| abstract | - A character or ability that seems completely useless at first, but with repeated use and patience can be highly effective later. This can be an item/weapon you need to explicitly power up or even an entire low-level character who gets some really awesome techniques later. Choosing the character usually involves taking the Path of Most Resistance so you can Earn Your Fun. The Trope Namer is Magikarp from Pokémon, a ubiquitous, dim-witted, crap... er, carp-like Pokémon that only knows the move "Splash", which, as the game gleefully informs you, 'has no effect'. In short, the suckiest, most useless, pointless 'Mon in the game. This is until you painstakingly grind it up to level 20, of course, at which point it evolves into Gyarados, an awesome, intimidating flying-water-dragon-serpent-death-machine ready to wreak vengeance from on high with its lethal abilities. This comes from an old Japanese legend that a carp that manages to swim up a waterfall can become a dragon through perseverance. Leaked Experience can be very helpful in getting this to the appropriate point without weakening the party or putting the Magikarp Power in danger. Related to Level Grinding in that the player is forced to drag an entirely useless item or NPC around for level after level, until it becomes useful. Compare Future Badass, Took a Level In Badass (this trope implemented for a character), Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards (for when wizards are treated as magikarp), Lethal Joke Character (a Joke Character with hidden potential), and Difficult but Awesome (for when a character/faction is set up to make the player a magikarp). Contrast Breakable Weapons, What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway? and Crutch Character. Can sometimes be heard to ask, "Who's Laughing Now?" Examples of Magikarp Power include:
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