What counts as Fear Manipulation?

[Nullflowerblush]

Fear Manipulation, otherwise known as Fear Inducement is the ability in which to inflict a level of "fear" on the target using supernatural means. Depending on the severity of the fear, the user can use this to manipulate the target, incapacitate them or simply drive them insane.

Fear Manipulation can inflict Fear on the target ...

These are highlights from the Fear Manipulation page, and the Users section is pretty tight, with As Nodt and Scarecrow being perfect examples of this ability.

But, it seems as though a lot of characters—notably villains from Naruto, Toshinori Yagi and All For One, Saitama and Garou, etc.—have Fear Manipulation for simply scaring people.
If we take another look at the Fear Manipulation page:

It should be noted simply terrorizing the opponent either by authority, strength or demeanour only would qualify as Social Influencing, as Fear Manipulation would allow the user to inflict fear regardless of these factors.

The examples from Naruto are strength or demeanor for the most part, Toshinori and All For One are strength and demeanor, and Saitama and Garou are strength and demeanor. But, for some reason they are all listed as users of Fear Manipulation.

I presume they have Fear Manipulation because most of them have an Aura to them, an aura that scares those around them, which most people consider to be Fear Manipulation. But, these auras are not actually inducing fear into those around them. They're just scaring people.

I don't doubt there are multiple other pages that have Fear Manipulation for simply scaring someone or having an aura that scares people (Bleach is the first thing to come to mind with its rEiAtSu cRuSH). And, that leads me to the question: what exactly qualifies as Fear Manipulation?

 

[Loyd]

I thought it was just fear thru supernatural means or a power, it gets complicated if its an aura being involved it could sometimes be contributed with overwhelming aura or the opponent being to weak.

 

[Aernasilver]

Well, the fear inducing from aura should be linked to the aura page.

Fear-inducing - Aura affecting an enemy's emotions, make them feel insecurity and fear. Generally has a negative impact on the target's fighting ability, and at high levels (in the absence of resilience), can cause hallucinations and induces insanity.

The ones without and are just because they are stronger should be linked to social influencing.

Edit: Actually, using aura to induce it should be counted as supernatural means.

 

[Purgy]

Fear Manipulation, otherwise known as Fear Inducement is the ability in which to inflict a level of "fear" on the target using supernatural means.

How exactly does Reiatsu Crush not fall under this?

It's not like they're flexing their muscles and their opponent is afraid, that would be social influencing, inflicting fear through a supernatural aura would be fear inducement.

 

[Nullflowerblush]

i believe it's literally crushing someone's soul

 

[Purgy]

i believe it's literally crushing someone's soul

 

[Nullflowerblush]

Yea, Reiatsu Crush involves literally crushing the souls of others.

 

[Purgy]

Yea, Reiatsu Crush involves literally crushing the souls of others.

What does that have to do with my post though.

Reiatsu Crush has a variety of effects, inflicting fear is one of those.

 

[Nullflowerblush]

It's not inducing fear, it's crushing their spirits.

 

[Purgy]

It's not inducing fear, it's crushing their spirits.

I'm not sure what you're going for, it's verbatim stated in the novel that Ikomikidomoe's Reiatsu induces a primal fear in Quincy and Shinigami.

And we see multiple times that people become terrified in the presence of overwhelming Reiatsu.

You're trying to make this weird claim that having your soul crushed equals being terrified and almost passing out from sheer fear, which, even if true, would still qualify for fear inducement because it's completely supernatural.

 

[The_Axiom_of_Virgo]

Fear manipulation is just empathic manipulation, heck fear is literally described as an emotion IRL.

 

[Ricsi-viragosi]

The examples from Naruto are strength or demeanor for the most part

Orochimaru and such have it because they cause outright hallucinations in their enemies, causing them to feel the terror of being murdered. While it could be reasonably resisted by having a strong will, simply being stronger but being a whimp would not help.

Like, Gohan from the start of Dragon Ball would be absolutely paralyzed against Orochimaru, 5-C or not.


In general, the consensus tends to be that being simply scary should be social influencing, while fear manipulation is to induce fear through supernatural means. Not all profiles follow that, and regardless abilities are meant to describe what a character can do, not prescribe it. If the specifics mean it shouldn't work on a person who is stronger/has no idea who the guy is, then it wouldn't regardless of what it's listed as.

 

[Kidkinsey]

Orochimaru vs sakura and sasuke Meruem vs wolfin are all great examples of fear manip and not just social influencing imo because not only are there scared to move supernatural things are happening to them.

Something like vegeta being scared to move vs broly wouldn't qualify

 

[Nullflowerblush]

they cause outright hallucinations in their enemies, causing them to feel the terror of being murdered

supernatural things are happening to them

Several studies have reported that fear and anxiety can result in hallucinations, and some—tactile hallucinations—can even induce the sensation of stimuli (i.e., Sasuke and Sakura feeling the sensation of death). Although, I can see where the argument comes from.