MTG Legend Revived as Pokemon Illustrator Joins

Mitsuhiro Arita, a renowned artist behind countless Pokémon Trading Card Game illustrations, including the coveted Charizard, is now lending his talent to Magic: The Gathering. His latest contribution is a Secret Lair drop featuring four stunning cards, and we have an exclusive preview.

View the gallery below to see all four cards from Arita's Secret Lair:

This isn't Arita's first foray into Magic; he previously illustrated a borderless Lumra, Bellow of the Woods for the 2024 Bloomburrow set. However, this four-card Secret Lair represents a significant expansion of his work within the Magic universe.

The featured cards boast diverse playability across various formats. Lightning Bolt remains a staple across numerous formats, while Murktide Regent is a powerhouse in Modern and Legacy. Light-Paws is a beloved Commander card, and Shorikai enjoys popularity in Vintage Cubes and ranks among the top 20 Commanders on EDHRec.

Wizards of the Coast's store page describes the drop as follows: "With nearly 30 years of experience creating beloved art for trading card games, Mitsuhiro Arita’s work has become some of the most recognizable in the world. His first collaboration with Magic: The Gathering was on a borderless Lumra, Bellow of the Woods released in 2024’s Bloomburrow, which quickly became a fan-favorite. In this Secret Lair Drop, the legendary artist returns to showcase his iconic creature design across four remarkable cards."

This Secret Lair will be available on the Secret Lair website, priced at $29.99 (non-foil) and $39.99 (foil), while supplies last. The sale begins Monday, February 10, at 9 am PT. Given the tendency for Secret Lairs to sell out quickly since the shift away from the print-to-order system, interested buyers should act swiftly.

For more Magic news, explore the upcoming Aetherdrift death race set, previously revealed Secret Lairs like Chucky and Monty Python, or read about Wizards of the Coast's long-term strategy for the game.