Wendy Marvell of Fairy Tail

Unlike fire, wind is used with a lot of versatility.  Many times, you’ll find characters specializing in one style like flight, wind blasts, weather manipulation, or lightning.  That last one is a strange part because it’s a wind/fire combo, but it typically gets put as an ultimate power for wind users.  Avatar: The Last Airbender changed this, but I wonder if that’s more because the main character wasn’t the type to kill and lightning tends to be seen as an evil power.  Heck, Sith Lords get it and Jedi don’t even though they’re all doing force (wind blast) pushes.

Offensive

Wind magic tends to show up in one of two ways.  You have the giant gales that hurl things about and send enemies flying.  These characters are known for brute force in a similar fashion to your stereotypical fire user.  Considering how much destruction tornadoes and hurricanes cause, it’s easy to see how this path is taken.  Yet, the second method involves more condensed air that is thrown in the shape of blades or fists.  These require more precision and aiming, but they can be difficult to counter since wind is an element that you can’t see.  We normally see them in movies and shows because those are visual mediums, so there has to be something to see.  For example, Wendy up above is a Sky Dragon Slayer and that gives her wind magic.  Her attacks glow because they’re spells instead of naturally created magic.  In a book, you have more leeway and can make these attacks harder to see and dodge.

Another offensive method with wind magic is a kind of physical enhancement.  A character can use controlled wind blasts to increase their speed and reflexes.  Their jumps can get a boost both in height and distance as well.  It’s all about having these short or constant bursts behind their actions.  This concept is also why so many wind-based characters are able to fly with very little problem.

Defensive

Wind shields are pretty easy to figure out.  Some of them act like solid walls or bubbles while others hurl attackers away on contact.  A less common defensive use for wind magic is sensory.  A character that controls air could have the ability to sense anything moving in their area.  It isn’t a perfect system, but it means they can’t be surprised and will always know when they are being followed.  The downside here is that they won’t know the intent until an attack is made clear.  So, they could mistake a curious animal for an assassin, but at least they are aware.

In some stories, healing magic falls under wind.  It’s either that or water if it isn’t in a class by itself.  The reason could be that both of those elements are seen as life givers.  We need air and water to survive, so those can be regenerative in nature.

The Mundane

Various tricks for distraction or amusement can be found in this power.  Throwing or even changing one’s voice can fall under this element since they’re vibrations in the air.  Musical abilities can be affected by this magic as well.  Imagine a character who can work an entire band with their powers.  Of course, there has to be some knowledge of how to do this instead of it simply being a thing.  This takes a lot of work, training, and concentration that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Drying and cooling things is another feature, which brings up the housework side.  A wind user could be a little lazy if they’ve learned how to clean from the couch.  Gentle breezes remove the dust while precision control works a broom.  Wind can be seen as hand-like here and it doesn’t leave anything behind like other elements.  So, it makes a perfect tool for dishes, laundry, or simply grabbing something from a shelf.

Lightning

There really isn’t much here due it being a destructive force.  Much of this depends on the degree of power, which can range from a slight jolt to an electric chair attached to fifty car batteries.  Anything beyond causing pain tends to be situational.  For example, using lightning to power a generator during an outage.  Maybe firing off a bolt to get some light or act as a flare.  If there’s enough control then one can make forms with the energy similar to the fire versions.  Yet, this really does come down to one of the biggest offensive parts of this element.

An Evil Use

For the most part, I’ve been focusing on positive or neutral combat uses.  Yet, wind magic can be utilized by villains for some really nasty stuff.  Imagine a bad guy drawing the air out of an enemy’s lungs and preventing them from breathing.  There’s creating a high pressure vortex that slowly crushes a target.  Maybe do the opposite of the first idea and have a compacted hurricane force gale get jammed down a prisoner’s throat.  So, while wind does tend to fall mostly on the hero side, it does have some villain uses that a hero wouldn’t even think of doing.