If a creature with persist that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough -1/-1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner's graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, persist won't trigger and the card won't return to the battlefield. That's because persist checks the creature's existence just before it leaves the battlefield, and it still has all those counters on it at that point.
If multiple creatures with persist are put into the graveyard at the same time (due to combat damage or a spell that destroys all creatures, for example), the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their persist triggers on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last trigger put on the stack is the first one that resolves. That means that in a two-player game, the nonactive player's persist creatures will return to the battlefield first, then the active player's persist creatures do the same. The creatures return to the battlefield one at a time.
Last observed on Scryfall 2 months ago at $11.98. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $11.98 and $13.96 across 52 observations. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.
This printing is one of 2 catalogued treatments from SLD — the lineup includes Borderless alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.
Card #2171 of *Secret Lair Drop*, the set that shipped alongside the October 2025 Secret Lair Drop release.
Card type: Creature — Faerie Wizard, color identity blue, printed at rare. Rares occupy the bottom-of-pack rare slot in standard boosters. Mana cost: {3}{U} (4 converted). Keyword abilities: Flying and Persist.
Legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander.
EDHrec ranks this card #1,601 in Commander, putting it in the common-include tier of the format's playable pool.
Illustrated by Jim Woodring. Rarix catalogs 3 other cards credited to this artist.
Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Jim Woodring
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.
If a token with no -1/-1 counters on it has persist, the ability will trigger when the token is put into the graveyard. However, the token will cease to exist and can't return to the battlefield.
The persist ability triggers when the permanent is put into a graveyard. Its last known information (that is, how the creature last existed on the battlefield) is used to determine whether it had a -1/-1 counter on it.
If a permanent has multiple instances of persist, they'll each trigger separately, but the redundant instances will have no effect. If one instance returns the card to the battlefield, the next to resolve will do nothing.
When a permanent with persist returns to the battlefield, it's a new object with no memory of or connection to its previous existence.
If a creature with persist stops being a creature, persist will still work.
