In Magic: The Gathering's widely popular Commander format, your choice of commander has a major impact on deck construction, as your commander's colors directly dictate what colors can be included in your deck. For this reason, decks that include three or more colors are quite popular within the format.

As far as three color combinations are concerned, Naya, the identity of Green, Red, and White is often regarded for its potent creatures. It also has access to great life gain, mana ramp, and removal. So today, we're going to look at the various Naya commanders from Magic's history and see which are the most worth considering when building your next Commander deck!

Updated by Ryan Hay on December 4, 2023: Taking the game in their own hands, Naya commanders are a brutal force of nature on the battlefield. Taking the best of red, white, and green mechanics and abilities, these commanders can quickly lead you to victory over your opponents. The addition of several new legendary creatures to the game over the past few sets have given players even more cards to brew around. The Dinosaur Pantlaza, a lost king in Aragorn, and the team-up of two Dominarian heroes Shalai and Hallar are very fun, and very strong, cards to work around.

24 Rienne, Angel of Rebirth

Gold Creatures Get Good

For those looking to construct a deck that's based around the use of multicolored creatures, Rienne, Angel of Rebirth is a solid option that provides both offense and an additional layer of resiliency. For the cost of five mana, this 5/4 Angel provides each multicolored creature under your control with +1/+0. Though this buff may not seem like much at first, it can start to add up as you fill the board with multicolored threats.

Once you've put some powerful creatures on the board, Rienne encourages you to use them to attack without fear of an opponent's defences. This is because even if your attackers were to perish in combat, Rienne returns all multicolored creatures that died under your control to your hand at the beginning of the next end step.

23 Rith, Liberated Primeval

Keep Your Dragons Safe

Dragons are easily among the most popular creature types within the Commander format, offering a wide range of commander options within different color identities. For those looking to build a Naya Dragon deck, Rith, Liberated Primeval is a solid option, allowing you to simultaneously access Boros (white/red), Gruul (green/red), and Selesyna (white/green) Dragons whilst providing both offense and defensive value.

A 5/5 for five mana with flying and ward cost of two generic, Rith helps shield each other Dragon you control by providing them with ward 2. In addition to helping to protect your creatures from your opponent's removal, Rith can populate your board with 4/4 Dragon tokens if you're able to deal extra damage to opponents' creatures or Planeswalkers.

22 Kitt Kanto, Mayhem Diva

Cat Catto, Kitty Goader

Kitt Kanto is a political commander that allows you to tap your creatures in exchange for goading opposing creatures into attacking other players. Consequently, any good Kitt Kanto deck is going to have a ton of ways to produce creature tokens, which you can then use to make your opponents attack one another.

Even if your board of tokens gets destroyed by a board wipe, Kitt Kanto creates a token upon entering the battlefield. This means you'll likely be able to goad at least one opposing creature, no matter how much removal your opponents are packing.

21 Hazezon, Shaper of Sand

Desert Walker Extraordinaire

Printed as a box-topper of Dominaria United, Hazezon, Shaper of Sand is a unique commander that incentivizes the use of lands with the Desert subtype. Thanks to Amonkhet block, there are 16 Deserts with the Naya color identity that may be included within a Hazezon deck.

In addition to having the niche ability of desertwalk, Hazezon allows you to play Deserts from your graveyard, synergizing with deserts that feature the cycling ability and Deserts capable of sacrificing themselves. In addition to allowing you to more reliably and flexibly play Deserts, Hazezon provides a payoff for doing so by creating two 1/1 Sand Warrior tokens whenever you play a Desert. This allows Hazezon to fill a unique role within the Commander format, incentivizing the use of a sizable number of lands that don't see much play otherwise.

20 Marath, Will Of The Wild

Turn Your Counters Into Value

A Commander that grows more useful the more times its casts, Marath, Will of the Wild is a 0/0 for three mana that enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the amount of mana spent to cast it. This allows it to be played as a larger threat when cast with Commander tax.

Once in play, Marath can flexibly use its counters in a myriad of ways, potentially moving them to other creatures, converting them into direct damage, or turning them into Elemental tokens. This flexibility allows Marath to function as a unique option for +1/+1 counter decks with distinct adaptability.

19 Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer

He Can Search Up Any Craving

While somewhat straightforward and to the point, Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer is a unique commander option that can provide consistent access to your key cards. A 3/1 Elf Druid for three mana and X, when Rocco enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a creature with a mana value of X or less, putting that card directly into play.

Not only does this mean you have reliable access to key cards such as combo pieces, this effect essentially allows you to utilize non-legendary creatures in a similar fashion to your commander, as long as you're comfortable paying a three-mana premium.

18 Phabine, Boss's Confidant

Get Those Parley Triggers Going

Parley is an underrated mechanic in which each player reveals the top card of their library, causing you to gain different benefits based upon the types of cards revealed. Then, the revealed cards are put into their owner's hands, functioning as additional card draw for each player. This makes it quite useful and potent within a multiplayer format like Commander. Phabine, Boss's Confidant is a solid Naya commander for six mana that utilizes parley to bolster your own offense.

A 3/6 for six mana that provides all creature tokens you control with haste, Phabine's Parley ability triggers at the beginning of combat during your turn. For each land card revealed this way, you create a 1/1 Citizen token, and for each nonland card revealed this way, your creatures gain +1/+1 until the end of the turn. This great ability simultaneously helps fill your board state and provides access to additional cards!

17 Jared Carthalion, True Heir

Become A King-Maker

Jared is an especially flavorful Commander that plays with the monarch mechanic. You can only become the monarch as the result of a card that introduces the monarch mechanic, and, as long you are the monarch, you can draw a card at the end of your turn. However, if you take combat damage, the player who dealt them combat damage then becomes the new monarch.

Jared supplies you an added benefit of being the monarch in that he becomes immune to damage and gains +1/+1 counters equal to the damage dealt to him while you remain the monarch. Consequently, True Heir decks want evasive creatures capable of stealing the monarch token from opposing players with ease.

16 Mayael The Anima

Get Those Gargantuans Out

For those looking to build a Commander deck filled with massive and monstrous creatures, Mayael the Anima may be for you. Though only a 2/3 for three mana, Mayael has a six-mana activated ability that allows you to look at the top five cards of your library, putting a creature from among them with power five or greater directly into play.

Not only does this effect help dig through your deck for sizable threats, it can also be used to put the likes of Eldrazi titans and powerhouses like Blightsteel Colossus into play for a reduced rate.

15 Samut, Voice Of Dissent

Jam As Many Keywords As You Can

A great option for an aggressive Naya deck, Samut may appear to be Gruul at first glance, but her white activated ability allows her to be played as a Naya commander. A 3/4 with flash, double strike, vigilance, and haste, Samut is an impressive offensive creature in its own right.

However, it also allows you to attack with much more immediacy, providing all creatures under your control with haste. Samut can even be used to provide pseudo-vigilance or allow another creature's activated ability to potentially be used twice in one turn thanks to her ability to untap a creature for a single white mana.

14 Obuun, Mul Daya Ancestor

Put Your Lands To Good Use

Landfall is a fan-favorite mechanic from original Zendikar block that gives you an additional reward for playing lands. In the case of Obuun, the reward is adding a +1/+1 counter to a creature you control. This might not seem like a huge boon, but it comboes with Obuun's passive ability to turn one of your lands into an X/X creature equal to Obuun's power quite nicely.

Notably, the land creature has both trample and haste, making it difficult for opponents to successfully block. Obuun is a great commander for a dedicated landfall deck as well as for any player interested in being rewarded for simply hitting their land drops.

13 Ghired, Conclave Exile

Show Them The Power Of Your Tokens

Ghired, Conclave Exile is a perfect commander option for those who want to build a token deck using the Naya color identity. While Ghired may not initially seem to be the most mana-efficient creature, a 2/5 for five mana, upon entering the battlefield Ghired creates a 4/4 Rhino token with trample.

Additionally, whenever Ghired attacks, you populate (create a copy of a token you control), with the copied token entering the battlefield tapped and attacking.

This means that as long as it attacks, Ghired can reliably create at least two Rhino tokens. To make matters better, the populate ability is even more useful when paired with effects capable of creating larger and more dangerous tokens.

12 Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second

It's Raining Cat And Dog Tokens

Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second is an excellent option for a Naya token Commander, improving a litany of token-generating effects you may have access to. A reasonably costed 3/3 for three mana, whenever you would create tokens of any kind, you may instead opt to create either 2/2 Cat tokens with haste or 3/1 Dog tokens with vigilance.

This significantly buffs effects that may create a sizable number of 1/1 tokens, potentially even converting treasure or clue producing effects into creatures. Why be a cat person or a dog person when you can be both?

11 Marisi, Breaker of the Coil

Turn Your Opponents Against Each Other

Goad is a great ability in multiplayer formats like Commander. It ends up protecting yourself by forcing opponents to attack each other instead.

A Naya commander that can repeatedly goad other players' creatures, Marisi, Breaker of the Coil is a 5/4 for four mana that prevents opponents from casting spells during combat. More notably though, Marisi goads each creature under a player's control when they're dealt damage by a creature controlled by you. When paired with evasive creatures, you can deal serious damage to your opponents indirectly through another player's goaded creatures.

10 Minsc, Beloved Ranger

Two-For-One Deal Comes With A Hamster

Printed in Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, Minsc, Beloved Ranger is a card whose strength lies in an application that was likely not planned when the card was designed. Creating a 1/1 Hamster token upon entering the battlefield, Minsc allows you to pay X to turn target creature into an X/X until the end of the turn.

However, rather than using this effect to make creatures enormous, as X can be 0, Minsc is effectively a three-mana sacrifice outlet that can live in your Command zone. This makes it an excellent option for a Naya aristocrats deck, capable of making the most of stellar death triggers such as that of Protean Hulk.

9 Gishath, Sun's Avatar

Dino-Mite!

The premier Commander option for Dinosaur decks, Gishath, Sun's Avatar is a massive threat that can repeatedly cheat several Dinosaurs into play each turn. Though it may cost a hefty eight mana, Gishath is a 7/6 with trample, vigilance, and haste.

Whenever Gishath deals combat damage to a player, you reveal that many cards from the top of your library, putting any number of Dinosaurs found this way directly into play. This can potentially result in a single swing from Gishath providing absurd value as your board floods with Dinosaurs from the top of your library.

8 Rin and Seri, Inseparable

Kitties And Puppers Unite!

Printed as the Buy-a-Box promo of Core Set 2021, Rin and Seri, Inseparable functions as a Commander for both Dogs and Cats. Regardless of if a player focuses more on Dogs or Cats, their board state will usually have a pretty even split between them.

This is because whenever you cast a Dog spell you create a 1/1 Cat token, and whenever you cast a Cat spell, you create a 1/1 Dog token. Once you have established a respectable board state of Dogs and Cats, Rin and Seri's activated ability can deal direct damage and gain life based on the number of Dogs and Cats under your control.

7 Aragorn, Hornburg Hero

A Leader If There Ever Was One

This exclusive legendary creature from the Tales of Middle-earth Scene Boxes is a new take on the soon-to-be king that lets players experiment in how they want to dish out their combat damage. Aragorn, Hornburg Hero gives all your attacking creautres both first strike and renown for one. Renown is a rarely used mechanic that gives creatures a one-time boost by giving them +1/+1 counters equal to the associated renown number when they deal combat damage to a player. That creature is then considred renowned.

Aragorn helps to keep the counters coming though, by doubling the number of +1/+1 counters on a renowned creature anytime it deals combat damage to a player. While starting small, the damage can quickly add up over time, especially if you're attacking with a bunch of tokens at every chance you get.

6 Uril, The Miststalker

The OG Voltron

A standout Voltron commander that synergizes with auras, Uril, the Miststalker can be quite difficult for foes to deal with through its combination of size and protection. A 5/5 Beast for five mana, Uril gets +2/+2 for each aura attached to it.

As many auras already buff the power and toughness of a creature, this ability can cause Uril to spin out of control quite easily. While this already makes Uril a dangerous card, its access to hexproof negates a sizable number of removal spells that are popular in the format. Watch out for sacrifice effects and board wipes, though.

5 Atla Palani, Nest Tender

Hatch Your Creatures

For four mana, Atla Palani, Nest Tender is a Commander that can help cheat out cards from your deck. A 2/3, Atla Palani can be tapped for two mana to produce a 0/1 Egg token with defender.

While these eggs are far from useful on their own, Atla Palani states that if an Egg under your control dies, you can reveal cards from the top of your library until you reach a creature, putting that card immediately into play. While this is a cool and flavorful effect, it's a bit cost intensive to get going.