The Strongest Magic Users In DC Comics, Ranked (2024)

The world of magic has always played a large part in the fabric of the DC Comics universe. Entire events deal with the various repercussions that come from messing about with the laws of magic; for example, in Day of Judgement or Day of Vengeance during the Final Crisis.

Consequently, the DC universe is filled to the brim with powerful magic-using characters who are worth exploring. While some specifically use magic to cast spells or alter reality, other heroes are powered by it, like Shazam or Black Adam. Others are beings made entirely of magic, like the Spectre or Eclipso. Whatever the case, they're all worthy of respect.

Updated on June 11, 2024 by Scoot Allan: This list has been updated with even more powerful magic users from the DC Universe and to conform to CBR's current standards.

25 Aquaman Mostly Relies On The Power Of His Trident

Arthur Curry

While he isn't always known for his magical potential, Aquaman has surprised his allies and his enemies a few times over the years with his ability to wield magic. Aquaman usually controls the arcane magic of the ocean with his powerful trident, though he has also been blessed with elemental magic over the years as well.

When Aquaman lost his hand, he eventually found a replacement using magical water from the Lady of the Lake. He also received divine empowerment from Posieden, which allowed him to manipulate the elements to further empower himself. What holds Aquaman back from being ranked higher is he doesn't have any formal training with his magic power.

24 Witchfire Is A Magician Rock Star

Rebecca Carstairs

Rebecca Carstairs was a pop singer/actress/entertainer with a passion for fame. This drove her to use her innate magical abilities as Witchfire to join the corporate heroes known as the Power Company. She eventually found a place with the magical experts in Justice League Dark.

While she's capable of casting other magical spells, Witchfire's specialty is pyromancy. She's also able to tap into her magical power to enhance herself physically if needed. She proved her potential when she was called upon during the Day of Judgement event to join a gathering of other DC magic users to defeat The Spectre.

23 Felix Faust Is A Deal-Making Villain On The Hunt For Power

Ancient Sorcerer

Much like his name implies, Felix Faust is a sorcerer known for making deals with demons. He was an ancient wizard hunting for power when he made his first deal, which granted him immortality but came with a curse. Since then, he has returned severeal times over the years with a new ritual or plan to gain more power for himself at the expense of anything and everything.

Felix Faust's natural mystical abilities are adequate and he has an incredible knowledge of mystic arts, artifacts, and hexes. However, his true power is almost always dependent on other ancient beings or demonic enrgies that he called upon, which ultimately proves to be his greatest weakness as well.

22 Golden Age Green Lantern Gained His Power From The First Magic

Alan Scott

The original Golden Age Green Lantern was named Alan Scott, whose origin story has been retconned a few times over the years. Alan Scott was one of the first human ring-bearers in the Green Lantern mythos. However, his power source was later revealed to be a collection of mystical energy known as the Starheart.

The Starheart had been formed by the Guardians in their earliest attempts to bring order to the galaxy. It eventually wound up on Earth, where it powered Alan Scott as the Green Flame of Life. The Starheart powered Scott for years as both Green Lantern and Sentinel, and it gave his children Obsidian and Jade their powers as well.

21 Wonder Woman Was Created From Pure Magic

Diana Prince

Another member of the Justice League who isn't always recognized for her magical ability is Wonder Woman. As one of DC's strongest demigods, Wonder Woman has several powerful abilities that have earned her place as one of DC's Trinity.

However, Wonder Woman also discovered an inherent magical potential that allowed her to wield both powerful mystical weapons and cast dangerous spells. Her magical potential made her one of the best leaders of the Justice League Dark and set her up further as one of DC's most important magical heroes.

20 Doctor Occult Is A Private Investigator With Natural Mystic Potential

Richard Occult, Ghost Detective

After being kidnapped as an infant for a stanic ritual. the man who would become Richard Occult was saved and raised by a mystical order. He was granted the powerful Mystic Symbol of the Seven and sent out on his own alongside his lifelong companion, Rose Psychic. They formed a detective agency and started working on supernatrual cases that earned him the title of "ghost detective."

Dr. Occult studied science and medicine to become an actual doctor as well, though his real skills always lied with magic. He can use the Mystic Symbol of the Seven to repel magical attacks, exorcise possesed beings and even read minds, which came in handy as a private investigator. While his knowledge set is high, his actual power levels are tied to the Mystic Symbol of the Seven and other occult items he employs.

19 Enchantress Draws Her Power From An Ancient Evil Entity

June Moone

The Enchantress is actually a mild-mannered freelance artist named June Moone. However, she was possessed by an ancient entity with a very evil side. While June was initially in control of her Enchantress form and powerful magical abilities, her evil side continually fought for dominance.

Enchantress is immortal and, therefore, incredibly experienced with her eldritch abilities. However, she's also able to manipulate magical energy and tap into other magic users' abilities. She's even gone toe-to-toe with Superman in Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, thanks to Big Blue's vulnerability to magic.

18 Tempest Spent His Entire Life Learning Atlantean Magic

Garth

Aquaman is known for his ability to access the ancient magic of Atlantis like other kings before him. However, his former sidekick Garth is actually the magical powerhouse in the undersea kingdom, which led him to take on the name Tempest.

Tempest can access incredible levels of magical energy that he spent years training to control. He wields eldritch magic and can cast powerful spells that have saved the day on more than one occasion. Despite being well-trained in magic, though, Garth sometimes lacks the control needed to master the more powerful spells, which keeps him from ranking any higher.

17 Jason Blood Explores The Occult Hoping To Escape A Demonic Curse

Etrigan the Demon

While his memories have been tampered with a few times over the years, Jason Blood eventually learned the truth about his Camelot origins. Blood was chosen by the wizard Merlin as the human binding for a powerful demon named Etrigan. This binding was eternal, meaning Blood was immortal and cursed forever with his connection to Etrigan, prince of Hell.

Jason Blood has picked up a few occult tricks over the years for when Etrigan isn't in control of thier body. When the rhyming Demon does take control, Etrigan has incredibly mystical abilities. He's been empowered by other wizards like Merlin and trained by demons to increase his mystical potential. However, his weakness is and always will be his human tether, Jason Blood.

16 Amethyst Gained Crystal-Based Magic As Princess of Gemworld

Amaya/Amy Winston

Amy Winston was a human girl from Earth who discovered her origins as Amaya, the longlost princess of Gemworld. When she returned to her realm, she gained the ability to manipulate the magical crystals of her home dimension in various forms.

Amethyst has the unique ability to manifest magical crystals empowered with various magical energies. She could also create nearly limitless crystal constructs that often took the form of a deadly crystal sword. Amethyst is one of the only Lords of Order to be born as a human, which further highlights her magical potential.

15 John Constantine Relies On The Power Of Manipulation As Much As Magic

Hellblazer

The magical con man John Constantine first appeared in the pages of The Saga of the Swamp Thing. However, he quickly became one of Vertigo/DC's premiere magical characters in his own Hellraiser series. Constantine may be one of the most naturally skilled magic users, though he usually chooses to manipulate others and talk his way out of situations.

Constantine is one of the most powerful human sorcerers in the DC universe. He has a vast knowledge of the mystic arts that includes various rituals, charms, spells, and of course, tricks. He's also very lucky, thanks to his innate ability as a "Laughing Magician," which alters probability in his favor. This is referred to as "synchronicity wave traveling," which gives Constantine a further edge.

14 Raven Has Trigon's Powers With Decades Of Mystic Training

Rachel Roth

When Raven first gathered the New Teen Titans together, it was to seek their help in stopping her demonic father. He was the powerful interdimensional being known as Trigon. While Raven had incredible power at her disposal thanks to her father's demonic heritage, she'd tempered that power with the training of a mystical community known as Azarath.

However, even though Raven is forced to keep herself in check to stop the influence of her father, she's still an incredibly powerful DC magic user. Raven can cast powerful spells and incantations, but she also has a powerful astral self and can tap into dark mystical energies that have put other demonic beings in their place.

13 Eclipso Is The Personification Of Chaos Power

Bruce Gordon/God's Wrath

Eclipso was originally envisioned as a "Jekyll-and-Hyde" type of villain that saw solar scientist Bruce Gordon turn into the villainous Eclipso whenever an eclipse occurred. However, he was later retconned into an immensely powerful magical being who is better described as the chaotic personification of God's Wrath.

This ties into Eclipso's elemental abilities, which have allowed him to cause floods and natural disasters. His powers are usually exhibited through incredible physical strength, eye-blasts from his mystical Heart of Darkness, and combat with his mystical sword. Unfortunately, Eclipso is hindered by his need to possess and corrupt a host body.

12 Shazam Was Given The Powers Of The Gods And The Wizard

Billy Batson

Teenager Billy Batson was chosen by the Wizard and taken to the Rock of Eternity. There, he said the magic word "Shazam" for the first time and transformed into his powerful adult form. As Shazam, he has access to the power of multiple gods that enhance his speed and wisdom while making him one of the strongest DC superheroes.

Billy Batson isn't as experienced as other DC magic users, and he doesn't have much control over his mystical abilities. However, he has become skilled at using the magical lightning at his disposal in battle with heroes like Superman. Shazam can also share his mystical abilities with his adopted family, who each gained a portion of his power.

11 Tim Hunter Is Destined To Be The Most Powerful Magic User

Tamar, son of Tamlin

Tim Hunter was a normal British child who discovered he was destined to become the greatest mage in history in TheBooks of Magic by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton. Tim came to the attention of other magic users – affectionately known as the Trenchcoat Brigade — who tried to guide him as he developed his abilities.

Tim Hunter's magic is inconsistent, and due to his inexperience, his natural abilities to open dimensional doorways and fire electricity have to be channeled through objects like a key and a screwdriver "wand." However, with the right training and given room to grow to his full potential, Tim Hunter will become the most powerful magic user in the DC universe and beyond. In his youth, however, Tim is outclassed by everyone that ranks higher than him in both power and experience.

10 Zatanna Has Carried On A Proud Family Line Of Magicians

Zatanna Zatara

Zatanna is a second-generation magician and superhero. She takes after her father Zatara, a Golden Age magician who's almost had more afterlife appearances than living ones. Like her father, Zatanna uses "backward magic" by reverse-speaking her spells. She's even able to cast these spells without speaking by writing the spells in reverse when needed.

Zatanna's time with Justice League Dark showed her magical limits have never really been tested. She continues to prove herself as one of the most powerful magic users in the DC universe. Her abilities are somewhat limited by her own understanding of the spells. However, she has still been able to reshape reality and manipulate time and space.

9 Circe Has Centuries To Continue Honing Her Magic Powers

Immortal Sorceress

Circe is an immortal sorceress who's had several different origins thanks to DC's ongoing cycle of reboots. However, she generally always has a vendetta against Wonder Woman and the Amazons. Despite this, Circe has served as both a villain and ally to Wonder Woman over the years.

Circe has many powerful magical abilities that largely revolve around transforming matter and reality with magical energy. She has a fondness for turning people into animals, which is a trait shared with the original Greek version of the character. She can also use those same abilities on herself to become powerful enough to take on heroes like Wonder Woman and Superman.

8 Black Adam Was The Original Champion Of Shazam

Teth-Adam

While Shazam has prospered as the Wizard's champion in the modern era, he wasn't the first chosen to wield the power of the gods. Teth-Adam became the first champion when he was chosen by the Wizard in Ancient Egypt. He became Black Adam and received power from seven ancient Egyptian gods.

Black Adam could also share his power, though his one attempt at creating his own family ended in tragedy. He spent years as a villain who frequently clashed with heroes like Shazam and Superman. However, he eventually turned over a new leaf despite being one of DC's most unlikable heroes.

7 Arion Uses The Vast Powers Of The Lords Of Order

Ahri'ahn, Lord of Atlantis

One of the strongest DC magic users lived centuries before the other modern mystical heroes ever appeared. Arion was a powerful Lord of Order who lived his life in a mortal form in an ongoing battle against his twin brother, Garn Daanuth, a Lord of Chaos. Arion became the Sorcerer-King of Atlantis before the city sank beneath the ocean.

Arion is a demigod with a powerful connection to the Darkworld that allowed him to manipulate the dark magical energies without consequence to himself. He was the greatest mage in Atlantis' history, but he was corrupted by a dark power that clouded his mind. Arion's magical power created relics like the Tear of Extinction which was capable of killing gods.

6 Black Alice Can Take Any Kind Of Magic To Power Herself

Lori Zecklin

Lori Zecklin may seem like an odd character to see near the top considering some other magical powerhouses. However, after Lori's first appearance in Birds of Prey #76, by Gail Simone, Joe Prado, Ed Benes, and Hi-Fi Design, revealed her unique magical abilities to the world, she factored heavily in several magic-related DC events.

Black Alice has the ability to steal magical abilities from other users and completely drain their powers. She's also able to usurp more than one power set at a time, leaving them powerless. Her youth, inexperience, and desire to stay out of the larger magical community keep her off the top of the magical pile.