Summoners

Summoners are figures—either individuals or beings—capable of summoning other beings, energies, or effects into the world. The term is used across myth, fantasy fiction, and contemporary gaming to describe characters who call forth entities from other realms, bind them to service, or conjure manifestations through ritual, pact, or magical knowledge. The precise mechanics vary by setting, but common themes include control, risk to the summoner, and limits on the strength or number of the summoned beings.

In folklore and myth, summoners appear as shamans, wizards, or conjurers who communicate with spirits, call elemental forces, or command undead. They may perform tasks such as divination, healing, or protection, often under ritual constraints or ethical codes. In some traditions, summoning involves negotiations with entities through sigils, wards, or oaths, reflecting a rapport between worlds rather than a simple act of force.

In modern media and games, summoners feature prominently as archetypes and roles. In League of Legends, the term Summoner denotes the player and their control over a champion on the battlefield, with summoner spells such as Flash and Ignite enhancing mobility and combat options. In other role-playing games, summoners are classes or characters that call forth eidolons, spirits, or guardians to aid in combat or exploration, sometimes at personal energy cost or with strategic trade-offs.

See also: conjuration, shamanism, mysticism, demonology, fantasy role-playing games.