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Love is a very powerful force. Even more so when it's focused into a coherent beam of destruction. Every time I cast Hadoken, it siphons away some of the love in the universe. I'm not sure how much, but I'm given to understand the divorce rate goes up with each blast.
Black Mage, 8-Bit Theater

Some of the softer Science Fiction has its new technology powered by something different from plain old electricity, nuclear power, phlebotinum, Functional Magic, or petrol. Depending on the series, this can be either for something Powered by a Forsaken Child, or a source that gives power to no (or little) ill effect.

Just to be clear, if the fuel source exists in Real Life, it isn't an example. Mysterious new substances and energy sources also don't count.

Compare Magitek, which is usually fueled this way. Super-Trope of Powered by a Forsaken Child.


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     Anime and Manga  
  • In Eureka Seven, Humongous Mecha fly on the thoughts of a giant alien being covering the entire planet.
  • The Lambda Drivers in Full Metal Panic! are powered by the anger of the Humongous Mecha pilot. Good for Determinators and Ax Crazies.
  • The G-Stone in GaoGaiGar is powered by courage!
    • "Stealing GGG's will to fight! Turning me and Gao Figh Gar against them! Splitting us up across the world! It's all because you were afraid! Afraid that the G-Stone would transcend the power of the Loud G-Stone! This is the power born from courage!!"
  • HIGHSPEED Étoile features HyPER, an easily renewable energy source completely distilled from fossil fuel, which is used in the setting for practically everything, but the most relevant to the series' concept being NEX Racing.
  • Compare and contrast: The Character Guardians from Shugo Chara! are powered by their owner's will to change their own personality, the exact opposite of a persona.
  • The titular flying vehicles in Simoun are powered by the souls of their pilots uniting in common goal and desire...which just so happens to expressed by the two pilots kissing.
  • Gunmen in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann are powered by Spiral Energy, which is generated by the pilots' fighting spirit. They can also be powered by more conventional means, since the Beastmen are an artificial race and cannot generate any Spiral energy. However, Spiral energy subverts the "little to no ill effect" part of the trope: since they're literally breaking the second law of thermodynamics by creating energy, using it too much will eventually result in the universe collapsing, an event termed the 'Spiral Nemesis' in-series.

     Comic Books  
  • It's implied that Sidhe magic in Barry Blair's comic Elflord is powered by Yaoi.
  • The Green Lanterns and related corps are powered by the emotions of all living things. The GLC itself is fueled by Heroic Willpower; the others are Unstoppable Rage, Greed, Fear, Hope, Compassion, and The Power of Love. There is a danger for several corps that the emotion they wield will overpower them (for example, the Star Sapphires that use love energy are subject to Love Makes You Crazy).
    • "Obsession" might be a better name for it than "Love". It's not just a coincidence that their entity is named Predator.

     Literature  

     Tabletop Games  
  • The ANIMa of Bliss Stage are powered by Intimacy.
  • Dwarven asteroid/ships in Spelljammer are made to move by the cumulative determination and work-ethic of their occupants, channeled through magic anvils.
  • In Warhammer 40,000, the Orks' vehicles are partially powered by the Orks' belief in them. This leads to red vehicles flying faster simply because they can.

     Video Games  
  • In City of Heroes we have a very dark if still not Powered by a Forsaken Child example - Mother Mayhem, an alternate universe Evil Doppelgänger of main universe super-heroine Sister Psyche'. Mother is the psychic overseer of her society and she is actively psychically rejuvenated by the love of her people. She uses said admiration to keep her going, but that means when she find dissidents her go to method is to hypnotically reprogram them so they have to love her.
  • All magic in Don't Starve is powered by actual Nightmare Fuel. An update even introduced an ancient civilization that got destroyed by overusing Nightmare lights.
  • Final Fantasy VII: In game, the explanation for the Guardian Forces is a bit different. They need room inside a person's head to be able to work with them. The neurons they take over happen to be the neurons that keep your memories. Probably more benign than if they'd take your visual cortex or primary motor cortex.
  • The Persona series:
    • Persona 3:
      • Each of the main character's many Personas in are powered by and reinforced by the strength of related relationships he has.
      • The Persona and Shadows of Persona 3 are powered and personify human emotions. Persona themselves are summoned by shooting a character in the head with a gun that fire pure psychological trauma.
    • The Persona in Persona 4 are powered by the need of an individual to face life's hardships. They only have superpowers when battling enemies, but gaining a persona results in a dramatic change in the character's personality by the time their social link is maxed out ( Yosuke realizes his attempt at heroism was just running away from his guilt, Chie realizes she doesn't have to protect everyone and can also let herself be a girl on occasion, Yukiko at first decides she wants to leave Inaba to avoid the fate of inn manager, but eventually realizes that's what she wants to do, Kanji realizes that it's okay to like supposedly-girl stuff and it doesn't make him gay, and so on....
    • Persona in Persona 5 are created when an individual's sense of justice is provoked into rage, but they're sustained not by the rage but by the desire to dispense justice. The Rage Breaking Point is just the catalyst that pushes the person into refusing to stand idly by any longer. As the person grows into their own individual by standing against injustice, they eventually become better able to control their rage. Ryuji learns to control his rage and that empowering others to stand up for themselves is just as strong; Ann learns that jealousy and envy can be motivators, and that she can be a symbol for others to aspire to because of their envy of her; Makoto learns that staying adamant about helping people can make them angry when they don't want your help, but that she's obligated to follow through because it's right; Haru learns that suspicion can be healthy, but that trusting people can be healthier; and even Yusuke learns that money is not the root of all evil, and that altruism can be accepted without compromising his integrity. The problem is that the rage that goes hand-in-hand with the Persona awakening can all but destroy the person if they're not supported. Akechi awakens to his Persona when he learns that his father is a monster that abandoned his mother and him for political gain and selfishness, but he never loses the rage. In Persona 5 Royal, he's characterized by intense feelings of anger and loathing, particularly when his true colors come out in the third semester.
  • Space Channel 5 has giant lasers and floating platforms powered by "dance energy".
  • The psychic powers each Player has in The World Ends with You are powered by imagination, and those who survive the Game are often recognized as geniuses by other people. The game's resident Mad Mathematician is an incredibly powerful boss, and he is stated to have huge amounts of imagination. Neku was chosen as the Composer's pawn specifically because he had an extremely good imagination: there is literally no pin he cannot use, compared to most other players who can only use one.

    Webcomics  
  • Endtown: The Dittos feed on negative emotions to power their shapeshifting abilities. While they're generally friendly, when they get hungry they become abusive and monstrous, spamming their hosts' Trauma Button by shapeshifting fears and monsters from their pasts to get them to suffer and produce Ditto Food. This gets many people killed.

     Western Animation  
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has the Elements of Harmony which are powered by virtues (Honesty, Kindess, Generousity, Laughter, Loyalty and Magic) and by The Power of Friendship.
  • In an episode of The Simpsons, Ed Begley Jr. designed a go-kart powered by his own sense of self-satisfaction. It worked very well.
  • The Tick TV series once featured a race of aliens whose ship ran on fear. Their own fear, given that they're the most timid and cowardly race in the galaxy. Second-most timid and cowardly, that is. They're topped by Arthur, who is by nature so anxious and skittish that when they hook him up as the ship's fuel source, the thing reaches speeds the aliens didn't even realize were possible with their system.

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