Shadowhunters' Magnus Bane is a sassy, powerful LGBTQ+ icon made more relatable with a tragic past and inherent flaws
Freeform's fantasy show, 'Shadowhunters,' based on the bestselling young adult novel by Cassandra Clare called 'The Mortal Instruments,' showcases a diverse range of characters - both in terms of sexuality, gender, and race. And while all of them are bound by the common supernatural gift they possess, they are also similar in terms of the tragic past they have lived before they reached where they are today. And among those traumatic backstories, the one that happens to stand out the most in terms of pain and heartbreak, is that of Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr).
Known as the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus' childhood was painful in the sense that he felt abandoned by his own biological mother and her husband. Born to a half-Dutch and half-Indonesian woman and the Prince of Hell Asmodeus in the 17th century in Jakarta, Indonesia, the only discerning traits that set him apart from his parents were his signature amber eyes and the lack of a belly button. He was dearly loved as a child, which is probably why what ensued eventually had such a brutal impact on the man - closing him off from the entire wavelength of emotions and compassion for the longest part of his life.