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A major element of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards tell well-known narratives. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a glimpse of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a unique shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this with subtlety. Such narrative is widespread throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. A number serve as heartbreaking callbacks of sad moments fans remember vividly to this day.

"Emotional narratives are a vital element of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a lead designer involved with the set. "The team established some general rules, but ultimately, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair card isn't a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most clever pieces of narrative design via rules. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the expansion's key mechanics. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the emotional weight behind it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an gear, onto that other creature.

This card depicts a scene FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands with equal force here, communicated completely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the friends manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the card mechanics effectively let you reenact this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an artifact card. Together, these three cards function as follows: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to cancel out the attack altogether. Therefore, you can perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

More Than the Main Interaction

But the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches 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 chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small reference, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

Zack’s card doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable cliff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the legacy yourself. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the series ever made.