The Magician (Rayman 1): Difference between revisions

{{Character  

| image = [[Image:Magician2.png|320px|''The Magician, as he appears in Rayman Legends.'']]

| alignment = Good (''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]'') then bad (''[[Rayman Origins]]'')

| appears in = ''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]'', ''[[Rayman Junior]]'', ''[[English with Rayman]]'', ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', ''[[Rayman Legends]]''

| portrayed by = Chris Bénard (''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]''; unconfirmed)

[[Douglas Rand]] (''[[Rayman Origins]]'')

| species = [[Rayman's species]], then [[Teensie]]

| relatives = [[Andrew]] (cousin)

{{quote|text=He is hidden away in the scenery. With his help, [[Rayman]] can enter [[Bonus level (Rayman 1)|secret worlds]]. But note that this magic stunt has to be deserved, and it will cost you 10 [[Ting]]s to take advantage of it.|sign=Manual|source=''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]''}}

{{quote|text=He is the guardian of harmony and well-being. He holds [[the Magic Book of Knowledge|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 [[Mr Dark|Mister Dark]].|sign=Official site|source=''[[Rayman Junior]]''<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20020608133315/http://sites.ubisoft.fr/raymanedu/ami/ami2/mag.html</ref>}}

{{quote|text=The Magician will help you throughout your quest. He's always willing to trade you [[Electoon]]s for [[Lum]]s, which will help you unlock new worlds and maps. At your service, his magic hat will provide tips and tricks galore to help you survive.|sign=Manual|source=''[[Rayman Origins]]''}}

'''The Magician''' is a major character in the [[Rayman (series)|''Rayman'' series]]. He makes his first appearance in the original ''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]'', where he seems to be a member of [[Rayman]]'s [[Rayman's species|limbless species]]. His next major role is in ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', where he is revealed to be a [[Teensie]], and ultimately takes on a villainous role. (According to unused dialogue from this game, his real name is '''Ales Mansay'''.) In the intermediate years, the Magician also appeared in several educational spin-offs of the original game, such as ''[[Rayman Junior]]'' and ''[[English with Rayman]]''. In ''[[Rayman Legends]]'', he multiplies to become the five villainous '''Dark Teensies'''.

[[Image:R1Intro 001.PNG|thumb|left|320px|The Magician first appears in the intro sequence of the original ''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]''.]]

In the original ''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]'', the Magician appears to be part 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 ''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 ''Rayman'', but in the educational games, he is approximately the same height as [[Betilla the Fairy]]. According to ''[[English with Rayman]]'', the Magician has a cousin named [[Andrew]].

In ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', the Magician is no longer a member of Rayman's species – like several other characters, he has been redesigned to better fit the world established in the ''Rayman'' sequels. The Magician is now a grey-haired [[Teensie]] who wears a purple shirt and a black coat. He still has his signature, star-adorned top hat, and can still be found hiding inside it in various levels. The top hat, however, has been slightly redesigned, with a pink band surrounding the lower part and the star moved to the upper part, with some points unsticking (as the star doesn't form part of the top hat). It is later revealed that the Magician is actually bald, and his grey hair is just a wig attached to his top hat.

In the original ''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]'' game, 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 ''[[Rayman Junior]]'', the Magician's friendship with [[Betilla the Fairy]] is made clear.

From the beginning of ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', the Magician presents himself as an energetic and benevolent character. As the game continues, he begins to make sarcastic remarks with sinister undertones. At the end of the game, it is revealed that the Magician is a traitor who secretly admires [[Mr Dark]], and has been manipulating the heroes in an attempt at world domination.

According to a script found in the files of ''Rayman Origins'', the Magician started his carrer at a young age in the school of magic. This event could have taken place chronologically during Rayman 1, when he was still benevolent. The other students bullied him during that time due to his poor skills in magic. While maintaining the nickname "Magician", his real name, Ales Mansay (meaning Salesman in pig latin), left more clear his main purpose in the games: provide assistance in exchange for monetary assets. Finally, tempted by the other students, the Magician turned away from Rayman to become a fan of the evil Mr. Dark. The magician also proved to be an expert engineer at the end of ''Rayman Origins'', creating a gigantic robotic empire in the [[Moody Clouds]].

[[File:Magician R1 hat.png|thumb|left|320px|Throughout the game, the Magician can be found hiding inside his top hat.]]

[[File:Magician R1 bonus level.png|thumb|right|320px|In exchange for ten [[Ting]]s, he will transport [[Rayman]] to a [[Bonus level (Rayman 1)|bonus level]].]]

The Magician first appears in the introductory sequence of ''[[Rayman 1|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 [[Electoon]]s 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 localisation, 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 [[Ting]]s; 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 level (Rayman)|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 fun, and also record the time taken by the player so that they can attempt to beat their records if they wish.

[[Image:RJMagician 002.PNG|thumb|right|200px|The Magician and [[Betilla the Fairy]] watch over [[the Magic Book of Knowledge]]]]

===''Rayman Junior''===

The Magician takes on a major role as a mentor and teacher in ''[[Rayman Junior]]'', one of several educational spin-offs based on the original ''Rayman'' game. He introduces the story of the game once again, only this time, he tells of how [[Mister Dark]] has broken into his cottage, stolen [[the Great 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 problems (spelling and mathematical problems for the young player) 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.

[[File:02 geyser blowout.jpg|thumb|left|320px|In ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', the Magician can still be found hiding inside his top hat, but now he gives the heroes advice rather than unlocking bonus levels.]]

[[Image:Magician1.JPG|thumb|right|320px|The Magician collects the player's [[Lum (Rayman Origins)|Lums]] at the end of each level.]]

===''Rayman Origins''===

The Magician makes his next appearance in the 2D platforming sequel, ''[[Rayman Origins]]''. The Magician is first encountered at the beginning of the game: he is found inside his distinctive top hat, which is sitting on the ground outside [[the Snoring Tree]]. Each time one of the players jumps on the hat, the Magician offers a few words of advice. The hat appears in many places throughout the game, and the players can jump on it at any time for tips relevant to their current situation. However, there are some hints at his darker side; he makes sarcastic comments, and has little concern for the heroes, beyond using them as a source of [[Lum]]s. Sometimes he even questions Rayman's position as a hero.

At the end of each level, he is seen holding a test tube which he uses to count the number of Lums collected by the players. In exchange for certain numbers of Lums, he gives the heroes [[Electoon]]s, but if the players reach the top of the test tube, they receive a [[Lum Medal]]. The Magician displays great joy and excitement whenever the heroes bring him a large number of Lums. In these post-level screens, the Magician can be seen fully: he is revealed to be a [[Teensie]] rather than a member of [[Rayman's species]], and his hair is now grey rather than blonde.

The last world of the game (apart from [[Land of the Livid Dead (Rayman Origins)|the optional bonus level]]) is the [[Moody Clouds]], a flying mechanical steampunk city which has mysteriously appeared above [[the Glade of Dreams]]. When the heroes finally arrive, they find the Magician's magic hat waiting for them. However, instead of offering helpful advice as he usually does, the Magician frantically tells them that they are going the wrong way, warning them to turn back before it is too late. In spite of the Magician's warning, the heroes work their way through the Moody Clouds. Along the way, they find many [[Lum]]s trapped in glass containers connected to machines; it seems that they are being used to power Moody Clouds and its robotic denizens. Eventually the heroes reach the heart of the mystery, a level titled ‘[[The Reveal]]’. They step into the Moody Clouds headquarters, only to find the Magician working the controls of the diabolical machinery encountered throughout the level. Caught, the Magician spins round, gives the heroes a smile and rips the golden star off his hat. He then jumps onto his desk and poses while lightning flashes in the windows behind him. We see that the walls are decorated with posters of a mysterious, shadowy figure with a hat and a cloak; one poster bears the words '♥ Mister D', revealing that the Magician was secretly a fan of [[Mr Dark]], the villain of [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'']]. Also on the wall is a diagram showing Lums being fed into a machine to produce electricity: it is revealed that the Magician has been using the Lums he collected from the heroes to power the creation of his mechanical empire, the Moody Clouds. At this moment, the Magician pulls a lever, causing the heroes to fall through a trap door, where they must fight mechanical recreations of the [[Daisy]] and [[Mocking Bird]] bosses. Once these have been defeated, the heroes climb back to the office of the Magician, where he distracts them with a disco number (recalling the dances of the original game's bosses) before running away. The heroes must them pursue him through a storm of falling debris and broken machinery as the Moody Clouds itself begins to disintegrate. Eventually the Magician hops onboard an airship, and the heroes must pursue him on the backs of their [[mosquito]] friends. Eventually the airship crashes into the fiery core of the Moody Clouds, causing an enormous explosion. The heroes fall from the sky and land back at [[the Snoring Tree]], where the game began. The Magician's fate is unknown.

[[Image:Char-mr-dark.png|thumb|right|320px|The Magician takes on the mantle of [[Mr Dark]].]]

An earlier version of the game's script was found amongst the files of the game's demo, and, while it follows the same general story, it also sheds more light on certain aspects of the plot, and contains a great deal expository dialogue that was excised from the final version of the game. The Magician, real name Ales Mansay, was bullied and ostracised by the other [[Teensie]]s at magic school for his poor magical abilities. Although he helped Rayman to overcome Mr Dark in [[Rayman 1|the original game]], the Magician secretly admired the villain's dark and mysterious nature, and wanted to emulate him. He also developed a hatred for the [[Polokus|Bubble Dreamer]], whose nightmares had repeatedly overcome [[the Glade of Dreams]] and were a constant threat to its inhabitants. The Magician concocted a plan. He hid a microphone in [[the Snoring Tree]], so that the heroes' snoring would irritate and ultimately start a war with the [[Livid Dead]]. (This microphone, disguised as a flower, can still be seen in the game itself, in both the beginning and ending sequences.) Throughout the game, the Magician pretended that he was still a friend of the heroes, allowing him to collect [[Lum]]s from them in exchange for [[Electoon]]s which they could use to reach new levels. The Magician used these Lums to power his mechas: gigantic machines which he was building to take over the Glade of Dreams, imposing order and eliminating the chaos of the Bubble Dreamer's nightmares. Eventually, however, the heroes reach the Magician's headquarters in the [[Moody Clouds]] and put a stop to his plans.

In the months leading up to and following the release of ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', there was some confusion amongst fans about the identity of the villain and his relationship to Mr Dark, thanks largely to the lack of dialogue or lucid storytelling in the final version of the game. In January 2012, lead writer Gabrielle Shrager confirmed that the Magician was simply a big fan and admirer of Mr Dark, and that he was attempting to usurp Mr Dark's position.<ref>Gabrielle Shrager clarifies the identity of the villain of ''Rayman Origins'', [[:File:Gabrielle Shrager Facebook conversation.jpg]]</ref>

===''Rayman Legends''===

[[File:Ro2-maybe-9.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Magician's hat in an early version of ''Rayman Legends''.]]

He is a major antagonist of the game. 100 years after the events of ''Rayman Origins'', the Magician has proven his survival after the big explosion. With Rayman and friends caught in a deep sleep, the nightmares and evil monsters multiply, and so does the Magician, who has turned into five evil creatures known as the Dark Teensies. These Dark Teensies spread throughout the Glade, looking for revenge and causing chaos with the help of the evil nightmares that they redeemed. They have learned magic this time, being able to create forcefields for their steampunk flying machines, and being able to transform Rayman into a duck temporarily. They have tamed even the fiercest of the nightmares, like the [[Sea Serpent]]. It appears that only 2 '''Dark Teensies''' have complete control over the nightmares, while the other 3 merely call upon when threatened by [[Rayman]] and friends. In [[Olympus Maximus]], the nightmares have evolved into complete and primitive monsters. The Dark Teensie of Olympus Maximus appears to fear the hordes of the [[Dark Creature]], as he had them imprisoned behind walls of bones. It is possible it fears the [[Dark Cloud]], as it is the most powerful of the nightmares.  At the end of each world, [[Rayman]] and his friends must send these '''Dark Teensies''' to the [[moon]] with a charged punch. Once sent to the moon, they are tortured by creatures of unknown origin. They are seen in the credits as [[Rayman]] and friends celebrate the defeat of the nightmares and a new era of peace in [[The Glade of Dreams|The Glade]].

==Trivia==

*Although he does not make a direct appearance, a notable reference to the Magician is made in [[Rayman Raving Rabbids (GBA)|the Gameboy Advance version of Rayman Raving Rabbids]], in the level '[[The kids' hamlet]]' from the [[Child (world)|Child world]]. In certain area, a grey [[Rabbid]] wearing the Magician's top hat won't let Rayman pass. Much like the Magician, the bunny proposes Rayman to play a minigame with limited time. Rayman must enter his tent and play a minigame called 'Shoot a Rabbid', 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 pass through the rest of the level.

<td valign="top">[[Image:RJMagician 001.PNG|thumb|200px|none]]</td>

<td valign="top">[[Image:RJMagician 003.PNG|thumb|200px|none]]</td>

<td valign="top">[[Image:RJMagician 004.PNG|thumb|200px|none]]</td>

</tr>

<td valign="top">[[Image:RJMagician 005.PNG|thumb|200px|none]]</td>

<td valign="top">[[Image:RJMagician 006.PNG|thumb|200px|none]]</td>

<td valign="top">[[File:Rabbid magician.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A [[Rabbid]] wearing the Magician's hat.]]</td>

</tr>

</table>

==References==

{{R1characters}}

{{RLbosses}}

[[fr:Le Magicien]]

[[Category:Friends from Rayman 1|Magician, The]]

[[Category:Friends from Rayman Origins|Magician, The]]

[[Category:Members of Rayman's species|Magician, The]]

[[Category:Villains|Magician, The]]