Hex is a self-proclaimed "Master Magician" who desires to rule the world with his vast magic powers and currently lives in a large tower-like building.
Hex has a niece named Charmcaster who is mostly with or around him because her father Spellbinder was murdered by Adwaita. He once possessed five magical, mystical charms called the Charms of Bezel, created by the master magician Bezel, that give him the immense powers and abilities of levitation, fire, reincarnation, lightning, and luck, in addition to his own spell-casting abilities.
Hex is more of an enemy to Gwen than he is an enemy to Ben, as he attacks her in all his appearances except in Don't Drink the Water, and shows more hate and rancor towards her. As seen in Tough Luck, he clearly states he wants to get revenge on Gwen, not Ben.
After getting through depression, Hex changed his ways and became a professor at the Friedkin University, becoming his former archenemy's favorite teacher.
Personality
Hex is generally power-hungry and will go to whatever lengths to increase his powers and mastery over magic. He is often seen as ruthless and arrogant. Clearly unprepared to be a parental figure, Hex acts very harsh and abusive toward Charmcaster during her teen years, always demanding she respect him and answer his demands with "yes, uncle."
However, there is a softer side to his personality, as he has admitted that despite his past treatment of her he truly loves his niece dearly, and he has shown great respect toward his brother Spellbinder as well. This is due to his brother sacrificing himself so that Hex and Charmcaster could escape Ledgerdomain and Adwaita.
Sometime after believing he lost his niece, Hex abandoned his desire for power and dominance, instead finding a new joy in teaching others of the mystic world. As a professor, he has shown a more joyful side while becoming very popular, especially for the female students (particularly Gwen, ironically enough) and faculty (particularly Helena Xagliv, much to his dismay). He is also more open in his care for his niece, expressing a desire to have her be a family with him again.
History
Ben 10
In Lucky Girl, Hex attempts to steal an ancient spell book known as the "Archamada Book of Spells", dating back to the 16th century and containing powerful spells that, combined with the Charms, gives the user unimaginable powers. However, the Charm of Luck falls into Gwen's possession during Hex's fight with XLR8, and she soon learns to utilize its power. Despite Hex's attempts to reclaim the Charm of Luck and the Spellbook, he is eventually defeated by the Tennysons in a graveyard and arrested, while Gwen destroys the Charms.
Hex returns in Tough Luck; his niece Charmcaster breaks him out of prison. Together, they search for the Keystone of Bezel, which he plans to use to recreate the other five Charms and multiply his power tenfold. Again, Gwen gets the Keystone and is soon attacked by the pair. Hex fails again due to both the Tennysons interference and Charmcaster betraying him so she can take the Charms for herself (though she fails as well).
Toddler Hex
Hex then reappears in Don't Drink the Water, having aged into an old man since his last appearance. Learning of the Fountain of Youth, he tracks it down and uses it to become immortal. However Ben, reduced to a toddler by the effects of the Fountain, uses young Heatblast to try and evaporate the Fountain when, due to being taunted by Gwen, he has a very bad tantrum and goes supernova hot, allowing him to evaporate the water, which overexposes Hex to it and reduces him to an infant. Hex is last seen in Charmcaster's hands, where his niece enjoys taunting him in his infant state.
Alien Force
Hex has seemingly made up with his niece, and now lives in a tall, Japanese-style mansion where he keeps all his books of magic, including the Archamada. He has returned to his original age, and his look is mostly the same than before, though his clothes are now fully red instead of black and red, and his face is whiter than before, making it look more like a skull.
In Time Heals, Gwen infiltrates his home to steal the Grimoire of Archamada, and, despite Paradox's warning, uses it to time travel to the past and stop Ben and Kevin from hacking the Omnitrix and preventing Kevin's mutation. Though she succeeds, her action causes Hex to be able to take over the world. Thanks to his magic, Hex knows that Gwen is responsible for the creation of this future, and tries to prevent her from turning the future back to normal. However, after a short fight against Charmcaster and a possessed Kevin, Gwen finds the prison and frees Ben who helps her get back the Grimoire of Archamada and gain enough time to go back in the past and prevent herself from changing the future.
Ultimate Alien
Hex helping Gwen
Hex makes his reappearance in the episode Enemy of My Frenemy, where he captures Gwen in a force bubble during her attempt at stealing another book and has her at his mercy. Gwen explains that she wanted to help Charmcaster who is in Ledgerdomain, and, concerned about Charmcaster, he lets her out. Gwen wanted him to work with her to help Charmcaster because the last time she saw her was that she was fighting against Adwaita. Hex says that while he loves his niece, he is not about to go on a "suicide mission". Hex lets Gwen take the spell book and whatever she needs if she leaves him in peace.
Hex then makes an appearance in Night of the Living Nightmare as a dream character that attacks Ben due to Albedo and the Cassiopeian Dream Eater's effects on him.
Omniverse
Hex as a Totem
In Charm School, Hex appears again as a Professor at Friedkin University. Hex is revealed to be the magical artifacts and antiquities professor and the favorite teacher of Gwen Tennyson. It seems like the two of them are over their conflictions. He was attacked by Ben Tennyson who hadn't know about his change then. Hex tells him that he can only teach here because he gave every single one of his magical artifacts to the university. After hearing about his niece's return he tells Gwen and the others that her troubled past deeply damaged her.
When he meets Charmcaster, he offers her to stay with him and be a part of his life. However, Charmcaster double-crosses him and almost turns Hex into a totem in her quest to obtain his staff. However, all this happened in his library where he was practically invincible, forcing Charmcaster to retreat. Later, Charmcaster manages to fulfill her plans and sneak attacks him disguised as Xagliv, turning Hex into a totem and using his powers to find his staff. At the end of the episode, he, Charmcaster, and the other totems were sent back to Ledgerdomain by Gwen, who later inherited Hex's library.
In Third Time's a Charm, it is shown that Hex as a totem, when in Charmcaster's magical bag, is free to move and speak as normal except reduced in size. He has a very antagonistic relationship with Adwaita and Darkstar inside the bag, since Adwaita murdered his brother and Darkstar broke his niece's heart. Thanks to Ben and Gwen, Hex is ultimately freed from being a totem and is immediately greeted with a hug by Professor Xagliv, much to his dismay. Charmcaster, now a stone totem herself, is kept in his and Gwen's custody under the hope that she can get better someday.
Hex makes a cameo in The Most Dangerous Game Show, where the first round of Charles Zenith's game show is held in his library. Hex appears in a puff of smoke to anyone who talks in the library, making a shushing noise at them when he does. When he does this to Jennifer Nocturne, she shushes him right back indignantly. Interestingly, Hex shows no concern that Charmcaster is present, which suggests the two have made up with one another again during her imprisonment in her bag.
Powers and Abilities
Hex is a powerful and highly skilled magician that can manipulate the forces of magic for many feats. These can range from levitation, manipulating energy for blasts and shields, telekinesis, clairvoyance, elemental control, bringing inanimate objects to life, teleportation, and summoning stone creatures.
In addition to his magical abilities, Hex is also very agile.
Equipment
Hex usually channels his powers through his staff, which can only be used by a "master magician". Hex briefly possessed the Charms of Bezel before Gwen destroyed them. Hex owns a library of magical books, which greatly enhances his magic to the point where it makes him (and anyone in possession of him while a totem) virtually unstoppable while in the library.
Appearances
Ben 10
- Lucky Girl (first appearance)
- Tough Luck
- Don't Drink the Water
Ben 10: Alien Force
- Time Heals (first re-appearance)
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien
- Enemy of My Frenemy (first re-appearance)
- Night of the Living Nightmare (dream)
Ben 10: Omniverse
- Charm School (first re-appearance)
- Third Time's a Charm
- The Most Dangerous Game Show
Secret Saturdays
- Van Rook's Apprentice (first appearance; cameo)
Video Games
Ben 10: Protector of Earth
Hex (who is revealed to have been possessed by Zs'Skayr) is a mini boss that Ben faces at the end of Effigy Mounds. Zs'Skayr claimed he was using Hex's power to open a portal to his home world and bring his army to Earth.
Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks
Hex didn't appear, but he is mentioned by Charmcaster, stating that Ben has got a lot of nerve facing her after what he did to her uncle.
Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex
Hex is the main antagonist.
FusionFall
Hex appears in FusionFall to destroy Planet Fuse as Ben's ally since they have a truce. His staff is a weapon for the players.
Etymology
Hex's name comes from the word 'Hex' which means a spell.
Trivia
- Hex had a cameo in an episode of the The Secret Saturdays along with Dr. Animo and Enoch, as one of the faces shown in the Saturdays' criminal database.
- According to Dwayne:
- Hex raised Charmcaster.
- Hex and Charmcaster's relationship is a "complicated" one.
- Charmcaster's intentions were to return to Ledgerdomain and save her people; ruling the world was Hex's goal, not Charmcaster's.
- Hex was born and raised in Ledgerdomain.[1]
- Hex did try to defeat Adwaita, for years.[2]
- According to Ben 10 Pop-Up Edition, Hex's tattoo is an homage to the masks that the warriors of Bezel wore.
- When Hex turns into a baby at the end of Don't Drink the Water, he has similar looks to toddler Ben.
- Hex's name is pronounced the same way as the Dutch word "heks", which means "witch".
- In Charm School, he admits that the skull pattern on his face is a tattoo and not face-paint (something he admits is limiting for career options).