While anime has been around for many decades, Magic cards with anime-style artwork first debuted in 2010 with the release of a special Japanese printing of Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra (DD2). The rerelease featured special anime-inspired artwork by Japanese manga artist Yoshino Himori on Jace Beleren and Chandra Nalaar.

The product release must have been a hit because since then, Wizards of the Coast has released over 600 cards with unique anime-style artwork.

Top Anime MTG Cards

Some anime cards carry significantly more demand due to their power level, popularity, and aesthetic. Here's a quick look at some of the most desirable anime Magic cards.

Tifa Lockhart

Wizards of the Coast printed numerous versions of the many characters and monsters in Final Fantasy (FIN) Yet this particular printing of Tifa Lockhart is currently one of the most desirable from the entire set.

The card has broken into Standard Landfall decks and can lead to turn three kills out of nowhere. The artwork is beautifully done, and fans of the franchise likely have emotional attachment to the beloved character.

Encore Electromancer (Snapcaster Mage)

The Secret Lair Encore Electromancer (Snapcaster Mage) is one of the most valuable anime cards ever printed. The community is baffled by the rarity of this card; some speculate this was a deliberate plant by WOTC in a handful of Hatsune Miku Secret Lair products. Others believe it was included in error, meant for a future release.

Whatever the case, Hatsune Miku fans have fallen in love with this version of Snapcaster Mage, making it highly sought after. Given the card's history, no explanation is required as to why Snapcaster Mage is a powerful Magic card.

Shadowborn Apostle

Wizards of the Coast has printed almost a dozen different pieces of art for Shadowborn Apostle. Of all the printings, this anime-inspired version is the most popular and in-demand for its gorgeous artwork. Combining the art with the fact that a player can shuffle up dozens of copies of this card in a single deck, it's no wonder demand for this one is through the roof.

Llanowar Elves

Despite debuting in Magic's earliest set, a turn one Llanowar Elves continues to haunt Standard players even now. Losing to the powerful Green ramp strategy feels slightly less horrible when your opponent is playing this gorgeous, anime-inspired version of the card.

Between Hisashi Momose's incredible artwork and the fact that Standard decks still jam the full playset of this Creature, this special Foundations (FDN) variant of Llanowar Elves is one hot card.

Smothering Tithe

Smothering Tithe is the most desirable anime card from the Wilds of Eldraine (WOE) bonus sheet. Reminiscent of Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe triggers every single time an opponent draws a card (including the card they draw in their draw step).

If the player doesn't pay two mana, you create a Treasure Token. This leads to some major mana acceleration, especially in a multiplayer game, making Smothering Tithe one of the most played cards in Commander. Add in Daisuke Tatsuma's gorgeous anime artwork on this particular printing, and you have a valuable and highly sought-after card.

Doubling Season

Foundations features yet another highly desirable anime card in the form of Doubling Season. This version of the card checks all the boxes. Awesome anime artwork? Check. Adorable cats? Check. Powerful Commander staple? Check. This card is a home run with the right audience, and you'd better believe there are enough fans out there to make this a chase card.

What Are Anime MTG Cards?

Anime MTG cards are exactly as they sound -- they are a subset of cards with anime-inspired artwork, illustrated by Japanese artists. Some, such as Yoshino Himor, are well-known for illustrating manga. With significant overlap between fans of Magic and fans of anime, Wizards of the Coast found an interesting niche to attract new players and drive sales.

While the first two anime cards appeared in 2010's rerelease of Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra, they didn't really make a splash in the community until almost a decade later. In 2019, Wizards of the Coast commissioned special anime-style artwork of each Planeswalker in War of the Spark (WAR). The most desirable of these cards took the community by storm, triggering numerous special anime-style printings of cards since.

With hundreds of anime-style cards printed since 2020, WOTC has returned to this well repeatedly, delivering new and exciting card treatments for all anime fans.

Where can you find anime Magic cards?

Each product and set handles distribution of anime-inspired cards differently. In some sets, such as Jumpstart 2022 (J22), you are guaranteed one anime card per booster pack. In other sets such as Wilds of Eldraine, anime cards appear as special guests.

In the case of the War of the Spark Planeswalkers, around half of the Japanese language booster packs contained an anime Planeswalker card in place of the standard artwork. There are also standalone products, such as Secret Lair releases, with anime-style themes. Basically, Wizards has been testing all sorts of ways of including these cards in their products.

Of course, we're a great place to get all kinds of awesome variants of your favorite cards.

Anime Sets & Their Mechanics

With the advent of Universes Beyond sets in Magic, WOTC has now released a handful of sets inspired by Japanese culture.

Two clear examples include Avatar: The Last Airbender (TLA) and Final Fantasy. The former is an American cartoon heavily influenced by Japanese anime and the latter is a Japanese science fantasy media franchise. As you'd expect, both sets are packed with anime-style cards.

While the most desirable of these anime-inspired cards appear as special finds in collector boosters, you can still discover many Common and Uncommon anime-themed cards throughout the entire set.

This influence of anime and Asian-style animation on Avatar: The Last Airbender and Final Fantasy with anime leads to a general association of anime with the mechanics of these sets.

For instance, all the Bending mechanics (Airbending, Waterbending, Firebending, Earthbending) are inspired by Chinese martial arts. In the case of Final Fantasy, Job Select is a mechanic with underlying role-playing game influence, as your Hero makes important choices that can influence their destiny.

While not Universes Beyond, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO) also evokes themes of Japanese folklore, which comes to life in the popular Ninjitsu mechanic.

To emphasize the Japanese inspiration for Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, Wizards of the Coast commissioned numerous anime-styled alternate-art cards, many of which were done by Japanese artists.

With so many sets influenced by Asian culture, it's no wonder there are so many anime Magic cards from which to choose, with more coming out each year.

Wrapping It Up

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to popular anime MTG cards. The reality is, there are more than 600 beautiful anime cards out there making waves.

In fact, if you wanted to build an entire anime-style Commander deck, there are enough cards out there for you to select from. All it takes is a little patience to find copies of these cards, and you'll be shuffling up a fully Japanese-inspired deck in no time.