In the summer of 1993, Wizards of the Coast launched Magic: the Gathering, the first-ever trading card game. In this fantasy game, players are planeswalkers, powerful wizards who can roam the worlds and learn new spells and summon monsters to fight for them. In the 27 years since, we have seen many cool worlds from Innistrad to Tarkir to Ravnica, and met many planeswalkers along the way.
Many of these planeswalkers are major players in the story, and classics such as Urza and Nicol Bolas now walk alongside popular newcomers such as Jace, Gideon, Chandra, and Ajani. Better yet, many fans of this expansive game have created some stunning fan art featuring these cool characters, and today, we’re going to check out ten of the finest planeswalker fan art pieces we can find. Let’s see what the fans came up with.
10 Ixalan Explorers
We begin the list with two characters who featured prominently in the Ixalan block. Jace, for his part, arrived on this tropical plane with no memory and a tattered robe. Vraska the gorgon was here on Nicol Bolas’ mission to find the Immortal Sun, and these two ended up as travel partners for a time. What a pair they make.
In this fan art, both Jace and Vraska are the best of friends, and we like the comic book feel of this fan art. We haven’t seen any IDW Magic: the Gathering comics in years, but art like this makes for a great substitute. Just look how Vraska has an arm draped across Jace’s shoulders, too. It’s a cool touch to add.
9 Forest Warrior
Second on our list is Nissa Revane, an elf planeswalker whom we first met in the original Zendikar set way back in 2009. At first, she was elf-centric, and her abilities expected you to have a dedicated Elf deck. Later versions of her became more interested in lands and Elementals, though, and she likes to turn lands into creatures.
Nissa is a founding member of the Gatewatch, and she helped dredge up Zendikar’s remaining power so her allies could vanquish both Ulamog and Kozilek. So, this fan art makes for a great tribute to Nissa’s power, and her undying love of the wild and all its bounty. Remember, only Nissa can prevent Eldrazi in her forest.
8 The Lion King
Like Jace, Ajani Goldmane has the honor of being one of the first-ever planeswalkers to appear on a dedicated planeswalker card in 2007’s Lorwyn set. He was the white card of the cycle, based on lifegain and creating an Avatar token.
In the lore, he was born on Naya, a shard of Alara, and traveled far and wide to fight the forces of evil. He later joined the Gatewatch, too. So, this masterfully crafted fan art pays tribute to the coolest leonin we know, and we love his ax slung over his shoulder and his confident look. And look at that background… is that Nyx, the heavens of Theros? We bet it is.
7 A New Kind Of Elder Dragon
This is a whole new take on MTG’s biggest villain, the dragon planeswalker Nicol Bolas. His power, age, and intellect are seemingly endless, and he has orchestrated all kinds of cruel plans and schemes all over the multiverse for thousands of years. Challenge him if you dare.
But suppose he looked more human? This stunning art brings us a lady Nicol Bolas, who is an elegant fusion of the original character’s draconic features and a humanoid villain reminescent of Sarah Kerrigan, or the Queen of Blades. Imagine a Nicol Bolas planeswalker card with this art. What a collector’s item it would be!
6 Metal Man
Our fifth entry brings us a chilling black and white rendition of a newer villain, the master artificer Tezzeret. Born on Esper, he was an impoverished but clever boy who yearned to learn the true depths of artifice at any cost. This got him into trouble, though, and he fled the plane as a young man when the plane’s authorities closed in on him.
Now, Tezzeret fights for Nicol Bolas, and this art expertly shows us Tezzeret’s cold, calculating side as he gives the viewer a sinister glance. He’s also got his bony, metal right arm grasping his shoulder, a fascinating pose for this character to have. He sure likes to show off that arm.
5 Burning Bright
It isn’t a planeswalker gallery without Chandra Nalaar in the party. She is the red member of the original five Planeswalkers, and ever since, she has been the poster girl for fiery freedom and chaos. But she has a good heart, too, and helped found the Gatewatch.
Chandra usually turns her fires on the bad guys, like the Eldrazi, but she will also fight back against anyone or anything that defies her or tries to stop her. In this charming commission art, Chandra shows us her playful side, and we love her smug expression and the cartoony skull she’s holding up.
4 The Dragon Master
Meet Sarkhan Vol, a shaman born on the war-torn plane of Tarkir. Here, dragons were hunted to extinction, and Sarkhan laments that he never got a chance to see one. He did meet Nicol Bolas, but that hardly counted. He was instrumental in altering Tarkir’s entire timeline to restore Ugin and the dragons there, making him a hero.
This stunning fan art brings the fury and passion of Sarkhan Vol to life, such as his fierce glare over the shoulder and the flaming dragon in the lower half. Now that the dragons are back, he is not to be trifled with!
3 Final Rest
Gideon Jura is a tough warrior who uses white mana to defend justice and fight for the innocent with his own two hands. He took an oath with the Gatewatch and fought tirelessly to slay the Eldrazi.
He fought his final battle against Nicol Bolas on Ravnica, and now, in the afterlife, he knows peace. This sketch is an excellent rendition of the original card art, and we can fully see Gideon’s joy at seeing his old friends once again. There’s a lot of detail to unpack in this drawing. Well done!
2 My New Pet
Our ninth entry welcomes Liliana Vess, the black planeswalker of the original Lorwyn cycle. From the start, she has been the queen of undeath and dark power, and no graveyard will stay untouched when she arrives. Her card Liliana of the Veil stands as one of the very best planeswalkers of all.
This watercolor art has an intense look that matches Liliana’s passion for undeath and her quest for supreme power, and it looks horrifying but beautiful at the same time, quite thematic for the character. And what is that animal she’s holding? What a creature it is!
1 Forest Guardian
We conclude the list with a stunning drawing of Garruk Wildspeaker, the green entry of the Lorwyn five. He is a big fan of beasts, being able to summon all kinds of brawny behemoths to fight by his side. He’s never alone for long.
This art brings him to life in astounding detail, from his brawny physique to his detailed arm braces and his fur cloak. And look at that expression! He is letting out a primal roar to let the world know that he will not be trifled with!
NEXT: Ten Tribes In Magic The Gathering Still In Dire Need Of A Proper Commander
