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A significant aspect of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion countless cards tell familiar stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose signature move is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. This type of narrative is prevalent throughout the whole Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. A number act as heartbreaking echoes of sad moments fans remember vividly decades later.

"Moving tales are a central component of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a lead game designer on the set. "We built some overarching principles, but in the end, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair card isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the set's most refined examples of narrative design via rules. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight behind it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the color of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, as well as an gear, onto that other creature.

These mechanics portrays a scene FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits powerfully here, communicated solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

Some necessary context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the pair get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to protect his friend. They eventually arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you relive this whole scene. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards function in this way: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to cancel out the damage altogether. Therefore, you can do this at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Main Interaction

And the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches past 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 then becomes a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that cleverly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card does not depict his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked bluff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to relive the moment yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a short instant, while playing a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the series to date.