Summary
While much ofGame Of Thronescan feel rooted in some kind of historic European realism, the series does still take the time to get into many of the classic fantasy tropes everyone knows and loves. With dragons existing in the universe ofGame Of Thrones,it only makes sense that magic would too. It may be much more rare and raw than in many other fantasy series, but that’s what’s caused it to catch so many people’s attention.
One of the biggest questions that people come away from the show wondering about is how exactly magic works. Thanks to its mysterious nature and the fact that what explanation is given is incredibly vague, it’s hard for the average fan to fully grasp how things work. With multiple kinds of magic, there is a lot more to learn aboutGame Of Thronesmagic than many people may initially believe.
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How Does Magic Work In Game of Thrones?
Much like many other concepts in fantasy stories, to many ofthe citizens of the Seven Kingdoms, magic is nothing but a relic of the past. Many believe that magic doesn’t exist at all when the show begins – if it ever even did in the first place. Of course, magic does exist in Westeros, it is simply a rare phenomenon to come across. Magic is a bit more common in other lands like Essos, but even there, the people struggle to understand what it is or even believe people are actually practicing magic.
For whatever reason, those within theGame Of Thronesuniverse feel as if magic is in some way tied to dragons, making their re-emergence rather interesting.If Daenerys’s dragons were so rare, it only made sense that so many capable of welding magic were interested in getting their hands on them. This is only further amplified by the fact that with dragons nearby, the magical abilities of various characters across the series are said to actually become stronger.
The trouble is that not many truly understand how magic works. The various kinds of magic seem to be historic traditions handed down across cultures, though some people seemingly gain the ability to wield certain magic at will. Those in Westeros with alineage stretching back to the First Menmay have a higher likelihood of attaining some form of magical ability as demonstrated by Bran Stark throughout the series. Both his prophetic dreams and his ability to warg into other creatures are kinds of magic that few others are ever able to replicate.
One of the clearest ways in which magic works seems to be through a connection to the Lord Of Light, as demonstrated by his various followers including most notably,a wielder of Blood Magic, Melisandre. Still rather vague, it seems that the powers devout followers of the Lord Of Light are capable of wielding are gifted from their God. Whether it be having visions, control of shadows, control of fire, and even the power to bring the dead back to life, the Lord Of Light seems to have a hand in each of these magical miracles taking place. It is possible that the devout study of the deity in question is what allows the highest members of the order to become capable of magic, but even that remains unclear.
What Types Of Magic Are There In Game of Thrones?
While there are a few clear instances of magic across theGame Of Thronesseries, some fans may have missed the others that are only ever mentioned in passing or mostly glossed over. Some of the major types of magic seen throughout the series are fire magic and Pyrokinesis,the trope that is Blood Magic, Necromancy, Warning, Greensight, and Shadow Magic. Some of the lesser-mentioned magic also mentioned is the supposed Water Magic of the Rhoynar people and Valyrian magic.
Pyrokinesis is seen quite often across the series, most notably to set weapons ablaze. Blood Magic should sound familiar to those who are a fan of the Dothraki as it’s one of the things they most fear and hate across the world. Melisandre, easily one of the most magically adept characters in Westeros, shows off Shadow Magic through the process of Shadow-birthing. Surprisingly, necromancy is seen used quite often thanks tothe imposing influence of the White Walkers. While many other magics are understood to some degree, necromancy is one that few can truly grasp.
Which Characters Are Capable Of Magic?
There is a long list of figures and groups that are at least said to be capable of wielding magic to some degree. There are entire groups of Pyromancers,the Children of the Forest, the Red Priests, the Maegi, Shadowbinders, Warlocks, debatably the Faceless Men, and of course, even the White Walkers that are all capable of magic. Many of these groups have individual characters that play major roles throughoutGame Of Thrones, and they tend to be some of the strongest practitioners of their given groups. As already mentioned, the Starks are mostly capable of magic in some form, though Bran is the one who is most easily able to harness any kind of magic with ease.
It’s almost impossible to talk about magic inGame Of Thronesand not immediately bring up Melisandre. The powerful red priestess is one of the most important magic wielders in the series and uses a variety of kinds of magic to achieve her goals. She constantly harnesses the fire gifts from the Lord Of Light as well as receiving visions from the god, but she also pulls off shadow-birthing, and even later,brings Jon Snow back from the dead. Without her abilities, Westeros may very well have fallen to the White Walkers.
The Qarth Warlocks that reside in the House of the Undying should be familiar to many asthe soon-to-be-mad Daenerysfound herself at odds with the magic users in season 2. Capable of powerful magical illusions, Daenerys was only able to overcome them thanks to her connection to her dragons, which may also be a form of magic. Daenerys is immune to fire, a magical property in itself, but it is also believed that the ability to control dragons is the work of magic, potentially making her one of the strongest magic users in the series.
Then, of course, there’s the Night King, a contender for the most powerful mage in the series. He has some level of mastery of ice, allowing him to instantly freeze objects and create storms. He could additionally turn others into White Walkers and reanimate corpses to do his bidding. Additionally, he was capable of marking individuals for tracking purposes and sensing when a warg was in his presence.Much like Daenerys, he is immune to fire, and while they may not necessarily count as magic, it is possible that the Night King possesses magic that can destroy the blades of his enemies as well as tear the ground apart.
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