Kycilia Zabi
Encyclopedia
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 third, older than her brother Dozle
.
Kycilia was quick to adapt to the changing technology of the One Year War
, and was equally proficient in gathering intelligence for use against the Earth Federation
. She was in charge of the Principality of Zeon's mobile suit forces, and was responsible for their use against the Federation. In addition, she was responsible for the creation of numerous elite mobile suit units, including Char Aznable
's 300th Independent Corps (aka "Char's Newtype Corps"), the hand-picked Chimera Corps and the Midnight Fenrir covert ops team.
She is portrayed ambiguously during both the main series, and the various side stories surrounding the One Year War, with her motives often open to question. On the one hand, she is shown to be fiercely loyal to the people of Zeon
, and to the men under her command. Many of her actions, however, can also be interpreted as those of a charismatic, but utterly merciless manipulator of the highest order, preparing for a military coup.
During the Battle of Loum, she ordered her fleet to withdraw as soon as the main engagement was over, allowing her brother's fleets the "glory" of mopping-up the Federation's retreating troops while preserving the lives of the men under her own command. A veteran of the battle, Lt. Cdr Gerhart Schmeisser (who had been too seriously wounded in the fight to continue active combat piloting), approached her during the Antarctic Treaty
cease-fire. He proposed the formation of a small Earth-bound covert-operations unit, to be named the Midnight Fenrir corps. She immediately approved.
Her activities during the first half of the One Year War are poorly documented, and neither she nor her forces encountered the White Base
or its crew until much later. Her activities, in fact, are poorly documented even in Gundam's extensive side-story material. If she appears at all, it is often as an aloof patroness, with little dialog.
In the latter half of the One Year War she took Char Aznable under her wing after Dozle Zabi
dismissed Char from his regiment for failing to protect Garma (Though she would later figure out the truth behind her brother's death and Char's true identity). With her support, Char proceeded to form the 300th Independent Corps, gathering Newtypes from Zeon-held territory and prototype mobile armour Elmeth from the Flanagan Institute.
When Degwin attempted to negotiate a peace with the Federation's General Revil
, Kycilia was en route to the location with her fleet in case the negotiations failed. Her fleet's sensors picked up the IR
signature of the firing of the Solar Ray, but she was unaware of the death of her father until Gihren told her, also claiming that the firing of the weapon was an accident.
As the opening shots of the Battle of A Baoa Qu were fired, however, Gihren Zabi finally confessed to Kycilia that he killed their father, Degwin. Kycilia promptly executed Gihren with a single shot to the head for the patricide, and took control of all Zeon forces during the battle. As the defences began to falter, she gave the order for the Zeon forces to retreat, and for the defenders of A Baoa Qu to surrender 15 minutes after her escape. Just before she left, however, Char Aznable decapitated
her by firing a bazooka
through the window of the Chimera, her flagship. The ship was destroyed only moments later by Federation warships, the crew unable to communicate Char's treachery to the fleet. Without her leadership, the Zeon fleet rapidly fell into disarray, with individual commanders recovering what suits and pilots they could, then fleeing; others fighting to the death, believing their commander to still be alive but unable to escape.
There is some debate as to the nature of her relationship with ace pilot Johnny Ridden, however, they appear to share a courtly love
. He refers to himself as her knight, and uses the symbol of a Unicorn
as a dedication to her. Immediately before his sortie at A Baoa Qu, Ridden hands her a hand-carved amulet of a Unicorn, an heirloom from his grandfather, which she accepts as a token and secures to her pistol. When she shoots Gihren, however, she is seen discarding the amulet - perhaps in the belief that she is no longer "pure" and worthy of the Unicorn.
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...
series, is the only daughter of Degwin Sodo Zabi
Degwin Sodo Zabi
is a fictional character in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe. He was the absolute dictator of the Principality of Zeon and came to power in UC 0068 after the suspicious death of Zeon Zum Deikun.- Rise to Power :...
. While 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...
's novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
version of MSG indicates her as the fourth of his five children and youngest except for Garma, the ongoing Gundam: The Origin manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
is a Japanese animator and manga artist in the anime industry.Yasuhiko dropped out of Hirosaki University and was hired by Osamu Tezuka's Mushi Productions in 1970 as an animator. He later went freelance and worked on various animation productions for film and television. In 1981 he won the Seiun...
identifies her as his third, older than her brother Dozle
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...
.
Kycilia was quick to adapt to the changing technology of the 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...
, and was equally proficient in gathering intelligence for use against the Earth Federation
Earth Federation
The is a fictional organization in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime series. The name also made a reappearance outside of the Gundam series in following media.* Godzilla vs...
. She was in charge of the Principality of Zeon's mobile suit forces, and was responsible for their use against the Federation. In addition, she was responsible for the creation of numerous elite mobile suit units, including Char Aznable
Char Aznable
, born is a fictional character from the Gundam franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonists 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,...
's 300th Independent Corps (aka "Char's Newtype Corps"), the hand-picked Chimera Corps and the Midnight Fenrir covert ops team.
She is portrayed ambiguously during both the main series, and the various side stories surrounding the One Year War, with her motives often open to question. On the one hand, she is shown to be fiercely loyal to the people of Zeon
Zeon
In the television anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe, Zeon can refer to the Republic of Zeon, the Principality of Zeon or Neo Zeon. It is also referred to as the Duchy of Zeon or the Zeon Dukedom...
, and to the men under her command. Many of her actions, however, can also be interpreted as those of a charismatic, but utterly merciless manipulator of the highest order, preparing for a military coup.
Story
Not much is known about Kycilia's youth, but she is known to have grown up on Side 3, where she first met Johnny Ridden.During the Battle of Loum, she ordered her fleet to withdraw as soon as the main engagement was over, allowing her brother's fleets the "glory" of mopping-up the Federation's retreating troops while preserving the lives of the men under her own command. A veteran of the battle, Lt. Cdr Gerhart Schmeisser (who had been too seriously wounded in the fight to continue active combat piloting), approached her during the Antarctic Treaty
Antarctic Treaty (Gundam)
The Antarctic Treaty is a fictional wartime treaty in the Universal Century timeline of the sci-fi mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam.The Antarctic Treaty states that:* All uses of nuclear weapons are prohibited...
cease-fire. He proposed the formation of a small Earth-bound covert-operations unit, to be named the Midnight Fenrir corps. She immediately approved.
Her activities during the first half of the One Year War are poorly documented, and neither she nor her forces encountered 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...
or its crew until much later. Her activities, in fact, are poorly documented even in Gundam's extensive side-story material. If she appears at all, it is often as an aloof patroness, with little dialog.
In the latter half of the One Year War she took Char Aznable under her wing after 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...
dismissed Char from his regiment for failing to protect Garma (Though she would later figure out the truth behind her brother's death and Char's true identity). With her support, Char proceeded to form the 300th Independent Corps, gathering Newtypes from Zeon-held territory and prototype mobile armour Elmeth from the Flanagan Institute.
When Degwin attempted to negotiate a peace with the Federation's General Revil
General Revil
In the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime, General Revil is one of the Earth Federation's leading Space Force commanders...
, Kycilia was en route to the location with her fleet in case the negotiations failed. Her fleet's sensors picked up the IR
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
signature of the firing of the Solar Ray, but she was unaware of the death of her father until Gihren told her, also claiming that the firing of the weapon was an accident.
As the opening shots of the Battle of A Baoa Qu were fired, however, Gihren Zabi finally confessed to Kycilia that he killed their father, Degwin. Kycilia promptly executed Gihren with a single shot to the head for the patricide, and took control of all Zeon forces during the battle. As the defences began to falter, she gave the order for the Zeon forces to retreat, and for the defenders of A Baoa Qu to surrender 15 minutes after her escape. Just before she left, however, Char Aznable decapitated
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
her by firing a bazooka
Bazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
through the window of the Chimera, her flagship. The ship was destroyed only moments later by Federation warships, the crew unable to communicate Char's treachery to the fleet. Without her leadership, the Zeon fleet rapidly fell into disarray, with individual commanders recovering what suits and pilots they could, then fleeing; others fighting to the death, believing their commander to still be alive but unable to escape.
There is some debate as to the nature of her relationship with ace pilot Johnny Ridden, however, they appear to share a courtly love
Courtly love
Courtly love was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Generally, courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife....
. He refers to himself as her knight, and uses the symbol of a Unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
as a dedication to her. Immediately before his sortie at A Baoa Qu, Ridden hands her a hand-carved amulet of a Unicorn, an heirloom from his grandfather, which she accepts as a token and secures to her pistol. When she shoots Gihren, however, she is seen discarding the amulet - perhaps in the belief that she is no longer "pure" and worthy of the Unicorn.
Video game appearances
Kycilia often plays a more visible role in Gundam video games than she did in the series, as she is the ultimate commander of some of Zeon's most elite units. These same elite units provide, of course, perfect fodder for arcade games:- In the squad-based shooter Zeonic Front, all simulator results are personally reviewed by Kycillia, and her responses (in the form of a short video and audio clip) vary from grudging admiration, to distaste, to some moderate praise (only for A or S rank).
- She appears in the arcade and home versions of Federation vs. Zeon DX for ZeonZeonIn the television anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe, Zeon can refer to the Republic of Zeon, the Principality of Zeon or Neo Zeon. It is also referred to as the Duchy of Zeon or the Zeon Dukedom...
players whenever they acquire 4-star suits, captured enemy suits, or achieve specific combat objectives. These appearances, however, are limited to stills and text. Entering "Kycilia" as your player name in arcade mode changes the default audio and video clips played during the missions, although it has no effect on Scenario mode. Though the progress of the campaign largely follows that of the series, when the player succeeds in protecting Kycelia's ship at A Bao A Qu, she is not assassinated, as a minor alternate ending.
- In the Tactical Roleplaying Game SD Gundam G GenerationSD Gundam G GenerationSD Gundam G Generation is a series of strategy-RPG video games that focus on the Gundam anime franchise.-History:The G Generation series technically began in 1996, when Bandai released a series of six games for Nintendo's Super Famicom console's Sufami Turbo add-on, each focusing on a particular...
series, Kycilia frequently appears as a dangerous enemy, although after her defeat she can often be hired for individual battles by the player. She is an excellent ship commander, and invariably has a high leadership value, although her attack skills are typically only slightly above-average.
- In the strategy video game Gihren's Greed: The Blood of Zeon, a bonus scenario is available in which Kycilia (shortly after the death of her father) defects from the Principality of Zeon and leads her own faction, the "Legitimate Zeon", to depose Gihren for his corrupt handling of the war as well as continue the war against the Earth FederationEarth FederationThe is a fictional organization in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime series. The name also made a reappearance outside of the Gundam series in following media.* Godzilla vs...
on her own.
- In the hack-and-slash games Dynasty Warriors: GundamDynasty Warriors: GundamOn the first day of its release, Gundam Musou sold over a 100,000 copies, making it the first PS3 title to do so on its first day. Also, the game sold about 70 percent of its 170,000 -180,000 launch day shipments, making it rank third in overall sales — after Ridge Racer 7 and Mobile Suit Gundam:...
and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, originally released in Japan as , is a tactical action video game based on the Gundam anime series, and the sequel to 2007's Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. It is developed by Koei/Omega Force and is published by Namco Bandai...
, many of the levels based in and around space during the One Year War involve player interaction with her although Kycilia herself is not a playable character.
Sources
- Mobile Suit GundamMobile Suit Gundamis 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...
- Aces in the One Year War vol. 1: Crimson Lightning Johnny Raiden