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A core aspect of the appeal of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards tell well-known narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this perfectly. These kinds of storytelling is found across the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. A number act as heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Moving tales are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a principal designer for the collaboration. "They created some overarching principles, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair card may not be a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most clever examples of flavor via mechanics. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's core gameplay elements. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, plus an gear, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a sequence FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates powerfully here, communicated solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the friends break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to protect his companion. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the card mechanics effectively let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces play out as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s signature action is designed, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage completely. So you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction meant when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Beyond the Central Interaction

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just this combo. The Jenova card is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the series to date.