Every once in a while, a joke set or deck becomes a reality - this was true to the relationship between Liliana and Gideon
Magic: The Gathering April Fools jokes are nothing new. For example, in 2008, they came up with the fake Duel Deck Pirates vs. Ninjas. The next year was From the Vaults: Vaults. It's a mix of memes, pop culture, Magic history - everyone knows they are fake but, just like any Magic product, some people kinda really want to buy them.
In 2011, they went with another fake Duel Deck announcement, this one having the necromancer Liliana Hess face off against planeswalker Gideon Jura. And, just to make sure everyone got it was a joke, Magic announced that the storyline would involve a romantic relationship between the two very different people.
Of course, this was all a joke. But Magic went all in on it, including art mockups and even viable decklists. Unlike the other jokes, players could, if they really wanted to, play these out. Of course, these two having any sort of relationship in 2011 around the time of Mirrodin Besieged was laughable. And, tellingly, in the next few years, the two remained sort of solar opposites. They weren't the most different characters in the game, but it was damn close.
However, a few years later after the Amonkhet block, something unusual happened. Liliana and Gideon were actually getting close. Not romantically, but it was still seen as something outlandish back in 2011. They defeated demons together and, by War of the Spark, were something of a team - something that the April Foold Day deck was kind of alluding too. Even more so, one of the more gut-wrenching moments in Magic history, where he sacrifices himself to save Liliana, cemented their closeness.
It's kind of the beauty of the Magic storyline - you never know what is going to happen or who will pop in. Jace, dragons, and many others popped in at odd times in the past. Ral became an otter once. During New Phyexia, no one knew who was going to turn evil. It's all in bounds. But even this one was a bit odd.
While it wasn't exactly a romantic relationship, it showed the two as close. And while other joke cards and products made by Magic did wind up becoming reality, this one remains the only April Fools Day specific one to kinda come true. To date.
