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The Iterations of Cid: Part 1
What is it that you think about when you think about Final Fantasy? What first springs to your mind? Probably many things. Chocobos, Moogles, airships, and probably even Cloud's hair! But certainly one of the most memorable things about the Final Fantasy series is the characters that it creates.
Whether they’re a PCs or an NPC, memories of them stick with us long after the game is over. What I’m going to focus on today is one of the series staples and favorites! A man who floats between playable and non-playable depending on the game, Cid! He’s almost always associated with airships, he’s usually an NPC, he’s almost always gruff but loveable, and he almost always has facial hair. In typical Cid fashion though, none of those things are absolute and often change from game to game. So sit down and drink your goddamn tea while I take you through the Cid's of Final Fantasy!
That's some good tea.
Final Fantasy I
Playable: No
Airship related: Sort of
Facial hair: Unknown
It may surprise you to know that Cid is actually not in the original version. So in true George Lucas fashion, when he decided to edit the original Star Wars movies to fit with the remakes, Square decided for the remake in 04 that they would work him into the game so that Cid could be in all of them. However, he still doesn’t truly make a physical appearance, and is instead mentioned as the ancient creator of an airship. This is probably better than trying to force him into the game, and winding up with some awkward scene like the ghost of Hayden Christensen.
Final Fantasy II
Playable: No
Airship related: Yes
Facial hair: Moustache
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hilda
"A man named Cid once led Fynn's Order of the White Knights. He built an airship and eventually grew obsessed with it. He left Fynn and settled in Poft, where he now ferries travelers for a fee. I hear every gil he earns goes straight back into the Airship to improve its performance."
Cid was originally a knight of Fynn, he couldn’t escape his life as a Cid however, and eventually set up a transportation business in the town of Poft with his airship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mindu
"Cid gave up everything he had for the Airship... His knighthood, honors, family and all."
From this we can already establish that Cid is a madman and we should stay away from him. But because this is Final Fantasy and the world can't be saved without an airship, we decided to befriend him anyways. It's all about having friends in high places! (Teehee!)
When asking Cid about the enemy ship, the Dreadnought, Cid tells the party that airships are powered by Sunfire, and that the lack of control would cause any engine to explode. Firion and co. obtain the Sunfire in Kashuan, then Cid and princess Hilda take Cid’s airship to meet them there, but the airship is captured by the Dreadnought. The party successfully rescues Cid and Hilda, and destroys the Dreadnought by tossing the Sunfire into the engine.
Later in the game, Cid is fatally injured during the onslaught of the Emperor’s Cyclone. After the Cyclone is destroyed, he calls Firion so that he can give him his airship.
Quote:
Cid:
"The Cyclone got me in Paloom... My old bones aren't acting as I want them to." (He lies down on the bed.)
Gus:
"Are you all right, Cid?"
Cid:
"I'm in this pathetic state now, but my Airship's as scratchless as she ever was."
"Now, listen, I'll let you use her until I get better. Got that?"
"Take good care of her... Urgh..."
So Cid is dead, as is illustrated by the 'Urgh...' that video game characters are often heard saying when they die, but at least his precious airship lives on. That was really the important part anyways. Cid’s appearance differs slightly in different versions. He is generally portrayed as a slender and fit man with grey or light blonde hair and a moustache, wearing armor. He was the first named Cid in the series, starting the tradition of Cid’s throughout the series.
That's quite the manstache.
In the dawn of souls remake Cid’s soul travels to Machanon, a city of the afterlife.
Final Fantasy III
Playable: Not really
Airship related: Yes
Facial hair: Plenty
In Final Fantasy III, he is known as Cid Haze. Cid is seen in Kazus, a town whose inhabitants were cursed. He offers the four heroes his airship if they agree to help lift the curse. They lift the curse and Cid gives them the airship, but first he asks them to use his airship to bring him to Canaan to see his wife. I mean, wow Cid, asking me to use your airship to bring you to see your wife - talk about unreasonable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cid
“Good work! I knew you’d pull it off the moment I saw you! I’m guessing you can make better use of my airship than I can myself!”
Things don’t get better for Cid though when he arrives home to find his wife is ill. The heroes help him by obtaining and administering the Elixir, which conveniently isn’t very far away. It’s kind of sad that everyone relies on these four children and can’t even seem to open treasure chests to cure people on their own. He then stays in Canaan with his wife, who’s conveniently named Mrs. Cid. Either we’ve been calling Cid by his last name this whole time, or they were meant for each other from the get go.
Later in the game, he uses the Wheel of Time to turn the Enterprise, later to be piloted by Captain Kirk, into an airship. He also reveals a bit more about the main character’s origins, telling of how 10 years ago he piloted and crashed his airship, and only he and four children survived. Who better to tell this story than the man himself?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cid
“…I guess it’s time you knew the truth. You four and I are not from this world…this floating continent. Ten years ago, I was flying my airship, filled with passengers…It seemed to be a day like any other until…Suddenly, the airship was engulfed in an impenetrable darkness…Next thing I knew, my airship was in pieces. We had crashed, and things were aflame everywhere I looked…The only survivors, aside from myself, were you four…”
Cid appears as an older, plump gentleman, with glasses, a big hat, and a big white beard. He can easily pass for Santa Claus. Maybe he dresses up in malls around Christmas time to finance his airship. He is kind and patient and overall quite positive.
Santa on safari.
In the DS version, Cid can help out the party in battle, either with a one-hit hammer attack or a casting of Fire. As he is more of a ‘guest’ character, he attacks he attacks at random intervals, and his hammer attack hits a random target. He is a playable sub-character in Theatrhythm, unlocked by obtaining eight Yellow Crystal Shards collected in the game via Rhythmia rewards or won from Dark Note bosses. Cid also has two wind elemental cards in the Trading Card game.
Final Fantasy IV
Playable: Yes
Airship related: Yes
Facial hair: Absolutely
Cid Pollendina is the first truly playable Cid in the series. He is an engineer and designs the airships used by the Red Wings, the elite Air Force of Baron.In the beginning of the game, Cid is working on a new prototype airship, the Enterprise, which achieved warp factor 8, but after seeing the king acting strangely, he refuses to show it to him, and is imprisoned for treason.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cid
“I tell you, something’s gotten into His Majesty. He’s ordered me to build a new ship, you know – a more manoeuvrable one, with more firepower. What’s he thinking? I’m not building these things for him to wage war!”
He is also seen early on being scolded by his daughter - as any large bearded man should be! The party later rescues him by defeating the king, who turns out to be Cagnazzo, a villain known as the drown king (who kind of looks like a weird blue demon turtle), and he joins the party, agreeing to bring them to the airship, the Enterprise.
But things aren’t so easy. They find that Cognazzo isn’t going to let them escape just like that. Because demon turtles don't roll that way. The walls begin to cave in. Palom and Porom pertify themselves in order to save the others. Tellah tries to heal them with no success and Cid takes them to the Enterprise.
Quote:
Tellah:
You mean to tell me this ship can sail the skies?
Cid:
Sorry to have kept you down here for so long, my sweet Enterprise!
(The dock shakes and the airship frees itself from its confines.)
Cid:
Guess it’s time to be off then, eh? Let me show you what she can do!
Later in the game, The Red Wings are at battle with the dwarves’ tanks, and the Enterprise is damaged and Cid has to leave the party to repair it. He also wraps it in Mystic Silver so that it can withstand intense heat and fly over lava. Because Cid apparently has excellent timing (maybe massive beards give you a sixth sense for these things), he returns just in the nick of time and saves Cecil and the party from falling into the lava.
The Enterprise then enters an intense dogfight around the Underworld. Cid, raising the bar for Cid's everywhere, comes up with a selfless plan to save his friends. He closes the hole with a bomb and jumps off the airship to save the others. He is presumed dead. This is a big moment for the history of Cid, as he is the first truly playable character and has a much bigger and more important role than in previous installments. Cid steps up, out of the background, and shows why he finally became a playable character.
But we couldn't give up on the lovable grouch just like that could we? Cid survives and returns in his new airship, the Falcon. Cid also wraps this airship in Mystic Silver, and later on attaches a drill. Cid becomes fatigued by the work, but he eventually recovers fully. He builds a new fleet of airships which he uses in an attack on the Giant of Babil. After the Giant is destroyed, Cid prays for Cecil in the tower of wishes.
He cares deeply for Cecil and Rosa as is portrayed many time throughout the game, and is further illustrated when he is the best man at their wedding.
He is portrayed as a gruff looking man with a big mouth and an even bigger beard. Depending on the game and the version, his beard color ranges from purple, to brown, to white. He wears a hat and goggles. In battle, Cid can uses bows, hammers and axes. His ability is Analyze, also known as Scan. Cid also makes appearances in Final Fantasy IV –Interlude- and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. He is also a wind elemental card in the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game.
Look at those adora-goggles.
Adoragoggles totally counts
as a word.
I like that they gave Cid a deeper and more important role in this installment, while still maintaining what makes Cid, Cid. The character had a good amount of depth and personality to him, and Final Fantasy really steeped up what a Cid is capable of doing.
That concludes Cid, part 1. Who's your favorite from the list so far? Who do you look forward to reading about in the future?
