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A significant element of the charm of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner so many cards narrate iconic narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose signature move is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this in nuanced ways. Such narrative is widespread throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and not all fun and games. Several are poignant echoes of emotional events fans still mull over years after.

"Moving narratives are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but in the end, it was primarily on a case-by-case level."

While the Zack Fair is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most refined examples of storytelling by way of gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core mechanics. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will instantly understand the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates with equal force here, expressed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

For context, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the friends get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to look after his comrade. They finally reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the abilities in essence let you reenact this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these pieces function in this way: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to negate the damage altogether. This allows you to make this play at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction meant when discussing “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Obvious Synergy

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches beyond just this combo. The Jenova card is part of 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 in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that subtly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable cliff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the legacy personally. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga to date.