History Main / JackOfAllTrades

** The [[MagicMusic Bard]] has above-average skill points (including a number of rare skills like Speak Language and Use Magic Device) and decent combat ability, can provide {{Status Buff}}s to those who see them perform, and has a diverse set of spells ranging from healing to illusions to [[MakeMeWannaShout sonic attacks]].

* In ''VideoGame/LunarSilverStarStoryComplete'' Alex doesn't have Kyle's bulk and strength, Nash's godlike speed, Mia's enormous MP pool and support spells or Jessica's consistent healing power, but he has good stats all around and the most versatile skill set in the game. He's a very sokid front line attacker and in a pinch can support the party with his powerful (albeit very costly) dragon magic.

* Invoked by name in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'' with an achievement that eequires you to take a single level in all twelve of the game's playable classes without using Withers to respec your character. This results in a very awkward build with a wide variety of skills, but you're [[MasterOfNone extremely mediocre with all of them.]]

* Invoked by name in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'' where an achievement requires you to take a single level in all twelve of the game's playable classes without using Withers to respec your character. This results in a very awkward build with a wide variety of skills, but you're [[MasterOfNone extremely mediocre in all of them.]]

** Rainbow Dash is incredibly fast, quite possibly the best flier in Equestria, great at sports, and she can sing (her human counterpart is also great at playing guitar and skateboarding), and "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" reveals she knows karate when she attempts to teach it to Apple Bloom. In "She's All Yak", it's also revealed she's good at dancing, and Rainbow Dash lampshades this trope, claiming she's awesome at everything...''except'' baking.

Sometimes TheLeader of a {{team}} may be a Jack-Of-All-Trades, with a good, basic grasp of the specialized skills possessed by the members of their team, allowing them to understand how to use each team member to their fullest potential.

* Niles Caulder in ''Series/DoomPatrol'' has skill in both magic and several fields of science, and has created a spaceship, cyborg, radiation-blocking bandages, and many other things. However, he's not a master of any of them, and often receives scorn from specialists when they see his efforts. Many projects fail or have fatal drawbacks, and even when they largely succeed the results are typically inelegant and inefficient. For example, his spaceship is an un-aerodynamic {{Magitek}} metal block powered by a severed goat's head that must be fed apples to function. He has to work mostly alone because he's alienated the people with greater expertise or they'd have moral objections.

* Erza from ''Manga/FairyTail''. Her magic essentially allows her to carry a personal armory around wherever she goes. In turn, this allows her to utilize just about every kind of melee weapon and armor there is. While she prefers swordplay, she's also shown herself skilled in spear combat, and even [[HammerTime hammer combat]] as well.

In ''VideoGame/LunarSilverStarStoryComplete'' Alex doesn't have Kyle's bulk and strength, Nash's godlike speed, Mia's enormous MP pool and support spells or Jessica's consistent healing power, but he has good stats all around and the most versatile skill set in the game. He's a very sokid front line attacker and in a pinch can support the party with his powerful (albeit very costly) dragon magic.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': DependingOnTheWriter, Batman can be portrayed as one of the greats in his various fields of expertise, but hardly the best. As a physical fighter, he's far less impressive than [[ComicBook/Batgirl2000 Cassandra Cain]] or ComicBook/LadyShiva. His intelligence is much less than Mister Terrific or even ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Gordon. And even his reputation as the "World's Greatest Detective" is seriously challenged by ComicBook/TheQuestion. However, he's still formidable in each of these departments altogether, meaning he excels where the specialists fail.
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': DependingOnTheWriter, Superman is sometimes portrayed as being the overall most powerful character in the world, despite the fact that his abilities are relatively lack-luster in comparison to other heroes who specialize in it. For example, he is fast but not as fast as ComicBook/TheFlash, smart but not as much as ComicBook/{{Batman}}, empathetic but not as much as ComicBook/WonderWoman, willful but not as much as ComicBook/GreenLantern, pure of heart but not as much as ComicBook/{{Shazam}}, and his [[EyeBeams Heat Vision]] pale compared other energy rays from characters such as ComicBook/CaptainAtom, etc.

Perhaps a character is a loner, and needs to be able to do everything on his own. Perhaps everyone else is so useless, he had to take over their jobs as well as his own. Perhaps he just has a wide variety of interests. May be a sign of a person with a checkered past, who has had to take on a lot of roles in his life, just to get by. Whatever the reason, this character has at least some skill in a wide variety of disciplines.

Sometimes TheLeader of a {{team}} may be a Jack-Of-All-Trades, with a good, basic grasp of the specialized skills possessed by the members of his team, allowing him to understand how to use each team member to their fullest potential.

From an analysis standpoint it could be argued that being good at everything is a form of specialization. While a jack-of-all character might not stand out, they are usually well equipped to handle most situations and most opponents. It's their well-rounded nature that makes them so versatile allowing them to deal with almost anything or sub in for anyone at the last second. What if the opponent is really strong but not very fast? The jack of all can out pace them while being strong enough to do damage. What if the opponent is faster? Usually the jack-of-all is fast enough to defend against if not avoid their opponent's attacks and deal out more punishment in a war of attrition.

In ''VideoGame/LunarSilverStarStoryComplete'' Alex doesn't have Kyle's bulk and strength, Nash's godlike speed, Mia's enormous MP pool and support spells or Jessica's consistent healing power, butnhe has good, solid stats all around and the most versatile skill set in the game. He's a very solid front line attacker and in a pinch can suport the party with his powerful (albeit very costly) dragon magic.

* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'': Mamoru Chiba / Tuxedo Mask has a number of skills and it is sometimes commented on that there is very little he ''can't'' do. It helps him be the resident BadassNormal and Franchise/{{Batman}} {{Expy}}.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': DependingOnTheWriter, Superman is sometimes portrayed as being the overall most powerful character in the world, despite the fact that his abilities are relatively lack-luster in comparison to other heroes who specialize in it. For example, he is fast but not as fast as Franchise/TheFlash, smart but not as much as Franchise/{{Batman}}, empathetic but not as much as Franchise/WonderWoman, willful but not as much as Franchise/GreenLantern, pure of heart but not as much as Franchise/{{Shazam}}, and his [[EyeBeams Heat Vision]] pale compared other energy rays from characters such as ComicBook/CaptainAtom, etc.
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': DependingOnTheWriter, Batman can be portrayed as one of the greats in his various fields of expertise, but hardly the best. As a physical fighter, he's far less impressive than [[ComicBook/Batgirl2000 Cassandra Cain]] or ComicBook/LadyShiva. His intelligence is much less than Mister Terrific or even ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Gordon. And even his reputation as the "World's Greatest Detective" is seriously challenged by ComicBook/TheQuestion. However, he's still formidable in each of these departments altogether, meaning he excels where the specialists fail.