Kiora's Follower: Exploring the Name's Narrative Meaning

Kiora's Follower: Exploring the Name's Narrative Meaning

In TCG ·

Kiora's Follower card art — a merfolk figure amid swirling oceanic energy

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Narrative Meaning Behind the Name: Kiora's Follower

In the tapestry of Ixalan’s subterranean seas and sunlit reefs, a card named Kiora's Follower invites us to ask not just what it does, but who it is. This uncommon Merfolk from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander set wears its name like a small invitation to a larger myth: a devoted adherent, a sailor in the service of a larger sea-power, someone who has chosen a path under the banner of Kiora. The layered flavor text—“She may call herself Kiora but I believe she is Thassa, the embodiment of the sea and empress of the depths”—nudges us toward a broader oceanic theology where titles and identities drift, reform, and collide. 🧙‍♂️ The name is more than a label; it signals allegiance, belief, and a role within a grander, sometimes enigmatic, narrative of sea gods and their devotees.

With its two-color identity (green and blue) and its water-logged vibes, Kiora's Follower sits at a curious crossroads of lore and play. The card’s name foregrounds devotion—are you steering your followers toward Kiora’s oceanic dominion, or are you drawing out the clever, untapped potential of the sea itself? The interplay is crisp: a follower embodies the deck’s thematic heartbeat, while the sea itself remains the ultimate puppeteer. ⚔️ In a world where planewalker lore and nautical myth entwine, even a humble 2/2 creature can feel like a ripple that becomes a wave. 🔱

"She may call herself Kiora but I believe she is Thassa, the embodiment of the sea and empress of the depths."

From Name to Narrative: What the Narrative Adds to the Card’s Identity

The name Kiora's Follower encodes two essential threads. First, devotion: this is someone who aligns with Kiora’s gaze—watching, waiting, and ready to assist the tide’s turn. Second, agency: the follower isn’t merely a tagalong; the card invites a subtle assertion of control within the sea’s currents. In the card’s world, the act of tapping to untap another permanent is a quiet demonstration of leadership—one merfolk commanding the flow of attention and energy, enabling you to untap a land, a mana amplifier, or a crucial permanent that needs a breath of air to do its job again. The flavor and the mechanics are siblings in this sense—both speak to a maelstrom that is as much about timing and intuition as it is about raw power. 🧭💎

Gameplay Impressions: Untapping as a Tool, Not a Toy

With mana cost {G}{U} and a respectable 2/2 body, Kiora's Follower arrives as a compact engine for value plays and tempo swings. The real trick lies in its activated ability: T: Untap another target permanent. That effect may seem modest at a glance, but in a Commander or multi-game context it becomes a flexible toolkit. Untapping a land can accelerate your mana base, enabling back-to-back plays or enabling a sudden tempo push as your opponents try to catch their breaths. Untapping a nonland permanent—be it an artifact that’s tapped for a crucial ability, a creature with a tap-activated ability, or a defender you want to reset—can set up a clutch rhythm for the next turn. In dense board states, that single untap can be the difference between stabilizing the battlefield and staring down a lethal sequence. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Because Kiora’s Follower is a Merfolk, it plays nicely with other blue or green staples that appreciate a nimble, tempo-forward approach. It synergizes with effects that untap permanents for extra mana or additional activations, and it fits into pump-and-draw archetypes that lean into rogue value. The art and mechanics together give you a deck-building itch: how many permanents can you untap repeatedly, how many times can you pivot your defenses, and how can you weave this small creature into a larger plan to outpace the table? 🎲

Art, Design, and Flavor: A Sea-Changed World

Eric Deschamps’ depiction of Kiora's Follower brings the ocean’s mood to life—green-blue hues, motion in the water, and a sense of disciplined purpose in a creature that seems to listen to the draw of the tides. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander set itself as a playful, thematic space for commanders who want to explore iconic mythic vibes without the pressure of a tournament-ready meta. The card’s vivid flavor text enhances the sense that the sea is a living character, not a mere backdrop, capable of claiming identities and reshaping them as it seeps into the shore. The design quietly nods to Thassa, anchoring the card in the broader sea-god pantheon that carries through both lore and lurid card art. 🎨

Collectibility and Presence in Modern Play

As a reprint in a dedicated commander-oriented set, Kiora's Follower finds its home among casual and EDH players who savor flavorful two-color combos. It’s nonfoil, adds a touch of nostalgia with a modern twist, and remains affordable (roughly a few dimes). The card’s EDHREC rank sits in a comfortable space for a niche effect—an uncommon slot that sees steady use in themed Merfolk or ramp-centric blue-green lists. The balance of power and flavor makes it a welcome addition to a sea-focused deck, even as it serves as a reminder of the Ixalan era’s mythic zest. 💎

Speaking of keepsakes and carriers of lore, you can protect your deck—and your devices—on land and sea alike. If you’re browsing for a sleek, sturdy companion for your everyday carry, consider a slim, glossy phone case that guards an iPhone 16 Lexan PC. It’s a small nod to the practical side of MTG life, where travel, tournaments, and coffee-fueled drafting sessions share the same table. 🔥

Whether you’re chasing the perfect untap sequence, savoring the artwork, or diving into the lore behind Kiora’s following, this merfolk invites you to chart a course through oceanic lanes where strategy and story collide with the elegance of a rising tide. ⚔️💎

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Kiora's Follower

Kiora's Follower

{G}{U}
Creature — Merfolk

{T}: Untap another target permanent.

"She may call herself Kiora but I believe she is Thassa, the embodiment of the sea and empress of the depths."

ID: 3666d3eb-fc62-4966-9149-aa3435650c29

Oracle ID: 22c044ad-77d7-4c93-953d-e2daa9686ff7

Multiverse IDs: 640569

TCGPlayer ID: 525965

Cardmarket ID: 743625

Colors: G, U

Color Identity: G, U

Keywords:

Rarity: Uncommon

Released: 2023-11-17

Artist: Eric Deschamps

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 1340

Penny Rank: 4116

Set: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (lcc)

Collector #: 273

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — legal
  • Timeless — legal
  • Gladiator — legal
  • Pioneer — legal
  • Modern — legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — not_legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — not_legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — not_legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.19
  • EUR: 0.42
  • TIX: 0.20
Last updated: 2025-11-15