Cid Highwind

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Cid Highwind
Cid Highwind artwork by Tetsuya Nomura
Game series	Final Fantasy series and Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
First game	Final Fantasy VII
Character designer(s)	Tetsuya Nomura
Voice actor(s) (English)	Chris Edgerly
Voice actor(s) (Japanese)	Kazuyuki Yama (Compilation of Final Fantasy VII) Kazuhiro Yamaji (Kingdom Hearts II)
In-Universe Information
Class/Job	Pilot
Weapon	Spears
Age	32
Blood type	B

Cid Highwind (シド・ハイウィンド, Shido Haiwindo^?) is a playable character in Final Fantasy VII. He is part of a long tradition of Final Fantasy Cids. In Japan, he was voiced by Kazuyuki Yama for the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. However, he is voiced by Kazuhiro Yamaji in the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts II. In the English versions of Kingdom Hearts II, Advent Children, and Dirge of Cerberus, Cid is voiced by Chris Edgerly.

He is the most uncouth of the protagonists, constantly swearing, losing his temper and chain-smoking cigarettes. Despite this rough appearance, he has a good heart, and is even voted temporary leader of AVALANCHE at one point. The residents of Rocket Town all call him "the Captain," where he serves as something of an honorary mayor. Shin-Ra's airship maintenance crew considers him a legend and were easily convinced to mutiny in stealing the Highwind for him. He fits into the archetype of an oyaji.

1 Biography
- 1.1 Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
- 1.2 Kingdom Hearts series
2 Quotes
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography

Since childhood, Cid dreamed of becoming the first human in space. He almost achieved this goal through the Shin-Ra Space Program during Final Fantasy VII: Before Crisis, four years before the events of Final Fantasy VII. However, just as the rocket, Shin-Ra No. 26, was about to launch, Cid realized that an engineer named Shera had defied orders and ran a last-minute double-check of the rocket's oxygen tanks. Continuing the launch on schedule would have resulted in her death, and so Cid scrapped the launch in order to save her life. In the wake of this disaster, Shin-Ra concluded that space exploration was not financially viable, and withdrew funding from the project altogether.^[1]^[2]

Cid Highwind as he appears in Advent Children

The hot-tempered Cid blamed Shera for destroying his dream, and Shera, being extremely devoted to him and the achievement of his dream, accepted the blame completely. After the incident Shera devoted herself to doing whatever she could to atone for her "mistake," and Cid continued to treat her abominably.^[3] However, her concern over the oxygen tanks is eventually proven to have merit when an explosion of the oxygen tank she was checking during the original launch temporarily traps Cid in orbit during a later successful attempt to launch the rocket into space. After this, Cid finally forgives Shera, realizing that she probably saved his life.^[4] As a result, he has a newfound respect for Shera and her work.

It was Cid who together with his airship crew saved Tifa Lockhart and the party from Shin-Ra at Junon and took them onboard the Highwind. And because of his role as captain of that ship he is made temporary leader of AVALANCHE during the Huge Materia missions at Fort Condor and North Corel.

Aside from his ambitions as an astronaut, Cid designed a number of aircraft and is also a great pilot. Among his designs were the propellor plane, the Tiny Bronco, and the airships Highwind and Shera (the successor to the Highwind seen in Advent Children, named in honor of Shera—in Japanese, it is called the Sierra, which are both the same name in Japanese).

[edit] Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

By the time of Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, one year after the events of Advent Children, he is a legendary airship pilot and became the leader of an airship division with support from the World Regenesis Organization. He leads the attack against the DeepGround Soldiers in Midgar from behind the controls of his airship. In the end of the game he does his part in defeating Omega WEAPON by destroying a Shin-Ra reactor, cutting off the monster's power. Other reactors are destroyed by fellow AVALANCHE members and the WRO. By the time of Dirge of Cerberus Cid is married to Shera (he even mentions that she has been worried about Vincent^[5]).

[edit] Kingdom Hearts series

In Kingdom Hearts, Cid fled his hometown of Hollow Bastion and ended up in Traverse Town where he worked as a store attendant. Together with Aerith, Yuffie and Leon he aided Sora in his battle against the Heartless. Cid later gave up his job as a store attendant and, true to his love of flying, started selling Gummi ship parts. In the ending credits of Kingdom Hearts Cid is seen reuniting Cloud Strife with the other Final Fantasy characters, and mainly Aerith.

In Kingdom Hearts II Cid operates from the wizard Merlin's House in Hollow Bastion as a member of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, where a large computer has been customized for his use. While Sora and the other heroes are off fighting the Heartless in the canyon it is Cid and Merlin who are left to defend the city of Hollow Bastion. The two do not get along during the game due to Cid favoring science over magic. Unlike in Kingdom Hearts, Cid gains a speaking role in the sequel.

In both games, Cid's infamous foul mouth is devoid of any kind of swearing, and his smoking is replaced by a long toothpick-like piece of wood that he chews on. His outfit is also different than the Final Fantasy versions.

[edit] Quotes

"Captain?! I'm the captain!"

"Can't you see we have guests? Make them some @*C$#%& tea!!"

"Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and drink your goddamn tea!"

"I don't want to regret not having done something later."

"I don't care if it's science or magical power. No, come to think of it, if I had to, I'd put my faith in science. Because of science, humans who used to only roam around on the ground are able to fly now! And finally, we're about to go into outer space. Science is `Power' created and developed by humans. And science just might be what saves this planet. I was able to earn my living thanks to science. So to me, there's nothing greater!"

"She's a beauty! My Shera, the latest model. I'll give you the grand tour afterward!"

"If you die on that field, I'll take you outta Hell and kill you again!"

"Don't you like my @*C$#%& hospitality? Sit down!"

"Alright everyone, let's mosey." - Cloud "Damn man! Again! Why you always gotta say it like a wimp?! Why can't you say something cool like, 'Move out'?" - Cid "Okay...Move out." - Cloud

[edit] References

^ Cid: "And finally we get to the day of the launch. Everything was goin' well... But, because of that dumb-ass Shera, the launch got messed up. That's why they became so anal! And so, Shinra nixed their outer space exploration plans. After they told me how the future was Space Exploration and got my damn hopes up... DAMN THEM! Then, it was all over once they found out Mako energy was profitable. They didn't even so much as look at space exploration. Money, moola, dinero! My dream was just a financial number for them!"(Final Fantasy VII)
^ Shera: "He pushed the Emergency Engine Shut Down switch, aborting the mission, to save my life. After that, the Space Program was cut back and the launch was canceled."(Final Fantasy VII)
^ Shera: "It's my fault his dream was destroyed... That's why... it's all right. I don't care what the Captain says, I'll live my life for him."(Final Fantasy VII)
^ Cid: "Tank Number 8 blew up...... So Tank Number 8... really was malfunctioning...... Shera... You were right."(Final Fantasy VII)
^ Cid: "Even Shera's been worried about you. And you know how she gets." (Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus)