Champions of Kamigawa (set code: CHK, released October 2004) was the most divisive large set of its era. For full lore, the Kami War story, and block mechanics, see our Kamigawa guide. At 306 cards, it had the highest density of legendary permanents ever printed in a single set. Competitive players at the time found its mechanics parasitic and its non-legendary cards underpowered. But several CHK cards proved to be among the most impactful ever printed — two ended up banned in multiple formats.
Here are the best Champions of Kamigawa cards for competitive play and Commander.
1. Sensei’s Divining Top
The defining card of the set and one of the most influential artifacts in Magic history. A 1-mana artifact: tap to look at the top 3 cards and rearrange them; or 1 mana to draw a card and return Top to the top of your library. Combined with Counterbalance in Legacy, this created an oppressive “Miracles” control strategy that locked opponents from casting spells. Banned in Legacy (2017) and Modern. Still a Commander staple in combo, control, and anything that shuffles its library.
2. Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
A 2/2 flying Spirit for 2U with a passive ability: all creatures you control counter the first spell or ability that targets them each turn. Cheap, reliable protection at instant speed with no activation required. Played in Legacy Merfolk and Death and Taxes strategies to protect key creatures from spot removal and bounce spells.
3. Azami, Lady of Scrolls
A 0/2 legendary Merfolk Wizard for 3UU that taps untapped Wizards you control to draw a card. In Commander, Azami is the quintessential Wizard tribal commander — in a deck full of Wizards, she draws an enormous number of cards per turn, enabling easy combos with Laboratory Maniac or Mind Over Matter.
4. Kodama’s Reach
A 3-mana Arcane sorcery: search for two basic lands — one enters tapped, one goes to hand. Near-identical to Cultivate (from Magic 2011). Kodama’s Reach is a Commander staple that has appeared in virtually every green Commander deck for two decades. The Arcane subtype also enables Splice interactions.
5. The Legendary Dragon Spirits
Champions introduced five legendary 5/5 flying Dragon Spirits, one per color, each with a powerful death trigger:
- Yosei, the Morning Star (white) — tap up to 5 permanents, skip target player’s next untap step
- Keiga, the Tide Star (blue) — gain control of target creature
- Kokusho, the Evening Star (black) — each opponent loses 5 life, you gain that much. Banned in Commander from 2008–2016
- Ryusei, the Falling Star (red) — deals 5 damage to each non-flying creature
- Jugan, the Rising Star (green) — distribute 5 +1/+1 counters among target creatures
All five remain popular Commander threats. Yosei and Kokusho are particularly powerful in reanimation strategies.
6. Forbidden Orchard
A land that taps for any color but gives your opponent a 1/1 colorless Spirit token. Enables Oath of Druids in Legacy and Vintage (you need an opponent to have a creature), and appears in various “give opponents creatures to use against them” Commander strategies.
7. Through the Breach
A 5-mana instant (Splice onto Arcane) that puts a creature from hand into play until end of turn, then sacrifices it. Combined with Emrakul, the Aeons Torn or Griselbrand, this enables a one-card “win on the spot” turn in Modern combo decks. A core piece of the Scapeshift/Breach and Goryo’s Breach archetypes.
8. Ghostly Prison
A 3-mana white enchantment: creatures can’t attack you unless the attacking player pays 2 mana per creature. A Commander staple in “pillowfort” strategies that deter opponents from attacking. Reprinted many times and still widely used in white control and enchantment decks.
9. Horobi, Death’s Wail
A 2/2 flying legendary Spirit for 2BB: whenever a creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, destroy it. Creates a lethal combo with any cheap, repeatable targeting effect. A niche but powerful black Commander piece for control-minded builds.
10. Sakura-Tribe Elder
A 1/1 Snake Shaman for 1G: sacrifice it to search for a basic land and put it into play tapped. Two-mana ramp that also blocks. One of the most played green ramp creatures in Commander history — it ramps while potentially trading in combat, and is fetchable off green creature tutors.