The most powerful being?
Lore forum
Posted on July 26, 2020, 6:35 p.m. by HorseTribalLord
Okay, so I only started playing magic less than a year ago, and as a 16 year old who loves mythology I was deeply interested in magic's lore. One question I always had was who or what is the most powerful being in all of magic. Now some of the common names that get cycled around on this topic are of course the Eldrazi, Bolas, Urza, Yawgmoth, and Karn. However there are other characters that I along with some other people have considered but I was wondering what you all would have to say on the topic.
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Marit Lage - So I realize that not much is known about Marit Lage, but just reading what I could find on her she appears to be able to move through planes but not in the same way as planes walkers but more like the Eldrazi, her dreams can manifest into reality and she supposedly did something crazy on Dominaria before the ice age, I really wish more was known about her but I just thought Id put her on the list because of what little I've seen seems pretty powerful.
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The Ur-Dragon - okay so once again little information is known about The Ur-Dragon, but here is a quote from mtg wiki "The Ur-Dragon, Progenitor of Fire, is an enormous and immensely powerful Dragon Avatar. An entity from the dawn of time, it is the primordial essence of all Dragonkind in the Multiverse. With its wings, that extend across the eternities, it stirs the fabric of the cosmos. Its breath bellows over the mortals, stealing the essence of life. With claws that rake the aether, it sunders ancient bonds. Thanks to its eyes, the Ur-Dragon perceives the deepest truths concealed in the wells of time. Its bellowing roar summons its brood, echoing through the blood of all dragonkind, for the Ur-Dragon is the progenitor from which the dragons of the Multiverse spawned" It is also said to be able to traverse through the planes though once again not like planes walkers and just one more tidbit "It is a being that lives betwixt and between, in a place and in no place" So the Ur-dragon appears to be an immensely powerful being able to alter reality itself with claws that rake the aether and wings that stir the fabric of the cosmos.
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O-Kagachi - Next there is O-Kagachi, In the war of the Kami O-Kagachi was literally unstoppable, devouring entire armies and large portions of land in a single bite. It was in its manifest form "immeasurably vast" and it is "the soul of the world" being as old as Kamigawa itself. It was only able to be defeated when its own core essence, the "greatest magic of Kamigawa" fought back refusing to once again become apart of the great Kami.
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Aminatou - Aminatou although just an 8 year old human girl can look into the matrix of fate and can manipulate destiny, she having foreseen that she would become a planes walker physically ignited her own spark early because she didn't want to wait, so because she can literally see and alter the future at her own whim makes her pretty darn powerful in my opinion.
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Karona - And finally I wanted to mention Karona. Karona is the living manifestation of magic, she is able to traverse through planes while not really being a planeswalker as she doesn't have a spark. Her very existence hurt the god Gaea and she was driven mad by her own power.
So these are five other beings apart from the normal few and I would really like to hear your guys two cents on the matter.
GoblinElectromancer says... #3
In my opinion it's Yawgmoth but I'm not incredibly familiar with the lore.
July 26, 2020 8:20 p.m.
I believe the Ur-dragon was split into 5 dragons (Crosis, Darigaaz, Dromar, Rith, and Treva). It's explained in the invasion block books.
As far as Most powerful one could say Titania. And sticking to green you have Multani and Molimo. Both of which fought in the Invasion of Phyrexians into dominaria.
Then you have Tetsuo Umezawa who defeat Nicol Bolas a long time ago.
To be honest each story or at least the older stories had multiple strong characters.
July 26, 2020 8:52 p.m.
Honestly, its Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker up until recently. An Elder Dragon, with a planeswalker spark, who's physical touch cripples. He literally dismembered Teferi, Temporal Archmage and allowed him to live only on a whim. He defeats Ugin, the Spirit Dragon multiple times. He literally became a God of God's. It took the entirty of the Gatewatch and then some to defeat him. He's now sitting in a cell waiting for his mortal death, but rest assured, the brief time where he achieved God tier while absorbing the sparks of trapped planeswalkers with The Elderspell he was far and away the most powerful single entity in the mutltiverse. His arrogance got the best of him in the end. Every time he has ever been defeated, it was his arrogance that lead him to a trap, never actually being overpowered.
At the moment, it seems up in the air who the most powerful (still living) entity is. ALL TIME, I'd still take Nicol in almost all scenarios. The Praetors on New Phyrexia might be close, Teferi, Hero of Dominaria seems to be ascending to that role.
July 27, 2020 9:59 a.m.
EleshNornsFs says... #6
Nicol Bolas was definitely powerful, but there is no way that a post-mending walker stands up to Urza or Taysir for example. I am going to say the most powerful entity is/was Yawgmoth. The god of metal hell could take many forms and he existed as an intrinsic part of his own plane. Back in the day, he controlled millions and even took the form of a giant cloud of death. It took the most powerful planeswalker (side note: I guess Urza should go on this list too), a time-traveling, planeswalking silver golem, and the product of a 1,000 year science project, with the express goal of killing Yawgmoth, to do so. Even then, there are questions about his death. I don't think Karona's vision is relevant, but what is is the fact that Yawgmoth has a corpse. As soon a New Phyrexia develops the ability to travel the planes (a project already underway by the Progress Engine, possibly to be aided by Tezzeret and Ashiok) and they find Urborg, it's reanimation time. Even if that doesn't happen, Yawgmoth is not dead in spirit. As long as there is a single drop of glistening oil left in the multiverse, Phyrexia will re-evolve to worship him. Even a milliliter of the stuff contains his vile hatred and power and will to compleat all llife.New Phyrexians, who never new Yawgmoth, weren't alive to see him or old Phyrexia, are born with an intrinsic knowledge of their identity and the desire to fulfill Yawgmoth's will. Wherever there is a scrap of Phyrexian tissue, there is Yawgmoth.
July 27, 2020 10:14 a.m.
EleshNornsFs says... #7
It is a really tough comparison. I don't think we will be able to make a hard conclusion until we see what it takes to kill her. I don't know if they will ever release her though. I would almost place Marit Lage on Emrakul's level, but she doesn't seem to have the same, warping, mind-altering, reality consuming presence.
July 27, 2020 10:34 a.m.
DarkMagician says... #8
Emrakul is vastly more powerful than any modern version of Bolas and still beats pre-mending Bolas as well. It took three pre-mending planeswalkers simply to seal the Eldrazi away because they weren't strong enough to destroy them. Raw power for a single entity would go to Emrakul.
July 27, 2020 11:14 a.m.
DarkMagician says... #9
The Ur-Dragon might be competition but there's not enough known about it to really make any comparisons.
July 27, 2020 11:17 a.m.
Pre-mending, and Dragon God Bolas were definitely uber powerful, but I don't think they were the pinnacle of power.
I am between the Eldrazi Titans and Yawgmoth.
July 27, 2020 11:30 a.m.
I’m a returning mtg player who played Alpha-Tempest and only recently came back to the game. I never read any of the lore or books or however else backstory or exposition was dispensed. Can someone give me the condensed version of who/what Yawgmoth is? I only recognize the name from specific cards like Yawgmoth's Will, Yawgmoth's Bargain, Priest of Yawgmoth etc.
July 27, 2020 4:17 p.m.
Balaam__ Based on my recollection:
Yawgmoth is a former member of the Thran Empire from Dominaria. He was a medical genius who ended up rising to power through committing a lot of atrocities and ultimately got exiled to the plane we know of as Phyrexia. He grew in power and melded his consciousness with the glistening oil, effectively making him immortal so long as the oil exists somewhere. He eventually arose to godlike power after binding himself to his plane (he literally becomes a cloud of death when they attack dominaria). Even though he was "killed," a part of him survives in the glistening oil that runs through all phyrexians (even the ones on Mirrodin/New Phyrexia).
July 27, 2020 4:28 p.m.
I think the biggest issue here is Magic lacks consistency. As someone already mentioned, it took three pre-mending Planeswalkers to defeat the three Eldrazi titans. This would imply that they are super powerful.
You then have to factor that the Gatewatch destroyed two of the Eldrazi titans, being post-mending Planeswalkers. Emrakul is trapped, we don't know why or what will come of it.
Nicol Bolas wrecked the Gatewatch. He also isn't finished, he will obviously make his return. We also have to remember that Bolas released the Eldrazi on purpose implying he wasn't afraid of them.
This brings me to Kruphix, the Theros God. Kruphix saw in the minds of the Planeswalkers that went to Theros three different threats. He saw the Eldrazi, the Phyrexians, and Nicol Bolas. Kruphix fears all three knowing that any of them could destroy Theros and the entire pantheon. This removes the Theros Gods from the power debate.
There is a good argument for Yawgmoth. It has already been said why. His body is so powerful that it corrupts the land around it. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. Does any other entity's body warp the land around it?
I would say the debate is between Bolas and Yawgmoth but again, the story lacks consistency.
July 28, 2020 4:16 a.m.
DarkMagician says... #14
Aztraeuz The Gatewatch only destroyed the physical forms of Ulamog and Kozilek. The pre-mending planeswalkers could have done the same but were smart enough to trap them instead. Free from the trap that held them Ulamog and Kozi can now travel from one plane to the next (something the original walkers were trying to prevent). I highly doubt that Bolas truly understood how powerful the Titans were.
July 28, 2020 6:08 a.m.
EleshNornsFs says... #15
I honestly don't believe Bolas is coming back. It would be a mistake. They played him out enough. I think that if they announced Bolas' return, there would be a collective groan from the players. The eldrazi aren't there yet, but they should wait a few more years before they bring that back up.
July 28, 2020 9:49 a.m.
EleshNornsFs says... #16
I don't know if they are next next, though I definitely hope so. I am worried that they are going to take another year or two on Oko or whatever was speaking through the Ozolith. I really couldn't care less about those chumps.
July 28, 2020 10:01 a.m.
EleshNornsFs says... #17
Weird theory: infect isn't coming back. MaRo put it fairly high on the storm scale and it seems like the designers aren't a fan of it's power level.
July 28, 2020 10:59 a.m.
DarkMagician Ulamog and Kozilek aren't doing anything though. They pop up, destroy or trap them. Emrakul is still trapped. I don't know why you would doubt Bolas knew how powerful the Eldrazi were.
EleshNornsFs Bolas isn't coming back soon. We had like 6 years between Theros visits and that's one of the most popular planes. I'm saying Bolas will come back eventually. That's the way they have built his character.
July 29, 2020 7:56 p.m.
RicketyEng says... #19
DarkMagician, Aztraeuz, Ulamog and Kozilek have been properly and permanently destroyed by the Gatewatch. Nissa used Zendikar's leylines to bind them and pull them completely into the plane. Then Chandra channeled the plane's powerful mana as a burn spell through those leylines to utterly destroy them.
July 30, 2020 2:55 a.m.
EleshNornsFs says... #20
As I understood the story. Ulamog and Kozilek are dead dead. But Emrakul trapped herself in the moon, which is bad news.
July 30, 2020 9:42 a.m.
RicketyEng says... #21
I am feeling quite indignant at being accused of stealing my name colour scheme from someone whom I have been a tappedout member longer than. The colours were inspired by the rickety-est of engineers, Red-Green. TypicalTimmy and I have shared the colours for a number of years already and neither of us seems to have a problem with it.
As for Ugin's explanations to Jace, he used a metaphor describing the eldrazi's presence on a plane as a person sticking their hand in a pond. What Ugin, Sorin, and Nahiri accomplished was to trap the hand and thereby preventing the being from pulling out its hand and going to a different pond. Jace's contribution to the Gatewatch's defeat of Ulamog and Kozilek was the idea to take that metaphor one step further. He saw the opportunity not to just freeze the hand in place or cut it off, but to grab hold of it and pull the rest of the being into the pond in order to completely destroy it.
Also, it has been confirmed by Wizards that Ulamog and Kozilek are properly dead.
As for the actual discussion topic, I have never really done the thought exercise of deciding who the most powerful being in the MtG multiverse would be. After reading the points made here, I would be inclined to lean toward Yawgmoth. The Thran were supposedly super advanced and powerful, and he would seem to be the most powerful from among them to start with. Then he went on to even greater heights of horrors and power.
July 30, 2020 4:16 p.m.
RicketyEng, DeinoStinkus was obviously joking with you. Ending a sentence with "please give it back XD" makes it look pretty playful, so you don't need to be indignant.
July 30, 2020 5:09 p.m.
RicketyEng I thought they were completely destroyed but I didn't remember for sure. Thanks for the clarification.
July 31, 2020 2 a.m.
KorandAngels says... #25
In real life though, it's Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom. Trust me on this one.
Balaam__ says... #2
Not too familiar with the lore myself, but I think Progenitus, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn and Nicol Bolas deserve a mention; they could be contenders. Also, Storm Crow.
July 26, 2020 8:09 p.m.