History Main / HobblingTheGiant

* The giant Titans of ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' are towering and formidable and prone to eating people alive. One of the many tactics that expert Survey Corps badass Levi employs against them involves targeting their ankles and knee joints with his blades in order to bring them down and make [[AttackItsWeakPoint targeting the nape]] easier.
** The Armored Titan's only other weak point aside from the nape is the backs of his knees, which aren't armored like the rest of him is.
* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' movies:
** ''Anime/DoraemonNobitaAndTheRobotKingdom'' has Dester piloting his giant mobile base (revealed to be supported on a set of spider-like legs) trying to trample everyone, until Nobita arrives with an impromptu robot statue brought to life by the All Purpose Handler. After a few moments of incompetence in piloting his mech, Nobita ''[[AccidentalHero accidentally]]'' saves the day by crashing his robot into the legs of Dester's base and making it tilt.
** ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasSecretGadgetMuseum'' ends with the gang fighting a giant KillerRobot in the museum. Having the Kurocukoo prototype gadget at hand, Nobita decides to have the two Kurocukoo - each grabbing one end of a long rope - to target the robot's legs. It works: the robot trips over and fell into a heap, long enough for them to target a weak spot before it gets up.

* ComicBook/WonderWoman's weapon of choice is a lasso, and one of her recurring foes is Giganta, so hobbling Giganta at the ankles and then flying up to sock her in the jaw is standard operating procedure.
** The very first time Giganta shows up with GiantWoman abilities in the comics in [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 "The Witch and the Warrior"]] [[ComicBook/YoungJustice Empress]] and Monstergirl yank some long pieces from the nearby Sylph's shroud and wrap them around her ankles while ComicBook/WonderGirl flies up to banter with Giganta before laying her out with a punch in the jaw.

* ''Film/ArmyOfDarkness'' have the scene where Ash tries fighting miniature-sized versions of himself, where two mini-Ashes takes him down by tripping him over.
* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', Team Iron Man is struggling to figure out how to beat ComicBook/AntMan who is now nearly thirty feet tall and is strong enough to throw planes and fuel trucks. They are overwhelmed until ComicBook/SpiderMan [[SawItInAMovieOnce remembers seeing]] ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and convinces the team to try the AT-AT strategy. Spidey uses his webs to tangle up Giant-Man's legs and Iron Man and ComicBook/WarMachine fly in to give a one-two punch that topples him over.
* In ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', during the Battle of Hoth the Rebels fly snowspeeders to attack approaching Imperial AT-AT Walkers. The Rebels fire harpoons (attached to tow cables) that stick to the Walker's legs. The snowspeeder flies around the Walker several times, wrapping the cable around the Walker's legs, then releases its end of the cable. When the Walker tries to take another step, it trips and falls to the ground, allowing the other Rebels to finish it off. This became a feature of pretty much every video game involving the Battle of Hoth ever made.

* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'' have the main characters getting attacked by a GiantSpider-monster whose legs are as tall as bamboo trees (with sharpened tips it uses in an attempt to skewer the humans). They manage to take it down by hacking its legs, causing the spider to lose its balance and reducing it to an easy target.

* In ''Film/HighPlainsInvaders'', the heroes stretch a rope across the road and then pull it tight as a Bug reaches it: tripping the Bug and dropping it into a position where Sam can shoot it.

* ''Literature/TrialOfChampions'': Early in the tournament on Blood Island, you'll need to fight a huge, muscular monster with spindly legs called a Bonecrusher. You're given the option of using a broadsword and shield, or a trident and net - the latter which is a far better choice, as you'll only need to use the net to entangle the Bonecrusher's legs, at which point it falls over, quickly defeated.

* Discussed in ''Cursor's Fury'', the second ''Literature/CodexAlera'' book, when Doroga explains that he has to take particularly good care of his gargant Walker's feet for this reason; for context, gargants are implied to be giant ground sloths. This becomes important again in the final book when the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Vord]] bring their own giants to the battlefield and the defenders realise that it's easier to attack their feet to immobilise them than it is to outright kill them.

* ''VideoGame/TheCrownOfWu'' has a GiantCrab robot who's vulnerable only in the legs, where you'll need to inflict enough damage on its joints (each leg having its ''own'' health bar) to cripple the robot, at which point it exposes a weak spot.

* One of the best ways to take down a titan in the ''VideoGame/AttackOnTitan2016'' video game is to slash through the titan's knees from behind, bringing it down and rendering it vulnerable to a [[FinishingMove finishing slash]] to the nape of the neck.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': The move Grass Knot functions as an attack that trips opponents with a tangle of grass around their feet. The larger and heavier the opponent, the more damage the move deals.

* The best way to deal with rampaging Raveni in ''VideoGame/{{Extinction}}'' is by slashing their legs, severing them by the knees, and causing them to fall. You'll need to finish them off quick, however - [[DecapitationRequired by removing their heads]] to permanently kill them, since they'll respawn legs in around twelve seconds thanks to their high HealingFactor.
* This is a common strategy in the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series, especially against Super Mutants and killer mechs, as you can aim for specific body parts.
* ''VideoGame/WildBlood'' have the {{Cyclops}} boss, whose attacks can be stopped by slashing his legs and kneecaps. He'll keel over momentarily allowing you to damage his chest, head and far more vulnerable parts, until he gets back up and you'll need to target his legs again.

* Another ''Sonic'' adaptation, ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'', have this happening when Sonic fights against a lumberjack construction vehicle-based robot which is attempting to wipe out the Mobius forests. The robot has lengthy mechanical tentacles, and Sonic, using his speed, tricks the robot into entangling itself by running around its spider-like legs. It works.
* In the [[WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts Classic Disney Short]] "WesternAnimation/BraveLittleTailor" Mickey uses his thread to tie up the giant like a roast, eventually forcing his legs together. Timmmmm-ber!

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ComicBook/AntMan Giant-Man]] was dominating the fight until Franchise/SpiderMan realized they could just web his legs together and topple him...]]

* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', Team Iron Man is struggling to figure out how to beat ComicBook/AntMan who is now nearly thirty feet tall and is strong enough to throw planes and fuel trucks. They are overwhelmed until Franchise/SpiderMan [[SawItInAMovieOnce remembers seeing]] ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and convinces the team to try the AT-AT strategy. Spidey uses his webs to tangle up Giant-Man's legs and Iron Man and ComicBook/WarMachine fly in to give a one-two punch that topples him over.

** ''Anime/DoraemonNobitaAndTheRobotKingdom'' has Dester piloting his giant mobile base (revealed to be supported on a set of spider-like legs) trying to trample everyone, until Nobita arrives with an impromptu robot statue brought to life by the All Purpose Handler. After a few moments of incompetence in piloting his mech, Nobita ''accidentally'' saves the day by crashing his robot into the legs of Dester's base and making it tilt.

* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'' have the main characters getting attacked by a GiantSpider-monster whose legs are as tall as bamboo trees (with sharpened tips it uses in an attempt to skewer the humans). They manage to take it down by hacking it's legs, causing the spider to lose it's balance and reduced to an easy target.

* ''VideoGame/TheCrownOfWu'' has a GiantCrab robot who's vulnerable only in the legs, where you'll need to inflict enough damage on it's joints (each leg having it's ''own'' health bar) to cripple the robot, at which point it exposes a weak spot.

* ''Literature/{{Ward}}: This is a major benefit of having Tress AKA Sveta on your team, given she's CombatTentacles incarnate being a bigger opponent just makes them a bigger target. Justified as most giant parahumans don't have much experience with opponents that can match them when they're giant-sized; they're used to just being battering rams.

** ''Anime/DoraemonNobitaAndTheRobotKingdom'' have Dester piloting his giant mobile base (revealed to be supported on a set of spider-like legs) trying to trample everyone, until Nobita arrives with an impromptu robot statue brought to life by the All Purpose Handler. After a few moments of incompetence in piloting his mech, Nobita ''accidentally'' saves the day by crashing his robot into the legs of Dester's base and making it tilt.
** ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasSecretGadgetMuseum'' ends with the gang fighting a giant KillerRobot in the museum. Having the Kurocukoo prototype gadget at hand, Nobita decides to have the two Kurocukoo - each grabbing one end of a long rope - to target the robot's legs. It works, the robot trips over and fell into a heap, long enough for them to target a weak spot before it gets up.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' episode "[[Recap/LiloAndStitchTheSeriesS1E29ShortStuff Short Stuff]]", after returning to his original normal size after not being able, Stitch takes a cable from a carnival ride, wraps it around three Experiment 297's legs, and brings them together to trip him over. Stitch then ties 297 down with the cable to finally defeat him.

* Behemoth, one of the bosses of ''VideoGame/KrazyIvan'', whose appearance is blatantly based on the AT-AT from ''Empire Strikes Back''. It's main weak spot is in the knee joints, and shooting it makes Behemoth topple, front-first, before collapsing entirely just like it's inspiration.

* The best way to deal with rampaging Raveni in ''VideoGame/{{Extinction}}'' is by slashing their legs, severing them by the knees and causing them to fall. You'll need to finish them off quick, however - [[DecapitationRequired by removing their heads]] to permanently kill them, since they'll respawn legs in around twelve seconds thanks to their high HealingFactor.

* Another Sonic adaptation, ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'', have this happening when Sonic fights against a lumberjack construction vehicle-based robot which is attempting to wipe out the Mobius forests. The robot has lengthy mechanical tentacles, and Sonic, using his speed, tricks the robot into entangling itself by running around it's spider-like legs. It works.

** Rapunzel and Varian defeat an automaton (giant robot) by stringing Rapunzel's hair between two columns and letting it walk forward, trip over it, and be crushed under the two collapsing pillars. The automaton didn't have any kind of system in place to recognise the obvious trap and avoid it, and Rapunzel's hair pulls the pillars down instead of breaking because it's magic and literally indestructible.
** In a later episode, Rapunzel and co. have to deal with another automaton, and try using the same strategy by tying a decorative banner around it. It doesn't work because the banner is just a normal banner and is immediately ripped to shreds.

* In one picture from a ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' manual there's a gnome Giantslayer who's just defeated a Hill Giant by tying his legs together [[MissedMomentOfAwesome somehow]].

* In ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'', with assistance from the Autobots, the American military has developed such tactics for dealing with enemy Transformers: shoot out their eyes, plant explosives on their feet, and unload on them when they fall down. It works pretty well.

* ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasSecretGadgetMuseum'' ends with the gang fighting a giant KillerRobot in the museum. Having the Kurocukoo prototype gadget at hand, Nobita decides to have the two Kurocukoo - each grabbing one end of a long rope - to target the robot's legs. It works, the robot trips over and fell into a heap, long enough for them to target a weak spot before it gets up.

** In particular, the Armored Titan's only other weak point aside from the nape is the backs of his knees, which aren't armored like the rest of him is.

In fiction, one effective way to immobilize or incapacitate large monsters, Mechas, or oversized opponents is by [[AttackItsWeakPoint targeting their legs]] whether by somehow restricting their movement, using weapons to compromise their structural integrity, or even utilizing AgonyOfTheFeet. This is somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] (assuming the bindings are strong enough or the weapons are powerful enough), because without free use of their legs in their fully functional state, the monster, machine, or person will likely lose their balance and crash.

* The giant Titans of ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' are towering and formidable and prone to eating people alive. One of the many tactics that expert Survey Corps badass Levi employs against them involves targeting their ankles and knee joints with his slashes in order to bring them down and make [[AttackItsWeakPoint targeting the nape]] easier.

* Another Sonic adaptation, ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'', have this happening when Sonic fights against a lumberjack, construction vehicle-based robot which is attempting to wipe out the Mobius forests. The robot has lengthy mechanical tentacles, and Sonic, using his speed, tricks the robot into entangling itself by running around it's spider-like legs. It works.

* Invoked in ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'' as units "slowed" by nets and spells have their attack halved and are more vulnerable. In fact, a popular way to defeat a powerful monster/enemy is to slow him first.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trippedup_8.jpg]]]]

Compare to KnottyTentacles where a creature with tentacles or stretchy limbs is tricked into incapacitating itself by tying itself into knots. Compare TiedTogetherShoeLaceTrip where a regular sized human is incapacitated by tying their shoelaces together causing them to trip and fall when they try to walk.