Pokemon Artist Joins MTG Team

Mitsuhiro Arita brings his legendary artistic talents to Magic: The Gathering with this stunning Secret Lair collection. The renowned illustrator, famous for creating the original Charizard artwork in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, now lends his signature style to four powerful MTG cards - and we're revealing them all for the first time.

Browse the gallery below to view all cards in Arita's exclusive Secret Lair set:

While Arita previously contributed artwork for Magic's borderless Lumra, Bellow of the Woods in last year's Bloomburrow set, this marks his first full Secret Lair release featuring four distinct cards simultaneously. The collection showcases his masterful creature designs across several format-defining cards.

Each selection represents a strategically significant piece for different playstyles. Lightning Bolt remains one of Magic's most versatile removal spells across all formats. Murktide Regent continues dominating Modern and Legacy metas since its 2021 Modern Horizons 2 debut. Meanwhile, Light-Paws stands as a beloved Commander option, and Shorikai holds the #20 Commander ranking on EDHRec while maintaining Vintage Cube relevance.

Wizards of the Coast highlights the collaboration: "With three decades of iconic TCG illustrations, Mitsuhiro Arita's artwork has become globally recognizable. Following his borderless Lumra in Bloomburrow, this Secret Lair Drop celebrates his remarkable creature design across four extraordinary Magic cards."

This limited Secret Lair release becomes available Monday, February 10 at 9am PT via the Secret Lair website, priced at $29.99 for non-foil and $39.99 for foil versions. With Wizards recently shifting from print-to-demand to limited quantity releases, collectors should act quickly to secure these before they sell out.

For more MTG coverage, explore details about the upcoming Aetherdrift racing-themed set launching soon, revisit previous Secret Lair reveals like Chucky and Monty Python editions, or learn about Wizards' long-term strategy for Magic's continued success.