History Main / WizardClassic

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': The Wizards of Unseen University fall into this. Of course their "wisdom" in regards to magic mostly consists of not using it and in the earlier books, jockeying for a KlingonPromotion or two. They ''look'' the part but their antics usually boil down to them being uncannily indestructible old men who blunder about having adventures at other people's expense. [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass However, on no account should one underestimate them.]] [[PersonOfMassDestruction They are Ankh-Morpork's nuclear deterrent, and the main reason that they don't overuse magic is because it tends to attract]] {{Eldritch Abomination}}s and play merry hell with the fabric of reality. It's also made clear that [[ObfuscatingStupidity the Faculty are not as obliviously dim as they pretend to be]] -- which backfires on them as Ponder Stibbons, most junior member of the Faculty and resident genius, goes from trying to explain things in exhaustive detail to them (which they pretend not to understand to wind him up) to just assuming they'll get it without explanation and refusing to elaborate. Of course, being Discworld, the etymology of the word "wizard" comes from "[[StealthPun Wys Ars]]" meaning one who, at bottom, is very wise[[note]]An etymology related to the real-life's word, which roughly means "one who is excessively wise" -- the -ard suffix serves as similar purpose as in "dullard", "laggard" and such[[/note]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Human wizards tend not to look precisely like this -- a deliberate stylistic decision on the part of the designers throughout the years to make them seem more varied and interesting. Most of the individual elements of the "wizard classic" look are used on some wizard models -- robes, staffs, great age, beards etc. -- but almost never all together (and the traditional pointy hat is almost non-existent; Lore of Shadows wizards are the only ones to wear them). The ones who get closest to this are the mages of the Lore of Light, the Lore of Metal and the Lore of Heavens. They don't quite make it because the first bear the trappings of a pseudo-Egyptian religious order while the second and third are more akin to scientists studying alchemy and astronomy to learn about transmutation and divination. Those of the Lore of Life and the Lore of Beasts are more akin to druids, and given their knack for subterfuge a Grey Wizard can wear pretty much anything. Those who study the Lore of Death look like necromancers to the common folk, but they will vehemently object to this. The wizards of the Bright College are pyromancers who frequently spot ridiculous hairdos that make it difficult to wear a wizard hat.

* '''Wizardly Habits''': Wizards are very often solitary folk who live alone in far off, difficult to reach places, studying in seclusion. They also tend to live in [[MageTower tall towers]], the better to be closer to the stars. They have been known to enjoy WalkingTheEarth, however, and people seem to stumble upon them at random... or is it fate? Since wizardry is a studied art rather than a spontaneous talent, wizards tend to have TheApprentice hanging around, or sometimes even congregate in a WizardingSchool. A Wizard can be a CourtMage but even then they tend to have their own areas and act aloof. While '{{familiar}}s' are more often associated with witches or demonologists, wizards do tend to keep a pet -- the most frequent choice is a bird associated with cleverness or wisdom, such as a crow or owl. A degree of [[EccentricMentor eccentricity]] is quite common, be it [[BunnyEarsLawyer real]] or [[ObfuscatingStupidity feigned]], which masks the wizard's considerable power.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': [[MeaningfulName Yen Sid]] the sorcerer has a long grey beard and a blue robe. He also has a magic hat that has the power to bring household tools to life. Notably the character was modeled on Creator/WaltDisney

* '''[[RobeAndWizardHat Traditional Wizardly Attire]]''': Wizards are known for wearing long robes, especially in blue, grey, or purple, and pointed hats, often floppy and sometimes without a brim. Occasionally these will have stars or other mystical designs on them. Sometimes the hat is omitted, but rarely the robe. If male (and they very often are -- see below), they also have a long WizardBeard, usually white.

* In ''Literature/DarkLordOfDerkholm'', Wizards are pretty diverse folk and include both genders, but Mr. Chesney made all wizard-guides have to conform to look as close to the classic version as possible when they headed tours, including making all wizards grow beards.

* The ''Literature/DorrieTheLittleWitch'' stories have featured a few, some good and some evil.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': The Wizards of Unseen University fall into this. Of course their "wisdom" in regards to magic mostly consists of not using it and in the earlier books, jockeying for a KlingonPromotion or two. They ''look'' the part but their antics usually boil down to them being uncannily indestructible old men who blunder about having adventures at other people's expense. [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass However, on no account should one underestimate them.]] [[PersonOfMassDestruction They are Ankh-Morpork's nuclear deterrent, and the main reason that they don't overuse magic is because it tends to attract]] {{Eldritch Abomination}}s and play merry hell with the fabric of reality. It's also made clear that [[ObfuscatingStupidity the Faculty are not as obliviously dim as they pretend to be]] - which backfires on them as Ponder Stibbons, most junior member of the Faculty and resident genius, goes from trying to explain things in exhaustive detail to them (which they pretend not to understand to wind him up) to just assuming they'll get it without explanation and refusing to elaborate.
** Of course, being Discworld, the etymology of the word 'wizard' comes from '[[StealthPun Wys Ars]]' meaning one who, at bottom, is very wise.

* Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero: Old Osmund, the Headmaster of the Tristain Academy of Magic looks the part with his robes, staff, and long white beard but is also a DirtyOldMan who harasses his secretary.

* ''ComicBook/{{Shazam}}'': The Wizard Shazam, the mentor and sometimes namesake of Captain Marvel/Shazam, is an elderly robe-clad man who lives in the Rock of Eternity.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': Yen Sid the sorcerer has a long grey beard and a blue robe. He also has a magic hat that has the power to bring household tools to life.

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Gandalf and Saruman are both magic, bearded old men who are long-lived and nigh immortal, carry staffs and give advice. Gandalf [[WalkingTheEarth walks the earth]] but Saruman lives in a [[MageTower tower]]. [[UnbuiltTrope However]], whereas normal wizards are educated humans, Tolkien's "wizards" are actually [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Maiar]] in corporeal form -- something that is discussed vaguely in ''The Lord of the Rings'' but made more explicit in other Tolkien works.

* The series ''Series/OnceUponATime'' features an interesting subversion with their appearance of Merlin. While he is centuries old, wears long robes, owns a magical hat with a starry design, and is one of the most wise and powerful characters in the series, he has the appearance of young man of African descent. Ironically, it's his apprentice who looks the part of a Wizard Classic with a long red robe and white beard. It is worth noting that both Merlin and his apprentice are coded as the series' version of YenSid and Mickey Mouse respectively. ItMakesSenseInContext.

* '''Wizardly Habits''': Wizards are very often solitary folk who live alone in far off, difficult to reach places, studying in seclusion. They also tend to live in [[MageTower tall towers]], the better to be closer to the stars. They have been known to enjoy WalkingTheEarth, however, and people seem to stumble upon them at random... or is it fate? Since wizardry is a studied art rather than a spontaneous talent, wizards tend to have TheApprentice hanging around, or sometimes even congregate in a WizardingSchool. A Wizard can be a CourtMage but even then they tend to have their own areas and act aloof. While 'familiars' are more often associated with witches or demonologists, wizards do tend to keep a pet -- the most frequent choice is a bird associated with cleverness or wisdom, such as a crow or owl. A degree of [[EccentricMentor eccentricity]] is quite common, be it [[BunnyEarsLawyer real]] or [[ObfuscatingStupidity feigned]], which masks the wizard's considerable power.

* ''Series/Merlin2008'': Though Merlin is a young man in this series, in later seasons he occasionally adopts an elderly, white-bearded appearance via enchantment, using it to hide his real identity. His previously foretold alternate name, Emrys, gets attached to this persona, though the name Merlin usually uses is Dragoon.
** Then the very last shot of the finale, set in the present day hundreds and hundreds of years after Camelot, shows a genuinely aged Merlin more directly evoking this trope.

%%* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': Disciples of Aldur.

* ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'': Lord Hawkwind the Timelord ends up [[http://lparchive.org/Wizardry-IV/Update%2013/53-hawkwind_nes2.jpg looking the part]] in his later years minus the hat and appears to have many sagely powers befitting a wizard, but this is a subversion, as he's actually a ninja. [[spoiler:Also lacking from a true wizard is a sense of wisdom as he ultimately meets his end by the hands of his nemesis in Wizardry IV from being stabbed in [[EvilGloating the middle of his monologue]] by a dink.]] Werdna from the first and fourth games of the latter is an evil version of this.

* ''VideoGame/{{Exile}}'': The generic sprites and portraits for magi tend towards either classic wizards, or younger "scholar" types that will become them in a few decades. However, the important, named wizards such as [[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Solberg]], [[CatFolk "X"]], or [[HotWitch Erica]] tend to be different.

* '''Association with Age and Wisdom''': Wizards are usually very old, the implication being that it takes one that much time studying before one can really be considered a true wizard, fit to master the secrets of the universe. Sometimes younger wizards will even use illusion or disguise to ''appear'' old, to gain respect. Furthermore it's common for [[WizardsLiveLonger wizards to have unusual longevity]], even most other magic users, so that the average wizard ends up being much older than the average non-wizard. Wizards are known for being very wise--'wizard' actually comes from the word 'wise'. They often act as advisers to very important people, like royalty, and as mentors to heroes.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Human wizards tend not to look precisely like this -- a deliberate stylistic decision on the part of the designers throughout the years to make them seem more varied and interesting. Most of the individual elements of the "wizard classic" look are used on some wizard models -- robes, staffs, great age, beards etc. -- but almost never all together (and the traditional pointy hat is almost non-existent; Lore of Shadows wizards are the only ones to wear them). The ones who get closest to this are the mages of the Lore of Light, the Lore of Metal and the Lore of Heavens. They don't quite make it because the first bear the trappings of a pseudo-Egyptian religious order while the second and third are more akin to scientists studying alchemy and astronomy to learn about transmutation and divination. Those of the Lore of Life and the Lore of Beasts are more akin to druids, and given their knack for subterfuge a Grey Wizard can wear pretty much anything. Those who study the Lore of Death look like necromancers to the common folk, but they will vehemently object to this. And the wizards of the Bright College are pyromancers who frequently spot ridiculous hairdos that make it difficult to wear a wizard hat.

* ''VideoGame/{{Majesty}}'' [[InvokedTrope consciously]] checks off every item on the list when it comes to the recruitable hero wizards. They're robed and bearded old men, frail but extremely powerful, their guild hall is an eldritch tower (and also allows the player to build additional magic towers as defensive outposts). And their default activity, when not at the library for new spells or mowing down monsters, is wandering about in a slightly befuddled daze.

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Gandalf and Saruman are both magic, bearded old men who are long-lived and nigh immortal and carry staffs and give advice. Gandalf [[WalkingTheEarth walks the earth]] but Saruman lives in a [[MageTower tower]]. [[UnbuiltTrope However]], whereas normal wizards are educated humans, Tolkien's "wizards" are actually [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Maiar]] in corporeal form -- something that is discussed vaguely in ''The Lord of the Rings'' but made more explicit in other Tolkien works.

* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'': Though Merlin is a young man in this series, in later seasons he occasionally adopts an elderly, white-bearded appearance via enchantment, using it to hide his real identity. His previously foretold alternate name, Emrys, gets attached to this persona, though the name Merlin usually uses is Dragoon.

* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'': Though Merlin is a young man in this series, in later seasons he occasionally adopts an elderly, white-bearded appearance via enchantment, using it to hide his real identity. His previously foretold alternate name, Emrys, gets attached to this persona.

* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'': Though Merlin is a young man in this series, in later seasons he evokes the elderly, white-bearded personification of this trope via enchantment, using it to hide his real identity. His previously foretold alternate name, Emrys, gets attached to this persona.
** Then the very last shot of the finale, set in the present day hundreds and hundreds of years after Camelot, shows a genuinely aged Merlin exactly evoking this trope.