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{{article type|main}}
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{{Boss
 
{{Boss
 
|title1=Magician - <small> Type-0 </small>
 
|title1=Magician - <small> Type-0 </small>
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* ''[[The House of the Dead 2]]''
 
* ''[[The House of the Dead 2]]''
 
* ''[[The House of the Dead III]]'' (flashback)
 
* ''[[The House of the Dead III]]'' (flashback)
* ''[[The House of the Dead 4: Special]]''
+
* ''[[The House of the Dead 4 Special]]''
 
|encounter=*''HOD/ HOD - Nightmare''
 
|encounter=*''HOD/ HOD - Nightmare''
 
**[[The house of the dead (chapter)|Chapter 4]]
 
**[[The house of the dead (chapter)|Chapter 4]]
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**Stage 2
 
**Stage 2
 
|weapon= Pyrokinesis
 
|weapon= Pyrokinesis
|protect=Thick armor
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|protection=Thick armor
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|gender= Male
|voice actor=
 
 
|image2= <gallery>
 
|image2= <gallery>
 
File:Magician_weakpoint_HoTD4S.gif|HOD4:SP
 
File:Magician_weakpoint_HoTD4S.gif|HOD4:SP
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|caption2= Although stated as "Unknown", Magician's weak points are actually his exposed pulsating muscles. They are known in the second game.
 
|caption2= Although stated as "Unknown", Magician's weak points are actually his exposed pulsating muscles. They are known in the second game.
 
}}
 
}}
{{Quote|Source = The House of the Dead 4|Quote = Welcome, my [[AMS]] friends.|Attribution = Magician to [[Kate Green]] and "[[G]]".}}
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{{Quote|Source = The House of the Dead 4|Quote = Welcome, my [[AMS]] friends.|Attribution = Magician to [[Kate Green]] and [[G]].}}
   
'''Type-0''', codenamed {{Nihongo|'''"Magician"'''|マジシャン|Majishan}}, was a male, synthetic humanoid [[creature]] with pyrokinetic and levitational powers. He was originally created in 1998 by genetic engineer [[Dr. Curien]], then research director of the [[DBR Corporation]], as part of insanity-driven efforts to control life and death. The Magician ultimately betrayed his creator and was destroyed by agents of the government organization [[AMS]], but was resurrected during other biological engineering-related incidents.
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'''Type-0''', codenamed {{Nihongo|'''"Magician"'''|魔術師|Majutsu-shi}}, was a male, synthetic humanoid [[creature]] with pyrokinetic and levitational powers. Originally created by [[Dr. Curien]], he appeared in three biological engineering-related incidents, becoming a recurring adversary of the government agency [[AMS]].
   
He is the [[Bosses|final boss]] of ''[[The House of the Dead (1996 video game)|The House of the Dead]]'', and has made further appearances in the main ''[[The House of the Dead (franchise)|House of the Dead]] ''series as either a boss or a bonus item. He is characterized by his sentience, fast and deceptive movement, and fire-based attacks. His [[Weak point|weak points]] are his exposed, pulsating muscles. 
+
Magician is the [[Bosses|final boss]] of ''[[The House of the Dead (1996 video game)|The House of the Dead]]'', and has made further appearances in the main ''[[The House of the Dead (franchise)|House of the Dead]] ''series as either a boss or a [[bonus item]]. He is characterized by his sentience, intelligence, fast and deceptive movement, and fire-based attacks. His [[Weak point|weak points]] are his exposed, pulsating muscles. 
   
==Biography==
+
==History==
   
===Creation and destruction ===
+
===Creation ===
 
{{Main|The House of the Dead (1996 video game)}}
 
{{Main|The House of the Dead (1996 video game)}}
   
 
{{Quote|Source = The House of the Dead|Quote = Who are you? Nobody gives me instructions. I shall destroy everything!|Attribution = An awakened Magician addressing [[Dr. Curien]].}}
 
{{Quote|Source = The House of the Dead|Quote = Who are you? Nobody gives me instructions. I shall destroy everything!|Attribution = An awakened Magician addressing [[Dr. Curien]].}}
   
Magician, alongside [[Wheel of Fate]], began life as a gene developed by Curien during his time as the [[DBR Corporation]]'s research director. He was incubated inside Curien's [[BioReactor|BioReactor,]] a machine that edited the DNA sequence in organisms, and up to the point of being released, was seen as a perfect creation alongside [[Chariot]], [[Hangedman]], and [[Hermit]] and was considered a masterpiece. However, Magician was also considered an unfinished project.
+
Magician, alongside [[Wheel of Fate]], began life as a gene developed by Curien during his time as the [[DBR Corporation]]'s research director. He was incubated inside Curien's [[BioReactor|BioReactor,]] a machine that edited the DNA sequence in organisms.
   
  +
Up to the point of being released, Magician was seen as a perfect creation alongside [[Chariot]], [[Hangedman]], and [[Hermit]] and was considered a masterpiece. However, Magician was also an unfinished project.<ref name=":0">"[https://archive.org/stream/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_023/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_023_-_september_1997_UK#page/n58/mode/2up Interview: The House of the Dead]", ''Sega Saturn Magazine'', issue 23, September 1997, page 60</ref> Curien could control Magician at will, but an unknown individual changed the creature's program.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.thewebsiteofthedead.com/?p=2937|title = "The House of the Dead: Sub Story"|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20200522212448/http://www.thewebsiteofthedead.com/?p=2937|archivedate = March 22, 2020|author = Kori|quote = In addition, it was a creature called Type 00 “Magician” that became the first creature to stand above the unfinished organisms. Dr. Curien made it possible to command the “Magician” at his own discretion, but it seems that the program was secretly changed by a mysterious man.|publisher = ''The Website of the Dead''|date = May 22, 2020}}</ref>
[[File:Magicianres.PNG|left|thumb|204x204px|Magician awakening.]]
 
   
 
After curing his terminally-ill son [[Daniel Curien|Daniel]], Curien obsessively pursued controlling life and death through science; the effort, funded by [[Caleb Goldman]], produced hostile creatures and triggered staff walkouts. Curien went insane, releasing the creatures in his [[Curien Mansion|mansion]] on December 17th and 18th, 1998, but kept the Magician in incubation.
 
After curing his terminally-ill son [[Daniel Curien|Daniel]], Curien obsessively pursued controlling life and death through science; the effort, funded by [[Caleb Goldman]], produced hostile creatures and triggered staff walkouts. Curien went insane, releasing the creatures in his [[Curien Mansion|mansion]] on December 17th and 18th, 1998, but kept the Magician in incubation.
   
  +
=== 1998 Curien Mansion incident ===
On December 20th, AMS agents [[Thomas Rogan]] and [[G]] investigated disappearances at the mansion. They battled to a research center and confronted Curien, who unleashed the "masterpiece" upon them. However, Magician -- claiming that he is to obey no one -- killed Curien. Rogan and G defeated the being who warned them that they "''...haven't...seen...anything yet!''" before exploding.
 
 
[[File:Magicianres.PNG|thumb|204x204px|Magician awakening.]]
  +
 
On December 20th, AMS agents [[Thomas Rogan]] and [[G]] investigated disappearances at the mansion. They battled to a research center and confronted Curien, who unleashed the "masterpiece" upon them. However, Magician -- claiming that he is to obey no one -- killed Curien. Rogan and G defeated the being, who, before succumbing to an explosion, warned them that they "''...haven't...seen...anything yet!''"
   
 
===First resurrection===
 
===First resurrection===
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{{Quote|Source = The House of the Dead 2|Quote = I've been waiting for this time to come. You have no future. Either I get you, or the [[Emperor]] will. Either way, your fate is in our hands.|Attribution = The Magician confronting [[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]].}}
 
{{Quote|Source = The House of the Dead 2|Quote = I've been waiting for this time to come. You have no future. Either I get you, or the [[Emperor]] will. Either way, your fate is in our hands.|Attribution = The Magician confronting [[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]].}}
   
[[File:Gfs_19889_2_11_mid.jpg|left|thumb|177x177px|Magician appearing in front of Caleb Goldman's headquarters.]]
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[[File:Gfs_19889_2_11_mid.jpg|thumb|177x177px|Magician appearing outside Caleb Goldman's headquarters.]]
   
In 2000, just over a year after the Curien Mansion incident, Magician was reanimated by Goldman, a financier who furthered Curien's incomplete research into life and death. Magician was loyal to Goldman and [[Emperor]], Goldman's projected creation that poised to rule over mankind. He ambushed AMS agents [[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]] outside of [[Goldman Building|Goldman's headquarters]], but was ultimately destroyed again.
+
In 2000, just over a year after the Curien Mansion incident, Magician was reanimated by Goldman, a financier who furthered Curien's incomplete research into life and death. Magician was loyal to Goldman and [[Emperor]], a creature created by Goldman poised to rule over mankind. He ambushed AMS agents [[James Taylor]] and [[Gary Stewart]] outside of [[Goldman Building|Goldman's headquarters]], but was ultimately destroyed again.
   
 
=== Second resurrection ===
 
=== Second resurrection ===
{{Main|The House of the Dead 4: Special}}
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{{Main|The House of the Dead 4 Special}}
   
{{Quote|Quote = I have been waiting for this moment for some time. Now you shall have a taste of the pain that I have endured!|Attribution = The Magician to Kate Green and "G".|Source = The House of the Dead 4: Special}}
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{{Quote|Quote = I have been waiting for this moment for some time. Now you shall have a taste of the pain that I have endured!|Attribution = The Magician to Kate Green and G.|Source = The House of the Dead 4: Special}}
   
[[File:Magician42.PNG|left|thumb|179x179px|Magician awakening yet again.]]
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[[File:Magician42.PNG|thumb|179x179px|Magician awakening yet again.]]
   
 
In 2003, Goldman staged a posthumous incident worldwide, wiping out most of civilization. After her partner James sacrificed himself to defeat Goldman's ultimate creation, the [[The World|World]], rookie AMS agent [[Kate Green]] collaborated with G to fight the incident back to its source. In an unidentified building, they found Magician, who emerged from a large glass chamber and vowed revenge for the pain he had endured.
 
In 2003, Goldman staged a posthumous incident worldwide, wiping out most of civilization. After her partner James sacrificed himself to defeat Goldman's ultimate creation, the [[The World|World]], rookie AMS agent [[Kate Green]] collaborated with G to fight the incident back to its source. In an unidentified building, they found Magician, who emerged from a large glass chamber and vowed revenge for the pain he had endured.
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===[[The Pinball of the Dead|''The Pinball of the Dead'']]===
 
===[[The Pinball of the Dead|''The Pinball of the Dead'']]===
   
Magician makes an appearance as the fifth boss in ''[[The Pinball of the Dead]]'', and retains his appearance from ''2''. Similar to his appearances in previous games, Magician will quickly attack the players using fireballs, blocking their pinball from moving. He will also rapidly teleport from one area of the screen to the next. However, unlike previous games, the player is not required to hit a specific spot on the Magician in order to damage him.
+
Magician makes an appearance as the fifth boss in ''[[The Pinball of the Dead]]'', and retains his appearance from ''2''. Similar to his appearances in previous games, Magician will quickly attack the players using fireballs, blocking their pinball from moving. He will also rapidly fly from one area of the screen to the next. However, unlike previous games, the player is not required to hit a specific spot on the Magician in order to damage him.
   
 
Magician's voice is also used to alert the player when they have the opportunity to enter a boss battle. The player will hear the Magician say, "I have been waiting for this time to come", a line used before the Magician's battle in ''The House of the Dead 2''. Also, when the player gets a game over, he will say "You have no future."
 
Magician's voice is also used to alert the player when they have the opportunity to enter a boss battle. The player will hear the Magician say, "I have been waiting for this time to come", a line used before the Magician's battle in ''The House of the Dead 2''. Also, when the player gets a game over, he will say "You have no future."
   
==Combat==
+
==Gameplay==
Magician is an incredibly fast and dangerous adversary, and is rightfully considered the hardest boss in ''The House of the Dead'' series. His speed is unrivaled, he relies on pyrokinesis to attack, and possesses the ability to levitate and teleport.
 
   
  +
==== Overview ====
His weak points are listed as "UNKNOWN" in his first and third battle, but are visually indicated by the unarmored parts of his body that glow red. This includes his lower right leg, upper left leg, lower right arm, upper left arm and the area around his right eye. The glowing effect is absent in the PC and Saturn ports of the first game, and his weak points are shown in G's File in THOTD2. Like other bosses, attacking these areas is crucial in disrupting the Magician's attacks.
 
  +
In all of his appearances, Magician is an incredibly fast and dangerous adversary. His flight speed is unrivaled, and his teleportation around the battlefield disorients players as he hurls fireballs or attempts to charge. With some exceptions, most of his attacks throughout the series are the same.
   
  +
Magician's weak points are his lower right leg, upper left leg, lower right arm, and upper left arm. They are classified as "unknown" in ''The House of the Dead ''and ''The House of the Dead 4: Special'', but in ''The House of the Dead 2 ''they are revealed on his diagram prior to the battle.
In the first two games, he followed a specific fight pattern. In the first wave of the fight, he will hurl fireballs at the player while spinning. After doing this twice, he will form more fireballs from both hands, which are more difficult to shoot down. His fireballs can be shot down, and Magician can be damaged as he attacks with them. He will repeat this wave until he has taken enough damage.
 
   
  +
=== ''The House of the Dead'' ===
He will then change tactics and teleport rapidly to the left or right of the arena to puzzle the player. After three teleports in either or both directions, he will charge at the player with a fireball in his hand, and this fast attack can only be disrupted with a successful shot to one of his weak points. Five successful hits will stop the assault, and he will repeat his earlier attack wave, followed by another series of charge attacks when he takes enough damage once more.
 
   
  +
==== Phases ====
His tactic will change again once he has taken 50% damage. In the first game, he will move to the middle of the arena and project a large group of fireballs in the air that will slowly rain down on the player, and must all be shot to avoid damage. Magician can only be attacked as he charges the fireballs when the camera is focused on him.
 
 
#While spinning, Magician will hurl two fireballs from either hand at the player before flying to another spot. After doing this twice, he will hurl four fireballs from both hands, which are more difficult to shoot down. His fireballs can be shot down, and Magician can be damaged as he attacks with them. This phase ends when he flinches, causing any created fireballs to self-destroy.
 
#Magician will fly rapidly to the left or right of the arena to puzzle the player. After three teleports in either or both directions, he will charge at the player with a fireball in his hand, and this fast attack can only be disrupted with a successful shot to one of his weak points. Six successful hits end this phase.
  +
#Magician will repeat the first phase followed by the second phase.
 
#Magician will fly to the middle of the arena and project a large group of fireballs in the air that will slowly rain down on the player, and must all be shot to avoid damage. Magician can only be attacked as he charges the fireballs when the camera is focused on him.
   
  +
==== Strategies ====
This attack is slightly altered in ''The House of the Dead 2'' where he hovers in mid-air and sends the fireballs straight at the player. He throws slightly fewer fireballs and they are scattered around the middle, but to compensate for those factors, this attack is faster as these fireballs don't slowly drift to the ground like they did in ''the House of the Dead''. Furthermore, Magician is vulnerable the entire time. He will repeat this attack until he is defeated.
 
  +
* Magician's flight is represented by differently colored after images of him:
  +
** Blue is his standard attack of throwing fireballs from a distance.
  +
** Red is his charge attack.
  +
* Magician is invulnerable while flying around. Only shoot when he is approaching or readying fire attack.
   
  +
=== ''The House of the Dead 2'' ===
In both games, Magician's teleportation is represented by differently colored after images of him. Blue was his standard attack of throwing fireballs from a distance, while red warned the player that he would engage in his dreaded charge attack. THOTD2 added white when he engaged in his final attack, but could regularly be seen throughout the battle depending on the player's performance and difficulty level. Magician is invulnerable while teleporting.
 
   
  +
==== Phases ====
In ''Special'', Magician is shown to have energy surging on his weak points instead of them pulsating, and is shown to be more powerful than his previous incarnations. He also bears a purple aura. Before actually emerging to battle the AMS agents, Magician launches a salvo of fireballs at them from within his incubation chamber. This triggers a quick time event in which the players have to shoot all of the fireballs down to avoid taking damage. Magician emerges after the attack's conclusion, regardless of the player's success or failure in deflecting it.
 
  +
#While spinning, Magician will hurl two fireballs from either hand at the player before flying to another spot. After doing this twice, he will hurl four fireballs from both hands, which are more difficult to shoot down. His fireballs can be shot down, and Magician can be damaged as he attacks with them. This phase ends when he flinches, causing any created fireballs to self-destroy.
  +
#Magician will fly rapidly to the left or right of the arena to puzzle the player. After flying rapidly three times in either or both directions, he will charge at the player with a fireball in his hand, and this fast attack can only be disrupted with a successful shot to one of his weak points. Five successful hits end this phase.
  +
#Magician will repeat the first phase followed by the second phase. The difference for the second phase is that four successful hits end it.
 
#Magician will fly to the top of the screen and sends the fireballs straight at the player. He throws slightly fewer fireballs which are scattered around the middle and is vulnerable the entire time. However, this attack is faster as these fireballs do not slowly drift to the ground like they did in ''The House of the Dead''. He will repeat this attack until he is defeated.
   
  +
==== Strategies ====
After diminishing Magician's health, he will summon and attempt to open Pandora's Box. The player is given the chance to stop it with a grenade. If the player fails in stopping Magician from opening the box, he will proceed to release numerous clones of himself from incubation, showing that Magician had replicated himself. Laughing malignantly, he implies that he will attack and overwhelm the AMS agents and then all of humanity with his clones, resulting in the Bad Ending. This ending also signifies that Magician is indeed Curien's original, which had been resurrected. In the Good Ending, Magician is fatally wounded by a grenade and succumbs to a violent explosion once more. With his final breath, he has time to utter one final monologue - ''"Nothing can erase my pain"''.
 
  +
* Magician will be enveloped in white depending on the player's performance and difficulty level, or when he performs his final attack.
  +
* As with the original game, Magician is invulnerable while flying.
   
  +
=== ''The House of the Dead 4 Special'' ===
However, after his demise, a mysterious man (revealed in ''[[House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn]]'' to be named [[Thornheart]]) appears at Magician's incubation chamber. Upon entering the chamber, he remarks, ''"So, Pandora's box has been closed... that is if there is any hope left, the [[Wheel of Fate]] cannot be stopped."''
 
   
  +
==== Phases ====
Magician is now able to teleport in any direction on the screen. He will alternate between throwing fireballs with one hand, both hands, and his dreaded charge attack without warning. Unlike before, multiple shots on the Magician are required to disrupt this attack. At 50% health, he will hover upwards and attack in one of two ways: He will either let the purple aura increase in intensity before hovering down to ram at the player, or throw the fireballs into the air to home in on the player. He will continue this until he is defeated once more.
 
 
#Before actually emerging to battle the AMS agents, Magician launches a salvo of fireballs at them from within his incubation chamber. This triggers a quick time event in which the players have to shoot all of the fireballs down to avoid taking damage. Magician emerges after the attack's conclusion, regardless of the player's success or failure in deflecting it.
  +
#Magician will fly in any direction on the screen before performing one of three random attacks:
  +
#* Magician will hurl two fireballs from either hand.
  +
#* Magician will hurl four fireballs with both hands.
  +
#* Magician will charge at the player with a fireball in his hand.
  +
#At 50% health, Magician will hover upwards before performing one of two random attacks. He will continue doing so until he is defeated once more:
  +
#* Magician will let the purple aura increase in intensity before hovering down to ram at the player
  +
#* Magician throws the fireballs into the air to home in on the player.
 
#After diminishing Magician's health, he will summon and attempt to open Pandora's Box. The player is given the chance to stop it with a grenade. If the player fails in stopping Magician from opening the box, he will proceed to release numerous clones of himself from incubation, showing that Magician had replicated himself. Laughing malignantly, he implies that he will attack and overwhelm the AMS agents and then all of humanity with his clones, resulting in the Bad Ending. In the Good Ending, Magician is fatally wounded by a grenade and succumbs to a violent explosion once more. With his final breath, he has time to utter one final monologue - ''"Nothing can erase my pain"''.
  +
  +
==== Strategies ====
  +
* Multiple shots on Magician are required to disrupt any attack. This is important when he does his charge attack which requires the cancel bar to be completely depleted to prevent life loss.
   
 
==Quotes==
 
==Quotes==
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|}
 
|}
   
===''The House of the Dead 4: Special''===
+
===''The House of the Dead 4 Special''===
 
{| class="article-table"
 
{| class="article-table"
 
!Quote
 
!Quote
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* With three major appearances, Magician is to date most recurring boss in the main ''House of the Dead ''series.
 
* With three major appearances, Magician is to date most recurring boss in the main ''House of the Dead ''series.
 
* Magician is also the only final boss in the series to make multiple appearances.
 
* Magician is also the only final boss in the series to make multiple appearances.
* The developers of ''[[The House of the Dead]]'' purposely designed him to be handsome in order to sharply contrast with the other enemies in the game,<ref>"[https://archive.org/stream/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_023/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_023_-_september_1997_UK#page/n58/mode/2up Interview: The House of the Dead]", ''Sega Saturn Magazine'', issue 23, September 1997, page 63.</ref> but in later installments his appearance is more grotesque. They also state that they made him a more "cunning, deceptive" boss in comparison with the other creatures.
+
* The developers of ''[[The House of the Dead]]'' purposely designed him to be "handsome" in order to sharply contrast with the other enemies in the game<ref>"[https://archive.org/stream/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_023/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_023_-_september_1997_UK#page/n58/mode/2up Interview: The House of the Dead]", ''Sega Saturn Magazine'', issue 23, September 1997, page 63.</ref>. They also state that they made him a more "cunning, deceptive" boss in comparison with the other creatures.
* Magician is technically the first boss introduced in the whole House of the Dead series. In ''The House of the Dead's ''original arcade intro, he is seen in the opening screen before the player begins the game.''<nowiki/>''
+
* Magician is technically the first boss introduced in the whole House of the Dead series. In ''The House of the Dead's ''original arcade intro, he is seen in the opening screen before the player begins the game.
  +
* Magician is one of the only bosses in the whole series who has an extensive biography. His creation is outlined in the House of the Dead Sega Saturn'' ''manual, while ''The House of the Dead III ''later reveals that he was a mutated gene. More information can be extrapolated about him from his concept art on the back of the Japanese Sega Saturn manual (explained below).''<nowiki/>''
*Magician's concept art, as seen in THOTD's Sega Saturn manual seems to suggest that he is some sort of cyborg, or an artificially produced being. He is also shown to be originally designated as "Type B-1".
 
  +
 
* Magician's concept art, as seen in THOTD's Sega Saturn manual seems to suggest that he is some sort of cyborg, or an artificially produced being. He is also shown to be originally designated as "Type B-1".
  +
* Alongside [[Wheel of Fate]], Magician is the only boss in the series to have concept artwork.
  +
 
*Magician's overall design appears to be incomplete. His left bicep, right forearm, left thigh, right shin and both ankles are exposed musculature as opposed to the uniform gray plating seen on the rest of his body. The right side of his face features a patch of seemingly skinned flesh as well. These exposed areas were blackish-red in the first game, pulsated red in the second game, and sparked with pink electricity in The House of the Dead 4: Special.
 
*Magician's overall design appears to be incomplete. His left bicep, right forearm, left thigh, right shin and both ankles are exposed musculature as opposed to the uniform gray plating seen on the rest of his body. The right side of his face features a patch of seemingly skinned flesh as well. These exposed areas were blackish-red in the first game, pulsated red in the second game, and sparked with pink electricity in The House of the Dead 4: Special.
 
**Magician's appearance in THOTD2 features red scarring and pulsating red appendages spewing out of various wounds in his body, implying he had either not fully healed from his defeat in the first game, or developed damage overtime while being housed at Goldman's headquarters. When he is next seen, the Magician has been healed of these injuries, but remains incomplete.
 
**Magician's appearance in THOTD2 features red scarring and pulsating red appendages spewing out of various wounds in his body, implying he had either not fully healed from his defeat in the first game, or developed damage overtime while being housed at Goldman's headquarters. When he is next seen, the Magician has been healed of these injuries, but remains incomplete.
*Even though the Magician's weak points were determined in [[The House of the Dead 2|''The House of the Dead 2'']], they are unknown to the PDA in ''[[The House of the Dead 4: Special]]''. This appears to be for the purpose of challenging new players to figure out what it is for themselves. Of course, in-universe, it could be simply because Magician was heavily altered in design in this incarnation, and the PDA failed to recognize the weak points due to the extensive modification. Either that, or the PDA uses Kate's profile (which is probable given that Kate correctly identified [[Justice]]'s weak point) instead of G's (the latter of which should have the new Magician's weak points determined but would not have identified Justice's weak point).
+
*Even though the Magician's weak points were determined in [[The House of the Dead 2|''The House of the Dead 2'']], they are unknown to the [[PDA]] in ''[[The House of the Dead 4 Special]]''. This appears to be for the purpose of challenging new players to figure out what it is for themselves. Of course, in-universe, it could be simply because Magician was heavily altered in design in this incarnation, and the PDA failed to recognize the weak points due to the extensive modification.
*The final bosses of the first four THOTD games appear to embody primal elements of nature: Magician uses fire, [[Emperor]] uses magnetism, [[Wheel of Fate]] uses electricity, and the [[The World|World]] uses ice.
 
 
*Magician was to be included in the second series of ''House of the Dead'' action figures by Palisades. However, the line was cancelled before production.
 
*Magician was to be included in the second series of ''House of the Dead'' action figures by Palisades. However, the line was cancelled before production.
 
*The only time Magician is called by his name is in ''The House of the Dead 2'' when playing alone as Gary, and by Curien in the flashbacks in ''The House of the Dead III''.
 
*The only time Magician is called by his name is in ''The House of the Dead 2'' when playing alone as Gary, and by Curien in the flashbacks in ''The House of the Dead III''.
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HotdMagicianPoseArt.jpg|Magician surrounded by fire.
 
HotdMagicianPoseArt.jpg|Magician surrounded by fire.
 
Scans072.jpg|Magician before exploding.
 
Scans072.jpg|Magician before exploding.
Magician_art_Sega_Saturn.png|Magician from the box art of the Sega Saturn version of ''The House of the Dead''.
+
Magician_art_Sega_Saturn.png|Magician from the box art of the Japanese Sega Saturn version of ''The House of the Dead''.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
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Magds.PNG
 
Magds.PNG
 
Magdsestr.PNG
 
Magdsestr.PNG
1st Magician.jpg|Magician V1 about to strike
+
1st Magician.jpg|Magician attacking the player up-close.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
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Gfs_19889_2_39_mid.jpg
 
Gfs_19889_2_39_mid.jpg
 
The Magician ver. 2 (Type 0).png
 
The Magician ver. 2 (Type 0).png
Magician Strike.jpg|Magican V2 about to strike
+
Magician Strike.jpg|Magican about to strike.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
=== ''[[The House of the Dead 4: Special]]'' ===
+
===''[[The House of the Dead III]]''===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Magician42.PNG|Magician in ''The House of the Dead 4: Special''.
+
Magician flashback.jpeg|Magician from the original game appearing in the intro to ''The House of the Dead III''.
 
Dead_screen004.jpg|Magician from the second game appearing in ''III'''s intro.
 
Magician THoTDIII.jpeg|Magician shown in a brief flashback sequence in ''The House of the Dead III'', before the final chapter.
  +
</gallery>
  +
  +
=== ''[[The House of the Dead 4 Special]]'' ===
  +
<gallery>
  +
Magician42.PNG|Magician in ''The House of the Dead 4 Special''.
  +
4SPMagicianConfrontation.png|Magician facing Kate and G.
 
HOTD4SPMagicianWeakPoint.png
 
HOTD4SPMagicianWeakPoint.png
 
Magician4laugh.PNG
 
Magician4laugh.PNG
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MagicianEODModel.png|Magician's stationary model from ''English of the Dead''.
 
MagicianEODModel.png|Magician's stationary model from ''English of the Dead''.
 
Magicianfacemodel.png|Magician's face texture from ''The House of the Dead 2''.
 
Magicianfacemodel.png|Magician's face texture from ''The House of the Dead 2''.
MagicianIIItrophymodel.png|Model of the Magician trophy from '''The House of the Dead III''.
+
MagicianIIItrophymodel.png|Model of the Magician trophy from ''The House of the Dead III''.
Magiserious.png|Magician's extracted base model from ''The House of the Dead 4: Special''.
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Magiserious.png|Magician's extracted base model from ''The House of the Dead 4 Special''.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
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<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
PoD Magician.png|Magician in ''[[The Pinball of the Dead]]''.
 
PoD Magician.png|Magician in ''[[The Pinball of the Dead]]''.
  +
Dead_screen004.jpg|Magician as shown in the intro to ''The House of the Dead III''.
 
Magician THoTDIII.jpeg|Magician shown in a brief flashback sequence in ''The House of the Dead III'', before the final chapter.
 
 
vlcsnap-2013-11-29-20h40m55s56.png|Magician's concept art for the cancelled action figure line.
 
vlcsnap-2013-11-29-20h40m55s56.png|Magician's concept art for the cancelled action figure line.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>

Revision as of 07:42, 31 May 2020


Welcome, my AMS friends.

Magician to Kate Green and G.[src]

Type-0, codenamed "Magician" (魔術師, Majutsu-shi?), was a male, synthetic humanoid creature with pyrokinetic and levitational powers. Originally created by Dr. Curien, he appeared in three biological engineering-related incidents, becoming a recurring adversary of the government agency AMS.

Magician is the final boss of The House of the Dead, and has made further appearances in the main House of the Dead series as either a boss or a bonus item. He is characterized by his sentience, intelligence, fast and deceptive movement, and fire-based attacks. His weak points are his exposed, pulsating muscles. 

History

Creation

Main article: The House of the Dead (1996 video game)

Who are you? Nobody gives me instructions. I shall destroy everything!

An awakened Magician addressing Dr. Curien.[src]

Magician, alongside Wheel of Fate, began life as a gene developed by Curien during his time as the DBR Corporation's research director. He was incubated inside Curien's BioReactor, a machine that edited the DNA sequence in organisms.

Up to the point of being released, Magician was seen as a perfect creation alongside Chariot, Hangedman, and Hermit and was considered a masterpiece. However, Magician was also an unfinished project.[1] Curien could control Magician at will, but an unknown individual changed the creature's program.[2]

After curing his terminally-ill son Daniel, Curien obsessively pursued controlling life and death through science; the effort, funded by Caleb Goldman, produced hostile creatures and triggered staff walkouts. Curien went insane, releasing the creatures in his mansion on December 17th and 18th, 1998, but kept the Magician in incubation.

1998 Curien Mansion incident

Magicianres

Magician awakening.

On December 20th, AMS agents Thomas Rogan and G investigated disappearances at the mansion. They battled to a research center and confronted Curien, who unleashed the "masterpiece" upon them. However, Magician -- claiming that he is to obey no one -- killed Curien. Rogan and G defeated the being, who, before succumbing to an explosion, warned them that they "...haven't...seen...anything yet!"

First resurrection

Main article: The House of the Dead 2

I've been waiting for this time to come. You have no future. Either I get you, or the Emperor will. Either way, your fate is in our hands.

The Magician confronting James Taylor and Gary Stewart.[src]
Gfs 19889 2 11 mid

Magician appearing outside Caleb Goldman's headquarters.

In 2000, just over a year after the Curien Mansion incident, Magician was reanimated by Goldman, a financier who furthered Curien's incomplete research into life and death. Magician was loyal to Goldman and Emperor, a creature created by Goldman poised to rule over mankind. He ambushed AMS agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart outside of Goldman's headquarters, but was ultimately destroyed again.

Second resurrection

Main article: The House of the Dead 4 Special

I have been waiting for this moment for some time. Now you shall have a taste of the pain that I have endured!

The Magician to Kate Green and G.[src]
Magician42

Magician awakening yet again.

In 2003, Goldman staged a posthumous incident worldwide, wiping out most of civilization. After her partner James sacrificed himself to defeat Goldman's ultimate creation, the World, rookie AMS agent Kate Green collaborated with G to fight the incident back to its source. In an unidentified building, they found Magician, who emerged from a large glass chamber and vowed revenge for the pain he had endured.

Upon defeat, Magician summoned Pandora's Box, attempting to activate clones of himself; he was fatally wounded after a thrown grenade, declaring "Nothing can erase my pain" before exploding.

Other Appearances

The House of the Dead III

Magician appears as a bonus item: the Mini-Magician, a small golden statuette found in destructible background objects. The Mini-Magician flies about in a quick manner like him, making it more difficult to shoot; a successful shot yields 2000 points to the player's score. In III, when the item is on-screen, a high-pitched version of his line "I've been waiting for this time to come" from 2 can be heard.

Furthermore, III's attract mode shows Magician's form in the first two games. Dr. Curien also mentions him in a flashback.

The House of the Dead 4

Once more, Magician makes a cameo appearance as the Mini-Magician bonus item. Its behavior is the same as in III, except when on-screen no line is spoken.

The Pinball of the Dead

Magician makes an appearance as the fifth boss in The Pinball of the Dead, and retains his appearance from 2. Similar to his appearances in previous games, Magician will quickly attack the players using fireballs, blocking their pinball from moving. He will also rapidly fly from one area of the screen to the next. However, unlike previous games, the player is not required to hit a specific spot on the Magician in order to damage him.

Magician's voice is also used to alert the player when they have the opportunity to enter a boss battle. The player will hear the Magician say, "I have been waiting for this time to come", a line used before the Magician's battle in The House of the Dead 2. Also, when the player gets a game over, he will say "You have no future."

Gameplay

Overview

In all of his appearances, Magician is an incredibly fast and dangerous adversary. His flight speed is unrivaled, and his teleportation around the battlefield disorients players as he hurls fireballs or attempts to charge. With some exceptions, most of his attacks throughout the series are the same.

Magician's weak points are his lower right leg, upper left leg, lower right arm, and upper left arm. They are classified as "unknown" in The House of the Dead and The House of the Dead 4: Special, but in The House of the Dead 2 they are revealed on his diagram prior to the battle.

The House of the Dead

Phases

  1. While spinning, Magician will hurl two fireballs from either hand at the player before flying to another spot. After doing this twice, he will hurl four fireballs from both hands, which are more difficult to shoot down. His fireballs can be shot down, and Magician can be damaged as he attacks with them. This phase ends when he flinches, causing any created fireballs to self-destroy.
  2. Magician will fly rapidly to the left or right of the arena to puzzle the player. After three teleports in either or both directions, he will charge at the player with a fireball in his hand, and this fast attack can only be disrupted with a successful shot to one of his weak points. Six successful hits end this phase.
  3. Magician will repeat the first phase followed by the second phase.
  4. Magician will fly to the middle of the arena and project a large group of fireballs in the air that will slowly rain down on the player, and must all be shot to avoid damage. Magician can only be attacked as he charges the fireballs when the camera is focused on him.

Strategies

  • Magician's flight is represented by differently colored after images of him:
    • Blue is his standard attack of throwing fireballs from a distance.
    • Red is his charge attack.
  • Magician is invulnerable while flying around. Only shoot when he is approaching or readying fire attack.

The House of the Dead 2

Phases

  1. While spinning, Magician will hurl two fireballs from either hand at the player before flying to another spot. After doing this twice, he will hurl four fireballs from both hands, which are more difficult to shoot down. His fireballs can be shot down, and Magician can be damaged as he attacks with them. This phase ends when he flinches, causing any created fireballs to self-destroy.
  2. Magician will fly rapidly to the left or right of the arena to puzzle the player. After flying rapidly three times in either or both directions, he will charge at the player with a fireball in his hand, and this fast attack can only be disrupted with a successful shot to one of his weak points. Five successful hits end this phase.
  3. Magician will repeat the first phase followed by the second phase. The difference for the second phase is that four successful hits end it.
  4. Magician will fly to the top of the screen and sends the fireballs straight at the player. He throws slightly fewer fireballs which are scattered around the middle and is vulnerable the entire time. However, this attack is faster as these fireballs do not slowly drift to the ground like they did in The House of the Dead. He will repeat this attack until he is defeated.

Strategies

  • Magician will be enveloped in white depending on the player's performance and difficulty level, or when he performs his final attack.
  • As with the original game, Magician is invulnerable while flying.

The House of the Dead 4 Special

Phases

  1. Before actually emerging to battle the AMS agents, Magician launches a salvo of fireballs at them from within his incubation chamber. This triggers a quick time event in which the players have to shoot all of the fireballs down to avoid taking damage. Magician emerges after the attack's conclusion, regardless of the player's success or failure in deflecting it.
  2. Magician will fly in any direction on the screen before performing one of three random attacks:
    • Magician will hurl two fireballs from either hand.
    • Magician will hurl four fireballs with both hands.
    • Magician will charge at the player with a fireball in his hand.
  3. At 50% health, Magician will hover upwards before performing one of two random attacks. He will continue doing so until he is defeated once more:
    • Magician will let the purple aura increase in intensity before hovering down to ram at the player
    • Magician throws the fireballs into the air to home in on the player.
  4. After diminishing Magician's health, he will summon and attempt to open Pandora's Box. The player is given the chance to stop it with a grenade. If the player fails in stopping Magician from opening the box, he will proceed to release numerous clones of himself from incubation, showing that Magician had replicated himself. Laughing malignantly, he implies that he will attack and overwhelm the AMS agents and then all of humanity with his clones, resulting in the Bad Ending. In the Good Ending, Magician is fatally wounded by a grenade and succumbs to a violent explosion once more. With his final breath, he has time to utter one final monologue - "Nothing can erase my pain".

Strategies

  • Multiple shots on Magician are required to disrupt any attack. This is important when he does his charge attack which requires the cancel bar to be completely depleted to prevent life loss.

Quotes

The House of the Dead

Quote Audio
"Who are you? Nobody gives me instructions. I shall destroy everything."
"You... haven't... seen.... anything... yet!!"

The House of the Dead 2

Quote Audio
"I've been waiting for this time to come. You have no future. Either I get you or the Emperor will. Either way, your fate is in our hands."

The House of the Dead 4 Special

Quote Audio
"Welcome, my AMS friends."
"I have been waiting for this moment for some time. Now you shall have a taste of the pain that I have endured!"
(Before final grenade quick-time event) "This is the end..."
(Death) "Nothing can erase my pain..."

Trivia

  • With three major appearances, Magician is to date most recurring boss in the main House of the Dead series.
  • Magician is also the only final boss in the series to make multiple appearances.
  • The developers of The House of the Dead purposely designed him to be "handsome" in order to sharply contrast with the other enemies in the game[3]. They also state that they made him a more "cunning, deceptive" boss in comparison with the other creatures.
  • Magician is technically the first boss introduced in the whole House of the Dead series. In The House of the Dead's original arcade intro, he is seen in the opening screen before the player begins the game.
  • Magician is one of the only bosses in the whole series who has an extensive biography. His creation is outlined in the House of the Dead Sega Saturn manual, while The House of the Dead III later reveals that he was a mutated gene. More information can be extrapolated about him from his concept art on the back of the Japanese Sega Saturn manual (explained below).
  • Magician's concept art, as seen in THOTD's Sega Saturn manual seems to suggest that he is some sort of cyborg, or an artificially produced being. He is also shown to be originally designated as "Type B-1".
  • Alongside Wheel of Fate, Magician is the only boss in the series to have concept artwork.
  • Magician's overall design appears to be incomplete. His left bicep, right forearm, left thigh, right shin and both ankles are exposed musculature as opposed to the uniform gray plating seen on the rest of his body. The right side of his face features a patch of seemingly skinned flesh as well. These exposed areas were blackish-red in the first game, pulsated red in the second game, and sparked with pink electricity in The House of the Dead 4: Special.
    • Magician's appearance in THOTD2 features red scarring and pulsating red appendages spewing out of various wounds in his body, implying he had either not fully healed from his defeat in the first game, or developed damage overtime while being housed at Goldman's headquarters. When he is next seen, the Magician has been healed of these injuries, but remains incomplete.
  • Even though the Magician's weak points were determined in The House of the Dead 2, they are unknown to the PDA in The House of the Dead 4 Special. This appears to be for the purpose of challenging new players to figure out what it is for themselves. Of course, in-universe, it could be simply because Magician was heavily altered in design in this incarnation, and the PDA failed to recognize the weak points due to the extensive modification.
  • Magician was to be included in the second series of House of the Dead action figures by Palisades. However, the line was cancelled before production.
  • The only time Magician is called by his name is in The House of the Dead 2 when playing alone as Gary, and by Curien in the flashbacks in The House of the Dead III.
  • Magician is the only final boss in the first four THOTD games whose weak point is not on the chest and also having multiple weak points (right side of his face, upper left arm, lower right arm, upper left leg and lower right leg).
  • There's a graphical glitch of Magician in THOTD2. If the players are not injured by the Magician, the Magician's hallucinating movements will turn into white instead of red or blue, and automatically fix if the Magician successfully hit the players.

Gallery

The House of the Dead

Concept Art

Official Art

Data

Screenshots

The House of the Dead 2

Official Art

Data

Screenshots

The House of the Dead III

The House of the Dead 4 Special

Models and textures

Other Media

References

  1. "Interview: The House of the Dead", Sega Saturn Magazine, issue 23, September 1997, page 60
  2. Kori (May 22, 2020). "The House of the Dead: Sub Story". The Website of the Dead. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. “In addition, it was a creature called Type 00 “Magician” that became the first creature to stand above the unfinished organisms. Dr. Curien made it possible to command the “Magician” at his own discretion, but it seems that the program was secretly changed by a mysterious man.”
  3. "Interview: The House of the Dead", Sega Saturn Magazine, issue 23, September 1997, page 63.
veHouse of the dead 1content
Characters
Thomas RoganGDr. CurienSophie RichardsDBR researchers
Creatures
SamNeilCyrilKageoBourbonEbitanRobertSimonGilmoreHarrisSamsonBentleyBurnerRubinDrakeMoodyParlorKenfisSaruzouDevilonBouereMurrerNameTaranKage
Bosses
ChariotHangedmanHermitMagician
Chapters
TragedyRevengeTruthThe house of the dead
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Lore (AMSBioReactorCurien MansionDBR CorporationThe House of the Dead Sub-Story)
Game modes (Boss ModeSaturn Mode)
Prototypes (The House of DeadSega Saturn prototype)
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JudgmentHierophantTowerStrengthMagicianEmperor
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A PreludeMuddyDarknessDespairDawnOriginal Sin
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English of the DeadThe Pinball of the DeadThe Typing of the Dead (Featuring Rakuten Minna no Shushoku Katsudou Nikki) • Zombie Da: Flick of the Dead
Other pages
Lore (AMSCityCaleb Goldman's headquarters)
Game modes (Boss ModeOriginal ModeTraining Mode)
Guidebooks (The House of the Dead 2 G's FileThe House of the Dead 2 Perfect Guide)
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