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A major part of the charm of the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way numerous cards narrate iconic narratives. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose key technique is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this with subtlety. Such narrative is widespread throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and not all fun and games. A number act as somber callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving narratives are a vital part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal game designer for the set. "The team established some general rules, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual level."

While the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the release's most refined pieces of storytelling by way of rules. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the set's key mechanics. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the tale will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another creature you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, plus an gear, onto that target creature.

This design depicts a moment FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates just as hard here, expressed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack ensures to look after his comrade. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

In a game, the card mechanics effectively let you reenact this iconic event. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these pieces function in this way: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack entirely. This allows you to do this at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of moment meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Main Synergy

But the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it extends beyond just Zack and Cloud. 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 target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle connection, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

Zack’s card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable bluff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the passing yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a brief second, while playing a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga to date.