Flavor text

Flavor text is the italicized text (but not in parentheses) on a Magic card that serves to provide a mood or give background information on the game world, but has no effect on gameplay.

Description
Each set has a person assigned to it who is responsible for overseeing names and flavor text. In the past, this was a single person who oversaw all the names and flavor text of all the sets, but a number of years ago, R&D began switching to different people from set to set. That person, known as the creative lead, works with a collection of writers (both internal and external to Wizards of the Coast) who make up the Creative Writing team for the set. Each card is put into a special online database with the information of what is needed from the writers.

Each member of the Creative Writing team for the set writes several suggestions for every name and flavor text. The creative lead will then go through all the suggestions picking what they think are the choices that work best. They then work with the editing lead of the set to make sure the names and flavor text they've selected will work. (Certain choices, for instance, might not physically fit on the card or might conflict with choices made in a nearby set.) The Set Design lead (along with other members of R&D) will also give notes on the chosen names that the creative lead can respond to. Freelance writers are paid if their submissions are accepted by the creative team.

Real-world quotations (mostly literature, the bible and so on) were a thing in early sets, but nowadays they are mostly avoided. A few versions of iconic cards (e.g. Wrath of God, Lightning Bolt, Disenchant) may have no flavor text, even though there is room for it, as flavor text could be seen as detracting from the overall aesthetic of these staples.

Rules
Any italicized text in parentheses is not flavor text, but reminder text. undefined undefined

Four-letter flavor text
Starting with Mirage expansion that flavor text team always included a four-letter piece of flavor text. Mirage had "Heel" on Ray of Command, Visions had "BOOM!" on Magma Mine and "Next!" on Goblin Recruiter, Weatherlight had "Ewww!" on Mwonvuli Ooze, Tempest had "Here" on Jinxed Idol, Stronghold had "Mine" on Cannibalize</c>, and Exodus had "Stay" on Monstrous Hound</c>. The team decided to end the trend in Unglued with "Mooo" on Hungry Hungry Heifer</c> in extra-large type. However, Zendikar Rising would later print "Hush" on Drana's Silencer</c>.

Flavor text matters
Un-cards may care about flavor text. Flavor text matters is featured in Unhinged (Carnivorous Death-Parrot</c> and My First Tome</c>) and Unstable (Ineffable Blessing</c>).

List of mentioned persons

 * The List of secondary characters is a comprehensive sortable table that lists every character that is mentioned in flavor text, but only played a minor role or even have never appeared in the storyline.