From the very first episode of Shadowhunters, fans could see that Magnus Bane was a powerful warlock who was willing to help those in need. From helping Jocelyn wipe Clary’s memories in order to keep her safe to sacrificing his magic to save Jace Herondale, he never ceases to put others first. Time and time again, we have seen Magnus step up and lend a helping hand to Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike. It makes us wonder, “What would everyone do without Magnus Bane?” He is…quite magical. So, in place of an eight-ounce steak and a stiff drink, we thought we’d show our appreciation by reminiscing on just a few of the many times everyone would have been screwed if not for Magnus Bane.
The Selfless
Illustration by @Obsidiayan
“You’ve unlocked something in me.” Before Magnus met the love of his life, Alec Lightwood, he wanted nothing more than to stay out of Shadowhunter business. As the High Warlock of Brooklyn, many depended on him for help, information, and advice. And although he has become a father figure of sorts to many Downworlders (like Raphael Santiago for example), for over a century, he had built a solid barrier around his heart. In episode 1×06 “Of Men and Angels,” when Luke Garroway was poisoned from a werewolf bite he received while trying to save Clary Fray and the rest of the group, Magnus was willing to do whatever he could to save Luke’s life. In the end, Magnus used his magic; an antidote made up of phoenix eyes, moon salt, and Idris fulgurite – and of course, Alec’s strength – to save Luke’s life. Magnus had, until now, been presented as a somewhat enigmatic, mysteriously hedonistic figure. This episode was our first glimpse into his vulnerability and selflessness, but it would not be our last. In what was indisputably his most selfless act, at the end of Season 3A, we saw Magnus visit his father in Edom and exchange all of his magic for the power to save his beloved’s Parabatai to free him from Lilith’s control. Magnus Bane clearly doesn’t have a selfish bone in his body.
The Anchor
Illustration by @tuyvii
In 1×10 “This World Inverted,” when Clary traveled through Meliorn’s faerie portal to find her father, Valentine, she found herself in an alternate dimension where Shadowhunters and demons no longer exist and Downworlders had conformed to mundane life. She had been warned that she would need an anchor, something (or someone) to ground her; if she lost herself in this universe, she would be stuck there forever. In need of answers, she sought out this timeline’s version of Magnus, who was a psychic, but he did not know how to help her since his warlock powers had been dormant for some time. In the end, Clary convinced Magnus to help her and he agreed to meet her at the party being held at the Institute. While there, Clary became consumed by her feelings for AU!Jace and quickly began to lose herself to the point where she didn’t even recognize Magnus. Thankfully, Magnus had gotten himself in tune enough with his re-discovered powers that he was able to snap Clary out of her daze and bring her back to herself. After all was said and done, Magnus helped Clary and Jace through a portal to find Valentine. Without the help of our favorite warlock, Clary would have been stuck in the alternate universe forever.
The Hopeless Romantic
Illustration by @BBMonarch
In the episode 1×12 “Malec,” even though Alec was struggling to come to terms with his feelings for Magnus, he decided to put the fate of his family’s political future first, and go through with his (self-arranged) marriage to Lydia Branwell in an effort to restore his family name. After putting his heart on the line over and over in an attempt to convince Alec otherwise, and being rejected time and time again, a nudge from Magnus’ recently deceased friend, Ragnor Fell, made him realize that love (and Alec) were worth fighting for. He couldn’t stand by and watch Alec and Lydia ruin their lives. This led to Magnus crashing Alec’s wedding, to show him that he was willing to risk everything for love. Just seeing how far Malec has come as a couple since then, from working on cases to having family dinners to growing as individuals, makes us extremely grateful that Magnus didn’t give up on Alec that day.
The Guardian
Illustration by @Obsidayan
It wasn’t an easy road for Raphael Santiago once he was a reborn as a vampire, but Magnus helped him get through those difficult times. “Magnus gave me the strength to understand that where I came from wasn’t gone forever.” We often see Magnus showing off his charming, fierce, and powerful sides, but it is equally enjoyable to see this softer side of him as well. In episode 2×04 “Day of Wrath,” with vampire dens popping up all over New York and the Clave threatening his life, Raphael knew that he needed Magnus to help him capture Camille Belcourt, given the fact that Magnus and Camille have a lot of history together. Magnus had in fact already begun setting up his own trap for her in 2×02 “A Door into the Dark,” even before Raphael came to him, by taking a trip with Simon Lewis to her home in India and bringing back her grave dirt (which they could use to summon her). It’s understandable why Magnus was reluctant to turn Camille in to the Clave – they had a complicated romantic past, and she was the one person who had helped him when he was in his darkest mental state. Magnus considers the Downworlders he takes under his wing his children. Because of this, he could not understand how little she cared about her own vampire offspring. In the end, Magnus realized he had to choose between his history with Camille and the safety of the Downworlders he wanted so desperately to protect. How is the weather in Idris, Camille?
The Perfect Host
Illustration by @BBMonarch
In celebration of Max Lightwood’s rune ceremony, Magnus threw him an amazing Spanish-themed party in 2×08 “Love Is a Devil.” However, in an effort to get her hands on Magnus’ spell book for Valentine, a warlock named Iris Rouse cast a hallucinatory spell over the whole party. Unaffected, Magnus was able to notice that everyone was acting strangely. From Jace knocking Maryse Lightwood unconscious to Clary seeing Simon kissing Maia Roberts, things were starting to escalate pretty quickly. At one point, Alec came face-to-face with his buried guilt in the form of a vengeful Clary. A combination of guilt, fear, and magic had Alec ready to step off the ledge of Magnus’ rooftop in an attempt at taking his own life. By the Angel, we are beyond grateful that Magnus stopped that from happening! We can’t forget to mention that Magnus also had the time to capture Iris and send her to the Clave in Idris, all while looking like a total badass. Yep, that happened!
The Dragonslayer
Illustration by @Obsidiayan
In episode 2×20 “Beside Still Water,” with the new threat of dragon-like demons emerging from Edom threatening New York City, Isabelle and Alec needed a powerful warlock to close the rift. Duh. Despite Alec and Magnus being broken up (or having a “fight,” as Alec phrased it), he knew he could rely on Magnus to help them save lives. Putting their personal issues aside, Magnus agreed to portal with them to the site of the rift. After a demon few up from the rift and knocked Isabelle down, Magnus knew he had to work quickly. When our boy Alec failed to complete his one job of watching Magnus’ back and taking out the demon, Magnus had to both close the rift and finish what Alec started. Watching him blast a dragon from the sky with his magic was nothing short of epic.
The Problem-Solver
Illustration by @tuyvii
At the beginning of Season 3, we saw Magnus dealing with the pain of losing his position as the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Even though he was going through a tough time, he still stepped up to the plate to save the day. In episode 3×02 “The Powers That Be,” Magnus not only confessed that his father is a Prince of Hell but also showed off the strength of his magic. While trying to enjoy the newly appointed High Warlock’s party, corrupted ley lines under the house began to affect everyone’s magic. When Magnus saw one of the warlock’s haywire portals headed towards Madzie and Alec, he immediately rushed over to destroy it. After some serious sleuthing and problem-solving, Magnus figured out that the ley lines throughout the whole city were infected. Needless to say, seeing Malec work together on a case gave us all the feels and quite a few laughs. Magnus used his powers to merge the ley lines while Alec flooded them with some Divine Drano. Disaster averted, once again. Thanks, Magnus Bane.
Shadowhunters will return with Season 3B in 2019.
