Top 10 Craziest Magic Tricks Ever Performed

Abra-Cawowza! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Craziest Magic Tricks.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the craziest illusions and magic tricks that have amazed and confused audiences throughout history. However, there’s a limit of one trick per magician, and trick secrets won’t be revealed. How do they phase that cap through that bottle though?

One of the first magic tricks the world has ever seen, a cups-and-balls routine involves cups and disappearing balls. Paul Daniels, however, put his own twist on this classic trick. With an act that could even put stand-up comedians to shame, the Godfather of Modern Magic keeps his audience engaged with his unique brand of British banter, while the ball appears and disappears impossibly quickly in his version of Chop Cup. The trick usually ends up with the ball turning into a lemon, and we still can’t figure out how. The former “Magician of the Year” sadly passed away in 2016, but his chop cup performance is still one of the best because of Daniels’ showmanship.

Sure, sword swallowing was popular back in the day, but to keep up with technological advances, Thomas Blackthorne decided to go more modern. Probably infinitely more dangerous than putting a sword in your mouth, Blackthorne takes it to the next level by slowly lowering a working jackhammer down his throat on live TV. He might look a little like the Undertaker, but this insane feat thankfully hasn’t done him in... yet. Well, what do you expect from the world record holder for lifting the heaviest object with his tongue? We still don’t know if the jackhammer trick is even real or not but for Blackthorne’s sake you have to hope not!

Gross! This trick definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. Criss Angel, the same magician who rips people’s bodies in half and raises people from the dead, doesn’t disappoint with this stunning act of self-mutilation. After swallowing a coin, Criss makes it flow down his arm until he uses a knife to cut his skin and take it out, blood and all, to show it to his disturbed audience. Maybe this trick works so well because it’s so hard to watch without looking away. We know Criss walked on water like a modern messiah, but the coin trick is more imaginative, and the shock factor alone is enough to give it a spot on this list.

Let’s face it: when people think of the typical magician, they picture Lance Burton (or at least someone who looks like him). And this entry is just what you imagine when you hear the word magic. No delays, no banter, just intense music and continuous sleight of hand. Burton performs a series of tricks involving live doves, playing cards... and fire. But don’t worry. No animals were injured in the making of this illusion. You will most likely be baffled throughout most of the fast-paced tricks, but you’ll be kept wondering: Where the hell does he keep those birds? If you want to see a classic act that brings you back to the golden days of magic, then Lance Burton’s dove performance is for you.

Ah yes, David Blaine; an illusionist so believable, people have accused him of calling on the forces of the Underworld to perform magic. You know, setting loose live frogs from within his body seems to be the wrong way to deal with those accusations. Drake, Dave Chappelle, and NBA player Stephen Curry get hysterical, but mostly disturbed when Blaine leans back and hocks up a living, moving frog into their champagne glasses. And he does this THREE times! The frogs even try to escape! Hmm... maybe Blaine does have some deal with the Dark Lord.

Soo... how did Jon get his Arm Strong? By playing with his tiny plunger, of course. Penn & Teller loved every second of this performance, which first sees Armstrong lifting numerous cards at the same time with a plunger. It gets crazier when the magician lifts up the exact number of cards called for, and even cuts the cards with the plunger on a precise card that’s unknown to the magician, but which someone previously chose. Armstrong brings his unique brand of comedy to the act, keeping us entertained... and possibly distracted... throughout. But maybe it’s not him who should get the credit, as he tells us that it’s the plunger doing all the work.

One of the most famous magicians of all time brings us this unfortunately named trick. Invented in 1911 in England, and having nothing to do with China, this act was one that Houdini routinely performed throughout the remainder of his career. Restrained by the legs, suspended from above, and then slowly dunked into a chamber of water seems torturous enough, but Houdini, known for his escape routines, would always come out unscathed. Houdini made it a mission to call out frauds at the time, so maybe this escape isn’t an illusion at all and he was actually in danger whenever he performed this trick. But that’s just what we expect from one of the greatest escapologists and stuntmen to have ever lived.

If you ever hear this magician say “Let me just clear my throat”, you should run... far away. Well, unless you want to see a man’s head suddenly drop down to his stomach area, where he catches it and then painfully places it back on his shoulders. It’s even scarier when he decides to walk towards you with it in his hands, like on this Japanese show. We have no idea how he does this. His clothes stay at their regular height, but his neck is just gone. It’s certainly one way to make an impression.

Since he’s one of the most successful magicians in history, and holder of 11 Guinness World Records, we don’t know why David Copperfield would ever want to make himself invisible. After a lighting effects demonstration, which shows lasers causing sparks on his clothes, he gets his two lovely assistants to covers his midsection as he somehow separates himself in two. Moments later, we see him separate himself in two again, except this time, his body isn’t covered and he’s able to hold onto his legs and “walk” alongside his torso. We’re pretty sure there’s either a top half or bottom half that’s invisible here...uh...right? Copperfield making the entire Statue of Liberty disappear is remarkable, but in accordance with this list, this trick is crazier!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Metamorphosis
The Pendragons

- Pocket Watch
Richard Ross

- Floating Light Bulb
Harry Blackstone Jr.

While the trick itself is old, Penn and Teller have been performing it since the ‘90s, introducing their own brand of humor to the act. Audience members sign their initials on bullets that are placed into separate guns. Penn and Teller then shoot at each other, coming up with the other’s bullet in his mouth. Shocking to say the least! And while it’s easy to dismiss it as an illusion, the trick has actually killed or wounded numerous artists over the decades. The elevated risk of danger, and the sheer badassery of catching a bullet in your mouth is enough to give this trick our top spot.