Magicians and games go together like clubs and spades. The surge of joy and wonder that accompanies a truly polished card trick is much like preparing for a game’s cinematic final boss, or achieving that final achievement in a months-long climb. Games have magic built into their code – it’s only natural that the whimsy of old-fashioned birthday party magicians fits right into our favorite titles.
Whether you prefer Houdini, Zatanna or David Blaine as your spellcasters, there is a magician for everyone in games. This list introduces you to the smartest, cunning, and stylish of the bunch!
10/10 Trucy Wright
Need a bunny to pop out of your hat? Or maybe evidence in a murder trial? Trucy is the Wright person for both jobs! At just 17, Trucy has built an impressive resume as a talent agency secretary, detective and, of course, a brave magician. Down to the sky blue top hat, white gloves, and card suit cape, Trucy dresses up and plays the part of a glitzy (and maybe a little silly) card trick magician.
Magic runs in Trucy’s blood — her mother passed on the uncanny knack for catching subtle, unwitting tales in others, making her an incredibly helpful trial assistant for Apollo Justice. Despite the loss of her mother after a mysterious accident in the family circus, the spirit of the scene never left Trucy; she continues to bring smiles to her adoptive father’s family and friends, as well as a fair share of headaches and heart attacks.
9/10 black magician and black magician
What differentiates a magician from a wizard? It’s hard to say; technically, any practitioner of magic is a “magician”, although most people tend to associate the word more with neat black suits and magic batons. Nonetheless, Dark Magician is a magician by name, and he and his apprentice deserve a spot on this list as much as any. Tracing back to their past lives in ancient Egypt, Mahad (Black Magician) and Mana (Black Magician) studied the art of sorcery in order to protect their pharaoh. For their loyalty and selflessness, the two ascended to immortality in the form of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards – their hearts live to protect Yugi and his soulmate, safely hidden in their shared decks.
Looking at some of the Dark Magicians support cards, you can spot party magician styles: Magic Cylinder in particular conjures up a certain shiny, poppy, and harlequin magic routine. An attack goes in one direction, and blah! Right across, back in your face. Magician’s Rod and Wonder Rod both recall magic wand imagery, walking the line between Gandalf’s folk wizarding and more modern parlor magic. Treat yourself to a duo capable of doing both!
8/10 jackle
Jesters and magicians have a lot in common. When you combine them, be careful – you might get more spins and yelps than intended. Although Jackle is certainly not the Nightmaren you would want to hire, he would have fits perfectly into a child’s birthday party (both as a clown and as a magic prankster). If only he were less inclined to throw razor-sharp tarot cards under his cloak…
In the world of Nights Into Dreams, Jackle was almost a Nightmaren on par with Nights and Reala (a Level One Nightmaren, the most powerful and intelligent type). However, something in Wizeman’s experiment went wrong, and he ended up creating a murderous magician with that crooked, crooked smile, who seems to have trouble following instructions. It’s hard not to feel bad for the guy when you think about it: every time you hit him during his boss fight, he retreats into the safety of his (admittedly stylish) magic cape, as if he doesn’t. never wanted to come back. Perhaps he knows that his creator considers him a failure. But don’t worry, Jackle; As far as magicians go, you guys are awesome!
7/10 ace
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror is a classic 2D platformer fondly remembered by many Kirby fans from the Game Boy Advance era. Its Metroidvania level design and colorful boss battles still hold up today – who can forget Wiz, everyone’s favorite disembodied cape and top hat?
Well, Kirby certainly can’t. Dealing with Wiz’s hat filled with soccer balls, rain clouds, race cars and Bronto Burts is no walk in the park for the player or the pink puffball. It’s a wonder how he manages to throw one of these objects, considering he has no visible arms. Or the legs, for that matter. What is Wiz, exactly? We may never know.
6/10 Count Bleck
Count Bleck has it all: the pristine white suit with matching top hat, crystal-topped magic cane, and long, voluminous cape perfect for sleight of hand. It also has a tragic backstory which, as we all know, is necessary for every magician to reach their maximum potential as characters (and game idols).
Throughout his boss fight in Super Paper Mario, Count Bleck pulls off some classic wizard tricks. He likes to create geometric structures that serve as both platforms and optical illusions, deceiving players as to his current position on screen. With a rustle of his cape, he appears and disappears, firing magical projectiles to keep you on your toes. Now you see it, now you don’t – stay focused, or it will sneak up when you least expect it.
5/10 heavy magician
Sonic Mania is host to a whole menagerie of colorful boss fights, including the Heavy Magician. His silly top hat, bow tie and raspberry red curtain callback may be charming, but make no mistake – with his powerful illusionary abilities, the Heavy Magician transforms into old characters from the Sonic series, inheriting of their combat prowess. Sonic Fighters fans might recognize Bark the Polar Bear, who hasn’t appeared in another Sonic title since. Wanted posters of other characters, including Bean the Dynamite and Fang the Sniper, are scattered throughout the area leading up to the fight for clever foreshadowing.
In addition to wearing familiar faces, the Heavy Magician also releases clouds of sparkling shadow dust, meant to confuse his opponents and obscure his transformation sequences. Try not to breathe it in, or you’ll get a mouthful of glitter.
4/10 Spade
Straight from the circus and onto the racetrack, Spade is quite the character. For him, racing is more than just a game of speed – it’s an opportunity to entertain audiences around the world, display his magical prowess and bring smiles to his fans.
In the ultimate disappearing act, rumor has it that none of Spade’s circus colleagues know what he actually looks like. He went on record to say that at birth he was placed inside a globe; it is implied that his soul may be contained within the small electrical orb spinning within his metallic abdomen. While swinging that ace of spades and serving devilish dishes in the kitchen, he’s been doing crazy, inspired maneuvers in the F-Zero Grand Prix for years, all in hopes of making enough money to save his circus from financial peril. Maybe he and Trucy Wright would have a lot to talk about!
3/10 Wataru Hibiki
While he can’t cut himself in half or upset your game, Wataru Hibiki has an “ah-MAY-zing” knack for magic tricks…and idol performance! Ensemble Stars is host to a variety of singers and colorful bands, but Wataru’s romantic and rosy antics have earned him a place in everyone’s hearts. Although whimsical in appearance, Wataru struggles with his identity beyond the stage: how much does being a performer define him? Is it easier to play the bright-eyed jester to those around him than to be himself?
The whole world is a stage, but even its best players need time to take off their masks. With the help of his friends and bandmates, Wataru learns to accept himself as he is without giving up his wand.
2/10 spell maker
Bomberman experiences one of the most explosive performances of his life in battle against Spellmaker, a cunning magician with a distinctive cackle and rainbow outfit.
Depending on what card Spellmaker draws from his deck at any given time, different types of projectiles and jagged shadows will spread across the floor – you’ll need to be quick on your feet to win the day. These shadow beasts can bite! With an iconic array of multicolored crescent-shaped frisbee attacks and an unsettling, smiling white mask, Spellmaker is hard to forget. He’s probably happy to haunt you too.
1/10 Harvey Moiseiwitsch Volodarski
Harvey Moiseiwitsch Volodarskii leaves a strong impression, to say the least. He and his favorite “bad boy” Travis Touchdown have a spectacular blood fountain fight on the big stage, and only one can walk away when the curtain falls. Unlike other assassins on the No More Heroes World Rankings, Harvey puts his heart and soul into delivering a thrilling performance for his audience, even if that audience is only two people. Between summoning funhouse mirror replicas of himself, flipping the screen upside down, and battling with twin glowing rods, Harvey serves up his slaughter in style.
For what it’s worth, Travis also seems to be having a good time – even though he gets stabbed and beaten half to death, his good sportsmanship and appreciation for Harvey’s craft are evident, testament to the gripping, ultra-violent skills of the magician.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/advancelocal/SM7MEZEPBNBCJLBQUJFSLAE6NA.png)
