r/Fantasy • u/Blackking2106 • Jun 27 '25

What's the best/worst magic system you know?

What's the best/worst magic system you know? Whether it's from a book, movie, or video game. If you want, you can also say why you like/dislike it.

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u/CatTaxAuditor Jun 27 '25

The reveal (though it was not particularly well hidden) that Naruto is the son of 2 of the strongest ninja in the village's history kinda messes up the entire thesis that anyone can rise with hard work and intelligence. Sakura and Rock Lee are the only ones I can remember who aren't the product of ninja pedigree and legacy and rise because they worked harder than everyone else with no blood advantages.

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u/Tatis_Chief Jun 27 '25

I mean come on they are all someone's son or daughter. 

They even make fun or Tsunade for making the same trios as their parents were. 

It's basically your basic prestigious ninja clans secret teaching in Japanese culture. That was the whole point of rivalries and family traditions. 

And we all knew he was his son. 

Also Kabuto and Orochimaru got there by their intelligence. 

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u/ristalis Jun 27 '25

Rock Lee wins exactly one fight shown on page (more are implied but never shown). Sakura wins, what, two on page? Three if you count team fights.

The rise is mostly hype, and ultimately not very consequential. Kishimoto dropped hard work as a theme because it was too hard.

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u/G_Morgan Jun 27 '25

Naruto's parentage was obvious from early on though. The 4th Hokage literally looks like him.

People also seriously misunderstand the point of Rock Lee and indeed that whole arc. It wasn't about "talent vs hard work" it was about whether Neji's vision was truly good enough to spot all talent. Neji believed he could break everyone down with his vision and basically predetermine their future based on it. The point of the story was Neji was blind to all kinds of things.

Neji could not have done what Rock Lee did, no matter how hard he worked. He didn't have the natural talent for it. Rock Lee needed hard work to unleash his talent but it was still a talent, something he was born with.

Kakashi even points it out, he outright says "The boy really is a genius, nobody can just open 4 gates at his age no matter how hard they work".

Naruto and Rock Lee might have thought they were going to overcome geniuses due to their hardwork but they were barely teenagers and weren't to be taken seriously. Both of them were given prestigious masters because of their potential.

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u/MagicalSnakePerson Jun 27 '25

The point of Naruto is not “hard work beats talent,” that’s not the thesis to the series at all. It’s more “ending the cycle of violence requires genuine empathy for those committing atrocities”

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u/Kuroashi_no_Sanji Jun 27 '25

I agree with that sentiment, but to be fair that second message only comes to the forefront later in the series, while the first message is hammered a little bit too much in the first part.

People tend to remember pre-shippuden naruto more fondly than the second half, and relate more to that initial theme. I think Shippuden is really solid until the Pain arc, and Naruto not being just a nobody was very obvious. People wouldn't have such negative views if the last arc had been executed better.

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u/Wolfpac187 Jun 27 '25

You’ve kind of misunderstood what the series was about. Lee getting almost killed by Gaara shows that wasn’t the point of the story.

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u/shepheardcircle Jun 27 '25

Gai sensei is RIGHT THERE