If you played a Final Fantasy game, chances are you’ve met a brilliant engineer by the name of Cid. Although they take place in entirely different universes (crossovers like Dissidia, for example), each Final Fantasy game has a different version of the mechanical genius. Although they’re all different, they represent a Final Fantasy tradition – just as iconic as the moogles and chocobos.

Related: Final Fantasy: The Best (& Worst) Versions Of Cid

Where is Cid from? Is there a connection between the characters in addition to their names? Did Cid really appear in all Final Fantasy title so far? Here’s everything there is to know about Cid – or rather, all the Cids.

Origin of Cid

Cid first appeared in Final Fantasy 2 as a knight-turned-inventor who takes Firion and his party around the world via his personal airship for a nominal fee. When Cid’s airship is hijacked by the Palamecian Empire, the heroes are able to retrieve it – saving both Cid and Princess Hilda. Cid is subsequently mortally wounded in an Imperial attack, adding him to the relatively long list of supporting characters who die in Final Fantasy 2. On his deathbed, Cid leaves the airship to Firion, giving the heroes a powerful weapon in their fight against Emperor Mateus. .

While Cid could have been a unique character like Josef or Minwu, Final Fantasy 3 featured another airship inventor and owner who bore the name. Cid’s inclusion in Final Fantasy 3 made him one of the recurring elements of the series alongside the chocobos, which also debuted in Final Fantasy 2 before returning in game three. Since each title is a stand-alone story with its own separate world, these connecting factors helped build what would become the Final Fantasy mythos and serve as throwbacks for dedicated fans.

Related: Final Fantasy: Every Cid, Ranked

Cid’s name is derived from an Arabic word, translated into Latin characters as direyid or sidi. It is an honorary title which means “lord”, “master” or more generally “sir”. It is often used to refer to descendants of the Prophet and, as such, indicates great respect in Muslim culture. The spelling “Cid” is most commonly associated with Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, an 11th century knight who fought for Christian and Muslim overlords in what is now Spain and became known as ” El Cid” among Spanish-speaking Muslims at the time.

Although the original Final Fantasy is the only main series title not to include Cid, later remakes referenced Cid de la Lufaine as the builder of the only airship in the game. This Cid is also the narrator of the Dissidia spin-off series, placing him as the overseer of the conflict between Cosmos and Chaos and, therefore, a major figure in the retroactive Final Fantasy multiverse.

RELATED: Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin: Who Is The Lufenians’ Extraplanar Collaborator?

Every Main Series Cid So Far

Full Name	Games)	Remarks
cid		the original cide. Rents his airship to the party, and later bequeaths it to them after his death.
Cid Haze		Saved from a curse by the Light Warriors. Develop and modify an airship for the heroes to use. The first Cid to join the player’s party, albeit as a guest personage.
Cid Pollendina	Final Fantasy 4 (1991) Final Fantasy 4: The After Years (2009) Final Fantasy 4 ~Interlude~ (2011)	Close friend of Cecil. Designed and built the airships of the Red Wings, the source of Baron’s military power. Joins the party as a fully playable party member for part of the game, wielding Hammers as his weapon. His unique combat ability allows him to scan enemies without magic. Help Cecil steal the Enterprise from Baron, giving the group their first airship. Modifies the Enterprise and later the Falcon. Shows little respect for personal safety, often works to exhaustion and once jump from the deck of the airship with a bomb to stop the pursuers.
Cid Previa		Developed a device to extract energy from the Four Crystals, damaging and destroying them in the long term. Realized his mistake but was imprisoned by the Queen of Karnak for trying to repair the damage. Meet Bartz and his companions as they attempt to escape from prison. Assisted by his grandson Mid. Develops and modifies several travel modes for heroes (including airships and submarines), including a way for them to get to Galuf’s homeworld.
Cid Del Norte Marguez		Imperial engineer who developed Magitekallowing humans to use magic. Father figure to Celes, who grew up to be a Magitek Knight and Imperial General. Attempts to help the heroes after learning that his technology requires the death of espers. After Kefka turns the world upside down, Cid and Celes have been alone on an island for a long time. Cid cares for Celes during a year-long coma and builds a raft for them to escape when she revives. Depending on Celes’ actions after waking up, Cid may die of malnutrition on the island.
Cid Highwind	Final Fantasy 7 (1997) Before the Crisis (2004) Cerberus’ funeral song (2006)	Worked with Shinra’s space program in hopes of being the first person in space. Cid aborted the launch at the last second upon learning that Shera was in the blast zone attempting to fix a potentially dangerous flaw. After the launch failed, Shinra withdrew funding, leaving Cid and his rocket to rot. Bitter and rude chain smoker. Joins Team Cloud as a permanent member of the group, wielding spears as a type of weapon. Steal Shinra’s airship, the Highwind. Assumes temporary leadership of the party when Cloud is incapacitated. Travels through space aboard his rocket when Shinra attempts to return it to service. Cid is an enemy boss in the FF7 prequel Before the crisis.
Cid Kramer		Founder of SeeD and Director of Balamb Garden. Husband of Edea, whom he keeps secret from Squall and his team while Edea is controlled by Ultimecia. Development of SeeD with funding from NORG to combat the threat of the Witch. Cid has little power with the Garden staff, as they answer to NORG rather than him. Transfers command of SeeD to Squall after the Battle of Balamb Garden, unable to wage a war against his own wife. Reunites with Edea after her witch powers are neutralized and Ultimecia’s control is broken.
Regent Cid Fabool IX		Ruler of Lindblum. Garnet refers to him as his uncle, although they are not blood relatives. Developed the Hilda Garde, an airship capable of flying without mist. His wife Hilda turned him into an oglop when she found out he was having an affair. Hilda stole the Hilda Guard and left Lindblum, soon falling into Kuja’s clutches when he took the ship for himself. When the group encounters him, Cid attempts to build a second Hilda Guard, but her new form impairs his mental abilities. Cid ends up ordering a potion to return to his human form, but it turns him into a frog instead. After reuniting with Hilda and making amends, she transforms him back into a human, and he designs a brand new airship for Zidane and the team to pursue Kuja.
cid	Final Fantasy 10 (2001) Final Fantasy X-2 (2003)	Rikku’s father and Yuna’s uncle. Cid’s sister married Braska, Yuna’s father. Leader of the Al Behd, considered a heretic by the Temple of Yevon. Attempts to prevent summoners from completing their pilgrimages by kidnapping them. Send Rikku to capture Yuna before she can perform the final summon. Convinced by Tidus to let Yuna attempt to break the spiral, giving the group their airship.
cid		Main quest giver in Bastok. Renowned engineer and inventor. Has one son, Midras (Mid for short). Develop airships and help defeat Bahamut during the Chains of Promathia script.
Cidolfus Demen Bunansa		The first Cid to serve as a villain. Balthier’s father. Expanded the Archadian Empire’s airship fleet. Obsessed with crafting and the power derived from nethicite to overthrow Occuria. Indifferent to methods and only interested in results. Attempts to gain divine power from the Sun-Cryst, forcing the party to fight and kill him.
Al Cid Margrace	Final Fantasy 12 (2006) Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (2007)	Royalty of the Kingdom of Rozarria. Attempts to broker peace in Ivalice, but Vayne’s coup prevents him. Hires troops to help Dalmasca drive out the Archadian occupiers when it becomes clear that war is inevitable. Playable character in Final Fantasy Tactics A2using guns as a weapon type.
Cid Raines	Final Fantasy 13 (2009) Flashbacks (2013)	Officer of the Sanctum Guardian Corps, another antagonist. Commander of the Lindblum airship. Wants to overthrow the Sanctum. His betrayal is discovered by Barthandelus, who makes Cid a l’Cie and forces him to guide Lightning and the others to their destiny. After seeing the heroes challenge their fate, Cid decides to go against Barthandelus and reveals his plan to them. Cid becomes a Cie’th when his focus fails, forcing the party to kill him. Lightning briefly communicates with Cid’s soul during his time as Savior, who offers him guidance in his quest.
Cid nan Garlond		A gifted magitek engineer. Supported the Warrior of Light, transporting the hero in his personal airship the Enterprise to defeat Nael. Badly injured when Bahamut woke up, he lost his memory and became a priest. Travel with the Warrior of Light to recover his memories and restore his airships. Eventually recovers, continuing to support the Warrior of Light throughout his adventures.
Cid Sophiar		Owner of Hammerhead Garage and former fellow adventurer of Noctis’ father, King Regis. Had a falling out with Regis until shortly before the King’s death, when asked to take care of Noctis. Offers the services of his garage to operate the Regalia. Turn the Garage into a base of operations for Demon Hunters after the Starscourge.
Cidney Aurum		Localized as Cindy in the English version. The first woman Cid. Cid’s granddaughter and main party contact in Hammerhead. Use his mechanical knowledge to help the group free Lestallum. Provides all Regalia repairs and upgrades throughout the game. Enthusiastic and competent, dedicated to her work.

Next: Best Final Fantasy Airships

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The the Lord of the Rings movies have arguably come out to match the links with video game movies. The series has everything from traditional hack-and-slash action games to strategy titles, but one of the strangest and most interesting of all was that of 2004 The third Age. Part Final fantasy counterfeiting, part movie story, he asked a strange question: how do you tell the story of the Fellowship of the Ring, without the Community really being there?

The answer: you create your own community with registered serial numbers.

Though there is no Hobbits to find in The third AgeFollowing, his motley party follows essentially in the shadow of the Fellowship in the Lord of the Rings from the start with an almost comical proximity. There are two Gondorians, a Knight named Berethor and a Ranger named Elegost, two Rohirrim, a member of Theoden’s Guard (Eoaden) and a Villager (Morwen), an Elf (Idrial) and a Dwarf (Hadhod). Opening with Berethor ambushed on the way to Rivendell to accompany Bormir’s party to Elrond’s council in Fellowship of the Ring. From there it’s a 30 hour re-imagination of the the Lord of the Rings movies with RPG mechanics that can only diplomatically be described as stolen from the back of a truck labeled “Kids like it Final Fantasy X, Law?”

It is comical how regular brotherhood – something you can seemingly just become by getting a few random people together, instead of being some sort of formal title like the one Elrond gives to Frodo and his retinue – is to reality everything throughout the events of The third Age. Guided by Gandalf’s psychic communication – in the form of reels of unlockable movie clips and new narration from Sir Ian McKellen (why didn’t he consider doing this with Frodo after the Fellowship split ? His death and rebirth doesn’t stop him chatting with Berethor!) – Berethor and his friends run from the forests around Rivendell to Moria. Then from there to the villages of Rohan and Helm’s Deep, and finally Osgiliath, Minas Tirith, and even literally the top of Barad-DUR to take turns stinging Sauron’s giant eyeball to complete the game.

Aside from rare moments, the party is actually alongside the main LotR characters – helping Gandalf fight the Balrog in Moria and the Wizard King in Minas Tirith, or helping Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli hold Helm’s Deep – they’re explicitly in the shadow of the main community, just offscreen or moments behind. them. At one point in Moria it is your part that watches the Pippin dwarf skeleton rampage through the ceiling to land right in front of you. In another, as you level up Minas Tirith during the siege to help Gandalf, you literally reach the top. like Denethor runs screaming past you in the flames, turning his death into something that definitely needs the Benny Hill theme in the background:

But despite all the absurdity without comment of having a LotR a game so close to the characters and events of the movies (but with original protagonists), these are the moments that the story of The third Age Steps away from the movies premise that this is perhaps the strangest. At the start of Gandalf’s film reel release with Berethor, you learn that the wizard asked you for some sort of greatness that Berethor doesn’t remember at all (probably it’s “we’ll let you go sting Sauron’s eye. with a stick in 40 hours while Frodo does the actual work. ”) In fact, Berethor doesn’t really remember much of anything at the start of the game, other than that a) he deserted the previous battle for Osgiliath between the Gondorian forces under the command of Boromir and Faramir and the orcs of Sauron, and b) he is supposed to catch up with Boromir’s group in the Council of Elrond. And yet, throughout the early parts of The third Age, Berethor is plagued by these visions, both warnings of his importation from Gandalf and possibly darker threats from Saruman (a return Christophe lee).

It is finally revealed that Berethor is apparently the most put human on Middle-earth. Prior to the events of the game, he was grimly bewitched by Saruman who believed Boromir succumb to the power of the Ring and claim it for Gondor at the Council of Elrond (or snatch it from Frodo). With Berethor as Saruman unconscious accomplice of the reunion, he would wake up as a Gondorian candidate and take the ring for Saruman. But he did not do it ! And Berethor was fine, because … reasons. Because he stood next to Aragorn for a while in Helm’s Deep? It remains unclear. But that’s not all! He shoots what can only be described as an “inverted Aragora”. First up, there’s a completely lifeless subplot where Berethor falls in love with Idrial after saving him early in the game, only for her to say “wait, we bring you a Rohan woman that you’ll end up with. Moreover, in the second battle for Osgiliath, it was revealed that the reason Berethor fled the first time was because, like Frodo, he was stabbed with the Morgul blade of the Wizard King. contrary to Frodo however, it didn’t slowly poison Berethor and turn him into a Wraith, it didn’t do anything until he had to remove the tip of Morgul’s blade from his chest in the middle of the fight for that he could harm the Ringwraith.

It’s … bananas. Makes all the more bananas as this absurd Middle-earth fanfic is wrapped around a superficial imitation of the combat mechanics of Final Fantasy X which, at the time, was one of the most beloved console RPGs. it makes you revisit The third Age like playing a weird mix of pretty fine turn-based fantasy RPG between dumping moments from Ian McKellen lore the Lord of the Rings for you. And yet there is a charm in her involuntary madness that few others LotR the games have captured since. There have been better games — the Shadow of Mordor/Shadow of war duology, for example– but none have captured the themes at the heart of JRR Tolkien’s films and novels quite so well. It’s all there, in its weird way: the idea of ​​persevering in the face of darkness, that the most unlikely of us can rise to the challenge and become heroes, that fate can be challenged and taken in hand. It just happens to throw yourself a hell of a Middle-earth shaped kitchen sink in the process.

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