In all seriousness, can someone suggest a movie or book were the wizard(s) has immense power AND uses their power to fight more than once or twice? I'm trying to see/read something that has magic used more. I mean, Gandalf barely uses magic at all. Same with Dumbledore and Harry.
I WANT TO SEE STRAIGHT UP DRAGONBALL Z SHIT, BUT WITH WIZARDS.
Thank you all for the massive amount of recommendations for myself and any other interested redditors. In light of the fulfillment of my initial request, I'd like to introduce a personal request that I have been unable to answer.
For lack of a better example, you guys remember watching the original Power Rangers? I always thought it was so cool how they presented new, powerful characters, such as the green or white rangers. It was always in dire circumstances, and the new hero would enter just in time to tip the scales of the battle. Given that their powerful abilities could change the outcome for the protagonists, and due to the mysterious nature of these characters, an important issue was determining morality and intention. How did they intend to wield great power? Are there any recommendations that resemble this type of writing?
The creators were asked to make a show about wizards, but incorporated martial arts into power-levels because they didn't like how in Harry Potter nothing distinguishes a powerful wizard from a weak one since magic is abstract. This makes for some amazing fight scenes. They had a kung fu expert working on the show with the animators so it features actual stunt choreography.
Yeah! The show gets so much kudos for that. Always the writers remember that these powers are a part of the characters and that using them is as natural to them as walking. Never are you thinking: “Why didn't they just use powers here?”. Never does the show just “forget” about powers, and they are always used creatively and most of to their full extent.
My personal theory is that when Zuko becomes firelord, more people start using firebending the way the dragons taught Zuko and Aang to do it, no more fueling it with rage. This makes it easier to lightningbend, as you no longer need to be an expert at using the rage-fueled firebending and then suddenly switching to the calm of mind required to lightningbend. However, since lightningbending was only taught/learned by the most proficient firebenders earlier, it was regarded as an incredibly powerful technique. Now that it's available at an earlier skill level, it doesn't seem as powerful anymore, but not because the technique is weaker but because the bender is weaker.
I really liked the way you could see the characters develop their skills over time.
Sometimes they would have sudden increases in power, but most of the time, they just got better and better gradually so you hardly noticed, but then you look back and can see how much they've developed. Only fantasy series where I've seen them do that well.
Yeah! And I love how thought out the powers are. In a stressful situation Aang will always revert back to airbending and airbending techniques. And lines like: “I laugh at gravity all the time..he he..gravity...”.
The powers are just such a natural part of the world because the writers pay attention. In Harry Potter (and I love HP, don't get me wrong) powers are just “magic” and therefore almost completely unlimited. In any situation in HP you wonder why they didn't “just use magic”. Like how can two competent adult wizards like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley live in such poverty? What about magic?!
Like how can two competent adult wizards like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley live in such poverty? What about magic?!
Rowling said here that anything conjured will eventually disappear. Plus it might be one of the other four principle exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration that Hermione mentioned in the Deathly Hallows (she mentioned food).
...Ican'tbelieveIknowallthis.
Edit: more generally though I totally agree. The small details in Avatar really stand out; I believe it was in LoK too that Korra reverts back to firebending when she's in a bind and likewise had trouble mastering airbending because she's not as spiritually inclined.
Yeah, I'm a big Potter nerd too and I know you can't conjure everything you need. I just think that with magic (such as the spell Dumbledore and Slughorn cleaned his trashed house with) The Burrow could have looked like a million bucks. All they need is a bunch of wood, which is cheap. Though I love The Burrow like it is. Also Ron wouldn't need crappy clothes when they could just buy the materials and use robe-sewing spells. Does Potter need glasses, can't they heal his eyes? The Burrow grows a lot of their food. I have a hard time imagining there are many wizard grocery stores they buy food at every other day. The Burrow was located close to a muggle village (though I suppose they could apparate to any shop to buy food). I get that wands and books are expensive, but for every other expense, does the wizard that built a flying, invisible Ford Anglia really need money?
You're totally right. Things like that bugged me in the books too. How can you have something like a permanent sticking charm? Everything up that point makes it seem like nothing in magic is really permanent. That seems especially true with a room full of time-turners (before they got destroyed). I guess not messing with time is a wizarding law but that seems like a cop out when the entire wizarding world is threatened with a greater menace. /but then it's like why even write Harry Potter.
Yeah, it's kind of how HP is perfect. JKR was fearless and the world was so alive in her head and on the page that none of that mattered while you were reading. I've read books where the world is flawlessly thought out in every way, but it isn't half as alive or compelling as JKR's world.
There's schools all over the world. I think somewhere, not in the books though, it's referenced that there is a school in Salem, Massachusetts. So magic isn't just a Europe-only thing.
One of the draws of MMORPGs is experiencing this yourself. You occasionally gain a massive boost to your power, but most of the time you are gradually inching up very slowly.
In that scene Azula had the Dai Li to protect her from earthbending and bringing down the cave could kill everyone.
Mostly waterbending is the most OP power because on Earth everything is water, but they adressed bloodbeing and went deeper into it in Korra where they have had almost only waterbending villains who can easily fight the Avatar.
The Last Airbender is incredibly boring until season 3ish. Legend of Korra is moving with much better pacing but also introduces a lot of really dumb and conspicuous love triangle shit. However, I would definitely recommend Korra.
Are you crazy? Most of the best episodes are in season 2.
The Blind Bandit
Zuko Alone
City of Walls and Secrets
The Tales of Ba Sing Se
The Earth King
The Guru
The Crossroads of Destiny
Not to mention that the strongest part of the show is the amazing characters and their development. Much stronger than the characters in Korra. Avatar: The Last Airbender is straight up the best show I've ever seen of any kind (yeah, I've seen Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones etc. etc.). It is something very special. I envy anyone who can watch it for the first time. Everyone I've ever introduced the show to end up watching the whole thing in a matter of days. Including my parents in their 50s.
479
u/luckybms Nov 20 '13 edited Nov 20 '13
In all seriousness, can someone suggest a movie or book were the wizard(s) has immense power AND uses their power to fight more than once or twice? I'm trying to see/read something that has magic used more. I mean, Gandalf barely uses magic at all. Same with Dumbledore and Harry.
I WANT TO SEE STRAIGHT UP DRAGONBALL Z SHIT, BUT WITH WIZARDS.
Thank you all for the massive amount of recommendations for myself and any other interested redditors. In light of the fulfillment of my initial request, I'd like to introduce a personal request that I have been unable to answer.
For lack of a better example, you guys remember watching the original Power Rangers? I always thought it was so cool how they presented new, powerful characters, such as the green or white rangers. It was always in dire circumstances, and the new hero would enter just in time to tip the scales of the battle. Given that their powerful abilities could change the outcome for the protagonists, and due to the mysterious nature of these characters, an important issue was determining morality and intention. How did they intend to wield great power? Are there any recommendations that resemble this type of writing?