History Main / WhenEldersAttack

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Alfred is usually portrayed as very elderly, but can still protect himself or his boss on occasion. In the ''ComicBook/{{Injustice}}'' comics, he even beat up ''Superman''! (Granted, [[WorfHadTheFlu Superman Had The Flu]], but still.)

* The title character of the ''Madea'' series... especially in ''Film/MadeasFamilyReunion'' and ''Film/MadeaGoesToJail'' where a school bully in the former and the police in the latter found out.

* In ''Film/TheKid1921'', the old nanny beating up the Tramp for trying to drop the baby into her carriage.
* ''Film/EveryWhichWayButLoose''. Despite claiming to be a helpless old lady, Ma drives off an entire outlaw biker gang with a shotgun almost as tall as she is. When the bikers later encounter another elderly person, they're wary of causing trouble.

* In ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' Yoda beats R2 with his cane when the droid attempts to grab the flashlight he has taken from Luke's storage crate.
* In ''Film/{{Grandma}}'', when Cam threatens Elle with a hockey stick, she promptly snatches it out of his hand and takes him out.

* ''Series/Foundation2021'': In the Season 1 finale, the elderly [[EvilOldFolks Brother Dusk/Cleon XII]] doesn't hesitate to get in [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Brother Day/Cleon XIII's]] face and bitchslap him when the two disagree over what to do about [[spoiler: the fact that Brother Dawn/Cleon XIV is an [[CloneDegeneration imperfect clone]]]].

* In the first Toys/{{Bionicle}} movie, ''Mask of Light'', during the scene while Ta-Koro is under attack by the Rahkshii, there's a brief scene where Turaga Vakama pulls out his staff and starts beating one of the invaders over the head with it.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E7AmysChoice "Amy's Choice"]], the menace of the week is a smallish crowd of senior citizens, which is frankly hilarious, except when the old people turn out to be possessed by aliens that kill people with lethal bad breath. Amy has no compunction in running them over. Turns out in the end that [[spoiler:it's all a dream created by the Doctor's evil side]]. He choose "alien-possessed old people" as something the Doctor and his companions would believe, which probably tells you something about the common MonsterOfTheWeek tropes this show uses.

* In ''Film//{{Grandma}}'', when Cam threatens Elle with a hockey stick, she promptly snatches it out of his hand and takes him out.

* It has been proven that elderly victims of muggings and armed robbery are twice as likely to retaliate against an attacker, compared to younger victims. The reason basically being that a younger victim would believe he or she had more to lose.
* More than once a mugger has targeted an elderly man they thought would be an easy mark, only to discover said elderly man is an ex-special forces RetiredBadass.

* ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'': Hari Seldon is forced to do this several times as conditions on Trantor deteriorate; he's blamed for the deterioration and is also a victim of gang violence caused by it. Because he was a martial artist in his youth, Seldon successfully defends himself at first, but eventually age and illness catch up with him.
* ''Literature/CaptainUnderpants'': Geezer Powers -- ACTIVATE!! Only within the ShowWithinAShow, though, [[spoiler:until the grandparents accidentally get superpowers.]]

* In both ''Literature/AdrianMole'' and its TV adaptation, the thirteen-and-three-quarter year old Adrian confides in his beloved granny that he is being bullied at school. His tiny granny promptly goes out and [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomps]] the bully into a whining pleading-for-mercy pulp.

* Rafiki, the wise old Baboon, pulls a BigDamnHeroes entry in ''Disney/TheLionKing'', smacking down a couple of hyenas with his stick during the final battle.

See also: NeverMessWithGranny, EvilOldFolks, OldMaster, ScrewPolitenessImASenior, ImprobableWeaponUser. Not to be confused with RacistGrandma, though it can overlap.

** Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde are, indeed, very old, but they are very old {{Barbarian Hero}}es. As pointed out in ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'', they have survived a very long time in a deadly profession. Suffice it to say, ''Badass'' is an understatement.

An elderly person attacks someone or something, from a teenager to a monster, with an object like a [[CaneFu cane]] or a [[HandbagOfHurt purse]]. Effectiveness of attack varies from annoying and harmless to actually taking down the target.

->'''Chief''': ''[[[TheCoatsAreOff takes his coat off]]]'' I've been waiting for this since Nixon!\\
'''Vice-President''': I got a new pacemaker, I can go all day!

--> Only an elderly witch, her wrinkly face distorted in rage, swung her staff at the fast-moving blur that was Ami’s form.
--> ...
--> Undeterred, the old woman proceeded to whack her on the head with her staff over and over again, cursing her with language so coarse her cheeks grew hot.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* The elderly superheroes of Literature/{{Bigtime}}.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': Mrs. Davis beats up a gym teacher in "Angela's Wedding". [[SeriousBusiness He insulted the deviled eggs she prepared.]]
* ''Series/FatherTed'' and the episode, "Attack Of The Nearly Dead". Grannies make for intense fan girls...
* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'': "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygy7UDADXDg Hell's Grannies]]"

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Amy's Choice", the menace of the week is a smallish crowd of senior citizens, which is frankly hilarious, except when the old people turn out to be possessed by aliens that kill people with lethal bad breath. Amy has no compunction in running them over. Turns out in the end that [[spoiler:it's all a dream created by the Doctor's evil side]]. He choose 'alien-possessed old people' as something the Doctor and his companions would believe, which probably tells you something about the common MonsterOfTheWeek tropes this show uses.
* In ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode [[Recap/CommunityS1E18BasicGenealogy Basic Genealogy]], Troy's grandmother attacks Britta with a switch.
* An example from a soap opera is Crane Tolliver, Lila Quartermaine's first husband on ''Series/GeneralHospital'', who shot Susan Moore (Jason "holy hitman" Morgan's mother) when she tried to double-cross him in a blackmail scheme.
* ''Series/MurdochMysteries'': In "Convalescence", Murdoch's elderly landlady Mrs Kitchen has been get imprisoned for several days while criminals search her house. When a weakened Murdoch passes out while fighting one of the criminals, Mrs Kitchen picks up Murdoch's crutch and whacks the crook over the head with it, knocking her out.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' episode 'The Golden Years', Drakken's army of seniors attacks Kim.

* Stinkmeaner and the Hateocracy from ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks''.

* Shows up in the opening credits for the old cartoon ''[[WesternAnimation/GeorgeOfTheJungle Superchicken]]'' ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-3QAiVDL-A at :04 in]]).

* Wrestling/RoddyPiper, Wrestling/JimmySnuka and Wrestling/RickySteamboat vs Wrestling/ChrisJericho at ''Wrestling/{{Wrestlemania}} XXV'', when they collectively become tired of Jericho's never ending rating about the fans because they cheer Wrestling/ShawnMichaels more than him. Jericho won, but the legends ([[StillGotIt Steamboat in particular]]) made sure he knew he'd been in a fight.

See also: NeverMessWithGranny, EvilOldFolks, OldMaster, ScrewPolitenessImASenior and ImprobableWeaponUser. Not to be confused with RacistGrandma, though it can overlap.

* Tellah does this to Edward in a scripted ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' battle, hitting him with his cane and calling him a SpoonyBard. It barely even hurts him, and this is [[SpoonyBard Edward]] we are talking about.

* Wrestling/RoddyPiper, Wrestling/JimmySnuka and Wrestling/RickySteamboat vs Wrestling/ChrisJericho at Wrestlemania, when they collectively become tired of Jericho's never ending rating about the fans because they cheer Wrestling/ShawnMichaels more than him.

* In the ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse, ''Scrooge McDuck'' often uses his [[CaneFu cane as a weapon]] (he certainly doesn't need it for walking).

* In ''Franchise/TheSims'' games, Mrs. Crumplebottom is an NPC who visits community lots. If two Sims kiss on the lot, she'll come over and hit one of them with her purse.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime The Land Before Time sequels]]'', during the rare moments when Littlefoot's Grandparents are protecting him and the other kids from any Sharp Teeth. More or less a combination of BattleCouple, BadassGrandpa, NeverMessWithGranny, and this trope all in one, often with MamaBear and PapaWolf added into the mix, since their daughter's death left them as Littlefoot's primary caretakers.

* In old-style British wrestling, a section of the audience with the power to ''terrify'' some of the largest, hardest, men to stalk the ring were.... the grannies. Little old ladies who let it all out on a Saturday afternoon at the wrestling. Special bile was reserved for whoever was playing the Evil Wrestler part. The old ladies were capable of seriously foul swearing, throwing things including handfuls of drawing pins or even nails. If anyone was unlucky enough to fall or be thrown out of the ring... ouch. Being belaboured with walking sticks was only the beginning of it. Some dedicated wrestler-baiters did things like sharpen the ferrule of an umbrella to a vicious point, and stab with it. Cigarettes would be stubbed out into bare flesh. Hatpins would be inserted where it hurt most. Imagine a ringside of wrestling grannies claiming vengeance on the baddie who'd just apparently beaten the golden boy to a pulp... the blows in the ring might still sting, but at least they were agreed and roughly scripted. In the ring the wrestler had an idea of what was coming. ''Outside'' the ring was a different matter.