White Magician Girl: Difference between revisions

[[File:mint.gif|link=Tales of Phantasia|frame|[[Actual Pacifist]], [[Healing Hands|healer]], [[Love Interest]], with a [[Simple Staff]].]]

 

 

There are three essential elements of the White Magician Girl:

* '''Takes a [[Combat and Support|support role]] in combat:''' A White Magician Girl's primary role in combat is performing [[The Medic|healing]] and/or [[Status Buff|support]] abilities, usually through [[White Magic]]. As a result, they usually have relatively poor physical combat skills. Although classic for the look, their [[Weapon of Choice]] is not always a [[Simple Staff]] or [[Magic Staff]]; blunt objects like [[Carry a Big Stick|maces, scepters]], or [[Drop the Hammer|hammers]] are common, as are [[Guys Smash, Girls Shoot|ranged weapons]], such as [[The Archer|bows]]. [[Improbable Weapon User]] White Magician Girls are not unheard of, especially heart-shaped weapons.

* '''Caring and compassionate:''' White Magician Girls have nurturing, motherly tendencies that tie-in with their feminine appearance and white magic. Very often they act as [[The Chick]] and [[The Heart]] of their party. Common personality types include being [[The Pollyana]], [[The Ingenue]], [[Proper Lady]], [[Yamato Nadeshiko]], or [[The Messiah]]. More rarely, they may be a [[Plucky Girl]]. White Magician Girls are never a straight [[Genki Girl]], [[Tomboy]], or [[Tsundere]] type, although mild tendencies are not disqualifiers.

** Garnet/Dagger from ''[[Final Fantasy IX]]'' uses magical "rackets" as well as staves. She fit this trope to a T until she starts getting her summons back, at which point she shifts to a more offensive-oriented character. Interestingly, this change is also marked by [[Expository Hairstyle Change|her cutting her long hair]].

** Yuna in ''[[Final Fantasy X]]''. Averted in ''[[Final Fantasy X-2]]'' where Yuna has as much access as Rikku and Paine to all manner of death-dealing hardware.

** All these may be preceded by the White Mage of the original ''[[Final Fantasy I|Final Fantasy]]'', an early example of the character design, to the [[Featureless Protagonist|extent any gender can be determined]].

* ''[[Breath of Fire]]'' often subverts the trope. Only the first and fourth games really play the trope straight with Nina, and even then ''IV'' gave her some offensive magic to let her qualify more as [[The Red Mage]].

*** Also in the first generation, Claude is a male example. Though he does have combat capabilities upon arrival as he is already a promoted High Priest, he doesn't have any offensive magic upon his arrival and has some of the most powerful healing staves, and can only use the most basic spells while being the only one who can use the most powerful staff.

*** In the second generation, Aideen's daughter Rana/[[Spell My Name with an "S"|Lana]] is the primary one, filling the same role as her mother, although depending on who her father is she has the potential to become more of a [[Red Mage]] after promotion.

*** Nanna is another one whose qualifications are borderline, and perhaps in some ways dependent on her heritage. She's a Troubador, which means [[Magic Knight|Sword and Staff]], but due to her mother's bloodline she's at the very least guaranteed to get a decent Strength growth, which could be very good with the right father. Her mother ''doesn't'' give Pursuit, however, so with a father that fails to remedy this in favor of focusing on other aspects, she could qualify, especially with her Charisma ability which causes her mere ''presence'' to give a 10% boost to accuracy and avoid to all units within a three-tile radius. (In particular, if Lex is her father, his ridiculous Defense and HP growths combined with the Elite ability for quicker leveling up and lack of Pursuit turns her into a [[Mighty Glacier]] [[Combat Medic]], able to deal decent damage if needed but more importantly able to ''take hits'' and stay near the front lines, healing and buffing the main fighters with Charisma.) Personality definitely fits.

*** Corple is a male example. Shows up late in the game at a low level and without any offensive abilities, but strong healing abilities (his mother also has the Blaggi bloodline, so he'll have a bonus to staff level). If Claude is his father, he'll be probably the best healer in the game.

** ''[[Fire Emblem Elibe|The Blazing Sword]]'':

*** Priscilla, a Troubadour, is a sweet, kind-hearted girl. Her abilities are strictly support until she promotes to a Valkyrie, at which point she moves into [[Red Mage]] territory.

** ''[[Fire Emblem the Sacred Stones|The Sacred Stones]]'':

*** Natasha, a Cleric who joins up early in the game. Lacks any offensive magic at first, is a [[Defector From Decadence]] who hails from the country whose leadership is the antagonists, and quickly manages to win a powerful hired sword to switch sides.

== Web Comics ==

* White Mage in ''[[8-Bit Theater|Eight Bit Theater]]'', although her patience and nurturing tendencies are strained to the breaking point by Black Mage's antics.