Squall Leonhart Draw and Junction

[Friendlysociopath]

I was chatting on FB about Squall and certain ideas ensued that made me decide to check here and see what powers he has listed for him.

Current Powers and Abilities:

Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Master Gunswordsmanship, Magic, Can draw magic from foes, Summoning, Energy Blasts, Elemental Manipulation (Of the Fire, Ice, Lightning, Water Manipulation, Water, Wind and Earth variety), Barrier Creation, Levitatio, Telekinesis (Able to call down meteors), Petrification, Poison Manipulation, Time Manipulation (In the variety of speeding himself up and slowing down/stopping his targets), Gravity Manipulation, Status Effect Inducement, One Hit Kill (Via Doom)

I see draw magic is on there but otherwise the ability is barely mentioned on his page despite being the cornerstone of his magic system.

Of principle interest is how magic functions in Final Fantasy 8. Only monsters and Sorceresses can use actual magic. Squall and company use Para-Magic, which is noted by the creator to be Energy Manipulation. Basically they draw on the energy in the enemy or environment and use it to mimic magic. As such, the power of Energy Manipulation should be added to his profile since while everything is depicted as subsets of magic- what he's actually doing is basically using Energy Manipulation to copy real magic.

"Magic" used by ordinary people is actually "para-magic." In essence, it is a technique which involves controlling energy. - From the tutorial

The difference is made more evident by Rinoa's Angel Wing Limit Break. While channeling her Sorceress powers- no magic she uses will be subtracted from her stored magic. She's not using Para-Magic but true Magic.

In addition Squall's profile mentions practically nothing about his Draw or Junction ability to steal/absorb magic from his enemies, an odd miss given how Vsbattles seems to like including stuff like that. In FF8 Squall can 'Draw' from his opponent to do one of two things: Stock or Cast the magic.

Casting is self-explanatory. Squall can use his powers to cast the same magic the enemy has right back at them or he can use it to steal helpful magic to use on himself or allies.

Stock requires a bit more elaborate of an explanation as it includes Junction. Squall can take the magic he has Stocked and Junction it to different parts of his being. He can for example steal fire magic and apply it to his weapon to make it deal fire damage. Or he could take the same fire magic and apply it to his defenses to resist, become immune to, or even absorb fire damage.

Because of the Stock and Casting abilities, I would think Squall would also get something like Power Mimicry or Power Absorption since he can not only steal powers from others, but he can basically make himself immune to them. To some degree this even includes sealed beings within as at several points in the game Squall has to Draw a GF from an enemy before he can use it.

In summary- I think Squall should have the abilities of: Energy Manipulation, Power Mimicry, and Power Absorption added to his listed Power and Abilities. And he should have the following added to Notable Attacks/Techniques-

Draw and Stock/Cast: Squall can absorb the energy from an opponent to recreate their abilities. He can use this absorbed energy offensively to use the same ability on an opponent or he can Junction it to become resistant/immune/strengthened by it being used against him.

Thoughts?

 

[Endless_Astrograph_Sorcerer]

I was actually about to make a thread like this upon looking at the profile, I completely agree with you here

 

[Friendlysociopath]

I was actually about to make a thread like this upon looking at the profile, I completely agree with you here

Is there something I have to do or someplace to move this or should I follow my previous plan of, "Well I made the thread, my work is done" ?

 

[Endless_Astrograph_Sorcerer]

I really don't know, hopefully more will respond

 

[Reppuzan]

I don't see a problem with most of these.

I've never played FF VIII, but does drawing and junctioning stop the target from using their magic? Or does it just copy it?

 

[Friendlysociopath]

I don't see a problem with most of these.

I've never played FF VIII, but does drawing and junctioning stop the target from using their magic? Or does it just copy it?

Mechanically no, the game will never have an enemy run out of magic, no matter how much you spam Draw. Lore-wise that would be plausible since you ARE taking energy from them, and if you Draw an inner being like a GF it WILL be gone, but it will never hapoen no.

Junctioning only effects you, not them. Junctioning Avada Kadavra for example would allow Squall to be immune to its effects and his weapon would apply it when he hits enemies via him copying it with energy manipulation.

 

[Reppuzan]

If it never happens in the story then it's just Power Mimicry and the ability to gain new resistances.

 

[Friendlysociopath]

If it never happens in the story then it's just Power Mimicry and the ability to gain new resistances.

Ah I see, for it to be Power Absorption you have to take the power away from the person you're getting the power from, I had only focused on Squall's subsequent immunity from it as the reason for Absorption; not whether he could deny it of an enemy.


The only thing he can actually mechanically take from an enemy and they will no longer have it would be if there's a sealed being like a GF inside them- which likewise isn't really nullifying a power.

 

[Endless_Astrograph_Sorcerer]

You could argue that Squall could prevent certain opponents from summoning by essentially stealing and sealing the entity they'd be summoning but idk if there's even a classification for that