Magus, a Dark Mage, from the Kingdom of Zeal, began as a fiend lord who waged war in 600 A.D. However, his story contains perhaps the darkest twists and turns of anyone inChrono Trigger. Despite hisselfishintent, he thinks only of rescuing his long-missing sister, Schala.
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Whether one has playedChrono Triggeronce or a dozen times, they may learn things they never knew about the magic lord. These ten pieces of trivia may even allude the experts who claim to know everything about the Zeal Kingdom’s scion in one ofhistory’s greatest JRPGs.
Updated July 29, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Chrono Trigger is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. Squaresoft knocked it so far out of the park while developing this classic JRPG that fans still look back fondly on it to this day. The mind-bending story involved heaps of time travel and plot twists that kept things engaging all the way to the very end, with the simple yet refined turn-based combat system being an absolute blast.One of the characters in this gamewho’s extremely memorable is Magus, and here are some things about him that most people might not be aware of.
15Magus' Cat Follows Him In The Last Village Commons
Most people have forgotten about Magus' pet cat Alfador, an adorable feline who absolutely loved him in his previous life as Janus. In fact, players can actually find this cat and make him chase Magus too!
If Magus is in the party when the player goes to the Last Village Commons, then Alfador can be found roaming about here. If he recognizes Magus, then he’ll start following the party!
14His Statue Is Replaced With That Of Ozzie’s After His Defeat
The Cathedral and Medina Village have statues of Magus to commemorate his greatness and his many victories. Of course,these statues disappear after the player defeats Magus… but not in a traditional sense.
Instead, the statues will be replaced by ones of his subordinate, Ozzie. It’s pretty hilarious, although this gag doesn’t last for too long, as the party will soon take care of Ozzie as well.
13He Can’t Bear The Shine Of Frog’s Masamune
Frog’s quest leads to a moment where his Masamune shines bright for the entire party to behold. For the most part, everyone reacts in a pretty muted fashion… aside from Magus, that is.
While the Masamune is shining bright, Magus can be seen cowering behind his cape as the glare of this powerful sword overpowers him. It’s a small change that adds more complexity to the dynamic of the relationship between Frog and Magus.
12His Name Has Many Meanings
The name Magus itself has several meanings aside from the obvious allegories to magic. It’s the singular word for the term “Magi,” which lends further weight to his allure and proficiency as a spellcaster.
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Magus' Japanese name, Mao, is far more sinister. It effectively means “Demon King,” which was pretty much Magus' identity before Crono and his friends have the chance to rope him into their quest to save the world.
11His Original Identity Also Holds Several Secrets Of Its Own
Before becoming the evil Magus, there was a time when this character led a simple life as the young boy Janus. This name itself has several hidden meanings of its own too.
Janus may refer to the Roman deity of gateways and beginnings, which signifies Magus' start as this peaceful character before turning into a rather vengeful one. This god also inspired the name for the month of January, which is a perfect match for Magus' frigid personality.
10He’s a Culmination of Several Akira Toriyama Designs
Dragon Ballcreator andDragon Questcharacter designer, Akira Toriyama, designed the characters for Square-Enix’s ambitiousChrono Trigger. This title’s characters share common themes among Toriyama’s designs. Crono’s resemblance to Goku marks only one instance.
Magus' eyes, at a first glance, look like Vegeta’s. But notice his bluish skin tone and his hair. Now take a look at the Supreme Kai, fromDragonBall, after fusing with Kibito. As Kibito Kai, he gains Kibito’s long hair and retains his bluish skin color. This is the first thing one might note when one sees Magus.
9His Identity is Janus Zeal
While Magus is first known as a fiend lord from 600 A.D., his true story dates much further back in time. In the year 12,000 B.C., he lived in the Kingdom of Zeal. Along with his sister, Schala, and their mother, Queen Zeal, Janus was once a kingdom prince.
This becomes revealed later in the gameas players confront Magusat the top of the Mountain of Woe. However, the clues may have been laid about while they journeyed through Zeal.
8Despite His Pointy Ears, Magus is Human
Magus' pale skin and pointy ears show that he does not possess a human bloodline. Even the timespan between 12,000 B.C. and 600 A.D. indicates that he could be immortal. However, given that he traveled through time into 600 A.D., he is very much human.
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As Janus, his artwork indicateshe once had rounded human ears. If players notice Schala and Queen Zeal’s artwork, they not only look human but also lack Magus' bluish skin tone.
7Magus is a Rare Breed of Mage and Fighter
Unlike Marle and Lucca, Magus has strong melee potential. Whereasmost JRPGsarm mages with a staff or a rod, Magus arms himself with a scythe. This increases his melee damage input near the levels of Robo, Crono, Frog, and Ayla.
In addition to higher damage, Magus also gets a 10% base critical rate. In doing so, he indicates his physical prowess to be stronger than the average caster.
6Players Can Choose to Kill Him or Recruit Him
After the 12,000 B.C. incident,players will enter the Mountain of Woe. In doing so, one will encounter Magus once more. Given their earlier battle, and Frog’s own personal confrontation, he can choose to avenge his friend, Clyde, or leave Magus be.
If Frog declines revenge, he’ll mention killing Magus will not bring Clyde back. Magus will offer his aide to the party, which Frog first declines, but eventually accepts. Magus' power truly becomes a valuable asset to the party.
