The 33 Best Nobles in Magic Ranked

Last updated on March 25, 2025

Charming Prince | Illustration by Randy Vargas

Hello planeswalkers! Put your guillotines away, because it’s time to check out the nobles in MTG. These are the aristocratic heads of legendary families and kingdoms in the many different planes of Magic. Many of these noble creature cards are recognizable names and pivotal canonical characters. So, “Let them eat cake!” (even if Antoinette probably never said this).

Aside from their importance in Magic's lore, the noble creature often provides some serious value to builds. It isn’t a creature type that works well for typal builds, but these cards can play pivotal roles in gaining advantages and synergizing with combos.

Get the trumpets ready, and let’s introduce these nobles!

What Are Nobles in MTG?

Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig | Illustration by Zack Stella

Noble is a creature type that represents the nobility of Magic's different races and planes. These cards are the kings, queens, and other aristocrats that have gained rank and power in their domains. The noble creature type has replaced the lord creature type as the head of power.

This creature type was introduced in the Homelands MTG set with Faerie Noble. After this, the creature type has been retroactively given to many royal creatures and used for many newer cards. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set exploded the number of noble creatures with all the depictions of the heads of the different realms of Middle-earth.

The noble creature type is represented in all colors and is mainly paired with the legendary supertype. Nobles can be quite strong commanders or play pivotal roles in many different strategies.  

#33. Linden, the Steadfast Queen

Linden, the Steadfast Queen is a solid addition to white decks that want to go wide and/or gain life. This simple attack trigger of gaining life when a white creature attacks should insulate you against aggro decks while realizing your strategies. Cards like Essence Channeler and Elenda's Hierophant pair well with this human noble.

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

Getting a planeswalker onto the battlefield for 2 mana is wild. Sorin of House Markov is a cheap early-game deterrent against aggro decks. Transforming this planeswalker into Sorin, Ravenous Neonate is where the true value comes in. Gaining 3 life in a single turn is no problem for Orzhov () decks, so you could possibly get a Sorin planeswalker onto the battlefield as early as turn 2 or 3.

#31. Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig

Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig can be a pivotal curve play in mono-green creature decks. This green card is cheap at 3 mana. It’s strong, and it can get much stronger. And if you can follow playing this giant noble with cards like Rampaging Baloths and Invigorating Surge, you should be rolling over opponents.

#30. Be’lakor, the Dark Master

Be'lakor, the Dark Master is a demon noble through and through. This Grixis card () helps you to draw a ton of cards at a cost (very demon-like) and turn all your demons entering play into direct damage. As a Grixis commander, Be’lakor can thrive with cards like Herald of Slaanesh, Vilis, Broker of Blood, and Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber.

#29. Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor

Faeries are becoming a strong typal build again, and nothing shows this more than Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor. With this Dimir card (), you can pump your faeries and benefit whenever they die. Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor can work as your Dimir commander or as support, but whatever you do, surround it with your best faeries.

#28. Raphael, Fiendish Savior

I love cards that can support multiple creature types or even a combination of typal decks. Raphael, Fiendish Savior can support all your underworld creatures. This card pumps your demons, devils, imps, and tieflings, gives you lifegain potential, and creates useful tokens. I don't know what else you need from a Rakdos commander ().

#27. Galadriel, Light of Valinor

There’s no doubt in my mind that there should be four noble iterations of Galadriel. At the top of the list is Galadriel, Light of Valinor. This Bant card () is a great creaturefall card, especially as a Bant commander. When alliance triggers, you can gain some serious mana, creature size, or pacing advantages.

#26. Muxus, Goblin Grandee

A goblin noble with the upside of bringing multiple goblin creature cards onto the battlefield is tremendous. Muxus, Goblin Grandee is quite expensive for most goblin decks, but the advantages it can bring are wonderful. You can fill your board with great goblin cards like Krenko, Mob Boss and pump Muxus, Goblin Grandee into a massive attacker.

#25. Merfolk Sovereign

There’s a theme among Magic’s nobles that they empower (pump) their underlings (typal creatures). To make a noble a wonderful MTG card, it should pump and have some interesting interactions. Merfolk Sovereign does just this. It pumps your merfolk creatures and can make your best merfolk creatures like Tishana, Voice of Thunder unblockable.

#24. Tomb Tyrant

What’s more on theme than zombies returning from the graveyard? Tomb Tyrant is your graveyard sovereign. This card pumps your zombies and allows you to return a random one from your graveyard if there are at least three in there. This card isn’t a must-roster for zombie decks, but it certainly has enough value to be effective.

#23. Emperor Mihail II

Merfolk Sovereign is a wonderful addition to merfolk decks, but Emperor Mihail II is a merfolk noble you should pay attention to. Each section of text for this blue creature benefits merfolk decks. Merfolk decks want to play many creatures, so cast them from the top of your deck and use your extra mana to create merfolk creature tokens.

#22. Squee, Dubious Monarch

I’m a big fan of the unique Squee, the Immortal, but it’s fun to see Squee in his most noble form, Squee, Dubious Monarch. This aggro red card can help create more creature tokens to quickly overrun your opponents before they can properly defend themselves. On top of this aggressive attacking nature, this red creature has some added value against removal by being able to be revived.

#21. Olivia, Crimson Bride

You didn’t think we’d talk about nobles without the great vampire couple, did you? The lovely bride Olivia, Crimson Bride is a Rakdos () reanimator commander to the max. Of all the iterations of Olivia, this noble one packs a serious punch. Assuming your deck has several legendary vampires, you can reanimate your fallen vampires to overpower your opponents.

#20. Edgar, Charmed Groom / Edgar Markov’s Coffin

We’ve discussed the bride, and now for the groom. Edgar, Charmed Groom is an Orzhov () vampire deck engine. This Orzhov card works as a static pump for your vampires and if it's destroyed, it returns as a legendary artifact that creates vampire tokens. This revival of Edgar is a wonderful way to outlast your opponent’s removal, assuming they don’t have too many exile spells.

#19. Queen Allenal of Ruadach

There isn’t too much more you could want from a single Selesnya card () than Queen Allenal of Ruadach. This elf noble gets larger with the number of creatures you have and increases the number of tokens you can create. This uncommon card makes a fine addition to creature token-heavy decks.

#18. Indulgent Aristocrat

When you think of nobles and aristocrats, what word comes to mind? For me, it of course has to be indulgent. Indulgent Aristocrat is a vampire mass pump card that requires a “blood tribute.” You can sacrifice small creatures to pump all of your vampires and take over a match.

#17. Sovereign Okinec Ahau

Sovereign Okinec Ahau is the kind of counter card you want because it can compound counters on your creatures. This cat noble gives counters equal to the difference between a creature’s current power and base power. There are some dream combinations of this Selesnya card and cards like Quilled Greatwurm and Unnatural Growth you can take advantage of.

#16. Yenna, Redtooth Regent

Yenna, Redtooth Regent is a text-ful bomb card for aura decks. This elf noble can help you create token copies of enchantments even if they’re legendary. If these enchantments happen to be auras, you can do it again! This should create so many advantages with enchantment triggers and just gives you more firepower than opponents. The nonlegendary token should open many possibilities with enchantments like Flowering of the White Tree.

#15. Lathril, Blade of the Elves

Lathril, Blade of the Elves is a solid addition to Golgari () elf decks that aim to go wide. With this Golgari card’s token creation and cards like Elven Ambush, you can amass an army of elves. At that point, you can unleash the true value of this card and siphon 10 life from each opponent.

#14. Aragorn, the Uniter

Aragorn, the Uniter unites four colors () and gives you benefits for playing spells of any of these colors. The combinations and interactions are endless with this card, but the aim should be to play multicolored cards like Faeburrow Elder or Pippin, Guard of the Citadel to trigger multiple abilities from Aragorn, the Uniter. All the versions of Aragorn have value, noble or not.

#13. Lord Skitter, Sewer King

Why shouldn’t rats deserve their own sovereign? Lord Skitter, Sewer King rules over the rats of Eldraine, and this black creature has quite a few useful interactions. This black card can defend against reanimate strategies, works with leave-the-graveyard cards like Insidious Roots, and develops your rat army to pair with Pack Rat. However you slice it, this sewer king is solid!

#12. Florian, Voldaren Scion

Florian, Voldaren Scion is a great impulse draw engine for vampire and Rakdos decks. The number of cards you look at with this Rakdos card is based on how much life your opponents have lost by your second main phase, which is quite easy for those builds. This vampire noble can put pressure on your opponents to block and potentially get you the cards that you truly need.

#11. Witch-king of Angmar

Witch-king of Angmar is a wonderful rattlesnake card. If you’re unfamiliar, a rattlesnake card works as a deterrent by almost daring your opponents to attack you. Your opponents have to sacrifice any creature that deals damage to you and you gain advantages with the Ring tempts you mechanic. Another 5-drop wraith noble worth mentioning is Lord of the Nazgûl for the high upside token-creating and pumping abilities.

#10. The Council of Four

The Council of Four is a nice mirror kind of card for Eternal and Oathbreaker formats. Whenever anyone draws two cards or plays two spells you trigger some sort of effect. This is a wonderful deterrence and response to whatever your opponents have up their sleeves. Find ways to protect this Azorius card () and the 0/8 keeps you nice and protected as well.

#9. Arwen, Weaver of Hope

Arwen, Weaver of Hope can be a pivotal card for +1/+1 counter decks. This card works similarly to cards like Railway Brawler and Bloodspore Thrinax by giving your creatures counters when they ETB. The more you pump this card, the more you can pump all your other creatures when they enter. Arwen, Mortal Queen, Arwen Undómiel, and Aragorn and Arwen, Wed all contribute to counters decks, but not to the same effect as Arwen, Weaver of Hope.

#8. Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

Korvold, Fae-Cursed King is a dragon noble that fits right into the aristocrat strategy. Whenever you sacrifice a permanent this Jund card () gets a +1/+1 counter and draws you a card. You can fuel this strategy by attacking with this card to gain multiple advantages. This dragon noble often ranks near the top of best Jund commanders for its solid aristocrat engine abilities.

#7. Brago, King Eternal

Brago, King Eternal lives up to its title of king eternal. This card is perfect for a spirit or blink deck (often the same deck). When this creature deals combat damage to an opponent, you may blink as many nonland permanents as you want. This should extract a ton of value from cards like Aether Channeler and Reflector Mage.

#6. Talion, the Kindly Lord

Talion, the Kindly Lord is a faerie noble that your opponents must deal with immediately or the advantages you gain snowball out of control. Choosing a number based on what you’ve seen of your opponent’s strategies draws you cards and deals damage. Mixing this Dimir card with protection like Fierce Guardianship should ensure the number you choose hits at least once.

#5. Kenrith, the Returned King

Kenrith, the Returned King is our noble that can deal with all the colors of Magic's color wheel. Because of this 5-color card’s abilities, it can be a 5-color commander or give you options if you choose to splash other colors with white. Each ability serves a useful purpose and can lead to advantages and different interactions. I see Kenrith, the Returned King for its Orzhov abilities of lifegain and reanimation as the best.

#4. Charming Prince

Charming Prince is the ultimate blink and bounce noble out there. All the options that this modal card provides when it enters can be quite useful. If you can take advantage of these white ETB triggers multiple times, you’ll gain a ton of advantages in your matches. Cards like Soulherder and Dour Port-Mage work extremely well with this Charming Prince.

#3. Falkenrath Noble

Falkenrath Noble can work as the key engine for an aristocrat deck. Siphoning life whenever a creature dies (not just your own) makes all battlefield interactions that much more exciting for you and difficult for your opponents. What’s not to love about siphoning life from removal, combat, and sacrifice abilities? This extra damage and lifegain can, and often does swing games. 

#2. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell

Torbran, Thane of Red Fell is a solid damage amplifier for mono-red aggro decks. This is the kind of card that turns little pinging aggro cards like Thermo-Alchemist into game-ending damage before turn 5. This dwarf noble is a must-consider when dealing with mono-red decks.

#1. Ayara, First of Locthwain

Ayara, First of Locthwain fits perfectly into the aptly named aristocrat strategy. This black card is an engine for siphoning life whenever black creatures ETB, and it sacrifices lesser creatures to draw cards. This can work extremely well with black token generators and sacrifice decks in general. Ayara, Widow of the Realm works best with recursive creatures that you can sacrifice and get back later.

Wrap Up

Falkenrath Noble | Illustration by Slawomir Maniak

What a noble cause we have taken up today. We donned our regalia and made it through Magic's best noble creatures. These creatures won’t form their own typal identity together, but as leaders, they form playable additions to any of their specific creature types. This won’t be the last time you see some of these noble cards if you play MTG, I promise.

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Stay safe, and I hope you feel quite royal today!