The archetype of the black mage is one of the most common character archetypes in JRPGs. They generally serve as the main offensive spellcaster of the party, overwhelming the enemy with various magical attacks of fire, ice, and many other elements.
While black mages originated in Final Fantasy, characters who serve roles similar to that of the black mage appear in many JRPGs. They are often vital parts of the party, and trying to face a boss without at least one of these characters is foolishness. Here are some of the strongest black mages of all time that have appeared in games.
10 Rita Mordio – Tales Of Vesperia
Rita Mordio is a researcher of blastia, ancient devices that control many parts of life in the world of Tales of Vesperia. She is completely devoted to her research, to the point of completely lacking any interest in anything else.
Rita is the main caster in the Tales of Vesperia cast, with powerful elemental spells that storm the battlefield. Since the Tales of games are action role-playing games, Rita is a lot more physically active than most other mages, shown in the flourishes she performs when she casts high-level spells.
9 Celine Jules – Star Ocean: The Second Story
Celine Jules is a jewel-loving, devious treasure hunter that roams the planet Expel looking for adventure. A skilled symbologist in her own right, she ends up joining Claude and Rena on their journey almost on a whim.
Celine is one of the few pure spellcasters available in Star Ocean: The Second Story, specializing in fire, wind, and light-elemental attacks. While symbology is not all that strong in this game, Celine still has her uses in clearing regular encounters.
8 Delthea – Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia
Delthea is an extremely talented mage, despite her lack of motivation to study or develop her skills. She was kidnapped by a Duma necromancer and brainwashed into a Witch, but she was saved by Alm and the Deliverance.
Delthea is one of the most powerful mages in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, having both an extremely high attack stat and some of the best spells in the game. Delthea is easily one of the best offensive mages in the game and possibly in the series' entirety.
7 Emma Millstein – Trails Of Cold Steel
Thanks to the orbment system, any character in the Trails series can cast orbal arts, which are magic-like phenomena. However, Emma Millstein is a witch and a member of the Hexen Clan, which allows her to use real magic without the use of an orbment.
Emma is the strongest arts caster in the Trails of Cold Steel series, with the highest ARTS stat among the party. Emma's crafts are also magic-based and have a variety of useful effects that make her a vital part of the party.
6 Angela – Trials Of Mana
Angela is the princess of Altena, the perpetually cold Kingdom of Magicians. In order to keep Altena from freezing over, the queen, Altena's mother, decides to invade other countries for their mana stones. In order to stop her mother's invasion, Angela awakens her latent magical powers and journeys to the Priest of Light for guidance.
Angela is the main offensive caster of Trials of Mana. She is able to learn spells of many different elements, allowing her to decimate whole groups of foes with a single spell.
5 Millenia – Grandia 2
When an exorcism ceremony goes wrong, Elena is cursed with the Wings of Valmar, manifesting as a separate personality known as Millenia. Although she has a cruel personality, her affection towards Ryudo leads her to help him on his journey.
Millenia is the strongest spellcaster in Grandia 2, with the highest Magic stat among the party. While she is not always available and she can occasionally go berserk, it is always a relief to have her in the party.
4 Athos – Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Athos the Archsage was one of the Eight Heroes that defeated the dragons during the Scouring. Having lived since then as an immortal wizard, Athos remains one of the greatest magicians in Elibe and watches over the continent in secret.
Athos is only available for the final chapter of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. However, he is nevertheless one of the strongest magic units in the game, with the ability to use all tomes and staves. It's hard to find a mage that would be more versatile than Athos is.
3 Lulu – Final Fantasy 10
Lulu is a stoic, calm woman who serves as a guardian for Yuna. Despite seeing her as a younger sister and not wanting her to perform the pilgrimage, she dutifully serves her on her journey to Zanarkand as a level-headed advisor and bodyguard.
While any character in Final Fantasy 10 can learn black magic, Lulu starts as a very capable black mage, with an extremely high magic stat. She will remain one of the party's most powerful spellcasters for some time, and her presence is vital for many boss fights.
2 Jessica Albert – Dragon Quest 8
Despite being a member of a wealthy family, Jessica Albert is a tomboyish girl with a desire to leave her home to avenge her murdered brother. After meeting with the hero, she decides to join him on his journey with her considerable magical powers.
Jessica is the main offensive magic user in Dragon Quest 8, and her presence in the party is indispensable. Her powerful spells are essential in clearing enemy hordes, and her various abilities allow her to confuse and beguile the enemy when she isn't casting spells.
1 Vivi Ornitier – Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy is credited with the modern concept of the black mage, and Final Fantasy 9 reflects on that with its own version of Black Mages, magic-using dolls that are used by Alexandria as devastating weapons of war. Vivi Ornitier was a prototype of these Black Mages, and his struggle to understand his identity is a major part of the game's story.
Vivi is the black mage of Final Fantasy 9 and is the main spellcaster of the game's party. As a reference to the classic black mage design, Vivi is iconic and surely the best representation of black mages in video games.