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Nahiri is a Kor Planeswalker native to the Plane of Zendikar. Nahiri first appeared inMagic: The Gathering’sCommander 2014 set and is a very important player when it comes to the Eldrazi threat on Zendikar and Innistrad. She is aLithomancer, giving her power over stones, crystals, and gems.
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She is primarily aligned in white mana, and secondary in red mana, the latter she tapped into due to what became a life-long feud with fellow Planeswalker Sorin Markov. She values one’s word to a fault, becoming blinded with rage whenever one goes against it, something that causes many relationships to fall apart.
Updated June 12, 2025 by Johnny Garcia: As the Gatewatch and their allies marched on New Phyrexia before the threat could invade the Multiverse, the plan did not go well. The story of Phyrexia: All Will Be One sees our heroes' plan thrown for a loop when the Phyrexians knew they were coming and were well-prepared. Nahiri’s story evolved in the storyline as she helps the Gatewatch and puts aside old rivalries to take care of New Phyrexia. However, her role in the Multiverse is greatly altered by the end of the set’s events.
The Eldrazi Trio
Nahiri’sspark ignited through unknown means, but it occurred at a young age when she met thePlaneswalker Sorin Markov. Sorinacted as a mentorto the new Planeswalker, teaching her about the vast Multiverse as they traveled to other Planes together. This waswhen they first witnessed the Eldrazi. During these events, they met thedragon Planeswalker Ugin, and they agreed to bind the Eldrazi threat to Zendikar and entrap them deep within the Plane.
Zendikar was chosendue to its large influx of mana energy, something that would draw the Eldrazi to the Plane to feed on it. Sorin lured them to Zendikar while Ugin stunned and weakened them. Lastly, Nahiri used her powers as a lithomancer to call upon her creation of hedrons that would act as a prison for the Eldrazi to keep them locked down.
The three were successful in their mission, with the Eldrazi entrapped and locked away in a chamber deep within the mountains named theEye Of Ugin. For an extra layer of protection, they implemented a seal on the entrance that would only activate with three Planeswalker sparks being present, along with Ugin’s Ghostfire breath. With their mission accomplished, Sorin and Ugin Planeswalked away while Nahiri stayed behind to keep watch on the Plane, with the other two promising to return if the seal was in danger of being broken.
She lived with her fellow Kor for years, acting as Zendikar’s protector. Due to the nature of Zendikar’s wild mana, it lured many other Planeswalkers and threats there, including thePlaneswalker Ob Nixilis. However, Nahiri subdued him and stole his power away from him, bounding it into a hedron on his forehead that prevented him from tapping into his powers.
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Nahiri taught many about how the hedron worked and how to maintain them. Shealso taught her people about the Eldrazi, warning them of their dangers. Eventually, Nahiri opted to go into a deep sleep, where her heeding of the Eldrazi became muddled, their names lost, and Nahiri was seen as a prophet of one.
Nahiriawoke when vampires on Zendikarbegan to build shrines over the nexus of the network of hedrons set up by Ugin, causing the Eldrazi’s prison to become weakened. The brood of the Eldrazi titans began to appear, and Nahiri called for Sorin and Ugin to help her take care of the hitch in their plan. Neither of them responded, but Nahiri was able to restore the seal to full functionality. In a search for answers as to why Sorin did not respond, she traveled toInnistradto confront him.
The Harbinger
Nahiri confronted Sorin immediately, demanding answers for why Sorin did not answer her call. He told her that the call was dampened by theHelvault, an artifact that acted as a prison created by Sorin to protect Innistrad. Nahiri was displeased by his answers and berated Sorin for what happened to try and make him feel guilty. This only offended Sorin, who told her to bother Ugin instead. This enraged Nahiri even more; seeing it as a betrayal, she threatened to physically harm Sorin.
Thisled toAvacyn, an angelcreated by Sorin to protect Innistrad, to intervene between the two, and Nahiri began to fight with the angel. The fighting continued until Sorin sealed Nahiri in the Helvault, where she would stay entrapped until its destruction. While Nahiri was imprisoned, theEldrazi managed to break freeon Zendikar, and Sorin took matters into his own hands. He consulted Ugin, who told him to find Nahiri, but Sorin could not free Nahiri without destroying the Helvault entirely, freeing all the threats trapped inside.
TheHelvault was eventually broken, and Nahiri immediately returned to Zendikar, seeing that the Eldrazi had destroyed the Plane. Sheswore revenge on Sorin, making it a mission to make Sorin feel the pain that Zendikar felt by making Innistrad go through the same.
Nahiri returned to Innistrad, where she beganconstructing cryptolithson the Plane that could channel its leylines to empower them. She used this tosummon the Eldrazi titan Emrakulto the Plane to destroy it like the titans on Zendikar did there. Some worshipped Nahiri, believing her to be an ancient vampire who had returned. WhenAvacyn, who had been driven mad, had to be killed by Sorin, Emrakul began destroying the Plane and corrupting the citizens of Innistrad, turning them into eldritch beasts that served her.
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Nahiri traveled to Markov Manor, waiting for Sorin to arrive with her followers. Sorin arrived withOlivia Voldarenand an army of vampires, and the two engaged in combat. Sorin managed to injure Nahiri rather severely but survived. As a final act,Nahiri encased Sorin in a stone prisonjust like he had done to her before planeswalking away, leaving Innistrad to fend for itself against Emrakul. Though they defeated Emrakul byentrapping her in the moon, it was not without massive losses.
Later on, Nahiri waslured to Ravnicawhen theInterplanar Beaconwas activated during the War Of The Spark. Once there, she becameentrapped by the Immortal Sunthat shut down all Planeswalkers' ability to planeswalk. Along with Nahiri, Sorin was called to Ravnica as well.
Despite thethreat ofthe dragon Planeswalker Nicol Bolaswho was trying to take control of the Multiverse, the two’s feud immediately was back on. They ignored everything and began to fight each other instead. This continued until they eventuallyagreed to a temporary trucein order to defeat Nicol Bolas and his army. They both stayed on Ravnica after the disabling of the Immortal Sun to help finish the fight. Whether or not they put aside their differences permanently is yet to be seen.
Return To Zendikar
Sometime after the War Of The Spark, Nahiri returned to Zendikar to fund theSea Gate Expeditionary Houseand act as its benefactor. She was in search of artifacts that could stopthe Roil- an event that causes the nature of the Plane to temporarily go into unpredictable weather patterns, including tornados and tidal waves. Nahiri discovered an artifact called thelithoform corethat could stop the Roil and restore Zendikar to the days of the early Kor Empire before the Eldrazi broke free.
She temporarily worked with fellowZendikar Planeswalker Nissa Revaneto help retrieve a key to theSkyclave. At Akoum, the region where the Skyclave was located, Nahiri accidentally killed an elemental that Nissa had summoned when trying to restore the Skyclave’s power. Nissa learned here that returning Zendikar to its past state would destroy the wildlife, which causedNissa to turn against Nahiri.
Nahiri saw that the Akoum inscriptions told her to travel to theMurasa Skyclave, and she hired help from the Sea Gate Expeditionary House. Upon arrival, Nahiri managed to find the lithoform core, but the party was suddenly attacked by elements. Nahiri used the lithoform core to defend herself but caused death to befall one of her party members. Another saw the danger of the lithoform core and tried to throw the artifact over the edge if Nahiri did not stop. However, she was able to use a hedron to paralyze them, knocking the party member over the edge and claiming the lithoform core for herself.
Nahiri traveled to theSinging City, where she was confrontedby thePlaneswalker Jace Beleren, who was also on the Plane. Both of them were almost driven mad by the haunting music of the city but were saved when Jace used his magic to place a spell on them that would block out the sounds of the Singing City. Jaceagreed to help Nahiriin her quest so long as Nahri let Jace study the lithoform core.
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The duo reached their destination, but Nissa beat them there. Nissa felt betrayed by Jace, who had been working with her previously. Itwas already destroyed by Nissaand her army of elementals. Nissa set them out to attack Nahiri and Jace, forcing them to retract back into the Singing City. They barricaded themselves there as Jace tried to get Nahiri to retreat to Ravnica with him. However, she refuses and tries to go on without Jace’s help. However, Jaceentered her mind and made her give the lithoform core to him. Jace told her that he would give it back after studying it on Ravnica, but that plan, too, was stopped when one of Nissa’s elementals stole it from him and gave it to Nissa.
Nahiri regained control of her mind, but not until Nissa had already used the lithoform core to restore Zendikar to its nature-filled self before the Eldrazi came, undoing all the damage they had done to the Plane. The lithoform core was now useless, with no energy left to be used from it. Defeated, Nahiri left Zendikar with a final insult to Jace, telling him that he had made them enemies that day.
Fighting New Phyrexia
Nahiritraveled to Dominaria to assistin the fight against New Phyrexia. She met Nissa once again at the base of operations, where Nissa almost attacked her. However, she was not there to fight but to help against the Phyrexian threat, telling Nissa to stand down. Jace told Nissa that he had asked for Nahiri’s help. Though Nahiri still wanted to talk things out eventually, the Phyrexians were a much larger priority to deal with.
She along with eight other Planeswalkers, traveled to New Phyrexia, where they would meet withthe Mirran Resistance, led by fellowPlaneswalker Koth of the Hammer,and take the fight to New Phyrexia before they can invade the Multiverse.
