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A core part of the allure of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way so many cards narrate familiar stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a specialized shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. These kinds of narrative is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. Some are somber callbacks of tragedies fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Emotional tales are a key component of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a principal game designer on the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a top-tier card, it stands as one of the set's most elegant examples of flavor through mechanics. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the set's core mechanics. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the saga will quickly recognize the significance within it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another creature you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This card portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, expressed solely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

A bit of context, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the friends break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his friend. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the abilities essentially let you recreate this whole scene. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards function like this: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to cancel out the attack completely. So you can perform this action at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards for free. This is just the kind of moment referred to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Obvious Combo

But the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches beyond just these cards. The Jenova card appears in 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 initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design does not depict his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked location where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you reenact the legacy for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You transfer the sword on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the franchise to date.