Glossary
A glossary of relevant terms.
Automatic Purification System
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A field surrounding Kamihama City that:
- blocks all Kyubeys from entering (except for the Lil' Kyubey),
- prevents any Magical Girls inside from becoming a Witch, and
- allows for the manifestation of Doppels.
Created by the combined efforts of Ui Tamaki, Nemu Hiiragi, Touka Satomi, and Alina Gray, it operates by collecting impurities from fully darkened Soul Gems directly, converting the energy therein to a usable form, and manifesting the user's Doppel. As the energy gains are forwarded directly to Kyubey, the APS thus contributes directly to the fight against entropy.
The APS's core is a conceptual space that can be accessed by bringing all eight Kimochi together. This space can be tied to a specific person, and the status of the APS is directly linked to the life of that entity, currently Iroha; if the core's inhabitant is taken out of commission (such as due to their life force being spread too thin across time), the APS may purify Soul Gems more slowly, and in the worst-case scenario cease to function entirely.
In the anime, it instead does not work correctly, causing Doppel use to randomly result in a glorified Witch-like state known as Doppel Syndrome. The only differences between Doppel Syndrome and becoming a Witch are that Doppel Syndrome victims' Witches appear fused to their bodies like normal Doppels, and that the condition is reversible by trained Coordinators. In Episode 24, it was shattered, but ultimately transferred to solely surround Iroha Tamaki as Ui's final gift to her, allowing her to use the Infinite form of Giovanna despite never becoming Infinite Iroha herself.
Doppel
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According to the official website "A select few Magical Girls in Kamihama City can summon a power known as a Doppel. Only awakened Magical Girls have this ability, which allows them to invoke a portion of the Witch power in their Soul Gem when it becomes fully tainted."
Typically, a Magical Girl becomes a Witch when their Soul Gem becomes completely black from developing too many impurities. Inside Kamihama City, however, the "Doppel" power is invoked instead. When a Soul Gem becomes completely black, a manifestation of a Magical Girl's Witch form is summoned instead, taking on a variety of forms for each individual girl. Doppels are extremely powerful, making them useful in battle, but can come with high risks depending on the specific nature of the Doppel.
From their in-game description, a Doppel's manifestation depends on several factors. For instance, though this is not always the case, older Magical Girls (or potentially, those who have been contracted longer, not necessarily one's actual age) experience a narrower range of emotions than younger Magical Girls, and as such their Doppels are more likely to appear fused to their master's body rather than as separate entities.
Doppel Versions
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When initially summoned, a subconscious confrontation occurs between the Doppel user and their Witch self, in which the Witch attempts to convince the girl to give in to their inner darkness and give the Witch full control. Usually, the Doppel user will simply reject their inner darkness, and the Doppel will be semi-autonomous; however, by achieving true catharsis, a fusion referred to as a Doppel Version can be achieved. In a Doppel Version, the user is fully in control; how permanent this fusion state is is somewhat unclear, and may vary on a user-to-user basis.
In the Anime
Exclusive to the anime adaptation, when a Doppel is summoned, a Magical Girl's face will morph to appear completely white with solid black eyes and a mouth. This face does not appear on those who gain enough experience summoning their Doppel that they can retain consciousness while using it, but may reappear if their inner Witch gains the upper hand and risks taking control of their body.
Later in the anime, it is revealed that the formal name of doppel is doppel witch by Mitama Yakumo. It reflects negative emotions in a magical girl. When doppel takes control of a magical girl, they fall into an everlasting nightmare. Their doppel makes a barrier like in the Rebellion story. Their appearance also deforms into something like their witch form. It is possible to turn them back if other magical girls get into the barrier and defeat the doppel, but not for sure.
It is unknown what would happen if a Soul Gem separated from its owner's body becomes black in Kamihama City.
Familiar
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A Familiar is a secondary enemy that a Witch creates for a variety of purposes, usually shortly after the Witch itself is born. After either eating a few humans or simply waiting for time to pass, they will grow into identical copies of their parent Witch, able to spawn their own Familiars and dropping their own Grief Seed (occasionally exploited in a practice known as "Witch farming"). This is frequently possible despite the original Witch having already been defeated -- indeed, the entire Witch population of Kamihama City save for Etteilla was created in this way.
Unlike their parent Witches, Familiars are approximately weak enough for a human to do significant damage to them without magical assistance.
Familiars do not drop any Grief Seeds when killed unless they have matured into a full Witch.
According to the January 2012 Dengeki PlayStation, Familiars are "projections of the magical girl's heart before they became a witch".
The only entries in the franchise that have named Familiars are Madoka Magica and Magia Record.
As with the names of Witches, the names of Familiars in Madoka Magica relate to the works or themes of Johann Goethe, Richard Wagner, or Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Albertine is named after one or two women by that name that Goethe was known friends with, and her Familiar Anja is named after a titular character of a play by writer Klaus Mann, who like Goethe wrote an adaptation of the legend of Faust. Charlotte's Familiars, Pyotr and Polina, are respectively named after Pyotr Tchaikovsky (composer for The Nutcracker) and both Polina Semionova (a ballerina in The Nutcracker) and, possibly, Pauiline von Metternich, a woman important in the promotion of Richard Wagner's work.
In Magia Record, it is more common for the names for the Familiars to more closely relate to the name of their master Witches, which themselves tend to be named for more personal reasons outside of the game's larger inspirations. For instance, Zenobia is a revered Syrian queen, and Zabaii comes from Zenobia's birth name or an ancestor. Shin, a babysitting-themed Witch, may be named after the television character Shin Takonara who is herself a babysitter; her Familiar, Kotori, is named after a Japanese children's game. This may also explain the aforementioned characterization of Familiars are projections of the Magical Girl's heart.
Grief Seed
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When a Soul Gem contains too many impurities and becomes completely black, it will transform into a Grief Seed, and its Magical Girl will become a Witch. All Grief Seeds drain impurities when used on a dim Soul Gem, replenishing a girl's magic and staving off their transformation into a Witch. In episode 6, Kyubey warns that absorbing too much impurities can revive the Witch. A Grief Seed that has been used before and already contains impurities will be unable to fully cleanse a Soul Gem.
Because of how valuable they are, Magical Girls may also use Grief Seeds to test if they can cooperate with another Magical Girl; rejecting an offered Grief Seed from another Magical Girl means refusing to work with them and hostility. Both Mami and Homura peformed such kinds of tests.
As shown in Magia Record:
- Grief Seeds can be consumed by Witches and make them stronger.
- They are also confirmed to exist within the bodies of the Witches that own them.
- Grief Seeds are originally Soul Gems that have been influenced by emotions. Inside Grief Seeds is an energy similar to an iPS cell, a type of stem cell within living organisms, which can "become any emotion".
- Grief Seeds can be reached and stimulated by the hydrogen line, a specific radio wave used to send and receive signals during searches for extraterrestial intelligence; it can penetrate through any obstacle, including the bodies of Witches, and resonate with their Grief Seeds within, allowing whoever is sending the signal to stimulate and manipulate their emotions.
- Touka Satomi further explains that, somehow, the hydrogen line can be emitted "with brain waves", such as brain waves used in hypnotism and waves that are emitted when one is excited.
- Grief Seeds can be reached and stimulated by the hydrogen line, a specific radio wave used to send and receive signals during searches for extraterrestial intelligence; it can penetrate through any obstacle, including the bodies of Witches, and resonate with their Grief Seeds within, allowing whoever is sending the signal to stimulate and manipulate their emotions.
For the fake Grief Seeds known as "Evil Nuts" in the featured in Kazumi Magica, please see here.
See this page for list of Grief Seeds in the franchise.
Labyrinth
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In the anime, these locations are designed and animated by Gekidan Inu Curry in a style vastly different from that of the rest of the series in order to reinforce the otherworldly aspect. Inside and outside of the anime they are sometimes referred to as "mazes" (迷路 meiro) or "wards".
According to the January 2012 Dengeki PlayStation, the barrier is "a space resembling the Magical Girl's mental landscape before they became a Witch".
The barrier can be based off a lot of things, such as where the girl became a Witch, what their Soul Gem or Grief Seed motifs are or were, what they liked, and/or what their wish was.
This can be proven by looking at Oktavia von Seckendorff's barrier. It has a theme of longing for Kyosuke, since Sayaka's wish was to heal his hand. The ulterior motive behind the wish was for Kyosuke to love her, but this didn't happen. There is a Kyosuke-like figure shown in her barrier. Additionally, she became a witch at a train station, and at the beginning of episode 8 we see trains in Oktavia's barrier.
Law of Cycles
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The Law of Cycles is an extra-universal system created by Madoka Kaname for the purpose of killing and archiving Magical Girls who are about to become Witches.
As the future of the universe in which Magia Record takes place is still being written, the Law of Cycles has no access to it, and it is further implied that the summoning system also has to cheat (as Nagisa Momoe was summoned into the Mirror Witch's labyrinth, known to connect alternate universes). Despite this, Madoka is sometimes able to force her support through.
The name is possibly a pun, as 円 can also be read as 'Madoka'.
Magical Girl
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Philosopher's Stone
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A Philosopher's Stone is a magical rock of unclear origin with a variety of uses. Currently, it is known to be able to:
- Completely halt the aging process in uncontracted humans.
- Sustain a What-If reality.
As of 1431, the only known Philosopher's Stones are in the possession of Nicholas Flamel and the What-If version of Minou.
Soul Gem
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The Soul Gem is the source of a Magical Girl's magical power, produced upon contracting by extracting the contractee's soul and giving it physical form. When they use their magic, experience strong negative emotions, or sustain physical injuries, the Soul Gem gathers impurities and becomes "corrupted". When "corrupted", the gem loses its shine and becomes progressively darker. The only way to rid it of its darkness is to extract it with a Grief Seed or Grief Cube.
Physical contact with the Soul Gem is required for a Magical Girl to transform. When not transformed, a Magical Girl's Soul Gem typically takes its default "egg" form, or may be turned into a ring at will to be worn for easier transportation. When in ring form, the band will display its owner's name written in Runes. When transformed, the gem will change appearance and become incorporated into its owner's costume. The gem's costumed form most often takes on the appearance of one of the two symbols, which may or may not be the same symbol repeated, on the top and bottom/center of the gem in its "egg" form (e.g. Mami Tomoe's becomes a flower, Rena Minami's becomes a music note, etc.).
A Magical Girl is capable of using their Soul Gem to perform magic when not transformed: they can merge it with a normal object to temporarily imbue it with magic, which also transforms its appearance, which is then returned the normal when the Soul Gem is separated from it; and they can summon simplified forms of their weapons made of magical energy that extent from, and can be retracted into, the gem.
A Magical Girl must remain within 100 meters of their Soul Gem or their connection will be broken, and the girl will instantly "die". If this connection is broken, it will only be re-established once physical contact between them has been made again. Once separated, a Magical Girl's body has approximately 48 hours until it begins to decay. While transformed, a Magical Girl may be separated from their Soul Gem and retain their life and magic provided the distance between them does not exceed 100 meters; however, if a Magical Girl is not already transformed and is separated from their gem while remaining within proper distance of it, they will be unable to transform and, potentially, unable to use their unique magic. The connection between a Magical Girl and their Soul Gem can be broken by another using magic while still within 100 meters of each other.
If the Soul Gem becomes too full of impurities and turns completely black, it will transform into a Grief Seed, and its Magical Girl will become a Witch. This will completely sever the connection to the Magical Girl's body, unless the Magical Girl was already using a Doppel at the time and leaving the boundary of the Automatic Purification System.
Soul Gems have a natural magic sense that allows Magical Girls to detect both generalized spikes in magic and specific magic signatures, both of Witches and of other Magical Girls.
It is unknown what would happen if a Soul Gem separated from its owner's body becomes black in Kamihama City.
Appearance
In a majority of cases, the color of a Soul Gem will match the eye color of its owner (such as the original anime's Holy Quintet, Tart, and Yachiyo Nanami). In some cases, however, the color does not match the eyes at all (such as Nagisa Momoe's Soul Gem being purple, while her eyes are simultaneously yellow and orange, or Touka Satomi's Soul Gem being bright red while her eyes are brown).
In its untransformed egg-like form, a Soul Gem has two emblems: on on the top, and one on the center/front. In the original anime, both emblems were always the same shape (matching the form it took when transformed), with the front emblem having more detail. As of Magia Record and its anime adaptation, this design rule has changed, so that a majority of Soul Gems will bear two different emblems. In these cases, it appears random whether the emblem that matches Soul Gem's transformed form will be the top or front one, but Soul Gems will most often have at least one emblem matching its transformed form. The emblem that takes a different design may match a random element of the Magical Girl's transformed design (such as Felicia Mitsuki's horned hat (top), Momoko Togame's fleur-de-lis decorations (front), Iroha Tamaki's cloak hood (front), etc.), their weapon (such as Sana Futaba's shield (front), Touka Satomi's umbrella (front), Nemu Hiiragi's book (front), etc.), or possibly a seemingly random shape not seen elsewhere (such as the "square spiral" on Tsuruno Yui's Soul Gem (front), though this does loosely resemble decorative patterns on her transformed outfit).
The various spin-off mangas, being illustrated by different artists, may follow different trends regarding the emblems. Examples include:
- Kaoru Maki's emblems (both of which are the same) resemble a trophy, while its transformed form is a pentagon. However, the emblems also resemble Kaoru's weapon.
- Satomi Usagi's emblems (both of which are the same) resemble stylized cat paws, while its transformed form is a cat's head.
- Tart Magica's' Soul Gems do retain the transformed shape in their emblems, but they have more detail than usually seen when transformed (compared to the original anime, when only the bottom emblem was more detailed). Tart's emblems are a cross over a fleur-de-lis while it is a simple cross when transformed; Riz Hawkwood's emblems are of a sea shell inside a rectangle, while the sea shell is not typically seen when transformed (however, it is an element of her Doppel/Witch design). However, in the original manga (before it was redesigned for Magia Record), Melissa de Vignolles's transformed Soul Gem did include the image of a bunch of grapes inside itself that was not usually seen, but was present on its emblems. Thus, it is possible these secondary design elements seen on the emblems may be included inside the Soul Gems when transformed, and can only be seen up close.
- Minou's top emblem is a cat's head. Other Tart Magica Soul Gems are established to have the same design for both emblems, which also mostly match their transformed form (typically with extra details than seen when transformed). However, its transformed form is a simple diamond.
- Notably, the Soul Gems (and Grief Seeds) in Oriko Magica differ greatly from their canon designs established in the anime and other mangas, and thus their designs cannot be entirely considered canonical.
Typically, at least one of these emblems will be present when the Soul Gem becomes a Grief Seed. Both in the original anime and in Magia Record, it is most often the top emblem that remains the same (such as Sayaka Miki's/Oktavia von Seckendorff's, Madoka Kaname's/Kriemhild Gretchen's, and Mel Anna's/Etteilla's) while the front emblem changes to reflect an aspect of the Witch. In some cases, though, the top emblem may still change: such was the case for when Kuroe became Ichizo, and her Soul Gem's plain circle gained a spiral attached to it that matched the leg cuff that formed the entirety of her transformed Soul Gem.
See also: Lists of Soul Gems
Uwasa
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While somewhat similar to Witches, Uwasa are very different. They are the manifestations of actual rumors that are spread through Kamihama City created by Nemu Hiiragi, originating from rumors she created about the city she saw through her hospital window before becoming a Magical Girl. Uwasa exist to spread and fulfill these rumors, attacking those who meet the rumors' conditions or who prevent the rumors' completion. They notably do not drop Grief Seeds when killed.
Some Uwasa are capable of communication or even independent thought that goes against the intentions of its creator or its own purpose. The Uwasa of the Commoner's Horse announces its intention to attack before it appears. The Uwasa of the Anonymous Artificial Intelligence is also capable of speech and has friendly interactions with other Magical Girls. However, it claims it is bound by its instincts as a uwasa.
An Uwasa's rumor can be modified on the fly, although doing so takes magical energy proportional to the magnitude of the change. For instance, modifying the Uwasa of the Graveyard Banquet more than simply adding a single line would have risked Nemu's life.
Under some circumstances, it is possible to turn a flesh-and-blood Magical Girl into an Uwasa and back.
See also: Category:Uwasa
Witch
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Episode 8 reveals that Witches are the final form of Magical Girls. When a girl's Soul Gem becomes too full of impurities and turns completely black, it transforms into a Grief Seed, and its Magical Girl becomes a Witch. Witches from the past seem to have nouns and nicknames for people as their names rather than traditionally feminine names.
As revealed in Magia Record, witches are capable of, and can be made stronger by, consuming Grief Seeds and other witches.
The traditional Japanese term for Witch is Devil (悪鬼 Akki).
Witch Names
Witches will have a different name than their Magical Girl self, and they will always be written in Runes. A majority of these names will be human names, feminine, different than those of their former Magical Girl selves, and in a language other than Japanese (compared to most known Magical Girls being Japanese), but exceptions to all of these exist throughout the franchise. Most naming conventions established in each entry in the franchise were broken by Magia Record.
Nearly all witch names match up with a name of a minor planet or asteroid.
Madoka Magica Witches
In Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the names of all Witches and their Familiars were thematically related to the series and its inspirations. Most Witches were named after women known to have some kind of relationship, direct or indirect, with Johann von Goethe, Richard Wagner, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, or their works. For example: Charlotte's name is shared by Charlotte Buff, a woman for whom Goethe had an unrequited love, on which he based his work The Sorrows of Young Werther and also happens to be a dessert, fitting with her food motif. Her Familiars, Pyotr and Polina, are respectively named after Pyotr Tchaikovsky (composer for The Nutcracker) and both Polina Semionova (a ballerina in The Nutcracker) and, possibly, Pauiline von Metternich, a woman important in the promotion of Richard Wagner's work. Gertrud, instead, is likely named after horticulturalist and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, after whom Dr. Jekyll (from the novel Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was named. The novel dealt with a man splitting his mind into two personalities, one embodying his psychological shadow and repressed evil inclinations (similar to Witches). One of her Familiars, Adelbert, is named after botanist and author Adalbert von Chamisso, who wrote a story about a man selling his shadow to the devil (similar to Goethe's Faust). Elsa Maria, more indirectly, was named after Elsa Asenijeff, who suffered many tragedies in her love life, including her husband leaving her for another woman (similar to Sayaka Miki and Kyosuke Kamijo).
The names of the Holy Quintet (sans Oktavia von Seckendorff and Kriemhild Gretchen), as revealed in Madoka Magica Portable and Rebellion, are taken from other sources and are more individual to the character. Ophelia is named after the character from William Shakespeare's Hamlet, who drowned herself after suffering from depression and madness caused by her lover (connecting her to Oktavia, the mermaid Witch). Homulilly's name is the first to incorporate an element of her human self's name (Homura Akemi), and both her design and her Familiars are also based on The Nutcracker.
Oriko Magica Witches
Like the original series, all Witches in Puella Magi Oriko Magica are given feminine human names, though the reasoning behind each is unknown.
In Magia Record, the Witch forms of some characters are given names with individual significance and which are written with Greek or Latin origins. Pistis is named after the Greek personification of good faith and trust. Latria, whose name was given in Magia Record, is named after the Latin word for "adoration". Sotria sounds similar to Latria, and is likely a Latinized modification of the Indian Sattriya dance (corresponding to her being the ballroom dancer Witch).
Kazumi Magica
In Puella Magi Kazumi Magica, instead of human names, most Witches' names are descriptive phrases or titles written in German (corresponding to Goethe's language). The exception is Hyades Daybreak, named after the mythological Greek sisters and star cluster, which is in contrast to the protagonist Magical Girl group the Pleiades Saints.
In Magia Record, the Witches of some characters are given names that also break the manga's naming conventions and are all Italian, referencing the frequent use of Italian in the manga. Carola is named after an Italian variant of Sleeping Beauty, Caterina may be named after the Italian fairy tale Catherine and her Destiny, and Antonio (a masculine name) may be named after the city of San Antonio, Texas.
Suzune Magica Witches
In contrast to all other entries, no Witches in Puella Magi Suzune Magica are given names. They appear to a lesser degree than in any other series and tend to have human characteristics.
In Magia Record, the Witches of some characters are given names with individual significance. Carmen is potentially named after a Latin term referring to a poem, song, or prayer (referencing Suzune Amano's name meaning "heavenly bell sound"), or the titular character of Prosper Mérimée's novel who was headstrong and independent but stayed with an abusive man who ultimately killed her despite her knowing it would happen. Odette is named for the main character of Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, a woman who fell in love with a prince who vows only to love her, which will eventually break a curse placed on her. Ultimately, the prince instead decides to marry the black swan Odile (sometimes interpreted as being identical to Odette) instead of Odette, who (along with the prince) decides to commit suicide rather than remain cursed forever.
Tart Magica Witches
Similar to Kazumi Magica, while most Witches in Puella Magi Tart Magica are unnamed, those that are have descriptive titles (this time in French) instead of human names. The only Witch named in the original manga is Crépuscule de La Reine (Twilight of the Queen).
In Magia Record, the Witches of some characters follow the manga's naming convention of descriptive French terms and phrases with one mild exception. La Pucelle de Blancheur (The White/Pure Maiden), Obscurite (Darkness), Enfant Terrible (Unruly Child, which is also a French term for a candid child who says embarrassing things). The exception to this rule is, ironically, Crépuscule de La Reine, which Magia Record establishes as a false name for Isabeau's Witch form, which actually shares her human name.
Magia Record Witches
The Witches of both the Magia Record game and anime adaptation mostly adhere to human feminine names, but also frequently use names and terms in the Japanese language, that refer to non-human subjects (places, objects, animals, etc.), or are masculine. All names have individual significance to each character.
Many Witch names reference the works of and people related to Kenji Miyazawa and Oscar Wilde, both of whose work inspired and are frequently referenced throughout the story. For example, Giovanna and Campanella are named after the two main characters of Miyazawa's Night on the Galactic Railroad. Box Wood is named for a plant, which is the translation of the Japanese name Tsuge, taken from an author who Miyazawa admired and who taught at his school. Shitori Egumo is a Japanese phrase meaning "I'm going alone", taken from one of Miyazawa's poems; Shitori Egumo's Familiar, Oscar, is named for Oscar Wilde, the author of The Happy Prince, which Egumo is inspired by. Wilde also write The Portrait of Dorian Gray, after which Old Dorothy is partially named (along with a woman who was identified as an alleged leader of a Wiccan cult). Giovanna, Pennen Nolde, and Pennen Nemu are simultaneously named after Miyazawa's works and inspired by Wilde's The Happy Prince.
Witches whose names have individual significance and break the original anime's conventions make up a majority of Magia Record's Witches. Dee and Dum are references to Tweedledee and Tweedledum, twin brothers from Through the Looking-Glass that alternately get along and fight each other. Lakehurst is named for Naval Air Station Lakehurst, the site of the Hindenburg disaster. Breadman is named for the fairy tale The Gingerbread Man, about a living gingerbread man who cannot be caught. Cyan is likely intended to be short for cyanide, a poisonous chemical. Hund Balou is a combination of German and Portuguese that translates to "sheep dog". Halomonas Titanicae is the name of a protobacteria that feeds on the rust of sunken ships and is projected to cause the complete deterioration of the RMS Titanic. Zipzap is taken from the game Zip (also known as Zip Zap Zop) used as a theatre practice exercise. Slave of Anima is likely short for "Slave of Animation", referring to poor working conditions in the Japanese animation industry.
Magia Record is the first instance of numbers and Cyrillic letters being included in Witch names, as with 10^21, 9daime Nue, Made in 168, and Маруся.
See also: Category:Witches
Witch's Kiss
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A Witch's Kiss is a marking, the personal symbol of the Witch, used by a Witch and its Familiars to control the minds of humans. They can be used to exacerbate pre-existing negative emotions and thoughts, change personalities, make people commit crimes or suicide, or lure them into a Labyrinth to be consumed by the Witch inside. While some of these actions may not necessarily lead humans to being consumed, some Witches may also desire merely to spread evil and misfortune regardless of if they get sustenance. Further, a Kissed human may not always die from it. Familiars can Kiss humans well outside of the Labyrinth they hail from in order to bring them to their Witch.
In the original series, Witch's Kisses were only depicted as appearing on people's necks. In Magia Record, they are now shown to appear on any part of the body, including the face and limbs.
In the original series and Magia Record, it is shown that humans with magical potential (future Magical Girls) can still become Kissed. It is unconfirmed, though implied in Rebellion, that even contracted Magical Girls can also be Kissed.
The symbol that makes up a Witch's Kiss also appears at the entrance of its owner's Labyrinth.