Cid Highwind

Cid Highwind is a playable character in Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Remake. He is the last mandatory party member to join the group.

Once a student of mechanical science, he fails to fulfill his dream of sending a rocket to space. Given his distrust of the Shinra Electric Power Company, he joins Cloud in his fight against them after a Shinra executive attempts to steal his plane, the Tiny Bronco.

Cid, a spear user, has a habit of swearing and chain smoking cigarettes. Although he has a short temper, he has a good heart. He carries on the long tradition of each Final Fantasy title having a character named Cid.

Table Of Contents

    Cid Highwind
    Age
    32 (Final Fantasy VII)
    26 (Before Crisis)
    34 (Advent Children)
    35 (Dirge of Cerberus)
    Birthday
    February 22, 1975
    Race
    Human
    Gender
    Male
    Height
    5’10” (178cm)
    Blood Type
    B
    Weapon
    Spears
    Ultimate Weapon
    Venus Gospel
    Ultimate Limit Break
    Highwind
    Designer
    Tetsuya Nomura
    Voice Actors
    Kazuhiro Yamaji (Japanese)
    Chris Edgerly (English)
    Theme Song
    Cid’s Theme – Nobuo Uematsu

    Appearance and Personality

    Cid has blond hair and blue eyes. The stubbled man wears a navy blue flight jacket over a dark shirt along with a white pilot’s scarf. Sporting green cargo pants, leather gloves, and leather boots, he also wears a pair of goggles with a pack of cigarettes kept strapped beneath the band. At the end of each battle, he can be seen lighting a cigarette in celebration. 

    Although his weapon of choice is a firearm, he has an affinity for firearms, as can be seen by two M-14s and an AK-47 in his engineering room. 

    Cid’s outfit is similar in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus. He wears a light blue T-shirt and a brown bomber jacket tied around his waist. While he still wears goggles, he isn’t seen smoking in Advent Children. In Dirge of Cerberus, he can be seen lighting a cigarette and the end of the game, and his face and chin look thinner than in Final Fantasy VII. Tetsuya Nomura has noted that Cid’s appearance was designed without fashion in mind, as Cid is someone who values hard work. Takeshi Nozue, the co-director of Advent Children, has gone on record to say that Cid’s T-shirt in the film was surprisingly difficult to render. 

    In Kingdom Hearts, Cid wears blue pants with a white T-shirt and a belly warmer. Due to the age of the perceived playerbase, he doesn’t smoke, but rather chews on a toothpick.

    Known for cursing, several of Cid’s lines are obscured in Final Fantasy VII, appearing as jumbled symbols. Although he is crude, he has a kind heart–his bad attitude is due to the loss of his dream of spaceflight. Unable to move on, he remains angry and unfulfilled.

    Cid prefers to aim for the heart of the problem rather than deal with trivialities. At certain points in the game, he seems entirely uninterested in the party’s plight. During the group’s trip to the Gold Saucer, Cid sleeps while Cloud details the upcoming mission to the Temple of the Ancients. He also sleeps during Cloud’s breakdown on the Highwind. 

    In the beginning, Cid finds the group’s goal of saving the Planet ridiculous, though he eventually sees it in a positive light. 

    In English translations, Cid speaks with an American southern accent. 

    Weapons and Abilities

    Cid wields a spear in battle. Given his jump-themed attacks, high attack and defense stats, and low magic stats, he roughly fits the description of a Dragoon, a traditional job class in the Final Fantasy series.

    Many of Cid’s weapons have numerous Materia slots with double AP growth. The Scimitar, for example, is one of only two weapons in the game to give triple AP growth.

    WeaponStatsMateria SlotsLocation
    Spear44 Atk
    8 Mag
    4 LinkedStarter Weapon
    Slash Lance56 Atk
    10 Mag
    4 Linked, 1 UnlinkedWutai: 6,500g
    Trident60 Atk
    12 Mag
    6 UnlinkedJunon (after Highwind): 7,500g
    *Can find in the Temple of the Ancients
    Mast Ax64 Atk
    15 Mag
    4 Linked, 2 UnlinkedIcicle Inn: 13,000g
    Partisan78 Atk
    17 Mag
    6 LinkedMideel: 19,000g
    Viber Halberd58 Atk
    13 Mag
    4 UnlinkedJunon (after Highwind): 7,000g
    *Can find in the Forgotten Capital
    Javelin62 Atk
    12 Mag
    4 Linked, 1 UnlinkedFound on Gaea's Cliff (chest in ice cave)
    Grow Lance78 Atk
    31 Mag
    6 LinkedFound in the Shinra Building (Part 2, Floor 63)
    Mop68 Atk
    3 Mag
    NoneJunon (after Highwind): 3,200g
    *Can find in the Bone Village (can be dug up)
    Dragoon Lance66 Atk
    7 Mag
    8 UnlinkedJunon (after Highwind): 6,200g
    *Can find at the Da-chao Statue (fire caves)
    Scimitar86 Atk
    20 Mag
    2 LinkedFound in the Underwater Reactor (Submarine Docks)
    Flayer100 Atk
    20 Mag
    6 UnlinkedFound in the Gold Saucer (after Highwind, score at least 5,000 points in Speed Square)
    Spirit Lance92 Atk
    43 Mag
    4 LinkedFound in the Sunken Gelnika
    Venus Gospel97 Atk
    42 Mag
    8 LinkedGift in Rocket Town (after talking to the man who watches the rocket three times after the rocket launch during the Huge Materia event)

    Many of Cid’s Limit Breaks hit multiple enemies or hit multiple times, with both Hyper Jump and Dragon Dive having the potential to inflict instant death. Cid learns his Limit Breaks quickly and their power is determined based on his physical strength stat.

    Limit Break NameHow to UnlockEffect
    Boost Jump (Level 1)Starter Limit BreakJumps into the air and strikes a single enemy with a spear doing 3 1⁄4 times normal damage.
    Dynamite (Level 1)Use Boost Jump 7 timesLights a stick of dynamite with a cigarette before throwing it at all enemies doing 2 1⁄4 times normal damage.
    Hyper Jump (Level 2)Kill 60 enemiesJumps into the air and strikes the ground with a spear, causing a massive explosion doing 3 ⁄2 times normal damage to all enemies. Has a 20% chance to inflict Instant Death.
    Dragon (Level 2)Use Hyper Jump 6 timesSummons a dragon to attack a single enemy, doing 1 1⁄4 times normal damage and healing Cid's HP and MP by 25% of the approximate damage dealt.
    Dragon Dive (Level 3)Kill 76 enemies after obtaining Hyper JumpStrikes six random enemies, doing 1 7⁄16 normal damage. Has 28% chance to inflict Instant Death.
    Big Brawl (Level 3)Use Dragon Dive 5 timesSlashes eight random enemies, doing 1 1⁄8 normal damage.
    Highwind (Level 4)Use the Highwind manual after learning Cid's other six Limit BreaksSummons the Highwind to drop missiles on eighteen random enemies, doing 1⁄16 times normal damage.

    Character Design

    During early production, Cid’s role as a pilot remained largely the same. His dream of going to space along with the loss of that dream also remained the same. Cid was envisioned as joining the party following Meteor’s summoning, tasked with piloting the rocket that would destroy Meteor using Materia. However, he would have been completely unaware that this was a suicide mission, instead being tricked by Shinra into thinking it was a mission to the moon. The party would have then hopped aboard to save him, but Cid would be unaccepting of the truth until it was too late, forcing them to utilize the escape pod as seen in the final version.

    Although the inspiration for his character remains unclear, many speculate that Cid was based on Homer Hadley Hickam Jr., a former NASA engineer and Virginian US Army veteran. Inspired to go into space after seeing Sputnik 1 during his youth, he helped train the first Japanese astronauts and penned a memoir titled Rocket Boys. The 1999 film October Sky was inspired by Hickam.

    Early Life

    As a young boy, Cid developed an obsession with flight. With a dream of becoming the first man in space, he nearly reaches his goal after joining the Shinra Space Program. Alongside his goal of being an astronaut, Cid was also a skilled pilot and engineer, designing a number of aircrafts including the propeller plane Tiny Bronco and the airship Highwind. Initially, Shinra intended to have Cid pilot their rocket Shinra No. 26–in Before Crisis, the launch date is listed as April 11, 2003.

    As Vice President Rufus Shinra oversees the festivities, he notes his disinterest in space travel, finding it utterly pointless. Cid accuses him of being a cynic compared to his father, and soon after, Avalanche attempts to steal the Tiny Bronco. A Turk member, also Rufus’s bodyguard, saves it, though the eco-terrorist group ends up attacking the rocket with Shears serving as the leader. Although the group steals an oxygen tank in an attempt to stop the launch, Cid commands Shinra’s president to continue as scheduled.

    In a last-ditch effort to stop Shinra’s plans, Avalanche kidnaps Cid, though he is soon rescued and the launch begins to countdown. Cid’s assistant Shera is still doing last-minute safety checks, however, and afraid that she will be killed in the blast, Cid calls for the launch to stop. Although he continues to take care of the rocket in the hopes that it can still be launched someday, Shinra cuts the space program soon after, and Shinra No. 26 is abandoned, becoming a tourist attraction in what becomes known as Rocket Town.

    Following the incident with Shinra’s rocket, Cid blames Shera for destroying his dream. Insecure, Shera accepts this, desperate to make amends even when constantly met with Cid’s cruel behavior. Over the years, Cid becomes more and more withdrawn and bitter.

    In Final Fantasy VII

    In Final Fantasy VII, Cloud meets Cid in Rocket Town during the party’s search for Sephiroth. During this initial encounter, the group also meets the newly-inducted President Rufus Shinra, who seeks to use the Tiny Bronco to track Sephiroth himself, though Cid refuses to relinquish it. Cid pleads with the man to restart the space program, but Rufus refuses, calling it a waste of time. Shera approaches Cloud, telling him and the party that she suspects Palmer, a Shinra executive, of trying to steal the plane, which proves to be true.

    After fighting Palmer, the group jumps onto the plane as it takes off without a pilot. Cid jumps aboard as they fly over the house, but Rufus orders it to be shot down. Crashing into the sea, Cid sees his hopes dashed yet again, and having no way to return to Rocket Town he agrees to join Cloud on his search.

    While still a newcomer to the group, Cid often calls the party “numbskulls” for trying to take on Shinra. Often seeming detached from the quest at hand, Cid eventually steps up to bat after Cloud is separated at the North Crater, and both Tifa and Barret are being held captive in Junon. Convincing the crew of the Highwind to defect from Shinra, Cid becomes captain of the airship and saves Barret and Tifa from their impending executions. The Highwind then becomes the group’s airship, which the party uses to find Cloud in Mideel suffering from mako poisoning.

    To destroy the Meteor approaching the planet, Shinra attempts to load Huge Materia onto Shinra No. 26 and prep it for launch. However, Cid attacks two mako reactors to stop Shinra from getting its hands on the Materia in the first place.

    Upon returning to Mideel, Cid finds the town being attacked by Ultimate Weapon. Following the impending fight, an earthquake swallows the town, pulling both Cloud and Tifa into the lifestream. After they wash ashore, the rest of the party takes them to the Highwind to recover.

    Still unwilling to let Shinra’s rocket launch come to pass, Cid and the party infiltrate Shinra No. 26 in Rocket Town. However, the group is soon stuck onboard with Shera as Palmer successfully launches it. The group heads for an escape pod when an oxygen tank suddenly explodes, trapping Cid beneath the rubble. Although he tells the others to go on without him, they refuse, and with Shera’s help, they free him. Cid apologizes to Shera for the way he had treated her in the past, and the party manages to get back to the planet safely.

    Having finally seen the planet from space, Cid reflects that it looks like nothing more than “a sick little kid.” He notes that it’s been infected with Sephiroth, and it was their job to keep it safe.

    Shinra No. 26 fails to stop the Meteor, but with Bugenhagen’s help, the party realizes that Aerith had summoned the power of the ultimate White Magic Spell, Holy, prior to being killed by Sephiroth. Cid accompanies the party as they travel to the Northern Cave to defeat Sephiroth, taking control of the Highwind once the North Crater begins to crumble. Although the ship is damaged when the power of Holy finally strikes, Cid manages to pull an emergency switch to keep it in the air. The group then watches as Meteor is destroyed and the planet is saved.

    Post-Final Fantasy VII

    In the short story collection Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile, Cid appears in the chapter Case of Barret. He and Shera are in the midst of building a new airship in Rocket Town, with Shera operating a refurbished oil drilling rig to provide fuel. Cid helps Barret to find a new purpose in life following the events of the original game, while Barret suggests that Cid could use his new airship to help those with Geostigma.

    During Dirge of Cerberus, Cid works as the leader of an airship division supported by the World Regenesis Organization. He helps Vincent during the Battle of Midgar, taking on both Deepground and Omega.

    In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

    Cid appears to help Cloud and the others during the battle against Bahamut SIN. Piloting his new airship, the Shera, he saves Tifa and Denzel from a barrage of Shadow Creepers, proceeding to carry other members of Avalanche into the ship.

    Appearances in Other Titles

    Cid Highwind appears in the following titles:

    • Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia
    • Final Fantasy VII G-Bike
    • Pictlogica Final Fantasy
    • Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade
    • Final Fantasy Record Keeper
    • Final Fantasy Artniks
    • Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
    • Triple Triad
    • Kingdom Hearts
    • Kingdom Hearts Mobile
    • Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
    • Kingdom Hearts coded
    • Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
    • Kingdom Hearts χ [chi]
    • Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]

    Miscellaneous Trivia

    • The name Cid is derived from an Arabic word meaning ‘lord’ or ‘master.’
    • The term ‘Highwind’ has appeared many times throughout the Final Fantasy series and is associated with Dragoons. It appears in character names in Final Fantasy II (Ricard Highwind), Final Fantasy IV (Kain Highwind), Final Fantasy V (Alexander Highwind Tycoon), Final Fantasy XI (High Wind), and Final Fantasy XV (Aranea Highwind).
    • In Final Fantasy XIII, Highwind is the name of Fang’s full ATB skill, while the Highwind Charm appears as an accessory in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
    • In Final Fantasy XIV, Highwind Skyways is the organization responsible for airship landings in the three major city-states.
    • In Final Fantasy Tactics, the Highwind is a trade ship.
    • In Final Fantasy Type-0, the Highwind is a weapon for Nine.
    • Cid is the only character in the Final Fantasy series to have his full name made out of two recurring names.