Cid Highwind
| Cid Highwind | |
|---|---|
| Final Fantasy character | |
 Cid Highwind artwork by Tetsuya Nomura for Final Fantasy VII | |
First appearance | Final Fantasy VII (1997) |
Last appearance | Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024) |
| Designed by | Tetsuya Nomura |
| Voiced by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Weapon | Spears |
| Home | Rocket Town |
Cid Highwind (Japanese: シド・ハイウィンド, Hepburn: Shido Haiwindo) is a playable character from Final Fantasy VII, a role-playing game by Square Enix released in 1997. He is an airship pilot who the protagonist Cloud Strife first encounters trying to restart a rocket program, which Shinra cancelled due to the actions his assistant Shera took out of concern for the safety of the rocket. Believing that her actions were not justified, he blames her for the incident and verbally abuses her. Shortly thereafter, Cid accompanies the party alongside his hydroplane, the Tiny Bronco. Cid also appears in multiple Compilation of Final Fantasy VII installments, which expand on his past as he assists Cloud and fellow character Vincent Valentine in their respective fights. He has also appeared in the Kingdom Hearts series as a seller and engineer working in Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion, assisting main protagonist Sora.
Following a recurring series of male characters in the series known as "Cid", Tetsuya Nomura designed Cid with the idea of mirroring the Dragon Knight from previous installments by fighting with a spear and performing high jumps. He was written to contrast with fellow character Barret Wallace, both short-tempered middle-aged men the player's character, Cloud, has to deal with, but each with a different obsession.
Critical response to Cid's character was initially positive, often regarded as one of the best characters in the franchise due to his attitude, design, and handling of airships, to the point of demanding a spin-off centered around him. However, later critical reception became negative as a result of his poor relationship with Shera, resulting in Square Enix changing his backstory in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Critics were divided if the change to the character's story from an abusive man to a caring friend of Aerith Gainsborough's mother was well-executed in the game.