Ape

3 Ape creation cards 33.3%  66.7%

**Ape** is a creature type used for cards depicting great apes (orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees, but not humans). These powerful primates are found throughout the multiverse, and are mainly constrained to a forest habitat.

## History

The first (and most famous) to bear the type was Kird Ape in *Arabian Nights*. After *Ninth Edition* the subtype Ape was also used for monkeys, but Monkey was reintroduced as a type in *Kaladesh* for Wily Bandar. Apes are usually larger and heavier than monkeys, have a more upright body posture, and don't have tails.

### Dominaria

The gorillas of Yavimaya, at some point during or before the Flood Ages, became a sentient, tribal culture, led by Gorilla Chieftains. They fought against the vines and plant-life that attacked them.

A Gorilla Chieftain had Laina and Kaysa brought to him by his magic-wielding gorilla shaman and warriors; he allied his people with the elves, and aided in the attack against the Heart of Yavimaya, which cleansed the forest. The Yavimayan Gorillas were later seen fighting during the Phyrexian Invasion in the battles for Yavimaya and Urborg.

The gorillas engage in a form of ancestor worship that draws strength from their forebears.

### Tarkir

The Sultai Brood of Tarkir use the mandrills (bearing the type "Ape" even though mandrills are monkeys) that live in the canopies of Gurmag Swamp for their dark agendas. This is depicted in Hooting Mandrills,Grave Strength,and Sidisi's Pet

## Notable Apes

Dominaria
* Grunn

Ikoria
* Kogla

## Tokens

Tokens marked with  are created by Acorn cards.

* Side to Side

Test cards

## Creature Update

Creature types changed into Ape include:

* **Gorilla** (Gorilla Berserkers, Gargantuan Gorilla)
* **Gorilla-Pack** (Gorilla Pack)

## Gallery

* Yavimayan ape concepts by Anthony Scott Waters.
* Yavimayan ape concepts by Anthony Scott Waters.

## Trivia

* Sol Grail is an anagram of "Gorillas." It got this name because at one point during playtesting, every single card in *Alliances* had the word "Gorilla" in its title. That happened because the design team was annoyed that the continuity team was planning to throw out their carefully planned story in favor of one about intelligent gorillas on a rampage.
* Treetop Village (located in Gorrilla-riddled Yavimaya) can become a 3/3 Ape Creature.
* Thieving Amalgam is an Ape Snake. It is one of two black Apes, the other being the Zombie Sidisi's Pet.
* Uktabi Orangutan, popular because of its ability to destroy an opponent's artifacts, is also known as "*Sex Monkey*". The background art on the card depicts monkeys in a position that resembles a sexual act, hence the appellation. The flavor text of the card reinforces this interpretation, as it refers to monkeys in gold coats marrying.
	+ In *Unhinged*, there was a parody of the card, called Uktabi Kong, with a larger version of the original Orangutan in the foreground, and an expectant pair of monkeys in the background. The card's effects are also relevant to the act, allowing you to tap two Apes to generate another one.
	+ Its legacy continued in *Jumpstart 2022*, with Kibo, Uktabi Prince, suggested to be the offspring, despite the change in type, and has a typal coupling lord effect for Ape and Monkey. It also synergizes with destroying artifacts.
* Apes of Rath is a wordplay on John Steinbeck's *Grapes of Wrath*.

## References

1. ↑ ***a*** ***b*** Magic: The Gathering (April 20, 2018). "Ready to learn more about some of the legendary characters...". Twitter.
2. ↑ Magic Arcana (March 15, 2007). "*Planar Chaos* Token Art 1". *magicthegathering.com*. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022.
3. ↑ Monty Ashley (September 18, 2002). "Know Your Gorillas". *magicthegathering.com*. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022.
4. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 4, 2023). "How Trivial with Mark Rosewater (Video)". *Magic: The Gathering*. YouTube.
5. ↑ Magic Arcana (July 24, 2007). "Becoming Creature Types". *magicthegathering.com*. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021.