8th Edition was released on July 28, 2003, and contained 357 cards. It was the first set showing the modernized frame. Whereas in the classical one cards had a differently styled text box depending on colors, now all were standardized. Card name, card type and power/toughness were framed separately and now could always be witten without a drop shadow that had caused many errors. Both art and text box were enlarged and a pictogram instead of "Illus." was introduced, avoiding needs of separate translations in some languages. Generally, the new design was based on pragmatic thoughts: Card names are better readable, there is more space for text and art and error sources were reduced. Also the height-width ratio of the art box changed so that old art used is cropped slightly else than in previous versions of the respective card.

The card quality was increased regarding production variability. Boosters of most languages were made in the USA and contained weird cut cards not discernible from the theme deck versions (the foils look rather like front cut). Only Italian, French and German cards can be told apart as usual. Spanish and Portuguese normal versions exist in weird cut and front cut. Maybe these are from the 8th Edition Core game, a two-player starter set, which was made in Belgium for those two languages.