Hard vs Soft Magic Systems (the Good and the Bad)
Greetings and welcome to another post from yours truly, T. L. Bainter. Today, I’m going to be doing an essay regarding the two main kinds of magic systems in fiction: hard and soft. I’ll explain what these are, give some examples, and then dive into the pros and cons of each system. This isn’t really a “which is better post” because that’s really up to each reader’s personal preference (and because we all know that hard magic systems are better, don’t we?).
What Are Hard Magic Systems?
Hard magic systems are those that feature a set of firm rules by which the magic in the setting is governed. The reader and the characters should be aware of at least some of these rules, and they should be consistent with little to no flexibility throughout the course of the story being told within that world. This makes the magic system predictable and, by effect, prevents things like deus ex machinas or borderline absurd applications of the magic. The magic system is ruled by reason and so there is always an explanation for how it is working, even if the reader isn’t given that explanation straight away.
Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy (as well as its spin-off books) features Allomancy, an excellent example of a hard magic system. The rules are clearly explained and remain largely consistent throughout. There are plenty of other examples of hard magic systems out there, such as The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee or even games like Dungeons & Dragons or Dark Souls. These are my personal favorite systems as they allow me to better understand the story, see where it’s going, and just make everything more believable and grounded. That’s my kind of story.
What Are Soft Magic Systems?
Flaccid magic systems—sorry, I mean soft magic systems—are systems where the rules are not clearly explained, do not exist, or otherwise fail to adequately govern the way that magic is produced, managed, or used. Sometimes, a soft magic system will have rules, but those rules aren’t known to the consumer of the story and may not even be known to the story’s characters. There is some debate regarding whether or not such systems can adequately be called soft. Personally, I view any magic system that is not understandable and explained to the reader in some way to be soft, even if it is governed by rules that the author knows. That’s just me, though, and I totally understand people who disagree with this statement.
Soft magic systems can be found in abundance! A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin, is a sound example of a soft magic system. I’d put Harry Potter in there, too—some of the magic is explained to us, but often the rules are bent or broken in ways that have little to no explanation, and there are many forms of magic that are pulled out of thin air to progress the plot. Time-Turners, anyone? Star Wars is a pretty soft magic system that seems to get softer with each new movie, though it feels like a soft magic system that wants to be a hard magic system really badly. Much of Disney’s classic films feature soft magic systems, and you’ll find soft magic systems in almost every children’s book that has magic in it.
The Good and the Bad of Hard Magic Systems
The Good
I think that the best part about hard magic systems lies in the believability provided by them. With a well-written hard magic system, I can understand the limitations and can figure out if a particular situation is hopeless or not. I can also adequately think of solutions, perhaps even arriving at them before the characters in the story do. This actually raises the stakes in the story, as I have an understanding that some great work of magic is unlikely to suddenly appear to save the day if things go wrong (or I do know that a powerful magical force will arrive and thus don’t really feel like the situation is particularly risky).
Additionally, hard magic systems lend themselves to greater, more compelling storytelling. A writer can work characters into a corner and must then find a way to get those characters out of that corner within the confines of the magic system whose rules have already been set. This can make these “puzzles” more interesting to solve and can also leave the reader wondering if hope really is lost. Then, suddenly you see an unexpected application of the magic system that makes sense, solves the problem, and reveals just how versatile the magic really is in spite of the rules that constrain it.
The Bad
Honestly, I’m having a challenging time thinking of a bad part of a hard magic system, which I can just attribute to how much I enjoy these sorts of magic systems. However, if you twist my arm, I suppose that at least one cone for a hard magic system would be that it’s hard to have a compelling story twist as it pertains to the use of magic because the reader is already aware of how the magic works. For me, this isn’t a con, because I like being able to accurately predict the direction of a story, but I definitely understand people wanting to be swept up by the whimsy of the story… which will bring me to my next con.
A hard magic system can limit the sense of “wonder” and awe that a consumer of the story may experience with a soft magic system. There are some ways to preserve this, but it is challenging and risks breaking the promise a writer makes to a reader when introducing a hard magic system. As soon as you introduce rational, firm rules to your world’s magic, much of the whimsy risks being lost.
The Good and the Bad of Soft Magic Systems
The Good
The absolute best thing about a soft magic system is its flexibility. I don’t think that this can really be disputed, but feel free to tell me if you think there’s a better attribute to soft magic systems than this! Soft magic systems are extremely malleable. You can make them do nearly anything that you want for the sake of the story, making them perfect for moving the plot along or getting characters out of impossible situations. This flexibility gives way to a sense of mystery and wonder centered around the magic itself. For some readers or viewers, this can be a significant draw toward soft magic systems; many people enjoy having no idea what’s going to happen next.
The Bad
While I have already hinted at what I believe the bad to be, I’ll try to be more specific about what the issues are with soft magic systems, here. The biggest hurdle for soft magic systems is consistency. Flexibility is a double-edged sword and when it cuts one way, it makes a story wonderful and magical, but when it cuts the other way, it risks becoming an inconsistent, incoherent mess. Adding or changing limits when it suits the plot can feel cheap or unplanned while abrupt increases in power will leave readers wondering “Wait, why didn’t you use that during this other situation?”. All of this can ultimately lead to feeling like a story features one god from the machine after another, ultimately leading to a story that felt as though its stakes were negligible at best.
Conclusion
With that, I’d like to leave you with this question: do you prefer hard magic systems, or do you prefer soft magic systems? If you want to tell me why you prefer one over the other, you can definitely let me know in the comments either here or on the associated YouTube video! I know that I gave soft magic systems quite a bit of hate, but I do want to point out that one of my newest favorite movies is Everything Everywhere All at Once, which absolutely had a soft magic system or a hybrid system at best. My favorite series of books is Discworld by Terry Pratchett and his magic system is largely soft but can be hard at certain times. For these stories, the magic was there to serve the plot, and it did so well enough that I didn’t particularly care so much about inconsistencies.
Of course, then we look at something like Spider-Man: No Way Home, where the glaring inconsistencies within that movie’s magic system just made it difficult for me to enjoy, especially on a second viewing. It really just depends on execution and how well the flexibility of a magic system serves the plot of a story.
