Alright, so the new Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy set just dropped on June 13th, and let me tell you, it’s packed with awesome stuff! As a huge fan of both franchises, I’ve been poring over the card image gallery, and the black cards especially have some seriously cool flavor and powerful effects.

It’s always fun to see how they translate beloved characters and iconic moments into MTG mechanics, and the designers really knocked it out of the park with the dark side of Final Fantasy.

What’s striking about these black cards is how well they capture the essence of the Final Fantasy villains and their more morally ambiguous heroes. You can almost feel the malice emanating from some of these, while others perfectly represent a character’s internal struggle or their eventual redemption. It’s not just about raw power; it’s about telling a story through gameplay. The way abilities interact and reflect their lore is a testament to the design team’s understanding of both universes.

The designers truly went all out with the set’s black cards, ensuring they weren’t just powerful in a vacuum but also deeply rooted in Final Fantasy lore. From iconic villains to complex heroes grappling with darkness, each card feels like a miniature narrative. This attention to detail means that whether you’re a long-time Final Fantasy enthusiast or a dedicated MTG player, there’s something genuinely exciting to discover in the dark corners of this new release.

First up, we’ve got Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER, and his flip side, Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel. This card is just pure villainy in cardboard form. The front side is already a menace, letting you draw cards and drain opponents whenever creatures die – which, in black, is all the time. This fits in an aristocrat type of deck. But when he transforms into One-Winged Angel, oh boy. He gives you an emblem that just keeps pinging your opponents whenever anything dies, and then he lets you sacrifice your creatures to attack even harder. Talk about a grand finale!

Then there’s Cecil, Dark Knight, who transforms into Cecil, Redeemed Paladin. This one’s a fantastic callback to his journey in Final Fantasy IV. As the Dark Knight, he’s aggressive and drains life from you, showcasing that internal struggle. But when you meet the conditions to flip him, he becomes a lifegaining, indestructible powerhouse. It’s such a perfect representation of his character arc, and it’s a powerful card that rewards you for leaning into his dark side before embracing the light.

Let’s not forget The Emperor, Hell Tyrant, a reprint of the always-awesome Yawgmoth, Thran Physician. This card is just chef’s kiss for any black deck that loves to sacrifice creatures for value. The Emperor lets you draw cards, put -1/-1 counters on creatures, and even sacrifice creatures to find more creatures. Its pure value, and pure power, and perfectly encapsulates the Emperor’s insidious influence from Final Fantasy II.

We also have Golbez, Clad in Darkness, which is a reprint of Syr Konrad, the Grim. If you love graveyard shenanigans and making your opponents suffer, Golbez is your guy. Every time a creature enters the graveyard from anywhere (which, again, in black, is a lot), he deals damage to each opponent. This isn’t just for your creatures either, it’s for any creature, meaning your opponents’ creatures dying only fuels your evil plans! He’s just a constant source of pain for your opponents, which is exactly what Golbez should be.

Finally, while not a legendary creature, The Darkness Crystal is a seriously cool black artifact. It makes your black spells cheaper, which is already a win. But then, if an opponent’s non-token creature would die, you exile it instead and gain life. And if that wasn’t enough, you can even pay some mana to put those exiled creatures directly onto the battlefield under your control! It’s such a flavorful way to represent the power of the crystals but with a decidedly black twist of stealing your opponent’s fallen warriors. This set truly delivers on the Final Fantasy vibe for black magic!

Thanks for reading, and until the next blog post.