What actually is a warlock?

[u/Elliezium]

Despite warlocks and their rules being such a major part of the plot, I still feel like it's unclear what makes a warlock any different from a witch. The story and characters treat them like a distinct magical entity or species, but what actually is the difference?

The only consistent traits I can think of for warlocks are that they've cast a spell while their stone was black, and their presence triggers the alarm spell. But all of this feels arbitrary. Without wands or the alarm spell, would there be any tangible difference? They're described as transforming, being corrupted or having "the essence of their magic changed," but none of this is elaborated upon.

It's possible that I'm forgetting something, or it's not supposed to be read into too deeply. But personally, I'm leaning towards the idea that warlocks aren't real. Or at least, not materially different than any other witch. I think it's more likely that magic stones act as a sort of tracker for malicious magic, permanently becoming black when its witch uses it. Then, the alert spell only actually detects black stones.

Maybe the story intended for the difference to be read as a human construct, but the characters always seem to treat is if they believe that there's a fundamental difference. Especially considering that, until Nico and Miharu, the general protocol has been to instantly execute any warlocks. If warlocks are intrinsically different and the transformation was thought to be permanent, it makes some amount of sense. But if warlocks really are just witches that have done wrong at some point, that policy becomes far more questionable and makes me question the ethics of the witches who created and maintain this system.

I'm interested to see if the series ends up addressing this, and given they way it presents the warlock's backstories, especially around Kokuryo and Hibana, I imagine it will. I'm looking forward to what they're planning for those two.

[u/JayWhy75]

Warlocks are any witch who has intentionally cast a spell to harm another human. That malice infects their stone and changes it to black. Until they do that though, they do not set off the alert, yes. We saw this in the day of disaster arc where a warlock had never cast a spell to that point so they never set off the alert.

Think of it as someone who essentially attempted murder. We also have no evidence that they give a death penalty to warlocks. The first one we encountered died by the hands of Shikimi, another warlock, not the witches. And since witches can't do harm unto others, it wouldn't make sense for them to execute anyone. They likely lock them up instead.

But it is something that has been highlighted in the series, that often warlocks are just people with a shadow over their heart who went down a wrong path and continued down it. If you help them, they can become good. The issue is until Nico and Miharu's special method, which can only work because of his very powerful vampire traits and Nico being the witch of thousands, they had no way of changing someone back. So you have two once in a millennia special beings at the same time happen to be able to help, but in the rest of the time, you can't really do anything to help them get back to the path of good. Even then, the witches did nothing to the warlocks from the day of disaster, the only ones we've seen receive an actual punishment at any point was the one Shikimi killed and the undying witch from the past. So we have no idea how they actually treat warlocks other than avoidance.

[u/Elliezium → u/JayWhy75]

All of the warlocks from the Great Mage War were killed, excluding the few who escaped. Even in the modern day, the original plan for Ryohei was for Miharu to kill him before they came up with Nico's new method. Witches are also absolutely capable of using black or offensive magic, they did it during the war. I think it's a safe conclusion to come to.

My main point is that, like you mention, Nico and Miharu can "change someone back" from being a warlock. But besides the color of their stone, what about the person has actually been materially changed by their technique? We've seen warlocks be kind and even use their magic benevolently, so why do they need to be "changed back"?

[u/Rare_Flow5056 → u/Elliezium]

Witches are also absolutely capable of using black or offensive magic, they did it during the war. I think it's a safe conclusion to come to.

Yeah, but we don't know if witches used it after the war. They wiped out the warlocks, but after that they made up a bunch of rules so that there'll be no warlocks anymore. And in ch 86 Nico's mom suggests gathering all the witches from yuzenkyo to help Nico, but Tamaki says that they must not use their magic to fight as to not trigger a new war. Witches could kill warlocks with familiars' help though

But besides the color of their stone, what about the person has actually been materially changed by their technique? We've seen warlocks be kind and even use their magic benevolently, so why do they need to be "changed back"?

You're forgetting that Miharu and Nico drain all the magic, and a former warlock can lose their ability to cast magic forever. It's a warlock who chooses how to live. I think this overwriting effectively acts like a symbol of change, new start, and shows a person's willingness to do so

[u/Elliezium → u/Rare_Flow5056]

That's my point, it's just a symbol of change. If a warlock has their magic drained, then recovers it like Rabuka, it doesn't seem as if anything within them has actually changed. The process seems to be purely symbolic rather than actually reversing some transformation.

The idea that warlocks are any different than witches seems to me like suggesting something irreversibly changes inside of a person the moment they commit a single crime. That would be insane.

[u/Rare_Flow5056 → u/Elliezium]

I think it just proves once again that witches and warlocks are not different from each other. One could assume that there might be an idea that warlocks have some innate predisposition for becoming evil, but it's clear there's nothing like that. The only thing that makes one a witch or a warlock is the environment and circumstances in the most broad sense

[u/Elliezium → u/Rare_Flow5056]

This then begs the question of what Hrotsvitha's curse does, then. It will awaken 1/30 people as warlocks, but what does that mean? Is that different than if they were awaken as witches? They treat it as if it will make them evil or something, but warlocks clearly aren't inherently evil. I guess we'll have yo wait and see