Friction Burn

Ever rub your hands together and notice that they warm up? That's friction, the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. Friction creates heat which can create a small flame if on a dry surface.

In fiction however, particularly animation, friction can cause one to burst into flames. This is usually Played for Laughs and is often caused by a character's own stupidity. In superhero fiction, characters with Super Strength might do this.

Compare Playing with Fire, when this trope is weaponized.

Examples of Friction Burn include:

Anime and Manga

• In One Piece:
  • This is how Sanji activates his Diable Jambe technique.
  • Also, this is supposedly how Hannyabal activates his Hannya Carnival, Blazing Hell Wheel attack.
  • This may also be how Zoro's Hiryu Kaen attack works.
• In Baka and Test, Loveable Sex Maniac Kouta is always trying to take pictures of the girls, always searching for a glorious Panty Shot. When he senses the opportunity to get a shot from Mizuki, he starts sliding all around her on the floor, trying to get the perfect angle. He sets himself on fire from the friction, then dowses himself with his own blood from the Nosebleed that followed afterward.

Western Animation

• In an episode of Powerpuff Girls, Buttercup created a fireball by rubbing her hands together rapidly and threw it at a monster.
• In an episode of Family Guy, Peter drank Red Bull, giving him a rush of energy, and then milked a cow so rapidly, its udder burst into flames. In the same scene Chris, who also drank Red Bull, was seen running around screaming, pantsless and his groin ablaze.
• The Amazing World of Gumball gives us an example where Gumball is trying to start a fire through the friction & stick method. He ends up setting his hands on fire, and while he's running around screaming in pain, the wood he was trying to ignite catches on fire a few moments later.
  • He also caught on fire from air friction when going down a hill to fast, while the friction with the ground tore the bike apart.
• In Dexter's Laboratory, when Dexter gives himself Super Speed to go through his whole daily routine in 1 minute he accidentally lights his homework on fire from the friction.