Power Systems

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Just your average Quirks.

The setting of some works has superpowers that all derive from a shared trait or discipline. There are many ways for a person to gain superpowers: inheritance, a Mass Super-Empowering Event, a divine gift, or sometimes even pure random chance. Whatever the source, these Power Systems govern how these superpowers are distributed and, to a much looser extent, how superpowered individuals interact with each other - some "supers" (or whatever term the setting employs) may develop a kinship via a common weakness, power source, or genetic bloodline. Conversely, if multiple such types exist and conflict, Un-Equal Rites may ensue.

While most works of fiction with a sufficiently developed world have a set of formal rules governing how powers and abilities within them work, these Power Systems are typically acknowledged as such in-universe and given a name, and tend to adhere to at least some of the following criteria:

• Characters may either have one superpower, combo platter of powers, or sometimes both.
• Each power type may have its own set of Required Secondary Powers and Necessary Drawbacks in order to function - these secondary powers and limits, or a lack thereof, can also play a part in a superpower malfunction.
• There are more common power sets alongside much rarer ones that tend to be unique and restricted to certain individuals, enough that it's pretty significant when such a character encounters another with powers that only they had to the point.
• The quality of the powers received can vary widely from person to person - a character may be Blessed With Suck or come away losing the Superpower Russian Roulette.

Organizations may arise for different purposes in settings with mainly developed Power Systems. For example, they could try to keep the Status Quo by keeping them a secret through a Masquerade. Another where Power Systems are public could focus on finding aspiring super-powered youth to teach them self-control and teamwork through lessons tailored to students' abilities and needs, as well as providing a home in the event society ostracizes them - the protagonist(s) of stories in this setting usually attends such a school, or more rarely teaches there. This may come in the form of a Wizarding School for magic-focused systems.

Certain powers may be gifted to a person and may even be transferable between people; others may be naturally restricted to specific bloodlines, though this does not exclude the possibility of different genetic expressions, including occasional "duds". There are also Personality Powers that are derived directly from or in some way indicative of the user's mental state.

Examples of Power Systems include:

Anime and Manga

• As seen in the picture above, 80% of the population is born with a Quirk in My Hero Academia, a superhuman power based on their biology and genetics. Quirks fall into three types: Emitter, Transformation, and Mutant, plus one person has one Quirk. Despite this limit, Quirks can exhibit multiple abilities with training and experience. Quirks are tied to a person's body, so overcoming these limits is based on the power and the user's physicality, meaning they must undergo unique yet intense training to bring out their true potential. The inclusion of Quirks brought many changes to society, such as the laws, societal expectations, and being a Hero as a form of employment.
• From Hunter X Hunter, Nen is a technique to use one's aura for different applications. Depending on what Nen Category a person is born under, they can access diverse abilities. Nen is unknown to the public, but all Hunters of the Hunter Association are required to know it. It is actually the final test to become a professional Hunter, which means without Nen, they can't take on most jobs in the profession.
• On the vast seas of One Piece, Devil Fruits gives specific powers to whatever eats it and falls into three types: Paramecia, Zoans, and Logia. They are seen as great treasures that can either be sold or consumed because of their potential power. Water is a weakness; when a Devil Fruit user's body is submerged, they become weaker to the point that their bodies won't move. There is also how a person can only consume one Devil Fruit, or they disintegrate.
  • There is also Haki, which is a mysterious power within every living being. Haki falls into three types: Observation, Armament, and Conqueror's Haki. Everyone can awaken the first two, but few people are born with Conqueror's Haki.
• Darwin's Game gives its players Sigils, supernatural powers granted by the titular app. The app provides a unique yet randomized ability to a player. Each player can only have one Sigil. Each player can only have one Sigil that falls into one of five types. While players keep them secret, some use them outside Darwin's Game, like for criminal activities.
• Jojo's Bizarre Adventure:
  • Hamon/Ripple is a special type of breathing that lets a trained user manifest energy. It can grant superhuman ability, healing, longevity, and its identical nature to that of the sun's rays lets it hurt creatures that are normally only vulnerable to the sun. However, it needs proper blood flow and breathing to be used.
  • Stands are usually, though not always, humanoid beings with unique powers related to the user's personality. Stands share a link to their user, which means that whatever damage it suffers, the user does as well. They cannot be seen by ordinary people but by those with their own Stands.
• Players known as Masters are granted Embryos when they create their character in the VRMMO of Infinite Dendrogram. Embryos fall into one of five broad types based on personality and evolve with their players, which may give other Skills and Types. They are the cornerstone of a Master's playstyle while also making them valuable assets to their Countries.
  • Skills are abilities that Tians, Masters, and monsters gain in the VRMMO. Tians and Masters can gain Skills from equipment and jobs, but Masters can also gain Skills from their Embryos.
• Ninjas like Naruto utilize Jutsu, magical arts they use in combat by using their chakra. Jutsu comes into three categories: Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu. They are essential tools within the ninjas' arsenal.
  • Kekkei Genkai are unique abilities based on the hereditary within ninja clans. Ninjas inherit one Kekkei Genkai and naturally develop these powers with age and experience.
• In Psyren, PSI is the ability that Psychicers wield that falls into three basic types: Burst, Trance, and Rise. PSI is a rare power that people can be naturally born with, so it is seen as a myth or legend. The atmosphere of Psyren can awaken this power and turn a person into a Psychicer.
• Abnormalities are superhuman abilities possessed by a few humans called Abnormals in the world of Medaka Box. These superpowers are based on Abnormals' mental development and each Abnormal would only have one Abnormality. Hakoniwa Academy gathered Abnormals from around the world for the sake of the Flask Plan. The Flask Plan is a project where they research Abnormalities from the student to develop a formula to make anyone into an Abnormal.
  • Minuses are Abnormalities corrupted by the mental negativity of the users. Unlike regular Abnormalities, these powers are based on the mental environment involved in the person's development.
  • Styles are the manipulation of language for different effects, created to fight on par with Abnormalities. The superpowers are not exclusive like Abnormalities where everyone can gain one or more, even an Abnormal. These abilities were developed by Fukuro Tusrubami (head of Hakonwa General Hospital associated with the Flask Plan) to counter Iihiko Shishime's resistance to Abnormalities.
• Branches of Sin are powers that people called Deadmen wield in Deadman Wonderland. Each Deadman has one Branch of Sin whose blood turns into a weapon or attack. They are created by a parasite in the body known as a Nameless Worm. The Deadmen are confined in the prison/amusement park in G-Sector and are forced to fight for their lives in the show Carnival Corpse.
• The Demon Slaying Corp uses forms of swordsmanship called Breath Styles to slay Demons during Taisho Era Japan in Demon Slayer. The swordsmanship uses specific and concentrated breath patterns that increase oxygen in the blood for a unique physical superhuman ability but with drawbacks.
  • Demon Slayer Marks are markings that can appear on a strong Demon Slayer's body. These marks can give improved physical abilities and upgrades Breath Styles.
  • Blood Demon Arts are unique spells that Demons can develop through different means. Most of these monsters have one Blood Demon Art, but some can have more.
• Powers are mysterious abilities based on their will, beliefs, and experience that people can awaken in the world of The Seven Deadly Sins. Each person has one superpower but can develop different techniques to use them.
  • Commandments are ten curses created by the Demon King with an absolute effect based on a rule that can affect anyone who breaks it, even its user. There is also how a warrior with a Commandment gains demonic abilities.
  • Graces are four blessings made by the Supreme Deity of the Goddess Clan. These powers give their user a unique ability while also passively increasing their magical and physical strength.
• In Edens Zero, some people have Ether Gears, which are individual superpowers made by having Ether flowing through the body. There is a weakness where if the user's hands are restrained, Ether Gear becomes unusable. They are also disabled by an electromagnetic pulse similar to Machines.
• In Mondaiji, people in the world of Little Garden have Gifts that are special abilities to participate in Gift Games. A person can gain an unlimited number of them through various games as rewards.
• From Yu Yu Hakusho, Territories are supernatural powers that some humans have due to being in the Demon's Door's vicinity and are used within a specific range.
• Aliens have Space Pheromones or SPH, natural chemicals secreted by most organisms. Space Pheromones grant different abilities based on the species. Having SPH is a requirement to join ēlDLIVE as an office to arrest criminal aliens. Humans are the only species incapable of using SPH. Still, they can if implanted with an organ or host to a Monitalien.
• Minimums or Minor Miracles, from Hamatora, are unique abilities that a small percentage of the population has called Minimum Holders. The Minimum Holder's ego determines their superpower and can only hold one Minimum. People with this ability are trained at Facultas Academy through advanced classes and training. The existence of Minimums is a secret to the general population.
• The world of Black God has Exceeds, abilities granted to Tera Guardians through a human contract. Each Exceed is unique to a Tera Guardian and each has only one. Tera Guardians use the spiritual force called Tera from humans and need to achieve Synchro with them to enable the use of Exceeds. There is a danger with using Exceeds because the human partner has a limited amount and is required for humans to exist.
• Fire Force: Ignition Abilities are the unique way that Second and Third Generations manipulate flames. Some abilities can even control plasma, electricity, and electromagnetism. The difference between the two prokinetics:
  • Second Generations can control already existing fire.
  • Third Generations can generate and manipulate fire while also having high physical abilities.
  • Adolla Burst is another ability that certain Third Generations can awaken by creating a connection with a being from Adolla (becoming Fourth Generations). Adolla Bursts upgrades Ignition Abilities to an extra-dimensional level.
• In Gate Keepers, Gates are doors that give extra-dimensional energy to a person and manifest as a unique superpower. They are the most effective way of fighting against Invaders, an alien race bent on conquering Earth.
• Authorities are divine powers of Gods, Heretic Gods, and Campione! Gods can hold multiple Authorities but Campiones would need to slay different Heretic Gods to have more than one. This is due to how Authorities combine into one when the Campione kills a God.
• Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan: Yokai has the supernatural ability known as Osore: supernatural skills based on fear related to their species. This power comes from how Osore is based on the fear Yokai are known to cause, based on their species.
• Each King in K grants an Aura to their Clan for incredible powers. Depending on the King, Aura can manifest different abilities. As long as they are a part of their Clan, they will keep their Aura, but if exorcised, it will disappear.
• Norito are extraordinary powers that a race of extraterrestrial humanoids that look like human women known as Sekirei activate through a kiss with an Ashikabi. Ashikabi are humans with unique genes who can bond with a Sekirei. It is implied that a Sekirei can have more than one Norito.
• People on the scattered islands of Esprit have Jinxes; special abilities brought out by a person's faith. One person can have only one Jinx.
• NEEDLESS: Needless have Fragments, which are unique superpowers and their sources. Each one has one Fragment but also passive physical superpowers. They are called Fragments due to being a small part of The Second's power.
• From Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World, Divine Protections are blessings that people are born with and given by the Od Laguna. A person is usually born with one Divine Protection, but some have more than one but are rare.
  • Authorities are supernatural abilities wielded by a compatible host, and the powers are shaped by their desires. These abilities are also called Witch Factors and originally belonged to the Witches of Sin. In the present, Sin Archbishops, the Witch Cult leaders, are selected based on their compatibility with Authorities. They are also considered the antithesis of the Od Laguna, meaning a person born with a Divine Protection can't gain an Authority.
• In Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magical Girls are formed once they sign a contract with a being called Kyubey. This grants them one wish of their choosing, which determines the magic that they can use to fight monstrous beings called Witches. Things are more complex than they seem, though. If a magical girl uses too much energy in their Soul Gem, their Soul Gem will turn into a Grief Seed, and they will become Witches. The souls of Magical Girls are transferred into their Soul Gems, meaning that anything that happens to them will have detrimental effects on them if anything happens to them.
  • Later on, we learn that this whole system of magical girls was, in fact, a scheme to harvest energy to prevent the heat death of the universe.

Comic Books

• Miracles, from the manfra Radiant, are holy powers granted to the Thaumaturges of the Inquisition. Each person has one Miracle, but all of them are versatile in combat, especially against magic. These powers are granted by a pitchfork used by the first Thaumaturge, who used the farming tool to kill a Sorcerer.
• The Dom, from Monster Allergy, are special powers used by Tamers and are inherited from parent to child, which falls into five abilities, giving them various powers.

Film

• Powers within the Star Wars universe derive from the Force. While some powers are fairly universal, such as hyper-awareness and telekinesis, others, like force lightning, are limited to those on either the Dark or Light side, and some appear unique to one particular force user.

Literature

• From Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Peculiarities are special powers that manifest in Peculiars. Each Peculiar has one Peculiarity and falls into one of five categories.
• In Graceling, Graces are unique and strange skills owned by people known as Gracelings. Graces vary for each person, and each has one ability.
• The Power are supernatural abilities teenagers gained from living in barrier-sealed Perdido Beach in Gone. Each teenager has one superpower with some being similar and others different.
  • Morphs are superpowers similar but different from The Power. They are called Morphs due to how they can transform into an animal or alien creature and other superpowers.
• In the Alcatraz Series, Talents are supernatural abilities that the Smedry Family is biologically born with one to fight evil librarians. Talents sound mundane but have semantic effects where each member has one Talent but shows versatility.
• In Vampire Academy, Elements are magic that allows Moroi to manipulate five elements and each can use all of the elemental powers but specialize in one of them.
• In The True Game trilogy, Talents are magical powers that humans possess in the Land of True Game. A person can be born with one of thirteen Talents where a person.
• Allomancy is a magic people can use by 'burning' metal for physical and mental applications. A person can usually burn one metal is called a Misting, while one who can burn all the metals is a Mistborn.
• Talents are magical abilities humans can have if born in Xanth. There is a myriad of Talents and no two people have the same one.
• From the Wheel of Time, Talents are special abilities people have when they use the Channeling. They cannot be learned and are a natural way of using a Weave.
• Lorien Legacies: Legacies are superhuman powers that Loric Gardes inherit and develop when they have matured. All Gardes have the shared Legacy of Telekinesis and gain other unique Legacies later on.
• "Gifts" are powers possessed by the rare few in The Black Saint. Those gifted only possess one power. However; anyone (gifted or not) can utilize another's power for a time after drinking their blood.
• In the Nevermoor series, some citizens in the titular city of Nevermoor have special powers, referred to in the universe as knacks. Some people, such as Jupiter North and his nephew Jack, double up on knacks (in this case, the power is Aura Vision). These knacks range from being good at a mundane skill (such as Archan's pickpocketing and Mahir's linguistics), while other knacks are supernatural (such as Hawthrone's dragon-riding or Lambeth's oracle). Some powers are even harmful, such as Cadance's power as a mesmerist. The strongest power is being a Wundersmith, which comes with the ability to perform great acts of wonder but subjects one to intense scrutiny and controversy due to the past actions of a previous Wundersmith.
• Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger has two power systems: abilities and skills. Everyone can learn skills, but which ability someone gets depends on their genetics. The Matchmaking system devised by the elves are specifically designed to produce children with abilities, and these are rigorously tested for at the prestigious Foxfire Academy. Once that power is manifested, pupils engage in one-on-one lessons to develop it further. People with abilities occupy more important roles and a higher place in the society, leading to one of the major focuses of the series being on the fact that the world is not as perfect as it seems. Skills, on the other hand, are neglected by the elves, who choose to focus on developing abilities instead. Some abilities include hydrokinetics, telepathy, inflicting emotions, mesmerizing, and the forbidden pyrokinetic. Skills include levitation, appetite suppression, and dark vision.
• The Grimnoir Chronicles initially appears to operate on One Person, One Power, and each Active falls into one of a few dozen Power types, with the two main characters being a Heavy and Traveler. These Powers have explicitly uneven distribution, with Brutes being fairly common and Healers being rare enough for there to only be two in the entire state of Florida, while some Powers are rare enough to be mythical. The story later introduces symbol magic that uses the Active's own power to produce a particular effect. At the end of the first book comes the revelation the source of Power is an alien "symbiotic parasite" from another dimension, who invests Power into human hosts and then reclaims it when they die (from any cause) after it has incubated and grown in them and that the limitation on each person having one power is more akin to starting place on a map than a true rule, with smart and powerful Actives able to reach into adjacent powers, something earlier foreshadowed by the Heavy protagonist training himself to gain powers akin to a Brute.

Tabletop Games

• Tieflings (mutant humans who express traits of ancestor(s) who were fiend(s)) of Dungeons & Dragons and (via Open Gaming License) Pathfinder all belong to a single species, but "no two tieflings are the same" in how their ancestry impacts their appearance. The statistical benefits tend to be the same between them, however.

Video Games

• From the Blazblue series, Drives are the manifestation of a soul's power using a force known as Blue that comes from another dimension.
• In Digital Devil Saga, Atma is a virus that can cause humans to transform into an Atma Avatar, a monstrous form with magical powers.
• Persona, from the Persona series, are manifestations of a person's personality as a "mask" to help face difficulties in life. Personas come from the Collective Unconscious and are based on mythological archetypes. Personas grant unique powers which influence their users' physical and mental attributes.
• Evilities, introduced in the Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice series, are passive abilities that a character can equip two at a time. There are two kinds which are Unique and Generic. Unique Evilities depend on the classes, while anyone can access Generic Evilities.
  • Overloads, introduced in Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance, are exclusive secret skills held by Overlords or a being with Overlord-class power.
• Fighting Spirits, introduced in Inazuma Eleven GO, are users' spirits manifested in a physical form. Fightings Spirits are used to perform powerful Special Moves and fight other Fighting Spirits.
  • Mix n' Match is a technique to fuse a person's aura with another individual. Mix n' Matches activation causes a person's appearance changes while gaining their stats and a new Special Move.
  • Totems introduced in GO Galaxy is an ability that allows a user to transform into an animal. The transformation is temporary and gains another Special Move plus particular Totems also grant a Soul Strike, techniques similar to Special Moves but more potent.
• EXS Abilities, from Under Night In-Birth, are powers that allow In-Births to manifest EXS (energy found in all earthly matter) as a unique ability. The use of these attributes also gives superhuman physical abilities.
• In the Suikoden series, Runes are used to summon magical spells and come into four types: Common Runes, Unique Runes, True Runes, and a fourth class that doesn't fit in with the others.
• The Azure Striker Gunvolt series has Septima, ESP that humans known as Adepts can use in the form of different superpowers. Some Adepts have common Septima, but others may have more varied powers.
• Characters in Genshin Impact may find themselves in possession of a "Vision", a glowing gem that resonates with one of the seven elements of the world and allows for magical powers. These Visions are granted by a celestial force to those meeting some unknown criteria and will not work if obtained by other means. Surrendering your Vision can have negative consequences, altering the owner's personality or damaging their memory.

Visual Novels

• From the Fate series, Noble Phantasms can come in the form of powers based on the legend related to the Servant along with their summoned class.
  • Servants also have Skills that give them passive abilities. There are two categories for Skills: Class and Personal. Class Skills are based on the Servant's Class. Personal Skills are reflected by the Servant's past life as a hero.

Web Animation

• From RWBY, Aura is the manifestation of one's soul that allows for different abilities. An activated Aura by itself provides physical protection and limited regeneration. Every Aura user also eventually gains a personal ability known as a Semblance. Each Semblance is effectively unique, although different persons' Semblances can resemble each other. For example, Harriet of the Ace Ops in V7 makes it clear she's met other people besides Ruby with a Super Speed Semblance like her own, and that there's something different about Ruby's speed. A person can have one Semblance but most have versatile applications. In combination with what Aura can do, a person can have a mix of powers.
• Epithets from Epithet Erased are powers that people called Inscribed have attached to their souls. An Epithet comes from a single word grants their ability but can show versatility with imagination and training.

Web Comics

• Abilities in The Gamer webtoon are powers in the setting that comes in two types, Natural and Acquired:
  • Natural Abilities are bestowed by Gaia and based on the person's most traumatizing experience. The main protagonist has the titular ability due to his gaming obsession.
  • Acquired Abilities are magic and martial arts developed by groups in the Abyss. Anyone can gain these abilities through training and study. Natural Abilities are exclusive to those blessed by Gaia has granted while anyone can learn Acquired Abilities, even Natural Ability users.
• From Hardcore Leveling Warrior, Personal Attributes are in-game skills randomly gained when a player creates a character in the VRMMO, Lucid Adventure. Each player has one of these skills that fall into five types.
• From Kubera, Transcendental Skills are divine abilities only used by Gods, Sura, and Halfs (human-sura hybrids). There are two types of Transcendental Skills: General and Unique. The three races can use General Types, but Unique types are exclusive to Gods.
• In God of High School, Borrowed Powers are abilities from supernatural entities (like monsters, gods, and historical figures) that made a contract with a person. A person that uses a Borrowed Power can create unique powers depending on their imagination and the entity that falls into one of six classes.
• Passive Skills in the Zero Game, are abilities that players gain once they participate in this game. Each player has one Passive Skill but also can have an Ability.
  • Abilities are powers bought from the Ability Shop where each player can have one Ability at a time.
• Tower of God: Shinsu Manipulation is an advanced form of controlling Shinsu. It can grant multiple powers but certain people can access their unique Shinsu Quality. Shinsu Quality allows the user to create different phenomena and are based on the user's preference.
• In Awaken, Ripples are powers that use Flux based on the user's personality, will, and experiences. They are classified into four types, and two types can combine into different sub-types.
• From Scoob and Shag, Ballyhoos are powers made from channeled fandom for cartoon characters that create an alien race's unique abilities. Each alien has one Ballyhoo named after a broadcasting or animation term. They also come into two types, Physical (Ballyhoos that have physical effects) and Energy (metaphysical Ballyhoos with semantic effects).

Web Original

• In the web novel Worm, parahuman powers come from "Shards", organic supercomputers parked on unoccupied parallel earths, as part of the reproductive cycle of a species of immense dimension-hopping aliens. Each shard has a multifaceted but specific power which can manifest in different ways for different hosts, depending on their needs and priorities at the time they "trigger" and gain use of their shard's abilities. The shards are networked, and like human computers different shards have different privileges and access levels.

Western Animation

• Bending, from Avatar: The Last Airbender, is the art of manipulating one of four elements of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire that certain people called Benders. The Avatar is the only one who can bend all four elements while having other abilities.
• Disney Fairies have Talents, which are abilities and elemental powers assigned to each fairy. Depending on the fairy, they can have a Talent that gives them multiple powers.
• Belly Badges, from the Care Bears series, are images on Care Bears' and Care Bear Cousins' stomachs that show their personality and unique power to each bear.