Summary
Death Manipulation is the ability to manipulate various aspects of death. Merriam-Webster defines death as the permanent cessation of all vital functions, and in many cases this definition is properly applicable across works of fiction, however, often-times death is redefined to mean something more: it is commonly depicted as a metaphysical force or law of nature that most, if not all things are meant to abide by, in a manner that is perhaps similar to entropy. Other times, it may simply be regarded as the absence or counterbalance of life, which itself may be considered a law of nature or metaphysical force. It may be considered a harbinger of chaos or disorder, or of change and advancement.
Possible Applications
Even when moving beyond the confines of fiction, there are a myriad of different philosophical and theological conceptions of death and its place and role in reality at large. As such, it's unfeasible to cover every possible interpretation or portrayal of "death" as it appears throughout fiction, and as a consequence of this, it is likewise unfeasible to list every conceivable application of Death Manipulation itself. The below is a not-all-inclusive list of examples of how the ability may be portrayed throughout fiction.
- Necromancy: Perhaps the most iconic application of Death Manipulation, as well as the most commonly recognized ability associated with it, is Necromancy: the ability to call upon the deceased and exert influence over them in some manner, whether it be through reanimating corpses in the form of skeletons or zombies, or summoning spirits to fulfill some purpose.
- Biological Manipulation: Users with Death Manipulation may hold some degree of influence over biological functions commonly associated with mortality, such as aging or cognition, or inducing other ailments such as heart attacks or strokes.
- Mortality Manipulation: Through Death Manipulation, users may be able to "manipulate" the mortality of other beings, whether that be through granting or removing immortality. The latter application may also be associated with Durability Negation.
- Poison Manipulation: Users may be able to concoct deadly poisons with extreme efficiency and potency.
- Soul Manipulation: Users may be able to manipulate souls in a manner beyond that of typical Necromancy, such as inducing death on an otherwise immortal soul, or removing or granting them the ability to reincarnate.
- Resurrection: Through Death Manipulation, users might possess the ability to resurrect the deceased, restoring them fully to life without the need for undeath.
- Causality Manipulation/Fate Manipulation: Users of Death Manipulation may be able to exert some degree of control over the exact cause of death for someone, through the manipulation of events that occur prior to their death or even changing their target's destiny in some manner.
- Curse Manipulation/Unholy Manipulation/Chaos Manipulation: Many Death Manipulation users may be able to apply their abilities through the use of curses. chaotic, or unholy sources of power.
- Conceptual Manipulation/Law Manipulation: A considerably rare application of Death Manipulation: users with this level of Death Manipulation are often considered to hold a wide level of control over the concept of death outright, being able to utilize its abilities on a metaphysical level or even change what it means for something to die. On rare occasions, users of this type may be able to induce death onto things which death would normally hold no sway over, such as other concepts or abstract entities. This level of Death Manipulation is sometimes, though not necessarily, associated with Void Manipulation, and may involve a character who is themselves an abstract embodiment of death.
Notable Users
- Yogiri Takatou (Instant Death)
- Harry Potter (Harry Potter)
- Zeref Dragneel (Fairy Tail)
- Sauron (Lord of the Rings)
- Death Note Users (Death Note)
- Death Wizards (Wizard101)
Notes
- The use of forward slashes on this page is not meant to imply that the associated abilities are necessarily bundled together as a way of explaining the same phenomenon, but rather that they may be in some way considered interchangeable, and could in theory be used separately to explain the same thing. This does not, however, mean that they are mutually exclusive of each other, and in some cases a Death Manipulation user may simply hold all of the combined applications that are associated with a given phenomenon.