History Main / Unobtainium

* In ''Film/{{Outlander}}'', after establishing that Viking swords aren't strong enough to injure the Moorwen, Kainan salvages some hull metal from his crashed starship, and gives this to the local blacksmith to forge some stronger swords.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_element Rare-earth elements]] are used in most modern electronics, and aren't really rare, but they are hard to find in an economically-usable state. And, in addition, 97% of rare-earth mining is done in China. Because of their usefulness, worries that the Chinese could cut off or severely reduce exports of it is enough that now others countries are looking into reopening mines almost solely so that the Chinese cannot make unobtainium of them. One of the main hurdles is that mining and processing them creates a ''staggering'' amount of toxic waste.
** Dysprosium, one of the rare-earth elements, literally means "hard to get".

* The platinoid metal [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhenium rhenium]] has all types of possible uses, mainly because it gives nearly magical properties to the metals it is alloyed with. Unfortunately, it is so incredibly rare and expensive that it's used mainly in aircraft engines, where its cost can be justified. (Not coincidentally, it was the very last of the stable elements to be discovered, in 1925.) There is ''one single'' concentrated deposit of rhenium on the whole planet, discharging as a sulfide gas from a single fumarole on the side of a volcano on the South Kurile island of Iturup, which is disputed between Russia and Japan. It is possible that the harder position Russia has recently taken about the Kurile issue might be explained by the wish to protect and exploit this deposit.

** A metal native to the Breakworld in Joss Whedon's ''[[ComicBook/XMen Astonishing X-Men]]'' run adversely affected Kitty Pryde when she phased through it, to the point where she ended up stranded inside a ten-mile long bullet of the stuff when she [[HeroicSacrifice phased it through the Earth]], and wasn't able to control her powers after Magneto rescued her.

* In an early Marvel/DC crossover featuring the X-Men and the New Teen Titans, the villain {{ComicBook/Darkseid}} keeps both teams shackled, and states that Kitty Pryde's shackles are made of a rare metal with molecules so tightly packed, not even she can phase through them.

** The pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} DCU also featured the invulnerable metals "Supermanium" (a metal once created by Superman) and "Amazonium" (the metal Franchise/WonderWoman's bracelets were made from), both invulnerable metals akin to inertron.
** Radion is incredibly rare. It's also very special because it is the KryptoniteFactor of the ComicBook/NewGods. Even ''ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'' can be truly and permanently killed by Radion poisoning [[spoiler:and a Radion bullet -- fired by ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' [[DoesNotLikeGuns of all people]] -- to the shoulder is the first part of Darkseid's RasputinianDeath in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''.]]

** The adventure ''Recap/TintinTheShootingStar'' revolves around a mission to retrieve a sample of unobtainium (dubbed "Phostlite") from a fallen meteorite. The only obvious property of the stuff is making things grow fast, like mushrooms... and plants... and animals, like butterflies and spiders. Fortunately, germs don't seem to be included.

** Needless to say, carbon fiber is now commonly used in both Formula 1 cars and many high-end [[CoolCar exotic cars]], starting with the 1994 [=McLaren=] F1.

* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' has plenty of unobtainium. They've stolen adamantium from the MarvelUniverse, and they've included some of the mystical variants, including orichalcium and mithril. Oddly enough, at the SuperHeroSchool Whateley Academy, mithril no longer counts as true unobtainium, because there's a side character (Silver, a girl from India) who ''sweats'' mithril. The school has had to set up a mithril brokerage.

* ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'' has several flavours of unobtanium, but is notable that they try to be a reasonably hard sci-fi setting and so have put very careful thought into its plausibility and possible uses.

* In ''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'', there is also a substance called Unobtainium, which apparently "has a nuclear reaction with the flux capacitor -- carry the ’2′ -- changing its atomic isotoner into a radioactive spider." Or, you know, this thing doesn't exist and the character speaking was just stoned out of his mind.

** Deepstone, which harms ghosts and prevents possession, as it's mined from the bottom of the ocean and the ghosts's weakness is water.

** The few who have ever attempted to make a catwhisker radio (the radio that needs no electricity whatsoever) may have found out that finding a chunk of Galena (lead sulfide) can prove to be tricky. Though the mineral is the main source of lead today, to the average hobbyist it is not available. It was, however, more readily available to regular citizens in the old days due to its presence in the coal that powered the ubiquitous steam engines. Though there are workarounds, some hobbyists are willing to look around for a piece of it for an authentic galena radio.

* Mountain biker slang for a bike made of a rare or expensive material is also 'unobtainium'.

** The synthetic baryons all decay rapidly (the order of 10^-10 sec or shorter halflifes). The chemistry of an atom is determined by the electrons surrounding the nucleus. Atoms with synthetic baryons would be considered different isotopes of the same element.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Steam Lantern" there is a material called hardtofindium because its hard to find.

Unobtainium is engineering jargon for, "a material that would be perfect for our purposes, if we could get it, which we can't." Sometimes an object that actually exists, or existed at one time, becomes unobtainium because it's unavailable ''now.'' When used in the realm of fiction, Unobtainium is usually the exotic material that is needed to make the AppliedPhlebotinum of a given story work. Without it, all your nifty machines and [[MacGuffin plot-enabling gadgets]] quit functioning.

** Keiyurium, a ShoutOut to the original ''LightNovel/DirtyPair''.

* [[MeaningfulName Chronologium]] permits TimeTravel in ''Webcomic/GastroPhobia''. Without it, two characters got stuck nine years [[spoiler:and will stay probably much more]] in the past.

** In ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'', Trizirium Crystals are an very powerful energy source that originally won't be discovered about 200 years from 2001, because of the battles between the Time Force Rangers and Ransik, as well as Bio-Lab trying to reverse-engineer the future tech the early discovery [[spoiler:nearly sucked the world into time vortices in the "End of Time" three-part finale]].

* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' [[InvokedTrope refers to it by name]]. The movie features a mineral called unobtainium, although, in the film, the unobtainium functions as a MineralMacGuffin; it's described as a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_temperature_superconductor room temperature superconductor]] that makes space travel more affordable, but never really expanded on apart from that. On the [[AllThereInTheManual website]] [[http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Unobtainium wiki]] some of the other uses make it apply to this trope better. According to [[AllThereInTheManual the guide]], it's called "unobtainium" because this is a tongue-in-cheek designation for all high-temperature superconductor materials, called so by Earth scientists when they gave up on reliably synthesizing them. Cartoon Network's ''Mad'' series lampoon of ''Avatar'' lampshades and mocks the name by calling it "Stupidnameium".

* In a two-part episode of the Lynda Carter TV adaptation of ''Series/WonderWoman'', we learn that her indestructable bullet-deflecting bracelets are made of "Feminum." (This is in contrast with the Comic Book canon, which at the time held that her bracelets were made of "Amazonium.")

* GreekFire - Accounts say it was a combination of volatile chemicals in liquid form that, when launched, would burn on and be ignited by water. There are several possible candidates for its original formula, or possibly formulae, but the exact details are lost to history.

* The ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-148 SCP-148]], also known as Telekill. In the initial write-up stuff is incredibly useful, allowing blocking of effects of many psychic-type anomalies. It was supposed to still be a mystery and very limited in quantity (and Foundation unable to make more of it), but ended up being used in far too many SCP writeups [[ReImaginingTheArtifact resulting in a mass rewrite/retcon]]. After it, it still blocks psychic influences, but with a catch - it ''absorbs'' them, while gaining mass, and eventually releases everything it accumulated in one big amplified burst. Needless to say, this is ''very very bad''. Even when used in smaller quantities in personal protection equipment it now slowly drains intelligence and willpower of the wearer. It is still used sometimes, but in very careful and limited ways.

** Red Mercury has since been used for further disinformation campaigns with a new description of being able to effectively turn conventional explosives into a nuclear sized detonation. Stories of its impossible seeming destructive properties have been used to swindle numerous volatile NGOs looking to cause havoc across the globe.

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/DoraemonTheRecordOfNobitaSpaceblazer'' have the adventure being set on Planet Koya Koya, a world flled with valuable Gartite Ore - a mineral which can create artificial forcefields simply through firction. Two tiny Gartite pebbles can levitate a person, as Doraemon and Nobita's new friend, Ropporu, demonstrates. Unfortunately Koya Koya being a rich deposit of Gartite leads to the story's main villain, a MegaCorp, repeatedly threatening her citizens and into destroying the entirety of Koya Koya in order to force her citizens to surrender the Gartite.
* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' they have a special liquid called LCL which has several useful properties. One is its ability to conduct electrical signals, useful for electrically conducting nerve impulses between an Evangelion pilot and his/her Evangelion. But more amazing is its property that it can hold vast amounts of dissolved oxygen at concentrations high enough that once it has filled the lungs, a human can directly breath the oxygen present in it (handy thing when you have to fill a bio-mecha cockpit with this stuff and have the pilot be completely submerged in it). [[spoiler:It's actually the blood of the Angel Lilith, which adds all sorts of retroactive squick when you realize they've been "breathing" it the whole time.]]
* Orichalcum (or a variant spelling) is a metal with magical properties that makes appearances in several anime, including ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''.
* In some works by Creator/OsamuTezuka there's the "Omotanium", a fictional substance that has several different properties depending on the plot, usually it's a highly radioactive metal that has beneficial powers but can also destroy the brain systems of a robotic character.
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' as a whole has the Chrome Digizoid metal ([[SpellMyNameWithAnS also spelled]] [=ChronDigizoid=]). It's characterized as a highly sought after super-metal (with a silly name) of any colour which is very strong and cannot be damaged, except by other samples of it; in addition to being mined in some Digimon canons, a small number of Digimon species are either made of/plated in it (e.g. [=MetalEtemon=]) or wield weapons made of it (e.g. Zudomon, who weakened the aforementioned [=MetalEtemon=] in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' with his hammer, giving the mortally-wounded [=SaberLeomon=] the opportunity to kill [=MetalEtemon=]). One time it's been referenced in the anime itself was briefly in the aforementioned ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' incident between Zudomon and [=MetalEtemon=], and then only mentioned offhand to give Zudomon, a lower-level Digimon, a way to defeat [=MetalEtemon=]; as such, most mentions of the substance [[AllThereInTheManual occur in the broader source material]]. According to said source material, there exist several varieties with different properties denoted by specific colours: Blue, which provides high speed (as seen on [[Manga/DigimonVTamer01 UlforceV-dramon]]); Red, which provides even higher defence (e.g. [[Anime/DigimonDataSquad Sleipmon]]); Gold, which increases a Digimon's offensive power (e.g. [[Anime/DigimonFusion Shoutmon DX]]); and the vaguely described Black (e.g. [[Anime/DigimonDataSquad Craniummon]]) and Obsidian (e.g. [[Anime/DigimonFrontier KaiserLeomon]]).
* The entire ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' franchise uses unobtanium to various degrees.
** It is played straight and subverted in the very first series of all, ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam''. Early on, the RX-78 Gundam's Lunar Titanium Alloy (later renamed in-universe to Gundarium Alloy in the Gundam's honor) armor is effectively indestructible to conventional fire, the oversized machineguns and bazookas used by mobile suits shaking it, but otherwise causing very little damage. This changed near the end of the series, when Zeon mobile suits gain beam weaponry technology, and we discover that beam weaponry trumps EVERYTHING in terms of armor. For the entire Universal Century timeline afterwords, combat becomes based around ''avoiding'' getting hit, since any significant hit at all is instantly fatal, regardless of armor. Even the large shields mobile suits carry generally only suffer one impact before getting blown away completely. Unless the shield in question has anti-beam coating, which itself is quite rare and still doesn't provide complete protection.
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' plays the trope straight, and has the alloy Gundanium, which is incredibly tough, nearly immutable, heat-resistant, electrically neutral, and a natural radar damper. The "rare, hard-to-find" part comes from the fact that it can only be manufactured in space and the fact that at the start of the show, only six people in the world know how to make it. You might be surprised to learn that [[RealityIsUnrealistic this has some basis in real-world science]], as the crystalline structures that form as liquid metal solidifies can be ''very'' different in microgravity. The odds of creating an alloy with ''all'' the aforementioned properties remain fairly small, however.
** The [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Cosmic Era]] ExpandedUniverse has its own unobtainium in the form of the beam-resistant alloy the [[{{BFS}} Gerbera Straight]] was forged out of. Only one person in the entire Earth Sphere knows its composition and how to forge it.
* ''Anime/MazingerZ'':
** The show took the "ridiculously high strength/density ratio" thing to a whole new level when Japanium is alloyed into Super Alloy Z. The titular robot, built from the stuff, stands 18 meters tall, yet weighs a meager 20 tons. In one episode, Dr. Hell managed to steal a supply of the stuff and build his own robot with Super Alloy Z armor, but he wasn't able to ''completely'' cover it with the stuff. Eventually, the heroes found out which part of it wasn't made of it, and was able to AttackItsWeakPoint to destroy it. Anime/GreatMazinger and Venus A are built from the same stuff. And Mazinkaiser.
** ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'' gives two examples: Gren, an alien metal Grendizer itself is built with. Since it can not be found on Earth, when Grendizer gets damaged, Alloy Z is used to repair it; and Vegatron, a highly radioactive material only can be mined from planet Vega. The Vegans used it to create powerful weapons, but its overexploitation led to the planet becoming highly unstable.
** Super Alloy Z Alpha from the ''Anime/{{Mazinkaiser}}'' [=OVAs=] is several orders of magnitude more strong; it takes whithout a scratch the impact of two weapons of the original Mazinger and even is able to withstand swimming in hot lava.
* Levistone from ''LightNovel/KyouranKazokuNikki'', a material which makes things hover when electricity runs through it.
* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has Sakuradite, previously found and said to be the "Philosopher's Stone" in medieval times, and found in large amounts in Japan. It's now valued as a superconductor, being liquid in room temperature. It also [[MadeofExplodium explodes rather easily...]]
* Various evolution-inducing stones aside, in one episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' Team Rocket had a mecha composed of "polished unobtainium", which made it immune to Psychic attacks.
* Done with a twist in ''Anime/CastleInTheSky'' where the Levistone (a Grade A unobtainium) is a well-known mineral (and the name of the material is Etherium instead of Levistone), commonly found in rocks -- however, it rapidly decays when exposed to air and thus serves no practical purpose. The movie's {{Precursors}} knew how to refine it and fashion it into durable crystals, with many amazing properties. This technology has been lost and the world's nations will now stop at nothing to lay their hands on the few remaining samples.
* ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'' has 2 of these.
** One of them is actually called Levistone here. It is heated to decrease its levitation (allowing one to control the height of an airship).
** The other (and more often referred to) is Drag Energist. It gives life to dragons and sits in their chest cavity where their heart would normally be. It is mined from places where there's lots of dead dragons or from a dragon that is hunted and killed. This mineral is usually pink and it directly creates electrical energy (just makes electricity out of thin air, no input required) needed to power mechs and other machinery. It also undergoes "resonance" (what seems to more accurately be nuclear fission) if too many are placed together in the same area. In one of the last episodes, an atomic bomb is built using this same principle with this material.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Seastone, apparently "a solidified form of the sea". Contact with it will [[KryptoniteFactor weaken Devil Fruit users, and drain them of their abilities]]. It's also apparently harder than diamond.
** Adam, a super-strong type of wood.
** Don Krieg's armour was made of Wootz steel, a real-world type of unobtanium (see below).
* Vizorium is both the unobtainium that makes warp-drive possible, and the central plot driver of the ''LightNovel/DirtyPair'' Movie ''Project Eden''.
* [=GEMs=] in ''Anime/MyOtome'' give Otome their robes (and thus, most of their powers). The Coral and Pearl [=GEMs=] used by students are artificially created, but the knowledge of how to create Meister [=GEMs=] was lost, making them extremely valuable.
* ''Manga/OutlawStar'' has ''dragonite'', used for FasterThanLightTravel (and accidental {{Franchise/Pokemon}} [[FanonPokedex/{{Dratini}} references]]).
* ''Franchise/LupinIII'' has used several different examples of this trope.
** Goemon Ishikawa XIII has a katana with a blade made either from [[ThunderboltIron a meteor]] (the manga series) or from a rare alloy that only his clan knows the secrets to making (''Anime/LupinIIIDragonOfDoom'', ''Anime/LupinIIIEpisode0FirstContact'').
** ''Anime/LupinIIITheWomanCalledFujikoMine'' has Alexanderite. A gemstone that changes from red to blue, depending on the light.
** The crossover special, ''Anime/LupinIIIVsDetectiveConan'', features a brand new mineral discovered in Vespania that allows a brief moment of stealth.
* In ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' swords are made from a rare ore which makes them indestructible. The near-impossibility of getting said ore [[spoiler:and the ease at which the Claymore's organization is able to get the ore to make new swords]] becomes a big supporting evidence of a major plot point quite far into the story.
* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', Supreme Kai summons a block of "Kachin", the hardest metal in the universe, to show just how awesome the Z Sword is. [[spoiler:It consequently breaks to release Supreme Kai's predecessor from 15 generations ago]] and the metal is never heard of again.
** ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' introduces Kachikachin, an alloy of kachin which is even harder, which is used to make up the arena for the Tournament of Power. Despite the fact that it's implied to be the strongest material in the multiverse, it gets trashed over during the Tournament...or perhaps it's meant to be a sign of how strong the fighters are.
* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': the #2 Level 5 esper, Kakine Teitoku, is able to generate unobtainium as his esper power. It is colloquially called "Dark Matter", and he seems able to imbue it with various properties that are impossible in normal matter. The first time we see him, he's created wings out of it that have antigravity properties and light refracted through them becomes deadly radiation. Later on he's created a variant that mimicks the properties of living tissue, allowing him to create clone bodies of himself out of the stuff. [[spoiler:And Academy City uses his "Dark Matter" in several of their technological wonders.]]
* ''Anime/GodzillaSingularPoint'' has the Archetype, a mysterious material with time-bending properties made by SHIVA Consortium which [[spoiler:is created from the [[MysteriousMist red mist]] the {{Kaiju}} leave around]].
[[/folder]]

* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' [[InvokedTrope refers to it by name]]. The movie features a mineral called unobtainium, although, in the film, the unobtainium functions as a MineralMacGuffin; it's described as a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_temperature_superconductor room temperature superconductor]] that makes space travel more affordable, but never really expanded on apart from that. On the [[AllThereInTheManual website]] [[http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Unobtainium wiki]] some of the other uses make it apply to this trope better. According to [[AllThereInTheManual the guide]], it's called "unobtainium" because this is a tongue-in-cheek designation for all high-temperature superconductor materials, called so by Earth scientists when they gave up on reliably synthesizing them. Cartoon Network's ''Mad'' series lampoon of ''Avatar'' lampshades and mocks the name by calling it "Stupidnameium".

* Metallic tritium serves this function in ''Film/SpiderMan2''. ComicBook/DoctorOctopus has to make a DealWithTheDevil (requiring him to beat the protagonist) in order to get some. Strangely enough, the way he's going to use the tritium is a scaled-down version of one way physicists are trying to develop fusion power called "inertial confinement". The idea is the same, vaporize an amount of an element with lasers in an attempt to create a miniature sun, only the scale and elements used are different. For more information, this writer's original reference is "Kaku, Michio [=Ph.D=]. ''Physics of the Impossible''. Doubleday Publishing, 2008. Pages 43-45."

* In ''Film/{{Outlander}}'', after establishing that Viking swords aren't strong enough to injure the Moorwen, Kainan salvages some hull metal from his crashed starship, and gives this to the local blacksmith to forge some stronger swords.

* In ''Film/District9'', the unnamed nanofluid is found in prawn technology in extremely small amounts, and is apparently quite precious. It has the power to [[spoiler:activate the aliens' ship as well as transform a human into a prawn]].
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:''
** During ''Film/IronMan2'', the palladium core inside Tony Stark's personal arc reactor has been gradually poisoning the rest of his body. However he can't find a replacement [[spoiler:until Nick Fury guides him to some old footage his father left for him. Turns out his dad was [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture trying to steer Tony]] to figuring out an engineering conundrum that he was unable to crack in his day thanks to the limits of 1970s technology. When synthesized, the element Howard Stark was researching turns out to be the nontoxic substance Tony needs to safely power his arc reactor.]]
** ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' introduced Vibranium, a very rare material that can absorb vibrations like nothing else, that eventually became part of Cap's shield. It became a point of contention in ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' when Ultron attempted to steal a supply to make himself a new body. His supplier, Ulysses Klaue, was later a minor villain in ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'', when it was revealed that he stole "the world's supply" from Wakanda, a mythical African nation sitting on several orders of magnitude more than the amount that Klaue stole. ''Black Panther'' also revealed that Vibranium had uses other than reducing vibrations in shields or catsuits - it could also power vehicles, propel technological progress centuries ahead of the rest of the world, and influence plant life so that consuming it would heighten strength, speed, and reflexes.
* In ''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'', there is also a substance called Unobtainium, which apparently "has a nuclear reaction with the flux capacitor -- carry the ’2′ -- changing its atomic isotoner into a radioactive spider." Or, you know, this thing doesn't exist and the character speaking was just stoned out of his mind.
* The spaceship in ''Film/GalaxyQuest'' runs on beryllium, a natural but rare element. When the only beryllium sphere on board breaks under stress, the crew sets out to obtain a replacement sphere from a nearby planet. They eventually succeed but the distraction caused by this side quest enables the BigBad to seize their ship.
* Adamantium in ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' comes from meteors. Specifically, sacred African meteors, making it this continuity's answer to Vibranium. Thus completing the transformation begun in the ''WesternAnimation/UltimateAvengers'' films.

[[folder:Literature]]
%%* Creator/HGWells:
%%** ''Literature/TheFirstMenInTheMoon'': Cavorite %%What makes it difficult to obtain? What is it used for?
%%** ''Literature/TheDayOfTheComet'': A previously undiscovered element is present in the titular comet. %%What is it called? What is it used for?
* ''Plattnerite'' from Creator/StephenBaxter's ''The Time Machine'' sequel, ''The Time Ships'', is an indeterminate, glowing green mineral that allows time travel. Its name and description are a ShoutOut to a character and material found in other Wells stories.
* ''Literature/TomSwift'' had Tomasite. A super plastic, a 1 inch layer of it was better than a foot of lead at shielding a nuclear reactor.
* Creator/HarryHarrison:
** "Literature/TheFourthLawOfRobotics": US Robotics has copyrighted the use of positronic brains, especially the use of platinum-iridium plating. The robots manufactured with the Fourth Law use a completely different style of construction; solid-state circuits, fiber optics, PROM, and RAM.
** In his 1973 Golden Age SF spoof novel, ''Literature/StarSmashersOfTheGalaxyRangers'', there is Cheddite (a fuel created from cheese). The heroes' 747 jet is turned into a spacecraft by means of windows armored with ''armolite'', vacuum insulation with ''insulite'', fuel tanks filled with ''combustite'', guns firing pellets of ''destructite'', batteries replaced with ''capacitite'' and a space-warp drive powered by ''warpite''.
* In the ''Literature/{{Spaceforce}}'' universe, ships' hyperdrives are powered by a crystal called garrium which is found on only a few planets in the known galaxy. It is so valuable that entire planetary economies are based on scooping up tiny fragments of it in tonnes of dust.
* Melange, also called spice, in the ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' novels, extends life and grants limited prescience, allowing FasterThanLightTravel. And it [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking tastes like cinnamon]]. Oh, and there are other uses. If it seems like something that would be extremely valuable and important, that's because it is. It's generally thought to be an AlternateCompanyEquivalent to oil in the way that it drives the greater economy and is controlled by warlike tribes.
* The German SF/pulp series ''Literature/PerryRhodan'' has over the course of its history collected a fair bit of unobtainium in various forms.
** Classic examples are Ynkelonium, a metallic element that does not react with antimatter and can to an extent prevent such reactions from occurring in its immediate vicinity, and Luurs-Metal, which always maintains a constant temperature of about 3.4 degrees Celsius. Both materials occur naturally in the universe and cannot be synthesized.
** That's only two of the many examples, the series frequently introducing new and exotic materials, practically whenever a new alien species is encountered. The wiki for the series alone consists of at least 150 entries for exotic materials and is by no means complete.
* {{Mithril}} in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', an incredibly strong and silvery metal mined by dwarves.
* Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/{{Ringworld}}'' has a few examples:
** ''Scrith'', the material used to make the titular megastructure. It is nearly frictionless, blocks almost all radiation (including 40% of neutrinos, which would take about a light-year thickness of lead) and has a tensile strength on the same order of magnitude as the strong nuclear force.
** The unnamed substance the Puppeteers make General Products hulls out of. They're actually massive molecules big enough to live in.
* In the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe we have: [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bacta bacta]], [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tibanna tibanna]] gas, [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Transparisteel transparisteel]] and [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Durasteel durasteel]] (which itself is an alloy of carvanium, lommite, carbon, meleenium, neutronium, and zersium)... Well, let's say there are lots of interesting materials and substances in the Star Wars EU. Special mention goes to [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Cortosis cortosis]], which is lightsaber-resistant. Or in its purest form actually causes lightsabers to short out. Cortosis doesn't have a monopoly on the lightsaber-resisting properties: phrik, beskar (Mandalorian Iron), ultrachrome, and songsteel also boast that property, Mandalorian Iron and phrik are said to be even stronger to near Adamantium-like degrees, with a container made of phrik actually managing to stay intact after being on Alderaan when the planet was destroyed. Cortosis's ability to short out a lightsaber blade on contact, however, is unique to it alone. It's also ''literally'' unobtanium for most of the series - it was introduced for ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', where the question of how regular swords don't get chopped into two halves of a sword the instant a lightsaber hits them is that all of the melee weapons in the game have a "cortosis weave" to them to make them resistant to lightsabers. And, in turn, the question of [[ForgottenPhlebotinum why cortosis isn't around]] four-thousand years after when ''[=KotOR=]'' takes place is answered: they ran out of the stuff putting it into everything. By the time of the Darth Bane trilogy (about a thousand years before the movies) it's used even more (for instance in starship hulls), but the latest ongoing war with the Sith has started to dry up the supply. It is still around in the movie era, bit it's vanishingly rare and mostly forgotten.
* The ''Literature/{{Uplift}}'' Series by David Brin has a material of the name unobtainium.
* The hyperdrive of Kevin J. Anderson's ''Literature/TheSagaOfSevenSuns'' is fuelled by "ekti," described as "an allotropic isotope of hydrogen."
* Atium and Lerasium from the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' books, atium is only mined in one place, it's extremely rare, and incredibly powerful, because it allows an allomancer to see a few moments into the future, effectively making them nearly invincible in combat. While only a few nuggets of Lerasium appear to exist and anyone who ingests Lerasium will instantaneously become a mistborn. All of the properties of Atium and Lerasium are ultimately justified by them being [[spoiler:made from the bodies of gods]].
** In ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'', Atium and Lerasium are no more due to some shuffling in the godly domain, but on the other hand, there's [[spoiler:Harmonium, or Ettmetal, a metal with properties similar to Caesium and has the ability to produce power for specially designed airships]]. Similarly treated, aeluminum, which is allomantically neutral, provides the justification for wearing a TinfoilHat, and is rare enough that it's worth more than gold (see the RealLife folder. Despite being one of the most common metals in the earth's crust, before refining processes were perfected it was immensely valuable).
* Creator/JohnRingo's ''[[Literature/IntoTheLookingGlass Looking Glass]]'' series is so named for the instantaneous transmission portals which were created by what were originally thought to be Higgs bosons. That identification was later corrected, and they were renamed [[AppliedPhlebotinum Looking Glass Bosons]]. The looking glasses of the first book take a secondary role however, after the series takes off into space in a ship powered by a BlackBox of alien origin, [[spoiler:and when the ship is destroyed in the third book, it is entirely remade by an alien race the ship just saved.]] This leads to the fourth book where the captain of the ship discovers he is missing a large number of alien made spare parts and [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] all of this saying, "And now I have to call [=SpaceCom=] and explain to them that we're non-mission-capable until a couple of tons of unobtainium parts and tools get found!"
* Creator/JohnRingo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' series has an alien race able to produce materials with physical properties that the Earth scientists consider flatly impossible. It turns out that they do this by mentally altering the probability of chemical reactions, such that extremely unlikely reactions occur consistently enough to form new compounds that the Earth scientists and engineers cannot replicate.
* Practically every book in the old ''Danny Dunn'' children's sci-fi series starts out with the discovery of a new form of Unobtainium. Usually because Danny or a friend of his spilled something in the lab.
* Tanglestone from the Creator/ElizabethBear book, ''Undertow'', was only found on the planet named Greene's World, and allowed instant data and material transportation across many light years from the colonies to Earth.
* In Tamora Pierce's ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' and ''The Circle Opens'' series, there's living metal, which can only be gotten by one character, because it grows on her hand due to an accident involving fire and a staff with a metal top. Later she can make it faster by putting some in a jar and adding some of her blood to it, but she is still the only person who can make it, and thus the only one with consistent access to it.
* Creator/RudyardKipling's story ''The Night Mail'' has [[CoolAirship airships]] lifted by "Fleury's gas" energized by "Fleury's ray." The lifting power of the gas can apparently be rapidly adjusted, and is so great that airships are made rigid enough to achieve speeds of two hundred miles per hour without straining the hull or engines. (No real-world airship[[note]]a lighter-than-air vessel, as distinct from an airplane, many of which have stall speeds above 100 mph[[/note]] has ever reached '''one''' hundred.)
* In Ayn Rand's ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'', industrialist Henry Rearden is introduced as a protagonist by way of his invention of "Rearden Metal," a somewhat vaguely-described alloy of steel and copper which is much stronger and cheaper to produce than industrial-grade steel.
** It even started out the same way Unobtainium usually starts: as an engineers joke. Rearden was originally trying to design fantastic bridges; once he discovered that it was impossible with regular metal, [[{{Determinator}} he set out to make his own]].
* Creator/NealStephenson's ''Literature/TheBaroqueCycle'' gives us the Solomonic gold, and Stephenson also goes into a long digression on wootz steel, which is [[TruthInTelevision actually real]] and pretty damn awesome to boot.
* Creator/NealStephenson's ''Literature/{{Anathem}}'' has a material called New Matter that has drastically different properties than regular matter. It is explicitly stated that it is an alternative chemistry created by rearranging subatomic particles. This is based on Real Life physics with Exotic Matter.
* Creator/EEDocSmith's ''Literature/SkylarkSeries'' features several nonexistent wonder-metals, including [[http://www.rogermwilcox.name/arenak.html Arenak]] for super-tough armor, and Metal X which can convert matter completely into energy when exposed to X-rays.
* Humanity's escape from the doomed planet earth in ''Literature/WhenWorldsCollide'' by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer is finally made possible when tides from the approaching planet tear open the earth, revealing the previously hypothetical wonder-metal needed for nuclear-powered space travel.
* Wil [=McCarthy=]'s ''Queendom of Sol'' series has quantum dots, which can imitate the properties of ordinary matter as well as manifesting exotic attributes like perfect reflectivity and frictionlessness. He also wrote a non-fiction novel called ''Hacking Matter'' that talks about the real-world possibility of using them. So, unobtainium today, but maybe not tomorrow.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' subverts this trope with octiron, a fantastic metal that's really only useful as a substitute for spherical worlds' compass magnets (it points to the Hub). (''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'' reveals you can also make a MagicStaff out of it, but that this is a really bad idea. There are also octiron bells that ring out audible silence; small ones are used in the Dark Morris, while a larger version is Old Tom in the Unseen University belltower). Played straight with sapient pearwood, which is to blame for the Luggage's animation and magical properties. Even that is subverted in that while the wood is so rare in the area most of the books are set that only a few small wands made of it exist, in the Counterweight Continent (where its original owner hails from) the stuff is so common that nobody even considers it unusual.
* Neal Asher's ''Literature/ThePolity'' series has Chainglass, a material made from silicon chain molecules that can be made near-indestructible and sharp enough to slice through steel with ease. Chainglass is used instead of metal and plastic in most applications. It also made the inventor the richest man in the galaxy.
* Urim in L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''Literature/ProsperosDaughter'' trilogy. Warrior angels wear it. It can hold the Water of Life. A gauntlet made of Urim allows the wielding of the Staff of Decay without harm.
* The ''Literature/{{Sten}}'' series has Anti-Matter Two, the only energy source capable of generating enough power to run hyperspace engines and make interstellar travel feasible. In all the Universe there is only a single source of [=AM2=], and only the Eternal Emperor knows where it is.
* In ''[[Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Heaven]]'', common coal have rare "slow" and "fast" coal that slow or speed up time inside it. The BigBad had [[spoiler:hundreds of young girl slaves move hands over small pieces of coal and pick out those specific coal pieces]].
* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' made a brief mention of ramonite, the metal that makes up most spacecraft and gives it its properties of stretching open doorways and opaquing/clearing the viewports.
* In ''Literature/RaiseTheTitanic'' by Clive Cussler, the US hatches a military plan requiring ultra-rare byzanium. The only known deposit, on a remote Russian Arctic island, had been mined out in the early 20th century, and the entire output shipped out on an ocean liner to the United States. Guess which one.
* Phlogiston in ''Literature/TheExtraordinaires''. It is a semi-magical substance that allows {{Time Machine}}s and other SteamPunk-ish gadgets beyond the realm of Edwardian science to function. Control of the supply of phlogiston is a powerful bargaining chip.
* Valyrian steel in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', which is possibly an {{Expy}} of Damascus steel. It is a magical alloy created in old Valyria, reputedly with the aid of spells and dragonfire in the forging, and Valyrian steel weapons are far superior to weapons made of ordinary steel. The secret of creating Valyrian steel was [[LostTechnology lost]] when Valyria fell, but especially skilled blacksmiths can reforge swords from existing Valyrian steel.
* A few Robert Heinlein stories reference "Shipstones". These are, basically, very very very good batteries. They're not actually unobtainable, as the Shipstone Corporation will be happy to ''lease'' ('''not''' ''sell'') you one, but good luck getting one from any other source since their method of construction is secret and disassembling one to see how it works either gets you a non-working mess (if you're lucky) or dead (they tend to explode if taken apart).
* In Creator/HPLovecraft's "Literature/InTheWallsOfEryx," the "crystals" on Venus are super high-energy sources for humans, though they have some strange psychic/religious value to the native Venusians.
* ''Literature/PeterAndTheStarcatchers'' reimagined [[Literature/PeterPan pixie dust]] as "starstuff", a mysterious substance that falls to earth every so often like a meteorite, and can be used to grant people the power of flight as well as heal and stop the aging process. A secret society known as the Starcatchers exists to guard its power from those who would seek to use it towards selfish ends. In the first book, a large quantity of it is accidentally released on an uncharted island, turning fish into mermaids, a bird into Tinker Bell, and the title character into a boy who can fly indefinitely and will never age.
* ''Literature/TheFourHorsemenUniverse'': Fluorine-11 (usually just called F11), a [[ArtisticLicenseChemistry fictional]][[note]]Fluorine's lightest recorded isotope is fluorine-14, which has a half-life in the ''[[http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2009/oct/16/enter-the-yoctosecond yoctosecond]]'' range.[[/note]] rare isotope of fluorine, only found amid supernova remnants. It is necessary as a component for fusion reactors and is therefore extremely valuable, thus providing for NoBloodForPhlebotinum plots.
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' has "battle steel", the material used in modern warship hulls, which is stronger than titanium (used in older warships, such as those of the pre-alliance Grayson Space Navy in ''The Honor of the Queen'') and requires chem-catalyst welding. [[ShownTheirWork This one is actually not terribly outlandish]], as it's explained to be a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cermet composite of metal alloys and ceramics]], and warship hulls as used in the Honorverse would be a good application (among other things, cermets combine the temperature resistance of ceramics with metals' ability to deform rather than shatter).
* ''LightNovel/TheReunionWithTwelveFascinatingGoddesses'' has Etherium, a rare and powerful alloy created from compressing high-quality ether. It is extremely compatible with Spirits and makes an ideal medium for them. However, Etherium production is small and working it is impossible for humans as this causes it to lose its special properties. There is exactly one Etherium weapon in existence, Tooi's sword Zodiac, which was created by the goddesses.
* ''Literature/{{Deepsix}}''. A human expedition is surprised to find a very long BigDumbObject orbiting a planet with an abandoned civilization. They eventually work out it's the remains of a SpaceElevator that {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s built for a planetary evacuation of the world's less advanced inhabitants. They jokingly refer to the material used to build it as ''unobtanium'' in homage to this trope.
* ''Literature/{{Skyward}}'': The humans have no ability to make the acclivity stone that allows their ships to levitate, so it is immensely valuable. They have to salvage it from debris that falls from the broken defense fields orbiting the planet. The Krell of course are aware of this, and destroy acclivity rings in debris whenever they see a chance.
* Discussed in this SF short (a Periodic Table Jubilee Special) from [[https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00291-x Nature Futures]], among other thingamajiggiums.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has Dreamstone, which was once more valuable than even [[CheapGoldCoins gold]]. By the time Guardia was even in its medieval era, Dreamstone was long gone, nowhere to be found anymore. Thankfully, you can TimeTravel back to Prehistory, when Dreamstone was more common, and earn a sufficent sample in a DrinkingContest.
* The ''Warden's Keep'' DLC for ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' adds a random encounter that lets you salvage a single chunk of [[ThunderboltIron Starmetal]] from a tiny meteor impact crater. Starmetal constitutes an unofficial 8th tier of crafting materials above even the top-level Dragonbone, and if you find the one UltimateBlacksmith who can work it, can be crafted into Starfang, [[InfinityPlusOneSword the most powerful melee weapon in the game]]. Its item description outright says that due to how the sword came to be, the world has never seen its like before, nor will it ever again.
* ''VideoGame/DragonRage'' has Zeenium which is some sort of magical element.
* ''VideoGame/EveOnline'' has a player economy built around mining for a rather long list of made up materials. And the rarer types are very hard to get. Bonus points for using "Tritanium", which is the most sought after element in high security space. However, most of the asteroids that refined minerals come from are made up of either real-world minerals (such as veldspar and gneiss) or slightly renamed versions of real minerals (like hemorphite and hedbergite).
** It's implied that the mined and refined materials actually are all real-world elements and minerals. Civilization has fallen and re-built itself, so they've picked up new names and places in the technology tree. Salvaged wormhole materials are a straight example, though.
* ''VideoGame/ExcelsiorPhaseOneLysandia'': Many powerful weapons and armor are forged from Eramel, which, oddly, is only mined in a tower.
* Multiple kinds of unobtainium are mentioned in the background information of the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' series:
** An "unknown alloy" (read as: the writers couldn't think of a cool name) used to make the shields of the Hunters and the armor plating of Covenant warships. Eventually named nanolaminate, implying it's not really an alloy.
** The impressively resistant construction material used to make the Halos and other non-HardLight Forerunner structures, described as being incredibly dense and accurately carved to the molecule. The author of [[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1462/halo_science_101.php?page=1 this article from Gamasutra]], a [=PhD=]., goes to the trouble of calculating just ''how much'' unobtainium would be needed to build the Halo , plus other stats you never knew you wanted to know.
** Blamite, the explosive crystalline material used primarily to make Needler ammunition, which can only be found on one moon orbiting the Elite homeworld.
** The ammo for the Covenant Carbine is an unnamed toxic and radioactive compound mined from several locations within Covenant space.
* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'':
** Various one-off missions in the MMORPG have the player retrieve various {{Mac Guffin}}s, including one actually called Inobtainium. Fittingly enough, it's an alloy of Yeahritium and Nosuchium.
** Played more straight in the game is Impervium, a metal found as a rare form of salvage (Enchanted Impervium is one of the most valuable drops), which the Vanguard soldiers are said in their profiles to be armored with.
** Orichalcum shows up too, also as a salvage material for crafting.
* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
** A recurring element in the series is a metal called "Ceratanium" (in the original Japanese, simply "Ceramic Titanium"). Its exact properties are unknown, but it seems to be involved in making all the Mega Mans' armor, and in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero4'', where you can collect parts and get the engineer to make body armor out of them, the Ceratanium is found once in a fixed spot each stage and goes exactly once into each piece of body armor you can make.
** There's also officially "Bassnium," the power supply Wily says he used to make Bass, which is a bit silly. In the Japanese version, it has the much less silly-sounding name "Fortenium". However, since Wily himself discovered the element while designing Bass/Forte, it's not out of character for him to give it a silly name just to match his robot.
** As well as the metal used to make the Met/Mettaurs/Methats that are so iconic in the series. One fan explanation for it [[InvincibleMinorMinion not being used in every robot Wily makes]] is the fact that it's Unobtainium -- or at least rare enough that only small objects can be created with it at a time.
* Orichalcum, seen elsewhere in this article, also turned up in ''VideoGame/IndianaJonesAndTheFateOfAtlantis'' as a power source for the machines of Atlantis and potentially other machines as well. Which is why Indy had to stop the Nazis from getting to it first.
* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'':
** Orichalcum also shows up in these various titles (usually used to make gift jewelry).
** They also feature Mystrle and Mythic Ore -- used to give tools semi-magical properties.
** And plain ol' Mythril in ''Harvest Moon'''s spin-off titled ''Rune Factory''.
* ''VideoGame/JustCause3'' has Bavarium, a minable substance found only in Medici, which has the power to fuel lasers, forcefields, and {{EMP}}s.
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' and its sequels feature [[GreenRocks Tiberium]], a plant-like but crystalline xenoforming agent (in growth patterns and behaviour -- it leeches various elements out of anything it touches, and makes more of itself) but which is actually a crystalline substance of extraterrestrial origin, as a harvestable resource and GlobalCurrency - it often leeches the most valuable minerals out of an area, making them ''far'' easier to mine than would be economically feasible (requiring nothing more than glorified garbage-collecting trucks). Its name derives from where it was first encountered -- the impact site of the meteor that carried it to Earth at the ''Tiber'' River -- ergo, it was called ''Tiber''ium, although the Brotherhood of Nod's leader Kane insists in one cutscene that it was actually he who named the substance after the Roman emperor UsefulNotes/{{Tiberius}}. It's also terribly, terribly toxic, potentially radioactive (depending on what it leeches or assimilates), never stops growing (by the time of [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun the second game]], non-hovering watercraft are completely unusable because waterways are universally choked with Tiberium) and generally so dangerous that it explodes violently if processed improperly or stored in large enough quantities. Certain materials are more resistant to being turned into it, but all of them degrade eventually. With flesh, crystallization happens almost instantly. Nevermind the fact there's blue (canonical) and red/orange (semi-canonical) variants that are MadeOfExplodium -- as if the green stuff didn't explode enough to begin with. With a bit of science, you can turn tiberium (or tiberium-related substances, such as tiberium veins) into a chemical weapon that puts some of the deadliest stuff today to shame, or an explosive that makes a heavy-duty fuel air bomb look like a firecracker. Makes a lot more fictional sense if you know that C&C was itself based on the RTS game ''VideoGame/DuneII'', which had you harvesting spice out of the ground.
* Cleria, Emelas, etc. in the ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' series.
* ''VideoGame/StarCraft'', likewise, had "minerals" of an unspecified type and "Vespene Gas" (which [[YouRequireMoreVespeneGas you require more of]], by the way), which each of the playable races uses in a different way to produce its various units and buildings. Neosteel, the material of Terran construction, is another example. Also, the Khaydarin Crystals.
* ''VideoGame/{{XCOM}}'':
** The first two games of the series ([[VideoGame/XCOMUFODefense UFO]] and [[VideoGame/XCOMTerrorFromTheDeep TFTD]]) have Elerium, an element that formed in yellow crystals and had an atomic number of 115. By [[VideoGame/XCOMApocalypse the third game]], Elerium could be mined on Mars and extrasolar colonies. Elerium's in-game role was probably inspired by [[http://www.beyondweird.com/element115.html claims]] made about element-115 in the 1980s by a UFO enthusiast with the splendidly appropriate name of Bob Lazar. Sadly, when someone eventually got around to synthesising the stuff they called it [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ununpentium Ununpentium]] instead, and it also appears that Lazar was talking through his hat.
*** Subverted by Alien Alloys, at least in this game. Producing Alien Alloys is prohibitively expensive, as it requires some rare elements and exotic molding methods, and you probably have other things you want your engineers to do anyway, but is entirely doable after research.
** The second game reveals that Elerium-115 becomes inert if submerged in salt-water for too long, and since the second game is subtitled ''Terror from the Deep'', that's a bit of a problem. The new source of power is Zrbite - apparently, an artificial material created through molecular manipulation. Following the victory in ''TFTD'', however, the aliens' Molecular Manipulation network collapses, and all remaining Zrbite becomes inert. It maintains its Unobtainium status, however, and Inert Zrbite is later used to build FTL-drive engines (with Elerium-115 as fuel).
** ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' also features Elerium, again used as a power source. Unfortunately, you can't synthesize it, and the only way to get it is looting it off the aliens. In-game, the heads of your R&D and engineering teams state that with a few years of focused research they could make both the Alien Alloys and the Elerium Generator commercially viable, but that there is no time for that big a project before the aliens are defeated.
** Elerium returns in ''VideoGame/XCOM2'' as the ultimate and, in fact, only noteworthy power source on VichyEarth after 20 years of alien occupation overrode most human-made technology. Once again it can't be synthesized on Earth, but now it also comes in two forms. Elerium dust is your higher-tier acquisition resource and implied to be what powers all of XCOM's more advanced tech. Your FriendInTheBlackMarket claims that it also makes for a [[MundaneUtility great pick-me-up]]. Elerium cores are self-contained power sources required for the construction of the really powerful stuff, as well as some {{Plot Coupon}}s. There's also mention of some unknown metals and alloys that make the Chosen weapons more powerful/efficient than what should be physically possible, but these are just flavor text without an actual impact on the story or gameplay.
** ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'': Taking place five years after 2, Elerium remains a valuable resource for both you and criminals. Although most of the aliens are now working peacefully with humanity, the implication is that it is still impossible to create on Earth, and must be salvaged from ADVENT tech.
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenonauts}}'': Just like in ''X-Com'', you can salvage the alien fuel source, Alenium, which cannot be reproduced terrestrially. Incidentally, even before attempting to use it as a power source, Xenonaut scientists decided they made for even better missile warheads, giving your interceptors an early shot in the arm in terms of firepower.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** The first game requires the player to collect various exotic metals and crystals such as mythril, orichalcum, lightning stones, power crystals, and serenity gems in order to create items, eventually including the most powerful weapon in the game.
** Extra points goes to Orichalcum+ in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', which not only is like Orichalcum but better, but is in so few quantities that you just barely have enough to craft the only item which requires it: [[InfinityPlusOneSword Ultima Weapon]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'':
** Redstone, a nice little powder that can conduct electricity and can be used to open doors, power minecarts, make music, etc.. Although it actually is very common when mining deep enough. The unminable bedrock is sometimes referred to as Unobtainium. This is probably the most accurate use of the name, since, without the use of cheats, you [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin cannot obtain it]].
** Emeralds. Although they can be traded for with villagers, trying to mine them isn't as easy. They rarely spawn and are only found in mountain biomes, scattered in random single block veins. ''Good luck''. However, there are more emerald veins per chunk than diamond veins and occur at much higher levels, making them much more common in caves.
** Netherite, a fireproof material (even lava can't burn it) which allows you to upgrade your diamond gear with better efficiency, durability and enchantments. The process to obtain it is rather convoluted and tedious, as you need to go to the Nether to mine ancient debris (only found in veins of up to three, with only one or two veins per chunk, usually near the bottom and ''never in the open air'' — meaning you can't spot them on cave walls, forcing you to dig at random and hope for the best — and requiring a diamond pickaxe to mine on top of that), then smelt those into netherite scrap, of which you'll then need four, along with four gold ingots, to craft into a single netherite ingot (phew!).
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has frightening amounts of Unobtainium.
** Starting out around the time the player starts mining Mithril ore, proceeding through Truesilver, Arcanite, Fel Iron, Adamantium and finally Khorium and Eternium. To quote a recent ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' post on the subject, "What's next? Awesomite?"
** There's also the equally-mundane Titanium, its enchanted cousin Titansteel, and the more fantastic Saronite. This contains or possibly is entirely the blood of the EldritchAbomination Yog-Saron, God of Death, drives people who mine it mad, and naturally forms into the shape of skulls when smelted. And which for some inexplicable reason, people decided to make armor out of and ''wear''. Yeah, sticking that on your head couldn't possibly go bad.
** ''World of Warcraft'' is also littered with mundanely-named minerals that [[ElementsDoNotWorkThatWay possess properties far greater than their real-life counterparts]].
** Engineers, Jewelcrafers, and Blacksmiths use Thorium (a radioactive metal used in some reactors as a replacement for uranium and of which powdered form has been known to spontaneously combust in the air... dust which would be prolific around any thorium mining, smelting or forging site... and causing liver damage if absorbed in the body pre-combustion) and later on Cobalt (which gives off toxic, arsenic containing fumes when smelted, is an active nutrient for bacteria, is the third highest rated metal for causing contact dermatitis, and can lead to cardiomyopathy or cobalt poisoning if too much is absorbed into the body from breathing or consuming cobalt dust or powder... which would be produced, as with thorium, by the mining, smelting, and forging process). And while these are real elements, the apparent ease and safety with which they can be mined, smelted, and forged adds an Unobtainium aspect to them. And we won't even start on mercury being as harmless as water in the Deepholm zone, with one quest even requiring you swim in a lake of it. Considering the average character's PowerLevel is way OverNineThousand by the time they get to Deepholm, plain old mercury shouldn't be a problem.
** Dark Iron is a metal that can only be mined in a specific part of Blackrock Depths, and can only be smelted and worked on a special anvil in another specific part. Guarded by a giant fire elemental. It can be used to make rather strong armor.
** All of that aside, a plot version exists called Kaja'mite. A rare mineral only found on two islands that we know of, its presence gave the goblins super-intelligence. When supplies ran out, their intellects gradually went into decline and they spread out across the world as traders in hopes of finding new sources.
** Further expansions added obsidium, elementium, truegold, ghost iron, kyparite, trillium, living steel and lightning steel.
** Leystone is rare enough, and can only be smelted using frost magic. Demonsteel is an even rarer alloy of it that and felslate, using another specific anvil, though it is located in a friendlier location.
** Bacon could be considered this, at least the type used in Legion recipes, as you need to do a specific World Quest to hunt the Rare Mob that you get it from.
* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
** Element Zero or "eezo" is responsible for all of the technology in-game, as it has [[MinovskyPhysics the ability to manipulate mass]], which makes it valuable for propulsion systems, projectile weapons, kinetic force fields, artificial gravity, and a powerful, convenient method of FasterThanLightTravel. Indeed, "eezo" is a key element of virtually every advanced galactic technology.
** "[[DifferentlyPoweredIndividuals Biotics]]" are individuals who were exposed to Element Zero ''in utero'' and manifested [[PsychicPowers biotic abilities]] (the power to manipulate dark energy) as a result. Those who don't manifest are often born normally with few complications, but unfortunately there also exist some who develop fatal cancers and rarely make it to term. Other problems faced by Human biotics is that because they are still part of the first generation, many were wired with [[ObviousBeta older models]] of [[UpgradeArtifact Biotic amps]] before humanity really knew what they were doing. While the L3 amps are stable, those wired with the L2 models experience some [[EquivalentExchange serious side effects]], everything from [[PsychicNosebleed nosebleeds]], to occasional migraine headaches, to full-on insanity.
** Another use for Element Zero, commonly used by criminals is to refine it into a FantasticDrug called "Red Sand", so named after the first drugs were developed from Eezo found on Mars. It's like cocaine, but it gives you limited biotic powers. [[DrugsAreBad Oh, and it's highly addictive, and addicts who can't pay for their habit are sometimes sold into slavery.]]
* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series is also known to have various forms of Unobtainium, such as orichalcum or adamantite. In fact, every RPG ever made by Square Enix has something like that, often in the same relation as the ''Kingdom Hearts'' example.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' lives this trope to the full! Not only has it scores of metallic unobtainium, but also plenty of both osseous (bones) and dendritious (wood).
* The ''VideoGame/{{Crusader}}'' games has two.
** Di-corellium, a mineral that is apparently better for use in nuclear reactors than plutonium--to the point that it almost became a metaphor for petroleum, and at the very least for energy crises in general, what with the increasing scarcity of it and power shortages on Earth because of it--and of which vast quantities, about half of all known reserves, are on the moon.
** Polonium -- yes, ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium#Famous_poisoning_cases that]]' polonium -- an element than in real life is unstable, highly radioactive, and extremely toxic, is used as... body armor.
* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy'':
** The games feature Phazon, which is a highly-mutagenic, violently unstable, sentient mineral. Being a bit more specific, there is an incredibly resistant metal made from it known as Phazite.
** In addition, visor scans can identify the chemical properties of certain structures. When you see names such as "Talloric Alloy" and "Bendenzium" in the description of a destructible obstacle, it is usually an indication as to which weapon you will need to use to proceed.
* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' has a rather extensive simulation of real-world geology and metallurgy, including creating simple alloys such as bronze and electrum.
** It also has Adamantine, an incredibly rare ore that can be processed into various forms that allow it to be used in almost any type of construction imaginable -- weapons, armour, tools, clothing, furniture, building material... about the only things you ''can't'' make out of it (well, without [[GameMod modding]]) are beds and food. It also happens to be both as light as styrofoam, be more resistant than any steel manageable, and being sharpenable enough that you can drop a knife on a stone floor and it'll be embedded to the hilt. Naturally, you can buy out a whole caravan with just one implement made from it. Be careful, though - if the vein is hollow, you're going to get a visit from [[TheLegionsOfHell the Circus]].
** There's also [[http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Slade slade]], which ''can't be dug out''. Even if you could, it's horrendously heavy (we're talking ''core of the sun'' heavy), so the potential uses for it are very limited -- not that it matters, as the game won't let you use it even if you [[GoodBadBugs somehow]] get some out of the walls[[note]]Makes for terrific catapult ammo, at least[[/note]]. You're not thinking about this, though, because if you've even ''seen'' slade, [[DugTooDeep you've got other problems to worry about]].
** Now the developer is planning for game worlds to each have their own unique unobtainium with each one making some rare materials with randomly generated properties. When he first tried it out, he expected metals but ended up getting cursed mist. So far, the closest approach to this has been [[spoiler:the Divine Metals that you find in Vaults, worn by angels. They're only slightly worse than Adamantine (better in density regards if desired for blunt weaponry), but the only way to get yourself some is to kill the wearers, which is probably the hardest thing to achieve in the game]].
* The ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'' series has the artificial stones nara and deretheni. There is also a tawny stone found on VideoGame/{{Riven}}, used for ornamental purposes.
* The [[VideoGame/{{X}} X-Universe]] has Nividium[[note]] popularly thought to be a pun on Nvidia, but WordOfGod states otherwise[[/note]], a rare material found in asteroids. Mining it seems to cause the ire of the hostile [[StarfishAlien Kha'ak]], whose ships use small amounts of nividium in their hull. Otherwise, it doesn't have many uses and its main value seems to come entirely from its rarity. However, ''Videogame/XRebirth'' states that Nividium is merely the [[LizardFolk Teladi's]] name for Platinum, and goes on to describe its usage as a catalyst in chemical reactions and as a heirloom for Teladi.
* Spice in ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'', as a reference to ''Franchise/{{Dune}}''. It can be used for anything - it's a food, dietary supplement, fuel source, cleaning product, narcotic...
* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'''s [[http://ratchet.wikia.com/wiki/Raritanium Raritanium]] zig-zags this a bit. In the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 first game]], there's only one piece of it in the entire game, but then you can mine for it in ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando Going Commando]]'' or get it by shooting enemies down in space. Then ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal Up Your Arsenal]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked Deadlocked]]'' have no important appearance of it (some wrench upgrades are stated to contain Raritanium in the latter). Then ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction Tools of Destruction]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus Into the Nexus]]'' have it and it's used to upgrade your weapons, but it's... well, rare, and you won't be upgrading too much... until [[NewGamePlus Challenge Mode]], where you'll probably be drowning in the stuff. ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime A Crack in Time]]'' only mentions the ore in the Argorian Battleplex's "Raritanium Cup" tournament. In the meantime, ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One All 4 One]]'', ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault Full Frontal Assault]]'', ''Into the Nexus'', and ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2016 R&C 2016]]'' all have the Warmonger, a rocket launcher whose rockets are stated to be tipped with Raritanium.
* The Null Fragments in ''[[Website/GaiaOnline zOMG!]]'', when in use, were like this. These little purple gems could be used to make anything you could think of, from tattoos, to figurines, to feather boas, to the armor of an alien species, to... you get the idea.
* The browser game ''VideoGame/{{Skyrates}}'' includes Unobtainium (in fact, portrayed as GreenRocks ) as a trade good, and is also used in role play and player discussion as a reasoning for hard to explain occurrences, jokingly or otherwise.
* A little-known RTS called ''VideoGame/SubmarineTitans'' has "Corium-296"... which appears to suggest that it is an extremely heavy element. Corium is very important to achieving the advanced technologies in the game, but is not naturally found on Earth: the [[ColonyDrop enormous comet]] that forced humanity under the seas was made of the stuff, and small deposits (fragments of the comet) are found all over the place. [[note]]"Corium" is actually a nuclear industry moniker for the molten goop that forms when the entire reactor core melts and its materials mix together and start interacting with the surrounding materials[[/note]]
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'', you need the three pure metals (each corresponding to one of the creator godesses) to create a blade that turns the titular hourglass into the Phantom Sword. It's required by the plot, since the Phantom sword is the only thing that can hurt [[BigBad Bellum]]. The names of the Pure Metals are derived from their color: Crimsonine, Azurine, and Aquanine.
* Psitanium from ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}''. High grade unobtainium -- a meteorite that grants anything alive ''psychic powers'' and is the plot device for any number of absurd things in the game.
* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', there are nine forgeable materials: in increasing order of power, Tear Stone, Star Dust, Sylph Feather, Dragon Skin, Salamander Tail, Golem Core, Mythril Silver, Dark Matter and Orihalcon.
* ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'':
** ''Master of Orion 2'' has Xentronium. It cannot be invented by the player and must instead be plundered from the Antarans, either by capturing and reverse engineering one of their warships or by defeating the Orion Guardian (both very difficult to pull off, and each only gives you a ~30% chance of acquiring the technology). If you're successful, you're rewarded with the best armor plating in existence (Xentronium edges out the best player-researchable armor by a 5:4 factor).
** The MOO series also contains many other substances such as Tritanium, Zortrium, Uridium and Adamantium. Due to the way research works, any of these can be Unobtainium in a given game.
* ''Snoopy vs. The Red Baron'' for the Playstation 2 and Playstation Portable does this bald-facedly. In order to make a superweapon called the Doodlebug, the Red Baron needs, what else? "Unobtainium." Subtle. Of course, the entire plot of the game is about a story Snoopy is imagining.
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series
** ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'''s Xenium: if you focus a particle beam on a pure crystal, it can rip through dimensions. And it can't be found on Earth but is an essential component to human-made teleporters.
** ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' Or that blue-ish metal Combine tech is made of. Whatever it is, it can't be scratched by anti-tank rocket impacts and reflects tau particle beams. Also, [[http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_energy dark energy]] was the universe's scientific Unobtainium just like in real life -- until the Combine came; the Citadel's central reactor is an '''inexhaustible''' supply of the stuff. It is used to generate plasma made of exotic matter which is the basis of all Combine tech.
* The instruction manual for ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander2'' explicitly mentions that the ''humongous'' [[HumongousMecha mecha]] King Kriptor is [[LampshadeHanging unobtainium-armored]].
* ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' features many odd metals, including Mithril and Adamantite. It also features "Runite" as a metal. Then there's the "Dragon" metal, which unlike the others, cannot be mined anywhere, nor can it be forged. Weapons made of Dragon metal can be obtained through drops, but not made.
* In ''VideoGame/OriginalWar'' a recently discovered material known as Siberite, or Alaskite, depending on timeline, is an efficient energy source, can be used as a nuclear weapon and can power up a time machine.
* Australium in the backstory of ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', a material so powerful and versatile that it has granted the rather dim-witted [[AcceptableTargets Australians]] global technological supremacy. Shipped in bars marked with a picture of a man fighting a kangaroo. It also has the side effect of causing TestosteronePoisoning to those who handle it, turning anyone using into ridiculously manly {{Boisterous Bruiser}}s with [[ManlyFacialHair mustaches]] and [[CarpetOfVirility Carpets Of Virility]]. ''Even the women.'' It's also usable as rocket fuel. [[spoiler:Disclaimer: we didn't say it was ''good'' rocket fuel.]] The Life Extenders used by certain characters also run on the stuff.
* The ''VideoGame/PhantasyStar'' series has laconia, a metal similar to silver in appearance that is found on the planet Dezoris; it is often refined and crafted into some of the best gear available in the series.
* ''[[VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice Sam & Max]]'' approach a mine tunnel in ''Beyond the Alley of the Dolls'': "Maybe there's gold down this tunnel! Or rare deposits of ''Cantgetium!''"
* ADAM from ''VideoGame/BioShock'' is produced only by a specific variety of deep sea slugs and has the power to rewrite a human's entire genome in minutes, and even transfer memories from one individual to another to some extent.
* ''VideoGame/ThePerilsOfAkumos'' offers us naxonite and peryolitium, which are particularly hard to find considering that you're supposed to be near mines of them.
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** In the series in general, there are a number of materials which qualify, several with a NonIndicativeName. Primarily, there is Ebony, which here is similar to a volcanic glass (and theorized to be the petrified blood of the [[GodIsDead dead creator god]]). It's worth more than gold when used as bullion, can be forged into extremely high quality weapons and armor, and can be imbued with Daedric souls to create devastating Daedric weapons and armor. There is also Glass, which is an iridescent green mineral, and like Ebony, can be forged into high-quality light armor and weapons.
** Dwemer ([[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Dwarven]]) metal is an interesting case, as it's unobtainium InUniverse: in-game books in ''Skyrim'' reveal that mages, smiths, and scholars have tried for years to imitate its properties, with no success. The Dwemer were known to tinker with the laws of nature and physics, so its highly likely they applied these skills to their metallurgy. The only reliable source is recycled scrap metal from Dwemer ruins.
** As seen in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', Vvardenfell being incredibly rich in Ebony and Glass resources makes it extremely valuable to the Empire. Both substances are protected by Imperial law and can only be mined and sold with the proper permits.
** In the ''Shivering Isles'' {{expansion|Pack}} to ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', the smiths in New Sheoth can forge armor and weapons from amber and madness ore. (Lord only knows what the latter comes from.)
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'':
*** ''Skyrim'' reveals that Orcish and Elven armor are partially forged from orichalcum and quicksilver, respectively.
*** ''Skyrim'' allows elite smiths to forge armor from dragon scales and bones. The [[GameMod modding community]] has seen fit to add dragonbone weapons as well. And Bethesda themselves later added dragonbone weapons when they released the ''Dawnguard'' DLC.
*** The ''Dawnguard'' DLC also adds Aetherium as part of the "Lost to the Ages" quest. Aetherium is an incredibly rare, luminescent blue crystal found deep underground. The crystal has a strong magical aura, but it is alchemically inert and harmonically volatile, and no known conventional process can enchant, smelt, mold, bind, or break it. The Dwemer of ancient Skyrim created the Aetherium Forge to smelt the crystal under precisely controlled conditions. The quest involves locating and activating the forge, which has just enough Aetherium left to produce one item with unique abilities.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series features several.
** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'''s DLC's feature a metal called Saturnite, which holds both an edge and a temperature extremely well. In the [[TheHeist Dead Money]] DLC, it is found as [[AbsurdlySharpBlade absurdly sharp kitchen knives]] that can be superheated for extra damage. In [[MadScience Old World Blues]] it is made into PowerFists, which can also be superheated.
** ''VideoGame/Fallout76'' has Black Titanium, an extremely strong metal mostly used in mining, and Ultracite, a radioactive material that can be used as an extremely efficient power source.
* ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' has Force Metal, used in reploid engineering.
* In the ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' sequel, the loa build most things out of "wise clay", which is also the material that stores their thought processes, and can be shaped into just about anything. Loa fleets, for example, travel as a cube, which splits near the destination into all the loa ships.
* ''VideoGame/ShinSuperRobotWars'': "Tronium" only exists on the planet Tron; unfortunately, Tron vanished due to a meteor impact long ago. This caused the value of Tronium scattered throughout space to skyrocket, especially since it's needed for every warp-capable ship the feuding parts of the Ze Balmary Empire want to send into battle. According to Eiji, a rice-grain sized piece of Tronium is capable of powering over thirty battleships.
* In ''VideoGame/CookieClicker'', after purchasing the Plastic, Iron, Titanium, and Adamantium[[note]]itself a form of unobtainium[[/note]] mice, the fifth mouse upgrade is explicitly called the "Unobtainium mouse".
* The Irata colony in ''VideoGame/{{MULE}}'' mines for Smithore, which is used make more of the eponymous Multi-Use Labor Elements, and Crystite, which is sold off-world for some unknown purpose.
* ''[[VideoGame/SimCity SimCity's Cities of Tomorrow]]'' has Omega from [[MegaCorp OmegaCo]]. In order to produce this resource, one must combine oil and raw ore in such a secretive way in order to create what is essentially the ultimate unobtainium that many people are willing to pay handsomely for. As from the actual website blog:
-->''I do know that this mysterious, state-of-the-art, super-strong, super-conducting, lightweight, fruit-flavored, and all-around amazing substance is somehow created by combining tons of Oil and Ore in a very secretive, elaborate, and sometimes smelly process. I also know that Sims of the future will be chomping at the bit to get their hands on it, and that's where [=OmegaCo=] comes in.''
* In the space combat MMO ''Moon Breakers'', Helium-3 is the main reason two factions are fighting each other in the first place.
* In ''VideoGame/SpaceAge'', one of the main objectives of the Proteus-Z's expedition to Kepler-16 is to locate sources of Nucleum ore.
* ''VideoGame/{{Singularity}}'' has "Element-99", or "E99" for short. It's a mysterious mineral that can only be harvested on the island of Katorga-12, which the Soviet Union converted into an E99 research and mining facility during the Cold War. It is used to power the Time Manipulation Device (TMD), which does ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, so long as the object it's pointed at is composed of E99 (it also works on biological creatures but that's ill-advised).
* ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'' has three varieties, one used by each of the three primary Affinities. Firaxite is a volcanic mineral that can be processed into a room-temperature superconductor, used by the AI- and robot-centric Supremacy affinity. Floatstone is a pumice-like vesicular igneous rock that contains magnetic monopoles, used by Purity for their mag-lev HoverTank units. Xenomass is a bacterial slime containing a number of proteins and substances that facilitate genetic engineering, used by the BioPunk Harmony affinity.
* ''VideoGame/AntiIdleTheGame'' has a material that is called this letter for letter. It is used for [[ItemCrafting crafting]] a number of high-rank items.
* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' has Miranium, a mineral unique to the planet the White Whale crashed on that can be refined into almost any material and is used as fuel for Skells. One sidequest also involves the team collecting a mineral with odd physical properties that ends up named after one of the recruitable characters.
* A major part of ''[[VideoGame/StarControl Star Control II]]'' is gathering minerals from planets all over the quadrant to trade for fuel, crew, and ship upgrades. There's a whole category of "Exotic" materials ranging from relatively mundane items like antimatter and neutronium to more fantastical ones such as Aguuti nodules and Tzo crystals. Naturally, the exotics tend to be very rare, very valuable, and (if found in any significant quantities) very dangerous to collect.
* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', Zexonyte, which Dr. Andonuts requires for scientific projects, is an incredibly rare material that can only be obtained from a fallen meteorite in the game's environment.
* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesGardenWarfare'': The Chemist's upgrades include a chemical element called Unobtainium. And yes, it's literally called that.
* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': Quite a few different types.
** Gameplay-wise, any rare resource is ''supposed'' to be this, but it doesn't always work out that way. Control Modules, Gallium, Morphics, Neural Sensors, and Tellurium are all reasonably difficult to obtain, but blueprints don't require them in very high numbers, so the supply tends to outpace the demand. Orokin Cells, on the other hand, are required in every high-end blueprint in large quantities, making them much more valuable.
** Argon Crystals are only mildly difficult to obtain, but they have one flaw that makes them extremely frustrating: They decay outside of the Void, meaning it is impossible to stockpile them. Many high-end blueprints require Argon, requiring quick dips back in the Void for farming.
** Nitain Extract was originally only obtained from rare Alerts, and the blueprints that needed it tended to require large quantities of it. The Nightwave system changed that, as large amounts of Nitain can be bought for relatively cheap with the Nightwave credits.
** And then there are the research components: Detonite Ampules (which combine into Detonite Injectors), Fieldron Samples (which combine into Fieldron), and Mutagen Samples (which combine into Mutagen Masses). The lesser versions are uncommon drops from enemies, but converting them into the more advanced versions is expensive, so it's generally easier to run the tedious Invasion missions instead. Ironically, these are all ''extremely'' common in-universe; Detonite Injectors are used as ammo by Grineer, Fieldron is a basic component of Corpus energy weapons, and the Mutagen Mass is a still-living chunk of Infested flesh that produces toxins.
* ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'': At least three of the Wonderful Ones have weapons made out of some kind of powerful, fictional material. Wonder-Blue's Valiantium Blade is made out of, as the name suggests, Valiantium, while Wonder-Pink's Beautiful Whip is made with [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Belmont]] Alloy. In addition, Wonder-Yellow's Peta-Peta Hammer is made of Peta Omorium, the "heaviest metal in the galaxy", said to be " strong enough to smash through even the sturdiest GEATH-Titanium." All three of them form the basis of Unite Morphs capable of fighting giant aliens with advanced technology.
* The ''VideoGame/LostPlanet'' series features a rare power source that can only be obtained by killing [[BigCreepyCrawlies Akrid]] native to the planet E.D.N. III. For reasons that remain unclear, the energy source, usually a glowing orange liquid, is called "thermal energy", which while useful on an IceWorld, is not in fact, rare, being known to modern science as heat.
* The planet VideoGame/{{Tobal}} hosts a fighting tournament in order to decide who is allowed the exclusive mining rights of a mineral known as Molmoran, which can be used as an energy source.
* ''VideoGame/{{Synergism}}'' parodies it with the name of the resource that is used for Research, Obtainium.
* ''VideoGame/KittensGame'': Unobtainium is found on the Moon and requires a steady supply of uranium to be extracted. It can then be used for space exploration or refined into an even rarer element called eludium.
[[/folder]]