On Tuesday,Magic: The Gathering’s newest novel,War of the Spark:Forsaken, hit the shelves, and reactions to the book have been overwhelmingly negative. Indeed, fans have taken issue with much that is found inWar of the Spark: Forsaken, including its prose, but it is a change that the book seems to make to one of the most belovedMagic: The GatheringPlaneswalkersthat has really set the community on fire.
Specifically,War of the Spark:Forsaken’s descriptions of Chandra, a female Planeswalker that first appeared inMagic: The Gatheringin 2007, and her romantic relationship with Nissa Revane, another female Planeswalker and member of the Gatewatch, are not sitting well with many fans. These descriptions suggest that Chandra’s romantic interests have always been primarily for “the brawny (and decidedly male) types,” and there is indication that the love that she shared with Nissa was “platonic.”
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For many, including some vocal individuals that have been officially involved in crafting the stories around Chandra, Nissa, andMTGin general, this feels like a retcon of the iconic Planeswalker, and fans suggest thatForsakenhas stripped Chandra of her pansexuality. These fans support this suggestion by pointing to the depictions of Chandra and Nissa’s relationship in previousMagic: The Gatheringstories, such as those contained within the Bolas arc, which appear to counter the idea that their love was merely “platonic.”
With respect to how these fans would like to see the portrayal of Chandra inWar of the Spark: Forsakenaddressed, some believe thatWizards of the Coastshould declare the new book noncanonical. This would allow the nextMagic: The Gatheringstories to feature the version of Chandra that fans feel has been lost withForsaken, and perhaps her relationship with Nissa could end, if that is indeed the desired direction, in a way that does not seemingly diminish what has been established previously.
That said, removingWar of the Spark: Forsakenfrom the canon may simply not be something that Wizards is willing to do, and no official word on the controversy has come from the developer. If indeedForsaken’s take on Chandra continues intoMTG’s next sets, hopefully upcoming stories will at least be more careful in their consideration of how character changes such as this one can affect a community.
