Who is Cid? If you’ve seen the new Magic: The Gathering card Cid, Timeless Artificer from the Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy set, you probably noticed something odd—there’s not just one version. There are fifteen.
That’s not a printing error or a gimmick—it’s actually a perfect homage to one of Final Fantasy’s most enduring traditions.
In every mainline Final Fantasy game, there’s always a Cid—a different man in every world, but always playing a vital role as a pilot, inventor, engineer, or strategist. He’s never the same person, but he always is Cid. You can think of him as the franchise’s mechanical heartbeat: no matter how fantastical the world gets, Cid is there in his workshop, wrench in hand or blueprint in mind.
So when Magic brought Final Fantasy into the multiverse, it didn’t just give us one Cid—it gave us all of them.
Who is Cid? – What the Card Does
Cid, Timeless Artificer is a 4-mana white-blue legendary creature (4/4) that:
- Gives +1/+1 to each artifact creature and Hero you control for each Artificer you control and each Artificer in your graveyard.
- Ignores the “legend rule”, meaning you can have as many copies of him in a deck as you want.
- Comes with Cycling for two mana, letting you discard him to draw a card if he shows up at the wrong time.
It’s a flavorful design that matches his multiverse-spanning presence: he’s both support and engine, and the more Cids you have, the better he gets.
Who is Cid? – Every Cid in Order (FFI–XVI)
Here’s a closer look at every version of Cid featured in this Magic crossover—one for each mainline Final Fantasy game:
🛩️ FFI – Cid of the Skies
The very first Cid in the series, introduced only by name in Final Fantasy I, is credited as the inventor of the airship. He didn’t appear on-screen, but he established a legacy that would carry forward forever.
✈️ FFII – Cid (Airship Pilot of Altair)
A hardworking airship operator who helps ferry the party around. He doesn’t join you in battle, but he’s a lifeline during wartime.
🔧 FFIII – Cid Haze
An inventor with a white beard and a warm heart, he builds your first airship and helps you escape town early in the game. The classic jolly engineer archetype.
🔨 FFIV – Cid Pollendina
One of the most beloved Cids. He’s a tanky, hammer-wielding ally who literally blows himself up to save the party—and survives. Loyal, funny, and always covered in soot.
🧪 FFV – Cid Previa
He and his grandson Mid help you repair ancient tech like the Fire-Powered Ship. Quietly brilliant, and essential to the party’s journey.
🧬 FFVI – Cid del Norte Marquez
A researcher in Magitek who becomes a surrogate father to Celes. Depending on your actions, he either lives or dies—a rare emotional turning point for the usually comic-relief engineer.
🚀 FFVII – Cid Highwind
Probably the most iconic version. A chain-smoking, spear-wielding airship pilot with dreams of space travel. He’s foul-mouthed but lovable, and eventually joins your party as a main fighter.
🧠 FFVIII – Cid Kramer
Headmaster of Balamb Garden and adoptive father to several SeeD members. He’s more of a strategic mind than an engineer, but still guides the player’s path.
🐸 FFIX – Regent Cid Fabool
He gets turned into an oglop (a bug) and then a frog thanks to a magic mishap. Despite this, he’s still a brilliant mind and vital to operating airships and navigating the world.
🌐 FFX – Cid (Al Bhed Leader)
The leader of the Al Bhed and Rikku’s uncle. He captains the Fahrenheit airship and helps Yuna defy fate. Proud, fiery, and never afraid to challenge tradition.
🛠️ FFXI – Cid
A towering engineer from Bastok who creates major tech advancements. He plays a recurring support role in quests, particularly in Chains of Promathia.
⚖️ FFXII – Cidolfus Demen Bunansa
A villainous take on the Cid archetype. He’s a Judge and key researcher trying to reclaim godlike power through ancient technology—arrogant, ambitious, and ultimately tragic.
🧍 FFXIII – Cid Raines
Starts as a Sanctum military officer but later rebels against fate itself. Becomes a l’Cie and plays a major role in questioning the system’s control over life and death.
⚙️ FFXIV – Cid Garlond
Founder of Garlond Ironworks and former Garlean. He’s one of your closest allies throughout A Realm Reborn and beyond, constantly tinkering with tech to fight back against oppression.
🧓 FFXV – Cid Sophiar
The grumpy old mechanic of Hammerhead. He doesn’t leave the garage, but he’s the one who upgrades your royal weapons and keeps the Regalia (your car) tuned up.
🧥 FFXVI – Cid Telamon
A powerful Dominant of Ramuh and rebel against the system of magic slavery. He runs a sanctuary for Bearers and becomes one of the game’s most emotionally powerful characters.
Who is Cid? – One Archetype, Many Worlds
Each of these Cids may live in different timelines, use different tools, or even walk the line between hero and villain—but they all embody the same spirit: someone who builds, fixes, or leads in a world that’s often falling apart.
It’s rare for any franchise to maintain such a consistent narrative thread across so many decades, but Final Fantasy did it—and Magic: The Gathering understood the assignment perfectly. So who is Cid? Well, Cid, Timeless Artificer isn’t just a playable card. It’s a tribute to the soul of the series.
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