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A significant element of the appeal of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards narrate well-known tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this in nuanced ways. This type of narrative is found across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. Several are heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans still mull over decades later.

"Moving tales are a vital element of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a lead designer involved with the collaboration. "We built some general rules, but in the end, it was primarily on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the set's most refined examples of flavor via gameplay. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the set's core mechanics. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the significance within it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s markers, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This design portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates just as hard here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

Some necessary history, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the friends manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to take care of his comrade. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the abilities in essence let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an weapon card. Together, these pieces function as follows: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the damage altogether. Therefore, you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Main Combo

And the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set 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 in a way implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy location where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the legacy yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You hand over the weapon on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the saga for many fans.