What is Durability?
Durability is the measurement of an entity's ability to withstand a certain amount of force inflicted upon it without showing signs of critical damage. This criterion measures how effectively a character or object can resist harm from opposing attacks in battle, whether these are physical blows, energy-based weapons, or other forms of weaponry intended to deal damage.It is, more or less, a way to measure how strong a character is in a fight.
While Durability and stamina are two terms that can be confused with one another, their exact definitions are not the same. If stamina measures a combatant's ability to exert a certain level of effort in battle over a duration, Durability can be described as the combatant's ability to withstand incoming blows from an opponent while remaining active in the battle afterward.
Note that a shield or barrier with a certain level of Durability can withstand attacks above its user’s capabilities without immediately breaking apart, but this does not necessarily mean the user themselves possesses the same level of Durability to endure such attacks directly.
Alternatively, a barrier cast by the user through magic or any other inherent abilities may also break or disappear if the user's energy runs out during battle, rendering them unable to maintain it.
Core Concepts
Scaling DurabilityAs the definition of a combatant’s Attack Power refers to the destructive capacity an attack is equivalent to, a combatant with a certain level of Attack Power should be able to damage opponents capable of withstanding attacks of a similar caliber. Conversely, this also means that a combatant with a certain level of Durability should be able to withstand—or even shrug off—a blow from an opponent of similar strength or someone physically weaker.
Basically, if a character survives a direct blow from an opponent capable of unleashing a destructive force of a certain level, their Durability is scaled to match the magnitude of devastation performed by the character that performed the feat.
Calculating Durability
Determining the appropriate Durability rating of a character generally involves gathering evidence of battles they have participated in or destructive feats performed by other characters in their respective series to which the character in question directly scales. The method used for finding this depends on the specific type of feat being evaluated.
Explosion Resistance:
An explosion can be used to assess a character’s Durability, provided the character in question is in very close proximity to the explosion’s initial source (point-blank) and survives the event. The overall energy output of the explosion, measured in joules, is calculated, and the results are used to directly scale the character’s Durability rating to that level.
It is important to note that the inverse square law method must be applied to calculate the character’s Durability if they were located a significant distance from the explosion’s epicenter. This is because the intensity of an explosion's energy decreases exponentially with distance, as the energy radiates outward in all directions. As it spreads over an increasingly larger surface area, the energy of the explosion per unit area diminishes. Thus, the farther a character is away from the explosion's epicenter, the less energy from the explosion they receive—and therefore, the less damage they take in the process.
The equation for inverse square law is written as
- I is the intensity of the explosion (energy per unit area) at a given distance.
- E is the total energy released by the explosion.
- r is the distance from the center of the explosion.
- 4πr^2 is the surface area of a sphere at radius r.
Kinetic Energy from High-Speed Impacts:
Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses as a result of its motion.
It quantifies the amount of energy associated with an object's movement at a given speed, which is crucial for predicting the potential destruction it can cause upon impact. This makes it a vital concept for understanding the force a character can endure.
Two primary factors are required to calculate kinetic energy: the object's mass and its speed. Even a small, lightweight object traveling at very high speeds can carry as much, or even more, energy than a heavier object moving more slowly.
The formula used to calculate kinetic energy is:
- KE is the kinetic energy, expressed in joules (J).
- m is the mass of the object, measured in kilograms (kg).
- v is the velocity of the object, measured in meters per second (meters per second).
- Note that as the speed of the object increases, the kinetic energy of the object increases at a rate proportional to the square of its velocity. This means that even a small increase in speed results in a significantly larger increase in kinetic energy.
Newton's Third Law and Durability
According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, every action causes an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when force is applied from one object to another, the second object exerts back an equivalent force in response, but in the opposite direction.
Relevance to Scaling Durability
A character delivering a physical attack with a certain level force will inherently experience an equal force in return. If he/she performs such an attack without receiving any evidence of injury/discomfort from the recoil, it suggests that their Durability scales directly to the level of force they can exert in their attacks. Thus, a character's Durability usually would scale to their Attack Power.
For example, a character capable of punching with the force to shatter a large boulder without harming their own hand would logically possess Durability equal to or greater than the force exerted.
A different example involves a character directly withstanding a blow delivered with significant intent by an opponent of known power. If the character withstands the attack or avoids sustaining fatal damage, their Durability can be assessed relative to the opponent's Attack Power. Since most strikes are designed to inflict damage, it is reasonable to assume that a recipient will sustain at least some level of harm, even if the attack does not result in critical injuries.
However, if a character shows no visible damage from such an attack or withstands it without any noticeable effect, it could be argued that their Durability surpasses the Attack Power of their opponent.
Exceptions
Enhancements from Weapons and Items
- Weapons are tools that focus the force of an attack over a small area, making them very effective at causing damage. However, the power of a weapon doesn’t always reflect the Durability of the person using it.
- A sword, for example, can deliver powerful strikes, but that doesn’t mean the person holding the sword is as tough as the weapon itself.
- Some characters use devices or enhancements like powered suits or magical tools to increase their attack power. In these cases, the Durability of the character often matches that of the tool or device.
- For example, a pilot in a powered suit is as durable as the suit itself unless an attack manages to bypass the suit and hit the pilot directly.
- Sui Feng (from Bleach) wields a Zanpakuto named Suzumebachi, which marks an enemy with a symbol upon the first strike. If she strikes the same spot again, the enemy instantly dies, regardless of their Durability.
- Certain characters or beings might deliver strong attacks without needing the same level of Durability themselves.
- For instance, a creature with extremely tough claws can inflict heavy damage while the rest of its body remains less durable.
- Additionally, some characters are resistant to regular physical attacks but can still be harmed by special types of attacks, such as those infused with elements or magical powers. These unique attacks can bypass their usual defenses, dealing damag directly.
Types of Durability Feats
Statements MadeDirect statements about a character's Durability can often be considered evidence for scaling their ability to withstand attacks from other characters of comparable caliber, unless the statement is contradicted by a feat that occurs later in their respective series. A character that is described or mentioned as more durable than another is generally scaled to the level of those being compared or higher, while those described as less durable are scaled lower.
These statements, which come from the narrative or source material, offer valuable insight into the character’s Durability but rely on the credibility of the source. It is recommended that such claims be supported by observable feats, as descriptions based on vague or hyperbolic language can reduce their reliability.
For instance, terms like "invincible" may only apply in specific situations or be exaggerated. While direct statements can serve as useful evidence for assessing a character’s Durability, they become more credible when combined with observable feats.
Withstanding an Attack
Characters can showcase superior Durability by shrugging off attacks that would cause more severe injuries to others with lesser resilience. For instance, a character might survive a powerful explosion or a strike from an opponent of significant strength with relatively minor injuries, whereas a weaker character exposed to the same force could become incapacitated or critically injured.
Additionally, the type of attack can influence the extent of damage a character sustains. Attacks using sharp blades or pointed weapons, such as swords or spears, are more likely to inflict serious wounds compared to blunt force, even when the power behind the attacks originates from characters of comparable strength. This distinction highlights how the nature of the attack affects visible damage and helps differentiate a character’s Durability from the specific attributes of the attack.
Tanking an Attack
Tanking an attack differs from merely surviving it. While surviving focuses on enduring damage and continuing to fight through willpower or endurance, tanking emphasizes the lack of visible impact or damage altogether. This shows that the character’s Durability is superior to the force of the attack, placing them above the attacker in terms of power.
This concept is especially useful for comparing characters or scaling their abilities, as it highlights how some individuals or entities can completely neutralize or trivialize even powerful attacks, depending on the gap in strength and Durability.
Perceived Invulnerability
Key Characteristics of Perceived Invulnerability
1. No Reaction to the Attack:
- The character does not flinch, move, or show any signs of damage or strain when the attack is directed at them.
- This creates the illusion that they are impervious to harm, even though the attack may simply lack sufficient power to affect them.
- The attack’s ineffectiveness may also result from a massive disparity in power between the attacker and the perceived invulnerable character, making any effort seem futile.
- In some cases, the attack physically cannot reach the character, even though they remain stationary and do not defend themselves.
- This typically reflects a significant gap in ability between the attacker and the character who withstands the attack effortlessly.
- Factors such as a protective barrier, environmental properties, or other external influences can nullify the attack, rendering it harmless and neutralized.
Special Considerations
Surface Area
This principle is evident in specialized weapons like razor-sharp blades, spears, or bullets, which efficiently slice or pierce due to their concentrated force. Accurately determining the Attack Power and Durability of characters who primarily rely on such weapons requires closer inspection, as the effectiveness of these attacks can often exceed what their physical abilities alone would suggest.
The relationship between force, energy, and surface area, tied to the relationship between pressure and force, goes more in-depth with this concept.
Pressure (P) is defined as the force (F) applied per unit area (A). The equation is written as
- P = Pressure (in N per meter squared)
- F = Force (in Newtons)
- A = Surface area (in meters squared
Areas of Vulnerability
Areas of vulnerability are particular points on a character's body where attacks can bypass defenses and cause serious damage, even if the character's general Durability exceeds that of the power of the attack being dealt. Targeting these weak points can lead to severe pain, incapacitation, or even result in the death of that character if the attack lands successfully.
Exploiting these weaknesses, such as striking pressure points, allows opponents to overcome Durability with precision rather than strength. These attacks often cause internal damage with minimal external signs, proving that high Durability does not guarantee complete protection.
Human characters almost always have specific areas on their body that are much more vulnerable than others, such as the eyes and internal organs. Other characters may have unique weak points that are noticeably more vulnerable. Damage inflicted by targeting these areas may not serve as strong evidence for scaling the attack power of a character relative to an opponent's regular Durability.
Such scaling can apply, however, if the attacker is shown to physically contend with the opponent on equal footing during a fight.
Characters Surviving Attacks Exceeding Their Durability
Sometimes, characters demonstrate the ability to survive attacks that far exceed what their supposed Durability would suggest. They can endure damage that others with comparable Durability would not typically survive, even if they sustain severe injuries. These injuries may include burns, lacerations, or even holes blown through their bodies.
A display of such a feat is not because of that character’s Durability but rather their endurance. As endurance reflects the ability to tolerate pain and continue functioning despite sustaining severe injuries that are normally supposed to incapacitate a combatant, it is a quality that is influenced through resilience, willpower, or even supernatural forces, rather than the innate capability of that character to withstand attacks of such a level.
Durability measures the ability to withstand or mitigate damage sustained from an attack.
Endurance is the capacity to keep functioning in battle after sustaining damage, regardless of its severity, although it can also refer to the length of time a character can continue fighting at their current capacity.
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