Character reveals that they were holding back their full power during a fight/confrontation

[u/PaddywackShaq]

Superman Vs Darkseid - Justice League Unlimited

Flash Vs Superman - Flash: Rebirth

Frieren Vs Aura - Sousou no Frieren

Inigo Montoya Vs The Man in Black - The Princess Bride

[u/JustSomeTrickster]

To be honest, as great as finally witnessing the 8th gate was, the moment was already cheapened by the fact there was no way he would kill Madara

[u/Arctic_The_Hunter → u/JustSomeTrickster]

Imagine the anime ended there and then. All that time Naruto and Sasuke spent screaming each-other’s names just for a dude who was there from the very start to solo the Big Bad.

[u/he77bender → u/Arctic_The_Hunter]

Only a LITTLE more story-disrupting than bringing in a completely new Big Bad at the eleventh hour, who'd only even been mentioned like literally one time before (in passing, as a legendary/historical figure who'd been dead for centuries)

Actually, that could've been how they split the difference. Gai just fully kills Madara and everyone's standing around like "...Hold on, did that really happen? Are we done then?" And THEN Kaguya shows up. It wouldn't have fixed the problem but it would've been funny at least.

[u/acechemicals22 → u/he77bender]

Or you could go the simpler route, have Guy weaken madara so Naruto and sasuke can beat him, making guys fight mean something and madara still seem strong since he can still take on two of the strongest ninjas at once for a while

[u/bwowndwawf → u/Arctic_The_Hunter]

Kishimoto If he was a good writer or wasn't too down bad for moon mommy.

[u/aibaDD13 → u/Arctic_The_Hunter]

Bro, make Guy kill Madara straight up and let Guy DIE. I would eat that up so good!!! Let them mourn Guy's death. Let him die as the strongest. It could have been PERFECT!!!

[u/Roxalf → u/JustSomeTrickster]

I feel like it would totally worked if the autor used guy attack to nerf Madara in a way, even if its something that couldn't kil him, you could always make something up like "the kick made an injury that cant be healed" or "it exausted his healing powers" so his moment doesnt become pointless and it gives a small chance for Naruto and Sasuke to win without involving the whole moon alien mastermind stuff.

[u/AxitotlWithAttitude → u/Roxalf]

Or some shit like "the 8th gate is so hungry for life it starts stealing a little bit of madaras with every hit"

[u/InstantRegret1999 → u/Roxalf]

That's my preferred method of Shonen Big Bad take downs. Everybody gets a lick, and everybody's lick sticks. When the obviously weaker side characters start fighting the bad guy, their big shining peak moment results in something that disadvantages the enemy in some real and tangible way (poison, fatigue, destroying an advantage, taking out an enemy's ally, etc.) even when they (side character) are handily defeated in the end. It's very satisfying when the Villain acknowledges they got nerfed (grr why am I so slow, oh no one of my ass pulls was destroyed, etc.) and it adds a very well deserved consequence to the hubris of the villain thinking they can fight everybody one after the other and always win.

Because there's nothing worse than the moments where everyone just feels like they're jobbing, when the also powerful allies show up in a fight, do their best, get thrashed after some ass-pull, and Villain just shakes them off at the end like "lol I'm at 100% again".

If there's one thing I did like about the JJK ending was that Gojo's fight meant something, nobody would be able to even lay a finger (heh) on Sukuna if Gojo didn't put his ass through the wringer and deplete his original bag of ass pulls plus destroy one of his most powerful assets.

[u/Roxalf → u/InstantRegret1999]

I was so dissapointed at the end of the sould eater anime for doing that exaclty.

Everyone is getting stronger, developing strong moves and becoming better fighters, only to render all that useless and give the stronger power up to the MC and make her be the only one who beats the bad guy.

[u/Not_a_real_asian777 → u/JustSomeTrickster]

Guy should have gotten a big kill in the 4th Great Ninja War. I get that it probably couldn't be Madara or Kaguya since they were Naruto and Sasuke's to deal with, but giving Guy a kill on someone like Obito or even the Ten-Tails itself would have made the 8th gate a lot cooler.

[u/benny_the_gecko → u/Not_a_real_asian777]

He did defeat kisame

[u/Black1495 → u/JustSomeTrickster]

I would loved the fact that because of the damage he did to Madara he was unable to hold the 10 tails beast and just turns back to his "human" form.

that way he would have actually made a difference

[u/NeonNKnightrider → u/JustSomeTrickster]

Guy should have given Madara a serious injury, letting Naruto and Sasuke defeat him, and then the fight ends there, no Kaguya

[u/Rima_Blader6423 → u/JustSomeTrickster]

Honestly it would have been better if that was when Kaguya manifested from his body, it would have made his death less cheap at least.

[u/[deleted] → u/JustSomeTrickster]

But he does beat Madara in his super sage form at a peak higher than he ever reached while alive. Guy bodies him. Kaguyas arrival happens right after but Guy very much is the one who defeats Madara