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Instant Knots

 Instant Knots
type
FeatureClass
 Instant Knots
label
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots
page
InstantKnots
 Instant Knots
comment
The ability of Action Heroes, swashbucklers and suchlike to make a rope, whip, chain or wrap itself around a distant object securely. Used to achieve a Building Swing or to instantly tie up an enemy. While this is certainly possible with luck (and, preferably, a weight or hook on the end), you wouldn't want to stake your life on it.
Particularly notable when someone has a chain as a weapon. It's rare you'll see them actually thrashing enemies into submission with it, as happens in real life — they'll do this instead. Also, a character wielding a whip will usually tie up an enemy with this technique, rather than actually whipping anyone with it.
Often with this trope, the rope or whip that was just used to swing across a chasm will instantly and easily come undone once the hero is safely on the other side so he or she can retrieve it.
Essentially, this is using an ordinary object as if it were a Grappling-Hook Pistol. If wrapped around the object enough, this becomes Truth in Television.note This is due to Belt friction
 Instant Knots
fetched
2024-03-08T22:31:05Z
 Instant Knots
parsed
2024-03-08T22:31:05Z
 Instant Knots
processingComment
Dropped link to Castlevania: Not an Item - CAT
 Instant Knots
processingComment
Dropped link to Filler: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Instant Knots
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Instant Knots / int_1018fe2f
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_1018fe2f
comment
In the pilot episode of F/X: The Series, Rolly manages to do this with a thrown winch, and snags it so tightly on the helicopter that it winds up snapping the high tension steel cable.
 Instant Knots / int_1018fe2f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_1018fe2f
featureConfidence
1.0
 F/X: The Series
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_1018fe2f
 Instant Knots / int_1b386512
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_1b386512
comment
While all martial artists in Ranma ½ can do this with chain, cloth, or rope (and have, repeatedly,) it's a particular specialty of Kodachi, champion of Martial Art Rhythmic Gymnastics, who can wrap her ribbon around anything from a cup of tea to the referee's table... and whip it right back at the opponent's face. Mousse, who attaches various implements of bodily harm to chains and ropes, also favors wrapping up opponents to skewering or bludgeoning them.
 Instant Knots / int_1b386512
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_1b386512
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1.0
 Ranma ½ (Manga)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_1b386512
 Instant Knots / int_22fa3400
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_22fa3400
comment
Ninjette used a chain to catch Empowered the first time they met. They became friends afterwards.
 Instant Knots / int_22fa3400
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_22fa3400
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1.0
 Empowered (Comic Book)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_22fa3400
 Instant Knots / int_370f6f37
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_370f6f37
comment
Done by various TV incarnations of Zorro.
 Instant Knots / int_370f6f37
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_370f6f37
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 Zorro
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Instant Knots / int_370f6f37
 Instant Knots / int_3932a05b
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_3932a05b
comment
In the animated The Magic Flute, the hero swings from a rafter using his cloak.
 Instant Knots / int_3932a05b
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_3932a05b
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1.0
 The Magic Flute (Theatre)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_3932a05b
 Instant Knots / int_39e3b5ff
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_39e3b5ff
comment
Gogo Yubari of Kill Bill has a similar trick with her Epic Flail.
 Instant Knots / int_39e3b5ff
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_39e3b5ff
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1.0
 Kill Bill
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Instant Knots / int_39e3b5ff
 Instant Knots / int_3e6efd69
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_3e6efd69
comment
As shown in the Prequel Lament of Innocence, it was technically an Alchemist that did it. Said whip is powered by a heroic sacrifice.
 Instant Knots / int_3e6efd69
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_3e6efd69
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1.0
 Prequel
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_3e6efd69
 Instant Knots / int_4a11fc06
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_4a11fc06
comment
The Lone Ranger: During his final fight with Cavendish, the Lone Ranger wraps his whip around a tree and uses it to get yanked off the runaway railway car.
 Instant Knots / int_4a11fc06
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_4a11fc06
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 The Lone Ranger
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_4a11fc06
 Instant Knots / int_5022a2c4
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_5022a2c4
comment
Xena does this. Of course she has many skills.
 Instant Knots / int_5022a2c4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_5022a2c4
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1.0
 Xena: Warrior Princess
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_5022a2c4
 Instant Knots / int_61b6e496
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_61b6e496
comment
In Prehistoric Women, the captain of the Amazons who captures David neatly ties his hands together with a single flick of her whip.
 Instant Knots / int_61b6e496
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_61b6e496
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1.0
 Prehistoric Women
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_61b6e496
 Instant Knots / int_620204a7
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_620204a7
comment
Miho in Sin City does this when she uses her sash to wrap around the bumper of a moving car and hold on.
 Instant Knots / int_620204a7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_620204a7
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1.0
 Sin City (Comic Book)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_620204a7
 Instant Knots / int_6ac55ec7
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_6ac55ec7
comment
3.5 ed. Dungeons & Dragons included a spell called "Animate Rope" that would let you use a rope in this way (though not in combat); a very difficult use of the Use Rope skill allows you to do it without magic.
 Instant Knots / int_6ac55ec7
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_6ac55ec7
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 Dungeons & Dragons (Tabletop Game)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_6ac55ec7
 Instant Knots / int_72262aee
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_72262aee
comment
In season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Iroh wrapped a chain immovably around a flying boulder and redirected it. Oddly, when he swung at the smaller boulders, they shattered.
 Instant Knots / int_72262aee
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_72262aee
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1.0
 Avatar: The Last Airbender
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_72262aee
 Instant Knots / int_78702df2
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_78702df2
comment
Star Wars: A New Hope provides a rare thrown variation of the grappling hook method, where Luke manages to manually toss a Stormtrooper grapple line around an architectural detail so that it loops around and catches on the detail perfectly on his first try. The Force aside, Luke is at this point completely untrained for it. It helps that Luke's line has a grapple on the end so it can actually catch and anchor itself to the support beam he throws it around. Notably he doesn't retrieve the rope — he just unclips it from his belt and leaves it hanging there.
 Instant Knots / int_78702df2
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_78702df2
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 StarWarsANewHope
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_78702df2
 Instant Knots / int_78adac0b
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_78adac0b
comment
In The New Adventures of Zorro (1997) animated series, Zorro somehow manages to make a grappling hook go below someone's foot (while he's standing on the floor) and come back up to tie itself into a knot.
 Instant Knots / int_78adac0b
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_78adac0b
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1.0
 The New Adventures of Zorro (1997)
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Instant Knots / int_78adac0b
 Instant Knots / int_7db5e90f
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_7db5e90f
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In an issue of Lucky Luke, the right-hand man of a Hanging Judge prides himself on being able to fashion a noose out of a loose end of rope with a simple flick of the wrist. Luke himself demonstrates his own version near the end, making a lasso instead.
 Instant Knots / int_7db5e90f
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_7db5e90f
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 Lucky Luke (Comic Book)
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Instant Knots / int_7db5e90f
 Instant Knots / int_7fc78282
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_7fc78282
comment
Inverted in The Lord of the Rings. Sam's elven-made rope has to be knotted manually, but unties itself when commanded. (At least, that's what Sam thinks; Frodo blames a bad knot.)
 Instant Knots / int_7fc78282
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_7fc78282
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 The Lord of the Rings
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Instant Knots / int_7fc78282
 Instant Knots / int_8a339030
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_8a339030
comment
The same happened when they tested some of Indiana Jones' whip trickery. Adam was able to consistently get his bullwhip to wrap handily around the practice "tree branch" (actually a pipe). Getting it off again was the difficult part.
 Instant Knots / int_8a339030
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1.0
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 Indiana Jones (Franchise)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_8a339030
 Instant Knots / int_8c87469c
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_8c87469c
comment
And also in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Link's whip has some sort of weird magic bubble thingy at the end that sticks to things Link hits it with.
 Instant Knots / int_8c87469c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_8c87469c
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1.0
 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Video Game)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_8c87469c
 Instant Knots / int_8df07aaf
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_8df07aaf
comment
Linus from the various Peanuts animated features can grab objects by whipping his blanket at them.
 Instant Knots / int_8df07aaf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_8df07aaf
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1.0
 Peanuts (Franchise)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_8df07aaf
 Instant Knots / int_90b916ba
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_90b916ba
comment
This was not uncommon in Batman: The Animated Series. He usually used a grappling pistol, but any time he didn't, this trope was in effect. In fact, sometimes the grappling pistol itself would do this, wrapping around a flagpole or other object rather than embedding itself into or hooking onto something.
 Instant Knots / int_90b916ba
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_90b916ba
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 Batman: The Animated Series
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Instant Knots / int_90b916ba
 Instant Knots / int_9696c53b
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_9696c53b
comment
Ash does this with his belt to escape a pit at the start of Army of Darkness.
 Instant Knots / int_9696c53b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_9696c53b
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1.0
 Army of Darkness
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Instant Knots / int_9696c53b
 Instant Knots / int_996edf24
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_996edf24
comment
Wonder Woman's lasso can grip things securely, even when she's using it's magical properties and her speed to use it to pick up multiple items at a time with multiple ends by having it loop back on itself.
 Instant Knots / int_996edf24
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_996edf24
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1.0
 Wonder Woman (Franchise)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_996edf24
 Instant Knots / int_9e2f90f4
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_9e2f90f4
comment
Paulie of One Piece can produce ropes from Hammerspace and tie them around a target. He can even make them lash together into a net after he throws them.
 Instant Knots / int_9e2f90f4
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_9e2f90f4
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 One Piece (Manga)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_9e2f90f4
 Instant Knots / int_a183d57f
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_a183d57f
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Played for laughs in an episode of Futurama. Leela fires a grappling hook onto a roof, where it simply lands, not embedded or knotted around anything. However, since it's the future, the hook is also a robot, so it then walks like a spider over to a pipe, latches on securely, then gives the rope a couple of tugs to signal it's safe to climb.
 Instant Knots / int_a183d57f
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_a183d57f
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 Futurama
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_a183d57f
 Instant Knots / int_a2dee471
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_a2dee471
comment
Wind Waker does something similar, but with a hook instead. Still can't be that safe however...
That's a grappling hook pistol without the pistol. What doesn't make sense about it is that it can steal items from enemies. Necklaces they're wearing or carrying in their pockets, feathers, etc.
 Instant Knots / int_a2dee471
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_a2dee471
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1.0
 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Video Game)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_a2dee471
 Instant Knots / int_a5fbd473
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_a5fbd473
comment
Flint Lockwood does this with a large shrimp and strand of spaghetti in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
 Instant Knots / int_a5fbd473
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_a5fbd473
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1.0
 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_a5fbd473
 Instant Knots / int_a9b4d06a
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_a9b4d06a
comment
Done with a snake in Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos.
 Instant Knots / int_a9b4d06a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_a9b4d06a
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1.0
 Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_a9b4d06a
 Instant Knots / int_a9c126b5
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_a9c126b5
comment
Brawlhalla: Cassidy's neutral signature on grapple hammer involves a lasso. It will hit the opponent slightly close to her.
 Instant Knots / int_a9c126b5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_a9c126b5
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1.0
 Brawlhalla (Video Game)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_a9c126b5
 Instant Knots / int_ad20e006
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_ad20e006
comment
Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman could count on her magic lasso securely wrapping itself to whatever is handy when she needs to use it to scale a building. For example, she did this in "My Teenage Idol Is Missing" to scale a 20+ story building. Justified in that the comic books establish that she has mental control of the magic lasso. However, this is neither confirmed nor denied in the series.
 Instant Knots / int_ad20e006
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_ad20e006
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1.0
 Wonder Woman (1975)
hasFeature
Instant Knots / int_ad20e006
 Instant Knots / int_b88b182f
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_b88b182f
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The Dark Eye has a mage ritual, that allows to transform the wand into a rope (and back), which can tie/untie itself this way. As the one above, it's not suited to tie someone up.
 Instant Knots / int_b88b182f
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_b88b182f
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 The Dark Eye (Tabletop Game)
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Instant Knots / int_b88b182f
 Instant Knots / int_b9c9c9ff
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Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_b9c9c9ff
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Dil Se..: In the song and dance number, "Satrangi Re", Amar throws out his long black scarf, which whips around Meghna's waist so he can use it to reel her in.
 Instant Knots / int_b9c9c9ff
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_b9c9c9ff
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1.0
 Dil Se..
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Instant Knots / int_b9c9c9ff
 Instant Knots / int_beac6ffb
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_beac6ffb
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This is one of the attacks of Majora's Wrath in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
Slightly more plausible if those are tentacles, though.
 Instant Knots / int_beac6ffb
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_beac6ffb
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 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Video Game)
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Instant Knots / int_beac6ffb
 Instant Knots / int_bffd7add
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Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_bffd7add
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The Legend of Tarzan: Rom is able to do this with Madagascar spider silk rosary, getting it to wrap around and grapple whatever target he chooses; such as Jane's wrist during dinner, or Tarzan's throat during the final fight.
 Instant Knots / int_bffd7add
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1.0
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 The Legend of Tarzan
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Instant Knots / int_bffd7add
 Instant Knots / int_c4778e4b
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Instant Knots
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Oddly enough, in the attempt at the use of a vehicular grappling gun to turn tight corners, the Mythbusters crew repeatedly managed to get an "instant knot" out of their launcher as the grapple wrapped itself around the target beams.
The same happened when they tested some of Indiana Jones' whip trickery. Adam was able to consistently get his bullwhip to wrap handily around the practice "tree branch" (actually a pipe). Getting it off again was the difficult part.
 Instant Knots / int_c4778e4b
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_c4778e4b
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 MythBusters
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Instant Knots / int_c4778e4b
 Instant Knots / int_d27c007d
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Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_d27c007d
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Ryuko from Kill la Kill did this on a multiple occasions by tying thread from Senketsu around her Scissor Blade. This is probably Justified by the fact that Senketsu is made out of Life Fibers.
 Instant Knots / int_d27c007d
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_d27c007d
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 Kill la Kill
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Instant Knots / int_d27c007d
 Instant Knots / int_d9731e9e
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Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_d9731e9e
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Birdie of the Street Fighter comics traps Chun Li with a normal chain this way.
 Instant Knots / int_d9731e9e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_d9731e9e
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1.0
 Street Fighter (Comic Book)
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Instant Knots / int_d9731e9e
 Instant Knots / int_da448595
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_da448595
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Subverted in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Your whip seems to instantly curl around objects like you would expect of an action hero's, but really it has a snake head on the leading end that bites onto things instead.
And also in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Link's whip has some sort of weird magic bubble thingy at the end that sticks to things Link hits it with.
Wind Waker does something similar, but with a hook instead. Still can't be that safe however...
That's a grappling hook pistol without the pistol. What doesn't make sense about it is that it can steal items from enemies. Necklaces they're wearing or carrying in their pockets, feathers, etc.
 Instant Knots / int_da448595
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-0.3
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 The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Video Game)
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Instant Knots / int_da448595
 Instant Knots / int_e67a7d6c
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Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_e67a7d6c
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Makie from Negima! Magister Negi Magi can snag oranges with her rhythmic gymnastics ribbon, and it also ends up as part of her pactio.
 Instant Knots / int_e67a7d6c
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1.0
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 Negima! Magister Negi Magi (Manga)
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Instant Knots / int_e67a7d6c
 Instant Knots / int_e8595ff9
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Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_e8595ff9
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Rapunzel can do this with her hair in Tangled.
 Instant Knots / int_e8595ff9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_e8595ff9
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1.0
 Tangled
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Instant Knots / int_e8595ff9
 Instant Knots / int_f5b58f88
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_f5b58f88
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Catwoman can do this with her whip, either to swing from a high object or to immobilize an opponent.
 Instant Knots / int_f5b58f88
featureApplicability
1.0
 Instant Knots / int_f5b58f88
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 Catwoman (Comic Book)
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Instant Knots / int_f5b58f88
 Instant Knots / int_fe83990a
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_fe83990a
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This is a particular ability of the Andromeda Chain in Saint Seiya. Although candidates for the Andromeda Cloth are trained specifically to do this with ordinary iron chains, the Cloth's weapon is actually semi-sentient and has its own will, allowing it to obey its master's direct commands as well as wrap itself around objects on its own accord.
The Balrog, one of Hades' Specters, also has this ability with his whip. Which is very, very bad indeed for whoever is ensnared, because he tends to slice the target apart when he pulls the whip back.
 Instant Knots / int_fe83990a
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_fe83990a
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 Saint Seiya (Manga)
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Instant Knots / int_fe83990a
 Instant Knots / int_ff053e69
type
Instant Knots
 Instant Knots / int_ff053e69
comment
In The Bold Caballero, Zorro wraps his whip around the waist of a mounted soldier, where it immediately grips him like a lasso: allowing Zorro to yank him off and steal his horse.
 Instant Knots / int_ff053e69
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1.0
 Instant Knots / int_ff053e69
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 The Bold Caballero
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Instant Knots / int_ff053e69

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Instant Knots
processingCategory2
Action/Adventure Tropes
 Instant Knots
processingCategory2
Instant Tropes
 Instant Knots
processingCategory2
Weapons and Wielding Tropes
 RPG Metanoia (Animation) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Little Witch Academia (2017) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Empowered (Comic Book) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Sin City (Comic Book) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Bad Girls (1994) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Dil Se.. / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Ghost Rider (2007) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Prehistoric Women / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 The Bold Caballero / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 The Legend of Tarzan / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 The Lone Ranger (2013) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 The Touch / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Patsy
seeAlso
Instant Knots
 Wonder Woman (1975) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Fight Knight (Video Game) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Natamin's Big Adventure (Video Game) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Unravel (Video Game) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 A Path to Greater Good (Webcomic) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Tales of the Questor (Webcomic) / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots
 Tangled / int_637313ef
type
Instant Knots