History Main / AWizardDidIt

Often used in the literal sense, i.e. something that would be impossible happens because someone explicitly used magic (magic that only they know) to make it happen. However, this trope is not about magic ''per se'' [[note]](We could have called this trope 'The [[ClarkesThirdLaw Sufficiently Advanced Science/Aliens]] Did It'' if we wanted to)[[/note]], but any kind of handwave; it happened because ''the author wanted it to'', end of story.

Often used in the literal sense, i.e. something that would be impossible happens because someone explicitly used magic (magic that only they know) to make it happen. However, this trope is not about magic ''per se'' [[note]](We could have called this trope 'The [[[[ClarkesThirdLaw Sufficiently Advanced Science/Aliens]] Did It'' if we wanted to)[[/note]], but any kind of handwave; it happened because ''the author wanted it to'', end of story.

Often used in the literal sense, i.e. something that would be impossible happens because someone explicitly used magic (magic that only they know) to make it happen. However, this trope is not about magic ''per se'' [[note]]([[ClarkesThirdLaw We could have called this trope 'The Sufficiently Advanced Science/Aliens Did It'' if we wanted to)[[/note]], but any kind of handwave; it happened because ''the author wanted it to'', end of story.

The standard all-encompassing explanation for any continuity errors noticed by hardcore fans of any given fantasy show. If it doesn't make sense, A Wizard Did It. [[BellisariosMaxim Move on, nothing to see here]].

Can be used to HandWave away minor nitpicks and {{Contrived Coincidence}}s that should really be covered by WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief. However, using it to excuse major {{Plot Hole}}s that the creators really should've caught beforehand ''will'' make people rightly angry.

Often used in the literal sense, as in the page picture, where something that would be impossible happens because someone explicitly used magic to make it happen. However, this trope is not about magic ''per se'' but any kind of handwave. [[ClarkesThirdLaw We could have called this trope 'The Sufficiently Advanced Science/Alien Did It'' but 'wizard' is more concise]].

This explanation can also often bring some FridgeLogic into a story, when the explanation givenlater fails in a situation in some way that could have easily been solved by [[ForgottenPhlebotinum doing what they apparently did before.]] This can also lead to ReedRichardsIsUseless when you realize the possible, fantastic uses of that random trick nobody seems to care about.

Not to be confused with TheButlerDidIt.

[[quoteright:251:[[Webcomic/PennyArcade http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ipick01_145.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:251:[[Webcomic/PennyArcade http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MAGIC!2.jpg]]]]

-->'''Plinkett''': Oh, wait. I guess Palpatine was the guy that initially suggested the idea, so he might have been, like, using a trick on 'em or somethin'? You know, his grand plan was to cloud all their judgement and trick them into letting Anakin go with her because he knew he was going to fall in love, get Padme pregnant, then have premonitions of future pregnancy complications resulting in her death, so that Palpatine could tell Anakin that he can use the dark side to save her so that Anakin could become Darth Vader and help Palpatine to rule the Empire. You'd think if this guy could see that far into the future he'd just pick the Lotto numbers.

[[folder:Advertizing]]

Often used in the literal sense, as in the page picture, where something that would be impossible happens because someone explicitly used magic to make it happen. However, this trope is not about magic ''per-say'' but any kind of handwave. [[ClarkesThirdLaw We could have called this trope 'The Sufficiently Advanced Science/Alien Did It'' but 'wizard' is more concise]].

** {{Batman}} has his own personal version of this: "It's ''Gotham.''"

->'''Frink''': Yes, over here, n'hey, n'hey. In [[XenaWarriorPrincess Episode BF12]], you were battling barbarians while riding a winged Appaloosa, yet in the very next scene, my dear, [[{{Headscratchers}} you're clearly atop a winged Arabian! Please do explain it!]]\\
'''[[XenaWarriorPrincess Lucy Lawless]]:''' Uh, yeah, well, whenever you notice something like that... [[TropeNamer a wizard did it]].\\

-->--''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "TreehouseOfHorror X"

Also known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps God of the Gaps]], after the famous HandWave "God/s did it".

* ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'': any inconsistencies, contrivances, or ''anything'' could be explained with "[[RealityWarper Haruhi]] did it", or Kyon being an UnreliableNarrator.

* The Magazine/{{MAD}} parody of ''TheGunsOfNavarone'' had a RunningGag in which every ContrivedCoincidence in the storyline was the result of gnomes secretly employed by the Allies to set things up. Which worked great until the ending, when a TriggerHappy member of the team kills the gnomes before they can complete the escape plan...

** Also, as you enter the AncientRome zone Cimerora, you're greeted by a Midnight Club member who tells you that as you went back in time, several spells were cast on you so that you [[TranslatorMicrobes could communicate with the Cimerorans]] and [[CanYouHearMeNow use your cell phone to call people back in Paragon City]].

->'''Frink''': Yes, over here, [...] in [[XenaWarriorPrincess Episode BF12]], you were battling barbarians while riding a winged Appaloosa, yet in the very next scene, my dear, [[{{Headscratchers}} you're clearly atop a winged Arabian! Please do explain it!]]\\

'''Frink:''' Yes, alright, yes, in episode [=AG04=]-\\

* Isaac Newton, famously, asserted that God had to periodically intervene in the universe to keep it stable, which may well be [[TropeNamer where the phrase originates]].

** Isaac Newton, famously, asserted that God had to periodically intervene in the universe to keep it stable, which may well be [[TropeNamer where the phrase originates]].
* In [[http://www.ted.com/talks/david_deutsch_a_new_way_to_explain_explanation.html this lecture]], the speaker makes note of this kind of phenomenon whenever scientific findings are not given a proper theoretical explanation. The phrase "a wizard did it" is actually uttered multiple times to portray this.

** Archmedes, Heron (of Alexandria), Copernicus, Roger Bacon etc., or you could even just say it was developed by an unnamed Babylonian/Hellenic/Arab/Chinese genius whose name is lost in the mists of time.
*** That last one is probably the most [[JustifiedTrope justified and rational]] way to do it, as we'd naturally know more about the actual inventions and limitations of real and famous historical people, and there must have been any number of real instances (within reason) in history of this kind of thing occurring.

* A common tactic of Conspiracy Theorists when trying to explain away certain flaws in their arguments (esp. in regards to how impossible/improbable it would be to do something in they way they are claiming it was done or the number of people that would have to be bribed/blackmailed into going along with a cover-up without a single whistleblower after so many years have passed) is to say "they are the government and they're that powerful." Making the government in essence, the Wizard that Did It.

Often used in the literal sense, as in the page picture, where something that would be impossible happens because someone explicitly used magic to make it happen.

This explanation can also often bring some extra FridgeLogic into a story, when AWizardDidIt is given as an explanation and the wizard later fails in a situation in some way that could have easily been solved by [[ForgottenPhlebotinum the wizard just doing what he apparently did before.]] This can also lead to ReedRichardsIsUseless when you realize the possible, fantastic uses of that random magic trick nobody seems to care about.

* ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'': any inconsistencies, contrivances, or really just ''anything'' could be explained with "[[RealityWarper Haruhi]] did it", or Kyon being an UnreliableNarrator.

* In ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', Spiral Energy can justify anything [[RuleOfCool as long as it's awesome]]. This applies to any green, glowing thing in SuperRobot anime, going [[OlderThanTheyThink all the way back to]] [[GetterRobo Getter Rays]] and also including [[GaoGaiGar G-Stone Energy]].
** The G-Stone is soft enough science, but when THE POWER comes up, just... just don't question ''anything'' orange. It won't get you anywhere.

* ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'': the series features a MindScrew of a TemporalParadox, but also features not one, not two, but THREE [[RealityWarper reality warping]] wizards and three more lesser wizards.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' the Professor was ready to give Fry a lengthy explanation of why Omicronians receive 1,000 year old TV broadcasts. Fry interrupts with:

** [[DontExplainTheJoke The joke being]] that the Professor is using a real scientific explanation instead of his usual {{Technobabble}}, which Fry accepts unconditionally.