Anaba Shaman

The Anaba Shaman was released in 2005 as part of the Magic: The Gathering Ninth Edition core set, which served as a milestone for Wizards of the Coast by transitioning to the modern card frame design. Originally appearing in the Homelands expansion, this card depicts the Minotaur shaman of the Anaba clan, a tribe central to the lore of the plane of Dominaria. By the time of the Ninth Edition, Wizards of the Coast was focused on refreshing older mechanics and art to introduce the game to a new generation of players while maintaining a connection to the established history of the multiverse.

The artwork for this specific iteration was commissioned from the legendary British artist Simon Bisley, known for his distinctively gritty, hyper-muscular style and his significant contributions to iconic franchises like 2000 AD and DC Comics. Bisley brought a raw, visceral aesthetic to the character, moving away from the more traditional fantasy renderings of early Magic sets toward a darker and more dynamic visual language. The inclusion of his work in a core set was part of an effort to elevate the visual prestige of common cards, and the piece remains a recognizable example of his influence on the game's mid-2000s artistic direction.