The 40 Best Double-Faced Commanders in Magic Ranked

 Ral, Monsoon Mage + Ral, Leyline Prodigy | Illustrations by Borja Pindado

Double-faced commanders are some of the most exciting cards in Magic: The Gathering, but they can also be a little confusing. Don’t worry, because today we break it all down in a way that’s easy to understand and rank DFC commanders based on how strong they are.

Let’s dive right into it!

What Are Double-Faced Commanders in MTG?

Grist, Voracious Larva | Illustration by Chris Rahn

Double-faced commanders are legendary cards that have two sides, each with its own abilities. Some DFC commanders allow you to cast either side from the command zone, while some start as creatures and transform into planeswalkers, sagas, or even powerful monsters when certain conditions are met. These commanders give you more flexibility during a game and often let you switch strategies mid-match.

#40. Tovolar, Dire Overlord / Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge

Tovolar, Dire Overlord is a must-have for werewolf decks because it draws you cards when your pack deals damage and helps to shift the game from day to night. Once it flips into Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge, it pumps your wolves and gives them trample, so it’s easy to overwhelm your opponents quickly.

#39. Heliod, the Radiant Dawn / Heliod, the Warped Eclipse

Heliod, the Radiant Dawn brings enchantments back from your graveyard and sets you up for a flip into Heliod, the Warped Eclipse, a flash-speed Phyrexian god who discounts your spells based on how many cards your opponents have drawn. This version of Heliod loves white-blue enchantment decks, or even wheels and group draw builds.

#38. Optimus Prime, Hero / Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader

Optimus Prime, Hero boosts your weakest creatures with bolster 1 every end step to help your board grow fast. When it dies, it returns as Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader, a trample-ready vehicle that bolsters 2 and pushes through damage. It’s great in +1/+1 counter decks with cards like Luminarch Aspirant and Cathars' Crusade.

#37. Megatron, Tyrant / Megatron, Destructive Force

Don’t let the name fool you—Megatron, Tyrant is surprisingly tactical. It locks out spells during combat, and it lets you cash in damage post-combat for colorless mana when it flips into Megatron, Destructive Force, a vehicle that throws artifacts at enemy creatures, which is a nice twist for aristocrats decks.

#36. Edgar, Charmed Groom / Edgar Markov's Coffin

Edgar, Charmed Groom gives all your vampires a +1/+1 boost and sticks around even after death by turning into Edgar Markov's Coffin. From there, it makes a lifelink Vampire token each upkeep and eventually returns to its creature form to keep the pressure on.

#35. Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth / Temple of Cultivation

Ramp into Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth and you’ll be rewarded with trample damage that digs through your deck for creatures and lands. When it dies, Ojer Kaslem transforms into Temple of Cultivation, which eventually flips back if you control 10 or more permanents. It's a recursive threat that generates value before and after death.

#34. Archangel Avacyn / Avacyn, the Purifier

Archangel Avacyn flashes in to protect your board with indestructible, perfect for dodging wipes. But when a non-angel dies, it flips into Avacyn, the Purifier and deals 3 damage to everything else. It’s great in decks with sacrifice outlets like Weaponize the Monsters or Ashnod's Altar to control exactly when the flames begin.

#33. Birgi, God of Storytelling / Harnfel, Horn of Bounty

Whether you want extra mana for casting spells or to dig through your deck for more gas, Birgi, God of Storytelling delivers. It adds red mana with every spell you cast and makes boast abilities even better. Or, you can cast it as Harnfel, Horn of Bounty for a wild rummaging tool that exiles two cards off every discard. It’s great in storm decks, especially when paired with Runaway Steam-Kin or Grinning Ignus.

#32. Dennick, Pious Apprentice / Dennick, Pious Apparition

In life, Dennick, Pious Apprentice offers lifelink and protects graveyards from being targeted. But after death, it gets even better—casting it as Dennick, Pious Apparition lets you fly over defenders and create a Clue token each turn when creatures go to the graveyard. It fits nicely in token decks along with cards like Tamiyo's Journal.

#31. Kefka, Court Mage / Kefka, Ruler of Ruin

Straight from the Final Fantasy set, Kefka, Court Mage captures the chaos of the series’ most iconic villain. It makes everyone discard then rewards you with cards based on what was pitched. Flip it into Kefka, Ruler of Ruin, and every life lost by your opponents draws you more cards. Pair it with Underworld Dreams and forced draw effects and watch the madness take over—just like in Kefka’s infamous opera of destruction.

#30. Jacob Hauken, Inspector / Hauken's Insight

Jacob Hauken, Inspector starts off as a quiet, card-sifting engine—you draw and stash cards face down until you’re ready to flip your commander. Once it becomes Hauken's Insight, it’s go time. Each turn, you get access to exiled cards for free, so you can cheat out powerful spells without paying their mana costs. Simple and effective.

#29. Sorin of House Markov / Sorin, Ravenous Neonate

Lifelink and extort make Sorin of House Markov a sneaky lifegain enabler, and once you’ve gained 3 life in a turn, it flips into Sorin, Ravenous Neonate. That side is a planeswalker that brings value through Food, direct damage, and even theft of your opponents’ creatures. Decks built around extort, Authority of the Consuls, or Soul's Attendant can transform Sorin quickly and deal tons of damage with its -1 ability.

#28. Vorinclex / The Grand Evolution

Vorinclex is already a beefy 6/6 with trample and reach, and when it enters, it tutors up two forests to your hand. But pay the full 8 mana, and it flips into The Grand Evolution, a saga that mills, reanimates, grows your team, and even gives you repeatable fight effects. It fits well in ramp-heavy builds or anything that wants to utilize the graveyard and cheat big creatures into play.

#27. Sheoldred / The True Scriptures

Sheoldred enters the battlefield and forces each opponent to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker, so it’s immediately impactful. Once flipped into The True Scriptures, this card unleashes a series of brutal saga effects—it destroys more creatures, empties hands, and finally reanimates everything from all graveyards under your control.

#26. Shaile, Dean of Radiance / Embrose, Dean of Shadow

You’ve got options right from the start with Shaile, Dean of Radiance— it buffs your fresh creatures with +1/+1 counters, perfect for go-wide or token decks. Cast it as Embrose, Dean of Shadow for a darker twist: It shocks your creatures then makes them stronger, then it draws you cards when they die. This duality makes the card great in +1/+1 counter decks, especially with The Ozolith or Luminarch Aspirant.

#25. Tergrid, God of Fright / Tergrid's Lantern

Whether you're forcing sacrifices or pushing discard, Tergrid, God of Fright is terrifying—any permanent your opponents give up can become yours. On the flip side, Tergrid's Lantern drains opponents or forces even more sacrifices. This card works best in decks packed with Pox, Smallpox, or Liliana of the Veil to strip resources while growing your board with stolen goods.

#24. Nicol Bolas, the Ravager / Nicol Bolas, the Arisen

Nicol Bolas, the Ravager is a perfect fit for Grixis () control decks. It pressures early by forcing discards, then it flips into Nicol Bolas, the Arisen—a planeswalker packed with value. As a commander, it’s great because it can be both a threat on board and a long-game powerhouse when the time’s right.

#23. Reidane, God of the Worthy / Valkmira, Protector's Shield

Whether you want to tax your opponents’ spells or soften incoming damage, Reidane, God of the Worthy has you covered. Its front side slows down snow lands and big noncreature spells, while Valkmira, Protector's Shield punishes damage-dealing effects and keeps your stuff safe unless opponents pay extra. Either side is great in stax or aggro strategies that want to gain an edge against certain matchups.

#22. Rona, Herald of Invasion / Rona, Tolarian Obliterator

Mostly known for its role in Pioneer Mox Amber combos, Rona, Herald of Invasion is a slick value engine that feels great to play even outside of the combo. Whether you're digging for pieces or flipping into Rona, Tolarian Obliterator to punish opponents, this card brings a solid mix of utility and threat that makes it a fun and flexible commander.

#21. Flamewar, Brash Veteran / Flamewar, Streetwise Operative

Flamewar, Brash Veteran sacrifices artifacts to grow stronger, then flips into Flamewar, Streetwise Operative, a menace-filled vehicle that exiles cards with intel counters on hit. Later, you can cash those in to refill your hand. It’s a clever value engine in artifact decks with pieces like Ichor Wellspring and Oni-Cult Anvil.

#20. Extus, Oriq Overlord / Awaken the Blood Avatar

Extus, Oriq Overlord is all about spell-slinging value—every instant or sorcery you cast brings a creature back to your hand from the graveyard. But sometimes you just want raw power, and that’s when you cast Awaken the Blood Avatar, a terrifying sorcery that wipes out creatures and gives you a 3/6 haste avatar that deals damage to everyone on attack. It’s a strong fit in aristocrats or Mardu () sacrifice builds alongside cards like Cruel Celebrant and Village Rites.

#19. Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal / Temple of the Dead

Discard-focused decks get a lot of mileage from Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal. Each attack forces your opponents to discard, and if they pitch lands, you get Bat tokens out of the deal. And when Aclazotz dies? It just comes back as Temple of the Dead, a land that eventually flips right back into Aclazotz, so it’s a solid recurring threat.

#18. Huatli, Poet of Unity / Roar of the Fifth People

Huatli, Poet of Unity grabs you a basic land when it enters, so it’s a great ramp piece. The real magic starts when it transforms into Roar of the Fifth People—suddenly you're making Dinosaur tokens, getting ramp from your creatures, tutoring up a dino card, and eventually turning your herd into a stampede with double strike and trample.

#17. Venat, Heart of Hydaelyn / Hydaelyn, the Mothercrystal

In Final Fantasy XIV, Venat becomes Hydaelyn, the crystal embodiment of light—and Venat, Heart of Hydaelyn reflects that in Magic. It draws you a card for each legendary spell you cast, then it transforms into Hydaelyn, the Mothercrystal, granting indestructible and more draw for legendary creatures. It’s a flavorful fit for legend-heavy decks like those with Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle.

#16. Joshua, Phoenix's Dominant / Phoenix, Warden of Fire

In Final Fantasy XVI, Joshua embodies the Phoenix—rebirth through fire—and Joshua, Phoenix's Dominant brings that theme to life. This card lets you discard and draw on entry, fueling graveyard synergies. When it transforms into Phoenix, Warden of Fire, it burns every opponent and ultimately reanimates up to 6 mana worth of creatures. It’s a great fit for red-white midrange or reanimator decks.

#15. Terra, Magical Adept / Esper Terra

One of the most beloved characters from Final Fantasy VI, Terra, Magical Adept carries the burden of her Esper bloodline and the power it brings. When this card enters the battlefield, it mills five cards and can recover an enchantment, reflecting the character’s journey of rediscovery. Upon transforming into Esper Terra, you unleash its full potential—copying enchantments, speeding up sagas, and exploding with a burst of mana.

#14. Kuja, Genome Sorcerer / Trance Kuja, Fate Defied

If you’re into spellslinger pings, Kuja, Genome Sorcerer from Final Fantasy IX slowly builds up an army of tiny Wizard tokens that zap all your opponents whenever you cast non-creature spells. Get four or more total wizards, and this card flips into Trance Kuja, Fate Defied, a damage-doubling engine for any wizard source you control. It’s perfect for typal strategies.

#13. Halvar, God of Battle / Sword of the Realms

Halvar, God of Battle gives double strike to your equipped or enchanted creatures and lets you move auras and equipment around at the start of combat. Cast it as Sword of the Realms, and you’ve got an efficient equipment that boosts power, grants vigilance, and brings creatures back to your hand when they die. It’s a great addition to any white-based aggro deck.

#12. Urabrask / The Great Work

Spellslinger decks will feel right at home with Urabrask, who pings opponents and gives you red mana every time you cast an instant or sorcery. After you’ve cast three in a turn, flip it into The Great Work, a saga that wipes enemy boards, makes Treasure, and even lets you cast from graveyards for one explosive turn.

#11. Ultimecia, Time Sorceress / Ultimecia, Omnipotent

Few Final Fantasy villains match the manipulative power of Ultimecia, Time Sorceress. It surveils on entry or attack, setting up your graveyard, then it transforms into Ultimecia, Omnipotent—one of the rare commanders that gives you an extra turn the moment it flips.

#10. Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER / Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel

Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER, one of gaming’s most iconic villains, fits perfectly into sacrifice decks. It drains and gains life whenever your creatures die, and after four triggers in one turn, it transforms into Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel to lock in that drain effect with an emblem. Its attack lets you sacrifice creatures to draw cards, so it’s a powerful value engine in grindy builds with Reassembling Skeleton or Pitiless Plunderer.

#9. Grist, Voracious Larva / Grist, the Plague Swarm

With deathtouch and a graveyard-focused trigger, Grist, Voracious Larva is sneaky strong in decks that recur creatures. Once you bring something back from the graveyard—Grist included—you can pay a green mana to flip into Grist, the Plague Swarm, a planeswalker that spits out Insect tokens, mills you, and even threatens a reanimator-style ultimate. It works beautifully with cards like Gravecrawler that can keep coming back.

#8. Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student / Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar

Drawing three cards in a single turn might not sound easy, but Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student helps get you there by investigating every time it attacks. Once transformed into Tamiyo, Seasoned Scholar, it becomes a versatile planeswalker who protects you, retrieves spells, and draws a huge chunk of your deck with its ultimate. If you just don’t want to wait, throw a Brainstorm into the mix, which can be very useful, especially to protect the creature version from spot removal.

#7. Etali, Primal Conqueror / Etali, Primal Sickness

With a massive 7/7 body and a wild enters effect, Etali, Primal Conqueror is already a house: It casts a spell from each player's deck for free! But if you transform it into Etali, Primal Sickness, it becomes an indestructible 11/11 that “infects” your opponents with poison counters. It only takes one big swing to put someone on a timer or straight kill them with the likes of Xenagos, God of Revels.

#6. Ral, Monsoon Mage / Ral, Leyline Prodigy

Ral, Monsoon Mage is a spell-lover’s dream, especially in formats like Modern where it plays a key role in the Ruby Storm deck. Its ability to reduce the cost of your instants and sorceries, combined with its coin-flip mechanic, means you can chain spell after spell. Sometimes you’ll flip it mid-turn into Ral, Leyline Prodigy, a planeswalker that keeps the discount train rolling and can even unload eight spells for free with its ultimate.

#5. Valki, God of Lies / Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor

Disruption comes early with Valki, God of Lies, who steals a creature card from each opponent’s hand and can copy them. But if you’ve got the mana, you’ll want to cast Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor instead, an exile-based planeswalker that steals everything from libraries to graveyards. It’s one of the most potent planeswalkers ever made.

#4. Kytheon, Hero of Akros / Gideon, Battle-Forged

Start with a 1-drop like Kytheon, Hero of Akros and you’ll be surprised how quickly it turns into Gideon, Battle-Forged in aggro decks. Just attack with Kytheon and two other creatures, and boom—you’ve got a planeswalker. As Gideon, it can redirect attacks, grant indestructible, or become a 4/4 itself, so it’s one of the best cheap creatures to play early in the game.

#3. Jace, Vryn's Prodigy / Jace, Telepath Unbound

Jace, Vryn's Prodigy does it all for just 2 mana—it loots with a tap, and when your graveyard hits five cards, it flips into Jace, Telepath Unbound. Then Jace slows down enemy creatures, flashes back your best spells, and eventually mills your opponent into oblivion.

#2. Esika, God of the Tree / The Prismatic Bridge

Esika, God of the Tree is already solid, giving your legendaries vigilance and mana fixing. But the real prize is on the back—The Prismatic Bridge cheats out a creature or planeswalker from your deck every turn for free. That’s pure value in a 5-color legends deck with bombs like Zacama, Primal Calamity or Griselbrand.

#1. Ajani, Nacatl Pariah / Ajani, Nacatl Avenger

Ajani, Nacatl Pariah might seem like a humble Cat token generator at first, but don’t be fooled—this card has been making serious waves in formats like Modern and Timeless. The key? Sacrifice outlets like Goblin Bombardment that let you flip Ajani almost instantly. Once transformed into Ajani, Nacatl Avenger, it becomes a planeswalker that buffs your entire cat squad, creates more tokens, and blasts anything if you control a red permanent. It’s a powerhouse in cat typal decks and a strong build-around for aggressive or midrange Commander decks.

How Does Commander Tax Work with Double-Faced Commanders?

Commander tax applies to the card itself, not the individual face. No matter which side of a double-faced commander you cast—front or back—you add an extra for each time you've previously cast that card from the command zone. The tax increases with every cast, regardless of which face you choose to play.

What Is the Color Identity of a Double-Faced Commander?

The color identity of a double-faced commander includes all the mana symbols from both sides of the card. If one side has different colors or a colored activation cost, those still count. Even if you only cast one face, your deck must follow the full color identity of both sides.

Do Both Sides of My Commander Deal Commander Damage?

Yes, damage from either side of a double-faced commander counts toward commander damage. It doesn’t matter which face attacked; it’s the card that matters. Whether you swing with Archangel Avacyn or Avacyn, the Purifier, any combat damage dealt to the same player is cumulative.

What If Only the Back Half of a Card Is a Legendary Creature? Can It Be Your Commander?

No, you can’t use it as your commander. Only the front face matters for eligibility. For example, Westvale Abbey is a land on the front side—not a legendary creature—so it doesn’t qualify, even though it can transform into Ormendahl, Profane Prince.

What Happens If Someone Blinks My Commander While It’s on the Back Side?

If your double-faced commander is on its back side and gets blinked, it comes back on the front face, because it “forgets” its transformed status. It enters fresh as the front side by default.

What If One Side Isn’t a Creature? Is It Still My Commander?

Yes. As long as the front face is a legal commander (usually a legendary creature), it stays your commander—even if it’s on the noncreature side, like a planeswalker or saga. For example, if you have a background as a commander that's currently in play, that counts towards the free-cast on Fierce Guardianship.

Commanding Conclusion

Grist, the Plague Swarm | Illustration by Chris Rahn

Double-faced commanders can lead to some seriously fun and creative decks, no matter how you choose to build around them.

Which was your favorite? Let us know in the comments or on the Draftsim Discord!

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