Oh Glimmer’s magic, how much do I love thee??? Let me count the ways <3
1.)
It’s defined! She can makes sparkles and she can teleport! Those are her only two powers!! There’s a lot she can actually DO with them but the tools are always the same- and it ALWAYS fun watching to see how she uses them!!!
2.)
Her powers have Clear Limits. Her sparkles are usually only fist sized, making something larger than that takes effort especially if she’s drained, and they’re just l i g h t. They never burn anything. Her teleporting is the same- It’s short to mid range only, she never tries using to for long distance travel and it works best when she’s just moving herself. Two people is about the limit of what she can do safely, three is possible but comes with risks like limbs potentially being left behind, again especially if her magic is already low
THIS is fun because it makes her powers feel grounded in reality even though they’re magic. It also builds tension whenever she faces a challenge because it isn’t as simple as ‘she’ll just teleport away’ or ‘throw magic at X’. Her magic and teleportation can’t instantly solve everything and they’re only as effective as she is creative with them, which is super cool since it means that it’s GLIMMER, not her powers, that are the important thing
Also the fact that she has a limited amount of magic in general and is shown draining it and needing to recharge it??? Epic. Wonderful. Every time she uses her magic on a mission could end up being the mistake that leaves her drained at the wrong moment later. The stakes are always raised even when nothing else in the plot is happening yet. What if she isn’t even attacked, what if she just can’t get back to Bright Moon to recharge? Well even THAT could be a huge angsty problem because-
3.)
Her magic has COSTS and CONSEQUENCES. The cost of using magic now is not having as much later, the consequence of using up too much magic is pain that grows until it leaves her doubling over, and if she pushes her magic further than that she actually starts blacking out. I’ve mentioned before how it’s hinted that blacking out might not be the worst that can happen to her when her magic’s drained, but even on it’s own it’s a big deal. You can’t fight or run if you’re lying on the ground unconscious. Which is what happens to Glimmer several times in the start of the show
Magic is her main way of fighting or dealing with stuff but at the same time using up her magic can hurt her, even leave her a sitting duck. This is the ax hovering overhead in every fight or situation she gets into- Can she get out of trouble before her magic runs out? Or will her magic reach its limit at exactly the wrong moment? dun-Dun-DUN!
4.)
How her powers match and don’t match her personality is also super fun. Her skills in the hands of someone more strategic and calculating would be devastating- Imagine a teleporting Bow or Catra- But since Glimmer’s more of a punch first think later person, her powers are also limited and shaped by that style
At the same time her magic also really suits her, letting her jump into the fray or get someone’s attention with a fist full of sparks to the face- but in a way they actually enable her more dangerous habits. She’s often rash and hot headed and she can get into trouble twice as fast thanks to her powers. Soooo she needs to be THREE TIMES as fast at getting herself (and her friends) back out of danger again!
The fact that her not ever wanting to leave behind a friend is ALSO a big limit her teleporting, stopping her from using it when she otherwise could have saved herself, makes me grin like an idiot every time I think about it
5.)
In-comparability. Or whatever word would mean the same thing.
Glimmer doesn’t beat people by having more magic than them, and you aren’t guaranteed a win against her just because you have more raw magic than her. Winning or losing doesn’t depend on how much powers she has because just one well-placed spark or teleport could end the fight
The trick is in out thinking Glimmer or using her own personality against her. Maybe threaten one of her friends so she rushes to save them first, maybe goad her into attacking first and running into a trap, or keep the attacks rolling fast and from a distance so she’ll be worn out from teleport dodging by the time she reaches you. There are ways to beat her and ways for her to beat other more ‘powerful’ opponents. BUT these ways all depend on her and who she’s fighting. It’s personality based, not powers
This opens the gate for an endless number of interesting battles and match ups and also makes it so there almost always a CHANCE Glimmer could win any fight she gets into, but it’s still just a CHANCE and she can just as easily blow it or be outsmarted. Again the stakes are raised. You know she could win….. but will she?
6.)
Potential! Since Glimmer’s powers are so simple, so limited, there’s the potential for her to either A.) Learn better ways to use them by becoming a more careful fighter, or B.) Grow past some of those limits through training. Or both! Her sparkles could start getting solid mass like her mom’s light beams seem to have and she could get better at fighting without her magic, letting her save it up for times she really needs it
Thing is, as long as she still needs to re-charge and still gets pains/blacks out when her magic gets drained, it doesn’t matter if she leans to teleport three people at once. Her magic will still be limited. It will still have a very real risk and cost to being used
Which means the tension will still be there in every situation she gets into, since she’s still just one overuse of magic away from being taking herself out of the fight
7.)
Her specific magic has an effect on her, as a person
All the things I’ve listed above- Her powers limitations and costs and how her own personality ALSO limits how well she puts them to use- All of that builds on her low confidence and her sense of failure
It’s a thing she specifically brings up as being part of the reason she feels so inadequate compared to her mom
“Try having an immortal queen for a mom when your power is ~sparkles~”
Other princesses aren’t shown with Glimmer limitations. They’re powers are broad, a vaguely defined mastery over their one element, and if they have to re-charge like Glimmer does then we never see it in S1. We also never see them suffering from overusing their powers
Compared to Perfuma, Mermista, or her own mom, Glimmer look like a stage magician with a few tricks she can only do under the right circumstances. Which feeds right into her other insecurities
Bad enough her mom doesn’t seem to trust her as a leader, bad enough she failed at her first mission as a commander in the rebellion. On top of all that, she can’t even fight like a proper princess. So even though she clearly loves her magic-
-It’s still also a source of pain for her for most of S1, because of what she feels it represents when it comes to her not being able to live up to who she feels she should be
(then the battle for bright moon happens and Glimmer kicks horde butt WITHOUT magic and WHILE glitching and dear gods I do love her magic but that was my fav fight of hers for a REASON. It’s symbolism b*tch. Even at her ‘lowest’, Glimmer is still incredible. Because all her incredible-ness comes right from her heart, from her love for her friends and family and how she never EVER stops fighting for them)
8.)
Okay look. Glimmer’s magic is just really pretty. She’s all sparkly and pink! In the middle of a battle! IN THE MIDDLE OF SMACKING SOMEONE IN THE FACE!! No one will ever understand how much I love that
She’s a bloodthirsty barbarian in the body of a mage trying to use glitter like a battleaxe despite having like 10 hp to her name and i would die for her
-
in conclusion, i wish the rest of the magic in Spop came close to the close-knit beauty that is Glimmer’s powers..... Her having this kind of magic has helped show off and explore the different strengths/weaknesses of her character, and it just makes her AS a character so much more fun to watch! Or to re-watch :D as might be the case :D :D
