Dungeons & Dragons classes don't get more versatile than the wizard. With the help of arcane knowledge and studies, you learn countless tricks and spells designed to allow you to master the mystic arts like it's nobody's business. While you might lack the complex other sides of other magic users, wizards are raw forces of magical power. This leaves the door open.
How you craft your wizard will determine the sorts of spells you use and how you can control the course of any event around you. Do you plan on creating an all-powerful, Gandalf-esque wizard? Or do you want to subvert expectations and play a nuanced, complex character? Or do you want to center your spells around a central character theme or playstyle? These are a few wizards from mainstream pop culture you can model your wizard after.
Rupert Giles (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Wizards are essentially nerds who know a lot and do too much reading. That fits Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to a T. This Watcher is tasked with guarding and aiding the Slayer, Buffy, across her adventures hunting vampires. As such, he's tasked with protecting and supporting the people he calls family, which is what your wizard will need to do.
If you're designing a wizard-based on Giles, you'll need lots of supportive spells. Spells like Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Alarm -- these are integral spells. On top of that, you're going to want a lot of supportive spells as well that can aid the other characters around you. The School of Divination is probably best suited here. Essentially, Giles is a bookish librarian -- there to support but not get into the action if necessary.
Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist is a certified alchemist, which means he is a master of transmutation: turning things around him into something else. As a well-read student of alchemy, he's incredibly smart, but he's also hot-headed and immature, often reaching beyond his limits. Your wizard, should you design him off of Edward, needs to be scarred from spells gone wrong, searching for something to make amends for his past mistakes.
Obviously, any wizard based on this alchemist follows the School of Transmutation, which, while not the best wizard school, grants you the Transmutation Stone. You can use tons of transformative spells, including turning your friends into Chimeras, if you so choose. Spells like Shatter might be useful. You want to avoid spells that create matter but rather focus on altering what's around you. Also, you'll want a higher constitution and dexterity for this brawling wizard.
John Constantine (DC Comics)
John Constantine is a clever man tasked with forbidden knowledge. He often manages to get by with lots of cleverness and wit, while rarely translates to power so much as a means to save his own skin and turn people against one another. This means any wizard trying to play Constantine needs a lot of two things: protection spells and charming ability.
First off, high charisma -- you'll need it for persuasion and deception checks. Choose the School of Illusion or the School of Abjuration, the former if you want to manipulate and the latter if you want defense. Early spells like Suggestion and See Invisible can help, but so can Ward from Good and Evil or Protection from Energy. Remove Curse and other counter-magic spells are essential since Constantine is going to charm and evade his way around most problems anyway.
Harry Dresden (Dresden Files)
Harry Dresden is one of the mightiest modern-day wizards around, and he uses his powers to solve crimes. Personality-wise, he's your typical D&D character, where he does the right thing but is often disgruntled and self-serving. Harry knows a ton but primarily loves using fire and kinetic manipulation, often relying on artifacts to augment his powers.
So when playing a Dresden-inspired wizard, the spell list is simple. Collect a lot of everything, but focus on raw-damage spells that can scorch your enemies and throw them around like toys. Pick the School of Evocation or War Magic school here to maximize your effectiveness as a combative wizard. You also want to keep Harry well-suited for investigation. Remember: Dresden is capable of dealing heavy damage, but he's also an investigator.
Sparrowhawk (Earthsea)
Sparrowhawk is a wise wizard who, much like Edward Elric, started as someone who overreached his bounds. He knows a great deal about the world and its secrets but also knows it's best not to alter the balance of existence, or else you might undo the world and its natural order.
Order of the Scribes works best for Sparrowhawk. He's not really a fighter so much as he is a sage-figure, but his knowledge and mastery of magic is fearsome if provoked. Prepare a lot of illusionary spells, but you also want to back up those with remedies for dangerous curses. Include a few key combative spells that pack a ton of punch.
Sakura Kinomoto (Cardcaptor Sakura)
Sakura is an innocent girl blessed with the might of the Clow Cards. She gradually collects the various spells, increasing her power. Sure, this twelve-year-old starts as just a simple little figure, but, over time, reality itself bends to her will. Thankfully, she's an innocent girl.
School of Evocation is a good start. You'll then want to start collecting Sakura's various Clow Cards through her magical collection. She starts with simple elemental and flying spells before going into wild, reality-warping stuff. The Maze Spell might be difficult, but you can always transport your targets into other realms or teleport them for these effects.
Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
Freddy Krueger is not someone you'd associate with wizards, typically. But what else is he? This lich is a grotesque monster who returned from the dead to slaughter children in their dreams. And yes, you can absolutely play him.
You have two choices for Krueger: School of Illusion or School of Necromancy, depending on if you want to truly "absorb" the souls of those you slay. Focus on illusion and necrotic damage spells from there. You will want to make Fear a staple for you, all while enacting spells that show them exactly why they should be terrified of you. Spells like Vampiric Touch and Bestow Curse can result in devastating situations. However, your true ace spell? Sleep.
