Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy - 15 Moments We Want to See in the Set

Author's Note: This article has major spoilers from every mainline Final Fantasy game.

One of the most anticipated expansions for Magic: The Gathering in 2025 is the collaboration with the Final Fantasy series, scheduled to be released on June 13th.

Part of the Universes Beyond project, the set features characters, locations and memorable moments from the 16 main games in the Square Enix franchise, with some of them already confirmed, such as the scene between Tidus and Yuna at Lake Macalania in Final Fantasy X, or Sephiroth descending from the sky with his sword in Final Fantasy VII.

In this article, we have chosen 15 memorable moments from Final Fantasy that deserve an illustration and/or card in the future Magic: The Gathering expansion. We have selected one for each mainline game in the series, except for Final Fantasy XI, as this author has not had contact with the first MMO in the franchise.

Final Fantasy - The Journey Begins

The most iconic scene from the first Final Fantasy takes place in the first hour of the game, when the Warriors of Light cross a newly built bridge and see Cornelia's castle in the distance.

This image epitomizes the beginning of an adventure full of discoveries and would be ideal for a card that celebrates the series' roots. Ideally, it could be card 001 of the expansion, Magic: The Gathering's “calling card” for the fascinating Final Fantasy universe.

Final Fantasy II - The Destruction of the Dreadnought

In Final Fantasy II, the efforts of Firion and his companions are constantly tested by the overwhelming strength of the Emperor, which results in countless catastrophes and deaths throughout the plot. The takeoff of the Dreadnought, which unleashes devastation on cities such as Altair, Gatrea, Paloom and Poft, illustrates the immensity of the power faced by the protagonists and immerses the narrator in the feeling that the enemy is too strong for a small unit of rebels.

Therefore, the episode in which, with Cid's help, Firion manages to infiltrate the ship to deploy the Sunfire represents the first breath of hope in a story much darker than that of its predecessor, and the moment of the destruction of the Dreadnought with details that highlight both the chaos of the flames setting the ship ablaze and the subtle victory against Palamecia deserves its own card as a removal spell, or even something akin to Abrade.

Final Fantasy III - Leaving the Floating Continent

Final Fantasy III surprises players by revealing that the floating continent is not the limit of the world. During the initial stages, players are led to explore the entire Continent in an adventure with the four Onion Knights, only to discover that a much vaster and more ancient world existed beneath that small piece of floating land.

This discovery, which expands the vision of a world plunged into darkness, can be divided into distinct moments: curiosity when contemplating the unknown and amazement when realizing the immensity of what was hidden beyond a small floating island.

Each element of this scenario and the discovery of the rest of the world refers to a possible ramp spell, or a blue spell that allows look at some cards on top and choose one or two of them.

Final Fantasy IV - Cecil becomes a Paladin

Cecil's journey in Final Fantasy IV is marked by internal conflicts and a reevaluation of his own values. Initially as a Dark Knight loyal to the orders of the kingdom of Baron, he experiences a process of personal transformation that culminates in his redemption as a Paladin.

The crucial moment of this transition occurs on Mount Ordealis, where Cecil faces his inner shadow. In addition to this scene deserving of a card, the protagonist's story also offers an opportunity to represent, through a dual-faced card, Cecil's two phases - before and after redemption.

Final Fantasy V - Galuf's Sacrifice

Galuf gains strength in the narrative of Final Fantasy V as the plot unfolds. The moment when he recovers his memories and reveals himself as a king willing to make sacrifices for the sake of his people is a remarkable episode of this title in the franchise.

The scene of his solitary confrontation against Exdeath, in which Galuf faces devastating spells such as Flare, Meteor and Holy and resists so he can save his companions, attacking the villain until he reaches his limit and culminating in his death is one of the most powerful moments in this game.

This succession of emotions can be portrayed in multiple cards or illustrations that emphasize both Galuf's nobility as a king and the importance of his sacrifice for the development of the plot.

Final Fantasy VI - Kefka Destroys the World

Kefka, the antagonist of Final Fantasy VI, operates throughout most of the game as an emissary of chaos who represents a violent rupture against any logical reasoning - the embodiment of making others suffer or the sake of suffering. No scene of his remains as memorable to fans as the moment of his betrayal and eventual destruction of the world.

By rallying the Warring Triad around himself and destroying the elements that maintained the balance of the planet, Kefka opens the door to an era of Ruin. This episode can be divided into two parts: the action of betraying Emperor Gestahl and the devastating consequence of absorbing the magic of the Statues.

An illustration that emphasizes both Kefka's figure and the destructive scene he creates has the potential to convey the impact of this turning point in FFVI, being ideal for a sweeper spell.

Final Fantasy VII - Nanaki, Son of Seto

Although Final Fantasy VII is remembered for its climactic moments, certain secondary scenes deserve as much attention as the episode that refers to the cover of this article. The discovery of Red XIII in Cosmo Canyon is one of the best examples.

As Cloud explores the Cave of the Gi, Bugenhagen narrates the story of a warrior who anticipated the invaders' moves and faced them alone. At the end of the cave, Red finds this warrior: his father, Seto, who, despite being petrified by his enemies' arrows, remained on guard duty at Cosmo Canyon.

The possibilities for effects for this illustration are countless: from a reprint of Cathartic Reunion to any other effect likely to appear in a common or uncommon slot.

Final Fantasy VIII - Squall and Seifer's Duel

The battle between Squall and Seifer is Final Fantasy VIII's calling card for the player. The title's opening cutscene is considered by some to be the most well-crafted audiovisual work of the PlayStation One era, and the scars left on both their faces at the end of the duel are a symbolic milestone for both Squall and the hero's rivalry with Seifer throughout the plot.

I am not sure what kind of effect this could be translated into, but Seifer does shoot a Fire spell against Squall, so there is a chance it could be a red burn spell.

Final Fantasy IX - Garnet Recovers Her Voice

Initially limited by the social conventions imposed on her, Princess Garnet Til Alexandros gradually discovers her ability to express herself and take control of her destiny in Final Fantasy IX as she travels with Zidane and the others.

Her process of rediscovery unfolds in stages: from exploring the world searching for ways to stop her mother from starting a war that would culminate in her death, the need to assume a throne that she was never ready to assume, the realization of her own impotence in the face of the destruction of Alexandria, the internal struggle to overcome the barriers that took away her voice and, finally, the resolution of an identity beyond her role as queen.

The succession of these events culminates in the encounter between Zidane and Garnet where she uses the protagonist's dagger to cut her own hair in a symbolic gesture of liberation, easily portrayed in a white card illustration, perhaps with some theme of exiling cards from the graveyard.

Final Fantasy X - Tidus & Yuna's Farewell

Tidus and Yuna's kiss at Lake Macalania has already been confirmed on a card called Together Forever, so the next most logical memorable scene to deserve a card is their farewell at the end of Final Fantasy X, which broke the hearts of every young person who was trying not to get emotional in the 2000s.

Self-sacrifice is a recurring theme in the game, and few cards portray this gesture as well as Farewell, whose reprint in the main expansion seems unlikely, but it could appear in a Secret Lair drop, or in one of the Commander decks.

Final Fantasy XII - Vayne Solidor's Speech

Final Fantasy XII's dialogue is some of the best-written in any of the main games (it's hard to beat Final Fantasy Tactics in this regard), and one of the most iconic moments in the title's literature is the villain Vayne Caridas Solidor's famous speech to the people of Rabanastre shortly after being named consul.

Rabanastre had just lost the war against Arcadia, and it was common for its people to turn their noses up at Vayne, an Arcadian, as their leader, but his speech to a hostile audience gradually turned the resentful looks into applause, solidifying Vayne's position as a manipulative and pragmatic politician.

A card like Authority of the Consuls would be ideal to illustrate this moment, but with its reprint in Foundations, it is unlikely that Wizards will reuse the card in the Final Fantasy expansion, except in a Commander deck.

Final Fantasy XIII - The Crystal Pillar

Final Fantasy XIII has as its main theme the ability to defy a pre-ordained destiny. Despite all the fal'cie's machinations to bring back Ragnarok and cause the collapse of Cocoon against Gran Pulse, when Vanille and Fang transform into the creature, they join forces to transform into a crystal pillar that would hold Cocoon forever.

The formation of the crystal pillar represents the Final Fantasy XIII logo, and the possibility of its fall is a central theme of FFXIII-2, making it an important element of the Lightning saga's lore and therefore worthy of a card in the Magic: The Gathering expansion, perhaps as a legendary land, or a legendary artifact.

Final Fantasy XIV - Amaurot and the Final Days

With six expansions, Final Fantasy XIV has a lot of lore and memorable moments that could be included in Magic: The Gathering cards to the point it could be its own standalone set, and it's difficult to choose just one of them for this list. If we have to make that decision, it's a decisive moment in the MMO's best expansion - and perhaps the best story in all of FF -, Shadowbringers.

Emet-Selch is, for some, the best villain the franchise has ever had. On the one hand, we see an immortal and manipulative person who sees no value in life and mocks the lack of perspective of mortals. On the contrary, Selch at one point claims not to feel guilty of murder, as he does not consider non-Ascians to be “truly alive”. On the other hand, the villain tries to resolve conflicts with the Scions through observation, persuasion and dialogue, giving himself the benefit of the doubt about his own convictions to the point of feeling empathy for the Scions.

This relationship culminates in the discovery of Amaurot. A precious place for Emet-Selch and the last vestige of the memories of those he ruled over, where he reactivated the city and created “ghosts” of its inhabitants.

Amaurot is the stage for the final confrontation between the Warrior of Light and Selch, where the villain guides the Scions to a recap of the Final Days, which led to the Sundering.

The Sundering, the Final Days and Amaurot are major plot lines in Final Fantasy XIV that deserve their own cards in some way, although their distribution, apart from the obviousness of Amaurot being a land, is not very clear.

Final Fantasy XV - The Last Camp

Upon reuniting with his friends ten years after his disappearance, Noctis heads to Insomnia, where the villain Ardyn awaits him for a battle that will define the fate of the world and the prophecy of the Chosen King.

Before entering the city, the player has the opportunity to prepare a last meal, and although the dialogue in this camp does not occur at that time, after the end of the game, FFXV presents a post-credits scene where Noctis gives a brief speech to his companions, which ends with the phrase "you are the best", and the tears of every single player who have reached this point.

Final Fantasy XVI - Clive Accepts the Truth

Clive spends the first third of Final Fantasy XVI searching for the second Dominant of Fire - a hooded man who was present at the Fall of Rosaria, transformed into Ifrit and killed his brother, Joshua. For 13 years, he lived as a slave and used his thirst for revenge to survive.

Once free, the hero decides to begin his search for the Dominant with the help of Cid and Gav, culminating in the discovery that the identity of the man he had spent years swearing revenge on was none other than Clive himself.

Faced with reality, the hero returns to the Phoenix Gate in search of answers, where he confronts his inner shadows in the confines of the ruins, culminating in the iconic moment in which the player must press the L3 + R3 buttons to make Clive accept the truth, and his identity as Ifrit.

As striking and iconic as this scene was in FFXVI, it is likely that it will become a pump spell or combat trick if it appears in the Magic expansion. Clive, in fact, is another character who would fit perfectly on a double-faced card with “Ifrit, Eikon of Fire” as the back, possibly with an activated ability to transform.

These are just a few of the many memorable moments that the Final Fantasy franchise has had in its games, and the series' Magic expansion should not only contain the 300+ cards from the base set, but also a batch of Commander decks in addition to its range of Secret Lair products, so there’s no shortage of opportunities to capture the many characters, places, and moments of the RPG franchise into the TCG.

Thanks for reading!