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A core element of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner so many cards tell well-known stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a glimpse of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose secret weapon is a unique shot that knocks a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. These kinds of narrative is widespread in the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. A number act as heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans still mull over decades later.

"Powerful tales are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a senior designer for the set. "They created some overarching principles, but finally, it was largely on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most refined pieces of flavor via mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the color of good) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s counters, as well as an gear, onto that other creature.

This card depicts a sequence FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates powerfully here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

For 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. After extended imprisonment, the pair break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his comrade. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Battlefield

In a game, the abilities in essence let you recreate this iconic event. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to negate the damage entirely. This allows you to do this at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards for free. This is just the kind of moment referred to when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Beyond the Main Combo

And the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity 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 then becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny reference, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

This design doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the passing personally. You perform the sacrifice. You transfer the sword on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the series to date.