- "Though some might say there is not much point to turning the earth into one gigantic graveyard, these people are fools and will never understand anyway."
- ― Neil Zawacki, How to be a Villain
- "The dead make good soldiers. They can't disobey orders, never surrender, and don't stop fighting when a random body part falls off."
- ― Nevinyrral, "Necromancer's Handbook", Magic: The Gathering
- "I will now show you the unwavering domain of a necromancer. ARISE."
- ― Sung Jin-Woo (Solo Leveling)
The power to utilize magic involving the dead, death-force and/or souls. Form of Magic and Dark Magic. Opposite to Animancy. Practitioners of this trade are known as Necromancers.
Also Called
- Black/Dark Animancy
- Necrokinesis
- Necro Magic
- Undeath Magic
Capabilities
The user's magical abilities revolve around manipulating the dead, death, the death-force and/or souls for good (i.e., resurrecting the dead), evil (in various ways) ,or neither. They can also communicate with the deceased – either by summoning their spirit as an apparition or raising them bodily – for the purpose of divination, imparting the means to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge.
Many practitioners find a way to cheat death one way or another, whether by becoming some form of undead creature or by bypassing their own ability to die.
Applications
- Aura Absorption
- Conjuration - deceased souls and/or corpses
- Death Inducement
- Death Magic
- Death Sense
- Divination - by contacting dead/undead beings
- Ectoplasm Manipulation
- Immortality
- Life-Force Absorption
- Mediumship
- Mold Manipulation - dead matter
- Motor-Skill Manipulation - dead/undead beings
- Pain Inducement
- Pain Suppression
- Reanimation
- Resurrection
- Spell Casting
- Spirit Magic
- Undead Manipulation
Techniques
Associations
- Curse Inducement
- Dark Arts
- Death-Force Manipulation
- Death Manipulation
- Death Transcendence
- Grim Reaper Physiology
- Lich Physiology
- Mystical Conversion
- Necroplasmic Conversion
- Nether Magic
- Nether Manipulation
- Rot Inducement
- Spirit Physiology
- Spiritualism
- Undead Physiology
- Voodoo
- Vodou Deity Physiology
Limitations
- Anti-Magic/Magic Destruction/Magic Negation/Magic Sealing/Magical Energy Absorption
- May be Weak against Animancy and other Life-Based powers.
- Filth Manipulation may be used against this power.
- Robots and Mechanical Beings are immune to necromancy as they have no souls or life force.
- May have no effect on those who found eternal rest.
Known Users
See Also: Necromancer.
Cartoons/Comics
- The Lich (Adventure Time)
- Marceline the Vampire Queen (Adventure Time)
- Mozenrath (Aladdin: The Animated Series)
- Horned King (The Black Cauldron)
- Bloodwynd (DC Comics)
- Effron the Sorcerer (DC Comics)
- Nora Fries (DC Comics)
- Maya (DC Comics)
- Nekron (DC Comics)
- Neron (DC Comics)
- Merlin (DC Comics)
- Sartana of the Dead (El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera)
- Chernabog (Fantasia)
- Spawn (Image Comics)
- Suma-Ket (Marvel Comics)
- Calypso (Marvel Comics)
- Dead Girl (Marvel Comics)
- Morgan le Fay (Marvel Comics)
- Black Panther (Marvel Comics)
- Discord (My Little Pony series)
- Aku (Samurai Jack)
- Tom Lucitor (Star vs. the Forces of Evil)
- Pastmaster (Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron)
- Raven Hex (Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose)
- Mumm-Ra (Thundercats)
- Blood Red Queen of Hearts (Vampirella)
- Dr. Orpheus (The Venture Bros.)
- Baphomet/Nergal (The Wicked + The Divine)
- Nerissa (W.I.T.C.H.)
- Morgana (Tales of Arcadia)
Anime/Manga/Manhwa
- Kurome (Akame ga Kill!); via Imperial Arms Yatsufasa
- Eri Nakamura (Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekaisaikyou)
- Rades Spirito (Black Clover)
- Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto (Bleach)
- Keyes (Fairy Tail)
- Vandalieu (The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want a Fourth Time)
- Incognito (Hellsing)
- Rabbit (Juuni Taisen)
- Eucliwood Hellscythe (Is This a Zombie?)
- Ainz Ooal Gown (Overlord)
- Welveria the Swamp Witch (Queen's Blade)
- Reiko Himezono (Reiko the Zombie Shop)
- Melascula (The Seven Deadly Sins)
- Johann George Faust VIII (Shaman King)
- Sung Jin-Woo (Solo Leveling)
- Esther Rosenthal (Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator)
- Sayoko (UQ Holder)
- Zombie Master (Yu-Gi-Oh)
Folklore/Mythology
- Merlin (Arthurian Legends)
- Anubis (Egyptian Mythology)
- Osiris (Egyptian Mythology)
- Hades/Pluto (Greco-Roman Mythology)
- Hecate/Trivia (Greco-Roman Mythology)
- Hel/Hela (Norse Mythology)
Literature
- Anita Blake (Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter)
- Turiel (The Book of Deacon)
- Twyla Valentine (The Caster Chronicles)
- Arawn Death-Lord (The Chronicles of Prydain)
- Horned King (The Chronicles of Prydain)
- Randall Flagg (The Dark Tower)
- Count Dracula (Dracula)
- Mara Beznik (Freeks)
- Bryce Lawrence (Heroes of Olympus)
- Walt Stone (Kane Chronicles)
- Julius Kane (Kane Chronicles)
- Sauron (Lord of the Rings)
- Hades (Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus)
- Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus)
- Bianca di Angelo (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)
- Sabriel (The Old Kingdom Trilogy)
- Dr. John Dee (Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)
- Malcolm Fade (Shadowhunter Chronicles)
- The Other King (Unsong)
- Gorice XII (The Worm Ouroboros)
- Peider (King's Dark Tidings)
- Necromancer's (Skulduggery Pleasant)
- Solomon Wreath
- Lord Vile
- Melancholia St Clair
- Auron Tenebrae
- Vandameer Craven
- Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant) (as a last resort)
- Valkyrie Cain (Skulduggery Pleasant) (formerly)
Live Television/Movies
- Marie Laveau (American Horror Story: Coven)
- Misty Day (American Horror Story: Coven)
- Magnus Hainsley (Angel)
- Donna Gilchrist (Being Human)
- Amy Madison (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- The Necromancer (Charmed)
- Alchemists (Charmed)
- Doyle (Dark Oracle)
- Omen (Dark Oracle)
- Vern (Dark Oracle)
- Ahmanet (Dark Universe: The Mummy 2017)
- Set (Dark Universe: The Mummy 2017)
- Ash Williams (The Evil Dead)
- Evil Ash (The Evil Dead)
- Mathias (Fading of the Cries)
- The Night King (Game of Thrones)
- White Walkers (Game of Thrones)
- Morgana (Merlin)
- Nimueh (Merlin)
- Morgause (Merlin)
- Michael Jackson/The Maestro (Michael Jackson's Ghosts)
- Marek (Mythica)
- Renée Marand (The Order)
- Renée's sister (The Order)
- Witches (Salem)
- Kreon (Spookies)
- Old Daka ("Star Wars")
- Marnie (True Blood)
- Antonia (True Blood)
- Necromancers (Wizard 101)
Tabletop Games
- Vecna (AD&D)
- Velsharoon (AD&D)
- Liliana Vess (Magic: the Gathering)
- Necromancer class (RPGs)
- The Necromancer (Small World: Necromancer Island)
- Necromancers (Warhammer)
Video Games
- Matereani (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Xbox game)
- Necromancer (Castle Crashers)
- Pinwheel (Dark Souls)
- Necromancers (Dark Souls)
- The Ancestor (Darkest Dungeon)
- The Necromancer (Darkest Dungeon)
- Death (Darksiders 2); via Necromancer Tree
- Nokris, Herald of Xol (Destiny)
- Savathûn, The Witch Queen ("Destiny")
- Necromancers (Diablo)
- Xul
- Inquisitors with the 'Necromancer' specialization (Dragon Age)
- Dorian Pavus (Dragon Age)
- Sidony (Dragon Age)
- Necromancers (The Elder Scrolls)
- Mistychain (Epic Seven)
- Necromancer (Island of Lost Souls)
- Kratos (God of War); via Army of Hades, Claws of Hades and Soul of Hades
- Hades (God of War)
- Necromancer (Guild Wars 2)
- Herrscher of the Void (Honkai Impact 3rd)
- Strong Spirits in Shadow Isles (League of Legends)
- Hecarim
- Karthus
- Kalista
- Mordekaiser
- Thresh
- Yorick
- Mortanius (Legacy of Kain)
- Kain as Scion of Balance (Legacy of Kain)
- Ganondorf (The Legend of Zelda)
- Swan (Lollipop Chainsaw)
- Zarok (MediEvil)
- Talion (Middle-earth: Shadow of War); via Isildur's Ring of Power
- Isildur (Middle-earth: Shadow of War)
- Zog The Eternal (Middle-earth: Shadow of War)
- Quan Chi (Mortal Kombat)
- Raiden (Mortal Kombat)
- Hex (Skylanders)
- Undead Spell Punks (Skylanders)
- Wolfgang (Skylanders: Imaginators)
- Mz. Ruby (Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus)
- Nightsister Merrin (Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order)
- Tama (Sword of the Necromancer)
- Kairi Sisigou (TYPE-MOON)
- Necromancer (Valkyrie Crusade)
- Sania (Valkyrie Crusade)
- Nekros (Warframe)
- Arthas Menethil (World of Warcraft)
- Necromancer (Wizard101)
- Duo Lon (The King of Fighters)
Other
- Thriller (Michael Jackson's Thriller)
- Necromancers (Skulduggery Pleasant)
- Lord Vile/Skulduggery Pleasant
- Melancholia St. Clair/ The Death Bringer
- Valkryie Cain/ Darquesse
- Solomon Wreath
- Auron Tenebrae
- Vandameer Craven
- Dark Anubis (Summoners War)
Known Objects
- Imperial Arms Yatsufasa (Akame Ga Kill!)
- Scottish Book of the Dead (Catscratch)
- Book of Shadows (Corpse Party: Book Of Shadows)
- Necronomicon Ex-Mortis (Evil Dead)
- So'unga (Inuyasha)
- Isildur's Ring of Power (Middle-earth: Shadow of War)
- Book of the Dead (The Mummy)
- Black Volume of the Dead (Shadowhunter Chronicles)
- Sword of the Necromancer (Sword of the Necromancer)
Gallery
Video Games
Nokris (Destiny) is a well known Heretic who uses Necromancy.
Xul The Necromancer (Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction)
Sidony (Dragon Age)
Quan Chi (Mortal Kombat) is a powerful necromancer.
Raiden (Mortal Kombat) using the necromancy techniques of the Houan cult to reanimate Liu Kang.
Hex (Skylanders)
As the Chief Mystic of the Fiendish Five, Mz. Ruby's (Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus) powers allow her to break both the laws of man and nature at the same time.
A Necromancer (Ultima Online)
A Necromancer (Warcraft 3)
Necromancers (Wizard 101) are wizards and witches from the School of Death, their specialties versed around death magic.
Necromancer (Valkyrie Crusade)
Sania (Valkyrie Crusade) the goddess of the dead.
Necromancer (Guild Wars)
Conjuration (The Elder Scrolls) is the school of magic that allows manipulation of certain aspects of the soul. Including summoning and reanimating the dead.
Zog the Eternal (Shadow of War) is an Uruk necromancer that was inspired by Talion's inability to die to create a legion of undead orcs and resurrect the Balrog Tar Goroth to serve Lord Sauron.
Nightsister Merrin (Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order) making use of Dathomir magick to invoke a mass reanimation of her fellow Sisters.
Cartoons/Comics
Mozenrath (Aladdin: The Animated Series)
.jpg "Horned King (The Black Cauldron).jpg (358 KB)")
Horned King (The Black Cauldron)
Spawn (Image Comics)
Bloodwynd (DC Comics)
Nekron (DC Comics)
Nora Fries/Lazara (DC Comics)
.png "Suma-Ket (Marvel Comics).png (274 KB)")
Suma-Ket (Marvel Comics)
_knight.jpg "Morgan le Fay (Marvel Comics) knight.jpg (56 KB)")
Morgan le Fay (Marvel Comics) was very powerful in necromancy so much so that Doom actually traveled back in time in order to learn from her how to create an army of monsters as well as cast a spell to re-animate every person killed by the sword Excalibur by using a shard of the sword itself in an effort to create an army of the dead.
Tom (Star vs. the Forces of Evil) was able to bring long-dead martial arts expert Mackie Hand back from the dead on a whim.
Baphomet (The Wicked + The Divine) is able to summon the spirits of the dead.
Raven Hex (Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose) is a witch that follows a dark-path, and in doing so she was known for using forbidden and dark magic including necromancy to use as she sees fit.
Julius Kane (Kane Chronicles) is the permanent host of Osiris the god of underworld As the Ruler of the Land of the Dead, he has divine authority and complete control over the dead.
Walt Stone (Kane Chronicles) is the permanent host of Anubis and has displayed the ability to summon undead warriors from a crack in the ground. They can drag enemies into the Underworld. He can also summon people or spirits from graveyards, although for a short time.
Anime/Manga/Manhwa
Eucliwood Hellscythe (Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?)
Keith (Fairy Tail) is revealed to be a Necromancer.
Merascylla (Nanatsu no Taizai) can raise the dead with their rage and spite powering them.
So'unga (Inuyasha) is a demon sword with tremendous necromantic powers, allowing the reanimation of hundreds of dead souls and open a massive portal to the netherworld that can absorb the entire world.
Ainz Ooal Gown (Overlord)
Eri Nakamura (Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekaisaikyou) is a genius necromancer, who can reanimate hundreds of corpses and interface directly with the souls of the dead.
As one of the few wields of death-attribute magic, Vandalieu (The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want a Fourth Time) can take the soul of any being and use it to reanimate the dead or create Golems, Cursed Weapons or Living Armour.
.jpg "Faust VIII & Eliza (Shaman King).jpg (849 KB)")
Nicknamed the Boneyard Sorcerer, Johann Faust VIII (Shaman King) is a highly skilled Shaman specializing in Necromancy, able to reanimate not only his Guardian Ghost but also control an entire army of skeletons.
As a Shadow Monarch, Sung Jin-Woo (Solo Leveling) can create Shadow Soldiers and Beast from the dead to serve him.
Live Television/Movies
Necronomicon Ex-Mortis (Evil Dead), the Book of the Dead.
Through a pact she made with Set, Ahmanet (Dark Universe) gained tremendous power over necromancy, able to reanimate herself as an undead, mummify people and even reanimate dead corpses that abide by her will.
Book of the Dead (The Mummy)
Others
Malcolm Fade (Shadowhunter Chronicles) attempted to use necromancy to resurrect his lost lover.
A Necromancer manipulating the souls of the dead.
Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson and the Olympians/The Heroes of Olympus)