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A significant element of the appeal found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion numerous cards tell familiar narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. Such flavor is found throughout the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Some act as poignant reminders of tragedies fans remember vividly to this day.

"Powerful narratives are a central element of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a senior game designer for the set. "They created some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most refined examples of storytelling through rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the product's key mechanics. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting 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 protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, as well as an gear, onto that other creature.

This design depicts a moment FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits powerfully here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

A bit of backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the friends manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. They finally reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

In a game, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an weapon card. Together, these pieces function like this: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to negate the damage completely. So you can make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

More Than the Main Combo

However, the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches further than just Zack and Cloud. 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 in a way suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing yourself. You make the ultimate play. You transfer the legacy on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the series for many fans.