History Main / MagnusMeansMage

Magnus can also be an {{Awesome McCool Name}}, further justifying at least some of its uses. In Scandinavia, it's actually a fairly normal name.

Magnus can also be an {{Awesome McCoolName}}, further justifying at least some of its uses. In Scandinavia, it's actually a fairly normal name.

Magnus can also be an AwesomeMcCoolName, further justifying at least some of its uses. In Scandinavia, it's actually a fairly normal name.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' : Stiyl Magnus is a sorcerer specialized in [[PlayingWithFire fire-based]] spells.

* ''LightNovel/TheSlayers'': Ley/Ray Magnus was a great mage of the past.

* ''Literature/OrkneyingaSaga'' ("The History of the Earls of Orkney") has Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney. After his death, officially considered martyrdom, numerous miracles were ascribed to him. These usually took the form of people being miraculously healed after praying at his grave. [[note]]Like most major figures of the Icelandic sagas, Magnus' real life is well documented. He was canonized as St. Magnus in 1135.[[/note]]

* ''Anime/VampireHunterD'': In the 1985 film, the vampire lord BigBad is named Magnus Lee. He has an assortment of vampire powers.

* Stiyl Magnus from ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' is a sorcerer specialized in [[PlayingWithFire fire-based]] spells.
* In the 1985 ''LightNovel/VampireHunterD'' film the vampire lord BigBad is named Magnus Lee. He has an assortment of vampire powers.

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, Magnus the Sorcerer was born in the 6th century A.D. in the time of King Arthur and became the apprentice of Morgan Le Fay. He later served as the mentor of Jessica Drew, the first ComicBook/SpiderWoman.
* In the graphic novel ''Wolverine: Rahne of Terra'', the alternate world counterpart of ComicBook/{{Magneto}} is an evil wizard named Magnus. [[note]]The "main" Magneto is often called Magnus as well, but he is associated with science rather than magic.[[/note]]

* Ley/Ray Magnus from ''LightNovel/TheSlayers'', a great mage of the past.
* Magnus Red'kin, a minor character from ''Literature/MondayBeginsOnSaturday'', a bumbling enchanter and inventor of invisible pants.
* In ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'', Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

* The vampire Magnus in ''Literature/TheVampireChronicles'' was an alchemist as a human.
* The titular character of the ''Literature/MagnusChaseAndTheGodsOfAsgard'' series is a demigod.
* Averted by Magnus Quinn in ''Literature/TheLockedTomb''—a lot of the characters are necromancers, but he isn't one of them. (His wife is, but her name is Abigail. It's an AerithAndBob universe.)

* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Cuthbert Sinclair uses the alias "Magnus". When Sam and Dean manage to locate Sinclair, he is very adept at using spells and has a huge trove of the occult and the supernatural.

* Distinctly [[AvertedTrope averted]] by Magnus Burnsides in ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'', who is far more of a physical fighter and the only member of the party to have absolutely no magical skill or spellcasting ability whatsoever. [[spoiler:Although he did have enough skill during the Stolen Century to channel one-seventh of the Light of Creation into the Temporal Chalice through artificery, making this a ZigZaggedTrope.]]

* Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', is an extremely powerful sorcerer, especially since he turned to Chaos and worshipping Tzeentch the god of magic.

* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagicIII'': Gavin Magnus, the immortal wizard who rules Bracada. Bracada is represented by the Tower faction, which has the most magically-oriented heroes and buildings in the game.

* ''Videogame/{{Warcraft}}'': Medivh, one of [[TheArchmage the most powerful magi]] in the series, is referred to as Magnus on several occasions. His mom had this {{Gender Flip}}ped, being referred to with the title "Magna".
* ''Videogame/{{Gauntlet}} III'': Magnus is the wizard who brought peace to the land of Capra, and whom the protagonists have to rescue.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'': {{Inverted|Trope}} in ''Mega Man Zero 4'' with Mino Magnus. Out of all the eight Einherjar, he's TheBrute in the form of a physical-attacking [[OurMinotaursAreDifferent minotaur]] with a huge battleaxe, and the Magnus in his name is based on his [[MagnetismManipulation magnetism powers]].

The name "Magnus" means "great" in Latin, being where we get the term "magnification". For example, UsefulNotes/PompeyTheGreat was called Gnaeus Pompeius [[TheMagnificent Magnus]]. However, in fantasyland, it seems to mean "great mage". Most of the times you see a character named Magnus in a fantasy work, he is a mage, wizard or something like that. It probably doesn't help that Magus, the actual Latin word for "mage", is just one RougeAnglesOfSatin away.

* In the MarvelUniverse, Magnus the Sorcerer was born in the 6th century A.D. in the time of King Arthur and became the apprentice of Morgan Le Fay. He later served as the mentor of Jessica Drew, the first ComicBook/SpiderWoman.

* Saga's father Magnus from ''VideoGame/DreamfallChapters'' is a regular human from Scotland who, nonetheless, managed to build a house at the nexus of ''all'' universes and timelines of the multiverse, and has outfitted it with all kinds of magical protections and wards when he discovered that Saga has inherited her mother's DimensionalTraveler powers.
* Gavin Magnus, the immortal wizard who rules Bracada, in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic III''. Bracada is represented by the Tower faction, which has the most magically-oriented heroes and buildings in the game.
* Magnus, the God of Magic in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''. He's also acknowledged by those who don't worship him, and even indirectly responsible for the use of magic among mortals.
* In the ''Videogame/{{Warcraft}}'' universe, Medivh, one of [[TheArchmage the most powerful magi]] in the series, is referred to as Magnus on several occasions.
** His mom had this {{Gender Flip}}ped, being referred to with the title 'Magna'.
* In ''Videogame/{{Gauntlet}} III'', Magnus is the wizard who brought peace to the land of Capra, and whom the protagonists have to rescue.
* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising''. Magnus is the game's only BadassNormal, fighting magical monsters with nothing but his [[WorldsStrongestMan colossal strength]] and [[RidiculouslyHugeSword man-sized sword]].
* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Mega Man Zero 4]]'' with Mino Magnus. Out of all the eight Einherjar, he's TheBrute in the form of a physical-attacking [[ALoadOfBull minotaur]] with a huge battleaxe, and the Magnus in his name is based on his [[MagnetismManipulation magnetism powers]].

* Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K'', is an extremely powerful sorcerer, especially since he turned to Chaos and worshipping Tzeentch the god of magic.

The name "Magnus" means "great" in Latin. For example, UsefulNotes/PompeyTheGreat was called Gnaeus Pompeius [[TheMagnificent Magnus]]. However, in fantasyland, it seems to mean "great mage". Most of the times you see a character named Magnus in a fantasy work, he is a mage, wizard or something like that. It probably doesn't help that Magus, the actual Latin word for "mage", is just one RougeAnglesOfSatin away.

* Gavin Magnus, the immortal wizard who rules Bracada, in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic III''.

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Mega Man Zero 4]]'' with Mino Magnus. Out of all the eight Einherjar, he's TheBrute in the form of a physical-attacking [[ALoadOfBull minotaur]] with a huge battleaxe.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K'', is an extremely powerful sorcerer, especially since he turned to Chaos and worshipping Tzeentch the god of magic.

* In ''Videogame/{{Gauntlet}}} III'', Magnus is the wizard who brought peace to the land of Capra, and whom the protagonists have to rescue.

* Magnus, the god of magic in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''.

* ''[[Literature/TheIcelandicSagas Orkneyinga Saga]]'' ("The History of the Earls of Orkney") has Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney. After his death, officially considered martyrdom, numerous miracles were ascribed to him. These usually took the form of people being miraculously healed after praying at his grave. [[note]]Like most major figures of the Icelandic sagas, Magnus' real life is well documented. He was canonized as St. Magnus in 1135.[[/note]]

* Styil Magnus from ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' is a sorcerer specialized in [[PlayingWithFire fire-based]] spells.