• rockSlayer@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The genie is pretty ancient, my head canon is that it’s just the genie’s personal rules over the millennia

    • brsrklf@jlai.lu
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      1 year ago

      The (admittedly kind of terrible) sequel disagrees with that, because Jafar as a genie can’t kill anyone either.

      Though he can use his powers to make people’s life hell, wish or no wish, and abuses that quite a bit.

      • evranch@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        You don’t even need to watch the sequel to see that, as genies being bound by specific rules is the whole point of tricking him into becoming a genie.

        Though after Aladdin wishes for the Genie’s freedom, it really opens a can of worms as to what that means. Sure, I guess he’s free to roam the earth, and no longer bound to grant wishes. But at the same time, has he now lost that power?

        Because Disney ending aside, you would think an unbound genie with his full powers would be something that only ends badly.

        • brsrklf@jlai.lu
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          1 year ago

          Again, if we’re only talking about Disney canon, according to the sequel and series (because really that movie was just the pilot for the animated series), the genie is supposed to have lost a lot of his power after being freed. It’s not obvious how much of it really.

          It’s also not obvious how “bound” the genies are to begin with.

          Genie is tricked into getting Aladdin out of the cave of wonders without using a wish, and he looks a bit annoyed but not that much (and it worked). He also basically forces a wish on an unconscious Aladdin to save his life, saying he can’t do it without a wish.

          Whatever magic contract is used there looks quite open to interpretation…

          • lad@programming.dev
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            1 year ago

            Plot twist: Genie is just impersonating a djinn, but in fact he’s an eldritch god 🌚

            • CitizenKong@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              He’s an eldritch shapeshifter, subconsciously transforming into what people believe he should be. Sort of like the Norse gods in Marvel Comics. Until Alladin rubs the lamp, he didn’t exist as a conscious being because nobody was there to think him into being.

        • samus12345@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Always thought that was such a gyp, Jafar getting turned into a bound genie, as if that were the default state for djinn.

          • brsrklf@jlai.lu
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            1 year ago

            It does not make a lot of sense, but it was sort of established earlier in that particular universe (the “phenomenal cosmic powers, itty bitty living space” thing).

            My main problem with this always was Aladdin suggesting to Jafar “Hey, you know, the genie’s still more powerful”, and Jafar reacts exactly how Aladdin had planned, by wishing specifically to be the most powerful genie.

            Why was that the only option he could think of? Where was it written that a sorcerer could not be more powerful than a genie?

            Aladdin tricks him by saying if a genie gave him his power, the genie could take them back too… But in the end it’s still the genie who makes him a genie too, so why would that be any different?

            • samus12345@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Yeah, the fact that all genies are bound to lamps there is dumb - one even gets created for Jafar. How does that make any sense, even in that fantastical setting? And it’s not like they all have to be bound, since they can be wished free.

              Jafar wished to be “the world’s most powerful sorcerer.” so you’re right, he could have wished to be still more powerful. Or to be a free genie. Maybe there are universes where the Disney villain didn’t hold the idiot ball at the end and succeeded in their plans. Now that would be an interesting “What If” series!

              • brsrklf@jlai.lu
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                1 year ago

                It’s even worse than the villain being an idiot in this case IMO. It’s being an idiot exactly in the right way, despite it seeming quite far-fetched.

                It somehow requires that Jafar believes only a genie can be ultra-powerful, but ignores that a powerful genie is supposed to be bound.

                They wanted Aladdin to win by being cunning, because it’s supposed to be his main thing, and that’s okay, even if they need Jafar to be an ass for a few seconds. But for this to work, Aladdin didn’t just need to be cunning, he had to be a freaking psychic.

        • FiveMacs@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          Needs a movie or show to be done by the same guys that did Invincible. All other tv shows/movies can get stuffed.

  • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Different wish granting entities different rules

    A Djinn’s wishes are meant to serve as a lesson about understanding what you actually want while Shenron’s limitations are more about keeping any mortal who can summon him from stepping beyond their bounds, especially since we now have the super dragonballs implying significant limitations on what regular dragonballs are capable of in comparison.

    Honestly it’d be interesting to see a comparison of wish granting powers to understand what their limitations imply about their roll in the story.

  • I Cast Fist@programming.dev
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    1 year ago

    Aladdin could just wish to be the most powerful sorcerer of the world, turn into a giant snake and fight Jaffar. No way that would backfire

    • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      In Dragon Ball Z, collecting all 7 dragon balls allows you to summon an all powerful dragon that will grant you one wish, for anything you desire. Wishing for someone’s death or resurrection are not limitations

      • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I don’t know that anyone’s ever wished to have anyone else croaked with the dragon balls. But people have definitely been resurrected. A lot.

        Also, Oolong got a pair of panties with them.

          • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            The dragon (at least Earth’s dragon, Shenron) has been asked for feats that were too great for him to perform, though, and had to refuse the wish stating they were “beyond his power.”

            We don’t know the limits of his power re: ass kicking. But it’s probably unlikely that Shenron could delete Frieza. Possibly Porunga (Namek’s dragon) could have. Who knows.

            • Nudding@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              He might not be able to delete Frieza while Frieza was on Namek but if Freiza was on earth, he’s in Shenrons playhouse.

              • lescher@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                No he couldn’t kill King Piccolo because he cant kill those that are more powerful then his creator. Location doesn’t matter. And i think Goku once refused to be wished back to earth because he was training somewhere in space, meaning shenron couldn’t overpower him

                • Nudding@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  I’m gonna have to do some rewatching on the king piccolo thing, but I always took that as Shenron just respecting goku’s wishes, because they have known each other for a long time.

                  Good points though, great discussion lol

        • I Cast Fist@programming.dev
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          1 year ago

          I think I remember the human chaff (Krilin, Yamcha) asking if Shenron could destroy Vegeta and Nappa’s ships while they were still en route to Earth.

          I also remember that, after beating up Cell, Krilin wanted 18 to become human, but that was “beyond” what Shenron could do.

        • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Watch DragonBall Z abridged if you’re interested. It’s short relative to the series, is hilarious, and keeps the story more or less intact.

    • AllonzeeLV@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      DragonBall anime reference.

      The balls call a dragon that can grant whatever single wish and then they scatter again as I recall. Used to resurrect the dead a lot.

      Much of the original anime revolves around collecting them.

  • Zoboomafoo@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Much like Yu-Gi-Oh! And Cartoon Network Batman, “Can’t Kill Anybody” just invites much worse possibilities

    • brsrklf@jlai.lu
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      1 year ago

      Probably considered “killing”, though one may wonder where the limit is.

      If someone is alone in a row boat in the middle of the ocean and I wish away their boat, did I wish for their death?

      Who gets to decide that? Is there a court of genie law? In that case is it the genie or the master who’s being sued?

  • spudwart@spudwart.com
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    1 year ago

    If only Jafar had trained a bit more. He may have been to strong for the dragon to kill him.

    Also, depending on the era. Shen-long will grant 1, 2 or 3 wishes.

  • CustardFist@feddit.nl
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    1 year ago

    I like the color scheme. :ر
    I wanted to blurt out that it reminds me of the original Gameboy, but the url pretty much said it already. Xط