Try This Instead Of Kickers

Is there a formula for creating the best endings in magic effects?

We asked ourselves this question in response to a trend we often see in magic: ending every effect with multiple "kicker endings" — a series of climaxes that suggest the idea of a finale.

It's something we see quite often, and it works well in many contexts. But we risk adopting it lazily, simply because we don't have a better alternative.

So we dug deep to see if we could find a single, underused formula that could improve any ending without piling on endless twists.

And we found it.

One More Kicker

This kicker-ending business is interesting (and something of a personal obsession). For those who learn or buy tricks, it's tempting to choose effects that come with built-in kicker endings. For creators, kicker endings often arise from squeezing every drop out of the method.

If you realize, for example, that you never show the backs of the cards in a routine, why not throw in a color-changing deck at the end? It can be a great idea — but we sometimes fall into the mental trap of thinking that this type of ending automatically improves an effect.

At some point, though, a line needs to be drawn. Otherwise, we end up imagining an Any Card At Any Number (ACAAN) routine where the selected card is at the named number; but it's also the only blue-backed card in a red deck; and it's the only printed card among blank cards; and the selection was predicted in advance; and the number was written in an envelope by the magician a week earlier; and so on.

When does the ending end?

This craving for twists is worth reflecting on. It's like if every movie ended with aliens suddenly descending and obliterating every character in a matter of minutes. It might be fun — but in most stories, it just doesn't make sense.

Often, the urge to cram in kicker endings comes more from the desire to squeeze the method for all it's worth — but that can conflict with the essence of the effect itself.

A well-performed ACAAN is already an extraordinary effect. It doesn't need more twists — they only water it down. The ideal method would allow for any card at any number without touching the deck. A method is better the closer it gets to that ideal.

Sometimes, packing in kicker endings is just a workaround for a performer who hasn't clearly defined the ending in their own mind.

We've previously suggested describing each of your effects using just one image: if you can connect your finale to a single, strong, meaningful image, it's a good sign. If too many layers make the ending chaotic, your audience will sense it too.

But there are strategies that improve any ending quickly — without changing the method. And after digging deep, we found one that very few performers actually use.

After Effects

Two essential ingredients of any ending are: consistency with the rest of the effect, and the spectator's expectations. It's a balancing act: the ending must deliver a satisfying payoff that's consistent with everything that came before — and at the same time, be surprising enough that the spectator wouldn't have expected that outcome right then.

And if we had to identify one underexplored element that can improve any ending, it would be one we find genuinely exciting. It's an approach that's easy to incorporate into routines and holds enormous potential: ending the effect after the performance is over.

Imagine this: the magician writes a word on a small slip of paper, folds it carefully into quarters. The spectator thinks of a word and says it aloud. The magician hands them the billet, but asks them to open it only when they're home — and alone. End of performance.

Back at home, the spectator discovers the billet contains the word they had thought of.

The effect itself is very straightforward (and any method can be used), but adding this time delay makes everything more interesting, more personal, and more memorable.

This principle is powerful for several reasons. Delaying the revelation increases tension, which heightens the final payoff and makes it more fooling.

For the same reason, the effect becomes more memorable: its difference from other tricks — as well as its length and personal nature — all help anchor it in the spectator's mind.

The object left with the spectator (in this case, the billet) also becomes a memento of the performance. These are all elements that boost recall and emotional impact.

And it's worth remembering: the distinctions we magicians see in effects are often invisible to the public. Those distinctions come from method (which only we see), not from effect (which is what the audience experiences).

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