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A significant aspect of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion numerous cards depict familiar narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a portrait of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose key technique is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is prevalent across the whole Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. Some are somber callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over years after.

"Moving narratives are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a lead designer involved with the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was mostly on a individual level."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most refined pieces of storytelling by way of mechanics. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's key mechanics. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the saga will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the color of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates just as hard here, communicated entirely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the friends break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the abilities essentially let you relive this entire scene. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards function like this: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is worded, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the damage altogether. This allows you to perform this action at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells for free. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Interaction

But the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes past just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny reference, but one that implicitly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the moment for yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the legacy on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the series for many fans.