Cid

Cid is a character that has appeared, or at least mentioned, in all Final Fantasy-related media; the main series, spinoffs, film and anime. Cid has become somewhat of a trademark of Final Fantasy, 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 also ranges widely from non-player character to antagonist.

In Final Fantasy tradition, the Cid character is often very mechanically minded and frequently portrayed as engineers or inventors. They are often the source of the airships that the player uses toward the end of the game. Cids are often several decades older than the main cast, and is often portrayed as a fatherly figure. A common trait is for a Cid to either have a biological daughter (such as Cid Pollendina from Final Fantasy IV or Cid from Final Fantasy X) or adopt one (such as Cid Del Norte Marquez from Final Fantasy VI or Cid Fabool IX from Final Fantasy IX).

Final Fantasy
Cid is only mentioned in remakes of the original Final Fantasy. He is the Lufenian creator of the airship.

Final Fantasy II


Cid is a character who offers taxi service with his Airship. At one stage his Airship is taken (with Princess Hilda onboard) by the Palamecian Empire's giant Airship, the Dreadnought. They are rescued and the Dreadnought is destroyed. Later, Cid dies and gives his Airship to the party of characters in Final Fantasy II.

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. In the short time he accompanies your party, he will occasionally attack using a Fire spell on all the enemies. Later, he helps save the Light Warriors from Xande.

Final Fantasy IV


Cid Pollendina is a player character in this game, and he is Cecil Harvey's childhood friend. He designs airships for Baron's Red Wings, however, he does not like his inventions used for malevolent purposes.

Final Fantasy V
Cid Previa and his grandson Mid Previa invented the machine which amplifies the power of the Crystals.

Final Fantasy VI


Cid Del Norte Marquez is a non-player character in this game. He does experiments for the Empire, and invented the Magitek process. He raised Celes Chere as if she were his own daughter.

Final Fantasy VII


Cid Highwind is a playable character in this version. He reappears in Dirge of Cerberus, as a non-playable character, in the Kingdom Hearts games, and in the CGI-movie Advent Children.

Final Fantasy VIII


Cid Kramer is the headmaster of Balamb Garden, where Squall Leonhart is a student, and provides Squall and his SeeD companions the training they need to defeat Edea after she is possessed by the sorceress Ultimecia.

Cid fulfills the "vehicle" custom of Final Fantasy games as he reveals to the player the fact that Balamb Garden is capable of flight.

Final Fantasy IX


Cid Fabool IX is briefly playable during a non-battle sequence. Cid is the ruler and regent of the city-state of Lindblum. A fight with his wife, Hilda, ended with his being transformed into an oglop, a small, insect-like creature. Despite this handicap, Cid remains ruler of Lindblum, and his skill at designing airships has led the city to become the world's preeminent air power — much like Cid Pollendina did for Baron in Final Fantasy IV. He is later transformed into a frog when the main characters attempt to cure him, but he finally returns to his human form after Hilda is brought back. He and Hilda take the character Eiko as their adoptive daughter in the end.

Final Fantasy X
Cid is the leader of the Al Bhed, the father of Rikku and her brother 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 which he repairs and christens Fahrenheit (name only referenced in the Japanese and international versions of the game). This airship is made available to the player as a mode of transportation late in Final Fantasy X and is employed in battle with Sin and one or two lesser enemies. Cid is voiced by Koichi Sakaguchi in the Japanese version and Michael McShane in the English version.

Final Fantasy XI
Cid appears in this incarnation as an 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 can be found in the area Bastok Metalworks in "Cid's Workshop". He has a close relationship with the owner of the Steaming Sheep Tavern, the bar in Bastok. Each nation in the game has one tavern or bar. Also, he is respected by the President of Bastok, clear, since it is implied that the success and prosperity of Bastok is greatly enhanced by the success of Cid. As such, player characters in the game who come from Bastok can expect to do a few quests to help Cid acquire items to make his fabulous inventions.

In addition, in the on-going storyline centering around Chains of Promathia, Cid takes a prominent role in helping to invent airships, which gives him more of a link to previous Cids of other Final Fantasy worlds.

Final Fantasy XII


Doctor Cidolfus Demen Bunansa is a non-playable character and, for the first time in any Final Fantasy game, an antagonist and an enemy boss. He is Balthier's father, and Archadia's chief researcher who leads their study of Nethicite. Cid is also the creator of most of Archadia's airships including Bahamut. He shares the same surname as Mustadio from Final Fantasy Tactics.

There is also another character who has the name Cid, Al-Cid Margrace, a member of the ruling family of Rozarria. Unlike Dr Cid, Al-Cid is on the same side as the player team, however, he isn't officially the Cid of Final Fantasy XII, as only Doctor Cid has been confirmed by Akitoshi Kawazu and Yasumi Matsuno in interviews as being the official Cid of the game.

Final Fantasy Tactics


Cidolfus Orlandeau, or Cidolfas Orlandu, is the powerhouse character in Final Fantasy Tactics. Orlandeau, a Holy Swordsman, is the commander of the Knights of the Order of the Southern Sky.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance


Judgemaster Cid is Mewt Randell's father from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and in the fantasy world of Ivalice, he is the Judgemaster, leader of the Judges that enforce Ivalice's laws.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift


Cid is the leader of the Gari Clan, a hunter's clan. He inducted Luso into his clan when the boy appeared suddenly during their hunt.

Final Fantasy: Unlimited


Cid in this anime is an energetic young blond, a break in the tradition of old and wise Cids, though still as intelligent. However, the protagonists Yu and Ai are young children, thus technically the tradition continues.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Dr. Sid is the film's resident Cid character; though his name is spelled differently and he doesn't invent airships. His role is a scientist to which Aki, the protagonist, is his protege.

Chocobo Series
Cid has appeared in the Chocobo game series in two incarnations. The first incarnation appeared in Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon and subsequently Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 2. The same appearance was retained in Chocobo Racing, albeit a different costume. He is also seen in Chocobo Stallion, a Japanese-exclusive Chocobo title.

His second incarnation is a younger bespectacled blond. He appears in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon.

Kingdom Hearts series

 * Main article: Cid

Cid appears in the Kingdom Hearts series based on the character Cid Highwind from Final Fantasy VII. He handles an item shop in the beginning, and later plays a larger role in the story.