The Last One

Legend of the Five Rings card from Celestial Edition, Words and Deeds

Card Type

Strategy

Gold Cost

0

Card Text

Open: Choose your performing Personality: Destroy all of your other Personalities. If this destroyed at least four Personalities, permanently give your performer +4F, and until the game ends, negate effects of other player's actions that bow, dishonor, move, or destroy him.

Focus Value

4

Legality

Destroyer War (Celestial), Race for the Throne (Samurai)

Deck

Fate

Printings

Rulings

• Erratum: Reads, "The Last One 0G 4FV Open: Target your Personality: Destroy all of your other Personalities. If this destroyed at least four Personalities, permanently give your targeted Personality +4F, and until the end of the game, negate effects of other player's actions that bow, dishonor, move, or destroy him." [MRP, Celestial Edition, 29 June 2009] Comprehensive Rules, Celestial Edition, with specific card rulings, final version, February 2012, p. 157

Rules Q&A

• Q: Hi,
  An old thread about Chi Death Negation : viewtopic.php?f=59&t=81475&p=1218047&hilit=+last+one+#p1218047
  Can you update the answer with Emperor Edition rulebook please ? The Last One can walk around with 0 chi... is wrong now, isn't it?
  Thanks in advance,
  Regards, Rémi.
  A: Indeed. The Last One can no longer walk around with 0 chi. Alex Jones, "Last One : old ruling", 15 Mar 2012
• Q: viewtopic.php?p=1224696#p1224696
  My problem with this is that route specifically says "Move a target unit home." And the ruling with The Last One and 1000 Cuts Technique shows that when something says "target unit" it's also targeting the attachments. The EXCEPTION under the Unit keyword stops the effect of rout trying to send home the attachments separately, but it doesn't stop the targeting of the unit. So if rout (Move a target unit home) doesn't target the unit, but 1000 cuts technique (Destroy a target enemy unit.) does then there is a problem with wording and things that state that they target a unit don't actually target a unit and the ruling for either 1000 Cuts Technique or rout would have to be overruled.
  A: What "ruling with The Last One and 1000 Cuts Technique"? The only relevant ruling that I can find is this one, which, like all responses in this thread, quite clearly states that 1000 Cuts Technique does not target any of the attachments in the targeted unit.
  There is no requirement in the rules that a card needs to be targeted for an effect to affect it. Targeting a unit targets only the Personality in that unit, and none of his attached cards.
  Rout does not target any attachments, and neither does 1,000 Cuts Techinque. Both are quite capable of destroying attachments without targeting them. Alex Jones, "rout vs near miss", 18 Jul 2011
• Q: From what I can tell, you're saying The Last One can walk around with 0 chi. Please tell me I'm wrong.
  A: You are not wrong. Zen Faulkes, "chi death negation", 22 Jun 2011
• Q: Ujisato or isawa fosuta - exp gives the Personality that has been targeted with the last one - chi tokens equal to his chi does he die?
  A: http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Non-card_physical_game_elements: "The source of tokens’ effects... is the card or other source that created them."
  The source of the Chi penalty is the token, which is a card effect, which is negated by The Last One. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One and Chi death", 29 Apr 2011
• Q: Last one Chi death? can they die if they have - TOKENS Chi? example.
  Random personality with -90 C tokens. does the last one prevent him from dying? i said no cause chi death isnt my ability thats killing him its a rule. the perminent +4 the personality gets can that be effected by justly earned victory? even if it was played a few turns ago?
  Edit: Well none of that really answers my first question, so ill give a better example. Ujisato or isawa fosuta - exp gives the Personality that has been targeted with the last one - chi tokens equal to his chi does he die?
  [Mod edit: Thread title. Please make them specific to help people using the forum's search engine. Thanks! -ZF]
  A: The Personality's destruction from zero chi has to be handed on a case by case basis.
  http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Effects#Source_of_effects: "A Personality’s destruction for having 0 Chi (Chi death rule) comes from the cost or effect that last gave the Personality a Chi penalty, or from the rulebook if there was no such effect." (Emphasis added.)
  It depends. Usually the source of Chi death is a card effect. But not always.
  Permanent force bonuses do not mean "cannot be changed or undone." They mean "past the end of the turn." (http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Glossary_P-Q#Permanent.28ly.29) The Last One's bonus can be negated by Justly Earned Victory. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One and Chi death", 28 Apr 2011
• Q: To clarify the question - I believe they are asking if the Enticed personality is allowed to be sacrificed as a cost of The Last One, and if so, if they count towards destroying 4 personalities for the effects of The Last One.
  i.e. I have four Personalities. I Entice an enemy personality. I play the Last One on one of my non-Enticed personalities. Does he now have the advantages of The Last One?
  A: If that is the question, again, "your" means "controlled by," not "owned." So The Last One does not care if a Personality taken form another player for either its costs or effects. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One + Enticement", 22 Apr 2011
• Q: Past rulings on The Last One, such as this one, make clear that discrete effects are compared individually to the Last One's negation.
  A: In the linked question, those are all clearly separate effects from Game of Sincerity. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One vs. half breath strike and 1000 cut technique", 19 Mar 2011
• Q: The distinguishing criterion, I suppose, is whether the rulebook's "effects on a unit..." clause separates 1,000 Cut Technique's destruction of each card in the unit into discrete effects.
  A: There is no such rule. "Destroy a unit" is one effect. It is not shorthand for a "Destroy the Personality" effect plus a series of "Destroy each of the Personality's attached cards" effects. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One vs. half breath strike and 1000 cut technique", 19 Mar 2011
• Q: (T)his ruling on Stone Guardian vs. unit destruction implies that The Last One's attachments may be similarly doomed.
  A: Stone Guardian has a more limited wording. It negates the destruction of a single card, not an entire effect. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One vs. half breath strike and 1000 cut technique", 19 Mar 2011
• Q: If i play half breathe strike on a (Personality affected by The Last One) do i gain 3 honor?
  A: Yes. Half Breath Strike looks for whether destruction actually happens. As destruction did not, the honor gain applies. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One vs. half breath strike and 1000 cut technique", 18 Mar 2011
• Q: If i play 1000 cut technique on a (Personality affected by The Last One) do i destroy all his attachments?
  A: No. The Last One negates the entire effect, not just the Personality's destruction. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One vs. half breath strike and 1000 cut technique", 18 Mar 2011
• Q: Exotic Goods: Does the may in "His controller may bow him." allow a Last One personality to bow for this or does the negation provided by the last one automatically override it?
  A: The Last One prevents any effect from another player's card that would bow the Personality. Yes, even if the controller would like to bow the Personality. And yes, it is still an effect from another player's action, even if the controller of the Personality affected by the last one is making the decision to apply it or not.
  And note that Exotic Goods looks for whether the card bowed, not what the controller decided or chose. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One Personality + Exotic Goods", 12 Mar 2011
• Q: Edited: already answered and the answer will be No.
  My opponent has played The Last One on a Personality. I take the Last's Personality with Enticement. I play some kill card on him, for example, Power Corrupting.
  Is The Last One Personality really destroyed? a) Yes b) No
  The Last One Open: Target your Personality: Destroy all of your other Personalities. If this destroyed at least four Personalities, permanently give your targeted Personality +4F, and until the end of the game, negate effects of other player's actions that bow, dishonor, move, or destroy him.
  Enticement Open: Pay Gold equal to the total Gold Cost of the targeted Personality's unit: Lose 3 Honor. Take control of a target Personality. While you control him, you may not assign his unit to attack and he will not move to attack. Before this turn ends, give control of him to his owner.
  Power Corrupting Kiho • Maho Open: Target your unbowed Shugenja and destroy another of your target Personalities: Create a 7F/4C Shadowlands • Nonhuman • Oni Personality. Lose 3 Honor. Your Shugenja permanently gains Shadowlands.
  A: The answer is yes, as long as the destruction is for a cost.
  The Last One prevents other players' effects from killing him (remember that "other players" is interpreted from the point of view of the person who took the action) - but it doesn't stop other players destroying him to pay costs. Alex Jones, "The Last One + Enticement + some kill way", 3 Sep 2010
• Q: Since the action of destroying the Personality is technically another player's action... does the Personality targeted by The Last One remain after this battle ends?
  A: Yes.
  http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Special_wording ... References: "References involving a game state in the context of a past occurence check the game state only at the time of the occurrence."
  When an action takes effect, card text is read from the perspective of the person who controlled it at the time (see viewtopic.php?f=59&t=81760 and viewtopic.php?f=59&t=79202). Zen Faulkes, "Clarification: The Last One vs. Chi Death, Daigotsu", 10 Aug 2010
• Q: I have six pesonalities in play. I play The Last One, targeting personality A. Personality B reacts with the Hand of the Jade Dragon. The other four personalities are destroyed. Does personality A gain the various benefits from The Last One, and does personality B survive?
  A: Yes and yes. Brook Cunningham, "The Last One question", 18 Apr 2010
• Q: Seppun Tashime Exp. reads "Battle: Bow a target unit."
  The Last One reads "Open: Target your Personality: Destroy all of your other Personalities. If this destroyed at least four Personalities, permanently give your targeted Personality +4F, and until the end of the game, negate effects of other player's actions that bow, dishonor, move, or destroy him."
  If someone has used The Last One on a personality and attached some items/spells to that personality. Would the negation from The Last One prevent everything from bowing or just the personality?
  A: Just the personality.
  The Last One's negation only applies to effects on that personality. If an effect would affect more than just the personality (i.e. his unit or another personality) it will still affect those targets, just not the personality that is The Last One. Dan Jacobson, "The Last One & Seppun Tashime Exp.", 14 Apr 2010
• Q: The Last One, does that negate the complete effects of card if only part of the action applies to what TLO stops?
  A: It negates bowing, dishonoring, movement, and / or destruction. Zen Faulkes, "The Last One", 23 Mar 2010
• Q: In regards to viewtopic.php?f=59&t=81558
  and viewtopic.php?f=59&t=81554
  Does it matter which order a token that gives -1C goes onto a personality to cause 0 Chi death destruction?
  ie. I give a personality a -1C Plague token to bring him to 1 Chi. Player plays The Last One on their personality. I give a personality a -1F/-1C Curse token to bring him to 0 Chi.
  Does the destruction still take effect since I have a 0 Chi person that is in part being destroyed by a -1C token generated by a trait? If the order does not matter, would I need 2 Plague tokens to kill a 2 Chi personality that had been targeted by The Last One?
  A: Order does matter.
  The effect generating the ongoing negation of destruction has to come before the final Chi penalty is applied that would make him 0C.
  If it is before the penalty that gets him to 0C, he does not die.
  If it is (somehow) after that penalty, he dies.
  EDIT: Also, if the trait that gives him -1C is last, the ongoing destruction negation, if it depends on destruction from actions like The Last One, will fail to negate that personality's destruction. Dan Jacobson, "Order of tokens from Traits vs Actions.", 2 Feb 2010
• Q: EXCEPTION 2: A Personality’s destruction for having 0 Chi (Chi death rule) comes from the cost or effect that last gave the Personality a Chi penalty, or from the rulebook if there was no such effect.
  A: Giving out tokens that have a -1C value is the same as giving the personality -1C directly in terms of the source. Dan Jacobson, "The Last One + Isawa Fosuta XP", 27 Jan 2010
• Q: The Last One Open: Target your Personality: Destroy all of your other Personalities. If this destroyed at least four Personalities, permanently give your targeted Personality +4F, and until the end of the game, negate effects of other player's actions that bow, dishonor, move, or destroy him.
  Doji Ayano (Experienced) Crane Clan • Courtier • Samurai • Experienced • Unique Political Open: Bow Ayano: Target a Personality. His controller may bow him. If he is now unbowed, his unit may not be assigned to attack this turn.
  May my Last One choose to bow when targeted by Ayano's action ?
  Thanks !
  A: Yes, but it won't help.
  The Personality's controller may choose to bow him, but the bowing will be negated by The Last One. Alex Jones, "Last One + Doji Ayano", 30 Oct 2009
• Q: This may have been answered already, but my search-fu failed to find an answer. I have a personality that's targeted by The Last One (killing the requisite 4 other guys). He's now immune to death (among other things) caused by my opponents actions Chi-death is now caused by the player, instead of a rulebook effect. How about chi-death as the result of negative chi tokens placed by my opponent's actions? as an example, say my little 2/2 Oishi token gets to be the Last One, then is targeted by Bayushi Kurumi xp. I can't make him dishonorable, so he gets 2 -1/-1 tokens. Does he die or just get a bit smaller?
  A: He gets smaller, but remember for Bayushi Kurumi experienced's Limited action you can choose to dishonor him, which is an effect that is negated by The Last One's effects.
  EDIT: Please see the below post for the correct answer. This answer is INCORRECT. Dan Jacobson, "Last One and Chi death", 11 Sep 2009
• Q: If I have a bowed personality that has been targeted by the card titled "The Last One", assuming I had 4 personalities that Last One destroyed.. what happens if my opponent targets him with preserving honor and choose to bow him?
  A: The person playing Preserving Honor does not get to choose what happens to the target Personality.
  In any case, because The Last One will negate either option presented by Preserving Honor, the Personality is getting removed.
  Correction: Because the card is already bowed, trying to bow it will be a failed effect, not a negation effect. Consequently, the Personality is not removed (contra above)
  And I'm just off to add some notes in the Wiki that if something will fail, it will take precedence over a negation effect (which will itself fail). Zen Faulkes, "Preserving Honor and Last One", 13 Aug 2009
• Q: "Target your Personality: Destroy all of your other Personalities. If this destroyed at least four Personalities, permanently give your targeted Personality +4F, and until the end of the game, negate effects of other player's actions that bow, dishonor, move, or destroy him."
  Does this make you immune to range attacks?
  A: The answer is, more or less, "Yes".
  http://rules.l5r.com/CE_Glossary_R#Ranged_Attack: "“Ranged X Attack” (where X is a number known as the strength of the Ranged Attack) is shorthand for “Target a Follower or a Personality without Followers in the current enemy army. If its Force is equal to or less than X, destroy it.”"
  A Ranged Attack action is an action whose effects destroy Personalities. A Ranged Attack targeting a Personality affected by The Last One will have its destruction effect negated. Brook Cunningham, "The Last One", 10 Aug 2009
• Q: (W)ill Justly Earned Victory negate the effects of cards that award permanent force bonuses like Arrival of the Obsidian Champion and The Last One?
  A: They're from actions. Yes. Zen Faulkes, "Justly Earned Victory and permanent force bonuses", 26 Jul 2009
• Q: Does Kyoso no Oni xP3 overcome The Last One? Simple yes or no is fine.
  With further explanation: Should a personality have The Last One used upon them, would the playing of Kyoso no Oni by her text, being that which destroys a personality with gold cost greater than the first personality, destroy that second personality (being the one upon whom the Last One was applied, rather than the personality first destroyed by her trait)?
  A: Ah, I see now.
  Yes, Kyoso no Oni Exp 3's triggered trait can destroy a Personality targeted by The Last One. Brook Cunningham, "Kyoso No Oni xp3 and The Last One", 31 Jan 2009
• Q: : "...until the end of the game, other players' actions can not... destroy him."
  A: A trait is not an action. Brook Cunningham, "Kyoso No Oni xp3 and The Last One", 31 Jan 2009
• Q: Does Kyoso no Oni xP3 trump The Last One? Simple yes or no is fine.
  A: If you're using L5R cards to play an odd variant of Euchre, then perhaps she would.
  Otherwise, I'm sorry; I don't understand your question. Brook Cunningham, "Kyoso No Oni xp3 and The Last One", 31 Jan 2009
• Q: Quickie:
  The Last One is an action card that is a battle action.
  it mentions you destroy all personalities.
  is that all you have in play, or at that battle location?
  (A) if it's location, this card tears it up!!!!
  (B) if it's everything (i think it is) then it's one shamefull gamble of a card....
  also, if i The Last One a certain personality, then get four more personalities out, then can i The Last One the same dude again next battle for +4 more force?
  call me daft....
  A: In future please take these kinds of questions to the Rules subforum, thank you. Roger Giner-Sorolla, "Dumb Question: The Last One", 22 Jul 2008
• Q: Okay the long Version:
  I play The Last One sacrifice all my guys except one, and use the following ability;
  Open: Target your Personality: Destroy all of your other personalities. If this destroyed at least four personalities, your target permanently gains +4 Force, and until the end of the game, other player's actions cannot bow, dishonor, move, or destroy him.
  Now, say I Determination it three times. (reacting to each determination with the previous until the last targets The Last One.)
  Would this mean it is impossible to for someone to determination through the negation effects on the card?
  A: Whoever plays the most Determinations "wins", and equal amounts just ending up cancelling each other out (Citation). Thus, if you have played 3 on The Last One, there's no way in SE to "trump" that with more and stop The Last One's negation effects. Brook Cunningham, "The Last One + Determination", 7 Jun 2008
• Q: How long does Determination affect a permanent effect, such as The Last One?
  A: Determination has no stated duration for its own effects, therefore they only last until the end of the turn by default. Brook Cunningham, "The Last One + Determination", 7 Jun 2008
• Q: If I use Determination when I announce The Last One does this have a lasting effect. In other words does it keep the effects caused by The Last One from being negated.
  A: Yes, but only during the turn that you played Determination. Because Determination has no stated duration, it has the default duration of lasting until the end of the turn (even though the effects of the action you played it with may last longer). Brook Cunningham, "Determination and The Last One", 24 May 2008
• Q: If I use determination when I play The Last One and then my opponent plays a Hired Killer with a determination against my personality targeted with The Last One what will happen?
  A: http://www.alderac.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=65480&p=841444
  As per Marty's second bit of "Determination Math" in the above link, Determination + Negation action (The Last One, in this case) trumps Determination + regular action. The Hired Killer player would need to use two Determinations to overcome your own Determination PLUS The Last One's own negation. Basically, whoever has the most negation wins. Brook Cunningham, "Determination and The Last One", 24 May 2008
• Q: [ShE] Is Dishonor it's own win-condition? Or does it count as a military victory because the opponent is removed from the game, and you're the last one standing?
  I recall that was a thing at one point, and I think it was changed at some point, but I don't recall when exactly. or what it changed to. okay, nevermind, I just looked it up
  "When two players are in the game, or in the later stages of a game with more players when only two remain, if a player loses the game for having -20 Honor, the remaining player has won a Dishonor victory" though... that then brings up more questions... If you can dishonor your opponent to the point where they're removed from the game, but you have this card in play, and thus can't win a Dishonor victory, does that mean both players lose? Does that mean if you KNOW you will lose the game, and your opponent has one of these in play, and you have the means, you can choose to dishonor yourself, thus drawing the game? Is this an intended scenario for this card?
  A: Conditions upon how you may win do not affect how your opponent may lose, and if they lose, in a two-player game, you win by default. Brook Cunningham, "Sun and Moon #rules-questions", 6 Aug 2025