Gravedigger

Gravedigger was originally released in the early years of Magic: The Gathering and became a cornerstone of the game's creature mechanics. By the time it appeared in the Seventh Edition core set in 2001, it was already well-regarded for its functional utility, which allows a player to return a creature card from their graveyard to their hand upon entering the battlefield. This version serves as a representative example of the core set's philosophy of maintaining consistent, reliable gameplay mechanics for players of all levels.

The artwork for this specific printing was commissioned from James Bernardin, who captured the character with a gothic, slightly macabre aesthetic that fits the traditional necromantic theme of black-aligned cards. Bernardin’s illustration leans into the grim nature of the creature's role, emphasizing its function as a scavenger of the fallen. Within the Seventh Edition, which was the first set to feature a modern white-bordered design, the card provided a familiar anchor for players while showcasing the thematic consistency of the game's visual identity at the turn of the millennium.