The Magnus Archives Test

The Magnus Archives Test is inspired by psychometric methodology and based on research into the characters of the series. The test provides feedback such as the following:

Jonathan Sims

Jonathan Sims is a prickly, haunted archivist who becomes an unwilling prophet of fear. He begins his tenure as a condescending, short-tempered skeptic who uses intellectual rigor and sarcasm to shield himself from the supernatural horrors he records. As he is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the Magnus Institute, his defensive shell cracks, revealing a deeply compassionate man burdened by intense guilt and a growing sense of responsibility toward his team. Though he often feels like a pawn in a larger game, his stubborn refusal to abandon those he loves defines his path. He is the anxious overthinker who finds purpose only when carrying an impossible burden.

Basira Hussain

Basira Hussain is a pragmatic, morally serious survivor who navigates the harrowing secrets of the Magnus Institute with a sharp, skeptical eye. As a former police officer, she approaches the supernatural with the same methodical rigor she once applied to criminal investigations. She often uses information gathering as a shield, attempting to stay grounded in facts to avoid making impossible ethical choices. While she initially retreats into logic to mask her fear, she becomes increasingly decisive and confrontational when pushed. Her journey is defined by a struggle with complicity, as she constantly questions whether her actions serve the right cause or merely sustain a broken system.

Martin Blackwood

Martin Blackwood is a gentle, underestimated caretaker whose apparent softness hides a core of iron resolve. He often acts as the emotional glue of the archives, using tea-making and quiet support to steady those around him. While he initially presents as nervous and self-deprecating, he is deeply perceptive and capable of ruthless action when protecting those he loves. He frequently weaponizes his own invisibility, allowing others to underestimate him so he can work behind the scenes. Though he craves safety and connection, he often defaults to self-sacrifice, accepting loneliness as the price of his loyalty. He is a survivor who chooses intimacy despite his trauma.

Timothy Stoker

Timothy Stoker is a sharp-witted and charismatic archivist whose easygoing exterior hides deep-seated grief and a burning need for justice. Driven by the loss of his brother to a supernatural threat, he joins the Magnus Institute to find answers, only to become trapped in a web of institutional deception. He uses gallows humor and bravado to shield himself from the horrors he encounters, yet he remains intensely loyal to his friends. While he often prefers direct action and physical confrontation over cautious analysis, his reckless streak is fueled by a profound resentment toward the powers that stole his life. He is a tragic hero who refuses to be a passive victim, ultimately sacrificing everything to fight back against the forces that seek to control him.

Gertrude Robinson

Gertrude Robinson is a cold, methodical strategist who spent decades waging a secret war against the supernatural. As the former Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, she masks her iron resolve behind a persona of frailty and forgetfulness. She views people as tools, yet she sacrifices her own life and humanity to prevent the world from falling to the dread powers. Her primary motive is the containment of horror, leading her to make ruthless, often violent choices that leave her isolated and misunderstood. She is a master of misdirection, prioritizing long-term survival over individual attachments, ultimately becoming as formidable and detached as the entities she fights.

Michael / The Distortion

Michael / The Distortion is a nightmare of identity dissolution and unreliable reality, alternating between playful whimsy and predatory cruelty. As an avatar of the Spiral, this being rejects human personhood, preferring to exist as a throat of delusion that traps victims within impossible, shifting corridors. It views social conflict as a game of wits, delighting in twisting facts to shatter how others perceive their own sanity. While it once possessed a human life, it now finds purpose in inducing disorientation and uncertainty. It serves as a chilling reminder of what happens when one abandons the self to become a vessel for chaos.

Elias Bouchard

Elias Bouchard is a poised, bureaucratic mastermind who represents institutionalized surveillance and the cold abuse of power. As the long-standing head of the Magnus Institute, he projects an aura of calm authority while withholding crucial information from those under his command. He views his subordinates as disposable tools, often couching his manipulation in the language of mentorship to keep them compliant. In conflict, he rarely raises his voice, preferring to rely on his ability to anticipate others and his asymmetric access to information. He respects rules only when they serve his designs, embodying the technocrat who believes grand visions justify individual suffering.

Daisy Tonner

Daisy Tonner is a feral hunter caught between the need for righteous strength and the descent into dehumanizing violence. Driven by a childhood encounter with the Hunt, she operates as a lethal, disobedient detective who uses her badge to track and eliminate those she deems monstrous. She is tenacious and fiercely loyal, yet her preference for aggressive action over careful investigation often leads to catastrophic misjudgment. Daisy handles conflict through physical confrontation, showing little patience for rules or institutional authority. She struggles with the terrifying reality that her coping mechanism for fear—preemptive aggression—has slowly transformed her into the very thing she once fought.