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A major part of the allure of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner so many cards depict iconic tales. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a glimpse of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this perfectly. Such storytelling is prevalent in the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Several are poignant callbacks of emotional events fans remember vividly years after.

"Moving stories are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a lead designer for the collaboration. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was mostly on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the collection's most elegant examples of narrative design through mechanics. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's key mechanics. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those familiar with the saga will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a scene FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates powerfully here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

A bit of backstory, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the duo get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to look after his companion. They eventually reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Tabletop

In a game, the abilities effectively let you reenact this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an artifact card. Together, these pieces unfold as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to prevent the damage entirely. This allows you to do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells at no cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction meant when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Obvious Combo

And the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches further than just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity 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 kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy cliff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the franchise for many fans.