| Kozilek | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Race | Eldrazi |
| Birthplace | Blind Eternities |
| Lifetime | Active until the Time of Legends, released and killed in the Mending Era |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 4559 AR |
| Colors | |
 | |
Kozilek (/koʊzɪlɛk/; KOH-zih-lek),[1] the "Butcher of Truth", is one of the three Eldrazi titans and the inspiration for the Zendikari merfolk god Cosi and the Kor god Talib.
Description[ | ]
Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Kozilek's planar avatar is a titan of apparently humanoid anatomy, but with a mass of tentacles in place of legs, and a complex orifice in place of his head. His body is covered in eyes and chitin, and an arrangement of dark plates floats above his shoulders and extends from his elbows. They are often described as being or creating dark "holes" in reality. He stands between Ulamog and Emrakul in size.[2]
Kozilek is the Titan of Distortion, a reality-slicing nightmare of relentless insanity. He changes the perception of reality, making it impossible to discern the truth. He twists loyalties, muddies thoughts, transforms emotions, and induces despair and panic. Kozilek represents themes of deception, puzzles, lies, mental domination, transformation, and experimentation. Sages call Kozilek the confusion of panic, the trap of enigmas, and the harrower of thought.
Lineage[ | ]
The Eldrazi of the Kozilek brood lineage possess many eyes growing near joints or along body ridges, jagged plates or blades of lustrous black mineral jutting from or floating around their bodies, and animalistic or insectoid anatomies covered in tough carapaces.[3] Kozilek's drones can absorb life just by their presence but prefer to rend flesh with their onyx-like projections.
History[ | ]
Imprisonment of the Eldrazi[ | ]
After they discovered the threat of the Eldrazi 40 years prior, Ugin, Nahiri and Sorin Markov prepared thoroughly to trap them on Nahiri's home plane of Zendikar. They devised a plan to trap the Eldrazi by creating a complex network of leylines, hedrons and nodes of mana. Nahiri was the one to build this intricate structure. She worked relentlessly, pulling and shaping hedrons from the living stone of Zendikar, while Ugin inscribed them with draconic runes to hold them in place. These hedrons, scattered across Zendikar, acted as both a lure and a trap, drawing the Eldrazi with their pulsing magical energy.[4]
As the Eldrazi slowly approached Zendikar in -1400 AR, Nahiri warned the inhabitants of her plane — merfolk, kor, humans, elves, and even the surrakar — of the impending threat. The angels patrolled the skies, ever watchful. When the Titans arrived, it was a sight beyond comprehension. Ulamog, Kozilek, and the towering Emrakul descended upon Zendikar, their monstrous forms dwarfing everything in their path.[4]
Ugin, Sorin, and Nahiri fought valiantly. Ugin unleashed his ghostfire, Sorin drained the Eldrazi's strength, and Zendikar's people battled the Titans' spawn, while the Eldrazi moved toward the heart of the trap — the Eye of Ugin. In a final act of power, the three Planeswalkers converged at the Eye, combining their magic to activate the hedron network. Every hedron on Zendikar shifted into place, sealing the Titans in a prison of mana and stone. The earth itself began to swallow the Eldrazi, encasing them and leaving them petrified, slowly sinking into the mountains themselves as Zendikar, though scarred, stood victorious. As the three Planeswalkers locked the chamber with a spell only three planeswalkers together could break, they knew that Zendikar would heal, and its people would adapt to life in the shadows of the hedrons.[4]
The Eldrazi Released[ | ]
Example of Kozilek's spatial distortion power and lineage
After the release of the titans Emrakul, Ulamog, and Kozilek by Nissa Revane, Kozilek's brood was said to have retreated to remote corners of the world, and it was generally believed that he left the plane of Zendikar. However, this assumption appears to have been incorrect. Immediately after Ob Nixilis reignited his spark by draining the hedron network that imprisoned Ulamog, Kozilek emerged from deep underground nearby.[5] At that time, he had gained some perfect black shards floating above his head that seem to draw in light itself, sometimes described as holes in space.[6]
After heavy initial losses in the Battle for Zendikar, the Gatewatch performed an orchestrated attack on Ulamog and Kozilek, binding them again in a web of leylines and burning them. This was the end of the material manifestation of Kozilek on Zendikar.[7]
Colorless symbol[ | ]
In Oath of the Gatewatch cards relating to Kozilek feature mana costs with the colorless symbol .[8]
Gallery[ | ]
Early Kozilek concept using the name "Korgamuzilek." Art by Aleksi Briclot.
Early concepts of the three Eldrazi titans by Aleksi Briclot.
Story appearances[ | ]
In-game references[ | ]
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Bonds of Mortality
- Call the Gatewatch
- Fall of the Titans
- Forest (Modern Horizons 3, #308)
- Idol of False Gods
- Inquisition of Kozilek
- Inquisition of Kozilek
- Inquisition of Kozilek
- Island (Modern Horizons 3, #305)
- Rise of the Eldrazi
- Ruin in their Wake
- Ruin in Their Wake (Jumpstart 2022)
- Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
- Shrivel
- Witness the End
- Referred to:
- Kozilek's Brood:
- Bearer of Silence
- Birthing Hulk
- Bismuth Mindrender
- Blinding Drone
- Breaker of Creation
- Broodwarden
- Chittering Dispatcher
- Corrupted Shapeshifter
- Cultivator Drone
- Deceiver of Form
- Deepfathom Skulker
- Devourer of Destiny
- Dimensional Infiltrator
- Dread Defiler
- Dread Drone
- Drowner of Truth
- Eldrazi Aggressor
- Eldrazi Displacer
- Eldrazi Linebreaker
- Eldrazi Mimic
- Eldrazi Obligator
- Eldrazi Ravager
- Eldrazi Scion (Kozilek)
- Eldrazi Scion (Kozilek)
- Eldrazi Scion (Kozilek)
- Eldrazi Spawn (Kozilek)
- Endbringer
- Essence Depleter
- Glaring Fleshraker
- Gravity Negator
- Havoc Sower
- Immobilizer Eldrazi
- Inverter of Truth
- It That Betrays
- It That Heralds the End
- Matter Reshaper
- Mindmelter
- Propagator Drone
- Prophet of Distortion
- Rapacious One
- Reality Smasher
- Scion Summoner
- Skitterskin
- Slaughter Drone
- Stalking Drone
- Thief of Existence
- Thought-Knot Seer
- Turn Against
- Ulalek, Fused Atrocity
- Vile Redeemer
- Void Grafter
- Walker of the Wastes
- Warden of Geometries
- Wastescape Battlemage
- World Breaker
External links[ | ]
- Doug Beyer (March 17, 2010). "Gods and Monsters". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Doug Beyer (March 29, 2010). "The Eldrazi Arisen". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Kelly Digges (June 15, 2010 / May 14, 2015). "Know Your Spawn!". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
References[ | ]
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 31, 2015). "Here's a pronunciation guide for some of the names that were requested earlier today.". The Official Magic: The Gathering Tumblr. Tumblr.
- ↑ The Eldrazi Power Hour - MagicCon Amsterdam (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (July 10, 2024).
- ↑ Doug Beyer (April 28, 2010). "The Three Brood Lineages". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c Kelly Digges (October 29, 2014). "The Lithomancer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (December 2, 2015). "Promises to Keep". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kelly Digges (December 9, 2015). "The Rise of Kozilek". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (February 17, 2016). "Zendikar's Last Stand". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 31, 2015). "Do you all have any fear that now having to write (5) as CCCCC will take up too much space at card top and as such may affect the creation of spells and creatures with large mana costs?". Blogatog. Tumblr.