History Main / PowerLimiter

* The weighted training clothes that Son Goku and Piccolo (Jr.) wear are used to this effect in the Piccolo Jr. Saga nd Saiyan Saga of DragonBall/Z. However, the ever-increasing power threshold of the show quickly leads to the effect becoming meaningless and replaced with [[SuperMode super modes]] and [[FusionDance fusing]]. Goku never takes his off ([[ClothingDamage intentionally]]) and Piccolo only removes his for [[TheCoatsAreOff dramatic effect]].

* [[{{Franchise/DragonBall}} Majin Buu]] has his good half, Fat Buu. At the expense of use of a large portion of his power, fat Buu provides Super Buu with some much needed sanity and the idea of self-preservation.

** In ''ThePrinceOfTennis'', wrist/leg weights are used in a regular basis during training to develop more focus and leg strength. [[MasterOfDisguise Masaharu]] [[WhiteHairedPrettyBoy Niou]] from Rikkaidai also uses additional wristbands to tap his own potential, and utterly ''refuses'' to take them off.

* Parodied twice in ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei''. In one instance, Harumi's glasses are revealed to have a tremendous weight and prevent her from exercising her full athletic potential (and she's an amazing athlete with the glasses on). The terminology used to describe them is a ShoutOut to the RestrainingBolt for mecha in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. On another occasion, Nozomu is challenged by Lee Nakanao who is a parody of the stock Rival/ WorthyOpponent of shounen fighting anime. Lee is a WhiteHairedPrettyboy with an EyepatchOfPower, and when providing stats on him, the manga indicates that the eyepatch restrains his full power and he'd go berserk if he removed it.

* In ''SuperRobotWars'', pretty much every SuperRobot used by the Shadow-Mirrors is able to deactivate its power limiter by reciting a code word or phrase, i.e. "Code: Kirin". This is never used as a plot point, however, just an implied powerup during the characters' strongest attacks.

* [[{{Franchise/DragonBall}} Majin Buu]] Has his good half, fat Buu. At the expense of use of a large portion of his power, fat Buu provides Super Buu with some much needed sanity and the idea of self-preservation.

* In ''MahouSentaiMagiranger'' [[SixthRanger Hikaru]] ends up having to put a time limit on the main team's [[SuperMode Legend Modes]] so that they don't [[PowerAtAPrice lose their humanity]].

* [[IAmNotLeftHanded Releasing a previously unmentioned power limiter]] can provide a last minute save against a particularly powerful BigBad. If done badly, the device becomes a plot device the author [[AssPull pulled out of their ass]]. A reader expects [[{{Foreshadowing}} clues]] that the limit was in place before the character says they're going to releease it.

** Unit-02 in RebuildOfEvangelion is shown to not only possess armor, but actual limiters implanted into its back which release once [[spoiler:Mari unlocks the Eva's berserker mode]].

** If the limiting was [[WillfullyWeak voluntary]], it's AlwaysNeedWhatYouGaveUp...
** [[IAmNotLeftHanded Releasing a previously unmentioned power limiter]] can provide a last minute save against a particularly powerful BigBad. If done badly, the device becomes a plot device the author [[AssPull pulled out of their ass]]. A reader expects [[{{Foreshadowing}} clues]] that the limit was in place before the character says they're going to releease it.

!!Examples:

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'', the world's fastest runner constantly has a ball and chain attached to each of his feet.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Jafar is defeated in the first ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' movie by the limits of being a genie. "Phenomenal cosmic powers... itty-bitty living space."

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' has an interesting example. Raiden's new cyborg body has all the bells and whistles, including systems to allow him to fight on while injured/damaged. [[spoiler: It turns out these are also keeping "Jack" in check. When an attempt to [[BreakHimByTalking break Raiden by talking]] works [[GoneHorriblyRight a little too well]], he demands Doktor turn ''off'' his supposedly-helpful pain inhibitors, allowing his CombatSadomasochist SuperpoweredEvilSide to let rip.]]

A device of some kind used to restrict a character's [[PowerLevels power level]] or SuperPower.

* In the ''{{Fingerprints}}'' series, Rae's PsychicPowers initially drive her into a mental institution. In later books, she starts putting wax on her fingertips as a sort of improvised Power Limiter to keep other peoples' thoughts out of her head, since [[PowerIncontinence she can't turn her ability off]].

* ''{{Star Ocean 2}}'s'' final boss Indalecio used his daughter Filia as a limiter on his power. If, after reaching the final level of Fienal, the player decides to trek all the way back to Central City, do a private action and encounter Filia again, Indalecio will find her and kill her, removing his limiter. With limiter off, he's almost unstoppable.

** Many characters in ''DragonBall'' and ''DragonBallZ'', including Goku and Piccolo. However, they *usually* wear them more for training purposes more than anything else, in order to get a better workout.
*** Most notably in ''Dragonball Z'', Broly of the movies wears a technological device created by his father designed to keep him from using too much of his power and going berserk. It causes the "Super Saiyan" trademark gold hair to take on a turquoise hue instead. By the time he becomes angry enough, his power overloads the device and he achieves his maximum power, growing almost three times his normal size in muscle mass yet sacrificing none of his speed. It becomes quite obvious why his father was so adamant about keeping him under control...

* In [[BlazblueContinuumShift Blazblue Continuum Shift]], Hazama explained that Noel's Nox Nyctores Bolverk actually functions as a limiter to sustain her emotions, thus when Bolverk broke, Noel unlocked her true form - Mu-12. This only happens because he was riling her up at the time, however. When Rachel takes Bolverk from her in an alternate timeline, she instead loses all self-confidence and dissolves into tears.

* In [[BlazblueContinuumShift Blazblue Continuum Shift]], Hazama explained that Noel's Nox Nyctores Bolverk actually functions as a limiter to sustain her emotions, thus when Bolverk broke, Noel unlocked her true form - Mu-12.

* Parodied twice in ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei''. In one instance, Harumi's glasses are revealed to have a tremendous weight and prevent her from exercising her full athletic potential (and she's an amazing athlete with the glasses on). The terminology used to describe them is a ShoutOut to the RestrainingBolt for mecha in ''NeonGenesisEvangelion''. On another occasion, Nozomu is challenged by Lee Nakanao who is a parody of the stock Rival/ WorthyOpponent of shounen fighting anime. Lee is a WhiteHairedPrettyboy with an EyepatchOfPower, and when providing stats on him, the manga indicates that the eyepatch restrains his full power and he'd go berserk if he removed it.

* The Evangelions have these in NeonGenesisEvangelion in the form of their armor, which doesn't serve to protect the Eva and its pilot as much as it serves to [[spoiler:limit the Evangelions' power and allow humans to control the Eva]]. If an Eva [[spoiler:goes ''really'' berserk, it can actually break the armor from the inside, but this requires a strength of mind that pretty much exceeds any human's ability, and if the human pilot becomes so synchronised with the Eva that this can happen (this requires the human to have a ''400%'' synch ratio), that pilot's probably not coming back]].

* In ''{{Saiyuki}}'' the "good" youkai of Shangri-La generally wear jewelry-like power-limiters to keep them human-shaped and closer to human-strength when in mixed company. After the Minus Wave, very few youkai are sane enough to even think about wearing limiters. Two of the protagonists wear limiters nearly all the time: Goku's diadem and Hakkai's ear cuffs. (Goku's is many, many times stronger than a standard youkai limiter due to his SuperPoweredEvilSide). Hakkai at full youkai strength scares the shit out of even his friends and he's more susceptible to Minus Wave influence without the ear cuffs. Goku's unlimited form is strong enough to be a direct threat to Heaven and Sanzo's the only non-god who can put the diadem back on. In both cases, if and when the limiters come off, you'd best run and not look back.

* Kyo of ''FruitsBasket'' has a power limiter in the form of a bracelet; if it comes off he transforms into his monstrous "true form."

The upgraded version is the PowerNullifier, which outright [[BroughtDownToNormal removes superhuman abilities]].

If the power limiter is simply all in the character's head, expect a WorldOfCardboardSpeech when they realize this and break the limit.