Cid

Cid is a character that has appeared, or been mentioned, in almost all Final Fantasy-related media; the main series, spinoffs, film and anime. Cid has become a Final Fantasy trademark, as with chocobos and moogles. He leads the list of recurring characters, which include Biggs and Wedge and Gilgamesh. However, each installment features a different Cid character, and his roles in the series range widely from a party member to an NPC to an antagonist.
In Final Fantasy tradition, Cid characters often have a group of distinct traits fans have come to expect. They are often mechanically minded and frequently portrayed as engineers or inventors. Cids are often the source of the airships the player uses toward the game's end, as its captain or its creator.
The Cid characters are sometimes partially responsible for the main conflict within the game as a result of his inventions or research being abused. If this is the case, he will often seek redemption by assisting the party. Cid is usually older than the main cast, sometimes by several decades, and they are thus portrayed as fatherly figures, sometimes as the biological, adoptive, or surrogate father of one of the main characters.
==Appearances==
===Final Fantasy===
Cid does not appear in the original NES version. He is mentioned briefly in remakes, a retcon designed to extend the presence of Cid into every game of the core Final Fantasy series. Cid is described as the ancient Lufenian creator of the airship the Warriors of Light use.
===Final Fantasy II===
The original Cid. He began his career as one of Fynn's knights, but later acquired an airship and left Fynn's service to seek out his own fortune. Based out of Poft, Cid offers taxi service with his airship to Firion and the party. His airship is taken (with Princess Hilda aboard) by the Palamecian Empire's Dreadnought, but Firion and his friends rescue them, and the Dreadnought is destroyed. Later, Cid dies and gives his airship to Firion.
In the Dawn of Souls and later remakes, Cid shows up in the city of Machanon, a city in the afterlife.
===Final Fantasy III===
Cid Haze is a creator of airships on the floating continent, from the village of Canaan. He transforms the sailing ship into an airship and later helps save the Light Warriors from Xande.
In the 3D remake version, he will occasionally attack with a hammer or use a Fire spell on all the enemies in the short time he accompanies the party, and is also involved in the Legendary Smith sidequest.
===Final Fantasy IV===
Cid Pollendina is a playable character and the first playable Cid in the series. The head of Baron's corps of engineers, Cid is a friend and mentor of both Cecil and Rosa. He designs the airships used by Baron's elite Red Wings corps, but develops misgivings about the King of Baron's methods. Cecil and Kain's exile, and the use of the Red Wings to destroy Damcyan, prove more than Cid can tolerate: he rebels against the King and is imprisoned for his treason. He is later freed by Cecil, joining his party.
====Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-====
Cid is a temporary character who doesn't make it into the final party.
====Final Fantasy IV: The After Years====
Cid is a playable character at the ripe old age of 71. He fights alongside Cecil and Rosa to repel Baron's invasion and later accompanies Ceodore for the last portion of his journey.
===Final Fantasy V===
Cid Previa and his grandson, Mid Previa, are engineers from Karnak who invented the machine which amplifies the power of the Crystals. In particular, they used the Fire Crystal to build the Fire-Powered Ship for Queen Karnak. The two later remodel an airship found in the Catapult.
Cid Previa reappears in Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals.
===Final Fantasy VI===
Cid Del Norte Marguez is a non-player character who invented Magitek technology for the Empire, a broad technological category that includes powered armor, weapons, and even pseudo-genetic engineering, all stemming from the extraction of magical essence from espers. He raised Celes as if she were his own daughter. Depending on the actions of the player, Cid either lives or dies.
===Final Fantasy VII===
Cid Highwind is a playable character. A gifted mechanic and pilot, he constructs several of the vehicles used by the party in Final Fantasy VII, including the Tiny Bronco and his eponymous airship, the Highwind. Cid dreams of going into space; the player first encounters him in Rocket Town, a city built around Shinra's abandoned space program (of which Cid was a part).
He reappears as a non-playable character in Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-, Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-, in the CGI-movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, and is mentioned off-hand in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-. He also appears in the Kingdom Hearts series, making him the "Cid" of that game series as well.
===Final Fantasy VIII===
Cid Kramer is the Balamb Garden headmaster, where Squall Leonhart is a student. Cid provides Squall and his SeeD companions the training they need to defeat a powerful sorceress.
Cid reveals to Squall that Balamb Garden is capable of flight, fulfilling his traditional duty as a Cid to provide the player with a flying form of transportation.
===Final Fantasy IX===
Cid Fabool IX is briefly playable during a non-battle sequence. He is the Regent of the city-state of Lindblum—appropriately, a city of accomplished engineers, mechanics, and airship pilots. A fight with his wife, Hilda, over his issues of infidelity ended with his being transformed into an oglop. Despite this handicap, Cid remains Lindblum's ruler, and his skill at designing airships has led the city to become the world's preeminent air power.
Cid Fabool I and Cid Fabool VIII are also mentioned.
===Final Fantasy X===
Cid is the Al Bhed's leader, the father of Rikku and Brother, and Yuna's uncle. With the help of the other Al Bhed, he unearths an ancient airship at the Al Bhed excavation near Baaj Temple. Cid repairs and christens the ship Fahrenheit. The airship is made available to the player as a mode of transportation, and is employed in battle with Evrae and Sin. Cid is voiced by Kōichi Sakaguchi in the Japanese version and Mike McShane in the English version.
====Final Fantasy X-2====
Cid is a non-playable character. He appears at the Zanarkand Ruins, selling clues to sphere hunters, coming into conflict with Yuna's misgivings about the area becoming a tourist attraction. He later appears on the Thunder Plains, before getting lost in a cave and being rescued by the Gullwings. He is then brought on their airship Celsius.
===Final Fantasy XI===
Cid is a non-player character in the nation of Bastok. He is a Hume and the most prominent engineer and inventor on the world of Vana'diel. He is found in the Bastok Metalworks in "Cid's Workshop". Cid has a close relationship with the owner of the Steaming Sheep Tavern, the bar in Bastok.
Cid is responsible for much of Bastok's success and prosperity in recent years, and as such has grown influential in the Republic. It is implied that one of the key factors behind President Hrichter Karst's election to office was Cid's backing. Player characters who come from Bastok can expect to do a few quests to help Cid acquire items to make his inventions.
Later, in the Seekers of Adoulin expansion, it is revealed that Cid has an adopted son named Midras. Midras is assisting the Inventor's Coalition of Adoulin, attempting to find alternate methods for agriculture in the face of a looming food shortage crisis.
===Final Fantasy XII===
Doctor Cidolfus Demen Bunansa is a non-playable character and the first Cid in the series to serve as an antagonist and a boss. He is Archadia's chief researcher who leads the study of nethicite. Cid is the creator of most of Archadia's airships, including Sky Fortress Bahamut. Cid shares his surname with Mustadio and Besrudio from Final Fantasy Tactics.
There is another character with the name Cid, Al-Cid Margrace, a member of the Rozarrian ruling family. Unlike Dr. Cid, Al-Cid is on the player team's side; however, he isn't the "Cid" of Final Fantasy XII, as only Doctor Cid has been confirmed by Akitoshi Kawazu and Yasumi Matsuno in interviews as being the game's "official" Cid.
===Final Fantasy XIII===
Cid Raines is a Brigadier General in command of the Wide-area Response Brigade division of the Sanctum Guardian Corps, commanding the airship Lindblum. He is younger than previous Cids and initially prevents the player party from being arrested by the Sanctum, but his more complex role and motivations are revealed later.
====Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII====
A soul trapped in the Sea of Chaos takes form of Cid and acts as the advocate of the souls of the dead. Cid reveals to Lightning the true nature of Chaos and hints at Bhunivelze's true intentions.
===Final Fantasy XIV===
Cid nan Garlond is the lead of the Garlond Ironworks, a group of Garlean engineers in disagreement with the Garlean Empire's warmongering policies and allied to the Eorzean City States.
In the ChocoGo April's Fool 2016 joke video, a character called Cid Shipman appeared as the CEO of the ChocoGo company.
In the optional sidestory Return to Ivalice, a Source counterpart of Final Fantasy Tactics character Cidolfus Orlandeau appears as a boss. Also, during the A Nocturne for Heroes event, Final Fantasy XV character Cid Sophiar is mentioned by Noctis. An image of Cid from Final Fantasy XI appears during The Maiden's Rhapsody event.
===Final Fantasy XV===
:Main article: Cid Sophiar and Cindy Aurum
Cid Sophiar is an elderly man and the head mechanic of the Hammerhead service station that looks after Noctis's car, the Regalia. His granddaughter, Cindy Aurum (named Cidney in Japanese), helps him with his business and has the most contact with the group when they first meet. During Regis's youth Cid fought beside him, Cor Leonis, and Weskham Armaugh. Cid can upgrade some of the player's weapons. Cindy acts as mechanic for the Regalia and her final modification for it grants the ability to fly.
===Final Fantasy XVI===
Cidolfus Telamon is the current Dominant of Ramuh and the leader and protector of Cid's Hideaway, a secret place where the liberated Bearers hide from the wrath of their countries. Cid joins Clive Rosfield as a party member during certain sections of the game, being non-controllable and attacking with both his sword and Thunder magic.
Cid eventually passes on the mantle of "Cid the Outlaw" to Clive as his successor, entrusting him with protecting the people of the hideaway and destroying the Mothercrystals to free Valisthea from the threat of the Blight. This technically marks the first time that a Cid has served as a protagonist, in a roundabout way.
Cid and Clive embody the "heroic outlaw" archetype, akin to Robin Hood.
===Final Fantasy Tactics===
Cidolfus Orlandeau (or Cidolfas Orlandu), is a playable character. Orlandeau, a Holy Swordsman, is the commander of the Knights of the Order of the Southern Sky and a long-time friend of Ramza Beoulve's father, Barbaneth. He becomes playable late in the game, and is the most powerful player character at the time of his recruitment. He has been referred to as Thunder God Cid, or T.G. Cid for short.
===Final Fantasy Tactics Advance===
Judgemaster Cid Randell is Mewt Randell's father and in the fantasy world of Ivalice, he is the Judgemaster, leader of the Judges that enforce Ivalice's laws. He is playable only if specific conditions are met by the player.
====Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift====
Cid is the leader of Clan Gully, a hunters' clan. He is the first nonhuman Cid to appear. He inducted Luso into his clan when the boy appeared during their hunt.
Al-Cid appears as a playable character.
===Final Fantasy Type-0===
Imperial Marshal Cid Aulstyne is the main antagonist, a first for a Cid character. He is the 76-year-old leader of the Militesi Empire in the emperor's absence, and seeks to subjugate all the Crystals of Orience. To achieve this, he mobilizes the imperial troops to invade the other Crystal-Nations. Known as a genius engineer, Cid proclaims to lead Orience to a new future.
===Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King===
Mogcid is a moogle who pilots the Skysphere. He helps bring more families to Padarak. He is part of the group of moogle brothers who live in Padarak. Mogcid is the first time a Cid has appeared in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series.
===Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers===
Cid is a yellow-skinned Lilty with glasses and a white mustache. He is one of the more important characters and often gives information to the protagonist, Layle.
===Final Fantasy Mystic Quest===
Otto Cid Bekenstein is the creator of the Rainbow Bridge Machine in Windia.
===Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light===
Cid is an non-playable character who lives in the windmill behind Horne. Cid was not affected by the curse and thus was not petrified along the other villagers. Cid plays no role in the storyline and the player needs the Magic Key to unlock his windmill's door. When spoken to, he will tell the player various statistics, such as play time and number of enemies slain.
===Final Fantasy Dimensions===
Cid is the leader of the Empire's fleet of airships. He orders the Warriors to steal the crystal belonging to the kingdom of Lux. He leads a scientific project to create indestructible robots as soldiers for the emperor.
Dr. Lugae, the creator of this machine, loses control over a unit named Argy. Later on, Cid is defeated when he is unable to see the humanity in the robots and they turn on him. They do not kill him, but save his life before the explosion of the biggest flying ship.
===Dissidia Final Fantasy===
Cid of the Lufaine of Final Fantasy is the narrator, voiced by Bunta Sugawara in the Japanese version and Rodger Parsons in the English version. He is revealed to be the master behind the cycles of conflict, with a past connecting him to Chaos, Cosmos, and the Warrior of Light. This past is revealed in the Chaos Reports and Cosmos Reports, the latter of which are written by Cid himself.
====Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy====
Cid of the Lufaine returns with an expanded role and backstory, which are the focus of the Reports and of Confessions of the Creator.
One of the Mognet moogles is named "Mogcid", and is an airship fanatic who asks the player what their craft of choice is. He is enthusiastic if the player answers Gelnika or Fahrenheit, but is displeased with an answer of wyvern, decrying "Okay, so there is some romance in flying on the back of a dragon. But it ain't no airship, kupo!"
===Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade===
Cid Haze appears as the Smithy of Crystal weapons.
===Theatrhythm Final Fantasy===
Cid Haze is an unlockable character, obtained by collecting Yellow Crystal Shards.
====Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call====
Cid Haze appears as a playable character and one of the representatives of Final Fantasy III. He is unlocked by collecting Orange Crystal Shards.
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
Cid appears as a non-playable character. He supports Dr. Mog and the player character by offering his services in terms of managing the placement, enhancement and creation of the player character's equipment and abilities. He also owns an airship that allows the player to travel beyond the Royal Archives.
Various Cids from across the series are both playable and fought throughout the game. These include Cid from Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy Tactics.
FFRK Cid Highwind.png|Final Fantasy VII Cid.
FFRK Doctor Cid & Rook FFXII.png|Final Fantasy XII Dr. Cid.
===Final Fantasy Explorers===
Cid is the leader of the Explorers' Union in Amostra, who can be found at the base of the Union in Libertas. He is a legendary figure among other Explorers. He has brown hair and mustache, and wears a purple coat over a red shirt and white pants. He is in charge of opening the Tutorial Quests as well as Aptitude Exams for access to new jobs.
===Final Fantasy Brave Exvius===
Veritas of the Heavens, real name Cid, is initially an antagonist and summonable unit. A member of the Sworn Six of Paladia, he befriended the dwarves and introduced airship technology to the world of Lapis. He is responsible for refurbishing the most potent airship, the Invincible, but like the rest of the Sworn Six, he seeks to destroy the world's crystals (in particular, he goes after the Wind Crystal) so that they may achieve their revenge against Aldore.
Thought to be long dead, most humans and dwarves do not know his darker side, thinking of him as a role model. In his honor, "Cid" is a name/title bestowed on only the most outstanding airship technicians, which usually happens to coincide with the position of Industrial City Dilmagia's master engineer. Lid, one of the main characters, is a young airship engineer determined to earn the title.
Portraits of the previous fifteen generation of Cids can be found in the partially-abandoned Mobreeze Airship Factory, and currently the closest to earn the title is Lid's older brother, Evan.
===Mobius Final Fantasy===
Cid makes an appearance as a non-playable character. In his youth, Cid bore an uncanny resemblance to Wol and he served a Princess Sarah whose appearance physically resembled Sarah Cornelia. Cid also had a brother named Mid.
MFF Cid Model.png|Model.
Mobius Cid.png|Cid.
Mobius Young Cid & Sarah.png|Young Cid with his Princess Sarah.
===World of Final Fantasy===
Cid is a character and for the first time in the series, appears in a completely robotic form. He is an android mecha that is full of knowledge and will occasionally help out the main characters throughout their journey.
===Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin===
Cid Tonberrini is a character featured in the "Wanderer of the Rift" DLC. He is a tonberry that provides advanced smithing services to Jack Garland. He has a grandson named Mid Tonberrini, a young tonberry who had his knife stolen by a Cactuar known as Mr. Prickles. Returning the knife to Mid and asking for his resentment provides the item Mid's Grudge. When the blacksmith is approached with this item, he recognizes his grandson's hatred and introduces himself as Cid.
===Final Fantasy Trading Card Game===
Cid appears in with many cards.
;Appearances
*Cid from Final Fantasy II version appears with two Wind-elemental cards.
*Cid Haze from Final Fantasy III and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy also appears with two Wind-elemental cards.
*Cid Pollendina from Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years appears with three Wind-elemental cards.
*Cid Previa from Final Fantasy V appears with two Lightning-elemental cards.
*Cid Del Norte Marguez from Final Fantasy VI appears with one Ice-elemental card.
*Cid Highwind from Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete appears with three Wind-elemental cards.
*Cid Kramer from Final Fantasy VIII appears with one Lightning-elemental card.
*Cid from Final Fantasy XI appears with one Wind-elemental card.
*Doctor Cid from Final Fantasy XII appears with one Ice-elemental card.
*Cid Raines from Final Fantasy XIII appears with one Ice-elemental card.
*Cid nan Garlond from Final Fantasy XIV appears with one Lightning-elemental card.
*Cidolfus Orlandeau from Final Fantasy Tactics and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call appears with two Lightning-elemental cards.
*Cid Randell from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance appears with one Lightning-elemental card.
*Cid from Final Fantasy Tactics A2 appears with one Earth-elemental card.
*Cid Aulstyne from Final Fantasy Type-0 appears with one Dark-elemental card.
*Cid from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers appears with one Lightning-elemental card.
*Cid from Final Fantasy Dimensions appears with one Wind-elemental card.
Cid II TCG.png|Airship Engineer Cid.
Cid2 II TCG.png|Airship Engineer Cid.
CidHaze TCG.png|Cid Haze.
CidHaze2 TCG.png|Cid Haze.
CidSprite-TradingCard.jpg|Cid Pollendina.
CidPollendina TCG.png|Cid Pollendina.
CidPollendina2 TCG.png|Cid Pollendina.
CidPrevia TCG.png|Cid Previa.
CidPrevia2 TCG.png|Cid Previa.
CidDelNorteMarquez TCG.png|Cid of the Gestahlian Empire.
CidHighwing TCG.png|Cid Higwhind.
CidHighwind2 TCG.png|Cid Highwind.
CidHighwind TCG.png|Cid Highwind.
CidKramer TCG.png|Cid Kramer.
Cid FFXI TCG.png|Workshop Boss Cid.
4-029U.jpg|Doctor Cid.
1-035u - Cid Raines TCG.png|Cid Raines.
CidNanGarlond TCG.png|Cid nan Garlond.
Cidolfus TCG.png|Orlandeau.
Orlandeau TCG.png|Orlandeau.
CidRandell TCG.png|Cid Randell.
Cid A2 TCG.png|Cid of Clan Gully.
Cid Type-0 card.jpg|Cid Aulstyne.
Cid CrystalBearers TCG.png|Cid [Crystal Bearers]
Cid Dimensions TCG.png|Cid of Avalon.
===Chocobo series===
Cid has appeared in the Chocobo game series in two incarnations. The first incarnation appeared in Chocobo's Dungeon 2. The same appearance was retained in Chocobo Racing, albeit a different costume. He is also seen in Chocobo Stallion and Hataraku Chocobo, Japanese-exclusive Chocobo titles.
His second incarnation is a younger bespectacled blond. He appears in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon.
===Final Fantasy: Unlimited===
Cid is an energetic young blond, a break in the tradition of old and wise Cids, though still as intelligent. He plays a supporting role as the starry-eyed inventor of various vehicles, weapons and equipment, all of which have feminine names. Cid is a member of the Comodeen, a resistance group which joins forces with the cast to defeat Earl Tyrant and his cohorts.
===Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within===
Dr. Sid is the resident Cid character, though his name is spelled differently. He is a scientist to whom Aki, the protagonist, serves as the protege. He is voiced in the English version by Donald Sutherland.
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
===Kingdom Hearts===
Cid's Highwind incarnation from Final Fantasy VII appears as a non-playable character in the Kingdom Hearts series. He plays a crucial role in providing Sora's Gummi Ship along with translations of Ansem's Reports. Originally from Radiant Garden, he takes Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith with him when the world is taken over by Heartless.
===Dragon Quest===
In Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, a game in the series released after Enix's merging with Square, a Platypunk (a platypus monster) character named Ducktor Cid (CidMoja ) in Japanese version) appears in Dragon Quest Heroes.
===Lost Odyssey===
Sed is a playable character. He is the mortal son of one of the main protagonists, Seth Balmore, and in his younger years was a notorious pirate.
Although the name differs slightly it can be considered the name Sed is derived from that of Cid in the Final Fantasy series as the creator of Lost Odyssey, Hironobu Sakaguchi, also worked on a number of the Final Fantasy games. This is backed up by Sed also providing both the main mechanical expertise in the party, and some of the vehicular support in the form of his ship, the Nautilus.
===Imaginary Range===
Cid appears as the male protagonist, where he still fulfills his role as an engineer/inventor. He can create and/or alter things using his "PAD" with the power of "IP". He calls his ability "miracle".
===Heavenstrike Rivals===
Cid and Shipwright Cid are units. The version of Cid is Cid Pollendina from Final Fantasy IV.
==Behind the scenes==
A character in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was named after the recurring Cid character as a response to the Final Fantasy series taking names from Star Wars characters (e.g, Biggs and Wedge).facebook.com/notes/star-wars-sourcebooks/creating-naming-the-naboos-finest-rogues-gallery-star-wars-insider-145/630688876981223 Another character named Ciddarin "Cid" Scaleback appears in the Disney+ series Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
The original version of the first Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy VII Remake are the only Final Fantasy games where no Cid appears, nor is one ever mentioned at any point, though a version of Cid Highwind appears in Final Fantasy VII Remake's sequel Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Final Fantasy I's remakes and Final Fantasy XIII-2 don't feature a Cid but have mentions of one in dialogue and/or backstory.
==Etymology==
It may also be derived from Japanese "Shido" (指導), meaning "leadership" or "guidance", though the series's tradition is to write the name "Cid" in Katakana rather than in Kanji.
==Citations==
de:Cid
fr:Cid
pt-br:Cid
ru:Сид
 
Category:Recurring characters