Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix

The time for PAX East's preview panel for Final Fantasy has come! As such, there are a ton of previewed cards to go over for the upcoming Universes Beyond set. Hopefully you caught it live on Twitch, but if not, we are here to provide you with the need information you missed! Let's not dally further; it's time to show these new cards to you!

But first, some small housekeeping notes. The way we will divide these sections is by game. If a card is from a specific game, then you'll see it in those sections. If, in fact, the card is from multiple games (hint, hint), we will save that tidbit for the end.

Furthermore, all of these cards are sourced from the panel at PAX East and are attributed to Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!

Without any further ado, let's get started with a cool card from the very first Final Fantasy game.

Final Fantasy

A common theme you'll see in the villains of Final Fantasy, as they're adapted into Magic: The Gathering, is their propensity to change forms. Many bosses in the video game series have the propensity to transform, making the combat against them have multiple stages. As such, many of the "bosses" in the set are double-faced cards. Take Garland, Knight of Cornelia, for instance:

Garland, Knight of Cornelia // Chaos, the Endless

Template_GroupedStyles

Another mechanic that you'll see throughout the set is the "Job Select" mechanic. Job Select is similar to Living Weapon from Scars of Mirrodin block or For Mirrodin! from Phyrexia: All Will Be One. When the Equipment with Job Select enters the battlefield, you create a 1/1 colorless Hero creature token and equip the Equipment onto it. The Equipment then gives its equipped creature an ability and an additional creature type. Now, you too can choose a vocation with the wave of a staff or rod!

White Mage's Staff

Black Mage's Rod

FFII

While some of the games got lots of love in this preview panel, some got fewer previews. Final Fantasy II, while still beloved, got just one previewed card:

Firion, Wild Rose Warrior

Even so, Firion seems like a really strong card to augment your red-plus Voltron strategies with! Temporarily doubling up on Equipment seems quite powerful. Moving on... With Beavers!

Commune with Beavers

FFIII

Like FFII, Final Fantasy III only got one preview card. However, it is part of a 5-card cycle, if that teases you at all.

The Darkness Crystal

The Darkness Crystal (showcase)

This cycle of cards will do some very on-color things, to be sure. While we don't know what the other four cards do, we expect them to be powerful Commander cards. Let's press onward!

Adventurer's Inn

FFIV

We got just one new preview from Final Fantasy IV as well (in addition to Cecil, Dark KnightCecil, Dark Knight). However, it is arguably one of the coolest characters from the game:

Kain, Traitorous Dragoon

A Knight who feels very mercenary, Kain is going to spice up many Treasure-centric builds in Commander. It is unclear whether the mutual lifeloss will make the accrual of Treasure tokens quite worth his inclusion, but that's a decision best left to the deckbuilders.

FFV

While it's clear that the panel had a lot to go over, for Final Fantasy V, they picked a prime choice of preview in Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms:

Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms

Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms (showcase)

Rather similarly to Firion, Wild Rose Knight, Gilgamesh is right at home in a Commander deck that wants to pad up one creature to go to combat. Whether that's Gilgamesh or some other commander (looking at you, Tetsuo, Imperial ChampionTetsuo, Imperial Champion!), Gilgamesh is a stellar inclusion.

We also got Bartz and Boko!

Bartz and Boko

FFVI

As we approach Final Fantasy VI, it's important to note that of the pixel-era games, this one is arguably the most popular. As such, PAX East's panel previewed more than just one FFVI card. Here we go!

Terra, Magical Adept // Esper Terra

Terra, Magical Adept // Esper Terra

Summon: Esper Valigarmanda

Kefka, Court Mage // Kefka, Ruler of Ruin

Kefka, Court Mage // Kefka, Ruler of Ruin

With regards to Terra and her "esper" form, it's vital to remember that espers in Final Fantasy are not the same as Esper from the Shards of Alara block. The two are from very different properties all coalescing from very different eras of gaming. As such, it would make sense that Esper Terra is not solely white, blue, and/or black in color identity. However, Terra is a five-color commander!

Also, can we give major accolades to famed illustrator Yoshitaka Amano for his depiction of Kefka in that art? It's amazing what this man can create on the page!

FFVII

As one of the most popular Final Fantasy titles on record, Final Fantasy VII got a whopping five different previewed cards during PAX East! This isn't counting any Commander precon inclusions, mind, as those come later.

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary (showcase)

Tifa Lockhart

Aerith Gainsborough

Aerith Gainsborough (showcase)

Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER

Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel

Notably, Sephiroth is only the second creature in Magic: The Gathering to confer an emblem to a player (excluding things like Stigma LasherStigma Lasher or Screaming NemesisScreaming Nemesis, which technically don't). For the record, the first card in that category was The Capitoline TriadThe Capitoline Triad from Assassin's Creed. Nevertheless, Sephiroth is an extremely powerful card, as is his right, front face and back!

Also, you may have noticed that we didn't show the fifth preview card from FFVII in this section. That card is one that we will discuss in a separate section because there's something quite special about it. More to come!

FFVIII

Final Fantasy VIII has a few previews associated with it as well. Here are those cards:

Squall, SeeD Mercenary

Squall, SeeD Mercenary (showcase)

Rinoa Heartilly

Rinoa's dog, Angelo, also has his own token rendering (which is really quite cute)! You can see that below:

Angelo

We are halfway through the main-line repertoire of this series, so stay with us as we show you even more previews!

This includes Ultimecia.

Ultimecia, Time Sorceress // Ultimecia, Omnipotent

Ultimecia, Time Sorceress // Ultimecia, Omnipotent

FFIX

Final Fantasy IX is another game in the series with a major showing in this panel. This game boasts some really impressive characters!

Vivi Ornitier

Fire Magic

Kuja, Genome Sorcerer // Trance Kuja, Fate Defied

Kuja, Genome Sorcerer // Trance Kuja, Fate Defied

Kuja, Genome Sorcerer // Trance Kuja, Fate Defied (showcase)

Kuja, Genome Sorcerer // Trance Kuja, Fate Defied (showcase)

Wizard Token

Of note, turning your Wizard tokens into copies of GuttersnipeGuttersnipe is nothing short of formidable, but turning your Guttersnipes into, well, double Guttersnipes is even better!

FFX

Final Fantasy X has a few cool cards already revealed to the public. For instance, Yuna, Grand SummonerYuna, Grand Summoner, which we covered two days ago, and Tidus, Yuna's GuardianTidus, Yuna's Guardian, the face commander of the "Counter Blitz" precon. But that didn't stop Wizards of the Coast from showing even more cards from FFX!

Yuna, Hope of Spira

Yuna, Hope of Spira (showcase)

Zanarkand, Ancient Metropolis

Summon: Bahamut

Summon: Bahamut (showcase)

Summon: Bahamut, in particular, is a card that we can foresee absolutely exploding games left and right in the future. And for the hefty cost of nine mana, it has every right to!

FFXI

Final Fantasy XI only got one preview at PAX East, but it's an "Absolute" doozy.

Absolute Virtue

For this one in particular, the panelists recounted how, as a boss, Absolute Virtue would decimate whole swaths of players vying to defeat it. The designers wanted to recreate that feeling with their card adaptation, and so here we are! Additionally, the panel showed us Dragoon's Wyvern:

Dragoon's Wyvern

FFXII

Final Fantasy XII has a single previewed card as well, in the form of two characters:

Balthier and Fran

Those who know about FFXII know the significance of Balthier and Fran with Vehicles. If you're in the know, it just makes sense!

FFXIII

We received three previews at PAX East for Final Fantasy XIII. One is a meld card!

Lightning, Army of One

Fang, Fearless l'Cie

Vanille, Cheerful l'Cie

Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance

Notably, Fang, Fearless l'Cie is the bottom half of Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance, while Vanille, Cheerful l'Cie is the top half. Let's move on from here!

FFXIV

Final Fantasy XIV is an enormous MMORPG (or, massively multiplayer online role-playing game). The game has no one protagonist because everyone who plays is the protagonist. However, such as with G'raha Tia, Scion RebornG'raha Tia, Scion Reborn or Y'shtola, Night's BlessedY'shtola, Night's Blessed, many characters play major roles in the game as well. For instance, the big-bad known as Zodiark:

Zodiark, Umbral God

Zodiark, Umbral God (showcase)

Summoner's Grimoire

Also, the panel showed Summon: Primal Odin and another iteration of Emet-Selch!

Summon: Primal Odin

Emet-Selch of the Third Seat

Two more to go, let's look to the open road and see what Final Fantasy XV has for us!

FFXV

FFXV has only one PAX East preview card associated with it, in the form of Noctis, Prince of Lucis. We recently got spoiled a little early regarding Gladiolus AmicitiaGladiolus Amicitia, but there's most assuredly going to be more in this set. In the meantime, here's Noctis!

Noctis, Prince of Lucis

Noctis, Prince of Lucis (showcase)

In addition to Noctis, the panel showed those attending Ardyn, the Usurper!

Ardyn, the Usurper

FFXVI

Last but certainly not least, Final Fantasy XVI came out while Wizards of the Coast was working on this very set. As such, they had to reserve some room for cards from FFXVI so the set could include them. There are only two preview cards from FFXVI, but they're both cool. And hot!

Jill, Shiva's Dominant

Shiva, Warden of Ice

Clive, Ifrit's Dominant // Ifrit, Warden of Inferno

Clive, Ifrit's Dominant // Ifrit, Warden of Inferno

Ben Starr, voice actor for Clive, even did something very special for this preview! We won't spoil anything, but we will suggest you watch it for yourself when it's live online.

Traveling Chocobos of Final Fantasy

So, in this set, there is a card called Traveling Chocobo. It comes in a variety of forms. There's the standard version, multiple neon-ink versions, and the set's sole serialized card. That last one, the "Golden" Traveling Chocobo, is limited to only 77 copies in the entire run. This iteration of the Chocobo debuted in FFVII and is mostly attributed to that game. However, there is also a black Traveling Chocobo from FFXV that exists in the set.

Traveling Chocobo

Traveling Chocobo (yellow neon ink)

Traveling Chocobo (green neon ink)

Traveling Chocobo (blue neon ink)

Traveling Chocobo (red neon ink)

Traveling Chocobo (black, Japanese)

Traveling Chocobo (golden serialized)

The Fourteen Faces of Cid

Cid is a recurring character throughout all the worlds of Final Fantasy. Debuting in Final Fantasy II, Cid has made an appearance in every mainline FF title so far, beyond the first. Wizards of the Coast wanted to play on that, so they've made fifteen different iterations of Cid, Timeless Artificer!

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFII

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFIII

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFIV

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFV

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFVI

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFVII

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFVIII

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFIX

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFX

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFXI

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFXII

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFXIII

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFXIV

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFXV

Cid, Timeless Artificer - FFXVI

Final Fantasy Through the Ages

The last (or final, if you'll excuse the pun) thing we want to show you is two cards from the Through the Ages sheet. Through the Ages cards can be found at a rate of one in every three Play Booster packs and one in every Collector Booster pack. Here are two of the cards you could find!

Zidane Tribal

Firion, Swordmaster

The Cloudsea Djinn

The Imperial City of Archades

And with that, that's every Final Fantasy card shown off at PAX East. How do you feel about this set? Are you excited to play with its cards? And on another note, has the set spurred you on to play any of the titles for yourself? Sound off below!