History Main / MagicalGesture

* As shown in the page image, Comicbook/DoctorStrange uses particular positions of his hands to cast spells. He often holds one or both hands up with the middle and ring fingers folded inward (c.f. the "I Love You" gesture or the "Metal Horns").

* Comicbook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch's gesture varies DependingOnTheWriter. Sometimes she tugs her earlobe, sometimes she points her index finger (as seen in [[Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch the live-action TV show]]), sometimes she snaps her fingers.

* Comicstrip/MandrakeTheMagician casts his illusions by gesturing with his hands at his target — almost inevitably accompanied by a caption box reading [[SignatureLine "Mandrake gestures hypnotically..."]]

* 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.

%%* Hand gestures are used in ''Literature/ToughMagic'' to help direct the spells, most commonly seen in incuels.
* 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.

* 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, a leg.

* Played with in ''Manga/MobPsycho100''. It's entirely possible to use telekinesis with little to no gesticulation. However, since most espers are either emotionally-stunted [[{{Manchild}} manchildren]] or ''literal'' children, most of them needlessly employ often silly-looking {{Magical Gesture}}s out of an [[{{Chuunibyou}} immature desire to look cool]]. The worst offender is [[spoiler:Ritsu]], who borrows many of his from other action anime.

* Bog from ''Webcomic/SneakyGoblins'' manages to [[http://www.tolcraft.com/comic/page-10/ gesture for spells]] while missing his casting hand.

* Using TheForce in ''Franchise/StarWars''. As with many examples, it's not absolutely necessary, but it helps with focus.

* 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. As such, making a "mystical hand gesture" quickly becomes a visual shorthand for doing sorcery. Ditto for most spellcasters in Eddings' other works.
** This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Belgarath, who makes a few snide remarks over the centuries about how Polgara feels the need to accompany every release of Will with an airy hand gesture.

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

* Averted in ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}''. [[{{Whatevermancy}} Allomany]] doesn't require any gestures, but Steel and Iron allomancers, who can telekinetically Push or Pull on pieces of metal, have been seen throwing their hands out when using their powers. When an inexperienced Vin gestures at a piece of metal she is pushing, Kelsier explicitly notes that it is unnecessary, but a number of character who know better still throw out their hands when pushing or pulling sometimes. It's generally a combination of being for show and because it feels like the appropriate thing to do in the heat of the moment.

* 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.

* Most signature attacks in ''Manga/{{Dragonball}}'' involve some unique gestures- the most famous being the Spirit Bomb (hands upraised to collect spirit energy before bringing them down to drop the bomb) and the Kamehameha (hands cupped to the side to gather ki before thrusting them forward).

* ''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.]]
* In ''VideoGame/HarukanaruTokiNoNakaDe'', 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]].

* Played with in ''Manga/MobPsycho100''. It's entirely possible to use telekinesis with little to no gesticulation. However, since most espers are either emotionally-stunted [[{{Manchild}} manchildren]] or ''literal'' children, most of them needlessly employ often silly-looking {{Magical Gesture}}s out of an [[{{Chuunibyou}} immature desire to look cool]]. The worst offender is [[spoiler:Ritsu]], who borrows many of his from other action anime.

* 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, physically unremarkable, makes him look silly to onlookers.

* 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.

* ''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.

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

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

* Comicstrip/MandrakeTheMagician casts his illusions by gesturing with his hands at his target — almost inevitably accompanied by a caption box reading "Madrake gestures hypnotically..."

* Comicstrip/MandrakeTheMagician casts his illusions by gesturing with his hands at his target... almost inevitably accompanied by a caption box reading "Madrake gestures hypnotically..."

* Comicstrip/MandrakeTheMagician casts his illusions by gesturing with his hands... almost inevitably accompanied by a caption box reading "Madrake gestures hypnotically..."

* Comicstrip/MandrakeTheMagician casts his illusions by "gesturing hypnotically" with his hands... almost inevitably accompanied by a caption box reading "Madrake gestures hypnotically..."

* Most signature attacks in ''Manga/{{Dragonball}}'' involve some unique gestures- the most famous being the spirit bomb and the kamehameha.

** 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.

* 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.

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

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': {{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]].

[/folder]]

** 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 [[NoSell fails to work]]. ("Why you wave your hand around, think you Jedi or something? Mind tricks do not work on me!")
[[/folder]]

* Averted in ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}''. [[{{Whatevermancy}} Allomany]] doesn't require any gestures, but Steel and Iron allomancers, who can telekinetically Push or Pull on pieces of metal, often throw their hands out when using their powers, and when Vin gestures at a piece of metal she is pushing Kelsier explicitly notes that it is unnecessary. That being said, a number of character still throw out their hands when pushing or pulling sometimes, but it's a combination of being for show and because it feels like the appropriate thing to do.