Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni

Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni was originally introduced in the 2005 Betrayers of Kamigawa expansion, reflecting the set's heavy focus on Japanese folklore and the corruption of the spirit world. The card depicts a nezumi, or rat-folk, assassin serving the demonic oni, illustrating the dark pacts and treacherous atmosphere central to the Kamigawa narrative. The specific version found in the 2016 Planechase Anthology utilizes the updated modern card frame, maintaining the evocative artwork by Todd Lockwood, who rendered the character with a menacing, ethereal quality that emphasizes her role as a master of the dead.

The Planechase Anthology release was designed as a retrospective collection, bringing together cards from the experimental Planechase multiplayer format. By including Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni in this anthology, Wizards of the Coast sought to provide players with powerful, iconic creatures that synergized with the high-stakes, chaotic nature of the Planechase format. The design choice to feature this specific card underscores the character's legacy as a staple in graveyard-focused strategies, where her ability to reanimate fallen creatures from any graveyard remains a hallmark of competitive and casual play alike.