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A core aspect of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the way countless cards depict well-known narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a glimpse of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a fancy shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The abilities reflect this perfectly. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent across the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. A number act as heartbreaking reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Emotional stories are a vital component of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a senior game designer on the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was primarily on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the collection's most refined pieces of narrative design through mechanics. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the saga will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, as well as an gear, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates just as hard here, communicated solely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

For context, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his friend. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the abilities in essence let you reenact this whole scene. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these three cards function in this way: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the attack completely. This allows you to make this play at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of moment referred to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Central Interaction

But the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it goes beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that subtly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you reenact the legacy personally. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the series to date.