The 35 Best Reanimation Targets in Magic Ranked

Last updated on March 15, 2026

Atraxa, Grand Unifier | Illustration by Anato Finnstark

Magic has no shortage of busted creatures and splashy permanents that are just begging to be brought back from the graveyard. Whether you're slinging spells in Commander, grinding value in Legacy, or pulling off slick combos in Modern or Pauper, reanimator decks are all about skipping the high mana costs and cheating out threats way ahead of schedule.

In this list, we’re breaking down the best reanimation targets across several formats, focusing mostly on creatures with huge, game-warping effects, plus a few non-creature picks that are just too juicy to ignore.

Intrigued by what those may be? Let’s dive into them!

What Are Reanimation Targets in MTG?

Archon of Cruelty | Illustration by Andrew Mar

Reanimation targets are powerful cards—usually big creatures or game-changing permanents—that players bring back from the graveyard directly onto the battlefield using “reanimation” spells or effects. These targets are often expensive to cast normally, but reanimating them skips the mana cost and lets you cheat out massive threats.

For this list, I ranked the ones that are the most popular among major formats, whether that’s in Legacy, Commander, and even Pauper, while excluding cards like Blightsteel Colossus or Progenitus that can’t stay in the graveyard due to replacement effects.

With that out of the way, let’s start ranking them!

#35. Ulamog’s Crusher

Few commons hit as hard as Ulamog's Crusher. In Pauper—and even the occasional fringe Modern brew—it feels more like a mythic than a bulk card. An 8/8 body with annihilator 2 means that every swing forces your opponent to sacrifice two permanents, which can quickly snowball into a game-ending threat. Getting this out early with something like Exhume is one of the nastiest power plays Pauper has to offer.

It’s straightforward, devastating, and a go-to for budget reanimation decks looking to end games fast.

#34. Striped Riverwinder

If you’re playing Pauper and need a card that pulls double duty, Striped Riverwinder is about as good as it gets. Its 1-mana cycling makes it perfect graveyard fuel early on, and once it’s reanimated, you’ve got a 5/5 with hexproof that’s nearly impossible to deal with. It’s not flashy, but that’s the point—it just sticks around, attacks every turn, and slowly grinds down opponents who usually don’t have the tools to answer it.

#33. Troll of Khazad-dûm

Troll of Khazad-dûm is a standout reanimation target in Pauper, thanks to its perfect synergy with Exhume. Its swampcycling ability makes it easy to pitch early, and once reanimated, that 6/5 with evasion becomes a fast clock that most opponents can’t deal with efficiently. The interaction is so clean and low-cost that it even broke into Legacy Reanimator lists—so much so that the troll was recently banned in Legacy, where its synergy with Reanimate and similar effects pushed fast reanimator strategies over the edge.

#32. Agent of Treachery

Agent of Treachery is all about stealing the best thing on the board—and then stealing more if it sticks around. In Commander, this card is a dream to reanimate because it not only swings the game the moment it enters, but also snowballs if you manage to control multiple stolen permanents. It’s also seen play in Modern and Historic, especially in blink decks that aim to recycle its ETB again and again. It’s greedy, rude, and incredibly effective.

#31. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Few creatures flip a board state as fast as Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. Giving your team +2/+2 while slamming your opponents’ creatures with -2/-2 often means you wipe their board while making yours unstoppable. This card is a reanimation all-star in Commander, especially when you’re up against go-wide token strategies or combat-heavy decks. It might not be the flashiest reanimation target out there, but it’s one of the most consistent at locking down the board and turning the game in your favor.

#30. Borborygmos Enraged

Borborygmos Enraged is a bit niche but has explosive potential when reanimated in land-heavy or dredge-style Commander decks. This Gruul legend turns lands in hand into repeatable Lightning Bolts and fills your hand every time it connects with a player. While you won’t see this in competitive formats, it's a spicy combo piece in brews that use The Gitrog Monster or Life from the Loam to keep the engine running.

#29. Sun Titan

You don’t always need the flashiest creature to make a big impact—sometimes, value and reliability win the game, and that’s exactly what Sun Titan brings to the table. Every time it enters or attacks, you get to return a permanent with mana value 3 or less directly to the battlefield, which can mean ramping with lands, recovering utility creatures, or grabbing key combo pieces. In white Commander decks, especially those focused on blink or recursion, it’s a staple that keeps the engine running. It might not wow you with raw size, but Sun Titan grinds out long games with relentless efficiency.

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

Etali, Primal Conqueror is a dream reanimation target because it offers explosive value the moment it hits the battlefield. When this card enters, you get to cast the next spell from each player's library for free. That means you're often getting two, three, or even four powerful spells at no extra cost—which can immediately swing the game in your favor.

And if that wasn’t enough, Etali can also transform into a massive, poison-spewing, indestructible threat that ends games quickly if left unchecked. This card shines brightest in Commander, where there are always plenty of high-impact cards to steal, but it’s also showing up in Brawl thanks to its raw power. When it comes to reanimator payoffs, Etali delivers both chaos and inevitability.

#27. Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur

Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur is a classic example of a “draw seven, ruin friendships” kind of card. This praetor doesn’t just refill your hand—it completely wrecks your opponents’ plans by shrinking their hand size to zero. In Commander, this card is often reanimated early to either draw immediate heat or completely warp the game state in your favor. It's a bit too slow for Legacy Reanimator these days, but it still shows up occasionally in fringe builds that want to lock out the table.

#26. Razaketh, the Foulblooded

Razaketh, the Foulblooded is basically a demon-flavored tutor engine on wings. What makes this card absurd in Commander is that once it hits the field, sacrificing even a few creatures turns into a full combo setup. People often reanimate this just to chain into their win conditions immediately. You won’t see it much in faster formats, but in casual circles, Razaketh is a terrifying finisher.

#25. Sheoldred, Whispering One

If you're into repeatable value and control, then Sheoldred, Whispering One is your kind of reanimation target. This card creates a miserable experience for opponents by forcing them to sacrifice creatures every turn while bringing yours back for free. Sheoldred is a Commander staple, especially in graveyard-heavy decks, and can turn any slow grindy game into a lopsided war of attrition.

#24. Consecrated Sphinx

Consecrated Sphinx makes sure you always outdraw your opponents. This card snowballs fast and is often reanimated just to ensure you stay ahead in the card advantage race. It’s a Commander favorite and even pops up in Vintage Cube drafts as a high-priority threat to cheat into play.

#23. Nezahal, Primal Tide

Then there’s Nezahal, Primal Tide, which is a pain to remove and a card draw monster against the right decks. This card is immune to counters, has built-in protection via discard, and punishes opponents for playing spells. It’s a great reanimation target in both Commander and more casual reanimator brews where recurring value is more important than immediate impact.

#22. Rune-Scarred Demon

Rune-Scarred Demon is one of those cards that feels like a two-for-one cheat when you reanimate it. You get a 6/6 flier and a tutor stapled together, which is exactly what midrange and combo Commander decks want. While it’s not flashy, this demon is all about value and reliability—grab your combo piece, get a blocker, and keep going. It’s a solid inclusion in black-based reanimator shells that don’t mind paying a little extra for power.

#21. Vilis, Broker of Blood

Vilis, Broker of Blood turns every point of life loss into pure gas. This demon practically begs to be reanimated in Commander, where big lifegain swings or cards like Necropotence are already being played. Once on the field, your life total becomes a resource you can burn for cards, and the activated ability becomes a draw engine. It’s not seen in Legacy or Modern, but it's a menace in EDH.

#20. Sepulchral Primordial

Sepulchral Primordial doesn’t just give you back one creature—it can steal something from each of your opponents, too. That’s what makes it a multiplayer monster. Reanimating this in Commander can flip the entire board state in your favor, especially if someone’s been milling or playing aristocrats. It’s not flashy in competitive circles, but in casual pods, this card often feels like a mini-Overrun made of stolen dreams.

#19. It That Betrays

If you’re going for big splashy reanimation plays, It That Betrays is pure chaos. It punishes sacrifice effects by stealing what your opponents give up, and it forces those sacrifices regularly with annihilator 2. This card doesn’t show up in competitive formats due to its high mana cost, but in Commander—especially in decks that run Grave Pact or Dictate of Erebos—it can snowball fast into a one-sided game.

#18. Worldgorger Dragon

Worldgorger Dragon is one of those cards that’s either broken or catastrophic. In combo decks, it forms an infinite loop with reanimation spells like Animate Dead, where it exiles and re-enters over and over to make infinite mana. This combo is very popular in cEDH but also banned in some casual circles because of how complicated and dangerous it can be—exile your board wrong, and you could lose on the spot. Still, it’s a classic high-reward reanimation piece.

#17. Kokusho, the Evening Star

Kokusho, the Evening Star is a timeless reanimation target that punishes your opponents just for dying. In multiplayer formats like Commander, this card can drain the table for 15 life, which adds up fast with sacrifice loops or blink effects. It’s especially nasty in decks that can repeatedly reanimate and sacrifice it, making it both a finisher and a stabilizer in one elegant, dragon-shaped package.

#16. Avacyn, Angel of Hope

Avacyn, Angel of Hope is the poster child for “You better have exile removal.” This angel makes your entire board untouchable upon reanimation. Avacyn sees heavy play in white reanimator decks and angel Commander builds, where the goal is to protect a valuable board state and swing freely. The cost is steep, but once it's out, removing your stuff becomes nearly impossible.

#15. Portal to Phyrexia

If you’re playing an artifact-heavy deck and love reanimating powerful pieces, Portal to Phyrexia is a dream come true. Not only does it act as a brutal board wipe—making each opponent sacrifice three creatures—but it also gives you free creature reanimation every upkeep. That’s a nasty combo of control and long-term value. It’s no surprise this has become a staple in Commander decks like Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa and Tawnos, Solemn Survivor, where bringing artifacts back from the graveyard is all part of the strategy.

#14. Bolas’s Citadel

Bolas's Citadel is another non-creature gem that thrives when reanimated or cheated into play. Once it’s on the battlefield, you get to cast spells off the top of your library by paying life instead of mana. It’s especially potent in black decks that gain incidental life or run cards like Sensei's Divining Top. Commander decks love this card as a combo engine, and it even has a sneaky alt-win with its “sacrifice 10 permanents” ability.

#13. Chancellor of the Annex

Having Chancellor of the Annex in your opening hand gives you a sneaky little tax effect right out of the gate, making your opponents pay extra for their very first spell. But the real annoyance begins when you reanimate it—suddenly, every spell your opponents cast costs more, which can seriously mess with their tempo. It’s a familiar face in Legacy Reanimator for hands trying to dodge early interaction, and in Commander, it’s a fun pick for stax decks looking to slow the whole table down.

#12. Sire of Insanity

Sire of Insanity is a symmetrical effect—but only if you’re not prepared for it. In practice, you reanimate this demon when your hand is empty (or doesn’t matter), and it wrecks everyone else by forcing a discard at each end step. It’s a brutal tool for Rakdos reanimator strategies in Commander and a nightmare for control players who rely on holding up interaction. It’s chaotic, punishing, and perfect for “burn it all down” playstyles.

#11. Void Winnower

Void Winnower is one of the strangest and most brutal cards to reanimate. By shutting off spells and blockers with even mana values, it throws off the balance of the game in a hilarious (and often frustrating) way. In Commander, this card can effectively cut off entire decks from functioning if they rely on even-costed spells. While it's not usually seen in competitive formats, casual and mid-power tables often groan the second this Eldrazi hits the battlefield.

#10. Serra’s Emissary

Few reanimation targets shut down opposing game plans quite like Serra's Emissary. Once it's on the battlefield, picking the right card type—usually creature or instant—can make you or your board nearly impossible to interact with. It’s a go-to in Commander, especially for decks that run tutors or blink effects to get extra mileage. While its main home is EDH, it's even made occasional appearances in Modern reanimator decks, either as a maindeck finisher or a clever sideboard bullet.

#9. Iona, Shield of Emeria

Iona, Shield of Emeria used to be one of the nastiest reanimation targets in Commander and Legacy. By naming a color, you essentially shut off entire decks from casting spells. Though banned in Commander, Iona remains a strong inclusion in other formats where cheating big creatures into play is viable. When Iona lands early, a mono-colored deck might as well scoop on the spot.

#8. Ashen Rider

When you need something gone for good, Ashen Rider does the job twice—once when it hits the battlefield and again when it dies. That kind of double exile effect is incredible in Commander, especially against stubborn threats like planeswalkers, key lands, or anything else that’s hard to answer. It fits perfectly into decks built around flicker loops or reanimation engines, turning every iteration into serious value. Even Legacy Reanimator pulls it in now and then, especially when they need a clean answer to cards like Ensnaring Bridge that would otherwise shut down their win.

#7. Blazing Archon

Blazing Archon might not look like much at first glance, but once you reanimate it, you’ll immediately see the power: No one can attack you. That effect alone makes it one of the best “stall until I combo” cards for reanimator builds in Commander. It also pairs well with pillow fort or group hug strategies that want to deter aggression. While it’s not fast enough for Legacy, it’s a fantastic piece for casual metas.

#6. Sphinx of the Steel Wind

There’s something classy about reanimating Sphinx of the Steel Wind. It’s like summoning a chrome-plated Akroma with all the right keywords—flying, lifelink, vigilance, first strike—and protections from red and green to shrug off most removal. This card does serious work as a stabilizer in Commander and even Vintage Cube, swinging back your life total while holding off attacks. It’s not the flashiest reanimation target out there, but it’s incredibly effective and tough to answer once it hits the board.

#5. Archon of Cruelty

Few creatures hit as hard on every axis as Archon of Cruelty. The moment it enters—or even just attacks—you’re draining life, forcing a discard, making an opponent sacrifice a creature or planeswalker, and drawing a card yourself. That’s a brutal pile of value from a single trigger. In Modern, it’s a centerpiece of Rakdos and Esper Reanimator decks, while in Commander, things get even nastier when you start looping or copying it. If you’re aiming for inevitability with serious impact, this Archon doesn’t mess around.

#4. Griselbrand

Griselbrand is arguably the most busted reanimation target ever printed. Pay 7 life, draw seven cards—repeat as needed. It’s banned in Commander for good reason, but it’s still a top-tier wincon in Legacy Reanimator decks. The ability to dig into your entire deck the moment it resolves makes it the centerpiece of countless combo lines, and sometimes, you don’t even need a second card—Griselbrand draws your win on the spot.

#3. Terastodon

There’s a reason Terastodon is such a beloved reanimation target—it’s just incredibly versatile. Blowing up up to three noncreature permanents gives you answers to pesky artifacts, enchantments, or even lands that are ruining your plans. Sure, your opponents get some 3/3 Elephant tokens in exchange, but that’s usually a small price to pay when you’re dismantling key pieces of their strategy. This big green beast shows up all over Commander, especially in decks that love blink effects, recursion loops, or just spamming powerful ETB triggers.

#2. Atraxa, Grand Unifier

Atraxa, Grand Unifier is one of the newer darlings in reanimation circles, especially in formats like Legacy and Modern. This card does everything you want: It stabilizes with four keywords, blocks incredibly well, and draws you a grip of cards by digging through your top 10. Reanimating Atraxa early feels like cheating—because it kind of is. You often get a full hand and a 7/7 with vigilance, flying, lifelink, and deathtouch. What’s not to love?

#1. Omniscience

Omniscience isn’t a creature, but it’s one of the juiciest non-creature targets to cheat into play. Whether you use Replenish, Show and Tell, or a reanimation-style enchantment recursion, getting this out means every spell from your hand is free. It’s a staple in combo decks across Legacy, Commander, and fringe Standard brews, and once resolved, it almost always ends the game in a flood of spells.

Wrap Up

Ashen Rider | Illustration by Chris Rahn

As you can see, there’s no shortage of powerful reanimation targets that have left their mark on their formats. Sure, some of them have sky-high mana costs or hefty price tags, but when you’re cheating them into play with a well-timed reanimation spell, it all feels worth it—especially when their enter-the-battlefield effects completely turn the game around. Got a personal favorite we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to follow us on social media/Discord for more spicy Magic content!

Take care, and we will meet again in my next article.