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A core aspect of the allure found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way so many cards narrate well-known stories. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a glimpse of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The abilities mirror this with subtlety. This type of flavor is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. Several serve as somber echoes of emotional events fans remember vividly years after.

"Emotional narratives are a central part of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a principal game designer for the set. "They created some broad guidelines, but finally, it was mostly on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it is one of the release's most refined instances of flavor via rules. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the set's central gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the tale will instantly understand the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, as well as an gear, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a moment FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands just as hard here, communicated solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

Some necessary backstory, and here is your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to protect his friend. They eventually make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

In a game, the rules in essence let you recreate this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces unfold as follows: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the damage completely. This allows you to do this at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Beyond the Central Interaction

And the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

This design doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy cliff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to relive the passing personally. You perform the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga to date.