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Cait Sith rides on the back of a huge stuffed Mog he magically brought to life. Megaphone in hand, he's always shouting orders and creating dopey attacks...

Description

Cait Sith is a playable character in Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. He also appears in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- as a summon, Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, and Final Fantasy VII Remake. Cait Sith is a robot cat riding a giant stuffed toy moogle.

Cait Sith is remotely controlled with multiple copies, and controls the moogle with a megaphone. He worked as a fortune-teller in the Gold Saucer before joining Cloud Strife's party for initially mysterious motives. Though he was at odds with the party at first, traveling with them caused him to reflect on his own life and purpose, as he over time became a loyal member.

Cait Sith uses megaphones to give orders to his moogle. Unlike most characters, Cait Sith only has two Limit BreaksDice and Slots—that have unique chance-based effects.

History[]

Prototypes[]

BC Cait 1

Portrait in Before Crisis.

On February 10 0007, Reeve Tuesti first controlled and deployed a prototype Cait Sith during "The Consequences of Our Choices" in Before Crisis. Cait Sith met the player Turk and told them their fortune. Cait Sith then led them to Tseng as, where Reeve revealed himself as Cait Sith's controller and had Cait Sith read a second fortune, stating that one of the Zirconiade's Support Materia is in Gongaga.[6]

Cait Sith accompanied the Turk to find the materia, knowing the Turk was working for Verdot but not telling President Shinra. Cait Sith was damaged, leading Reeve to ponder how to improve Cait Sith's limited combat abilities without hindering agility or movement, leading Reeve to create the robot moogle. The player Turk gathered parts to rebuild Cait Sith, and Reeve allowed them to use a backup controller to control Cait Sith while Reeve was in a meeting. Vice President Rufus Shinra learned about Cait Sith from Tseng, suggesting it be used for reconnaissance. The player Turk meanwhile used Cait Sith to infiltrate a mako reactor and retrieve materia, making use of Cait Sith's prediction powers to find the correct doorways into the reactor core.[6]

Thereafter, Cait Sith rode the large robotic moogle, manufactured to gather intelligence by the Shinra Electric Power Company's Urban Development Department.[7][note 2]

Original continuity[]

Joining Cloud[]

Sometime after, Cait Sith was a fortune teller at the Gold Saucer. On December 0007, depicted in "Sanctuary of Amusement" in Final Fantasy VII, Cait Sith met Cloud Strife's party, and tried to tell Cloud's fortune; after several failed attempts, Cait Sith predicted "What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose something dear", and then forced Cloud to take him along,[9] so as to spy on his party. Cait Sith joined them and helped in their pursuit of Sephiroth thereafter. Cloud and the party suspected that a spy was in their midst later on, Cait Sith deflecting blame but saying they would only suspect him as the new one.[10]

In "Secret Date", when Cloud's party returned for the Keystone as a means to enter the Temple of the Ancients, Cait Sith stole it while Cloud was in his hotel room, and handed it to Tseng. Cloud caught Cait Sith, who revealed only that he was being controlled by someone within the Shinra Electric Power Company, but not revealing who, and claiming that he was moved by Cloud and his friends' selflessness and thus they were "not entirely enemies". Cloud did not buy it, forcing Cait Sith to reveal that Barret Wallace' adoptive daughter, Marlene Wallace was being held hostage, forcing Cloud to keep them with him. As an olive branch, Cait Sith took them to the Temple of the Ancients.[11]

During "Within the Temple of the Ancients", the party learned that the temple itself the Black Materia they were looking for, but that obtaining it would kill anyone who attempted. Knowing this would not deter Sephiroth, the party were forced to entrust Cait Sith to sacrifice for the Black Materia. Aerith Gainsborough, as a final fortune, asked Cait Sith how compatible she and Cloud were, with Cait Sith, apologizing to Tifa Lockhart, saying Cloud and Aerith were a perfect match. Aerith gave encouragement, which delighted Cait Sith, who gave a heartfelt message asking not to be forgotten before being crushed by the temple.[12] Meanwhile, Reeve had a duplicate Cait Sith arrive, which saved Tseng from the temple[13] and joined Cloud's party thereafter.[12]

Meteorfall[]

During "In a World Approaching Its End", after Sephiroth summoned Meteor, Shinra sent Tifa Lockhart, Barret Wallace, and the rest of Cloud's party to be executed in Junon. Cait Sith disguised as a reporter, and as Sapphire Weapon's attack distracted Shinra, incapacitated Scarlet and freed Barret. When Barret asked why, Cait Sith simply declared being "against capital punishment" and hating Scarlet; Barret later called Cait Sith a "partner". The two fled Junon's streets and escaped on the airship, the Highwind, securing Tifa as they escaped.[14]

CaitSaithFMV

Cait Sith in the ending.

In a reversal of his role, Cait Sith served as a spy for the party, first offering to give Tifa any information on Shinra that she needed.[15] In "Struggle for the Huge Materia", Cait Sith allowed the group to listen on Scarlet and Heidegger's meeting, where they learned about the Huge Materia.[16]

During "Mako Cannon Rampage", when Diamond Weapon attacked Midgar, Reeve spoke through Cait Sith, confronting Barret about Barret's apparent indifference to those that his mako reactor bombings had killed. Before the argument escalated, Tifa mediated, understanding both sides, knowing that Reeve was trying to do good from within Shinra, and Barret was trying to do good from without. Later, when Vice President Rufus Shinra was accidentally killed, Reeve blew his cover as Cait Sith, and was taken custody by Scarlet and Heidegger, but was still able to control Cait Sith and guide them during the raid on Midgar.[17]

As the final battle loomed, Reeve, through Cait Sith, announced the fall of Shinra. As Cloud asked each of his comrades to find a reason to fight, Cait Sith went dormant, its lifeless body remaining within the Highwind. Reeve, declaring people from Midgar had taken him in, reactivated Cait Sith, and joined their final battle.[17] Cait Sith was present in the battle in the Northern Cave in "The Planet's Judgment".[note 3] As Meteor descended onto Midgar, Reeve told the party through Cait Sith that Midgar was evacuated.[18]

Geostigma crisis[]

Ffviiac-caits

Cait Sith riding on Red XIII's back.

In 0009, depicted in Advent Children, Cait Sith, riding on Red XIII, joined Cloud's party to battle Bahamut SIN. When Cloud awoke in the pool of water in Sector 5 slums church after having once again defeated Sephiroth, his friends gather around him and Cait Sith was among the crowd, being held by Marlene.[19]

Deepground crisis[]

WRO Logo

Cait Sith is featured in the logo of the World Regenesis Organization.

That was a close one! Never was good at fighting...

Cait Sith in Dirge of Cerberus

In Kalm during Deepground's attacks, Cait Sith posed as Reeve Tuesti when meeting with Vincent Valentine, but Deepground soldiers destroyed his disguise.[20] In Mako Reactor 0, Cait Sith aided Vincent and after the mission, Nero captures him and uses him to enter the Shera.[21]

Another Cait Sith was built by Reeve (Cait Sith #5) with all the memories of the previous four models. Cait Sith used Synaptic Net Dive (SND) after Shelke Rui to show the World Regenesis Organization (WRO) the horrors experienced by Deepground victims. Using the data, the WRO realized Deepground was trying to make a Lifestream pure of Jenova to summon Omega.[22]

Remake continuity[]

Cait Sith cameo from Final Fantasy VII Remake

Cait Sith viewing the destruction of Sector 7.

During "Fight for Survival", from the Shinra Building helipad, Cait Sith watched in horror as the Sector 7 plate collapsed, falling in despair.[23]

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Characteristics[]

Appearance[]

CaitSith-FFVIIArt

Artwork by Tetsuya Nomura.

Cait Sith is an anthropomorphic remote-controlled plush toy cat standing just over three feet tall[note 1] with short black fur and a white stomach and face. It wears a short red cape and white gloves and a small crown.[note 4] Cait Sith does not possess any outward robotic features.

Cait Sith normally rides atop large robotic moogle[note 2] with small wings.

Personality[]

There's plenty of stuffed toys like my body around, but there's only one me! Don't forget me even if another Cait Sith comes along.

As Cait Sith is a robot controlled by Reeve Tuesti, his personality can be difficult to perceive. Cait Sith acts notably different from Reeve, particularly in having looser speech patterns,[12][11] and a Scottish accent.[note 5] Reeve often expresses his thoughts to Cloud's party through Cait Sith, particularly regarding the discomfort he felt for Avalanche's terrorism,[17] but also how seeing their selflessness affected him.[11]

Cait Sith Portrait

Portrait artwork by Tetsuya Nomura.

Cait Sith does appear to have some degree of artificial intelligence. Notably, Cait Sith asked not to be forgotten "even if another Cait Sith comes along" when sacrificing in the Temple of the Ancients, a direct assertion of sentience.[12][note 6] Cait Sith also spoke on its own when controlled by the Turks and not Reeve.[6] In Dirge of Cerberus, Reeve and Cait Sith can be seen together in the same room, and are able to move and talk independently of each other. In addition, in Rebirth, Cait Sith is a clear employee of the Gold Saucer, and it can be reasonably assumed that Reeve does not have the time to spare to make Cait Sith dance and entertain customers all day. These things suggest Cait Sith has some personality independent of Reeve as well as autonomy. However, Reeve can assume direct control if necessary.

Cait Sith is fun-loving and playful, but cowardly and a poor fighter. Cait Sith makes a hobby of telling people their fortunes, which often turn out to be correct, if vague.[9]

Gameplay[]

Final Fantasy VII[]

Battle model from Final Fantasy VII.

Cait Sith is a playable party member who uses megaphones to give orders to the moogle. Cait Sith is a very unique party member due to having only two Limits: Dice and Slots. Aside from these, Cait Sith has one of the higher Magic stats in the game, and his weapons tend to have many Materia slots to take advantage of this. Cait Sith's stats outside of Magic are lower than most characters, and the physical damage range is random.

Though Cait Sith's strengths are based on randomness, when used effectively, he can become one of the more powerful party members in all situations. Early game, Dice can deal fixed damage which is effective against all enemy types, while Slots' effects include the ability to greatly buff or heal the party, deal immense damage to enemies, or even wipe out any enemy if the right combination is selected. Gaming these can make Cait Sith particularly formidable in spite of his weaker stats. Cait Sith's ultimate weapon, the HP Shout, deals more damage the higher the current HP.

Cait Sith is the only non-optional character in Final Fantasy VII who at no time is required to be a member when selecting a party.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-[]

Ff7cc caitsith

Cait Sith in Zack's Digital Mind Wave.

Cait Sith is a summon for Zack, appearing on the Digital Mind Wave once Zack acquires "Cait Sith's Megaphone" in a treasure chest in "M8-4-3: Suspicious Mail 3". Cait Sith uses Courage Boost to cure Zack of Poison, Stun, Silence, and Stop, and grants various status buffs, the duration of which varies depending on the level of the summon.

Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-[]

Cait Sith in Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-.

Cait Sith is temporarily playable in Mako Reactor 0 (where he is, in fact, a terrible fighter, making the mission he takes part in require a good deal of stealth). Later, Cait Sith can also be used as a playable character in several of the Extra Missions.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth[]

Cait Sith is a playable character in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, joining the party at the start of Chapter 9. On his own, he is capable of some light physical combos with his unique ability, Kitty Wallop, or use his megaphones to deal ranged damage. When Let's Ride! is used, Cait summons his moogle for further potential. When the moogle is on the field, his unique ability becomes Mount, where Cait will ride his companion and attack in tandem with it, with Mount becoming Dropkick, quickly building damage and ATB. However, if the moogle is left to attack on it's own, Cait's unique ability upon mounting it again will change to a randomly selected one depending on the level, ranging from party-wide buffs or status-inflicting attacks on the enemy. Many of his abilities require the moogle being present, and can provide useful effects like building stagger and raising the stagger damage bonus. Overall, he is a dynamic character who can provides many choices to change the course of battle with his moveset.

Musical themes[]

"Cait Sith's Theme" (ケット・シーのテーマ, Ketto Shī no Tēma?) plays during his introduction in the Wonder Square, and later before he sacrifices himself in the Temple of the Ancients. A jazz rendition is available as a music disc in Final Fantasy VII Remake, bought for 50 gil from the Sector 5 Slums trains station vending machine.

"Cait Sith's Theme" is included on the second disc of Final Fantasy VII Vinyl Limited Edition compilation album.

Other appearances[]

Guest appearances[]

Cait Sith has appeared in the following games throughout the Final Fantasy series:

Mentions and cameos[]

A costume for Cait Sith in Gunslinger Stratos 2 was released on November 6, 2014.

The quote of the minion Cait Sith Doll is "What may be a few to you was everything to those who died...", a line Cait Sith said to Barret in Final Fantasy VII in regard to collateral damage caused by Avalanche.

Merchandise[]

Cait Sith has appeared in numerous merchandise for Play Arts and others,

Behind the scenes[]

Concept and design[]

Red XIII 2007 version

Cait Sith with Red XIII.

Cait Sith was conceived early on as a robotic spy from Shinra controlled by Reeve. As Reeve grew fonder of the party, he would have developed a kinship with them and found his loyalties between them and Shinra torn. Cait Sith's job class was originally listed as "Toysaurus (Beastmaster)", with age given as 9 years old, and instead of megaphones, would have fought using whips and cards.[24]

In a scenario cut from the final product, Avalanche would have needed to shut down the Mako Reactors around the world to help combat Sephiroth, but would have been unable to strike them all in time. At risk of jeopardizing his position at Shinra, Reeve would have shut the reactors down himself. The scenario developed into Shinra using the Sister Ray powered by Mako Reactors, during which Reeve tries to talk them out of using the cannon and is arrested.[24]

Allusions[]

Cait-sith-in-honey-bee-inn

Cait Sith in Honey Bee Inn.

Early in Final Fantasy VII, during the Wall Market series of quests, if the player enters the Honey Bee Inn and peeks through the keyhole of the Lover's Room, there is a tiny Cait Sith to the far right of the screen. The room is occupied by an elderly couple who refer to each other as "Grandma" and "Grandpa", and whose son has been recently promoted to Head Department at Shinra: in the Japanese version, the two speak with a kansai accent, which, along with their dialogue and Cait Sith's presence, seems to imply they are Reeve's parents. If Cloud rides the gondola in Gold Saucer with Cait Sith, Cait Sith will be too big to fit on the seat and will stand facing toward the player.

When meeting Cait Sith on the Shera during the seventh chapter of Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-, much like in the original game when Cait Sith #2 appears, Cait Sith will introduce himself with a number, which ranges between 5 and 7 depending on how much time the player spent completing the previous chapter. This could mean that the Cait Sith seen at the start of the game is the fourth incarnation, and numbers 2 and 3 were destroyed in some way before the events of the game.[7]

If the Cait Sith activated is number 5, he will make a reference to the film Short Circuit by saying "Number 5 is alive!". This line is said by the film's main character, Number 5, after being given sentience by a lightning strike.

Although a folklore superstition of black cats being unlucky is common, in Japan and in Great Britain being crossed by a black cat is a sign of good luck. Although Cait Sith is not fully black, this belief may have influenced him being made a fortune teller. The fortune given to Cloud by Cait Sith in Gold Saucer is referred to in the Square Enix title Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. In the opening Marluxia informs Sora that "Along the road ahead lies something you need, however in order to claim it, you must lose something that is dear to you."

Voice[]

Cait Sith is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in Japanese. He shares his Japanese voice actor with Auron from Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, Squall Leonhart from Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, (and by extension, Leon from the Kingdom Hearts series), and Qator Bashtar from Final Fantasy Type-0. Ishikawa uses a rare light-hearted high pitch that sets it apart from his other voice roles. Cait Sith speaks in an altered Kansai dialect.

He is voiced by Greg Ellis and Paul Tinto in English, both of whom voice Cait Sith with a Scottish accent likely as an allusion to his name origin as a supernatural cat that haunts the Scottish Highlands.

Gallery[]

Etymology[]

The cat-sìth (plural cait-shìth), meaning "fairy cat" in Scottish Gaelic and pronounced "caught shee", is a fairy creature from Celtic mythology, said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its breast. Legend has it that the spectral cat haunts the Scottish Highlands. The Irish word cat sí literally translates to "mound cat", referencing the fairy forts commonly held to house fairies of all kinds. English speakers may be familiar with its usage in the term "banshee", from Irish bean sí.

The legends surrounding this creature are more common in Scottish folklore, but a few occur in Irish. Some common folklore suggested that the cat-sìth was not a fairy, but a witch who could transform into a cat and back up to nine times. After the ninth transformation, they would be unable to return to human form. This is speculated to be the origin of the proverb "a cat has nine lives", as opposed to some other number.

Notes[]

Annotations[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Due to poor conversions from centimeters to feet in English materials, Cait Sith's height has been listed as 3'2".[5] His 100 cm height[4] is actually 3.28ft, or 3ft 3.37in.
  2. 2.0 2.1 The Final Fantasy VII manual states that Cait Sith rides the large robotic moogle that he brought to life.[8] It is never stated in Final Fantasy VII if Cait Sith is controlling the robot moogle, or Reeve is controlling both, but the 10th Anniversary Ultimania states Reeve controls the moogle through Cait Sith's megaphone.[7]
  3. The final battle of Final Fantasy VII is depicted in Advent Children through Marlene's narration. In the film's original cut, Cait Sith rides on Red XIII, and is not immediately noticeable among Red XIII's fur. In Advent Children Complete, Cait Sith rides his moogle into battle in the Northern Cave.
  4. Cait Sith's crowni s said to be an indispensable part of Cait Sith pertaining to Reeve's hobby, though the hobby's nature is not specified.[7]
  5. The Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania elaborates that because Reeve is the one operating him, the Cait Sith in the Japanese versions speaks with the unique accent of Reeve's original Kansai dialect.[7] This may apply to Cait Sith's Scottish accent distinct from Reeve's normal accent.
  6. Cait Sith's talk of sacrifice and asking not to be forgotten[12] would be redundant if Reeve were entirely in control. It is also a great contrast to Cait Sith's earlier words, when Cait Sith described its body as "just a toy anyway", saying killing it would be a waste of time.[11]

Citations[]

  1. Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- Signature Series Guide, p. 005
  2. Final Fantasy 25th Memorial Ultimania Vol.2, p. 038
  3. Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 2, p. 38
  4. 4.0 4.1 Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega, p. 44
  5. Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- Signature Series Guide, p. 005
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-, "The Consequences of Our Choices"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Ultimania, p. 60-63
  8. Final Fantasy VII, game manual (PlayStation, NTSC-J), p. 11
  9. 9.0 9.1 Final Fantasy VII script § "Sanctuary of Amusement"
  10. Final Fantasy VII script § "Gongaga, Village of Sadness"
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Final Fantasy VII script § "Secret Date"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Final Fantasy VII script § "Within the Temple of the Ancients"
  13. Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile § "Episode: Shinra"
  14. Final Fantasy VII script § "In a World Approaching Its End"
  15. Final Fantasy VII script § "A Shocking Reunion"
  16. Final Fantasy VII script § "Struggle for the Huge Materia"
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Final Fantasy VII script § "Mako Cannon Rampage"
  18. Final Fantasy VII script § "The Planet's Judgment"
  19. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
  20. Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- script § "Chapter 1"
  21. Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- script § "Chapter 5"
  22. Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- script § "Chapter 7"
  23. Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "Fight for Survival"
  24. 24.0 24.1 Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega, p. 519-520

References[]

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