The Ancient Magus' Bride
A haunting tapestry of Celtic myth and modern trauma, where a discarded girl finds a home within the shadow of a skull-headed mage. Magic blooms like blood-red poppies amidst a thicket of protective, stinging thorns.
The Ancient Magus' Bride
The Ancient Magus' Bride

魔法使いの嫁

"Will he bring her the light she desperately needs, or drown her in ever deeper shadows?"

08 October 2017 — 21 December 2023 Japan 2 season 48 episode Ended ⭐ 8.4 (412)
Cast: Atsumi Tanezaki, Ryota Takeuchi, Aya Endo, Koki Uchiyama, Satoshi Hino
Drama Animation Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action & Adventure
Healing and Trauma The Duality of Magic Belonging and Identity The Ethics of Care

The Ancient Magus' Bride - Characters & Cast

Character Analysis

Chise Hatori

Atsumi Tanezaki

Archetype: The Resilient Survivor
Key Trait: Empathy

Motivation

Originally driven by a desperate need to be 'needed' by anyone, her motivation matures into a desire to protect her found family and help others who suffer from similar loneliness.

Character Arc

Chise begins as a girl who has completely given up on life, selling herself because she sees no value in her own existence. Over two seasons, she grows from a submissive apprentice into a confident sorcerer who learns to set boundaries and value her own well-being over self-sacrifice.

Elias Ainsworth

Ryota Takeuchi

Archetype: The Inhuman Mentor
Key Trait: Emotional Naivety

Motivation

Driven by a profound curiosity about humanity and a deep-seated fear of being alone again, which initially manifests as controlling behavior.

Character Arc

Elias starts as a powerful mage with no understanding of human emotion, behaving like a curious but often possessive child. Through Chise, he learns the nuances of jealousy, fear, and love, eventually transitioning from a 'buyer' to a partner who respects Chise’s autonomy.

Ruth

Koki Uchiyama

Archetype: The Loyal Guardian
Key Trait: Unwavering Loyalty

Motivation

To protect Chise at all costs, acting as both her shadow and her conscience.

Character Arc

Once a grieving Church Grim named Ulysse, he finds new purpose as Chise's familiar. His arc is one of absolute devotion, as he shares Chise's physical and emotional pain through their soul-bond.

Philomela Sergeant

Maki Kawase

Archetype: The Broken Successor
Key Trait: Repressed Strength

Motivation

A desperate, fearful drive to meet her family's impossible expectations until she finds the courage to seek help.

Character Arc

The primary focus of Season 2, she begins as a hollowed-out puppet of her grandmother’s ambitions. Through Chise's intervention, she eventually breaks her internal silence and finds the strength to claim her own life.

Cast

Atsumi Tanezaki as Chise Hatori (voice)
Ryota Takeuchi as Elias Ainsworth (voice)
Aya Endo as Silky (voice)
Koki Uchiyama as Ruth (voice)
Satoshi Hino as Mikhail Renfred (voice)
Mutsumi Tamura as Alice Swayne (voice)
Minami Tsuda as Lucy Webster (voice)
Maki Kawase as Philomela Sergeant (voice)
Seiichiro Yamashita as Rían Scrimgeour (voice)
Daiki Kobayashi as Zoe Ivy (voice)
Reina Ueda as Veronica Rickenbacker (voice)
Koutaro Nishiyama as Isaac Farrar (voice)
Hana Sato as Beatrice Byrne (voice)
Ayumu Murase as Joseph / Cartaphilus (voice)
Sayaka Kinoshita as Alcyone (voice)