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The Magician (Rayman 1)

The Magician is a major character in the original Rayman game and a number of educational video games based on its universe, namely the Maths and English with Rayman and French with Rayman spin-off series, Rayman Activity Centre, Rayman Maternelle and Rayman CP. He is a benevolent character and one of Rayman's main allies, helping him through the various games he appears in.

The Magician
The Magician
Other names {{{other names}}}
Alignment Good
Appears in Rayman, Maths and English with Rayman, French with Rayman, Rayman Activity Centre, Rayman Maternelle, Rayman CP
Location {{{location}}}
Portrayed by Douglas Rand (Rayman)

Steve Gadler (Maths and English with Rayman)
Christian Stonner (French with Rayman)

Sex Male
Species Rayman's species
Status {{{status}}}
Relatives Andrew (cousin)

Pierre (cousin)
Hans (cousin)
Pedro (cousin)

Unlock criteria {{{Unlock criteria}}}

His relationship to the identically named Teensy antagonist who appears in Rayman Origins is unclear: the latter could be an impersonator, the same character reimagined or there could be no further connection between the two.

Description

Appearance

The Magician is a member of the same limbless species as Rayman. He bears all of the signature traits – lack of limbs, large nose and white gloves. He has long blonde hair that nearly reaches the ground, and his eyes are always covered by his long black top hat, which shines in blue and purple and has a gold star on the front. He often retreats into this hat, and can be found hiding inside it in many levels. He has also been seen wearing shirts of two colours – in the introduction sequence of the original Rayman, he wears a purple shirt with two blue buttons, but in the game itself, this is blue with golden buttons. The colour of his shoes – purple and orchid – remain the same, but with different stripe patterns. He is also noticeably shorter than Rayman is in the original Rayman, but in the Maths and English with Rayman and French with Rayman educational games, he is approximately the same height as Betilla the fairy.

Abilities and powers

In the manuals of the games in which he appears, the Magician is described as a great scholar. It is also said that he masters several magic tricks.

In Rayman and most educational games, he is only shown to be able to fit completely into his hat.

In Rayman Éveil, Rayman Maternelle and Rayman CP, we learn that he can teleport, change shape, take on the appearance of another person, and make people and objects appear or disappear. These games also reveal that the Magician is very handy. He is able to repair any device, such as alarm clocks, household appliances or electrical circuits.

Personality

The Magician seems perpetually happy and displays a flamboyantly positive attitude. Despite the havoc Mr Dark is wreaking across the world, the Magician remains buoyant and unconcerned. He also appears to be somewhat introverted, usually hiding inside his top hat, and only showing his face when doing business. This does not prevent him from socialising with the other inhabitants of the Glade of Dreams: in the educational spin-offs such as Maths and English with Rayman and French with Rayman, the Magician's friendship with Betilla the fairy is made clear. Notably, after a bomb-launching clown draws a picture of Betilla in Rayman Activity Centre, the Magician identifies her as his ‘favourite fairy’.

Appearances

In Rayman

He is hidden away in the scenery. With his help, Rayman can enter secret worlds. But note that this magic stunt has to be deserved, and it will cost you 10 Tings to take advantage of it.
—Manual, Rayman

The Magician first appears in the introductory sequence of the original Rayman. Here, he tells the story of how Mr Dark stole the Great Protoon and brought about the collapse of the valley's natural stability. He calls on Rayman to go and free the Electoons from the cages that hostile beings had imprisoned them in, as well as bring the Great Protoon back from the Candy Château. He is the only character to have a major speaking role in the game. The Magician's voice was re-recorded for the American localization, possibly by a different actor; his voice in this version is deeper and more brash than the high-pitched voice in the original European release.

Rayman can come across the Magician's hat several times throughout the game. The Magician only emerges from it if Rayman has at least ten Tings; if not, he will clearly indicate with his hand that the hero will need them. If Rayman does have at least ten Tings, he automatically reaches out and drops them into the Magician's outstretched hand. The Magician then teleports Rayman to one of his bonus levels. In these secret areas, Rayman must collect all the Tings within the time limit. If he succeeds, he wins an extra life. Only a single life can be won in each bonus level. Subsequent victories in the same bonus levels are purely for entertainment and Tings, and also record the time taken by the player so that they can attempt to beat their records if they wish.

On the world map, there are several icons with the Magician's hat, which allow the player to save their progress in the game if they go there.

The Magician reappears at the end of the game, first during the ending cutscene, where he congratulates Rayman (and the player) for saving the world, and then in an image showing Rayman celebrating his victory over Mr Dark with his friends.

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    Throughout the game, the Magician can be found hiding inside his top hat.
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    In exchange for ten Tings, the Magician will transport Rayman to a bonus level.
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    The Magician in the game's credits

In Maths and English with Rayman

He is the guardian of harmony and well-being. He holds the book of knowledge and expertise. Since he is very smart, he always finds solutions and gives a helping hand to those in need. Throughout his journey, Rayman can count on his valuable advice to lead him to Mister Dark.
—Official site, Maths and English with Rayman[1]

The Magician takes on a major role as a mentor and teacher in the Maths and English with Rayman series of educational video games, spin-offs based on the original Rayman game whose goal is to teach the player the basics of mathematics and reading, and sometimes a secondary language.

There, he introduces the story of the game once again, only this time, he tells of how Mr Dark has broken into his house, stolen the Magic Book of Knowledge and destroyed the map to the villain's hideout. Once again, the Magician and Betilla the fairy must call on Rayman to save the day, this time by reassembling the map to Mr Dark's lair so that he can recover the book.

Instead of providing bonus areas, the Magician now helps Rayman to solve the many educational problems throughout the journey. When Rayman starts a level, the Magician gives him an overview of the specific tasks he needs to carry out in order to complete it. After that, his hat appears several times throughout the level. Whenever Rayman passes it, the Magician either asks a new question or reminds Rayman of the level's task. Each time Rayman reaches the end of the final stage of a level, the Magician appears and gives a different performance, such as dancing or rapping '90s style, while praising Rayman for his success.

The Magician appears one last time in the ending cutscene. He is present at the festivities organized in honor of Rayman, who has recovered the Magic Book of Knowledge, and gives him a golden wand as a token of gratitude.

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    The Magician on the game's title screen
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    The Magician's hat in Art alley

In French with Rayman

The Magician also takes on a major role in the French with Rayman series of educational video games, whose goal is to teach the player the basics of a secondary language. There, while the Magician is in his garden with Betilla the fairy, he receives a letter from a foreign cousin: either an English one named Andrew, a French one called Pierre, a German one called Hans or a Spanish one called Pedro. It contains a recipe for a magic spell. However, the Magician is unable to read the language in question. He explains to Betilla that he and his cousin grew up together and graduated as magicians on the same day. Suddenly, Mr Dark appears, snatches the recipe from the Magician's hands, casts a spell which will turn them into garden gnomes in a few hours, and flees. The Magician then calls Rayman on his telephone and asks him for help.

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    The Magician's family photo album, as seen in French with Rayman
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    Rayman answering the Magician's phone call in the introduction cutscene

At the beginning of some levels, the Magician, hidden in his hat, appears alongside his cousin to explain to Rayman the objectives he must achieve. Inside of levels, only his cousin's hat is present. At the end of some levels, he comes to congratulate Rayman, just like in Maths and English with Rayman.

The Magician appears one last time in the game's ending cutscene. Rayman and he use the knowledge they acquired during their journey to decipher the letter from the Magician's cousin. They then discover that the formula is used to create a dessert.

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    The Magician on the title screen of the English learning educational games

In Rayman Activity Centre, Rayman Maternelle and Rayman CP

He is the guardian of harmony and well-being. As he is very smart, he always finds solutions and gives a little helping hand to those who need it.
—Manual, Rayman Maternelle and Rayman CP

In the educational games Rayman Activity Centre, Rayman Maternelle and Rayman CP, the Magician is one of the many characters who guide the player in the activities. While Betilla is associated with reading activities, the Magician is associated with calculation activities.

The Magician appears in person in the Magic Letters, the Mime Game, the Magic Trick, the Cinema Workshop, the Songs, the Giant Dominoes, the Cartoon Dance, the Electric Network, Hide and Seek, the Music Workshop, and the Boxing Match. His voice can be heard in the Clowns' Numbers, the Space Toons, and the Magic Rubbers. Images of him can be seen in the Round of the Nursery Rhymes, the Funny Photographer, the Stories, the Drawing Workshop, the Colouring Workshop and the Cinema.

In Rayman Activity Centre and Rayman Maternelle, his garden and his house can be seen.

In Rayman 2

Although the Magician does not appear in Rayman 2, concept art reveals that a character of the same name, with the appearance of Polokus, was originally intended to appear in the game. His role would have been to give Rayman spells.[2] In the final version of the game, this iteration of the character was scrapped and he became Polokus. It is unknown whether this Magician was a reinterpretation of his counterpart from the first Rayman game or a completely different character.

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    "Family Portrait" of several friends, enemies, and objects from Rayman 2, among which is the precursor to Polokus, called the Magician.

In the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman Raving Rabbids

Although the Magician does not appear in the Game Boy Advance version of Rayman Raving Rabbids, a reference to him can be found in the Kids' Hamlet, a level from the Kids world, and later again in Not a Piece of Cake!, a level from the Sweets world. There, a grey Rabbid wearing the Magician's top hat will prevent Rayman from going any further. Much like the Magician, the Rabbid proposes Rayman to play a minigame with limited time. Rayman must enter his tent and play a minigame called Shooting Range, where he has to shoot carrots at targets with the face of a Rabbid, and avoid shooting at the ones with the face of Murfy. If Rayman completes the challenge successfully, the Rabbid will let Rayman continue through the rest of the level.

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    A Rabbid wearing the Magician's hat

In Rayman Origins

Main article: The Magician (Rayman Origins)

In Rayman Origins, a Teensy with the same name and wearing the same hat as the Magician serves as the main antagonist. Because of the lack of dialogue and intelligible storytelling in the game, the relationship between the two characters is unclear. It could be that the Teensy is impersonating the other Magician, or that he is a reimagination of him, or also that there is no further connection between the two.

In Rayman Adventures

In Rayman Adventures, the Magician is mentioned in Rabbiteen's description, which says that her long lost brother jumped into his hat, never to be seen again. It is unclear if this is a reference to the Magician from the original Rayman game, the identically named Teensy antagonist from Rayman Origins, or both.

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    The mention of the Magician in Rabbiteen's description

In Rayman in the Phantom Show

While the Magician does not appear in Rayman in the Phantom Show, the third DLC of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, replicas of his staff and the identically named Teensy antagonist's hat can be found in the Backing Studio.

Names in other languages

Language Name
English The Magician[3]
Chinese (simplified) 魔术师 (PC manual, PC series manual)

魔法师 (mobile achievements)

Chinese (traditional) 魔術師
Dutch De Tovenaar
French Le Magicien[3]
German Der Zauberer (mobile achievements, Jaguar and Saturn manuals)

Der Magier (GBA manual)

Hebrew הקוסם
Hakosem
Italian Il Mago
Japanese マジシャン
Korean 마술사 (PC manual)

마법사 (mobile achievements)

Russian Маг
Spanish El Mago

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Maths and English with Rayman official website (via archive.org), Le Magicien, http://web.archive.org/web/20020608133315/http://sites.ubisoft.fr/raymanedu/ami/ami2/mag.html
  2. ↑ Official Nintendo Magazine, File:MagazineRayman2 2.jpg
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The inconsistent capitalization across localizations has been standardized here.
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