List of 100 Greatest Magic Tricks
Magic is a performing art in which the artist persuades an audience that it has witnessed seemingly impossible feats accomplished through natural or supernatural means.
Just as there are 8 different types of magic tricks, within each of the eight classes of magic tricks there are long lists of many magic tricks.
The virtual magician creates illusions through practiced deception. Magic tricks are a type of acting in which the artist acts one reality to the audience member while concealing another that only the magician is aware of.
The 100 Greatest Magic Tricks: A Comprehensive List
Magic has been a form of entertainment for centuries, captivating audiences with illusions and tricks that seem impossible to explain. From card tricks to disappearing acts, magicians have been able to make us believe in the impossible. Here, we have compiled a list of the 100 greatest magic tricks of all time, showcasing the most impressive feats of magic ever performed.
Card Tricks
Card tricks are a staple of any magician's repertoire, and for good reason. The following card tricks have stood the test of time, and are still considered some of the best tricks ever performed:
The Ambitious Card: A chosen card continually rises to the top of the deck.
The Four Aces: The magician locates all four aces in the deck.
The Invisible Deck: A spectator’s chosen card from an invisible deck becomes visible and revealed.
The Card Through Window: A selected card is thrown through a window and lands on the other side.
The Three-Card Monte: The Three-Card Monte trick is a classic and popular card game that is played as a confidence game or as a street swindle. The game typically involves a dealer who has three cards — two black and one red — and asks the player to pick the red card. Using sleight-of-hand techniques and misdirection, the dealer often makes the game impossible to win for the mark.
The Three-Card Monte trick has been around for centuries and continues to be played today, both as a legitimate game and as a street swindle. It's named for the fact that the original game used only three cards, although variations of the game may use more.
The Three-Card Monte trick is typically played on a flat surface, with the dealer shuffling and laying out the cards face-down. The mark is then asked to guess which card is the red one. The dealer then uses a combination of sleight of hand and misdirection to confuse the mark and ensure they lose the game.
Stage Illusions
5. Sawing A Woman in Half: A person is seemingly sawed in half and then magically reassembled.
6. Levitation: The performer, his lovely assistant, an audience member, or a borrowed object — appears to float in mid-air.
7. Disappearing Elephant: An elephant vanishes in front of the audience.
8. Houdini Water Torture Cell: Houdini escapes from a submerged, locked tank.
9. Metamorphosis: Magician and assistant switch places in a locked box within seconds.
Escape Tricks
10. Milk Can Escape: Houdini escapes from a water-filled milk can before drowning.
11. Chinese Water Torture Cell: Houdini escapes from a locked, water-filled tank while suspended upside down.
12. Straitjacket Escape: The Straitjacket Escape trick is a classic escape act that involves the magician freeing themselves from a straitjacket while suspended in mid-air or otherwise restrained. Developed and made famous by the legendary escape artist Harry Houdini, the Straitjacket Escape trick continues to be performed by magicians around the world to this day.
The trick involves the magician being strapped into a tight-fitting straitjacket that restricts arm movement and makes it difficult or impossible to escape. The magician is then usually suspended in mid-air, often upside down, while attempting to escape from the straitjacket.
To perform the Straitjacket Escape trick, the magician must use a combination of strength, agility, and quick thinking to slip his arms out of the jacket or otherwise free himself. The trick often involves misdirection and distraction, as the magician may use other props or performance techniques to keep the audience's attention while they work to escape.
Overall, the Straitjacket Escape trick is a classic and impressive escape act that requires a lot of skill, practice, and determination to perform successfully. It continues to be a popular and thrilling element of magic and illusion shows around the world.
13. Burning Rope Escape: Magician tied to a chair escapes before the rope burns through.
14. Handcuff Escape: Magician escapes handcuffs within a set time limit.
Close-Up Magic
15. Cups and Balls: The Cups and Balls magic trick is a classic and well-known magic performance that has been practiced for centuries. In this trick, the magician shows the audience three cups and three balls, and proceeds to make the balls disappear and reappear underneath the cups, in various different and seemingly impossible ways.
The trick requires a lot of skillful hand movements to create the illusion of the balls moving around, and often involves the use of a wand or other props as well. The Cups and Balls magic trick is traditionally performed using three cups and three balls, but variations with more or fewer cups and balls exist.
The Cups and Balls trick is beloved by both magicians and audiences for its combination of sleight of hand skill, misdirection, and wonder. It has been performed by countless magicians over the years, and continues to be a staple of magic shows and performances around the world.
16. Sponge Balls: Small sponge balls appear and vanish in the magician’s hands.
17. Coin Vanish: Coin disappears and reappears in the magician’s hand.
18. Floating Bill: A bill seems to float in mid-air.
19. Card to Wallet: Chosen card appears in magician’s wallet without being placed there.
Mind Reading Mentalism Tricks
20. Book Test: Magician guesses a word chosen by a spectator from a book.
21. Drawing Duplication: Magician duplicates a spectator’s drawing without seeing it.
22. Chair Prediction: Magician predicts which chair a spectator will choose based on a selected number.
23. Watch Prediction: Magician predicts the time chosen by a spectator on a watch.
24. Magazine Test: Magician guesses a word chosen by a spectator from a magazine.
Grand Illusions
25. Statue of Liberty Disappearing: David Copperfield makes the Statue of Liberty vanish in front of a live audience.
26. Vanishing Airplane: David Copperfield makes a plane disappear in mid-air.
27. Walking through the Great Wall of China: David Copperfield walks through the Great Wall of China.
28. Death Saw: Penn and Teller saw a person in half with a twist.
29. Burning Building: David Copperfield creates the illusion of a burning building.
Comedy Magic
30. Banana Trick: Banana transforms into a rubber chicken.
31. Magic Coloring Book: Blank coloring book fills with colors magically.
32. Appearing Wand: Wand materializes and vanishes in the magician’s hand.
33. Vanishing Bandana: Bandana disappears and reappears tied to the magician’s wrist.
34. Card on the Forehead: Chosen card materializes on the magician’s forehead.
Stage Magic
35. The Miser’s Dream: The Miser's Dream is a classic and popular magic trick in which a magician produces an endless stream of coins from thin air, and drops them one by one, coin after coin, into a bucket, metal pail, or other container. The trick has been performed for over two centuries and is still a favorite among magicians and audiences alike since it magically collecting money has broad appeal.
The Miser's Dream is a difficult trick to learn and requires a lot of practice to perform well. It is typically performed by professional magicians and requires a lot of sleight-of-hand skill, as well as careful misdirection to prevent the audience from discovering the secret behind the trick.
36. Floating Ball: Ball seems to float in mid-air.
37. Dancing Cane: Cane appears to dance in the air independently of the magician.
38. Zig Zag Girl: Girl is split into three pieces and then magically reassembled. It's a variation on the well-known sawing a woman in half illusion.
39. Water Suspension: Person is suspended in mid-air while water pours down on them.
40. Penetrating a lady: The performer dives through the torso of a lovely assistant.
Street Magic
Street magic is a form of magic where the magician performs tricks in public places, often incorporating everyday objects. These next five tricks are some of the best street magic tricks ever performed:
40. Balducci Levitation: A person appears to levitate off the ground.
41. Coin Bite: Magician bites a coin in half and then restores it.
42. Card Through Glass: A chosen card is thrown through a glass window.
43. Crazy Man’s Handcuffs - Rubber Band Trick: Rubber band passes through the magician’s fingers.
44. Magic Cell Phone: Magician seemingly swallows a cell phone, which reappears in a spectator’s pocket.
Fire Tricks
45. Fire Eating: Magician consumes fire using torches or other props.
46. Fire Breathing: Magician expels fire from their mouth.
47. Fire Spinning: Magician twirls fire around their body using a staff or other prop.
48. Fire Juggling: Magician juggles fire torches.
49. Fire Wallet: Magician opens a wallet, and is surprised to find it’s on fire every time he opens the wallet.
Knife Tricks
Knife tricks are a form of magic where the magician incorporates knives into their tricks, often resulting in dangerous and thrilling performances. These next five tricks are some of the best knife magic tricks ever performed:
51. The Knife Throwing Trick: A trick where a magician throws knives at a target, often with a person standing in front of the target.
52. The Sword Swallowing Trick: A trick in which a magician swallows a knife or sword, only to pull it out of their mouth.
53. The Knife Balancing Trick: A trick where a magician balances a knife on their finger or other body part.
54. The Needle through Arm Trick: A trick in which a needle or hatpin is seemingly pushed through the magician's arm.
55. The Knife through Coat Trick: A trick where a knife is thrown at a coat, but the coat remains unharmed.
Gimmick Tricks
Gimmick tricks are a form of magic where the trick relies on a special gimmick or prop. These next five tricks are some of the best gimmick magic tricks ever performed:
56. The Floating Table: A trick in which a table appears to float in mid-air.
57. The Egg Bag: A trick where an egg is placed into a bag, then vanishes from the bag and reappears in the bag.
58. Dancing Handkerchief: The Dancing Handkerchief magic trick, also known as the Dancing Hank or Spirit Dancing Handkerchief, is a classic and popular trick in magic. In the trick, a small handkerchief is made to move and dance around as if it has a life of its own. The handkerchief may be placed on a table or held in the magician's hand and made to move around as the magician wishes.
While the Dancing Handkerchief trick does require some practice and skill to perform properly, it is a relatively simple trick and can be learned by beginners. It is a great trick for close-up or table magic, and can be adapted for use in different settings and environments.
59. The Linking Rings: A trick where metal rings are linked together and then unlinked, seemingly defying the laws of physics.
60. The Coin Matrix: Four coins are moved around a table in a seemingly impossible manner.
Animal Tricks
Animal tricks are a form of magic where animals are incorporated into the trick, often resulting in cute and entertaining performances. These next five tricks are some of the best animal magic tricks ever performed:
61. The Rabbit from Hat Trick: A trick where a rabbit is pulled out of an empty hat.
62. Dove Magic: The performer makes doves appear and disappear.
63. The Vanishing Elephant Trick: An elephant disappears from the stage.
64. The Vanishing Bird Cage: The Vanishing Bird Cage trick is a classic magic effect in which a bird cage, which may or may not contain a live bird, is made to magically disappear from the magician's hand or stage. The trick was invented by French magician Buatier De Kolta and has been performed by many magicians over the years. In the trick, the magician presents a bird cage to the audience, and may even display a live bird inside the cage. The cage is then covered with a cloth or otherwise concealed from view, and when the cover is removed, the cage has vanished.
65. The Tiger Cage Trick: Popualarized by Siegfried and Roy, the stage illusionist is in one cage, and a tiger is in another. A curtain is draped over each cage, end upon lifting the drape, the illusionist and tiger have switched places.
Mentalism Tricks
Mentalism tricks are a form of magic where the magician appears to have psychic abilities, often resulting in mysterious and intriguing performances. These next five tricks are some of the best mentalism magic tricks ever performed:
66. The Spoon Bending Trick: Popularized by Uri Geller, the performer bends a spoon with the power of his mind.
67. The Blindfolded Drive Trick: The mentalist drives a car around town while blindfolded.
68. The Book Test: A spectator chooses a word from a book, and the mentalist is able to guess the word.
69. The Number Prediction Trick: A spectator chooses a number, and the magician is able to predict the number.
70. The Drawing Duplication Trick: A spectator draws a picture, and without seeing it, the magician is able to duplicate the drawing.
Technology Tricks
Technology tricks are a form of magic where technology is incorporated into the trick, often resulting in futuristic and impressive performances. These next five tricks are some of the best technology magic tricks ever performed:
71. The Hologram Trick: A trick where a hologram appears on stage, seemingly defying the laws of physics.
72. The Augmented Reality Trick: A trick in which the magician appears to interact with a virtual object.
73. The Drone Trick: A trick where a drone is used to fly objects around the stage.
74. The Laser Trick: A trick in which lasers are used to create illusions on stage.
75. The Virtual Reality Trick: A trick where the magician appears to enter a virtual reality world.
Competition Tricks
Competition tricks are a form of magic where magicians compete against each other to perform the best trick. These next five tricks are some of the best competition magic tricks ever performed:
76. The World Magic Cup: A competition where magicians from around the world compete to be crowned the best magician.
77. The Magic Olympics: A competition where magicians compete in various categories, including close-up magic and stage magic.
78. The Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year: A competition where magicians compete to be crowned the best close-up magician.
79. The FISM World Championships of Magic: A competition where magicians from around the world compete to be crowned the best magician.
80. The Masters of Magic: A competition where magicians compete to be crowned the best master of magic.
One-Man Show Tricks
One-man show tricks are a form of magic where the magician performs a solo show, often incorporating various forms of magic into the performance. These next five tricks are some of the best one-man show magic tricks ever performed:
81. The Mindfreak: A solo show performed by Criss Angel, incorporating various forms of magic and illusion.
82. The Illusionist: A solo show performed by David Copperfield, incorporating various forms of grand illusions.
83. The Magic of David Blaine: A solo show performed by David Blaine, incorporating various forms of street magic and endurance stunts.
84. The Magic of Penn and Teller: A solo show performed by Penn and Teller, incorporating various forms of comedy magic and illusions.
85. The Magic of Derren Brown: A solo show performed by Derren Brown, incorporating various forms of mentalism and mind reading.
Stagecraft Tricks
Stagecraft tricks are a form of magic where the magician incorporates elaborate stagecraft into their tricks, often resulting in breathtaking and impressive performances. These next five tricks are some of the best stagecraft magic tricks ever performed:
86. The Phantom of the Opera Magic Trick: A trick where the Phantom of the Opera disappears in a puff of smoke.
87. The Flying Carpet Trick: A trick in which a magician appears to fly on a magic carpet.
88. The Levitating Piano Trick: A trick where a piano appears to levitate in mid-air.
89. The Spinning Wheel Trick: A trick in which a spinning wheel appears to spin on its own.
90. The Crystal Ball Trick: A trick where a crystal ball appears to float in mid-air.
Celebrity Tricks
Celebrity tricks are a form of magic where celebrities perform magic tricks, often resulting in entertaining and surprising performances. These next five tricks are some of the best celebrity magic tricks ever performed:
91. The Magic of Neil Patrick Harris: A celebrity actor who is also a skilled magician, known for performing various forms of magic.
92. The Magic of Steve Martin: A comedian and actor who is also a skilled magician, known for performing various forms of comedy magic.
93. The Magic of Ricky Jay: An actor and magician known for his sleight of hand and card tricks.
94. The Magic of Michael Carbonaro: An actor and magician known for performing hidden camera magic tricks on his TV show.
95. The Magic of David Hyde Pierce: An actor who is also a skilled magician, known for performing various forms of magic.
Historical Tricks
Historical tricks are a form of magic where the trick has been performed for centuries, often resulting in a rich history and legacy. These next five tricks are some of the oldest historical magic tricks ever performed:
96. The Cups and Balls Trick: The Cups and Balls has been performed for thousands of years, involving balls appearing and disappearing under cups.
97. The Chinese Sticks Trick: A trick that has been performed for centuries, involving sticks appearing to be connected when they are not.
98. The Linking Rings Trick: The Linking Rings has been performed for millenia, involving metal rings appearing to link together and then unlink.
99. The Sawing A Lady in Half Trick: A trick that has been performed for centuries, involving a person being sawed in half and then magically put back together.
100. The Disappearing Elephant Trick: A trick involving an elephant disappearing before the audience's eyes.
Types of Magic Tricks List
Magic has many forms, and every performer brings his own particular style and worldview to their routine. However, a number of tried and tested illusions down have been passed down from generation to generation of magicians, who use them in both isolations and in various combinations.
The List of Types
Productions - The illusionist makes something appear out of thin air, like pulling a rabbit out of an empty top hat.
Vanishing - The inverse of production. This is when the performer makes something or someone disappears. The ball that appears to vanish in mid-air is a common example, but magicians have “disappeared” objects as large as national monuments.
Transformation - The magician alters an object’s form or properties, such as changing a flower’s color or transforming a dollar bill into a dove.
Restoration - After appearing to destroy an object, the miracle worker restores it. Common examples include cutting an assistant in half or tearing a piece of paper and then making them whole again.
Transportation - In this combination of vanishing and production, the performer makes an object appear to move from one place to another.
Transposition - In what is also known as double transportation, the showman makes multiple objects change places.
Escape - The wonder worker breaks free from restraints such as handcuffs or a straight jacket. This may be combined with a death trap, like the water tanks that straight-jacketed Harry Houdini was famous for escaping from.
Levitation - Defying gravity, the magician makes something or someone appear to levitate. Aside from mentalism, levitations top the list of magic tricks.
Penetration - The magician makes a solid object appear to pass through another. The classic trick of linking and unlinking steel rings is one example.
Prediction - Despite apparent ignorance, the magician predicts an outcome or an audience member’s choice, such as the card chosen from (and secretly kept at) the deck. When it comes to audience impact, mentalism tricks like this top the list of magic tricks.
Magic Trick Names
A List of Magic Tricks
Linking Rings
Rising Card
Statue of Liberty Disappearance
Zombie Ball
Torn & Restored Card
Bill in Lemon
Bullet Catch
Levitating a Foam Cup
Levitating Yourself
Bottling Up Your Change
Making 25 Cents From A Dollar
Climbing A Ring
Becoming A Mind Reader
Engaging In Black Magic
Bending a Straw
Making A Coin Disappear
Matching Up Your Magic
Dove Pan
Devil's Torture Chamber
Dismemberment
Drill of Death
Guillotine
Impalement
Indian Rope Trick
Inexhaustible bottle
Several varieties of Levitation
Ambitious Card
Blackstone's Card Trick Without Cards
Card Warp
Chink-a-chink
The Circus Card Trick
Cups and Balls
Detachable Thumb
Floating Match on Card
Healed and Sealed
Hot Foil Trick
Hummer Card
Retention of Vision Vanish (Pinch Vanish)
Scotch and Soda
Snapper (puzzle)
The Best Coin Fold
The Four Burglars
Three Card Monte
Magic tricks have been captivating audiences for centuries, and these 100 tricks are some of the greatest ever performed. From card tricks to grand illusions, there is a magic trick for everyone to enjoy. One of the great things about magicians is that the list of tricks and illusions is ever-expanding and always evolving. New tricks are bursting onto the scene all the time and they make a great addition to all magic.
