Wizards of the Coast initially released Magic: The Gathering crossovers at a slow and steady pace, but with four Universes Beyond set coming alone in 2026, that means the floodgates have been well opened, for better or worse.
If you're looking for a comprehensive guide to all the Universes Beyond sets, listed in order from worst to best, then we've got you covered. Each set is ranked based on originality, quality of the cards, interest in the release, and impact of the cards on the MTG landscape (in the case of a Commander/Standard set release).
Updated by Niall Walsh on June 21, 2026: The TMNT and Marvel Super Heroes sets are now added to this list, and we're no longer going to add the minor Secret Lair drops, as WotC has counted them as part of Universes Beyond for a while now. If an IP receives a secret layer but returns it for a full UB set or additional products, we will add it to the list.
28
Marvel's Spider-Man
Full standard set – 2025
Where do we begin with the Spider-Man set? Released due to licensing issues, this disaster didn't even make it to MTG Arena, creating widespread confusion in the community. On top of that, what should have been a small set became a full Standard release, resulting in cards that felt rushed and uninspired, and failed to coordinate well with existing Standard sets or a standalone product.
The straw that broke the camel's back was that this set pushed back the release of Lorwyn Eclipsed, a hugely anticipated original MTG set, and it came in the midst of a huge ramp-up in new products, leaving players feeling fired up at the prospect of investing in new products more often.
Magic: The Gathering – Every mechanically unique secret layer card that has not been reprinted
Magic: The Gathering has many mechanically unique cards that have only seen one print and there is no guarantee that they will be reprinted.
27
Tomb Raider
Secret Layer Drop – 2023
Coming exclusively as a Secret Lair drop, Tomb Raider Universe Beyond focuses on the remake games of the long-running Tomb Raider series. The main attraction of this drop is Lara Croft, the Tomb Raider herself. This mechanically unique card focuses on legendary artifacts and lands, returning them from your graveyard and banishing them with a search counter, a new type of counter that comes with this card. You can then play cards from exile if they have these counters.
- Lara Croft, Tomb Raider
- Heart of the Explorer // The Lost Valley
- Storm of Yamatai
- The Grim Whisper
- Spear of Totek
- Kitezh, Sunken City
- Treasure Token
The drop has yet to make its way into the in-universe version, so the only way you can play with the Lara Croft card is if you get it from a drop.
26
clue
Secret Layer Drop – 2024
A rather interesting entry in the Universe Beyond series, Ravnica: Clue Edition is a multiplayer version of the game, allowing you and three to four friends to get together and try to solve mysteries while playing a game of magic.
- Guildmage body
- Headliner Scarlett
- Commander Mustard
- Apothecary White
- Envoy green
- Senator Peacock
- Mastermind Plum
All the characters from the original Clue game, including Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard, all make their way into the game, this time getting some great re-imaginings as characters from Ravnica. Each of these clue characters is a legendary creature and a mechanically unique card, very complementary to the other mechanically unique cards mixed in the set.
25
Hatsune Miku
Secret Layer Drop – 2024
The incredibly popular Vocaloid Hatsune Miku joins Magic: The Gathering's extended universe with three Secret Lair drops. The artwork for these drops includes artwork from fans around the world, so each card has a unique style and feel.
|
Hatsune Miku: Sakura Superstar |
Hatsune Miku: Digital Sensation |
Hatsune Miku: Electric Entourage |
|---|---|---|
|
shelter |
The diabolical tutor |
Miku, the divine diva |
|
Miku's Spark |
Calling wire |
KAITO, Mysterious Maestro |
|
Tune in |
Miku, the child of song |
Luke, Travel Sounds |
|
Miku, lost but singing |
The song of creation |
Miku, the voice of power |
|
Miku, famous |
Soul Ring |
Len and Rin, harmony incarnate |
|
Inspirational Vantage |
The Thespian's Stage |
/ |
There is a fourth Secret Layer drop scheduled for release sometime in 2024, but details on that release are scant.
All of these drops have either alternate art reprints or reskins of the cards; No mechanically unique cards were found among the drops. Interestingly, in the Electric Entourage set, there is a Vocaloid named KAITO, who is a reskinned Borderless version of Jace, Unraveler of Secrets, and not Kaito Shizuki, the actual character from Magical Universe.
There are strong rumors of a new Hatsune Miku Commander deck arriving as part of Secret Lair, which could boost the stock of this Universe Beyond crossover when it's released.
24
Monty Python
Secret Layer Drop – 2024
The iconic comic of Monty Python and the Holy Grail might not be the first thing you think of when you picture the Universe Beyond set, but these two secret layer drops have a total of nine reskinned cards, each depicting a different scene from the film.
|
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Vol. 1 |
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Vol. 2 |
|---|---|
|
Tim the Enchanter |
bridge of death |
|
Bring out your dead! |
Sir Bedivere's Scales |
|
It's but a scratch! |
Castle of Arg |
|
African Swallow // European Swallow |
Black Beast of Aargh |
|
We want… a bush! |
/ |
Perhaps the deepest cut of any Secret Lair or Universe Beyond is the inclusion of Tim the Enchanter, a reskinned version of the Prodigal Sorcerer. The card was nicknamed Tim because its original artwork resembled the movie character Tim the Enchanter.
23
Ghostbusters
Secret Layer Drop – 2024
Ten Riskin cards form two Ghostbusters Universe Beyond Secret Layer drops based on the classic comedy movie starring Bill Murry, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver.
|
Ghostbusters: Slimer |
The real Ghostbusters |
|---|---|
|
A slimmer, voracious apparition |
Study carefully |
|
Slimmed down |
Total containment failure |
|
Slimer's Feast |
Answer the call |
|
Escape containment |
Ghostbusters Patch |
|
Harmful work |
Ecto-1 |
Interestingly, Ghostbusters Secret Lairs doesn't actually feature any of these actors. Instead, Slimer consists of five cards based on the green-bellied ghost, while Real Ghostbusters is based on the Drop cartoon.
22
child's play
Secret Layer Drop – 2024
Horror fans got another Universe Beyond with the release of Child's Play Secret Layer Drop. This horror movie franchise centers on Chucky, a doll who becomes possessed by the spirit of a serial killer after a voodoo ritual transfers his soul into the doll to avoid death.
- pill
- Sorry Jack…, Chucky's back
- Tiffany, Chucky's bride
- A friend till the end
- Play Pals Factory
This five-card Secret Layer consists of reskinned cards and includes two legendary creatures: Chucky, who is a reskinned version of Kardur, Doomscorge, and then one of Tiffany, who is a reskinned Barragoth, Bloodsky Sir.
21
SpongeBob SquarePants
Secret Lair – 2025
Sadly, there weren't any original cards in this SpongeBob-themed Secret Lair, and while the artwork was fun, it felt more like a cash-grab meme release than something that would have any impact on Magic in the long run.
|
Themed card |
Real card |
|---|---|
|
Plankton, the little tyrant |
Skrelv, Defector Mite |
|
Mr. Krabs, Penny Pincher |
Charix, Raging Isle |
|
Squidward, the sarcastic snob |
Grazilaxx, Illithid scholar |
|
Gary, the snail |
Toxrill, corrosive |
|
Sandy Cheeks, Marshall Astronaut |
Toski, bearer of secrets |
|
Patrick Starr |
Barktooth Warbeard |
|
SpongeBob SquarePants |
Joda, unifier |
20
Jurassic Park / Jurassic World
Secret Layer Drop and Lost Cave of Ixalan Pack – 2023
This Universes Beyond collection is divided into several releases. You can find a ton of mechanically unique cards in the Lost Caverns of Ixalan booster pack. These cards include Blue, the loyal Raptor and Indominus Rex, several cool dinosaurs like Alpha, as well as some powerful spells that deny permission and don't move.
|
Jurassic World: Life Breaks Free |
Jurassic World: Dr. Ian Malcolm |
|---|---|
|
Tyrannosaurus rex |
Chaotic anarchist |
|
Velociraptor |
Malcolm's Mercurial Mirth |
|
Indominus Rex |
Ian, the convalescent charmer |
|
Triceratops |
Dr. Ian Malcolm |
|
Spinosaurus |
Egg token |
The two Secret Layer drops took some famous dinosaurs from the movies and turned them into reskinned versions of classic Magic cards, while Dr. Ian Malcolm is dedicated exclusively to Jeff Goldblum's character from the Secret Layer movies.
19
The princess bride
Secret Layer Drop – 2023
A mix of reskinned cards and alternate art, The Princess Bride Universe Beyond collection brings together nine cards depicting both characters from the movie, such as Princess Buttercup and Westley, as well as some iconic scenes, including the Battle of Wits between Vizzini and the Dread Pirate Roberts.
- Buttercup, Provincial Princess
- silent
- Battle of the Wits
- Vizzini, criminal mastermind
- Abnormally shaped incisors
- Westley, Fear the Pirate Roberts
- Fezzik, Rhyming Giant
- Inigo, Avenging Swordsman
- Miracle Max, unemployed
Each card has flavor text that is a quote from the film, such as Inigo Montoya's classic, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Get ready to die.”
