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A core part of the charm found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner numerous cards narrate familiar narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a snapshot of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this in nuanced ways. This type of storytelling is found across the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. Some act as heartbreaking echoes of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional narratives are a central part of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a principal designer involved with the collaboration. "We built some broad guidelines, but finally, it was primarily on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it is one of the set's most refined examples of narrative design by way of mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the product's core gameplay elements. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an gear, onto that other creature.

These mechanics portrays a sequence FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands just as hard here, communicated completely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

For history, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the friends break free. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They finally arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

In a game, the abilities essentially let you relive this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards function in this way: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage altogether. Therefore, you can make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of moment alluded to when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Obvious Interaction

But the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it goes past just these cards. The Jenova card 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 sort of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a small reference, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable cliff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you relive the legacy for yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.