The Zack Fair Card Illustrates That Magic's Universes Beyond Can Tell Meaningful Stories.

A significant aspect of the charm of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner so many cards narrate familiar tales. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a portrait of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this perfectly. This type of narrative is widespread across the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. A number are poignant callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly to this day.

"Moving narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal designer involved with the collaboration. "The team established some overarching principles, but in the end, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the collection's most clever examples of storytelling by way of rules. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core systems. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the significance behind it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s counters, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits powerfully here, conveyed solely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

For backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the pair manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to take care of his comrade. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

In a game, the abilities effectively let you recreate this whole event. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these pieces unfold as follows: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s signature action is worded, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to negate the damage completely. So you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Central Synergy

And the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just this combo. The Jenova card appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked bluff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the legacy personally. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the series ever made.