Of the traditional four elements that humans use to understand their world, wind is surely one of the most overlooked. It may lack the destructive thrall of fire. It may not match the fluidity and oppression of water. Nor may it hold up against the sturdiness of earth. However, wind has a powerful elegance in its own right. It is the air breathed by all living things and can be heard both in rustling leaves and howling gales.
When it comes to wind-wielding characters, many pop culture fans turn to the iconic air nomad protagonist of Avatar: The Last Airbender. And, although his airbending skills are great, he’s certainly not the only one with the ability to tame the wind. Within video games, there are many powerful elemental talents who can wield wind with impressive skill.
6 Fujin
The iconic fighting franchise Mortal Kombat is well-known for its inclusion of elemental fighters, and donning the mantle of God of Wind is Fujin. As the younger brother of the God of Thunder Raiden, Fujin is one of the few playable god characters in the series.
Fujin has an impressive lineup of wind-related moves that allow him to move swiftly, attack from a distance, and conjure tornadoes. His use of tornadoes is incredibly varied, as they can be a tool to knock enemies away from him or an obstacle that sends them spinning and leaves them vulnerable to combo attacks. Fujin also uses wind to parry any projectiles thrown his way.
5 Barbariccia
In the Final Fantasy franchise of games, Barbariccia is a recurring character who is one of the four Archfiends that serve the evil sorcerer Golbez. She is also known by the title of Empress of the Winds and is portrayed in most iterations as a beautiful and enthralling woman with hair longer than the length of her own body.
Barbariccia’s recurring signature ability is Maelstrom – also known as Storm or Charybdis. This spell takes the form of a series of high-velocity winds that reduces the HP of its target to single digits. In addition to this powerful spell, Barbariccia also often uses her tresses of hair to form a protective barrier around her by whipping it into a whirlwind.
4 Sage Harpuia
Sage Harpuia is one of the Four Guardians featured in the Mega Man Zero series of games and is the commander of the Strong Air Battalion. Tasked with aiding humans to resettle the earth, each of these guardians had an elemental affinity that greatly influenced their abilities and design. As the Guardian with the power of wind, Harpuia’s design is greatly reminiscent of Ancient Greek harpies.
Like other wind-type elementals, Harpuia’s greatest trait is his speed. He is very nimble in flight and can be difficult to attack while he’s in the air. Harpuia’s attacks often involve him dashing at high speeds, grabbing and dropping enemies from a great height, or creating a sonic boom. Activating his Armed Phenomenon allows Harpuia to transform into a giant harpy-like machine with tornado-generating thrusters in his wings.
3 Xaldin
Though many characters can wield wind in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, one of the most impressive of these is the enemy Xaldin. Known also as the Whirlwind Lancer, Xaldin is the Nobody form of the character Dilan and is one of the highest-ranking members of the Organization.
Xaldin’s primary choice of weapon is his six lances that are conjured from the wind. While he can only hold three at any given time, he uses the air to control any he isn’t holding. Xaldin is incredibly acrobatic and floats through the air with little effort thanks to his wind abilities. His control over the wind also allows him to move swifter and increase the speed of his attacks.
2 Cynder
Unlike her appearances in other games in the Spyro franchise, the iconic black dragon Cynder is granted elemental abilities in The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. Though she had previously worked under the Dark Master Malefor, in this game Cynder works together with Spyro to defeat Malefor using their combined elemental powers. Among her newfound gifts is the ability to control wind.
Cynder’s wind ability is unique in the sense that it is one of the natural elements within the game’s universe and not a more sinister ability like her other three. Cynder can use her wind control to conjure twisters that throw enemies into the air and leave them vulnerable to attack. She can also transform herself into a tornado that spits projectiles into surrounding foes. Moreover, Cynder’s mastery of wind allows her to open locked doors throughout the game’s many locations.
1 Goenitz
With a full title like Goenitz of the Wildly-Blowing Wind, it’s no surprise that this character from the King of Fighters franchise is one of the best wind-wielders in gaming history. As a member of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi, Goenitz already possesses a great deal of power. However, his mastery of wind is so great that he is the strongest member among them.
Formerly a missionary, Goenitz carries himself with elegance, poise, and a pious attitude that leads him to disregard those he feels are nonbelievers. Goenitz has the ability of Aerokinesis, which gives him full control over wind currents and air. He uses these abilities to conjure powerful tornadoes, fly at will, and even create sharp blades of air that cut like knives.