Magic: the Gathering is a game that takes place in countless settings and themes. The game has regularly explored settings involving body horror and gothic horror to name a few, and some of that art has been quite divisive. One thing that Magic always does well is its art, though, and when it comes to horror, terror, and disgust, the artists always deliver.
Today we’re going to look at the absolute creepiest artworks in Magic, the ones that send a shiver up the spine. It’s Halloween soon, after all, so it’s time to pull the covers up tight, turn the light on, and wait for all this to blow over…
10. FLESHTAKER
Kev Walker’s art for Fleshtaker harkens back to many a slasher movie. There was somewhat of an obsession with movies about gruesome kidnappers and even cannibals in the 90s and early 00s, and the art here pays homage to these scenarios by placing you squarely in the sights of your pursuer. The masked adversary in the artwork has you cornered; the crops create a stifling wall around you, with nowhere to escape, and you’ve reached the end of the road.
The various knives with their instantly recognizable handles paints your pursuer as firmly rooted in the human world, which in many ways makes it all the scarier. Who is the true monster? The feral and unknowable, or the evil inherent in man?
9. DURESS
Steven Belledin’s art for Duress is one of the first artworks I remember seeing when I started playing Magic that had me pause to consider it. I think the anguish on the elf’s face here is what really sells the piece – you can feel the pain and fear on her face, and it brings the viewer into a state of empathy, magnified by how we don’t see the torturer in the artwork.
We, too, could be in this space, and we might be next. It’s Liliana, though, and we want to be next.
8. CENSOR
John Stanko’s Censor left a lasting impression on me. He’s an artist that has always produced masterful representations of the human body, and his touch on Censor makes the piece feel all the more real. The idea of having your mouth closed off, or being gagged, is a common trope in Horror, and I think what Stanko does here takes it to another level.
Firstly, the setting – it feels lonely and unforgiving, with just a wall behind the subject. It’s cold and detached, and there’s no retreat. Next, the use of light and shadow. While we don’t see the “monster” that has done this to the man in photo, we still feel threatened, thanks to the looming shadow (even if it’s the victim’s shadow). Couple this with the sheer terror on our victim’s eyes, and you come away with an iconic piece.
I think the drawn on mouth on the bandage really caps the piece off. It’s absurd, and makes the act feel all the more malicious.
7. PALE RIDER OF TROSTAD
Pale Rider of Trostad is probably the most effective example of the “no-face” man, the Slender-man, of the horror world, on any Magic card. The piece works on multiple levels. Firstly, the style. It’s evocative of the 18th and 19th Century, a time when the areas between civilization were quiet and full of threat. Anything could be lurking out there, and while in real life it’s more likely to be a highwayman or other delinquent, the threat remains, and it’s why these areas are explored in horror.
We are far from a village or town here. The grass is long, and the stark treeline gives a feeling of no-escape. There’s no safe treeline to hide in. The ethereal nature of the Pale Rider evokes our knowledge of ghosts and spirits, and indicates to us that we might not be able to escape at all. The fact that even with no eyes we can feel the rider’s gaze caps this piece off as properly creepy.
6. THOUGHT SCOUR
Ah, Thought Scour. Thought Scour is abjectly horrible. The subject in the artwork is being harassed and experimented on by all manner of painful looking implements, and the machine like nature of the invasive surgery makes it feel even more unsafe, and unclean. The man oozes and his skin is pulled taught and stitched together – indicating that this isn’t the first time for him.
It’s only when we consider the card in practice, and the flavor text, that we realize the victim is probably a corpse already. It doesn’t make it any easier to swallow, though, and Thought Scour remains one of the highest-played cards with the creepiest art.
5. BILE BLIGHT
The Friday Night Magic promo version of Bile Blight draws on Nils Hamm’s expertise in crafting art that sits perched between terror and beauty. He’s a master of the sublime, and this artwork manages to creep us out not just based on the obvious body horror of what is happening – being reduced to a melting ooze of human – but because of the mournful gaze coming from what’s left of the victim’s face.
You can feel the agony and terror.
4. TERROR
Speaking of Terror, this list wouldn’t be complete without Adam Rex’s iconic Terror art from Tenth Edition. This piece manages to capture the visceral and the terrifying, the beauty and pain, and does so with a composition that echoes the great works of the 17th century, most notably Finson’s Allegory of the Four Elements.
This piece speaks to us on a deep level, and words can’t really do it justice.
3. TRANSGRESS THE MIND
Cynthia Sheppard’s art for Transgress the Mind from Battle for Zendikar is truly creepy. Eldritch horror is well explored in Magic with the Eldrazi, but seldom is it done the justice that Sheppard does it here. We see a truly haunting metaphor of what the experience of having the mind opened truly can be, in all the visceral detail.
The many armed and faceless Eldrazi ticks many trope boxes, and while we’re used to see the monsters of our horror media tearing apart their victims, the composition of this piece stands out because of just how this mutilation is occurring – from the back of the mind and exiting through the mouth.
The victim here is a Kor, which in my opinion heightens the horror on display. The wispy white hair and pallid skin tone serve to ask the viewer if the victim is having to live through this ordeal or not.
2. AD NAUSEAM
Long time Magic players can probably guess the final two entries on the list, and yes, one of them is Ad Nauseam. Ad Nauseam plays into our darkest fears and our most horrific media. The body horror here is disgusting, and the combination of horror with what looks to be punishment (or madness and infirmity) serves to truly repel the viewer.
The somewhat aged body of the subject, coupled with the flavor of the card, also recalls our fears of aging, of dementia, and of being alone, and misunderstood. It’s a very real fear, and it’s all captured in this piece.
1. PHYREXIAN UNLIFE
Phyrexian Unlife tops my list today in large part because of how iconic it is. Whenever anyone mentions horror, body horror, or creepy art in Magic, this card always tops the list of mentions. Some of it is recency bias, sure – more players are familiar with Phyrexia than the early art in the game, some of which was really creepy. But it’s not up for debate, really – Phyrexian Unlife is one creepy artwork.
The hollow gaze of the subject renders us paralyzed with them. It asks us what exactly happened to leave them in such a way. The ichor dripping from their hands and face gives us some clues, but to the unlearned, the contrast between the oily blackness and the perfection of the doll-like visage has us wondering on the nature of the subject. Are they the victim, or are they reveling in their newfound state? Are they better off? Are we next?
END STEP
Today’s Halloween inspired piece was a fun look through the creepiest artwork in Magic. Which pieces scare you the most? Let us know on X.
Kristen is Card Kingdom’s Head Writer. Formerly a competitive Pokémon TCG grinder, she has been playing Magic since Shadows Over Innistrad, which in her opinion, was a great set to start with. When she’s not taking names with Equipment and Aggro strategies in Commander, she loves to play any form of Limited.