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A major part of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion so many cards tell well-known tales. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this perfectly. This type of storytelling is found in the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. A number serve as poignant callbacks of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional narratives are a vital component of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a senior designer for the set. "They created some overarching principles, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it stands as one of the set's most clever pieces of flavor via mechanics. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's key mechanics. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the saga will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the color of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to grant another creature you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a moment FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands with equal force here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

Some necessary history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his friend. They finally reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Game Board

In a game, the abilities essentially let you reenact this whole event. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an weapon card. In combination, these three cards unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to cancel out the attack completely. So you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells at no cost. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when talking about “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

More Than the Obvious Interaction

And the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card 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 in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

This design does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to relive the passing yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the saga for many fans.