The Magician (Rayman 1): Difference between revisions

| image = [[File:Magician.png|320px|The Magician]]

| 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 = [[Douglas Rand]] (''[[Rayman 1|Rayman]]'', ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', ''[[Rayman Legends]]'') <br />

Steve Gadler (''[[Rayman Junior]]'') <br />

Christian Stonner (''[[English with Rayman]]'')

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

| relatives = [[Andrew]] (cousin, but only in the preschool educational spin-off ''[[English with Rayman]]''), [[Dark Teensy|Dark Teensies]] (clones)

'''The Magician''' is a major character in the [[Rayman (series)|''Rayman'' series]]. He made his first appearance in [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'' game]], as a member of [[Rayman]]'s [[Rayman's species|limbless species]], and then returned in several educational spin-offs, such as ''[[Rayman Junior]]'' and ''[[English with Rayman]]''. His next major role was in ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', where his species was changed to become a [[Teensie]], and he ultimately took on a villainous role. In ''[[Rayman Legends]]'', he multiplied to become the five villainous [[Dark Teensy|Dark Teensies]].

==Character description==

In [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'' game]], the Magician is a member of [[Rayman's species|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 1|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 [[Rayman 1|the original ''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 (series)|''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.

R1Intro 001.PNG|class=sprite|The Magician first appears in the intro sequence of [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'' game]]

The Reveal 3.jpg|The Magician as a villainous [[Teensie]] in ''[[Rayman Origins]]''

[[File:Magician Andrew family photo album English with Rayman.png|thumb|right|214px|class=sprite|The Magician's family photo album, as seen in ''[[English with Rayman]]'']]

In [[Rayman 1|the original ''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.

==In ''Rayman'' and its spin-offs==

{{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]]''}}

The Magician first appears in the introductory sequence of [[Rayman 1|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 [[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 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 [[Ting]]s; if not, he will clearly indicate with his hand that the hero will need them. If [[Rayman]] does have at least ten [[Ting]]s, 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 [[Ting]]s within the time limit. If he succeeds, he wins an extra [[life]]. Only a single [[life]] can be won in each [[Bonus level (Rayman 1)|bonus level]]. Subsequent victories in the same [[Bonus level (Rayman 1)|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.

{{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>''[[Rayman Junior]]'' official website (via archive.org), ''Le Magicien'', http://web.archive.org/web/20020608133315/http://sites.ubisoft.fr/raymanedu/ami/ami2/mag.html</ref>}}

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

The Magician takes on a major role as a mentor and teacher in ''[[Rayman Junior]]'', one of several educational spin-offs based on [[Rayman 1|the original ''Rayman'' game]]. He introduces the story of the game once again, only this time, he tells of how [[Mr Dark]] has broken into his cottage, 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 Magic Book of Knowledge|the book]].

Instead of providing [[Bonus level (Rayman 1)|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.

==In ''Rayman Origins''==

[[File:02 geyser blowout.jpg|320px|thumb|right|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 level (Rayman 1)|bonus levels]].]]

{{quote|text=The Magician will help you throughout your quest. He's always willing to trade you [[Electoon]]s for [[Lum (UbiArt games)|Lums]], 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 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 (UbiArt games)|Lums]]. 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 [[Lum (UbiArt games)|Lums]] collected by the players. In exchange for certain numbers of [[Lum (UbiArt games)|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 [[Lum (UbiArt games)|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 the [[Land of the Livid Dead (UbiArt games)|Land of the Livid Dead]], is the [[Moody Clouds]], a sprawling flying city with retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics which has been built 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 (UbiArt games)|Lums]] trapped in glass containers connected to machines; it seems that they are being used to power the [[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. 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 [[Lum (UbiArt games)|Lums]] being fed into a machine to produce electricity: it is revealed that the Magician has been using the [[Lum (UbiArt games)|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 [[Carnivora]] 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 [[Rayman 1|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 on board an [[Warship|airship]], and the heroes must pursue him on the backs of their [[mosquito]] friends. Eventually the [[Warship|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.

<gallery widths="320px" heights="180px">

Magician1.JPG|The Magician collects the player's [[Lum (UbiArt games)|Lums]] at the end of each level.

The Reveal 4.jpg|After the reveal, the Magician pulls a lever to cause the heroes to fall through a trap door.

The Reveal 16.jpg|The Magician attempts to distract the player by dancing.

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]], largely because of the lack of dialogue or lucid storytelling in [[Rayman Origins|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>

[[Mr Dark]] was originally meant to return in ''[[Rayman Origins]]'',<ref>''Jeux Vidéo Magazine'', ''Exclusif Rayman Origins'', [[:File:Jeux video page 47.jpg]]</ref><ref>raymanorigins.uk.ubi.com (via archive.org), ''Characters'', http://web.archive.org/web/20111112121327/http://raymanorigins.uk.ubi.com/#characters-4</ref><ref>psprices.com, ''Rayman Origins Mr. Dark Avatar'', https://psprices.com/region-us/game/269728/rayman-origins-mr-dark-avatar</ref><ref>PS Deals, ''Rayman® Origins Mr. Dark Avatar'', https://psdeals.net/us-store/game/717237/rayman-origins-mr-dark-avatar-</ref> but he was scrapped from the final game and replaced with the Magician, for which the developers reused his new appearance as a [[Teensie]], with only small modifications such as shortening his hair and removing the swirl on his nose.

<gallery widths="320px" heights="200px">

Char-mr-dark.png|[[Mr Dark]] as he was originally meant to appear in ''[[Rayman Origins]]''. His appearance was reused for the Magician, albeit with small changes.

Mr Dark PlayStation Store avatar.jpg|The PlayStation Store avatar of [[Mr Dark]]

===Scrapped plot===

{{quote|text=I remember you... Ales Mansay, right? You stunk at magic. Did the other [[Teensie]]s tease you? No reason to lose your sense of humor... Hahaha...Gulp. Or is it...|sign=[[Polokus|Bubble Dreamer]]|source=''[[Rayman Origins]]'' (unused dialogue)}}

An [[Rayman Origins (early production)|earlier version of the game's script]] was found amongst the files of the game's [[List of Rayman demos|demo]], and, while it follows the same general story, it also would have shed more light on certain aspects of the plot, and contains a large amount of dialogue that was removed from [[Rayman Origins|the final version of the game]]. In this [[Rayman Origins (early production)|scrapped scenario]], the Magician, real name Ales Mansay (which translates to "Salesman" in Pig Latin), 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 (UbiArt games)|Lums]] from them in exchange for [[Electoon]]s which they could use to reach new levels. The Magician used these [[Lum (UbiArt games)|Lums]] to power his mechas: gigantic machines, including [[Mecha Carnivora]] and [[Mecha Mockingbird]], which he was building to take over [[the Glade of Dreams]], imposing order and eliminating the chaos of the [[Polokus|Bubble Dreamer]]'s nightmares. Eventually, however, the heroes reach the Magician's headquarters in the [[Moody Clouds]] and put a stop to his plans.

It is unknown why this plot was scrapped from the final game, and all that is left of it is the posters on the walls in the Magician's headquarters, indicating that the part about him being an admirer of [[Mr Dark]] still holds true.

Additionally, the early script for the game contains dialogue from the [[Polokus|Bubble Dreamer]] which mentions a playable character called [[Teensoudini]], whose name suggests he was also a [[Teensie]] magician. His connection with the Magician is unknown.

==In ''Rayman Legends''==

[[Rayman Legends (early production)|Early screenshots]] of ''[[Rayman Legends]]'' showed the Magician's hat in a level of the game, however, this is not seen in the final product. Instead, 100 years after the events of ''[[Rayman Origins]]'', with [[Rayman]] and friends caught in a deep sleep, the nightmares and evil monsters multiply, and the Magician has also done so into the [[Dark Teensy|Dark Teensies]].

Ro2-maybe-9.jpg|The Magician's hat in [[Rayman Legends (early production)|an early version of ''Rayman Legends'']]

Magician2.png|A [[Dark Teensy]] who is laughing

==In other games==

Although the Magician does not appear in [[Rayman Raving Rabbids (Game Boy Advance)|the Game Boy Advance version of ''Rayman Raving Rabbids'']], a reference to him can be found in [[the Kids' Hamlet]], a level from the [[Child (world)|Child world]]. There, a grey [[Rabbid]] wearing the Magician's top hat will not let [[Rayman]] pass. 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 '[[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.

 

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.

==Trivia==

 

==Image gallery==

[[fr:Le Magicien]]

[[hu:Mágus]]

[[it:Mago]]

[[pl:Magik]]

[[es:Mago]]

[[ru:Волшебник]]

[[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]]