Mages are a staple in any kind of RPG - western, Japanese, you name it. Whenever you have a beefy warrior, a nimble thief, and a dainty healer, you need to have a mighty spell-slinger to even out the dynamic of the group. But for this article, I want to take a look at 5 of my favorite mana munchers from different JRPG's.

DISCLAIMER: I'm going to try to limit myself to one character per franchise.

Magus - Chrono Trigger

An antagonist turned ally, Magus is such a boss (are we still using that word?). His main weapon is a scythe, and that's the coolest goddamn thing I've ever seen. His backstory is so deep and tragic, you just can't help but understand why he is the way he is.

As a dark mage, Magus has many shadow elemental spells at his disposal. With spells such as Dark Bomb, Black Hole, and Dark Matter, he's a total force to be reckoned with in battle.

While he isn't a team player and doesn't offer any dual or triple tech moves, he's still absolutely worth having in your party.

Mallow - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

While Mallow isn't a mage in the traditional sense, he definitely plays like one.

Using the power of weather, Mallow decimates enemy groups with thunder and snow. He even has some healing spells at his disposal, giving him a good amount of utility.

While he may look cute and cuddly, (ugh, I love him) his magic is not to be messed with. In the original version of the game, Mallow never left my party.

Tharja - Fire Emblem

Before we start tossing the simp allegations - HEAR ME OUT. Tharja is one of the best mages in the entire series.

With a growth rate of 60%, her magic stat becomes insanely powerful toward the end of the game. She also has a pretty good amount of HP, allowing her to tank more hits than most other mages. On top of all of that, Tharja is a joy to watch as she interacts with different party members. Being all moody and brooding, she can come off as pretty cold and off-putting to everyone.

Melia - Xenoblade Chronicles

Melia is totally slept-on as a Xenoblade character. She's got a surprising amount of utility, being able to heal, deal damage, and provide buffs and debuffs.

When I first played through Xenoblade Chronicles, I used the ol' faithful party of Shulk, Reyn, and Sharla. While Melia doesn't provide as much damage as a dedicated DPS or as much healing as a dedicated healer, she more than makes up for it by being able to pivot to whatever the party needs at the moment.

Overall, Melia is a very likeable character with loads of utility.

Vivi

BEST WRITTEN CHARACTER IN ANY VIDEO GAME EVER CREATED. I won't spoil anything though.

Vivi totally decimates enemies with his enormous library of black magic spells, as well as being able to imbue Steiner's attacks with magic to do extra elemental damage.

Combat aside, Vivi is such a loveable little guy. He starts of very timid and shy, but quickly becomes brave, outspoken, and so very loyal to his friends.

Not only is Vivi one of my favorite mages, he's one of my favorite characters in JRPG history.