...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Paper Tiger
- 555 statements
- 101 feature instances
- 157 referencing feature instances
| Paper Tiger | type |
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Paper Tiger | |
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| Paper Tiger | comment |
Sub-Trope of More than Meets the Eye. A character is not as tough as their physical appearance and/or personality suggests. Basically the opposite of Hidden Badass, though they can and oftentimes do go the route of the Cowardly Lion or the Cornered Rattlesnake. "Paper tiger" is a literal English translation of a Chinese phrase, meaning something that seems as threatening as a tiger, but in reality is harmless. This Chinese colloquialism is similar to the English phrase "its bark is worse than its bite". Which is not always a good thing. The phrase is an ancient one in Chinese culture, but sources differ as to when it entered the English vocabulary. It is found translated to English as early as 1836, in a work by John Francis Davis. |
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| Paper Tiger | fetched |
2024-03-22T20:30:32Z | |
| Paper Tiger | parsed |
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| Paper Tiger | processingComment |
Dropped link to AnticlimaxBoss: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
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Dropped link to TheDevilsInTheDetails: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
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Dropped link to TheEighties: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
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The Devil's in the details (Fanfic) | |
| Paper Tiger | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Paper Tiger / int_14cb9f30 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_14cb9f30 | comment |
A Bug's Life: The primary reason why the grasshoppers use scare tactics to keep the ants in line. The ants outnumber the grasshoppers by a significant margin and could run them off anytime. Sure enough, when they finally decide to fight back, the grasshoppers are sent flying for the hills, and had a rainstorm not occurred right as they were about to get rid of Hopper, his prediction would have been completely accurate. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_14cb9f30 | featureApplicability |
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| A Bug's Life | hasFeature |
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| Paper Tiger / int_17293dfa | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_17293dfa | comment |
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony: Miu Iruma, who delivers rude comments to everybody left and right, but immediately starts quivering the moment anyone shows even the slightest resistance. Of course, she's also a masochist who gets off on being insulted and verbally degraded, so it's highly possible that the whole reason she acts rude is to get people to be rude to her back. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_17293dfa | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_17293dfa | featureConfidence |
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| Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (Visual Novel) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_17293dfa | |
| Paper Tiger / int_18acb3a5 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_18acb3a5 | comment |
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Despite putting up an image of a tough guy from the hood, Will gets his ass handed to him quite often throughout the show. He even got knocked out by Carlton once while the latter had his hands glued to his head and on two occasions Geoffrey was able to physically overpower him. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_18acb3a5 | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_18acb3a5 | featureConfidence |
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| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | hasFeature |
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| Paper Tiger / int_193287c8 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_193287c8 | comment |
In Subnautica: Below Zero, this is the gimmick of the Cryptosuchus. This marine predator resembles an armored, paddle-footed dinosaur, its fearsome roars can be heard at an unnerving distance, and whenever it spots a potential meal or threat, it goes into a frenzy of snapping jaws. But the instant it faces any resistance, it turns tail and swims away, so you can fend one off with a nick from your basic survival knife. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_193287c8 | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_193287c8 | featureConfidence |
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| Subnautica (Video Game) | hasFeature |
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| Paper Tiger / int_1cf9029e | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_1cf9029e | comment |
DEATH BATTLE!; this is one of the deciding factors in determining a victor in "Hercule Satan vs. Dan Hibiki" (released after the One-Minute Melee example below). Despite both men being way out of their league in their respective canons, Mr. Satan can actually back up his talk as he's strong enough to pull four tour buses, punch through the side of one and tear three phonebooks in half in addition to being a legitimate World Tournament Champion who can – to the untrained eye – move fast enough to vanish from sight. Dan, however, cannot back up his talk as all of his attacks are pathetically weak and his one canonical win — against Sagat — was done out of pity to prevent him from continuing his suicidal Roaring Rampage of Revenge. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_1cf9029e | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_1cf9029e | featureConfidence |
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| DEATH BATTLE! (Web Animation) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_1cf9029e | |
| Paper Tiger / int_20948a39 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_20948a39 | comment |
From Tales of Monkey Island, Bugeye is a bald, tattooed pirate who disrespects the main character and generally talks tough. But once you need to get information out of him, you find that the slightest bit of pressure will make him squeal. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_20948a39 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_20948a39 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Tales of Monkey Island (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_20948a39 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_22126d33 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_22126d33 | comment |
Andor: For all her smugness, bullying, and willingness to order violence against civilians and enemies, when Deedra ends up actually in the field herself during the riot it swiftly becomes apparent that she's never actually been in a fight and is in fact a complete coward; her "contribution" to the battle is waving her blaster around ineptly while shaking crazily (apparently having a panic attack), then getting knocked down by a small rock to the head and nearly beaten to death by the same townsfolk she had been abusing, forcing Karn of all people to intercede and pull her to safety. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_22126d33 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_22126d33 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Andor | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_22126d33 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_225c51e0 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_225c51e0 | comment |
In The Naked Gun, one of the members of the council of evil calls America "a paper tiger." | |
| Paper Tiger / int_225c51e0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_225c51e0 | featureConfidence |
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| The Naked Gun | hasFeature |
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| Paper Tiger / int_247422c7 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_247422c7 | comment |
Honor Harrington: The Solarian League is the biggest, richest star nation in the galaxy, with the biggest navy... but the League is so feared that its navy hasn't fought a proper war in centuries at the beginning of the series, and so when it goes up against Manticore and Haven, two countries that have been fighting a Lensman Arms Race against each other in addition to their actual war, curb-stomping ensues. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_247422c7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_247422c7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Honor Harrington | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_247422c7 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_261c8d3f | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_261c8d3f | comment |
The Simpsons: Bart develops a crush on his new next-door neighbor Laura Powers. However, she instead falls for the bully Jimbo Jones. Bart sends a knife-wielding Moe Syzslak after Jimbo, who tearfully begs for his life, prompting Laura to break up with him, having exposed himself as a weakling. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_261c8d3f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_261c8d3f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Simpsons | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_261c8d3f | |
| Paper Tiger / int_298a47a9 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_298a47a9 | comment |
The nihilists in The Big Lebowski. Despite them appearing dangerous, threatening to cut off the Dude's "johnson" and cutting off a toe, they're completely useless in an actual fight, with Walter taking out all three of them effortlessly. They never even performed any of the ruthless crimes they claimed. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_298a47a9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_298a47a9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Big Lebowski | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_298a47a9 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_2c8f31bd | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_2c8f31bd | comment |
Dave from Dave the Barbarian. As the Theme Song states, he's "huge, but a wimp". | |
| Paper Tiger / int_2c8f31bd | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_2c8f31bd | featureConfidence |
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| Dave the Barbarian | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_2c8f31bd | |
| Paper Tiger / int_30b255fb | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_30b255fb | comment |
Supergirl: In "The Unknown Supergirl", Lesla-Lar was billed as Supergirl's first real nemesis; unfortunately, albeit she proves to be a cunning and manipulative schemer, she turns out to be a complete failure at face-to-face confrontations. In "The Girl with the X-Ray Mind" she is unable to defend herself when her would-be allies decide to obliterate her physical body; and in "Strangers at the Heart's Core", Lesla decides finally face Supergirl in person, and she loses so badly that her very soul is destroyed. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_30b255fb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_30b255fb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Supergirl (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_30b255fb | |
| Paper Tiger / int_31fe90d6 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_31fe90d6 | comment |
In Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars, the Wozzle, supposedly a powerful monster, keeps the residents of Waka-waka in line through fear alone. When Leonard and Alan investigate they find that the worst thing it has ever done is kick someone in the bottom. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_31fe90d6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_31fe90d6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_31fe90d6 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_33d31677 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_33d31677 | comment |
Dune: Part Two: Rabban "the Beast" Harkonnen is a brutal and imposing figure but he can't handle the pressure of an actual skilled and intelligent opponent. He completely fails to stop the Fremen attacks once Paul begins organizing them and his one attempt to personally lead a counter-attack ends with his force routing while Rabban himself runs in terror without every engaging a single opponent. Even in the final battle, he tries to run away rather than fight to the end. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_33d31677 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_33d31677 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Dune: Part Two | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_33d31677 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_355f992 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_355f992 | comment |
The Shawshank Redemption: Byron Hadley is an abusive prison guard who beats a helpless, terrified inmate to death. However, when he was dragged off to prison for his crimes, he apparently broke down and cried. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_355f992 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_355f992 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Shawshank Redemption | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_355f992 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_36ee2abe | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_36ee2abe | comment |
Paranoia supplement Acute Paranoia, adventure "The Harder They Clone". The doorman at a nightclub looks like a character in The Road Warrior: huge, black leather tunic, rippling muscles, and scars. It turns out the PCs can easily kill him since he's unarmed and unarmored. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_36ee2abe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_36ee2abe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Paranoia (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_36ee2abe | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3aeb1c75 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3aeb1c75 | comment |
Dragon Ball: In the English Funimation dub, Super Buu calls Vegito exactly this during their fight. He is very much mistaken though. Zigzagged with Mark Satan/Hercule. For an ordinary human, he is quite skilled. However, he is horribly weak compared to the monsters in Z. That doesn't stop him from boasting about his strength and challenging the likes of Cell and Buu, both beings so powerful that they can kill him without even looking at him. Satan is also dismissive of the previous champion, Goku, calling him a paper tiger more or less. Still, Mr. Satan has the heart of a true hero, if nothing else. In the original Dragon Ball, Oolong uses his transformation magic to intimidate people in his first appearance, but as he himself notes using transformation magic to become a powerful monster doesn't give you the abilities of that monster. Dragon Ball GT: Zoonama intimidates a nearby town by claiming he could cause earthquakes when in reality he only had the ability to predict them. Vegeta becomes a downplayed example in the Freeza saga. He constantly brags about being a Super Saiyan, and while he is the strongest fighter not named Goku or Freeza, he stands no chance when he fights Freeza himself. |
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| Paper Tiger / int_3aeb1c75 | featureApplicability |
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| Dragon Ball (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_3aeb1c75 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3b34143f | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3b34143f | comment |
Harry Potter: Dudley pretends to be tough in front of his friends, but when they're not around, he throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. By Order of the Phoenix, he gains quite a bit of muscle after having to go on a diet, but he uses it to beat up little kids. Draco Malfoy is easily bested in fist fights by Hermione and tried to have Buckbeak executed for scratching him. It gets Played for Drama in Half-Blood Prince when he is ordered to kill Dumbledore, but he has cold feet and starts crying. |
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| Paper Tiger / int_3b34143f | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_3b34143f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Harry Potter | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_3b34143f | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3cdcd366 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3cdcd366 | comment |
The Avengers (Jonathan Hickman): The Builders ultimately prove to be this. Despite their extremely advanced technology, physically they're quite weak and rely on their Alephs and Gardeners to fight actual enemies. This is highlighted by what happens when the Avengers personally meet one for the first time; after he goes on an arrogant rant about how superior his kind are and how humanity deserves to die, Thor casually kills the Builder with two hits and the Avengers proceed to easily rip apart the ships and soldiers that accompanied him. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3cdcd366 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3cdcd366 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Avengers (Jonathan Hickman) (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_3cdcd366 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3e8c09b9 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3e8c09b9 | comment |
The Military Police Brigade in Attack on Titan only accept the top ten recruits of each trainee class so their members are inherently the best and brightest the military has to offer. But their tendency to neglect their training and serious duties has left them the least capable branch and Jean noted when on a mission to save the captured Eren that its members are easily devoured. In comparison, the Survey Corps and the Garrison are more experienced and prepared to fight Titans. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3e8c09b9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_3e8c09b9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Attack on Titan (Manga) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_3e8c09b9 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_400469e | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_400469e | comment |
Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin comes across the term in a book he's reading for homework and asks his tiger Hobbes what the definition is. Hobbes responds that it's a tiger with a newspaper route, much like a paperboy. One Beat Panel later: | |
| Paper Tiger / int_400469e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_400469e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Calvin and Hobbes (Comic Strip) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_400469e | |
| Paper Tiger / int_4100139d | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_4100139d | comment |
In Honoka's Bizarre Adventure, when Honoka and the others offer Nico to join µ's and become the idols she dreamed to be, Nico's sentient Stand Circus refuses as she doesn't want Nico to betrayed like in her First Year, and only considering when Honoka offers to battle with her Stand All Star to prove her determination. Despite Circus's boast of how strong she is, her long range whip (which feels like light stings on All Star), and how versatile her attention control is, once Honoka figures out her ability she takes Circus down in a single punch. Regardless, Honoka is able to prove her determination to become an idol to both Nico and Circus, letting Nico join as their seventh member. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_4100139d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_4100139d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Honoka's Bizarre Adventure (Fanfic) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_4100139d | |
| Paper Tiger / int_432e5c6f | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_432e5c6f | comment |
D an G from Part 6 is introduced as a tough-looking prisoner with a calm, analytical mind laser-focused on his goal to assassinate Jolyne. All this goes out of the window when he falls for Anasui's trap and gets his left arm impaled by Guccio's ribs, turning him into a snivelling wreck crying out for his mother. He proceeds to spend the rest of the arc unconscious while his Automatic Stand Yo-Yo Ma does the fighting for him. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_432e5c6f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_432e5c6f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (Manga) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_432e5c6f | |
| Paper Tiger / int_45854dfc | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_45854dfc | comment |
The Federation's military in Starship Troopers is brutally xenophobic and gung-ho but also spectacularly incompetent. Their first assault on Klendathu turns into a panicked rout after only a few casualties. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_45854dfc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_45854dfc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Starship Troopers | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_45854dfc | |
| Paper Tiger / int_472fc43a | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_472fc43a | comment |
Deliverance: Lewis is an outdoorsman who keeps talking about the inevitable fall of society and how he'll be prepared for it, but it's clear he's nowhere near as good a survivalist as he fancies himself to be, taking his friends out canoeing on the river without checking if it was safe first and even after being warned by a local that it was dangerous. Indeed, he becomes completely useless after he ends up breaking his leg, leaving Ed, who has some experience in the outdoors but isn't as obsessed with it as Lewis, to take care of the rest of the group and proving himself to be far more capable than Lewis. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_472fc43a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_472fc43a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Deliverance | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_472fc43a | |
| Paper Tiger / int_483044b3 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_483044b3 | comment |
In Gundam Build Fighters Try, the Gundam Tryon 3, a Double Zeta Gundam made up to be like a Super Robot, was declared this by its first opponent in the Gunpla Battle Nationals. It easily proved it wasn't. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_483044b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_483044b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Gundam Build Fighters Try | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_483044b3 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_492dc64c | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_492dc64c | comment |
In For Love of Magic, when Harry's girlfriends (Tonks, Luna, and Fleur) face Bellatrix in combat, they realize that she's not nearly as dangerous as she's portrayed. While Bellatrix is remarkably fast, her reputation as Voldemort's most dangerous follower is due to her cruelty rather than her power or skill. As a result, the three take her out without much trouble. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_492dc64c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_492dc64c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| For Love of Magic (Fanfic) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_492dc64c | |
| Paper Tiger / int_4b434423 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_4b434423 | comment |
In Pokémon Sword and Shield, one potential Pokemon that can appear in Max Raid Battles is Shedinja. Dynamax Shedinja starts off the battle by putting up an eight-bar barrier, the largest barrier any Raid Boss in the game has (even more than Dynamax Mewtwo when it was around)... but even as a Max Raid Boss, one hit is enough to take Shedinja out. As for the franchise as a whole, Onix fits squarely in this trope. It is one of the largest Pokémon, and has an imposing appearance and sky-high Defense stat. However, all of its other stats are horrible (except for its speed, which is passable but nothing to write home about), so it can't do much damage and any competent Grass or Water-type can brush it under the rug. Most villain team mooks despite their numbers, outfits and themes tend to pose little to no threat or challenge to the player (invariably a child just starting their journey) or pretty much any halfway competent trainer, and can only get anything done through either its admins, legendary Pokémon or overwhelming numbers. Team Skull in universe are noted to be an annoyance filled with weak trainers, despite their threatening demeanor. |
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| Paper Tiger / int_4b434423 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_4b434423 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pokémon Sword and Shield (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_4b434423 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_54beed92 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_54beed92 | comment |
Tetris (2023): Robert Maxwell turns out to be one. He is broke and doesn't actually have any money left to buy Tetris, attempting to pay in book royalties instead. He makes one last desperate bribe to Valentin, the head KGB agent, to apprehend Henk and stop the deal, but he fails to do so and the Tetris deal falls through. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_54beed92 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_54beed92 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Tetris (2023) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_54beed92 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_5510cefb | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_5510cefb | comment |
King of One-Punch Man fame. In addition to inadvertently taking credit for the actions of the protagonist (meaning people think he can kill giant monsters with one punch), his always stoic expression and Rugged Scar make him so intimidating that not even the S-ranked heroes dare to get on his bad side. But really he's just a powerless Otaku who's scared out of his wits. | |
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| Paper Tiger / int_5510cefb | featureConfidence |
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Paper Tiger / int_5510cefb | |
| Paper Tiger / int_56b09616 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_56b09616 | comment |
Referenced in Carmen Sandiego: In "The Chasing Paper Caper", during their first fight, Paper Star calls Carmen a "paper tiger" (as one of many paper-related puns used in the episode). In subsequent fights, Carmen proves more than capable of taking Paper Star on. | |
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Paper Tiger / int_56b09616 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_63230cb | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_63230cb | comment |
In Dragon Ball Z Abridged, when Vegeta and Freeza start fighting, the latter scoffs at the former's power, claiming that it was "a paper tiger against a storm". | |
| Paper Tiger / int_63230cb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_63230cb | featureConfidence |
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| Dragon Ball Z Abridged (Web Video) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_63230cb | |
| Paper Tiger / int_671d5c19 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_671d5c19 | comment |
Major Man from The Powerpuff Girls (1998). He's hugely muscular and has all the standard superpowers, but he's also a super fraud who uses Engineered Heroics to win over the citizens of Townsville. As such, he's reduced to a quivering wreck when put against a real threat that he didn't orchestrate. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_671d5c19 | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_671d5c19 | featureConfidence |
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| The Powerpuff Girls (1998) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_671d5c19 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6a4c8f1b | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6a4c8f1b | comment |
One-Punch Man: King, the fourth-strongest hero (his rank was given on the basis of singlehandedly defeating several high-tier enemies), an unflappable giant who only needs to show up to terrify lesser monsters with his Death Glare (augmented by a triple scar over his eye) and Badass Arm-Fold, assuming they didn't hear the unceasing pounding of the King Engine and run away. His Power Level caused the recording device to fail (like Saitama's and a nonpowered guy). On top of all that, he's an awesome gamer, once defeating 30 opponents in a row including a former pro gamer. He's a completely normal person who simply happened to be nearby when Saitama destroyed said high-tier enemies and was thought to be the winner (as Saitama hadn't registered with the Hero Association yet). His frozen expression comes from it being the only way he can prevent himself from displaying the pants-wetting terror he feels, keeps his arms crossed because he doesn't know what to do with them, and the "King Engine" is just his unusually-loud heartbeat (in the anime, represented by big drums), which is always beating in panic because he's well aware of how easily he could be found out. The power-measuring device fails when the levels are too high and too low, the designer just misattributed the cause in his and Saitama's case. He is legitimately a very good gamer though (as he spends his free time doing nothing but playing), and has at least enough courage to agree to bait a monster into attacking him (with Saitama in ambush). | |
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Paper Tiger / int_6a4c8f1b | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6ac55ec7 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6ac55ec7 | comment |
In the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition module Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, there's an NPC who, if he's killed when first encountered, can later be encountered in Hell after he's been transformed into a high-ranking type of Devil. However, if the players attack him he won't actually put up any fight at all due to being an abject coward, even though a Devil of his type would ordinarily be an extremely dangerous opponent. | |
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| Paper Tiger / int_6ac55ec7 | featureConfidence |
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| Dungeons & Dragons (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_6ac55ec7 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6c3c2216 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6c3c2216 | comment |
From Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Nick Dean. He's the ultimate cool dude, the girls all dig him, and he's supposed to be tough. His part of the plan is to take care of the Yolkians' main deity, Poultra, while the others rescue their parents. One look at his competition, though, and he Screams Like a Little Girlnote though considering what he was going up against, who could blame him?. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6c3c2216 | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_6c3c2216 | featureConfidence |
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| Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_6c3c2216 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6caf3c3d | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6caf3c3d | comment |
The Sanity Circus: Steven is one of a race seemingly created to combat the Scarecrows, and after the skill shown by Luther already it seems that he is just as talented himself. He certainly has no trouble painting himself as the best thing under the Sun. However, when he finally comes face-to-face with Posey, he freezes on the spot before turning and running for his life, abandoning Fletch and Attley. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6caf3c3d | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_6caf3c3d | featureConfidence |
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| The Sanity Circus (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_6caf3c3d | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6d6b13e2 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6d6b13e2 | comment |
The Ultimate Fighter: Occasionally a fighter will look very formidable in the gym, or at least talk a good game, only for him to completely underperform during his fight. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6d6b13e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6d6b13e2 | featureConfidence |
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| The Ultimate Fighter | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_6d6b13e2 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6eb4ca5c | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6eb4ca5c | comment |
In Jackie Chan Adventures Tohru calls Hak Foo this in the laters debut apperance but is Instantly Proven Wrong . However the trio of dark hand mooks have a menacing front but go down quickly, even when enhanced into Dark Chi Warriors. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6eb4ca5c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_6eb4ca5c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Jackie Chan Adventures | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_6eb4ca5c | |
| Paper Tiger / int_72262aee | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_72262aee | comment |
In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Hakoda tries to pick a fight with a tough-looking prison inmate by shoving him, but instead of fighting back, the inmate says "that hurt my feelings!" Averted a few minutes later when someone starts a prison riot, causing that same inmate to scream "Forget controlling my anger!" and rush out to fight with everybody else. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_72262aee | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_72262aee | featureConfidence |
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| Avatar: The Last Airbender | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_72262aee | |
| Paper Tiger / int_77184a72 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_77184a72 | comment |
Victorious: Jade constantly tries to appear tough and hardcore. She has no problem pushing other people around. However, whenever there's real danger, she either bolts or bluffs. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_77184a72 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_77184a72 | featureConfidence |
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| Victorious | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_77184a72 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7ac38ec4 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7ac38ec4 | comment |
Rebuild World: Discussed. Sibea, the slum lord who Akira kills in self-defense near the beginning and installs Sheryl to replace, is noted by public opinion to have been this, only good for waving guns around, in comparison with the very deadly and ruthless Akira who quickly becomes The Dreaded in his place. A while later a Knowledge Broker spreads rumors that Akira is this for letting himself get pickpocketed. This torments him and drives him as a Slave to PR to get revenge on said pickpocket. When this rumor causes some hunters to think Akira guarding Sheryl's relic shop means it’s easy pickings for robbery, Akira defeating them ends the rumor. We eventually find out that a certain character has been this. The Rival Katsuya. In Akira’s final showdown with him, Akira is exhausted with one arm blown off, and no support from Alpha, while Katsuya has a squad at his back, and Akira still wins. The reason people thought Katsuya was strong was his unconscious More than Mind Control from being an Old World Connector. |
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| Paper Tiger / int_7ac38ec4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7ac38ec4 | featureConfidence |
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| Rebuild World | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_7ac38ec4 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7d1eede5 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7d1eede5 | comment |
In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the press corps call Jefferson Smith a "paper tiger" to his face, telling him that he was only appointed to fill a seat in the Senate and vote the way Senator Payne wants him to, which chafes the idealistic young senator. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7d1eede5 | featureApplicability |
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| Paper Tiger / int_7d1eede5 | featureConfidence |
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Paper Tiger / int_7d1eede5 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7df661c5 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7df661c5 | comment |
In No Straight Roads, DK West is a smart, charismatic, and hardworking fellow who folds and flees when his self-image is threatened. Also exemplified in his boss fight, as the shadow puppet he conjures is a giant, sinister-looking bull shadow that can't hurt you at all, even if you miss its weak point, and curls up into a ball when damaged enough. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7df661c5 | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_7df661c5 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7e7124af | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7e7124af | comment |
The second Monarch in Persona 5 Strikers is author Ango Natsume. He is famous in Sendai for his best selling light novel "Prince of Nightmares", which features an Isekai Demon King as the Villain Protagonist. In the Metaverse, Ango's Jail follows the plot of his book and his Shadow takes the role of the imposing Demon King whose "final form" is a gargantuan golden Dragon Knight. As the battle goes on though, the boss' armor is destroyed, showing him to be a rather skinny dragon whose wings are made out of papier-mâché. After Shadow Natsume's defeat, it's revealed the reason of why he didn't move at all during his previous face-off with the Phantom Thieves is because his armor is actually just a cardboard cutout. With the gig up, Shadow Natsume finally breaks down, admitting he's a shameless plagiarist who made his Cliché Storm of a novel out of a mishmash of quotes from other books and video games and used the Metaverse to brainwash people into loving his work. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7e7124af | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_7e7124af | featureConfidence |
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| Persona 5 Strikers (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_7e7124af | |
| Paper Tiger / int_864a7357 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_864a7357 | comment |
The Greenskins in Total War: Warhammer are Blood Knights to the extreme and have generally great combat stats but their leadership is generally awful, meaning that they will turn and run when the scrap doesn't go well. Fighting might be fun but losing sure isn't, and they are not a species widely known for their discipline or martial training. As such, they are a common threat in the game, but weathering the Greenskins' initial charge typically means you've won half the battle already. The Warriors of Chaos also have a problem with low leadership and mass routs (or at least the underlings do), ironic as they are such a powerful and terrifying force. Justified in that the Warriors of Chaos are utterly individualistic and each warrior in a Chaos horde is only out for their own individual glory; a Chaos warlord can only bring these warriors together under him by convincing them he is favoured by the Dark Gods, and if he is killed in battle then the warriors under him take it as a sign that they have offended the fickle gods somehow and their convictions melt away like snow in midsummer. |
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| Paper Tiger / int_864a7357 | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_864a7357 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8877cc89 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8877cc89 | comment |
It (2017): Pennywise/IT is really good at acting or looking scary, but IT’s only really dangerous if you’re actually afraid. IT feeds on fear and any other emotion repels it, so if you’re not scared or even just fight through the fear, IT’s a total pushover. When the kids overcome their fear and start beating IT up, IT breaks down crying like a pathetic loser and runs away into the sewers. Henry Bowers is an older and taller bully backed up by loyal thugs, so he easily puts a scare into the Losers. However, after he tries to shoot a cat, his father intervenes by taking the gun and firing several rounds to humiliate him in front of his friends and demonstrate how quickly Henry will fold in the face of someone who's not already scared of him. |
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| It (2017) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_8877cc89 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8966a34 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8966a34 | comment |
Medabots features Banisher. Looks badass, sounds badass, decked out with cool weapons, and in general gives off an Implacable Man vibe. Too bad his weapons and tactics are expressly designed for counterattacks only, not to mention his armor being next to useless. In their first battle, Metabee ends up taking him down with a single shot, as Banisher had to wait for Metabee to make the first move and didn't expect him to have such a strong gun. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8966a34 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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Paper Tiger / int_8966a34 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8f01ede8 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8f01ede8 | comment |
Played for laughs in 1 Minute Melee where Joke Characters Hercule/Mr. Satan from Dragon Ball Z and Dan Hibiki from Street Fighter get into a confrontation. Both are unsure if they could take the other guy, but both also don't want to have to back down and have their reputation destroyed. The result is two paper tigers egging each other on and trying to out-bluff each other until they have no choice but to fight it out. Enjoy. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8f01ede8 | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_8f01ede8 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8f25225c | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_8f25225c | comment |
Danganronpa: Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair: Hiyoko Saionji, who relentlessly bullies Mikan and never goes a day without making a rude comment to her other classmates. However, whenever people verbally retaliate against her, she starts crying and hides behind Mahiru. Though this may be less Paper Tiger and more Wounded Gazelle Gambit, since Hiyoko looks about 5 years younger than she actually is and is well aware that she can easily get away with acting like a horrible bitch because of it. Gundham Tanaka, Card-Carrying Villain and self-proclaimed "Supreme Overlord of Ice", who grandiosely threatens anyone who mocks him... and that's all he does. He's not even a Big Bad Wannabe, because he does absolutely nothing villainous until the fourth chapter, and even then the other characters doubt his actions were maliciously motivated. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony: Miu Iruma, who delivers rude comments to everybody left and right, but immediately starts quivering the moment anyone shows even the slightest resistance. Of course, she's also a masochist who gets off on being insulted and verbally degraded, so it's highly possible that the whole reason she acts rude is to get people to be rude to her back. |
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| Paper Tiger / int_8f25225c | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_8f25225c | |
| Paper Tiger / int_90e2f673 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_90e2f673 | comment |
BattleTech has the Arbiter, a delberately oversized Industrial 'Mech that's been reworked into a combat machine. It's notably physically larger than it actually weighs—the design scans like a 60 ton heavy 'Mech, but in reality it's a 35-ton machine. And what looks like a 'Mech-killing Autocannon-20 in its arm is actually a mundane and very low-tech rifled tank cannon, the sort of thing carried on real-world tanks from 1960 (and thus underpowered by the standards of the setting). This is somewhat akin to placing a flimsy replica shell of a tank on a tractor and equipping it with a black-powder rifle. The upside to the Arbiter is that it's cheap to build and easy to maintain, so they can be bought by people who want to fend of small-time pirates and other problems which can be solved with sufficient intimidation. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_90e2f673 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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Paper Tiger / int_90e2f673 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_91f0110a | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_91f0110a | comment |
In Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere, UPEO itself is regarded as one of these, especially highlighted in the mission "Paper Tiger". To further push the point, their planes are obsolete hand-me-downs from both General Resource and Neucom, which are the only things making them anywhere near a relevant military force that can keep the two corporations in check. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_91f0110a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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| Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_91f0110a | |
| Paper Tiger / int_95bf4d02 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_95bf4d02 | comment |
Downplayed in Fate/Starry Night. Ritsuka summons a Shadow Servant of Scáthach when he is about to get speared through the chest by Lancer. The sight of his mentor freezes the Child of Light in his tracks, especially since she's dual-wielding Gáe Bolgs. But he quickly realizes that this construct lacks the overwhelming bloodlust of his mentor, and while it puts up a fight against him, Cú dispatches it relatively easily. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_95bf4d02 | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_95bf4d02 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_99e49e94 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_99e49e94 | comment |
In Bug Fables, Wasp King's right-hand man General Ultimax is a big bulky hornet, who looks stronger and more intimidating than his wasp soldiers. However, he's actually a cowardly wimp who, without troops or tank to support him, goes down fast, and his only method of direct attacking is a barrage of slaps which can be easily blocked for no damage. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_99e49e94 | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_99e49e94 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9d2129ab | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9d2129ab | comment |
The Great Silence: While the bandit Miguel is a well-meaning tragic victim, he is also a blusterer without much real fight in him. He is introduced shooting the last of some bounty hunters Silence shot it out with, only to be told that the man's injuries would have kept him from hurting Silence anyway. Then, Miguel makes a speech about how miserable hiding in the mountains is and how the bandits are former soldiers who should fight the bounty hunters themselves, but when this gets little supports, he decides to turn himself in rather than fight or stay hiding. And when the men he turns himself in to prepare to kill him, he tries to run rather than fight back. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9d2129ab | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_9d2129ab | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9d37d7c5 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9d37d7c5 | comment |
Hitman (1993): Tommy finds himself being targeted by a skilled gunman who's the son of a master assassin who was the only man Tommy truly feared and who he defeated by just sheer luck. Tommy sees the kid on video at gun ranges, not even looking at the targets yet hitting the bulls-eye every time and knows he's in trouble. In a big battle, the kid gets the drop on Tommy, gun pointed at his head, absolutely no way he can miss, smirking as he pulls the trigger... Click. He's forgotten to remove the safety. It hits Tommy that this guy was only shown firing at paper targets and the reality is that he's never shot a real person in his life and was using his father's fame to make himself look more fearsome. Tommy just grins as he empties his own clip in the punk's face. | |
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Paper Tiger / int_9d37d7c5 | |
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Paper Tiger | |
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In A Song of Ice and Fire, the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms is still technically the ruler of the entire Westerosi continent, even though it no longer possesses the dragons that gave it its power. In practice, however, the Throne only directly controls the Crownlands, with the other eight kingdoms (the Seven Kingdoms actually consist of nine kingdoms) ruled by powerful vassals known as Lord Paramounts who are nearly as powerful as the Throne individually. Should any of the Lord Paramounts rebel, the Throne is then faced with an equal foe that it must enlist the aid of the other Paramounts to quickly put down. However, there's a high chance that the Paramounts will just drag their feet and leave the Throne to its fate, as aside from personal loyalty and the possibility of punishment should the Throne manages to win, there's really nothing forcing the Paramounts to actually do their job (after all, who's going to make them do their job? The other Paramounts who can also refuse to do their jobs?). This is best seen during Robert's Rebellion, an event during which the reigning king managed to piss off 3 (out of 8) Lord Paramounts at once and push them to war. On paper, the Crown had 6 loyalist kingdoms against 3 rebels. In practice, only 2 bothered to help the king, with the rest either flipping sides to the rebels or dragging their feet until a clear victor emerged near the end. As a result, the Crown got absolutely destroyed despite vastly outnumbering the rebels on paper. Due to this immense power the Paramounts wield, many of them know their king is powerless and can overrule him, such as Lord Tywin Lannister bossing his king Joffrey around and even having him fed sleeping pills so he can do his job in peace. | |
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Paper Tiger / int_9d47a2a2 | |
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Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9dc7a18d | comment |
In Minion, Count Antonie's vampiric powers make it nigh-impossible to kill him...but merely beating him up is dead easy. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9dc7a18d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9dc7a18d | featureConfidence |
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| Minion (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Paper Tiger / int_9dc7a18d | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9e2f90f4 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9e2f90f4 | comment |
One Piece: Bellamy the Hyena bullies other pirates on the island of Jaya and has spring-based powers with enough concussive force to destroy buildings. Protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his first mate Roronoa Zoro let themselves get beat up by Bellamy, under the idea that he has not wronged them. Once he does, however, Luffy challenges him, and Bellamy gets stopped cold with a single punch. While Bellamy was strong, Luffy and Zoro were way out of his league, and he ignored all evidence to the contrary. This includes finding both Luffy and Zoro's wanted posters, and then immediately dismissing them as fakes, despite the fact that their bounties were both much higher than his own. The fake Straw Hats, who talk a good game while nobody sees through their ruse, but when it comes time to back up all that talk, they fall apart even faster than the crews they'd hoodwinked; Luffy knocks out all but one of them with a single Conqueror's Haki punch. Judge Vinsmoke, ruler of Germa 66 and Sanji's father, constantly boasts about himself and his family's power while spouting his Social Darwinist ideals... until his own back ends up against the wall, at which point he turns into a blubbering loser begging for somebody to save him. And when Sanji fights him, the mighty and unstoppable Judge has to cheat outrageously to win, including using Human Shields. To really put how weak he is in perspective, he lives in a World of Badass where countless people are capable of superhuman feats through pure strength and skill.... and yet for all his boasting, he relies entirely on an advanced suit to do anything close to being impressive. |
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Paper Tiger / int_9e2f90f4 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9e96f109 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_9e96f109 | comment |
In The Paper Tigers, the Three Tigers are this by the events of the movie. While they were the best in their prime, by the time the movie begins, they are all middle-aged, out of practice, and out of shape. Danny has become afraid of confrontation and has trouble focusing, Hing has gained weight and has a leg injury, and while Jim is the most physically capable, his skill has atrophied. | |
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Paper Tiger / int_9e96f109 | |
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Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_a2c7e6ce | comment |
The house robots from Robot Wars were imposing in stature, had fearsome designs, and were hyped up as terrifyingly powerful death machines. However, not all of them were all that much more powerful than the average contestant: Sir Killalot's drill-lance lacked the piercing power to do any damage and was only really useful for picking disabled opponents up (something which occasionally ended up with Killalot faceplanting from the weight of the opponent). On the plus side, at least his claw was quite powerful. Dead Metal's buzzsaw, while emitting impressive showers of sparks, rarely amounted to any serious damage. Matilda was one of the worst examples back when she had a chainsaw for a tail. Despite her dinosaur-like form and Glowing Eyes of Doom she was next to harmless, especially as robot armors became too tough for the chainsaw to even scratch. The producers eventually allowed Razer to utterly mangle Matilda during a match and used it as a pretext to upgrade her with a very powerful flywheel which took her soundly out of Paper Tiger territory. Sgt. Bash had two weapons, neither of them useful: a pincer which was not as powerful as Killalot's and a flamethrower which never really did anything aside from constantly setting Diotoir's fur on fire. |
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Shine from J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai is a mysterious alien conqueror behind CRIME. It turns out that the scary alien form he appears as is only an illusion. His true form is a small electronic sphere that is easily killed. | |
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JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Dio Brando starts off as this before using the Stone Mask. As a kid, he often beats up and humiliates Jonathan, but Jonathan is too timid to stand up to him. The final straw is when Dio forcefully kisses his girlfriend, Erina, and then attacks her for immediately washing her mouth out with a muddy puddle. When Jonathan finds out, he finally fights back and makes Dio cry. After the Stone Mask turns him into a vampire, though, this is averted, with extreme prejudice. Telence T. D'Arby from Part 3 is revealed to be this compared to his brother Daniel. Both have the power to steal people's souls if they defeat their opponents in a game, but the former also has the ability to read the opponent's mind by asking yes-or-no questions. However, when the heroes manage to circumvent their tactics, Daniel just keeps playing and tries different tactics, while Telence becomes so demoralized by his repeated failures that his own Stand automatically releases the soul that he captured. One villain of the week is introduced with his Stand menacing the good guys with The Power of the Sun, boasting the ability to massively heat up the environment and fire off deadly lasers. They can't even see him, as The Sun looms over them like a seemingly invincible menace. Then Jotaro figures out his location, throws a rock in that direction, and... The Sun promptly goes out. It turns out that The Sun's wielder was a tubby guy sitting behind a mirror in an air-conditioned car, and that one thrown rock knocked him out. According to Araki, the whole joke was creating a Stand-user that seemed like he'd be a multi-chapter Climax Boss, and then he ends up defeated the week after his introduction, to the point that the main characters never even learn his name. D an G from Part 6 is introduced as a tough-looking prisoner with a calm, analytical mind laser-focused on his goal to assassinate Jolyne. All this goes out of the window when he falls for Anasui's trap and gets his left arm impaled by Guccio's ribs, turning him into a snivelling wreck crying out for his mother. He proceeds to spend the rest of the arc unconscious while his Automatic Stand Yo-Yo Ma does the fighting for him. |
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hololive: V-tuber Calliope Mori is The Grim Reaper (technically an apprentice under The Grim Reaper, but still). She likes to wear a leather cape with Spikes of Villainy all over, carries a massive scythe, typically tries to put up a tough front, and her debut rap is a profanity-laden piece about how much she loves killing people. She is also preciously awkward, is plagued by self-esteem issues, succumbs to Cuteness Proximity over cats, gets flustered to the point of near-tears when she receives high donations, doesn't know how kazoos work, has technology go to hell in a handbasket around her, and, almost insultingly, tends to be the first to die when the group plays multiplayer games. | |
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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Downplayed by Demon Lord Clayman. He's not weak by any measure, but compared to the other Demon Lords he's nothing special power-wise and even one of the weakest, mostly relying on his cunning and manipulations to be a threat. And despite having an intimidating-looking One-Winged Angel form, he's acknowledged as the weakest of the Moderate Clown Troupe that was chosen to be the Demon Lord candidate for said smarts rather than power, with this even being something of a complex for him since monsters are such firm believers of Asskicking Leads to Leadership. | |
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Netflix's Stranger Things has Angela, a girl who ruthlessly bullies El, but cannot take what she dishes out. When El smashes her face with a roller skate, Angela loses her smug demeanor and collapses into tears. | |
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El Goonish Shive: As a result of her heritage as a descendant of Pandora, Diane has an innate affinity for spells related to magical weapons, the bane of aberrations. However, she has yet to be given a Power Tattoo, and thus does not currently have any spells. When Nanase expresses fear that Diane's affinity will make her a target for aberrations seeking to eliminate a potential threat, Mr. Verres points out that while most aberrations get spells to detect those with an affinity for weapon-summoning, only a few can tell the difference between the potential for an affinity and the ability to cast spells relating to it. The rest will steer clear of Diane since they have no way of knowing that she isn't actually a threat to them yet. | |
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In We Happy Few, while breaking into the military camp, Arthur jumps onto one of the tanks the Germans left behind... and crashes straight through it. Turns out the tanks are made of papier-mâché, and that the Wellies sacrificing their children to the Germans to avoid their wrath was All for Nothing. | |
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Sir Prancelot of Scufflewick from Drakensang: he wears full plate armor, has a cool winged helmet, and wields a large two-handed sword. He's also a complete wimp who won't admit his failures and runs away from goblins. | |
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"Mickey Mouse and the Sword of Ice": The Prince of Fogs's magic is vulnerable to simply voicing disbelief, and he runs on the fear he accrued back when he still had his body and his magic was far more powerful. Goofy stumbling on his weakness makes him react with horror. | |
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Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair: Hiyoko Saionji, who relentlessly bullies Mikan and never goes a day without making a rude comment to her other classmates. However, whenever people verbally retaliate against her, she starts crying and hides behind Mahiru. Though this may be less Paper Tiger and more Wounded Gazelle Gambit, since Hiyoko looks about 5 years younger than she actually is and is well aware that she can easily get away with acting like a horrible bitch because of it. Gundham Tanaka, Card-Carrying Villain and self-proclaimed "Supreme Overlord of Ice", who grandiosely threatens anyone who mocks him... and that's all he does. He's not even a Big Bad Wannabe, because he does absolutely nothing villainous until the fourth chapter, and even then the other characters doubt his actions were maliciously motivated. |
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Telence T. D'Arby from Part 3 is revealed to be this compared to his brother Daniel. Both have the power to steal people's souls if they defeat their opponents in a game, but the former also has the ability to read the opponent's mind by asking yes-or-no questions. However, when the heroes manage to circumvent their tactics, Daniel just keeps playing and tries different tactics, while Telence becomes so demoralized by his repeated failures that his own Stand automatically releases the soul that he captured. | |
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My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Bulk Biceps. He's surprisingly sensitive, in spite of his brawny physique; In "Rainbow Falls", he starts crying after Fluttershy accidentally hit him in the face with a horseshoe. | |
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Tiger in Skunk Fu!. Formerly a powerful warrior, after losing to Dragon, he's become a cowering wimp. | |
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The Magnificent Seven (2016): the goons working for Bartholomew Bogue are shown to be much less dangerous than they seem, this is summed up best by Sam Chisolm. A more specific example is Mr. Denali, Bogue's Native American henchman who seems to be an intimidating badass but only kills two people, an fleeing woman, and Jack Horne who had just given his guns to someone else. Ultimately when he fights Red Harvest he's killed with next to no effort. |
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In American History X, Cameron plays the part of a tough, experienced Nazi leader, but Derek learns that he snitched on two of his men to cut a stint in prison to two months. When he threatens to turn Derek's younger brother into a hardened white supremacist, he goes down from one punch from the older sibling. A deleted scene has him scorning a black man for dating a white girl from the safety of his seat, but getting beaten up by gangbangers almost as soon as he leaves the restaurant he was in. | |
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Legend of the Galactic Heroes : The United Earth Government had a massive Space Force that seemed uncontested and allowed the home planet of humanity to reign its colonies. However, the Earth military was horribly corrupt since its establishment, and humanity never fought a war in a long time that they only defeated the rebelling colonial army in an underhanded preemptive strike before it reached space. Once the colonies managed to actually rise from their predicament, the military showed more of their flaws, starting with ugly infighting happening constantly to the point their entire fleets destroyed each other more than their colonial enemies. By the time the colonies got a working space fleet of their own, the Earth military imploded where they could not even hold the asteroid belt before the home world was pillaged. The Lippstadt League during the Imperial Civil War was also this, which drastically outnumbered Reinhard and wielded the Geirsbeeg Fortress, a moon-sized space station rivaled only by Iserlohn. However, their leadership was full of backstabbing nobles who only gained their ranks through nepotism without any achievements in the war with the Alliance, and spent their lives either in pleasure or trying to kill Reinhard and his loved ones through underhanded means. Reinhard sticks it to them repeatedly as they collapse drastically with every idiotic move they make, from shooting their own ships to nuking planets into inhospitable rocks that demoralizes their forces. The civil war lasts only three episodes as a result, with Reinhard gaining far more than he had lost. Almost, that is. |
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In the original Dragon Ball, Oolong uses his transformation magic to intimidate people in his first appearance, but as he himself notes using transformation magic to become a powerful monster doesn't give you the abilities of that monster. | |
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Johnny Bravo. He's a pretty muscular-looking guy but he's always getting beaten up by the women he flirts with. Which is especially weird considering in the very first episode he was able to successfully wrestle A CROCODILE! Though, in fairness, just because he doesn't fight back doesn't mean he can't. After all, Johnny's not an asshole (to that degree at least). | |
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Dragon Ball GT: Zoonama intimidates a nearby town by claiming he could cause earthquakes when in reality he only had the ability to predict them. | |
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JaidenAnimations: In her Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver Nuzlocke, Jaiden and Alpharad are absolutely scared of their rival, Jan/Pokémon Challenges, wiping out their entire team, especially in the Burned Tower where he has a Mew, but he ends up being a pushover in every battle they face him in. Subverted in his last appearance, where he manages to kill their Charizard-Donphan pair. | |
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In Final Fantasy: Lost Stranger, Cindy makes a show of talking down to the heroes and mocking them while refusing to move from her spot at the top of the Mysidian Royal Cathedral after stealing Invis and Reflect. While this makes her seem absolutely confident in her abilities to the point that she doesn't lift a finger against the heroes, Shogo correctly deduces that she cares for her sisters far too much to simply watch them get hurt after he counters their Reflect with his Mirror Mail. He then concludes that she's standing up there alone because she can't move, lest she dispel Reflect because of how much effort it takes to cast and maintain. | |
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Pokémon: The Series: Team Rocket are brash and confident and often show up with an imposing Humongous Mecha or device, but are easily seen off by children. Butch and Cassidy give an air of greater competence and their schemes tend to be harder to uncover, but once they engage in battle they go down quickly and easily. The anime version of Team Plasma appears threatening, but even Jessie and James could tear through a squad of their mooks and Ghetsis (who is That One Boss and The Man Behind the Man in the games) went down without a fight. Team Skull talks a big game but are no threat to even a half decent Pokémon trainer, like their game counterparts. Alain’s Metagross and Tyranitar are both fully-evolved pseudo-legendary Pokémon yet don't get a single win against any of Ash's Pokémon and both of them are knocked out by Pikachu. The latter gets even gets it worse than Metagross, since the former at least has an on-screen victory as a Metang and it got plenty of off-screen victories in the league. Tyranitar barely gets a hit on Pikachu, while Metagross does some major damage at least and it takes a lot to go down. Tyranitar is defeated in a faster fashion. |
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The Ultimates: Ultimate Abomination looks tougher and meaner than the silly original Abomination with his Ear Fins, but ends up folding to the Hulk like a cheap paper plate. | |
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Survivor: Osten Taylor from Pearl Islands was a buff bodybuilder who had absolutely no idea how to rough it out in nature, almost drowned in a challenge, became convinced that a pelican was out to get him, and ended up being the first contestant to quit Survivor. Crystal Cox in Gabon, the six-foot-three Olympic gold medalist who had one of the single worst athletic performances in the series, culminating in her missing a slam dunk on a basketball hoop that's shorter than she is. |
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In Pokémon Reset Bloodlines, The Sensational Sisters' strongest team is actually extremely weak due to months of inactivity. Despite containing the likes of Cloyster, Poliwrath, and Kingdra, Ash considers it more of a challenging second gym battle than an eighth gym battle like it's supposed to be | |
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Toliver's Secret: When advising her to stand up to The Bully Dicey, Ellen's grandfather tells her that bullies are actually this, no matter how intimidating they are, and calling their bluff makes them go away. One of the redcoats Ellen later meets, Higgins, repeats the sentiment when encouraging Ellen to stand up to Dow. They're both right in the end; when Dicey tries her usual routine with Ellen at the local water pump, Ellen calmly asserts herself and her right to use it, and all Dicey can do is claim that Ellen is "lucky" she's not ready for a fight and walk away. | |
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Big Trouble in Little China: The Seven-Faced Widow is a Phony Psychic who turns out to have very little power at all, certainly far less than people believe. She has managed to kill or drive mad numerous opponents in her time, but only because they were all too scared to challenge her directly, instead steering clear so she could manipulate and destroy them from afar. When Jack does challenge her directly she proves unable to accomplish much of anything at all. | |
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Paper Tiger | |
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Drakath from DragonFable looks and sounds tough, with a cool cape, neat sword, and quickly established rivalry with the player character. After an introduction fight, he proceeds to spend the rest of the story arc constantly being embarrassed, outwitted, terrified, and handily defeated. Even his boss Sepulchure regularly screws with him. Does a 180 and becomes a Knight of Cerebus after fusing with the Ultimate Orb and becoming a giant dragon of darkness. | |
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Paper Tiger | |
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The Nali of Unreal are 7 feet tall, have four arms, and are quite muscular. They are also completely incapable of fighting and get easily destroyed by anything that attacks them. | |
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Paper Tiger | |
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Star Control 3: K'tang are funny. Without their titans, they're even more cowardly than the freaking spathi! | |
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Paper Tiger | |
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Urusei Yatsura: The 1981 animated adaptation has two examples: In episode 64, Megane adorns a homemade suit of Powered Armor called the "M-HMS 01" to face off against a number of bullies from rival schools. But whilst it certainly looks cool, the suit has no weapons or real protective abilities, so Megane gets his ass handed to him. An "M-HMS 02" shows up in episode 106, when Megane tries to use it to take on Shutaro Mendo's personal army, but it turns out to be no more effective than its precursor. Hilariously, these suits were the visual inspiration for the Protect Gears in Kerberos Saga. In episode 133, Ryoko Mendou inadvertently nominates herself as the pilot of the Octopussy, a suit of Powered Armor that is reputedly the ultimate weapon of the Mendou family. Then she discovers the suit has neither Super-Strength nor mounted weaponry, and is about as durable as tinfoil. Even the jetpack doesn't work. Cue Ryoko running for her life as the Mizunokoji army chases after her, intent of defeating the "ultimate weapon". |
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A Spark of Genius: When describing the new superpower Romania, Lex Luthor claims its leader The Leviathan won't act against Krasnia just for knocking down some of its defensive towers. He's wrong (Romania conquers Krasnia within an hour of their attack) but he is also likely just trying to pacify the rebels he is dealing with. | |
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Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_eb6802b4 | comment |
Behemoths in Final Fantasy XIII look threatening when first encountered, with their large size and 20,000 hit points. They turn out to be easy to stagger, and it is also easy to perform sneak attacks on them. Several weapons with high stats also grant passives (called Paper Tiger and Silk Tiger, no less) that lower the equipped character's max HP. |
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| Final Fantasy XIII (Video Game) | hasFeature |
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| Paper Tiger / int_ed2a7866 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_ed2a7866 | comment |
Sword Art Online: Nobuyuki Sugou talks a big game and boasts of his so-called godhood, but for all of his bravado, he sucks at combat and has nothing but his Game Master privileges to keep up with Kirito. Best shown when Kirito pulls off his Heroic Second Wind and uses Kayaba's ID to strip Oberon of them; he summons Excalibur, the Infinity +1 Sword of the game, and gives it to Sugou before taking up his own sword. Even with the strongest weapon in the game, Sugou is no match for Kirito in a straight fight, fails to land a single hit, and goes down in a matter of seconds, and due to Kirito disabling his Amusphere's pain inhibitors, he suffered permanent damage in real life. It happens again in real-life, where he goes from smugly gloating about how he's going to kill Kirito and continue his research to bawling his eyes out and wetting his pants the minute Kirito turns the tables on him again. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_ed2a7866 | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_ed2a7866 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_eef5470a | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_eef5470a | comment |
Raijuta Isurugi from Rurouni Kenshin boasts all the time about his skills at kenjutsu, and how it should always be a murderous technique. In the end, he's revealed to be a phony Sore Loser who never actually killed someone. | |
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| Paper Tiger / int_f599977e | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_f599977e | comment |
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown: 444th Squadron was intended to be one of these, but became a victim of its own success. Originally just a couple of old hangars with the rust painted over and a single runway painted on the ground, intended to fool the Eruseans into thinking it was an active airbase. Then the Eruseans took the bait, and 444th got more and more resources to maintain the illusion, until it was cheaper and easier to turn 444th into an active squadron than faking it. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_f599977e | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_f599977e | |
| Paper Tiger / int_f8bda672 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_f8bda672 | comment |
In Let the Right One In, Conny (or "Kenny" in the American remake) sadistically torments Oskar ("Owen" in the remake), and on some occasions, threatens him with murder. However, when Oskar fights back by smacking him with a rod, he cries like a little kid and resorts to having his older brother fight his battles for him. | |
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Paper Tiger / int_f8bda672 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_fe61cee7 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_fe61cee7 | comment |
Fear & Hunger: The Human Hydra is an absolutely horrific abomination that demands constant sacrifice from those near it... and that's all it does. It's a botched attempt at a eldritch ritual that presents no physical danger whatsoever and relies purely on intimidation factor. There's no penalty for ignoring its demands, and if the player decides to fight all it can do is hurl insults until it's killed. | |
| Paper Tiger / int_fe61cee7 | featureApplicability |
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Paper Tiger / int_fe61cee7 | |
| Paper Tiger / int_ffb43795 | type |
Paper Tiger | |
| Paper Tiger / int_ffb43795 | comment |
Cobra Kai: Kyler is not a terrible fighter, being adequately talented at wrestling, Cobra Kai, and even some Miyagi-Do techniques, but he is WAY weaker than he likes to think he is and has, in fact, lost every even fight he's ever been in. The only time he manages to scrape out a win is when he has back-up from his buddies or his opponent is injured, and even then he loses more often than he wins. Hawk outright calls him out on this during his "The Reason You Suck" Speech in Season 5... before promptly kicking his ass even in spite of Kyler having two other Cobra Kais at his back. And, very swiftly, Demetri does. |
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