10 Final Fantasy 7 Characters Who Need To Appear In Magic: The Gathering's Commander Deck

Magic: The Gathering 's Final Fantasy crossover includes four Commander decks, each one themed after a specific Final Fantasy game. So far, we've seen the two Commanders for a couple of the decks, including the Final Fantasy 7 one. Based on their abilities and the deck's color identity, it is possible to make some educated guesses about what other characters could show up and what they might do.

The deck's face commander is Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER, and the alternate commander is the recently previewed Tifa, Martial Artist . I would expect to at least see the rest of the playable party members included in the deck. The cards revealed so far show that the deck focuses on equipment and making creatures more powerful . I've tried to keep that in mind when predicting what abilities the Final Fantasy 7 characters could have in Magic .

Biggs Could Represent Avalanche's Fallen Soldiers

Biggs And Wedge Could Also Potentially Share A Card

There are a variety of characters throughout the Final Fantasy franchise named Biggs and Wedge, after the characters of the same name in Star Wars . I wouldn't be surprised to see at least one incarnation of them show up in Magic: The Gathering , and FF7 's version seems like a good case. In FF7 , Biggs and Wedge are two of the first characters you meet and are members of Avalanche working alongside Cloud. FF7 Remake and FF7 Rebirth gave them expanded roles and made them more fleshed-out characters than most incarnations of Biggs and Wedge in the Final Fantasy games.

I could see Biggs and Wedge potentially sharing a card , but if only one shows up, I would guess Biggs, since he has a slightly larger role in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth . As a militant environmental activist, Gruul colors (red and green) would make a lot of sense for Biggs. As a smaller character, Biggs probably wouldn't have as powerful of an ability. Most likely he'd have some ability to interact with equipment in some way, as he is seen helping hack into doors early on, implying he has some mechanical prowess.

Zack Fair Could Once Again Pass The Torch To Cloud

Zack Gives Cloud His Sword In The Original Game

Zack Fair is Cloud Strife's cheerful and optimistic former friend from his time in the Shinra military. He was also the first person Aerith was romantically involved with. After Zack was tortured alongside Cloud, escaped with him, and died to defend him, Cloud's fractured and Mako-poisoned mind blended his own memories with Zack's stories, also causing Cloud to adopt some of Zack's traits. Zack also passed on his Buster Sword to Cloud , which is why Cloud believed he was a SOLDIER, when, in reality, it was Zack.

Because the two are similar, I could see Zack's card being made to intentionally reflect Cloud's , likely having similar power and toughness stats. I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of effect where, when Zack's card is destroyed, it could pass any equipment attached to it to an allied creature. This would allow you to recreate the moment where Zack gives his Buster Sword to Cloud, and reflect his selfless nature.

Jessie Rasberry's Mechanical Expertise Fits An Equipment Deck

Jessie Was In Charge Of Avalanche's Demolition Charges

Like Biggs and Wedge, Jessie is a member of Avalanche who was on Cloud's first mission . If we only had the original game to go on, I wouldn't expect her to get a card, as she plays a very minor role. However, Final Fantasy 7 Remake included a new mission focused primarily on her and her backstory, and even included some romantic tension between her and Cloud. She also reappears after her death during the Golden Saucer through a poster and a hologram, giving her a touching send off. This increased significance makes me think she could get a card.

Jessie was Avalanche's demolition expert, but I don't see a side character like her having an overly complicated ability. This means I don't see her having the ability to construct token bomb weapons similar to Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith with his rocks. My guess would be that Jessie would have a more generic equipment-related ability , like providing a cost-reduction for Equip abilities.

Red XIII Could Unleash Quick Attacks

Red XIII Is A Quick Lion-Like Beast

As a main party member since Midgar, it would be a bit of a shock if Red XIII - whose real name is Nanaki - didn't show up on a card in the Final Fantasy 7 Commander deck. Nanaki is a lion-like creature who was held hostage and experimented on by the Shinra scientist Hojo , the same one who experimented on Cloud and Zack. While rescuing Aerith from Shinra HQ, Nanaki breaks out and begins helping the party. Originally masquerading as much older, it is later revealed he has the maturity of a young teen and wanted to sound wiser.

Nanaki's attacks are quick, so I could see him either having Haste or First Strike to represent that. He's another character I could see utilizing the Melee ability like we see on Tifa's Commander card, allowing him to get a temporary buff in combat. I could also see him being a high power, low toughness card, since he isn't as beefy as someone like Barret.

Yuffie Should Get A Unique Magic Card

Yuffie Already Appears As An Alternate Art Version Of An Existing Card

Yuffie is a bit of a unique case, as she has appeared in a preview for a Magic: The Gathering card , though not a unique one. Yuffie is featured in the Final Fantasy Through the Ages set, which features existing Magic cards re-skinned with Final Fantasy art. This makes that version of Yuffie a chase card, so she wouldn't be in a Commander deck, and besides, her colors on that card don't fit the color identity of the Final Fantasy 7 deck . That said, as a main party member, I have to assume another version of her will appear.

Similar to how there are two Cloud cards in the Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy crossover, I'm guessing there will be two for Yuffie also . As for what Yuffie would do, it is an interesting question, as she does seem more suited to the blue and black color identity of her other card. Perhaps if Materia is a type of equipment in the deck, Yuffie could interact with it in some way, given her fixation on it in Final Fantasy 7 .

Cid's Multiple Attacks Could Be Useful In An Equipment Deck

Cid's Limit In The Original Game Allowed Him To Attack Enemies Multiple Times

One of the Final Fantasy series' many Cids, Cid Highwind is an airship pilot with somewhat different stories and personalities, based on the version of FF7 you play. In the original he's pretty abrasive, whereas his remake counterpart is much more chivalrous and charming. FF7 Rebirth also adds the detail that he knew Aerith's birth mother, Ifalna, inspiring him to want to help the party.

Since Cid isn't playable in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth , I'm guessing his fighting abilities in Magic: The Gathering will be based on his style from the original game. Cid's Limit in the original could allow him to attack multiple times, which could be represented by Double Strike . Double Strike pairs well with equipment builds, as it essentially makes any power-boosting equipment twice as effective. Cid would likely be a red card, as Double Strike is often associated with red, and because he is more motivated by his passion than an environmental goal like Barret is.

Cait Sith Being A Robot Could Fit The Deck's Theme

Cait Sith Would Likely Be An Artifact Creature

Cait Sith is a robotic cat that the party meets at the Golden Saucer. Although a product of Shinra, and initially a traitor sent to infiltrate the party, Cait Sith eventually redeems himself and properly joins the party. Cait Sith also partners with a giant plush moogle that he can control and use during battle. Some of his abilities are also luck-based, which is thematic since he comes from what is essentially a casino .

I would expect a Cait Sith card in Magic: The Gathering to lean into the chance elements of his abilities , perhaps with a coin flip mechanic. It would also make sense if Cait Sith was an Artifact Creature, since he's an artifical construct. This could synergize with any artifact-based strategies which this deck likely has, given its partial focus on equipment cards.

Vincent Valentine's Signature Weapon Would Translate Well To Magic: The Gathering

Vincent's Death Penalty Gun Can Give Him Buffs

Vincent Valentine is a former Turk who locked himself in a coffin to sleep for more than 20 years as an atonement for what he saw as sins that he had committed. In the original Final Fantasy 7 , he is an optional party member that can be unlocked by opening his coffin. In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, he joins regardless of what you do, but he is not actually playable yet , though I expect he will be in the next game.

In Final Fantasy 7 , Vincent's Death Penalty weapon gives him the ability to increase his power with each enemy he kills. This could easily be translated into a Magic: The Gathering card where Vincent gains permanent buffs , likely in the form of +1/+1 counters, for each opposing creature he destroys. This would fit nicely with the deck's focus on getting creatures above seven power to activate abilities like Tifa's extra combat step.

Barret Wallace's Toughness Could Make Him A Powerful Blocker

Barret's Gun Could Also Give Him Reach

Barret Wallace is the first main party member that players meet besides Cloud. He is a passionate believer in Avalanche's mission to defeat Shinra and protect the planet from their greedy extraction of Mako. Barret is also one of the tankier party members, and can do damage from a distance in the remake trilogy thanks to his arm cannon. This opens up a few different possibilities for how Magic: The Gathering could translate him into a card .

Barret will likely include green in his color identity to represent his commitment to protecting the environment. Red also seems like a shoo-in, given he is often very passionate and can sometimes act on his emotions. It would make sense if Barret had a high toughness score , and Reach would also be a good way to show his range. I could also see this coupled with Vigilance to make Barret good for both attacking and blocking.

Aerith's Sacrifice And Return Would Work Perfectly On A Magic Card

Plenty Of Magic Cards Have Strong Abilities After Being Destroyed

Of all the characters here, I am most confident that we will be getting an Aerith card in the Final Fantasy 7 Commander deck . She is one of the most iconic characters from the game, and she also seems like one who would be easy to build thematic mechanics for. Aerith is a great healer, which goes well with her generous spirit and kind heart. However, I'm mostly expecting her card to reflect her most famous moment in the game.

Aerith's death at the hands of Sephiroth is easily one of Final Fantasy 7 's most iconic moments, as is her return through the lifestream to help destroy Meteor using Holy. I could see this being represented in Magic: The Gathering through an ability where Aerith's card protects you and your board state after being destroyed. This would fit both Aerith's story and a green and white color identity, as it could be somewhat similar to a card like Saffi Eriksdotter.

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