Liliana Vess is one of Magic: The Gathering's most enduring characters, and across the game's history she's been reprinted as a planeswalker more often than almost anyone else in the multiverse. Counting every version - including her Heretical Healer transform card and her Professor Onyx alter ego - there are 13 distinct Liliana planeswalker cards to consider, spanning more than a decade of sets.
Ranking them isn't just a nostalgia exercise. Some versions genuinely reshaped competitive formats, while others are beloved mainly for flavor or a single memorable deck archetype. This list ranks all 13 by a mix of competitive impact, deckbuilding flexibility, and lasting popularity among collectors.
Every Liliana planeswalker is mono-Black aligned, true to the character since her debut among the original Lorwyn Five - the first planeswalkers Magic ever printed. That consistency makes the ranking less about color identity and more about raw power level and how memorable each card's abilities actually are.
This guide counts down from the more niche printings to the undisputed top pick, with a focus on what made each version worth playing - or worth owning, even if you never cast her in a game.
Liliana, Death Wielder and Liliana, Death Mage sit at the bottom of most rankings - playable, but overshadowed by stronger Liliana printings that do similar things more efficiently. Liliana, the Necromancer falls into a similar bucket, solid in a dedicated reanimator shell but rarely a format staple.
None of these are bad cards by any means; they're simply competing against some of the strongest planeswalkers Magic has ever printed under the same name, which makes the comparison unforgiving.
Liliana, Heretical Healer (which transforms into Liliana, Defiant Necromancer), Liliana Vess, Liliana, Untouched by Death, and Liliana, Waker of the Dead all earn genuine play in the right deck without being format-warping on their own. Liliana Vess in particular has a long competitive history thanks to her tutoring ability, even if she's since been outpaced by newer printings.
Liliana of the Dark Realms rounds out this tier as a build-around card that rewards a swamp-heavy deck specifically, making it a strong pick in the right shell and a weaker one outside it.
Professor Onyx occupies an unusual spot in this ranking since she's technically a different card name representing an alternate version of Liliana from Strixhaven's lore. Her combo potential with graveyard-filling cards and her strong edict-style removal have made her a genuinely respected planeswalker in her own right.
Collectors sometimes debate whether Professor Onyx should count in a Liliana ranking at all, but her thematic and mechanical ties to the character are strong enough that most lists, including this one, include her.
Liliana, the Last Hope, Liliana, Death's Majesty, and Liliana, Dreadhorde General all saw real competitive play across multiple formats, each offering a strong mix of removal, card advantage, and graveyard synergy. Liliana, Dreadhorde General in particular became a staple finisher in several control and midrange strategies.
These three printings are the ones most likely to show up in a competitive deck list today, and their resale values reflect that ongoing relevance among players, not just collectors.
Liliana of the Veil is widely regarded as one of the best planeswalkers Magic has ever printed, period - not just among Lilianas. Her discard-and-sacrifice ability is punishing in constructed formats, and she's been a defining card in multiple competitive eras since her debut.
Her combination of raw power, format-defining play patterns, and ongoing demand from both players and collectors makes her the clear top pick in any honest ranking of Liliana cards.
If you're building a collection around the character rather than a specific competitive deck, the top-tier and format-defining printings carry the most long-term value, while the niche tier offers a more affordable way to own a piece of the character's history. Either approach is valid depending on your goals.
Many collectors aim to own at least one copy of every Liliana planeswalker over time, which makes this ranking a useful checklist as much as a power-level debate.
There are 13 distinct Liliana planeswalker cards, including her transform card and the Professor Onyx alter ego.
Liliana of the Veil is widely regarded as the top printing.
Yes, she represents an alternate version of the character from Strixhaven's story, though her card name doesn't say Liliana.
Yes, every printed Liliana planeswalker is mono-Black aligned.
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