I have a Theory about; Gideon Jura

Rotation is just around the corner. For some it is a time for distress and worry as they franticly try to work out what they should play (I would recommend this little number). Other like myself are over joyed at the wealth of possibilities the new expansion sets might bring. We will also be getting the finally of the ‘Gatewatch’ story arc, with the assembled Planeswalkers gathered to face off against Nicol Bolas with the fate of Ravnica hanging in the balance. Now while we are yet to receive any details on what will happen in the next years worth of story, many vorthos’ have already started to predict what fates will befall the arrayed casts of characters. In fact, one character in particular appears to be due to meet his ultimate fate. Gideon Jura.

Ever since his confrontation with Hazoret towards the end of the Amonkhet story arc, many in the community surmised that Gideon would soon be ‘killed off’. The basis for this assumption was the following words the God had spoked to him upon their meeting. Quote. “I am neither the first nor the last immortal whom you will cross. Cursed is the man who forgets his own past, for I see your death, Kytheon Iora. You are no god”. Well that seems pretty cut and dry. Nicol Bolas is almost immortal, and he has already battered Gideon once before. Case closed. Right?

Wrong. You see I have a theory about our bulky Gatewatch muscle man. I believe Wizards of the Coast have been playing a very long game regarding this particular Planeswalkers story, and it won’t be coming to an end on the plane of Ravnica. I believe it will end on the plane where it began. A plane of myth and legands. A plane of might heroes and hideous beasts. A plane of gods. Yes, I believe Gideon Jura’s story will come to its climax on the plane of Theros where he will come face to face with his father. Heliod.

Now before you all dismiss this as the mad ramblings of a crazy old man who has read far too much fan fiction, hear me out. There is a lot of evidence to support this hypothesis. Firstly, Gideon is a native to the world of Theros, been born Kytheon Iora. Secondly, there are the obvious similarities between Heliod and Gideon both physically and mechanically. Just look at the below pictures of father and son side by side.


Also, from the game play side of things they are both very similar. Both are aligned with the White mana section of the colour pie. Both work well with white weenie strategies. And both are (or can become) Indestructible. But it’s in the inspiration for the world of Theros that we find our most compelling case for this theory. The real word myths of ancient Greece.

Mark Rosewater and the design team work incredible hard to fit in many real-world myths and legends from the Greco-Roman history books. Many cards like the Akroan Horse and Hundred-Handed One where heavily inspired by the fables of the Greek pantheon, such as the tale of the Trojan Horse and the Hecatoncheires respectively. However, one thing seemed to be missing. A thing that most of us associated with the Greek Gods. Their progeny.

The tales and deeds of the sons and daughters of the gods make up the back bone of most stories we know and love when it comes to this particular pantheon. The deeds of beings such as Hercules and Perseus are legendary, and many of us have heard them at one time or another. In each case a god (Zeus in this instance) had a son by bedding a mortal woman. When they reached adulthood, he would send them on a quest or labour to either killing a giant monster, or performing a great feat of strength of skill. In this regard these offspring could be seen as mere tools of their parent gods will, completing a task the god wished them to accomplish.

It is here that we find the linchpin to our theory. You see before Gideon became a Planeswalker, he was merely Kytheon, a boy who never knew his father. But upon reaching adulthood was tasked by Heliod himself to slay the Erebos’s Titan, a task he was able to accomplish due to his godly abilities and the favour of his father. A god, using his mortal son to get one over on his rival and in the process expanding his influence in Nyx.

However, something then happens that Kytheon (and indeed Heliod) couldn’t have foreseen. After losing his friends to his own act of hubris, Kytheons latten spark ignited and he became a Planeswalker. This would have alarmed Heliod greatly. Not only would he have witnessed a power completely alien to him, but he had seen it in a being that shared some of his godly essence. I believe this frightened him. What was his son capable of? Could he be a threat to him? Could he overthrow him?

This is why I believe Heliod tried so hard to destroy Elspeth during the events of the Theros block. For he had witnessed this kind of power before, and it wield a weapon that could harm him in the form of Godsend. Maybe he believed she was also a being like Gideon, the offspring of a god come to dethrone him. Either way it goes a long way to explaining his interest in her throughout the story.

I’m not the only one who thinks this either, as many people such as reddit user matheuswhite12 have already be working on this little theory for a while now.

So where is all this leading? Well lets have a look at Hazoret’s words again. “I am neither the first nor the last immortal whom you will cross. Cursed is the man who forgets his own past, for I see your death, Kytheon Iora. You are no god”. Yes, Gideon isn’t a god. His is a demi-god. His fate isn’t to fall at the hands of Bolas. He is destined to return to his own world. There he will seek answers. Answers to the source of his powers. To whom he is and where he came from. And ultimately, this will lead him to Heliod and the final confrontation with his father. Will he survive this? Only time will tell.

Or I could be completely wrong and Bolas is just going to smash him into a wall again, but man I hope I’m right. But what do you think? Is Gideon a demi-god? Will he survive the events of Ravnica? Will he change his name again? Why not let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and while you are there please remember to like and subscribe to the site to keep up to date with all we have going on. But until next time remember whether you are playing games or crafting theories, Good Luck and Have Fun.

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