Magic: The Gathering Designer Confirms Chandra's Sexuality

Greg Weisman's latest Magic: The Gathering novel, War of the Spark: Forsaken, may have thwarted fans' expectations about Chandra Nalaar's romantic relationship with Nissa, and changed her bisexual/pansexual sexuality that the lore has developed for years, but now it seems that we have a clear answer despite how the poorly-reviewed novel depicted the pyromancer planeswalker.

When a fan asked Mark Rosewater if Chandra is pansexual, the MTG head designer took it to his Blogatog to provide an answer that defined that term: "I'm horrible with terminology. She's attracted to others regardless of gender. What's that called?"

Credit: Wizards of the Coast

While Rosewater doesn't actually remember the term, the description he gives is the definition of pansexual. However, what Weisman's novel said seems to contradict her omnisexuality.

Here's the particular passage from the novel that sparked this controversy:

"Chandra had never been into girls. Her crushes — and she'd had her fair share — were mostly the brawny (and decidedly male) types like Gids. But there had always been something about Nissa Revane specifically, something the two of them shared in that great chemical mix — arcing between them like one of Ral Zarek's lightning bolts — that had thrilled her. From the moment they first met.

Now everything's different.

It was over. Before it had ever had a chance to begin. Maybe, maybe they had missed their moment."

So does Rosewater's description make Weisman's words non-canon? Well, at least he provided a clearer answer compared to the official statement that Wizards of the Coast addressed about the criticisms, and at least his Blogatog is not blocked in China, Russia, and other countries, as far as we know.

Weisman recently responded to the controversy, admitting that his depiction of Chandra in Forsaken is "understably negative".

Have you always seen Chandra as pansexual? Feel free to discuss in the comments section below.

Related: Limited Edition MTG Secret Lair Playmat Bundle Revealed