Yes, Kenrith, the returned king in Magic: The Gathering, absolutely counts as five colors. This is because his card’s mana cost and abilities incorporate all five colors of mana: White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green. His presence on the battlefield allows players to tap into the full spectrum of Magic’s color pie.

Unpacking Kenrith’s Five-Color Identity

Kenrith, the Returned King is a legendary creature that has become a cornerstone in many Magic: The Gathering formats, especially Commander. What makes him so unique and powerful is his five-color identity. This means he can be included in any Commander deck, regardless of the colors of the other cards in the deck.

What Does "Five Colors" Mean in Magic: The Gathering?

In Magic, the five colors are White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green. Each color represents different philosophies, strategies, and mechanics within the game. A card that is "five-color" can produce or use mana of any of these five colors.

• White (W): Order, protection, community, life.
• Blue (U): Knowledge, illusion, manipulation, intellect.
• Black (B): Ambition, death, sacrifice, power.
• Red (R): Freedom, impulse, chaos, destruction.
• Green (G): Nature, growth, instinct, strength.

Kenrith’s card explicitly requires mana of all five colors to cast. This is a clear indicator of his five-color nature.

Kenrith’s Abilities: A Symphony of All Five Colors

Beyond his casting cost, Kenrith’s true five-color prowess shines through his activated abilities. Each ability is tied to a specific color or combination of colors, offering immense versatility.

• White Ability: For {W}{W}, you can give creatures you control +1/+1 until end of turn. This represents White’s focus on bolstering its forces and creating a strong board presence.
• Blue Ability: For {U}{U}, you can draw a card. This taps into Blue’s card advantage and knowledge-gathering capabilities.
• Black Ability: For {B}{B}, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. This reflects Black’s ability to weaken opponents and disrupt their creatures.
• Red Ability: For {R}{R}, target creature gains haste until end of turn. Red’s signature ability to accelerate creatures and enable aggressive plays is evident here.
• Green Ability: For {G}{G}, you can gain 5 life. Green’s connection to life, nature, and resilience is showcased by this life-gaining effect.

These abilities, combined with his five-color mana cost, solidify Kenrith’s status as a true five-color commander.

Kenrith’s Impact on Deck Building

The fact that Kenrith is a five-color commander opens up a vast array of deck-building possibilities. Players are not restricted by color identity, allowing them to include any card from the entire Magic: The Gathering card pool. This freedom is incredibly powerful.

Commander Format Advantages

In the Commander format, a player’s commander defines their deck’s color identity. This means a Commander deck can only contain cards that share at least one color with the commander. Since Kenrith is five-color, decks led by him can include cards of any color.

This allows for incredibly synergistic and powerful strategies that might not be possible with mono-colored or two-colored commanders. You can combine the best removal from Black, the best ramp from Green, the best card draw from Blue, the best board wipes from White, and the most explosive threats from Red, all in one deck.

Building Around Kenrith’s Abilities

When building a deck around Kenrith, players often focus on maximizing his activated abilities. This can involve strategies that generate a lot of mana, allowing him to be used multiple times per turn.

• Mana Ramp: Including cards that produce a lot of mana, such as Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, or various land ramp spells, is crucial.
• Cost Reduction: Effects that reduce the cost of activated abilities can make Kenrith even more potent.
• Synergistic Cards: Cards that benefit from creatures gaining abilities (like haste), creatures getting bigger, or drawing extra cards can work exceptionally well.

A well-built Kenrith deck can be a powerful and adaptable force on the battlefield.

Kenrith’s Card Details

Here’s a quick look at Kenrith’s core stats and abilities:

| Stat/Ability | Detail