Top 10 Magi Characters

Written by Shiggins and Micha

This article is long overdue. I think it’s an indisputable fact that everyone needs a bit of Magi in their lives. If you don’t read Magi, you should. You’re clearly missing out on the brilliant characters this manga has to offer.  Please note that naturally this article is rife with spoilers. Read at your own risk. 

And as a shocking bonus, some of these entries are actually written by Otaku Nuts' founder Micha!

10. Kouen Ren (Written by Micha + Shiggins)

What the heck happened to this dude, eh? But we'll come to current events after I worship his years as the Kou Empire's first Imperial Prince. Those were the days when Kouen was mysterious, aloof, and dreamy. When he did whatever he liked and nobody could stand before him. He also had red hair. And red hair is the second-best hair colour.

Along with his brothers, all of whom are very beautiful like every other male in this damn series, Kouen endured hardships and had his own vision for how the world should be. His downfall at the hands in the latter section of the series was a big shock, and he certainly fell to a low-point he can never escape. Luckily, he's still a damn fine character with personality, so it's hard to dislike him in the end. 

9. Aladdin (Written by Shiggins)

Cute. That’s the first word that comes to mind whenever I look at the main protagonist. He’s cute, adorable, kawaii and huggable. A little kid in a big world, Aladdin has a mysterious past and is full of undeniable charm. It’s hard to imagine he’s only 9^th place on our list but oh well. When he first appeared, he had nothing but a magical flute and his turban which gave him the power of flight… Actually, that’s quite a lot to start the plot with but nevertheless; he has gone through a lot of development and growth throughout the series.

Yeah, I'd be pissed too if I woke up with a Christmas star tattoo on my forehead.

Son of the great dimension-creator Solomon, Aladdin has been through a shocking amount of absurd horror. He has fought in wars, lived his childhood in a cave with a giant blue man in hipster glasses, and he has felt so many breasts that if he were in modern civilisation, he’d be in jail for multiple sexual harassment offences. We’ve seen him go through school with only the motivation of breasts to keep him going, we’ve seen him squeeze fat man boobs in confusion, and we’ve seen him in confusion at Titus’ flat chest due to having such a fat butt. In short, Aladdin loves the boobies.

A boy with the best tastes.

I suppose the reason he isn’t higher is because he is quite the perfect kid. He’s very wholesome and very kind, and he’s never done anything selfish or stupid. While still lovable and interesting, we do have to see him be the best around and unrealistically love everything despite being inside a world filled with slavery and cruelty. If I was Aladdin, I’d have begun a painful attack on certain people by now. And I’m much more “mature” than him!

8. Uraltugo Noi Nueph (UGO) (Written by Micha)

Of all screwed up and corrupt characters in this manga, Ugo might be one of the rarest characters who are innocent and completely chaste. And that is not a relevance to his sexual inexperience, although that's up for debate. Ugo is precious, nerdy, and he needs to be shielded from this terrible world because he is just too pure.

What he lacks in his confidence because of his crippling fear of women, he more than makes up for with his old school charm and his brain.

His big, brilliant brain.

To be honest, I don't understand how Solomon gets all the credit for creating a new world, when really it was Ugo bending over backwards (not to give any visuals), coming up with theories on how to fix the depraved world of Alma Torran Solomon left behind. He was the one who created magic tools in Alma Torran, created the theoretical foundations for Solomon's gravity magic, created the new world, established dungeons, created the Magi system, and braided each one of the Magis' hair before sending them to the world.

Ugo has done overwhelmingly much for the Magi plot, although doesn't seem to get the proportionate amount of spotlight to his contributions. And it is for this reason that Ugo deserves to be on this list. In fact, I'll start a Let's Appreciate Ugo, That Dorky Trash movement soon. And I will shove his accomplishments in everyone's face like a new mother posting baby pictures on Facebook.

However, the reason why Ugo is unable to climb any higher in this list is because his Magi system has been broken in to pieces when Arba rained on his parade big time. While the Magi system was elegant and interesting, it was not without its flaws. Nonetheless, Ugo became a very important person in both Solomon and Aladdin's life; helping both of them to become strong magicians.

Not to mention he took care of fetus Aladdin for years and became a single mom to Solomon and Sheba's kid without child support. Someone give this guy an award.

7. Hakuryuu Ren (Written by Shiggins)

You know what we don’t get enough of? Characters turning from heroes to villains. We get plenty of villains wanting to redeem themselves and become best buddies with the protagonists, like Piccolo or Nico Robin, but they rarely go the other way. I suppose they don’t want to lose fans as a shocking betrayal can upset a lot of people but if the reason is good enough, the betrayal doesn’t make them worse. It makes them better. And Hakuryuu only got better the worse he got.

Now he just has to find the Avatar... I mean, Magi!

While his original personality bordered on hilarious and was somewhat entertaining, it was his decay into darkness that stole the spotlight. With a massive Zuko-scar across his eye due to an attack from his bitch of a mother, Hakuryuu has the typical tragic backstory and lust for revenge that many other characters have had over the past few years, most likely due to Sasuke’s success. Thankfully though, Hakuryuu is nowhere near as aggravating as Sasuke is.

The true face of a leader.

The reason Hakuryuu isn’t any higher than 8^th place is because he is yet another revenge-focused character in a manga genre that seems dependent on it now. While he’s better than most obsessed anti-heroes, Hakuryuu does go for some of the clichés and even starts a massive boring war as part of it all. Yes, I am like a hippy. I hate wars. And because I hate wars, Hakuryuu is 8^th.

6. David Jehoahaz Abraham (Written by Micha)

I tried. I really tried to push him to the top 5. I fought Shiggins and his religion of anti-Davidism to push him to top 5. But since I’m sitting my ass on the 6^th position with my David Jehoahaz Abraham plush doll and his prophetic book that gives me inappropriate sensations in nether regions, I seem to have lost the battle.

However, this will not demotivate me from shamelessly praising him and revering him as my pope amongst all manga characters.

David, father of Solomon and most probably one of the most mysterious characters in this manga, was first introduced in one of the flashback chapters of Solomon’s life. Or more precisely, when introducing the emotional manifestations of Solomon’s daddy issues.

And the part I love most is that the said issues are perpetuated by David’s undying love for his God, his fixation on surpassing Ill-Ilah and ruining Solomon’s life and religious faith in general while he’s at it. I don’t know about you but I find that incredibly, irrefutably romantic.

David also had awakened some power that allowed him to “see” the events that would occur in the future, which I believe, no one has ever achieved. It’s still a mystery how he acquired this power as nothing has been definitely confirmed (yet), but it's most likely because of his mission to transfer his conscious to Ill-Ilah: the mass of powerful energy aspiring to descend upon mankind.

However, the one thing that really baffles and impresses me is that he knew his child was going to rebel against him, and defeat him in battle. He knew of this because he could see the future. However, he couldn’t give two shits. He didn’t try to stop it and work his way around “destiny”. Instead, he embraced it, went to battle, scared the living innocence out of Solomon by murdering his friends, and "died" like he was meant to.

Again, so romantic.

For those who are update with the manga (I hope you are. Why else are you reading a spoiler filled article?), you'd know that this hot piece of ass is back, And I think David was too attractive stay dead anyway, since we have glimpses of him in Sinbad's character.

My life is not void of its meaning, after all.  

5. Judar (Written by Shiggins)

Yawn. David. Now for a really interesting antagonist! Judar, or Judal if you prefer and choose one translation over the other, is probably the closest thing Magi has to a recurring villain. He’s one of the Magi in this messed-up world and he always seems to be on the side of mischief. Whether it’s messing with his boytoy Sinbad or being surprisingly mean to the chibi Aladdin, Judar just always seems to be having the time of his life.

"You have been defeated, lightning-spider-thing! Now nobody will know the truth about my hair!"

Probably the most three-dimensional “pure-villain” on our list, Judar is a character that has been up and down in my eyes throughout the chapters. When he first appeared, I remember really disliking him actually because he was very smarmy and cocky. However, that attitude quickly grew on me as he was clearly one of the only characters not to give a damn about the politics and only care about his own goals. I suppose, in a way, I have something in common with him then.

Oh we also both own pokey sticks. Real villains need pokey sticks.

Recently, Judar has not been the most evil character and is displaying the other sides of his personality. And in my opinion, that just makes him stronger. A villain that is pure evil because they’re a “kooky nutjob who doesn’t like a thing so is like totally bad guys” can be almost comical, but a villain like Judar who can have a range of emotions and reasoning, yet still maintain a fun and enjoyable attitude, is someone who deserves to be in our top five.

4. Sinbad (Written by Shiggins)

Moving on from the evil half of Micha’s OTP and onto the handsome playboy half, Sinbad is the very same Sinbad from all the stories and legends. Regrettably, he does not get to fight the gorgeous Eris voiced by the gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer but to make up for that, he’s far more enjoyable than most Sinbad adaptations… or all of them actually. I mean, how can you hate a character that makes his first appearance in the series with this?

Which character would you like to see introduce themselves like this? Tell us in the comments below!

The only character in Magi to gain a well-deserved spin-off, Sinbad hasn’t had an easy life growing up but, arguably, he has had the most exciting one. He’s travelled all the seas and he’s unlocked more dungeons on this planet than any other person. He also has probably the most badass and most underused group of badasses that I’ve ever seen on the “heroic” side.

Oh the spinoff is where they all are? Okay, too bad it's boring then.

Actually, that’s what makes Sinbad interesting. While he is still quite heroic and handsome and having sex with all the ladies, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be on the side of Aladdin and Alibaba. He’s surprisingly rational and ruthless, prepared to do what is necessary for his people and his country. It’s almost like LeLouch but not as fucking insane.

3. Solomon Jehoahaz Abraham (Written by Micha + Shiggins)

Micha: Solomon's face pisses me off.

And I know it's almost impossible since everyone seems to resemble each other in this manga in terms of art. But his face really pisses me off. Unfortunately my personal opinion of his face (or his character) has no bearing over the collective opinion of the fandom.

But I have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to Solomon. For one thing, he is connected to two of my favorite characters: David and Aladdin.

Shiggins: I actually think he's pretty good, but the fandom will proudly boast how amazing he is in every way, so this entry is more due to peer pressure than anything else. Although I will admit that it's very interesting to see someone be such a major asshole, yet also be a crowd-favourite in both fandom and narrative.  His development into... well, GOD, is quite upsetting, but also very decipherable. Is Solomon a good person as God? A bad one? Does he even care? It's part of why I find him impressive enough to be 3rd on our list.

2. Alibaba Saluja (Written by Shiggins)

If you’re disappointed that Alibaba is not in 1^st place, trust me when I say you are not the only one… I love Alibaba for oh so many reasons. He’s a dork. He’s a blonde dork. He’s a blonde dork who wants a girlfriend. He’s a blonde dork who wants a girlfriend and goes through character development and big battles with fire, yet somehow he remains relatable and understandable. I know Aladdin is meant to be the main character, but I keep forgetting he exists whenever Alibaba takes centre-stage.

"A whole new wooooorld...." Wait, wrong character. Bollocks.

Unlike the original Arabian Nights, this Alibaba is young and uses a fire Djinn in battle to protect the country he loves. He spent many years living in the slums and the gutters before his true heritage was discovered and he found out who his father was. From there onwards, Alibaba’s journey and his goals never waver. He loves his home and he’ll do anything to protect it.

Alibaba at our Otaku Nut's after-party, due to Micha's biased attitude.

Alibaba is basically a perfect example of a shonen protagonist. He loves his friends and he has a girl who he treats like a “pal” when she obviously wants him. He’s got a sense of justice and he keeps getting new goals but they all somehow tie into the same goal he’s had since the beginning. He went from a selfish wimp to a prince that can survive just about anything so long as he has Aladdin by his side. Honestly, I’d put him in “the best” category if it wasn’t for those chapters on the ship involving girlfriends…

1. Arba (Gyokuen/Kougyoku/Whatever-she's-calling-herself-these-days) (Written by Micha)

This list is fairly subjective, even with the compromises and collaboration of two people. And I’m aware that many of you may disagree with the arrangement, but Arba does not give a rat’s ass about your opinion. Arba is spectacular. Arba is game. And Arba is the reason why so much shit has gone down in the Magi story, which gives my life a perverse fulfillment.

 She secured the first position as the best Magi character precisely because she’s a twisted psychopath who gives me (and everyone) the incentive to believe that every panel we’ve been fed in this manga could be a deception. And I'm not a person who uses the word "psychopath" loosely. She really does fit most of the psychological profile of a psychopath.

Manipulative? Check. Callous indifference? Check. Superficial charm? Damn, right. Lack of conscious? Check.  Lack of empathy? Check. Lack of remorse? I'm darn well gonna bet on it.

She has literally screwed her way to the top to cheat the system, with not only one but two Emperors of Kou; both of whom she may or may not have killed to remain as Empress. As if most aspects of her life weren’t twisted enough, she took extraordinary parenting strategies for raising her children. Some of them include terrorizing the absolute day lights out of Hakuryuu, while making suggestive incestuous advances towards her step-son.

Arba's Parenting Tip: Weird faces + Incest = Motherly love.

What really stuck with me personally about Arba is her unpredictability and her faith. We've seen in the recent chapters that her devotion to Il-Ilah knows no bounds. She was infatuated with Il-Ilah even during Alma Torran times, and now we've seen her worship SinDavid (I'm shipping it) just because they were linked to Il-Ilah. 

What's so appealing about Arba's faith, you say? We've seen villains in many manga (if not the whole of fiction) that are so devoted to their ego and their own personal desires, be it revenge or anything else. They commit horrible atrocities on other people due to personal trauma that it's become cliche and repetitive. Arba, however, has a superior being to please and gratify. And religious devotion causing a person to create chaos is not so far from our reality, which is what makes this woman so real.

I have absolutely no clue what she wants. Does she want to surpass God? Does she plan to standby David's side as he become a puppeteer? Does she plan to build her own world?

But I'm certain of one thing: she can have it all. She is powerful and have unlimited knowledge. And when she decides to use them seriously, it's going to be terrifying. The times she was antagonizing Hakuryuu is going to feel like a hug.


Honourable Mentions:

Morgiana

Ja'far

Kougyoko Ren

Shiggins:[Admin]
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Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/

Micha: [Co-founder]













Micha likes to broadcast her terrible drawing skills to the world on her DeviantArt account and talks about her life long ambition of making Yakushi Kabuto a woman, on her Skype; michasucks. Yes, with the dot. She will also respond to e-mails on her michamichamicha@live.com because Amber forces her to.

 Also, she now has an ask.fm and tumblr. Here's your chance   to harass her.