All vikisCid Highwind in Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Cid Highwind, the pilot of the airship Highwind, is playable for the first time in the remake series in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, as a lance-wielding dragoon and the party's aerial specialist: timed combos into Dragon Spin, Hyper Dive and Ground Pound, and a Target Spear (IGN calls it Mark Lance) that pins up to five spears to power his jumps. Hamaguchi says his final Limit Break ties into the Weapon battles and the Highwind.
Cid Highwind is one of Final Fantasy VII Revelation's two new playable characters: "the leapin' lancer, the dashin' dragoon, the one and only Cid Highwind", "the cantankerous pilot extraordinaire" whose lance lets him "rapidly close the distance for powerful strikes, or engage in sweeping area of effect attacks", as Square Enix's Gameplay Introduction puts it. He flew the party in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth but did not fight; in Revelation he joins the party, fights in the air better than anyone else, and his airship, the Highwind, becomes the party's base and its way around the world (Final Fantasy VII Revelation Highwind). Director Naoki Hamaguchi calls him "the aerial specialist". J. Michael Tatum voices him (Final Fantasy VII Revelation Voice Cast).
Quick facts
| Role | Pilot of the Highwind, playable party member |
| Weapon | Lance (spear) |
| Combat role | Aerial specialist; gap closer and crowd sweeper |
| Square combo | Press again on the blue aura: Dragon Spin, Hyper Dive, Ground Pound |
| Triangle | Target Spear (PlayStation Blog) or Mark Lance (IGN, trailer menus): up to five spears |
| Empowered abilities | Skydive, Burst Spiral (TGS); Dragoon Jump, Rising Dragoon, Focus Charge (June trailer) |
| Shown in FITS | Knight (Deep Dive), Black Mage (Gamescom footage) |
| Final Limit Break | Not revealed; tied to the Weapon battles and the Highwind |
| English voice | J. Michael Tatum |
| Home town | Rocket Town, moved into Revelation |
Sources: PlayStation Blog, Sep 17, 2026; IGN's preview, Sep 10, 2026; Final Fantasy Union's trailer breakdown, Jun 7, 2026; Inven Global, Sep 10, 2026.
Who is Cid Highwind?
In 1997 the party met Cid at Rocket Town, his home, where a quarrel with Shinra over his grounded space program ended in an explosive escape. Rebirth changed that, IGN's Mar 2, 2024 video on its story changes explains: the party never goes to Rocket Town, and Cid is a pilot for hire, summoned by smoke signal at Gongaga's airfield, who flies them around in the Tiny Bronco and pledges himself to the party after learning that Aerith's mother Ifalna, whom he once met, had died. The rest of that story is on Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth Story So Far.
Rocket Town is where Revelation picks his story back up. Hamaguchi said in a Gamescom interview, shown in Curious Corduroy's Aug 28, 2026 video, that the team "deliberately decided to move" Rocket Town into Revelation, and he told Inven it was done "to further expand upon the expressions present in the original" (Inven Global, Sep 10, 2026). The Deep Dive names Rocket Town among the new areas (Final Fantasy VII Revelation World Map).
His ship, the Highwind, is "your very own airship and the pride of the Shinra fleet", the Gameplay Introduction says. In the 1997 game the party took over the Highwind, Shinra's airship, during the escape from Junon.
How does Cid play?
IGN's Michael Higham, after the Gamescom demo: Cid's "ability to close gaps and use range effectively as a melee character makes him a delight to use. That's that dragoon in him taking over." Hit the rhythmic timing of his attacks and you "launch enemies into the air, hit a rapid combo, or rush down a target". His Triangle ability, which Higham calls Mark Lance, builds "up to five charges to tag multiple targets" and then powers his dragoon jump for consecutive hits; "launching into the air off screen to then smash down on an enemy at superhuman speed might have been the greatest little joy" of his session.
Sony's Tokyo Game Show report spells out the inputs (PlayStation Blog, Sep 17, 2026), read by Curious Corduroy over the demo footage in his Sep 17, 2026 video:
- Square chains standard attacks. Pressing Square again "at the exact moment he becomes cloaked in a blue aura" leads into Dragon Spin, Hyper Dive and Ground Pound.
- Triangle fires Target Spear; holding it charges up to five spears.
- Enemies pinned with spears empower Skydive and Burst Spiral.
- His long reach is "perfect for sweeping away groups of enemies".
The June trailer's menus, as Final Fantasy Union read them in its Jun 7, 2026 breakdown, name the special command Mark Lance with abilities Dragoon Jump, Rising Dragoon and Focus Charge, one ATB bar each, and show the command changing to Jump while Cid is airborne. Its Draconic Devastator, a spectral water dragon that recalls his 1997 Limit Break "Dragon", raises his damage and restores HP and MP to the whole party, the channel reports.
Target Spear or Mark Lance? Both names describe the same Triangle ability: Mark Lance appears in IGN's Gamescom preview and the June trailer's menus, Target Spear in Sony's report from the later TGS build. We expect Target Spear to be the final name, since it is the newer build, but the game may still differ at launch.
Why is Cid the aerial specialist?
"He's obviously the aerial specialist," Hamaguchi said at Gamescom: "really good at aerial combos and fighting enemies that fly". He told a story of a journalist who loved Vincent most but said Cid's air strings felt so good that "he's not my favorite character, but I'll always be including him in my party anyway".
The June trailer makes the dragoon official: Cid declares himself one, and he calls a huge spectral dragon. Cid "has always been associated with the dragoon job", Final Fantasy Union notes, and Revelation's FITS system now brings classic Final Fantasy jobs into the series as well (Final Fantasy VII Revelation FITS System).
Which FITS and synergies does Cid use?
In the Deep Dive, "Cid wears the Knight, a defense-focused role that can draw enemy attention and safeguard allies", which pairs a fragile-looking jumper with a tank's job. Square Enix's own art of him in Knight FITS was in the Sep 3, 2026 press kit. With Cid and Vincent added, the Deep Dive says, "the fan-favorite synergy system from Rebirth has been further expanded", and it shows Cid and Yuffie's synergy. The Gameplay Introduction promises "high-impact synergies" between Cid and Vincent (Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy VII Revelation).
What is Cid's final Limit Break?
Not revealed. Asked about it, Hamaguchi told Inven the final Limit Break "hasn't been revealed yet so it's hard to speak on it", then added: "given that there are battles against Weapons, I can say we built it to deliver a very exciting experience, including the Highwind" (Inven Global, Sep 10, 2026). In 1997 Cid's final Limit Break was Highwind, in which the airship fires missiles on the enemy. In our view Hamaguchi's answer all but confirms that name returns, now perhaps used in the giant Weapon fights (Final Fantasy VII Revelation Weapons).
How does Cid's personality come through?
In the English clip of the TGS demo that Curious Corduroy plays, Cid answers a doubting "Really? You can fight?" with "Whoa there, little lady. Remember who you're talking to," then the full "leaping lancer, dashing dragoon" introduction. Corduroy calls it Cid's "coming out moment".
J. Michael Tatum told TV Insider at New York Comic Con that in Rebirth "Cid was kind of a support character" without "a lot of heavy moments", and this time "they gave him some heavy moments". At the panel he said "you can learn a lot about a character by who they are willing to stand with" (Boss Rush Network, Oct 8, 2026).
Kotaku noticed one change in the menus: Cid "isn't smoking" in his portraits (Kotaku, Jun 7, 2026). The game is rated Teen by the ESRB (Final Fantasy VII Revelation Platforms and File Size).
What we think
We think Cid's final Limit Break is "Highwind" again and that it is used inside the scripted Weapon battles, the airship firing on a Weapon while the party fights it, rather than only as an ordinary Limit Break. We also think Rocket Town's chapter will finally show Shinra's rocket launch with Cid aboard, the 1997 set piece Rebirth skipped, since Hamaguchi said the move was to "expand upon" the original. Check both at launch on Apr 8, 2027; more on Predictions.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cid playable in Final Fantasy VII Revelation?
Yes, for the first time in the remake series. He was available from the start of the Tokyo Game Show demo and in the Chapter 4 demo at Gamescom.
What weapon does Cid use?
A lance, as in 1997. He fights as a dragoon, with jumps, spinning sweeps and thrown spears.
Is it Target Spear or Mark Lance?
Both names have been used for his Triangle ability: Mark Lance in IGN's Gamescom preview and the June trailer, Target Spear in the PlayStation Blog's report on the later TGS build.
Does Cid fly the Highwind?
Yes. The Highwind is his airship and the party's base; you fly it in real time and parachute from it (Final Fantasy VII Revelation Highwind).
Who voices Cid?
J. Michael Tatum in English, as in Rebirth.
Sources
- PlayStation Blog, Sep 17, 2026: Final Fantasy VII Revelation hands-on report: into the Whirlwind Maze where Sephiroth awaits
- Inven Global, Sep 10, 2026: Final Fantasy VII Revelation includes everything we wanted to tell
- Kotaku, Jun 7, 2026: 9 details from the Final Fantasy 7 Revelation reveal trailer
- Boss Rush Network, Oct 8, 2026: NYCC: English cast of Final Fantasy VII Revelation reflects on seven-year journey together
- FINAL FANTASY, Jun 5, 2026: Gameplay Introduction
- FINAL FANTASY, Sep 3, 2026: Combat and Exploration Deep Dive Trailer
- IGN, Sep 10, 2026: Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Has Incredible Combat, But It Needs to Stay Focused
- IGN, Mar 2, 2024: 7 Biggest Story Changes in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Curious Corduroy, Aug 28, 2026: Hamaguchi On New Vincent Lore for FF7 Revelation
- Curious Corduroy, Sep 17, 2026: FF7 Revelation Ch.1 Previews Are Here
- Final Fantasy Union, Jun 7, 2026: We Went Frame-By-Frame Through The FINAL FANTASY 7 REVELATION Trailer
- TV Insider, Oct 13, 2026: FINAL FANTASY VII Cast On Emotional Finale & Favorite Character Lines
Moments
FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION - Gameplay Introduction
FINAL FANTASY
7 Biggest Story Changes in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
IGN
Hamaguchi On New Vincent Lore for FF7 Revelation, Gameplay Reception at Gamescom, Sales & More
Curious Corduroy
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Has Incredible Combat, But It Needs to Stay Focused
IGN
FF7 Revelation Ch.1 Previews Are Here: Sephiroth, Whirlwind Maze, Jenova & More | it's A Lot
Curious Corduroy
We Went Frame-By-Frame Through The FINAL FANTASY 7 REVELATION Trailer
Final Fantasy Union
FANTASY VII REVELATION | Combat and Exploration Deep Dive Trailer
FINAL FANTASY
FINAL FANTASY VII Cast On Emotional Finale & Favorite Character Lines From Cloud, Sephiroth & More
TV Insider
Related
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation CharactersFinal Fantasy VII Revelation has a party of eight playable characters, with Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind playable for the first time in the remake series, alongside Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie and Cait Sith; Zack gets more playable segments, and Aerith's role is not announced. Godo, Glenn Lodbrok, Cissnei, Chadley and his assistant MAI lead the supporting cast.
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Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII RevelationSephiroth is Final Fantasy VII Revelation's antagonist, "nearing godhood" after Rebirth and waiting for Cloud in the Whirlwind Maze at the start of the game; Travis Willingham voices him in English, replacing Tyler Hoechlin, whom director Naoki Hamaguchi said had scheduling conflicts. Story DLC 1 of the Story Expansion Pass is named "Sephiroth".
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Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy VII RevelationVincent Valentine, a former Turk changed by Shinra's experiments, is playable for the first time in the remake series in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, fighting with pistols whose abilities grow with every hit and turning into the Galian Beast at will, at the cost of a Chaos meter that lowers his maximum HP. Square Enix promises new reveals about his past, and Story DLC 2 is "Vincent & the Turks".
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation DLCFinal Fantasy VII Revelation has two paid story DLCs, Story DLC 1 "Sephiroth" and Story DLC 2 "Vincent & the Turks", planned between Winter 2027 and Spring 2028 and sold together as the Story Expansion Pass, which is included in the Premium, Premium Plus and Collector's Editions. Their stories, prices and dates are not announced as of Nov 7, 2026.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation WeaponsThe Weapons are colossal guardians the planet awakens against Meteor, and Final Fantasy VII Revelation makes them its signature fights. Square Enix has named Ruby, Emerald and Ultima Weapon, the reveal trailer gives Sapphire Weapon long screen time, and a brand-new Weapon appears whose name has not been revealed. Some are optional endgame battles.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation CombatFinal Fantasy VII Revelation keeps the hybrid battle system of Remake and Rebirth, real-time action plus a Tactical Mode that pauses to spend ATB on spells, abilities and items, and adds two new fighters (Cid and Vincent), expanded synergies, the FITS outfits, and fighting from chocobo-back. Combat director Teruki Endo calls this entry "all about polish and increasing player freedom."
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation Length and DifficultyDirector Naoki Hamaguchi puts Final Fantasy VII Revelation's main story at about 35 hours or more and a completionist run at 100 hours or more. Hard Mode can be chosen from the start, Classic Mode returns, minigames get difficulty settings and a skip, cutscenes can play at double speed, and an optional prompt raises your party to the story's recommended level.
See also
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Final Fantasy VII RebirthFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second part of the remake trilogy, came out on PS5 on Feb 29, 2024, on PC on Jan 23, 2025 and on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on Jun 3, 2026. It scores 92 on Metacritic and won Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2024; Square Enix has published no sales figure.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation HighwindIn Final Fantasy VII Revelation you fly Cid's airship, the Highwind, in real time over the whole planet from early in the game and parachute from its deck to land almost anywhere, with no loading. The ship is also the party's base, where you change FITS and meet Wize, Billy, Piko and Chadley.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation Voice CastFinal Fantasy VII Revelation's English cast is led by Cody Christian (Cloud), Britt Baron (Tifa), John Eric Bentley (Barret) and Briana White (Aerith), with Matt Mercer as Vincent, J. Michael Tatum as Cid and Caleb Pierce as Zack; the one change is Sephiroth, now voiced by Travis Willingham in place of Tyler Hoechlin. The cast said goodbye at a New York Comic Con panel on Oct 8, 2026.
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Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth Story So FarSpoiler warning. Final Fantasy VII Remake follows Avalanche's war on Shinra in Midgar and ends with Cloud's party breaking "destiny" by defeating the Whispers; Rebirth crosses the world after Sephiroth, adds Yuffie, Cid and Vincent, and ends with Aerith killed by Sephiroth at the Forgotten Capital while other worlds, including one where Zack lives, press against theirs. Revelation begins after that.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation World MapFinal Fantasy VII Revelation's world map is the whole planet as one seamless open world, flown by the Highwind airship with a parachute drop to any open spot. Square Enix has shown Wutai, the Mideel Archipelago, Rocket Town and the Northern Crater as new areas, and the Grasslands, Kalm, Junon, Gongaga, Costa del Sol and the Gold Saucer as returning ones, changed by Meteor and the Weapons.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation FITS SystemFITS (Function-Integrated Tactical Suitwear) is Final Fantasy VII Revelation's job system: four outfits per character, Warrior, Knight, Black Mage and Summoner, each giving a new moveset and role, chosen on the Highwind. A character without one is a Freelancer, and the outfits change how a character fights, not, by early accounts, their stats.