Dark Magician Archetype

What is a Dark Magician Archetype?

The dark magician archetypes are considered characters possessing magical powers they use for evil purposes. Such archetype characters often use black magic, or dark magical powers, or dark arts to achieve most of their nefarious designs, though some objectives may be good. Contradictory to the other magicians, dark magicians are fairly powerful in their art and are more prone to evil than good. Therefore, they are feared due to their black art and evil intentions.

Types of Dark Magician Archetype Character

There are several types of dark magician archetypes. Usually, they are sorcerers, witches, wizards, and other such supernatural powers or persons having supernatural abilities. The difference between dark magician archetype and magical archetype characters is that simple magical characters often return from the supernatural to a natural or human state whenever they want, but dark magicians do not have the power to return to their innocent states. Some of the types of black magician archetypes are as follows.

  • Evil Sorcerer
  • Necromancer
  • Occultist
  • Witch
  • Wizard

Character Traits of Dark Magician Archetype Characters

Although dark magician archetypes are just archetypes like magician archetypes, they are different in their intentions. Otherwise, they have the same intellectual vision, guidance, support, charisma, curiosity, supernatural power, and fascinating powers. However, most of these powers are used for evil purposes or to harm others. They do not take care of the goodness of others or the benefits of human beings. They stay in their cocoons, from which it is very difficult to take them out. They continue doing bad acts, though, sometimes, they turn to do some good which is few and far between.

Weaknesses of Dark Magician Archetype Characters

Such archetypes are weak in many ways. First of all, they are not as strong as other magicians due to having dark powers that ultimately face defeat or failure when coming into conflict with divine or humane supernatural powers. Second, they lean to do evil deeds due to the corrupting powers of the dark magic art. These powers make their hearts dark and corrupt their souls, the reason that they do not feel qualms about killing or murdering others.

Dark Magician Archetype Examples in Literature and Movies

Example #1

Roman Castevet in Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

Written by Ira Levin, the novel first appeared in 1967, setting the stage for black magic novels. The couple in the novel moves to New York in the Bramford area, a Gothic-style building, and comes across an elderly couple, the Castevets. When they start their career, the lady, Rosemary, experiences a strange dream-like state of having sexual relations with some strange creatures and gets ill as well as pregnant. Later she comes to know about Catsevet having satanic powers and impregnating her. He is perhaps the first character to have dark powers.

Example #2

The Dark Others in Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Published in 1998, this story presents different groups having supernatural powers, with the Nitch Watch dedicated to policing actions, while the Dark Others are involved in using dark magical powers for their own ends. Also, the Dark Others, as opposed to the Light Others, use their negative emotions to achieve their ends. However, the situation turns entirely topsy turvy when the policing force discovers that it is easy to achieve dark emotions or negative emotions in human beings through dark magic.

Example #3

Volkert in The Necromancer by Karl Friedrich Kahlet aka Lawrence Flammenber

The character of Volkert in the novel published in 1794 presents the perfect example of a dark magician archetype due to the dark powers that he exercises on all others with whom he comes into contact. Set in the Black Forest in the German context, the novel presents his character as a mysterious wizard who plays deviously with all other characters and shamefacedly admits by the end how he used devious machinations to his end. This is also a good example of the dark magician due to the devious machinations.

Example #4

Mr. Hyde in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by R. L. Stevenson

Published in 1886, this novel also presents the dark side of Dr. Harry Jekyll as he turns into Mr. Edward Hyde and presents a perfect picture of a dark magician archetype by involving in black art. He not only kills several people but also involves himself in the dark magic art of developing some liquid to control his transformation. Exactly true to his spirit, he loses control over his transformation and commits suicide. It is because he could not transform himself back into Dr. Jekyll and was also exposed to others.