The Hypnotists

Dr. Elias Mako is the primary antagonist of the novel. The narrative describes him as tall, charming, and imposing. He runs the illustrious Sentia Institute, studying hypnosis. He is a prominent member of New York society with many famous and influential friends. Jax eventually learns that Mako uses hypnosis to cultivate these friends. It appears everybody in the community thinks he is a great educational luminary who has contributed to the New York educational system. However, Jax discovers that everyone keeps repeating the same line about Dr. Mako’s credentials. He realizes Mako planted a post-hypnotic suggestion to nearly everyone to bolster his reputation.

Mako's use of class is a key aspect of his character, as he employs his elite status to legitimize his actions and intimidate others. His refined demeanor, luxurious lifestyle, and academic credentials all serve to create an aura of respectability, making it difficult for others to question his motives. By presenting himself as a pillar of society, Mako masks his true nature, hiding his scheming tactics behind a façade of sophistication. This contrast between appearance and reality establishes Mako as a formidable and dangerous villain.

Through his charisma and authority, Mako manipulates others, often disguising his true intentions behind a veneer of benevolence. He exploits Jax's vulnerability and naivety, using a combination of hypnosis, gaslighting, and emotional manipulation to control him. Mako's indirect coercion is equally insidious, as he leverages his social status, wealth, and professional reputation to influence those around him. Jax eventually uncovers his true ambition, to use hypnosis to install Senator Douglas as a leader, hypnotically convincing millions of New Yorkers to vote for him. Despite forbidding his students from using hypnosis for frivolous or selfish reasons, Dr. Mako uses it to serve his ambition. He sees civilian harm as acceptable collateral damage in his experimentation. Ultimately, he resorts to violent threats to force Jax to help him with his plans to steal the election. When Jax pushes back, Dr. Mako shows how cruel and vengeful he can be as he tries to kill Jax’s parents just to punish him.

Mako's character serves as a commentary on the dangers of unchecked power and the ways people can use class to perpetuate abuse. Through Mako’s actions, Korman highlights the ways those in positions of authority can exploit and manipulate others, often with impunity. Mako's eventual downfall highlights the power of resistance and the importance of holding those in power accountable for their actions.

Axel Braintree is a foil to Dr. Mako. Sporting a long, gray ponytail and comparatively disheveled appearance, Braintree is a skilled hypnotist who leads an organization called the Sandman’s Guild. Unlike Sentia, which bills itself as an elite research institution, the Sandman’s Guild is a support group for hypnotists who are trying to resist using their powers for frivolous or selfish aims. Operating outside the boundaries of traditional institutional authority, Braintree adheres to a personal code of ethics. A desire to protect and empower others, rather than to control or manipulate, motivates his actions.

Braintree serves as a mentor, ally, and friend to Jax. He offers him an alternative to Sentia without any kind of coercion or pressure. Ultimately, it is the substance of what Braintree believes and the reliable and principled support he offers that convinces Jax to work with him. Braintree's character also serves as a commentary on the nature of power and its ability to corrupt. Braintree sees hypnosis as a danger rather than an opportunity.

As a member of a secretive organization, Braintree operates outside traditional institutional structures, yet a strong sense of responsibility and ethics drives him. His actions challenge the notion that manipulation and control must undergird, instead offering an alternative focused on empowerment and protection. Through Braintree, Korman highlights the importance of personal agency and the potential for individuals to create positive change, even in the face of adversity against dangerous actors such as Dr. Mako and the Sentia Institute.

Tommy is Jax's loyal and trusted best friend. He provides a source of comfort, support, and normalcy in Jax's chaotic life. Their friendship is built on a foundation of mutual trust and acceptance, allowing Jax to be himself without fear of judgment. When Jax tells Tommy about his powers, he believes him and continues to support him, treating him like the same person. Because Tommy is color blind, Jax’s hypnotic powers do not work on him.

Jax always tries to find ways to help Tommy and increase his confidence, such as assisting him in talking to a girl he likes. Tommy is brave and supportive, willing to sneak out in the middle of the night to help Jax face his bullies or infiltrate Douglas’s campaign event to fight off Mako. Jax ultimately figures out how to overpower Tommy’s color blindness to plant a post-hypnotic suggestion in Tommy’s mind, making him forget about their friendship. Tommy's eventual erasure from Jax's life also underscores the sacrifices Jax must make to protect those he loves. Tommy's character underscores the costs of Jax's powers and the difficult choices he must face.

Ashton Opus is Jax’s father. He works at a Bentley dealership and drives an expensive car that belies his actual lack of clout. Ashton reveals that Jax’s mutable eye train runs in his family and has led to certain family members getting into strange trouble. He worries that the hypnosis has infiltrated all his close relationships. He worries that he doesn’t fundamentally know himself because his parents may have hypnotized him into doing things like eating his vegetables. When Jax becomes a hypnotist, Ashton has trouble looking at his son or trusting him, fearing that Jax will use his powers in ways that diminish Ashton’s autonomy and sense of self. As Jax's abilities grow stronger and more unpredictable, the trust between them erodes, creating a deeper emotional distance. Despite this, as Jax navigates the complex world of hypnosis, Ashton comes to realize the true extent of his son's powers and the danger they pose.

Jax’s mother, Monica is a chiropractor in New York and a logical, scientifically-minded person. She is surprised to learn that her own family comes from a bloodline of notable hypnotists who are even wealthier and more influential than the Opus family.