After being discontinued in Japan in 2011, Final Fantasy: The Trading Card Game made an international resurgence in 2016, when it was released worldwide. The game hasn't slowed down even after being re-released several years ago.
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While the cost of a box is unavoidably high, the figures become downright astronomical when discussing the single cards listed below. They are the highest of the highest, and today is their day in the spotlight. There isn't a card on this list that falls below $100 (with valuations by tcgplayer.com), so it's going to be a fun ride. Who will come out on top, and why isn't it Sephiroth?
Updated March 17, 2023, by Rena Darling: The Final Fantasy Trading Card Game has announced the Dawn of Heroes Booster set being introduced, adding plenty of new heroes from the Final Fantasy 14 cast characters. You can expect all new Forwards, Backups, and monsters to enter the fray and bring about all new tactics and strategies. The market is always in an ebb and flow, so it’s good to do your due diligence and see which cards updated their price and which stayed the same. Preparation is another part of the game, after all.
10 Chocobo (Full Art), Opus 9: $138.55
If you’re into cute birds with attitudes and a penchant for drifting, you should give the full art Chocobo some consideration. The common forward card is good for a quick boost of 1000 power to your whole party, provided they make a party with Card Name Chocobo first.
Chocobos are to Final Fantasy as Yoshi is to the Mario series. They are, arguably, the cutest mascot if you aren’t counting moogles. Or cactuars. They are shy birds with a fondness for gysahl greens but will eat whichever chocobo greens you have on you at the time. Give them enough food, and they’ll become friends for life.
9 Sephiroth, Opus 11 (Full Art): $145.00
Sephiroth is the type of infamous villain that people who love JRPGs, or games in general, will argue he is one of the best villains of all time. There is one thing that you can’t deny no matter which side of the debate you are on: His strength. Sephiroth has always been formidable. That strength leeches into the card game as well.
Once he is called onto the field, he allows you to immediately break a character of your choosing, and his Octoslash ability further allows you to remove up to three more cards from your opponent's cards from the game. The cost does come high though, as you’ll have to have four damage before you can play him.
8 Meia (Full Art Edition) Opus 9 – $163.69
Meia's first appearance in any Final Fantasy game is the ill-fated but surprisingly great Final Fantasy Mobius, a mobile title that was unfairly discontinued in 2020. An enemy turned ally to the game's protagonist, she prefers to fight with summons as well as the element of surprise.
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If you have less than five damage, you can only choose one of the three options she has, but you can choose two of the three if you have five points of damage or more. She can choose a forward and imbue it with an additional 1,000 attack points and the First Strike ability, dull a forward, protecting it, or choose a Mobius forward other than herself and grant it haste until the end of the turn.
7 Lightning, Opus 13: Crystal Radiance – $192.20
This version of Lightning takes the animated route when it comes to style. She dons a formal red gown, as well as her favorite, never-leave-home-without-it accessories: her trusty weapons. Her abilities are also different, due to being from a promotional booster pack.
When Lightning enters the scene, you can choose either two forwards that the opponent controls, or two from your break zone and remove them from the game, hopefully leaving your opponent vulnerable and open to attacks. Once Lightning leaves the field, the cards that were removed with her ability are returned to the owner's hand.
Without Zack, even in his limited screen time, Final Fantasy 7 wouldn’t be the story that it is known for. He is responsible for the kind-hearted, ambitious part of Cloud’s faux personality shift before the game after having his life saved by the first-class SOLDIER. Don’t count him out of the battle because of his affable nature though, he is a heavy hitter in every sense.
His card hits for equal measure in power as he can attack for 2000 points every time he enters the field, a fire forward enters the field, and when a Category 7 Forward enters the field. Depending on how many you have in your deck, you can hit for at least 4000 points per turn.
5 Cloud, Opus 11 (FF7 Remake Art) – $285.00
Priced significantly lower than the Opus 14 edition card for the first time in a while is Cloud's Opus 11 card. The art is a fully rendered CG art of him looking up at Shinra tower, sword in hand. Contrasting with his later Opus 14 card, which is animated instead of CG. That isn't the only difference between the two, though.
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When Cloud enters the field, you may search for one Category 7 Card and add it to your hand, then you take seven cards from the top of your deck and remove them from the game. Then, you can choose and break one forward. Be careful though, you can only use this ability once per turn during your main phase.
Cecil made history at the time by being the first protagonist to narratively change jobs from the dark, brooding Dark Knight job which reflected his heart's current state, to the bright and brilliant Paladin, a knight of light and truth.
Ironically, despite the high cost of this card, you can't use it in-game. At all. The reason it's rare is that it came from a promo for the 4th anniversary of Dissidia Final Fantasy on the console. The artwork is beautiful and depicts Cecil's conflict.
3 Cloud, Opus 14, Crystal Abyss – $494.00
Cloud is the protagonist of Final Fantasy 7, and he embarks on a true journey of self-discovery as he seeks to bring down the mother/son villain duo Sephiroth and Jenova. Spiky hair, giant sword, you know who he is: the unofficial mascot of the 3D Final Fantasy Era with the staying power of sunlight.
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If your opponent controls and Forwards, then Cloud receives plus 2,000 added to his attack. Also, like Lightning, he forces your opponent’s forward (of his choice) to attack, rendering their attack useless. On top of that, if you discard one Category 7 card, he both gains another 1,000 to his attack and he can no longer be targeted by your opponent’s abilities. It's a decent power booster.
2 Tifa, Opus 11 – $1,000
Where there is Cloud, there is also Tifa. A force to be reckoned with, Tifa only needs her fists to break enemies down. Her feelings for Cloud keep her going, but they don't become a hindrance in a fight.
If a Cloud card is on the field, Tifa's cost to play is reduced by one and can be paid with any element, and any Category seven cards that aren't her will gain an extra 2,000 power and brave. If you have at least three damage, then Tifa gains the following effect: 'The category seven Forwards you control cannot be broken by opposing summons or abilities that don't deal damage.'
1 Yuffie (Full Art): $1,200
Love her or hate her, the Great Ninja Yuffie is here to steal your heart…along with any materia that you may have in your possession. The most optimistic of the FF7 crew, she wants to do all she can for her home of Wutai, which has been torn due to war. That lead her to the logic that stealing materia was the best way to fix her home. Well-meaning, but picked the wrong group to pickpocket.
Yuffie brings to life the haste ability, which activates all of your forwards and in turn gives Yuffie an extra 1000 to her power while making her unable to be targeted by your opponent's summons or abilities. Her special attack is where she shines. Doom of the Living lets you choose any number of forwards and divide 24,000 damage between them any way you like. Truly her limit break given card form.
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