Line #133 Main/FeelingTheirAge


1	%%
2	%% An instance of a character quipping that they're “getting too old for this” is not an example.
3	%% Examples should include context that indicates the character is actually feeling the effects of age
4	%% or is a notable subversion.
5	%%
6	%% Examples have been alphabetized.
7	%%
8	->'''Ross:''' ''[regarding an old plane]'' That thing belongs in a museum.\
9	'''Trench:''' We all do.
10	-->-- ''Film/TheExpendables2''
11
12	No matter how [[TrainingFromHell hard you train]], how much effort you take to keep yourself in the best possible shape, there comes a time when the effects of aging will reduce how physically powerful you are and how quickly you are able to bounce back from injuries. This can and often does become a sore spot for the individual, probably starting from their FirstGrayHair. It's a reminder that they are not invincible.
13
14	An old and mighty character (OldMaster, Old Soldier. etc) may still be able to kick butt and take names, but they may then have to stop for a while to catch their breath; they may even say you should have seen them 30 years ago. Oftentimes a character who is still not willing to admit this will try to hide it from their companions. If he takes that denial too far he may become a PerilousOldFool.
15
16	This can show up in a case of OlderHeroVsYoungerVillain or in stories set at the end of an era (when the hero is the last of the "old guard" holding out against the new ways).
17
18	OldSuperhero is a subtrope specific to the SuperHero comics genre. Compare DentedIron, HeroicFatigue, OldSoldier, RetiredBadass, and JadedWashout. If this leads a character to their villainy, they'll become EvilOldFolks instead. For a character who is going through a similar thing due to illness rather than old age, see IncurableCoughOfDeath and DefinitelyJustACold. For someone who is ReallySevenHundredYearsOld who is suddenly ''really'' feeling their age, see NoImmortalInertia. May occur before ''or'' after becoming OlderAndWiser. Contrast StrongerWithAge, where the reverse occurs.
19
20	-----
21	!!Examples:
22
23	[[foldercontrol]]
24
25	[[folder:Advertising]]
26	* ''Advertising/HealthHotline'': Grandma tells Ellie that she wants to play, but her knees have gotten much worse with age.
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
30	* Hanako from ''Manga/DinosaurSanctuary'' is elderly by ''Tyrannosaurus'' standards at 36 years old. She is no longer as active, or has as strong a bite, as she did in her younger days.
31	* Hiruzen Sarutobi of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' was once known as [[TheDreaded The God of Shinobi]] for being the greatest ninja of his generation (and considering the other powerhouses we know existed at the time, this is no small feat). That was multiple decades ago, and while he fully retains his mental faculties (his knowledge of every single ninja jutsu and [[AwesomenessByAnalysis his ability to almost instantly deduce the mechanics of a new technique by seeing]] the HandSeals composing it earned him the nickname of "The Professor"), he is now forced to rely [[WeakButSkilled more on his knowledge and strategy than his strength]]. Fittingly, he dies not because he doesn't actually know how to counter his [[APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil former student]], but because his body cannot actually keep up, forcing him to attempt a TakingYouWithMe that fails, but successfully cripple Orochimaru's hands for ''years'' (and Orochimaru himself is a MadScientist, that he was succesfully weakened for so long is quite the feat).
32	* From ''Manga/OnePiece'':
33	** Whitebeard is renowned as the WorldsStrongestMan [[spoiler: prior to his death]]. He is an extremely powerful man with a ridiculously earthquake based Devil Fruit powers who has proved more than enough that he is worthy of his title in the Marineford arc. However, the moment he starts coughing up blood in the middle of battle, it's made clear that the man is no longer in his prime and that old age hasn't been kind to him. Based on his remaining strength though, it's less that he's significantly weaker, and more like that the monstrously strong old man was even more of a monster in the past. He even once stated, "I may be a monster... but I'm not gonna be the strongest forever!" His first appearance on-panel showcases both his monstrous strength (he's a huge muscular giant of a man) and his declining health (he's hooked up to life support while being monitored by nurses).
34	** Vice-Admiral Garp "The Fist" earned his other nickname of "The Hero of the Marines" by being the only Marine to ever fight evenly against Gol D. Roger. But as Garp himself repeatedly states, that was more than twenty years ago and while he is still monstruously strong, he is not as impressive as he once was.
35	* ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'': Tracey Sketchit's Scyther is undoubtedly a powerhouse, able to hold its own against all of Team Rocket's Pokémon by itself, but is noted to be elderly and often gets fatigued during long fights.
36	* For ChildSoldiers in ''Anime/StrikeWitches'', old age starts somewhere around 20. With decline in magic power, Witches' shields stop doing their job of deflecting enemy attacks and debris. It's explored in the second season. [[spoiler: Mio pushes herself to stay in action, against fellow high-ranking officer Minna's advice, ultimately receiving first a minor and then a grave injury]].
37	* This is a major character point in ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' with regards to the BigBad Younger Toguro. He used to be human but was so afraid of getting older he [[DealWithTheDevil sold his soul]] to become virtually immortal (he later saw [[WhoWantsToLiveForever immortality to be boring]] and so sought for a fighter strong enough to kill him). This is compared to [[OldMaster Genkai]], a formidable fighter despite her years but still far from what she was at her prime.
38	* [[WorldsStrongestMan All Might]] from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' is this, unbeknownst to most of society. After a critical wound caused by his [[spoiler: not-so-]]dead archnemesis destroys some of his organs, he's forced to spend the time he has in his superhero form wisely, so as to not reveal the wound to the world. It's still made ''very'' clear that while he can't be All Might for much longer, he's still able to perform feats well above even some of his colleagues with ease. After defeating the [[BioweaponBeast No]][[HybridMonster mu]] in the USJ with 300 punches fueled by all of his power, he states that in his prime (or even before his injury) he could have done so with just five. [[spoiler: His powers finally give out after one final confrontation with All for One in Kamino Ward, forcing him to go into retirement.]]
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Comic Books]]
42	* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'':
43	** Shown with Quarrel II, Crackerjack, and on the villain side, Steeljack. Quarrel II and Crackerjack deal with being BadassNormal and having to deal with age beginning to dull their skills and slowing their recovery when they get injured (they're both in their 50s by this point) in contrast to their superpowered allies such as Black Rapier whose aging slowed to a crawl thanks to a serum that gives him his powers.
44	** Steeljack on the other hand does have powers, SuperStrength, and durability from a steel alloy bonded to his skin, but is still feeling his age (he's well into his 60s). He's starting to get out of shape, and his skin is feeding on itself, requiring him to take iron supplements.
45	* In ''ComicBook/BeforeWatchmen: Minutemen'', Hollis Mason starts to feel this way in the 1950s, having endured the murder of his close friend Silhouette, a HUAC investigation, and the "Friend of the Children" investigation, which resulted in [[spoiler: Nite Owl killing Hooded Justice after being led to believe that he'd been kidnapping and murdering kids]]. After Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias start appearing, he decides that he's really not needed anymore.
46	* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
47	** Creator/{{Frank Miller}}'s ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightReturns'' portrays {{Franchise/Batman}} like this. He starts as a RetiredBadass but soon returns to crime-fighting. Throughout the story, Batman keeps on lamenting how slow he's become, culminating in the fight between him and the leader of a mutant gang, who is, like Batman himself states, "in his physical prime". [[spoiler: Batman loses, but only because he "tried to fight like a young man". Later he beats the mutant leader with some CombatPragmatist moves.]]
48	** As of ''ComicBook/DCInfiniteFrontier'', the mainline Batman is also beginning to deal with this. He's still in as peak physical condition as he can be, but ultimately he has begun to enter middle age — being in his early forties at bare minimum — and is grappling with the fact that his BadassNormal body isn't going to be able to keep up with the demands of being a superhero for more than another decade or two. His insecurities over this are pronounced by the fact that nearly all of his sidekicks/children are now adults themselves.
49	* ''ComicBook/ButtonMan'': When Harry faces Adele in a Game, she manages to get the drop on him much to his surprise. He quickly regains the upper hand as he's still the best Button Man alive despite his advancing age, but he notes that he would have easily dispatched her if he were a bit younger.
50	* ''ComicBook/DungeonTwilight'': Both Herbert and Marvin are old and wish to either die or retire. During the climatic battle Herbert has to absent himself to go to the bathroom and asks Marvin to escort he needs protection and figures it isn't two old men that will change the outcome anyway.
51	* ''ComicBook/IronMan'': Even with the benefits of ComicBookTime, by the point of the Creator/GerryDuggan [[ComicBook/InvincibleIronMan2022 run]], Tony Stark is getting into middle age and lacks any sort of slowed aging like many of his superpowered comrades possess due to being [[BadassNormal a normal human]]. As a result, he becomes even more reliant on his armor than ever to do anything special, sardonically reflects on how his taste in fun has shifted from parties to hanging out with his friends in their labs, and gets needled by many of his villains for being an "old man", much to his irritation.
52	* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' ages in real time; while he looks in his 40s due to advanced medicinal technology, he's actually in his 70s, with over 50+ years of active service. His body has shown its age, being CoveredInScars and bullet wounds, and his fitness for duty as a result have been recurring plot points, to the extent that he developed benign duodenal cancer. The problem is ultimately solved in the story "Carousel," where the rejuvenation tech has advanced so much that Dredd is essentially given entirely new skin. He's told they could do the same for his bones, but he declines.
53	* ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'': Alan Quatermain has to deal with a great deal of this, as he's now well into his ''70s'', and has spent about half a decade as a drug addict on top of that. This eventually becomes a major issue for him in the second volume when he begins a romantic relationship with Mina Murray, and simply does not have the stamina or endurance to keep up with a much younger woman. It's not until [[spoiler:he becomes young and immortal by bathing in the Fire of Immortality in Africa]] that this is no longer an issue. The movie version also deals with this, but since he and Murray are not involved there, it's his deteriorating eyesight that bugs him, since he now has to wear glasses to be able to sharpshoot.
54	* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': While the mainstream version of the Punisher hasn't aged much (mainly because his origin story has been moved to the Iraq war rather than Vietnam), the ''ComicBook/PunisherMAX'' version is feeling the 60+ years he really is. By the time the final story arc rolls around, he has become DentedIron, and it's clear to everyone that he is on his last legs.
55	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': Sonic himself suffers this in the Light Mobius timeline. While he's still a good fighter and retains his trademark SuperSpeed, he's in his 40s by this point and not as strong as he used to be, something that costs him dearly against TheAgeless Shadow.
56	* ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage'': Volume 4 is set 15 years after the original comics, and features the Turtles now into their early 30s. As such, their abilities have begun to deteriorate, with [[RoofHopping jumping over rooftops]] now starting to become a lot harder.
57	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': ''ComicBook/SpiderManLifeStory'' is an {{Elseworld}} depicting a version of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse that lacks any kind of [[ComicBookTime floating timeline]] and instead progresses in real time. Spider-Man spends the first half of the series as an adult in peak condition, but when he hits his thirties in the 1980s, he becomes aware that his age is going to start catching up to him in a few decades and becomes insecure at the thought, influencing his decision to keep using [[TheCorruption the black suit]]. In every issue from that point on, Peter increasingly feels both his age and the toll of years of battles creeping up on him, with his body gradually slowing down and him becoming more and more reliant on his SpiderSense to stay ahead. By the time of the final issue, he's well into his sixties and while he's still powerful by the standards of a normal human, by superhuman standards, he's practically a GlassCannon that gets steamrolled by enemies like Venom.
58	* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': Starting with ''ComicBook/DCInfiniteFrontier'', Clark has to deal with the fact he's no longer a man in his 20s and 30s with part of ''ComicBook/SupermanPhillipKennedyJohnson'' and the kick-offs of ''ComicBook/SupermanAndTheAuthority'' and ''ComicBook/SupermanSonOfKalEl'' being Clark's age, mortality, and legacy.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61
62	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
63	* In ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'', some strips show Garfield himself being painfully aware of age catching up to him. For example, [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2021/06/10 the June 10, 2021 strip]] shows him hunched over after he threw his own back out sneezing.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Fan Works]]
67	* In the MassivelyMultiplayerCrossover fanfic ''Fanfic/BloodAndRevolution'', Saitou is a BadassNormal surrounded by youkai and granted immortality and youth; by World War II, he's a hundred-year-old in a thirty-year-old body and his internal narrative brings up that he's not a young man anymore fairly regularly. More obvious before he got his immortality -- by the time he was fifty the story was highlighting that he couldn't summon more than one of his special sword techniques anymore and by his seventies he'd had to retire from the police and used his sword only to help him walk.
68	* ''Fanfic/TheDesertStorm'':
69	** From his debut, Ky Narec is shown to be well past his prime. His age has caused him to slow down and has made him weaker. He’s shown to struggle with physical feats that his padawan Asajj can pull off with ease.
70	** Ben's first attempt to teach Obi-Wan how to redirect lightning (something that he could do with ease early in the series) falls flat when he gets overwhelmed by the electricity and is left retching on the ground in pain. This is the first sign that Ben's age is starting to catch up with him.
71	* ''Fanfic/TheVastoOfWhite'': At several points, Yamamoto laments that he's not as powerful and cannot exert himself as much as when he was younger.
72	* ''Fanfic/WithThisRing'' has Alan Scott, the original ComicBook/GreenLantern. Originally, despite being in his 90's, his ring had been rejuvenating him after he began wearing it again (though he didn't realize it). However, after giving his Lantern to Orange Lantern, Scott eventually returns to his original age, and now begins to suffer from all the ailments that a man in his 90's would, to the point where a fall lands him in the hospital.
73	* The ''Fanfic/ForeverCaptain'' series: In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/33907513 The Hemingway Trip]]'', Howard makes it clear how much getting older is weighing on him.
74	** By ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/33310693 Respects to Pay]]'' and ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/31329512 The Favor]]'', Steve is old enough that even his super soldier body isn’t as spry as it used to be.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
78	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'': While Mulan's father, Fa Zhou, retains his sword skills, his old age, bad leg, and an implied heart condition prevent him from performing as he used to, as shown when he collapses doing basic exercises. This is the main reason why Mulan runs off to take his place in the war, knowing he won't survive if he goes off to fight.
79	* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'': While Mr. Incredible is still a formidable superhero after 15 years of retirement, it's nonetheless shown that time, inaction, and age have gotten the better of him; he's [[FormerlyFit gained a lot of weight]], and while fighting the first Omnidroid, he ends up [[CrackOhMyBack throwing his back out]]. Averted with Elastigirl and Frozone despite being around the same age and having changed from their prime both are able to get back into the fight with relative ease compared to Bob. Helen's elastic powers presumably fend off the pains of older age (although she's notably gained a more "motherly" figure to her slight annoyance) while Lucius has not only kept himself in notably better shape than Bob but his powers involve energy blasts of ice and are not as reliant on his physique like Bob's super strength so all he needs to do is keep his balance and aim steady and let his power do most of the strain.
80	* Brother Aidan from ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfKells'' is FamedInStory as a master illuminator who was responsible for illustrating the Book of Iona (later to be known as the Book of Kells), but he later admits to Brendan that due to his advancing age, his eyesight is poorer and his hands are unsteady. This is why he asks Brendan to complete the Book for him, though he still mentors Brendan on technique.
81	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'', it's heavily implied that keeping the Heart of Te Fiti for fifteen years provided Grandma Tala with a longer life and more energy. The moment she passes it down to her granddaughter, she visibly weakens, struggling to even sit down, and dies within the hour.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
85	* ''Film/BadBoysForLife'': Twenty years after the original movies, both Marcus and Mike feel their age catching up to them and deal with it in opposed ways. In Marcus' case, it's about his health (he needs prescription glasses to pull of the kind of gunslinging he used to do in his youth) and family status (he is now a grandfather who has to prioritize his family over his job). In Mike's, it's mostly about his CowboyCop mindset that is barely compatible with the more sensitive and more technology-heavy nature of modern police work, compared to how it was in his youth. Also, when Mike gets shot by an assassin, it takes much longer for him to recover than he did from similar injuries in the earlier movies.
86	* In the movie ''Film/{{Dragonslayer}}'' the sorcerer Ulrich realizes he is too old even to make the journey to Urland, let alone hope to defeat a dragon. [[spoiler: So he gets himself killed so he can make the journey as a bag of ashes, and then be magically reanimated just long enough to slay the dragon]]
87	* Brought up in ''Film/TheExpendables2'', with the addition of a mid-20's team member Billy who has more enthusiasm and energy than the rest of the team combined. His older teammates are certainly not in bad shape themselves, but there is a distinct difference in their lumbering pace compared to Billy jogging up a hill.
88	* Occurs in ''Film/TheGuardian2006'' when Randall begins to realize he's becoming more of a liability than an asset on rescue missions, especially when compared to [[TheAce Jake]] who's fresh out of training.
89	* Explicitly brought up in ''Film/TheLastStand'' starring Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger as a sheriff of a small town having to deal with a dangerous group of outlaws heading his way. He's getting up in age and knows it, and the trailer highlights it.
90	* ''Film/LethalWeapon'' series. Murtaugh's catchphrase was "I'm getting too old for this", appropriate for an older family man who had to deal with a wild card younger partner in Riggs. Nevertheless, he continued to say it through all the movies and it eventually came around to Riggs in ''Film/LethalWeapon4'', as he started to feel his age too.
91	* In ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfDonJuan'', Don Juan certainly is, complaining about his aches and pains and how he [[TheLoinsSleepTonight can't always get it up]]. His doctor tells him he can't go catting around anymore.
92	* Obi-Wan in the first ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]''; when asking Luke to join him he lamented that he was getting too old to go on these sort of adventures. A big part of his duel with Vader was being mocked that he was old and out of practice.
93	* In ''Film/{{Logan}}'', Wolverine's [[GoodThingYouCanHeal healing factor]] is faltering, leaving him worn down by [[DentedIron accumulated injuries]] and slow poisoning from his implanted adamantium.
94	* ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'' (the theatrical cut only, not ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'') uses this both physically and metaphorically in regards to Franchise/{{Batman}}. BadassNormal or not, Batman is in what appears to be the later years of his career and, despite his skills and accomplishments, he's still a human among demigods. Over the course of the film, Batman deals with things way above his weight class and suffers severe injuries that do not heal properly, if they heal at all. Not only that, he and Alfred believe the age and legacy of Batman are coming to an end and will soon become irrelevant in a world of actual superhumans. This conversation sums it up best.
95	-->'''Diana''': You know you can't do this forever.\
96	'''Bruce''': I can barely do it now.
97	* A plot thread from the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' TOS movies is the characters admitting that they're past their prime.
98	** ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'':
99	--->'''Kirk:''' I feel old... worn out...
100	** ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'':
101	--->'''Spock:''' Is it possible that we two -- you and I -- have grown so old and so inflexible that we have outlived our usefulness?
102	* ''Film/RockyBalboa'': While Rocky keeps himself in quite good shape for a man his age, and goes through a formidable TrainingMontage to get ready to face Dixon, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome he]] ''[[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome still]]'' [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome gets his ass kicked]] because Dixon is in his prime and faster, while Rocky's age and [[DentedIron injuries]] have slowed him down and taken away the things that made him a great fighter; it isn't until Dixon [[GameBreakingInjury breaks his hand]] that Rocky actually stands a chance.
103	* ''Film/{{Maigret\|2022}}'': ''Literature/{{Maigret}}'' in this movie is long past his prime and appears weary most of the time.
104	* ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'': The "Guardian" Terminator shows signs of malfunction and disrepair after spending 30+ years looking after Sarah Connor. Even a Terminator can't last forever, especially in a time that doesn't have the technology to properly repair him. His joints actually stop working for a few seconds at a couple points in the movie. However, as he reminds everyone, he's "old, but not obsolete."
105	* In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood are recuperating on the tramp steamer, and as Marion tries to "help" Indy, he lets out a bunch of moans and groans. Marion says he's not as young as he once was. Indy argues back, "It's not the years, it's the mileage."
106	* ''Film/Halloween2018'': While still an ImplacableMan, Michael Myers is forty years older and it shows. He rarely attacks his victims head-on anymore, using terrain, subterfuge, and the shadows to give him the upper hand in almost every situation, and it takes him considerably longer to recover from being [[CarFu hit by Hawkins' SUV]] than in similar incidents in ''Film/Halloween4TheReturnOfMichaelMyers'' and ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater'', where he just walks them off within minutes. [[WordOfGod Co-writer Danny McBride]] has stated that his intention was to show that nigh-unstoppable killing machine or not, Michael is still a man with weaknesses.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Literature]]
110	* Flint Fireforge is the oldest of the [[{{Literature/Dragonlance}} Heroes of the Lance]], and spends the entire trilogy complaining about advancing age. [[spoiler: Taken to its logical extreme when he has a heart attack and dies during the action.]]
111	* Sir Sparhawk, protagonist of ''Literature/TheElenium'' and companion series ''Literature/TheTamuli'', is middle-aged at the beginning of the first book, and several times it's noted that he hasn't got the speed or stamina he had as a younger man.
112	* Fearful Symmetries, last book of the ''Literature/MoreauSeries'', brings back an aging Nohar Rajastan. He's only in his forties, but his engineered metabolism is fading fast, bringing arthritis and dimming vision.
113	* In ''{{Literature/Discworld}}'':
114	** Cohen the Barbarian is a Lifetime in his own Legend. He has trouble with joints, missing teeth, and after one fight is laid out after throwing out his back. However, he still deserves his reputation as the ultimate BarbarianHero; he's still at it in his eighties because he compensates for his physical limitations with [[OldMaster experience and cunning]].
115	** Granny Weatherwax the LivingLegend witch usually defies this trope through sheer pride and [[HeroicWillpower stubbornness]]; it takes a situation like being half-frozen, drained of half her blood, and making a forced cross-country trip in bad weather in ''Literature/CarpeJugulum'' to make her feel her age. Then there are the rare, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness terrible]] moments when her resolve cracks:
116	--->'''Granny:''' I'm getting old.\
117	'''Nanny Ogg:''' Well, you're only as old as you feel.\
118	'''Granny:''' That's what I mean.
119	* At the start of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', although Bilbo hasn't physically aged in 60 years, he acknowledges that he still feels old, comparing his long life to "butter that has been scraped over too much bread." He makes one final trip to Erebor before settling down at Rivendell, where he acknowledges he's grown too old to travel anymore. When the [[NoImmortalInertia Ring is destroyed and his physical age catches up with him]], he even declines to make the trip to Gondor for Aragorn's coronation and wedding.
120	* In a non-action example, the title character of ''Literature/CharlottesWeb'' evokes this trope word for word in her exhaustion after she weaves her last web and makes her egg sac. [[ItWasHisSled She dies two days later.]]
121	* In ''[[Literature/{{Quiller}} The Berlin Memorandum]]'', British spy Quiller, a veteran of World War Two, constantly talks of how he is getting old. Unfortunately, Quiller turned out to be a popular character [[ComicBookTime so he had to stop doing this as his adventures continued up until the Nineties.]]
122	* Subverted for the granny in ''Literature/GangstaGranny'', who thinks she can't run but she's actually fit enough to ''abseil down a skyscraper''.
123	** ''Literature/TidesOfProtomis'', Despite Kaemerge Empire Selenium Ignatius still being the Strongest proto-human in the Kaemerge, and an High-Tier Proto-Human, he is 95 years old, and beginning to enter the rapid aging stage of his lifespan, and has such,begun to weaken.
124	* ''Literature/TheRailwaySeries'', Gordon in the later books realizes TechnologyMarchesOn and begins to push himself harder and harder to match high speed modern trains. Being an early 1900's steam engine he puts on a valiant effort, but still suffers mechanical failures and issues that begin to show he can't outrun time. In the final book of the series Gordon's express is given to a High Speed Train set Pip and Emma, and Gordon graciously accepts retirement working slower paced local trains.
125	* In the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'' Alanna is [[Literature/SongOfTheLioness introduced]] as a ten year old taking on the eight years of training it takes to become a knight. She's not the main character of the [[Literature/TheImmortals next four books]] but is still prominent over the three or four years that quartet spans. Another eight years later, in ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'', she's still quite hardy but complains of stiffness and pain.
126	--> "Nobody says that, even with healers, your body still adds up your breaks and bruises, then gives you the bill in your mid-thirties."
127	** Several years later in ''Literature/TortallASpysGuide'' Alanna states her intention to retire as King's Champion. She's almost reached menopause and it's quite difficult for her to raise her arms above her head in armor.
128	[[/folder]]
129
130	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
131	* ''Series/AshVsEvilDead'': While still able to hold his own against Deadites, Ash is in his 50s by this time and it shows. He mentions in the first episode that he needs to take some cardio because his heart is "jackhammering like a quarterback on prom night," and in "Ashes to Ashes," he's revealed to have, among other minor handicaps, a trick knee and bum shoulder.
132	* It's a major part of Sam Axe's character in ''Series/BurnNotice'', highlighted in the prequel movie ''Film/BurnNoticeTheFallOfSamAxe''. He is no less reliable but in comparison to the main character and much younger Michael Westen, Sam is noticeably wearier and has gained a few pounds since his prime.
133	* Played with in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E3ImageOfTheFendahl Image of the Fendahl]]'' with the character Ma Tyler, who takes an active role in the fight to stop the titular EldritchAbomination, despite being of an advanced age (the actress who played her, Daphne Heard, turned 73 two weeks after shooting finished; given the age of her character's grandson, Ma Tyler was probably meant to be somewhat older than this). After one particularly narrow escape:
134	-->'''Ma Tyler:''' You know summat, John? There's going to come a time when I'll be too old for this sort of thing.
135	* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Jay Garrick notes that as he becomes older, he cannot move at SuperSpeed indefinitely like Barry can and often has to stop and rest.
136	* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'': In "Kissing Cousin", Roz tries to keep up with her 20-something cousin Jen who wants to party every night. After a few days Roz finally tells Jen she can't keep drinking and needs to get some sleep.
137	* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Ross, Chandler and Joey attempt to recreate the kind of wild fun Ross and Chandler had with their friend [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings "Gandalf"]] during college. After the first club they stop at Central Perk where they all admit they're already exhausted and just want to go to home.
138	-->'''Chandler:''' Y'know what? We're not sad, we're just not 21 anymore. Y'know? I'm 29 years old, damnit! And I want to sit in a comfortable chair, and watch television and go to bed at a reasonable hour!
139	** In season nine Chandler, now in his early 30s, decides to start a new career in advertising. On the first day of his internship program he discovers he's a decade older than everyone else. He immediately feels out of place, barely knows how to speak to a young audience, and injures himself testing out the rollerskates he's supposed to be selling. Despite his insecurity, the head of the program actually appreciates his maturity and experience compared to the other interns, and eventually offers him a full position at the company.
140	* Methos says "I'm too old for this" in the ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' episode "Deliverance" after Duncan throws him over a wall to land several feet below. Double subverted example since he's an [[TheAgeless ageless immortal]] who will always be in his physical prime, but at the same time, he actually is 5000 years old. If he can't feel too old for this, who can?
141	* The idea is name-checked in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', actually called [[ShoutOut "The Murtaugh List."]] Ted puts together a list of things you can't do once you pass a certain age. Barney takes it as a challenge and ends up injuring himself. Ted is meanwhile challenged to do things he is too young to start doing, such as going to bed at 8:30. When he can't go to sleep that early he marathons the ''Film/LethalWeapon'' movies and realized that Murtaugh never let his age stop him, so [[AnAesop he shouldn't either]].
142	* ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': In "Old Age Plan" the power of suggestion turns Boynton and Conklin into shambling wrecks with one foot in the grave. Miss Brooks is trying to sell an old age savings plan to the two men and, after reading the signs of old age to them, they come down with all the symptoms.
143	* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''
144	** Dr. Cox was approaching middle-aged in the early seasons, which came to a head when he threw out his back making a (successful) slam dunk to show up Turk. He later confessed to Carla that having a very young son at his age he was worried he was always going to be seen as an old man to his kids.
145	** In the ninth season Dr. Kelso reached an older version of this, where he had to jump through some legal and medical hoops to keep his driver's license. He confessed to a med student that he hoped to never reach that point where he couldn't take care of himself like that.
146	* On ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'' this is a major issue for Piney and Clay who as founding members of the club are getting on in years. Piney is forced to carry an oxygen tank with him but can still ride a motorcycle so he is still considered a full member with voting rights. Clay has arthritis in his hands which makes riding a motorcycle difficult for him. If Clay can no longer ride a motorcycle, he will lose full member status and will not be eligible for his share of the profits from their criminal operations. While Piney is content to be a RetiredBadass, Clay gets progressively more desperate and reckless as he tries to make enough money to afford retirement.
147	* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'':
148	** Thanks to future medicine, Jean-Luc Picard is in excellent health and his mind is still sharp, but he's still 94 years old. Whenever he does any strenuous activity like running or fighting, he has to stop to catch his breath while his younger comrades can keep going.
149	** In season 3 one of the first things that [[spoiler:Data]] does upon fully reviving is seemingly note a soreness in the neck because while the synthetic body technically is new it was [[YoungerThanTheyLook deliberately created with an aged appearance]].
150	[[/folder]]
151
152	[[folder:Music]]
153	* Music/GarthBrooks's song "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" is all about this trope - a cowboy starting to feel older and noting that his competition's getting younger.
154	-->''And the white line's getting longer and the saddle's getting cold\
155	I'm much too young to feel this damn old\
156	All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole\
157	I'm much too young to feel this damn old''
158	* Music/TobyKeith's song "As Good As I Once Was" is about looking back fondly on the days when he could wade into bar fights without a care, or romance multiple ladies without a worry. He still has something in the tank -- "I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was" -- but has to constantly fight between his mind's confidence and his body's limits.
159	* Music/BobSeger's "Night Moves" reveals itself to be about this trope in the last lyrics. "Like a Rock" states it clearly... "Twenty years, now. Where'd they go?"
160	* Music/DaYoopers' ''Old Age Ain't for Sissies'' is a concept album based around this, with songs like "They All Stopped Drinking" (about how older friends are now sitting around and drinking coffee instead of alcohol), "I'm Old", and "Retirement Ain't for Sissies".
161	* A symbolic variation: Music/NineInchNails' song "The Background World"'s second half is a looping instrumental where each loop is more degraded and distorted than the last. It loops a total of fifty-two times, the same age NIN frontman Trent Reznor was when the song was released.
162	* Music/BowlingForSoup Released a song in 2021 aptly named, “Getting Old Sucks (But Everybody’s Doing It).” Even though they’re middle aged and out of touch with the usual health problems and complain about loud music (even though they still play music loudly), they’re able to look back on their memories fondly.
163	-->''We used to run wild in the streets now we complain\
164	When cars drive to fast and the music is insanely loud\
165	Now the movies are cartoons and remakes of shit\
166	That was better when we played our music too loud\
167	Now our memories are fading away\
168	And looking back it was all worth it\
169	The truth is getting old sucks, but everybody's doing it''
170	[[/folder]]
171
172	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
173	* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': The game's metaplot advances alongside real life time, meaning a lot of Shadowrunners from the game's first edition (2050 in-game, released in 1990) are well into middle age and beyond by the fifth edition (2075, released in 2015) and will often complain about the ravages of aging in threads on Jackpoint. And that's not even getting into characters like Fastjack, who was born in the 20th century and still shadowrunning in his seventies (being [[TheCracker a Decker]], he's ''slightly'' less hamstrung by this trope than usual, but his dives in VR are still limited by his body growing older). Of course, both Jackpoint and its predecessor Shadowland are also favoured haunts of actually immortal beings like dragons...
174	** In-game, the 'aged' drawback represents a PlayerCharacter suffering from this trope. Every level of aged (from middle-aged to really old) reduces the maximum score of your physical stats. Depending on the player character's race, this may or may not make sense (elves are LongLived and none have visibly become aged since their appearance in 2012, while [[WeAreAsMayflies orks and trolls have 50-60 year lifespans]]).
175	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': It's normally assumed that Primarch -- the Emperor's genetically engineered demi-god sons -- are TheAgeless, but upon waking up from a ten-thousand year coma, Lion El'Jonson learns first hand that isn't the case, as he's noticeably (to him at least) slower, weaker, and clumsier, not to mention physically showing the signs of age on his face, to the point where he initially assumes he's under the effect of some Chaos curse. Of course, he's still ''leagues'' above virtually any other warrior in the setting barring his brothers (and several of them).
176	[[/folder]]
177
178	[[folder:Theater]]
179	* The Theatre/MrsHawking play series: In part III: ''[[http://www.mrshawking.com/?page_id=1913 Base Instruments]]'' Mrs. Hawking's slow recovery from an injury is a harsh reminder of how it's tougher to do superheroing when you're forty than when you're twenty. Her preoccupation with her own eventual physical decline is what pushes her to try to mold Mary in her image.
180	** In part VI: ''Fallen Women'', Mrs. Hawking is forty-eight and increasingly concerned about being incapacitated by her age, a concern Mrs. Frost heatedly echoes.
181	[[/folder]]
182
183	[[folder:Video Games]]
184	* Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'', where a much older Ezio Auditore from the previous two games nearly dies in the opening mission because his reactions are dulled with age and laments that "this used to be so easy".
185	** It's also mentioned as early as the start of [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood the previous game]], when a doctor tells Ezio (at that point in his early- to mid-forties) that he can't just walk off injuries like he used to. Ezio's...a little offended by the concept, but does have to buy a special climbing harness to be able to move like he did in the previous game.
186	--->'''Ezio''': Someone my age. ''Imbecille.'' ''[moments later while climbing up a wall]'' Ugh. My back.
187	* This is given as the reason why [[LivingLegend Jaheira]] is [[OverratedAndUnderleveled not as strong as she should be after two games' worth of adventures]] when you encounter her in ''VideoGame/BaldursGate3'''. Even for a half-elf like her, those adventures were a ''long'' time ago and she's into her second century of life.
188	* Snake feels this way for the entirety of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', although his age is due to accelerated aging. For example, when he crouches and walks for too long, his back suffers, which didn't use to happen in previous installments. It also helps to mention that his hair is gray in this game just to add to the fact.
189	* ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'': Raven is a veteran of "The Great War" [[spoiler: in which he died, but was revived by Alexei, using a [[LiteralChangeOfHeart bohdi blastia for his heart]]]], which takes place ten years prior to the events of the game itself. He's an interesting case in that he's not that old, only 35 at the start of the game. Nonetheless, that doesn't stop him from making quips about his age, such as complaining about his back or saying he's too old to keep up with Yuri and the others. None of which stops him from sniping enemies or [[TheCasanova making time for the ladies]].
190	* ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'': [[spoiler:This happens to Lilia Vanrouge. Being ridiculously old even for his species of LongLived fairies and attending Night Raven College much later than he was supposed to, his age comes back to bite him in the ass in chapter 7, when his magic has weakened to the point where continuing magical studies would be impossible, leading him to quit school before he could advance to senior year.]]
191	* Raul Tejada in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' is a 200+-year-old ghoul, but due to ghouls aging slower than humans he's probably equivalent to a 50- or 60-year-old man. Either way, he certainly spends some time lamenting his old age and feeling like he's no longer any good in a fight until the Courier completes his companion quest. Either you convince him to come around on the idea of getting old and retiring, which improves his skill as a repairman; or convince him that [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre he's still got plenty of fight left in his creaky old bones]], [[HesBack which boosts his fire rate with revolvers so high that the Courier can never match it no matter what stats and perks he/she has]].
192	* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'': While still terrifyingly strong by normal-human standards, Kratos has become a fading shadow of his former mighty self by the time we see him OlderAndWiser in [[VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4 the 2018 game]]. While still capable of a brisk jog, he is nowhere as fast or agile as he was in UsefulNotes/AncientGreece and cannot even ''jump'' (much less ''double'' jump) anymore. More tellingly, the Warrior who once flipped over Titans the literal size of Mountains now visibly strains and struggles against Trolls no bigger than the Cyclopses he once casually knocked out, and most tellingly is visibly winded and exhausted after his bouts with The Stranger in spite of once not even breaking a sweat beating the life out of Hercules and Zeus himself; in their first fight alone, the Stranger repeatedly mocks him for being a slow old man.
193	** Some of this seems to be a case of being rusty, as Kratos more readily handles the Stranger[[spoiler:/Baldur]] in their subsequent rematches, and by the time he trounces him a third time, he is still standing tall. This can be attributed to his greater experience as a warrior and the assistance of his son, though he confides to Atreus soon after that he has only enough strength to finish their journey.
194	** Throughout the game, Kratos is still fully capable of pushing building-sized objects with his bare hands, so he clearly has not lost his strength, and the developers have hinted that his reduced efficiency is more due to being out of practice than age.
195	* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', if Dante's health is depleted in-game and he doesn't revive, one of the lines he might say is "Man, I'm old".
196	* In the "Successor" chapter of ''Videogame/LiveALive'', the initial protagonist is an OldMaster of Earthen Heart Kung Fu. He's still pretty badass but he's getting old and he knows it. The beginning of the chapter has him practicing his routine, ending with him trying to [[BrickBreak break a boulder]]...and fails. He takes this as a sign that it's time for him to pass on his art to the next generation. This is reflected in gameplay: he starts out strong at level 10 with a full set of techniques, but he cannot gain experience or increase his stats.
197	* ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' has Opal, the Gym Leader of Ballonlea. She's the oldest Gym Leader in the Galar League at 88 years old (though she [[BlatantLies insists she's 16]]), and when Dynamaxing she is notably the only one who struggles with the larger Poké Ball, nearly falling over when she carries it. She also walks very slowly, more so than any other character in the game.
198	* Mentioned briefly by Corvo in ''VideoGame/Dishonored2'' if you play as him. Since the game takes place a good 15 years after the first, Corvo is now a man in his 50s and notes in his journal how he's older and can feel it. Despite this, he still manages to kick butt and jump (or Blink) from rooftop to rooftop with no more difficulty than he did in the first game.
199	-->'''Corvo:''' But I'm older. I can feel it. Like a heaviness. Sand in my joints.
200	* Mihaly in ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'' comes out of retirement to fight for Erusea in order to provide data to improve the drone army. However, after his first sortie, he’s left exhausted and his granddaughters assist him to help steady his breathing, with Schroeder noting that the High G-Forces from dogfighting, combined with exposure to radiation at high altitudes took a huge toll on Mihaly’s body.
201	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3FutureRedeemed'': Returning protagonist Shulk and Rex may be TheAgeless in Aionios, but they still feel the creep of time on them as time goes on, likely not helped by having their ages frozen around their 40's. Shulk finds himself uncertain of the future he used to easily shape and admits that growing older has sapped him of some of his courage, while Rex feels it more on the physical side despite being the younger of the two, joking about his knees after taking fall damage or playing up his fragility after training with Glimmer and Nikol.
202	[[/folder]]
203
204	[[folder:Web Comics]]
205	* ''WebComic/GirlGenius:'' Klaus Wulfenbach, the EmperorScientist ruler of most of Eupora, upon [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040802 realizing]] he has made a fairly major mistake regarding which member of a duo was actually the [[MadScientist Spark]] who created a disruptive Clank: "I must be getting ''old''."
206	[[/folder]]
207
208
209	[[folder:Web Video]]
210	* ''WebVideo/MonsterIslandBuddies'': Franchise/{{Godzilla}} is still a very powerful monster, but a lack of constant training, time, and his own laziness have taken quite a toll on him. He's gotten [[FormerlyFit overweight]], alcoholic, and can no longer fight as gracefully as he used to do during his youth. This becomes a major plot point in the "Destroy all Godzillas" arc, in which Godzilla, despite his insistence to do things by his own because he's the King of the Monsters and that's what everyone expects of him, ultimately discovers he's past his prime after suffering from a couple of nasty heart attacks due to stress. [[spoiler: After [[BigBad Massacre's]] defeat, Godzilla ultimately decides to retire but not before [[PassingTheTorch passing his title onto his now-adult son]], Minilla.]]
211	* ''WebVideo/DreamMachine'': In episode 1.03, ''[[https://youtu.be/SEybXnzFFyw Change or Die]]'', Ryan throws his back out and must confront how he’s grown older during the time he was checked out on drugs, and how hard that is when you work in a youth-oriented industry like Hollywood entertainment.
212	[[/folder]]
213
214	[[folder:Western Animation]]
215	* The ultimate reason Bruce Wayne retired as Batman in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''. His last battle against generic thugs almost cost him his life after suffering a heart attack mid-way, forcing him to [[BatmanGrabsAGun pull a gun on his attacker]]. His frustrations over his age form the primary dramatic thrust in "Out of the Past" when offered age reversal from Talia using the Lazarus pits. This makes for a memorable action scene that puts Bruce in proper fighting condition alongside Terry against a group of League of Shadow enemies.
216	* ''WesternAnimation/KidCosmic'': After [[spoiler:Papa G gives up the fourteenth stone that made him healthy well into his old age, he's about as active as you'd expect an old man over 100 to be. His voice is raspier and he spends the rest of the finale in a wheelchair.]]
217	* Toph explains that this is the reason she and Katara, both of whom are now in their 80s, sat out much of the conflict in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' compared to their active roles in [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender the original series]] when they were in their adolescence, and even though Toph manages to completely [[CurbStompBattle curb stomp]] the much younger Korra in a fight she comments after that her back was about to give out. That said, when Toph is pressed to fight seriously, she shows her power by the fight with one massive show of force (dwarfing everyone else there including the BigBad of the season) - the only thing holding her extreme power back is that bending is also physically demanding, and she just can't sustain a long fight.
218	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' has an episode where Miss Finster sprains her ankle and has to hop around on crutches. After trying and failing to keep order on the playground like she usually does, she laments to Randall that when she was a young woman, she would just have walked off this kind of injury but she's too old and decrepit to just bounce back now. It gets to the point that the main cast feel too guilty to take advantage of Finster's injury and talk the other kids into behaving until she's back on her feet.
219	* ''WesternAnimation/SamsonAndSally'': By the time Samson meets him, Moby Dick is now an elderly and decrepit whale who can no longer even hunt octopuses.
220	* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' "The Last Battle," Ezra notes that the Clone Wars-era droids they're fighting are beginning to break down; clone trooper Rex, now an old man thanks to RapidAging, says it's not just the droids.
221	[[/folder]]

Context Main / FeelingTheirAge