When it comes to theUniverses Beyondsets inMagic: The Gathering, the one I’ve been most invested in is, of course, the Final Fantasy crossover. With a look at some of gaming’s most iconic moments ever fully realized and forever printed on Magic cards, fans of Final Fantasy can relive the magic while playing the scenes out with their favorite cards.
With representation from every game in the series, including iconic creatures likeMoogles and Chocobos, there’s truly something for everyone in this Final Fantasy crossover. With the Final Fantasy 7 cards in particular, you may see the entire story from start to finish with impactful moments shown in beautiful new art.
10Aerith Gainsborough
The Flower That Started It All
Your first introduction to Aierith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy 7 is as a mysterious flower peddler holding the yellow lily in hand in the slums of Midgar. It’s our first image of the last Ancient on the planet, Aerith, and an iconic moment in the game.
From the intro scenario of her carrying this flower to the first time she gives it to Cloud, you’ll be awestruck by seeing Aerith. You’ll feel the same about seeing an actual flower growing where even the sun cannot reach. This scene marks an iconic moment at the beginning of the game for a character who changed the history of JRPGs.
9Aerith Rescue Mission
Climbing All 59 Floors
As the name implies, Tseng and the Turks have captured Aerith, and Barrett, Tifa, and Cloud are on their way to save her from their clutches. Unfortunately for the gang, she’s 59 floors up from where they are. That means taking the elevator or climbing all 59 floors. In both the original and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, climbing the stairs is the much more iconic choice.
You’ll get the corny dialogue and levity of Barret and the others that the game is known for while climbing up the stairs in Shinra HQ. This hilarious and completely optional moment before even more serious action sets the tone of Final Fantasy 7 perfectly, and anyone who has taken all 59 stairs will truly understand the struggle.
8Eject
Witness The Power Of Sephiroth
There’s an iconic moment in Final Fantasy 7, where in the original you’re able to take on Midgar Zolom, and in Rebirth you can take on Midgardsormr. In FF7, this creates an epic boss battle that can be somewhat difficult depending on how early on you take the fight in the original game, and how prepared you are in Rebirth.
Eject recreates the scene of the battle, reimagining it from the original game and showcasing it from Rebirth. Everyone has seen the iconic image of the Midgardsormr struck through by Sephiroth when you travel through the area after, showcasing his immense power after the fight you and your party went through first. Showing you just a glimpse of what you’re up against.
7Reno And Rude
Stop The Plate Drop
There’s a pivotal moment in which Reno and Rude are tasked with dropping the upper plate on the slums, essentially killing hundreds of people. In an attempt to stop that from happening, the group rushes to the roof in an epic fight and final attempt to stop the plate from dropping. Waiting above are the Turk members, Reno and Rude, and an epic battle ensues.
The card captures the electricity of Reno, the helicopter they flew in on to stop the gang from preventing the plate from falling, the burning in the background as the building is shot up as forces clash, and the pivotal moment before the falling plate ends it all.
6Reach The Horizon
The Devastating Aftermath
The ragtag group of resistance fighters looks on as the aftermath of the dropped plate is set upon a beautiful horizon with a bleak undertone. This moment cements the last real pivotal moment in Midgar before the group must move on to stop Sephiroth and continue a bigger mission outside of Midgar.
It’s an iconic scene brought to life in both Rebirth and this card, representing the next chapter in the group’s adventure as they look somberly on all that was lost and what they couldn’t stop.
5Resentful Revelation
Sephiroth’s Awakening
There’s a moment in Final Fantasy 7 that everyone will remember, and that’s when Sephiroth finds the library and learns of his origins. He slowly descends into madness as he realizes his mother is the life form Jenova. He obsesses, reading and researching “like a man possessed,“as Cloud puts it.
He learns of the Jenova project to resurrect the ancients, eventually understanding what would end up resulting in his creation. This revelation sets Sephiroth on his path and sets events into motion, intent on his ultimate purpose. Another pivotal moment in the game’s storyline portrayed perfectly within Magic.
4Nibelheim Aflame
The Creation Of The Nibelheim Incident
Sephiroth goes from being the town hero in Nibelheim to the villain who brings about its demise. After learning the truth, he slaughters the people of the town and burns it to the ground, creating what would later be known as the Nibelheim incident.
This represents Sephiroth beginning his villain era, and a glimpse of the aftermath of what his new order will result in. You also get to see how this affects Cloud and Tifa specifically in the games, bringing several memories and impactful themes to a single card’s artwork.
3Memories of Nibelheim
Tifa’s Most Iconic Scene
You’ve probably seen the artwork of Tifa sitting on the Nibelheim water tower staring up at the stars, but not, well, that scene has been translated onto a card in Magic: The Gathering. This scene itself is impactful as it hearkens back to Tifa’s time as a girl growing up in Nibelheim, serious conversations had on the water tower between her and Cloud as kids, and even more conversations had about it as adults.
It captures the past and future of these specific characters, revealing more and more about their character development. From the childhood scene to her reminiscing, it’s another beautiful scene, especially after the devastation Nibelheim had endured.
2Ultimate Magic: Meteor/Ultimate Magic: Holy
The Ending And The New Beginning
Sephiroth succeeds in summoning Meteor, and we watch as death and destruction plague all of Gaia. Fire tornadoes filled with electricity spread through Midgar, destroying everything in their path, as the meteor comet descends to eviscerate the planet. It’s a devastating vision captured by Ultimate Magic: Meteor.
The last thing Aerith does is summon Holy. As the only person who could do it, she used her last moments kneeling in prayer, summoning Holy, and was able to accomplish this before her untimely demise. She left hope for the planet at the cost of her life. Ultimate Magic: Holy showcases those final moments where hope seems lost, yet the Lifestream joins with Holy to save the planet in the end.
1Sephiroth’s Intervention
One of Gaming’s Most Pivotal Moments
The moment forever written in not only Final Fantasy history, but gaming history as a whole. This card depicts the momentSephiroth falls from the skyand pierces Aerith with Masamune, killing the last living Ancient on the planet. This unprecedented and permanent death changed the narrative forever, blew the minds of players then and now, and can never truly be replicated in any other title.
So many players tried to find ways to resurrect Aerith because the disbelief was just too strong. This card represents one of the most famous moments in gaming history for JRPG fans, and comes with the memories associated with when we all lost Aerith for good.
