History Characters / Zatanna

* BiggerOnTheInside: Her HomeBase Shadowcrest (the Zatara family's mansion she inherited from her father) is looks big already on the outside, but as ComicBook/MaryMarvel notes is even larger on the inside due to the many spells woven into the place. The mansion is physically located on the outskirts of Gotham, but the interior of the mansion seems to exist in an entirely separate magical dimension.

* BuxomBeautyStandard: [[MostCommonSuperpower: Like most major comic book superheroines]], she has a very impressive bust, which is appreciated by other characters InUniverse.

* LegFocus: Her legs are frequently the part of her that gets the most attention whenever she's played as a MsFanservice, such as the fishnet stockings she customarily wears that accentuate them or the {{Fanservice Cover}}s she gets that put a clear MaleGaze emphasis on her legs. Even InUniverse characters tend to comment or [[EatingTheEyeCandy ogle]] her legs]].

* FamousAncestor: She's not only a [[LegacyCharacter legacy hero]] who took up the mantle from her father who was a famous Golden Age hero and member of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica, but their entire family are also famous [[MageSpecies Homo Magi]] that are direct descendants of UsefulNotes/LeonardoDaVinci (who [[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy is a Homo Magi himself in the DC Universe]]. The Zatara family is also related to Nostradamus, Alessandro Cagliostro, the noted alchemists Nicholas Flamel and Evan Fulcanelli, and Arion of Atlantis.

* NeverLiveItDown: Her [[LaserGuidedAmnesia mind wiping]] Doctor Light to [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood make him less dangerous]], and then mind wiping [[spoiler:Franchise/{{Batman}}]], in ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' become this to her for a long time. It's got to the point that every single one of Zatanna's main appearances referenced the incident, such as the first issue of ''Comicbook/GothamCitySirens'' even had ComicBook/PoisonIvy call her "Miss Mindwipe." It only stopped because of the ContinuityReboot, though it still lives on in the minds of many fans.

* MostCommonSuperpower: Like most major comic book superheroines, she has a very impressive bust, which [[BuxomIsBetter is appreciated by other characters in-universe]]. Unlike most superheroines she doesn't qualify for BoobsOfSteel since while she's often considered a magical powerhouse, physically she's [[SquishyWizard nowhere near as formidable]].

[[quoteright:236:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zatanna_bolland.jpg]]

[[quoteright:236:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ember_zat.jpg]]

* BreathWeapon / PlayingWithFire: Breathes fire.

* AgeLift: Originally, Zatanna was a teenager starting out after Bruce Wayne had been Batman for a while. Starting with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and going through most later incarnations, including getting RetCanon to the comics, Zee was presented as around Bruce's age, even becoming his ChildhoodFriend. In fact, the only incarnations to keep the original age gap are ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' and ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls2019''.

A stage magician, real magician, and Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}} member.

* AgeLift: Originally, Zatanna was a teenager starting out after Bruce Wayne had been Batman for a while. Starting with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and going through most later incarnations, including getting RetCanon to the comics, Zee was presented as around Bruce's age. In fact, the only incarnations to keep the original age gap are ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' and ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls2019''.

* AstralProjection: She is able to do this with her magic powers.

* BathingBeauty: Zatanna is shown to enjoy baths a lot.
* BattleCouple: With [[ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}} John Constantine]]. Though both are worlds (or versions) apart, both make up for a Badass Magical Couple. [[spoiler:Then John Constantine is put back into the DC Universe and the two get back on their relationship.]]
* {{Bifauxnen}}: Name another superheroine who rocks a tuxedo like she can!
* BoundAndGagged: Zatanna's reliance on her voice (although it has been shown multiple times that she can use her magic without speaking) in few times leads to her being bound and gagged, a measure that renders her powerless. To counter this, Zatanna train herself as skillful escape artist and occasionally can use fingerspell, blood writing, or enchanted items and weapons to aid her on battle.

* CodeName: She does not have one, she is addressed publicly and privately only as "Zatanna," her legal proper name.

* CommutingOnABus: The month after her solo series was cancelled, Zatanna was made into one of the lead characters in the high profile ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' book.

* EscapeArtist: One of the DCU's greatest, which is no surprise considering her profession as a stage magician and her lineage as daughter of the great wizard Zatara. She ''can'' use her magical powers to escape, but can also easily do so without them. Her dad even taught another superhero the trade: ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''.
** Zatanna also had a relationship with John Constantine the ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}''. And John is an escape artist second to none. Apparently, John has taught Zatanna some spells from time to time.
* ForcedTransformation: She has a particular fondness for this that can only be rivaled by Circe. Best not to cross her when she considers this as an option. Some examples include:

* HatOfPower: She imprisons the demon Fuseli in her hat.
* HotWitch: She is a very beautiful and powerful female magician.

** She turned the Titans against Raven moments before Trigon's first arrival, based on the grounds that Raven through her powers, manipulated Kid Flash's emotions to make him join the team. That would have been a fair assessment had Zatanna not only used her powers to wipe Doctor Light's mind, but also Batman's for trying to intervene as stated in Comicbook/IdentityCrisis. It should be noted, though, that this is a {{Retcon}}; Trigon's first appearance was in the 80's, and Identity Crisis came out in the mid 2000's.
** She turns a group of annoying girls into doves right before telling Zachary he shouldn't use his powers for personal gain. Zach calls her out on it.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: While she very much enjoys her magic powers, she hates that it renders her unable to have a normal relationship.

* ImprovisedWeapon: Zatanna is a logomancer. That is, despite having been shown in the past using simple spell without employing her trademark ''Backwards speech'' she needs to have a clear voice to focus her powers with. As previously stated, this forces her rogues to silence her in few occasions. Also, even when she has still her charmcasting abilities intact, some villains may exploit some loopholes to protect themselves from her magic. Zatanna in both cases mostly improvises.

** One opponent had the ability to cause Zatanna to move backwards through time for a few seconds, causing her 'backwards' spells to come out of her mouth as non-backwards words, and thus useless. She got around that by casting ''palindromes'', such as "Nurses run!" or "Ogre flog a golfer, go!"
* KungFuWizard: Skilled in hand-to-hand combat as well as magic.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: Zatanna has the magical power to defy the laws of physics and reality with a few backwards incantations, and is sometimes depicted as mature and graceful.
* MagicWand: Carries a traditional black-with-white-ends wand as part of her superhero arsenal.

* MagiciansAreWizards: She is a famous and wealthy stage magician with a successful show in UsefulNotes/LasVegas, but she is also a powerful master of the mystic arts that often serves as our worlds best defense against intrusions from beyond.

* MissingMom: Sindella, Zatanna's mother, was presumed dead for years so Zatara raised her. Turns out she was enslaved by her own people, the Hidden Ones, [[HiddenElfVillage a race of natural magic-users]]. She dies shortly after Zatanna meets her.
* MostCommonSuperpower: She is a ''very'' powerful woman with a very impressive bust.
* MsFanservice: She is a very beautiful, long dark-haired woman who has a very voluptuous yet toned body with [[MostCommonSuperpower buxom breasts]], [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure an impressive hourglass figure]], and long toned legs and wears an outfit comprised of a tight fitting tuxedo jacket that has tails, a white busier, black panties, fishnet stockings, and a top hat. Nobody has ever found reason to complain over Paul Dini's appreciation of the character.
* MyGreatestFailure: She's ashamed about her actions during ''Infinite Crisis'' to the point that she has to go to a support group because of it.
* NiceGirl: Often depicted as being approachable, friendly, and considerate. She cares a lot about her friends, although she loves to poke fun at and flirt with them.
* OccultDetective: As a person with legitimate supernatural powers and no SecretIdentity, she is one of the few characters in the DCU that can be casually approached to deal with issues beyond the ken of mortal authorities. The series starts in San Francisco with a local detective hopping backstage after a show to ask for her input on a batch of grisly other-worldly murders.
* SecretIdentity: She does not have one, and is publicly recognized as a practicing magician and former member of the Justice League.
* SdrawkcabSpeech: Her spells work by her saying, or writting them backwards. Occassionally She can use her magic without speaking especially for simple magic. She also use enchanted magician wands, smoke bombs, dagger to supplement her backwards speech.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Zatanna wants to find someone to be with, but most men she gravitates towards end up hurting her.
* SquishyWizard: DependingOnTheWriter her magic can be extremely powerful but she's normally just as vulnerable to attacks as a normal human being, and she generally has to be able to speak her incantations to cast them.

* StarSpangledSpandex: Well, a star-spangled gala dress, but it still counts.
* StockingFiller: Her costume includes fishnet stockings.
* StrawVegetarian: Averted. Zatanna mentions once that she is a vegetarian. While she spoils the bunny she works with on stage, it's more because she's nice. It doesn't really fuel her character beyond that.
* UnderwearOfPower: A rare case of actual underwear instead of something similar like trunks or shorts. Her fishnets leave her black panties fully exposed.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Zatanna, it turns out, has a serious and crippling phobia with regards to puppets. Not voodoo dolls or wax effigies, those she can handle with no problems, but with actual ''puppets'' with their hanging strings and painted-on eyes. Her fears extend back to her childhood and a traumatic incident she experienced with her father.

* HasAType: Mikey notes that she's into [[ComicBook/JohnConstantine troubled]] [[ComicBook/Batman loners]], which is why how she knows Zatanna likes Detective Colton.

!Enemies

!!Brother Night's Organization

[[folder:Brother Night]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brother_night.jpg]]

Formerly known as Eldon Peck. A charlatan cult-leader who started dabbling in real magic and eventually came to control San Francisco's magical underworld.

* ArchEnemy: The cover of Issue 2 lists him as Zatanna's "Arch Foe."
* BadGuyBar: Zatanna first confronts him in a bar full of magical supervillains.
* BondageIsBad: BDSM is openly practiced in his bar.
* DealWithTheDevil: Sacrificed thirteen kids as offerings to the lords of Hell in return for his evil necromantic power. [[spoiler:Zatanna forces him to renounce his power and his contract, freeing the souls of the kids he sacrificed and depowering him so that he can be arrested and incarcerated by the regular authorities, but also dooming him to Hell when he dies]].
* TheDon: To a magical criminal organization.
* EvilSorcerer: A SerialKiller turned necromancer who controls San Francisco's underworld.
* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:He's Detective Colton's father.]]
* NewAgeRetroHippie: He was one before becoming Brother Night.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Before becoming Brother Night, he was a hippy who was also a serial killer and cult leader. Sounds a lot like UsefulNotes/CharlesManson.
* SlasherSmile: Constantly sports one of these.

[[folder:Romalthi the Shaper]]
[[quoteright:259:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/romalthi_the_shaper_new_earth_0001.jpg]]

His touch turns his victims into whatever his mask depicts.

* BlackCloak: His outfit
* ForcedTransformation: He turns his victims into whatever his mask depicts.
* TheMagicTouch: Needs to touch his victims for his power to work. Zatanna defeats him by trapping him in a glass case.
* WhiteMaskOfDoom: His mask turns into an image of whatever he will turn his victim into.

[[folder:Ember]]
[[quoteright:236:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ember_zat.jpg]]

An unborn dragon gestating in the form of a human girl

* BreathWeapon / PlayingWithFire: Breathes fire.
* KissOfDeath: Kisses a drug dealer, causing him to spontaneously combust.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Water and ice easily take her down.

[[folder:Teddy]]
[[quoteright:193:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/teddy_8.jpg]]

Appears to be a young boy who attacks people with a magic box of flesh-eating bugs.

* EnfantTerrible: Looks like a young boy but it's not clear exactly what he is.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Zatanna beats him by shrinking him and letting his bugs attack him.
* PreMortemOneLiner: Says "Wanna see a bug?" before opening his box.

!!Other Villains

[[folder:Nimue Ravensong]]
[[quoteright:203:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nimue_ravensong.jpg]]

The main villainess of the ''Zatanna: Everyday Magic'' oneshot, a petty novice magician that marks Contantine for sacrifice to a demon. Has a one sided rivalry with Zatanna.

Giovanni "John" Zatara is Zatanna's father and mentor. He was killed during a botched séance involving ComicBook/JohnConstantine.

* IKnowYourTrueName: Subverted when itapplies to herself. She goes by Nimue Ravensong, but her ''real'' name is Mary Ann Hoyt.

* BodyInflationGag: Zatanna finishes him off with a [[FunWithPalindromes "Puff up!"]] spell that immobilizes him as his body inflates. She deflates him with his own sword before giving him over to the police.

* MsFanservice: She is a very beautiful, long dark-haired woman who has a very voluptuous yet toned body with [[MostCommonSuperpower buxom breasts]], [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure an impressive hourglass figure]], and [[ShesGotLegs long toned legs]] and wears an outfit comprised of a tight fitting tuxedo jacket that has tails, a white busier, black panties, fishnet stockings, and a top hat. Nobody has ever found reason to complain over Paul Dini's appreciation of the character.

* ShesGotLegs: She wears fishnet stockings that highlight her long toned yet shapely legs.

* BalefulPolymorph: She has a particular fondness for this that can only be rivaled by Circe. Best not to cross her when she considers this as an option. Some examples include:
** Threatening to turn a man into a toad if he doesn't back down from an argument. He does just that, knowing she can and will do it.
** She turned an entire audience into bats to attack ComicBook/TheJoker.
** Turning a scary ogre-man into a fluffy bunny.
** Turning three girls into doves for annoying her, mentioning she's good with frogs as well.
** The Vertigo novel ''Zatanna: Everyday Magic'' highlights this. She mentions turning hecklers into warthogs, telling kids that if they sell her autograph it'll turn them to pumpkins, and when facing off against a witch who turns her one-night stands into toads (including Constantine), she retorts by saying that Zatanna has filled ponds with her ex-boyfriends, which doesn't sound that far-fetched. Then Zatanna turns her into a sloth to achieve victory.
** When ComicBook/HarleyQuinn was annoying her, she stated that it only takes a simple spell to turn her into a worm and feed her to a seagull. Harley backed out from there.
** On a girls night out, she tells Batgirl that she's going with her and Wonder Woman whether she likes it or not. Batgirl asks if she will turn her into a toad if she refuses, and Zatanna says she's keeping her options open.

* BalefulPolymorph: His main power.

* BalefulPolymorph: Enjoys doing this to men she sleeps with. Zatanna does it to her in return, turning her into a sloth.

* BalefulPolymorph: Zatanna's dad turned him into a marionette. He later manages to reverse the spell and does this to Zatanna.

* NiceHat: The top hat in her stage magician-inspired "work clothes."

* KnifeNut: Attacks Zatanna with one in Brother Night's club. Zatanna easily disarms her without even having to resort to magic.

* BodyInflatingGag: Zatanna finishes him off with a [[FunWithPalindromes "Puff up!"]] spell that immobilizes him as his body inflates. She deflates him with his own sword before giving him over to the police.

* DreamWalker / DreamWeaver: His main ability.

* NiceGirl: Often depicted as being approachable, friendly, and considerate. She cares a lot to her friends altough love poke fun and flirting with them. Although usually sweet, She can be terrifying when She angry. A mobster that giving poisoned candy to children and making them hallucinating, have been feel the wrath of Zatanna when She cast a spell to make them fall to a nightmarish hallucination before the Police burst in. After the trial, where the offenders are found guilty, Zatanna is seen continuing to torment them with their personal fears even as they lie in their hospital beds. The Joker also fall to madness after his plan foiled by Zatanna and Batman.

* HotWitch: An attractive young magic user. Unlike Zatanna, she isn’t a [[WitchSpecies Homo Magi]], and has to resort to rituals for magic power.

* AgeLift: Originally, Zatanna was a teenager starting out after Bruce Wayne had been Batman for a while. Starting with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and going through most later incarnations, including getting RetCanon to the comics, Zee was presented as around Bruce's age. In fact, the only incarnations to keep the original age gap are ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' and ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls2019''.

Constantine is one of Zatanna's friend and occasional LoveInterests and they occasional team up against the mystical forces of the world.

* EscapeArtist: Was particularly skilled at this.

* ImprovisedWeapon: Zatanna is a logomancer. That is, despite having been shown in the past using simple spell without employing her trademark ''Backwards speech'' she needs to have a clear voice to focus her powers with. As previously stated, this forces her rogues to gag her a lot. Also, even when she has still her charmcasting abilities intact, some villains may exploit some loopholes to protect themselves from her magic. Zatanna in both cases mostly improvises.

* NiceGirl: Often depicted as being approachable, friendly, and considerate.

* SdrawkcabSpeech: Her spells work by her saying, or writting them backwards.

* BoundAndGagged: Zatanna's reliance on her voice often leads to her being [[https://i.imgur.com/cTmydfx.png bound and gagged by villains]], a measure that renders her powerless.

* DealWithTheDevil: Sacrificed thirteen kids as offerings to the lords of Hell in return for his evil necromantic power. [[spoiler:Zatanna forces him to renounce his power and his contract, depowering him and freeing the souls of the kids he sacrificed, so that he can be arrested and incarcerated by the regular authorities, but also dooming him to Hell when he dies]].

** Gets turned into sloth by Zatanna and when when she's turned back she's naked and is chased off her apartment by all the victims Zatanna restored.

* DealWithTheDevil: Sacrificed thirteen kids as offerings to the lords of Hell in return for his evil necromantic power. [[spoiler:Zatanna forces him to renounce his power and his contract, depowering him and freeing the souls of the kids he sacrificed, but also dooming him to Hell upon death]].

* DealWithTheDevil: Sacrificed thirteen kids as offerings to the lords of Hell in return for his evil necromantic power. [[spoiler:Zatanna forces him to renounce his power and his contract, depowering him and freeing the souls of the kids he sacrificed, but also dooming him to Hell once he's dead]].