

In video RPGs, it's frequently a Useless Useful Spell because of low hit rates, inability to affect bosses, or a prohibitive cost required to cast it, if not all three combined. One-Hit Kills are a common spell in RPGs. Sometimes it's a Dangerous Forbidden Technique which to use requires Casting From Hit Points or life span, other times it's just really hard to pull off, or leaves you wide open for a counterattack.

Usually, the One-Hit Kill comes at a price. At times, it's not even content with a single target, becoming a One-Hit Polykill. Often, the One-Hit Kill isn't humble enough to just kill, instead petrifying, permanently polymorphing, or banishing its victim to the Phantom Zone.
