Unlike the typical personality traits associated with wind and air (light-hearted, indecisive, and airheaded), characters with wind or air Elemental Motifs are sometimes depicted as being naturally pacifistic, gentle, conflict-averse, and/or generally non-aggressive.
This is the most noticeable in works where characters have Elemental Powers as a form of Personality Powers: in comparison to other characters or people associated with the other elements, characters with wind powers would be the ones most likely to be Martial Pacifists and Technical Pacifists who only use their abilities defensively as a Barrier Warrior or only when they've exhausted all other non-violent options and are forced into a fight. And even then, they won't be all that happy to be doing so. They may even forfeit violence entirely, favoring diplomacy over fighting, or choose to take a supportive role, using their abilities for healing and protecting their allies. The pacifism may be justified in-universe because of the potential lethality of wind powers when abused, given the element's omnipresence and versatility.
This avoidance of aggression and violence often also translates into a gentle and kind demeanor, with many wind associated characters being The Heart, an All-Loving Hero, and a Friend to All Living Things. To their adversaries, they will extend mercy, empathy, and even friendship.
The likely roots for this association (and why this tends to show up more in works from or inspired by East/South Asian cultures) are found in the Tantric traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Dharmic religons. These religions discuss the importance of chakras or focal points within the body that are used in a variety of meditative practices. The fourth chakra, Anaharta, is located by the heart and signifies the detachment and clarity of thought one can achieve in the face of opposing or contradictory forces. The sound of these forces clashing against one another has lead to Anaharta's association with the element of air. The clarity one receives by tapping into Anaharta is essential for cooperation and peaceful integration between these forces, leading Anaharta to also be associated with understanding, compassion, empathy, kindness, peace, harmony, forgiveness, and unity, common qualities for a pacifist to embody.
Some Elemental Personality systems (like the Western Zodiac) associate air with communication and intelligence—two traits that lend themselves to diplomacy and talking through issues—as well as indecisiveness and fairweather attitudes, which may also be a point of origin for the trope. Regardless, this helps show that this trope and the more common wind associations are not opposites and can even be used alongside one another.
Sub-trope of Elemental Personalities. For aggressive and violent depictions of wind, see Razor Wind and Wind from Beneath My Wings. For another Dharmic religion inspired wind association, see Wind Is Green. Contrast Psycho Electro which associates electricity and lightning powers with aggression, sadism, and psychosis.
Examples:
Anime & Manga
- Ah! My Goddess: Belldandy's magical affinity is to wind and her defining trait is her abundant kindness and gentleness to virtually everyone she meets. She is such an exemplar of Incorruptible Pure Pureness that a demon has commented that her kindness alone is a potent spiritual attack. She rarely will be an aggressor or even use her superior magic abilities offensively even when provoked...unless someone threatens Keiichi or gets her jealous. Compare her to her much more hot-headed and aggressive sisters, Skuld and Urd who have water and fire & lightning affinities, respectively.
- Air Gear: Played with. Sora Takeuchi (whose name means "Sky" in Japanese) is introduced as the perpetually smiling, idealistic, wheelchair-bound, former Wind King and leader of the infamous group Sleeping Forest. While the past he discusses did see him engaging in fights and battles, whatever happened that crippled him has turned him into a calm, Big Brother Mentor to Ikki and a neutral party to the ongoing battle to conquer Tropheum Tower taking place between Genesis, Sleeping Forest, and Kogarasumaru. This is then subverted after Sora reveals himself to be a False Friend to Ikki—only building him up to be strong enough to get the Sky Regalia just so he can steal it from him—and Evil All Along as the true leader of Genesis. Interestingly, his nefarious plan still has shades of this trope as he wants to democratize ATs by giving everyone in the world the ability to ride and use AT tech to solve all of the worlds problems. Even still, he would be standing at the top of this "egalitarian" world as its sole ruler with everyone forced to follow his will.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: Although she's able to use magic related to all of the elements, Sakura's first and most used card is Windy (and later, Fly and Jump are regularly used by her) making it her Signature Move and much of her official artwork depicts her with wings, blowing wind, and other wind-based Elemental Motifs as well as sakura Flower Motifs. While she is willing to take a fight to fulfill her mission, as an All-Loving Heroine and Friend to All Living Things, she tries to end things peacefully first. Even when she can't, she's always kind to her former enemies and befriends them afterwards. In fact, she almost fails the Final Judgment because she was so reluctant to fight back against Yue.
- Fairy Tail: Unlike her fellow Blood Knight Dragon Slayers Natsu and Gajeel, Wendy Marvell personally doesn't enjoy combat and would rather solve things peacefully if possible. In fact, before she learned to fight, she used her wind magic primarily to heal and enhance the powers of others. Over time, she's become one of the most powerful members of a guild that ranks among the strongest in the world, and has proven time and time again that though she may avoid a fight if possible, she is not someone who should be toyed with should she have to fight.
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash★Star:
- Mai Mishou has two alter egos, Cure Egret and Cure Windy, which allow her to fly, fight with wind magic, and has overall improved agility. She has a gentle, soft-spoken, and non-confrontational personality to go along with her Sensitive Artist characterization. This is to provide contrast between her and Saki, her Genki Girl partner for the series in a Energetic and Soft-Spoken Duo.
- Later downplayed with Kaoru. She doesn't start the story with any wind association and exhibits much more of a cold, detached Brutal Honesty personality for most of the story. However, when her and her twin sister Michiru are forced to fight Saki and Mai, whereas her Michiru on a denial fuelled rage, Kaoru realizes that fighting Saki and Mai isn't right, calms Michiru down to avoid doing so, and reconciles with Saki and Mai. Soon after, Kaoru acquires the ability to transform into Cure Windy.
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Elaine is the sister to King, the king of fairies, and is the Guardian Saint of the Fountain of Youth. She specializes in wind magic named "Miracle Wind", is a non-combatant throughout the series, and apart from her disdain towards humans for always trying to take from the fountain of youth (that she eventually grows out of), she has a kind, gentle demeanor and angelic appearance.
Film—Animation
- Happy Heroes: The Stones has a series of posters that symbolically correlate the Supermen and their Car Knights to one of five elements, regardless of its relevance to their in-universe abilities. Sweet S., The Heart of the team defined by her kindness, has the in-universe ability to make bubbles of any size and resilience that she uses primarily as shields to support her other team members as a Barrier Warrior. She is enveloped in a circular gust of wind in her character poster.
- Pocahontas: The titular heroine is closely associated with the windnote , and she is primarily known for her noble, peaceful and loving character. She is the only person in her tribe who tries to deal with the settlers peacefully instead of trying to forcibly drive them out through violence.
Video Games
- League of Legends: Invoked in Janna's playstyle. Janna is an elemental wind spirit who supposedly came to be from the prayers and wishes of ancient Zaunnites and has made it her mission to protect specifically the weak and downtrodden of Zaun. She is an Enchanter champion whose wind-based abilities are almost completely focused on protecting, buffing and healing your team, disabling enemy abilities, and displacing the enemy team, making her a Badass Pacifist when played well.
- Most of Lidelle's spells in Puyo Puyo involve wind, and she is very gentle and timid, going as far as to ask other Puyo competitors she plays with to go easy on her or lose the match.
- Soul Series: Talim is a Filipino Wind Priestess who sometimes has Blow You Away powers. She is a Martial Pacifist and All-Loving Hero in a cast full of scoundrels, rogues, dedicated warriors, and in which even the monk character has a Superpowered Evil Side, making her easily the most pacifistic character in the roster. The Libra of Souls mode in Soul Calibur VI explains further that the wind priestess fighting style is for ceremonial and strictly defensive purposes.
- Touhou Project: Downplayed with Sanae Kochiya, who is a human wind shrine maiden and distant descendent of the goddess Suwako Moriya. While she enjoys chasing after and exterminating Youkai, in comparison to Reimu, the main protagonist of the series who is also a shrine maiden, Sanae has a far less aggressive personality and fighting style; her weather in Touhou Hisoutensoku ~ Choudokyuu Ginyoru no Nazo o Oe even causes players to regenerate health, making it not uncommon for fangames to play this up and turn her into a dedicated healer.
Web Video
- Critical Role: Keyleth of the Air Ashari is a kind, innocent, pacifistic druid who often argues for more restrained and humane solutions compared to her battle-happy teammates. She eventually becomes a formidable warrior and her people's leader as the Voice of the Tempest, emphasizing the air/storm motif, but only throws down when she needs to or is seriously angered.
Western Animation
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: The world of Avatar has Elemental Nations and airbenders are a society of Actual Pacifist monks who sought worldly detachment as a form of peace. This becomes an issue when Aang, airbender and current Avatar, realizes that despite it being his duty to restore balance by dealing with Big Bad Fire Lord Ozai, he can't imagine himself actually killing him because of his upbringing. He consults with his past selves to see if there's any way to Take a Third Option. Avatar Yangchen, the previous airbender-born avatar, warns Aang against Honor Before Reason and maintaining his ideals if it prevents him from being the protector of the greater good he needs to be.
