Last time, I discussed the potential of an overpowered hero in a Shōnen fighting show. The example I used to illustrate this potential was One Punch Man. Yes, even in such a show where the main action is superheroes fighting monsters, there can still be meaningful conflict and excitement when the protagonist is physically invincible and can defeat any opponent in just one punch.
Even now, I can hear objections. Saitama is apathetic. He doesn't desire anything other than a worthy opponent. "No Game No Life" doesn't count either, because the gamer siblings are motivated (at least in part) by having fun with games and seeking a rematch with the One True God, Tet. The actual troubles of the world of Dishboard don't bother them (at least not as much as other characters, such as Stephanie). What if an author wants to write a story about a protagonist who has goals? Surely the protagonist can't be overpowered then, right?
Nope, I have two examples for that situation. Now that I think about it, I actually have three or four. I'll stick with one for now. It is "The Irregular at Magic High School", and features Tatsuya Shiba.
Tatsuya Shiba lives a world of modern magic, that is, where magic has been codified into something scientific (which is different from Ancient Magic, but that is neither here nor there). Those that study magic professionally are known as Magical Technicians, or simply "Magicians". Tatsuya Shiba is among the most powerful of these magicians. I'm not sure of the exact rankings, but I think that he and his sister, Miyuki, rank in the top five for the entire world. And he is still in high school.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Isn't Tatsuya a Course Two Student, someone who is considered less capable than other students? Doesn't the story make a big deal about this? Regardless of how he fares in combat, doesn't this mean the story is treating him like an underdog?
Yes, that is part of what makes Tatsuya work as a protagonist despite being overpowered. What Tatsuya seeks to achieve is not something that can be accomplished through combat. He wants to ensure Miyuki is happy and he wants the world at large to recognize magicians as more than wet-ware weapons. Though he can vaporize people from a distance without effort or restriction (than I know of, at least), that isn't going to accomplish his goals no matter times he does it. Though he has poor relations with his family, fighting them in open combat isn't going to gain him anything.
(Disclaimer: I'm over-simplifying this for the sake of brevity. Tatsuya's mental state and his family situation are a lot more complicated than I'm making them sound here, and he definitely isn't gung-ho about these goals, or really any goals, at the start of the series. But he is ALWAYS presented as a magic technology geek).
That is the kind of world that Tatsuya lives in and that is the kind of world that the author wants to write about. Tatsuya can be overpowered because it serves the actual interest of the author.
From what I've read, the author of "The Irregular at Magic High School" is not interested in writing combat scenes, but in dialogues and intrigue. From what I've seen personally, the author is also interested in a hard magic system and in world building. There is a lot more space devoted to the magic system's theory, the school set-up, and the general magician society, than to combat or displays of magical power. There is a section about public transportation that has nothing to do with the first book's plot. Yes, really. I found it interesting.
The first arc, the one that focuses most heavily on the "Course Two Student" idea, is supposed to be an allegorical critique of a certain school systems, which prioritize certain strengths in students while ignoring others, and the stigma this places on those students. Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba serve the purpose of illustrating this distinction between Course One and Course Two.
Tatsuya is a Course Two Student, yet he excels in many areas, which enables him to outshine students who are theoretically superior to him by supposedly objective measures. Miyuki is a Course One Student, and she is indeed a talented individual, but she constantly seeks to promote her older brother, because she knows that his strengths are valuable and that he is a better magician than her by other standards. Tatsuya being overpowered helps drive this point home. The message isn't "less-talented students can still excel if they try hard", because Tatsuya isn't less talented or hard-working etc. than his sister; the message is (phrased more politely), "this sort of school system is bonk because it stigmatizes talented students".
Tatsuya may be overpowered, but he gains nothing from shoving his power in everyone's faces. That will not make his sister happy (though I imagine she would take a certain perverse glee in watching her brother's detractors eat crow). Showing off his superlative combat ability would only reinforce the notion of magicians-as-weapons, which he dislikes. The path towards his goal goes through different means.
Wow, this is getting long. I could discuss the next three arcs, but I will stick to just the Nine Schools Competition arc.
The Nine Schools Competition is exactly what it says on the tin, a competition between the nine magic schools. Tatsuya is not a competitor in this arc (save one specific exception). He is support staff. He uses technical engineering skills to assist the actual competitors from his school. This is another way that a character can be overpowered but still serve the narrative. Tatsuya's skill as a magic engineer is such that he can fine-tune a competitor's gear to bring out their full potential. The author likes their hard magic system, so this is a big deal for the story, but it is still up to the competitor to win or lose.
It's like Tatsuya is a support party member in an RPG that can only cast amazing buff spells on the party. He may be why First High wins their bouts, but he is not the one winning. The classmates he supports are the ones winning. This way, Tatsuya can be amazing while sharing the spotlight, and the author can further support the theme from the first arc.
Tatsuya can, and does, win basically every fight he enters, but he doesn't enter fights without a reason. He's not a blood knight, like Saitama, and he doesn't treat conflict as a game to enjoy, like Blank, the gamer siblings. It's all about what is gained through the action he takes (again, oversimplifying a LOT. The full details behind Tatsuya's motivations are spoilers). There is no single action he can take that will achieve his goal or solve his problems, and certainly not without creating more problems.
This is what makes Tatsuya the right protagonist for this story. He enables the author to write about what they want to write about: dialogues, intrigue, the hard magic system, etc. If combat comes up, and it does, then Tatsuya can end it quickly and the plot can move on.
I would write about how Tatsuya doesn't end EVERY combat scene, and the other characters aren't helpless, but this post is too long already.
Click here to read Part 4 Super Combat Power does not Create
Click here to read Part 2: The Meaning of the Fight
Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.
