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Don’t expect Wicked's Elphaba in Magic: The Gathering any time soon

There's a reason why you don't see witch hats in Magic: The Gathering

An image of Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked
Image credit: Universal Pictures

It is full steam ahead for Magic: The Gathering's crossovers with other franchises like Marvel Comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, and more. But if your favorite pop culture character wears a black pointed hat like the witches of old, don't expect them to pop up just yet. Over the course of Magic: The Gathering's history, the game has made a point of avoiding traditional representations of magic-users. 

Magic: The Gathering design lead, Mark Rosewater, put it simply on his Tumblr blog when he responded to a fan who asked, "If or when: A plane where we see long pointed black [sic] witch's hats? I really quite like the classic witch look and there isn't much of that in Magic's fantasy." Rosewater replied, "We’ve specifically avoided pointy hats, so if."

We know already that Magic: The Gathering has very few cards featuring characters wearing wizard hats for the same reason. Sure, there are a few cards from the Lord of the Rings set where Gandalf has his pointy hat on, but there are also plenty of cards where he isn't (because he's in his Gandalf the White era). What also differentiates Gandalf from, say, Elphaba from Wicked, is that Gandalf literally transforms into a hat-less version of himself when he becomes Gandalf the White. Elphaba, on the other hand, transforms into the most recognizable version of herself when Galinda gives her a pointy witch hat to wear. 

That said, never say never. Who knows what the future has in store for Magic: The Gathering's crossovers. 


Whether you are a Commander player, a regular at your local game shop's FNM event, or simply love collecting Magic: The Gathering cards, you've landed in the right place. From Universes Beyond to the furthest reaches of the Magic Multiverse, we've got you covered here at Popverse. 

Jules Chin Greene

Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.

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