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Long ago, I was taught to strike from behind and keep my back to the wall.
Cidolfus Orlandeau
Count Cidolfus Orlandeau, also known as Cidolfas Orlandu, is a respected leader in Ivalice in Final Fantasy Tactics. He is a Sword Saint and a phenomenally strong character. He is given the epithet Thunder God Cid, abbreviated to T.G. Cid.
Profile
Appearance
Orlandeau has short brown and gray hair and brown eyes. He wears a brown hood and jacket, along with dark armor, light purple pants with a matching purple belt and brown boots. His in-game sprite's armor is purple.
Personality
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Cidolfus is a general in the Order of the Southern Sky, serving valiantly in the Fifty Years' War, but as the War of the Lions begins, he falls out of favor with Duke Goltanna. Ramza Beoulve saves Cid's stepson, Orran Durai, from a gang of thieves, and later helps Orran destroy a group of defectors. After defeating Belias at Riovanes Castle Ramza decides to search for Orlandeau.
He learns the Order of the Northern Sky is marching on the Southern Sky's stronghold of Fort Besselat and sets out to stop the battle. Agents of the Church of Glabados falsely inform Goltanna that Orlandeau is a traitor, and Orlandeau is arrested, but Ramza fights his way inside Besselat, and springs Orlandeau from prison. The count recounts his memory of meeting a young Ramza when he rescues him from Fort Besselat, which Orlandeau finds ironic. Ramza first met Count Orlandeau as a toddler, accompanied by his late father Lord Barbaneth. During that time little Ramza picked up and handled the count's sword, scaring everyone and causing Barbaneth to scold Ramza, who burst into tears.
Goltanna is killed by his liege Delita Heiral, who allows Orlandeau to escape so that he can help Ramza in his quest to destroy the Lucavi demons whose human hosts are in many covered positions in Ivalice, including the upper echelons of the church's Knights Templar. Delita kills a decoy Orlandeau while the real Orlandeau joins forces with Ramza (in the Japanese version the decoy is addressed as a Church of Glabados follower disguised as Orlandeau). When he joins Ramza's party, Cid brings the Libra Auracite with him.
In an additional event in the War of the Lions remake, Cid will comment during a confrontation with a former knight of the Order of the Northern Sky turned bandit at the Brigands' Den, but only if he is in the party. He does not approve of their actions.
Orlandeau's ultimate fate is unknown, but Orran presumes his death prior to witnessing the apparent survival of Ramza and Alma after Ramza's party fells the Lucavi's leader. Director Yasumi Matsuno hinted on his Twitter that Cid, alongside the others members of Ramza's party, escaped safely after defeating Ultima.
Delita's plot framed Orlandeau as Goltanna's killer, destroying his name and reputation. Orran knew of the truth, but was imprisoned by Delita until Ramza and Alma's funeral. It can be assumed that Orlandeau's name is cleared because of the Durai Papers made public many years later by Arazlam Durai.
Gameplay
Template:See Also Orlandeau joins the party with 77 Bravery, 65 Faith, and his level depends on the party's levels. He comes equipped with a full set of Crystal equipment as well as the powerful Excalibur weapon and the Bracer accessory.
His special job class is Sword Saint, that has a combination of abilities from Agrias's (Holy Knight), Gaffgarion's (Dark Knight), and Meliadoul's (Divine Knight) special job classes. Orlandeau's sword techniques are so powerful they can defeat most standard enemies in one or two hits; thus he can render most subsequent story battles easy. The only downside is that his techniques, much like the other special knight classes, require that he have a sword or knight's sword equipped, and thus if he is in any job that does not support these weapons he must have the "Equip Swords" support ability (though he cannot equip knight's swords with this ability).
Rendezvous
When fought in the eleventh Rendezvous battle: All-Star Melee, he is two levels higher than the highest level deployed unit. He starts with 77 Bravery and 65 Faith. He is in his default Sword Saint class, and is equipped with the Excalibur, a full set of Crystal equipment, and a Japa Mala. He has access to the Swordplay and Iaido commands, as well as to the abilities Safeguard, Manafont, and Mana Shield.
When fought in the fourteenth Rendezvous battle: Brave Story, he is level 99 and starts with 77 Bravery and 65 Faith. He comes equipped with the Excalibur, Crystal Helm, Crystal Mail, and his other equipment is randomized. He has access to Swordplay, Iaido, Bonecrusher, Doublehand, and Move +2.
Musical themes
Artwork.
"Theme of Thunder God Cid" (雷神シドのテーマ, Raijin Shiddo no Tema?) employs bell chimes, strings, horns and percussion to give it a majestic, honorable tune. It incorporates leitmotifs from the track "Brave Story" and "Epilogue". The track is 21st in the original soundtrack and composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. Cid's motif is reprised in the unreleased track played during the High Confessor Marcel Funebris' last moment.
Other appearances
Orlandeau has appeared in the following games throughout the Final Fantasy series:
- Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call as a playable character.
- Pictlogica Final Fantasy as a playable character.
- Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade as a Legend and a playable character.
- Final Fantasy Artniks as a card.
- Final Fantasy Record Keeper as a playable character.
- Final Fantasy Brave Exvius as a summonable vision.
- Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as a series of cards.
- Triple Triad as a series of cards.
Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances
Orlandeau has made key guest appearances in the following non-Final Fantasy media:
- Rise of Mana series as an enemy boss.
- Knights of the Crystals series as a card.
Etymology
Cid is a recurring name in the Final Fantasy series. Cid is derived from the dialectal Arabic word سيد (sîdi or sayyid), which means "lord" or "master".
Trivia
- Alongside Meliadoul Tengille and Beowulf Cadmus, Cid is one of three characters to bring a Zodiac Stone into the party upon joining.
- Orlandeau is the first "Cid" in Final Fantasy history who is not an engineer, a pilot or a captain of an airship.
- In Vagrant Story, fragments of his skeleton were said to be contained in the Orlandu gem held in the city of Leá Monde.
- "Orlandeau" is listed as an answer to a Brain Blast question in Final Fantasy XIII-2.
- Orlandeau can be compared to Hobyrim van Rahms from Tactics Ogre, the spiritual predecessor of Final Fantasy Tactics by the same director. Their job classes are similar: Sword Saint for Orlandeau and Swordmaster for Hobyrim. They don brown outfits and their glory and nobility are stripped for someone's ambition. A "Count Orlandeau" is mentioned in the Warren Reports of the PlayStation Portable remake of Tactics Ogre, naming this figure as the ancestor to Leundar Balbatos's puppet lord and figurehead leader of the Galgastani.