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Which one’s your favourite Cid? The evolution of Final Fantasy’s constant character

Evie Nyan Jan 30, 2015
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What’s the first Final Fantasy game you played? I came somewhat late to the party, and my first experience of Final Fantasy was Final Fantasy VIII. After a childhood spent playing Sonic, suddenly finding myself in a semi-realistic world with massive potential for exploration really blew my tiny mind back then. In VIII, the headmaster of the military academy is a middle-aged, bespectacled dude with a paunch called Cid. But as Final Fantasy fans know, Cid is actually a character who appears in different forms in (pretty much) all of the Final Fantasy games. The dude’s been regenerated more times than the Doctor in Doctor Who! So we decided to take a look back at all of the Cids in chronological order to see how he’s changed over the years.

Firstly, while Cid didn’t originally appear in the first Final Fantasy for the NES, he’s proved so popular over the years that he was subsequently “retconned” in, albeit in the form of a brief mention in the text. Still, for all intents and purposes, Cid didn’t make his real appearance until Final Fantasy II, so that’s where we’ll start.

FF II, FF III, FF IV

In Final Fantasy II (left), Cid was a knight who offered flights on his airship (another FF staple) to the main characters. There’s a touch of David Bowie about him in this picture. Love the shoulderpads! Final Fantasy III (centre) saw the arrival of a Cid who looks like a cross between Tom Bombadil and Santa Claus. This Cid was a creator of airships as well as being a snappy dresser. Final Fantasy IV (right) featured the first playable Cid, who was also another airship designer. He reminds us of Kamaji from Spirited Away!

FF V, FF VI, FF VII

Cid Previa, from Final Fantasy V (left) was another airship designer (we’re seeing a theme here). His design seems to have a more East Asian aesthetic than previous incarnations. FF VI (centre) saw the turn of Cid Del Norte Marquez, an inventor who either lives or dies due to the actions of the player. We’re curious what’s under that hood – is his head just extremely pointy? Final Fantasy VII (right) is a general fan favourite, and featured mechanic and pilot Cid Highwind. He’s also a playable character.

FF VIII, FF IX, FF X

In FFVIII, (left) Cid Kramer was the headmaster of Garden, an elite military academy that dispatched mercenaries to wars around the world. He seems like your typical middle-aged dude, but he also has to contend with his students trying to take down his wife, who is temporarily evil. Sometimes it ain’t easy being Cid. FFIX (centre) saw the turn of Cid Fabool IX, who gets himself turned into an “oglop”, then a frog. We say he deserved it – that moustache is ridiculous! In FFX (right) and FFX-2, Cid is the leader of the Al Bhed, a minority group with their own awesome in-game language. Ruf luum ec dryd?

FF XI, FF XII, FF XIII

Final Fantasy XI’s Cid (left) is an inventor and engineer. Check out those brawny muscles and that… erm… apron! Doctor Cidolfus Demen Bunansa from Final Fantasy XII (centre) wins the title for silliest-named Cid yet. He’s also the first Cid you get to fight against. Final Fantasy XIII (right)’s Cid Raines is a brigadier general who is also known for being one of the most youthful of the many Cids.

FF XIV, FF XV

FF XIV’s Cid (left) is known as Cid nan Garlond, the leader of a group of engineers (so many engineers!) And, bringing our timeline of Cids right up to date, FF XV’s Cidney (right) is the first female Cid to feature in a Final Fantasy game, and is already drawing a lot of attention from fans of the game for her revealing outfit.

But wait, there’s more! You didn’t think we were going to stop at just the numbered titles, did you? There are still so many more Cids to celebrate! Let’s move on to the other Final Fantasy titles!

Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

Cidolfus Orlandeau from Final Fantasy Tactics (left) is a holy swordsman who also becomes playable later in the game. The bright red cloak and ginger beard are pretty fetching, don’t you think? Cid Randell from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (center) is a Judgemaster, which makes him a pretty important dude. He also has some sweet armour and a little beardy thing, too. (Is it us or is he kind of cute?!) Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (right) features a Cid (just plain old Cid), who is the leader of a hunters’ clan. He also looks the least human out of the Cids so far, with those pointy ears and little horns.

Final Fantasy Chocobo series (Chocobo Stallion), Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon

The portly, dungaree-clad Cid (left) appears in the Chocobo racing series. Here, he’s a farmer with a big ol’ hoe. In Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon, (right) Cid is an inventor and treasure hunter who travels the world by Chocobo. His cowboy-ish style looks pretty sturdy and comfy for travelling in, but that jaunty neck scarf hints at a secret love of fashion. These two Cids couldn’t be more different!

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers

The Cid in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (left) isn’t a human at all – he’s a Moogle called Mogcid! He’s one of a group of Moogle brothers, and they’re all cute as buttons. The Cid on the right isn’t human, either – he’s a “Lilty” – one of a tribe of plant-like people.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Final Fantasy: Unlimited

The Final Fantasy movie didn’t forget about Cid – he appears as Dr Sid, a Canadian scientist who is voiced by Donald Sutherland. Despite Cids being traditionally older and wise men, Final Fantasy Unlimited’s Cid is just an energetic young kid.

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, Final Fantasy Dimensions

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest’s Cid (left) is named Otto Cid Bekenstein. You may find it hard to tell what he looks like from the tiny picture (those classis SNES graphics!) but he seems to be one of the more elderly Cids. Cid from Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is a fairly minor NPC who updates the player on various game statistics. In Final Fantasy Dimensions, Cid is the leader of a fleet of airships, and with that frowny face and stiff moustache, he looks to be one of the more intimidating Cids in terms of looks.

Final Fantasy Type-O, Final Fantasy Record Keeper, Final Fantasy Explorers

In Final Fantasy Type-O, Cid Aulstyne is the first Cid to be a major antagonist. He’s all of 76 years old though, so most seasoned players should be able to kick his butt. Final Fantasy Record Keeper is a smartphone Final Fantasy game that features a Cid character with a fairly fancy cane. Our Final Final Fantasy Cid (see what we did there?) is from a game that’s only just been released in Japan, so we’re going to have to wait a little while to find out more about him. All we know is that he’s certainly a snappy dresser.

So that’s it, the full roundup of every Cid in the Final Fantasy games. What’s your favourite Cid?

Source: Kotaku JP via Hachima Kikou
Images: Hachima Kikou