I loved these in X-2, probably my favourite class. I'd rock them with Rikku and Paine and have Yuna Mega-Potioning as an Alchemist for back up. Utterly shredded the world.

From a moral standpoint I've enjoyed them. How can you be a hero and yet harness the power of evil too? The anti-hero, almost, if you will. Still, I just got to Mysidia in my new IV playthrough and was slightly confused at how the Black Mages were looking down on me - I mean, you guys harness the power of evil too, no? But then I guess Black Mages have been mainly elemental mages as opposed to black mages, truth be told.