Planeswalker

In some works of fantasy, notably the collectible card game , a planeswalker is a person with the ability to travel to different planes of existence.

Magic: The Gathering

In the fictional multiverse of the collectible card game, a planeswalker is a powerful mage, able to travel across the planes of existence. All players are planeswalkers; non-player planeswalkers are described in "Magic"’s back-story (which is represented in novels, starter-deck inserts, online articles and card flavor text); and with "Lorwyn" the first Planeswalker cards were introduced.

Only those with a rare and innate ability called the "planeswalker spark" can become planeswalkers. (The spark can be transferred from one being to another, but the process is highly dangerous and potentially fatal.) Only one individual in a million is given the spark. Even then, they must "ascend", which usually occurs spontaneously during a time of great stress (most common being a form of horrendous death, "e.g.", the sylex blast or its aftereffects). This ascension, as well as the extraordinary amount of power at their fingertips, drives almost all planeswalkers insane over time. In an attempt to prevent this, most planeswalkers are tutored by older ones. "Wilders", or planeswalkers that decide to travel the multiverse untutored, exist (Ravidel) but are often extremely dangerous and sometimes utterly insane.

A planeswalker has complete control over his or her physical appearance, and does not physically need to eat, drink, sleep, or even breathe (although some, such as Urza, do these things to help preserve their sanity). Planeswalkers are very difficult to kill and can't die of natural causes, (such as being stabbed, or even dismembered). This is due to that fact that a Planeswalker's spark is present within his or her brain, is the source of the Planeswalker power. While the brain still exists, a Planewalker still has the ability to trasverse the many planes, can regenerate and shapeshift at will, and can stay alive for millennia upon millennia—and, of course, perform magical activity.

Due to their near-immortality which radically alters their perspectives and personalities, Planeswalkers rarely have relationships with non-Planeswalkers. They know, as soon as they meet someone, that they will outlive them, and that they will have to live with the loss. However, some Planeswalkers, such as Urza, may associate with mortals if he or she finds an advantage in doing so. Urza made two exceptions, one for Xantcha (an artificial Phyrexian human loyal to him), and Barrin the master wizard, who had learned to magically reverse and control his aging. Both Xantcha and Barrin eventually died, though not of old age.

During the Time Spiral cycle of novels (which includes Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, and Future Sight), a series of rifts in the actual fabric of multiverse has begun to cause havoc and apocalyptic destruction in many planes. Specifically in the plane of Dominaria, Planeswalkers have begun to seal those rifts to repair the rents in time and space, whether according to their will or not, by giving up their Planeswalker sparks (though it usually demotes them to the status of mortals or kills them outright)—called "mending." Though it seems that the worlds of the multiverse have begun to heal because of this mending, it is revealed that all the tears in the multiverse result from entropy due to world-scarring events such as the Dominarian Apocalypse, but also because of the Planeswalks of powerful Planeswalkers—which have gradually accumulated over time.

Thus, the creation of Planeswalker sparks has been irreversibly altered by the powers that govern the multiverse. The result is a new breed of Planeswalkers, sometimes called "neowalkers," "planescrawlers," or "jumpers" by fans because of their exponentially decreased powers. These new Planeswalkers can Planeswalk between the multiverse's many planes but do not have the other advantages of the old Planeswalkers. Though they have a small boost in power, the new Planeswalkers are no longer immortal and must rely on their own wizarding abilities, rather than gain the magical might and potential that was immediately gained by their older counterparts.

By the end of the novel Future Sight, in Dominaria, several of the prominent Planeswalkers have been destroyed and some new look Planeswalker have appeared, such as Venser, a artificer living in fear on the island of Urborg and Radha, a Keldon elf.

Famous planeswalkers from the "Magic" mythos include:

The Nine Titans

In a last-ditch attempt to stymie the Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria, nine planeswalkers entered the plane of Phyrexia, in gigantic titan engines of Urza's design, to set off bombs to destroy the plane.
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* Freyalise
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* of Urborg
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* Urza

Mistaken for planeswalkers

Though they are often confused for planeswalkers, Yawgmoth, , Memnarch, Jodah, Lim-Dûl and Marit Lage are, in fact, not.

"Gods"

Some planeswalkers are considered to be gods by the inhabitants of the planes. On the other hand it is uncertain if some of the known gods are really planeswalkers. Examples of these are:
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* The
* The
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* The Myojin
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* Tal
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Some characters are considered gods, but certainly aren't planeswalkers
* Yawgmoth, neither god nor planeswalker
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* the primeval dragons , , , and

Cards

In the 2007 expansion set Lorwyn, planeswalkers were introduced as a new card type, distinct from artifacts, creatures, enchantments, instants, sorceries and lands. A planeswalker comes into play with a number of loyalty counters (indicated in the bottom right of the card) and can use one of three abilities each turn. Each ability costs or generates loyalty. Planeswalkers cannot attack or block. As of Lorwyn, five planeswalkers have been printed with one in each of Magic's five colors.
* White - [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/planeswalkers/ajanigoldmane Ajani Goldmane]
* Blue - [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/planeswalkers/jacebeleren Jace Beleren]
* Black - [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/planeswalkers/lilianavess Liliana Vess]
* Red - [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/planeswalkers/chandranalaar Chandra Nalaar]
* Green - [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/planeswalkers/garrukwildspeaker Garruk Wildspeaker]

New planeswalkers were introduced with the Shards of Alara expansion pack. The red/green aligned Sarkhan Vol, blue's Tezzeret the Seeker, White's Elspeth Tirel, and a White/Red version of Ajani Goldmane referred to as "Ajani Vengeant."

* Red/Green - [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr334 Sarkhan Vol]
* White/Red - [http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/arcana1000/1660_jt3sc2ib_EN.jpgAjani Vengeant]
* Blue - [http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/tcg/products/shardsofalara/c07ljatojm_EN.jpgTezzeret the Seeker]
* White- [http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/tcg/products/shardsofalara/pzvpvy37/009_ALA_EN.jpgElspeth, Knight-Errant]

[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/rules/planeswalkers Rules for playing with Planeswalkers]