The real life of... Cid
Our sensational monthly look at a PlayStation icon

CID EITHER HAS multiple personality disorder, or he’s Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap. If the latter is true, it’s a bit odd that he keeps jumping into the bodies of middle-aged men called Cid, although it would explain why he’s been a major part of so many worlds. Whichever it is, Cid is clearly a deeply troubled man, despite always saving the day.

Let’s see… His record shows that he’s been a headmaster, has participated in six airship-related adventures, has died twice and even went into space. It’s hard to keep up with how odd he looks in each weird adventure – from battle nerd to cigar-toting badass, he’s a psychopath of the highest order. Appropriate for a guy that can’t pick a body and then stick with it, but it’s still more terrifying than an electric baby.

Cid’s life becomes increasingly confusing with each analysis. For example, in Final Fantasy III, why did he look like Rolf Harris? Does any man do that to himself willingly? His personality has taken numerous guises : in Final Fantasy XII, Cid chose to be a villain, suggesting that his spirit may have turned sour after being bitch-slapped so many times.

Perhaps he should stop getting involved with such perilous business, and try sailing down the Ganges in a dinghy, for example, or sculpting the genitalia of a Greek goddess. Either way, give the man a break. It’s diffi cult to deal with spiky blonde-haired psychos, angsty River Phoenix look-alikes and dumb kids without wanting to top yourself.

Perhaps it’s his undeniable allure that makes him so enduring. From sexy, bald airship pilot in FFX to sorceresscourting lothario in Final Fantasy VIII, he’s a real ladies’ man. In almost all of his bodies, he’s managed to get frisky with someone. He usually preferred airships to women, but this is just the sign of a confi dent, misogynistic man. Women come and go, but airships are a constant: Cid knows what he likes, and won’t tolerate females getting in his way.

That’s why he treated Shera like a green turd in Final Fantasy VII. She prevented him from achieving his dream of going into space, so she was shoved around for her wrongdoing – whichever reality he stumbles into, he don’t take shit from nobody. Still, we’re hopeful that he’ll resolve the personality disorder. Will his next leap take him home, or will he just jump into the body of a pregnant woman? Who knows? Cid is getting hard to keep track of, but our care for him will never waver – unless he looks like Rolf Harris again.