History Main / MagicalGesture

* Averted in ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' — Kelsier explicitly points out to his apprentice Vin that Mistborn don't need to gesture at a piece of metal to telekinetically manipulate it. They sometimes ''do'', but it's just for show.

* In Series/LabRats Chase gets mocked for holding his index/middle fingers to his temple while using his bionics. Since his powers are mostly scanning and wireless communication, it looks unremarkable.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has hand seals. Influenced, if not completely derived from, Kuji-Kiri and mudras. Shikamaru's concentration gesture is a mudra.
* In ''Manga/InuYasha'' Kikyo, Kaede, and Miroku use what seem to be a mudra (Kapittaka? Pran? First two fingers straight out, next two curled, with the thumb touching the top of the third finger) when focusing their spiritual powers.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Harukanaru Toki no Naka de}}'', Tenma, Inori, Shimon and Tomomasa use specific mudras for performing attacks; for the first three characters these are single gestures taken from ''kuji-kiri'' ("pyou", "tou" and "sha", respectively). In the anime series, [[UsefulNotes/{{Onmyodo}} Yasuaki]] performs a full-blown ''kuji-kiri'' sequence along with the required [[AsianRuneChant mantras]].
* ''Manga/GaRei'' - Releasing Byakuei's seal requires a certain hand gesture.[[labelnote:*]]Clasp fingers together with the heels of both palms touching, then touch the tips of each pointer finger together.[[/labelnote]] Kagura's actually put out of action because [[spoiler:her hands are shot and she can't make the seal.]]

* A handful of characters in ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'', most notably Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. When he activates his [[DeathOfAThousandCuts Bankai]], he doesn't ''have'' to use the gestures and such to control the storm of blades, but he states that it ''does'' help, and increase his speed. Kido spells also involve hand gestures, with some having more than one gesture that will work.

* Spells in ''{{LightNovel/Slayers}}'' involve complex gestures manipulating glowy magical energy. For example, the Flare Arrow spell needs a gesture like firing an imaginary bow (and, indeed, a glowing bow made of fire appears during the casting of the spell).

* In ''Literature/ThroughTheMotions'', magic is cast by drawing symbols in the air with a magic wand, and then thrusting or flicking the magic wand toward the target.

* ''[[TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening Mage: the Awakening]]'' has mudras for rotes (codified spells as opposed to improvised ones). Rotes ''do'' require the mudras (which can be hand gestures, facial gestures, body postures, breath control or tattoos) because they act as a mnemonic for remembering the complex imago (imaginary image of a spell's effects and mechanics) of a codified spell.
** [[TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming Changeling: the Dreaming]]'s bunks. A changeling can do just about any kind of magical effect (stats permitting) as long as they can do a bunk that makes it "possible".

* In standard TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} magic, the better you know a spell, the less moving around and speaking you have to do to cast it. (Casting time is also affected: a bad spellcaster takes double the listed time, and has to dance around and shout to get the spell to work.)

* In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword]]'', all spell casters have hand motions before casting their spells. They only become more complicated-looking if the spellcaster becomes promoted.
* Various entries in the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' involve spellcasters that require gestures before they can launch their spells. Interrupting this gesture will often cancel out the spell.
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', this is justified by saying that biotics ([[MindOverMatter telekinetics]]) use "a technique called 'physical mnemonics'; the biotic uses a physical gesture to cause the right neurons and eezo nodules to fire and create the desired effect."

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', [[PowersAsPrograms magic is commonplace]], so most characters just throw up their hands when they cast a spell. [[LegacyCharacter Cid]], on the other hand, goes into a full-on onmyoji routine during his incantations.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', the charging animation for spells is raising both arms over the head until the spell is cast, singing MagicMusic is done with one arm raised in a dramatic gesture (while singing), and the MagicDance is pulled off by a combination of right arm raised, left arm raised, both arms raised, and [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spinning in place]].
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', the Ninja job class uses HandSeals called "mudra" to execute ninjutsu techniques. There are three gestures: "Ten", "Chi", and "Jin", correlating respectively with "Heaven", "Earth", and "Man". The order and combination of these mudra evoke different effects, such as using "Chi" and "Ten" to summon fire, "Jin" and "Chi" to conjure lightning, or "Chi", "Jin", and "Ten" to increase attack speeds.
* For an RPG character in an SNES game, Magus from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' pulls off some fairly elaborate hand gestures during his magic attacks.

* ''VideoGame/{{Nox}}'' features this when using magic. The player character automatically does them when you select which spell to cast, but each spell has a specific set of pictures of hand gestures pop up on the screen, and each even has it's own on-syllable spoken line, resulting in the character chanting as well as gesturing.
* In ''VideoGame/ArxFatalis'', you the player cast spells via mouse gestures.
* Ninpo in ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' utilizes hand symbols.
* Some of the ninja in ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'', such as Ayane, utilize hand symbols in their magic. In fact, Ayane and Kasumi, who both use these, became {{Canon Immigrant}}s to Ninja Gaiden, mentioned above.
* The Skull Kid in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' has a unique gesture of shaking his head, creating a rattling sound, when using the cursed power of [[EvilMask Majora's Mask]].
* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Flandre Scarlet]] from ''TouhouProject'': ''Embodiment of Scarlet Devil'' has the ability to [[PersonOfMassDestruction destroy anything]]. She never demonstrates it in-game (due to combat being directed by nonlethal spellcard rules), but supplementary materials reveal she uses it by summoning the target's central core that holds the object/person together into the palm of her hand, and crushing it.

* In the Literature/WhateleyUniverse, Fey has done some hand movements so magical that it hurts other people to ''look at'' them.
** Although the "painful to look at" aspect may be specific to Ayla, rather than humanity in general, since ''Ayla and the Mad Scientist'' mentions that the same gesture that makes Ayla queasy just looking at it out of the corner of his eye goes completely unnoticed by anyone else.

'''Frieza:''' Seriously what...what is this all about? [[LampshadeHanging Are you trying to telling me you once caught a fish that big?]]\\

'''Frieza:''' Seriously what...what is this all about? Are you trying to telling me you once caught a fish that big?\\

* ''WesternAnimation/ThundarrTheBarbarian'': All of Ariel's spells require her to gesture with her hands over her head; therefore restraining her arms serves to incapacitate her.

* Many DPIs in ''Literature/{{Phaeton}}'' learn to bind their powers to movements to prevent themselves from using them by accident.

* ''Series/ThundarrTheBarbarian'': All of Ariel's spells require her to gesture with her hands over her head; therefore restraining her arms serves to incapacitate her.

* Magic in the world of ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' is usually harnessed through gestures and incantations, but the latter part can be skipped, and the former can be performed with, say, leg.

** Harry's own training taught him that the right hand is used to project energy, while the left hand draws in energy. It's unclear if this is universal or just something he was taught, although given that Ebenezer was one of his teachers and literally wrote the White Council's textbook on introductory magic, it's probably very common for wizards to practice this even if it's ''not'' mandatory.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Films -- Animated ]]

[[folder: Films -- Live-Action ]]

* Parodied by ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'', where Gideon uses hand gestures that are suspiciously similar to Naruto to power up into his "ultimate form".
* The title character in ''Film/BruceAlmighty'' has a habit of doing this whenever using his divine powers. Being near-omnipotent, he doesn't need to do them, he just does for fun.
* In ''Film/AbsolutelyAnything'', Neil is completely omnipotent. Unlike Bruce Almighty, however, whose powers are controlled by mere willpower, Neil actually has to state what he wants to happen and wave his right hand or it won't work.
* Played with in ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'' — Strange complains that he can't make the spellcasting finger moves because of the damage to his hands, and the Ancient One shows him that the gestures aren't really necessary — one of the masters is missing a hand but controls magic just fine.
* The witch seen in the opening scene of the film adaptation of ''Literature/NightWatch'' uses both incantations and magical gestures in her spells. To successfully complete her ritual to kill an unborn child, she '''needs''' to clap her hands together and they need to touch — when an object is interposed between her hands as she claps, the ritual fails.

[[folder: Literature ]]
* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', spells requires precise gestures with the wand.
** In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince The Half-Blood Prince]]'' (the sixth book), the making of a particular potion requires it to be stirred clockwise. But the notes of the Half-Blood Prince say it's faster if you stir 1 time counterclockwise for each 7 clockwise.
** This is seen in the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone first book]] as well, when Hermione describes the proper method for [[ChekhovsSkill Wingardium Leviosa]].
** Supplementary materials reveal that African wizards don't even need wands; the hand gestures are enough. It has also been noted that exceptionally skilled and powerful wizards, such as Voldemort and Dumbledore, can cast spells without the use of wands; the use of a wand just makes magic easier.
* In ''Literature/TheLuckOfRelianKru'', all the sorcerers need double-jointed fingers to perform the gestures.
* Interesting example in the later books in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''. Aes Sedai have during many handing-downs of techniques been including gestures to the casting to make them easier to cast. The result is that many younger Aes Sedai cannot cast the techniques without them.
** Played with even further. Some people claim to be able to tell which Aes Sedai a channeler learned techniques from, simply by the motions. While the Aiel Wise Ones, as well as the Sea Folk Windfinders, can do the techniques without the motions. As such, they are much more efficient and much quicker.

** Spellcasting, at least as done by Styrics and by extension the Church Knights in ''Literature/TheElenium'', is mentioned as requiring highly specific (though undescribed) gestures as a key component. It is not mentioned if the magic of the followers of other gods requires anything similar.

* Magic in the world of ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' is usually harnessed through gestures and incantations, but the latter part can be skipped, and the former can be performed with, say, leg.

** Conversely, Cold Days describes how for the Fae, their magic is bound into their actions; for them, movement itself is magical and their [[MagicDance dancing even more so.]]
* In ''Literature/TheMagicians,'' complex gestures are essential to performing magic; in fact, when [[spoiler:Penny has his hands bitten off by Martin Chatwin, he's rendered incapable of magic]].
** The sequel reveals that [[spoiler:Penny eventually found a way around this by utilizing a form of magic based on subtle muscle movements]].

* The Sartan from ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle'' have to trace runes with their hands in midair for many of their spells (and trace other runes on the ground with their feet for some of the more powerful ones, lending a spellcasting Sartan the look of someone engaging in a bizarre interpretive dance routine). Their rivals the Patryn do this a little, but not as much (their runes are tattooed directly onto their bodies).

* While Literature/JakubWedrowycz usually uses RitualMagic to do his exorcisms, he knows more than a few magical gestures as well, and taught some to his grandson. They can do things like allowing you to throw something at the annoying news anchor on TV, or bringing sexual impotence upon someone.

* {{Parodied|Trope}} in ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'', when Rincewind makes the finger gesture that's described as the traditional one used to banish demons. As it turns out, [[FlippingTheBird it's the same gesture used to banish people, too]].
* The setting of ''Literature/TheEyeInTheStone'' uses and explains this. Magic works by manipulating a many-dimensional lattice of energies which underlie reality. All movement disturbs this lattice, but movement entirely within "normal" spacetime only causes the magic known as physics. The older races born before planets (the setting is sort of a softer Lovecraft) simply exist and move in a different set of dimensions, which may overlap ours. Mages in some way have become connected to or "sponsored" by such beings, which provides the needed extras to work magic. Spells can include physical props and rituals, or just consist of carefully-derived sets of incantation and gesture (whose movement and sound waves help create vibrations within the Lattice). It ''is'' possible to cast a spell "in your head" — but this is directly connected to clearly visualizing yourself performing the ritual, as the visualization is itself a form of physical movement through other dimensions, and can be perceived as such by others. You can cast two spells at once if you're good at doing it both ways, and having more than two arms (or probably tentacles, though that doesn't come up) is an advantage.
* Hand gestures are used in ''Literature/ToughMagic'' to help direct the spells, most commonly seen in incuels.

* Completely averted, but lampshaded in ''Literature/TheBlackMagicianTrilogy'', magicians are capable of using their powers as long as they are conscious and have a flicker of life left in them, and Sonea is advised that any good Warrior will not move his hands at all in battle, to avoid telegraphing his attacks.

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

* In the ''Series/{{Merlin 1998}}'' series, magical gestures are said to be used by intermediate wizards, called Hand Wizards. Stronger wizards could use magic without gestures, while weaker ones had to rely on [[MagicalIncantation words and incantations]]. Merlin himself is an intermediate wizard.
* In ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', binding witches' hands to their backs often makes them unable to use their powers, even if some have learned to "point" with the eyes instead.

* The powers in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' and its follow-up ''Series/HeroesReborn'' are usually accompanied by subtle gestures. Sylar slices heads open by using his finger as a sort of psychic scalpel; Hiro teleports, time travels and freezes time by scrunching up his face and closing his eyes; Creator/GregGrunberg described psychic cop Matt Parkman as having "the power of leaning".
* In ''Series/EmeraldCity'', part of Mombi's process for making Tip's medication involves reciting an incantation over the mixture while making various hand gestures.
* ''Series/TheMagicians2016'': The series is famous for using extremely complex hand and finger gestures in its magic. This of course is a holdover [[Literature/TheMagicians from the book series]], but it's more impressive since the actors actually have to learn all the proper gestures.

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* In ''WebComic/ElGoonishShive'', Elliot's (and by extension Ellen's) [[SupernaturalMartialArts "Tamashii Gekido"]] [[KamehameHadoken attack]] requires arm movement. This isn't readily apparent the [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-04-18 first]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-12-07 two]] times it is used, but becomes obvious when Elliot tries it [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-09 while tied up]].
* Bog from ''Webcomic/SneakyGoblins'' manages to [[http://www.tolcraft.com/comic/page-10/ gesture for spells]] while missing his casting hand.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* In the Literature/WhateleyUniverse, Fey has done some hand movements so magical that it hurts other people to ''look at'' them.
** Although the "painful to look at" aspect may be specific to Ayla, rather than humanity in general, since ''Ayla and the Mad Scientist'' mentions that the same gesture that makes Ayla queasy just looking at it out of the corner of his eye goes completely unnoticed by anyone else.
* Many DPIs in ''Literature/{{Phaeton}}'' learn to bind their powers to movements to prevent themselves from using them by accident.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* Much of the FakeInteractivity in ''WesternAnimation/LittleEinsteins'' involves performing various gestures to make on-screen magic happen.
* ''Series/ThundarrTheBarbarian'': All of Ariel's spells require her to gesture with her hands over her head; therefore restraining her arms serves to incapacitate her.
* Tree Fu Tom: The main character Tom cast spells by using various hand gestures and body movements. He finishes the spell by then calling out the spell's name.
* Sent up by the "Karate Island" episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', of all things. Looked at frame by frame, Sandy [[ShownTheirWork uses actual mudras rather than made-up symbols]].

The more time intensive forms of RitualMagic also often require magical gestures: stir the cauldron nine times widdershins, point the sword at each compass point in turn.

If the action isn't simply a gesture, but a heavily physical action then it's FullContactMagic. Set it to rhythm and you have MagicDance.

Compare with the PstandardPsychicPstance. Contrast GeometricMagic (spells come from shapes), LanguageOfMagic (spells come from words) and PowersDoTheFighting (spells don't give a damn about gesticulation). See also BadassFingerSnap, when magic isn't necessarily involved for some interesting effect.

* The Genie from Disney's ''{{Disney/Aladdin}}'' makes all sorts of gestures. Sometimes they appear explicitly necessary for the magic he's casting, but other times it appears to be just plain showmanship.

* Nerissa from Disney's ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'' tended to wave her arms and then throw them up or outward as part of her incantation process.

* In ''Film/AbsolutelyAnything'', Neil is completely omnipotent. Unlike Bruce Almighty however, whose powers are controlled by mere willpower, Neil actually has to state what he wants to happen and wave his right hand or it won't work.
* Played with in ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'' -- Strange complains that he can't make the spellcasting finger moves because of the damage to his hands, and the Ancient One shows him that the gestures aren't really necessary -- one of the masters is missing a hand but controls magic just fine.
* The witch seen in the opening scene of the film adaptation of ''Literature/NightWatch'' uses both incantations and magical gestures in her spells. To successfully complete her ritual to kill an unborn child, she '''needs''' to clap her hands together and they need to touch - when an object is interposed between her hands as she claps, the ritual fails.

** Supplementary materials reveal that African wizards don't even need wands; the hand gestures are enough.
* In ''Literature/TheLuckOfRelianKru'', all the sorcerers need double jointed fingers to perform the gestures.
* Interesting example in the later books in ''TheWheelOfTime''. Aes Sedai have during many handing-downs of techniques been including gestures to the casting to make them easier to cast. The result is that many younger Aes Sedai cannot cast the techniques without them.

** Spellcasting, at least as done by Styrics and by extension the Church Knights in ''Literature/TheElenium'' is mentioned as requiring highly specific (though undescribed) gestures as a key component. It is not mentioned if the magic of the followers of other gods requires anything similar.

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', magic ''can'' be done without motions, but most wizards and sorcerers use hand motions to hep focus magical forces. Some attach certain gestures to spells in the same way as words are.

** Conversely, Cold Days describes how for the Fae their magic is bound into their actions; for them, movement itself is magical and their [[MagicDance dancing even more so.]]
* In ''Literature/TheMagicians,'' complex gestures are essential to performing magic; in fact, when [[spoiler: Penny has his hands bitten off by Martin Chatwin, he's rendered incapable of magic.]]
** The sequel reveals that [[spoiler: Penny eventually found a way around this by utilizing a form of magic based on subtle muscle movements.]]

* Averted in ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}''-- Kelsier explicitly points out to his apprentice Vin that Mistborn don't need to gesture at a piece of metal to telekinetically manipulate it. They sometimes ''do'', but it's just for show.

* {{Parodied|Trope}} in ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'', when Rincewind makes the finger gesture that's described as the traditional one used to banish demons. As it turns out, [[FlippingTheBird it's the same gesture used to banish people, too.]]
* The setting of ''Literature/TheEyeInTheStone'' uses and explains this. Magic works by manipulating a many-dimensional lattice of energies which underlie reality. All movement disturbs this lattice, but movement entirely within "normal" spacetime only causes the magic known as physics. The older races born before planets (the setting is sort of a softer Lovecraft) simply exist and move in a different set of dimensions, which may overlap ours. Mages in some way have become connected or "sponsored" by such beings, which provides the needed extras to work magic. Spells can include physical props and ritual, or just consist of carefully-derived sets of incantation and gesture (whose movement and sound waves help create vibrations within the Lattice). It ''is'' possible to cast a spell "in your head" - but this is directly connected to clearly visualizing yourself performing the ritual, as the visualization is itself a form of physical movement through other dimensions, and can be perceived as such by others. You can cast two spells at once if you're good at doing it both ways, and having more than two arms (or probably tentacles, though that doesn't come up) is an advantage.

* In ''Literature/ThePowderMageTrilogy'', Privileged (the rarest and most powerful kind of mage) have expansive elemental powers that they manipulate using elaborate hand gestures -- the main hand is used to pull in magical energy from the Else, and the off hand directs that energy for specific tasks. Most Privileged need to wear special gloves while doing this, or else they risk being killed by magical backlash, but the eldest and most powerful don't [[spoiler: and neither does young prodigy Nila]]. Of course, a side-effect of all this is that a Privileged is effectively BroughtDownToNormal if their hands are crippled or severed.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Though gestures are not necessarily needed to cast a spell for most practitioners of hermetic magic in ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'', their is a penalty for not using gestures or using only subtle gestures. Certain virtues remove this penalty for in specific cases or outright.

* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', any edition that specifies the need or lack of need for these calls them "somatic components". Generally, somatic components for arcane spells need to be so precise that armor, or at least too much armor, will get in the way, while for divine spells as long as you can move at all you're good to go.

* In ''WebComic/ElGoonishShive'', Elliot's (and by extension Ellen's) [[SupernaturalMartialArts "Tamashii Gekido"]] [[KamehameHadoken attack]] requires arm movement. This isn't readily apparent the [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-04-18 first]] [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-12-07 two]] times it is used but becomes obvious when Elliot tries it [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-12-09 while tied up]].

* Mages in ''VideoGame/{{Aetolia}}'' can [[ItemCrafting craft]] enchanted items, but doing so requires specific rituals involving magical gestures such as ringing a bell, waving one's arms, flipping a coin, lighting a candle, spinning around, and "squaring the circle."[[note]]the impossible geometric task of creating a square with the same area as a given circle using a limited number of steps with only a compass and straightedge.[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' featured three main gestures, open palms pushed forward for touch based spells, a throw gesture for ranged spells and a closed fist held high for on-self spells. Oddly there was not discernible difference to spell effect if this was done one handed, two handed or carrying a weapon.

* Sent up by the "Karate Island" episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', of all things. Looked at frame by frame, Sandy [[ShownTheirWork uses actual mudras rather than made up symbols]].

** The famous "mind control hand wave" gesture is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] and mocked in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' when Qui-Gon tries it on an alien and it [[NoSale fails to work]]. ("Why you wave your hand around, think you Jedi or something? Mind tricks do not work on me!")

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' RealityWarper Q sometimes gestures or snaps his fingers (finger-snapping became more and more common as time went on) but it's purely for drama's sake. Other members of the Q Continuum use other gestures, such as Amanda Roger, a human-borne Q who waves her hands; and the Q from the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "Death Wish", who raises two fingers upward.

->'''Frieza:''' ''[Goku raises his hands up]'' What are you doing?\\

'''Frieza:''' Seriously what..what is this all about? Are you trying to telling me you once caught a fish that big?\\

[[folder: Film ]]
* Nerissa from Disney's ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'' tended to wave her arms and then throw them up or outward as part of her incantation process.

* Magic in the world of ''TheWitcher'' is usually harnessed through gestures and incantations, but the latter part can be skipped, and the former can be performed with, say, leg.

** The famous "mind control hand wave" gesture is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] and mocked in ''ThePhantomMenace'' when Qui-Gon tries it on an alien and it [[NoSale fails to work]]. ("Why you wave your hand around, think you Jedi or something? Mind tricks do not work on me!")

* In ''VideoGame/{{Harukanaru Toki no Naka de}}'', Tenma, Inori, Shimon and Tomomasa use specific mudras for performing attacks; for the first three characters these are single gestures taken from ''kuji-kiri'' ("pyou", "tou" and "sha", respectively). In the anime series, [[{{Onmyodo}} Yasuaki]] performs a full-blown ''kuji-kiri'' sequence along with the required [[AsianRuneChant mantras]].

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' RealityWarper Q sometimes gestures or snaps his fingers (finger-snapping became more and more common as time went on) but it's purely for drama's sake.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has hand seals. [[note]]Influenced, if not completely derived from, Kuji-Kiri and mudras. Shikamaru's concentration gesture is a mudra.[[/note]]
** Sent up by the "Karate Island" episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', of all things. Looked at frame by frame, Sandy [[ShownTheirWork uses actual mudras rather than made up symbols]].
* In ''Manga/InuYasha'' (among many others I'm sure) Kikyo, Kaede, and Miroku use what seem to be a mudra (Kapittaka? Pran? First two fingers straight out, next two curled, with the thumb touching the top of the third finger) when focusing their spiritual powers.

** In ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince The Half-Blood Prince]]'' (the sixth book), the making of a potion requires it to be stirred clockwise. But the notes of the Half-Blood Prince say it's faster if you stir 1 time counterclockwise for each 7 clockwise.
** This is explained in the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone first book]] as well, when Hermione describes the proper method for [[ChekhovsSkill Wingardium Leviosa]].

* Hand gestures are often used by sorcerers in ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', especially when using telekinesis. They aren't strictly necessary, they just help the user focus their will in the right direction. Ditto for most spellcasters in Eddings' other works.

* Many wizards, especially those who use Maker Magic, in ''Manga/FairyTail'' utilize these. While nearly everybody in the series uses FullcontactMagic as well, gestures are often used for more powerful magic, like Makarov's Fairy Law or [[spoiler: Zeref's attack to kill Hades.]]

* Trafalgar Law is one of the few ''{{Manga/One Piece}}'' characters who does this. He has a couple of very distinctive gestures for creating his 'room' and controlling things inside it. It appears as though he actually needs his hands, if not the gestures themselves, to use his ability effectively.

* In the WhateleyUniverse, Fey has done some hand movements so magical that it hurts other people to ''look at'' them.