Grixis is a shard occupied by villains like Nicol Bolas, or represented by vile Planes of suffering, like that of its namesake, and as such to say that this set of colors gets a bad wrap in Magic: the Gathering would be a major understatement. But this never sat right with me personally, in fact I saw something different than all of this in this Shard. In fact I would say that Grixis, the combination of Blue, Black and Red, is a set of colors that represents the best, and yes, the worst parts of humanity. What do I mean by this, well that my friends is the topic of today's article, and believe me, once you have finished watching I guarantee your view of the Shard of Grixis will drastically shift as well.
Representation
The story of this color combination really begins 16 years ago with the set Shards of Alaraa, giving us the shard of Grixis, which was a miniature plane with a heavy focus on its lack of Green and White mana. It's a vile world which has rejected anything natural or good. It's a place of suffering and sulphur; a land of hate and decay. This Shard was a dramatic representation of what could be when light and life has been removed. While at a surface level it can be hard to parse any philosophical themes out of this representation of the combination, there is still something we can learn.
What it tells us is that Grixis is an ideology that rejects any natural or societal constructs that aim to define it. Sure in the case of this shard it can take on an abhorrent form, but the truth is if we pull this back a bit there is something substantial there, but lets hold onto that, as its something that will come up later when we dig into the core of Grixis. For now lets talk about the other faction representation of this three color combination and that is the Maestros from New Capenna who showcase a different view on what this combination colors can be.
Publicly, this faction poses as upscale art aficionados, those who dictate culture, but in reality, they are a clandestine organization of assassins focused on preserving their own power and control. This version of the Grixis combination has a fine balance between all of the colors present, they are the lavish and extravagance of Red Black while being an organization of calculated assassins, leaning into Blue.
When we move from factions to inspect the most common creature type in Grixis we see that vampires come up time and time again, which fits neatly into a very similar space as the Maestros. At face value vampires are elegant and beautiful but behind that façade is a vicious killer driven only by satisfying its own desires. And its this concept, that of fulfillment of desire without restriction, that I want to focus in on the most when it comes to discussing Grixis.
Finally the one character we cannot ignore when talking about Grixis is that of Nicol Bolas, a being who has played a vital part in Magic's entire history. As a character Nicol bolas is the personification of relentless ambition, cold a-moral action, and spiteful deception. His motivations are that of domination and control, accomplished through schemes that span hundreds of years. Moreover he is cruel and prone to acts of utter destruction. In many ways he is the villainous Grixis archetype personified, but if you asked me on a more personal level, I would say that Nicol Bolas showcases the relentless desire for greatness and the drive to accomplish it nested within the Grixis ideology.
What these examples do is paint a picture for us, a reference of how this shard is represented in the game of Magic: the Gathering, but as always we are merely seeing the dark side of this combination often portrayed in this game, as some colors and combinations seem forced into this role more often than others. The truth is though, that there are layers to Grixis, and if we peel them back to the source there is actually something very human about the shard. So in an effort to confront the truth about Grixis I want to dive into the 3 core philosophies that motivate it.
Legacy Through Expression
To leverage a creative mind is to imprint ourselves on the world around us. Grixis is a Shard always concerned with its impact expressed through self upon its surroundings. It aims to influence and to inspire. This is because with Black at its core its eager to take what makes it who it is and use it to reshape the world according to its own vision. While the combination of Izzet adds that sparks of creativity to ones own goals.
To Grixis, creativity isn’t just about expression; it’s a tool of transformation, a means to assert one's identity and bend reality to match one's will. This drive stems from the belief that true power lies in the ability to leave a mark on society through both its life and after its death, to craft something uniquely ours that stands apart from the constraints of the ordinary. It's about seizing control of the narrative and ensuring that our presence, our essence, alters the fabric of the world around us. Its a legacy that may influence others and through things like art, inspirational speeches, or scientific discoveries one may be remembered for their greatness long after they are gone.
This focus on Black, paired with that of Izzet lends itself to an individual who has a vision of how they wish to be perceived and of the legacy they wish to leave behind. They are uncomfortable in mediocrity and so utilize their skills to make something that can shine bright in the greyness of existence. It is leveraging the creative mastery of Izzet and the visions of grandeur of Black to create something of itself, something that will shine on well beyond after their own light fades.
Relentless Ambition
The only thing stopping you from getting what you want is the motivation to act. Yet the desire for more, in of itself is not enough to drive you forward, you need a fire in your belly that is never satisfied. This is where the Grixis philosophy leverages their Red side to fulfill this drive with the relentless nature of this color, paired with the ambitions of Dimir. This version of the Shard's philosophy is one that is never satisfied with what it has, it dreams big and pursues its needs with a passion, like a fire always stoked by the hunger of desire. In many ways it cannot sit still, cannot rest on its laurels, rather it becomes obsessed with the idea of what it can become, an ever moving goalpost that pushes Grixis forward.
This constant pursuit, however, isn’t aimless; it's deeply intentional. Grixis doesn't chase after empty dreams or fleeting desires. Instead, it channels its Red-fueled passion into the calculated ambitions of Dimir. The drive for more isn't about recklessness—it's about strategic evolution that never sits still whenever it reaches a plateau. Where each step forward is a deliberate move toward a future where the self is fully realized and unbound by limitations. But this act is taken on with a relentless desire to keep on moving, to push what is possible for ones self.
In this way Grixis thrives in the tension between hunger and vision, where the fire within propels it to continuously redefine and elevate itself. It’s a philosophy that embraces the idea that satisfaction is the enemy of growth, and as such, it seeks to remain ever-hungry for what it can become.
Unrestrained Desire
Who are you, and what do you want from this life? It can seem like a frivolous question with a quick answer. You want happiness, love, and acceptance right? But why do all but happiness, broad as a term as it is, come from external entities? To Grixis this is a fallacy of our own making. We do not need to be accepted nor do we need to be loved really. What we need is to find the root of what those terms provide us. To do so we must be able to deconstruct our own desires, and to shed any assumptions passed to us from the world around us. It comes back to the idea of rejecting both White and Green, the constructs of humanity and of nature. It's about confronting the illusions we've been taught—the need for acceptance, the quest for love—as constructs that distract us from our true purpose.
But what does it mean to reject these constructs? It’s not about denying the existence of community or nature, but rather recognizing that they are not the sources of our worth. The philosophy of Grixis pushes us to dig deeper, to question why we seek fulfillment in external validations rather than in the essence of who we are. Happiness, in its truest form, isn’t something granted by others—it’s something we forge within ourselves. By dismantling the illusions of what we think we need, we clear the path to understanding what we genuinely desire. This isn’t about isolation; it’s about independence. It’s about embracing the freedom to define our existence on our own terms, free from the expectations of society or the dictates of the natural world.
This sort of introspective look into our own desires is something that Rakdos touches on but does so only through feeling, while the addition of Blue makes this exercise something done with a calculated approach. It is now about coming to a conclusion on what we want from this life through logic. So follow the path of your own needs and find the root of who you are, because when it comes down to it, we have placed walls in our own mind that need to be found and torn down with ferocity.
Conclusion
Grixis is a philosophy that I often think of as the greatest and worst parts of humanity. It is true to itself, and comes to that conclusions through logic, but those conclusions may push away those close to us. It is creative and inspirational yet full of hubris. It is humanities unrelenting ambitions that have taken us from caves into space, yet the source of our inevitable self destruction. But Grixis does not shy away from the darker parts of what make it who it is as those parts of us are revelations of truth, so it says with its chest act without regret, act to satisfy your creativity, your curiosity and your desires, for if you do so you will live the full life you were meant to.
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