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A core part of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way so many cards tell familiar tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this perfectly. Such storytelling is found in the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. Several act as poignant callbacks of tragedies fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Emotional narratives are a vital part of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a senior game designer involved with the project. "We built some overarching principles, but in the end, it was mostly on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the release's most refined pieces of flavor by way of rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the saga will instantly understand the significance behind it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of good) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, plus an gear, onto that other creature.

This card paints a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands powerfully here, conveyed completely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

A bit of backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the duo get away. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his companion. They eventually arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the card mechanics in essence let you recreate this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these three cards function in this way: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to negate the damage entirely. Therefore, you can do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Main Synergy

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable cliff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the series to date.