Does persist trigger if a creature with a -1/-1 counter already on it dies?

Persist reads: 'When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.' The condition 'if it had no -1/-1 counters on it' is checked as the creature leaves the battlefield (dies). If even one -1/-1 counter is already on the creature at that moment, the ability simply does not trigger at all.

This is governed by CR 603.4, which states that a triggered ability checks its trigger condition at the time the triggering event occurs. For persist specifically, the game looks at the creature's last known information — its state as it last existed on the battlefield — to determine whether the condition is met (CR 702.78a, CR 603.10).

This distinction is very relevant in gameplay: if your opponent uses a spell or ability to put a -1/-1 counter on your persist creature before it dies, they effectively 'use up' the persist trigger, preventing the creature from coming back.

Example: You control a Safehold Elite (a 2/2 with persist). Your opponent targets it with Serrated Arrows, placing a -1/-1 counter on it, making it a 1/1. Your opponent then blocks and destroys it in combat. Because Safehold Elite had a -1/-1 counter on it when it died, persist does not trigger and it stays in the graveyard.