History Main / IceMagicIsWater

* Zig-Zagged in the Franchise/TalesSeries. Most games treat water and ice as the same element. ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' separated them to facilitate the balance theme in both games. ''VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia'' separated them because water was lumped in with light instead. In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', ice spells are simultaneously considered to be of the water and wind elements. From ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' onward, ice is simultaneously treated as the water and earth elements.

* With the second season of XiaolinShowdown comes a power-up for the heroes where they can infuse their elemental powers into the Shen Gong Wu, generally of the same element. Omi found that using his with the Orb or Tornami (which summons a torrent of water) lets him make a bunch of ice.

* ''VideoGame/DungeonCrawl'' is a rare aversion; Ice Magic and Water Magic are totally separate branches, the latter being restricted to [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Merfolk]] [=NPCs=].
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', as with the above game, is an aversion which considers Ice Magic and Water Magic as separate elements, counter to Fire and Lightning respectively. Contrary to expectations, many fire-based opponents are specifically vulnerable to Ice Magic but not Water Magic.

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}} Trading Card Game'' groups both Water Pokémon and Ice Pokémon within the Water category and both require Water Energy to attack. However, they are still distinguished from each other: Pokémon who are Water-type in the video games have [[ShockAndAwe Lightning]] as their Weakness in the card game, whereas Pokémon who are Ice-type in the video games have [[ColdSteel Metal]] as their Weakness instead. (Pokémon who are Water ''and'' Ice in the video games, like Lapras and Walrein, can go either way.)

* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUnivers'', Malachite, the fusion of Lapis Lazuli and Jasper who has among other things Lapis' water manipulation powers, can instantly turn water in to ice to trap opponents or create projectiles. Lapis herself has not yet demonstrated this amount of control over water, but it's not unlikely to think she can do so as well.

* ''VideoGame/DungeonCrawl'' is a rare aversion; Ice Magic and Water Magic are totally separate branches, the latter being restricted to [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Merfolk]] NPCs.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and its spin-off ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', waterbenders are also able to control snow and ice, and can turn water into ice and vice-versa. They can also control ''steam'' in the same manner.

[[folder: Literature ]]
* In ''Literature/CodexAlera'', Isana demonstrates quite handily that snow does in fact count as water for use in watercrafting. The trick allows her to survive a duel long enough to convince the guy she was dueling to cooperate with her instead.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]
* In ''Literature/CodexAlera'', Isana demonstrates quite handily that snow does in fact count as water for use in watercrafting. The trick allows her to survive a duel long enough to convince the guy she was dueling to cooperate with her instead.

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* The mermaids featured in ''Series/H2OJustAddWater'' could manipulate water in certain manners. Emma, who is part of the original trio, can freeze water and manipulate ice, snow, and clouds.

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'', ice-themed monsters are grouped under the Water attribute and are usually of the Aqua type. An entire archetype of ice monsters, the Ice Barriers, are the most prominent examples.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
** The Ring of Elemental Command - Water can cast the spell Wall of Ice once per day.
** The water-based genies called marids are resistant to cold-based spells, indicating an affinity with cold. They gain a plus 2 on saving throws and take -2 HitPoints per die of damage.

* In Literature/CodexAlera, Isana demonstrates quite handily that snow does in fact count as water for use in watercrafting. The trick allows her to survive a duel long enough to convince the guy she was dueling to cooperate with her instead.

* On ''Anime/SailorMoon'', Sailor Mercury's attacks have included not only water and ice but even bubbles and mist.

* {{Lanfeust}}: Cixi's power is to change the temperature of nearby water, so she can create ice, water or steam from, well, ice, water or steam.

* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in Webcomic/DrowTales. While in a classroom on magic, one student asks what, precisely, differentiates ice and water for magic purposes when they are the same thing in different states. The teacher explains that it is because manipulating them with their mana is different between the two states, hence why water and ice are treated as separate elements for their purposes.

[[AnIcePerson Ice]] and [[MakingASplash Water]] are two very common elemental properties to give characters in works of fiction. However, perhaps more than any other two pairs of elements, they are very close. After all, ice is merely frozen water, and thawing it out will make your ice attack a water attack.

Thus, some works portray ice and water as the same element. A character's element may be said to be water, but they will still have command over ice. In video game terms, ice and water-based attacks may be considered the same for purposes of ElementalRockPaperScissors. Other titles may play with this idea to various ends.

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[[AC:AnimeAndManga]]
* On ''Anime/SailorMoon'', Sailor Mercury's attacks have included not only water and ice but even bubbles and mist.

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]
* The mermaids featured in ''Series/H2OJustAddWater'' could manipulate water in certain manners. Emma, who is part of the original trio, can freeze water and manipulate ice, snow, and clouds.

[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'', ice-themed monsters are grouped under the Water attribute and are usually of the Aqua type. An entire archetype of ice monsters, the Ice Barriers, are the most prominent examples.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
** The Ring of Elemental Command - Water can cast the spell Wall of Ice once per day.
** The water-based genies called marids are resistant to cold-based spells, indicating an affinity with cold. They gain a plus 2 on saving throws and take -2 HitPoints per die of damage.

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'', water-elemental and ice-elemental attacks and enemies are grouped together under the Ice element. Curiously, the two elements are separate inside Organization XIII, with Vexen having power over ice and Demyx power over water. However, Demyx's attacks still count as ice, and defeating him upgrades the party's ice abilities.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', Water and Ice are two different types. However, several Pokemon are dual Water and Ice types, and virtually all Water-types are able to learn ice attacks like Ice Beam and Blizzard.
* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic3'': The ''Ice Bolt'' and ''Frost Ring'' spells belong to the ''Water magic'' school. ''Water Elementals'' are immune to these spells, and can be upgraded into ''Ice Elementals''.
* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', Mercury [[PsychicPowers adepts]] have abilities mainly based around water, but use ice for several of their offensive abilities, and start off with Freeze as a field move.
* ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'', the "water" spells all come in form of ice-themed attacks such as Ice Bolt and Blizzard.
* ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'', Aqua-elemental chips may have either water or ice-themed attacks.
* In ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSin'', the Hydrosophist magical school covers both water-based and ice-based elemental spells (and, incidentally, healing spells).
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', the Water Medallion was intended to be the Ice Medallion during development. In the final product, this shows by the mini-dungeon preceding the Water Temple being the Ice Cavern, and the Water Temple's room in Ganon's Castle is likewise ice-themed.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Frost mages gain the ability to summon a water elemental along with their ice-based spells.
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', humans have affinity with either water, fire, light or shadow. Of the two water-types in the main cast, Frog's magic is mostly water-based, and Marle's is ice-based, though both can use it for healing as well.
* Zig-zagged in ''VideoGame/FantasyLife''. The magician's water magic is water magic in name only, consisting exclusively of different form of ice. Fire magic, however, is strong against ice-based monsters and weak against water ones.
* ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'': The Archmage can summon water elementals and bring down shards of ice from the sky. The naga (underwater snakemen) also use both: the Siren can create frost armor, the Sea Witch can use cold arrows, and the Royal Guard can throw huge iceballs and summon a sea elemental.
* {{Lanfeust}}: Cixi's power is to change the temperature of nearby water, so she can create ice, water or steam from, well, ice, water or steam.

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* In ''Series/{{Noob}}'', Couette, a water elementalist, at some point mentions that she can produce an ice wall.
* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in Webcomic/DrowTales. While in a classroom on magic, one student asks what, precisely, differentiates ice and water for magic purposes when they are the same thing in different states. The teacher explains that it is because manipulating them with their mana is different between the two states, hence why water and ice are treated as separate elements for their purposes.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

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[[AC:Anime and Manga]]

[[AC:Live-Action Television]]

[[AC:Tabletop Game]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Web Original]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and its spin-off ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', waterbenders are also able to control snow and ice, and can turn water into ice and vice-versa.

* In ''{{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}}'', Zan and Jayna's WonderTwinPowers are that Jayna can turn into animals and Zan can turn into water or ice or both.