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A major part of the appeal found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards tell well-known narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose signature move is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this perfectly. Such storytelling is prevalent in the entire Final Fantasy offering, and not all fun and games. A number act as poignant reminders of sad moments fans remember vividly to this day.

"Emotional tales are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a principal game designer on the collaboration. "We built some general rules, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it represents one of the set's most elegant examples of narrative design via mechanics. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the product's central systems. And although it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the story will instantly understand the meaning within it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the color of heroes) in this collection, 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 destroy the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, along with an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This card depicts a scene FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, communicated entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

For backstory, and here is your *FF7* warning: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the duo get away. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his friend. They eventually arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the card mechanics essentially let you relive this entire scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s signature action is worded, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack entirely. So you can perform this action at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells at no cost. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Beyond the Main Interaction

However, the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just these cards. The Jenova card is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places 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 treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny connection, but one that subtly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy cliff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to relive the passing yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.