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A major element of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the way so many cards depict well-known stories. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. These kinds of narrative is prevalent throughout the entire Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. Some are heartbreaking echoes of tragedies fans remember vividly to this day.

"Moving narratives are a vital element of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead designer on the set. "They created some broad guidelines, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the collection's most elegant pieces of narrative design via mechanics. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the saga will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the alignment of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, as well as an Equipment, onto that target creature.

These mechanics portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands powerfully here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Card

A bit of 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 confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the pair get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to protect his friend. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the rules in essence let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold like this: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s signature action is worded, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to cancel out the attack completely. So you can do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards for free. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Beyond the Main Combo

And the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes 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 chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable location where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you relive the moment for yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the franchise to date.