Kiku, Night's Flower is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

, : Target creature deals damage to itself equal to its power.

Complete guide

Kiku, Night's Flower is a deceptive Human Assassin that forces your opponents' creatures to strike themselves down. As a legendary creature from the Kamigawa block, she serves as a unique removal engine that scales perfectly with the strength of the threats you face.

Making Power a Weakness

Kiku, Night's Flower has an activated ability that costs two black and two generic mana, plus tapping her. When this ability resolves, the target creature deals damage to itself equal to its current power. This means if a creature has power greater than or equal to its toughness, it will likely destroy itself upon resolution.

The Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you activate the ability by paying the mana and tapping Kiku, Night's Flower. You choose a target creature. Once the ability resolves, the game checks the target creature's current power. The creature then deals that amount of damage to itself. Finally, if the damage marked on the creature is greater than or equal to its toughness, it is destroyed as a state-based action.

Timing and Strategy

Because Kiku's ability requires her to tap, she is most effective when you can protect her or untap her. It is often best to use this ability during your opponent's end step to ensure you have blockers during their turn, or during their combat phase after they have committed to an attack but before damage is dealt.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Remember that Kiku, Night's Flower does not deal the damage; the target creature deals the damage to itself. This is important for abilities like Lifelink or Deathtouch. If a creature with Lifelink targets itself with Kiku's ability, its controller will gain life while the creature takes damage. If a creature has Deathtouch, it will destroy itself even if its power is lower than its toughness, because any amount of damage from a source with Deathtouch is lethal.

Interaction examples

Eliminating Utility Creatures

Ornithopter of Paradise

If your opponent controls Ornithopter of Paradise, you can activate Kiku, Night's Flower targeting it. The Ornithopter has 0 power, so it deals 0 damage to itself. The Ornithopter survives because its toughness is 2 and it took no damage.

Triggering Death Rites

Blood Artist

If Blood Artist is on the battlefield and you use Kiku, Night's Flower to make a creature with 2 power and 2 toughness deal damage to itself, that creature will die. Because a creature died, Blood Artist's triggered ability will fire, allowing you to drain 1 life from an opponent and gain 1 life.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.