In the meta-universe of Final Fantasy, a Blue Mage is often described as a spellcaster with the unique ability of copying or “stealing” the powers of their enemies. After its introduction in Final Fantasy 5, Blue Mages effectively revolutionized the world of spellcasting in both Final Fantasy and RPGs in general, as monsters now possess spells that special characters themselves could wield in place of traditional combat abilities.

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While Blue Mages and Blue Magic can come in different forms across Final Fantasy games, so too did they appear in “variations” within other games as well. In fact, some popular video game characters could be considered Blue Mages in their own right, should they transition to a Final Fantasy title. However, just which video game characters who can use their opponent’s abilities may be considered the best kinds of Blue Mages?

10 Rogue – X-Men VS Street Fighter

Rogue

An obvious character capable of stealing the powers of anyone she touches would be Rogue, originally debuting in X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Rogue and her ability-stealing mutant powers in the comics are reflected in the fighting game as the means of stealing an opponent’s special move is by kissing them, allowing her to have a more versatile fighting style. While she does make an appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom 2, the sheer number of characters will only have Rogue able to get bonuses on stats such as Attack, Defense, Health, or Speed.

Regardless, Rogue’s presence in X-Men vs. Street Fighter makes her one of the earliest appearances of a power-stealer in a fighting game. Although her source material comes from comics, the accurate depiction of her power steal ability makes Rogue quite the formidable Blue Mage with powers from the right foe.

9 Mega Man

Mega Man

The Blue Bomber Mega Man is perhaps the most recognizable ability-stealer in gaming, as Mega’s powered-up suit as Mega Man is built precisely with the same technology to go toe-to-toe with Dr. Wily’s evil Robot Masters. Aside from his Mega Buster, Mega Man can copy an enemy robot’s Special Weapon and use their powers in his mission.

Mega Man X takes this concept further as their more mature premise gives this mechanism a name: the Variable Weapon System. Mega Man, Mega Man X, and their variants are always unique in their universe in that they’re almost always the only robot outfitted with a copying system that allows them to fight their enemies. Among the weapons in Mega Man’s arsenal include a myriad of elemental weapons, specialized cutting tools, and even abilities that allow him to manipulate gravity and magnetism - all based on the sets of Robot Masters of Mavericks that he’s tasked to fight in any game.

8 Kirby

Kirby

Hailing from the mysterious Planet Popstar is the more mysterious Kirby, who stars in the franchise of his own name. As with other video game protagonists, Kirby is designated protector of Planet Popstar (and Earth, on occasion) from evildoers such as Nightmare and Dark Matter, all the while contending with rivals such as Meta Knight and King Dedede. Aside from his signature appearance as a pink “ball,” perhaps Kirby’s most notable trait is his ability: inhaling anything to gain its ability.

As demonstrated in most Kirby games and in the recent Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Kirby can “acquire” special abilities based on things he inhales, such as moving like an automobile when sucking cars, or using weapons such as swords from opponents that wield them or even combining multiple abilities to gain new ones.

7 Shanoa – Castlevania

Shanoa

While the Belmonts have been tasked with defeating Dracula whenever he returns with his castle once every century, the Castlevania series and its Belmont family of protagonists aren’t the only ones capable of dealing with the vampiric threat. Starring in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, Shanoa is part of the eponymous Order of Ecclesia, a religious group that seems to be the only ones equipped to deal with the threat of Dracula in the absence of the Belmonts.

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Being a spellcaster, Shanoa uses special Glyphs that are artistic representations of the essences of living things. These Glyphs grant Shanoa various abilities, ranging from summoning a myriad of weapons, casting various elemental spells, or even transforming into monsters. When facing insurmountable odds in the form of the many creatures in Dracula’s Castle, Shanoa and her Glyphs give her a fighting chance.

6 Shang Tsung – Mortal Kombat

Shang Tsung

Although his origins remain relatively unknown, one thing is for certain about Shang Tsung of Mortal Kombat: such was his threat to the gods that they cursed him with immortality, sustained only by taking the souls of his enemies. With this came an unexpected blessing, however, in that Shang Tsung would also obtain not just the memories but also the skills, combat prowess, and abilities of the warriors he killed.

With this curse, Shang Tsung would lie and scheme his way into finding an unlimited source of souls to forever quench his thirst. Unfortunately, his mastery of the dark arts and inclination to pursue his own needs transformed him into a perpetual threat to Mortal Kombat fighters. What perhaps makes Shang Tsung especially dangerous is that his copying ability doesn’t need his targets to be dead, as he can easily mimic the appearance of the living quite convincingly.

5 Mokujin – Tekken

Mokujin

In the rather complicated and crazy lore of the Tekken franchise, it makes sense to have room for a sentient wooden dummy somewhere. However, Mokujin has origins that go beyond being a simple training dummy. Rather, Mokujin has accumulated “experience” by being used as a training dummy of various martial artists, having gained a mind of its own and a will to protect the Earth for the first time when Ancient Ogre awakened to wreak havoc. Mokujin has made frequent appearances ever since, and almost always during times of great crisis.

Technically, Mokujin serves as a nifty training companion to force players to adapt to various fighting styles - both when using it or fighting against it. That’s because Mokujin doesn’t have a set fighting style, but rather “chooses” a fighting style of an existing tournament combatant after every round. While these combatants aren’t necessarily “monsters,” Mokujin becomes a Blue Mage in the sense that he’s likely fought or seen its copy target in action prior to acquiring their combat style, making him one of the deadliest Tekken combatants at the hands of the right player.

4 Emiya Shirou – Fate

Emiya Shiro

In the Fate series, spirits of heroes and mythological beings can be called upon in the Holy Grail War as Servants to help their Masters attain the Holy Grail, and with it, any one wish. Throughout the franchise’s history, Fate introduces fans to unique takes on historical figures, a unique magic system, and teenagers that save the world in a myriad of ways. One such teen is Emiya Shirou, supposedly an Inept Mage that aspires to become a hero like his adoptive father. He becomes entangled in the affairs of the Holy Grail War after accidentally summoning Artoria Pendragon, Britain’s King Arthur.

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However, what is perhaps the most surprising trait of Shirou is his specialization in Projection Magic, allowing him to not just reconstruct any sword he sees but also mimic the skills of its original user. This is what helps Shirou transform into his own version of a Heroic Spirit, which Rin Tohsaka eventually summons as Archer in the Holy Grail War. While not necessarily copying the abilities of “monsters,” Shirou’s blade-copying ability allows him to be on par with some of the series’ most powerful swordsmen, who have powers similar to that of demigods.

3 Revolver Ocelot – Metal Gear

Revolver Ocelot

Outside Solid Snake and his notoriety throughout the Metal Gear series, it’s perhaps the colorful cast of side characters - allies and enemies alike - that made Hideo Kojima’s brainchild stay a masterpiece. Part of such a roster is Revolver Ocelot, a former FOXHOUND operative known specifically for his gunfighting skills. While known as Solid Snake’s nemesis, Revolver Ocelot has encountered all Snakes in his career - he became a friendly rival to Naked Snake, the right-hand of both Liquid and Solidus Snake, and even became an adviser of Venom Snake.

What makes Ocelot stand out in combat, aside from his sharpshooting skills, is his learning prowess and adaptation. In Metal Gear Solid, it’s said that Ocelot needs to only use a tactic once in order to apply it for himself on the next occasion. And such was his skill in adaptation that he’s able to fight Naked Snake to a draw using CQC moves he’s just learned seconds after being demonstrated to him. While “learning quickly” doesn’t equate to becoming a Blue Mage in the context of larger media, Ocelot is by far the only person in Metal Gear canon to ever demonstrate such a high degree of learning prowess.

2 Sora – Kingdom Hearts

Sora Kingdom Hearts

Protagonist Sora of Kingdom Hearts inexplicably becomes tied to a series of events that will lead him in charge of saving all dimensions from the threat of Darkness when he discovers his destiny as a Keyblade Master. And while the Keyblade alone allows Sora to traverse worlds and use magic, his unique Drive Forms allow him to use the “essences” of people associated with the clothing these Forms exhibit.

For instance, the more aggressive Valor Form reflects Goofy’s protectiveness, the magic-oriented Wisdom Form reflects Donald’s spellcasting, the Limit Form reflects Sora’s transcendence of his limits, the Master Form reflects Mickey’s mastery of Keyblade combat, and the Final Form reflects Sora’s unity with his Nobody Roxas. While not necessarily an ability that copies from “monsters,” Sora’s ability to tap into the nature of his friends make him a Blue Mage derivative in this DIsney-Square Enix collaboration.

1 Hammer Tank – Red Alert

Hammer Tank Red Alert

Perhaps the most insane example of a Blue Mage in gaming isn’t coming in the form of a character or a creature, but rather a vehicle - the Hammer Tank in Red Alert 3. Primarily a vehicle belonging to the Soviet Union, the Hammer Tank serves as the Soviet Union’s main battle tank. And reflective of the altered timeline where the game takes place, its “gimmick” lies in its Leech Beam, a magnetic beam capable of stealing both the armor and weapons of enemy vehicles.

In turn, the Leech Beam grants the Hammer Tank a unique secondary weapon that reflects the enemy vehicles it destroys in combat. This gives the Hammer Tank unprecedented adaptive potential in the RTS, with the Tank able to don weapons such as Tesla Coils from seabound Stingrays, Sky Knight UAV weapons from airborne Aircraft Carriers, and the homing missiles of the mobile Giga Fortress base.

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