Char Aznable
Encyclopedia
, born is a fictional character
from the Gundam
franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonist
s in Mobile Suit Gundam
and later becomes one of the protagonists of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
. In his final appearance in Char's Counterattack, he assumes leadership of the Neo Zeon movement, named after his father Zeon Zum Deikun
, and becomes the titular antagonist of the film. He is best known for being the archenemy
of the first Gundam pilot Amuro Ray
. Throughout his life, he is also known by the aliases and . In addition, he is given the honourary title of "", for his performance at the Battle of Loum during Gundam's One Year War
.
(Artesia Som Deikun), and the son of late Zeon Zum Deikun
, the champion of sovereignty for the space colonies of Side 3
, founder of the Republic of Zeon.
, young Casval and his sister Artesia escape to Earth shortly after their father's death with the help of family friend Jimba Ral (father of Ramba Ral). They spend several years living a luxurious life under the guardianship of the aristocratic Don Teabolo Mass, who names them Edward and Sayla, and treats them like his own children. During this time, Jimba Ral constantly reminds Casval of the Zabi Family's betrayal of his father. After narrowly escaping an attempt on their lives (in which Jimba Ral died), they flee to the Texas Colony.
They live for a time in a house set up by Texas Colony's chief manager Roger Aznable, still under Teabolo Mass's care. They meet Roger's son Char and discover that he and Casval are nearly identical, except Casval's eyes are brown while Char's are blue. Eventually Char is taken in by Gihren Zabi
's propaganda, and against his father's wishes sets off for officer training school. Casval decides to accompany him under the guise of looking out for his friend. Kycilia Zabi
finds out that Casval is headed back to Side 3, and without consulting Gihren, orders Casval's death. Both near-identical boys are booked to leave on the same flight, but an antique pistol and fake explosives are found in Char's bag. Not wanting to miss the entrance exam, Char accepts Casval's suggestion to swap clothes in the restroom. Char boards the ship under the name Edward Mass, while Casval, under the name Char Aznable is detained overnight. Shortly after departure, the ship explodes and kills everyone aboard (no doubt the work of Kycilia's henchmen). Edward Mass is listed among the dead and Casval takes on the name Char, enters the Zeon Military Academy and begins wearing sunglasses to hide his eye color (as it wouldn't match any of the real Char's IDs).
After entering the Academy, Char excels in his training and befriends Garma Zabi. As relations between the Zeon Republic (which has been renamed the Zeon Principality) and the Federation deteriorate, the Federation increases their troop strength in Side 3. There is wide spread fear that this troop increase is in fact an invasion and occupation force. On the eve of troop increase, Casval incites Garma to lead other students in the Academy to storm the Federation base and subdue the stationed troops. For this action Casval is stripped of his rank and expelled from the Academy. He travels to Earth and works at the construction site of Federation headquarters in Jaburo. After hostility breaks out between Zeon and the Federation, he returns to Side 3 and joins the Zeon mobile suit assault forces under the command of Admiral Dozle Zabi
. He displays superior fighting ability during the Battle of Loum, single-handedly destroying five Federation Magellan-class battleships, which earned him the nickname "Red Comet". He was promoted an exceptional two ranks to Lieutenant Commander.
, and he develops a relationship with Lalah Sune
, a Newtype
girl he saved from an Indian brothel. Char also develops into a Newtype himself, and forms psychic bonds with both Amuro and Lalah. Char's abilities and natural charisma allow him to inspire and manipulate. Lalah is killed in battle, taking a blow meant for Char; this results in a bitter hatred between Char and Amuro.
During the war, Char draws on Zeon's philosophy to form his identity. The Zeon Principality is largely an authoritarian state that values independence from the Earth and later the destruction of Earth's inhabitants. With his devotion to free all of those who are "trapped by gravity's pull" he is able to face the most deadly outcomes with dignity and leadership.
In the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Char and Amuro's bitter rivalry reaches the level that they engage in a gunfight and then a sword fight after both lose their mobile suits. In the duel, Char stabs Amuro in the arm, while being stabbed through his helmet, which leaves a scar across his forehead. Sayla runs into the room and urges both men to stop. Char realizes he's been distracted by his rivalry with Amuro, and refocuses on his true enemy - the Zabi family. An ensuing explosion knocks them apart, and Char rushes to save his sister. After being told by a dying Zeon soldier that Kycilia Zabi, the last surviving Zabi, is escaping, Char tells Sayla to "be a nice woman" and go back to Amuro, and takes off with a bazooka in his hands. He finds Kycilia's departing ship and salutes them ("Garma, I'm sending your sister to join you. Consider this my farewell gift.") before firing into the cockpit, annihilating the ship's bridge and decapitating Kycilia in the process. He then disappears amidst the explosion.
However, upon hearing of Mahajara Karn's fatal illness in late May 0083, Char and Haman both decide to return to Axis. Once they do, they're intercepted by the pro-war Axis faction that wishes to restart the conflict with the Earth Federation, led by one Colonel Enzo. A civil war breaks out, with Char and Haman eventually overcoming Enzo's forces. Unfortunately, Haman's father and the true political leader of Axis' Mahajara Karn dies just shortly before the battle ends, and Haman now finds herself in charge of both Axis and Mineva. Shortly after the battle, the unexpected murder of Haman's formal tutor, Natalie Bianchi, (A murder which Haman Karn did not cause, but inadvertently allowed upon learning that Natalie was pregnant) who also engaged in the manga's titular affair with Char, causes Char to sink into a deep depression. After mourning over the loss of Natalie and his unborn child for roughly 2 months, he finally loses the motivation to remain on Axis. Tension between Char and Haman over Axis' role and the Zeon remnant's future lead Char to finally leave the asteroid permanently with over 600 other soldiers on October 29, 0083.
, no longer with a mask and instead merely wearing sunglasses and cutting off his sleeves. Having left Axis Zeon, Char returns to the Earth Sphere in September 0084 and infiltrates the Earth Federation Forces ranking with the alias "Quattro Bajeena". Almost immediately, he finds himself involved in conflicts against the Earth Federation's newly formed Titan Task Force, fighting and shooting down 2 enemy battleships within hours of acquiring his new identity. After meeting the Federation politician Blex Forer, Char joins a group of former Earth Federation Force's soldiers and eventually became a leading member of the Anti-Earth Union Group.
This time, rather than serving as the rival of the new protagonist, Kamille Bidan, Char serves as Kamille's mentor in the war against the Earth Federation's oppressive Titans organization. In Zeta Gundam, Char becomes an ally of his former adversaries in Mobile Suit Gundam: Amuro Ray
, Hayato Kobayashi and Bright Noa
. He serves under Bright Noa as leader of AEUG mobile suit forces.
During this period, Char loses faith in himself as a decision maker. It seems to be his greatest fear, as he normally displays none in regard to war. When assuming the identity of Quattro he willingly places himself under the command of his former enemies. He has discovered that there can be compromise in the future of Earth's population and the colonies. In the course of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam even Bright Noa
, who lost crew to Char's attacks on the White Base
, urges him to drop the Quattro facade and become a leader to the Spacenoids, or those raised in space colonies. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam portrays Char's image as a hero who is always willing to stand up and fight for the freedom of spacenoids. His political speech in front of Federation Assembly in Dakar, which is broadcast throughout Earth and Space, is one of the most important events in the U.C. Gundam timeline. It seals Char's total commitment toward space colonization and migration of humanity to space.
Despite AEUG's victory in the Gryps Conflict against the Titans, Char is defeated in the final battle by Haman Karn, leader of the Axis Zeon (later Neo Zeon) faction and assumed dead. However, as the final credits roll, Char's damaged mobile suit floats by with its cockpit hatch open.
, Bright Noa remarks to Sayla Mass that he has a gut feeling that Char is simply watching from the sidelines and waiting for the right opportunity to return. Char does not appear in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ because Yoshiyuki Tomino has stated officially that he had originally intended to feature Char, but the plan was cancelled when he was granted to go-ahead with the theatrical movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
. This is evident as Char appears in the first opening theme song, but does not appear in the series.
, set five years later, as the leader of a new Neo Zeon faction. He intends to create a nuclear winter
by dropping the massive asteroid base Axis on the Earth, hence forcing a complete migration into space, which he believes will make all of humanity evolve into Newtypes. Only one thing stands in his way: the Federation's Londo Bell task force, and their top ace pilot, his old archrival Amuro Ray
.
In the second Neo Zeon movement, both Char and Amuro pilot mobile suits equipped with an advanced psycommu system known as psycoframe. Char authorized Anaheim Electronics
to pass the psycoframe technology to the development team responsible for Amuro's Nu Gundam, effectively planning a fair showdown between them in advance. After Char's mobile suit is destroyed by Amuro in the duel, Amuro captures Char's escape pod, and against Char's taunting, attempts to push the asteroid Axis away from Earth. The intense willpower of Amuro and all the pilots assisting him causes Nu Gundam's psycoframes to resonate and overload, resulting in a spectacular aurora with Axis pushed out of Earth's orbit. Both Amuro and Char disappear without a trace in the incident. There is no concrete evidence about them being deceased in the movie although Nanai Miguel did claim that Char's life force was fading away, as Amuro intercepted Axis and cries for Char when Axis is finally pushed back. The fates of either character were never revealed in the film, though the novelization of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack confirms both as KIA
. The follow-up Gundam Unicorn also supports this idea. However, in the official Universal Century timeline for the animated series, it lists Amuro Ray and Char Aznable as MIA
.
He typically pilots red mobile suits, such as his red Zaku, Z'Gok, Gelgoog, Rick Dias and Sazabi
. Exceptions to this is the MSN-02 Zeong
, which was painted in a bluish-grey colour during the Battle of A Baoa Qu, and had no time to even install the legs, much less be repainted and the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki, which is painted in bright gold yellow (At the time, he was pretending to be a different person).
The name Char Aznable was inspired by Armenian-French singer and songwriter and character named Charkin in an earlier robot anime Reideen (ライディーン)
So far, Char is the only character in the Gundam universe (U.C. or non-U.C. timelines) to have fought in three final battles of a movie or series. In Mobile Suit Gundam
, Char fights against Amuro Ray
at A Baoa Qu. In the finale of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
, Char and Kamille Bidan fight together against Haman Karn (of Axis Zeon) and Paptimus Scirocco (of Titans) in a three-way battle (AEUG vs Titans vs Axis). Finally, Char's last battle is at the end of Char's Counterattack when he fights his archrival Amuro Ray again.
Char Aznable is also responsible for spawning a series of "Char Clones", characters based on similar characteristics to Char, in Gundam. That character usually serves as the primary rival of either the main protagonist
or a significant supporting character, sometimes also having blond hair, and is usually shrouded in mystery and wears a mask or sunglasses, pilots red or yellow mobile suits and sometimes has an extremist plan in mind.
An actual DNA clone from Char Aznable appeared in the story Gaia Gear
(an original novel by Yoshiyuki Tomino). Named Afranshia Char, a clone made by final Zeon remnants to lead them in a failed attempt to overthrow the Federation one last time, using the mighty Gaia-Gear man-machine suit.
The character Full Frontal, from Gundam Unicorn, set in U.C. 0096, three years after Char's Counter Attack, is described as "The Second Coming of Char" and has blond hair, though long, and wears a mask. The chapter that introduces him is called "Red Comet" and it has been noted that both Char and Frontal's voices sound alike (Shuuichi Ikeda plays both). In addition Frontal and Char have the same facial features, including the scar on the forehead. He is later revealed to be a cyber NewType geneticly engineered to resemble Char Aznable. His memory was implanted from the psycho frame of one of the Mobile suits previously piloted by Char (Sazabi). The producers of the OVA claim to treat Frontal as if he really were Char, and an interview in Newtype magazine with Kosugi Naohiro indicates that the origin revealed for Frontal in the Novels may not necessarily be his origin in the OVA.
icons Darth Vader
and Spock
. Char Aznable is not only a character, but has become a brand name.
Char, along with five other notable mecha and pilots from the various Gundam series, were recognized in the second set of "Anime Heroes and Heroines" stamps, released in Japan in 2005.
Char Aznable has routinely placed in the top 10 lists of popular characters in both Gundam-specific and general-oriented fan magazines in Japan, such as Gundam Ace
and Animage
, typically ranking higher than the main character and his rival, Amuro Ray
. In Gundam Ace, Char is consistently in the top 3 of the list, and held the number 1 spot for long periods of time, despite the fact that Gundam Ace tallies votes for Char's alter-ego Quattro Bajina separately. In fact, Quattro also consistently ranks in the top 10. In both Gunpla and Figure magazines it is almost guaranteed to see Char's custom red mobile suit.
On the Japanese bulletin board 2channel
, the Gundam forums are named Char custom (シャア専用), and the anonymous placeholder for the name is changed to "3 times more than the usual anonymous" (通常の名無しさんの３倍), a reference to the "3 times faster than the usual Zaku" line from the original series. Char Custom refers to Char's tendency to highly customized standard Mobile Suits to his exact specifications and generally making the said units far more potent than normal. This usually involves the character coloring his suits red, which led some people to go as far as to label anything red "Char-custom", and to make vague references to the "3 times more potent" line in the original Gundam series (e.g. A red pencil might write 3 times faster, or is 3 times more likely to break). This pinkish-red colour is actually not the idea of the director, but only because the excess pinkish red colour ink the animation company has at the time. It is, however, stated in the game Gireh's Greed that the colour is actually only the colour of an unpainted Zaku due to the grudge from him being the top graduate from military school.
Bandai
has capitalized on the character's popularity by licensing out the name to various products. There has been a Char-custom laptop, Char-custom Nintendo Gamecube
, and a Char-custom motorbike helmet. All these products have a red satin finish, and have the goldleaf Zeon insignia or the emblem of Char's Neo Zeon emblazoned on them. A Char-custom Game Boy Advance SP
was also created in Japan (with many sources claiming its battery will last 3 times as long as the normal GBA, or even that it will crash 3 times as much). On July 25, 2006, GE Consumer Finance
released a Char Custom credit card
, which receives three times as many bonus points per 1000 yen spent compared to their other Gundam-related credit cards http://www.gecard.com/character/char.html. Japanese cell phone company Soft Bank released a special Char Custom cell phone in late 2007, with a very large red Zaku head which serves as the charger base. Char related apparel and accessories span a wide range, from the ubiquitous Quattro sunglasses to Char lighters, neckties, wristbands, caps, wallets and a wide range of t-shirts. The creator of Char Aznable, Yoshiyuki Tomino
, does not like the idea of making money this way. He feels that by sticking the term "Char's Custom" to the products culturally suggests the quality of the product is superior to other brands. However, most of them are only coloured red and are basically the same as the products on which they are based; ironically, some of these "Char Custom" products are even of lower quality than the baseline products. Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino believes that "having satisfication in such products just because they are popular and can earn money is a sin, since it cannot teach a correct social sense to the newer generation".
In a planned spaceflight for 2006, Soyuz TMA-9
, a Japanese internet investor named Daisuke Enomoto
had asked to dress up
as Char Aznable. However, medical restrictions prevented him from participating in the flight.
In Code Geass, Lelouch's
masked alter ego Zero was one of the earliest developed characters. Ichirō Ōkouchi
wanted a mask to be included as a part of the series, because he felt that a mask was necessary for it to be a Sunrise show.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s in Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
and later becomes one of the protagonists of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
. In his final appearance in Char's Counterattack, he assumes leadership of the Neo Zeon movement, named after his father Zeon Zum Deikun
Zeon Zum Deikun
is a philosopher and politician in the fictional Gundam stories, in which he developed Contolism, which was both about Ere-ism and Side-ism . This philosophy was welcomed by Side 3 , which made him leader of the Side...
, and becomes the titular antagonist of the film. He is best known for being the archenemy
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
of the first Gundam pilot Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
. Throughout his life, he is also known by the aliases and . In addition, he is given the honourary title of "", for his performance at the Battle of Loum during Gundam's One Year War
One Year War
The is a fictional conflict from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam metaseries. The One Year War is very similar to World War II, the major difference being that The One Year War is in a science fiction setting and some major battles occurred in space...
.
Fictional character history
Born Casval Rem Deikun, he is the elder brother of Sayla MassSayla Mass
, is a fictional character from the Universal Century Gundam universe, first appearing in the groundbreaking 1979 43-episode anime series Mobile Suit Gundam...
(Artesia Som Deikun), and the son of late Zeon Zum Deikun
Zeon Zum Deikun
is a philosopher and politician in the fictional Gundam stories, in which he developed Contolism, which was both about Ere-ism and Side-ism . This philosophy was welcomed by Side 3 , which made him leader of the Side...
, the champion of sovereignty for the space colonies of Side 3
Space Colony (Gundam)
In the fictional Gundam anime metaseries, space colonies play a pivotal role in ever-changing stories. Below is an explanation of the colonies in each of the Gundam timelines.-Universal Century:...
, founder of the Republic of Zeon.
The Origin
According to the manga Mobile Suit Gundam: The OriginMobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN is a manga adaptation of the television anime series Mobile Suit Gundam written and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the original series' character designer...
, young Casval and his sister Artesia escape to Earth shortly after their father's death with the help of family friend Jimba Ral (father of Ramba Ral). They spend several years living a luxurious life under the guardianship of the aristocratic Don Teabolo Mass, who names them Edward and Sayla, and treats them like his own children. During this time, Jimba Ral constantly reminds Casval of the Zabi Family's betrayal of his father. After narrowly escaping an attempt on their lives (in which Jimba Ral died), they flee to the Texas Colony.
They live for a time in a house set up by Texas Colony's chief manager Roger Aznable, still under Teabolo Mass's care. They meet Roger's son Char and discover that he and Casval are nearly identical, except Casval's eyes are brown while Char's are blue. Eventually Char is taken in by Gihren Zabi
Gihren Zabi
is a fictional character, and antagonist from the universe of the Gundam anime series. He was voiced by the veteran seiyu, Banjo Ginga in the original Japanese version. In the English dubbed series and movie adaptations the character was voiced by Hiro Kanagawa and Doug Stone respectively.American...
's propaganda, and against his father's wishes sets off for officer training school. Casval decides to accompany him under the guise of looking out for his friend. Kycilia Zabi
Kycilia Zabi
In the fictional Mobile Suit Gundam series, is the only daughter of Degwin Sodo Zabi. While Yoshiyuki Tomino's novel version of MSG indicates her as the fourth of his five children and youngest except for Garma, the ongoing Gundam: The Origin manga by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko identifies her as his...
finds out that Casval is headed back to Side 3, and without consulting Gihren, orders Casval's death. Both near-identical boys are booked to leave on the same flight, but an antique pistol and fake explosives are found in Char's bag. Not wanting to miss the entrance exam, Char accepts Casval's suggestion to swap clothes in the restroom. Char boards the ship under the name Edward Mass, while Casval, under the name Char Aznable is detained overnight. Shortly after departure, the ship explodes and kills everyone aboard (no doubt the work of Kycilia's henchmen). Edward Mass is listed among the dead and Casval takes on the name Char, enters the Zeon Military Academy and begins wearing sunglasses to hide his eye color (as it wouldn't match any of the real Char's IDs).
After entering the Academy, Char excels in his training and befriends Garma Zabi. As relations between the Zeon Republic (which has been renamed the Zeon Principality) and the Federation deteriorate, the Federation increases their troop strength in Side 3. There is wide spread fear that this troop increase is in fact an invasion and occupation force. On the eve of troop increase, Casval incites Garma to lead other students in the Academy to storm the Federation base and subdue the stationed troops. For this action Casval is stripped of his rank and expelled from the Academy. He travels to Earth and works at the construction site of Federation headquarters in Jaburo. After hostility breaks out between Zeon and the Federation, he returns to Side 3 and joins the Zeon mobile suit assault forces under the command of Admiral Dozle Zabi
Dozle Zabi
In the fictional Mobile Suit Gundam series, is the second oldest son of Degwin Sodo Zabi and the Principality of Zeon's Space Attack Force Commander...
. He displays superior fighting ability during the Battle of Loum, single-handedly destroying five Federation Magellan-class battleships, which earned him the nickname "Red Comet". He was promoted an exceptional two ranks to Lieutenant Commander.
Mobile Suit Gundam
During the One Year War, Char shows great ability not only as mobile suit pilot, but also as tactician and commanding officer. Late in the war, Char begins a bitter rivalry with Federation pilot Amuro RayAmuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
, and he develops a relationship with Lalah Sune
Lalah Sune
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.-Fictional Character Biography:Lalah is a young woman who is the "star student" of Professor Flanagan due to her strong Newtype abilities, and as such is also one of the key test subjects in the development of Newtype-related weaponry...
, a Newtype
Newtype
A Newtype is theorized to be the next stage of human evolution in the fictional Gundam universe. This minor but groundbreaking metamorphosis is usually expressed as a heightened mental awareness, the result of an evolutionary adaptation to life in space....
girl he saved from an Indian brothel. Char also develops into a Newtype himself, and forms psychic bonds with both Amuro and Lalah. Char's abilities and natural charisma allow him to inspire and manipulate. Lalah is killed in battle, taking a blow meant for Char; this results in a bitter hatred between Char and Amuro.
During the war, Char draws on Zeon's philosophy to form his identity. The Zeon Principality is largely an authoritarian state that values independence from the Earth and later the destruction of Earth's inhabitants. With his devotion to free all of those who are "trapped by gravity's pull" he is able to face the most deadly outcomes with dignity and leadership.
In the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Char and Amuro's bitter rivalry reaches the level that they engage in a gunfight and then a sword fight after both lose their mobile suits. In the duel, Char stabs Amuro in the arm, while being stabbed through his helmet, which leaves a scar across his forehead. Sayla runs into the room and urges both men to stop. Char realizes he's been distracted by his rivalry with Amuro, and refocuses on his true enemy - the Zabi family. An ensuing explosion knocks them apart, and Char rushes to save his sister. After being told by a dying Zeon soldier that Kycilia Zabi, the last surviving Zabi, is escaping, Char tells Sayla to "be a nice woman" and go back to Amuro, and takes off with a bazooka in his hands. He finds Kycilia's departing ship and salutes them ("Garma, I'm sending your sister to join you. Consider this my farewell gift.") before firing into the cockpit, annihilating the ship's bridge and decapitating Kycilia in the process. He then disappears amidst the explosion.
Mobile Suit Gundam - Char's Deleted Affair - A Portrait of a Young Comet
At the end of the One Year War, Char goes to Axis and his experience there is partly depicted in the manga Char's Deleted Affair, where he heroically protects Axis in two major battles against the Earth Federation. He stays there until the end of U.C. 0082, when he gets back to Side 3 for a special mission to protect Haman Karn's inspection journey of Side 3. When they arrive at Zum City in U.C. 0083, he gets an invitation by George Miguel (Brother of Nanai) to join a paramilitary spacenoid organization within the Earth Federation Force.However, upon hearing of Mahajara Karn's fatal illness in late May 0083, Char and Haman both decide to return to Axis. Once they do, they're intercepted by the pro-war Axis faction that wishes to restart the conflict with the Earth Federation, led by one Colonel Enzo. A civil war breaks out, with Char and Haman eventually overcoming Enzo's forces. Unfortunately, Haman's father and the true political leader of Axis' Mahajara Karn dies just shortly before the battle ends, and Haman now finds herself in charge of both Axis and Mineva. Shortly after the battle, the unexpected murder of Haman's formal tutor, Natalie Bianchi, (A murder which Haman Karn did not cause, but inadvertently allowed upon learning that Natalie was pregnant) who also engaged in the manga's titular affair with Char, causes Char to sink into a deep depression. After mourning over the loss of Natalie and his unborn child for roughly 2 months, he finally loses the motivation to remain on Axis. Tension between Char and Haman over Axis' role and the Zeon remnant's future lead Char to finally leave the asteroid permanently with over 600 other soldiers on October 29, 0083.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Char reappears 4 years later in Mobile Suit Zeta GundamMobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
, no longer with a mask and instead merely wearing sunglasses and cutting off his sleeves. Having left Axis Zeon, Char returns to the Earth Sphere in September 0084 and infiltrates the Earth Federation Forces ranking with the alias "Quattro Bajeena". Almost immediately, he finds himself involved in conflicts against the Earth Federation's newly formed Titan Task Force, fighting and shooting down 2 enemy battleships within hours of acquiring his new identity. After meeting the Federation politician Blex Forer, Char joins a group of former Earth Federation Force's soldiers and eventually became a leading member of the Anti-Earth Union Group.
This time, rather than serving as the rival of the new protagonist, Kamille Bidan, Char serves as Kamille's mentor in the war against the Earth Federation's oppressive Titans organization. In Zeta Gundam, Char becomes an ally of his former adversaries in Mobile Suit Gundam: Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
, Hayato Kobayashi and Bright Noa
Bright Noa
is a fictional character from the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam and the related films. In the anime, he is only mentioned as Earth-born...
. He serves under Bright Noa as leader of AEUG mobile suit forces.
During this period, Char loses faith in himself as a decision maker. It seems to be his greatest fear, as he normally displays none in regard to war. When assuming the identity of Quattro he willingly places himself under the command of his former enemies. He has discovered that there can be compromise in the future of Earth's population and the colonies. In the course of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam even Bright Noa
Bright Noa
is a fictional character from the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam and the related films. In the anime, he is only mentioned as Earth-born...
, who lost crew to Char's attacks on the White Base
White Base
The White Base is a fictional spaceship from the Japanese science fiction anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. It serves as the mothership of the protagonist crew members and the famous mobile suit Gundam...
, urges him to drop the Quattro facade and become a leader to the Spacenoids, or those raised in space colonies. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam portrays Char's image as a hero who is always willing to stand up and fight for the freedom of spacenoids. His political speech in front of Federation Assembly in Dakar, which is broadcast throughout Earth and Space, is one of the most important events in the U.C. Gundam timeline. It seals Char's total commitment toward space colonization and migration of humanity to space.
Despite AEUG's victory in the Gryps Conflict against the Titans, Char is defeated in the final battle by Haman Karn, leader of the Axis Zeon (later Neo Zeon) faction and assumed dead. However, as the final credits roll, Char's damaged mobile suit floats by with its cockpit hatch open.
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
In Mobile Suit Gundam ZZMobile Suit Gundam ZZ
is a TV series aired on Japanese TV from 1986–1987, was the third Gundam series, and a direct follow up to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino returned to lead the series, and he assembled a new team consisting of character designer Hiroyuki Kitazume, who had been one of Zeta...
, Bright Noa remarks to Sayla Mass that he has a gut feeling that Char is simply watching from the sidelines and waiting for the right opportunity to return. Char does not appear in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ because Yoshiyuki Tomino has stated officially that he had originally intended to feature Char, but the plan was cancelled when he was granted to go-ahead with the theatrical movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
is a 1988 anime film set in Gundam's Universal Century timeline of Gundam, specifically U.C. 0093.Making its theatrical debut on March 12, 1988, Char's Counterattack is the culmination of the original saga begun in Mobile Suit Gundam and continued through Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit...
. This is evident as Char appears in the first opening theme song, but does not appear in the series.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
Char returns in the movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's CounterattackMobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
is a 1988 anime film set in Gundam's Universal Century timeline of Gundam, specifically U.C. 0093.Making its theatrical debut on March 12, 1988, Char's Counterattack is the culmination of the original saga begun in Mobile Suit Gundam and continued through Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit...
, set five years later, as the leader of a new Neo Zeon faction. He intends to create a nuclear winter
Nuclear winter
Nuclear winter is a predicted climatic effect of nuclear war. It has been theorized that severely cold weather and reduced sunlight for a period of months or even years could be caused by detonating large numbers of nuclear weapons, especially over flammable targets such as cities, where large...
by dropping the massive asteroid base Axis on the Earth, hence forcing a complete migration into space, which he believes will make all of humanity evolve into Newtypes. Only one thing stands in his way: the Federation's Londo Bell task force, and their top ace pilot, his old archrival Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
.
In the second Neo Zeon movement, both Char and Amuro pilot mobile suits equipped with an advanced psycommu system known as psycoframe. Char authorized Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics is a fictional civilian company that appeared in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The company appeared first in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam as the main financier, supplier, and manufacturer of the faction AEUG...
to pass the psycoframe technology to the development team responsible for Amuro's Nu Gundam, effectively planning a fair showdown between them in advance. After Char's mobile suit is destroyed by Amuro in the duel, Amuro captures Char's escape pod, and against Char's taunting, attempts to push the asteroid Axis away from Earth. The intense willpower of Amuro and all the pilots assisting him causes Nu Gundam's psycoframes to resonate and overload, resulting in a spectacular aurora with Axis pushed out of Earth's orbit. Both Amuro and Char disappear without a trace in the incident. There is no concrete evidence about them being deceased in the movie although Nanai Miguel did claim that Char's life force was fading away, as Amuro intercepted Axis and cries for Char when Axis is finally pushed back. The fates of either character were never revealed in the film, though the novelization of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack confirms both as KIA
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
. The follow-up Gundam Unicorn also supports this idea. However, in the official Universal Century timeline for the animated series, it lists Amuro Ray and Char Aznable as MIA
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
.
Fictional characteristics and attributes
Char favors speed-orientated offensive battle tactics and hates to get hit, even when piloting an I-Field generator equipped unit and beam attacks have minimal to no effect (Commented when piloting Zero the R in a simulation battle in Portrait of a Young Comet - Char's Deleted Affair).He typically pilots red mobile suits, such as his red Zaku, Z'Gok, Gelgoog, Rick Dias and Sazabi
MSN-04 Sazabi
The MSN-04 Sazabi is a fictional mobile suit designed by Yutaka Izubuchi for the anime movie Char's Counterattack; it has also appeared in titles including, but not limited to, the Super Robot Wars series of strategy games, the Gundam: Battle Assault series of fighting games, the PlayStation 2...
. Exceptions to this is the MSN-02 Zeong
MSN-02 Zeong
The MSN-02 Zeong is a fictional mobile suit designed by Kunio Okawara for the anime Mobile Suit Gundam. It has also appeared in many video games and other media, including, but not limited to, the PlayStation 2 titles Federation vs...
, which was painted in a bluish-grey colour during the Battle of A Baoa Qu, and had no time to even install the legs, much less be repainted and the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki, which is painted in bright gold yellow (At the time, he was pretending to be a different person).
The name Char Aznable was inspired by Armenian-French singer and songwriter and character named Charkin in an earlier robot anime Reideen (ライディーン)
Mobile suits used by Char Aznable
Some of the mobile suits that he pilots throughout the series are:- MS-06C Zaku II - Mobile suit that he starts with at the beginning of the war, and wins his ace status in at the battle of Loum.
- MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type - High-performance mobile suit issued to ace pilots and team commanders.
- MSM-07S Z'Gok Commander Type - An amphibious mobile suit, used by Char on the Jaburo Drop Operation.
- MS-14S Gelgoog Commander TypeMS-14 GelgoogThe MS-14A Gelgoog is a fictional machine from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Gundam metaseries.-History:The Principality canceled the original MS-11 design, citing the need for beam weapons in the unit. The model number would be reassigned to the Pezun Project's Act Zaku...
- The latest Zeon mobile suit incorporated in the last months of the war; special prototype given to ace pilots, damaged by Amuro Ray and the RX-78-2 GundamRX-78 GundamThe RX-78 Gundam is a fictional manned robot, introduced in 1979 in Yoshiyuki Tomino's and Sunrise's anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. In the series, it is a testbed weapon for the Earth Federation when it falls into the hands of Amuro Ray, the son of a weapons designer, who goes on to pilot it in...
at Side 5. - MS-09R Rick Dom - A Customized space use heavy mobile suit, shown in the original novelization.
- MSN-02 ZeongMSN-02 ZeongThe MSN-02 Zeong is a fictional mobile suit designed by Kunio Okawara for the anime Mobile Suit Gundam. It has also appeared in many video games and other media, including, but not limited to, the PlayStation 2 titles Federation vs...
- A powerful Newtype mobile suit piloted during the Battle of A Baoa Qu, the last one of the war. The unit Char receives is under construction and is only considered to be 80% completed, although the missing 20% consists of the suits legs, which are proclaimed superfluous in space anyway by one of the mechanics. - Zero Ze Aru - After One Year Wars Char goes to Axis and uses this Mobile Armor in CDA.
- RMS-099 Rick Dias - AEUG mass produced, heavy attack mobile suit, piloted by Char during the early part of Gryps Conflict.
- RX-178 Gundam Mk-IIRX-178 Gundam Mk-IIThe RX-178 Gundam Mark-II is a fictional mobile suit from the Universal Century Gundam anime series. A collaborative design created by Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita, it is featured prominently as protagonist Kamille Bidan's mobile suit in the first half of Mobile Suit Zeta...
- Titans prototype, general-purpose mobile suit, piloted by Char at least twice, only having just stolen all three units. - MSN-0100 Hyaku Shiki - AEUG prototype, personalized high-performance attack mobile suit, piloted by Char during the latter part of Gryps Conflict. Protected by a newly developed Anti-Beam Coating, this mobile suit shows a bright gold tone in place of his typical red scheme.
- MSN-04 SazabiMSN-04 SazabiThe MSN-04 Sazabi is a fictional mobile suit designed by Yutaka Izubuchi for the anime movie Char's Counterattack; it has also appeared in titles including, but not limited to, the Super Robot Wars series of strategy games, the Gundam: Battle Assault series of fighting games, the PlayStation 2...
- Char's personalized mobile suit during the second Neo Zeon movement, designed to make full use of his Newtype powers.- Replaced by MSN-04II Nightingale in the novelization.
- RX-78C/A Gundam Char Aznable CustomRX-78 GundamThe RX-78 Gundam is a fictional manned robot, introduced in 1979 in Yoshiyuki Tomino's and Sunrise's anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. In the series, it is a testbed weapon for the Earth Federation when it falls into the hands of Amuro Ray, the son of a weapons designer, who goes on to pilot it in...
- An Alternate timeline in the video game series "Ghiren's Greed" places Char in the cockpit of a customized red RX-78 Gundam. - MA-04X Zakrello Char Aznable Custom - Only appeared in Gundam AceGundam Aceis a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten, it largely focus on the Gundam franchise. There is a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media Co., Ltd.-Overview:...
, Char's customize more powerful than original MA. - RB-79 Ball Char Aznable CustomRB-79 BallThe RB-79 Ball is a fictional weapon from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. Its design was partially inspired by the EVA Pod from 2001: A Space Odyssey...
- Also only appeared in Gundam AceGundam Aceis a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten, it largely focus on the Gundam franchise. There is a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media Co., Ltd.-Overview:...
, as a reference to an ongoing joke that Char will pilot anything "painted in red with horn (antenna)". - Saku Char Aznable Custom - A parody of Zaku, Char's customize more powerful than original MS. It appeared in an official parody manga first published in Gundam AceGundam Aceis a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten, it largely focus on the Gundam franchise. There is a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media Co., Ltd.-Overview:...
and is included in the Gundam Battle (series)Gundam Battle (series)Gundam Battle is a series of games exclusively made for the Sony PlayStation Portable game console, all based on a same game engine. Currently there are 5 games in the series.-Gundam Battle Tactics:...
as a secret unit.
So far, Char is the only character in the Gundam universe (U.C. or non-U.C. timelines) to have fought in three final battles of a movie or series. In Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
, Char fights against Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
at A Baoa Qu. In the finale of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
, Char and Kamille Bidan fight together against Haman Karn (of Axis Zeon) and Paptimus Scirocco (of Titans) in a three-way battle (AEUG vs Titans vs Axis). Finally, Char's last battle is at the end of Char's Counterattack when he fights his archrival Amuro Ray again.
Legacy
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
or a significant supporting character, sometimes also having blond hair, and is usually shrouded in mystery and wears a mask or sunglasses, pilots red or yellow mobile suits and sometimes has an extremist plan in mind.
An actual DNA clone from Char Aznable appeared in the story Gaia Gear
Gaia Gear
Gaia Gear is a science fiction story written by Yoshiyuki Tomino with mechanical design of Ito Mamoru and based on Tomino's Gundam series. It first ran as a serial in the Japanese Newtype Magazine from April 1987 to December 1991. Afterwards the story was released in five novels which were released...
(an original novel by Yoshiyuki Tomino). Named Afranshia Char, a clone made by final Zeon remnants to lead them in a failed attempt to overthrow the Federation one last time, using the mighty Gaia-Gear man-machine suit.
The character Full Frontal, from Gundam Unicorn, set in U.C. 0096, three years after Char's Counter Attack, is described as "The Second Coming of Char" and has blond hair, though long, and wears a mask. The chapter that introduces him is called "Red Comet" and it has been noted that both Char and Frontal's voices sound alike (Shuuichi Ikeda plays both). In addition Frontal and Char have the same facial features, including the scar on the forehead. He is later revealed to be a cyber NewType geneticly engineered to resemble Char Aznable. His memory was implanted from the psycho frame of one of the Mobile suits previously piloted by Char (Sazabi). The producers of the OVA claim to treat Frontal as if he really were Char, and an interview in Newtype magazine with Kosugi Naohiro indicates that the origin revealed for Frontal in the Novels may not necessarily be his origin in the OVA.
Cultural significance
Japanese pop culture holds Char Aznable in very much the same way western pop culture views science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
icons Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
and Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
. Char Aznable is not only a character, but has become a brand name.
Char, along with five other notable mecha and pilots from the various Gundam series, were recognized in the second set of "Anime Heroes and Heroines" stamps, released in Japan in 2005.
Char Aznable has routinely placed in the top 10 lists of popular characters in both Gundam-specific and general-oriented fan magazines in Japan, such as Gundam Ace
Gundam Ace
is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten, it largely focus on the Gundam franchise. There is a Chinese version published by Kadokawa Media Co., Ltd.-Overview:...
and Animage
Animage
is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, was serialized in Animage from 1982 through 1994...
, typically ranking higher than the main character and his rival, Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
. In Gundam Ace, Char is consistently in the top 3 of the list, and held the number 1 spot for long periods of time, despite the fact that Gundam Ace tallies votes for Char's alter-ego Quattro Bajina separately. In fact, Quattro also consistently ranks in the top 10. In both Gunpla and Figure magazines it is almost guaranteed to see Char's custom red mobile suit.
On the Japanese bulletin board 2channel
2channel
is a Japanese textboard. In 2007 there were 2.5 million posts made every day. Launched in 1999, it has gained significant influence in Japanese society, comparable to that of traditional mass media such as television, radio, and magazines. As of 2008, the site generates revenue upwards of ¥100...
, the Gundam forums are named Char custom (シャア専用), and the anonymous placeholder for the name is changed to "3 times more than the usual anonymous" (通常の名無しさんの３倍), a reference to the "3 times faster than the usual Zaku" line from the original series. Char Custom refers to Char's tendency to highly customized standard Mobile Suits to his exact specifications and generally making the said units far more potent than normal. This usually involves the character coloring his suits red, which led some people to go as far as to label anything red "Char-custom", and to make vague references to the "3 times more potent" line in the original Gundam series (e.g. A red pencil might write 3 times faster, or is 3 times more likely to break). This pinkish-red colour is actually not the idea of the director, but only because the excess pinkish red colour ink the animation company has at the time. It is, however, stated in the game Gireh's Greed that the colour is actually only the colour of an unpainted Zaku due to the grudge from him being the top graduate from military school.
Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
has capitalized on the character's popularity by licensing out the name to various products. There has been a Char-custom laptop, Char-custom Nintendo Gamecube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, and a Char-custom motorbike helmet. All these products have a red satin finish, and have the goldleaf Zeon insignia or the emblem of Char's Neo Zeon emblazoned on them. A Char-custom Game Boy Advance SP
Game Boy Advance SP
The , released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for Special. The SP was marketed at US$99.99 at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to US$79.99...
was also created in Japan (with many sources claiming its battery will last 3 times as long as the normal GBA, or even that it will crash 3 times as much). On July 25, 2006, GE Consumer Finance
GE Consumer Finance
GE Money is part of GE Capital operating division of General Electric. The division, headquartered in London, claims 130 million global customers and offers a range of financial products, including private label credit cards, personal loans, bank cards, auto loans and leases, mortgages, corporate...
released a Char Custom credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
, which receives three times as many bonus points per 1000 yen spent compared to their other Gundam-related credit cards http://www.gecard.com/character/char.html. Japanese cell phone company Soft Bank released a special Char Custom cell phone in late 2007, with a very large red Zaku head which serves as the charger base. Char related apparel and accessories span a wide range, from the ubiquitous Quattro sunglasses to Char lighters, neckties, wristbands, caps, wallets and a wide range of t-shirts. The creator of Char Aznable, Yoshiyuki Tomino
Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
, does not like the idea of making money this way. He feels that by sticking the term "Char's Custom" to the products culturally suggests the quality of the product is superior to other brands. However, most of them are only coloured red and are basically the same as the products on which they are based; ironically, some of these "Char Custom" products are even of lower quality than the baseline products. Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino believes that "having satisfication in such products just because they are popular and can earn money is a sin, since it cannot teach a correct social sense to the newer generation".
In a planned spaceflight for 2006, Soyuz TMA-9
Soyuz TMA-9
-Crew notes:Daisuke Enomoto Was originally scheduled to be the spaceflight participant, but on on 21 August 2006, he was determined to be unfit for the flight due to medical reasons, and replaced by Anousheh Ansari, his back-up crew member.-Docking with ISS:...
, a Japanese internet investor named Daisuke Enomoto
Daisuke Enomoto
is a Japanese businessman and former livedoor executive who hoped to become the fourth space tourist. He had trained at Star City, Moscow in Russia to fly with two members of Expedition 14 on board Soyuz TMA-9, which was launched on September 18, 2006....
had asked to dress up
Cosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
as Char Aznable. However, medical restrictions prevented him from participating in the flight.
In Code Geass, Lelouch's
Lelouch Lamperouge
is the protagonist and antihero of the Sunrise anime series Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. Lamperouge is his assumed surname, while his real name is , son of the 98th Britannian Emperor. His seiyū is Jun Fukuyama, and his child self is voiced by Sayaka Ohara...
masked alter ego Zero was one of the earliest developed characters. Ichirō Ōkouchi
Ichiro Okouchi
is a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. He is a graduate of Waseda University, School of Human Sciences.In 2006, Ōkouchi collaborated with director Gorō Taniguchi for composing the story and script of the Sunrise original production, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion and its sequel Code Geass:...
wanted a mask to be included as a part of the series, because he felt that a mask was necessary for it to be a Sunrise show.