Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest game releases, with fans having to wait anxiously since the first part of the trilogy debuted back in 2020 and left everyone on a dramatic cliffhanger at the outskirts of Midgar.
The chance to relive the next major act of the story is finally just around the corner, and several new characters await Cloud and his allies on the journey ahead.
One such beloved and iconic character is Cid Highwind, an ambitious pilot down on his luck that Cloud and his allies meet in a place called Rocket Town. Countless players are excited to have him join the group, but after Red XIII was only a guest character in ‘Remake’, it begs an essential question on many of our minds. If you’re wondering the same thing, here is our handy guide that answers what we all need to know — can you play as Cid in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Who is Cid Highwind in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
The character of Cid is actually ubiquitous throughout the Final Fantasy franchise, making numerous appearances in different forms from one title to another. In the case of Final Fantasy 7, he’s depicted as a gruff but enthusiastic pilot living in Rocket Town. A man of science and aeronautics, flying to the stars is his lifelong dream, and it all but manifested itself when the Space Exploration Department of Shinra Company hand-picked him to pilot one of their rockets — the Shinra No. 26.
However, an unforeseen mechanical issue that happened on the launch pad led to the launch being aborted indefinitely, and the rocket itself crashing back down after barely getting off the ground. After that incident, Cid became incredibly resentful, particularly towards his assistant Shera.
Cloud and the group first meet Cid in Rocket Town years after the scrubbed launch, the same rocket on the launch pad noticeable in the town’s background, leaning to one side and covered in what looks like moss and vines after being abandoned. Cid himself is short-tempered and incredibly abrasive, typically using abundant foul language (mostly bleeped out) to get his points across.
After Palmer of Shinra pays a visit to Rocket Town alongside newly appointed President Rufus and a conflict ensues, Cid decides to accompany Cloud and the others on their journey to save the planet, and hopefully have the chance to fly again. In terms of his battle role in the game, Cid is similar to a Dragoon in that he can use a variety of spears and his Limit Breaks consist of powerful jumping attacks.
Can You Play As Cid in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
His eccentric (one way to put it) personality and overall character arc has made Cid one of Final Fantasy 7’s most popular playable party members. There was a lot of speculation as to whether his character would even appear in Rebirth at all, as he wasn’t actually revealed until the last couple or so trailers for the game.
This came as a big relief to many, as it means the entire entourage will in fact come together in Rebirth. However, the addition of more new party members has had many folks wondering if the same gameplay stipulation for Red XIII in Remake will carry over to Cid as well.
As you’ll recall, Red XIII was introduced to the group fairly late in Remake when they attempted to infiltrate the Shinra Building to find and rescue Aerith from Professor Hojo’s clutches. They wind up rescuing Red XIII in the process, and he joins the group, albeit as a ‘guest’. This means that while the character contributes in battle like everyone else, they cannot be directly controlled by the player, or have their items/gear changed.
This was the case for Red XIII all the way up to the end of Remake, with AI controlling his movements and battle choices. While it may have seemed annoying to some, it’s actually in large part a narrative tool, given that Red XIII was barely acquainted with the group at the time and thus not trusting enough yet to be ‘controlled’ as it were.
In the case of Cid, Square Enix has confirmed that for the duration of FF7 Rebirth, his character will participate in the party as a guest. This means that his actions will be AI-controlled, and players will not be able to move or customize him around the group as they please until the third and final game of the trilogy.
While it’s certainly a bit of a letdown to not be able to have Cid as a full-time party member yet, he will still play a huge role in other ways throughout the rest of the story.
That concludes our guide that answers the question — can you play as a Cid in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? We hope you found this helpful, and let us know which character you’re most excited to play as in Rebirth.
Be sure to check out all of our other guides for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, such as whether demo progress carries over into the main game.
