Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy Set…

As a devoted fan of Final Fantasy, one of the most exciting aspects of exploring the Final Fantasy cards in Magic: The Gathering is seeing how my beloved characters and games are transformed through the lens of my first trading card game experience. I had numerous questions, particularly regarding the Final Fantasy 14 cards. For instance, will Tataru help me produce infinite mana? How many Loporrit tokens can I play at once? One aspect I certainly didn’t anticipate was the inclusion of one of the most heart-wrenching moments from Final Fantasy 14 in this collection.

The event in focus revolves around Papalymo Totolymo, a noble Lalafell and one of the founding members of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, recognized for his wisdom as a thaumaturge. He gained prominence during A Realm Reborn as the more mature figure in the group and a dedicated apprentice of Louisoix Leveilleur.

Papalymo’s name became etched in our hearts during one of the climactic moments in Heavensward, the first expansion of Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn.

[Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for FF14: Heavensward.]

To thwart the impending assault on Baelsar’s Wall by a man named Griffin, Papalymo teams up with Yda, Alphinaud, and the Warrior of Light (that’s us) to rush into peril and save the day. What they encounter is sheer chaos—a “massacre,” as Yda describes it. The situation escalates dramatically when Griffin meets his end to summon a primal, the embodiment of the legendary summons that can wreak havoc upon the world in Final Fantasy 14.

Initially, I didn’t expect anything too grave to unfold. After all, I was the Warrior of Light—the savior of Eorzea. Yet, this time, even I was powerless to halt the primal’s emergence. In a desperate attempt to prevent devastation, Papalymo sacrificed himself to cast the same spell that his mentor, Louisoix, had used to imprison Bahamut at the conclusion of Final Fantasy 14 1.0.

Words can’t fully capture the emotional impact of this moment. For the first time, the Warrior of Light was left without a solution. In Papalymo’s final words—“Now let us see how good a student I truly was”—we witness his commitment to fulfilling his role while honoring his comrades and mentor. The backdrop features a poignant rendition of A Realm Reborn’s theme song, “Answers,” with the lyrics echoing like a prayer.

As the Final Fantasy 14 universe makes its way into the Magic: The Gathering cards, the creators behind the project have not overlooked my favorite Scion. Papalymo Totol