PalianoPaliano | Illustrated by Piotr Dura | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

The Magic: The Gathering Multiverse is vast and mysterious. For as many grains of sand on an infinite number of infinitely large beaches, there are planes of existence within it. However, because the actual Magic canon is much smaller than that and players like to revisit places, we often see returns to planar settings.

After the Omenpath arc, at this time, anything goes in that way. We will purportedly revisit Lorwyn and Arcavios (the realm where Strixhaven University exists) in 2026 before closing the story arc of the Omenpaths Saga. But what's next after that?

This series, in just two parts, will explore the most likely candidates for a potential return trip. There are ten planes I feel are most possible, and today we'll explore five of them.

#10. Fiora

Fiora was the home of Dack FaydenDack Fayden, the self-appointed "greatest thief in the Multiverse," and the protagonist of the IDW Magic comics. He died on Ravnica during the War of the Spark, but this isn't really about Dack here.

His pre-spark home of Fiora is the setting for both Conspiracy and Conspiracy: Take the Crown. We touched a little upon Fioran ground in March of the Machine when the Phyrexian forces invaded it. However, most planes were invaded in this way, and so that's a bit of a copout for a revisit.

Let's talk a bit more about this plane and why it should be revisited soon.

What Is Fiora Like?

Fiora is a plane that, in real-world terms, is heavily inspired by Renaissance-era Italy. Themes of treachery, conspiracy (as is its right!), and corrupt politics abound here. When Marchesa, the Black RoseMarchesa, the Black Rose killed Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal, Marchesa took his crown and assumed the throne.

Queen MarchesaQueen Marchesa ("long may she reign," as her subjects are mandated to say) is a despot and, in a relative sense, lacks the capacity for adept or just leadership. However, there are still some figures on Fiora who wish to fight this tyrant's corrupt reign.

Meanwhile, the other characters working behind the scenes included Muzzio, Visionary ArchitectMuzzio, Visionary Architect, the now ex-Planeswalker DarettiDaretti and his cohort Grenzo, Havoc RaiserGrenzo, Havoc Raiser, and the elven explorer Selvala, Heart of the WildsSelvala, Heart of the Wilds. We also first meet Leovold, Emissary of TrestLeovold, Emissary of Trest here.

They all have their motives for claiming the throne or other sources of political power on Fiora.

What Did We See on Fiora During Our First Visit?

Technically speaking, we visited Fiora in the first Commander decks from 2011 through Edric, Spymaster of TrestEdric, Spymaster of Trest, long before Conspiracy came out. But insofar as full-on Magic sets, Conspiracy was our first visit.

On Fiora, we saw not much more than an exposition of the characters at work in the setting. We know there are Goblins, Elves, and many, many Humans. We also know that there are themes of subversion of the nonhuman races within the systemic laws in place here.

This is why Selvala experienced some amount of enmity upon her return. It's also why Daretti and Grenzo allied to cause a ton of chaos in Conspiracy: Take the Crown.

Why Is Fiora Important to Revisit?

Namely, nostalgia is an important part of returning to Fiora. People liked the Conspiracy style of Limited play, and since game design for Magic is often geared more with Commander in mind lately, multiplayer gaming is more commonplace than it was when the set first came out.

Beyond this, players likely want to know what has happened since Marchesa and Selvala left Fiora via Omenpath to visit Thunder Junction. Overall, it's a story that interested many players during the peak of their Magic experience.

Valor's Reach | Kamila Szutenberg | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

#9. Kylem

Kylem was the setting for the standalone set known as Battlebond.

In that set, sport is seen as a great way to entertain and also solve conflicts. Many mages and fighters are pitted together in teams of two to take on other teams of two in combat.

We first saw Kylem in the context of Battlebond, but we also got brief glimpses of it in March of the Machine and later Aetherdrift.

What Is Kylem?

As mentioned above, Kylem is a space where competitors meet and do team battles for supremacy and notoriety. A team may have very specific motivations to fight in the arenas, but they may also just do it for the love of the sport.

Various races exist in Kylem, including Angels, Demons, Dragons, Aven, Archons, Elves, Goblins, Minotaurs, and Humans, to name just a few. Kylem is also the home to the Azra, a race of horned, blue-tinted humanoids. They are often looked down upon. As such they often fight in the pits for the sake of their pride.

What Did We See on Kylem During Our First Visit?

Not much happened in the plotline of Battlebond when we first visited Kylem. Mostly, we were introduced to Will KenrithWill Kenrith and Rowan KenrithRowan Kenrith of Eldraine, a pair of siblings with royal blood, though we didn't know that at the time. Ultimately, not much progress happened in Magic plot-wise as a result of the set's sparse story.

Other than that, we now know that bloodsport enthralls multiple planes in the Multiverse. The plane uses it as a means of catharsis. "Bread and circuses" as an opiate, so to speak.

The plane uses the Valor's Reach arena as the key setting for all of the set, so we didn't even get a lot from the setting itself.

Why Return to Kylem?

Like the Conspiracy sets, Battlebond did exceptionally well for casual Magic players. As such, the nostalgia is worth a return after the Omenpath arc ends. Furthermore, this gives Wizards of the Coast a chance to expand on exactly what Kylem is about, and even add a dedicated storyline to the mix.

Feeding Grounds | Matt Stewart | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

#8. Muraganda

Muraganda is a strange world of lush jungles and active volcanoes. We truly don't have a lot to go on based on Muraganda except for a mechanical emphasis on creatures with no rules text (or "vanilla" creatures) and the continued existence of The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm on this plane.

We only explored Muraganda with any real exposition in Aetherdrift. In that way, it's ripe to be explored more in its own set in due time.

What Is Muraganda?

Beyond a tropical jungle, a ton of active volcanoes, and a new speedway that spans the plane from the Amonkheti Omenpath through to the Avishkari one, this information technically largely remains unknown.

There are a fair few species that inhabit Muraganda. Sapient Lizards are the primary iconic race of the set, but there are a bunch of less sapient creatures that are scattered otherwise among the plane's residents. There are also Dinosaurs, which need little introduction but have an impact here nonetheless.

What Did We See on Muraganda in Aetherdrift?

Following Tarkir: Dragonstorm and Final Fantasy, Aetherdrift feels miles behind us, so to speak. But we saw a fair amount of Muraganda's influence in that set.

Mostly, we saw vanilla legendary creatures vying for dominance, the Mimeoplasm continuing to maintain that dominance, and the main speed-race of the set's plot. There's so much room to expand upon Muraganda that we're actually pretty fortunate that we saw so little of it thus far.

So, Why Revisit Muraganda?

Simply put, we need to revisit this world to begin exploring it. Muraganda is a bit of a footnote to Aetherdrift, a kind of mix of Alara's Jund shard and Zendikar on the whole.

It's been colonized by outsiders who built a freeway through it. There should be storyline implications to that, and we know the Lizardfolk aren't particularly happy about how things went there. It would be great to see how this plot hook plays out, potentially.

Furthermore, Muraganda would be an excellent place to simplify Standard and other Magic formats. With its "vanilla-creatures matter" themes sure to abound in such a set, Muraganda would be a good place to introduce more simplicity to the game (for newer players).

Unyaro | Robin Olausson | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

#7. Zhalfir

Similarly to Muraganda, Zhalfir is a plane that, in many ways, we haven't yet explored. However, Mirage block was our first experience with its culture, its people, and its magic.

How is this possible? Zhalfir was a major civilization on Dominaria. However, to save it from the first Phyrexian invasion, the Planeswalker Teferi Akosa phased it out of existence. He couldn't bring it back afterwards. In fact, trying to do this unfortunately started the temporal rifts of the Time Spiral block.

However, New Phyrexia attempted to take over the Multiverse many years later, during March of the Machine. Thankfully, the resistance displaced New Phyrexia in time, replacing it simultaneously with Zhalfir, which in the process became a new plane of existence in the Multiverse.

This had many storyline beats and is, frankly, a really cool way to bring the realm back into public view.

What Is Zhalfir?

Zhalfir is a world based tightly around Sub-Saharan African themes. The plane was once the northwestern coastal civilization on the Dominarian continent of Jamuraa. After Teferi phased it out, the civilization still thrived on its own, albeit separated from the entire remainder of the Multiverse.

When it returned and displaced New Phyrexia, the original five suns of Mirrodin began orbiting the new plane.

Notable characters in Zhalfir include Jolrael, Voice of ZhalfirJolrael, Voice of Zhalfir, Mangara, the DiplomatMangara, the Diplomat, Kaervek the MercilessKaervek the Merciless, and Sidar JabariSidar Jabari. Teferi, Hero of DominariaTeferi, Hero of Dominaria is also originally from here.

Some of the displaced races of Mirrodin now inhabit Zhalfir, effectively as refugees since they no longer have a home.

Why Revisit Zhalfir?

In essence, Zhalfir needs a fresh start. It's been far too long since the events of the Mirage block, and the aftermath of March of the Machine hasn't given us enough of a look into the new plane.

It would be less of a revisit in a larger sense, and more of a refresher to old concepts in the guise of something very new.

Naktamun | Greg Rutkowski | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

#6. Amonkhet

This article's last look into what we should revisit has us delve into the Ancient Egyptian-inspired plane of Amonkhet. Before the War of the Spark, the draconic Planeswalker Nicol BolasNicol Bolas started plans to create an army of undead to invade Ravnica and draw other Planeswalkers there so he could drain them of their Sparks.

Amonkhet was that "training ground," so to speak. We got a two-set block from this arc in Amonkhet and Hour of Devastation. Therein, we saw the extent of what Bolas had created. In addition, we saw the defeat of many Planeswalkers from the Gatewatch.

Much later on, we saw Amonkhet aim for its former glory as a rising civilization through racing in the Aetherdrift set. For what it's worth, the Amonkheti team won the entire race.

What Is Amonkhet?

Amonkhet is a world at odds with itself. The city hub of Naktamun is largely what remains of the plane's civilization. Thanks to Bolas's machinations, the plane has three living "good" Gods and four living "evil" Gods.

Outside of the walls of Naktamun, there are remnants of civilized society buried under enormous sand dunes. What remains outside the walls are Demons, Zombies, and feral beasts and insects, as well as the evil Gods.

Inside of Naktamun, the Humans, Kheru (Jackalfolk), Falcon and Ibis-inspired Aven, Minotaurs, and Snakefolk all thrive. They also live in relative harmony with the magically bound Zombies that remain in the city. There are also non-sapient Cats, Sphinxes, and the good Gods that remain as well.

Why Revisit Amonkhet?

Amonkhet has a series of tropes that are tried and true among trading card game fans. Certain other games have extensively employed the tropes of Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology. But Amonkhet brings this with a Magic: The Gathering flair.

It also brings the potential to delve into the tropes of its rediscovery. Think of Percy Bysshe Shelley's famous poem Ozymandias for more on that idea. It wouldn't be horribly out of place to reintroduce the explore mechanic in this way.

Furthermore, players want to know more of what has happened to Amonkhet since the Hours. It feels as though Omenpath exploration or Planeswalking are potentially some of the best ways to make that happen.

Omenpaths to Greatness

With that, we conclude Part 1 of this series. Which planes do you anticipate will make the Top 5? Sound off below, and stay tuned for Part 2!