Ranking The Best Commanders Released in 2025

Last updated on December 18, 2025

Narset, Jeskai Waymaster | Illustration by Randy Vargas

2025 has been an amazing year for Commander as 11 brand new legendary creatures broke into the Top 100 Commanders on EDHREC — some mere weeks after release. These are the hottest commander of 2025!

Rank #95 – Toph, the First Metalbender

Toph, the First Metalbender combines lands and artifacts to a range of archetypes, from landfall value to combos fueled by Second Sunrise effects.

It works well with sacrifice effects; Toph can earthbend artifacts so cards like Ichor Wellspring and Chromatic Star return to play after getting sacrificed.

The best cards to play with it are, of course, Mindslaver and Strip Mine.

Rank #94 – Zurgo Stormrender

Zurgo Stormrender is a perfectly aggressive token commander. Since its death trigger changes depending on whether or not the token was attacking, the pilot has control over how sacrifice outlets like Goblin Bombardment and Ashnod's Altar advance their gameplan. Don’t forget consistent token producers like Loyal Apprentice and Elspeth, Storm Slayer!

Rank #81 – Fire Lord Azula

Fire Lord Azula has steadily climbed the ranks of popular commanders, despite its recent release. Much of this can be attributed to its flexibility. It can be built as combo commander, voltron commander, spellslinger commander, or midrange-value commander. Turns out doubling spells rocks every time.

This flexibility allows players to pick up Azula and build it to their tastes and desired power level. Generic value engines aren’t always interesting, but Azula fuels so many distinct strategies it becomes a blank canvas for intrepid deckbuilders.

Rank #80 – Hearthhull, the Worldseed

One of the biggest changes to Commander in 2025 was a rules change that allowed vehicles or spacecraft with printed power/toughness boxes to be commanders, with Hearthhull, the Worldseed benefiting the most.

Hearthhull has more than a novel card type—it’s unique in the land-matter space. Most lands commanders are built around landfall, like Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait and The Necrobloom. But Hearthhull gives you a strong, relatively cheap win condition that uses cards like God-Eternal Bontu and Zuran Orb for explosive finishes.

Rank #67 – Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER

Voltron deck are incredibly satisfying. Nothing hits quite like a massive creature that wipes a player from the pod, and Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER is the most prominent voltron commander of 2025.

Cheating the equip cost of powerful equipment like Colossus Hammer and Argentium Armor generates a burst of value, but Cloud also encourages going wide since for extra card draw. A voltron commander that encourages players to pivot towards a go-wide strategy offers great flexibility, moreso than classic examples like Uril, the Mistalker.

Rank #61 – Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER / Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel

Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER is the perfect aristocrat commander since it puts a Blood Artist effect in the command zone and attaches card draw to it. That would be plenty enticing, but you also have an incredible win condition in Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel once your engine gets going.

It’s compact and powerful, yet requires just enough setup to give table time to interact before it starts churning out emblems to dominate the mid-game. Sephiroth isn’t the most popular commander on this list, but it might be the best designed.

Rank #58 – Kefka, Court Mage / Kefka, Ruler of Ruin

Kefka, Court Mage is a rare transforming commander with a backside that’s much less impressive than the front. Kefka, Ruler of Ruin is fine, and leads to combo wins with Curiosity effects, but has nothing on the front side.

The Court Mage is a devastating control commander. When paired with flicker effects, it asymmetrically obliterates opponents' hands while keeping yours full since you draw additional cards. Toss in discard synergies like Liliana's Caress and Monument to Endurance for pure Grixis cruelty.

Rank #42 – Hashaton, Scarab’s Fist

Hashaton, Scarab's Fist makes the card-intensive reanimator strategy a breeze. The token copies let you generate value as early as turn 3 without exiling the original card, which means you can properly Reanimate it later. Since it encourages loot effects, the deck sees a significant number of cards every game.

It even has competitive merit as the only Esper () commander that can companion Lurrus of the Dream-Den.

Rank #24 – Teval, the Balanced Scale

Teval, the Balanced Scale has dethroned Muldrotha, the Gravetide as the format’s premiere graveyard commander. It’s the perfect commander for the ever-growing pull of effects that care about cards leaving the graveyard. Teval is both an enabler and payoff for self-mill with its attack trigger.

It even leaves room open for flexibility. It make zombie tokens, which gives players an angle to exploit the game’s most popular archetypes, and it enables several infinite loops when paired with Tortured Existence.

Rank #20 – Vivi Ornitier

If you’ve touched Magic at all in the past few months, you’ve heard of Final Fantasy’s most broken card: Vivi Ornitier, one of the strongest cards of 2025 and the best spellslinger commander since Niv-Mizzet, Parun’s 2018 debut.

Vivi is an incredible storm enabler as a win condition and source of mana so the pilot has the resources to take a twenty minute turn. Slap on a Curisocity or similar effect, and it draws cards. Oh, and, if all else fails, it grows fast enough to close out a game in combat! One wonders how this was ever approved.

Rank #11 – Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed

The breakout commander of 2025 is Y'shtola, Night's Blessed, an Esper control commander that took the community by storm the moment it was previewed. Y’shtola provides control decks with a powerful card advantage engine that doubles as a win condition, all at a criminally low cost.

Y’shtola plays best with free or spells like Fierce Guardianship and Flare of Denial to reliably trigger its drain ability multiple times a turn cycle. Since its draw ability sees any player losing life, the pilot can trigger it with cards like Snuff Out and Dismember that make them pay 4 life. Don’t worry—you’ll gain it back. It’s perfect for anybody who enjoys seeing the light fade from their opponents’ eyes as they die to a thousand cuts.

2025 has been an explosive year for Commander, with new legends from sets within and without Magic’s IP excelling at capturing the hearts and imaginations of the player base. Here’s to a successful 2026!