About: Explaining Your Power to the Enemy   Sponge Permalink

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It's no surprise that villains love to gloat, but this gloating isn't necessarily limited to villains, or even explaining secret plans -- sometimes a character (usually one with special powers) will take a time-out during combat to explain for their opponent's (and the audience's) benefit exactly how their powers work, even if leaving said abilities a mystery would give them a strategic or tactical advantage in the fight. In less serious examples, the explanation may extend from merely how their powers work to exactly what can counteract and defeat them. Examples

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  • Explaining Your Power to the Enemy
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  • It's no surprise that villains love to gloat, but this gloating isn't necessarily limited to villains, or even explaining secret plans -- sometimes a character (usually one with special powers) will take a time-out during combat to explain for their opponent's (and the audience's) benefit exactly how their powers work, even if leaving said abilities a mystery would give them a strategic or tactical advantage in the fight. In less serious examples, the explanation may extend from merely how their powers work to exactly what can counteract and defeat them. Examples
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  • It's no surprise that villains love to gloat, but this gloating isn't necessarily limited to villains, or even explaining secret plans -- sometimes a character (usually one with special powers) will take a time-out during combat to explain for their opponent's (and the audience's) benefit exactly how their powers work, even if leaving said abilities a mystery would give them a strategic or tactical advantage in the fight. Sometimes this Exposition Bomb is because the character is confident that their opponent doesn't actually pose a threat, so they can afford to spend time chatting about what they're going to do next. Sometimes it's a way to psych out the enemy, letting then know how utterly screwed they are. Or maybe they don't realize they're being Genre Blind (or they do, but don't care). In less serious examples, the explanation may extend from merely how their powers work to exactly what can counteract and defeat them. This is sometimes related to Viewers are Morons, and can also be used as an Exposition for a character the viewer has never seen before. It is very commonly found in Shonen titles, where it is not uncommon for the character to explain their powers repeatedly, even after it's been established how those powers work. Also a subtrope of Inaction Sequence, with the extra bonus that the character is making a glaring mistake. Additionally, a close cousin to Luckily, My Powers Will Protect Me, but the person explaining their powers is doing it to the absolute LAST person they should be. See also Evil Gloating, Trash Talk, Saying Too Much, Talking Is a Free Action, Bond Villain Stupidity, and Calling Your Attacks. Examples
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