The Kou Empire (煌帝国 Kō Teikoku) is a large military nation, considered one of the most powerful in the current era because of the number of Dungeon Capturers and armies that it controls. The empire is also described as very aggressive, using any reason to attack another nation.
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General
- Arranged Marriage: The princesses are expected to get married to form alliances to benefit The Empire. They seem to have some degree of choice on the matter, however, as Kougyoku and Hakuen both had their choices respected; it helps that they are Dungeon Conquerors (and that Kougyoku's planned marriage to the Saluja royal family had already fallen apart).
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: All of them, with the exception of the six princesses between Hakuei and Kougyoku, are Dungeon Capturers of at least one dungeon. They're also royalty and, with one or two exceptions, full-fledged generals in Kou's army.
- Badass Family: Six dungeon conquerors.
- The Beautiful Elite: The "ugliest" of them shown is a borderline Bishōnen.
- Big Damn Heroes: Five of Kou's six metal vessel holders get together to aid Alibaba and Aladdin against the Medium.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: Thanks to the presence of Gyokuen and post-character development Hakuryuu. Without those two, they're actually more or less normal as far as their relationships with each other go. It's just how they treat the world and the people in it that's fucked up.
- Colorful Theme Naming: The first emperor's children have "Haku" (white) in their names, the second emperor's children have "Kou" (red), the Ri family have "Sei" (blue), and the Shuu family have "Koku" (black). Also potentially the Ka family, since the "Ko" in Kobun means yellow.
- Decadent Court: Only because of the inclusion of a large number of members of Al-Thamen. The royal family (save Gyokuen and Hakuryuu) and their personal retainers are actually a close-knit bunch. Well, the current generation is, anyway; Koutoku did help Gyokuen overthrow his brother, after all. It's not unlikely that Kouen went out of his way to avert this among his cousins and siblings precisely because of past experiences. With the revelation of Arba's longstanding influence in the family, this is most likely played straight. Woman's a nutcase.
- The Emperor: The second emperor, Koutoku. The ruler of Kou in general. Since the Senate is the true ruling power in Reim, even if there is an emperornote , this is the straightest example of this in-series.
- The Empire: Like the above trope, Kou also probably plays this the straightest. They are the most upfront about their intentions on the rest of the world, and while they do allow for peaceful surrender, forced conquest is never off the table either. It's indicated that Al-Thamen is using this as a front to sow greater turmoil and destruction across the world.
- The Family That Slays Together: Particularly evident in the Magnostadt arc, where the Ren family work incredibly well together as a team. Except Hakuryuu, who doesn't show up.
- Family Theme Naming: The first emperor's children have "Haku" (white) in their names; the second emperor's have "Kou" (red). Each father named their children after their own names (Hakutoku and Koutoku).
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Of Imperial China, particularly the Han and Ming dynasties. Their names are Japanese but sounds like the Japanese versions of Chinese names, contrasting those of the inhabitants of Kina (which is the equivalent of Japan).
- From Nobody to Nightmare: It's stated that they were initially a fairly minor power that was vassal to another, but in the span of just a couple decades, overthrew their overlords, and grew to be one of the largest empires in the world.
- The Good King: First Emperor Hakutoku. His eldest nephew claims to even be jealous of Hakutoku's youngest son, Hakuryuu, for being the child of such a great man. No wonder, given who his father is.
- Good Princess, Evil Queen: The evil empress regnant Gyokuen Ren started out as a Hot Consort, married her dead husband's brother after claiming responsibility for his death and the deaths of their older sons, and later usurped the throne. She is the leader of Al-Thamen to boot. By contrast, the country's two most plot-important princessesnote lean towards being the White Sheeps of the court. Her daughter Princess Hakuei is a wise and idealistic general, and her niece/stepdaughter Princess Kougyoku is a warrior with sweet personality. Played With, however — Gyokuen used to be a good person before Demonic Possession via Arba, who later possesses Hakuei...
- A Lighter Shade of Grey: They're set up as antagonists, but they're not nearly as bad as Al-Thamen or even the horribly racist Magnostadt.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: The Kou siblings are seven sisters and three brothers. Considering Hakuei and Hakuryuu were adopted into their uncle's family, there's twelve siblings in the royal family if they're counted in.
- Missing Mom: The mothers of the Kou branch children are never mentioned, except from Kougyoku's (a prostitute) and Kouha's (a concubine who went insane for yet unknown reasons). We also know that Kouen and Koumei share a mother, but not what became of her.
- No Name Given: Five of the six princesses between Hakuei and Kougyoku (the other princess is named Kourin, but that's all we know about her).
- Parental Incest: Arba has suggested in order to create new bodies she can inhabit she's been having her way with the empire for years...
- Princess Classic: The six princesses between Hakuei and Kougyoku. They were all married off to enforce Kou's political alliances, while Hakuei and Kougyoku are unwed Dungeon Capturers.
- Rock Theme Naming: The royal ladies are so far named after precious stones (e.g. jewel, crystal, ruby).
- Royal Harem: The men of the royal family have harems to ensure the birth of more heirs.
- Royally Screwed Up: Subverted, as most of the family is actually quite normal, with the exceptions being Gyokuen and Hakuryuu.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Three of the princes and two of the princesses are actual generals in the Imperial Army. Four princes and two princesses, including the aforementioned generals, are dungeon conquerors.
- Rule of Three: Each emperor had three sons.
- Siblings in Crime: And Kouen aims to keep it that way if he possibly can, claiming he hates quarrels between siblings. Giving what happened between his father and his uncle, it is no surprise.
- Tangled Family Tree: A guy who already had about ten kids with multiple women married his brother's widow and adopted his niece and nephew. Lampshaded:Aladdin: Let's see now...Hakuryu and Hakuei are brother and sister, but they both have a different mother than Kouha and Kougyoku.note Wait, huh?! They don't have the same father, either?! But they're still siblings?! This is really getting confusing.
- Thicker Than Water: The Royal Family is very close. Aside from Gyokuen, who's an omnicidal bitch, and Hakuryuu, who only cares for his elder sister.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Almost all of the Kou siblings are first introduced in ways that would make it seem that they are crazy, omnicidal, warmongers. But after their introduction, they have all proven to be far better than that. Hakuryuu, on the other hand, is introduced as a sweet if overly serious kid — and it all goes downhill from there.
- Utopia Justifies the Means: They, or at least their leadership, are sincere about their desire to bring unity and peace to the world. The unfortunate catch is that they have a tendency to tear up existing cultures and societies (sometimes violently), and replace it with that of Kou.
Ren Royal Family
The ruling family of the Kou Empire. Thus far there have been only two Emperors: Hakutoku, who was murdered in a revolt and was later succeeded by his younger brother Koutoku. Gyokuen, who was married to Hakutoku, ended up marrying her brother-in-law after becoming a widow. Ren Kouen
First Imperial Prince of the Kou Empire, and exalted Supreme General of the Western Subjugation Army. He is the owner of three metal vessels, the Djinns Agares, Astaroth and Phenex, and is thus far the only person other than Sinbad to have conquered more than one dungeon. He is one of Judar's King Vessels.
Voiced by: Yūichi Nakamura (Japanese), Kaiji Tang (English)
- Affectionate Nickname: Kouha shorts his name to "En".
- Aloof Big Brother: How he comes across though, if anything, it has more to do with his lack of social skills and busy agenda than with any outright apathy towards his younger siblings.
- Ambition Is Evil: In this universe, wanting to take over the world by force is kind of evil. In a kind of subversion, Kouen only really wants to conquer the world to put an end to war and so that he may use all of the world's knowledge to find out what the "King Vessel" is. He even confesses that one of the reasons he refused to become Emperor by marrying Gyokuen (aside from his fear of her) was because he never wanted to be a king.
- Anti-Villain: He subjugates countries and inflicts cultural genocide, but he did all of that because his absolute goal is to eradicate war and achieving permanent peace under the Kou Empire single sovereignty.
- The way he works towards his goals is morally questionable, but he is shown to care a lot towards his younger siblings and subordinates, prompting him to surrender to Hakuryuu and Seven Seas Alliance to avoid major casualties at his side.
- An Arm and a Leg: In chapter 281 he is shown losing his arm and two legs, in exchange for regrowing Hakuryuu's lost limbs. Now he is resorting to use Artificial Limbs.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The First Prince, general of the army, and the only person in the Empire who conquers three dungeons.
- Badass Bookworm: He likes to read history scrolls a lot and wants to reveal one of the greatest mysteries of history by himself. Also, more than for a good fight, he can get crazy when something gets between him and his precious knowledge. In the 'MAGI Illustrated Encyclopedia', it is revealed that his hobby is researching history.
- Badass Cape
- Beard of Evil: Subverted in that he's not nearly as evil as he first appears, just incredibly ruthless.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: He is not one for idle conversation, leaving that to Koumei, but he is probably the second most powerful Djinn user in the whole world.
- Big Brother Bully: Played for laugh towards Koumei, for example, punishing him using pro-wrestling moves. [1]
- Big Brother Instinct: His best trait has to be his care, protection, and concern for his younger siblings and family.
- Big Brother Mentor: To Kougyoku. He encouraged her to become a Dungeon Conqueror and helped her train.
- Also implied to have been one to Kouha considering that he escorted him into his first dungeon and gave him advice on being a Dungeon Conqueror.
- Additionally, he may have been one to Koumei when they were younger. Certainly explains why all three of the aforementioned royals have such overwhelming Big Brother Worship towards him.
- Big Damn Heroes: In Chapter 182, he and his household arrive to bail Magnostadt, the Reim Empire, and Kouha out of the mess they're in.
- Blood Knight: In his first appearance, he's pleased when Judar announces that he has declared war against Sinbad.
- Characterization Marches On: In his first appearance, he had a constant Psychotic Smirk and got excited at the prospect of war with Sindria. He even indulged in a bit of an Evil Laugh. Come his second appearance, he's become The Stoic Perpetual Frowner who treats war and conquest as a necessary, not enjoyable, endeavor. Eventually, he reveals himself to actually lie between the two: for the most part, he treats war and conquest as a chore, but when something piques his interest, he becomes a straight-up Blood Knight who is more than capable of letting out a good number of Slasher Smiles.
- Child Soldier: Used to be one during the warring period before the rise of Kou Empire. In the omake, Shinobu Ohtaka also depicted him in full battle gear at the field, while he looked no older than 11-12 years old.
- Cluster F-Bomb: He delivers a good one in Chapter 190.
- Despair Event Horizon: As a child soldier under First Emperor Hakutoku, witnessing a full-scale of War Is Hell.
- The Emperor: He's not officially the emperor, but he is his father' heir, but given how he controls the vast majority of the Kou Empire's armies and six of the eight Djinn that the Kou Empire has conquered are loyal to him, he may as well be. But when Koutoku dies his rightful title as the next Emperor is usurped by his stepmother Gyokuen.
- Evil Counterpart: To Sinbad. See Foil.
- Everyone Has Standards: He makes it clear to Hakuryuu that he chose not to become Emperor by marrying Gyokuen, which would have him gain more power than he currently has. He admits that it was due to fearing her.
- Evil Redhead: He's not evil per se, but he is opposing our protagonists and he is quite ruthless.
- Face Death with Dignity: He calmly accepts his death sentence at the end of Kou Civil War arc.
- Fake Kill Scare: Turns out Aladdin used a water magic to fake his death to the masses.
- Fiery Red Head: No, really! When he gets fired up, he starts dropping Cluster F-Bombs left, right, and center.
- Foil:
- Kouen is the quiet, serious, crown prince who values his family. Cheerful, goofy Sinbad was born into poverty but became rich, founded his own kingdom and is a Knight Templar for the whole world.
- Also, as it turns out, to Hakuryuu. Both admired Hakuryuu's father & older brothers and wanted to kill Gyokuen in order to avenge them, but they went about it using drastically different methods. While both are ruthless, Kouen did not put his revenge over the stability of them empire, remained loyal to Hakutoku's goals, wanted to amass knowledge before confronting Gyokuen, having correctly guessed that she wouldn't stay dead, and relies on his siblings as effective co-rulers, whereas Hakuryuu turned his back on Hakuei after his fall into depravity, has a complex about doing everything on his own, 'leads' his army via mind control and has no real supporters apart from perhaps Judar.
- For Science!: He wants to Take Over the World as a way to find out what the "King Vessel" is.
- Four-Star Badass: He's the general of a very large army and the conqueror of three dungeons.
- Genius Bruiser: He doesn't just possess overwhelming power, he knows how to use it in conjunction which his surroundings to either enhance the destructive power of his Djinn or replenish his Magoi.
- Green-Eyed Monster: A mild example, but he admits to be this towards Hakuryuu, since it was Hakuryuu who managed to kill Gyokuen and not him, despite his own efforts to prevent it.
- Graceful Loser: He calmly surrenders to Hakuryuu/Seven Seas Alliance at the end of Kou Civil War arc.
- Healing Shiv: A pendant attached to his sword makes it function as one because of the Djinn Phenex's healing power.
- Kick the Dog: Telling Alibaba to look down while talking to him, since Alibaba lost his kingdom.
- Kissing Cousins: He has quite a bit of Ship Tease with Hakuei.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: He surrenders to the Seven Seas Alliance in between Chapter 277 and 278, as so to ensure that his followers would be pardoned.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: In Chapter 182.
- Little Bit Beastly: His Agares Djinn equip has a lion's tail, claws, and ears.
- Lust: Kouha reveals to Aladdin that his brother En is actually a very "greedy for knowledge" person. He's willing to take over the world, take monsters down, and swear his heart out with just knowledge in his mind. Not for riches, or fame, or glory, but for knowledge.
- Magma Man: Can use the natural magma in the ground to recharge his Magoi.
- Major Injury Underreaction: In Chapter 191, Kouen keeps calm even after the skin on his face, torso and legs was melted off, exposing the muscles beneath.
- Manipulative Bastard: Once he discovered Hakuryuu's desire to kill him and Gyokuen; he used his Djinn Phenex to cast a spell that, whenever Hakuryuu's conviction to kill them solidified, Phenex would appear and then make Hakuryuu experience severe pain as so to prevent that from happening.
- Meaningful Name: It means Red Flame, appropriate since he favours his flame Djinn.
- Mirror Character:
- Per Chapter 212, Kouen and Sinbad. Both are more than willing to dirty their hands and use morally questionable methods to protect their countries. And both have used Djinn that allow them to influence people without them knowing it.
- He's later revealed to have this towards Hakuryuu to a certain degree. The two of them wanted revenge against Gyokuen and were willing to use the methods they thought were best to eventually remove her.
- Mr. Fanservice: Especially in his shirtless djinn equip.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: While he's far from being a goody-two-shoes, he still has way more regard for human life than Hakuryuu, which is part of why the latter was able to dethrone him:
- Couldn't bring himself to kill Hakuryuu after learning of his intention to start a war; Later blames himself for that.
- Tried to keep the number of casualties low during the war, which Hakuryuu counted on to buy time for the Seven Seas Alliance to arrive.
- Ended up surrendering once Sindbad offered to spare his soldiers; The fact that Koumei was gravely wounded at the time might also have played a part
- Not So Stoic: A minor example. Turns out, Kouen is actually kind of self-conscious about not being able to express himself properly in front of others, thinking that he must be "boring" because of that.
- All hell breaks loose in Chapter 190 when he gives into bloodlust against the Black Djinns.
- In Chapter 210, he laughs for the first time in-story (and apparently in living memory). His subordinates are so shocked they consider it Dissonant Laughter.
- The Only One I Can Trust: He's savvy enough to know that in a big (and growing) empire and organization, it's inevitable that somebody is going to betray you eventually; but when asked if that means he doesn't trust anyone, his answer is "I trust my brothers".
- Pet the Dog: When he sees Hakuryuu for the first time after he had come back from Sindria; Kouen claps him on the shoulder and praises him for conquering a dungeon, even though Hakuryuu had disrespected him by not bowing upon Kouen's return.
- Playing with Fire: The Djinn whose powers he uses the most, Astaroth, is a powerful Fire Djinn.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He genuinely cares about his country's future, and to a somewhat lesser extent, that of the rest of the world. He even gives Alibaba some good advice about ruling a country, that even though there may be people and organizations in your country you dislike or even hate, you should consider them as much your countrymen as anyone else.
- Red Baron: The "Flame Emperor."
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Subverted. Beneath his first impression as a ruthless tyrant, he is actually a huge history nerd.
- Slasher Smile: When engaged in a worthy battle.
- Sleep-Mode Size: Inverted. He shrinks to a child's body when equipped with Agares.
- Take Up My Sword: Literally, from Hakuyuu, whom Kouen also greatly admires.
- The Man Behind the Monsters: Has this vibe while surrounded by his Household Vessels.
- The Stoic: His typical demeanor is one of bored disdain.
- In Chapters 278-279, he breaks into multitude of different emotions, from mildly amused to despair to full-on smiling. No, not smirking. Smiling.
- Take Over the World: His goal. He believes that with the world under one rule, there will be no more war.
- Technicolor Fire: Astaroth's extreme magic conjures white flames which last for eternity unless Kouen orders it to disappear.
- Thicker Than Water: He wants his family's help in his plan of Take Over the World but he also respects his siblings enough to not force them into it.
- Tragic Keepsake: His sword is from Hakuryuu's eldest brother, Hakuyuu, whom he greatly respected.
- Undying Loyalty:
- Warrior Prince: Kouen's incredible aptitude when it comes to this trope just makes Gyokuen usurping the throne all the more outrageous.
- War Is Hell: Despite being a Warrior Prince and Four-Star Badass; the experience of constantly fighting for the Kou Empire when younger, ultimately turned him towards this viewpoint.
- We Can Rule Together: He wants to keep his family together with him while ruling the whole world. He later makes the same offer to Alibaba; requesting that Alibaba break his ties with Sindria, and become Kouen's right hand man.
- When He Smiles: Shown in Chapter 278 to a heartbreaking degree, towards Hakuryuu.
- Wrestler in All of Us: Apparently uses wrestling moves to punish Koumei's laziness.
Ren Koumei
Second Imperial Prince of the Kou Empire, his older brother Kouen's personal advisor. He is a General of the Kou Empire's Western Subjugation Army. Koumei is the owner of the Djinn Dantalion and one of Judar's King Vessels.
Voiced by: Satoshi Hino (Japanese), Ezra Weisz (as Ethan Murray) (English)
- Accidental Truth: Confused by Alibaba's refusal of a royal harem, he says that he sounds like a virgin. Alibaba's silence then confirms that Koumei hit the nail on the head. He properly apologizes.
- Affectionate Nickname: Kouha shorts his name to "Mei".
- Badass Cape: His Djinn Equip includes a mantle covered in stars that billows dramatically when he unleashes full power.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Especially in Chapter 208, where he dozes off in the middle of a conversation only to be slapped awake by Kouen, lies that his shoulder got dislocated to avoid talking with Alibaba, mumbles about the weather, and then reveals that he's just as ruthless as his brother.
- Big Brother Instinct:
- When Kouha and Kougyoku are badly injured by the Medium, Koumei drops a mountain on its head.
- He apparently worries a lot about his younger siblings. Given his family, he has every right to.
- Big Brother Worship: Calls Kouen "my brother, my king".
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Being the foremost military strategist of the Kou Empire at only 26 (implied to be at his brother's insistence), he's too tired and demotivated to even dress himself in the morning.
- Chessmaster Sidekick: Subverted in that his older, multiple-dungeon capturing brother is all kinds of badass and a Genius Bruiser, while Koumei complains all the time.
- Combat Hand Fan: Subverted. His metal vessel is a feather fan, like Hakuei's, but it disappears when he goes into Djinn Equip.
- Despair Event Horizon: As a child during the warring period of the Kou Empire, he is horribly traumatized by war just like his older brother.
- Drama Queen: When trying to shun his responsibilities he has a tendency to overreact to Kouen's abuse. In the past he claimed to have a chronic disease so he didn't have to leave his room.
- Geek Physique: Befitting his pen-pusher lifestyle, he's frail, skinny, and has bad posture. Particularly evident when compared to the strapping Kouen.
- Generic Cuteness: Kouha outright calls him "ugly". At worst, he's somewhat unkempt. Subverted later after the second Time Skip when Kouha says that the former had always been handsome.
- Hand Behind Head: When embarrassed. Or happy. Or annoyed. Or tired...In other words, he does it a lot.
- Horned Humanoid: Gets curly ram horns courtesy of his Djinn Equip.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Courtesy of Seven Seas Alliance during the Kou Empire Civil War.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: And how! For a guy who constantly claims that his Djinn isn't suited for battle, he sure doesn't have any trouble throwing down when push comes to shove. When his Badass Family is struggling against the Eldritch Abomination they're fighting, Kouen puts Koumei in charge of coordinating their attacks. Cue a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown made possible by him teleporting his siblings to positions from which they can exact maximum damage (Hakuei blasts the monster into the sky with wind, where Kouha is waiting to knock it back down with his hammer—directly onto Kougyoku's water spear). As if that weren't badass enough, Koumei then reveals he can merge all their separate magics (via teleportation) into a multi-elemental attack. And for the kicker, when all of that is insufficient and his little brother and sister go down, he picks up an entire mountain and throws it at the Medium.
- Light 'em Up: Dantalion grants him light magic, which has so far manifested as star constellations.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Almost down to his waist. It's just a shame he never seems to brush it.
- Meaningful Name: It may be a reference to another lazy, brilliant, fan-carrying Chinese strategist, Zhuge Liang, whose Japanese name is 'Koumei'.
- Modest Royalty: Alibaba comments that he lacks an air of self-importance.
- Non-Action Guy: Prefers the intellectual side of military affairs and, according to him, his Djinn is not very potent in battle.
- Only Sane Man: So far, he and Hakuei seem to be the most normal out of the entire family, not that that's saying much.
- Pet the Dog: He likes to feed pigeons in his spare time, and seems to worry about his younger siblings.
- Power Dyes Your Hair: In Djinn Equip his red hair turns black.
- Running Gag: The war councils always seem to run over, leaving him as a sleepless wreck.
- Scars Are Forever: A mundane example, but bears some acne scars on his face.
- Sleepy Head: Has perfected the method of napping while standing upright and keeping his eyes open. Kouen reminds him that this is nothing to be proud of.
- The Strategist: The first time he reveals his magic, he uses it to teleport the Black Djinns' attacks so that they take each other out. He then
directs collateral damage away from the city his country is trying to conquer.- In Chapter 208, it's revealed that he's the one who created the laws of the Kou Empire's General Government system, which rid Balbadd of its status as an autonomous republic.
- Token Wholesome: One of only a few men (the rest of whom are middle aged) whose Djinn Equip doesn't bare his chest, though
Word of God still thinks he looks cool.- Then again, this might have to do with the fact that he's somewhat malnourished.
- Teleportation Spam: His Djinn equip creates gates that teleport anyone or anything that goes into one out another. He uses it once to cut off the top of a mountain and drop it on his enemy.
- Totalitarian Utilitarian: He wants to make the people's lives better in the future, despite his methods making others miserable in the present.
- Undying Loyalty: To Kouen.
- Workaholic: Tends to lose himself in strategizing so that his sleeping and eating habits (and thus his appearance) suffer as a result.
- Weaponized Teleportation: Frankly, if it weren't for Koumei combining everyone's attacks, they would never have beaten the Medium.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: As a child he had a premonition and decided to make plans to start a magic development facility.
- You Must Be Cold: A brotherly example, where he gives an injured and exhausted Kouha his outer robe to wear after the gruelling battle with the Medium.
Ren Kouha
Third Imperial Prince of the Kou Empire. He is a General of the Kou Empire's Western Subjugation Army. Kouha is the owner of the Djinn Leraje and one of Judar's King Vessels.
Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara (Japanese), Mark Allen, Jr. (English)
- Abhorrent Admirer: Judar seems to view him as this.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: A minor example towards Koumei, who he often insults and pesters with no provocation.
- Ax-Crazy: The kid really, really enjoys killing people. There is a reason for this in Volume 27's Omake. He first started it out as means of venting all his anger at Koutoku for making his mother insane.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Kouha never was expected to be anyone important in Kou thanks to his rather low position in his family's hierarchy and his eccentric, violent personality, but his older brothers never treated him badly nor stopped believing in him, making him fanatically loyal to both. One of the ways he tries to live up to their expectations of him is his tendency to recruit the social outcasts of the Kou Empire into his personal army, and believe in them the way his brothers believed in him, and give them the chance to become better people when nobody else would give them the chance.
- Benevolent Boss: Although he loves to beat his attendants when they make mistakes like messing his clothes (not that they mind, they love when he does it), he is in actuality this. He formed his own army by recruiting the rejects of society: failed experiments, people so low on the social ladder even slaves got more respect than them, exiles. He did this, despite knowing that anybody with any power in the empire besides his family would look down on him for it, because he could identify with them and the fact that the Kou Empire never thought anything of them, and he wanted to take them with him when he created a place where people like him could be respected.
- The MAGI Illustrated Encyclopedia reveals that his favorite way of spending a day off is by appreciating his subordinates. There's no doubt that Kouha is an excellent boss!
- BFS: Wields a blade bigger than his own body. As if that isn't enough, it can extend, being a metal vessel.
- Big Brother Instinct: When Kougyoku gets injured by the Medium, Kouha gets pissed off.
- Earlier, he shows irritation when Kougyoku appears to be friendly with a possible enemy.
- During the Battle of Kanan Plains, he looks out for her and watches her back during combat.
- Big Brother Mentor: To Kougyoku during Battle of Kanan Plains, who is visibly shocked having to battle her fellow countrymen. His efforts and encouraging words manage to snap her out of her hesitancy.
- Big Brother Worship: He thinks the world of Kouen and Koumei. He is especially loyal to Kouen.
- Blood Knight: He's a completely psycho on the battlefield, as shown in his introductory chapter. Averted during the Battle of Kanan Plains, where he's far more serious likely because of the situation at hand.
- Brother–Sister Team: In charge of the front line with Kougyoku during Battle of Kanan Plains.
- Cute and Psycho: Aside from his Blood Knight tendencies, he's something of a Nightmare Fetishist who's unhinged at the worst of times.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Especially after the timeskip, where Alibaba actually confuses him for a pretty woman.
- A Father to His Men: Not only will he fight tooth and nail for any one of his men, he knows every single one of them by name.
- Half-Sibling Angst: Much of his inferiority complex comes from the fact that his mother is not the same as his elder brothers', but a concubine who, furthermore, went insane.
- Heroic Bastard: Unlike his older brothers who were born of the Emperor's wife, Kouha's mother was a concubine. He may be an Ax-Crazy psycho, but as long as you're not an enemy to him and his brother, Kouha is a very decent guy who cares a lot about his subordinates, who are social rejects that he took under his wing.
- He Is All Grown Up: Went through a major growth spurt after the Time Skip in the latest arc.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: He thinks himself to be inferior than Kouen and Koumei because his mother was different from theirs.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He comes across as more than a bit psycho and he can be extremely hostile and aggressive towards enemies of his brother, and let's not even get into his undeniable ax craziness, but on the flip side, he's extremely dedicated to his family and a loving Father to His Men who took in the dregs of society that everybody else shunned.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy
- Nightmare Fetishist: When he says that he likes women who are unique... He sure means it.
- Odd Friendship: Surprisingly enough, he does become friends with Aladdin in their short time together and did enjoy his company. At one point, Kouha is even seen braiding his hair.
- Older Than He Looks: Does he look 18 to you?
- Pet the Dog:
- Most of his army are a bunch of social rejects that he took under his wing. Also he knows every single one of them by name.
- The "Magi Character Encyclopedia" revels that he is very worried about his mother, who we know lost her sanity for yet unknown reasons.
- Promotion to Parent: At a young age, his mother's sanity was so broken that she acts like a baby when it's supposed to be the other way around. Kouha is forced to grow up early in mentality just to take care of her.
- Royal Bastard: Kouha is the son the Emperor had with a concubine.
- Sinister Scythe: His Djinn equip's weapon.
- Slasher Smile: Whenever his bloodlust is aroused.
- The Tease: When Junjun says that she has abandoned any hope of finding a husband, Kouha invites her (and Reirei) to come to his room that night. This has apparently happened several times before, it's just that Junjun's heart is not ready yet.
- Undying Loyalty: To Kouen. His army feels this way towards him as well.
- Unstoppable Rage: He got PISSED OFF when Black Djinn came out of nowhere and killed 2/3 of his army.
- You Need to Get Laid: Insists that Meihou, one of his attendants, needs to find a wife and have lots of children as quickly as possible. He also says that Junjun and Reirei should find husbands, though he's perfectly happy to take care of them himself.
Ren Hakuei
First Imperial Princess of the Kou Empire. She is a Dungeon Conqueror, having obtained the Djinn Paimon, and the general of the Northern Station Corps. Hakuei is a kind and wise King Candidate and one of Judar's King Vessels.
Voiced by: Nana Mizuki (Japanese), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (under Johanna Luis) (English)
- All-Loving Heroine: Although still duty bound to expand the Kou Empire, she would rather do so through mutual friendship than bloody conquest.
- Badass Adorable: Being a kind-hearted and beautiful young Lady of War and all.
- Badass Army: Not only is her personal guard composed of the Kouga Clan cavalrymen, but every single one of them is also a household vessel user. Let that sink in for a while.
- Beware the Nice Ones: She can be friendly and very diplomatic, but don't think she won't show her inner strength when push comes to shove. This trope now comes in full effect since she is Arba's new vessel.
- Big Sister Instinct:
- To Hakuryuu. You do not threaten him in her presence.
- And also towards her attendant, Seishun, as she was furious when he was hurt in battle.
- Towards Kougyoku too. During the battle with the Medium, she generally stayed near Kougyoku. Later, when they're all out of magoi, she is shown helping Kougyoku remain airborne.
- Blow You Away: The specialty of her Djinn Paimon. She stirs up large winds.
- Cain and Abel: After the events of Chapter 244, she unknowingly becomes the Abel to Hakuryuu's Cain. Later, the roles get reversed with Arba possessing her.
- Close-Call Haircut: When she refused to use force against an attacking Kouga Clan member to show her goodwill.
- Combat Hand Fan: It's her metal vessel and the perfect weapon for her Djinn's wind magic.
- Cool Big Sis: To Hakuryuu.
- Also, non-literal examples in her interactions with Seishun, Aladdin, Kougyoku, and others.
- Demonic Possession: Chapter 282 reveals Arba has possessed her body after Hakuryuu killed her previous vessel.
- Feather Motif: To associated her to her Blow You Away powers and her position as one of the White Sheeps of her family.
- Fighting from the Inside: When she is possessed by Arba she smiles when Arba is shown to not have the upper hand versus Aladdin. Arba has a brief Freak Out moment over the possibility that someone could fight off her possession.
- Foreshadowing: In hindsight, her inaction during the civil war arc seems pretty uncharacteristic, even if the enemy was her little brother, given her firm and diplomatic approach and earlier rejection of Hakuryuu's selfish plans to jeopardize the peace. It is likely that Arba possessed her very soon after her previous vessel's death.
- Good Is Not Soft: She is a kind-hearted idealist, but make no mistake that does not make her naive or weak.
- Kissing Cousins: There's quite a bit of Ship Tease between her and Kouen.
- Lady of War: She's an elegantly-dressed princess and general whose metal vessel is a ladylike feathered fan, which she can use to whip up powerful winds.
- Lethal Chef: According to Seishun and Hakuryuu.
- Magical Barefooter: Peforming the Djinn equip gives her an attire with no footwear.
- Morality Chain: Served as something of one to Hakuryuu during the very beginnings of his Start of Darkness. Not so much any longer.
- A Mother to Her Men: She's a great boss, who cares for her army and feels very proud of them. And just like Kouha, her favourite way to spend a day off is by appreciating her subordinates.
- Nice Girl: The only person in her family to fully qualify for this trope.
- Power Dyes Your Hair: While doing the Djinn Equip her hair turns white.
- Princesses Prefer Pink
- Promotion to Parent: Hakuryuu says he sees his sister as more of a mother figure than their own mother.
- Proper Lady
- Raised as a Host: She's taken over by Arba after Gyouken's body is killed
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Very notable considering the REST of her family. Not so much anymore as she becomes Sinbad's top adviser, but she's anything except reasonable as Arba/Gyokuen.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Her introduction is leading her men in subsuming a warrior village into the Kou Empire; which in her case means negotiating for a peaceful assimilation that will allow said village to keep their heritage and culture.
- Scars Are Forever: Willingly received a scar on her left cheek to stop a genocidal war. Mind you, much like one Himura Kenshin, this scar actually makes her more adorable.
- Silk Hiding Steel: She is very much a proper lady and diplomat, but is not to be underestimated in battle.
- Stripperiffic: Her Djinn equip. You have to wonder how you can't see her panties or why her bodice isn't slipping off with all that wind she conjures up.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She's basically her mother's twin sister.
- Technical Pacifist: Originally tries to persuade Baba's village to peacefully surrender to the empire before her men backstab her.
- Thicker Than Water: She's protective of Hakuryuu, and envisions working together with all of her relatives to unite the world under the Kou Empire's rule. She ultimately ends up going against her cousins and siding with her brother Hakuryuu during the Kou Empire's civil war, as she feels is that's the only way to save her brother's life.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy to Kougyoku's Girly Girl, though Hakuei is more feminine than most examples.
- Took a Level in Badass: The first time we see her she can barely use her djinn before running out of Magoi, and only has one member in her household. The next time we see her she is able to use full djinn equip and has one-hundred members in her household.
- Turn the Other Cheek: Quite literally; She refuses to block or counter an attack made by a villager in the hope of calming down the clan and finding out what really happened.
- Warrior Princess: Not only is she a princess, but she's a general in the army. As Arba's new vessel she went toe to toe with Aladdin nearly killing him.
- White Sheep: She's not just one of the nicer members of the Ren Royal Family (the second being post-Character Development Kougyoku) and actively trying to unite the world via peaceful ways but she was completely oblivious of the fact her own mother being the killer of her father and elder brothers.
- Subverted completely. Now that Arba had used her as a vessel.
Ren Hakuryuu
See the Magi - Main Characters folder.
Ren Kougyoku
Eighth Imperial Princess of the Kou Empire. As the youngest, she doesn't hold much political power, and though she would rather live her life as a warrior, she will more likely get into an arranged marriage to benefit the Empire. She is the owner of the Djinn Vinea and one of Judar's King Vessels.
Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese), Kira Buckland (English)
- Animal Motifs: The mangaka says that aside from her butterfly hairpin, her hair loops are also meant to be reminiscent of wings.
- Arranged Marriage: As the youngest princess, it seems that her purpose is to marry anyone who the Emperor needs her to. Say, Ahbmad Saluja. In Chapter 210, Kouen suggests one between her and Alibaba as part of his plan to make Alibaba swear allegiance.
- Badass Adorable: Very. She's the first person to do any significant harm to the "Medium". The same Medium that Alibaba and Kouen couldn't even land a hit on.
- Bedmate Reveal: On the last night of Sinbad's visit to the Kou Empire, Kougyoku woke up in Sinbad's bed with him naked and assumed the worst, but Sinbad swears he didn't do anything to her. Ka Kobun was actually trying to set up Sinbad in order to force him to marry Kougyoku.
- The Berserker: Her personality almost does a complete 180 when on the battlefield.
- Big Brother Attraction: She seems to admire Kouen a little too much, blushing in his presence and getting jealous of his closeness to Hakuei.
- Big Brother Worship: She holds her older half-brothers in high regard, though Kouen is the one she venerates the most.
- Big Sister Instinct: Inverted as she's younger than them, but on the battlefield, she does not take attacks to her brothers very well.
- As mentioned above, she went berserk when Kouen was wounded by the Medium.
- After regaining resolve during the Battle of Kanan Plains, she gets protective of Kouha, refusing to let him be the only one whose hands are stained with their countrymens' blood.
- Blood Knight: She doesn't consider her place to be the palace, but the battlefield because of how much she loves fighting for the thrill of it and the respect she earns from it.
- Break the Cutie: Latest chapters have not been kind to her. Knowing that Sinbad had used her to spy on her family left her very... bitter.
- Characterization Marches On: The way she acts in her introduction chapters is vastly different compared to the later persona that she became after Sinbad stepped in and ended her rampage.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Of her brother Kouen and Sinbad, but has become less so towards the latter since she admitted to herself that he'll never correspond her feelings for him.
- Commonality Connection: Kougyoku learns that Alibaba also is a prince born of a prostitute, which prompts her to ask him to be friends.
- Curtains Match the Window: Pink hair with pink eyes.
- Cute and Psycho: Implied in the manga, but the anime outright shows that she can be quite psychotic, when able to fight to her heart's content. You can't deny that Kouha and Kougyoku are siblings. Of course, her psycho tendencies tend to only come out in battle.
- Cute Oversized Sleeves: She's a cute princess who wears a Pimped-Out Dress with oversized sleeves that cover her hands.
- Daughter of a Whore: Kougyoku's birth mother was a prostitute.
- Defiled Forever: Believing that Sinbad deflowered her, Kougyoku breaks down when she sees him and demands a duel with him, claiming that if he denies to fight with her, she will kill herself and if he accepts, she will kill him and then die.
- Fiery Redhead: She has the red hair characteristic of her family and is quite aggressive in her early appearances before she softens.
- Four-Star Badass: She was made a general after the battle with the Medium. She admits it's just a decorative title, but it's better than being a princess no one listens to.
- Girly Bruiser: She is very cute and naïve, wears a pink Pimped-Out Dress, has a very girly crush on the king of a foreigh country and adores making flower crowns, but on the battlefield she is a force to be reckoned with.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: She's jealous of Hakuei's gracefulness and close relationship with Kouen.
- Heel–Face Turn: She is the one who wounded Ugo enough that he disappeared from Aladdin's flute permanently, after all. She becomes much nicer, and befriends the protagonists not long after.
- Hey, You!: Even after they become friends, she never calls Alibaba by name. Averted in Chapter 189, when they meet again and she calls him by his name with a smile.
- High-Heel–Face Turn: And probably due to Sinbad. Downplayed however, as the Kou siblings aren't exactly bad people, and Sinbad isn't exactly good.
- Hopeless Suitor: To Sinbad. Kougyoku eventually admits that she knows he will never take her seriously.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Mainly because she is naïve, and believes the best of everyone; even Judar.
- I Just Want to Be Badass: Very combat-driven despite (or perhaps because of) being a princess, and wants desperately to be taken seriously as a warrior. Sadly, most people keep insisting her only purpose is to get an Arranged Marriage.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: Her life at the palace has been very lonely and she's too socially awkward to get close to people on her own, so she wishes to find more friends. Her wish is granted when she visits Sindria, and somehow manages to befriend her former enemy Alibaba.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: It's implied that her initially violent and arrogant behavior was an attempt to hide her shyness and insecurities.
- It's Personal: When she find out that Sinbad used her to spy on her family and, because of that, her brother was (supposedly) executed, she harbours massive hatred towards him.
- Kick the Dog: Her first appearance involved her incapacitating Ugo. It doesn't get much worse than that. She does get better however, becoming a good guy and even befriending Alibaba.
- Lady of War: As a princess she wears an elaborate dress, and is a general and King Vessel whose vessel is an elaborate hairpin that's used to manipulate large amounts of water.
- Lonely Doll Girl: As a child, she had no one to play with except for the dolls she'd apparently made herself.
- Lonely Rich Kid: Her older brothers are all busy with their own matters, her sisters have all been married off to foreign lands, and she's too timid to start a conversation with the more approachable Hakuryuu or Hakuei. As a result, she's a lonely princess most of the time. To make it worse, her status as a bastard child makes some people keep their distance from her.
- Love at First Sight: She fell in love with Sinbad the moment she met him. She even says that he is her First Love.
- Magical Accessory: Her metal vessel is a hairpin.
- Making a Splash: Her Djinn gives her the power to generate and control water.
- Manchurian Agent: Sinbad has been using her body to spy on Kou's affairs without her knowledge.
- Mind Control: Mind controlled by Sinbad's Djinn, Zepar.
- Navel-Deep Neckline: In her Djinn equip, her top is worn open from neck to waist.
- Nervous Tics: She tends to hide her hands in her long sleeves and hold them up to her mouth whenever she's upset, distressed, or nervous.
- Power Dyes Your Hair: While using her Djinn Equip, her hair turns blue.
- Precocious Crush: Her crush on Sinbad is largely treated as this, as she's seventeen when it begins while he's in his late twenties/early thirties.
- Princesses Prefer Pink: Her main outfit is colored largely in pink. Not to mention, her hair and eyes.
- Prone to Tears: She's prone to crying when embarrassed or frustrated.
- Rose-Haired Sweetie: When she isn't fighting to her heart's content or hiding her timidity behind harshness, she's actually quite the sweetheart and with rose hair to match.
- Rousing Speech: Is fully capable of giving one, as she so fantastically demonstrated in chapter 292. A warrior of the Ren family, indeed.
- Royal Bastard: Kougyoku wasn't born into royalty like her older half-siblings. Instead of being born of the Emperor's wife or one of his concubines, Kougyoku is the daughter of an unknown, lowly courtesan.
- Royal Brat: Appeared to be one at first glance, but she grew out of this image after her debut. Showing us that she is just a sweet princess.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: The ladylike Kougyoku we all know and love is the result of Kobun's efforts. When he was made her attendant, he found her as a total mess.
- Shrinking Violet: Her usual demeanor outside of battle, especially towards Sinbad and when it comes to socializing.
- Smitten Teenage Girl: In regards to her hopeless crush on Sinbad. She's completely over him once she finds out that he had used her.
- Stay in the Kitchen: Usually suffers from this, since most people keep insisting her only purpose is to get an Arranged Marriage. Subverted, later as she become the fifth empress of the empire.
- Stepford Smiler: After she finds out Sinbad turned her into a Manchurian Agent, Kougyoku pretends she's fine with it and keeps smiling cheerfully as if nothing happened, but the truth is she's angry, bitter and revengeful.
- Stripperiffic: Her Djinn equip. So much that she was reluctant to show herself in such "degrading clothes" in front of Sinbad.
- Technicolor Eyes: Sweet pink eyes.
- Tender Tears: After realizing that she has no hope with Sinbad.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Girly Girl to Hakuei's Tomboy. Though she leans more into the tomboyish side as she is a dungeon conqueror who wishes to be a warrior, rather than just a pretty doll whose fate is to be married off to benefit the Empire. Compare this to Hakuei's more feminine mannerisms and hobbies.
- Took a Level in Badass:
- When she was a child, Kougyoku was a mess with no self-confidence; Kobun's encouragement and later Judar's, were what made her into the fine and powerful princess she is today.
- She is shown to be a lot more powerful against the Medium, than she was when pit against Sinbad.
- Took a Level in Kindness: The first time we see her she not only incapacitates Ugo, but even attacks Aladdin and his friends. Pretty much every time she shows up after that, she becomes much nicer and friendlier.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Fruit, in general, but she's shown in extra comics to be particularly fond of peaches.
- Tsundere: During her early appearances, she's a vicious Harsh type who only turns lovey-dovey around her crush Sinbad. Befriending Alibaba and being recognized by her brothers as a warrior seem to have largely killed this trait of hers, given that she becomes a lot softer and nicer to people in general.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: What little we saw of the late Second Emperor was not pretty. Meanwhile, Kougyoku is a very cute princess.
- Unknown Rival: A mild example of the sisterly sort with Hakuei. It's particularly noticeable as Hakuei, if anything, acts more like a Cool Big Sis towards Kougyoku.
- Vitriolic Best Buds:
- With Aladdin since he doesn't fully forgive her for separating him from Ugo yet. This omake best shows their dynamic. One minute, they're almost bonding over their mutual loneliness only to resume pinching and trying to injure each other in the next.
- Also, with Judar. He frequently makes fun of her, and she is prone to snapping at him, but it's clearly shown that they care about each other. Heck, Kougyoku only engaged Aladdin and friends in battle because they severely injured Judar.
- With Aladdin since he doesn't fully forgive her for separating him from Ugo yet. This omake
- Warrior Princess: She would much rather people consider her as a general before as a princess.
- Water Is Womanly: A young, girly princess whose Djinn gives her power over water.
- White Sheep: Like Hakuei, she is more interested in peaceful co-existence than global domination. That said, she is a lot more interested in proving herself in battle than Hakuei.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Because of her loyalty to her brother Kouen, her crush on Sinbad, and her friendship with Alibaba, she wants them to forget their differences and fight together and honestly thinks her wish is becoming reality after the battle in Magnostadt when actually things are getting more complicated and tense between them. Which causes Alibaba to wish she was someone he could hate, since it would give him more incentive to turn down an Arranged Marriage with her.
- Woman Scorned: The reason why she was so mad at Sinbad when she arrives in Sindria, was because she thought that he had his way with her, and didn't even bother to say hello to her.
Ren Gyokuen
The mother of Hakuryuu and Hakuei, and stepmother of Kouen, Kouha, Koumei and Kougyoku. She was married to Hakutoku, but after he and their eldest sons were killed, she ended up marrying his younger brother Koutoku. After Koutoku passed away she usurped the throne, making her the current ruler of the Kou Empire. She acts as the leader of Al-Thamen.
Voiced by: Miki Itō (Japanese), Erica Lindbeck (English)
- Abusive Mom: Played with. While she did indirectly kill her eldest sons, she is shown to be a good mother to Hakuei and Hakuryuu in the past. Also, she never actually admits to killing her eldest children, instead just asking Hakuryuu what he would do if she did, when he confronts her about it. That said, she does seem to enjoy emotionally abusing Hakuryuu, and even threatens to kill Hakuei. Arba reveals in chapter 306 that she possessed Gyokuen right after Gyokuen's eldest sons were born. Arba was already Gyokuen when she conceived and gave birth to Hakuei and Hakuryuu.
- Black Widow: She killed both of her husbands in order to take the throne.
- Braids of Action: She has a couple of small, circular braids at the sides.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Killed her first husband plus two of her own sons, then it's implied she also killed her second husband.
- Close-Call Haircut: During the battle with Hakuryuu, her two side braids were cut and let loose. It makes her look just like Arba.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Delivers one to Hakuryuu in their first encounter.
- Demonic Possession: Gyokuen was possessed by Arba after giving birth to her eldest sons, having previously inhabited her mother, with all of them being her descendants.
- Evil Matriarch: She claims responsibility for the horrible deaths of her first husband and her two elder sons and later off-handedly wonders if she should kill her daughter as well. All in front of her youngest son, whom she taunts for being powerless to do anything about it. Said youngest son is very screwed up as a result...and that's almost certainly intentional on her part.
- Foreshadowing: A very subtle one, almost imperceptible, from the anime. Her seiyu, Miki Itō, was the voice of the female Magi at Solomon's Court in Ithnan's flashback. Later on, we found out she was possessed by that Magi, Arba.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: She briefly becomes the head of the Ren Empire.
- Happily Married: In Hakuryuu's flashbacks, we see how Gyokuen had absolute faith in Hakutoku and seemed incredibly sad and pained after his death. Also, every bad action she did to her husband and children was because of Arba.
- Hot Consort: Of the Emperor Hakutoku, enough to make his brother want to marry her immediately after the former died.
- Innocent Blue Eyes
- Meaningful Name: It means Jewel of Many Colours. Fitting her personality.
- Offing the Offspring: She caused the deaths of two of her sons, has threatened to kill Hakuei and almost murdered Hakuryuu with her own hands.
- Older Than She Looks: Does she looks like a woman in her late forties?
- Off with Her Head!: Chopped off by her own son, no less. Not that she stays dead...
- Proper Lady
- Raised as a Host: Arba, in the bodyof Gyouken's mother, took over her after her two eldest sons were born, and Gyouken's mother was herself taken over by Arba.
- Requisite Royal Regalia
- The Reveal: Gyokuen is the vessel of Arba, one of Solomon's most beloved friends and the closest thing he and his lover Sheba had to a mother. Not only that, but her mother was the previous vessel and she's been body hopping from mother to daughter since the fall of the previous world.
- Settle for Sibling: After her first husband died, she married her brother-in-law.
- Smug Smiler: Often to terrifying effect.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Her children look so much like her that they even inherited her mole.
- Tears of Joy: When the Medium appears from within the furnace at Magnostadt. They're normal at first, but then appear to turn black/bloody, maybe because of her makeup.
- Teen Pregnancy: Gyokuen was 16 years old when she had her eldest, Hakuyuu. His brother Hakuren arrived two years later.
- Vain Sorceress: Word of God says her lovely, youthful appearance is artificial.
- Villainous Incest: After her second husband dies, Gyokuen gets very touchy-feely with her nephew and step-son Kouen. She gives off similar vibes in Chapter 148, but this time with none other than her biological son. Exactly one hundred chapters later it dives straight into full-on Parental Incest when she french kisses Hakuryuu while straddling him. Granted, she was being controlled, but still...
- Walking Spoiler: Several times over, actually.
- Wicked Stepmother: To Kouen, Koumei, Kouha, and Kougyoku, although she is also their aunt by marriage.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: A beautiful loving wife and a kind mother, who is stronger than she looks. Despite everything she does in the present, it's implied that kind personality was Gyokuen's real self before Arba possessed her body after her eldest two sons were born.
Ren Hakutoku
Hakutoku was Kou's First Emperor and the first husband of Gyokuen, father of Hakuyuu, Hakuren, Hakuei and Hakuryuu. He and his two oldest sons, Hakuyuu and Hakuren, were killed during a revolt, ten years before the start of the story, orchestrated by remnants of Kou's defeated enemies.
- The Faceless: We only ever see Hakutoku's silhouette, but according to the official guidebook Hakuyuu inherited his looks... Which is weird considering that all the "Haku-children" are identical to their mother.
- The Good King: Hakutoku is described to have been one by his daughter and oldest nephew, both of them look up to him and his ideals.
- Happily Married: Hakutoku and Gyokuen appeared to have a very happy marriage, based on Hakuryuu's flashbacks. Of course it turns out that it wasn't the case at all, as Gyokuen planned his death.
- Posthumous Character: Hakutoku died more than a decade before the start of the story.
- The Stoic: Apparently, Hakutoku was like this.
Ren Koutoku
The younger brother of Hakutoku, who after his death inherited his position as the next Emperor and married his widow, Gyokuen. He had several children with different women.
- Cain and Abel: Koutoku conspired with Gyokuen to kill his older brother.
- Evil Redhead: He's hungry for power and desires to expand his kingdom.
- Parental Substitute: Koutoku adopted Hakuei and Hakuryuu and allowed them to keep their respective ranks (First Imperial Princess and Fourth Imperial Prince). While both of them do refer to him as "father", it's most likely because of some kind of royal protocol than a close relationship.
- The Emperor: The second, succeeding his brother and preceding Gyokuen.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Koutoku is not the kind of man you would imagine a woman like Gyokuen would marry.
- We Hardly Knew Ye
Ren Hakuyuu and Ren Hakuren
Hakutoku and Gyokuen's oldest children, Hakuyuu was the former Crown Prince and Hakuren worked as his advisor. They were killed along their father during a revolt, ten years before the start of the story, orchestrated by remnants of Kou's defeated enemies. The truth is that the revolt was originated by Al-Thamen, meaning that they were killed by their own mother.
(Hakuyuu) Voiced by: Daisuke Hirakawa (Japanese), Tom Bauer (English)
- Big Brother Instinct: Towards Hakuryuu in particular.
- Big Brother Mentor: Towards Kouen during the Kou Empire warring period flashback in the omake[3]. Hakuyuu said to Kouen that their enemy, Gai soldiers, is as much as human beings just like them.
- Dies Wide Open: Hakuren's state at death in the anime, though not the manga.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Hakuren was the Foolish to Hakuyuu's Responsible.
- Good Eyes, Evil Eyes: Played with. After graduating to Good Is Not Nice and having Took a Level in Jerkass after the Umm Madaura arc; when Hakuryuu confronts his mother and then Kou Empress Gyokuen in the Imperial capital, she observes how his eyes have now "gotten sharper", just like those of Hakuyuu's and Hakuren's were. While these two brothers were undoubtedly good people, that their eyes were sharp was more as an indication of their cynicism and understanding of Gyokuen's true colours and nature.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Hakuyuu, with the last of his strength, stabs himself to soak little Hakuryuu in his blood, so that he can protect him somewhat from the fire around them.
- Keet: Hakuren, who is always drawn in the official art and color pages as smiling and cheerful.
- The Stoic: Hakuyuu, just like his father.
- Sorry That I'm Dying: Hakuyuu's last words to little Hakuryuu are how he regrets that he and Hakuren couldn't stay alive, but asks that Hakuryuu carry on his mission to avenge them.
- Posthumous Character: They died before the start of the series.
- Small Role, Big Impact: While both of them died a decade before the series started and only appear in a couple of Hakuryuu's flashbacks; their deaths were ultimately what led Hakuryuu to devote his life to avenging them, by killing his mother, and deciding to destroy the Kou Empire from within. Not to mention that it allowed Al-Thamen to completely solidify their influence within the Kou Empire, and resulted in it becoming even more aggressive and expansive than before, under Koutoku.
- Strong Family Resemblance: They both take after Gyokuen. Hakuren is noted to be the child that looks most similar to their mother. And apparently, Hakuyuu also takes after his father.
- Take Up My Sword: Hakuyuu, right before he breathes his last, tells Hakuryuu that he must avenge them and their father by killing the perpetrator of their assassination — their own mother, Gyokuen.
- Warrior Prince: Both of them were this for the Kou Empire.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Both of them died ten years ago, and we barely get to know them even in Hakuryuu's flashbacks.
- Wise Prince: Hakuyuu.
Kou Empire Household and Retainers
Ri Seiryuu
Seiryuu is the Right General of the Kou Empire. He is first introduced as part of Kouen's army.
- Eyepatch of Power
- Four-Star Badass
- Meaningful Name: His first name means Blue Dragon and his last name means Plum.
- Must Make Amends: For letting Gyokuen rule over the Kou Empire despite knowing the role she played in her husband and eldest sons deaths. He decides to join Hakuryuu and die for him rather than let him die against his mother.
- Power at a Price: Allowing his metal vessel to assimilate with him at an incredible rate resulted in his death during the Kou civil war.
- Undying Loyalty: Towards the First Emperor, Hakutoku, now currently towards Kouen. Though he later ends up chosing to follow Hakuryuu.
Shuu Kokuhyou
Kokuhyou is the Left General of the Kou Empire. He is first introduced as part of Kouen's army.
- Four-Star Badass
- Meaningful Name: His first name means Black Panther and his last name means Circumference.
- Must Make Amends: For letting Gyokuen rule over the Kou Empire despite knowing the role she played in her husband and eldest sons deaths. He decides to join Hakuryuu and die for him rather than let him die against his mother.
- Power at a Price: Allowing his metal vessel to assimilate with him at an incredible rate resulted in his death during the Kou civil war.
- Undying Loyalty: Towards the First Emperor, Hakutoku, now currently towards Kouen. Though he later ends up chosing to follow Hakuryuu.
Kouen's Retainers
Ri Seishuu
Seishuu is one of Kouen's Household Members of his Djinn Astaroth. He is very tall and his hair is made of snakes. He and Seishun, Hakuei's attendant, are brothers. Voiced by: Hiromu Miyazaki
- Adaptational Dye-Job: His "hair" is dark blue in the anime, but on the cover of the Magi Character Encyclopedia, it appears to be light blue.
- Smug Snake: Pun aside, he is very confident in his abilities.
- Was Once a Man: In a recent omake we finally get to see his human appearance; he was much shorter, had normal hair and he overall looked quite similar to Seishun.
Kin Gaku
Gaku is part of Kouen's Household Members of his Djinn Phenex. Gaku has the appearance of a huge and robust man. He has a pig nose, a round face, and a bushy moustache. Voiced by: Takehiro Hasu
- Pig Man: Somewhat resembles a pig.
- Scary Teeth: All of his teeth are black.
- Was Once a Man: At some point he assimilated with his Household Vessel.
Shuu Kokuton
Kokuton is part of Kouen's Household Members of his Djinn Agares. Kokuton has a bull-like appearance; lion-like hair, a tail and his entire body is covered in fur. Voiced by: Sota Arai
- Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My!: He has some resemblance to a lion.
- Meaningful Name: His first name means Black Compassion.
- Was Once a Man: At some point he assimilated with his Household Vessel.
Shou En
Shou is part of Kouen's Household Members. Shou has a dragon-like appearance, and has a tail, scales all over his body and sharp teeth. Voiced by: Shintarou Oohata
- Amazing Technicolor Population: He looks like a blue dragon.
- Breath Weapon: He can spew flames from his mouth.
- The Big Guy: The biggest out of Kouen's four retainers, no less.
- Was Once a Man: At some point he fused with his Household Vessel, which gave him the appearence of a dragon. He is likely meant to be Drakon's counterpart.
Chuu'un
Chuu'un
Chuu'un is the assistant of Koumei Ren and a member of his household.- Adaptation Dye-Job: In the anime his hair is brown, but in the manga it is purple, as shown on the cover of the Magi Character Encyclopedia.
- Beleaguered Assistant: The Magi Character Encyclopedia reveals that, while he doesn't say anything unnecessary to Koumei, he still grieves a little over his carefree personality.
- Undying Loyalty: Seems to get rather annoyed by Kouen's household dismissing Koumei.
- Vitriolic Bestbuds: Apparently, with Seishuu.
Kouha's Retainers
Junjun, Reirei and Jinjin
Three witches who are completely loyal to Prince Kouha. Along with Meihou, they are his principal aides.Voiced by: Aki Nagao (Junjun), Yui Shoji (Reirei), Sakiko Kawai (Jinjin) (Japanese)
- Because You Were Nice to Me: After they were thrown away and left to rot, Kouha came to them and said that he needed some magic users. He bandaged them, clothed them, and appointed them. Since then, they have been at Kouha's side and serve him with loyalty.
- Big, Thin, Short Trio: Reirei is voluptuous (but not fat), Junjun is thin, and Jinjin is short.
- Blindfolded Vision: Junjun can apparently see perfectly well despite her bandaged eyes.
- Body Horror: Implied to have happened to all of them, due to being experimented on in the past.
- Dark and Troubled Past: They were experimented on, in an attempt to create artificial magicians, but when it failed they were considered monsters, and thrown away. Kouha then took them in.
- Defiled Forever: Junjun and Reirei feel this way, and say that with the state their bodies are in, no man would want to marry them. Kouha begs to differ.
- Dude Magnet: Kouha says that Jinjin, who is child-like and never smiles, has always been popular with men.
- Emotionless Girl: Jinjin. It particularly stands out in an extra where she is seen with her boyfriend, whom she plans to marry, and doesn't even bat an eyelid.
- Freakiness Shame: Junjun says that with the dreadful state her body is in, she has no right to be near Kouha. On the other hand, Kouha finds her charming because of it.
- In Love with Your Carnage: In the anime, they were delighted at seeing their beloved and strong prince butchering thieves left and right.
- I Owe You My Life: The three of them owe Kouha their lives.
- Luminescent Blush: Junjun whenever she gets excited, especially when Kouha abuses her or when he praises her.
- The Mole: Since the three of them are magicians, they were able to stay in Magnostadt and deliver information to Kouha.
- The Stoic: Jinjin. She's only shown fear/surprise once, when Kouha is out of Magoi and more Black Djinn appear.
- Subordinate Excuse: Junjun has an obvious crush on Kouha. Reirei too, to a lesser extent.
- Tender Tears: Junjun is prone to cry, particularly when she is separated from Kouha and when again they are reunited.
- Too Kinky to Torture: At one point, Junjun messes up Kouha's clothes, so he starts slapping her, but she gets turned on instead. Then Reirei and Jinjin ask to be next.
- Undying Loyalty: To Kouha. Junjun is the most enthusiastic about it.
Kan Meihou
He is a soldier of the Kou Empire's Western Subjugation Army under Kouha Ren. His ancestors were supporters of a failed revolt, they were exiled for it and lived all this time in the wilderness. At some point Kouha came and invited him and the rest of his clan to join his army.- I Owe You My Life: The place where he and his clan were exiled was so hostile that they could barely manage to plant some crops to eat. Thanks to Kouha, their lives have all improved significantly since then.
- Those Two Guys: As one of Kouha's main retainers, he always appears with Junjun, Reirei and Jinjin.
- Undying Loyalty: To Kouha.
Ri Seishun
Ri Seishun
Ren Hakuei's attendant and one of her household vessel users. Hakuei considers him as one of her "old friends" and they have a close relationship. He and Seishuu, a member of Kouen's Household, are brothers.
Voiced by: Asami Seto (Japanese) Julie Ann Taylor (English)
- Curtains Match the Windows: Has blue hair and blue eyes.
- Dual Wielding: his weapons are pair of short swords.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: What's even more confusing is that he looks like a tomboyish lady.
- Keet: He's consistently cheerful and smiling, even when fighting.
- Razor Wind: His household vessel power, fired from his swords.
Ka Kobun
Ka Kobun
Ren Kougyoku's attendant and also part of her household.
Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese), Vic Mignogna (English)
- Ambition Is Evil: Played for Laughs. He is very blatant in displaying ambition, and is willing to perform morally and ethically dubious acts in order to further his ambition of moving up the social ladder. But since his plans often blow up in his face with hilarious results, he is merely portrayed as pitiful and thus treated with mild irritation in-universe, rather than hatred or contempt.
- Bright Is Not Good: Dresses in bright yellow, but is certainly no saint.
- Devil in Plain Sight: Even when pretending to be acting only in Kougyoku's interests, he doesn't even bother to try hiding his manipulative and opportunistic tendencies. Subverted though as his two unnamed fellow retainers constantly lampshade how obvious his ambition is, both within flashbacks and present day.
- Easily Forgiven: Somehow Kougyoku forgave him for setting up the (possibly) most traumatic event of her lifenote .
- Enigmatic Minion: Tried to manipulate Kougyoku into first marrying Abhmad, but when that failed he tried to get her to marry Sinbad, all so he could be an attendant to their child and rule Balbadd or Sindria, respectively. His plan failed.
- Facial Markings: Implied to be a tattoo of sorts. He's sometimes even drawn with glasses to poke fun at them.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He does act like the occasional asshole as seen above, but when it comes down to it he really does care for Kougyoku. Whenever he appears in an omake, there is a high chance he will end up chasing Judar off for poking fun at her.
- Karma Houdini: Even when everyone finds out that he tried to set up Sinbad, he barely even gets a reprimand. In fact, the whole thing is played for laughs and promptly forgotten. However, he's still a Butt-Monkey.
- Manipulative Bastard: Tries to be one, but fails. He has heart-reading powers, he knows that Every Man Has His Price, but what he doesn't get is Everyone Has Standards, especially if they're more loyal to your supposed target than yourself.
- The Medic: He's the one who tends to Judar's wounds after he got roughed up by Ugo. It's his power as a household vessel user.
- Not So Above It All: He's the one who keeps reason around Kougyoku. While secretly plotting to gain control through her future child.
- Opportunistic Bastard: He took advantage of Kougyoku's crush on Sinbad and Sinbad's ladykiller reputation to try and frame Sinbad for having deflowered Kougyoku; in order to compel them to marry, form an alliance and thus help him gain influence over Sindria.
- Papa Wolf: He can be pretty protective of Kougyoku. He's frequently chasing off Judar and blowing a fuse whenever Kougyoku's being messed with.
- Parental Substitute: Though he's only a few years older than her, he acts a bit like one to Kougyoku.
- Professional Butt-Kisser: Used to be this, before he met Kougyoku. See Social Climber below.
- The Reliable One
- Sarcastic Devotee: Often, to Kougyoku.
- Shipper on Deck: In a twisted way, but it's worth pointing out that in his schemes, he tried to set Kougyoku up with Sinbad, the guy she was crushing on.
- Social Climber: In his flashbacks, we learn that he got to be Kougyoku's attendant via butt-kissing. He also wants to grasp more power via Kougyoku marrying into a foreign royal family, and pulling her child's strings. Even so, he also was good-hearted enough to try to hook her up with her crush Sinbad when he got the chance for a win/win situation.
- Undying Loyalty: To Kougyoku, though his way of showing it is... weird.
- Yellow Eyes of Sneakiness: He's as manipulative and opportunistic as can be, while his eyes are unsurprisingly yellow.
- Zany Scheme: His general pastime, not that he ever succeeds though.
