History Main / UnblockableAttack

* [[OneHitKill Avada Kedavra]] from ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' cannot be blocked by shielding spells, and moves too fast for most wizards to get something in the way in time. It's also unsurvivable under normal circumstances, meriting it the rank of Unforgivable. The only way to stop it is to dodge it or put something like [[NegateYourOwnSacrifice an immortal phoenix]] or a magical statue between yourself it. Oh, and it moves fast.

* Exists in the fighting game installments of VideoGame/{{Touhou}}, usually come from Remilia ([[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice ginormous penetrator spear]]), or Marisa (WaveMotionGun).

Some characters are defensive powerhouses, like the BarrierWarrior who raises the use of DeflectorShields into an unassailable art form. One popular tactic for dealing with such a formidable defense is to use an attack that their defenses can't block, an [[TitleDrop Unblockable Attack.]] It can be a punch, weapon, or spell that if it connects breaks whatever defenses the target has and leaves them reeling. This attack is ''so'' powerful that even a perfectly timed Block / CounterAttack won't work, the only choices the target has are dodging (thus dropping their defense) or preemptively attacking ''before'' their assailant finishes their attack.

* ''[[ArtOfFighting Art of Fighting's]]'' Ryuko Ranbu couldn't be blocked and was so devastating that only Ryo, Robert, and the game's secret boss [[spoiler: Mr. Karate]] had access to it. It was toned down in ''{{The King of Fighters}}'', particularly the later installments where it was made blockable and did considerably less damage. At least, until ''2002'', where Robert gained a HDM version that has short range (as opposed to the usual fullscreen dash animation), but is again unblockable and drains just over half the opponent's energy.

* Exists in the fighting game installments of {{Touhou}}, usually come from Remilia ([[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice ginormous penetrator spear]]), or Marisa (WaveMotionGun).

* [[OneHitKill Avada Kedavra]] from ''HarryPotter'' cannot be blocked by shielding spells, and moves too fast for most wizards to get something in the way in time. It's also unsurvivable under normal circumstances, meriting it the rank of Unforgivable. The only way to stop it is to dodge it, and it moves FAST.
** In book five Dumbledore demonstrates that it's also possible to intercept it with an inanimate object such as a rock.

* ''ElShaddai'' has a TacticalRockPaperScissors weapon system for the player, with a sword, bow and shield. The shield is slow, has a minuscule range, and has no super speed moves, but it not only allows to move while blocking, it can block otherwise unblockable attacks ''even from bosses!'' Granted, some of the bosses do have unblockable attacks (or that ''eventually'' wear down the weapon's durability and break it mid block) but the shield averts this trope in relation to the other weapons.

** [[TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Michelangelo]] pays homage to Ryuko Ranbu with his own rendition of it in the [[SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] version of [[TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTournamentFighters TMNT: Tournament Fighters]]. As is the case in ''Art of Fighting'', Mikey's "rage guage" must be full, resulting in a full screen dash and an unblockable beatdown.

* ''FateStayNight''s gives us Gae Bolg, which is not only an UnblockableAttack, but also a OneHitKill and an AlwaysAccurateAttack. It works as follows: when the name is invoked, the heart of the target is pierced. THEN the lance strike happens, with reality warping itself to make the attack hit. If you have a high enough LuckStat (in the RealityWarper league), it's possible to escape the heart-pierce and 'only' take an almost-unhealable hit elsewhere on your body.

* It's not uncommon for bosses in the ''TalesSeries'' to have a few unblockable attacks to mix things up a bit, and they're not always slow, either.

* In ''{{Iji}}'', {{mercy invincibility}} won't protect you from being hit by the [[WaveMotionGun Velocithor]], Nuke or [[OneHitKill Phantom Hammer]].

* In ''VideoGame/DistortedTravesty'', "death wheels" (late game obstacles/attacks) cannot be dashed through.
* The unavoidable wall of fire Dogadon uses in his second battle in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64''.

See also WorfBarrage. Compare InvulnerableAttack and PiercingAttack.

* ''FateStayNight''s gives us Gae Bolg, which is not only an UnblockableAttack, but also a OneHitKill and an AlwaysAccurateAttack. It works as follows: when the name is invoked, the heart of the target is pierced. THEN the lance strike happens, with reality warping itself to make the attack hit. If you have a high enough LuckStat (in the RealityWarper league), it's possible to escape the heart-pierce and 'only' take an almost-unhealable hit elsewhere on your body.

* [[OneHitKill Avada Kedavra]] from ''HarryPotter'' cannot be blocked by shielding spells, and moves too fast for most wizards to get something in the way in time. It's also unsurvivable under normal circumstances, meriting it the rank of Unforgivable. The only way to stop it is to doge it, and it moves FAST.

* [[OneHitKill Avada Kedavra]] from ''HarryPotter'' cannot be blocked by shielding spells, and moves too fast for most wizards to get something in the way in time. It's also unsurvivable under normal circumstances, meriting it the rank of Unforgivable.
** None of this stops the target from just taking a leap to the side, though.

* ''DungeonsAndDragons'', particularly older editions, reveled in all kinds of "no-save" spells, i.e. spells that offered the target no chance to avoid, defend, or even mitigate damage or other effects.

* FateStayNight gives us Gae Bolg, which is not only an UnblockableAttack, but also a OneHitKill and an AlwaysAccurateAttack. It works as follows: when the name is invoked, the heart of the target is pierced. THEN the lance strike happens, with reality warping itself to make the attack hit. If you have a high enough LuckStat (in the RealityWarper league), it's possible to escape the heart-pierce and 'only' take an almost-unhealable hit elsewhere on your body.

* Almost all [[LimitBreak Final Smash]] attacks in [[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]] are unblockable, even by characters with special countering attacks.

* FateStayNight gives us Gae Bolg, which is both an UnblockableAttack, a OneHitKill and an AlwaysAccurateAttack. It works as follows: when the name is invoked, the heart of the target is pierced. THEN the lance strike happens, with reality warping itself to make the attack hit. If you have a high enough LuckStat (in the RealityWarper league), it's possible to escape the heart-pierce and 'only' take an almost-unhealable hit elsewhere on your body.

* ''CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' gives every monster this mechanic.
* In ''DistortedTravesty'', "death wheels" (late game obstacles/attacks) cannot be dashed through.

* Avada Kedavra from ''HarryPotter'' cannot be blocked by shielding spells, and moves too fast for most wizards to get something in the way in time. It's also unsurvivable under normal circumstances, meriting it the rank of Unforgivable.

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