History Main / SwordAndSorcerer

In any setting where magic has some degree of pervasiveness, the SquishyWizard is a fairly common archetype. In addition to being physically weak, such characters [[MagicAIsMagicA often need time and concentration to incant their spells]], especially in the absence of VancianMagic. Time and concentration aren't exactly easy to come by when you're being attacked by several enemies at once, or even just one enemy. Even if you could easily [[KillEmAll take your enemies out with a single spell]], if your opponent never lets you fire one off, you're basically helpless. Add that to the "squishyness" and adventuring solo hardly sounds viable.

** Aeris and Cloud in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' have this dynamic by default. He has a {{BFS}} and plenty of HitPoints, and shortly after they meet he gets the Cover materia that allows him to stand between the squishier Aeris and danger. With her high Magic stat, Aeris can dish out both the pain and the healing, but her healing LimitBreak puts the emphasis on the latter. Of course, the Materia system is customizable enough that this can easily be {{inverted}} (especially if you [[VideoGameStealing steal]] a [[DiscOneNuke staff from a rare enemy that makes Aeris a better fighter than Cloud]] until he catches back up) or {{averted}}, but this is the path of least resistance.

* ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'': The villainous duo of Jindrax and Toxica. Jindrax is a MonsterClown who fights using either a sword or [[KnifeNut daggers]]. Toxica is a LadyOfBlackMagic whose MagicStaff can fire energy blasts or [[MakeMyMonsterGrow revive destroyed Orgs]].

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' take this trope to its [[UpToEleven logical extreme]]: with how reclassing and marriage works in this game, you can literally pair up ''everyone with everyone'', all while having a fighter and mage in both your parties each. That's a ''lot'' of Sword And Sorcerer.

** Before we start, we might as well say that games with marriage in it take this trope UpToEleven: due to the MixAndMatch nature of the romance mechanics, anyone can pair up with ''literally'' anyone, so any BattleCouple that consists of a physical fighter and a healer qualifies by default.

* ''Literature/TheLockedTomb'': Each House has a ruling {{Necromancer}} and a CloseRangeCombatant Cavalier, who are sworn to each other for life. The contest in ''Gideon the Ninth'' for a necromancer to be elevated to Lyctorhood has eight such pairs and requires both members of the pair to stay alive, because [[spoiler:the Lyctor process requires the necromancer to absorb the cavalier's soul]].

* Main characters [[MilitaryMage Ryner Lute]] and his bodyguard, the swordswoman [[ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl Ferris Eris]], from ''LightNovel/TheLegendOfTheLegendaryHeroes'' are prime examples of this. They are their country's greatest magician and swordswoman respectively and start out hating the other's guts, having been blackmailed into teaming up in the first place; but during their journey grow to become PlatonicLifepartners gladly willing to TakeAThirdOption and [[TogetherInDeath go down together]] if the need ever comes for them to pick their own life over the other's. Their relationship is never stated to be romantic at that what with Ryner being a CelibateHero and Ferris having had [[ParentalIncest horrible experience with love in the past]]. They are also very happy to (rightfully) boast how much ass they kick when fighting [[BackToBackBadasses back-to-back]] to their enemies.

** A rare [[GenderInvertedTrope Gender-Inverted]] example from [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius the same series]] is [[IllBoy Rhys]] and [[GenkiGirl Mia]]. Unlike Mist, Rhys is too ill to fight on his lonesome and instead uses healing magic or [[LightIsGood Light]] [[LightEmUp Magic]] to defend himself, while Mia is a dorky NiceGirl who's an incredibly useful Swordmaster GlassCannon. They also get along very well and there's a good deal of ShipTease with them, though Mia [[ChasteHeroine doesn't seem to be all aware of Rhys' crush.]]

* The "Majou Shuukai de Arimashou" ("An Encounter With Witches") art meme consists of BeforeAndAfterPictures showing a witch/sorcerer taking in an abandoned child(often abused or in bad shape), and the same people years later (with the grown child as servant, bodyguard or apprentice, [[WifeHusbandry but all too often as the caster's husband/wife]]).

** In ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' Claude picked up a sword to avoid arousing suspicion on an underdeveloped planet, while Rena comes from a WitchSpecies and has a natural talent for healing. Unlike most examples, where the sword user is the lead and the healer plays support, the game can be played from Rena's point of view.

*** [[KickChick Chie]] and [[YamatoNadeshiko Yukiko]] are a female example as well. Chie specializes in raw physical power with [[MagicallyIneptFighter barely any magical skill to back it up]], while Yukiko is a magical nuke specializing in fire magic and healing spells. Not only do they share a RomanticTwoGirlFriendship, it's a friendship ''laden'' with LesYay subtext.

* ComicBook/{{Angela|AsgardsAsassin}} [[BattleCouple and her girlfriend Sera]]. Angela is a LightningBruiser and FlyingBrick who is armed with a [[MorphWeapon shapeshiting sword]] while Sera is a sorceress.

* [[ComicBook/AngelaMarvelComics Angela]] [[BattleCouple and her girlfriend Sera]]. Angela is a LightningBruiser and FlyingBrick who is armed with a [[MorphWeapon shapeshiting sword]] while Sera is a sorceress.

If it's a male/female pair ([[HoYay or, occasionally, even if it isn't]]) expect a BattleCouple, sometimes extending all the way to MindlinkMates; otherwise, they'll probably be BashBrothers. The fighter of the pair is usually a MagicallyIneptFighter, since a MagicKnight could do it all himself without needing a partner. Also see FighterMageThief and ShortRangeGuyLongRangeGuy for when the long range character uses a weapon rather than magic. Contrast ActionDuo. Compare LadyAndKnight, which has a similar dynamic of a warrior protecting someone physically capable of doing it themselves; the lady will often be the mage for this reason. Compare DamagerHealerTank, a trio where the fighter is the tank or the damager and the mage is the damager or healer.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfArise'' has the whole party have this dynamic between the various pairs characters. Main characters [[OfficialCouple Alphen and Shionne]] have this dynamic from the start with Alphen able to wield the powerful but dangerous Blazing Sword, and Shionne supporting him as a healer with her Astral Artes. Law and Rinwell also have this dynamic, Law being the the typical LightningBruiser and Rinwell being the SquishyWizard, who also [[VitriolicBestFriends constantly snark]] at eachother. Dohalim and Kisara also qualify though Dohalim is more of a BattleMage who can handle himself, while Kisara is the MightyGlacier.

** Sucrose and Albedo are a pair of bio-alchemists. Sucrose can use Anemo magic to blow enemies away with her charged attack while Albedo uses a sword.

** A particularly JustForFun/{{Egregious}} male example is Ike/Soren from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius.'' Ike is a {{BFS}}-wielding mercenary while Soren is a [[{{Bishonen}} effeminate]] IronWoobie who specializes in [[BlowYouAway Wind]] [[RazorWind Magic]]. On top of being HeterosexualLifePartners to the umpth degree, they also have an ''insane'' amount of HoYay with each other, to the point a newcomer can be forgiven for thinking they were gay. Even more telling is that Soren is one of the two possible partners with Ike when he [[spoiler:leaves Tellius in search of adventure.]]
** A [[IncrediblyLamePun straighter]] example would be [[LovableRogue Sothe]] and [[JeanneDArchetype Micaiah]], from the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius same continuity.]] Despite being a LovableRogue, Sothe takes on a detachment of Begnion soldiers by the game's beginning and ''wins'', while Micaiah is very competent with [[LightEmUp Light Magic]]. Not to mention they care for each other very deeply, [[TheyDo and even marry by the end of the game.]]
** ''[[RunningGag Another]]'' [[RuleOfThree example]] from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius'' would be a rare villainous example: Zelgius and Sephiran. Both are extremely close with each other [[HoYay (a bit too close, even)]], and Zelgius is [[spoiler: secretly ''[[TheDreaded the Black Knight.]]'']] Meanwhile, Sephiran is a WhiteMage MagnificentBastard who [[spoiler:literally plays each faction in the game together so that he could cause TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt at the hand of [[GodIsEvil Ashera]].]]
** And ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius'' has ''[[UpToEleven more.]]'' [[DefectorFromDecadence Zihark]]/[[BigEater Ilyana]], [[BoisterousBruiser Largo]]/[[HappilyMarried Calill]], [[GentleGiant Muarim]]/[[HappilyAdopted Tormod]], [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness Bastian]]/[[CoolBigSis Lucia]] are just several of the more well-known examples.
** Turning away from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius'' for a moment, there's also the frachise's UrExample, [[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Alm and Celica]]. They're not the first example by any means as [[VideoGame/FireEmblemArchanea Marth/Merric beat them to it]], but they're certainly the most notable one. Celica is a [[NiceGirl kind-hearted]] mage who wants to bring peace to the land, while Alm [[spoiler:stabs a god ''[[EyeScream in the eye.]]'']]
** Another extremely straight example would be [[TheHero Roy]] and [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Lilina]] from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade''. With how facepalm-worthy the ShipTease is with them ''and'' the fact that Roy grows his support faster with Lilina than anyone else, and it's not hard to see why they may be called "canon couple" by some.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' take this trope to it's [[UpToEleven logical extreme]]: with how reclassing and marriage works in this game, you can literally pair up ''everyone with everyone'', all while having a fighter and mage in both your parties each. That's a ''lot'' of Sword And Sorcerer.
** Due to the fact that ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses Three Houses]]'' allows anyone to equip any weapon and go into any class gender allowed, basically anyone can become one of these, but if you look at their WeaponOfChoice, the most notable example is GenderInverted with [[DarkMessiah Edelgard]] and [[BattleButler Hubert]], but with Edelgard using an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]] instead of a sword. There's another one, but it fits more below.

** [[OfficialCouple Sorey and Mikleo]] in ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria''. Sorey is a mostly normal human who uses a sword and Mikleo is a Seraph that uses single-target healing spells and water magic.

** Two female examples of this trope are both [[SpiritedCompetitor Hana]]/[[ShrinkingViolet Sakura]] and [[GentleGiant Effie]]/[[LittleSisterHeroine Elise]] from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates''. Hana is a {{Samurai}} who's both the protector and best friend of the WhiteMagicianGirl Sakura, while Effie - despite her [[BigEater voracious appetite]] and HotBlooded tendencies - is an indisputably heroic KnightInShiningArmor who, [[NotSoDifferent just like Hana]], is the youngest healing princess' bestie. And this is ''not'' covering the insane amount of LesYay between both friendships...

* ''VideoGame/NeopetsTheDarkestFaerie'': Tormund and Roberta are a sword-user and sorceress who work together.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'' has the human boy Callum, who is a magician. And the sword-fighting elf Rayla as a warrior. Both are also [[BattleCouple lovers]].