Kung Fu Wizard: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

In one corner, you have the [[Squishy Wizard]], supernaturally adept, but physically an utter weakling. In the other stands the '''Kung Fu Wizard''', who not only has supernatural powers, but is also a skilled martial artist. In fact, their martial arts practice facilitates the use of their powers, and may actually be [[Charles Atlas Superpower|the source of them]]. This character can use both [[Ki Attacks]] and [[Functional Magic]], or blends them together until they're indistinguishable. The '''Kung Fu Wizard''' is most often found in Chinese folklore, ''[[Wuxia]]'' books and films, [[Manga]], and [[Anime]].

 

{{examples}}

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* The Elric brothers of ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' are skilled martial artists as well as alchemists and this is also true of most State Alchemists. Edward is also able to transmute his arm to aid himself in combat.

** And the brothers' trainer Izumi. Ed and Al are ''still'' scared of her.

* [[Justified Trope|Justified]] with Hei in ''[[Darker than Black]]''—the reason he's both a powerful Contractor and amazing martial artist (besides the fact he's [[All Chinese Know Kung Fu|Chinese]]) is that he started out as a [[Badass Normal]] and had to be strong enough to take on Contractors. Additionally, while he has [[Shock and Awe|the ability to discharge electricity]], he has to either be able to touch his target or have some sort of connection that will conduct electricity. (In other words, no lightning bolts) And "something that conducts electricity" includes the [[Weapon of Choice|knives and choke wires]] he used anyway.

* The very nature of combat in the [[Nasuverse]] demands that you have to be this trope if you want ''any'' of your hard-learnt spells to hit ''anything.'' Tohsaka Rin of [[Fate/stay night]] and Kokuto Azaka of ''[[Kara no Kyoukai:]]'' are equal parts deadly as magicians ''and'' warriors in their respective universes.

** Really, at this point, this trope is practically the series' calling card.

** In the festival arc Negi even shows up to fight in a tournament in a [[Robe and Wizard Hat|Wizard Robe]] with a martial arts gi underneath.

* Natsu of ''[[Fairy Tail]]'' is just as capable of beating you up as he is [[Playing with Fire|burning you to a crisp]]. [[Elemental Punch|Sometimes]] [[Full-Contact Magic|he'll do both at once]].

** In one early episode, a pair of professed [[Badass Normal]] mercenaries assume that all wizards are [[Squishy Wizard]]s, recounting a story of a wizard who spent years mastering a curse that could break bones; they just broke ''his'' bones with a punch. As such, they were completely unprepared for Natsu's strength.

* Princess Amelia from ''[[The Slayers]]'', proficient in martial arts, healing, and astral magic. Her father as well.

 

* The various Immortal Weapons from ''[[Immortal Iron Fist|Iron Fist]]'' are good Western examples of this.

* [[Doctor Strange]], master of the mystic—and martial—arts. On more than one occasion he has surprised enemies who expected him to be physically helpless without his magic.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* Though the eponymous magic-users of ''[[Mistborn]]'' don't draw their magic ''from'' their fighting skills, said magic allows sufficient strengthening and controlling of body and mind to invoke the spirit of this trope, and per [[Word of God]] creating elaborate, martial arts-inspired fights was one of the author's goals in creating and using this power.

 

* Phoebe from ''[[Charmed]]'' is a Kung-Fu witch. Initially she's the only one with no active powers (her sisters can [[Mind Over Matter|move objects]] and [[Time Stands Still|freeze things]] while she can [[Seer|see visions of the past and future]]) and took to learning martial arts. She eventually develops an active power, levitation, that is of great use in combination with her martial arts skills.

 

== Movies ==

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

** It is worth noting that Monk itself invokes [[Supernatural Martial Arts|a similar trope]], its Ki Abilities eventually including teleportation and intangibility. Unfortunately these [[Master of None|come far later than the wizard equivalents and have more limitations, besides not synergising with anything else]].

*** In gestalt settings, Monk//Cleric and Monk//Psychic Warrior can be excellent choices, the first benefiting from the sheer number of offensive cleric spells that are in "touch" range.

** Prestige classes supporting this include Psionic Fist (monk/psionics), Enlightened Fist (monk/wizard users of [[Elemental Punch]]), Sacred Fist (monk/cleric) and Jade Phoenix Mage (swordsage/wizard specialising in fire). Anything which could be used to create a [[Magic Knight]] can also be applied to unarmed strikes.

** Even if multiclassed or gestalt spellcasters aren't your thing, you can still make a single-classed spellcaster with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, such as a grapplemancer-build wizard (Octopus familiar, ''enlarge'' spells), a Cleric (with ''magic weapon''/''greater magic weapon'' piled on a pair of gauntlets, and optionally the War domain), or a Druid (and ''magic fang''/''greater magic fang'', although your Tiger's Claw technique may be quickly replaced with turning into an actual Tiger).

* In ''[[Exalted]]'', virtually any sorcerer character will be either this or a [[Magic Knight]]. It's technically ''possible'' to make a [[Squishy Wizard]], but since the game world assumes a certain amount of combat ability for all characters, you're just making life difficult for yourself if you do, and the core rules themselves warn against this. And that's not even going into the various [[Supernatural Martial Arts|Supernatural Martial]] [[Martial Arts and Crafts|Arts And Crafts]]...

* Anyone who can use magic in ''Hong Kong Action Theatre'' is probably going to be this, thanks to every character being proficient in both [[Gun Fu]] and some form of Kung Fu as well.

[[Category:Magic and Powers]]

[[Category:Wizards and Witches]]

[[Category:All the Tropes Superhero Team]]