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A core element of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way so many cards narrate well-known tales. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a glimpse of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose signature move is a fancy shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities mirror this perfectly. This type of flavor is prevalent throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. Several act as somber echoes of sad moments fans remember vividly to this day.

"Emotional stories are a central part of the Final Fantasy series," noted a lead game designer for the set. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the collection's most elegant instances of narrative design via mechanics. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the set's core mechanics. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an gear, onto that other creature.

This design paints a moment FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, expressed solely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the friends break free. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They finally make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Game Board

In a game, the abilities essentially let you reenact this entire scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces function like this: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s signature action is designed, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to cancel out the attack altogether. So 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, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Obvious Combo

However, the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it goes beyond just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of 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 sort of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design does not depict his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the passing yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the weapon on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the series ever made.