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Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, art by Joshua Raphael
Art by Joshua Raphael · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · image via Scryfall
Selected printing · USD
$13.99
checked Jun 14, 2026 · Scryfall
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Kaito, Bane of Nightmares

{2}{U}{B} · Legendary Planeswalker — Kaito

Ninjutsu {1}{U}{B} ({1}{U}{B}, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.) During your turn, as long as Kaito has one or more loyalty counters on him, he's a 3/4 Ninja creature and has hexproof. +1: You get an emblem with "Ninjas you control get +1/+1." 0: Surveil 2. Then draw a card for each opponent who lost life this turn. −2: Tap target creature. Put two stun counters on it.

Rulings (10)

Sep 20, 2024 · The ninjutsu ability can be activated during the declare blockers step, combat damage step, or end of combat step. If you wait until after the declare blockers step, because all combat damage is dealt at once, Kaito won't normally deal combat damage.

Sep 20, 2024 · Kaito enters attacking the same player, planeswalker, or battle the returned creature was attacking. This is a rule specific to ninjutsu; in other cases, when a creature is put onto the battlefield attacking, that creature's controller chooses which player, planeswalker, or battle it's attacking.

Sep 20, 2024 · If at least one creature in combat has first strike or double strike, you can activate Kaito's ninjutsu ability during the first-strike combat damage step. In that case, Kaito will deal combat damage during the regular combat damage step, even if he has first strike.

Sep 20, 2024 · Although Kaito enters attacking when his ninjutsu ability resolves, he was never declared as an attacking creature (for purposes of abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks, for example).

Sep 20, 2024 · Kaito's fourth ability cares whether opponents lost life this turn, not how their life totals changed. For example, an opponent who gained 2 life and lost 1 life in the same turn still lost life that turn.

Sep 20, 2024 · As you activate Kaito's ninjutsu ability, you reveal Kaito from your hand and return the attacking creature. Kaito isn't put onto the battlefield until the ability resolves. If Kaito leaves your hand before then, he won't enter at all.

Sep 20, 2024 · If an opponent lost life this turn and subsequently lost the game, Kaito's fourth ability still counts that player when determining how many cards to draw.

Sep 20, 2024 · The ninjutsu ability can be activated only after blockers have been declared. Before then, attacking creatures are neither blocked nor unblocked.

Sep 20, 2024 · Kaito's second ability causes him to stop being a planeswalker during your turn as long as he has at least one loyalty counter on him. While he's a creature, damage dealt to him won't cause loyalty counters to be removed. You can still activate Kaito's loyalty abilities.

Sep 20, 2024 · One or more stun counters on a permanent create a single replacement effect that stops the permanent from untapping. That effect is "If a permanent with a stun counter on it would become untapped, instead remove a stun counter from it."

LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
ModernLegal
PioneerLegal
StandardLegal
PauperNot legal
PremodernNot legal
cEDHLegal

Where it’s played now

Inclusion by archetype

% of archetype's lists running it · last 30 days · n=131 decks
ArchetypeFormatInclusionCopiesDecks (n)
Dimir NinjasLegacy100%5
Esper NinjasLegacy100%1
Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowcEDH100%1
Esper FrogModern83.3%1–2×6
Dimir FrogModern80%1–3×55
Esper ControlModern80%1–2×5
Dimir DelverLegacy76.9%1–2×52
Cephalid breakfastLegacy66.7%6
Data as of Jun 14, 2026 · MTGO + papercasthaven.com

Price

Kaito, Bane of Nightmares — price trend

Daily cheapest printing · USD · last 90 days · n=2 snapshots
Data as of Jun 14, 2026 · Scryfallcasthaven.com

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