Magic: The Gathering’s thirst-trap planeswalker Oko shows that tabletop games can be sexy in the right ways

It feels like Magic: The Gathering character Oko was created specifically for me. A planeswalker originally introduced in 2019’s Throne of Eldraine set, and headlining the upcoming Outlaws of Thunder Junction set, Oko ticks all the boxes when it comes to characters I’m into - he’s a mischievous, charismatic faerie antihero with a dark past and a distaste for authority. This isn’t even mentioning his appearance, which definitely plays a major factor in Oko’s appeal as a character. The artists at Wizards of the Coast knew what they were doing when they designed Oko in Throne of Eldraine. It’s not just his fine facial features and the fact that he’s always depicted as being bare-chested, though those things certainly help. It’s the blue face and body paint, the tight trousers, the feathers on the cropped jacket and mop of dark, unruly hair. All of these factors have made Oko one of the most attractive characters in Magic: The Gathering, in my humble opinion. With Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Oko has only become more attractive. The character appears on multiple cards for the set, this time trading in his woodland nymphish look for a western rake style. This offers a different and equally excellent interpretation of the faerie ne’er-do-well, with his cropped jacket becoming even more elaborate - thanks to the addition of a sweeping cape, a huge collar and even more feathers - his tight trousers gaining a big, buckled belt and, of course, a cowboy hat that still retains aspects of Oko’s Eldraine bone crown. Read more