Crime NovelistCrime Novelist | Art by Izzy

From Aetherdrift to Avatar, and all the Secret Lair drops in between, there were almost 500 new cards that can be your commander this year. So with 2025 winding down, we wanted to give our writers here at EDHREC the chance to share with you their favorite new commanders of the year.

Rinoa HeartillyRinoa Heartilly - Owain Roberts

Her card was the one that drew me into FF VIII, and while she isn't winning any popularity contests (deck-wise), it's a card that's since had a place in my heart. And it all began with the dog in the art (which also is the token she makes).

Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed - Josh Nelson

At the risk of being known as a Jund aficionado (as I submitted Coram, the UndertakerCoram, the Undertaker last time I answered this question), there are good reasons why I chose this commander for 2025. Put simply, the play that Hearthhull provides in Commander is smooth and relatively easy for newer players to understand. At the same time, new players who get the deck learn why gambits such as the daunting loss of lands (spooky!) can be extremely beneficial if the deck is geared towards that line.

On a less wholesome note, it can also be a ton of fun to make those gambits offensively in an effort to bring the table down. Plus, it’s extremely satisfying to station your commander to full power!

Cait Sith, Fortune TellerCait Sith, Fortune Teller - Steve Heisler

My favorite aspect of Commander is the fact that the format breathes new life into old, outclassed cards from Magic's 30+ year history—especially when these fossils become some of the best cards in a deck.

Cait Sith, Fortune Teller from Final Fantasy encourages us to run high-mana value cards that can be cast for cheap, thus enabling appearances by Avatar of FuryAvatar of Fury, Molten MonstrosityMolten Monstrosity, Volcanic SalvoVolcanic Salvo, and Skitterbeam BattalionSkitterbeam Battalion. That's some jank you can take to the bank!

Betor, Ancestor's VoiceBetor, Ancestor's Voice - Cas Hinds

It’s such a fun life gain and drain deck. The synergies are endless like with Spore FrogSpore Frog being looped every turn cycle.

Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog - Paul Palmer

I love going off on a tangent with commanders and I spent weeks deciding on my build for Sonic and finally landed on a list focused on indestructible creatures and effects that give your whole board haste.

Only managed to get a couple of games in with it but someone having to exile my Knight of the Holy NimbusKnight of the Holy Nimbus like it was a real threat was the highlight of the game for me.

Ragost, Deft GastronautRagost, Deft Gastronaut - Brian Cain

Boros commander that's outside the realm of attacking, and has combo potential built in. Also, a legendary Lobster is awesome for someone that lives in Maine.

Here's my deck tech.

Rydia, Summoner of MistRydia, Summoner of Mist - Jesse Barker Plotkin

I love playing Landfall decks, and I love playing with self-discard synergies, so when I saw Rydia I realized that she was all I had ever wanted. The Saga bonuses are just icing on the cake, but let me include a few more weird cards that I would never play in any other deck.

Haliya, Guided by LightHaliya, Guided by Light - Arnaud Gompertz

It's basically a Soul Sister in the command zone. She gains life fast, especially in conjunction with the bazillion other options out there. Which means you get to consistently draw cards and keep the flame alight.

I've been impressed at how consistent the list I brewed has been, all the more since I decided, as an experiment, not to play a single piece of ramp. Turns out it's fun and efficient nonetheless.

Mister NegativeMister Negative - Kyle Massa

Mister Negative is my favorite commander of 2025 because he isn’t just a commander—he’s a microcosm of the Spider-Man experience.

We’ve come to expect great sets from Wizards, yet that set was the opposite of great. Likewise, this villain enacts the opposite of the usual plan by lowering our life total rather than defending it, all so we can swap with some unfortunate schmo.

In short, Mister Negative invites us to embrace the negativity. And for Spider-Man, we were happy to oblige.

Teval, Arbiter of VirtueTeval, Arbiter of Virtue - Cooper Gottfried

I got into Magic when a friend gifted me his 2,000 card collection in exchange for a copy of Smash Melee. The vast majority of those cards came from Tarkir, and I fell in love with the block as I developed my own identity as a Magic player. So, when Tarkir: Dragonstorm released earlier this year, I was super excited for its return.

This commander gives access to cost reduction shenanigans and my favorite three-color wedge on a 6/6 Dragon. I couldn't ask for more, and I'm thrilled to tie together my 2015-era nostalgia and modern Magic sensibilities!

Zurgo StormrenderZurgo Stormrender - Joshua Wood

I didn't end up brewing a ton of decks this year in comparison to last, but of the few I constructed, Zurgo Stormrender has been my absolute favorite.

Zurgo managed to encompass many of my interests that I've been looking to build. I was in the market for a new Boros/Mardu deck. I wanted to build a token deck that also included Aristocrat/Burn effects into the mix with Nadier's NightbladeNadier's Nightblade being a cornerstone in the strategy, and Zurgo does all that while being a cheap and powerful draw engine. What's not to love?

Hei Bai, Forest GuardianHei Bai, Forest Guardian - Levi Perry

At first this looks like a more powered down version of a Shrines deck, but when we consider Backgrounds, oaths, and legendary enchantment creatures, there's a lot of room to brew with this Bear. Anything from a token deck, Spirit typal, or even a Super Friends deck are all on the table.

Jenova, Ancient CalamityJenova, Ancient Calamity - Mike Carrozza

Jenova is my most recent return to putting green in the command zone. I simply couldn’t resist that textbox. I was transfixed by this legend. The possibility of making a huge Goldvein HydraGoldvein Hydra, turning it into a Mutant, putting more counters on it, slamming in for damage, sacrificing it post-combat for a pile of Treasures and a grip of new cards.

While the deck makes great use of Mutants that weren’t “touched by an angel” like Feral GhoulFeral Ghoul, it brings me great joy to make Lotleth TrollLotleth Troll a huge Mutant thanks to Jenova’s blessing.

Jaws, Relentless PredatorJaws, Relentless Predator - Bennie Smith

I'm not really into most Secret Lair offerings these days, but the flavor design for this card is a home run. Trample and haste is perfect for a Shark built to attack out of nowhere, and it's flawless that Jaws generates Blood tokens when it deals combat damage to a player. Watching the movie, you're on the edge of your seat dreading the appearance of Jaws, and it generates dread just sitting in the command zone as opponents worry about when it's going to show up.

As soon as I got the Lair I started pulling the deck together and can't wait to play it!

Hydro-Man, Fluid FelonHydro-Man, Fluid Felon - Nicholas Lucchesi

The design of the card is so neat. You have a blue creature that grows who then hides out in your lands when it isn’t your turn. Just a silly goofy card that people want to work at and figure out a way to break it.

I don’t think it's the strongest, but it is one of a handful of cards this year that made me stop and think about it for a good while.

Choco, Seeker of ParadiseChoco, Seeker of Paradise - Jeff Girten

Choco represents the type of commander I love and frequently feature in Plot Twist: It's a powerful payoff for multiple archetypes that ask your deck to do different things. It can easily helm Bird kindred, Landfall, DovescapeDovescape secret commander, flyers, and more, all of which would run different cards in their deck lists.

Choco is the sort of commander that pairs well with other Final Fantasy cards as well as bulk that's been sitting in your binder for 20 years, like Kangee, Aerie KeeperKangee, Aerie Keeper. I hope we see WotC print even more flexible, yet odd commanders like Choco in 2026.

Szarel, Genesis ShepherdSzarel, Genesis Shepherd - Alex Wicker

In addition to leading a really fun precon to play out of the box, Szarel has been the introduction into Jund that I've been waiting for. I was already a big fan of lands-matters strategies, but now I get a Crucible of WorldsCrucible of Worlds in my command zone?? Szarel is a great median between my slower artifact ramp strategies and my faster Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre StraitAesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait list. Legally Szarel's a Bracket 2 list, but Szarel is the Bracket 3 experience for me!

Garland, Knight of CorneliaGarland, Knight of Cornelia - Ben Macready

Garland's ability to transform into Chaos is cool, but his ability to surveil every time you cast a noncreature spell is secretly way cooler. Garland can rapidly fill up your graveyard, letting you reanimate your biggest creatures, and flashback your most explosive spells.

Hearthhull, the WorldseedHearthhull, the Worldseed- Command Zoe

The introduction of the station mechanic adds such an interesting wrinkle to the game. I really enjoyed the play pattern of starting with a card that doesn't do much, but can quickly become a problem if the proper resources are invested into it. And the fact that it plays off lands speaks to my inner child, who is a dredge player.

What were your favorite commanders of the year? Let us know in the comments.