Abracadabra. Join Ashley as we look over the greatest spellcasters in anime
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best magic users in
00:19anime. To be clear, they can be witches, wizards, or mages, they just have to use magic. And
00:26we won't necessarily be ranking them based on raw power.
00:43This anime may be all about a muzzlehead with superhuman strength attending a magic school,
00:49but there are plenty of great wizards in attendance as well.
01:02Our pick goes to Eastern Academy's resident divine visionary, Rain. Rain's magic, Partisan,
01:08materializes and manipulates swords, which he can use to devastating effect. He's also
01:14able to summon the power of the god Ares to increase his magic's power to even more
01:19absurd levels. While stoic and serious, Rain does care for his brother and friends, even
01:26if he doesn't always show it.
01:33Oh, and he's seriously into bunnies.
01:44Despite his reputation, God doesn't adventure alone. The Black Swordsman also forms a party,
01:55which includes Shirka, a powerful witch apprentice. Her magic ranges from calling on elements
02:01to golem creation to thought manipulation. Perhaps most crucially of all, Shirka is the
02:07only person able to snap Guts out of his trance while wearing the Berserker armor. Although
02:12she has a crush on Guts, and honestly, who doesn't, his eyes are firmly on Casca. Shirka
02:18is certainly an invaluable member of his party, and a fantastic character.
02:34Unless their villains are attached to the Digi-destined, Digimon's side characters
02:38tend to be forgettable, but everyone remembers Wizardmon. A long-time friend of Gatomon,
02:51or Tailmon if you prefer, Wizardmon can cast spell attacks like any magic user. His wizard
02:57meets scarecrow design is certainly memorable, but it's his devotion to Gatomon that made
03:02him legendary. In repayment for saving his life, Wizardmon helps her unite with her Digi-destined
03:08child, Kari, but his ultimate act of heroism is saving their lives at the cost of his own.
03:15Rest in peace, Wizardmon.
03:30Getting trapped in a game isn't all bad. The series' protagonist gets to be a magic
03:34caster. Shiro's classes include Enchanter and Scribe. The former is purely a supporting
03:49class, with his spells truly shining only when supporting a party of others. Meanwhile,
03:55Scribe's abilities are mostly centered around paperwork, but Shiro's ability to create
04:01new items and alter the framework of the world he and the others find themselves in
04:06proves priceless. Shiro may have a reputation as a villain, and while all the times he adjusts
04:12his glasses doesn't help that impression, he's not a bad guy. He's just not sociable.
04:18However, his time stuck in the game forces Shiro to take on a leadership role, and he
04:24proves quite good at it.
04:41She may share her name with the Arthurian figure of legend, but besides a relationship
04:45with Arthur, this Merlin is very different. While she is usually mysterious and aloof,
04:52Merlin cares deeply for her friends. A member of the titular Seven Deadly Sins, Merlin,
04:57like the rest of the group, has her own brand of magic. However, she specializes in magic
05:02casting, and her own innate magic, Infinity, makes her basically broken. With it, she can
05:14make all her spells last forever, and considering the wide variety she knows, that makes Merlin
05:20the greatest mage in Britannia, and certainly among the strongest on our list.
05:31The villainous protagonist of Bastard, Dark Schneider is an ancient and powerful sorcerer.
05:37Revived within the body of a teenage boy, Dark Schneider is called upon to defend the
05:42very kingdoms he once attacked during his first life. Not only does he know each and
05:52every metal music-themed spell in the book, but he is also considered incomparably handsome
05:58and possesses nearly limitless rares, with nearly every woman he meets eager to jump
06:03his bones. Despite his bad attitude, hilariously self-important and reluctantly heroic, Dark
06:10Schneider can overcome nearly any challenge, and yes, you have to say his full name every
06:15time.
06:22Number 14. Tatsuya Shiba, The Irregular at Magic High School
06:42The eponymous anomaly at this magic high school, Tatsuya is unskilled at most of what his world
06:48considers traditional magic. However, Tatsuya is obscenely good at basically everything
06:54else he tries, as he continuously illustrates to his doubters. The stoic student is skilled
07:00in hand-to-hand combat, creating magical weapons, and various feats of superhuman strength and
07:06speed. And sure, he may be as emotive as a plank of wood, but maybe having a winning
07:11personality is overrated when you can defeat basically anyone in combat and still pull
07:17plenty of ladies.
07:27Number 13. Lina Inverse, Slayers
07:30She may be a teenager, but Lina Inverse already has a reputation as being one of the strongest
07:36sorceresses alive. A self-proclaimed magical genius, Lina knows or has created a wide variety
07:43of spells of different types, some of which are apocalyptically powerful. While her reputation
07:56is that of a menace to society, Lina is just a little overzealous in her pursuit of treasure
08:02and destroying bandits and other ne'er-do-wells. So, there ends up being a lot of collateral
08:08damage. Headstrong, short-tempered, and nearly fearless, Lina's both a fantastic sorceress
08:15and an incredible heroine.
08:20Number 12. Yuno, Black Clover
08:23The childhood friend and rival of series protagonist Asta, Yuno shares his magic-less friend's
08:30ambition to become the Wizard King. Yet, he has the magic to back it up.
08:38Specializing in wind magic, Yuno possesses incredible power, which is augmented by his
08:51spirit familiar, Sylph. Yuno typically overwhelms his foes, often while airborne. He may have
08:58a deadpan personality and be far quieter than his boisterous bestie, but Yuno is no less
09:04devoted to his friends or determined in battle, particularly when they're fighting together.
09:09If Asta doesn't end up becoming Wizard King, Yuno has a real shot at the title.
09:24Number 11. Marseille, Delicious in Dungeon
09:28The elf-mage of the party of heroes the series follows, Marseille is simultaneously the voice
09:33of reason and the most outlandish comedic member of the group. While Leos and company
09:45are either excited or blase about eating monsters to survive, Marseille finds the idea gross,
09:51which often leads to her stressing out about the various situations they find themselves
09:56in. Her many adorkable expressions are a major highlight throughout, but she's not just
10:02comedic relief. Marseille is an experienced mage, skilled in healing, combat and ancient
10:08black magic. She's a major asset to her group's dungeon exploration slash culinary tour, even
10:14if Marseille would prefer to eat normal food.
10:26Number 10. Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tale Franchise
10:30The hot-blooded protagonist of Fairy Tale and a prominent member of the titular magic
10:35guild, Natsu specializes in fire dragon slayer magic. In addition to being effective against
10:53even dragons, his magic burns as hot as his reckless attitude, and is responsible for
10:59defeating some of the most powerful foes in the series. Natsu is straightforward, simple-minded
11:05and unfailingly loyal to his friends. Although his reckless attitude and frequent inability
11:11to recognize personal space sometimes gets him into trouble, there's no doubting that
11:16Natsu's heart is always in the right place. In many ways, Natsu acts as the heart of his
11:22guild, rough but well-intentioned.
11:35Number 9. Tosaka Rin, Fate Stay Night Franchise
11:40One of the three main heroines of the Fate Stay Night franchise, Rin is arguably the
11:44most popular, among the mages at least. Heir to the Tosaka family and a master in the Fifth
11:51Holy Grail War, Rin is an exceptional mage capable of wielding a wide variety of magic.
12:03She specializes in storing her mana in objects, which lets her bypass limits on her output.
12:08Her partnership with Archer really brings out the best of her abilities. Her haughty
12:14yet sweet attitude and romance with Shiro in the Unlimited Blade Works version of events
12:19have helped earn Rin a devoted following. Who doesn't love a tsundere after all?
12:31Number 8. Ainz Ulgone, Overlord
12:34A gamer transported into a new world in the body of his avatar, Ainz Ulgone faces plenty
12:41of headaches in his new life, but none of them are from being too weak.
12:50The undead Overlord has access to a truly ridiculous number of spells, which include
12:57everything from stopping time to instant death for thousands. The only thing more powerful
13:03than Ainz's magic is perhaps his luck, since he's frequently able to accidentally stumble
13:08his way into looking like an all-knowing mastermind in front of his far-eviler subordinates, exactly
13:15as planned.
13:22Number 7. Howl, Howl's Moving Castle
13:34The Howl in Howl's Moving Castle does indeed possess a castle that moves. However, there's
13:39more to his magical abilities than that. The secretive and elusive wizard can influence
13:45the minds of others, as well as fly or walk on air. He can change not only his hair colour,
13:51but also his whole body into a bird-like creature, though the latter is more of a curse. While
13:57Howl appears flighty and mercurial at times, he's ultimately a good man, and becomes
14:03a better one as he falls for Sophie, and she assists in freeing him from his curse, and
14:09she from hers.
14:22Number 6. Rimuru Tempest
14:24That time I got reincarnated as a slime. He may have gotten reincarnated as one of the
14:30weakest monsters, but you'd be a fool to underestimate Rimuru. Blessed with the ability to copy the
14:36skills and powers of monsters he's eaten, and his own built-in Siri, Rimuru quickly
14:42rises to become one of his world's demon lords, and a powerful magic caster in his
14:47own right.
14:57Not only does he have access to a plethora of copied abilities, but Rimuru's great
15:02sage lets him combine and develop new magic on the fly, including mass teleportation
15:07and killing entire armies. Rimuru may just want to hang out and make life better for
15:13his nation of monsters, but anyone who messes with them will have him to answer to.
15:20Number 5. Rudeus
15:30Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation
15:33There's something about being reincarnated into a fantasy world that just makes for a
15:43great wizarding ability. Such is the case with Rudeus Greirat, whose previous life not
15:49only lets him get a jump on his magical education, but it also inspires him to create magical
15:55attacks no one in his new world has ever even thought up. Being trained by his beast of
16:01a dad to become great at traditional combat, and having a demon eye that can see into the
16:06future doesn't hit either. And sure, Rudey can be a bit of a horndog, but we still can't
16:20help rooting for him.
16:32Number 4. Pop Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai
16:36The best friend and right-hand man of the titular Dai, Pop sticks by his buddy's side
16:41throughout their adventure to defeat the Demon King. Although he's initially cowardly and
16:53prone to running from danger, Pop's courage grows over the course of their journey, along
16:58with his magical abilities. In addition to a strong foundation in offensive skills, Pop
17:04even masters difficult magic, like the icy and fiery Medoroa, as well as healing magic.
17:10We always love to see an underdog rise to the occasion, and Pop really pops off during
17:15this modern classic anime.
17:25Number 3. Megumin KonoSuba – God's Blessing on This Wonderful
17:30World The cutest of anime edgelords, Megumin is
17:34the resident arch-wizard of the party KonoSuba follows. She claims to be the strongest of
17:50wizards, and she does know the most obscenely powerful nuke-level spell, Explosion. Unfortunately,
17:57it's the only magic Megumin knows, and using it once basically makes her useless the rest
18:03of the day. Despite how ridiculous she is, Megumin is one of the more level-headed members
18:09of the party, and her burgeoning relationship with Kazuma is not only hilarious, but also
18:14kind of adorable. With how entertaining she is to watch, it's no wonder she got her
18:19own prequel spin-off.
18:20Number 2. Gojo – Jujutsu Kaisen
18:32The undisputed GOAT of modern-day Jujutsu sorcerers, Gojo is just built different. The
18:39blindfold-sporting sorcerer can create powerful energy blasts, heal himself, attract and repel
18:45things, and his domain expansion overloads anyone with sensory input, in much the same
18:51way as his gorgeous eyes do. He is nigh-untouchable, and we mean that literally, too. The Jujutsu
19:06High teacher is as irreverent as he is powerful, never missing an opportunity to prank or joke
19:12around with his students or fellow adults. He alone may be the honoured one, but he doesn't
19:18quite make our number one.
19:41Free Ran Beyond Journey's End
19:57The elf mage that gives this series its name, Free Ran claims to be somewhat interested
20:02in magic. The 1,000-year-old mage has a gift for understatements. Although there are a
20:09few mages, mostly demons, more powerful than her, few of them have Free Ran's dedication
20:14or passion for magic. Her incredible knowledge of spells lets her easily analyse and dispel
20:21even some of the most complex magic. While she's often underestimated due to the fact
20:26that she suppresses her mana, Free Ran is enormously powerful. She may appear stoic
20:31on the surface, but she has many facets to her personality. The depth of her character
20:37and the breadth of her knowledge and power help make Free Ran the best mage in anime.
20:53Is there a wizard anime magician we forgot? Cast your favourites in those comments below.