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A significant part of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion numerous cards tell well-known narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a glimpse of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The abilities represent this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is found in the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. A number act as poignant reminders of tragedies fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Moving stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead designer for the project. "We built some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual level."

Though the Zack Fair is not a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most clever instances of narrative design through mechanics. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the story will instantly understand the emotional weight within it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one generic mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This card portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands powerfully here, expressed entirely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They finally arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules in essence let you relive this iconic event. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack completely. This allows you to make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction meant when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

More Than the Central Interaction

However, the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes past just Zack and Cloud. 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 then 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. This is a tiny reference, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to relive the passing yourself. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the series for many fans.