In the hit Final Fantasy franchise, the Red Mage is every fantasy RPG fan’s dream: a spellcasting swordsman. Essentially a swordmage, the Red Mage of Final Fantasy can not only cast spells but also excel in sword fighting, giving them not just deadly magical offense but also armor and a chance to survive in melee. In harsh RPGs where spellcasters are meat shields without mana, being a Red Sword is a godsend.
However, the concept of a Red Mage in gaming isn’t exactly new. And while they dont use the exact moniker, their style of gameplay and preference for using both melee and magical weaponry screams Red Mage.
10 Sora – Kingdom Hearts
Given the fact that “Magic” is among the combat commands of Sora in Kingdom Hearts, a Square Enix series, it does feel a bit cheating to associate him with a Job or class from the same publisher. However, Sora is probably the best example to set a precedent of the scope and power of a Red Mage in a non-Final Fantasy title.
As a Keyblade wielder, Sora of Kingdom Hearts wields the Keyblade - a key to open holes to other worlds. Being protectors of these worlds from the Darkness, Sora taps into Magic as another source of offense in combat, allowing him to cast various spells with various effects in tandem with his flashy and high-speed swordplay. Alongside his different styles, Sora’s spells can transform him from a long-range casting role to a more sword-and-spell role up close.
9 Geralt Of Rivia – The Witcher
Anyone who’s played through The Witcher games would likely think of Geralt of Rivia as quite the overpowered monster hunter. Not only is he good with the blade, but he’s trained to carefully tail and strategically subdue his opponents through his enhanced senses, swordplay, potions, and most especially Witcher Signs. A “shortcut” form of magic, Witcher Signs are quick-cast spells that Witchers learn that grant various effects - shields, pushes, fireballs, or even convincing opponents to do their bidding.
This specialized monster-hunting skillset makes Geralt an equivalent of a Red Mage in The Witcher series. Not only is he trained to fight with the sword, but he possesses magic specifically tailored to be cast quickly enough in dangerous situations.
8 Alucard – Castlevania
While the Belmonts of Castlevania are trained to hunt for vampires with the Vampire Killer whip designed specifically to decimate them, it’s perhaps Alucard that is surprisingly the carrier of the ultimate supernatural power to defeat the centuries-old threat that is Dracula - his own heritage.
Originally the son of Dracula, Alucard is a dhampyr - a half-vampire, half-human. Trained to hunt Dracula down, Alucard is the antithesis of the straightforward Belmonts of Castlevania - Alucard is elegant in his swordplay, and equally potent in spellcasting. Among his repertoire of spells are fireballs, summoning of bats and other creatures, and turning into smoke. This straightforward yet combat-oriented spellcasting is a testament to his qualities as a Red Mage outside Final Fantasy.
7 Link – The Legend Of Zelda
At first glance, Link from The Legend of Zelda seems like an adventurer who’s skilled with the sword, shield, and a bow - having dedicated much of his silent life to protecting Princess Zelda. Interestingly enough, Link does encounter various magical items in his journey - all of which endow him with various elemental magics, be it flight, fireballs, enhanced arrows, or even magic armors throughout various games.
While Link in The Legend of Zelda isn’t necessarily a magic user per se, what makes him a Red Mage in gaming is specifically his inherent Magic Gauge that gets used up whenever he uses his magical tools. The fact that Link can channel the equivalent of mana to activate a magical tool makes him a mage, albeit indirectly, more akin to an Artificer from Dungeons & Dragons.
6 Corvo Attano – Dishonored
When secret agent Corvo Attano is framed for the murder of his liege and paramour Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, he makes a deal with the Outsider to exact vengeance on those who plotted the Empress’ assassination and subsequent takeover of the Empire. Already a competent assassin, Corvo’s potency is improved further through the Outsider’s abilities - giving him his signature Dishonored gameplay of slowing down time, controlling shadows, possessing animals, and the like.
While technically having attained these abilities from the enigmatic darkness of the Void, their appearance as magic-like still makes Corvo a Red Mage of sorts. Granted, his Dishonored gameplay gives him a vibe of a Dungeons & Dragons Hexblade Rogue, but Corvo remains a magic-user assassin.
5 Illidan Stormrage – WarCraft
During the Burning Legion’s first invasion of Azeroth, it was Illidan Stormrage who did the unthinkable - use the evil Fel Magics of the Legion itself to turn the tide of battle. While this introduces Azeroth to the corrupting magics from beyond the world, it’s also this act that proves Illidan’s place as one of the most powerful spellcasters in WarCraft - one whose prowess in combat also transforms him into the first and most powerful Demon Hunter out there.
Armed with the Warglaives of Azzinoth, Illidan of WarCraft is also a potent warrior - capable of fighting even the likes of Lich King Arthas Menethil on equal footing. Although technically using the equivalent of dark magic, Illidan has mastered and has been teaching the art of utilizing Fel Magic to augment his combat capabilities as a Demon Hunter.
4 Talion/Celebrimbor – Shadow Of Mordor/War
Another notable spellcasting warrior in gaming would probably be Ranger Talion and his kinship with Elven spirit Celebrimbor, as their duo in Shadow Of Mordor and Shadow Of War reveals just what a mortal fighter could do when endowed with the powers of a wraith. As such, Talion not only impresses with his skills with the sword and the bow, but Celebrimbor’s presence allows him to overwhelm combatants with robust displays of psychic abilities.
Granted, Talion’s flashy displays aren’t inherently magical and are more ghost-like, and Celebrimbor is technically in control of Talion’s body in the process. However, with the Red Mage standard of a “spellcasting warrior,” the duo and their adventures in Shadow Of Mordor and War do fall exactly in the trope despite their leanings towards the equivalent of a Psi Warrior or Eldritch Knight in Dungeons & Dragons.
3 Aya Brea – Parasite Eve
While originally a police officer, Aya Brea is thrust into the world of fighting self-combusting humans and other monsters during the onslaught of the Mitochondrial Eve in Parasite Eve. And while Aya’s inner mitochondria are endowing her with the ability to manifest her abilities through effects that could be described as “magic,” these new abilities do augment her fighting chance against the monstrosities raging around the world.
It’s her potency in using these mitochondrial manifestations in Parasite Eve that makes her the equivalent of a Red Mage - at least, one that uses guns instead of swords. In her setting, which is the real world, being able to use magic alongside guns can become a godsend when fighting monsters of unknown origins.
2 Bayonetta – Bayonetta
Who better to become a Red Mage in gaming than gaming’s premier witch herself - Bayonetta. This protagonist from the Bayonetta series isn’t just a stylish gunslinger with a slick outfit, but she’s actually an Umbra Witch dedicated to protecting the world. Aside from using her hair as a magical implement and a container for an inner demon under her command, Bayonetta’s witch training allowed her to use not just spells but also her four-limb gunslinging style.
That’s right, Bayonetta couldn’t get any more ridiculous than her stylish combat, the lore does justify her over-the-top sense of style through her magical training. It’s her use of magic to empower abilities such as time-slowing Witch Time to secure her shots is a perfect display of Red Mage using magic to augment combat.
1 Commander Shepard – Mass Effect
Unlike other gaming protagonists, Commander Shepard from Mass Effect remains unique in two ways - they are totally representative of the player character, yet they have their own personal story in the plot. Such is the extent of Commander Shepard’s flexibility as a character that there exists a build specifically designed to cater to Mass Effect and its system of futuristic “magic” - and that is Biotics.
By specializing in Biotics, creatures and Shepard can have element zero nodes installed throughout their bodies to control Mass Effect fields, allowing them to use gravity-altering effects against opponents such as lifting or throwing them and even creating force fields. Although futuristic and more gravity-related, the fact that Biotics is somewhat a science-based version of magic makes Commander Shepard quite the convincing Red Mage.