Cecil Harvey

Cecil Harvey (セシル・ハーヴィ, Seshiru Hāvi) is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy IV and its sequels. He started out as a Dark Knight but would eventually become a Paladin.

Final Fantasy IV
In Final Fantasy IV, Cecil was raised by the King of Baron to become a Dark Knight. Although Cecil is reluctant to master the Dark Sword, he excels as a Dark Knight and is eventually promoted to the command of Baron's airship fleet, the Red Wings. When the King orders Cecil to rob the magical town of Mysidia of its Water Crystal at the cost of killing innocent people, Cecil begins to question the king's morality. After the King tricks him into bombing the village of Mist, Cecil openly rebels and forms an alliance of warriors to oppose Baron. His first recruit is Rydia, a child he rescues from Mist. During his quest, he becomes a Paladin by climbing Mt. Ordeals and overcoming the darkness in his heart. This represents one of the game's themes; "brute strength alone isn't power," as when he becomes a Paladin, Cecil's power actually decreases, although he gradually becomes more powerful than he ever was as a Dark Knight. Cecil reaches Baron and learns that the new leader of the Red Wings is a man named Golbez, and that Golbez's minion, Cagnazzo, had killed and impersonated the king. With his companions, Cecil is able to defeat Cagnazzo but Golbez continues to hunt for the Crystals and Cecil must continue his quest. He ultimately learns that he is the son of a Lunarian, Kluya, and that Golbez is his brother. Golbez himself is not evil, but is being controlled by Zemus, a Lunarian who wants to wipe out all life on the Blue Planet. Although Cecil initially cannot accept that Golbez is innocent, he later forgives him, acknowledging him as his brother after Zemus' defeat. Cecil then returns to Baron, marries with Rosa, and becomes the new King of Baron.

Final Fantasy IV Interlude
In Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-, Cecil investigates the unexplained appearance of multiple monsters one year after the events of Final Fantasy IV. The game ends with Cecil discovering that Rosa is pregnant. Sixteen years later, in The After Years, Cecil and Rosa have a son named Ceodore. During an invasion of Baron, Cecil is defeated and possessed by the summoner Maenad, and his friends are forced to fight him to free him from the Maenad's control, though Cecil is left weakened afterwards. After he joins them, they travel to the True Moon and encounter the incarnation of Cecil's negative emotions, the Dark Knight, who seeks to become the real Cecil and take revenge against Golbez for abandoning him when they were young. With the help of his family Golbez, Rosa, and Ceodore, Cecil is able to make peace with his dark half and regain his full strength.

Dissidia Final Fantasy series
Cecil has also been featured in the fighting games Dissidia Final Fantasy, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT and where he use both his Dark Knight and Paladin forms. He also appears in the rhythm game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and its sequel, Curtain Call, as the main character representing Final Fantasy IV. He is voiced by Shizuma Hodoshima in Japanese and Yuri Lowenthal in English.

Secret of Evermore
Cecil also appears in Secret of Evermore as a weapons dealer and makes several references to Final Fantasy IV, including being king of Baron Castle, his wife Rosa, his battle with Zeromus, his being a paladin, and his adventures on the moon.