Cecil Harvey/Dissidia (PSP)

Cecil Harvey is a warrior of Cosmos in Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012. He relies on experience as both a Dark Knight and a Paladin, and may freely switch between either during battle. When a Dark Knight, he is a formidable ground fighter, boasting short and long range moves. As a Paladin, aerial combat is his forte, combining speed with expert swordplay. While traveling alongside Firion, Cloud, and Tidus, he deals with his feelings for Golbez, torn between fighting him as his nemesis and trusting him as his brother.

Crystal and Attire
Cecil's outfits are based on Yoshitaka Amano's designs. As a Dark Knight, Cecil wears dark armor accented in blue and gold with a spiked helmet. When a Paladin, Cecil dons a cape and white-blue armor with gold linings. He wields lance-like swords in battle, which are based on Amano's artwork. His EX Mode weapons are also from Amano's drawings.

Cecil's first alternate outfit, "Knight of the Red Moon", recolors his armor to reflect a supplemental drawing by Amano. His Dark Knight armor is a lighter black with red accents, and his Paladin vestiges have silver and red highlights with an orange cape. To keep in-line with the color scheme, his dark swords are black and red, while his Paladin swords are silver and blue.

Cecil's second costume, "Knight of the Silver Moon", is his appearance from the opening FMV of Final Fantasy IV's DS remake. His Dark Knight form dons a different helmet with dark gray armor adorned in red and silver highlights. Cecil's hair as a Paladin is straight combed, whereas his armor has more silver accents and a different cape. Both forms have different shoulder plates and symmetrical spikes. His base swords reflect the new color scheme, while his EX Mode weapons take on their designs from the remake's opening FMV.

Available as a downloadable bonus costume by purchasing Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection, "Knight of the Twin Moon" is based on Cecil's super-deformed designs, while incorporating aspects from his Final Fantasy IV sprites. When a Dark Knight, he has a more streamlined suit of dark blue armor, and his helmet has a red gem on the forehead and exposes his mouth. His Paladin form wears gold and blue armor and has a white cape with a red lining. His hair is purple, shorter and spiked, he wears a gold headpiece, and has green eyes instead of purple. His EX Mode weapons are based on the SD art, and his normal swords have streamlined features with color schemes matching the EX Mode weapons.

Cecil's crystal may reference his own duality or Final Fantasy IV's Crystals; it is half white and half black, possibly referring to the Light and Dark Crystals.

Cecil's manikin, Delusory Knight, is dark blue as a Dark Knight and silver when in Paladin form.

Twelfth cycle
Golbez tells Kain the summoned warriors have no memories of their home worlds except of those close to them, which Cecil proves by trying to protect Kain from Golbez, recalling Kain is his friend, but having no memories of Golbez as his brother.

Thirteenth cycle
As the final cycle begins, Cecil joins Firion, Cloud, and Tidus. When Cloud asks the reason he is fighting, Cecil says he never considered why, and Cloud later confides in him about Firion's reasons. Cecil says the Wild Rose symbolizes peace to Firion.

Golbez frequently appears to give his younger brother advice on seeking his crystal. Although Golbez is the enemy, Cecil wonders if he can trust his brother. He leaves with encouragement from Tidus and meets with Golbez, until Exdeath attacks them for Golbez's treason, with Cecil emerging victorious. Golbez refuses Cecil's offer to join him, saying he's beyond redemption. Cecil visits Cosmos, who confirms Golbez's word that a strong will and strength of heart is what uncovers the crystals. Cecil and Golbez soon duel again, with Cecil's crystal materializing upon victory. Cecil claims he and Golbez made it shine together, while Golbez denies this and says it was Cecil's success, which he had been trying to tell him all along.

After Cosmos's death, Cecil and the others travel to defeat Chaos and honor Cosmos's sacrifice. Along the way, Cecil meets Golbez, who claims that in a world full of disorder his wish can be fulfilled. After Cecil triumphs over him, Golbez says he only wanted to test Cecil's bond with his friends to see if he could overcome Chaos. After claiming bonds are strong and that the Warriors of Cosmos are capable of anything, Golbez departs, saying he has no right to be near Cecil. Cecil stops Golbez and offers him to join them, stating their bond should allow them to fight together. Golbez tells Cecil he is far too kind to be a knight, but says they might fight at each other's side once the light shines on him.

Cecil gathers with the the Warriors of Cosmos to defeat Chaos, and afterwards they find themselves in World A where Cecil watches everyone return to their home worlds before departing for his own, telling his comrades he will pass on the strength they have given him.

Official Quests
"Cecil's Quest 012: A Re-encounter With a Close Friend" concerns Cecil attempting to liberate a gateway with Vaan, when Vaan's mentions of airships sparks a memory. Cecil seeks out Kain and tells him he now remembers his old friend, and that they serve in Baron's military together. The two have a sparring match, and Cecil is frustrated over his other memories still being clouded, but Kain assures him he'll remember more in time.

"Cecil's Quest 013: Even I Don't Remember It" deals with Cecil's actions after claiming his Crystal in the 13th cycle. He meets up with Cloud, Terra, Tidus and the Onion Knight, and the five travel together until Kuja appears to alert them that Firion is on his way to confront The Emperor alone. Terra fights Kuja while Cloud and Tidus leave to help Firion, and when Terra is defeated Cecil fights Kuja in her place. Kuja declares he has no need for the bonds and values they hold as they are only figments of weak memories, but Cecil denies this, claiming the bonds the warriors have forged have been created by fighting together in the cycles, and thus are genuine.

Battle
Cecil's fighting style is Split Soul, due to his ability to change between Paladin and Dark Knight. His Dark Knight form is slow, skilled in steady, powerful ground attacks, while as a Paladin he is fast and uses swift aerial combos with the weakness of limited range. Despite being a melee fighter, both forms possess magic and several ranged attacks. Cecil automatically reverts to a Dark Knight after using a ground HP attack, while aerial HP attacks turn him into a Paladin. His constant transformations can sometimes be difficult for players to master.

Boss
Cecil is fought in Distant Glory and Inward Chaos.

EX Mode


Cecil's EX Mode is Job Augment, where he exchanges his two spear-like weapons for traditional swords. Cecil gains "Inner Strength" and "Proteus" abilities. Inner Strength boosts Bravery damage Cecil does by 1.5 times, while Proteus allows him to change forms without attacking by pressing and. This allows Cecil to combo his attacks in new ways by quickly changing form.

Cecil's EX Burst is Soul Shift, where he attacks his opponent with the power of both his forms in succession. The player must input three chains of button combinations to perfectly execute the EX Burst. If the player fails to input all the three commands correctly, Cecil will end the EX Burst as a Dark Knight and perform Darkness, shooting orbs of darkness at his opponent. If the player is successful, Cecil will use Darkness, then transform to a Paladin and slash the opponent twice, forming a cross of light.

Equipment
Cecil can equip Swords, Greatswords, Axes, Shields, Gauntlets, Helms, Light Armor, and Heavy Armor. In Dissidia 012, Cecil can also equip Katanas, Spears, and Large Shields. Cecil is the only character able to equip the "Dark" equipment set, a low-level series of equipment obtained in his storyline.

Allusions

 * While starting a fight, Cecil starts out as a Dark Knight. This is probably an allusion to the fact that Cecil starts as a Dark Knight in Final Fantasy IV.
 * In Destiny Odyssey IV-5, as Cecil is hovering in the air, he takes the iconic pose of his best friend and rival, Kain Highwind. Afterwards, Cecil leaps at Golbez while a Paladin, and the two assume the same poses they take in the opening FMV from Final Fantasy IV's DS remake. Later during the same scene and in his EX Burst, Cecil enacts the same pose he does while performing Darkness in the original Final Fantasy IV.
 * Cecil's EX mode, "Job Augment" is a reference to the DS remake's Augment System.
 * Cecil's line when fighting against himself is from his encounter with the Dark Knight at Mt. Ordeals: "This is a fight for me and me alone".
 * In Dissidia 012 when Cecil uses Shadow Bringer, he shouts "Dark wave!!" which may be an allusion to the move Souleater which is otherwise known as Dark Wave, or simply Darkness depending on the translation, the game, and the function among the different versions of the game.
 * Cecil's victory quote, "All that matters is what's inside," is a reference to a line spoken by Rydia during Final Fantasy IV's ending; "All that matters is what's inside us. Isn't that right, Cecil?" Cecil's line upon defeat, "I'm a coward," is a reference to when he tells Rosa, "I'm a coward. A coward who cannot even defy orders he knows he ought not follow". One of Cecil's opening lines is "This ends for you, not I!" references his dialogue before the battle with Zeromus, "Zeromus, this is the end for you, not us!"
 * Cecil's exclusive weapons are all from Final Fantasy IV. The Dark Sword is Cecil's initial weapon as a Dark Knight, while Cecil receives the Mythgraven Blade after becoming a Paladin. The Lustrous Sword is obtained from the Sealed Cave, and the Lightbringer is Cecil's strongest weapon in Final Fantasy IV Advance. The Cimmerian Edge is Golbez's initial weapon in the flashbacks from The After Years, which was translated as the "Ebony Blade".
 * When fighting Shantotto, she starts off the battle by saying, "I suggest you find another job." This references Cecil's eventual change from Dark Knight to Paladin in Final Fantasy IV.
 * Cecil's moveset has references to Kain; Saint's Fall, otherwise known as Saint Dive, is one of Kain's Band Abilities in The After Years, while "Nightfall" heavily resembles the Jump attack.
 * During Cecil's EX Burst, he says "Light and darkness cast aloft!", quoting the Mysidian Legend.
 * In Cecil's storyline, one of the Destiny Point rewards is the Bomb summon, which references the Bomb Ring that Cecil unwittingly used to destroy Mist.
 * When facing Vaan, Cecil says, "Traveling the skies is no easy task," referencing his command of the Red Wings and his skills in airship navigation.
 * In the Dissidia 012 remake of Destiny Odyssey IV, there is a chest containing 1991 Gil, the original release date of Final Fantasy IV.
 * When Cecil fails his EX Burst, he finishes as a Dark Knight, while a successful EX Burst lets him finish as a Paladin. This reflects how in Final Fantasy IV his power as a Dark Knight was insufficient, and thus he chose to become a Paladin.

Trivia

 * Cecil's EX Mode ability "Proteus" is named for the Greek sea god . According to mythology, Proteus was constantly sought out by people for his ability to foretell the future, and to avoid them he changed his form. The adjective "protean" is based on the god's name, meaning "variable, able to change/assume different forms".
 * Cecil has the most exclusive equipment in Dissidia, having three armor pieces and five weapons, leaving a total of 8. In Dissidia 012, Lightning and Feral Chaos tie with Cecil for most exclusive equipment.
 * Though it is stated in the menu that the two raise and lower Bravery damage by 3%, Cecil's Shadow Bringer and Luminous Shard adjust Bravery damage by 9%. It is unknown if this is a glitch or a typo. The effects of both attacks stack if equipped multiple times, thus allowing for up to 27% bonus damage for either form.
 * The stat changes from the two attacks still take effect during EX Bursts. Due to him attacking more while a Dark Knight than a Paladin during the EX Burst, Cecil's EX Burst is slightly stronger when he is equipped with Shadow Bringer, and slightly weaker when he is equipped with Luminous Shard.
 * The stat bonuses of Cecil's exclusive weapons effect the damage he takes and inflicts during EX Bursts as well. Thus, Cecil will take less damage from an opponent's EX Burst if he is equipped with one of his exclusive weapons that boosts DEF and is in Paladin form, and his own EX Burst will deal higher damage while he is equipped with the Cimmerian Edge.
 * In Dissidia Cecil's HP attacks have the highest AP requirement for mastery of any attack, each requiring 360 AP.
 * Cecil's Manikin is one of only two Manikins to have another model, the other being Gabranth's.
 * In Dissidia 012, the Theater sometimes shows images of Cecil in the wrong form.
 * When initiating Cecil's EX Burst on one opponent several times in the same battle, the button combinations will be the same for all executions of the EX Burst.

Cecil Harvey (Dissidia) Cecil Harvey/Dissidia