History Main / LookWhatICanDoNow

* Played straight in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': the Furious Five take on Tai Lung and are soundly trounced all while Po is off training to be a true master. After it appears that [[spoiler: the Dragon Scroll is blank]] Shifu takes on his former pupil all alone. [[spoiler: It doesn't work.]] Finally, Po shows up and [[spoiler: demonstrates the wisdom he's gained from Shifu and the Scroll.]]

* In ''Series/AngelTheVampire'', Lindsey left mid-season two as an evil corporate lawyer (if one with clear country roots), and came back in season five as a long-haired, tattooed master fencer. This happened to coincide with his actor, Christian Kane, having filmed ''Film/SecondHandLions'' in between. Which required him to learn how to fence.

* In ''LiveActionTV/AngelTheVampire'', Lindsey left mid-season two as an evil corporate lawyer (if one with clear country roots), and came back in season five as a long-haired, tattooed master fencer. This happened to coincide with his actor, Christian Kane, having filmed ''Film/SecondHandLions'' in between. Which required him to learn how to fence.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' is a big fan of this trope:

** Kurosaki Ichigo is the most prominent example, the first time when he unveils his brand new bankai in battle against Kuchiki Byakuya, and then when he uses his [[SuperPoweredEvilSide hollow mask]] against Grimmjow for the first time.

** This also happens with [[AloofAlly Ishida Uryu]] after he [[spoiler: loses his powers, then gets them back some eighty episodes later,]] finally showing them off almost twenty episodes after ''that.'' Fortunately, it's a pretty badass return.

* In ''LiveActionTV/AngelTheVampire'', Lindsey left mid-season two as an evil corporate lawyer (if one with clear country roots), and came back in season five suddenly knowing how to fence. This happened to coincide with his actor, Christian Kane, having filmed ''Film/SecondHandLions'' in between. Which required him to know how to fence.

* It happened in ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'', when Poo returned from training and demonstrated his new power on a boss creature, obliterating it with PK Starstorm.

** The entire Fishman Island arc is this. The Straw Hats essentially one-shotted an entire crew of [[BigBad Fishman Pirates]] that seemed to be a perfectly logical next step in the series' SortingAlgorithmOfEvil (and would have been said logical next step had the crew the went straight to Fishman Island as when they arrived in Sabaody for the first time) by showing off their new skills honed during the two-year TimeSkip.

[[quoteright:284:[[WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trained.png]]]]

* In ''Anime/InazumaEleven'', [[PlayingWithFire Gouenji]]/[[DubNameChange Axel]] was [[PutOnABus absent]] for a while because [[spoiler: Alius Academy blackmailed him into leaving the team]]. When he make his comeback [[BigDamnHeroes during a particularly difficult match]] against Epsylon, he proceed to show the result of his training and use his new technique to score the winning goal.

* After ComicBook/{{Excalibur}} disbanded, ComicBook/KittyPryde spent some brief time with the ComicBook/XMen before leaving and spending six months in Genoshia. What she was doing there during the time is as-yet unknown (although presumably connected to her father, who was living there at the time), but when she came back, she had clearly [[TookALevelInBadass Taken a Level in Badass]], able to fight more savagely than she ever had, often using a dagger made from one of Wolverine's broken bone claws. Her attitude changed too, clearly changing from the naïve girl she had been to a confident and independent young woman; she would later leave again and attend the University of Chicago.

## When Goku comes back from Training [[AC:IN SPACE!]] to demonstrate his "[[FlashyTeleportation Instant Transmission]]".

* Franchise/{{Transformers}} who get upgraded make a habit of doing this, especially in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''.
** In an issue of the [[ComicBook/TheTransformers Marvel comics]], this happens to Grimlock ''right before a fight breaks out'', immobilizing him in a sort of chrysalis, and just as the good guys seem to be on the ropes, the new Action Master Grimlock breaks free of his cocoon and goes to town.

* ''Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear G'' basically has its first two episodes as one long extended version of this, with all of the girls showing off their new looks, each using at least one new move, and Hibiki demonstrating her increased control over her armor, culminating in [=S2CA=] Tri Burst.

---> '''Ichigo :''' I can see you now, Kuchiki Byakuya!

** Lan Fan reappeared [[spoiler:after losing her arm]] by making mincemeat of Gluttony with her new [[ArtificialLimbs Automail]], saving Ed and Lin[[spoiler:/Greed]].
** Scar with his newly-revealed ability to [[spoiler:deconstruct AND RECONSTRUCT]]. WHAM!

* Manga/{{Naruto}} does it ''in the first episode/volume'' when he first busts out what will become his signature move, the Shadow Clone Jutsu, not to mention twice first [[spoiler: when he shows up against a nigh-immortal opponent to backstab him with a newly-developed technique, the Rasengan, seems to function like a blender crossed with an artillery shell]], and second when [[spoiler: he is summoned back to the village and starts wiping the floor with the seemingly-invincible Pain using his newly-learned "[[SuperMode Sage Mode]]". Then later after taking control of Kyuubi's power he can, among other things, make Mini-Rasenshuriken and ''BeamSpam'' them, turning him into a [[OneManArmy One Man]] BadassArmy]].

* ''Anime/DragonballZ'' is a big fan of this trope:

---> '''Ichigo :''' I can see you now, Kuchiki Byakuya !

--> '''Ichigo :''' I can see you now, Kuchiki Byakuya !

## During the battle with the[[QuirkyMinibossSquad Ginyu Force]], when Goku returned to the fray and mopped the floor with most of Ginyu's subordinates.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima''

* In the final segments of ''Audioplay/StrikersSoundStageX'', which is set three years after the events of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'', Teanna reveals Nanoha's parting gift to her which she had been working on since we've last seen her and [[DungeonBypass helps Subaru escape from the burning Marine Garden]] by [[LockAndLoadMontage using every cartridge she has]] and uttering two words: [[spoiler: [[WaveMotionGun Starlight. Breaker.]]]]
* In the ''Manga/{{Shaman King}}'' manga, it is said that a shaman can only increase his spiritual power after a close encounter with the spirit world (i.e. death and resurrection and/or near-death experience). The closer the shaman gets to death, the larger the factor of the ability increase. We still get examples of this trope through old-fashioned TrainingFromHell, such as when Yoh emerges from the Hole of Yomi.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass''

* {{Transformers}} who get upgraded make a habit of doing this, especially in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''.

* ''Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear G'' basically has its first two episodes as one long extended version of this, with all of the girls showing off their new looks, each using at least one new move, and Hibiki demonstrating her increased control over her armor, culminating in S2CA Tri Burst.

Occasionally, a character will either see fit to train, or, in some cases, be forced to train. This will take them [[OutOfFocus away from their core group for a while]], but they'll [[TookALevelInBadass Take A Level In Badass]] and come back stronger than ever.

[[quoteright:284:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trained.png]]
[[caption-width-right:284:WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick]]

** Kurosaki Ichigo; first when he unveils his brand new bankai in battle against Kuchiki Byakuya, and then when he uses his [[SuperPoweredEvilSide hollow mask]] against Grimmjow for the first time.

* Manga/{{Naruto}} does it ''in the first episode/volume'' when he first busts out what will become his signature move, not to mention twice first [[spoiler: when he shows up against a nigh-immortal opponent to backstab him with a newly-developed technique that seems to function like a blender crossed with an artillery shell]], and second when [[spoiler: he is summoned back to the village and starts wiping the floor with the seemingly-invincible Pain using his newly-learned "[[SuperMode Sage Mode]]". Then later after taking control of Kyuubi's power he can among other things make Mini-Rasenshuriken and ''BeamSpam'' them, turning him into a [[OneManArmy One Man]] BadassArmy]].

## After initially being overwhelmed by King Piccolo, once Goku drank the Divine Water and survived, he managed to turn the tables even after Piccolo becomes stronger after wishing for Eternal Youth.

## When Goku came BackFromTheDead and made a fool of Nappa.
## Vegeta showcased this as he took on minions of Frieza that had him pegged as much weaker, who would have killed him before his time on Earth.
## During the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Ginyu Force]] arc, when Goku returned to the fray and mopped the floor with most of Ginyu's subordinates.

## After Goku recovers from the Ginyu fight, his ability to threaten Frieza's Final Form is this, too. Even more so once he becomes a Super Saiyan and his power level increases 50 fold.

## Piccolo does it again after merging with Kami, first by forcing Cell to run away, then by nearly destroying Android 17, pulling off several new moves in the process. Slightly subverted in that 17 was more or less matching him blow for blow, and that by the time Cell finished absorbing a fraction of the planet's population, he was ready for the Nameless Namek.

## Goku showcasing Super Sayain 3 against Majin Buu is also an example, and makes Vegeta pissed at the previous example.

## Vegito, the Potara Fusion of Goku and Vegeta is more than enough to make Super Buu (who has just absorbed Gotenks, Piccolo and Ultimate Gohan) an utter fool without even needing to use his Super Saiyan form.

## Goku reveals that he is capable of using the Kaioken technique on top of his Super Saiyan Blue which is so strong that he is able to bypass Hit's Time Skip and overpowers him.
## After being stabbed to death by Goku Black, Vegeta proceed to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to the point of breaking it apart whom with his newfound power, proceeds to turn the tables and curb-stomps Goku Black.

## After unfortunately defusing before he could deliver the finishing blow against Fused Zamasu, Goku proceeds to utilize his Perfected Super Saiyan Blue state where the form is capable of fighting evenly against Zamasu and if weren't for Zamasu using Mai as HumanShield, Goku would have disintegrate him using the Hakai technique.
## Upon revealing his Ultra Instinct form, Goku manage to easily repel away both Toppo and Dyspo before managing to fight Jiren to a standstill until he runs out of time. This is later repeated again by Kefla but this time, he successfully overpowers her and knock her out of the arena.
## Both Goku and Vegeta, whom have broken their limits, managed to put Jiren on the defensive and later, Vegeta shows his newfound transformation by defeating the newly ascended God of Destruction Toppo and knock him out of the arena.
## Then upon gaining his Mastered Ultra Instinct form, Goku proceeds to manhandle the previously invincible Jiren even after he powers up in rage.
## After being overpowered by Broly even in their Super Saiyan Blue states, Goku and Vegeta proceeds to fuse into Gogeta in order to defeat him and even in base form, he's more than enough to overpower him and that is before he goes into his Super Saiyan Blue state where even a full power Broly doesn't stand a sliver of a chance against him.
## After having his powers drained by Moro, Vegeta decided to head to Planet Yardrat in order to train a technique that can counter his powers. Indeed upon his arrival after Ultra Instinct -Sign- Goku gets overwhelmed, Vegeta managed to succesffuly defused Moro's powers, reducing him to his crippled state.
## After Merus's sacrifice, Goku proceeds to fully master his Mastered Ultra Instinct Form where said is more than enough to overwhelm a 73-Fused Moro. Even after the latter turned the tables by absorbing Merus's angelic powers, Goku still continue to retain the advantage against him.

** The entire Fishman Island arc is this. The crew essentially one-shotted a group of [[BigBad Big Bads]] that seemed to be a perfectly logical next step in the series' SortingAlgorithmOfEvil by showing off their new skills honed during the two-year TimeSkip.