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A core aspect of the appeal of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way countless cards narrate iconic stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this perfectly. Such flavor is widespread throughout the entire Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. A number serve as poignant echoes of sad moments fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional tales are a key part of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a lead game designer on the set. "They created some general rules, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it stands as one of the release's most clever examples of storytelling via rules. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the set's key systems. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the tale will quickly recognize the significance within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, plus an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands just as hard here, conveyed entirely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

A bit of backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to take care of his companion. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the abilities in essence let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these pieces play out as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s signature action is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to negate the attack completely. This allows you to make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of moment meant when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

More Than the Central Synergy

And the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches past just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the saga for many fans.