Animar's main draw for Hydra tribal players is its mana reduction ability, which reduces the cost of creature spells for one generic mana for each +1/+1 counter on Animar
Full of the kind of giant monsters and epic-level spells that the format is known for, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is exactly the kind of not-necessarily-made-for-Commander set that fans of the 100-card decks are going to love
That makes it very popular in different metagames (less so in Commander)
Grenzo, Crooked Jailer Grenzo, Crooked Jailer | Illustration by Darren Tan Commander (1) Planewalker (2) Liliana of the Veil Chandra, Torch of Defiance Creature (17) Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer Tinybones, the Pickpocket Impetuous Lootmonger Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger Rahilda, Wanted Cutthroat Valki, God of Lies Boggart Trawler Crucias, Titan of the Waves Laelia, the Blade Reforged Laughing Jasper Flint Murderous Rider Grief Fury Pinnacle Monk Rakdos, the Muscle Sheoldred Crabomination Instant (14) Cut Down Dark Ritual Galvanic Discharge Grave Expectations Lightning Bolt Malakir Rebirth Bitter Triumph Infernal Grasp Sheoldred's Edict Bedevil Blot Out Brittle Blast Kolaghan's Command Hagra Mauling Sorcery (18) Bloodchief's Thirst Duress Inquisition of Kozilek Reanimate Thoughtseize Agonizing Remorse Angrath's Rampage Binding Negotiation Feed the Swarm Phantasmal Extraction Shatterskull Smashing Agadeem's Awakening Pelakka Predation Sundering Eruption Toxic Deluge Extinction Event Blood on the Snow Thought Distortion Enchantment (4) Elspeth's Nightmare Fable of the Mirror-Breaker The Cruelty of Gix Virtue of Persistence Artifact (8) Arcane Signet Coldsteel Heart Mind Stone Solar Transformer The Irencrag Cursed Mirror Relic of Legends Worn Powerstone Land (36) Blackcleave Cliffs Blightstep Pathway Blood Crypt Bloodstained Mire Castle Locthwain Command Tower Conduit Pylons Dragonskull Summit Forsaken Crossroads Haunted Ridge Hive of the Eye Tyrant Polluted Delta Raucous Theater Restless Vents Snow-Covered Mountain x9 Snow-Covered Swamp x9 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance Sulfurous Mire Sulfurous Springs Takenuma, Abandoned Mire Grenzo, Crooked Jailer receives a fair bit of hate from players who think it's too busted, and they're not wrong
Check out the rock poster treatments for Aragorn, the Uniter, Saruman, of Many Colors, Arwen, Mortal Queen, Gandalf the White, and Mount Doom
