5 Magic: The Gathering Cards Everyone Wanted In The '90s

Published Oct 4, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT Carrie is a Senior Writer at ScreenRant who previously managed Geek to Geek Media and wrote for SwitchRPG. She is particularly knowledgeable when it comes to WoW, Diablo, and cozy games. She has a passion for supporting the indies and always enjoys sharing her passions with others through her writing. Wizards of the Coast first introduced the world to the popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering in 1993, and perhaps they didn't even know just how big it was going to become. I remember those early days, playing MTG with my brother and dad, and just having fun collecting all these really fantastical and epic-looking cards. Today, Magic: The Gathering has grown and evolved in many ways, but looking back at those early days, there were some truly iconic cards. Of course, the number one card that everyone wanted in the 90s, and even now, is always going to be Black Lotus. After that, the 90s was also the time of the Power Nine cards, which were so overpowered that they were restricted or banned nearly everywhere. There are many lists and articles talking about each of these, and therefore this list will focus more on cards from the 1990s that people wanted simply because they were cool, rather than because they were valuable or overpowered. Force Of Nature (1993) The powerful ape in the illustration of "Force of Nature" was an ominous suggestion at just how painful this card could be to everyone involved. In the early 90s, this was considered a great card to have, despite the fact that if you didn't pay four Green mana every single turn to appease the little guy, it would do 8 damage to you. Regardless of whether you could pay or not, "Force of Nature" packed a powerful punch with 8/8 power/toughness. In that time period, there weren't very many truly big creature cards, so throwing this on the table could strike fear in opponents. Having to pay that four Green mana every turn could get a bit tedious, however, especially if you had other cards you could be playing. Ihsan's Shade (1995) "Ihsan's Shade" may not have any super powerful abilities, but the artwork on this card combined with the quote led to it being one of the most sought after cards simply for coolness factor. The illustration by Christopher Rush has all the best parts of classic fantasy art, particularly the creepiness of the glowing eyes of "Ihsan's Shade." The story behind Ihsan makes him even cooler. Originally being a human paladin of Serra, he was transformed into this terrifying Shade bound to the Vampire Lord Baron Sengir after he tried to defeat him. Vesuvan Doppelganger (1993) Not only does "Vesuvan Doppelganger" have really cool and distinctive artwork, but this card could create some of the most interesting game strategies. In its most basic meaning, it's similar to the "Clone" card; however, "Vesuvan Doppelganger" is so much cooler than it. Yes, the Doppelganger could take on all the characteristics except color of any creature on the board. But then, at every upkeep, the "Vesuvan Doppelganger" could swap to a different creature instead. Even if the copied creature leaves play, it can continue using those characteristics. Or, if your opponent tried to play something better, you could simply switch to cloning that card instead. Leviathan (1994) The "Leviathan" was never a very rare card; in fact, it seemed like everyone knew someone who had it. However, this card was among the coolest to bring to the table. At the time, it was easily the biggest creature card possible, and its artwork made it feel even more epic. The fact that you have to sacrifice two islands in order to untap "Leviathan" during the upkeep phase, and then sacrifice two islands during attack, made it feel simply cool. With a 10/10 power/toughness, the "Leviathan" was an immediate game changer and created some of the most memorable gameplay experiences of the day. Shivan Dragon (1993) In the early 90s, having a copy of "Shivan Dragon" instantly meant you were the coolest kid on the playground. Not only is it simply an incredible looking dragon, with its artwork showing it looking down on you with its mouth open, ready to attack, but it's also strong enough that it can end the game all by itself. Its Firebreathing ability allowed it to hit hard and fast. Building a Red deck focused on dragons, with all the "Shivan Dragons" and "Dragon Whelps", along with some mana accelerators, quickly became the meta deck of the time for anyone playing Magic: The Gathering. Video Game(s) Magic: The Gathering, Magic the Gathering Commander, Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds, Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers, Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013, Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014, Magic: The Gathering Arena Created by Richard Garfield Main Genre Fantasy Release Date August 5, 1993 Character(s) Jace Beleren, Chandra Nalaar, Liliana Vess, Garruk Wildspeaker, Nissa Revane, Ajani Goldmane, Nicol Bolas, Teferi, Gideon Jura, Sorin Markov, Ral Zarek