Archetype:Skill Reliant

Skill Reliant
While a small rabbit, Judy Hopps' (Zootopia) skills allow her to defeat a rhino.
Archetype of:	A character who compensates for lack of powers with skill.

"Not all of us have muscle to fall back on."

― Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel)

"It matters not who has the most furyoku, but who uses it properly."

― Mikihisa Asakura (Shaman King)

The archetype of a character who is not particularly strong or powerful, but who makes up for it with a great level of skill. Sub-power of Skill Manipulation and Compensation Manipulation. Opposite to Power Reliant.

Also Called

• Elite Lightweight
• Unpowered Master/Monster

Properties

The character is someone whose relative power is low in comparison to the foes who they often combat, but is still able to keep pace with their teammates and defeat powerful enemies by virtue of incredible skill and experience.

Associated Skills

• Enhanced Preparedness
• Intellectual Combat
• Peak Human/Enhanced Combat Mastery
• Peak Human/Enhanced Condition
  • Peak Human/Enhanced Body
  • Peak Human/Enhanced Mind
• Peak Human/Enhanced Excercise Mastery
• Peak Human/Enhanced Wits
• Sheer Skill
• Tactical Analysis
• Training Regimen to compensate for one's weakness.

Relationships

• All-Rounder
• Badass Normal
• Blunt Instrument
• Police Officer
  • Police Tactical Unit Operator
• Power Inept Fighter
• Soldier
  • Special Forces Operator

Associations

• Compensation Manipulation
• Skill Manipulation

Flaws/Weaknesses

• Can be outmatched if the power gap is too great.

Example Characters

See also: Weak, but Skilled.

• Desir Arman (A Returner's Magic Should Be Special)
• Charles Gunn (Angel)
• V.I Freud (Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon)
• Ty Lee (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
• Uryu Ishida (Bleach)
• Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel)
• Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
• Ikki Kurogane (Chivalry of a Failed Knight)
• Black Canary (DC Comics)
• Batman Family (DC Comics)
  • Bruce Wayne/Batman
  • Dick Grayson/Second Robin/Nightwing
  • Jason Todd/First Robin/Red Hood
• Floyd Lawton/Deadshot (DC Comics)
• Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (DC Comics)
• Various Characters (Dragon Ball series)
  • Master Roshi
  • Piccolo
• Gin (Ginga)
• Jin Ja Gang (Legend of Asura – The Venom Dragon)
• Link (The Legend of Zelda)
• Master Wu (Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu)
• Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Marvel comics)
• Steve Rodgers/Captain America (Marvel Comics)
• Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin (Marvel Comics)
• Zero (Mega Man X/Zero); after losing his original Body
• John/Big Boss/Naked Snake (Metal Gear)
• David/Solid Snake (Metal Gear)
• Various Characters (Resident Evil)
• Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson)
• Various Pokémon (Pokémon)
• Jack (Samurai Jack)
• Staff of the SCP Foundation (SCP Foundation)
• Harelquin/King (The Seven Deadly Sins)
• Various characters (Sonic the Hedgehog)
• Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
• Maka Albarn (Soul Eater)
• Ninja Turtles (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Master Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Angra Mainyu (TYPE-MOON)
• Counter Guardian EMIYA (TYPE-MOON)
• Viktor (Underworld)
• Judy Hopps (Zootopia)

Gallery

Charles Gunn's (Angel) skill and prowess as a vampire hunter allows him to easily defeat physically superior vampires and demons.

Ty Lee (Avatar: The Last Airbender) may not be a powerful bender but she more than makes up for it with her advance agility and her chi blocking techniques that can temporarily negate others bending and motor functions.

While he is much weaker physically then Chad or Ichigo, Uryu Ishida's (Bleach) intelligence and skill has allowed him to keep up with high-level opponents.

With over a century of combat experience under his belt, Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel) is able to adapt to the strength and fighting style of the fully powered Illyria and fight her on even footing.

Extensively trained in martial arts and weapons handling, Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) can hold her own against and defeat beings beyond her Slayer power level.

Ikki Kurogane (Chivalry of a Failed Knight) has extensively honed his physical skills to compensate for his lack of magical capacity.

Black Canary (DC Comics/Young Justice) holds her own against Superboy through training and skill.

A normal human with no superpowers, Batman (DC Comics/DCAU) is nonetheless a master of very martial art known to man, allowing him such feats as throwing Superman a considerable distance...

...and defeating a Parademon in hand-to-hand combat.

Gin (Ginga)

Link's (The Legend of Zelda) skills and swordsmanship mastery enable him to hold his own against and defeat the supremely powerful Ganondorf.

Master Wu (Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu) is not particularly strong, but his centuries of ninja training have made him a formidable fighter, nonetheless.

Spider-Man's (Marvel Comics) skills, intelligence, and instincts allow him to fight opponents that trump him on the power scale, up to and including the Power Cosmic-wielding Firelord.

Zero (Mega Man series) lost most of his raw power upon being transferred to a new body, but retains his skills and experience, allowing him to match and defeat Omega, his original body.

Though physically a normal human, Solid Snake (Metal Gear) is a highly trained soldier, regularly triumphing over opponents with numerical and technological superiority using his elite covert warfare skills...

...Even when prematurely aged into an old man with failing health, Snake still triumphs against the odds because he knows what he is doing and has the confidence and ability to pull it off.

Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil) can match physically superior B.O.W.s and large groups using combat skill, athletic prowess, and weapons handling.

As a daughter of Athena, Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson) is among the weaker demigods, but more than makes up for it with her wisdom and tactical skills.

Ash's Pikachu (Pokémon)

Jack (Samurai Jack) may not be very large or physically powerful but is still one of the best warriors in the world because of his mastery of swordsmanship and martial arts from all over the world.

While physically weak Harlequin's skill with the spear is high enough for him to be recodnized as one of the strongest people in the kingdom of Liones.

Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Cream and Cheese (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Cheese (Sonic the Hedgehog)

While a normal human, Dean Winchester (Supernatural) has trained as a hunter since childhood, his skill and experience enabling him to hold his own against and defeat monsters, demons, angels, and even deities.

Though physically weak in real life due to two years of muscle atrophy, Kirito (Sword Art Online) retains the muscle memory and fighting skills he learned in virtual reality, enabling him to hold his own against his sister Suguha, a kendo quarterfinalist.

The Ninja Turtles' (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) ninjutsu training, determination, and sense of teamwork allows them to repeatedly triumph against opponents with physical, numerical, and/or technological superiority.

Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) outmatches and defeats the monstrously strong Leatherhead through ninjutsu training.

Angra Mainyu (TYPE-MOON) is recognized as the weakest servant, but his unique fighting style allows him to keep up with stronger opponents, and while he won't win the fight, he won't lose either.

Counter Gaurdian EMIYA (TYPE-MOON) manages to keep up with stronger opponents through a combination of skill, strategy and versatility.

Despite being physically outmatched, Viktor's (Underworld) centuries of combat experience enable him to gain the upper hand against the werepire Michael Corvin.

Videos

The Blood Test - The Thing (1982)-2

Supernatural - Dean Kills The Shapeshifter 1x6-2

Supernatural Dean having fight in prison-2

Paris Hilton Fight - Supernatural - TNT-2

Supernatural- Dean and Sam Attempt to Stop an Evil Zombie - Season 2 -CLIP- - TNT-2

Supernatural - Dean Kills Azazel - S2E22 - Logoless-2

Supernatural - Sam and Dean meet Adam - S4E19 - Logoless

Bobby's day-2

Dean Winchester - "What Are You?" S6E6

Sam & Dean - "Dragons Like Nice Hotels" S6E12-2

Supernatural - Showdown between Dean and Elias Finch - S6E18 - Logoless

Supernatural - Dean and Crowley fight demons - S9E11 - Logoless

-SUPERNATURAL 13x10- No Sam, it's a LIZARD-2

Preacher - The Seraphim - Part 3