The universe of Magic: the Gathering can be a pretty dark place. With there currently being dozens of possible planes, it only makes sense that some of them have birthed or hosted some intimidating characters.
Planeswalkers are arguably the most notable characters in all of MTG. In keeping with this Halloween season, we’ll be introducing you to several of the creepiest planeswalkers we could find in the whole Multiverse.
Let’s peer into the abyss, shall we?
What is a Planeswalker?
Before we dive into the list, let’s stop so we can catch any beginners up to speed. If you’re new to the game, you might be asking yourself, “what is a planeswalker?”
That’s an excellent question! In Magic: the Gathering, there are a few ways to answer that question, too.
One basic answer is that a planeswalker is a type of a card. Like any other card, they’ll have a name, mana cost, card type printed below the art, and abilities. What sets them apart is the fact that, rather than having a power/toughness, they have loyalty counters in the lower right-hand corner.
You can pay for their abilities using loyalty counters or increase the number of their loyalty counters by using other abilities with a plus symbol in front of them. In general, they’re fairly powerful.
The second answer to the aforementioned question is that planeswalkers are strong characters in the lore with a unique quality: the planeswalker’s spark. This spark allows them to travel between the numerous planes in the Multiverse. This is the definition we’re going by in this post.
What’s the last answer? Well, if you play Magic: the Gathering, technically you are considered a planeswalker in-game. Try not to let this newfound power get to your head.
In this article, we will not be discussing particular cards. Instead, we will be discussing planeswalkers from a flavorful and lore-based perspective.
Creepiest Planeswalkers in MTG
Liliana Vess
What would any list of horrifying planeswalkers be without Liliana Vess? Of course, many people admire her for her obvious beauty, but this necromancer is much more than meets the eye.
That’s right – we said necromancer. Throughout her early life, she did whatever necessary to secure power for herself. This included making a pact with demons to ensure she remained young and beautiful.
After Gideon, another planeswalker, sacrificed himself to save her, she more or less turned away from her dark ways. But we think that doesn’t change the fact that she’s still pretty eerie.
Here’s why she’s scary: Up until recently in the story, Liliana was willing to do whatever it took to gain as much power as possible. Don’t let her looks deceive you – it wasn’t too long ago that she’d wrap you around her finger and eat you alive. (Not literally, of course, although we wouldn’t be surprised.)
Although she was taught by powerful vampires and liches, she personally refused to join the undead and gained her long-lasting youth through a pact with demons – and a promise to serve Nicol Bolas, one of the most powerful villains in the Multiverse.
Sorin Markov
Sorin is the epitome of the handsome vampire stereotype. Fortunately, unlike the handsome vampires we’re used to, he isn’t bound to a boring tragic backstory that he’ll spend time filling you in on as he makes puppy dog eyes at you.
No, Sorin has no problems putting his enjoyment first. He’s learned to like living as an immortal creature of the night, and it suits him well. He’s one of the oldest planeswalkers in existence, and his seniority makes him quite powerful.
In his eyes, you’d be nothing more than a fleeting speck – gone in an instant, compared to the span of his life.
Here’s why he’s scary: It’s not enough that he’s a vampire. The reason we picked him for this list is that he has some horrifying powers, like being able to curse you or control your mind. If ever there was a freaky monster you should never go drinking with, Sorin is definitely it. Not to mention, he’d probably rather drink your blood than, you know, an ale or something.
Ob Nixilis
Some demons are so comically evil that they couldn’t exactly be described as scary. That’s largely due to the fact that they’re simply not relatable – how can you connect the concept of a demon to your own life?
Well, with Ob Nixilus, you kind of can. This ugly brute wasn’t always a demon. He was once a normal man, albeit a greedy one who came to believe that all that matters in life is getting what you want. He was eventually cursed, which led to his grisly transformation.
Here’s why he’s scary: Like you’d come to expect from a literal demon, he has some beefy dark powers. He even somehow managed to control Eldrazi drones at one point, which is completely inexplicable. Something tells me he’d probably never want to go back to being human even if he had the opportunity.
Tezzeret
Cyborg may not necessarily be the perfect descriptor for Tezzeret, but we couldn’t help but be reminded of such when we looked at him. Beneath his coat, you’d find a partially metallic body with one arm that ends in metal claws.
By the way, he can literally fire those claws off his hand like grisly little missiles. Some may say pointing fingers is rude, but Tezzeret takes that idea to a whole new level, we think.
Here’s why he’s scary: It’s mostly just the metal body thing. Can you imagine being a seamless combination of automaton and man? On top of that, can you imagine having parts of your body that are actual functioning missiles you can fire at anyone?
If he were some heroic person, this might not be so bothersome. But with a tempestuous temperament, Tezzeret is likely to try and impale you at some point.
Kaya
Kaya is the ultimate roguish bad ass. Not only can she duel you to oblivion, but she ascended the ranks to become a Guildmaster.
Out of all the planeswalkers on this list so far, she is probably the one that it’s arguably safest to go out for drinks with. She isn’t going to repel others or attempt to dominate your mind. So what makes her worthy of this list?
Here’s why she’s scary: She can actually kill spirits. How is that not horrifying?
As if that weren’t enough, she can make herself incorporeal and basically phase through objects. You can’t pull a Shining maneuver and hide behind a door, in other words. She won’t need an axe to get through to you.
Wrenn
To be honest, we couldn’t find a lot of information on Wrenn. What little we do know is that she’s a dryad who can basically meld her body with treefolk. She names each treefolk she melds with, which might seem like a nice gesture…if she didn’t only name them numbers, like a cold and uncaring scientist applying labels to experiments.
Here’s why she’s scary: Just look at her. She is a walking tree with a human-like body grafted into it. Maybe it’s just us, but we think that’s kind of nightmare fuel.
Can you imagine if you were out in the woods as evening fell, only to look up and find one of the trees looking back at you with fiery orange eyes?
Vraska
Vraska’s another horror essential. You can almost get the chills merely by looking at her. If you’re wondering just what the heck she is, allow us to give you a brief explanation: she’s a gorgon.
In terms of design, she’s very clearly inspired by the snake-haired gorgon of Greek legend. Just like her Greek brethren, she’s also capable of turning people to stone.
Here’s why she’s scary: She’s a gorgon. We really don’t know if we need much more reason than that.
Aminatou
Creepy kids abound in horror movies and stories, which is why the eight-year-old Aminatou deserves a spot on this list. Just look at her deadpan expression that conveys her ability to wreck face if she needs to.
And yes, she is only eight years old. A planeswalker must have something called the spark, a quality that allows them to travel through the planes. Aminatou’s spark ignited at her tender age quite simply because she wanted it to.
Here’s why she’s scary: First of all, she’s a child. If a child standing in a swamp, surrounded by moths and staring at you dispassionately, doesn’t at least mildly alarm you, you have an insane level of confidence.
Second, she’s called the Fateshifter. She can toy with and sculpt fate like a massive, divine artist. Those moths flittering around her are manifestations of her magic, and if one touches you, it can subtly alter your very destiny.
Ashiok
We almost made the mistake of forgetting Ashiok. Almost. But then we were plagued by nightmares of it and knew we had to add it to the list.
Just kidding about that second part. We did seriously almost forget to add it, however, which would be a grave mistake. No one really knows where Ashiok comes from or what it even is. How could we not add such a mysterious being?
Here’s why it’s scary: Take a close look at its face first. You’ll notice, even from the above picture, that Ashiok doesn’t have a nose or eyes. That in and of itself is enough to make most people soil themselves.
Oh, and as if that weren’t enough, consider the fact that Ashiok can control your nightmares. It can find out what your deepest, darkest fears are and make them real. This might be the one time where being afraid of something silly like a ridiculous-looking mascot or a mouse wouldn’t be embarrassing.
Wrap Up
We’ve really been enjoying this journey into the frightening side of our favorite card, video, and board games. We hope you have, too!
Which planeswalker scares you the most? Do you think you’d like to meet any of the ones on our list? If so, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below.
If you want to continue exploring the darker side of Magic, don’t forget to read our list of the best MTG sets for black.