History Main / FullContactMagic

* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
** Natsu uses his magic for this almost 100% of the time. Early on, a few villains [[SquishyWizard can't believe he's a mage, due to his strength.]] This is [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness somewhat odd]] since most important mages introduced later seem to be like this.
** Gildarts Clive is a [[PersonOfMassDestruction literal form of this]]. His Magic means that any time his body touches something, he destroys it (unless he tries really hard not to). Though, he can also destroy stuff using his Magic from a distance.

* Manga/{{Kurohime}} generally fights with her magic gun and shoots dragon bullets (literally bullets that turn into dragons) but occasionally turns the gun on herself and shoots herself with strength bullets or armor bullets and gets right into the fight.
* Some ninjutsu in ''Fraanchise/{{Naruto}}'' seem to require a physical action besides [[MagicalGesture hand seals]] for use even if it's not used in the attack itself. The most noticeable example is [[GravityMaster Deva Path Pain]], who can use a Shinra Tensei, which repels objects away from him, in all directions without any movement, but needs to use his hand(s) to focus it in one direction or one object or select an object to use Bansho Tenin, which pulls objects toward him, on (presumably he would [[BlessedWithSuck attract all objects in the area]] to him otherwise).

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' is a world where wizards are the only ones of their peers not able to benchpress an NBA team and the only ones who can't outrun or outfly trains. Most combat wizards have to be this to survive.
** Harry himself, over the course of the series, goes from being in the top forty of these to the top five, and it's foreshadowed that he'll eventually be number one.
** Wardens, the wizard cops/soldiers, make a profession of this, with anti-magic swords to boot.
** Red Court Vampire practitioners are especially noted for this, and when Harry ends up fighting one with no contact allowed, he realizes he has a distinct advantage.
** Fae ''love'' this, thanks to their supernatural strength and speed. [[AchillesHeel So long as their enemies don't have]] ColdIron.

** 3.5 Edition's Duskblades are warriors trained in magic, and their signature ability is to cast spells as part of melee attacks. The Magus class from TableTopGame/{{Pathfinder}} behaves similarly.
** There exists a theoretical build known as Muscle Wizard, a Cancer Mage who has contracted infinite strength. His primary spell is 'Fist'. However, with an extra sourcebook, they can get a feat to replace their primary casting stat (usually, Intellect or Charisma for arcane casters) with Strength. So in addition to Fist, they would be able to cast an unlimited amount of any other spells in the book, most of them at immense power.
** Then there's the 4th Edition Swordmage class from the Forgotten Realms setting, which has the health of a fighter and most of their melee ability coupled with the casting of a warlock (mostly single target effects, rather than a wizard's area nuking) to fulfill the requisite MagicKnight quotient.

*** Warlocks themselves do have an invocation that allows them to channel their Eldritch Blast attack through a melee blow. It's mostly AwesomeButImpractical because normal Eldritch Blasts ignore armor and channeled attacks don't.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has not just Combat Charms, but Enlightened Martial Arts styles. A lot of it is simple physical limits and mastering your chosen weapon... at least, until you hit the level of Sidereal Martial Arts, at which point you can hit someone so hard they get a disease/lose their memories/are plagued by nightmares for a week/[[GenderBender turn into a woman]].
* Elven Battle-Mages in ''[[TabletopGame/IronKingdoms WarMachine]]'' specialize in this kind of magic, using special {{Magitek}} gauntlets that allow them fire concussive blasts or hit enemies with extreme force.

** Vacuum wave plays it straighter, where your Mon punches a fast-moving wave of air at the enemy.

* In ''VideoGame/DungeonFighterOnline'', the Mage class can specialize as a Battle Mage, allowing her to use weapons and attack enemies at close range as opposed to the long-range attacks she's usually known for.

* In a Skrillex music video, a little girl attacks a pedophile who's been following her with a barrage of psychic blasts that she controls with various hand gestures, at one point launching him straight up into the air by stomping the ground. At the end of the video, after she's done beating the crap out of him, she positions her hands as though to wring a towel and violently twists, apparently killing him.

* This is absolutely all ''over'' the place in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''; most characters with magic spell attacks have very exaggerated motions when casting them: [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Golbez]] waves his arms in striking motions, causing energy beams and other phenomena to blast the opponent, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka]], pitches fireballs like baseballs, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX Kuja]] does a backflip when casting [[HolyHandGrenade Seraphic Star]], the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII Onion Knight]] ''kicks'' a comet at the enemy, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Gilgamesh]] casts a RazorWind attack as through throwing a shuriken, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Yuna]] swings her staff in broad arcs while [[SummonMagic summoning]] creatures that use attacks in a similar manner, and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII Vaan]] creates instantaneous [[DishingOutDirt stalagmites]] before him by stomping the ground, for some examples. The reason behind this is probably practical: the distinct motions involved in casting serve as a "tell" so that players can react appropriately to different attacks, not possible when identical wand-waves can make fire or ice or lightning magic, and their exaggerated qualities are very helpful in identifying what's going on from more of a distance (as ''Dissidia'' is emphatically NOT a standard two-people-on-a-flat-plane fighting game). ...And probably also because Creator/SquareEnix just ''loves'' [[RuleOfCool drama, flashiness, and razzle-dazzle]].

Contrast with MagicKnight, where a wizard is not squishy, but simply is a trained warrior in addition to casting spells. Contrast with SupernaturalMartialArts, where the martial arts training is what creates the magical effect, rather than the magical spells themselves requiring broad motions. When a character can use both [[FunctionalMagic Magic]] and martial arts separately, it's KungFuWizard.

** The show also has Full Contact ''AntiMagic''. Chi-blockers can paralyze a person and temporarily shut down their bending by striking pressure points on their body.

* Natsu from ''Manga/FairyTail'' uses his magic for this almost 100% of the time. Early on, a few villains [[SquishyWizard can't believe he's a mage, due to his strength.]] This is [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness somewhat odd]] since most important mages introduced later seem to be like this.

** [[{{Badass}} Gildarts Clive]] is a [[PersonOfMassDestruction literal form of this]]. His Magic means that any time his body touches something, he destroys it (unless he tries really hard not to). Though, he can also destroy stuff using his Magic from a distance.

* While it is ''possible'' to use [[StarWars the Force]] without moving, such as when a user is tied up, most [[StarWars Jedi, Sith, and assorted Force users]] use hand motions to focus their powers. (And for [[RuleOfCool dramatic effect]], of course.)

** The same basic concept was used in the LiveActionAdaptation ''Film/TheLastAirbender''. Less talented benders have to build up energy with a lot of [[{{Flynning}} excessive movement]], while those who are more skilled like Aang for airbending and Zuko for firebending are capable of impressive feats with minimal movement. Katara grows more skilled and confident in waterbending over the course of the movie, barely able to levitate a ball of water to summoning small waterfalls. Unfortunately, while the idea has some precedent in the series it made a lot of the action scenes (especially with the less talented benders) slower and goofier looking. The loss of all the carefully designed and choreographed martial art stylings of Series bending into random flailing didn't help.

* Spoofed in the ''{{Discworld}}'', where the incompetent wizzard Rincewind's fighting strategy involves pulling shapes - ie, making the exaggerated pose of magic-user-about-to-cast-spell with both hands raised and fingers pointing. And then, just before the other guy realises there isn't going to be any actual magic, following through with a mundane punch, kick or headbutt.

** Throughout the series, biotics use exaggerated actions and associated muscle memory to stimulate their abilities. In the second game, Jack is introduced using biotic-powered ''punches'' to clobber people up close and personal.

* Biotics in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series use exaggerated actions and associated muscle memory to stimulate their abilities. Jack uses punches to clobber giant robots [[WorfHadTheFlu that were specifically ordered to capture her alive when armed only with guns, and also didn't have any armour or shields.]] [[RealityEnsues If she ever tries that against any other giant robots, she gets horribly slaughtered unless]] [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] [[BigDamnHeroes bails her out.]] Vanguard Shepard (and Vanguards and [=N7=] Furies in ''Mass Effect 3'''s multiplayer mode) are an example of this, often deliberately biotic-charging into melee range and blasting enemies through the air with massive point-blank detonations before punching them to death.

* It's not technically "magic" so much as "superpowers", but ''many'' comic book characters will use gestures to accompany their powers even when it shouldn't really be necessary. Those with some sort of telekinesis, or something similar (such as {{Magneto}}), have powers that should be activated by thought alone, but will often use physical movements as well, especially when they get stressed. Presumably it's for the same reasons as the motions that accompany [[StarWars Jedi force powers]] (see below).

* Work hard enough to piss off [[spoiler:Sans at the end a No Mercy run]] in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' and your soul will get smashed against the walls, floor, and ceiling with a mere wave of the hand. During the last attack he does [[spoiler:that can actually damage you]], however, it's so powerful that you'll lose health just on impact, whereas you'd usually have to get hit by projectiles to be injured.

* In ''Anime/{{Munto}}'' all the Heavenly Being Magicians, including the Titular character, as well as Gass use this.
* The heroine of ''Anime/ShamanicPrincess'' is an evolution of the CuteWitch archetype, but she prefers aerial battles using swords made of magic to swishing wands.

* spoofed in the ''{{Discworld}}'' where the incompetent wizzard Rincewind's fighting strategy involves pulling shapes - ie, making the exaggerated pose of magic-user-about-to-cast-spell with both hands raised and fingers pointing. And then, just before the other guy realises there isn't going to be any actual magic, following through with a mundane punch, kick or headbutt.

* This is how [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Mewtwo]] is portrayed as fighting in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrothers''. He uses grand gestures, poses and fighting moves to perform his various psychokinetic attacks to the point that the only actual physical moves he has are a handful of tail-whip attacks.

* This is absolutely all ''over'' the place in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''; most characters with magic spell attacks have very exaggerated motions when casting them: [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Golbez]] waves his arms in striking motions, causing energy beams and other phenomena to blast the opponent, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka]], pitches fireballs like baseballs, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX Kuja]] does a backflip when casting [[HolyHandGrenade Seraphic Star]], the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII Onion Knight]] ''kicks'' a comet at the enemy, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Gilgamesh]] casts a RazorWind attack as through throwing a shuriken, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Yuna]] swings her staff in broad arcs while [[SummonMagic summoning]] creatures that use attacks in a similar manner, and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII Vaan]] creates instantaneous [[DishingOutDirt stalagmites]] before him by stomping the ground, for some examples. The reason behind this is probably practical: the distinct motions involved in casting serve as a "tell" so that players can react appropriately to different attacks, not possible when identical wand-waves can make fire or ice or lightning magic, and their exaggerated qualities are very helpful in identifying what's going on from more of a distance (as ''Dissidia'' is emphatically NOT a standard two-people-on-a-flat-plane fighting game). ...And probably also because SquareEnix just ''loves'' [[RuleOfCool drama, flashiness, and razzle-dazzle]].

Can often result in an ElementalPunch or SwordBeam. Also see AirJousting (which flying users of this trope often indulge in), HandBlast and SimplifiedSpellcasting.

* Subaru and Vivio in ''Franchise/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' uses their ranged attacks this way.

** Takamachi. Most of the others hit you from a distance or [[KungFuWizard flat-out punch you]] while Takamichi uses the pressure from his fists and [[YinYangBomb kanka]] blasts to make [[SwordBeam fist beams]].

* Work hard enough to piss off [[spoiler:Sans at the end a No Mercy run]] in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' and your soul will get smashed against the walls, floor, and ceiling with a mere wave of the hand. It's actually so powerful that you'll lose health just on impact, whereas you'd usually have to get hit by projectiles to be injured.

* ''Manga/MakenKi'': While most of the cast uses weapon type Maken, Azuki, Minori, and Yan-Min all specialize in direct combat. So their Maken accommodates their proficiency in hand-to-hand. Azuki's channels wind, Minori's is fire, and Yan-Min's allows her to literally move and strike like lightning.

* ''Manga/MakenKi'': While most of the cast used weapon type Maken, Azuki, Minori, and Yan-Min all specialize in direct combat. So their Maken accommodates their proficiency in hand-to-hand. Azuki's channels wind, Minori's is fire, and Yan-Min's allows her to literally move and strike like lightning.

* [[Franchise/{{Digimon}} Angemon]]: [[CallingYourAttacks Hand of Fate!]]

* Gwen from ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' mixes a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and [[strike: magic]] alien energy-manipulation powers for dynamic and fluid fighting scenes.

* In the games proper, [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Gensokyo]]'s magic duels consist of a lazily-drifting defender hurling out [[MoreDakka ten trillion bullets]] floating out [[PainfullySlowProjectile at fifteen miles per hour]] while the attacker [[FragileSpeedster slowly but precisely]] [[OneHitPointWonder and VERY CAREFULLY]] dodges their elaborate patterns until time runs out. Since out of context this looks really hilarious, in most fan works they're shown as full contact magic to capture their actual intensity.