Why I Don’t Think Cyran is the Second Greatest Mage.
Hear me out. As much as I love Cyran, he really can’t be the second strongest mage to compare to Merlin. He really can’t.
I’m not saying he isn’t good with magic, but he is not second to Merlin. He was only the second strongest mage academically (which I mean in the Lyceum). But in a worldwide sense? No.
The question I want you to keep in mind is: how can a Chief Court Mage who lives in luxury, opulence, comfort and all the highs of life be considered second to Merlin?
I notice in regards to Cyran copying Merlin’s magic, it ties into his character a lot. In CoA, (current season), Merlin accuses Cyran of only using second-hand tricks. So let me tell you why I agree.
Firstly being, 1) when Cyran's talents fell short of Merlin's, admiration soon gave way to envy. As graduation loomed, Cyran joined the Adamant Syndicate and turned to dark magic in a desperate bid to surpass Merlin.
This is the first instance I find that Cyran is using another means to become stronger, rather than focusing on HIS OWN MAGIC—he’s literally saying, “If I can’t do it with my own magic, I might as well just get it from somewhere else.”
2) In his affinity tales state that he harbors a secret, and this secret is that he still studies Merlin’s magic after all these years. But even though he is still studying Merlin’s magic, look the barrier he made. Merlin called it “sloppy”.
Cyran did not improve his magic. He chose to grow by copying Merlin’s magic and getting involved with Adamant Syndicate, Hypogeans, and using dark magic as means to “heighten” his power.
At the end of the day, his twisted view of being a better mage is absolute garbage. Because all he is doing is using is power from another source and not his own signature magic. (Though, he may use his own spells—all we’ve seen him do is dark magic and copy Merlin’s spells.)
This is why I think his view on magic is so poignant. He views magic is for power, so if he wants to go to the Adamant Syndicate for his own benefit—hey! It aligns with his philosophy. He can use dark magic to heighten his magic; but at the end of the day, strip him bare without it. What is he? What is special about his magic?
NOTHING. He’s just the Chief Court Mage.
Why? Beneath his polished exterior, however, lies a haughty and egotistical nature, driven by an insatiable desire for superiority over others. He is so driven by wanting to be better than everyone else, he never managed to focus on his OWN IDENTITY.
Even though that’s the sad part, that’s his own fault. He let envy enter his head, when he could have built meaningful relationships (and just think of Merlin and Cyran as a team! That would be an unstoppable pair.) He could have focused on building his own brand with his magic as Merlin did. But he used other means to further his skills.
A stupid example is like Kai from Kung Fu Panda. (I’m so sorry. I had to use this one.) He is using everyone else’s magic to make him strong, when his own magic was meaningless against Po.
But, I will say—even though his raw magic power isn’t his strength, his cunning, manipulative abilities are golden. He has connections in the palace, with the Adamant Syndicate. And Merlin can’t match him on that. I’ll give him that one.
3) Cyran is not a practicing battle mage. This man lives in the palace. His hands were said to be soft. And whether you think it was meant by Merlin literally or figuratively, that is the point. He hasn’t worked and fought as hard Merlin had.
How can a man used to opulence pose a threat to a weathered mage (who’s been in some tough ordeals) possibly pose a threat in a hand-to-hand duel? Merlin gained his strength and well-deserved legendary title by going through the school of hard knocks.
While Merlin is fighting in the Second Divine War and sacrificing himself to the point of oblivion, Cyran is in the palace. He only was elevated to Chief Court Mage because so many other mages died in the war (and he had good experience with magic.)
Also, what made Merlin the strongest mage in all Esperia was the fact that Merlin focused on building his own identity. Merlin refined twenty-something spells and shortened the Arcane Council verification process, for example. Merlin was always questioning, always searching for ways to improve in the most purest, rawest sense. No second-hand means, or anything other than just building from the ground up on his own.
If you look at the Memory Stars in ToM, you can see how Merlin studied various aspects of magic. Merlin branded himself—and expanded on his magic to the most extreme heights (e.g. sealing Hypogeans, attempting to revert hypofiends back to humans) and all the other seasons explain the rest.
Lastly, the difference between them is that Merlin made a lasting impact in his genuine abilities, being true to himself. Whereas Cyran, only wanting to be superior, will be willing to find a shortcut to do it.
And as we saw, he literally did that at the end of CoA. He used his gem as a “shortcut” (or in other words, a second-hand trick) to turn into a hypofiend—to become stronger.
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