15 Most Valuable Knight Cards

Knightly Valor | Illustrated by Matt Stewart

One of Magic's original creature types was Knight, and two of the most notable two-drops in the game's history boasted that moniker in their names: White Knight and Black Knight. While Soldiers would become more popular as the game evolved, Knight cards have continued to bubble under the surface of the TCG for decades.

While Knights aren't often considered when it comes to notable high-dollar Magic cards, this list will help to highlight some of the most valuable Knights across the game's history. En garde!

15. Midnight Reaper – The Art of Frank Frazetta Secret Lair Drop

Market Price: $26.15

Legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta's two Secret Lair Drops feature some of the most stunning artwork ever printed on a Magic card, seeing as they showcase some of Frazetta's original 1970s fantasy illustrations as the “Godfather of fantasy art.”

This version of Midnight Reaper, a Zombie Knight, highlights Frazetta's stunning Death Dealer painting, and it's a perfectly fitting piece of artwork for a zombified figure on horseback.

14. Eastern Paladin (Foil) – Seventh Edition

Market Price: $26.50

Foil cards from Seventh Edition are often hot commodities on the secondary market thanks to the set's overhauled art style, which was meant to “reset” Magic for a new era, as well as the fact that they are the only cards from the set to boast a black border, often the preferred retro frame style for vintage Magic connoisseurs.

This reprinted version of the green creature-destroying Paladin tilts the scales above $25, which is honestly not bad for a Seventh Edition foil these days.

13. Cavalier of Dawn (First-Place Foil) – Aetherdrift Special Guests

Market Price: $30.02

Originally printed in Core Set 2020, this Elemental Knight destroys a nonland permanent upon entering and then nets you an artifact or enchantment from your graveyard upon its demise.

While various original copies of the card are worth over $10, the First-Place Foil version from Aetherdrift's Special Guest bonus sheet showcases an incredibly yellow (thanks, Chris Martin) card with amazing and mysterious artwork from artist Femke Hiemstra, a Dutch painter who has only illustrated this card in her Magic career. Hopefully more will follow!

12. Puresteel Paladin // Ash, Destined Survivor – Evil Dead Secret Lair Drop

Market Price: $32.96

2023's Evil Dead-themed Secret Lair Drop represented a smorgasbord of fan-favorite characters and scenes from the Evil Dead franchise. Perhaps the most notable card from this collection featured main character Ash himself, played to perfection by Bruce Campbell, in the guise of everyone's favorite Equipment-enabling mono-white Knight Puresteel Paladin. Just add Colossus Hammer to the mix for maximum fun.

11. Syr Konrad, the Grim – Death Is Temporary, Metal Is Forever Secret Lair Drop

Market Price: $41.11

While Aristocrats-style effects (a la Blood Artist and Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim) are often limited to creatures dying or leaving the battlefield, this intriguing Human Knight originally found in Throne of Eldraine actually pings your foes whenever a creature dies and also when one enters the graveyard from hands and libraries as well, an unusual effect.

An interesting twist on a familiar concept, all made more notable in this printing via its metal-music-influenced imagery courtesy of Mark Riddick, who specializes in the form.

10. Squall, SeeD Mercenary (Surge Foil Borderless Character Card) – Final Fantasy

Market Price: $48.81

The protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII is an Orzhov () Human Knight Mercenary in Magic, and he delivers a pseudo-exalted trigger whenever a creature you control attacks alone.

While this card pales in comparison to some of the more desirable Surge Foil Borderless Character cards from Final Fantasy, such as Yuna (one of the most valuable Cleric cards), nearly $50 for a bulk bin rare is still pretty impressive for this golden Knight.

9. Nazgûl (Showcase Scroll) – The Lord of the Rings Special Edition

Market Price: $62.90 (most valuable)

“And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who, above all else, desire power,” said Galadriel in The Fellowship of the Ring, and, as such, Magic printed nine cards featuring different artwork of the undead Wraith Knight Nazgûl, and your deck can contain them all.

Of course, the most valuable versions of the Nazgûl boast the Showcase Scroll frame, which could only be found in the eminently scarce (and highly valuable) Special Edition Collector Boosters of The Lord of the Rings. The most valuable among them boasts striking artwork from Chris Cold.

8. Adun Oakenshield – Legends

Market Price: $68.39

One of the original Legends legends, this 1/2 Jund () Human Knight is a recursion machine, if you're able to pay the full Jund amount and tap him every turn to simply return a creature from your 'yard to your hand. Power creep sure is wild!

7. Battle Angels of Tyr (Bonus Card) – Dungeons & Dragons 50^th Anniversary Superdrop

Market Price: $87.40

The second-most valuable bonus card from the Dungeons & Dragons 50^th Anniversary Superdrop is this Angel Knight with striking artwork from Magic all-star Raymond Swanland.

A Commander stalwart, this 4/4 flyer for boasts the exceedingly rare myriad keyword, of which only 33 other cards have across Magic's history. Sure, the keyword originated not that long ago (in the set Commander 2015), but, still, that's not many cards.

6. Celes, Rune Knight (Surge Foil Borderless Character Card) – Final Fantasy Commander

Market Price: $128.60

The most valuable Final Fantasy Knight is a Mardu-colored () 4/4 Human Wizard Knight that plays perfectly in reanimation-themed shells, since it will permanently boost all your creatures with +1/+1 counters when you reanimate something.

Furthermore, this card plays perfectly with Skeletons that can return directly from your graveyard, such as Reassembling Skeleton or Forsaken Miner. Even better, it creates an infinite combo with Goblin Bombardment and a creature with persist. While not one of the most valuable Wizard cards of all time, nearly $130 for this Mardu Knight is pretty nifty.

5. White Knight – Alpha

Market Price: $173.50 (via PriceCharting)

As always, cards from Magic's first set, Alpha, often have a premium attached to them due to a number of factors including novelty, scarcity, and age. In the case of White Knight, another factor also plays a role: nostalgia.

White Knight was long a staple of White Aggro decks in Magic's early days, as the ability to dodge black removal was paramount. Plus, a 2/2 body for only two mana was an exceptional deal in the game's early days. Tack on two relevant abilities and you've got one of the most efficient creatures in Magic history, at least among Alpha Magic creatures.

4. Bloodthirsty Conqueror (Japan Showcase Fracture Foil) – Foundations

Market Price: $309.76

You've probably heard of Exquisite Blood, a five-mana black enchantment that sees you gain life whenever your foe loses life. What if you tacked that ability onto a 5/5 creature with flying and deathtouch for the exact same total mana value of five? You'd get this astounding Vampire Knight from 2024's Foundations.

That triggered lifegain ability remains a potent combo machine, as it leads to instant kills with Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose, Aetherflux Reservoir, Sanguine Bond, and many others.

3. Black Knight – Alpha

Market Price: $310.15 (via PriceCharting)

Why is black's reaction to White Knight worth far more? Who knows! Perhaps it's because it shares a name with a 2001 Martin Lawrence vehicle or the misremembering of the name of a notable 1970 Deep Purple song (“Black Night”).

Either way, this 2/2 first strike with protection from white from Magic's first set will set you back over $300 on the secondary market and is so scarce that TCGPlayer doesn't even have a market price listed for the card.

2. Northern Paladin – Alpha

Market Price: $446.04 (via PriceCharting)

Unsurprisingly, the only rare Knight card from Alpha tilts the scales as the most valuable non-serialized Knight card of all time.

While the artwork by Douglas Shuler isn't among Magic's most iconic pieces, it is still evocative of its era (and also vaguely resembles Puddy from Seinfeld), and a 3/3 for four mana that could destroy a black permanent for a relatively low price was still well above rate in the game's early years.

1. Edgar Markov (Serialized Double Rainbow Foil Movie Poster) – Innistrad Remastered

Market Price: $2,499.99

As we've seen with multiple lists before it, serialized Magic cards are worth a boatload. If those cards also happen to contain creatures with notably powerful abilities, such as this Mardu Vampire Knight with the supremely rare eminence keyword, that price only goes up.

Edgar Markov is among the most notable Commander cards of all time and ranks as the #2 commander overall per EDHREC, trailing only The Ur-Dragon. Being able to get a free 1/1 Vampire token whether Edgar is on the battlefield or not is simply a bonkers boon, and the fact that only 500 copies of this striking movie poster-inspired version of him were printed means a price point well over $2,000 doesn't seem out of the ordinary.

Good Knight, Sleep Tight

That's it for today—and to(k)night (OK, I'll stop). While Knights don't automatically scream “value” when it comes to notable creature types in Magic history, hopefully this list shines some light on unsung value among one of the game's first creature types. Until next time!