My poisonous trait is that I’m a colossal simp for Final Fantasy VII’s foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, dragoon pilot Cid. My love for this man spans a long time, from when he was a sequence of blobs stacked on high of one another within the unique PlayStation recreation to when he was a unvoiced shopkeeper within the first Kingdom Hearts. As such, I used to be wanting to see him in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, even when he doesn’t get promoted to playable celebration member this time round. After going again and reacquainting myself with the unique recreation, I’m fairly proud of how Square Enix approached the character almost 30 years later.
Spoilers for unique Final Fantasy 7 comply with, however nothing main from Rebirth.
In most ways in which rely, Cid continues to be the identical man followers know and love from FF7 in Rebirth. He’s the pilot of Tiny Bronco, acts just like the dad within the room regardless of being allegedly solely 32 years previous, and is usually grumpy in the direction of everybody. But he’s additionally overtly kindhearted in a manner that possibly didn’t at all times come throughout within the unique recreation. One of his earliest scenes in Rebirth exhibits him realizing he knew Aerith’s mom, Ifalna, and is disheartened to listen to of her passing since they final met years prior. This prompts him to supply his pilot providers totally free, all as a result of he needs to assist the daughter of somebody he as soon as cared for.
Where unique Cid was usually outlined as crass, angsty, and imply (sure, there’s nuance, we’re getting there), Rebirth Cid’s doesn’t really feel fairly as excessive and as a substitute goes for a extra understated assured however nonetheless caring bravado. His no-nonsense practicality feels distinct within the face of some actual weirdos in FF7’s crew, however now it’s a bit of extra reined in. Cid was prickly within the unique recreation, however that facet of him was at all times meant to masks the protecting and supportive particular person he was deep down.
Some long-time followers will probably body this as “altering” him, however I’d argue it brings out the perfect of who Cid at all times was. He’s nonetheless a grouch, however not indiscriminately so. My hope is this may enable Square Enix to raised body future storylines, particularly the one involving his future spouse, Shera. When I used to be excited to see Cid once more, some mates who had performed Final Fantasy 7 extra not too long ago had been shocked to listen to this, given he has a popularity throughout the group. I hadn’t seen Cid work together with Shera in years, however I went again and watched the scenes between the 2 within the unique Final Fantasy 7, and was shocked at how uncomfortable it was to see the 2’s dynamic.
Final Fantasy makes Cid a nicer man
When the crew first meets Shera, they’re mistaken in assuming she is Cid’s spouse at this level, in all probability as a result of the best way he talks to her is textbook abusive husband in a manner somebody within the ‘90s would write a sitcom couple. He berates her for not making their company tea, asks if she’s blind, after which goes off to work on one thing whereas she tends to Cloud and firm. When they inform her to not fear about them, she instantly takes the blame on herself and says that is simply how Cid is. She explains that he sabotaged his personal rocket launch to make sure she wasn’t killed within the blast, and now she feels as if she’s liable for ruining his desires. This is why she places up with the best way he treats her and says she’ll “dwell [her] life for him.”
Watching a person speak right down to a girl as she does home duties wasn’t nice in 1997 and is even worse to look again on now. This is meant to be a revealing second that exhibits that he’s secretly a caring, variety particular person regardless of him being abrasive to quite a lot of the folks he meets. But within the years since Final Fantasy 7, now we have collectively misplaced endurance for abusive habits. Even if Cid resents Shera for her half in destroying his dream, that may be communicated in a far more healthy manner. Thorny relationships, particularly between individuals who supposedly care about one another, don’t need to be mean-spirited and hurtful. They can simply be clumsy, awkward, and finally restorative.
My hope is that as a result of Cid appears a bit extra even-tempered in Rebirth, his relationship with Shera will be explored in a manner that feels much less brazenly misogynistic and abusive 30 years later. Toning down his antagonism in Rebirth in favor of creating him a stern and passionate pilot who hoots and hollers his manner into everybody’s hearts, makes for a much more likable and modern take. And contemplating how Rebirth’s story performs into his bigger arc, I’m to see how Square handles it.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is, regardless of some weighty moments, a fairly joyful recreation. It makes use of most of its prolonged time with the solid to simply allow them to hang around, vibe, and play some foolish mini-games. Recreating Cid as he was in 1997 would have been diametrically against the imaginative and prescient of the Final Fantasy 7 universe Rebirth is making an attempt to create. The Remake sequence has the perfect variations of those characters to this point, and chipping away a few of the sharp edges to get to Cid’s coronary heart of gold is the way you modernize the character. He’s one other instance of those video games recognizing {that a} remake doesn’t need to uncritically mimic one thing from a long time in the past.
The Honey Bee Inn was as soon as a brothel and stage for homosexual panic, the place Remake retools it to be a queer-inclusive nightclub. Cid continues to be a stingy previous man however doesn’t need to be uncomfortably merciless to somebody he cares about. If Square Enix retains him as such within the subsequent recreation and might higher body his relationship with Shera, he’ll be one other bullet level on the record of issues the workforce bought proper this time round.
But carry his cigarettes again, Square Enix. That man smells like an ashtray, I do know it.
