Black Magic

Black Magic (often commonly referred to as "Dark Magic", "Evil Magic", "Maleficium", "Malefic", the "Black Arts", and the "Dark Arts") is traditionally a type of Magic/Sorcery (often sometimes referred to as Witchcraft/Witching, "Warlockship/Warlocking", "Wizardry/Wizarding", "Bewitching", "Conjuring", and "Enchanting") usually defined as magic being used for selfish or destructive purposes which can often involve using magic for crimes like murder, theft or torture or to harm other people for fun or for pleasure, or for abusing its powers to give one untold amounts of wealth or luxuries for selfish purposes at the cost of others. More than often, this magic's source is the power of Darkness.

Overview

While magic is neither good nor evil since what truly mattered being its user's heart and intentions, there existed certain spells and applications of magic which can only be used to do evil or inflict harm upon other people. Such kind of spells and applications are categorized as black magic. Black magic also includes uses of magic that can potentially disrupt the balance of nature, particularly the aspect of life and death such as careless use of necromantic arts.

Black Magic's opposites are White Magic and miracles (mystical practices granted by the grace of/approved by God and/other divine beings). However, some argue in real-life and in-universe that good magic doesn't exist and that magic in general is inherently evil which leaves miracles as sole option to counter such kind of force. To say magic being evil is an overstatement however; just as Black Magic can be used for good (ex. granting mercy kill) more benign application of magic can bring harm if used irresponsibly or maliciously. Moreover, whether Black Magic being evil is relative to the manner the Darkness that power the craft being channeled.

Regardless, since Black Magic being least reputable by society in general (mostly as the result of many villains using it for more malicious purposes), it's more than often heroes and other good guys who can perform or at least familiar with Black Magic are those who have fulfilled most, if not all essential requirements to be entrusted with such craft, including means to counter them. As these kinds of people being knowledgeable when it comes about Black Magic most, their assistance proved to be valuable in countering the abuse and harm that come from it as well as quelling paranoia and fear towards this infamous craft.

Variations

Blood Magic

Main article: Blood Magic

More ancient form of Black Magic which utilizes blood as either weapon or medium to cast spells, enchantments and even curses through blood.

Necromancy

Main article: Necromancy

Necromancy also counts as Black Magic as its applications more than often defy the law of nature. Many villains abuse this craft to revive the dead as personal thralls.

Dark Elemental Magic

Black magic centered around creating, shaping and manipulating dark/destructive aspects of the elements. Unlike its generic and pure counterparts, this power damages, destroys, and consumes anything and/or everything they come across, representing the hazardous destructive side of nature, which in turn ignores most of the limitations and weaknesses of the normal elements.

Examples

Films

Nancy Downs, Rochelle Zimmerman, and Bonnie Hyper: Alongside Sarah Bailey, the three formed a coven dedicated for black magic. To Sarah's dismay, her coven mates began using the craft for selfish purposes even after witnessing the potential danger in it beforehand, more so with Nancy misguided them. It took her unlocking her full magical capabilities to strip them of their powers and teach them a lesson in the end.
Lord Henry Blackwood: Henry Blackwood, the notorious occultist of Temple of Four Orders, utilizes black magic known to the Order along with his showmanship skills to rule over the world with fear and anarchy. As Sherlock Holmes discovered through studying the same craft to understand his evil schemes however, Blackwood ironically lacked sufficient evil powers to do so and resorted to rely on trickery to make up such setback.

Literature

In the 1983 children's dark fantasy novel The Witches as well as its 2 films adaptations of the same name, an international secret society of bald demonic Witches led by the Grand High Witch work only with their own Magic in their dark quest to harm and eradicate all human children without getting caught.
The Castevets: The Castevets are members of Satanic community who seek to enact Satanic uprising and requires the aid from the prophesied Antichrist to guide them, who is none other than the very baby the mentally troubled Rosemary conceived.
Death Eaters and other Dark Wizards: In the Harry Potter series, a lot of criminals in magical community are labelled as Dark Wizards for using Dark Arts for selfish and malicious purposes, and this includes Death Eaters and their leader Lord Voldemort who encouraged the use of such dangerous craft as part of their plan to topple the already flawed magic government.

Live-Action TV

John Blackwell: John Blackwell is a genocidal magic user who uses black magic to carry out his genocidal campaign against all witches except those descended from his ancestor identified as the warlock Francis Balcoin.
Various Charmed TV Series villains: Some villains in the TV Shows, demons and magic users alike (notably The Triad, uses black magic.

Videogames

Various Final Final Fantasy villains: Some villains in Final Fantasy franchise are notorious in using devastating black magic which, in the series' setting, encompasses damaging (often offensive) spells.

Gallery

NOTE: The limit is for 20 pictures only

Trivia

Black Magic is usually seen as a crime in fiction due to it being real, and in the past when people thought black magic was real. but nowadays it is never considered a crime mostly because it does not exist.
Black Magic is often associated with Witchcraft.