Kokusho, the Evening Star is an iconic Magic: The Gathering card largely due to its powerful and evocative design, as well as its place in the early 2000s competitive Standard and casual scenes.

Printed in Champions of Kamigawa, Kokusho is part of the legendary Dragon Spirit cycle, each with a “dies” trigger. What sets Kokusho apart is its life-draining death trigger: when it dies, each opponent loses 5 life and you gain life equal to the total lost.

In multiplayer formats like Commander, this creates massive life swings and positions Kokusho as a dangerous threat that demands removal—but punishes anyone who provides it. Its synergy with reanimation, sacrifice, and recursion strategies allowed it to become a staple in many black-focused decks over the years.

Beyond power level, Kokusho’s legacy is rooted in its thematic and mechanical resonance. The flavor of a celestial dragon whose death saps life from enemies fits perfectly within black’s color identity, blending death, power, and inevitability.

At the time of its release, Kokusho was one of the few creatures that could end games without needing to attack, which was especially valuable in formats where board stalls were common. Its impact was so significant that it was once banned in EDH (now Commander), a testament to its dominance and notoriety.

To this day, Kokusho remains a beloved and feared card, earning a lasting place in the pantheon of iconic black creatures in MTG history.