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A significant aspect of the appeal found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way numerous cards tell iconic stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a glimpse of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a unique shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this in nuanced ways. Such narrative is found across the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. A number serve as somber reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Powerful stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a principal designer on the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a top-tier card, it is one of the release's most elegant pieces of storytelling via rules. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the set's central gameplay elements. And while it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the saga will instantly understand the significance within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, as well as an gear, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a moment FF fans are all too familiar with, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands with equal force here, conveyed completely 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 context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the pair get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to look after his companion. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

In a game, the rules essentially let you relive this iconic event. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an artifact card. In combination, these three cards function in this way: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is worded, 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. This allows you to make this play at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells for free. This is exactly the kind of moment referred to when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Beyond the Main Synergy

However, the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it goes past just these cards. The Jenova card is part of the set 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 in a way implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the passing for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the sword on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.