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Mages (魔導士 Madōshi), also known as Wizards, are individuals who can wield Magic of any kind.

Mages are wielders of Magic, using their Magic Power to cast spells and employ Magical objects. They comprise only 10% of the living population of Earth Land, with the remaining 90% being either incapable or unwilling to use Magic. They are often affiliated with a guild, where they can take on Jobs as a source of personal income and adventure; according to Lucy Heartfilia, Mages can't be considered full-fledged until they join a guild of their own choosing. There are three main types of Mages on the continent of Veneficium: Legal Mages, Dark Mages and Independent Mages.

Those who are a part of official guilds, take on legal jobs and usually heed the words of the Kingdoms. These are the Mages people tend to look up to, with the most famous of them having the chance to be featured in the Sorcerer Magazine.

Dark Mages are Mages who are members of Earth Land's illegal Dark Guilds, guilds which are not acknowledged as such by the Kingdoms, having either lost their rights due to crimes, or having never been affiliated with a Kingdom in the first place. They are guilds that the Kingdoms refuse to recognize. After being deprived of a Kingdom's approval, guilds are ordered to disband, and, if they do not abide to such order and keep functioning, are then categorized as Dark Guilds, becoming known to all intents and purposes as criminal organizations. In collective imagination, Dark Mages usually have evil intentions, think little of others, putting their own desires first, and can be very cruel, if not downright insane. These Mages are said to take illegal Jobs and are reputed as the main opposition and threat to official guilds and to the Seven Kingdoms themselves. Many of the Dark Mages introduced so far are typically dismissive of Legal Guilds, viewing their law-abiding ways as restrictive of their full potential. Frequently, Dark Mages seek out methods of reviving evil creatures and acquiring destructive Magic to carry out their shady plans; some of them have even attempted to resurrect the legendary Galaxia Mage.

Independent Mages are Mages that don't belong to either Legal Guilds or Dark Guilds, instead being part of the so-called Independent Guilds, guilds which are, for whatever reason, neither acknowledged or opposed by the Seven Kingdoms. They are generally people who have committed evil during their lifetime and seek ways to repent for them. Most Independent Mages were likely once Dark Mages, but have changed their malevolent nature.