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A core part of the appeal within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards narrate familiar tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a glimpse of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. Such flavor is found throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. Some are heartbreaking echoes of sad moments fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a senior game designer for the project. "We built some general rules, but in the end, it was mostly on a individual level."

Though the Zack Fair may not be a tournament staple, it represents one of the release's most clever instances of storytelling through mechanics. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the set's key mechanics. And although it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the tale will immediately grasp the meaning within it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can destroy the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, plus an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a sequence FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, expressed solely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

Some necessary history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to look after his companion. They finally reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

In a game, the abilities effectively let you relive this entire scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of gear in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an artifact card. Together, these three cards play out as follows: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is worded, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack entirely. This allows you to do this at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards for free. This is precisely the kind of interaction meant when discussing “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

Extending Past the Obvious Interaction

And the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes further than just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in 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 in a way implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a tiny reference, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the legacy yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the saga to date.