Final Fantasy: PAX East's Preview Debut, Recapped

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
On Friday, May 9th, social media outlets for Final Fantasy revealed a handful of cards in advance of the PAX East preview event. The cards previewed are a FFXIV-themed reprint of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a> and the set's iteration of Y'shtola Rhul. Notably, Y'shtola is also a character from FFXIV, who serves as the face commander for one of the precons. Furthermore, this marks a major return for Dark Confidant into the Standard format. But who are these cards representing, and what makes these cards important? Read on and find out!
<h2>Y'shtola Rhul</h2>
Known as "Night's Blessed" and a member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Y'shtola Rhul is a Miqo'te who is part of the party roster in Final Fantasy XIV. She claims to be 23, but the timelines don't add up in her story. Her life and personality is equally mysterious, with wisdom beyond her years. Y'shtola is a conjurer character with a collected demeanor abut very little patience for disrespect.
<div id="attachment_152172" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Yshtola-Rhul.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152172" class="wp-image-152172" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Yshtola-Rhul.png" alt="Y'shtola Rhul, a new card from the main set of Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="400" height="559" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Yshtola-Rhul.png 600w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Yshtola-Rhul-215x300.png 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a>Y'shtola Rhul, a new card from the main set of Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</div>
In Magic: The Gathering's context, Y'shtola Rhul is great at flickering your cards into and out of exile, and getting additional effects off of them entering or leaving the battlefield. She can also double your abilities that trigger on your end step. The flicker effect lends itself well to many different creatures' assets, including <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrine Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrine Drake</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frost Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Frost Titan</a>, or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a>, to name but a few. Naturally, when Y'shtola generates a second end step for you, you can flicker a creature once more! The potential for absurd plays is very present here.
<h2>Dark Confidant, Final Fantasy XIV-Style</h2>
According to those in the know, the reprint of Dark Confidant in a style befitting FFXIV is in the form of an Ascian. According to the official <a href="https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/a_realm_reborn/world/#!/threats/content?threats_08">FFXIV</a> website, this is how they describe one of these figures:
<blockquote>Known also as "Paragons," these malevolent, black-robed figures sow the seeds of conflict across the lands of Eorzea. Just as their faces are concealed by sinister masks, the true motives of the Ascians remain obscured behind veils of secrecy and terror.</blockquote>
Spooky, to be sure!
<div id="attachment_152173" style="width: 275px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Confidant-main.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152173" class="wp-image-152173 size-full" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Confidant-main.png" alt="Dark Confidant, a reprinted card from Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="265" height="370" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Confidant-main.png 265w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Dark-Confidant-main-215x300.png 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 265px) 100vw, 265px" /></a>Dark Confidant, a reprinted card from Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</div>
What's even spookier is that this card was an absolute terror in Standard. This card, affectionately known as "Bob" after Magic Invitational winner Bob Maher (whose likeness was used for the original illustration), wreaked havoc on Ravnica: City of Guilds-era Standard. What horrors will it portent here when Final Fantasy releases on June 13th? Time will tell.
But now, we open the floor to you, dear readers. Are you excited about these newly revealed Final Fantasy cards? Would you play Standard with Bob running around again? Sound off below!

Final Fantasy Social Media Reveals Y'shtola Rhul And More

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
On the evening of Thursday, May 8th, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasy/posts/pfbid02T3VmsH45Nimu25H198i2wFv1t9DzafUQKwTcPvobfVXNCsSrhHtiJXyqcLVZ4e12l">the official Facebook account for Final Fantasy</a> revealed the remaining two alternative commanders for their Commander precons. Yuna, Grand Summoner is part of the Counter Blitz deck, which features characters from Final Fantasy X. Graha Tia, Scion Reborn is the alternate commander of the Scions &amp; Spellcraft deck, showcasing the characters of Final Fantasy XIV.
<h2>Yuna, Grand Summoner</h2>
One of the main characters of FFX and the love interest of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidus, Yuna&#039;s Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Tidus</a>, Yuna is an extremely vital figure in the FFX canon. A summoner, Yuna can conjure beings known as "aeons" to aid in combat. She is also a proficient White Mage, using healing magic to act as a support role in the game and its sequel.
<div id="attachment_152073" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/yuna.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152073" class="wp-image-152073" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/yuna.png" alt="Yuna, Grand Summoner, a new card from within the &quot;Counter Blitz&quot; precon for Final Fantasy. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="400" height="559" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/yuna.png 700w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/yuna-215x300.png 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a>Yuna, Grand Summoner, a new card from within the "Counter Blitz" precon for Final Fantasy. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</div>
In the context of Commander, Yuna acts as a pseudo version of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a>, but rather than the counters of the dead creature retaining their classification, Yuna effectively converts them into +1/+1 counters for another creature. What's more, Yuna is a mana-producing creature that puts +1/+1 counters on the creature that mana is spent on. In that way, she seems to do a bang-up job in somewhat imitating <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Henge" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Henge</a>.
Meanwhile, her showcase borderless version can be seen below!
<div id="attachment_152074" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/borderless-yuna.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152074" class="wp-image-152074" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/borderless-yuna.png" alt="The borderless showcase version of Yuna, Grand Summoner. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="400" height="559" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/borderless-yuna.png 700w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/borderless-yuna-215x300.png 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a>The borderless showcase version of Yuna, Grand Summoner. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</div>
<h2>G'raha Tia, Scion Reborn</h2>
G'raha Tia, also known as the "Crystal Exarch," is a major character in Final Fantasy XIV. He is a member of the protagonist's party and a member of the Miqo'te race in the game's setting. He is playful and eccentric, and, in the context of the MMO setting of FFXIV, can play the role of a Paladin, White Mage, or Black Mage. Versatile!
<div id="attachment_152075" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/graha-tia.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152075" class="wp-image-152075" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/graha-tia.png" alt="G'raha Tia, Scion Reborn, a new card from within the &quot;Scions &amp; Spellcraft&quot; precon for Final Fantasy. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="400" height="559" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/graha-tia.png 700w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/graha-tia-215x300.png 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a>G'raha Tia, Scion Reborn, a new card from within the "Scions &amp; Spellcraft" precon for Final Fantasy. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</div>
In the context of Magic: The Gathering, G'raha Tia is a token generator with lifelink. His second ability appears to synergize somewhat with the face commander of the "Scions &amp; Spellcraft" precon, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a>, but only just. However, the existence of a 1/1 colorless Hero token seems interesting. Usually, nonartifact creature tokens have a color associated with them. Is this indicative of something greater?
<h2>Final Days Before the Final Fantasy Panel</h2>
These two precon commander alternatives are pretty interesting. We look forward to seeing what else comes of the set and decks! If you're also interested, the panel at PAX East will be livestreamed on Twitch on Saturday, May 10th, from noon to 2 pm Eastern!
Meanwhile, how do you feel about these reveals? Are you excited to test out any Final Fantasy commanders? Sound off below!

reveal

Final Fantasy: PAX East's Preview Debut, Recapped

Final Fantasy Social Media Reveals Y'shtola Rhul And More

Final Fantasy Precons' Yuna And G'raha Tia Officially Revealed