The highly anticipated Magic: The Gathering crossover with Final Fantasy has finally arrived, bringing together two titans of fantasy gaming. This monumental collaboration isn’t just a collection of cards; it’s a love letter packed with clever nods, deep-cut references, and iconic moments from across the entire Final Fantasy saga, spanning 16 mainline games.
This set is a landmark release for Magic, being the first “Universes Beyond” expansion fully legal in the game’s main Standard format. Developed over five years in close collaboration with Square Enix, the goal was to capture the essence of Final Fantasy for fans of both franchises. Designers sorted potential references into tiers – from must-have elements like Chocobos and Moogles to deep-cut Easter eggs for superfans – ensuring a rich and varied experience.
Here are some of the most flavorful and exciting Final Fantasy references translated into Magic cards:
Iconic Moments & Story Beats on Cards
The Final Fantasy set excels at turning memorable scenes and plot points into unique Magic mechanics:
Sephiroth and Aerith’s Tragic Fate: Perhaps the most infamous scene in Final Fantasy VII is hauntingly depicted through card synergy. The card Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier gains power and transforms when creatures die. Aerith, Gainsborough gains counters when you gain life (which Sephiroth provides when creatures die). Crucially, Aerith gives her counters to other Legendary creatures when she dies. This creates a grim possibility: Sephiroth can sacrifice Aerith to trigger his transformation into Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel and immediately gain her amassed power, mirroring his deadly betrayal.
Galuf’s Heroic Sacrifice: From Final Fantasy V, Galuf’s final stand against Exdeath, passing his strength to Krile, is captured by Galuf’s Final Act. This card grants a temporary power boost and then transfers its power as +1/+1 counters to another creature when it dies, perfectly symbolizing his legacy.
The Phantom Train Suplex: Sabin’s absurd ability to suplex enemies, including the spectral Phantom Train from Final Fantasy VI, is immortalized. The Suplex sorcery card deals damage, but can also exile an artifact. Since the Phantom Train is represented as an artifact card in the set, yes, you can use Suplex to literally remove the train from play.
The FFX Laughing Scene: The internet-famous, awkwardly forced laughing scene between Tidus and Yuna in Final Fantasy X is referenced! The card Inspiring Call, found in the FFX-themed Commander deck, features art and flavor text directly referencing this moment, proving the set knows when to have a bit of self-aware humor.
Ashe’s Temptation: Final Fantasy XII‘s princess, Ashe, faced the temptation to use the Sun-Cryst’s power for revenge. The instant card Fate of the Sun-Cryst reflects this. While it can destroy any non-land permanent, it costs less mana if the target is a tapped creature – subtly incentivizing revenge against those who have already attacked you.
The Shinra HQ Stair Challenge: The choice in Final Fantasy VII to take the fighting-filled elevator or the exhausting stairs is humorously translated into Aerith’s Rescue Mission. You can either create creature tokens (the fights) or tap/stun opponent’s creatures (the exhaustion).
Clever Mechanical Translations
The set uses and adapts Magic‘s rules to represent Final Fantasy‘s unique systems:
Tiered Spells: A brand new mechanic called “Tiered” directly mirrors Final Fantasy‘s spell progression (Fire, Fira, Firaga). Cards with Tiered abilities offer three progressively powerful effects based on how much extra mana you pay, a perfect blend of both game’s magic systems.
Lightning’s Stagger: Lightning, Army of One from Final Fantasy XIII features the “Stagger” mechanic. This allows other creatures attacking her target to deal double damage for the turn, mimicking FFXIII‘s system of weakening foes for bonus damage.
The Tonberry’s Deadly Walk: The dreaded Tonberry’s slow approach and instant-kill attack are captured. The Tonberry card enters tapped with a stun counter (it takes time to get going) but boasts First Strike and Deathtouch (if it connects, it’s lights out!).
Kain’s Traitorous Tendencies: Final Fantasy IV‘s Kain Highwind, notorious for being mind-controlled, gets a card, Kain, Traitorous Dragoon, that switches control to an opponent if he deals them damage, reflecting his frequent betrayals in a chaotic, flavorful way.
Phoenix Down’s Dual Use: The classic revival item, Phoenix Down, appears as a card that can return creatures from the graveyard. True to the Final Fantasy games, it also has a secondary ability to exile undead creatures, replicating its healing-damaging duality.
The Cycle of Sin: The core theme of Final Fantasy X, the inescapable cycle of destruction caused by Sin, is represented by Sin, Unending Cataclysm. This massive creature disrupts opponents and, when it dies, shuffles back into your library instead of the graveyard, ensuring the cycle continues.
FFXIV Party Sizes: Champions From Beyond from the Final Fantasy XIV storyline references summoning heroes and grants bonuses for attacking with groups of four or eight creatures – direct nods to FFXIV‘s “Light Party” (4) and “Full Party” (8) group content sizes.
Quistis’s Blue Magic: Final Fantasy VIII‘s Blue Mage, Quistis, is a Blue Magic card that can cast spells from any player’s graveyard using any mana, embodying the ability to learn and mimic enemy abilities.
Ignis’s Culinary Skills: Ignis Scientia from Final Fantasy XV simply had to cook. His card, “I’ve Come Up With a New Recipe!”, lets you tap him and exile a card (especially creatures, referencing hunting for ingredients) to create a Food token, providing healing buffs just like his meals in the game. Even the card Instant Ramen is a cheeky reference to FFXV’s notable Cup Noodle product placement.
Flavorful Art & Deep Cuts
Beyond mechanics, the set features stunning art and references for long-time fans:
Re-flavored Classics: Many existing Magic cards are reprinted with new Final Fantasy artwork, giving an FF twist to familiar effects. Iconic characters like Zidane (as Ragavan) and Firion (as Sram) appear on cards that fit their typical Magic playstyles.
Fifteen Cids: Celebrating the character who appears in almost every main Final Fantasy game, the set includes fifteen different Cid cards! Each features unique art, but they all share the same card rules and a special ability allowing players to include multiple copies in their decks, a unique nod to his recurring presence.
Haurchefant’s Sacrifice: Even poignant moments from Final Fantasy XIV‘s lore are included. A reprint of the Magic artifact Relic of Legends features new art depicting Haurchefant Greystone’s tragic sacrifice from the Heavensward expansion, a deep emotional cut for FFXIV players.
Ifrit vs. Titan: The epic Eikon battles of Final Fantasy XVI are represented by Clash of the Eikons, a card that interacts with Saga cards (which represent Summons) and reflects the pivotal moment Clive fully embraces his power as Ifrit.
The Warrior of Light Unites All: While the original Final Fantasy‘s iconic Warrior of Light doesn’t have a dedicated unique card, he appears on the bonus sheet as a reprint of Jodah the Unifier. Jodah’s ability to support decks using all five Magic colors and synergize with Legendary creatures perfectly embodies the Warrior of Light’s role as a figure who unites heroes from across the entire series.
Getting Started in the World of FF + MTG
For Final Fantasy fans new to Magic, getting into this set is easier than ever. The Starter Kit provides two ready-to-play decks and learn-to-play guides, including digital codes for Magic Arena. Four themed Commander Decks (VI, VII, X, XIV) offer a great entry point into the popular multiplayer format. You can also crack Play Boosters and Collector Boosters to find specific characters and build your own decks.
The Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy set is clearly more than just a cash grab; it’s a heartfelt tribute built by fans for fans, successfully translating the mechanics, stories, and emotional beats of Final Fantasy into the strategic gameplay of Magic.
