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Hades: Meg, listen. You hear that sound? It's the sound of your freedom, fluttering out the window, forever.
Meg: I don't care! I'm not gonna help you hurt him!
Hades: I can't believe you're getting all worked up over some...
guy!
Meg: This one is different. He's honest, and he's sweet.
Hades: (rolling his eyes) Please!
Meg: He would never do anything to hurt me.
Hades: He's a guy!
Meg: Besides, O Oneness, you can't beat him! He has no weaknesses! He's gonna--(turns to see Hades smirking at her)
Hades: I think...he
does, Meg. I truly think...he does.
~ Exchange between Meg and Hades where Meg has fallen in love with Hercules, refusing to work with Hades any longer––which unfortunately convinces Hades that SHE is Herc's weakness.

While a majority of their story focuses on what they are able to do to save the world, every one of them has a weakness. Without this weakness, the story would not be nearly as interesting as it is. Exploring each superhero’s weakness can be an interesting endeavor.

Heroes have been around for generations, giving young kids someone to look up to and stories that show that good can triumph over the evils of the world.

Every one of these superheroes boasts special powers that give them the ability to save the world and individuals who find themselves facing various perils.

Not only because of the powers, but that include their loves one like the girl of their dreams, family, friends and most important, being in love with or without thinking what if the villains found out.

Reason why Heroes have weakness

  • Falling in love with their love interest: When a hero fall in love with someone, it can be a problem had the villain figured it out, as it would enable him/her deal the hero/heroine easily by personally pose as his/her love interest and/or schemed to turned his/her love interest against him/her or used.
  • Losing their powers or hope: If the hero/heroine's powers can be counteracted, the villain can forced him/her to suffer despair. Some villains however, can do the same by destroy his/her home/town/planet/home reality.
  • Worrying if their friends or family will get hurt when dealing the villains: While some hero/heroines may have friends and some family members as allies to fight the villains, its more than often that they had disadvantages as they may wind up as weak as the villains' minions or no match for the villains themselves that made the hero/heroine worried. In other cases, hero/heroine's family/friends may unaware with the hero/heroine's conflict with the villains and there's a chance that they trapped between that conflict and may used by villains to deter the hero/heroine.
  • Concerned if the villains find out what their civilian identity and normal lives looked like: This is the reason why hero/heroine need a secret identity as means to prevent their normal identity and those whom they cared about discovered by villains.
  • Having more than one weakness: Some heroes may have multiple weaknesses than just one.

Examples

Multimedia Franchises

Examples

Multimedia Franchises

  • Hercules's weakness is Meg and his loved ones if they're hurt, which discovered by Hades when learned that both of them began a relationships.
  • Winter Soldier (Marvel Cinematic Universe): If his best friend Steven in danger is not his weakness, the brainwash program on his mind would be: It's revealed that HYDRA has arranged the plan B of his brainwash procedure should Bucky completely rebelled against them and revert to the very good man he originally was, they have a certain trigger words that would made him briefly revert to his brainwashed self.

Anime and Manga

  • Sonic the Hedgehog's weakness is water (he really can't swim), not running fast or sometimes his love internet like Amy Rose Or Sally Acorn.
  • Goku's weakness is afraid of injections. He also has a weakness of showing mercy to his enemies which they would most likely take advantage of.
    • When he was toddler and still have his monkey-like tail, the said tail also serve as his weakness as should anyone squeeze it, the sensation would paralyze him. He eventually lost this weakness though with his tail eventually severed.
  • Shadow the Hedgehog's weakness is the flashback of his friend, Maria Robotnik who died 50 years ago which tend to distract him from everything around him should it brought up.
  • Aburame Shino: In anime adaptation of Naruto series, Shino will panic when confronted with insectivorous animals or plants (with Shino himself likening it to psychological torture). Also, it appeared that laughing drug turned out affected his bugs as much as himself.
  • Yugi Muto and Yami Yugi: Because of his friendship with persona of his reincarnated self Yugi Muto, Yami Yugi would briefly faltered if his modern day self were in danger, as seen when he put aside his usual excitement for winning the duel to save Yugi Muto's soul when it was taken after a difficult fight with one of his enemies. Also, Yugi Muto also concerned with his friends' well-being, and is worry when sometimes they wind up hurt, become hostage, brainwashed, of their lives outright in danger.
  • Usagi Tsukino:
  • Nobita Nobi:
  • Monkey D. Luffy:

Comic Books

  • Superman had 4 weaknesses:
    • One is Kryptonite radiation. Kryptonite are radioactive substances which radiation can weakened any Kryptonians includes Superman or worse, giving them unfortunate side effects.
    • Lois Lane is in danger: Because he and Lois had romantic relationships, Superman would do anything to save and protect her if she was in danger that gave his foes more advantages than him.
    • Later versions of Superman were said to be empowered by yellow sunlight from the very sun that shines his current homeworld Earth: It was said why other Kryptonians have their powers not reach the same level of Superman himself was due to sun that shines their homeworld was red and not empowered them as much as Earth's yellow sun, contributing their near-extinction in the first place. From this information, Superman was theorized to be weakened should not exposed himself with sunlight for too long, but this is yet to be proven given to his immense amount of energy reserves and his strengths that made him difficult to fight without aid of Kryptonite.
    • The last, but not least, Superman' x-ray vision cannot see through objects covered/made of lead. Ironically, that material is the only thing that can protecting him from kryptonite radiation.
  • Bruce Banner aka. Hulk: As Hulk: Bruce must remain in control over his rage (includes avoid Heroic Breakdown no matter what caused it) at all times or ended up attacking and destroying anyone around him even his nearby allies. And his love interest, Betty Ross, whom he deeply loved and unable to stand the chance against his enemies.
  • Martian Manhunter: Martian Manhunter is suspectible with fire, as fire could either killed him or weakened his powers in the similar way with Kryptonite radiation on Superman.
  • Shazam: Shazam would wind up return to his civilian form should someone saying his superhero name(which ironically his own means to access his superhero form).
  • Iron Man's weakness is arc reactor that embedded on his chest to kept his heart to remained function due to injuries where some sharpanels from missiles that nearly killed him still embedded on his body. As he also actually human being without actual superpowers, he would have disadvantages when fighting his enemies without his armor on, no matter whether his heart restored to normal through surgery or not. And his love interest, Pepper Potts, due to his love with her and Pepper herself not able to stand a chance against his enemies unless gained powers from either Extrimis serum or her own Iron Man tech-based battle suit that she wore as superhero Rescue in some versions.
  • Hal Jordan: Like his fellow Green Lantern Corps, he was weak against yellow color which represents power of fear.
  • Aquaman: Because of his aquatic physiology, Aquaman cannot stand in the land for too long without water.
  • Daredevil's weakness is his vulnerability to powerful sounds or odors that can be used to temporarily weaken his radar sense and his love interest Elektra or Karen...
  • The Flash's weakness is actually running too fast. In fact, if he and those whom empowered by Speed Force go too fast, they will be pulled into the said force, effectively killing them. It is actually a bit of an anomaly that a superhero could also be killed by the super power that makes him a hero.
  • Spider-Man's weakness are:
    • Those whom he cared about such as Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy and the others include his Aunt May. But the greater chance the said weaknesses confirmed by his enemies was when they discovered his civilian identity, which means his secret identity indeed related with the said weakness.
    • In Spider-Man 2, emotional stress due to trouble in balancing his double life proposed to be reason why his powers temporarily disabled until MJ's kidnapping by Dr. Octopus.
    • Spider-Man would gained disadvantages should he fought enemies that able to ambush/attack him without alarming his spider sense which he rely to avoiding his enemies attacks, When he fought Venom and Carnage on separate occasions, he often overpowered by them at ease.
    • In MCU continuity, Spider-Man's mask was given some modification on lens at the eyesockets due to his spider-sense was so potent that without the said modification, he would suffer sensory overload that made him distracted by anything around him even the one that pose no threat to him.
    • Due to his super strengths increased, Spidey need to control the output of his punch and kicks or he would ended up seriously injured his opponents unless they have extraordinary durability. This discovered by Dr. Octopus whom switch bodies with Spider-Man, where the villain (in the webslinger's body) shocked that he can knocked Scorpion's lower jaw off by a single punch.
  • Wolverine's proposed weakness is he would die had he killed via decapitation as he was unlikely able to regrow his head, but this was nearly impossible to be proven as he later had adamantium surgically coated on his exoskeleton including on his neckbone that would render decapitation nigh-impossible. His adamantium exoskeleton can also serve as his other weakness, as it made him suspectible with those whom capable to manipulating metal like Magneto or magnetism.
  • Batman: Batman's weaknesses was memories about death of his parents which can be inflicted by his foes' illusive abilities or arsenal such Scarecrow's signature fear gas. In spite of his strong will to shake off mental influences includes brainwashing, memories about his parents were painful so much that he need some time to shrug it off.
    • In Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy Batman also used to feared bats, but eventually overcome it and sees bats as inspiration of his current superhero name. Although, the last time he was overwhelmed by his former fear with bats was due to the first time exposed by fear gas that forced him to retreat to shrug the fear and urgent need of medication.
  • Asterix: Asterix's weak physique made him dependant on magic potion to stand a chance against Romans.
  • Obelix: Obelix's goofy personality can get best of him that would give Asterix trouble. For instance, in the first film, when disguised as a Roman, his goofy personality made him forget that he was in a mission until desperated Asterix reminded him of his mission with some difficulties.

Movies

  • Blu's weakness is revealed as Jewel when Nigel kidnapped Jewel and know that he'll do anything to save her.
  • Indiana Jones' sole weakness is snakes due to suffer ophidiophobia, which revealed due to accidentattly fell onto a crate full of snakes in his youth. Though he able to overcome his fear to snakes, the presence of at least one snake is clearly disturbed him.
  • Diego: Diego had 2 weaknesses:
    • One is his fear to water which is natural due to him being a cat, but finally lost this when he was forced to swimming in which he succeed by channeling his own adrenaline that he normally used to hunt his prey.
    • Shira is later Diego's new weakness because he has romantic feelings for her.
  • Godzilla has a number of weaknesses in spite of being an immensely powerful kaiju:
    • His earliest incarnation, particulary in King Kong vs. Godzilla and Mothra vs. Godzilla, he is shown to be vulnerable to strong voltages of electricity, though he later able to resist and even uses electricity to revitalize himself.
    • Cadmium, an element commonly used to slow nuclear reactions can also rended him unconscious due to his nuclear-enhanced powers and physiology.
    • Godzilla would be rendered paralyzed from waist to down had the second brain that located on his spine destroyed, though this only showed once in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2.
    • Godzilla's own sheer bulk is hindering his overall speed which give him disadvantages if facing an extremely agile and fast advesaries includes Megaguirus, forcing him to rely on his durability.
    • Godzilla can be incapacitated by frozen in ice, though this won't give him any ill-effects.
    • Godzilla's Legendary Series Incarnation has gills that least durable compared with the rest of his body as attaking them caused him great pain and weakened him from repeated blows.
  • Fix-It Felix Jr.'s weakness is his hammer can only reinforce/fix/cure anything it hits instead of destroying.
  • Elsa the Snow Queen: ???

Video Games

  • Cole MacGrath had a number of weaknesses:
    • His body can only store a limited amount of electrical energy for using his electrokinetic techniques. Because of this, he would get disadvantaged had he fought his enemies in the battlefield where electrical sources are scarce.
    • Cole cannot swim or being submerged into a large body of water as stored electrical energy that stored in his body would ended up electrocute him alive. But he had no problem when drinking beverages or stand on a puddle of water though. In spite of this, had anyone stand on a puddle of water where Cole stood at, they would be electrocuted due to his body caused static field on water. This weakness limit his bath method to sponge bath.
    • The last, but not least, he cannot used guns without caused it's ammunition to explode.
  • Delsin Rowe had a number of weaknesses:
    • Whenever he acquired the perfect copy of his foes' powers via his Power Absorption ability, he will passed out, which is dangerous if he is in the middle of field and dangerous situation. Also, whenever he gained a new power, he must fully master it so he can switch to his previous ones.
    • His Power Absorption cannot copy powers of the enemy that actually bestowed partially from the others.
    • Delsin can't switch his power by his own will; He had to absorb energy from elements that controlled by the power that he wished to use, which explained why he incapable to use two powers at the same time.

Literature

  • Pinocchio: Pinocchio's weakness is his gullible and childish personality that made him nearly get into trouble. Since Blue Fairy's action in bring him to life was meant to have him developed into a good boy for Gepetto, he cannot lying or else his nose would grow.

Western Animation

  • SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob's gullible personality tend to made him prone to others' manipulations as Squidward noticed. Also, being sea creatures, he cannot survive in dry lands or surface world for too long.
  • Patrick Star has 2 weakness:
    • How IQ, as his stupidity tend to drove him commit evil and stupid things without regarding situations that he face no matter whether he had good or evil intentions. This tend to hinder his problem solving skills, as seen when he tries to help other, he ended up to made everything worsens, ended up doing nothing, or did the opposite.
    • Patrick also sometimes tend to be distracted, in some cases, by something that he favors like ice cream.
  • Mr. Krabs: Krabs' greed with money, and viewing money as often anthropomorphic being sometimes proved to be his worst weakness, as the said greed get best of him as well as potentially drove him to perform appaling acts just as meant to improve his business or satisfy his unhealth obsession. This also worsened his rivalry with Plankton where Plankton even so appaled that be began to questioned how evil he was when comparing himself with Krabs.
  • Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup's common weakness is their father Professor Utonium and their own weakness like chalkboard sound (Blossom), blankets (Buttercup) and sleeping with octi (Bubbles's toy).
  • Homer Simpson:
  • Lisa Simpson:
  • Ned Flanders:

Internet

Quotes

Helmut Zemo: Longing, Rusted, Seventeen, Daybreak, Furnance, Nine, Benign, Homecoming, One, Freight Car. Soldier?
Barnes aka. Winter Soldier: Ready to comply.
~ Helmut Zemo revealed Winter Soldier's weakness.
Atticus: Today, you showed me your weakness. Your left arm is weaker than your right, so you protect your ribs at the expense of your neck.
Milo: And you should learn how to thrust when you're shifting your weight. It would make you less...predictable.
~ Milo and Atticus revealing that they know each other's weaknesses.
Oh, why do I fix everything I touch?!
~ Fix-It Felix Jr.
Eddie Brock: Oh! My Spider-Sense is tingling! [pulls Mary Jane Closer to Himself and Points to Her] Eddie Brock: ...If you know what I'm talking about!
~ Eddie as Venom knows his secret since the black goo went to him instead and Venom will kill her along with Spider-Man

Gallery

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