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A core part of the appeal of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards tell iconic narratives. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender aside. The abilities reflect this with subtlety. This type of narrative is prevalent throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. Several are somber echoes of emotional events fans remember vividly decades later.

"Powerful narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a lead designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the collection's most refined examples of narrative design by way of mechanics. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the significance within it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another creature you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s markers, plus an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This design portrays a moment FF fans are all too familiar with, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates with equal force here, expressed entirely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

Some necessary history, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the friends break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to look after his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Game Board

In a game, the rules essentially let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these pieces function like this: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to prevent the damage completely. So you can perform this action at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction meant when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Beyond the Central Interaction

And the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it reaches beyond just this combo. The Jenova card is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a tiny connection, but one that subtly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card does not depict his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable cliff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the moment for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You pass the sword on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.