Sep 2021
2 / 29
Sep 2021
Sep 2021
DiegoPalacios
Sep '21

Hi everyone!.

A common trope in manga and anime is having characters explain their abilities to their enemies and exactly how they work, which is an obvious tactical disadvantage in combat. However, in a storytelling sense, getting readers to understand how a power works can be convenient and this saves the necesity of creating a new scene where the workings of the power is shown, which can be useful for one-of antagonists....

So the game is this.....let's find credible reasons for a character to explain their powers to an enemy.

I will start:

The person explaining their ability is explaining it to gain time to set it up and activate it.

Now it's your turn!, bring it!.

Jwebtoons
Sep '21

Have a strong sense of fairness, want to challenge themselves, strike fear/intimidation/eliminate all sense of hope, persuade an enemy to take certain actions that would be the perfect setup for an attack, practicing compensating/dealing with weaknesses of a technique. Lastly, if the two characters love fighting they would most likely be curious about how each other fights, so the explanation just makes the experience more fun for them.

MasterValkyrie
Sep '21

Explaining how your abilities work will increase their effectiveness. Cough Cough Jujutsu Kaisen Cough Cough

cpcosentino91
Sep '21

Have the protagonist correctly deduce the character's ability from their choices/actions and general context clues. Then the character confirms they're right because they're impressed. Still kinda anime troupey but, best I can do

crowstories
Sep '21

Because they've literally never met anyone else with abilities, and while they're going to have to destroy their enemy, they're also just kind of excited for the chance to geek out over something they otherwise have to keep secret.

nayrnixon
Sep '21
1

The magic system in a story I'm writing lets you learn magic abilities faster if you're bonded with someone. The people of that world tie a lot of culture and emotions to their magic and the bonds they formed to get them.

The main character bonds with people who are oppressed because of their magic type, and wants it to be known who gave him that ability, both so his enemies know they are hurting real people, and so if he dies they know who he died for.

Others seek to master one ability, and form teams with others who know the same ability so they can collectively perfect it. They form their identities around their shared ability, taking great honor in them and going on quests together.

Another reason people say their ability is because most people travel in groups in this world so they can grow their bonds and be stronger together. Saying their abilities helps their friends or followers learn the move even faster, and again its usually said in pride. Some people like saying the names of their abilities out of respect to whoever gave it to them or to show they are part of a specific school of magic.

There is one character that takes advantage of everyone's acceptance of being honest about their abilities and outright lies about what her abilities are lol. Another character is excited for everyone to know what he can do, even if they're an enemy. Most characters never say what their ability specifically does, but usually, the name of their ability carries some weight for them and helps grow their bonds, and they wish to honor it.

DiegoPalacios
Sep '21

making such explanations a cultural aspect can be interesting, specially because it can be a way to encourage the following of certain schools of magic, just like some martial arts schools make public demonstrations.....

nayrnixon
Sep '21

Yeah :smiley: It carries a sense of pride and "you totally want my ability now" with it. Or a sense of justice for the main character who fights with the abilities of the oppressed.

nayrnixon
Sep '21

Then stuff gets sad when an ability dies out and all the history surrounding it. Or if the bond you had is broken, that ability get stunted or completely forgotten.

DiegoPalacios
Sep '21
MasterValkyrie

that reminded me of a character from Hunter x hunter who made explaining his abilities a requirement for his power because abilities can be empowered with restrictions and because he used those circumstances to blackmail people affected by it.

DesiredUsernameTaken
Sep '21

They were cursed by a witch to always explain their powers. :grin: Valid.

In all seriousness... To add, I think it'd make sense with a strong person vs weaker person dynamic. If the weaker person has no chance of gaining any advantage even when they do learn the explanation, the stronger person has no reason not to explain it apart from personal reasons (unless the weaker person could get back to someone else who's stronger, who would then use the knowledge). This has been done before in some anime and manga, and it should be in-character. Sometimes the stronger person is humoring the weaker one, toying with them, other times they pity them and they're being nice so they explain what is going on.

BreakingChalk
Sep '21

The person explaining the ability does no only because he is confident, but wants to humiliate the victim by telling them how powerful the technique is, thus how beyond anyone else this person is.

This for a villain of course

fleurravenbooks
Sep '21

Let them explain their powers but lie, like they may say
" I have fire powers, and i couldn't function near water"
So if enemy was smart, they would put them in big bodies of water, then character can defeat them and admit to lying , and just before killing them, actually saying/showing their powers

DiegoPalacios
Sep '21

and to stick further into the wound the character may say: "you really thought i would be foolish enough to tell you my ability and weaknesses?"

L.O.R.D
Sep '21
fleurravenbooks

Why not just lie tho lol.
"Hey, yeah, so i have fire powers. I touch water and i die."
Villain dives into a water body with them "Aha!"
"Sike bro i'm actually half mermaid i love water. Behehehehehehehehe thanks."