Dark Mage is an elite Mythic worth getting now, especially with Unbound and lightning-orb play. Puppet (Telekinetic) still takes the stronger overall Mythic spot for sustained DPS and team-wide damage amplification.
Dark Mage is absolutely worth building in Anime Expeditions if you have him, especially if you can roll Unbound and use his lightning form correctly. The key verdict is simple: Dark Mage is one of the best path-control Mythics, while Puppet (Telekinetic) remains the stronger overall Mythic pick when you judge by sustained DPS and team-wide damage amplification.
Dark Mage’s current Mythic verdict
| Unit | Best use | Key strength |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Mage | Path-control Mythic | Lightning-orb arc that damages enemies touching the path inside his range |
| Puppet (Telekinetic) | Overall carry Mythic | High sustained DPS plus Mark damage amplification for the team |
Dark Mage earns the hype because his strongest value is not just normal attack damage. Once he switches into lightning magic, he creates a lightning arc across the path inside his range, turning good placement into constant map pressure. That makes him especially strong on routes where one placement can catch the start and end of the enemy path.
KEY!
Puppet (Telekinetic) has the strongest overall Mythic profile: about 5,093 damage with a 9-second SPA, around 566 DPS, plus Mark, which boosts damage from allied units attacking marked enemies. Dark Mage performs better on specific path-heavy maps because of coverage, but Puppet brings both personal output and team scaling.
Dark Mage’s lightning-orb power in Anime Expeditions
Dark Mage becomes dangerous after his attack cycle reaches lightning magic. At that point, his passive Lightning Orbs summons an arc of lightning on the path inside his range. Any enemy touching that arc takes 50% of Dark Mage’s current damage every 1 second, which is why raw damage scaling matters so much on him.
This is also why Unbound fits him so well. The lightning arc uses current damage, so a stronger Dark Mage turns the passive into steady ticking pressure across the route instead of just another attack animation. In one maxed setup, he reaches 24k damage, with the lightning ticks landing around 14k damage every second.
After Dark Mage enters lightning form, set his priority to None so the lightning arc stays active instead of cycling him back into ice attacks.
How to build and use Dark Mage in Anime Expeditions
Use this Dark Mage build order: get the trait setup online, evolve and ascend Dark Mage, then tune his equipment for damage.
STEP 1/9
Clear daily challenges for rerolls
Run daily challenges if you are short on trait rerolls, since the daily challenge reward gives 10 rerolls.
STEP 2/9
Transfer shiny status to Dark Mage
Use the shiny transfer option to move shiny status onto Dark Mage before finishing the build.
STEP 3/9
Apply stat potential
Push his damage stat as high as you can, with Z damage as the strongest damage choice and SSS used for SPA and range.
STEP 4/9
Buy the evolution requirement
Go to the event shop and buy the evolution requirement needed to evolve Dark Mage.
STEP 5/9
Evolve Dark Mage
Evolve him after the requirement is ready, keeping the shiny and stat setup on the unit.
STEP 6/9
Ascend Dark Mage
Ascend him as a Mythic using the blue materials, with six blues used in this upgrade.
STEP 7/9
Farm his equipment
Run for his equipment, then reroll it until you get a usable high roll.
STEP 8/9
Prepare Magic Book
Craft and use Magic Book as his standard equipment for magical damage dealt.
STEP 9/9
Equip Shinigami Sword
Use Shinigami Sword for damage when it gives your best percentage roll, and compare it against Magic Book instead of forcing it as permanent best-in-slot.
Video help
Using Dark Mage on a map
Dark Mage placement is about drawing the best possible lightning line, not simply dropping him where a normal full-AoE unit would sit. Start by checking his range circle and looking for a spot where the path enters and exits inside that range. If both ends of a major route segment sit inside the circle, his lightning arc punishes enemies across far more of the map than his regular attack area suggests.
Once placed, let him attack until he switches into lightning magic and the arc appears. After that, change his priority to None. This keeps the arc active across the path instead of letting him continue cycling into the next attack form.
On tighter maps, this makes Dark Mage behave like a full-route damage engine. Enemies keep taking lightning damage while moving through parts of the path that are awkward for a standard AoE setup. For best results, use placements where his range touches multiple bends, especially the beginning and the late path at the same time.
Dark Mage vs Puppet (Telekinetic)
| Unit | What it does best | Best build note |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Mage | Creates lightning-orb coverage across the path inside his range | Unbound, high damage stat, Magic Book, and damage-focused Shinigami Sword use |
| Puppet (Telekinetic) | Combines top-end sustained DPS with Mark team amplification | Unbound with Calamity’s Eye for its carry role |
Dark Mage and Puppet (Telekinetic) solve different problems. Dark Mage is the flashier map-control unit because his lightning arc stretches across a path and ticks every second. Puppet is the more reliable strongest-overall answer because it combines high personal DPS with Mark, letting the rest of your team deal more damage to marked enemies.
If your team needs one unit to reshape how a map is covered, build Dark Mage. If your team needs the strongest central carry Mythic around a kill zone, Puppet (Telekinetic) is still the better benchmark. Dark Mage is the best full-coverage Mythic for certain layouts, while Puppet holds the all-around Mythic crown.
Best Dark Mage setup
| Setting | Use |
|---|---|
| Trait | Unbound |
| Damage stat | Z if you can spare it |
| SPA and range | SSS works well; range can help if you have extra stat potential |
| Standard equipment | Magic Book |
| Damage equipment | Shinigami Sword when it gives the best damage percentage |
| Priority after lightning | None |
| Placement goal | Catch the start and end of the path inside his range |
For players who already have Dark Mage, this setup keeps the focus where it belongs: damage scaling, lightning uptime, and path coverage. A Z range roll improves placement options, but spending it is a luxury choice if you only have a small number of Z stat transfers.
Related Anime Expeditions guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dark Mage worth building if Puppet (Telekinetic) is ranked higher overall?
Yes. Puppet (Telekinetic) is the better overall Mythic benchmark, but Dark Mage is still worth building because his lightning arc gives him a map-control role Puppet does not replace.
Should I spend a Z range stat on Dark Mage?
Only if you can afford it. Z damage is the priority for Dark Mage because his lightning-orb ticks scale from current damage, while range is mainly for more flexible placements.
Does Dark Mage need to keep attacking after lightning orbs appear?
No. Once the lightning arc is active, set his priority to None so he stops advancing the attack counter and keeps the lightning setup active.
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