Captured in Words: In no particular order: 1) Alchemy from FMA 2) Allomancy Mistborn 3) Nen from Hunter X Hunter 4) Bending from Avatar the Last Airbender
I'd say the Skill from the Realm of the Elderlings. P.S Could you please tell me the name of the song at 3:37? I really love it and would like to listen to it.
Arcane magic. The two first books of each series: Knightmare Arcanist & Academy Arcanist. I don't particularly like this magic system, but the author knows her stuff. And pretty hard in the soft rules of shadows & darkness...
I never thought of this before, but it now makes so much more sense why Gandalf relatively rarely uses magic. If power corrupts, and magic is power then the only way for him to remain uncorrupted is to not rely on magic.
Istari (mages, like Gandalf) were forbidden to face Sauron (because 1. They were to guide others to good 2. Such face-off would be devastating - at the end of the 1st age the great battle sank half of eastern continent). Gandalf shouldn't even reveal where he came from. Also, it seems more like the magic in Middle Earth (at least for higher beings, such as Valars and Maiars - spirits, such were Gandalf, Sauron, Saruman, Radagast, Durin's Bane... - works differently than for elves, dwarves, humans, etc.) is more of commanding the reality. See how Gandalf said the Balrog couldn't cross the bridge of Khazad-dum, he was forbidden by Gandalf to do so, therefore the bridge crumbled.
Well, actualy, he was a servant of the Secret Fire (the free will of the Middle Earth' beings given to them by Eru Iluvatar and that he must respect), so he can only use his power against other supernatural beings.
@@w0lf3ncze97 I agree that magic works differently for the Ainur then it does for others. In fact given that his deeply held Catholicism, I would say that Tolkien wouldn't view the magic of the Ainur as fantastical at all but identical to the miracles he believed that occurred in the real world. There is a reason why the making of Arda, in which the Ainur sung the music of Arda to bring it into existence, reads so much like the story in Genesis.
The Hobbit and LOTR are very much POV stories. We are reading the recollections of events as they were seen and interpreted by Hobbits. Hobbits are far too unsophisticated to understand what forces the Elves, Wizards and Sauron are drawing on so they lump it all into a catchall called magic. Galadriel chides Frodo on this point when he asks her about Elvish magic. There's a school of thought that there actually is no magic at all in Tolkien's world. Tolkien himself tends to use the term "craft" in The Silmarillion when talking about things like the Palantiri and the Silmarils. In other words, the Noldor and the Istari aren't doing all these amazing feats because they're casting magic spells. They're scientists and engineers who have invented incredible technology that to the unsophisticated seem to be magic. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" - Arthur C Clark. Perhaps the "Secret Fire of Anor [i.e. the sun]" Gandalf calls upon when he battles the Balrog is just a high voltage/high amperage solar powered battery connected to a jack hammer! Or maybe it's just some high explosives (we know Gandalf can make gunpowder for fireworks). There's little doubt that Saruman's "blasting fire" he uses to breach the walls at Helm's Deep is some form of explosive device. To the observers there though, it seems like magic.
HxH’s Nen is probably the most interesting hard magic system I’ve ever seen; more like an art from or a martial art than magic. It has extremely strict rules but if one manages to understand them then it feels so rewarding.
I recommend the system used in the manga Atelier of Witch Hat (or Witch Hat Atelier), where the mages limit themselves to only use magic throught magic item created via very precise and detailed magic circle drawn on them. The magic sistem is on the hard magic spectrum with all the wonders of a soft magic, so you have underwater city and soft bad made of cloud. Also the art is wonderful
I always love seeing Witch Hat Atelier getting love. To add, WHA is also partially a secret magic world type story. Not that magic is a secret, but how it's used is kept a secret so regular people don't realize how easy it is. So it's not just a matter of drawing the spells, the worldbuilding is also focused on how to cast spells without anyone being able to see you doing it. So characters either have to bring the items with them or use their robes to hide their hands while they draw on a small notepad. The character designs are really practical and every piece of a witch's outfit serves a purpose, whether practical or symbolic.
Avatar The Last Airbender doesn't use magic, they use spiritual energy called (Ki, Chi and Chakras) which is explicitly not magic. Magic is based on external energies and forces while Ki, Chi and Chakras are based on internal energies/inner life force.
@@EternalFlameOfGod Ignoring that your conclusion is just not a thing in reality or fiction as a whole, you're being needlessly pedantic. The video literally starts with an explanation of what magic is in the context of fiction. It's a supernatural plot device. Chi is not a material reality outside of specific spiritual practices. When included as an actual material reality in fiction, it's magic to us, the readers. That aside, there are plenty of fictional works where magic, in both name and function, are internal energies that have little to do with the outside world outside of the effects it causes.
I love Sanderson’s magic systems in Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, The Emperor’s Soul, Warbreaker, Tress of the Emerald Sea… but there is nothing quite like Pat Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle. The contrast between a very hard system like Sympathy and a loose and soft magic like Naming is particularly awesome, as Kvothe easily learns one but fumbles with the other because of his stupidity and arrogance. The thing is, talking about this remembers me that we still don’t have a date for book 3. Why, god, why? 😂😅😢
Cool magic system. The second book had too much retread, no character development compared to the "present" story teller kvoth, and it read too much like a Gary Due for me. So disappointing that the author is RR Martining the story. It's like I want to give the story an A but somehow keep moving my hand to the B- C range.
I like the two magics in Robin Hobb’s books: the Wit (connection to animals and all living things around you), and the Skill (a telepathic connection with people) and how the main character Fitz learns to combine the two.
I was hoping someone would mention this! I almost included the Skill and the Wit in this list but didn't have time to out it in the video, but I really like how Hobb implements her magic system and I love the idea of having a connection to animals
And the Skill can resurrect people 3 days dead. It can teleport. The wit does (contrary to stated rules) during the story connect people to each other both directly and through an animal intermediary. Pouring liquid skill onto destroyed cocoon creates instantaneous dragons. AOE, stealth, mind control and/or permanent overwrite of personality... sometimes. Turns stone into dragons, who are controlled by wit (though they are telepathic creatures). Resequence DNA and instantly alter mass/energy to match. I liked the series fine..
@@CapturedInWords Are you familiar with the Furies of Calderon series also by Jim Butcher? The race of the main character uses elemental magic by bonding with nature spirits referred to as furies. But there's also a race that bonds for life with animals to gain superhuman abilities. It's eventually (and somewhat casually) mentioned that the Roman empire existed in a time before people could connect with furies, so it's likely that all the supernatural races were once human and used this bonding power in different ways.
I'll be honest, I don't have a preference between hard or soft magic systems. They both have their advantages. Hard magic, like Name/Wind and Mistborn, is fun to learn -- usually along with the character as they're learning. So it makes the story interesting. Soft magic is more whimsical, and keep the reader guessing as to what will happen next. As long as it's done well, I enjoy a well written soft magic
For me elemental magic will never be overdone lol, i eat it up every time. There is something about it man idk. I think my favorite has to be Stormlight, because i just LOVE the idea of bonding spren, getting your powers through a bond with a cute lil creature by your side is just the best thing ever and i want a cryptic by my side so bad.
I love the idea of bonding a spren too, Stormlight definitely has one of my favorite magic systems! I'd love a Cryptic or Honorspren, or a Cultivationspren would be really cool too!
@@zynpkrdg they're math right? So that means If I become an engineer or mathematician, I have someone to cheat with freely and become the best in the world :)
@@snowdrop9810 I hadn't even thought about that before _and_ i want to study engineering haha.🤯 I also think i would never find their shenanigans annoying like yeah go on say the weirdest stuff ever i'm all ears.
that’s exactly what i was thinking! the magic in those books manages to make so much sense while not being overpowered or super convoluted or anything, i love it
my favorite books of all time, i even have a saphira tattoo across my back chest and shoulder. The magic system was by far my favorite and i’d love if he did an origin story of the ancient language.
Agreed. I loved how as the books went along Eragon was able to use different energy sources and also by wording things differently could do similar things with less effort. And storing energy I always thought was cool
I love the Old Kingdom's magic system. I read Sabriel in high school and it is the book I can pin point that made me fall in love with Fantasy. Its magic system is so unique and interesting. Also the world starts as Urban Fantasy and goes into traditional fantasy. A system that is very interesting and unique that I just finished is Witch Hat Atelier. This manga's magic system is so unique. It is based on writing symbols. I highly recommend reading it!
Very fine video man! The content, the editing... Amazing! My favorite magic systems are the ones from Mistborn, Wheel of Time and Kingkiller Chronicles.
This video is seriously amazing! Not only made me want to read straight away The Earthsea chronicles, but also overall made me remember why I love fantasy so so much! Uhhh so inspired right now! One of my favorite magic systems would be the bone shard magic used in the Drowning Empire, creepy but seriously cool
Two recommendations: Jack Vance's series Dying Earth was the basis for the magic system in D&D. (The series is also excellent). Steven Erikson, Ian C. Esslemont's series Malazan Book of the Fallen has a very interesting magic system. It will take reading several of their books to understand it's complexity.
I’d have to go with HxH’s Nen system. I mean, it’s really the gold standard for not only anime power/magic systems, but for power/magic systems in fiction as a whole. I mean, it’s the best of both worlds, on one hand mysterious and esoteric, and on the other hand so precise the majority of the series fights can be reduced down to a series of math equations if you were so inclined. Further, it’s rules are really well defined and laid out, with its system of self imposed conditions which give it a lot of interesting conditions and strategies Ultimately,I’d say HxH has one of the best power systems of all time
If you’re at all interested in anime and love power systems, give HxH a shot. Though to warn you, the show waits until like ep 40 or so to even reveal the system, and it unveils it slowly, very slowly (you can also just look up lore vids if u want lmao)
my favorite magic system is the one I designed for my story. in a nutshell. there is a universal energy source that permiates throughout all life. if you open your 7 chakras, and connect them to the star charka and the Earth charka. then you can start to channel this energy through your charkas, and condense it into mana. once you have mana, you can use it to fuel any spells you have learned. the system itself is broken into 5 crafts, which are each further divided into 4 arts. example. magecraft deals with arcane powers and is divided into the four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. whereas druidcraft deals more with nature and is divided into teramancy (manipulating the sentient world around you.) shape shifting (manipulating you own body.) alchemy (manipulating the inanimated world around you) and manufacturing (manipulating magic itself, and changing how spells are cast.) each art has it's own rules for how the spells are cast, but in general, spells are cast through intention. you can use wands, or staffs, or hand gestures to help focus that intention; but it ultimately your own intention that casts the spell. the entire premise of the book(s) is following the journey of the students at an academy that teaches them to harness mana and learn spells. but it's only a 5 year academy. so you have to chose which path you want to take. do you have to specialize and focus on 1 craft, and it's 4 arts? do you want to generalize and learn the basics of all 5 crafts? or do you want to mix and match. the academy is really only the start of your journey through magic, even as a specialist. and there are school that you can go to after graduation to learn the arts you didn't get to learn. but you can only attend the school for the craft you took the introductory course for, and achieve the apprentice rank.
This is such a good video. These are some great magic systems. I love how Patrick Rothfuss uses both hard and soft magic systems in the Name of the Wind. My favourite magic system is Beyond redemption. It's a combination of soft and hard. What I love most about it is that it's weaved into the world building and also the essential components that make up that characters themselves.
I was so happy when you mentioned Brent Week's Lightbringer series! I adored that magic system and it gets better with each book. I'd also like to recommend his Nightangel trilogy - the magic system here is quite different but it's brilliant. Also another sidenote on Brent Weeks - he has a fantastic way of writing politics without it getting boring. Saying that, my all-time favourite is Kingkiller by Patrick Rothfuss. It's so well explained and easy to digest but also so complex.
I definitely need to read more Lightnringer! The Night Angel Trilogy was actually the first adult fantasy series I read back in middleschool and reread it a few times! I've actually been thinking of giving it another read soon since it's been a while, but I've always been a big fan of assassins in fantasy since reading thos books. The Ka'kari and other magic in that series was pretty interesting too
So basically Eragon’s magic system ripped off earthsea lmao. An ancient language spoken by dragon’s that gives you power over things when you know their true names, and mages have to learn the words in order to master the magic. Literally the same as Eragon
Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series is based on a variety of influences, including Native American legends, Norse mythology, Taoism, feminism, and transformation. Le Guin's knowledge of myths and legends, as well as her interest in anthropology, helped her create entire cultures for the islands of Earthsea. The series also features an oral tradition, including the 31-stanza poem The Creation of Éa, which describes how Segoy raised the islands from the ocean by naming them in the True Speech. Edit: moral of the story, everything is based on something untill you go so far back you're talking about oral traditions. Literally word of mouth for thousands of years that. The stories that pre dated writing.
Inheritance cycle was probably the first fantasy series I read, and as I read more I realize that it's just a synthesis of a bunch of other fantasy. Still good tho.
The best magic blends the familiar and the fantastic. I find a "hard until a point ." magic works best. Where the base level magics are understood and used, but perhaps the antagonist has a magic that is not understood and veers into more of a soft category. Magic should retain some mysticism. When it seems like a D&D read-off, it loses wonder.
Wow I'm sorry for never replying to this comment, for some reason I thought I had. I agree with your thoughts on magic being a blend of familiar and fantastic. As much as i enjoy a good scientific hard magic-system, i much prefer when there's some wonder and mystery mixed in. That really makes it feel more like... well, 'magic'. There's so much real life mysticism to draw inspiration from and most of the time, magic through out history is something that in essence is very mysterious and unknown. Thanks for the superchat, I really appreciate the support!
You should take a look at the Death Gate Cycle by Weis and Hickman. 2 distinct yet similar systems between the Sartan and the Patryn races. It's my personal favorite.
Kathryn Kurtz’ Deryni setting had an interesting magic system in that it was genetic and resembled psychic abilities with a few exceptions like summoning things.
I'm a fan of hard magic, in general. I'm excited you're digging into Malazan, my FAVE FAVE FAVE series ever. The magic there is pretty esoteric and it will likely be quite a while before you feel like you are grasping it - and even then, it is still purposely rather vague - but I suspect you will respect, if not love, the magic system there.
So happy to see Powdermage here. I got introduced to them by picking up his other book, In the shadow of lightning. That magic system is centered around different types of glass and it feels like a more fleshed out version of Jade in the Jade city books.
The magic systems of David Eddings. The Will and the Word, The Prayer Magic of the Thousand. He had a way to use a malleable system with its hard aspects but was also soft.
Another fascinating magic system is in Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory's Obsidian Universe, which consists of three trilogies. The first is the Obsidian Trilogy (also called the Obsidian Mountain Trilogy), then there's the Enduring Flame Trilogy (set 1000 years later) and the Dragon Prophecy Trilogy (set 1000 years before). What's fun is there are three types of magic with their own rules, but they work really well together and it's fun to watch them interact with each other!
I always come back to the basic, simple magic rules that were the first that I ever read - the Belgariad by David Eddings. Seems very simple at first, but if you actually delve into it, it is extremely complex and deals with 4 separate and distinct sources of power, which are unrelated, but linked and interconnected when applied in the "real world." The delineation between "Sorcery," "Magic," "Witchcraft" and an unnamed prevalent power that exists is only touched upon here and there - with the exception of "Sorcery," as it applies to the protagonist, and is more fleshed out.
One magic system I love is in "Shadow of the Conquer" by Shad M Brooks. Basically, different physical aspects or skills of a person, such as speed, strength, weight, etc, are amplified by binding light. Hard rules bound by real physics principles. My only complaint is that Shad has only published one book in this series so far.
Another informative video, Jay. I'm a mixed bag when it comes to what magic system type I prefer and usually go with how it was used in the story. I will say I tend to like magic that has limitations and rules so do probably tend to fall on the hard side of the magic spectrum. Cheers!
I'm 6 books into Malazan and I'm not sure I have a great grasp on how the magic system works at a detailed level. Sometimes some characters do some stuff and it's cool. I really liked Wheel of Time, because I feel like the magic is a key component to much of the plot but also how it varies between men and women.
Malazan magic is extremely rich and complex. Just like everything else about Malazan. By book I understood enough to go 'oh hell yeah' when something big was about to happen, but even then you're still being introduced to new things.
My two most favorite magic systems are Cosmere and One piece...You have already talked about cosmere...with regards to one piece...you majorly have 2 types of magic systems...one is wrt devil fruits which when consumed takes away your ability to swim but gives you some power in return...the other is haki which in turn is divided into 3 different types [and sub types or rather variations of each]...it has a specific set of rules without any exceptions (as of now)...there is also awakening of devil fruits which acts differently for different category of devil fruits...
The magic system in the web serial Worm. At its fundamental level is techinally hard sci-fi, but functions under soft magic principles. Essentially superpowers, but the minute details of the systems inner workings, and especially how the worlds society deals with the system, is truly fascinating. It makes you ask not what it can do, but why.
Really great video thank you so much. I definitely enjoy the hard magic systems. There's an old classic which is the magic system in Rodger zelazny the Amber series.
Naruto's jutsu system is basically magic. I love it because there's an endless amount of jutsu and there are the different elements that can be used to make jutsu.
Totally!! The hand signs impose clear and hard limitations (most of the time), the kekeigengai like Sharingan or Haku's powers (basically mutations) add interesting twists, and the summoning system working on contracts with extra dimensional beings is amazing 😍 Definitely Naruto's magic system deserves more recognition
I really liked the system in the Lightbringer series. I felt like the series kinda got out of hand towards it's end, but the magic is very creative and fantastical. I also liked the magic system in Sanderson's The Emporer's Soul.
I also like Clamp manga universe magic. It's so vast, diverse, and full of mythologies.Especially the idea of Dreams as different realm that can also connect minds.
It's definitely the best example of a hard magic system. Hiromu Arakawa (the mangaka) really made the best magic system in anime history second to maybe Nen from Hunter x Hunter.
@@atharvadeshpande4749 FMA and HXH are my go-to examples whenever folks want to defend bad magic systems(cough, MCU Doctor Strange. Note he's my favorite superhero, but the magic is meh). Both series have rules that are easy to grasp and allow us to know what a character can and can't do and it is leveraged to give us some wonderful payoffs. Another honorary mention is One Piece with Devil Fruits. The variety and unique limitations are great and in turn help convey a sense of mystery and adventure throughout the series.
In terms of Elemental Magic, I really like how it is used in Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. It has the classic four elements, plus Metal and Wood, manipulated through the use of spirits called Furies. Each element has effects that go beyond just manipulating the element. For example, Watercrafters have healing and a degree of shapeshifting. Firecrafters can enflame emotions like agitation. Metalcrafters are naturally good at using swords. And so on. Nearly everyone (at least among the Alerans/humans; other races have their own magic systems) can use it, meaning everything from construction to cleaning dishes relies on it. And for the first half of the series, we follow someone who is unable to use his society’s magic and has to compensate. There are a few things I wish were a bit more fleshed out (like to what degree a personal Fury is needed, since someone who only had Earth and Wood managed to use Watercrafting to change his appearance, albeit over a long period of time), but overall I enjoy it.
Raymond E. Feist’s magic systems are cool too, especially the grandness of them, they are kind of a soft magic because you don’t really get too much explanation other than it takes great skill, practice and patience to perform the amazing feats or perhaps let’s just say there is no magic just 'tricks'. Magical rifts portals between worlds, creatures like dragons, serpents and demons. Not only does it have magic but also sneaky thieves and assassin type underbelly characters to go along with it. In master of furies from the Firemane Saga series Feist explains his magic system as the user the last of a royal bloodline (that was betrayed), who becomes the master of furies, needing to be able to visualise from a distance the multiple threads (furies kinda like matter) of people, environments and things in the world so they can be observed and manipulated in different ways sometimes intentionally and others not. Magic like farsight to observe people who are personally close (friends, family and love interests) to see if they are in danger, helping others by taking down the sides of cliffs, teleporting objects or people and burning 🔥 an enemy ship by accident when the user’s emotions got out of control due to being put in such danger and lack of training. Usually the children of this bloodline would have been trained at a young age but the last of the line was secreted away after the slaughter of his family and hidden on an island run by thieves and assassins and schooled in their arts. But they were closely watched and waited upon to re-emerge, unfortunately at an age though where without proper training in how to control their magical abilities the user became a dangerous threat to their world of which they were the rightful ruler. To hide them their fire red hair had to be dyed a darker colour or the would be found by those wanting them dead to end the Firemane line. Feist has always created such a focus on magic and the student mentorship process and education from his very first book the Magician to his latest book Master of Furies and it would be remiss not to mention it here in the comments I am a huge fan of him and all of his books.
The DarkSword trilogy has my favorite magic system. There's a chaste system based upon power of mages of each of the elements but my favorite part is that the Light Mages act as Catalysts to fuel the other mages. Basically Magic is a force in nature but only the Catalysts can draw it out and give it to the other mages. Probably my favorite hard magic system.
One key factor in Runelord magic is that the Endowments only last while the donor lives. Those vulnerable donors is a pivotal concept that changes everything. It's a stunning premise. It would be interesting to have a better writer do some novels in his universe. I'd be curious what they would do with it.
Not reading enough books is coming back at me.. I have adhd which means I really really need to be into the book before I even start reading it, plus I'm a picky reader and 90% of books I read are thriller. I'm a writer, it wasn't much of a problem when I was writing a thriller book, but the problem began when my thriller book converted into a fantasy after some editing. Now I'm searching for some energy/spiritual something that every person possess similar to the 4 elements. But I need 7 of them.. I have no clue about fantasy genre since the only fantasy I can remember is Harry Potter and some anime. Also, I've only watched Harry Potter movies since reading can be overwhelming sometimes. Especially when I know most of the story. It's true that not all writers are readers, and these kinds of people have the pros and cons. I've met with quite some pros, and now I've met my fated con.
I know exactly what you mean... Having adhd myself It is really difficult finishing books, sometimes when I'm reading it my interest shifts towards other things and I never finish... Later when the interest sparks again I have already forgotten the history and I don't want to start over from the beginning so I end up never finishing it.
I wonder how an Alomancer would function against a Qwaser from the anime Seikon no Qwaser. In that... imagine Fullmental alchemist except each person can only manipulate 1 specific element on the periodic table, and _can_ affect organisms, and the source of their power requires period refeuling- and all Qwasers use the same fuel regardless of their element. Main character controls iron, side characters control copper and titanium, villains control most of the others. But also some of them can control forces? There's one guy who controlled magnetism, but I digress.
I was always fascinated by the magic in the First Law world. It's very similar to what you mean about Gandalf where some of it is explained, but a lot of what the Magi are about is left to the imagination. Great video!
If you like hard magic systems, you might want to take a look at Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series. These are detective fiction of the whodunnit variety, so it's critical that you know what the rules are and that the characters follow those rules. Garrett did an excellent job. Also, Lyndon Hardy's series beginning with "Master of the Five Magics" has five (surprise!) different magic systems each with its own hard rules. It's been a very long time since I read those books, but they were quite good at the time.
As for cool and interesting magic systems that you didn't mention, there's the reality bending of Roger Zelazny's Amber series, with the Pattern and the Logrus. There's also the absolutely horrifying Fae in C. S. Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy. I am also very fond of Patricia MacKillip's Riddlemaster series, which has an awesome magic system that sits in that gray area between hard and soft. L. Sprague DeCamp's Complete Enchanter is awesome. L.E. Modesitt's Soprano Sorcerous series uses a magic system inspired by his wife, a noted soprano opera singer. Probably one of my favorites is Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy (5 hard magic systems). There are a lot of others. I've been collecting fantasy novels for decades now.
I remember liking the magic system in Eragon series as a kid. I think it basically said that magic must obey the physical laws of the universe and the method that you choose to do a "spell" dictates how much energy it takes from a source which is needed. So vibrating air molecules to create a fire would take a lot less energy from the caster than manipulating the atmosphere to create storm clouds then manipulating them to form a lightning strike in front of you to create a fire
I don't agree that Tolkien portrays ALL power as corrupting. Saruman was corrupted by listening to Sauron through the Palantir, not because he was the strongest of the Istari. Galadriel and Gandalf both hold Rings of Power and are very powerful in their own right (I would argue its Galadriel's will that keeps her ring hidden from Sauron and yet lets her read his thoughts concerning the elves as she says she does in the books), yet they are not corrupted by it. The One Ring corrupts because Sauron put himself and his will to dominate into the Ring. Thus it dominates and grants the ability to dominate in proportion to the will of the weilder.
Some of my favorite magic systems are from "Master of The Five Magics" by Lyndon Hardy, it's the magic system that heavily inspired Patrick Rothfuss' "Sympathy". The writing in Lyndon Hardy's book wasn't as good to me as Rothfuss', his main character jumped from one magic system to another and there wasn't as much of a story as I would have liked but, the magic systems were quite interesting and inspiring in my own writing.
I've been meaning to read Master of The Five Magics ever since I found out it was an inspiration for Rothfuss. Planning on reading it at some point this year!
@@CapturedInWords I had watched the 2014 Pheonix Comic Con with Rothfuss and a few other authors like as Sam Sykes and Jim Butcher where they had talked about their inspiration behind their magic systems and that's when Rothfuss mentioned ''Master of the Five Magics'' being a huge inspiration so, I had read it and saw the similarities instantly. Hardy's magic systems were great and well crafted, I just found his writing a bit jumpy and the main characters reasoning a bit ''meh'' but, the magic systems were really interesting so, I recommend it to anyone that likes magic systems. Here's a link to the comic con for anyone interested in watching it, ruclips.net/video/d9H7NSqJsnM/видео.html @42:20 of the video is when Rothfuss starts talking about ''Master Of The Five Magics''
I've made a fairly good magic system if I say so myself, but I am always drawn to videos like this to see if there's room for improvement or just to see if in general my magic system might be in good taste. Nice video, great examples!
Both Hamon and Stands from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure are excellent magic systems in manga/anime, and much better explained/implemented than exchange in FMA. Exchange is mostly just invoked to explain why you can't do crazy things like bring people back from the dead or make talking animals; it doesn't really explain how they do alchemy on the regular.
Stands are beautiful so much room for creativity and wit from a writing perspective, the characters win from wit instead of raw strength(most of the time) excluding pt 3
The fact that we compare everything to Sanderson just exemplifies how revolutionary he is. I LOVE hard magic systems with set rules like the ones he creates, if anyone has any examples of other such systems please lmk.
I would argue that The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon Series) has a really unique and interesting magic system, tying the use of magic to knowledge of a language, mental fortitude and physical energy. It makes magic feel much more grounded and real by having its use bring consequences and it explores how the mental aspect of using magic is used in duels (magic duels rarely use any spells until a mental battle is won in order to cripple the opponent’s mind). I feel like it’s really unique and well-explored and deserves more respect than it gets
agreed 100% - it incorporates aspects from other magic systems but does so really well: 'naming', 'true names of objects as a language', well thought out mental warfare, physical energy are all part of the system
Agreed! There are too many books and too little time to know the exact perfect order in which to read them! All we can do is the best we can to read what we want when we want to. And then I think it's simply polite to let other people know when they should or should not give a book or series a chance in one's own opinion since it might help them spend their time as they most would like.
The Best Magic Systems according to most Fantasy Authors, readers, experts, critics, etc. 1. Wheel of Time 2. David Eddings Belgariad books, The Will and the Way magic system. 3. Raymond E Feist The Riftwar Saga. The Greater Magic Kelewan Magic, and the Lesser path Kingdom, Midkemia Magic, Riftmagic Magic system. 4. D&D Vancian Magic System, in Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Planescape
Great overview! I definitely prefer hard magic systems, especially if they aren't fully explained right away in the narrative. It's so fun trying to figure them out!
Something that stuck out to me in one story was magic getting experimented on to study it and watching the characters' slowly growing horror as they realize they have a soft magic system, as the results keep contradicting each other, or energy output seemingly spikes without any increase in energy input, as though the magic spontaneously decided to bypass the entire setup.
I find it really hard to take this list seriously when you have soft magic systems in her (magic that can be used just cause) and not mention Inheritance or Songs of Chaos. Now I know that Inheritance is much like Earthsea (Inheritance is better) but you had other ones in here (especially the soft magic systems) that was almost identical. While Inheritance is like Earthsea it is far different as well. And I haven’t seen any magic system like Song of Chaos.
I’m here for each book of The Last Airbender! Side story- Im in my 30s and I got ALL THREE books of Avatar on DVD a few years ago at a garage sale…and the dad was selling them because his teenage son had “outgrown” them 😂😑
I’ve noticed a lot of Shonen have what is essentially a “soft system made of hard ones” like in hxh, one piece, mha, anyone can do any one thing but nothing more. It’s a pretty interesting way of making a system that kinda gives the author the best of both worlds
If you have included anime and manga then hunter hunter(hard magic)and berserk(soft magic) definitely deserves a place on this list, malazan is also a great example of the middle between soft and hard.
I like your list a lot! I'll have to check some the ones I don't know. Well, some magic systems that could be fun to explore, in my opinion, are: Hellboy (the Comic world), The Force, from Star Wars... and the classic lovecraftian mythos
For me, it's Nen from Hunter x Hunter. It is probably the most diverse and versatile system that can pretty much recreate any other ability you can think of within its rules, while also remaining balanced and integral to the world as well as its characters. It is genius in its applications, thought provoking in its mechanisms and interactions, and above all, super fucking cool!
There are a surprising amount of well known Shonen writers today that reference Nen as the main inspiration for power systems in their manga. I think the JJK writer is one of them if I remember right. Nen is so good
I think the absolute best and coolest power system outside of Anime/Manga is the Sacred Arts system from Will Wight's Cradle series. Basically, everyone is born with a "core" of spiritual energy called Madra (specifically pure Madra), which can then be infused with any combination of different auras produced by literally anything like elements or objects like swords or stars, or even concepts like life, death, dreams, shadows, destruction, etc. all in order to practice certain "Paths" of super-powered martial arts that require certain Madra aspects. Then, once a path is chosen, there are four main ways to manifest said powers such as Enforcer techniques, which empower and/or reinforce one's physical body. Striker techniques which are long range combat techniques such as beams or projectiles. Ruler techniques which infuse and control the environment with one's Madra affinity for big environmental attacks. Or Forger techniques, which create physical constructs or weapons out of one's madra type to use in battle. And any of those four can be combined or layered in any which way for a near infinite variety of techniques. Plus not to mention preforged weapons or special artifacts that grant other unique powers, and the complimentary "Icon Sage" system that allows a Sacred Artist to manifest the icon of any concept like swords, blood, void, strength, dragons, etc. becoming a Sage, or rather, the embodiment of that specific concept, granting them power and authority over anything having to do with that concept. Sounds weird, but it's badass. And there's a lot more to the whole Sacred Arts system! I 1000% recommend Cradle to anyone wanting to read a Shonen Anime-inspired Epic Progression Fantasy series!
Forgery is a different form of AonDor (kind of, it is drawing on Dor in a different way than AonDor, but a similar concept since the area of Sel it takes place on developed magic different than those in Elantris)
There is one more magic system in Kingkiller, it goes even deeper then Naming, another level down but we learn very little of it. Auri is the only character described we kind of see doing it.
Hardly anyone ever seems to mention/include Trudi Canavan. Especially the Age of the Five trilogy is brilliant in it's simplicity, while always staying interesting. Ps. Love your way of explaining things and inspiring me to read more!
I have to say, I don't think I agree that Bending in TLA is "hard magic". The only rule seems to be that some people are randomly born with the ability to generate (in the case of Fire) and manipulate elements. In fact, I would say it is one of the "softest" magic systems around since not only are there no real limits but it can spontaneously do different things as the narrative requires; see blood bending and metal bending and lightning bending.
The To Aru universe (A certain magical index / a certain scientific railgun) differentiates between magic and esper/psychic abilities. Esper abilities involve manipulation of any scientific concept such as vectors, electromagnetism, etc, while Magic is the supernatural abilities like element manipulation, summoning creatures, etc. The story shows how these different magical concepts clash with one another and how they affect each other.
Let me know your favorite magic systems!!
Captured in Words: In no particular order: 1) Alchemy from FMA 2) Allomancy Mistborn 3) Nen from Hunter X Hunter 4) Bending from Avatar the Last Airbender
Kingkiller, stormlight, nightangel, dresden, mistborn, furies, lightbringer. Im a sucker for a good magic system
I'd say the Skill from the Realm of the Elderlings.
P.S Could you please tell me the name of the song at 3:37? I really love it and would like to listen to it.
Arcane magic. The two first books of each series: Knightmare Arcanist & Academy Arcanist. I don't particularly like this magic system, but the author knows her stuff. And pretty hard in the soft rules of shadows & darkness...
you totally overlooked the Abidan Archive by will wight which is equivacle to brandon sanderson in complexity
I never thought of this before, but it now makes so much more sense why Gandalf relatively rarely uses magic. If power corrupts, and magic is power then the only way for him to remain uncorrupted is to not rely on magic.
Istari (mages, like Gandalf) were forbidden to face Sauron (because 1. They were to guide others to good 2. Such face-off would be devastating - at the end of the 1st age the great battle sank half of eastern continent). Gandalf shouldn't even reveal where he came from. Also, it seems more like the magic in Middle Earth (at least for higher beings, such as Valars and Maiars - spirits, such were Gandalf, Sauron, Saruman, Radagast, Durin's Bane... - works differently than for elves, dwarves, humans, etc.) is more of commanding the reality. See how Gandalf said the Balrog couldn't cross the bridge of Khazad-dum, he was forbidden by Gandalf to do so, therefore the bridge crumbled.
Well, actualy, he was a servant of the Secret Fire (the free will of the Middle Earth' beings given to them by Eru Iluvatar and that he must respect), so he can only use his power against other supernatural beings.
@@w0lf3ncze97 I agree that magic works differently for the Ainur then it does for others. In fact given that his deeply held Catholicism, I would say that Tolkien wouldn't view the magic of the Ainur as fantastical at all but identical to the miracles he believed that occurred in the real world. There is a reason why the making of Arda, in which the Ainur sung the music of Arda to bring it into existence, reads so much like the story in Genesis.
The Hobbit and LOTR are very much POV stories. We are reading the recollections of events as they were seen and interpreted by Hobbits. Hobbits are far too unsophisticated to understand what forces the Elves, Wizards and Sauron are drawing on so they lump it all into a catchall called magic. Galadriel chides Frodo on this point when he asks her about Elvish magic.
There's a school of thought that there actually is no magic at all in Tolkien's world. Tolkien himself tends to use the term "craft" in The Silmarillion when talking about things like the Palantiri and the Silmarils. In other words, the Noldor and the Istari aren't doing all these amazing feats because they're casting magic spells. They're scientists and engineers who have invented incredible technology that to the unsophisticated seem to be magic. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" - Arthur C Clark. Perhaps the "Secret Fire of Anor [i.e. the sun]" Gandalf calls upon when he battles the Balrog is just a high voltage/high amperage solar powered battery connected to a jack hammer! Or maybe it's just some high explosives (we know Gandalf can make gunpowder for fireworks). There's little doubt that Saruman's "blasting fire" he uses to breach the walls at Helm's Deep is some form of explosive device. To the observers there though, it seems like magic.
Blatant magic is pretty rare in LOTR as a whole
HxH’s Nen is probably the most interesting hard magic system I’ve ever seen; more like an art from or a martial art than magic. It has extremely strict rules but if one manages to understand them then it feels so rewarding.
I love nen its my favorite magic system
I'm writing a fantasy and I borrow a lot from nen. It's got a beautiful focus on self expression.
@@CloudEck-i9e Sounds interesting, how's it going?
@@jonathan3569 well:)
I recommend the system used in the manga Atelier of Witch Hat (or Witch Hat Atelier), where the mages limit themselves to only use magic throught magic item created via very precise and detailed magic circle drawn on them. The magic sistem is on the hard magic spectrum with all the wonders of a soft magic, so you have underwater city and soft bad made of cloud. Also the art is wonderful
I always love seeing Witch Hat Atelier getting love.
To add, WHA is also partially a secret magic world type story. Not that magic is a secret, but how it's used is kept a secret so regular people don't realize how easy it is. So it's not just a matter of drawing the spells, the worldbuilding is also focused on how to cast spells without anyone being able to see you doing it. So characters either have to bring the items with them or use their robes to hide their hands while they draw on a small notepad. The character designs are really practical and every piece of a witch's outfit serves a purpose, whether practical or symbolic.
I LOVE THAT MANGA SO MUCH, the art style, storyline, magic system are just *chef's kiss*
Love the inclusion of the Last Airbender! The magic system is so simple but also very fascinating!
Avatar The Last Airbender doesn't use magic, they use spiritual energy called (Ki, Chi and Chakras) which is explicitly not magic. Magic is based on external energies and forces while Ki, Chi and Chakras are based on internal energies/inner life force.
@@EternalFlameOfGod"magic is based on external energies" what the hell are you talking about. Energy period is magic, internal or external.
@@EternalFlameOfGod i think you confuse magic with mana or magicule
@@EternalFlameOfGod Ignoring that your conclusion is just not a thing in reality or fiction as a whole, you're being needlessly pedantic.
The video literally starts with an explanation of what magic is in the context of fiction. It's a supernatural plot device. Chi is not a material reality outside of specific spiritual practices. When included as an actual material reality in fiction, it's magic to us, the readers.
That aside, there are plenty of fictional works where magic, in both name and function, are internal energies that have little to do with the outside world outside of the effects it causes.
@@EternalFlameOfGod it's still magic
So glad someone gave some attention to the Earthsea series. It is a wondrous read and underrated by the modern audience, I think.
The magic system reminds me of Eragon and I love it🙂
I love Sanderson’s magic systems in Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, The Emperor’s Soul, Warbreaker, Tress of the Emerald Sea… but there is nothing quite like Pat Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle. The contrast between a very hard system like Sympathy and a loose and soft magic like Naming is particularly awesome, as Kvothe easily learns one but fumbles with the other because of his stupidity and arrogance.
The thing is, talking about this remembers me that we still don’t have a date for book 3. Why, god, why? 😂😅😢
Agreed
Cool magic system. The second book had too much retread, no character development compared to the "present" story teller kvoth, and it read too much like a Gary Due for me.
So disappointing that the author is RR Martining the story.
It's like I want to give the story an A but somehow keep moving my hand to the B- C range.
Patrick is too busy gaming to write.
Gotta check it out
To me the KKC is a dead series at this point. I hope I’m wrong and if book 3 releases I’ll be there to read it but I’m not expecting it anymore.
I like the two magics in Robin Hobb’s books: the Wit (connection to animals and all living things around you), and the Skill (a telepathic connection with people) and how the main character Fitz learns to combine the two.
I was hoping someone would mention this! I almost included the Skill and the Wit in this list but didn't have time to out it in the video, but I really like how Hobb implements her magic system and I love the idea of having a connection to animals
Amazing books and amazing magic system
And the Skill can resurrect people 3 days dead. It can teleport. The wit does (contrary to stated rules) during the story connect people to each other both directly and through an animal intermediary. Pouring liquid skill onto destroyed cocoon creates instantaneous dragons. AOE, stealth, mind control and/or permanent overwrite of personality... sometimes. Turns stone into dragons, who are controlled by wit (though they are telepathic creatures). Resequence DNA and instantly alter mass/energy to match. I liked the series fine..
@@CapturedInWords Are you familiar with the Furies of Calderon series also by Jim Butcher? The race of the main character uses elemental magic by bonding with nature spirits referred to as furies. But there's also a race that bonds for life with animals to gain superhuman abilities. It's eventually (and somewhat casually) mentioned that the Roman empire existed in a time before people could connect with furies, so it's likely that all the supernatural races were once human and used this bonding power in different ways.
Best magic system ever. If you left this out this video has no meaning.
I'll be honest, I don't have a preference between hard or soft magic systems. They both have their advantages.
Hard magic, like Name/Wind and Mistborn, is fun to learn -- usually along with the character as they're learning. So it makes the story interesting.
Soft magic is more whimsical, and keep the reader guessing as to what will happen next. As long as it's done well, I enjoy a well written soft magic
For me elemental magic will never be overdone lol, i eat it up every time. There is something about it man idk.
I think my favorite has to be Stormlight, because i just LOVE the idea of bonding spren, getting your powers through a bond with a cute lil creature by your side is just the best thing ever and i want a cryptic by my side so bad.
I love the idea of bonding a spren too, Stormlight definitely has one of my favorite magic systems! I'd love a Cryptic or Honorspren, or a Cultivationspren would be really cool too!
@@zynpkrdg a cryptic sounds amazing, just think of all the amazing conversations you'd have with it.
@@snowdrop9810 YES they are like my spirit animals.
@@zynpkrdg they're math right? So that means If I become an engineer or mathematician, I have someone to cheat with freely and become the best in the world :)
@@snowdrop9810 I hadn't even thought about that before _and_ i want to study engineering haha.🤯 I also think i would never find their shenanigans annoying like yeah go on say the weirdest stuff ever i'm all ears.
I love the magic system in the inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini. It isn’t overly complicated, but I loved thinking of the flexibility of it.
that’s exactly what i was thinking! the magic in those books manages to make so much sense while not being overpowered or super convoluted or anything, i love it
my favorite books of all time, i even have a saphira tattoo across my back chest and shoulder. The magic system was by far my favorite and i’d love if he did an origin story of the ancient language.
Agreed. I loved how as the books went along Eragon was able to use different energy sources and also by wording things differently could do similar things with less effort. And storing energy I always thought was cool
The Will and the Word that David Eddings used is most excellent. Highly recommend!
I love the Old Kingdom's magic system. I read Sabriel in high school and it is the book I can pin point that made me fall in love with Fantasy. Its magic system is so unique and interesting. Also the world starts as Urban Fantasy and goes into traditional fantasy.
A system that is very interesting and unique that I just finished is Witch Hat Atelier. This manga's magic system is so unique. It is based on writing symbols. I highly recommend reading it!
What a great communicator. Loved the voice, pace, intonation... great job!
Very fine video man! The content, the editing... Amazing! My favorite magic systems are the ones from Mistborn, Wheel of Time and Kingkiller Chronicles.
So happy to see Mistborn in a list like this. I simply adore the magic system that Brandon Sanderson created for that world.
This video is seriously amazing! Not only made me want to read straight away The Earthsea chronicles, but also overall made me remember why I love fantasy so so much! Uhhh so inspired right now!
One of my favorite magic systems would be the bone shard magic used in the Drowning Empire, creepy but seriously cool
Two recommendations: Jack Vance's series Dying Earth was the basis for the magic system in D&D. (The series is also excellent). Steven Erikson, Ian C. Esslemont's series Malazan Book of the Fallen has a very interesting magic system. It will take reading several of their books to understand it's complexity.
I’d have to go with HxH’s Nen system. I mean, it’s really the gold standard for not only anime power/magic systems, but for power/magic systems in fiction as a whole.
I mean, it’s the best of both worlds, on one hand mysterious and esoteric, and on the other hand so precise the majority of the series fights can be reduced down to a series of math equations if you were so inclined. Further, it’s rules are really well defined and laid out, with its system of self imposed conditions which give it a lot of interesting conditions and strategies
Ultimately,I’d say HxH has one of the best power systems of all time
If you’re at all interested in anime and love power systems, give HxH a shot. Though to warn you, the show waits until like ep 40 or so to even reveal the system, and it unveils it slowly, very slowly (you can also just look up lore vids if u want lmao)
i dont get how hxh is this underrated in fiction communties
The quality of your videos is absolutely incredible!!!
my favorite magic system is the one I designed for my story.
in a nutshell. there is a universal energy source that permiates throughout all life. if you open your 7 chakras, and connect them to the star charka and the Earth charka. then you can start to channel this energy through your charkas, and condense it into mana.
once you have mana, you can use it to fuel any spells you have learned. the system itself is broken into 5 crafts, which are each further divided into 4 arts. example. magecraft deals with arcane powers and is divided into the four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. whereas druidcraft deals more with nature and is divided into teramancy (manipulating the sentient world around you.) shape shifting (manipulating you own body.) alchemy (manipulating the inanimated world around you) and manufacturing (manipulating magic itself, and changing how spells are cast.)
each art has it's own rules for how the spells are cast, but in general, spells are cast through intention. you can use wands, or staffs, or hand gestures to help focus that intention; but it ultimately your own intention that casts the spell.
the entire premise of the book(s) is following the journey of the students at an academy that teaches them to harness mana and learn spells. but it's only a 5 year academy. so you have to chose which path you want to take. do you have to specialize and focus on 1 craft, and it's 4 arts? do you want to generalize and learn the basics of all 5 crafts? or do you want to mix and match.
the academy is really only the start of your journey through magic, even as a specialist. and there are school that you can go to after graduation to learn the arts you didn't get to learn. but you can only attend the school for the craft you took the introductory course for, and achieve the apprentice rank.
This is such a good video. These are some great magic systems. I love how Patrick Rothfuss uses both hard and soft magic systems in the Name of the Wind. My favourite magic system is Beyond redemption. It's a combination of soft and hard. What I love most about it is that it's weaved into the world building and also the essential components that make up that characters themselves.
I was so happy when you mentioned Brent Week's Lightbringer series! I adored that magic system and it gets better with each book. I'd also like to recommend his Nightangel trilogy - the magic system here is quite different but it's brilliant. Also another sidenote on Brent Weeks - he has a fantastic way of writing politics without it getting boring.
Saying that, my all-time favourite is Kingkiller by Patrick Rothfuss. It's so well explained and easy to digest but also so complex.
I definitely need to read more Lightnringer! The Night Angel Trilogy was actually the first adult fantasy series I read back in middleschool and reread it a few times! I've actually been thinking of giving it another read soon since it's been a while, but I've always been a big fan of assassins in fantasy since reading thos books. The Ka'kari and other magic in that series was pretty interesting too
So basically Eragon’s magic system ripped off earthsea lmao. An ancient language spoken by dragon’s that gives you power over things when you know their true names, and mages have to learn the words in order to master the magic. Literally the same as Eragon
Inheritance cycle ripped off several things, the magic system just being one of them.
Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series is based on a variety of influences, including Native American legends, Norse mythology, Taoism, feminism, and transformation. Le Guin's knowledge of myths and legends, as well as her interest in anthropology, helped her create entire cultures for the islands of Earthsea. The series also features an oral tradition, including the 31-stanza poem The Creation of Éa, which describes how Segoy raised the islands from the ocean by naming them in the True Speech.
Edit: moral of the story, everything is based on something untill you go so far back you're talking about oral traditions. Literally word of mouth for thousands of years that. The stories that pre dated writing.
Inheritance cycle was probably the first fantasy series I read, and as I read more I realize that it's just a synthesis of a bunch of other fantasy. Still good tho.
@@nonono9194 because it's fantasy, duh
The best magic blends the familiar and the fantastic. I find a "hard until a point ." magic works best. Where the base level magics are understood and used, but perhaps the antagonist has a magic that is not understood and veers into more of a soft category. Magic should retain some mysticism. When it seems like a D&D read-off, it loses wonder.
Wow I'm sorry for never replying to this comment, for some reason I thought I had. I agree with your thoughts on magic being a blend of familiar and fantastic. As much as i enjoy a good scientific hard magic-system, i much prefer when there's some wonder and mystery mixed in. That really makes it feel more like... well, 'magic'. There's so much real life mysticism to draw inspiration from and most of the time, magic through out history is something that in essence is very mysterious and unknown. Thanks for the superchat, I really appreciate the support!
You should take a look at the Death Gate Cycle by Weis and Hickman. 2 distinct yet similar systems between the Sartan and the Patryn races. It's my personal favorite.
Kathryn Kurtz’ Deryni setting had an interesting magic system in that it was genetic and resembled psychic abilities with a few exceptions like summoning things.
Very good choice, I need to reread those if I can find them. Actually a much better Dynastic struggle than Martin's fanboy GOT.
I'm a fan of hard magic, in general. I'm excited you're digging into Malazan, my FAVE FAVE FAVE series ever. The magic there is pretty esoteric and it will likely be quite a while before you feel like you are grasping it - and even then, it is still purposely rather vague - but I suspect you will respect, if not love, the magic system there.
So happy to see Powdermage here. I got introduced to them by picking up his other book, In the shadow of lightning. That magic system is centered around different types of glass and it feels like a more fleshed out version of Jade in the Jade city books.
The magic systems of David Eddings. The Will and the Word, The Prayer Magic of the Thousand. He had a way to use a malleable system with its hard aspects but was also soft.
I love this! And all the graphics were awesome!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed 😊
Another fascinating magic system is in Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory's Obsidian Universe, which consists of three trilogies. The first is the Obsidian Trilogy (also called the Obsidian Mountain Trilogy), then there's the Enduring Flame Trilogy (set 1000 years later) and the Dragon Prophecy Trilogy (set 1000 years before). What's fun is there are three types of magic with their own rules, but they work really well together and it's fun to watch them interact with each other!
I will have to check out the books in the Obsidian Universe! I've wanted to read Mercedes Lackey for a long time
I always come back to the basic, simple magic rules that were the first that I ever read - the Belgariad by David Eddings. Seems very simple at first, but if you actually delve into it, it is extremely complex and deals with 4 separate and distinct sources of power, which are unrelated, but linked and interconnected when applied in the "real world."
The delineation between "Sorcery," "Magic," "Witchcraft" and an unnamed prevalent power that exists is only touched upon here and there - with the exception of "Sorcery," as it applies to the protagonist, and is more fleshed out.
One magic system I love is in "Shadow of the Conquer" by Shad M Brooks. Basically, different physical aspects or skills of a person, such as speed, strength, weight, etc, are amplified by binding light. Hard rules bound by real physics principles. My only complaint is that Shad has only published one book in this series so far.
He is working on a sequel.
woah, you really covered all bases. Another 10/10 video mate
Another informative video, Jay. I'm a mixed bag when it comes to what magic system type I prefer and usually go with how it was used in the story. I will say I tend to like magic that has limitations and rules so do probably tend to fall on the hard side of the magic spectrum. Cheers!
I'm 6 books into Malazan and I'm not sure I have a great grasp on how the magic system works at a detailed level. Sometimes some characters do some stuff and it's cool. I really liked Wheel of Time, because I feel like the magic is a key component to much of the plot but also how it varies between men and women.
I’m about 100 pages into Gardens of the Moon. It’s gritty and grim dark. And so far I love it.
Malazan is awesome
Malazan magic is extremely rich and complex. Just like everything else about Malazan. By book I understood enough to go 'oh hell yeah' when something big was about to happen, but even then you're still being introduced to new things.
My two most favorite magic systems are Cosmere and One piece...You have already talked about cosmere...with regards to one piece...you majorly have 2 types of magic systems...one is wrt devil fruits which when consumed takes away your ability to swim but gives you some power in return...the other is haki which in turn is divided into 3 different types [and sub types or rather variations of each]...it has a specific set of rules without any exceptions (as of now)...there is also awakening of devil fruits which acts differently for different category of devil fruits...
Not to mention that theres three types of fruits
The magic system in the web serial Worm. At its fundamental level is techinally hard sci-fi, but functions under soft magic principles. Essentially superpowers, but the minute details of the systems inner workings, and especially how the worlds society deals with the system, is truly fascinating. It makes you ask not what it can do, but why.
Really great video thank you so much. I definitely enjoy the hard magic systems. There's an old classic which is the magic system in Rodger zelazny the Amber series.
World of Darkness magic systems - Mage the Ascension, Vampire the Masquerade's Blood Magic etc.
I want you to discover Lord of the Mystery magic system, everytime I look at it I just scratch my head.
lotm’s potion system is so thorough and complex
I'm so glad you mentioned sabriel!!! I love how bells are used in that magic system.
Can you recommend some very good fantasy novels
Naruto's jutsu system is basically magic. I love it because there's an endless amount of jutsu and there are the different elements that can be used to make jutsu.
Totally!! The hand signs impose clear and hard limitations (most of the time), the kekeigengai like Sharingan or Haku's powers (basically mutations) add interesting twists, and the summoning system working on contracts with extra dimensional beings is amazing 😍
Definitely Naruto's magic system deserves more recognition
I really liked the system in the Lightbringer series. I felt like the series kinda got out of hand towards it's end, but the magic is very creative and fantastical. I also liked the magic system in Sanderson's The Emporer's Soul.
I also like Clamp manga universe magic. It's so vast, diverse, and full of mythologies.Especially the idea of Dreams as different realm that can also connect minds.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is hands down my all time favorite anime. So good job of including it on the list!
It's definitely the best example of a hard magic system. Hiromu Arakawa (the mangaka) really made the best magic system in anime history second to maybe Nen from Hunter x Hunter.
@@atharvadeshpande4749 FMA and HXH are my go-to examples whenever folks want to defend bad magic systems(cough, MCU Doctor Strange. Note he's my favorite superhero, but the magic is meh). Both series have rules that are easy to grasp and allow us to know what a character can and can't do and it is leveraged to give us some wonderful payoffs. Another honorary mention is One Piece with Devil Fruits. The variety and unique limitations are great and in turn help convey a sense of mystery and adventure throughout the series.
Such an incredible anime! I grew up watching the original FMA too and read the manga
In terms of Elemental Magic, I really like how it is used in Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. It has the classic four elements, plus Metal and Wood, manipulated through the use of spirits called Furies.
Each element has effects that go beyond just manipulating the element. For example, Watercrafters have healing and a degree of shapeshifting. Firecrafters can enflame emotions like agitation. Metalcrafters are naturally good at using swords. And so on.
Nearly everyone (at least among the Alerans/humans; other races have their own magic systems) can use it, meaning everything from construction to cleaning dishes relies on it. And for the first half of the series, we follow someone who is unable to use his society’s magic and has to compensate.
There are a few things I wish were a bit more fleshed out (like to what degree a personal Fury is needed, since someone who only had Earth and Wood managed to use Watercrafting to change his appearance, albeit over a long period of time), but overall I enjoy it.
Great video. My favourite magic system? "Elemental Mana Cultivation" from Beginning After the End. The best system ever written.❤
im a hard magic guy myself, so all of sanderson's stuff is amazing- i particularly like how twinborns work in era 2 mistborn
Raymond E. Feist’s magic systems are cool too, especially the grandness of them, they are kind of a soft magic because you don’t really get too much explanation other than it takes great skill, practice and patience to perform the amazing feats or perhaps let’s just say there is no magic just 'tricks'. Magical rifts portals between worlds, creatures like dragons, serpents and demons. Not only does it have magic but also sneaky thieves and assassin type underbelly characters to go along with it.
In master of furies from the Firemane Saga series Feist explains his magic system as the user the last of a royal bloodline (that was betrayed), who becomes the master of furies, needing to be able to visualise from a distance the multiple threads (furies kinda like matter) of people, environments and things in the world so they can be observed and manipulated in different ways sometimes intentionally and others not. Magic like farsight to observe people who are personally close (friends, family and love interests) to see if they are in danger, helping others by taking down the sides of cliffs, teleporting objects or people and burning 🔥 an enemy ship by accident when the user’s emotions got out of control due to being put in such danger and lack of training.
Usually the children of this bloodline would have been trained at a young age but the last of the line was secreted away after the slaughter of his family and hidden on an island run by thieves and assassins and schooled in their arts. But they were closely watched and waited upon to re-emerge, unfortunately at an age though where without proper training in how to control their magical abilities the user became a dangerous threat to their world of which they were the rightful ruler. To hide them their fire red hair had to be dyed a darker colour or the would be found by those wanting them dead to end the Firemane line.
Feist has always created such a focus on magic and the student mentorship process and education from his very first book the Magician to his latest book Master of Furies and it would be remiss not to mention it here in the comments I am a huge fan of him and all of his books.
The DarkSword trilogy has my favorite magic system.
There's a chaste system based upon power of mages of each of the elements but my favorite part is that the Light Mages act as Catalysts to fuel the other mages. Basically Magic is a force in nature but only the Catalysts can draw it out and give it to the other mages.
Probably my favorite hard magic system.
One key factor in Runelord magic is that the Endowments only last while the donor lives. Those vulnerable donors is a pivotal concept that changes everything. It's a stunning premise. It would be interesting to have a better writer do some novels in his universe. I'd be curious what they would do with it.
Not reading enough books is coming back at me..
I have adhd which means I really really need to be into the book before I even start reading it, plus I'm a picky reader and 90% of books I read are thriller. I'm a writer, it wasn't much of a problem when I was writing a thriller book, but the problem began when my thriller book converted into a fantasy after some editing. Now I'm searching for some energy/spiritual something that every person possess similar to the 4 elements. But I need 7 of them..
I have no clue about fantasy genre since the only fantasy I can remember is Harry Potter and some anime. Also, I've only watched Harry Potter movies since reading can be overwhelming sometimes. Especially when I know most of the story.
It's true that not all writers are readers, and these kinds of people have the pros and cons. I've met with quite some pros, and now I've met my fated con.
I know exactly what you mean... Having adhd myself It is really difficult finishing books, sometimes when I'm reading it my interest shifts towards other things and I never finish... Later when the interest sparks again I have already forgotten the history and I don't want to start over from the beginning so I end up never finishing it.
I wonder how an Alomancer would function against a Qwaser from the anime Seikon no Qwaser. In that... imagine Fullmental alchemist except each person can only manipulate 1 specific element on the periodic table, and _can_ affect organisms, and the source of their power requires period refeuling- and all Qwasers use the same fuel regardless of their element. Main character controls iron, side characters control copper and titanium, villains control most of the others. But also some of them can control forces? There's one guy who controlled magnetism, but I digress.
Very interesting video! Never thought about the difference between soft and hard magic systems! Love it!
I was always fascinated by the magic in the First Law world. It's very similar to what you mean about Gandalf where some of it is explained, but a lot of what the Magi are about is left to the imagination. Great video!
YES, WE NEED AVATAR CONTENT
If you like hard magic systems, you might want to take a look at Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series. These are detective fiction of the whodunnit variety, so it's critical that you know what the rules are and that the characters follow those rules. Garrett did an excellent job.
Also, Lyndon Hardy's series beginning with "Master of the Five Magics" has five (surprise!) different magic systems each with its own hard rules. It's been a very long time since I read those books, but they were quite good at the time.
Allomancy is just so awesome and unique.
Great to see you mentione runelords series. It deserves more love in booktube
Fantastic video Jay. Really enjoyed it.
Thank you! :)
Yes please, with the Avatar reviews haha I'd love to hear more of your take on it.
As for cool and interesting magic systems that you didn't mention, there's the reality bending of Roger Zelazny's Amber series, with the Pattern and the Logrus.
There's also the absolutely horrifying Fae in C. S. Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy. I am also very fond of Patricia MacKillip's Riddlemaster series, which has an awesome magic system that sits in that gray area between hard and soft.
L. Sprague DeCamp's Complete Enchanter is awesome.
L.E. Modesitt's Soprano Sorcerous series uses a magic system inspired by his wife, a noted soprano opera singer.
Probably one of my favorites is Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy (5 hard magic systems).
There are a lot of others. I've been collecting fantasy novels for decades now.
I remember liking the magic system in Eragon series as a kid. I think it basically said that magic must obey the physical laws of the universe and the method that you choose to do a "spell" dictates how much energy it takes from a source which is needed. So vibrating air molecules to create a fire would take a lot less energy from the caster than manipulating the atmosphere to create storm clouds then manipulating them to form a lightning strike in front of you to create a fire
I don't agree that Tolkien portrays ALL power as corrupting. Saruman was corrupted by listening to Sauron through the Palantir, not because he was the strongest of the Istari. Galadriel and Gandalf both hold Rings of Power and are very powerful in their own right (I would argue its Galadriel's will that keeps her ring hidden from Sauron and yet lets her read his thoughts concerning the elves as she says she does in the books), yet they are not corrupted by it. The One Ring corrupts because Sauron put himself and his will to dominate into the Ring. Thus it dominates and grants the ability to dominate in proportion to the will of the weilder.
Soft Magic is more..... . . .magical, this is an awesome list thanks!
LE Modesitt Order/Chaos is also a very in depth magic system
Some of my favorite magic systems are from "Master of The Five Magics" by Lyndon Hardy, it's the magic system that heavily inspired Patrick Rothfuss' "Sympathy". The writing in Lyndon Hardy's book wasn't as good to me as Rothfuss', his main character jumped from one magic system to another and there wasn't as much of a story as I would have liked but, the magic systems were quite interesting and inspiring in my own writing.
I've been meaning to read Master of The Five Magics ever since I found out it was an inspiration for Rothfuss. Planning on reading it at some point this year!
@@CapturedInWords I had watched the 2014 Pheonix Comic Con with Rothfuss and a few other authors like as Sam Sykes and Jim Butcher where they had talked about their inspiration behind their magic systems and that's when Rothfuss mentioned ''Master of the Five Magics'' being a huge inspiration so, I had read it and saw the similarities instantly. Hardy's magic systems were great and well crafted, I just found his writing a bit jumpy and the main characters reasoning a bit ''meh'' but, the magic systems were really interesting so, I recommend it to anyone that likes magic systems.
Here's a link to the comic con for anyone interested in watching it, ruclips.net/video/d9H7NSqJsnM/видео.html @42:20 of the video is when Rothfuss starts talking about ''Master Of The Five Magics''
I've made a fairly good magic system if I say so myself, but I am always drawn to videos like this to see if there's room for improvement or just to see if in general my magic system might be in good taste. Nice video, great examples!
Graveyard response, but would you care to explain the basics of your magic system ?
Both Hamon and Stands from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure are excellent magic systems in manga/anime, and much better explained/implemented than exchange in FMA. Exchange is mostly just invoked to explain why you can't do crazy things like bring people back from the dead or make talking animals; it doesn't really explain how they do alchemy on the regular.
Stands are beautiful so much room for creativity and wit from a writing perspective, the characters win from wit instead of raw strength(most of the time) excluding pt 3
@@jedicraftmaster2426 They are also influential for pretty much every non-battle battle anime.
The fact that we compare everything to Sanderson just exemplifies how revolutionary he is. I LOVE hard magic systems with set rules like the ones he creates, if anyone has any examples of other such systems please lmk.
Nen from the graphic novel Hunter X Hunter and Alchemy from FullMetal Alchemist.
Both hard, very defined, but with enough room for creativity
I would argue that The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon Series) has a really unique and interesting magic system, tying the use of magic to knowledge of a language, mental fortitude and physical energy. It makes magic feel much more grounded and real by having its use bring consequences and it explores how the mental aspect of using magic is used in duels (magic duels rarely use any spells until a mental battle is won in order to cripple the opponent’s mind). I feel like it’s really unique and well-explored and deserves more respect than it gets
agreed 100% - it incorporates aspects from other magic systems but does so really well: 'naming', 'true names of objects as a language', well thought out mental warfare, physical energy are all part of the system
Now I have some insight for my own magic system.
Want even more inspiration? Read about Jungian Alchemy, read the Liber Null and the Bardo Thodol
5:30 you mean "Rune" (roon) or "Ruin" (roo-in)? looks like the former?
My bad, I never really say "Rune" so I always assumed it was pronounced the same as Ruin
@@CapturedInWords No Worries! I just wasn't sure I was following properly! 🤜💥🤛
Thanks for the reply!
Great video! Very instructive and inspiring. Keep up the great work : )
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Agreed! There are too many books and too little time to know the exact perfect order in which to read them! All we can do is the best we can to read what we want when we want to. And then I think it's simply polite to let other people know when they should or should not give a book or series a chance in one's own opinion since it might help them spend their time as they most would like.
Certain Magical Index!!!!!!! I don't know how to explain it. If you know, you know.
The sharana Chorincles, Cassandra Clare Rick Riordan and I’ve only just started this and don’t understand it yet but the greshia verse
Fantastic video Jay! I also Love Sanderson's magic. He's the reason I want to make my own had magic.
Sanderson is definitely king of hard magic systems!
The Best Magic Systems according to most Fantasy Authors, readers, experts, critics, etc.
1. Wheel of Time
2. David Eddings Belgariad books, The Will and the Way magic system.
3. Raymond E Feist The Riftwar Saga. The Greater Magic Kelewan Magic, and the Lesser path Kingdom, Midkemia Magic, Riftmagic Magic system.
4. D&D Vancian Magic System, in Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Planescape
I think having a little of both is the most fun, but I think you can write a great story with either
Great overview! I definitely prefer hard magic systems, especially if they aren't fully explained right away in the narrative. It's so fun trying to figure them out!
I agree, it's really fun slowly figuring out the rules and limitations of a new magic system!
Something that stuck out to me in one story was magic getting experimented on to study it and watching the characters' slowly growing horror as they realize they have a soft magic system, as the results keep contradicting each other, or energy output seemingly spikes without any increase in energy input, as though the magic spontaneously decided to bypass the entire setup.
I find it really hard to take this list seriously when you have soft magic systems in her (magic that can be used just cause) and not mention Inheritance or Songs of Chaos. Now I know that Inheritance is much like Earthsea (Inheritance is better) but you had other ones in here (especially the soft magic systems) that was almost identical. While Inheritance is like Earthsea it is far different as well. And I haven’t seen any magic system like Song of Chaos.
I’m here for each book of The Last Airbender! Side story- Im in my 30s and I got ALL THREE books of Avatar on DVD a few years ago at a garage sale…and the dad was selling them because his teenage son had “outgrown” them 😂😑
Gandalf is a Maiar, like the Balrog and Sauron.
He's closer to a god than a D&D wizard.
I’ve noticed a lot of Shonen have what is essentially a “soft system made of hard ones” like in hxh, one piece, mha, anyone can do any one thing but nothing more. It’s a pretty interesting way of making a system that kinda gives the author the best of both worlds
If you have included anime and manga then hunter hunter(hard magic)and berserk(soft magic) definitely deserves a place on this list, malazan is also a great example of the middle between soft and hard.
I like your list a lot! I'll have to check some the ones I don't know. Well, some magic systems that could be fun to explore, in my opinion, are: Hellboy (the Comic world), The Force, from Star Wars... and the classic lovecraftian mythos
For me, it's Nen from Hunter x Hunter. It is probably the most diverse and versatile system that can pretty much recreate any other ability you can think of within its rules, while also remaining balanced and integral to the world as well as its characters. It is genius in its applications, thought provoking in its mechanisms and interactions, and above all, super fucking cool!
There are a surprising amount of well known Shonen writers today that reference Nen as the main inspiration for power systems in their manga. I think the JJK writer is one of them if I remember right. Nen is so good
What a fantastic video, Jay!
My faves are in Mistborn and Wheel of Time.
There is a book series by Larry Corriea titled HARD MAGIC that is hands down my favorite system and series.
I think the absolute best and coolest power system outside of Anime/Manga is the Sacred Arts system from Will Wight's Cradle series. Basically, everyone is born with a "core" of spiritual energy called Madra (specifically pure Madra), which can then be infused with any combination of different auras produced by literally anything like elements or objects like swords or stars, or even concepts like life, death, dreams, shadows, destruction, etc. all in order to practice certain "Paths" of super-powered martial arts that require certain Madra aspects. Then, once a path is chosen, there are four main ways to manifest said powers such as Enforcer techniques, which empower and/or reinforce one's physical body. Striker techniques which are long range combat techniques such as beams or projectiles. Ruler techniques which infuse and control the environment with one's Madra affinity for big environmental attacks. Or Forger techniques, which create physical constructs or weapons out of one's madra type to use in battle. And any of those four can be combined or layered in any which way for a near infinite variety of techniques. Plus not to mention preforged weapons or special artifacts that grant other unique powers, and the complimentary "Icon Sage" system that allows a Sacred Artist to manifest the icon of any concept like swords, blood, void, strength, dragons, etc. becoming a Sage, or rather, the embodiment of that specific concept, granting them power and authority over anything having to do with that concept. Sounds weird, but it's badass. And there's a lot more to the whole Sacred Arts system! I 1000% recommend Cradle to anyone wanting to read a Shonen Anime-inspired Epic Progression Fantasy series!
Forgery is a different form of AonDor (kind of, it is drawing on Dor in a different way than AonDor, but a similar concept since the area of Sel it takes place on developed magic different than those in Elantris)
There is one more magic system in Kingkiller, it goes even deeper then Naming, another level down but we learn very little of it. Auri is the only character described we kind of see doing it.
Nen from HunterxHunter is the epitome of a hard magic system in anime.
Hardly anyone ever seems to mention/include Trudi Canavan. Especially the Age of the Five trilogy is brilliant in it's simplicity, while always staying interesting.
Ps. Love your way of explaining things and inspiring me to read more!
I have to say, I don't think I agree that Bending in TLA is "hard magic". The only rule seems to be that some people are randomly born with the ability to generate (in the case of Fire) and manipulate elements. In fact, I would say it is one of the "softest" magic systems around since not only are there no real limits but it can spontaneously do different things as the narrative requires; see blood bending and metal bending and lightning bending.
The To Aru universe (A certain magical index / a certain scientific railgun) differentiates between magic and esper/psychic abilities. Esper abilities involve manipulation of any scientific concept such as vectors, electromagnetism, etc, while Magic is the supernatural abilities like element manipulation, summoning creatures, etc. The story shows how these different magical concepts clash with one another and how they affect each other.