There’s hardly a fantasy fan around that hasn’t wanted to be a wizard at least one point in their life. These masters of the mystic arts have played huge roles in a variety of media, but the sorcerers of the silver screen are definitely working a different kind of magic.
From aspiring apprentices to well-seasoned vets of the magic game, the magicians and mages of the movies have kept audiences spellbound for years and have shown no signs of slowing down. Whether it’s through their over-the-top personalities or displays of awesome arcane power, these powerful wizards are no conjurers of cheap tricks.
Jareth The Goblin King (Labyrinth)
He might not wield the power of voodoo, but Jareth has some seriously spellbinding skills that go beyond his crazy crystal ball stunts. The fact that he’s played by the late and legendary David Bowie, in one of his best movies, is only a bonus when stacked against his reality manipulating abilities.
The only drawback to his glam-rock performance is that his powers seem only potent when he’s in his own realm. Sleight-of-hand tricks aside, he doesn’t seem to do much in the real world apart from his vanishing act.
Mickey Mouse (Fantasia)
While it might seem more appropriate to put Master Yen Sid on this list, but his round-eared apprentice has done more with his career than his old teacher could imagine. No one beats the mouse, but Mickey’s magical career is truly something that warrants discussion. True Disney fans know that his work only expanded outside of Fantasia.
Mickey’s sorcerer persona has been a major role in his repertoire of characters throughout his career. From Fantasia to the Fantasmic show at the Disney parks and beyond, Mickey has displayed some almost god-tier magic abilities. But only if he’s wearing the magic hat.
Harry Potter (Harry Potter)
The Boy Who Lived is definitely an icon of the fantasy genre, and the movies feature many storylines that fans wish could have been expanded. Not everyone can survive a full-on point-blank attack from a dark wizard and live to tell the tale, but Mr. Potter’s reputation and aptitude for the mystic arts are both certainly enough to win him a spot on the list.
Harry’s story is easily one for the ages, and the Wizarding World owes him a debt of gratitude for overcoming the evil forces of Voldemort. And while his magical abilities are some of the best in the realms of both fiction and film, they are a tad under polished and inconsistent at times. He is still a student-level wizard, after all, even in the final battle.
Jafar (Aladdin)
Wizards not only make some of the best heroes in fiction, but they can also play magnificent and magical villains, as well. Jafar is certainly one tough customer, even though he might be a tad more manic and over-the-top compared to some of his peers. Even so, his powers of manipulation and hypnosis rival even that of Voldemort’s Imperius Curse.
He might possess phenomenal magic powers, but he doesn’t get them on his own. He only becomes the “most powerful sorcerer in the world” through Genie’s wish-granting abilities. Even then, he’s only second best compared to the big blue ball of smoke and one-liners.
Merlin (Excalibur)
No discussion of wizards would be complete without at least one version of Merlin the Magician from Arthurian legends. And while Excalibur might be a highly romanticized version of the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, its enigmatic portrayal of the wizard is absolutely incredible.
Merlin might tick a lot of boxes for the standard-issue fantasy wizard, but it’s his ambiguous nature that separates him from other incarnations. He’s less of a wise advisor and more of a force of magical nature in this adaptation, making it one of the most unforgettable.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)
Some fans might consider George Lucas’s space opera a strictly science-fiction affair, but one only has to consider the appearance and abilities of the Jedi to immediately think of them as wizards. And no one fits the wizard archetype better than Ben Kenobi himself.
It’s true that Yoda is indeed more powerful and practiced, but Obi-Wan has arguably equal abilities paired with a more wizardly persona. Throw in his hooded robes and white beard and he essentially fits the mold. But at his core, he is essentially a sly, gifted being who has become one with the universe.
Doctor Strange (Doctor Strange)
The realm of superheroes is certainly no stranger to magical beings, but Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme earns his title for a reason. Doctor Strange and his reality-bending abilities are enough to send a shudder through the fabric of space and time, making him one of the most formidable magical forces on the list.
While he only has one solo film in the MCU, his adventures with other members of the Avengers have shown him to be quite the serious spellcaster, as his powers stretch to the Dark Dimension and back. Hopefully, fans can expect more of his spellbinding powers in the upcoming sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter)
There are certain characters where all it takes is a single look to deduce that they are indeed a wizard, and Albus Dumbledore is one of the greatest examples. As one of the most practiced and powerful members of the Wizarding World, Dumbledore has more than enough skill, smarts, and abilities to back up his sterling reputation.
Equal parts magical and mysterious, the headmaster at Hogwarts is a powerhouse of mystical abilities, with and without the infamous Elder Wand. There’s a reason why the Ministry of Magic and even the Dark Lord himself couldn’t touch him.
Gandalf The Gray (Lord Of The Rings)
Gandalf is perhaps one of the most recognizable wizards in all the literary world, but it was Ian Mckellan’s portrayal in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings that made him a film icon. His presence is unforgettable, his lines are quotable, and his over-the-top nature has set the bar for almost every wizard that has come afterward.
The main thing that separates him from the likes of Dumbledore is that while Dumbledore is still a mortal man with magical powers, Gandalf is something else entirely. Like Obi-Wan, he can be struck down but will return more powerful, and in a different color as well.
Merlin (The Sword In The Stone)
It might seem a bit unthinkable to place Disney’s version of Merlin above someone like Gandalf, but he is “the world’s most powerful wizard.” Merlin isn’t just blowing smoke when he makes that claim either, for his power isn’t driven by something as simple as a wand alone, but rather his own eccentric will.
From manipulating the weather to transfiguration, all Merlin has to do is flick his wrist or utter an incantation to manipulate the elements around him. He might have the tendency to fly off the handle, but his power and abilities are only limited by his imagination.
