo whenever they cast a hex, and if that taboo condition is met then the hex is broken. One of the examples in the book is a koldun cursing someone to be forever followed by the rain so the target may never again enjoy the sun.

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

** TabletopGame/{{Mage|TheAwakening}}s have [[AGodAmI phenomenal cosmic power]]... but are still {{squishy wizard}}s. They are also loathed by the universe which allows paradox to do nasty things to them.