In the world of a series like Charmed, a character is either in the magical know or not. Once the veil of magic is lifted from an average human being’s eyes, they can either adapt with the times or completely turn a blind eye to the world around them. It’s the former method of living that actually provides us with a great way to measure intelligence in the series.
If the average human character is never introduced to magic, they can seem less intelligent to the audience simply because they don’t have all of the knowledge they need to operate in a magical world. On the other hand, if a character does discover magic and is able to learn from their experiences with it and find ways to integrate their regular world with the magical one, they’ve got a leg up on the other characters. The reboot of the Charmed series has a lot of characters who are very good at combining those two aspects of the world.
Parker
Parker is a troubling character because he has all of this knowledge of the magical world, but he never really applies it. He grows up with a demon for a father and a brilliant scientist for a mother, and he spends a lot of his life trying to get rid of his connection to magic.
When he does finally embrace his demonic side, it’s only because he’s forced to, and he allows everyone around him to manipulate him into making some pretty poor decisions. Parker doesn’t actually use his knowledge to understand what’s at stake in the demon world.
Galvin
Unlike Parker, Galvin actually adapts to real-world applications of magic much better in the short time that he knows magic is real.
Galvin takes what he knows about the life Macy and her sisters are living, and he combines it with old family stories to bring a new understanding of magic to the Vera sisters. He introduces them to magic that is completely different than their own and even helps them use it.
Niko
Niko is one of the few characters in the reboot who has absolutely no connection to the magical world outside of her relationship with a Vera sister. Niko is also one of the only people who doesn’t know about magic but still manages to hit on a few important points while investigating weird goings-on.
She might not figure out that Jada and Mel are involved in a secret group of witches, but she does come to the conclusion that they’re involved in a cult. She also finds her way to magic and creates logical explanations for seemingly impossible things, repeatedly. Niko is the type of person who could uncover a magical conspiracy with no help from witches.
Harry
Harry has decades of magical experience compared to most of the characters in Charmed. He’s been a White Lighter for, quite literally, longer than he can remember. While that means he’s got a lot of magical knowledge, there are quite a few gaps in it.
Harry knows magic based on what the Elders allowed him to know before their demise. Likewise, he tends to be skeptical of anyone trying to mix their magic with scientific practices, so he doesn’t adapt as well to some of the problems the Charmed Ones run into in the new series.
Maggie
Initially, Maggie doesn’t have an active power, but she does throw herself into spellwork and potion-making. Maggie quickly begins using magic in her daily life, adjusting to being a witch and a university student, despite the difficulties both present.
Maggie also takes an active approach to life when she loses her powers, learning how to defend herself, taking stock of her surroundings, and figuring out how to use Safe Space to the Charmed Ones’ advantage. Maggie might be the youngest of her sisters, but she never fully turns the part of herself off that wants to bring her normal life and her magical life together.
Jordan
Jordan isn’t someone with magical powers, though his family line is certainly affected by a magical curse. He ranks this high because he’s more observant than most. He realizes something is going on with Maggie and her sisters long before he learns about magic.
When he does learn about magic, he takes it in stride, asking questions to make sure he understands what’s going on, and still uses his own practical skills to help out the Charmed Ones. With a little more experience, Jordan might even wind up higher on the list eventually.
Mel
Mel embraces her witch ancestry and the work that comes with it with pride. Though she initially had an active power, losing it made Mel become the go-to potion maker amongst her sisters.
Mel also has a knack for remembering some of the more obscure information she and her sisters come across in regards to magic. She’s thrown herself into researching the mysteries of Safe Space in season two and equally thrown herself into finding real wells to help her fellow witches.
Abigael
Abigael is one crafty witch. With a demon father and a witch for a mother, Abagael knows the magical lore from both sides. She also uses her magical knowledge from both to her advantage because understanding the politics of the demon world works as intricately as her mother’s spellbook.
Abigael also uses her knowledge to manipulate her circumstances, trying to place herself in a position of power or at the very least, keep herself alive. She’s someone who often stays one step ahead of everyone else.
Macy
Macy has always been the most skeptical of magic. Her holding back and relying on science can sometimes lead to her blocking her own (or her sisters’) abilities. As the series progresses, however, Macy learns how much science there is in magic, and how the two halves of her life can be combined.
Like Mel, Macy excels at potion-making. Like Abigael, Macy is interested in how her demon and witch sides can work. She’s the kind of witch who can think outside of the magical box and the kind of scientist who can find magical explanations for the impossible.
Marisol
Marisol might not appear in every episode of the series, but her presence is felt. Marisol’s bloodline gives her daughters their magic, but she also manages to teach them about it even after she’s gone.
She’s not just any witch, but an Elder, who knows the unification of her daughters will one day be important. Even though she can’t be in Macy’s life, she teaches her about tamping down her demon abilities before wiping her memory. She has whole secret rooms built in her house, anticipating the training her girls will one day undergo. Marisol has the gift of prophecy, but she also understands how to use it to the advantage of others, not herself. She raises Mel and Maggie without magic but still manages to prepare them to be witches.