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A core aspect of the charm of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way numerous cards narrate well-known tales. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose signature move is a unique shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. Such storytelling is widespread in the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all lighthearted tales. Some are poignant callbacks of sad moments fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Powerful narratives are a vital part of the Final Fantasy series," noted a principal game designer on the set. "We built some overarching principles, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most refined instances of narrative design via gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the product's central mechanics. And while it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the saga will immediately grasp the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This card portrays a moment FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates powerfully here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

Some necessary backstory, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended testing, the pair break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to protect his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the rules effectively let you relive this entire scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out as follows: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to negate the attack completely. Therefore, you can do this at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells for free. This is exactly the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

More Than the Obvious Synergy

But the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it goes further than 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that implicitly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to reenact the passing personally. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the series to date.