Planeswalker
Encyclopedia
In the collectible card game
Magic: The Gathering
, a planeswalker is a mage with the ability to travel to different planes of existence.
of the Magic: The Gathering
collectible card game
, a planeswalker is a powerful mage, able to travel across the planes of existence. All players are planeswalkers; non-player planeswalkers are described in Magic’s back-story (which is represented in novels, starter-deck inserts, online articles and card flavor text), and with Lorwyn
the first Planeswalker cards were introduced. Planeswalkers have a near-monopoly on travel between and knowledge of the various planes, though other powers capable of opening portals between worlds do exist.
Only those with a rare and innate ability called the "planeswalker spark" can become planeswalkers. (The spark can be transferred from one being to another, but the process is highly dangerous and potentially fatal.) Only one individual in a million is given the spark. Even then, they must "ascend", which usually occurs spontaneously during a time of great stress
(most common being a form of horrendous death, e.g., the sylex blast or its aftereffects). This ascension, as well as the extraordinary amount of power at their fingertips, drives almost all planeswalkers insane over time. In an attempt to prevent this, most planeswalkers are tutored by older ones. Wilders, or planeswalkers that decide to travel the multiverse untutored, exist (Ravidel) but are often extremely dangerous and sometimes utterly insane.
A planeswalker has complete control over his or her physical appearance, and does not physically need to eat, drink, sleep, or even breathe (although some, such as Urza
, do these things to help preserve their sanity). Planeswalkers are very difficult to kill and can't die of natural causes, (such as being stabbed, or even dismembered). This is due to that fact that the Planeswalker's spark that is present within his or her brain is the source of the Planeswalker power. While the brain still exists, a Planeswalker still has the ability to traverse the many planes, can regenerate and shapeshift at will, and can stay alive for millennia upon millennia—and, of course, perform magical activity.
Due to their near-immortality which radically alters their perspectives and personalities, Planeswalkers rarely have relationships with non-Planeswalkers. They know, as soon as they meet someone, that they will outlive them, and that they will have to live with the loss. However, some Planeswalkers, such as Urza, may associate with mortals if he or she finds an advantage in doing so. Urza
made two exceptions, one for Xantcha (an artificial Phyrexian human loyal to him), and Barrin the master wizard, who had learned to magically reverse and control his aging. Both Xantcha and Barrin eventually died, though not of old age.
During the Time Spiral cycle of novels (which includes Time Spiral
, Planar Chaos
, and Future Sight
), a series of rifts in the actual fabric of multiverse has begun to cause havoc and apocalyptic destruction in many planes. Specifically in the plane of Dominaria, Planeswalkers have begun to seal those rifts to repair the rents in time and space, whether according to their will or not, by giving up their Planeswalker sparks (though it usually demotes them to the status of mortals or kills them outright)—called "mending." Though it seems that the worlds of the multiverse
have begun to heal because of this mending, it is revealed that all the tears in the multiverse result from entropy due to world-scarring events such as the Dominarian Apocalypse
, but also because of the Planeswalks of powerful Planeswalkers—which have gradually accumulated over time.
Thus, the creation of Planeswalker sparks has been irreversibly altered by the laws that govern the multiverse
. The result is a new breed of Planeswalkers, sometimes called "neowalkers," "planescrawlers," or "jumpers" by fans because of their exponentially decreased powers. These new Planeswalkers can Planeswalk between the multiverse
's many planes but do not have the other advantages of the old Planeswalkers. Though they have a small boost in power compared to other mages, the new Planeswalkers are no longer immortal and must rely on their own wizarding abilities, rather than gain the magical might and potential that was immediately gained by their older counterparts.
By the end of the novel Future Sight
, in Dominaria, several of the prominent Planeswalkers have been destroyed and some new looking Planeswalkers have appeared, such as Venser, an artificer living in fear on the island of Urborg and Radha, a Keldon elf.
Famous planeswalkers from the Magic mythos include:
, Mishra, Memnarch, Lim-Dûl and Marit Lage are, in fact, not. Jodah
is often thought to be a planeswalker due to his longevity, but is in fact a mortal wizard who has, on numerous occasions, scolded and advised planeswalkers.
Some characters are considered Gods, but certainly aren't Planeswalkers:
, planeswalkers were introduced as a new card type, distinct from artifacts, creatures, enchantments, instants, lands, sorceries, and tribal. These cards represent the reduced-power planeswalkers that exist post-Time Spiral since previous generations of planeswalkers were too powerful to represent on a card. A planeswalker comes into play with a number of loyalty counters (indicated on the bottom right of the card) representing their alliance to the player and can only activate one of their abilities each turn. Each ability costs or generates loyalty. Planeswalkers cannot attack or block.
The original cycle of Planewalkers printed in Lorwyn were as follows:
New planeswalkers were introduced with the Shards of Alara
set. The red/green aligned Sarkhan Vol, blue aligned Tezzeret the Seeker, white aligned Elspeth Tirel, and an alternate version of Ajani Goldmane referred to as "Ajani Vengeant" which represents Ajani after he had mysteriously ended up in Jund and Sarkhan Vol taught him to unleash all his fury.
A fifth planeswalker, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, was introduced in the Conflux
set.
In Zendikar
, there were two new planeswalkers — Nissa Revane and Sorin Markov — introduced with an updated version of Chandra Nalaar referred to as "Chandra Ablaze" after the events of The Purifying Fire.
A fourth planeswalker was added to the Zendikar environment in Worldwake
. Jace returned as "Jace, the Mind Sculptor".
A new planeswalker, Gideon Jura, had been added to Zendikar in Rise of the Eldrazi
after being introduced in the novel The Purifying Fire. Also, Sarkhan Vol returned as "Sarkhan the Mad".
In the core set 2011:
In the 2010 expansion set Scars of Mirrodin
, players were introduced to two new planewalkers - Venser, an artificer from Urborg, and Koth, a Vulshok Mirran. Also, Elspeth returned in the set as "Elspeth Tirel".
In the 2011 expansion set, Mirrodin Besieged
, Tezzeret, returned as "Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas"
In, New Phyrexia
, Karn returns to Mirrodin.
In the core set Magic 2012, Jace, Garruk, and Chandra return as different cards.
In the set Innistrad, Garruk and Liliana return with new names and abilities.
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
, a planeswalker is a mage with the ability to travel to different planes of existence.
Magic: The Gathering
In the fictional multiverseParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
of the Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
collectible card game
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
, a planeswalker is a powerful mage, able to travel across the planes of existence. All players are planeswalkers; non-player planeswalkers are described in Magic’s back-story (which is represented in novels, starter-deck inserts, online articles and card flavor text), and with Lorwyn
Lorwyn
Lorwyn is the 66th Magic: The Gathering set, 43rd expert level set, and the first set in the Lorwyn Block, released in October 2007. It is codenamed "Peanut"...
the first Planeswalker cards were introduced. Planeswalkers have a near-monopoly on travel between and knowledge of the various planes, though other powers capable of opening portals between worlds do exist.
Only those with a rare and innate ability called the "planeswalker spark" can become planeswalkers. (The spark can be transferred from one being to another, but the process is highly dangerous and potentially fatal.) Only one individual in a million is given the spark. Even then, they must "ascend", which usually occurs spontaneously during a time of great stress
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
(most common being a form of horrendous death, e.g., the sylex blast or its aftereffects). This ascension, as well as the extraordinary amount of power at their fingertips, drives almost all planeswalkers insane over time. In an attempt to prevent this, most planeswalkers are tutored by older ones. Wilders, or planeswalkers that decide to travel the multiverse untutored, exist (Ravidel) but are often extremely dangerous and sometimes utterly insane.
A planeswalker has complete control over his or her physical appearance, and does not physically need to eat, drink, sleep, or even breathe (although some, such as Urza
Urza
Urza Planeswalker is a fictional character from the universe of Magic: The Gathering, best known for his millennia-long struggle with Yawgmoth and the plane of Phyrexia...
, do these things to help preserve their sanity). Planeswalkers are very difficult to kill and can't die of natural causes, (such as being stabbed, or even dismembered). This is due to that fact that the Planeswalker's spark that is present within his or her brain is the source of the Planeswalker power. While the brain still exists, a Planeswalker still has the ability to traverse the many planes, can regenerate and shapeshift at will, and can stay alive for millennia upon millennia—and, of course, perform magical activity.
Due to their near-immortality which radically alters their perspectives and personalities, Planeswalkers rarely have relationships with non-Planeswalkers. They know, as soon as they meet someone, that they will outlive them, and that they will have to live with the loss. However, some Planeswalkers, such as Urza, may associate with mortals if he or she finds an advantage in doing so. Urza
Urza
Urza Planeswalker is a fictional character from the universe of Magic: The Gathering, best known for his millennia-long struggle with Yawgmoth and the plane of Phyrexia...
made two exceptions, one for Xantcha (an artificial Phyrexian human loyal to him), and Barrin the master wizard, who had learned to magically reverse and control his aging. Both Xantcha and Barrin eventually died, though not of old age.
During the Time Spiral cycle of novels (which includes Time Spiral
Time Spiral
Time Spiral is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, released October 6, 2006. The set is laden with references to previous Magic: the Gathering sets and is the first to take place in Dominaria since the May 2003 set Scourge...
, Planar Chaos
Planar Chaos
Planar Chaos is an expansion set, codenamed "Crackle," from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. The set was released on February 2, 2007. The pre-release events took place on January 20 and 21, 2007. It is the second set in the Time Spiral block...
, and Future Sight
Future Sight
Future Sight is an expansion set, codenamed "Pop", for the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. The set was released worldwide on May 4, 2007. The pre-release events for this set were held on April 21 and April 22, 2007.-Storyline:...
), a series of rifts in the actual fabric of multiverse has begun to cause havoc and apocalyptic destruction in many planes. Specifically in the plane of Dominaria, Planeswalkers have begun to seal those rifts to repair the rents in time and space, whether according to their will or not, by giving up their Planeswalker sparks (though it usually demotes them to the status of mortals or kills them outright)—called "mending." Though it seems that the worlds of the multiverse
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
have begun to heal because of this mending, it is revealed that all the tears in the multiverse result from entropy due to world-scarring events such as the Dominarian Apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
, but also because of the Planeswalks of powerful Planeswalkers—which have gradually accumulated over time.
Thus, the creation of Planeswalker sparks has been irreversibly altered by the laws that govern the multiverse
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
. The result is a new breed of Planeswalkers, sometimes called "neowalkers," "planescrawlers," or "jumpers" by fans because of their exponentially decreased powers. These new Planeswalkers can Planeswalk between the multiverse
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
's many planes but do not have the other advantages of the old Planeswalkers. Though they have a small boost in power compared to other mages, the new Planeswalkers are no longer immortal and must rely on their own wizarding abilities, rather than gain the magical might and potential that was immediately gained by their older counterparts.
By the end of the novel Future Sight
Future Sight
Future Sight is an expansion set, codenamed "Pop", for the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. The set was released worldwide on May 4, 2007. The pre-release events for this set were held on April 21 and April 22, 2007.-Storyline:...
, in Dominaria, several of the prominent Planeswalkers have been destroyed and some new looking Planeswalkers have appeared, such as Venser, an artificer living in fear on the island of Urborg and Radha, a Keldon elf.
Famous planeswalkers from the Magic mythos include:
The Nine Titans
In a last-ditch attempt to stymie the Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria, nine planeswalkers entered the plane of Phyrexia, in gigantic titan engines of Urza's design, to set off bombs to destroy the plane.- Bo Levar
- Commodore Guff
- Daria
- FreyaliseFreyaliseFreyalise is a character in the fictional multiverse of Magic: The Gathering. She is a planeswalker.-History:The beautiful half-elven Freyalise is considered to be a goddess by the elves of Llanowar...
- Kristina of the Woods
- Lord Windgrace of Urborg
- Taysir
- Tevesh Szat
- UrzaUrzaUrza Planeswalker is a fictional character from the universe of Magic: The Gathering, best known for his millennia-long struggle with Yawgmoth and the plane of Phyrexia...
Mistaken for planeswalkers
Though they are often confused for planeswalkers, YawgmothYawgmoth
Yawgmoth, known as the "Father of Machines" and called the Ineffable by his underlings, is a fictional being from Magic, The Gathering, and is the unabated god of the plane of Phyrexia, a universe of untold corruption and mechanical monstrosity. He wields nearly unlimited magical might and...
, Mishra, Memnarch, Lim-Dûl and Marit Lage are, in fact, not. Jodah
Jodah
Jodah is a fictional character created by Jeff Grubb in 1999 for Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering franchise. He first appeared in the Ice Age Cycle novels by Jeff Grubb; The Gathering Dark, The Eternal Ice, and The Shattered Alliance, based on the card sets The Dark, Ice Age, and...
is often thought to be a planeswalker due to his longevity, but is in fact a mortal wizard who has, on numerous occasions, scolded and advised planeswalkers.
"Gods"
Some planeswalkers are considered to be gods by the inhabitants of the planes. On the other hand it is uncertain if some of the known gods are really planeswalkers. Examples of these are:- Gabriel Angelfire
- The Ebon Hand
- The Hand of Justice
- Kaldra
- Leitbur
- Svyelun
- Tal
- Torahn
- Tourach
Some characters are considered Gods, but certainly aren't Planeswalkers:
- Gaea
- YawgmothYawgmothYawgmoth, known as the "Father of Machines" and called the Ineffable by his underlings, is a fictional being from Magic, The Gathering, and is the unabated god of the plane of Phyrexia, a universe of untold corruption and mechanical monstrosity. He wields nearly unlimited magical might and...
, neither God nor Planeswalker, but ruler of Phyrexia and embodiment of its black mana. - Ramos
- Marit Lage, a being with the power to planeswalk, though not in the same way as planeswalkers.
- the primeval dragons Rith, Treva, Darigaaz, Dromar and Crosis
- The Myojin, extremely powerful spirits from Kamigawa. The Myojin of Night's Reach demonstrated the power to transport across planes, but is not a planeswalker.
- The Eldrazi Titans- Emrakul, Kozilek and Ulamog.
Cards
In the 2007 expansion set LorwynLorwyn
Lorwyn is the 66th Magic: The Gathering set, 43rd expert level set, and the first set in the Lorwyn Block, released in October 2007. It is codenamed "Peanut"...
, planeswalkers were introduced as a new card type, distinct from artifacts, creatures, enchantments, instants, lands, sorceries, and tribal. These cards represent the reduced-power planeswalkers that exist post-Time Spiral since previous generations of planeswalkers were too powerful to represent on a card. A planeswalker comes into play with a number of loyalty counters (indicated on the bottom right of the card) representing their alliance to the player and can only activate one of their abilities each turn. Each ability costs or generates loyalty. Planeswalkers cannot attack or block.
The original cycle of Planewalkers printed in Lorwyn were as follows:
- White - Ajani Goldmane
- Blue - Jace Beleren
- Black - Liliana Vess
- Red - Chandra Nalaar
- Green - Garruk Wildspeaker
New planeswalkers were introduced with the Shards of Alara
Shards of Alara
Shards of Alara is an expansion set from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. It is the 47th limited-edition expansion set for Magic and was released on October 3, 2008. On Magic Online Shards was released on October 20, 2008....
set. The red/green aligned Sarkhan Vol, blue aligned Tezzeret the Seeker, white aligned Elspeth Tirel, and an alternate version of Ajani Goldmane referred to as "Ajani Vengeant" which represents Ajani after he had mysteriously ended up in Jund and Sarkhan Vol taught him to unleash all his fury.
- Red/Green - Sarkhan Vol
- White/Red - Ajani Vengeant
- Blue - Tezzeret the Seeker
- White - Elspeth, Knight-Errant
A fifth planeswalker, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, was introduced in the Conflux
Conflux
Conflux is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, released on February 6, 2009. It is the 48th limited-edition expansion set for Magic and includes 145 cards.- Set Details :...
set.
- Red/Black/Blue - Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
In Zendikar
Zendikar
Zendikar is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, that was released on October 2, 2009. It consists of 249 cards.-Set details:Zendikar is the first set in the Zendikar block...
, there were two new planeswalkers — Nissa Revane and Sorin Markov — introduced with an updated version of Chandra Nalaar referred to as "Chandra Ablaze" after the events of The Purifying Fire.
- Red -
- Black- Sorin Markov
- Green - Nissa Revane
A fourth planeswalker was added to the Zendikar environment in Worldwake
Worldwake
Worldwake is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set that was released February 5, 2010. It is the second set of the Zendikar block, so many of the themes introduced in Zendikar are expanded upon in Worldwake. It consists of 145 cards...
. Jace returned as "Jace, the Mind Sculptor".
- Blue —
A new planeswalker, Gideon Jura, had been added to Zendikar in Rise of the Eldrazi
Rise of the Eldrazi
Rise of the Eldrazi is a Magic: The Gathering expansion released on April 23, 2010. It is the third set of the Zendikar block. It is a large set consisting of 228 cards plus 20 basic lands...
after being introduced in the novel The Purifying Fire. Also, Sarkhan Vol returned as "Sarkhan the Mad".
- White - Gideon Jura
- Red/Black -
In the core set 2011:
- Green - Garruk Wildspeaker
- Red - Chandra Nalaar
In the 2010 expansion set Scars of Mirrodin
Scars of Mirrodin
Scars of Mirrodin is a Magic: The Gathering expansion that was released on October 1, 2010. It is the first set of the Scars of Mirrodin block. This block will mark the return to the plane of Mirrodin. This plane was last visited in the Mirrodin block that concluded in 2004...
, players were introduced to two new planewalkers - Venser, an artificer from Urborg, and Koth, a Vulshok Mirran. Also, Elspeth returned in the set as "Elspeth Tirel".
- White -
- White/Blue - Venser, the Sojourner
- Red - Koth of the Hammer
In the 2011 expansion set, Mirrodin Besieged
Mirrodin Besieged
Mirrodin Besieged is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set released February 4, 2011. It is the second set of the Scars of Mirrodin block. This block will mark the return to the plane of Mirrodin, that was last visited in the Mirrodin block that concluded in 2004...
, Tezzeret, returned as "Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas"
- Blue/Black -
In, New Phyrexia
New Phyrexia
New Phyrexia is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set that was released May 13, 2011. It is the third set of the Scars of Mirrodin block, which returns to the plane of Mirrodin, previously visited in the Mirrodin block that concluded in 2004...
, Karn returns to Mirrodin.
- Colorless -
In the core set Magic 2012, Jace, Garruk, and Chandra return as different cards.
- White - Gideon Jura
- Blue - Jace, Memory Adept
- Red - Chandra, The Firebrand
- Green - Garruk, Primal Hunter
- Black - Sorin Markov
In the set Innistrad, Garruk and Liliana return with new names and abilities.
- Green - Garruk Relentless (transformation ability)
- Black - Liliana of the Veil
Planeswalkers in Fiction
In addition to Magic the Gathering's numerous novels, Wizards of the Coast have released several webcomics telling short stories about the planeswalkers. The comics come in trilogies:- The Hunter and the Veil (Garruk Wildspeaker and Liliana Vess)
- Flight of the White Cat (Ajani Goldmane)
- Fuel for the Fire (Chandra Nalaar and Jace Beleren)
- The Seeker's Fall (Tezzeret)
- Honor Bound (Elspeth Tirel)
- The Veil's Curse (Garruk Wildspeaker, Liliana Vess, and Jace Beleren)
- Journey to the Eye (Chandra Nalaar and Sarkhan Vol)
- The Wild Son (Garruk Wildspeaker)
- Awakenings (Jace Beleren, Chandra Nalaar, and Sarkhan Vol)
- Enter the Eldrazi (Jace Beleren, Sarkhan Vol, and Nicol Bolas)
- The Raven's Eye (Liliana Vess)
- Gathering Forces (Ajani Goldmane, Elspeth Tirel, Koth of the Hammer, and Venser)
- Scarred (Elspeth Tirel, Koth of the Hammer, and Venser)
- Dark Discoveries (Tezzeret, Nicol Bolas, Venser, Elspeth Tirel, and Koth of the Hammer)