| abstract | - In short, a weaponized Idiot Ball. One of the most effective ways to deal with an enemy is to rob them of their greatest weapon -- their mind. This trope is a subtrope of Mind Rape, an intentional attack on someone's intellect. In layman's terms, deliberately making someone stupid. This trope can take many forms. It can be temporary or permanent. It can be achieved through magic, surgery, or weaponised Phlebotinum-Induced Stupidity. It can have any number of degrees of severity, ranging from simply taking the edge off the victim's reasoning to full-on infantilisation or even reducing them to a drooling vegetable. Finally, depending on the work's tone, it can either be Played for Laughs or be a potent source of Nightmare Fuel. A Stupidity-Inducing Attack also has a variety of uses. It can be a means of control, a way to neutralise a troublesome Guile Hero or Chessmaster, or even a particularly sadistic torture method or Fate Worse Than Death (especially if the victim's aware of what's happening to them). Some characters, in fact, use it to boost their own knowledge and intellect via a form of Vampiric Draining, though this is not strictly necessary to the trope. Whatever the case, though, removing some IQ points from the target must be a deliberate purpose of the attack, not just a side-effect. Contrast Idiot Ball, Plot Induced Stupidity, and Took a Level In Dumbass, where it's the writer dumbing down their characters. Compare Phlebotinum-Induced Stupidity, which is often unintentional and possibly either self-inflicted or the result of some environmental effect, as well as Brought Down to Normal or De-Power, an event with a similar purpose used to strip away someone's physical or supernatural abilities. Examples of Stupidity-Inducing Attack include:
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