Slayers: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Slayers is an Anime series based on a novel that parodies RPGs with the story of Lina Inverse and Gourry. The stories take place in a medieval style world (mostly), with magic of course. Most of the show goes in cycles starting out severely humorous, then slowly working towards serious until at the end of the cycle the fate of the world (of course!) hangs at the balance. Until the very end of each of these cycles though, even the most serious moments will usually have a few short comedic relief moments.

Slayers ran for three seasons. Season 2 goes by the name Slayers Next and season 3 is called Slayers Try. There are also numerous OVAs and movies in which Lina is partnered with the well-endowed and somewhat obnoxious sorceress Naga. These adventures take place before the events of the three television seasons. The anime Lost Universe takes place in another dimension of the Slayers universe. There are also a few manga series based on the Slayers universe.

The universe

Warning: plot details follow

In the universe of Slayers, there is a supreme being, neither good nor evil, called Lord of Nightmares or Sea of Chaos, which created everything. On the Sea of Chaos, there are 4 (known) pillars. Each pillar supports a world on it. On each world, there are gods (shinzoku) and demons (mazoku), fighting the usual good vs evil war. Would the gods win the war in a world, that world will be in peace. Would the demons win the war, that world will be destroyed and returned to the Chaos.

In Lina's world, the supreme god is Ceiphied, and the supreme demon is Shabranigdo (aka Lord Ruby-Eye). Long time ago, Ceiphied won the war, and cut Shabranigdo's body in seven slices to prevent him from resurrecting. However, Ceiphied was so exhaust that he sunk in the Chaos Sea, leaving four parts of himself in the world.

A millennium before the Slayers stories, one of Lord Ruby-Eye's parts (which was sealed in the body of Lei Magnus, a very powerful sorcerer) came back to life and started the Resurrection War against one of the parts of Cephied, the Dragon King of Water (aka Acqua). Ultimately, Shabranigdo won, but Acqua frozen and sealed him at the Kataart mountains.

More to be added

Warning: incomplete list

In Slayers, spells are put in categories based in the origin of their power:

Shamanistic spells

Shamanistic spells are spells whose power comes from the sorcerer: they don't borrow power from any god/demon. They are the every-day spells, and their power depends on the sorcerer's conditions (i.e. a sorceress can't cast powerful spells in her menstruation).

Elemental

This spells work altering the nature elements, such as water, fire, air, earth, lightning, etc. Fire is by far the most spectacular, but it could be not the most effective.

• Break: Causes the ground under the caster to riot and break (i.e. allowing to access an underground passage).
• Fireball: Lina's favourite low-profile spell. Creates a ball of flames that explodes in contact with anything. It can cause a lot of havoc, especially when cast by Lina.
• Flare arrow: Creates a bunch of arrows made up of flames, and allows to launch them.
• Mos varim: Negates the power of fire, thus effectively being a pseudo-shield against it.

Spiritual

This spells attack the spirit of the target, making them useful to attack mazokus.

• Elmekia Flame: A more powerful version of the Elmekia Lance
• Elmekia Lance: Creates a light lance that gets the spirit of the target out of its body. Applied to mazokus, destroys them.
• Ra-Tilt: The most powerful spell of shamanistic magic. Simply destroys the spirit of the target.

White magic

This spells are intended to cure and purify people. They aren't related to gods as black magic is related to demons, see divine magic below.

• Recovery: Boosts the target regeneration abilities. It's useful to cure little wounds, but it musn't be used to cure big wounds because the targed could die of exhaustion. Furthermore, if the target is infected with any kind of bacteria, those bacteria would also receive the regenerative boost, killing the target.
• Resurrection: Takes the vital energy from nearby life forms to cure the target. It's a lot harder than Recovery, and usually only priests can cast it.

Astral spells

This spells borrow their power from a higher being, either a god or a demon. If the caster is not capable of casting the spell correctly, it can go out of control and even consume the caster.

Black magic

This spells borrow their from mazokus:

• Balus Rod: A whip of light appears in the caster's palm and can be used to attack. This spell has a short range.
• Blast Ash
• Blast Wave: Hits a single target or open a hole in a wall large enough for a person to pass through. This spell takes effect when both hands are placed on the target.
• Boost: Activates Lina's talismans in order to amplify the power of other spells or to increase the control over spells like the Ragna Blade or the Giga Slave.
• Dark Claw
• Disfang
• Dolph Strash
• Dolph Zork
• Dragon Slave: Lina's favourite high-profile spell. It creates an enormous blast that consumes everything in its range. As its original name (Dragon Slayer) suggests, it is great at killing dragons. Its power comes from Shabranigdo.
• Dynast Brass
• Dynast Breath
• Fehris Bleed
• Flame Breath
• Gaav flare: A very powerfull fireball. Its power is borrowed from Gaav.
• Hell Blast
• Ragna Blade
• Ruby-Eye Blade
• Zelas Brid

Divine magic

This spells would borrow their power from shinzoku, but the divine magic was lost during the Resurrection war, a thousand years ago. However, some priests can use a bit of that lost power.

Chaos magic

This spells borrow their power from the Lord of Nightmares himself. They are so exhausting that only can be cast by very powerful humans (i.e. Lina), and can even destroy the world if misused.

• Ragna blade: Creates a sword made of pure chaos, that can cut even the space dimensions created by mazokus. If misused, it will consume the caster into void. Lord of Golden Darkness floating over the Sea of Chaos, give me a blade of frozen void that can cut the souls of the gods
• Giga Slave: Destroys everything the caster wants. If complete (and under control), the caster will become an incarnation of LON for a moment.

• Slayers (TV series, 26 episodes)
• Slayers Next (TV series, 26 episodes)
• Slayers Try (TV series, 26 episodes)

• Slayers Perfect (Short movie)
• Slayers Return (Short movie)
• Slayers Great (Short movie)
• Slayers Gorgeous (Short movie)
• Slayers Premium (Short movie)

• Slayers Special (OVA, 3 episodes)
• Slayers Excellent (OVA, 3 episodes)

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