Low-Magic Fantasy? Inconceivable! How a classic tale dodges fantasy’s biggest trap.

Magic system. Magic system. Magic system. Start a conversation with a fan about a fantasy world they haven’t heard of, and those two words are bound to come up in short order. The Dark Crystal revolves around a magic system while Lord of the Rings plays it close to the vest. Wheel of Time is dripping with magic, while Game of Thrones tries to make you forget magic under the crushing weight of politics and wars before smashing you in the face with dragons and white walkers again.

But what about a classic, beloved story that’s almost entirely devoid of magic, yet no one would think to call it anything but a fantasy.

The Princess Bride.

It’s a story of love and sacrifice, swashbuckling adventure and crazy plans. But what it isn’t is a tale of mysticism and wonder. There are hints here and there, but at every turn, I think that there’s at least as good a chance that there isn’t magic at work than there is.

Let’s break them down one by one.

• Shrieking eels / RoUSes – these are just animals. Fantastical and fictional maybe, but not magic
• The fire swamp – the flame jets, most especially due to the warning sound, seem to be merely flammable gasses igniting.
• The albino’s machine – sucking years of life out of a person comes close to magic. But all the workings are mechanical, and it gives the impression of being merely a torture device. Count Rougan doesn’t fully understand how it works, hence his research on it. Considering the next entry, it doesn’t work how he thinks.
• Westley’s resurrection – the simple answer isn’t that he wasn’t dead. He was “mostly dead.” Miracle Max’s pill likely contained one hell of a stimulant, and the fifteen minute wait until full strength was just an excuse to get the ruffians out of his house before waking Westley.
• Inigo’s prayer for guidance – OK, we’re bordering on magic here. When Inigo asks for his dead father’s help, he follows his sword and it sticks into the tree with the secret entrance. Was he really guided, or was he basically dousing? Unclear. But given everything else, it feels like an odd lone exception.

All in all, the Princess Bride is about as grounded as fantasy gets without just collapsing into alternate history. If there’s any magic at all, it’s a scant, trifling amount. And the movie became a classic despite that genre “shortcoming.”

As for a Magic System? “You keep using those words. I do not think they mean what you think they mean.”