The Best Movie And TV Characters With Fire Powers

No element speaks "power" to the masses quite like the destructive forces of fire. The history of the world is dotted by fiery apocalypses from the destruction of Pompeii to the Great Fire of London. Alongside its destructive nature, it also provides us with power and warmth. It's safe to say that the world couldn't survive without fire but could surely be destroyed by it. That's absolute power.

It stands to reason that any being who has the ability to wield or manipulate fire at will is rather powerful. Throughout pop culture, fire-powered super-beings have been a constant. From the fantasy lands of Middle Earth to the comic book pages of Marvel, there are no shortage of creatures and characters capable of reducing opponents to ashes. And what better way to add a dash of explosive grandeur to any popular TV series or a blockbuster film than lighting up the audiences senses with a blaze of glory? Here's a look at some of the best fire-wielding characters to grace screens both large and small.

As many likely already know, "Mortal Kombat" is a long-running fighting video game series in which players brutalize their opponents in a mature-rated, bloody fashion. Often players have the option to finish their opponents with a gory "fatality" intended to shock and humiliate. Scorpion has arguably been the face of "Mortal Kombat" for years with the character's famous "get over here" line being voiced in the classic games by series co-creator Ed Boon. 

The 2021 film adaptation of the popular video game series explored Scorpion's story in a cinematic setting. Having witnessed the death of his family and clan at the hands of Bi-Han (Sub-Zero), Hanzo Hasashi promises retribution with his own dying breath. After centuries learning to harness the fires of Hell, Hasashi returns to the mortal realm thanks to his descendant, Cole Young. In an obvious recreation of his famous "Mortal Kombat" fatality, Hasashi -– now known as Scorpion -– removes his mask to reveal the formation of a demonic skull-like apparition as he breathes fatal flames, finishing Sub-Zero.

It'd be criminal to create a list of fire-powered characters and not include Johnny Storm. Outside the comics, he's had two live-action iterations shown on the big screen. (This, of course, is ignoring the widely unseen and panned Roger Corman adaptation of "The Fantastic Four" in the 90s that never reached a wide theatrical release.) As one fourth of Marvel's Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm was bestowed with the ability to conjure fire at will. In fact, that's an oversimplification. He's called the Human Torch because he can actually become fire. If there's any one character in fiction that can embody the element, it's Johnny Storm as the Human Torch.

Chris Evans portrayed the character in two films. In 2015, a reboot of "The Fantastic Four" film franchise was released with Michael B. Jordan donning the Johnny Storm suit. Of the four, it's fair to say that Johnny's abilities to fly and harness fire make him the most powerful of group. However, as witnessed in Chris Evans' portrayal, Johnny Storm is reckless and egotistical which ultimately makes him a liability at times. Of course, the capability of producing a fire tornado to bring down the baddy is all the redemption we need.

The CW has been home to many of DC's live-action superheroes as part of the Arrowverse. It is here that we were treated to the first live-action realization of Firestorm, a nuclear-powered hero formed by two individuals. The most consistent duo to appear on the series is formed by a young mechanic, Jefferson Jackson (Franz Drameh), and the elderly physicist Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber).

When the duo combines to form Firestorm, Dr. Martin Stein disappears into the formation and Firestorm takes on the appearance of Jefferson Jackson, albeit with a few god-like modifications. For example, while Martin Stein can't control anything that Jefferson does behind the wheel of Firestorm, he can converse with Jefferson in his mind. Aside from Stein's brilliant mind and Firestorm's magnificent ability to fly and project fire, it's Firestorm's ultimate expression of power that really sets the hero apart from his fire-wielding counterparts like Marvel's Human Torch –- the ability to go nuclear. It's exactly as it sounds.

Characters on the big and little screens aren't relegated to simply being humanoid. Some of the biggest characters in fiction are actually anything but. Take for example, the monstrously mutant lizard we all know as Godzilla. Since the time of the character's inception, he has actually undergone somewhat of a growth arc. Originally, he struck terror into the hearts of the Japanese as he demolished city block after city block. Eventually, he turned a new leaf and began to aid humanity as he fended off otherworldly threats like King Ghidorah.

Anyone who knows of Godzilla also knows that he harnesses nuclear power and can conjure up a fiery blast so mean it'll punch a gaping hole through any mountainside. With Godzilla's resurgence in recent years with the rebooted American films, a new generation is being introduced to the King of the Monsters. Most may not know, however, that Godzilla is not only a wielder of nuclear fire – he was born from it. Godzilla was a pop culture reaction in the 1950's to the American bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. The creature was a product of nuclear power gone wrong.

"Supernatural" has garnered an ardent fanbase over the it's massive 15-season life. Throughout the show's beefy lifespan, demon-hunting brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, certainly saw it all from ghastly specters that go bump in the night to mythical creatures like the terrifying flesh-eating wendigo. But it's easy to forget how it all started. The demon that set Sam and Dean's journey into motion with the disappearance of their father was also the character who destroyed their childhood home and killed their mother in a blazing inferno.

Azazel, also known as the yellow-eyed demon, played an integral role in forging the heroes of "Supernatural" into what they would eventually become. The demon's calling card was simple, yet destructive. Just like the painful memory of their mother's demise, Sam also had to witness his own girlfriend be engulfed in flames. Azazel would prove to be a menace for the first two seasons of the show.

Every comic book publishing house has to have at least one character who's touched the scorched dirt of Hell only to harness its powers for good. Ghost Rider is that hero for Marvel. With a flaming skull and fiery chains that'd make any grown man shiver in fear, the character is definitely a force to be reckoned with. There have been multiple iterations of Ghost Rider in television and film. In 2007, Nicholas Cage starred in "Ghost Rider" as Johnny Blaze, the dare devil who'd make a deal with a demon in an effort to save his father from cancer. Of course, the deal was rigged and Johnny Blaze would still be forced to take on the power of the Ghost Rider.

In the fourth season of the Marvel series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Robbie Reyes (Gabriel Luna) becomes the Ghost Rider. After being attacked by a street gang and left for dead alongside his brother, another Ghost Rider, that the show heavily implies is Johnny Blaze, imbues Reyes with the power. From that point forward, Reyes hunts down those who wronged his family. Being wrapped in the fiery chains of the Ghost Rider is not a great way to go.

The priestess of the Lord of Light was a mysterious character in the early days of "Game of Thrones." Typically cloaked in red with the hair color to match, she led a campaign seeking the Lord of Light's chosen one. The Lord of Light is a mysterious god who is symbolized by the element of fire. Melisandre would offer up sacrifices via death by fire to appease her master. While her actions were dark and suspect, we eventually learned that her intentions were misguided. It was always the goal to find the Lord of Light's chosen savior of Westeros. But her faith in her god is shaken when the one she thought was chosen dies.

In Season Eight, the war with the white walkers reaches a fever pitch. Jon Snow and all of the allies he's amassed in Winterfell make a stand against the zombified agents of death amidst a blinding blizzard. The strategy was to light an encircling trench around the castle with fire so that Daenerys and her dragon can see through the storm in the skies and know where to focus the dragon's fire attacks. Unfortunately, the storm snuffs out every flaming arrow and attempt to light the trench on fire. Melisandre, in a magnificent display of her magic ability, is able to set the trench ablaze in a move that turned the tide of the battle.

Speaking of sorceresses, Netflix's "The Witcher" has one of its very own, and fire is most certainly at the top of her list of destructive capabilities. "The Witcher" is based on a series of books from author Andrzej Sapkowski. Additionally, there is a mega-popular video game series for the franchise developed by Polish game developer CD Projekt Red. The Netflix show, however, is introducing these characters to a new audience. As a mage, Yennefer's magical abilities are far-reaching including her ability for mass-destruction by wielding fire.

Yennefer was the daughter of an abusive farmhand, and she was sold to Tissaia de Vries for very little money. Yennefer was frail, a hunchback, and timid. But eventually, she put in the effort to surpass all other mages under Tissaia's tutelage even undergoing the extremely painful transformative process to remove her physical deformities. Yennefer would weaponize her beauty to advance in status and power. By the end of the first season, Yennefer is scarily powerful and would focus all her might scorching an entire army in flames. During a climactic battle with Nilfgaardian forces attempting to invade the Northern Kingdoms, Yennefer produces a devastating stream of magical fire decimating the Nilfgaardian assault.

J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth epic is filled to the brim with monsters, creatures, and wizards all with magical or elemental abilities. Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring often endure frightful battles on their journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring. One of these encounters is with the sinister foe known as the Balrog. This fire-demon's domain is in the Mines of Moria, a hostile area that the crew must traverse on their arduous journey. Armed with a fiery whip and ready to ambush from the shadows of the mines, the Balrog is waiting for unsuspecting travelers.

Of course, we know how this all goes down in the film "The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring." In fact, many of us likely bawled like babies at the end result. Gandalf seemingly vanquished the foe causing the beast to plunge off the bridge into the blackened abyss below. With a final crack of its whip, the Balrog managed to snag Gandalf and pull him off the ledge. The fire-demon wouldn't go down gently.

Koriand'r, or Starfire as she is known fondly by DC fans far and wide, is synonymous with her terrific fire-blasting capabilities. In DC comics lore, Starfire has the power to harness solar energy. Along with expelling that energy in fiery blasts, she also has the ability to fly. After fleeing her homeworld to escape enslavement and destruction, she found a new home with the Teen Titans on Earth. Starfire made her TV debut in the popular animated "Teen Titans" series. This series was a straightforward take on the adventures of the Teen Titans as they battled evil in the DC world. Then, the Titans crew took a turn for the goofy and comedic in yet another animated series, "Teen Titans Go!"

Now, fans can find Starfire in complete live-action glory with "Titans" currently on HBO Max. In the show "Titans," Starfire's portrayal is a bit edgier than her previous cartoon appearances. She is very capable in hand-to-hand combat in addition to the use of her abilities. While she is loyal and fights for good, she doesn't hesitate to entirely immolate any threat to her well-being or that of her friends. Enemies learn quick that one wrong move can result in them turning to a pile of ashes.

Dragons are easily the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to fire-powered creatures. "Game of Thrones" has no shortage of the presence of dragons thanks to Daenerys. Her three dragons become the key to unlocking Westeros and all who oppose her. Initially, Daenerys sets off on a virtuous mission to rid the world of slavery and tyrants and claim her place on the Iron Throne to ensure world order. That doesn't sound quite so bad, right?

Well, after the tragic deaths of two of her dragon children, one at the hands of the white walkers and the other at the command of Cersei Lannister at the Red Keep — as well as the execution of her most loyal friend, Missandei — Daenerys snaps. She takes Drogon, her biggest and only remaining dragon and sets forth the apocalypse for all within King's Landing. At this point, it didn't matter who you were. Whether you were innocent of any wrongdoing or even a mere child, no one could hide from the hellfire Drogon rained down about the people of King's Landing. It took only one episode to see what a dragon unleashed could do in the world of Westeros.

As we've seen, fire is an extremely powerful weapon in the countless worlds of fiction. So why not see what happens when a baby has that ability? "The Incredibles" is a Pixar movie so we're not actually going to see any accidental death-by-fire scenarios. However, baby Jack-Jack of the Par family definitely puts the ability to use. Fire, however, is only one tool in Jack-Jack's arsenal. He's also capable of other powers such as invisibility and shape-shifting among others. In the final moments of the first "Incredibles" film, he changes entirely into a fire-baby in the arms of Syndrome before morphing into a weighty hunk of metal — causing the villain to fall from the sky.

The cute, yet spastic Parr baby may cause commotion, but he also solves problems when a solution is needed the most. Jack-Jack could handily defeat a raccoon, we know that is certain. But it'd be even more fun to see what he could do as he grew older. How about it Disney? Any room for "The Incredibles 3?"