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A core part of the allure found in the Final Fantasy crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards depict iconic stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a snapshot of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose key technique is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The abilities mirror this perfectly. Such flavor is found throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. Some serve as heartbreaking reminders of emotional events fans still mull over decades later.

"Powerful stories are a central part of the Final Fantasy series," noted a principal game designer for the collaboration. "We built some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a tournament staple, it is one of the set's most elegant pieces of flavor via rules. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the set's central gameplay elements. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the saga will immediately grasp the meaning behind it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the color of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, as well as an gear, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a sequence FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates just as hard here, expressed entirely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of backstory, and here is your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They finally reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the card mechanics essentially let you recreate this whole event. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards unfold as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s signature action is structured, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the damage altogether. Therefore, you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of moment referred to when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Main Interaction

And the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches beyond just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny connection, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you reenact the passing personally. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga to date.