We take a look at every print of the Planeswalker Gideon in MTG.

While Magic: The Gathering has been home to a wide range of iconic characters across the game's history, few figures are as prominent in the lore as Planeswalkers. While Planeswalkers have been part of Magic's lore since the earliest days of the game, they first appeared in Lorwyn block in 2007. Since their introduction, we've seen hundreds of Planeswalker cards, each flexibly toting several activated abilities.

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While some Planeswalkers only receive one card, others such as Gideon Jura receive several cards due to their prominent position in the game's plot. While Gideon may have seen his end with his sacrifice in War of the Spark, Magic is home to eight Gideon Planeswalker cards. So we're going to examine the various Gideon Planeswalkers of Magic's past and see which are the strongest.

The weakest Gideon card to see print, Gideon, the Oathsworn was printed as part of a Planeswalker deck and suffers from the same drawback as nearly every Planeswalker deck Planeswalker: a high mana cost. A four-loyalty Planeswalker for six mana, this Gideon isn't terrible, it just doesn't provide enough value for its cost.

With two activated abilities, Gideon's +2 can temporarily turn this Planeswalker into an indestructible creature (a Gideon staple), while its -9 can function as an exile-based one-sided board wipe. Though this Gideon also has access to a static ability that can put +1/+1 counters on your attacking creatures, this is all too slow and mana intensive to be considered powerful by any stretch.

Printed in Gatecrash, Gideon, Champion of Justice is a unique Planeswalker that is proportionally stronger based on how many creatures your opponents control. For four mana, this Gideon enters that battlefield with four loyalty and boasts a +1 specifically designed to gain additional loyalty, gaining one additional loyalty for each creature the target opponent controls.

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Once Gideon has a sizable sum of loyalty, it can be used with either its 0 ability or its -15. While its 0 turns Gideon into a creature with a power and toughness equal to its loyalty, its -15 exiles all other permanents, even including lands. The drawback of this Planeswalker is that it takes several turns to set up effectively, giving an opponent ample time to respond to it. Additionally, as this Gideon has no means of protecting itself and it hinges on an opponent having a board state, you need another means of protecting it before an opponent simply uses their creature to take Gideon out of commission.

The first Gideon to ever see print, Gideon first appeared as Gideon Jura in Rise of the Eldrazi, immediately setting the standard of what players expect from this Planeswalker. For five mana, this white Planeswalker enters the battlefield with six loyalty, possessing a +2 capable of diverting attention from its controller for a turn, forcing each creature the target opponent controls to attack Gideon if able.

While Gideon may not survive said attack, it can be a solid means of buying you much-needed time. Additionally, Gideon's -2 provides flexibility in the form of removal, capable of destroying target tapped creature, while its characteristic 0 ability temporarily allows it to function as an indestructible 5/5.

Despite the previously mentioned association that comes along with Planeswalker deck Planeswalkers, Gideon, Martial Paragon is a decent and serviceable inclusion within the right deck. For five mana, this five-loyalty Gideon possesses a useful +2 ability that not only provides each creature you control with +1/+1 until the end of the turn, but it also untaps each creature you control.

When paired with tap-based activated abilities, this can reliably double the value of several key utility creatures at once. Though this Gideon's 0 ability is a standard temporary indestructible creature transformation we expect from the character, its -10 can potentially be used to close out a game, providing each of your creatures with +2/+2 while tapping down each of your opponent's creatures.

Appearing in War of the Spark, Gideon Blackblade is the last Gideon Planeswalker to have seen print. Reasonably costed at three mana, rather than possessing a 0 ability that temporarily caused Gideon to function as a creature until the end of the turn, Gideon Blackblade features a static ability that allows it to automatically function as a 4/4 creature as long as it's your turn.

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In regards to its activated abilities, Gideon can flexibly help to support your other key creatures, providing them access to vigilance, lifelink, or indestructible until the end of the turn through its +1. While this Gideon only enters the battlefield with four loyalty, if sticks around the table long enough, its -6 allows it to function as great and flexible universal removal, capable of exiling any nonland permanent. Through its efficiency and flexibility, Gideon Blackblade is a solid inclusion in a wide range of creature-focused decks with access to white mana.

An efficient three-mana Planeswalker with three loyalty, Gideon of the Trials is a defensive card that can be used to shut down an opponent's creature and keep you in a game against all odds. Though most Planeswalkers have abilities that raise and lower their loyalty, Gideon has one +1 ability and two 0 abilities. Firstly, Gideon's +1 is capable of preventing a target permanent from dealing damage until the beginning of your next turn, potentially negating significant damage from an opponent's most powerful creature.

While Gideon's first 0 ability is its standard temporary indestructible creature effect, its second 0 ability uniquely provides an emblem that prevents you from losing and your opponents from winning for as long as you control a Gideon Planeswalker. This means that as long as you're able to keep Gideon on the board, you have consistent access to a lifeline.

Printed as white's representative in Magic Origins' cycle of creatures that can transform into Planeswalkers, Kytheon, Hero of Akros is currently the only Planeswalker in the game that can be accessed for a mere one mana. Entering the battlefield as a 2/1 Human Soldier, not only can Gideon provide itself with Indestructible for the cost of three mana, but it can transform into a Planeswalker if it attacked alongside at least two other creatures.

Once a Planeswalker, Gideon can deter an opponent's creature by forcing it to attack Gideon with its +2. Alternatively, Gideon's +1 can provide a creature with indestructible until your next turn, while Gideon's classic 0 ability can temporarily turn itself into an indestructible 4/4.

Known for its dominant run in Standard, Gideon, Ally of Zendikar is an excellent mono-white Planeswalker that possesses a lot to appreciate. A great inclusion in creature-focused decks, this four-loyalty Planeswalker can notably activate its -4 ultimate ability the turn in which it is played, providing you with an emblem that permanently boosts your creatures by +1/+1 for the rest of the game.

Additionally, Gideon can serve as a sizable threat by itself or help expand your board state, turning into an indestructible 5/5 through its +1 or creating a 2/2 Knight Ally creature token through its 0 ability. As Gideon can create tokens without affecting its loyalty, it can be a consistent source of additional creatures for token-focused decks.

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Staff Writer, Paul DiSalvo is a writer, comic creator, animation lover, and game design enthusiast currently residing in Boston, Massachusetts. He has studied creative writing at The New Hampshire Institute of Art and Otis College of Art and Design, and currently writes for TheGamer. In addition to writing, he directs and produces the podcast, "How Ya Dyin'?" He enjoys collecting comics, records, and wins in Magic: The Gathering.