Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Cid's history explained

The Cid many of us know and love comes from Final Fantasy VII where he appears with blonde scruffy hair, flying goggles, and a blue jacket. This is what he looks like in the latest game, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

In Rebirth, voiced by J. Michael Tatum, who also voiced Erwin Smith in Attack on Titan - that’s where you know the voice from - Cid Highwind is a former Shinra employee who worked in engineering and has a dream to send a rocket into space. Tending to be in a cantankerous mood, Cid is the wisdom of the team and an older member who is not afraid to speak his mind. His straight talking is seen as a highlight for players as he often says what we as players are thinking.

His appearance in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth comes rather late in the game, so he is AI-controlled, much like Red XIII at the end of the first game, Remake. It’s highly likely Cid will be controllable in the third part of the trilogy. Cid, at first, can be contacted via a smoke signal, however, as the game progresses he’ll be seen more and more.

In the original game Cid is a very bitter man when we first meet him, blaming his assistant, Shera, for the shortcomings in life. Thankfully, in Rebirth, he’s much friendlier, if still a little gruff.

Cid is a very familiar face for those who have played a lot of Final Fantasy over the years. He has become a character who appears in pretty much every installment, even if it’s only a brief appearance.

In Final Fantasy VII and the Remake project, Cid appears as Cid Highwind, an ace pilot who joins the team and provides open-world transport. While Final Fantasy has a few recurring characters, Cid is not only the most popular, but he also changes per game, looking very different with each outing, though he’s usually involved in engineering or becomes a member of your party.