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{{Short description|Magicians appearing in fantasy fiction}}
{{Other uses|Magician (disambiguation)|Magi (disambiguation)}}
{{Overlinked|date=June 2021}}
[[File:The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo by Marie Spartali Stillman (1889).jpg|thumb|''The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo'' by [[Marie Spartali Stillman]] (1889): A magician makes a garden bear fruit and flowers in the winter for Messer Ansaldo to win the heart of a married lady.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artmagick.com/pictures/picture.aspx?id=6467&name=the-enchanted-garden-of-messer-ansaldo |title=The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo by Marie Spartali Stillman |publisher=ArtMagick |access-date=2013-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308044827/http://www.artmagick.com/pictures/picture.aspx?id=6467&name=the-enchanted-garden-of-messer-ansaldo |archive-date=2016-03-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>|298x298px]]

A '''magician''', also known as a '''mage''', '''warlock''', '''witch''', '''wizard/wizardess''', '''enchanter'''/'''enchantress''', '''sorcerer/sorceress''' or '''spell caster''',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spellcasts.com/|title=Spell Casters Online {{!}} International Council of Witchcraft|website=Spell Casts|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref> is someone who uses or practices [[Magic in fiction|magic]] derived from [[supernatural]], [[occult]], or [[arcane]] sources.<ref name="Martin">{{cite book|last1=Martin|first1=Philip|title=The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest: How to Write Fantasy Stories of Lasting Value|date=2002|publisher=Writer Books|location=Waukesha, Wisconsin|isbn=0871161958|edition=1st}}</ref>{{rp|54}} Magicians are common figures in works of [[fantasy]], such as [[fantasy literature]] and [[role-playing games]], and enjoy a rich history in [[mythology]], [[legend]]s, [[fiction]], and [[folklore]].

==Character archetypes==
[[File:Arthur-Pyle The Enchanter Merlin.JPG|thumb|right|upright|''The Enchanter Merlin'', by [[Howard Pyle]], from ''The Story of King Arthur and His Knights'' (1903)]]

In medieval chivalric [[romance (heroic literature)|romance]], the wizard often appears as a [[wise old man]] and acts as a [[mentor]], with [[Merlin]] from the [[Matter of Britain|King Arthur stories]] being a prime example.<ref name="Frye">{{cite book|last1=Frye|first1=Northrop|title=Anatomy of Criticism; Four Essays|date=1971|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton|isbn=0691012989|edition=2nd|url=https://archive.org/details/anatomyofcritici00frye}}</ref>{{rp|195}} Wizards such as [[Gandalf]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and [[Albus Dumbledore]] from ''[[Harry Potter]]'' are also featured as mentors, and [[Merlin]] remains prominent as both an educative force and mentor in modern works of [[Arthurian legend|Arthuriana]].<ref name="Clute">{{cite book|last1=Clute|first1=John|last2=Westfahl|title=The Encyclopedia of Fantasy|date=1999|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|location=New York|isbn=0312198698|edition=1st}}</ref>{{rp|637}}<ref name="Driver">{{cite book|last1=Driver|first1=Martha W.|title=The Medieval Hero on Screen: Representations from Beowulf to Buffy|date=2004|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=0786419261|pages=167–191}}</ref> Other magicians, such as [[Saruman]] from ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' or [[Lord Voldemort]] from ''[[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]]'', can appear as hostile [[villain]]s.<ref name="Frye"/>{{rp|193}} Villainous sorcerers were so crucial to [[Pulp magazine|pulp fantasy]] that the genre in which they appeared was dubbed ''[[sword and sorcery]]''.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|885}}

[[Ursula K. Le Guin]]'s ''[[A Wizard of Earthsea]]'' explored the question of how wizards learned their art, introducing to modern fantasy the role of the wizard as protagonist.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wood|first1=Susan|title=The Language of the Night: Essays On Fantasy and Science Fiction|date=1982|publisher=Berkley Books|location=New York|isbn=0425052052|page=41|edition=Reprinted}}</ref> This theme has been further developed in modern fantasy, often leading to wizards as heroes on their own quests.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fike |first=Justin |url=http://www.victorianweb.org/courses/fiction/65/tolkien/fike14.html |title=The Role of Wizards in Fantasy Literature |work=The Victorian Web |access-date=2013-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016155839/http://www.victorianweb.org/courses/fiction/65/tolkien/fike14.html |archive-date=2013-10-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Such heroes may have their own mentor, a wizard as well.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|637}}

Wizards can be cast similarly to the [[absent-minded professor]]: being foolish and prone to misconjuring. They can also be capable of great magic, both good or evil.<ref name="Martin"/>{{rp|140–141}} Even comical wizards are often capable of great feats, such as those of Miracle Max in ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]''; although he is a washed-up wizard fired by the villain, he saves the dying hero.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Card|first1=Orson Scott|title=Characters and Viewpoint|date=1999|publisher=Writer's Digest Books|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|isbn=0898799279|page=[https://archive.org/details/charactersviewpo00card_0/page/100 100]|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/charactersviewpo00card_0/page/100}}</ref>

===Appearance===
Wizards are often depicted as old, white-haired, and with long white beards majestic enough to occasionally host lurking woodland creatures. This depiction predates the modern fantasy genre, being derived from the traditional image of wizards such as Merlin.<ref name="Driver"/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Colbert|first1=David|title=The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter: A Treasury of Myths, Legends, and Fascinating Facts|date=2001|publisher=Lumina Press|location=Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina|isbn=0970844204|page=[https://archive.org/details/magicalworldsofh00colb/page/70 70]|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/magicalworldsofh00colb/page/70}}</ref> A famous magician who noticeably entered popular culture is [[List of Fantasia (franchise) characters#Yen Sid|Yen Sid]] from the [[Walt Disney Pictures]] film ''[[Fantasia (1940 film)|Fantasia]]''.

In the ''[[Dragonlance]]'' campaign setting of the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' role-playing game, wizards show their moral [[Alignment (role-playing games)|alignment]] by their robes.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hickman|first1=Tracy|last2=Weis|first2=Margaret|title=DragonLance Adventures|url=https://archive.org/details/dragonlanceadven00hick|url-access=registration|date=1987|publisher=TSR|location=Lake Geneva, Wisconsin |isbn=0880384522 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/dragonlanceadven00hick/page/34 34-35]}}</ref>

Terry Pratchett described robes as a magician's way of establishing to those they meet that they are capable of practicing magic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nl.lspace.org/books/analysis/kneidinger-marcio.html#Section4.3 |title=Analysis |work=Terry Pratchett's Discworld |publisher=L-Space Web |date=1948-04-28 |access-date=2013-10-16 |first=Kneidinger |last=Marcio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607141528/http://www.nl.lspace.org/books/analysis/kneidinger-marcio.html#Section4.3 |archive-date=2013-06-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Limits===
To introduce conflict, writers of fantasy fiction often place limits on the magical abilities of wizards to prevent them from solving problems too easily.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|616}} In Larry Niven's ''[[The Magic Goes Away]]'', once an area's [[Mana#Games and fiction|mana]] is exhausted, no one can use magic.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|942}} A common limit invented by Jack Vance in his ''[[The Dying Earth ]]'' series, and later popularized in [[Magic (gaming)|role-playing games]] is that a wizard can only cast a specific number of spells in a day.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|385}}

Magic can also require various sacrifices or the use of certain materials, such as [[gemstone]]s, blood, or a live sacrifice. Even if the magician lacks scruples, obtaining the material may be difficult.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Card|first1=Orson Scott|title=How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy|date=1990|publisher=Writer's Digest Books|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|isbn=0898794161|pages=[https://archive.org/details/howtowritescienc00card/page/47 47–49]|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/howtowritescienc00card/page/47}}</ref> A. K. Moonfire combines these limits in his book ''The Aubrey Stalking Portal''. The magician expends power to fuel his spells, but does not replenish that power naturally; therefore, he must make sacrifices to generate more magical power.{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}}

The extent of a wizard's knowledge is limited to which spells a wizard knows and can cast.<ref name="Kern">{{cite web|url=http://www.victorianweb.org/courses/fiction/65/tolkien/kern14.html |title=The Limits of Magic |last=Kern |first=Michael |website=The Victorian Web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016135508/http://www.victorianweb.org/courses/fiction/65/tolkien/kern14.html |archive-date=2013-10-16 |access-date=2013-10-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Magic may also be limited by its danger; if a powerful spell can cause grave harm if miscast, wizards are likely to be wary of using it.<ref name="Martin"/>{{rp|142}} Other forms of magic are limited by consequences that, while not inherently dangerous, are at least undesirable. In ''A Wizard of Earthsea'', every act of magic distorts the equilibrium of the world, which in turn has far-reaching consequences that can affect the entire world and everything in it. As a result, competent wizards do not use their magic frivolously.<ref name="Kern"/>

In Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series, the Law of Conservation of Reality is a principle imposed by forces wanting wizards to not destroy the world, and works to limit how much power it is humanly possible to wield.{{Citation needed|date=July 2017}} Whatever your means, the effort put into reaching the ends stays the same. For example, when the wizards of Unseen University are chasing the hapless wizard Rincewind in the forest of Skund, the wizards send out search teams to go and find him on foot. The Archchancellor beats them to it by using a powerful spell from his own office, and while he gets there first by clever use of his spell, he has used no less effort than the others.{{Citation needed|date=July 2017}}

==Names and terminology==
People who work magic are called by several names in fantasy works, and terminology differs widely from one [[fantasy world]] to another. While derived from real-world vocabulary, the terms ''wizard'', ''witch'', ''[[warlock]]'', ''enchanter/enchantress'', ''sorcerer(ess)'', ''druid(ess)'', ''magician'', ''mage'', and ''magus'' have different meanings depending upon context and the story in question.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|619}}

The term ''archmage'' is used in fantasy works as a title for a powerful magician or a leader of magicians.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|1027}}

===Reasons for distinguishing magicians===
[[File:The Love Potion - Evelyn de Morgan.jpg|left|upright|thumb|''[[The Love Potion]]'' by [[Evelyn De Morgan]] (1903)]]

In the ''[[Enchanted Forest Chronicles]]'', [[Patricia Wrede]] depicts wizards who use magic based on their staves and magicians who practice several kinds of magic, including wizard magic;{{Clarify|date=September 2016}} in the ''[[Patricia Wrede#Cecelia and Kate|Regency]]'' fantasies, she and [[Caroline Stevermer]] depict magicians as identical to wizards, though inferior in skill and training.

[[Steve Pemberton]]'s ''The Times & Life of Lucifer Jones'' describes the distinction thus: "The difference between a wizard and a sorcerer is comparable to that between, say, a lion and a tiger, but wizards are acutely status-conscious, and to them, it's more like the difference between a lion and a dead kitten."{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} In [[David Eddings]]'s ''[[The Belgariad]]'' and ''[[The Malloreon]]'' series, several protagonists refer to their abilities powered by sheer will as "sorcery" and look down on the term "magician", which specifically refers to summoners of demonic agents.{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}}

In role-playing games, the types of magic-users are more delineated and are named so that the players and game masters can know which rules apply.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|385}} [[Gary Gygax]] and [[Dave Arneson]] introduced the term "[[Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)|magic-user]]" in the original ''Dungeons & Dragons'' as a generic term for a practitioner of magic (in order to avoid the connotations of terms such as ''wizard'' or ''warlock''); this lasted until the second edition of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'', where it was replaced with ''mage'' (later to become ''wizard''). The exact rules vary from game to game.{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} The [[Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)|wizard or mage]], as a [[Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)|character class]], is distinguished by the ability to cast certain kinds of magic but being weak in combat; subclasses are distinguished by strengths in some areas of magic and weakness in others.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cook|first1=David "Zed"|title=Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook|date=1989|publisher=TSR|location=Lake Geneva, Wisconsin|isbn=0880387165|pages=30–31|edition=2nd}}</ref> [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|Sorcerers]] are distinguished from wizards as having an innate gift with magic, as well as having mystical or magical ancestry.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Skip|title=Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook|date=2003|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|location=Renton, Washington|isbn=0786928867|page=51|edition=Special}}</ref> [[Warlock (Dungeons & Dragons)|Warlocks]] are distinguished from wizards as creating forbidden "pacts" with powerful creatures to harness their innate magical gifts.

''Enchanters'' often practice a type of magic that produces no physical effects on objects or people, but rather deceives the observer or target through the use of illusions. Enchantresses in particular practice this form of magic, often to seduce.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|318}} For instance, the [[Lady of the Green Kirtle]] in [[C.S. Lewis]]'s ''[[The Silver Chair]]'' enchants [[Prince Rilian|Rilian]] into forgetting his father and Narnia; when that enchantment is broken, she attempts further enchantments with a sweet-smelling smoke and a thrumming musical instrument to baffle him and his rescuers into forgetting them again.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bassham|first1=Gregory|title=The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy: the Lion, the Witch, and the Worldview|date=2005|publisher=Open Court|location=Chicago|isbn=0812695887|page=[https://archive.org/details/chroniclesofnarn00bass/page/171 171]|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/chroniclesofnarn00bass/page/171}}</ref>

The term ''sorcerer'' is more frequently used when the magician in question is evil. This may derive from its use in [[sword and sorcery]], where the hero would be the sword-wielder, leaving the sorcery for his opponent.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|885}}

''Witch'' also carries evil connotations.{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} [[L. Frank Baum]] named [[Glinda]] the "Good Witch of the South" in ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''. In ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]], ''he dubbed her "Glinda the Good," and from that point forward and in subsequent books, Baum referred to her as a sorceress rather than a witch to avoid the term that was more regarded as evil.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Riley|first1=Michael O.|title=Oz and Beyond: The Fantasy World of L. Frank Baum|date=1997|publisher=University Press of Kansas|location=Lawrence, Kansas|isbn=070060832X|page=104}}</ref>

===Gender-based titles===
''Wizard'' and ''warlock'' usually refer to a male,<ref>https://linguaholic.com/linguablog/female-wizard/</ref> while ''witch'' can refer to any gender but is more often ascribed towards women.

==Traits of magicians==
[[File:Saluzzo-Castello della Manta-mago.jpg|thumb|White-haired and white-bearded wizard with robes and [[Pointed hats|hat]]]]
A common motif in fiction is that the ability to use magic is innate and often rare, or gained through a large amount of study and practice.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|616}} In [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]], it is mostly limited to non-humans, though some people gain small amounts and become known as sorcerers (wizards being powerful spirits).{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} In many writers' works, it is reserved for a select group of humans,{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} such as in [[Katherine Kurtz]]'s ''[[Deryni novels|Deryni]]'' novels, [[J. K. Rowling|JK Rowling]]'s ''[[Harry Potter]]'' novels or [[Randall Garrett]]'s ''[[Lord Darcy (fiction)|Lord Darcy]]'' universe.

==Education==
[[File:William Fettes Douglas - The Alchemist.jpg|thumb|''The Alchemist'' by [[William Fettes Douglas]] (1853): studying for arcane knowledge]]

Magicians normally learn spells by reading ancient tomes called [[grimoire]]s, which may have magical properties of their own.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|126}} Sorcerers in ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'' often gained powers from such books, which are demarcated by their strange bindings. In worlds where magic is not an innate trait, the scarcity of these strange books may be a facet of the story; in [[Poul Anderson]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Tempest]]'', Prince Rupert seeks out the books of the magician [[Prospero]] to learn magic. The same occurs in the ''Dungeons and Dragons''-based novel series ''Dragonlance Chronicles'', wherein [[Raistlin Majere]] seeks out the books of the sorcerer Fistandantilus. In [[J. K. Rowling|JK Rowling]]'s ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series, wizards already have skills of magic but they need to practise magic in ''[[List of fictional schools#In a series|Wizarding Schools]]'' in order to be able to use it properly''.''

Some magicians, even after training, continue their education by learning more spells, inventing new ones (and new magical objects), or rediscovering ancient spells, beings, or objects. For example, [[Doctor Strange|Dr. Strange]] from the [[Marvel Universe]] continues to learn about magic even after being named Sorcerer Supreme. He often encounters creatures that haven't been seen for centuries or more. In the same universe, [[Doctor Doom|Dr. Doom]] continues to pursue magical knowledge after mastering it by combining magic with science. [[Weasley twins|Fred and George Weasley]] from ''Harry Potter'' invent new magical items and sell them as legitimate defense items, new spells and potions can be made in the ''Harry Potter Universe;'' [[Severus Snape]] invented a variety of jinxes and hexes as well as substantial improvements in the process of making potions; Albus Dumbledore, along with Nicolas Flamel, is credited with discovering the twelve uses of [[dragon]]'s blood.

==Magical materials==
[[File:John William Waterhouse - The Crystal Ball.JPG|thumb|upright|''[[The Crystal Ball (painting)|The Crystal Ball]]'' by [[John William Waterhouse]] (1902): using material for magical purposes; the crystal, a book, a skull, and a wand]]
Historically, many self-proclaimed magicians have required rare and precious materials, such as [[crystal ball]]s, rare herbs (often picked by prescribed rituals), and elements such as [[Mercury (element)|mercury]]. This is less common in fantasy. Many magicians require no materials at all;<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|617}} those that do may require only simple and easily obtained materials. Role-playing games are more likely to require such materials for at least some spells to prevent characters from casting them too easily.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Woolsey|first1=Doug|last2=Olson|first2=Donald|title=Battleaxe Rpg: Reforged Edition|date=2004|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=9781442105935|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3FLMoKdIMogC|access-date=19 February 2016|pages=167–173}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}}

[[Wand#Modern popular culture|Wands]] and staves have long been used as requirements for the magician.<ref name="Frye"/>{{rp|152}} The first magical wand was featured in the ''[[Odyssey]],'' used by [[Circe]] to transform Odysseus's men into animals. Italian [[fairy tale]]s put wands into the hands of powerful fairies by the late [[Middle Ages]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.endicott-studio.com/rdrm/rrItalianF.html |title=Italian Faries: ''Fate'', ''Folletti'', and Other Creatures of Legend |first=Raffaella |last=Benvenuto |work=Journal of Mythic Arts |date=2006 |publisher=Endicott Studio |access-date=2013-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016212139/http://www.endicott-studio.com/rdrm/rrItalianF.html |archive-date=2013-10-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Today, magical wands are widespread and are used from ''Witch World'' to ''Harry Potter.'' In ''The Lord of the Rings'', Gandalf refuses to surrender his own staff, breaking [[Saruman]]'s, which strips the latter of his power. This dependency on a particular magical item is common, and necessary to limit the magician's power for the story's sake – without it, the magician's powers may be weakened or absent entirely.<ref name="Kern"/> In the ''Harry Potter'' universe, a wizard must expend much greater effort and concentration to use magic without a wand, and only a few can control magic without one; taking away a wizard's wand in battle essentially disarms him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2001/0301-comicrelief-staff.htm |title=Comic Relief live chat transcript, March 2001|work=Accio Quote! |access-date=2013-10-16}}</ref>

==Use of magic==
Nevertheless, many magicians live in pseudo-medieval settings in which their magic is not put to practical use in society; they may serve as mentors, act as quest companions, or even go on a [[quest]] themselves,<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|1027}} but their magic does not build roads or buildings, provide immunizations, construct indoor plumbing, or do any of the other functions served by machinery; their worlds remain at a medieval level of technology.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brin|first1=David|title=Otherness|date=1994|publisher=Bantam Books|location=New York|isbn=0553295284|page=[https://archive.org/details/otherness00brin/page/261 261]|url=https://archive.org/details/otherness00brin/page/261}}</ref>

Sometimes this is justified by having the negative effects of magic outweigh the positive possibilities.<ref name="Martin"/>{{rp|8}} In Barbara Hambley's ''[[Barbara Hambley#The Windrose Chronicles|Windrose Chronicles]]'', wizards are precisely pledged not to interfere because of the terrible damage they can do. In ''Discworld'', the importance of [[Wizards (Discworld)|wizards]] is that they actively do not do magic, because when wizards have access to sufficient "thaumaturgic energy", they develop many psychotic attributes and may eventually destroy the world. This may be a direct effect or the result of a miscast spell wreaking terrible havoc.<ref name="Martin"/>{{rp|142}}

In other works, developing magic is difficult.{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} In [[Rick Cook]]'s ''[[Rick Cook#Wizardry series|Wizardry]]'' series, the extreme danger presented by magic and the difficulty of analyzing the magic have stymied magic and left humanity at the mercy of the dangerous [[elves]] until a wizard summons a computer programmer from a [[Parallel universe (fiction)|parallel world]] — ours — to apply the skills he learned in our world to magic.

At other times, magic and technology do develop in tandem; this is most common in the [[Alternate history (fiction)#Alternate history in the contemporary fantasy genre|alternate history]] genre.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}} Patricia Wrede's ''[[Patricia Wrede#Regency fantasy|Regency]]'' fantasies include a Royal Society of Wizards and a technological level equivalent to the actual Regency; [[Randall Garrett]]'s ''[[Lord Darcy (fiction)|Lord Darcy]]'' series, [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[Magic, Inc.|Magic, Incorporated]]'', and [[Poul Anderson]]'s ''[[Operation Chaos (novel)|Operation Chaos]]'' all depict modern societies with magic equivalent to twentieth-century technology. In ''Harry Potter'', wizards have magical equivalents to non-magical inventions; sometimes they duplicate them, as with the [[Hogwarts Express|Hogwarts Express train]].

The powers ascribed to magicians often affect their roles in society.{{Original research inline|date=September 2015}} In practical terms, their powers may give them authority; magicians may advise kings, such as Gandalf in ''The Lord of the Rings'' and [[Belgarath]] and [[Polgara the Sorceress]] in [[David Eddings]]'s ''[[The Belgariad]]''. They may be rulers themselves, as in [[E.R. Eddison]]'s ''[[The Worm Ouroboros]]'', where both the heroes and the villains, although kings and lords, supplement their physical power with magical knowledge, or as in [[Jonathan Stroud]]'s ''[[Bartimaeus Trilogy]]'', where magicians are the governing class.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|1027}} On the other hand, magicians often live like [[hermit]]s, isolated in their towers and often in the wilderness, bringing no change to society. In some works, such as many of [[Barbara Hambly]]'s, they are despised and outcast specifically because of their knowledge and powers.<ref name="Clute"/>{{rp|745}}

In the magic-noir world of the ''[[Dresden Files]]'', wizards generally keep a low profile, though there is no explicit prohibition against interacting openly with non-magical humanity. The protagonist of the series, [[Harry Dresden]], openly advertises in the Yellow Pages under the heading "Wizard" and maintains a business office, though other wizards tend to resent him for practicing his craft openly. Dresden primarily uses his magic to make a living finding lost items and people, performing [[exorcism]]s, and providing protection against the supernatural.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://strandmag.com/theres-something-about-harry-dresden/ |title=There’s Something About Harry: A Look Into Jim Butcher’s Character Harry Dresden |last=Krug |first=Kurt Anthony |date=2018-07-27 |website=The Strand Magazine |access-date=2019-01-18}}</ref>

In the series ''[[Sorcerous Stabber Orphen]]'' human forms of life should have only been capable of acquiring divine magic powers through individual spiritual development, whereas the race of human magicians with inborn magical ability ended in conflict with pureblood human society, because this race appeared as a result of an experiment of mixing humans with non-human sentient Heavenly Beings that acquired magic powers not through spiritual development, but through deep studying of laws of nature and by falsely causing the world’s laws to react to actions of the Heavenly Beings as to actions of Divinities.<ref name="Mizuno2019">{{cite book|last=Mizuno|first=Ryou|title=Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Anthology. Commentary|year=2019| language=ja |publisher=TO Books|isbn= 9784864728799|pages=235}}</ref> In the ''Harry Potter series'', the Wizarding World hides themselves from the rest of the non-magic world, because, as described by [[Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]] simply, "Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone’d be wantin’ magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we’re best left alone.”

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Fictional magicians}}
*[[Patricia Wrede]], "Magic and Magicians", [https://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions-magic-and-magicians/ Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions]

{{Fantasy fiction}}
{{Speculative fiction all}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magician (Fantasy)}}
[[Category:Fairy tale stock characters]]
[[Category:Fantasy tropes]]
[[Category:Jungian archetypes]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who use magic| ]]
[[Category:Supernatural legends]]

Magician (fantasy) - Revision history

Flying Bee: Created page with "{{Short description|Magicians appearing in fantasy fiction}} {{Other uses|Magician (disambiguation)|Magi (disambiguation)}} {{Overlinked|date=June 2021}} File:The Enchanted..."