Kokusho, the Evening Star 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
Flying When Kokusho dies, each opponent loses 5 life. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.
Complete guide
Kokusho, the Evening Star is a legendary powerhouse that remains a staple in multiplayer formats like Commander. As one of the iconic Kamigawa spirit dragons, it poses a massive threat both while it is on the battlefield and the moment it leaves.
A Deadly Departure
Kokusho, the Evening Star features a powerful 'dies' trigger. In Magic: The Gathering, a creature 'dies' when it is put into a graveyard from the battlefield. When this happens, each of your opponents loses 5 life simultaneously. The second part of the ability checks the total life lost; you gain life equal to that sum. In a standard four-player game, this results in a 15-life swing in your favor.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, Kokusho must move from the battlefield to the graveyard. This triggers the ability, which is then placed on the stack. When the ability resolves, it calculates the life loss for each opponent currently in the game. If an opponent cannot lose life due to specific effects, that life is not counted toward your gain. Once the loss is calculated, you add that total to your life total in one single event.
Strategic Timing
Because Kokusho is a legendary creature, you can trigger its ability intentionally by playing a second copy, forcing you to move one to the graveyard due to the 'legend rule.' It is best used as a deterrent against board wipes or as a finishing move when your opponents are at low health, as the life loss does not target and bypasses hexproof.
Common Misconceptions
Players often forget that the life gain is dependent on the life actually lost. If an opponent has a card that prevents life loss, you will not gain life from that specific opponent. Additionally, if Kokusho is exiled instead of being destroyed, the ability does not trigger because the card never 'died' by hitting the graveyard.
Interaction examples
Syr Konrad, the GrimIf you control Syr Konrad, the Grim and your Kokusho, the Evening Star dies, two triggers occur. First, Syr Konrad deals 1 damage to each opponent because a creature died. Then, Kokusho's ability resolves, draining 5 life from each opponent and healing you for the total amount lost.
Gray Merchant of AsphodelWhile Kokusho, the Evening Star is on the battlefield, it contributes two black pips to your devotion. If you play Gray Merchant of Asphodel, you will first drain your opponents based on your devotion. If Kokusho later dies, you trigger a second massive life-drain effect, compounding the pressure on your opponents' life totals.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Kokusho, the Evening Star
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Kokusho, the Evening Star + Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
- 1Activate Yawgmoth by paying 1 life and sacrificing Kokusho, targeting any other nontoken non-Human creature you control with toughness two or greater.
- 2Kokusho dies, triggering it and its undying ability.
- 3Resolve Kokusho's undying trigger, returning it from the graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter.
- 4Resolve Kokusho's trigger, causing each opponent to lose 5 life, and causing you to gain life equal to the life lost this way.
- 5Resolve the Yawgmoth ability from step 1, putting a -1/-1 counter on the additional creature and causing you to draw a card.
- 6Activate Yawgmoth by paying 1 life and sacrificing the additional creature, targeting Kokusho.
- 7The creature dies, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 8Resolve the Yawgmoth ability, putting a -1/-1 counter on Kokusho and causing you to draw a card.
K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth + Buried Alive + Reanimate + Chainer, Dementia Master
- 1Cast Buried Alive by paying
and two life, searching for Chainer, Viscera Seer, and Kokusho. - 2Cast Reanimate by paying 2 life.
- 3returning Chainer onto the battlefield and causing you to lose five life.
- 4Activate Chainer by paying nine life, returning Viscera Seer from your graveyard to the battlefield as a Nightmare in addition to its other creature types.
- 5Activate Chainer by paying nine life, returning Kokusho from your graveyard to the battlefield as a Nightmare in addition to its other creature types.
- 6Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Kokusho.
- 7Kokusho dies, causing each opponent to lose 5 life and causing you to gain life equal to the amount of life lost this way.
- 8Resolve the Viscera Seer, scrying 1.
K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth + Buried Alive + Animate Dead + Chainer, Dementia Master
- 1Cast Buried Alive by paying and two life, searching for Chainer, Viscera Seer, and Kokusho.
- 2Cast Animate Dead by paying
and two life. - 3Animate Dead enters the battlefield, returning Chainer onto the battlefield attached with Animate Dead.
- 4Activate Chainer by paying nine life, returning Viscera Seer from your graveyard to the battlefield as a Nightmare in addition to its other creature types.
- 5Activate Chainer by paying nine life, returning Kokusho from your graveyard to the battlefield as a Nightmare in addition to its other creature types.
- 6Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Kokusho.
- 7Kokusho dies, causing each opponent to lose 5 life and causing you to gain life equal to the amount of life lost this way.
- 8Resolve the Viscera Seer, scrying 1.
K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth + Buried Alive + Necromancy + Chainer, Dementia Master
- 1Cast Buried Alive by paying and two life, searching for Chainer, Viscera Seer, and Kokusho.
- 2Cast Animate Dead by paying and two life.
- 3Animate Dead enters the battlefield, returning Chainer onto the battlefield attached with Animate Dead.
- 4Activate Chainer by paying nine life, returning Viscera Seer from your graveyard to the battlefield as a Nightmare in addition to its other creature types.
- 5Activate Chainer by paying nine life, returning Kokusho from your graveyard to the battlefield as a Nightmare in addition to its other creature types.
- 6Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Kokusho.
- 7Kokusho dies, causing each opponent to lose 5 life and causing you to gain life equal to the amount of life lost this way.
- 8Resolve the Viscera Seer, scrying 1.
Enduring Renewal + Crystalline Crawler + Sunbond + Kokusho, the Evening Star
- 1Cast Kokusho by paying
. - 2Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing Kokusho, adding .
- 3When Kokusho dies, it and Enduring Renewal trigger.
- 4Resolve the Enduring Renewal trigger, returning Kokusho from your graveyard to your hand.
- 5Resolve the Kokusho trigger, causing each opponent to lose 5 life and you to gain life equal to the life lost this way.
- 6Crystalline Crawler triggers, putting a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the life you gained.
- 7Activate Crystalline Crawler's first ability five times by removing five +1/+1 counters from it, adding .
- 8Repeat.
Enduring Renewal + Crystalline Crawler + Sunbond + Kokusho, the Evening Star
- 1Cast Kokusho by paying .
- 2Activate Carrion Feeder by sacrificing Kokusho.
- 3When Kokusho dies, it and Enduring Renewal trigger.
- 4Resolve the Enduring Renewal trigger, returning Kokusho from your graveyard to your hand.
- 5Resolve the Kokusho trigger, causing each opponent to lose 5 life and you to gain life equal to the life lost this way.
- 6Crystalline Crawler triggers, putting a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the life you gained.
- 7Resolve the Carrion Feeder ability, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 8Activate Crystalline Crawler's first ability six times by removing six +1/+1 counters from it, adding .
Enduring Renewal + Crystalline Crawler + Sunbond + Kokusho, the Evening Star
- 1Cast Kokusho by paying .
- 2When Kokusho enters the battlefield, Blasting Station triggers, untapping Blasting Station.
- 3Activate Blasting Station by tapping it and sacrificing Kokusho.
- 4When Kokusho dies, it and Enduring Renewal trigger.
- 5Resolve the Enduring Renewal trigger, returning Kokusho from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Resolve the Kokusho trigger, causing each opponent to lose 5 life and you to gain life equal to the life lost this way.
- 7Crystalline Crawler triggers, putting a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the life you gained.
- 8Resolve the Blasting Station ability, dealing 1 damage to any target.
Enduring Renewal + Crystalline Crawler + Light of Promise + Kokusho, the Evening Star
- 1Cast Kokusho by paying .
- 2Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Kokusho.
- 3When Kokusho dies, it and Enduring Renewal trigger.
- 4Resolve the Enduring Renewal trigger, returning Kokusho from your graveyard to your hand.
- 5Resolve the Kokusho trigger, causing each opponent to lose 5 life and you to gain life equal to the life lost this way.
- 6Crystalline Crawler triggers, putting a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the life you gained.
- 7Resolve the Viscera Seer ability, causing you to scry 1.
- 8Activate Crystalline Crawler's first ability six times by removing six +1/+1 counters from it, adding .
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Kokusho, the Evening Star
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