This article contains discussions of rape.
Summary
The Magiciansincludes multiple great villains, but some rise above the others as the best in the series. From 2015 to 2020, SyFy aired one of the best adult fantasy shows,The Magicians. The series follows the graduate students of Brakebills University as they traverse into the magical world fromtheFillory and Furtherbooks. Despite the world appearing in a children’s book, the group soon learns that Fillory is much darker and more twisted than expected.
In season 1,The Magicians’charactersstart out facing a moth-faced monster called The Beast. However, across five seasons, the group goes up against numerous villains.Each of the major antagonists lasts about one season, allowing the story to continue expanding over time. Just because they leave the show doesn’t mean they’re forgotten, though. Some of the villains inThe Magicianshave a lasting impact due to their likability, power, and narrative influence.
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8Everett Rowe
The Second Half Of The Magicians Season 4
The librarian, Everett, is by far the worst villain in the entirety ofThe Magicians. Throughout the series, the Order of the Library is a dubious and looming organization that seems to exert an almost omnipotent control over everyone. Unfortunately, The Library loses their edge when Everett is revealed as the leader of the Governing Council. Nothing about the villain that seems scary because he’s one-dimensional.
Unlike other villains, he doesn’t have a backstory that makes his efforts compelling to watch. His only personality trait is that he’s evil, making him seem much more similar to a fairytale villain. The flatness is particularly an issue because the other villains in the series are so developed and nuanced. The difference between Everett and the other villains can be attributed to the fact that he only appears in six episodes, which is just under half ofThe Magiciansseason 4. Most of the villains get a full season where they play a main role.
Moreover, Everett really isn’t that powerful, with most of his influence coming from the Library. Ultimately, Everett just isn’t fun to watch, powerful, or important to the story. He seems more like a flimsy, last-minute plot device used tokill Quentin inThe Magicians.
7Tick Pickwick
The Magicians Seasons 2 Through 4 With A Cameo In Season 5
One of the most frustrating characters inThe Magiciansis the minor villain, Tick Pickwick. The character is probably the most realistic villain because he doesn’t use supernatural powers to hurt the main characters. Instead, he’s a slimy politician who pretends to be on Eliot and Margo’s side until he gets a chance to seize power. Because of his realistic personality and storyline, he’s more irritating than fun to watch.
Tick is a perfect example of the reason why people hate politicians. While his gripes about the children of Earth are fair,Tick proves that he’s self-serving as soon as he gets into office.He gets so wrapped up in keeping his power that he forgets to listen to the wants and needs of the Fillorians. The politician also has no real magic, and his influence over Fillory is limited.
Ultimately, Tick Pickwick is at least important to the story, making him better than Everett. He’s grating to watch, though, making him one of the worst villains inThe Magicians. The only good thing that can be said about the character is that Rizwan Manji gave a great performance. He never misses a comedic beat and makes the character fun to hate.
6Nameless, The God
The Magicians Season 4
At the end ofThe Magiciansseason 3, the story introduces one of the most magically powerful villains yet, Nameless. He is described by Reynard as the thing that the old gods made before their children. Nameless has more power than most of the othergods inThe Magicians, but he has the cognitive abilities of a child.
Nameless’ destructive tantrums are quite fun to watch, and Hale Appleman does an incredible job of making him chaotic and unpredictable. There are even moments where it’s easy to sympathize with the villain because he truly doesn’t have the ability to empathize fully or develop patience. Unfortunately, the childish behavior and temperament get a little old towards the end because the rest of the cast is composed of adult characters. It’s a bit jarring when Nameless comes into the picture because the show centers on protagonists who are at least in their 20s.
The child god is also central to the plot ofThe Magiciansseason 4 and Quentin’s character arc. Unlike other villains,his influence is contained to a single season, though. Nameless isn’t even the real cause of Quentin’s death, so the god’s influence on the story ends with him entering the seam. Nameless’ high power, moderate likability, and moderate narrative impact make him not the best, but certainly not the worst villain inThe Magicians.
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5Reynard the Fox
The Magicians Season 1 Finale, Season 2, And A Cameo In Season 3
Reynard the Fox is difficult to compare to the other villains because he’s an utterly detestable character who commits horrific crimes against women. If the only qualifier for the best villain was their likability, Reynard would unquestionably land in last place, even below Everett. There is nothing enjoyable about a rapist. However, Reynard lands higher on the list due to his importance to the narrative and his power.
Reynard raping Julia is undoubtedly one ofThe Magicians’darkest moments, but it is central to the character’s season 2 and 3 storylines. Kady’s survivor’s guilt fuels her rage, and she channels this all into killing Reynard. Even after his last appearance inThe Magiciansseason 2, his actions impact the characters and plot. Additionally, the poor behavior of the gods ends up being a throughline for every season ofThe Magicians.Reynard’s presence makes the gods outright abusive and vindictive, rather than neglectful.
On top of this, most of the villains inThe Magiciansare only physically powerful. They possess magic, but they don’t have the ability to manipulate others easily. Reynard is a rare exception because he’s both a god and a master manipulator. Even when he doesn’t use his powers, he has a profound impact through his words and actions. This makes him the most powerful villain of the bunch.
4The Dark King
The Magicians Season 5
After four seasons of well-developed and interesting villains (minus Everett),The Magiciansseason 5 introduces an antagonist who meets the high standards set by previous villains. The Dark King is extremely likable and important to the narrative. By introducing the character as a grieving and kind stranger first, the show makes The Dark King complicated and sympathetic. The character’s trustworthiness feels uncertain, making it more complicated when he’s seemingly vulnerable and emotional with Eliot. This uncertainty makes The Dark King fun to watch.
Additionally,The Dark King’s real identityand character arc wrap up a storyline introduced inThe Magiciansseason 3. As a young man, Rupert “Seb” Chatwin has a romance with his boyfriend Lance Morrison, but the latter is murdered by his homophobic father. This cut their relationship short in a tragic way. The fact that the writers brought this full circle by having Rupert try to revive his lost love feels both tragic and appropriate. His grief serves as the perfect mirror for Eliot after he loses Quentin.
The Dark King also uses his magic to create the Takers, a species of creatures that wreak havoc on all of Fillory. He then manipulates the Fillorians, making them the savior in their eyes. Ultimately, the strength of The Dark King as a character and his rating as a mid-level villain proves just how greatThe Magiciansvillains are.
3The Fairy Queen
The Magicians Season 3
The Fairy Queen is not only one of thebest characters in only one season ofThe Magicians, but she’s also one of the best villains throughout the series. The character meets all three criteria of being likable, powerful, and important to the overall narrative. Despite seeming cruel and legalistic at first, The Fairy Queen is a strong leader who carries the burden of her people. She never stops doing what she believes will protect the fairies, even sacrificing her life to save them. This makes her extremely morally complex and interesting to watch.
The villain is also unbelievably powerful – both magically and as a leader – having influence over the rulers of Fillory and the fairies. Because fairies are intrinsically made of magic, The Fairy Queen’s power is perennial, lasting even when magic is shut off by the plumber. She’s also socially influential because she staunchly holds to her word.
While The Fairy Queen only lasts for a single season, she has an impact on the narrative ofThe Magiciansseason 5. Margo and Fen must find a way to reckon with the mistreatment of The Fairy Queen’s descendants who live in Fillory. They want to stay true to the deal they made with The Fairy Queen to protect the fairies. The only reason the character isn’t the best villain is that the two that rank above her exceed all expectations.
2Marina Andrieski
The Magicians Seasons 1, 4, and 5 With A Minor Role In Season 2 And A Cameo In Season 3
Despite only being a supporting character, Marina is the second-best villain inThe Magicians. The character is witty, sarcastic, unpredictable, and truly embodies the title “the top b*tch in New York.” She uses her calculating nature and intelligence to stay three steps ahead of everyone else. Even when she’s horrible to Julia, it’s easy to cheer on Marina because she’s just so fun to watch. The character was so great that they even brought her back later inThe Magiciansas Marina 23.
While she isn’t as powerful as the gods or The Beast, Marina’s magical abilities cannot be discounted. The character had all her memories of magic erased after she got expelled from Brakebills, and she worked her way back up, becoming one of the strongest Hedge Witches. Her powers only grow when she gets her memories back after breaking into the university.
Lastly, Marina has a surprisingly big on the narrative ofThe Magicians. The character’s actions in the first season push Julia along her path to becoming one of the strongest magicians in the show. She later helps Julia in the aftermath of the rape and again inThe Magiciansseason 2 by revealing how to defeat Reynard. When she’s brought back as Marina 23, the character has a part in breaking the moon and getting the world seed. Ultimately, even with her limited screen time, Marina’s role in the story is memorable.
1The Beast
The Magicians Seasons 1 And The Start Of 2 With A Cameo In The Series Finale
The first villain inThe Magicians, The Beast, is unquestionably one of the most enjoyable antagonists to watch. From the start, The Beast is terrifying and twisted, committing mass murder in his first episode. His motivations remain nebulous throughout most ofThe Magiciansseason 1, creating an interesting mystery. When his tragic past is revealed, The Beast becomes sympathetic without diminishing his fearsome nature. Then, he becomes utterly hilarious and entertaining when he works with Julia in season 2. The writers made the right choice when changing the plan and extending his character arc (viaY!Entertainment).
On top of his likability, The Beast is so powerful that he is nearly invincible, manages to scare the gods, and tortures all of Fillory. The only things known to be capable of destroying the villain are the Leo Blade, the Rinemann Ultra, and a Niffin. Theoretically, the god-killing bullet also would work, but that isn’t created untilThe Magiciansseason 3.
Lastly, The Beast’s influence on the narrative lasts past his death inThe Magiciansseason 2. Julia’s alliance with him creates a rift between her and the rest of the main characters that lasts into season 3. Then, he essentially causes The Dark King’s reign because The Beast pretends to be Lance so that Seb will open the veil between the living and the dead. This influence over the story pushes The Beast just above Marina as the best villain inThe Magicians.
