Tibalt

Tibalt was a red-aligned, secondary in black, half-devil human planeswalker from the dark world of Innistrad. On Kaldheim, Tibalt assumed the identity of Valki, God of Lies after imprisoning the real Valki in Karfell. During the events of Phyrexia: All Will Be One, he was compleated, and killed by Tyvar Kell.
==Appearance and characteristics==
Tibalt was a red-skinned man with two prominent horns. He was an empath specializing in pain, causing it, and drawing power from it. The pain is not limited to physical damage, as he had magic capable of instilling despair and exacerbating emotional weaknesses. He loved to have fun in his own way, which was bringing pain and misfortune to those around him. He could feel this pain and even sought it out, to heighten it, and revel within it. He cared not for others, being selfish and sadistic to an almost inhuman degree.
As a Phyrexian, Tibalt was now a mess of bony plates and protrusions connected by raw, braided sinew, recognizable as himself only through the smirk on the remaining fleshy portion of his face. His tail, previously bifurcated only at the tip, was split all the way to the base, and terminated in two stingers that drip glistening oil.
Tibalt was primarily red-aligned, and secondary in black mana. When battling Chandra, he remarked that her flames couldn't hurt him, revealing a remarkable resistance to fire considering Chandra's flames had previously caused Ob Nixilis trouble. He also has the ability to create illusions. As he planeswalked, he disappeared in a mass of orange cinders like burning paper.
==History==
===Ascension===
Tibalt began life in Nephalia, as an apprentice to one of the province's many Skaberen, but he lacked the skills required for the work of stitching together the dead. His repeated failures drove him into isolation, and he nursed a growing hatred there. In frustration, he turned his talents toward the realm of the living, using what his master had taught him to explore the true thresholds of the mortal frame. His experiments sought the limits of living organisms to withstand pain.
Tibalt began simply, using only common vermin, but the further he sank into his work, the bigger his subjects became, larger animals and eventually he moved on to people. He took in vagrants, unwitting people stepping into their own deaths. As if summoned by the evil nature of these vile experiments, devils began to gather near Tibalt's laboratory at night, whispering in their diabolic, chittering tongues.
Fascinated with his work, they sought to assist him, offering Tibalt insights into his obsession, the very nature of pain. Empowered with such horrible knowledge, Tibalt grew even more sadistic and more careless. But his descent hardly went unnoticed. His neighbors began talking, whispers passed around between the townsfolk of the terrible things they suspected. Tibalt continued on, oblivious to the rumors surrounding him.
It was only a matter of time before an inquisitor's boot kicked in the door of his laboratory. Holy warriors poured into his workshop and found him in a room filled with jabbering devils and torture devices. Tibalt was caught red-handed. His crimes would finally be answered, and the severity of them called for only one punishment: execution. However, though he may have ignored the townsfolk who whispered, he was not without foresight. At that moment, cornered, he invoked a potent and hateful spell built from the devils' utterances and his own grim discoveries. The spell fused his own essence with the devils at his side. Power flooded him, but at a cost; at that moment he experienced all the suffering that he had inflicted upon others. The shock and trauma ignited Tibalt's spark and he was flung across the Blind Eternities, away from his executioners.
===Tibalt vs. Sorin===
Despite the peril of returning, Tibalt continued to return to his homeplane, taking a special delight in the torment of the Innistradi population. It was during one of these trips that he discovered the world in more peril than he could ever recall before, and it thrilled him. However, he soon encountered another of his kind, the vampire Sorin Markov who was attempting to spoil the diabolic fun of those that preyed on humanity. Tibalt decided that he had to interfere if for nothing else, just to torment the ancient walker.Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt
===War of the Spark===
Tibalt was lured to Ravnica by the Interplanar Beacon, and immediately became trapped there due to Bolas's use of the Immortal Sun. Alongside many other planeswalkers and Ravnicans, he fought against the Eternals of Bolas' Dreadhorde, although Tibalt also delighted in tormenting civilians and causing wanton destruction. He led an army of demons and devils alongside the diabolist Davriel Cane.Greg Weisman (April 2019). "War of the Spark: Ravnica". Del Rey. Tibalt survived the battle, as he was one of the many planeswalkers who left Ravnica and escaped to safety as soon as Chandra disabled the Immortal Sun.
===Kaldheim===
At some point prior to the events of Kaldheim, Tibalt was ambushed by Vorinclex, who infected him with phyresis and held him hostage to make "a distraction" while the beast would compleat Kaldheim.
Tibalt deceived the god Valki and imprisoned him in magical chains, keeping the god imprisoned in the dungeon of King Narfi's palace in Karfell. In exchange for keeping Valki imprisoned, Tibalt promised access to the best treasures of the other realms for Narfi when the Doomskar began. Assuming Valki's identity, Tibalt began his scheme and spread chaos across the realms of Kaldheim. In Surtland, Tibalt warned the frost giants of an incursion of Torga Trolls that had awakened from a long slumber. In Bretagard, he promised the vicious Skelle clan the return of their demon master, Varragoth. In Starnheim, Tibalt used the Sword of the Realms and opened an Omenpath for Koma to enter the realm and spread destruction. All across the realms of Kaldheim, Tibalt sowed the seeds of war and chaos. Tibalt (disguised as Valki) visited King Harald in Skemfar and advised the King to prepare his army for the coming war. Suspicious of this "Valki", Tyvar Kell began to follow and investigate the "god" through the realms. Meanwhile, Kaya found Tibalt rallying the Trolls of Gnottvold to war. Using the Sword, Tibalt escaped both his enemies into the realm of Immersturm.
The pair followed Tibalt and took the Sword of the Realms from Tibalt, but not before he had created a Doomskar. Lead by Varragoth, thousands of demons streamed through a giant rift in space to attack another realm.
===Compleation and death===
At some point, Tibalt was fully compleated. He and Ajani dueled Tyvar and Elspeth on the walkway to the Seedcore. Now a nightmare of bony plates and protrusions connected by raw, braided sinew, he was recognizable as himself only through the smirk on the remaining fleshy portion of his face. His tail, always bifurcated at the tip, had split all the way to the base, and now terminated in two wicked stingers that dripped glistening oil. While mostly fighting Tyvar in combat, he also traumatized Elspeth with his pain magic. Tyvar ultimately covered Tibalt with hexgold, neutralizing his pain magic, grabbed both tail stingers in his hands, and used them to stab Tibalt in the heart. Tibalt fell from the Basilica into the depths of the Spheres, killing him.
==In other media==
===Plaguing Chandra===
After the War of the Spark, Tibalt began harassing Chandra Nalaar. He confronted her on Zendikar, using his magic to influence the inner pain she felt about failing Gideon. After a brief fight, his magic proved too much for the Pyromancer in her current state of self-pity. Aiming to torment her and revel in the pain, he unleashed an attack on Chandra that caused her to planeswalk away from Zendikar.Tibalt traveled to Kaladesh sometime later to find Chandra's mother, and learn more about the planeswalker. He bound and tortured the Consul until he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Ajani and the pyromancer herself. Fleeing to his homeplane, Tibalt was aided by a horde of devils and overwhelmed his opponents. Gloating, he revealed that on Ravnica he had felt Chandra's pain screaming through the aether and that he had followed her to Regatha to find out if he could hurt her even more. He admitted he thrives on physical torment, psychic misery, and emotional anguish. Chandra realized that Tibalt's aim is for her to lose herself, and he might be more evil than Bolas for that. Her self-confidence asserted itself, and she now knows that her guilt and sadness won't go away, but that it doesn't mean she has to be weakened by it. She was done feeding Tibalt, who she called a parasite. She knocked him out and delivered him to the local authorities to deal with. Tibalt was locked up by the local militia in a new rune-enforced prison that they claim can contain supernatural beings.
==Artifacts acquired==
*Tibalt used the Sword of the Realms he stole from Koll after killing the dwarf blacksmith, to wreak havoc on Kaldheim. 
**Kaya and Tyvar retrieved the Sword and hand it over to its true owner, Halvar.
==Trivia==
*Tibalt narrates the teaser for - and is the primary antagonist of the cinematic for Kaldheim.
*In the video game Magic: The Gathering Arena, Tibalt is voiced by Lukas Larsson.
*Tibalt is currently the only compleated planeswalker in canon who has not yet gotten a card with the Compleated mechanic.
==In other media==
===Boom comics===
====Dominaria====
Tibalt and Davriel Cane visited the Stronghold at Urborg, where they encountered Chandra Nalaar and dueled her. Because Tibalt wanted to carry Chandra's face around in his pocket, he didn't leave right away. Unfortunately for him, Garruk Wildspeaker was on his trail and ambushed him, cutting off his tail.MacKay, Jed. (2022). Magic. Iss 11. (non-canon)
==Planes visited==
==Planeswalkers met==
==Gallery==
File:Tibalt Chandra-1.png|Tibalt on Regatha.
File:Blightning.jpg|Tibalt is always looking for new ways to torture his victims.
File:Browbeat.jpg|“Pained defiance or shameful surrender—every reaction is a pleasant surprise.”
File:Tibalt Pia Nalaar.jpg|Tibalt uses Pia as bait to attract Chandra.
File:Tibalt chandra.jpg|Tibalt is immune to Chandra's flames.
File:Sorin and Tibalt.jpg|Key art: Sorin vs Tibalt.
File:TibaltWorldTree.jpg|Concept art of Tibalt and the World Tree.
File:Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor.jpg|Tibalt spreads chaos in Kaldheim.
File:TibaltKoma.png|Tibalt schemes on Kaldheim.
File:TibaltConcept.jpg|Tibalt wielding the Sword of the Realms in the Aldergard forest.
File:TibaltConcept2.jpg|Tibalt opens an omenpath to Immersturm.
File:TibaltConcept3.jpg|Tibalt on Kaldheim.
File:TibaltTrailer1.png|Tibalt opens the omenpath in the Kaldheim trailer.
File:TibaltTrailer2.png|Tibalt in the Kaldheim trailer.
File:Tibalt’s Trickery.jpg|<c>Tibalt’s Trickery</c>
File:Tibalt MTGA avatar KHM.png|Magic: The Gathering Arena avatar.
File:Tyvar vs. Tibalt Compleat.png|A compleated Tibalt fighting Tyvar
==Story appearances==
Title 	Author 	Publishing date	Set 	Setting (plane) 	Featuring
War of the Spark: Ravnica 	Greg Weisman 	April 2019 	War of the Spark 	Gobakhan, Ravnica, Amonkhet, Meditation Plane 	Ugin, Niv-Mizzet, Teyo, Chandra, Jace, Gideon, Ral, Kaya, Lavinia, Hekara, Liliana, Nicol Bolas, Tezzeret, Rat, Ajani, Karn, Jaya, Dack, Tibalt, Vraska, Breeches, Huatli, Angrath, Kiora, Tamiyo, Vivien, Aurelia, Nissa, Tomik, Gan Shokta, Domri, Samut, Dovin, Yanggu, Mowu, Nixilis, Rhonas, Bontu, Oketra, Kefnet, Boruvo, Emmara Tandris, Trostani, Varryvort, Ari Shokta, Borborygmos, Izoni, Varolz, Mazirek, Hazoret, Davriel, the Wanderer, Lazav, Neheb, Rakdos, Exava, Narset
Magic: The Gathering - Chandra IDW Publishing (Aug 8, 2018). New Magic: The Gathering Comic Celebrates The Franchise's 25th Anniversary	Vita Ayala 	2019 	N/A 	Ravnica, Dominaria, Tarkir, Ixalan, Alara, Kaldheim, Kaladesh, Regatha, Innistrad, Zendikar, Amonkhet	Chandra Nalaar, Iisha, Pia Nalaar, Ajani Goldmane, Tibalt, Elzen
 	Roy Graham, Jenna Helland	2021-01-13 	Kaldheim 	Kaldheim 	Kaya, Cosima, Tibalt, Tyvar Kell
 	Roy Graham 	2021-01-20 	Kaldheim 	Kaldheim 	Tibalt, Vorinclex, Narfi, Koll, Halvar, Harald, Varragoth, Koma
 	Roy Graham 	2021-01-27 	Kaldheim 	Kaldheim 	Kaya, Tyvar Kell, Varragoth, Tibalt
 	Seanan McGuire 	2023-01-16 	Phyrexia: All Will Be One	New Phyrexia 	Elspeth Tirel, Koth of the Hammer, Melira, Kaya Cassir, Jace Beleren, Tyvar Kell, Kaito Shizuki, Himoto, Karn, Ajani Goldmane, Tibalt
 	Seanan McGuire 	2023-01-16 	Phyrexia: All Will Be One	New Phyrexia 	Jace Beleren, Kaito Shizuki, Himoto, Kaya Cassir, Elspeth Tirel, Ajani Goldmane, Tyvar Kell, Tibalt, Elesh Norn,Tamiyo, Nahiri, Nissa Revane
==In-game references==
==References==
Category:Humans
Category:Devils
Category:Phyrexians
Category:Deceased