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A Lore Deep Dive into the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Debut Stream

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This past Saturday saw the official debut for Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy, showcasing dozens of cards from throughout Final Fantasy's storied history. This past Monday, I covered a general breakdown of the show as a whole. Now I want to tackle the daunting task of covering the lore behind the cards. This isn't the first time I've done this - I covered the lore of the First Look back in February - but now the curtain has truly lifted on the set and I've never been more excited to talk about my favorite video game series of all time.

There is a LOT of ground to cover so I'm not going to waste any more time. We're going to cover everything from the debut show and a few cards that came immediately after. I will not be discussing any of the Commander cards here. I'm saving those for later articles. Additionally, as this article is long enough as is, I'll be giving the separate article treatment to both the sixteen basic lands and the fifteen (or should I say sixteen) iterations of Cid, Timeless Artificer. Finally, a handful of these games - notably the later ones - I'm much less well versed on, so please forgive any errors made in select sections.

With that out of the way, let's get right to it!

Final Fantasy I

White Mage's Staff
Black Mage's Rod

At the start of the very first Final Fantasy, you create a party of one of six jobs (most other RPGs would refer to these as "classes"). Those jobs are Warrior, Thief, Monk, Red Mage, White Mage, and Black Mage. Each of these can unlock advanced job variations later in the game and became the standard for job options in several games throughout the series. Chances are you've seen the original Warrior, White Mage, and Black Mage sprites before. They're highly iconic.

These cards were previewed shortly after the debut stream and it feels wrong to not include them here. Every journey has to start somewhere and Final Fantasy I starts you out at the town and castle of Cornelia. As you enter the town, someone is sure to tell you about where you're located - a common staple of many video game RPGs.

The Cloudsea Djinn

The Cloudsea Djinn is a famous early Final Fantasy concept and promotion piece done by the renowned Yoshitaka Amano. This was originally meant to depict one of the fiends - the core antagonists at the end of each dungeon - but was scrapped. It later came to represent various depictions of Garland, the game's main villain.

Final Fantasy II

Firion, Wild Rose Warrior
Firion, Swordmaster

Firion is sort of the "main character" of Final Fantasy II. I'd say it's somewhat up for debate, as he shares the limelight just as much as Maria and Guy most of the time. The term "Wild Rose" represents the password used by the rebel forces throughout the game. Additionally, the background of the main set card is notable because it shows Firion in Pandaemonium, the final dungeon of the game.

The Emperor is the main villain of Final Fantasy II, his power-hungry actions kicking off the game as the party flees their home to escape his clutches, only for their loved ones to be killed. Eventually, with the aid of the rebel factions, the party kills the Emperor. However, he later reappears as a demonic entity, having claimed himself as the Emperor of Hell. Thus you descend to Hell - specifically the aforementioned Pandaemonium - to take him down.

Commune with Beavers

Occasionally, Final Fantasy games are known for their silliness in addition to their serious moments. This is one such moment. The party is on the hunt for an item known as the Goddess's Bell to break the seal at Kashuan Keep, and Guy speaks to the beavers to ask about it. They tell him that the bell is guarded by a great beast - an adamantoise - which the party defeats and is able to progress through the game.

Final Fantasy III

The Crystal's Chosen

A common element throughout many Final Fantasy games is that the crystals choose those who are to become the Warriors of Light. This happens in the first game as well, but it's done in a much more spectacular way in Final Fantasy III. The crystal of wind tasks a group of four Onion Knights on a journey to save the world, save the crystals, and restore balance, bestowing them with the ability to change jobs in the process.

The Darkness Crystal

Toward the end of the game, it's revealed that the four crystals of light that you're trying to save over the course of the story have a dark side as well. The Warriors of Darkness use these dark crystals to seal the destructive forces of light. Now as the pendulum swings the other way, the players must seal away the dark crystals to stop the ultimate foes: Xande and the Cloud of Darkness.

Adventurer's Inn

Another common element of many RPGs, players can rest at the inn to recover HP and MP so they can be ready for the next battle. The flavor text is one-to-one what an innkeeper will tell you in-game. In the early Final Fantasy titles, this was also how players would save their games, long before there were designated save points or saving on the world map. This inn in particular depicts the town of Duster, with accurate spacing between buildings and the waterfall in the background.

Final Fantasy IV

Kain, Traitorous Dragoon

Kain Highwind represents the leader of Castle Baron's dragoon forces and is a close friend to main character Cecil. Early on in the game's story, he and Cecil go on a quest to the village of Mist, which inadvertently causes the destruction of the village and the separation of the pair. Later, Kain resurfaces as being under the manipulative control of Golbez, thus leading to him turning against the party. Through many twists and turns, he comes and goes from the party, which is represented here in this card.

Final Fantasy V

Bartz and Boko

Bartz (humorously known as Butz in the Japanese version of the game) is the protagonist of Final Fantasy V. After gaining the power of the wind crystal - much like the start of Final Fantasy III - he and his party are tasked to save the other crystals as the new Warriors of Light. Bartz rides around with his trusty chocobo Boko who represents one of the few times a Chocobo has been a major character in a Final Fantasy game.

Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms

Gilgamesh is the main antagonist Exdeath's right hand man. He's a multi-armed samurai known for collecting famous swords. His continuously tries to seek out the legendary Excalibur and instead comes across the weak and middling Excalipur (aka Excalipoor). A bungling fool, he often provides much needed comic relief and his battle theme - Battle at the Big Bridge - is one of the most famous Final Fantasy themes of all time. Players loved him so much, he made frequent appearances in later titles as well, perhaps most memorably in Final Fantasy XII where he wields replica swords of main characters from other Final Fantasy titles.

Final Fantasy VI

Summon: Esper Valigarmanda

Terra is the central protagonist of Final Fantasy VI for the first half of the game, though it's debatable to say she's the game's main character given the ensemble cast. Back in late February, I made a Commander deck around her precon iteration and discussed the character there. Here she's depicted most clearly in her esper form, as she's a half-esper (aka summon) being who can alternate between her human and esper forms at will.

Kefka starts the game as the right-hand man of the Emperor Gestahl who goes insane following his infusion with magic. This leads him to commit numerous atrocities, such as the poisoning of Doma, but he's most famous for actually destroying the world. Kefka wins. He kills the Emperor and throws off the balance of the warring triad, sending the world spiraling into chaos. You spend the second half of the game reassembling your party to take down Kefka in one of the most epic finales of any video game ever.

Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital

You first reach the town of Jidoor as a stop-off point before making your way to the town of Zozo after Terra turns into an esper and flies off. Here you find numerous wealthy NPCs, tons of flashy items, and an auction house where you can buy several rare items. It later kicks off the game's iconic opera sequence for one of the most iconic gaming moments of all time where former general of the empire Celes plays the role of Maria to bait out the airship riding gambler Setzer.

(Note: this section previously mentioned that you returned as the thief treasure hunter Locke and first meet Celes. Turns out I was remembering the town of South Figaro, not Jidoor. Oops!)

Final Fantasy VII

Aerith Gainsborough
Cloud, Midgar Mercenary
Tifa Lockhart

Final Fantasy VII is renowned for having one of the greatest character rosters in video games. These three characters represent arguably the main focus of the game's story and are three of your core party members. You play as Cloud, the Ex-SOLDIER mercenary who's brought on by childhood friend Tifa to join the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE. After getting separated on a mission, you meet and befriend Aerith who accompanies you throughout the journey.

Sephiroth was once the pride and joy of Shinra, the evil corporation who is presented initially as the game's core antagonist. He was the peak of SOLDIER, Shinra's personal army of genetically enhanced warriors, until a mission to the town of Nibelheim drives him mad and turns him into a murderous monster. Thanks to the aid of his Jenova cells, Sephiroth manipulates the party using other people infused with Jenova cells in an effort to summon Meteor, the ultimate destructive magic. This is merely scratching the surface of this epic character. Expect a deeper explanation in the coming weeks when I do an extensive writeup on the character and his cards soon.

Final Fantasy VII is comprised of three discs in its original iteration. Toward the end of the first disc, you (as Cloud) can take one of four characters on a date with you. Who goes with you is determined based on a selection of story choices that you make throughout the game - something also done in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth later on. Normally, you'll likely end up with Aerith - often seen as the canonical version of these events - though Tifa is the main version in the Limit Break Commander deck to reflect the deck's pairing of Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER and Tifa, Martial Artist.

Chocobos are an ever-present and deeply popular element of the Final Fantasy series. However, it's hard to deny the multicolored appeal of the chocobos in Final Fantasy VII. Thanks to the chocobo breeding and chocobo racing sidequests, you get to see all kinds of colorful chocobos, with certain colors enabling you to traverse new areas on the world map you couldn't otherwise go to. The black chocobo is one of the best - and the fastest in the races - which is a factor as to why it gets special treatment. The ultimate golden chocobo allows you to go across even the oceans, allowing you to find the game's most powerful summon: Knights of the Round. These special versions of this chocobo pay homage to the variety on display in this game.

Final Fantasy VIII

Squall, SeeD Mercenary
Rinoa Heartilly

Squall and Rinoa represent the two key figures of Final Fantasy VIII, depicting the game's core love interest. Squall is - as his card name would imply - a member of SeeD, a mercenary group whose trainees are based out of the Balamb Garden. Rinoa is a member of the Forest Owls - a rebel faction battling against Galbadia. The two meet at the SeeD ball held at Balamb where they share a dance, and join together when Squall is sent as part of a SeeD operation to assist the Forest Owls, thus kicking off their long and winding story.

Ultimecia is the main villain of Final Fantasy VIII. As her name suggests, she's a powerful sorceress from the future seeking to bend time and space to her will, becoming a god in the process. Throughout much of the game, she controls the sorceress Edea and manipulates many of the game's characters, such as Squall's rival and Rinoa's other love interest Seifer. She attempts to compress time and space to her, but is ultimately bested by Squall and the rest of the party.

Final Fantasy IX

Zidane Tribal

Zidane and Vivi represent two of the primary party members of the game. Zidane, the main character, is a thief traveling with a troupe of actors charged with stealing away the princess of Alexandria, Garnet. Along the way, the party picks up Vivi, a small Black Mage who undergoes a tremendous existential crisis as he discovers other Black Mages that were engineered and created to serve Alexandria. The two are beloved as some of the best characters in the whole series.

Fire Magic

Vivi - as a Black Mage - can cast a whole host of black magic spells. However, he is perhaps best known for his casting of Fire at a pivotal moment in Final Fantasy IX. Magic spells such as Fire in Final Fantasy games have various tiers, with the second tier gaining -ra and the third gaining -aga to differentiate them. The higher the tier, the stronger the effect, which is reflected in the card itself.

Remember how I said Zidane was a thief traveling with a group of actors? In reality, he was the result of a genetic experiment by Garland to revive the planet Terra. Kuja was another of these experiments, known as genomes, and was meant to be replaced by Zidane. Kuja rebelled and fought for his life, leading to him being stuck on the world of Gaia where he manipulates the Alexandrian kingdom from behind the scenes. Eventually, Kuja discovers the means to enter Trance - a powerful state granting him abilities and a sharp look that he uses to kill Garland and attempt to rule both Gaia and Terra.

Final Fantasy X

Summon: Bahamut

Yuna is a summoner who goes on a pilgrimage to try ridding the world of Spira from the devastation wrought by the monster Sin. The daughter of High Summoner Braska, she discovers many aeons throughout the world and summons them into battle to fight at her side. Bahamut is one of the most ferocious of these summons, providing powerful and devastating attacks to all enemies he faces.

Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis

Zanarkand is the home of main character Tidus - a thriving city where the lights are bright and Blitzball is played every day. In reality, Zanarkand has been dead for a thousand years and the place Tidus calls home is a dream world made real by the fayth - the entities who allow summons to take form. As the card states, the ruins of Zanarkand mark the end of Yuna's pilgrimage, where she is to obtain the Final Aeon and save Spira from Sin.

Ice Magic

Ice Magic continues the tiered spells trend, with this one focusing on Ice, or Blizzard, magic - as the name would imply. The art features Lulu, the intensely serious guardian of Yuna who serves as the party's black mage throughout the majority of the game.

Final Fantasy XI

Shantotto, Tactician Magician

Shantotto is an extremely memorable Tarutaru Black Mage hailing from the country of Windurst. There she guides players on various quests. Players loved her so much she got bigger appearances throughout the game's expansions, with one even being centered around her titled "A Shantotto Ascension." She's well regarded as an overwhelmingly powerful Black Mage and one of the most destructive allies in modern-day FFXI and is well known for speaking in rhymes, as depicted on her flavor text here.

Summon: Fenrir

Speaking of Windurst, Fenrir is a later game summon that players can battle once they've completed a long series of quests - including defeating all six main summons. Hidden under Windurst at the Full Moon Fountain, players come into battle with the mighty dark avatar and can summon it in battle if they defeat it. The flavor words for its abilities are all ones Summoners can have Fenrir use in battle with the Blood Pact: Rage and Blood Pact: Ward abilities.

Dragoon's Wyvern

In Final Fantasy XI, you gain the opportunity to unlock more advanced jobs after you reach level 30. One of these jobs you can acquire is Dragoon. Once you complete the quest, you're granted a small wyvern companion who journeys with you whenever you traverse the world as a Dragoon.

Absolute Virtue

As a long time Final Fantasy XI player, I was stunned when they revealed this card. Absolute Virtue is one of the game's most infamous endgame bosses, who famously took players literal days to beat in its earlier incarnations. It was designed to be so unbeatable that Square-Enix treated the means by which it was beaten to be exploits that were then patched out of the game. This reputation continues on this powerful card, which will no doubt cause games to go haywire in Commander.

FInal Fantasy XII

Balthier and Fran

Ah yes, the self-proclaimed leading man Balthier and his dashing viera (rabbit woman) partner Fran. This pair is most beloved set of characters in Final Fantasy XII by a wide margin, boasting wit and charm aplenty. They're sky pirates, roaming the world of Ivalice on the hunt for riches and treasure, until they come across Vaan pilfering the Rabanastre castle during a celebration. From there, they - along with a variety of other excellent characters - go on a journey to save the world and find their fortune along the way.

The Imperial City of Archades

The major point that sets off the game is a war started by the Archadian Empire against the countries of Dalmasca and Nabradia. This causes the Empire to take over the Dalmascan city of Rabanastre, causing tension and sending the party on a long quest to take back Rabanastre for the Princess Ashelia. At a certain point in the game, the players reach the imperial capital of Archades and learn of the source of the powerful nethicite - a magical weapon of mass destruction capable of leveling entire cities. The trip to this city is somewhat brief, though the setting remains iconic, especially when depicted on this classic art by Isamu Kamikokuryo.

Final Fantasy XIII

Lightning, Army of One

Lightning is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII. During a purge on her home, she seeks her sister, who was recently branded a Pulse l'Cie. L'Cie are beings granted power by divine entities (generally summons) to fulfill a task - or Focus - given to them. If they carry out the task, they turn into crystals. If they don't, then they become Cie'th, or monstrosities. When Lightning finds her sister turning to a crystal for fulfilling her Focus, she too ends up becoming a l'Cie, kickstarting the game's core story.

Fang, Fearless l'Cie

Learning about these two was... interesting. I never got super far in Final Fantasy XIII when it first came out, putting it down after a few hours when I realized I just didn't get the battle system. However, I fell in love with Vanille and her bubbly personality. Only later did I discover that her and the character of Fang were ancient l'Cie who went into slumber and were revived with the purpose of merging together to form the powerful Ragnarok. This clashes with the majority of the remaining party, whose core Focus involves Ragnarok as well, with the expectation that they're tasked with stopping it.

Final Fantasy XIV

A Realm Reborn

Final Fantasy XIV in its original state was critically panned and was universally considered a bad game. This caused public apologies, changes in directors, and a completely rebuilt game from the ground up that became the title players know and love today. In the game itself, Square-Enix turned off the servers for the original version in the most epic way possible: blowing up the world. A Realm Reborn serves at the title of this rebuilt version and symbolizes the world of Eorzea unifying to return to its former glory.

Dragoon's Lance
Summoner's Grimoire

As mentioned at the top of this article, jobs are the core elements of your characters in the Final Fantasy titles. They define who you are and what you're capable of. Unlike the original title, in several other games you can change your job multiple times. Final Fantasy XIV epitomizes this, allowing you to change your job later on in the game merely by changing your weapon. These cards reflect the dragoons - known for their ability to jump high and lunge at foes with spears - and summoners (such as Yuna in Final Fantasy X).

Dark Confidant
Zodiark, Umbral God

Dark Confidant depicts an Ascian, a group of powerful dark sorcerers bent on unleashing the dark god Zodiark on the world. This group makes up many of the villains for the game's core story, as well as its expansions. Eventually, the group faces off against Zodiark in the Endwalker expansion when the seal placed on it is broken. Defeating him ends up bringing about the creation of the powerful Zeromus at the hands of Final Fantasy XIV's iteration of Golbez.

Zenos is a recurring antagonist throughout Final Fantasy XIV and is the main villain of the game's Stormblood expansion. This card depicts the epic battle of that expansion where Zenos merges with Shinryu in an effort to battle against the Warriors of Light.

Hildibrand Manderville

Hildebrand is the subject of several humorous and silly quests players can take as they explore Eorzea. Thought to be dead in the A Realm Reborn story, he awakens to find a group of zombies surrounding him, who join alongside him thinking he is also a zombie like him. Depicted in the background of the art is his Miqo'te assistant who throws a bomb at him in an effort to get him to regain his memories after becoming amnesiac upon his reawakening.

Summon: Primal Odin

As I understand it, Primal Odin represents a famously tough battle in the game. The middle ability here is Zantetsuken, an ability known for taking players - and enemies - out in a single blow. Odin is a recurring summon throughout the Final Fantasy series who utilizes this move to wipe out opposing monsters.

Final Fantasy XV

Noctis, Prince of Lucis

As the card's name implies, Noctis is the prince of Lucis and son of King Regis. Final Fantasy XV sees Noctis being sent off to formalize a treaty through his marriage to Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae. Joined by several companions, he sets off on a long road trip full of twists, turns, and a whirlwind of adventure.

Ardyn, the Usurper

Remember how I mentioned Tenebrae above? It was captured and made a part of the Niflheim Empire, of which Ardyn Izunia plays a primary role in. Ardyn proves to be the main villain of the game, gaining control over demon magic and turning the powerful summon of Ifrit into a demon. He seeks revenge against the Lucian bloodline for killing his love, Aera, and claiming the throne that had been designated to him by the gods.

Malboro

Malboros are one of the most infamous monsters from throughout Final Fantasy's long and storied history. First appearing in Final Fantasy II, these fearsome monsters would eventually come to be remembered for their powerful Bad Breath attack. This attack inflicts numerous status ailments on players all at once - something referenced by the fact that this creature deals multiple negative effects to the opponent in one simple swing.

Final Fantasy XVI

We come at last to the most recent Final Fantasy title. This is the one I know the least about. Most of the others I have some amount of tangential knowledge of where the gaps can be filled in somewhat by reading around online. Final Fantasy XVI is one where I know almost nothing about, only that the story centers around a group of characters known as dominants. These characters act as hosts for the powerful summons the series has become famous for, with them representing their respective countries, causing turmoil and conflict in the process. Clive bears Ifrit and is the main character of the game whereas Jill grows up alongside Clive and his brother, Joshua - the dominant of Phoenix.


That about wraps up this long look into the lore of the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy debut stream. It's truly exciting to see this incredible series come to life through the medium of MTG and I couldn't be more excited. I love Final Fantasy, and I hope this has given you a bit better of an understanding of just what these cards - and their characters - mean and represent. This is just the start, and with several more weeks of Final Fantasy cards yet to come, you can expect even more lore write-ups in the coming weeks.

Go forth, Warriors of Light, and bathe this world in the light of the Crystals!

Paige Smith

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