Magic Mirror: Difference between revisions

 

{{examples}}

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

* Atsuko aka Akko's mirror in [[Himitsu no Akko-chan]], which makes her a [[Master of Disguise]]

* The two mirrors in ''Mugen Densetsu Takamagahara [[Dream Saga]]''. They're both based on Amaterasu's mirror.

* Kanna's soul-sucking mirror in ''[[Inuyasha]]''. It's also a crystal ball for the [[Big Bad]].

** We see another in Slayers NEXT. {{spoiler|Aqua the Dragon uses it to show to Lina the ''horrible'' consequences of invoking the Lord Of Nightmares through her most powerful [[Black Magic]] spell}}

* Ichika's adventure in ''[[Uta Kata]]'' starts when Manatsu appears in an old mirror and promptly exits it with a cool light show.

** ''[[The Snow Queen]]'' has a mirror that shows only the ugly things in the world. It gets broken and one of the shards ends up in Kai's eye.

 

* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes: The Series]]'' has one act as a [[Cool Gate|gateway]] to a [[Mirror Universe]], thanks to one of [[Mad Scientist|Dr. Brainstorm]]'s inventions.

 

== [[Film]] ==

* The Mirror of Llunet is the [[MacGuffin|object of Taran's quest]] in ''[[Prydain Chronicles|Taran Wanderer]]'', by Lloyd Alexander. Taran wishes to know of his parentage and so seeks this mirror (actually a flat, still, shallow pool) which will show the truth.

* There's a mirror in the afterlife in the Detective Inspector Chen series that tells the souls of the dead what they are likely to be in the next life when they reincarnate.

** The Omniscope used by the wizards in several books is described as looking like a mirror surrounded by junk. It's basically a flatscreen crystal ball.

* Galadriel in ''[[The Lord of the Rings|Lord of the Rings]]'' has a mirror that shows "''things that are, things that were, and some things that have not yet come to pass.''" When the Fellowship visit Lórien she uses the mirror to show Frodo and Sam what will happen if the Ring is not destroyed.

** That's just what happened in the movie (though Sam wasn't present). In the book the Mirror shows what's going on in the Shire right at that moment, as well as glimpses to the history of the Ring. The Mirror itself is incidentally just water in a silver bowl. It's implied that all the power comes from Galadriel herself, or her ring.

** Harry himself uses a mirror as a key part of a spell in ''Blood Rites''.

 

* ''[[The Tenth Kingdom]]'' has lots of these. Besides the main set of mirrors that the Evil Queen has ("mirrors to travel, mirrors to spy, mirrors to remember, mirrors to forget, mirrors to rule the world!"), people can use them like videophones. The Huntsman even has a small pocket mirror that acts as a video cellphone!

** At one point, the heroes are shown to a mirror which answers questions, and finds that it's so old that not only is it half-deaf, but it won't understand a question unless it's spoken in rhyme.

* One of ''[[Gaia Online]]'''s more interesting Random Item Generators was a handheld Mirror called The Dark Reflection, that transported the user into a [[Mirror Universe]]. (Complete with Mirror NPCs and Mirror Items). The Mirror was released as an equippable item as one of the grand prizes.

 

* Found in Japanese mythology, with Amaterasu's [[wikipedia:Yata no kagami|Yata no Kagami]], supposedly part of the Japanese Imperial regalia. Quite possibly the [[Ur Example]], unless we can find an older one.

** Subverted in the Japanese tale ''[http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/japan.html#mirror Mirror of Matsuyama]''. A dying mother who lives in the mountains of Matsuyama gives her little daughter a mirror and tells her it's a magical one that will let her see her mom's ghost when she's out of this world. It's just a normal mirror, though, with no powers; the mother had said so to give the child some emotional support for when she dies. It kinda works, as the ''very'' sheltered girl believes for years that the image in said mirror is her mom's ghost, not her own reflection (sorta an echo of what her mom did when she got the mirror as a gift from her husband, too).

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

** Mirror of Opposition: when a creature looks into it, a duplicate creature appears and attacks the original. In one version, the duplicate's [[Mirror Morality Machine|personality is the opposite of the original]].

** Barlithian's Mystical Mirror: (1) when something is in front of it, [[True Sight|the reflection shows the thing's true nature]]. (2) It can be used as a [[Crystal Ball]]. (3) It can repair any damage to itself.

** In ''[[King's Quest VI]]'', this mirror revealed to Alexander the peril of Cassima in the intro, again launching the events of the game; and yet another magic mirror is given to Alexander by the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and later used to {{spoiler|win a duel with Death by making him cry.}} The mirror has a second use in the [[Multiple Endings|bare-bones ending]], where it {{spoiler|reveals the princess to be a fake at the royal wedding.}}

** In ''[[King's Quest: Mask of Eternity|King's Quest Mask of Eternity]]'', the mirror shows king Graham what transpires in the Realm of the Sun and later allows Connor his first glimpse of his enemy Lucreto.

* ''[[Okami]]'' uses magic mirrors both as [[Save Point]]s and teleportation nodes.

** As well as blunt instruments used to [[Improbable Weapon User|violently beat demons to death]].

* ''[[Gargoyles]]'' had Titania's mirror in an episode named, interestingly, ''The Mirror''. Unclear exactly what it did, it mostly seemed to be a focus for Puck's power. It was also used for by Demona to summon and capture Puck, and it exhibited teleportation capabilities.

* In Disney's ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'', the Beast gives Belle a magic mirror that will show her anything she wishes.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fate and Prophecy Tropes]]

[[Category:Magic and Powers]]

[[Category:Magic Items Index]]