this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2023
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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.
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.
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...
Plot twist: Genie is just impersonating a djinn, but in fact he's an eldritch god 🌚
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.
Always thought that was such a gyp, Jafar getting turned into a bound genie, as if that were the default state for djinn.
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?
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!
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.
I guess Jafar thought the idea of all genies being bound by default was ridiculous, too.
To be fair, Jafar's power hungry nature and one-track mind is a real obvious character flaw.
Needs a movie or show to be done by the same guys that did Invincible. All other tv shows/movies can get stuffed.