Pure Awesomeness

Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose kung fu skills were the stuff of legend.

Po: "So deadly in fact, that his enemies would go blind from over-exposure to pure awesomeness!"

Blind Gator: "Ahh! My eyes! He's too awesome!"

—Kung Fu Panda

Normally, in order for a character to reach a Crowning Moment of Awesome threshold, they have to do something. Even if it's something as mundane as eating a potato chip. Sometimes, however, a character is so overflowing with the awesome that they don't actually have to do anything. All they have to do is walk into the room, or in in the most extreme cases, stand there. Their simple existence alone irradiates an effect of awesomeness that causes tangible physical harm to their enemies, and makes men and women fall in love with them. And all we can do is watch.

"Whoa, Dude... that guy is awesome..." "What do you mean? He isn't doing anything- whoa, he is awesome..."

Characters can be made of it. Groups can be made of it. Scenes can be made of it. Entire movies can be made of it. If Pure Awesomeness didn't exist, how could anything ever be so cool it can be used as a laxative?

This trope (in case the multiple uses of the word "awesome" as if it has an objective meaning didn't tip you off) is by its very nature almost completely irrational and often used for comedy. Do not try to ruminate over the meaning of this trope. Either accept the physical manifestation of Rule of Cool, or watch a more logical show.

Not to be confused with something awesome happening off-screen, where the awesomeness's effect was probably justified by something tangible actually happening.

Might overlap with Awesomeness Is Volatile.

Examples of Pure Awesomeness include:

Anime & Manga

• In Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Gurren Lagann (piloted by Simon and Viral) arrives just in time to save the day. All nearby enemies are destroyed by the awesomeness of its arrival.
  • Spiral Energy in general allows the heroes' hot-bloodedness to manifest itself as anything from giant drills to galaxy-sized giant robots. Essentially, Pure Awesomeness is a law of physics. Which is why the Anti-Spirals are against the use of Spiral Energy: the universe won't be able to handle so much awesome and, as such, collapse.
• In One Piece, especially powerful individuals can strike weaker ones unconscious through their mere presence, through the power of "Haki" (Ambition). Two other types of Haki enable users to gain split-second precognition and harden their defenses or strengthen attacks to harm immaterial or Haki-using enemies, but only one in a million inherently awesome people can use the Conqueror's Haki.
• In Bleach, the spiritual pressure of a soul reaper is enough to immobilize less powerful ones. Examples of this occur in the soul society arc: First when Kenpachi's spiritual pressure completely disables Hanatarô, and nearly incapacitates Ichigo, and then when Shunsui and Ukitake are facing off against Yamamoto. Nanao follows Shunsui and Ukitake intending to help and is literally rendered unable to move by Yamamoto's spiritual pressure alone. The symptoms of this are not pretty; people affected by an overly strong spiritual pressure begin to sweat profusely, cry uncontrollably, and start foaming at the mouth before falling unconscious.
  • When Aizen Sousuke and his army arrives in Fake Karakura Town, their spiritual pressure is so strong that are disabling and even exploding lesser beings (such as simple hollows) that are in Kagamino City, 22 kilometers away. It also tends to make normal humans explode.
    • Coyote Starrk, Primera Espada, has such immense spiritual pressure that before becoming an Arrancar (and being allowed to seal away most of his power) it would kill lesser hollows just by being in the vicinity.
  • It can, of course, be hidden by the exceptionally powerful, however this just serves to make it more awesome when they finally exert themselves.
• Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple does this on occasion such as this instance, which actually knocks Kenichi unconscious, just because his masters are that awesome.
• It's never been explained in detail, but in Naruto Zabuza, Orochimaru, and Sasuke with Orochimaru's power are capable of giving off a "killing intent" so strong that it paralyzes weaker enemies, despite not apparently being actual genjutsu (or any kind of jutsu). In Fan Fiction, this is often done with relatively strong ninja as a whole.
• Medaka Box has Hinokage Kudo, who no one knows, remembers, or even notices despite his large size. Why does no one notice him? Because he's so damn powerful people subconsciously repress the memory of his existence out of absolute fear. His unnotability has not earned him the nickname "Mr.Unknown." He hasn't earned this nickname 'cos no one knows who he is and therefore can't address him as anything in the first place.
  • Except Zenkichi for some weird reason.
• In Hunter X Hunter, Nen users can kill non-users through sheer force of awesome Nen.
• Gildartz from Fairy Tail has this and it bring Natsu to tears.

Film

• The Trope Namer is Kung Fu Panda, from the quote above, where the legendary warrior's pure awesomeness alone is sufficient to blind enemies. At least in his dreams. Also, the Sword of Heroes is so sharp you can get cut just by looking at it. An extreme case of Audible Sharpness.
• In Tron: Legacy, during the battle at the End Of Line club, the good guys are getting thoroughly trounced by Clu's Black Guards. At least until Kevin Flynn walks into the room, kneels and touches the floor. Simply being there is enough for Kevin to completely turn the tide, thanks to his Physical God status in the Grid, by being a User with possession of the master disk.
  • As they are leaving, several programs are shown on their knees, praying, and Kevin Flynn walking out, holding his hands in a Christ-like manner.

Literature

• A somewhat subtler form of this exists in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Middle-Earth in general was heavily inspired by folklore and heroic sagas. The characters' abilities have less to do with tangible physical characteristics like strength, endurance or skill and more to do with a more amorphous concepts such as "might" or "countenance." Hence, the greatest elves of the elder days could stand against balrogs and dragons simply because they possessed the might to do so. The actual tactics and details of the battles were irrelevant, the outcome was decided by a direct conflict of might.

Tabletop Games

• In the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons ("Epic", just because it's so Epic), many powers have the mechanical effect of bolstering allies or hindering enemies through the awesomeness of the power or the character using it.
  • The infamous "arseplomancer" build for Dungeons & Dragons 3.5: the Exemplar class lets you pick one skill which can be used to impress people, and a high enough Escape Artist skill lets you pass through a space narrower than your head. The result is a character who climbs into a guy's rectum in a manner so awesome that everyone in 60 ft becomes undyingly loyal to him. Then the poor guy explodes.
• Exalted uses this trope at times. For example, the Dawn caste anima power, which can automatically activate itself after a sufficiently large expenditure of Essence (though it can also be activated manually). The Dawn anima makes its Exalt appear blindingly shiny, huge, and terrifying to behold. Mooks who witness it must make a roll to resist fleeing in terror; named characters merely have to put up with an opponent who is too awesome to look at directly.
  • The entire stunting system is an attempt to invoke this trope in gameplay.
• Warhammer 40,000 overflows with characters that through their sheer presence can invigorate allies to near-invincibility, render enemies catatonic with fear or anything in between, ranging from Tau Ethereals (members of the ruling class), Space Marine Chaplains (Super Soldier Badass Preachers), and fiery incarnations of the Eldar god of War and Murder.
  • And then there's Creed, tactical genius, who can use his awesomeness to hide a Baneblade on open ground. Partially through camouflage, mostly through badassery. And the orks - the orks get this a lot.

Video Games

• In Billy vs. SNAKEMAN, if a player manages to complete several VERY hard achievements, Awesome points are given out which can be spent on bonus abilities. Also, certain levels of awesome are required for some quests.
• World of Warcraft has a section where you are battling through an city filled with demons and undead with the main leader of your faction. Their presence alone makes you nigh invincible.
  • This is echoed twice in the Cataclysm expansion; once in Gilneas with the Gilnean people fending off the Forsaken, and another time as you and four other people travel back in time and take part in the battle for the Well of Eternity, cutting through a swathe of demons thanks to the help of Tyrande and Illidan.
  • Parodied by the game designers briefly during the Cataclysm beta. When fans complained that the Maelstrom (a whirlpool formed when the source of magic itself imploded) wasn't epic enough, Blizzard added a zombie playing a guitar, riding a tyrannosaurus rex that itself was riding a flying shark with a laser cannon. It was called "Epicus Maximus, Paragon of Epicosity".
• The mere presence of the Servants in Fate/stay night has a little bit of this. And when a character like Lancer gets serious, the pure awesome makes both you and the air freeze in fear.
• Once you get a few levels above the Mooks in an area in EarthBound, running into one will appear to start a random encounter...only to end in instant victory. Why more RPGs don't do this, I will never know.
• The characters of Sengoku Basara regularly cause huge explosions from the presence of their sheer manly awesomeness. Yes, even the women.

Web Comic

• DMK is finally defeated at the end of the MS Paint Adventures series Problem Sleuth, solely due to the eponymous character's glowing personal charm. Sepulchritude, the most powerful attack in the whole comic, runs on awesome.
• In Darths and Droids, Artoo flying is so awesome that it gives everyone else a morale bonus just for watching.
  • This ends up saving the characters, to Pete's chagrin.

Web Original

• Many of the Chuck Norris Facts.
• In A Very Potter Sequel, Future!Draco describes time travel as being so awesome, you'll shit your pants. Ron actually does.
• This video.
• Suburban Knights has many instances of parodying this - the reviewers find they can do amazingly awesome things just because the character they're role-playing as (and in one case the actor playing the character they are role-playing as) possesses some form of Pure Awesomeness.
  • Hell, it's broadcasted on Channel Awesome.
• According to Tobuscus' Literal Trailer for Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, this is how Ezio kills a guard (it's actually an arrow, but Rule of Funny).

Guard says stop / Just kill him with your awesome.

• In AH Dot Com the Series, Super55 and The King are characters of this type.

Western Animation

• South Park has some undeniable moments of Pure Awesomeness with a few Chosen Ones.
  • In Imaginationland, The Woobie Butters Scotch brings an entire sub-universe back into existance after it is blasted into non-existence by a nuke. With nothing to work with but his own imagination. He even brought back his friends from the real world.
  • In the two-parter "Pandemic", Craig Tucker saves the world from giant guinea-pigs by refusing to be a plaything of the universe and thinking for himself - he accidentally steps on a special tile and stands there shooting paralyzing lasers from his eyes.

Craig: (with mild concern) Okay, now there are sparks shooting out of my eyes...

• • In the movie, Jerkass Cartman ends up saving the world from an invasion by Hell when he takes control of the bullying V-Chip and shoots lightning from his entire body.

Real Life

• People used to lose their shit over Michael Jackson just standing on stage.
  • And before him, Elvis. And before him, Frank Sinatra.
    • Chuck Norris can beat all those awesome people up. By blinking.
• Its rumored that a group of men once tried to rob a house, tying up the owner's wife. After taking one look at a picture of the owner, they dropped everything, untied her and ran.