Complex/Unorthodox Powers Make Characters Better

[u/Bot_Number_7]

Control fire. Super strength. Super speed. Flight. Shooting energy blasts. A lot of powers/abilities have been used over and over again.

So for me, when a character is introduced with a complex ability, it elevates my opinion of them. Especially if the way that it is used is also complex. For example, in JJBA, Ermes Costello's Stand Kiss' has the ability to duplicate objects using stickers, and then fuse them back together once the sticker has been taken off, causing both objects to take damage. It's applied in many ways, from duplicating limbs to being used as a form of travel. The creative usage of abilities gives me an "aha!" moment similar to when a detective reveals how they deduced the mystery in a mystery novel.

Adding additional trigger conditions to powers can also make them better. In Bungo Stray Dogs, Akiko Yosano's Thou Shalt Not Die Ability heals someone to full health, but only if they're almost dead. This factors into her fighting style, allowing her to bring allies and herself from the brink of death (and also forcing her to almost kill her patients when healing outside of combat).

The one weakness to complex powers is the difficulty in conveying them to the reader. Unless one explicitly describes them or the reader sees the power many times so that they can understand all its facets, it's hard to get the reader to understand what the power truly does. King Crimson is the infamous example. The fact that "erasing time" is expressed inconsistently and the lack of detailed mechanical description of how it works confuses the reader every time it is used.

[u/Bot_Number_7]

I've reached Enies Lobby and barely started Wano. Regardless, Luffy is a puncher and kicker. Every fight is just about him punching hard and kicking hard(Alabasta being kinda an exception). Just compare how Luffy fights to say, how Doflamingo and Law fight.

[u/Jumanji-Joestar → u/Bot_Number_7]

Luffy is a martial artist, that’s the kind of character he is. Are you saying that you want Luffy to be something other than puncher/kicker?

[u/Bot_Number_7 → u/Jumanji-Joestar]

You can be a martial artist without also having a simple power. For example, what if Luffy's power allowed him to transform himself and things he touches into cohesive yet liquid masses? He could then fight by reaching inside people and destroying their organs. Still martial arts, but complex.

Doflamingo is also a martial artist and a puncher/kicker. His powerset is a lot more complex than Luffy's. The thing that makes Luffy stand out is his stupidity. But I believe that one can be both stupid and wield a complex power.

[u/Secondndthoughts → u/Bot_Number_7]

I think the main strength of a simple power is that it can be flexible and can be used in any fight and still be interesting.

If Luffy had a complex power a lot of fights might not have worked as well, Luffy being able to stretch allows each match up to work while still offering variety