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A core part of the charm within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner so many cards depict iconic stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a glimpse of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a unique shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. This type of flavor is found throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and not all lighthearted tales. Several are poignant callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over years after.

"Emotional stories are a central part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a senior designer on the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but ultimately, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the collection's most clever instances of narrative design through rules. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's core mechanics. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one generic mana, you can destroy the card to give another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands just as hard here, conveyed entirely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

Some necessary backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the friends get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to take care of his comrade. They eventually make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Game Board

In a game, the card mechanics in essence let you recreate this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he gains 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 manner Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to negate the damage altogether. Therefore, you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of moment alluded to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Central Synergy

However, the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends past just this combo. The Jenova card appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that cleverly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to reenact the moment for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the franchise for many fans.