History Main / LimitBreak

It may be accompanied by a SuperMovePortraitAttack. It might unlock a SuperSpecialMove.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/DiceyDungeons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/limitbreak.png]]]]

* The eponymous ''Manga/{{Sekirei}}'' have a form of this. A special power-up and attack available only when their Ashakabi kiss them of all things.

The popularity of the trope, and its assimilation into numerous forms of media is a testament to the widespread effect that ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', the [[TropeNamers originator of the term]], had in making [=RPGs=] more mainstream. Although a nearly identical gameplay mechanic appeared a few years earlier in ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', the concept has become synonymous with the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games series, and the term is now widely used as a catch-all term to describe such attacks.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Accelerator's "Awakened" state, in which he develops black wings made of exotic matter and his powers skyrocket beyond the already [[SuperpowerLottery ridiculously high level they start at]]. This only happens when Accelerator is under severe mental and/or emotional stress, so he's rarely thinking straight or even entirely coherently when in that form, making him all the more dangerous. [[spoiler:When he finally manages to Awaken consciously, his wings are white and he gets a [[HolyHalo halo]] over his head. The exact ramifications of what this means have not yet been explored.]]

A powerful attack or technique available after some requirement during battle is fulfilled. In video games, this is often indicated by a refillable or chargeable gauge on the menu allowing the player to gauge when it will become available, how strong it will be, or so on; and the most common requirement is taking (and/or or giving) damage in combat. Thus, it's usually a kind of EvolvingAttack. May overlap with SuperMode, or may be a form of DesperationAttack.

It may be accompanied by a SuperMovePortraitAttack.

The popularity of the trope, and its assimilation into numerous forms of media is a testament to the widespread effect that ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', the [[TropeNamers originator of the term]], had in making [=RPGs=] more mainstream. Although a nearly identical game play mechanic appeared a few years earlier in ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', the concept has become synonymous with the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games series and the term is now widely used as a catch-all term to describe such attacks.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

The popularity of the trope, and its assimilation into numerous forms of media is a testament to the widespread effect that ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', the [[TropeNamer originator of the term]], had in making [=RPGs=] more mainstream. Although a nearly identical game play mechanic appeared a few years earlier in ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', the concept has become synonymous with the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games series and the term is now widely used as a catch-all term to describe such attacks.

** Ikkaku's bankai functions according to this principle. When he first activates bankai, his power is not at a level that would be considered typical for a bankai. He first has to strike his opponent and/or cut his opponent before his bankai starts to awaken. Even then, he has to wait for the dragon crest on his blades to fill completely with the colour red (like a power gauge) before he finally has access to his full bankai at proper bankai-level strength.
** Hitsugaya has an immature bankai because his young age limits his power. As a result, to use its more powerful abilities he has to wait for the atmosphere to fill with a certain level of moisture first. Although he can circumvent this by using one of his zanpakutou's most basic abilities to control the weather, he doesn't like using it as it's also the hardest power to control and, because of his immature bankai, his lack of control can potentially be a problem.
** Kyouraku's power is based on weaponizing children's games. As a result, once activated, his zanpakutou sets the rules by which everyone -- including Kyouraku -- must fight. In other words, until his zanpakutou decides it's time for the rules to allow Kyouraku to use his more powerful abilities, he can't access them.
** All captains and vice-captains have to be sealed to 1/5th of their power in the real world. If the situation is dire enough, they are allowed to break these seals.

** Taken UpToEleven when Ultimate Break is introduced later. These skills only activate when a player has 5 damage.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' does this as traditionally as ''Dragonball''. Naruto's first activation of the Nine-Tails Chakra occurs after believing that his friend/rival has been killed, enraging him and tapping into his hidden power. [[spoiler:Eventually, Naruto learns how to activate this power at will, so it's not really a Limit Break anymore. Prior to this, though, it manifested primarily when Naruto saw his friends being injured or killed, ironically, in one incident, this actually caused further harm to his own team.)]]

* The [[Franchise/FantasticFour Human Torch]]'s Nova Flame attack sometimes works like this, but often it takes the role of TheWorfBarrage.
* [[Franchise/TheMightyThor Thor's]] ''Godly Essence Blast'', often known simply as the 'Godblast', is an attack that takes a bit of charge-up time, and can even damage or destroy {{Mjolnir}} from overuse. However, it lets him do things like drive away Galactus and break the armor of Celestials.
* Franchise/TheIncredibleHulk's transformation could be seen as this, as it can only be triggered when Bruce Banner is in danger or under emotional stress (typically anger).

->''"My Limit Break involves a moose, the demon Baphomet and a Kuiper Belt object. [[OverlyLongFightingAnimation It takes four hours and you can't skip any of the cutscenes]]."''

* The [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Human Torch]]'s Nova Flame attack sometimes works like this, but often it takes the role of TheWorfBarrage.
* [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor's]] ''Godly Essence Blast'', often known simply as the 'Godblast', is an attack that takes a bit of charge-up time, and can even damage or destroy {{Mjolnir}} from overuse. However, it lets him do things like drive away Galactus and break the armor of Celestials.

* The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk's transformation could be seen as this, as it can only be triggered when Bruce Banner is in danger or under emotional stress (typically anger).

* ''Manga/MobPsycho100'' has this in the form of Mob's titular 100% State, where his [[EmotionSuppression usually-suppressed emotions]] are pushed their breaking point and spill out alongside the vast majority of his psychic powers. Of these emotions, his 100% Rage against Dimple [[spoiler: and Touichirou]] and 100% Animosity against Koyama fit the bill best, due to them involving Mob [[MartialPacifist actually focusing on fighting]].

* Also spoofed in ''Webcomic/AnsemRetort''. Remember not to stare directly into a limit break. It can cause blindness, much like an eclipse or [[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow [=Oprah=]]]'s ass.
* In ''Webcomic/GoldCoinComics'', the characters have something called a [[http://www.goldcoincomics.com/?id=131 Final Attack]], similar to this.
* ''Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation'', an ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' webcomic, sets this up. The Forgotten Flame of Endless Unmarked Years keeps pushing Misho, reminding him of all his failures, pushing him closer and closer to a limit break...[[SubvertedTrope only for it to turn out]] that Misho's Limit Break is [[HeroicBSOD Heart of Tears]], turning him into a blubbering mess.
-->'''Flame:''' Well...this is awkward.

->''"My Limit Break involves a moose, the demon Baphomet and a Kuiper Belt object. It takes four hours and you can't skip any of the cutscenes."''

** The Kaze-no-Kizu (Wind Scar) can only be used if Inuyasha can find the "rift" between his aura and the opponent's, and cut through it. Make particularly difficult by Kagura, who can control wind and thus manipulates the flow of their auras so Inuyasha can't find the rift.
** Inuyasha's Bakuryuuha (Backlash Wave) fits, since [[AttackReflector it turns an opponent's ranged attack back upon them]].

The inverse of BreakMeter. For when you can make a vehicle do this, see {{Overdrive}}[[note]]Which has nothing to do with the limit breaks used in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''.[[/note]] or NitroBoost. See EXSpecialAttack for a {{downplayed|Trope}} version of this trope. Not to be confused with limit breaks in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', which are more like SanitySlippage.

* ''Burn Legend'', an alternate take on ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' detailed in ''Shards of the Exalted Dream'', has Overdrives, which charge up when you hit your enemies. Overdrive techniques tend to have enormous clash pools, deal massive damage (sometimes to multiple targets), and automatically force the enemy to lose a health stock and take a roll to remain conscious[[note]]except a few oddities like Demon Emperor Shintai, which instead provide you with a significant stat boost or other long-lasting benefit[[/note]]. Of course, if your opponent knows what your Overdrive ''is'', you might be advised to assume they'll try and counter it, so then you [[TacticalRockPaperScissors use a technique that beats their most likely countermeasure]]. And then there are the few techniques that force stagger checks or even automatic stagger on an opponent, which will give you a chance to ream them while they can't counter you.

* The tabletop wargame ''[[TabletopGame/IronKingdoms Warmachine]]'' from Creator/PrivateerPress features similar abilities amongst the warcasters called feats. Feats can only be used once per game, but when used properly can turn almost certain defeat into victory.
* Also from Creator/PrivateerPress, ''TabletopGame/{{Monsterpocalypse}}'' has Hyper Mode. Every monster can hyper-up by spending power dice, entering Hyper Mode (depending on the figure, Ultra, Mega, or Quantum). Both the Alpha and Hyper forms need to be defeated, so this crosses over with TurnsRed.
* An optional rule for the free RPG [[http://www14.brinkster.com/zodiacrpg/ ZODIAC]] introduces Limit Breaks in a similar style of those of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. It only makes sense, as the system itself was designed to give the feel of a Final Fantasy game.
* There is a particular rule in ''TabletopGame/FadingSuns'', which allows a very unsettled character to snap and go for UnstoppableRage or other kinds of fanatical fun. If the appropriate test is passed, the character receives bonuses to other tests until the matter in question is resolved. It may require some tact from the GM to execute it properly.
* Masters in ''TabletopGame/{{Malifaux}}'' can manifest Avatar forms, giving them access to new and improved abilities. To manifest, they have to meet a set of requirements specific to each Master, usually based on using that Master's unique abilities successfully.

* In ''Anime/CardfightVanguard'', there is a skill called, word for word, ''Limit Break,'' which activates when the player has 4 or more damage (the player loses when he/she has 6 damage). Limit Break skills generally have strong effects such as boosting power, destroying cards on the field, adding extra cards to your hand, etc., to help the player turn the tables.

* Planeswalker cards in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. Each planeswalker has a powerful "ultimate" ability that can only be used after building up its loyalty over several turns and is often designed to win the game shortly after it's used. Since a planeswalker's loyalty also functions as its health, damaging a planeswalker is actually the best way to stop this from happening.

* ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'' had the characters using several of their limit breaks from the game. Many of them are not used as "limit breaks", though, after taking enough damage to fill an imaginary bar, but as just special attacks seemingly at will. Anyway, here's a list:

* In ''Manga/KurokoNoBasuke'', the Zone works like this. The requirements are, at minimum, that you must love the sport you're playing, that you be an advanced prodigy (i.e. the Generation of Miracles or [[spoiler:Kagami]]), that you have an incredible, single-minded focus on the game and your desire to win, and that you are pressed to activate your unique "trigger" to open the door (i.e. Aomine's trigger is to have a "worthy opponent", against whom he can go all-out and have fun). However, with knowledge of one's trigger, and sufficient focus, it's possible to force open the door on your own, as [[spoiler:Aomine, Kagami, and Akashi demonstrate]], so it works more like Dragon Ball's Super Saiyan form than the standard limit break.

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->''"My Limit Break involves a moose, the demon Baphomet and a Kuiper Belt object. [[OverlyLongFightingAnimation It takes four hours and you can't skip any of the cutscenes.]]"''

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' features 'Limit Breaks' as a part of the Great Curse placed upon the various Exalted at the conclusion of the Primordial War. Basically if a character has to act against their inclinations too often they eventually suffer a mental break which makes them even more powerful than they were but sends them out of control, whether on a psychotic rampage, cowering in a cellar or unleashing a hitherto unsuspected sadistic streak it typically ends badly for all concerned.
** The only Celestial Exalts not to suffer this are the Abyssals, who have it even worse...
** This means that tabletop role players who are unfamiliar with the computer RPG meaning will tend to think of a Limit Break as the ''Exalted'' version, and thus be confused...
** It's not ''entirely'' a bad thing; it does provide a Willpower refill. Of course, this has to be balanced against turning into a [[{{Jerkass}} sadistic bastard]], entering an UnstoppableRage, entering into a temporary HeroicBSOD, or giving away all your cool magical equipment...
** Burn Legend, in ''Shards of the Exalted Dream'', has Overdrives, which charge up when you hit your enemies. Overdrive techniques tend to have enormous clash pools, deal massive damage (sometimes to multiple targets), and automatically force the enemy to lose a health stock and take a roll to remain conscious[[note]]except a few oddities like Demon Emperor Shintai, which instead provide you with a significant stat boost or other long-lasting benefit[[/note]]. Of course, if your opponent knows what your Overdrive ''is'', you might be advised to assume they'll try and counter it, so then you [[TacticalRockPaperScissors use a technique that beats their most likely countermeasure]]. And then there are the few techniques that force stagger checks or even automatic stagger on an opponent, which will give you a chance to ream them while they can't counter you.

* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'':
** The requirements to activate the Saiyan SuperMode are similar to this. Once a Saiyan of sufficient power has been pushed to the absolute limit of what they can take, said Saiyan will trigger the golden-haired Super Saiyan state. Part of Gohan's training involved taking control of his anger in this fashion.

** Goku's Ultra Instinct transformation can only be accessed when he is under extreme duress not only physically but mentally as well (such as being under the pressure of competing in a tournament where the entire universe is at stake). Unlike his other transformations, he has yet to re-attain it outside of those conditions.