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A major element of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner so many cards narrate familiar stories. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a portrait of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The abilities represent this perfectly. Such flavor is widespread throughout the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all joyful stories. Some are heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over years after.

"Emotional narratives are a central element of the Final Fantasy series," noted a senior game designer involved with the project. "They created some broad guidelines, but finally, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a tournament staple, it stands as one of the release's most clever pieces of storytelling by way of gameplay. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the product's key mechanics. And while it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the tale will quickly recognize the significance within it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, plus an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This design portrays a moment FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands powerfully here, communicated entirely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

A bit of context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the friends manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to protect his comrade. They finally make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the abilities essentially let you reenact this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out like this: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to cancel out the damage entirely. So you can do this at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

And the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it extends further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity 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 also becomes a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to relive the passing yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the franchise ever made.