MSN-04 Sazabi
Encyclopedia
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
titles Climax U.C., MS Saga and A.C.E.
. It is utilized by movie and timeline antagonist Char Aznable
.
to produce a custom-designed mobile suit specifically for his personal use. Painted in a darker and brighter red color with respect to his previously used Zaku II, which presented a tonality tending to a dark pink somewhere, Char utilized the Sazabi as a front-line combat unit to personally lead Neo Zeon mobile suit forces against the Earth Federation Space Force and its Londo Bell subsidiary.
Despite its large size by mobile suit standards, the Sazabi maintains a high level of maneuverability due to a proportionally-high number of maneuvering verniers and lightweight armor materials. It is also heavily armed, including a powerful mega particle cannon in its torso, a variable-output beam shot rifle (a pump-action activates a shotgun-like burst, otherwise functions as a normal beam rifle with semiautomatic fire), and a battery of melee weapons. Its large shield includes space to store a beam tomahawk, as well as three missiles. It is also armed with half a dozen of the same funnel remote weapons as the Jagd Doga
. However, the Sazabi's most notable tool is its Psychoframe, a device created by the Neo Zeon movement to both amplify and better harness a Newtype
pilot's combat capability. In addition to functioning as a standard psycommu system for control of the funnels, it also boosts a Newtype pilot's ability to control the mobile suit it is mounted in: this translates to a greatly improved reaction time in combat situations, cutting down or eliminating entirely the delay associated with manual controls. Furthermore, the Psychoframe is also capable of more "unforeseen capabilities" that even its pilots do not fully comprehend. Gundam Unicorn confirms that Sazabi's psychoframe contains Char's memories, allowing Neo Zeon to use the data and implant Char's memories into Full Frontal's mind. Unusually enough for a mobile suit, the cockpit is located inside the head of the unit as opposed to within the torso.
After protagonist Amuro Ray
is equipped with his own custom-designed Nu Gundam, provided with a psychoframe of its own (at Char's behest, no less), Amuro and Char engage in combat above the asteroid Axis, where Char is eventually defeated in hand-to-hand combat
(each combatant having disarmed the other of their mobile suits' weaponry). Fortuitously for Char, the Sazabi was also designed with an escape pod which is automatically fired if the mobile suit sustains critical damage , although this does not save him as Amuro manages to catch the escape pod.
, resulting in a slightly blockier appearance more suitable for modeling. Due to the substantial size and heft, it is one of the most expensive 1/100th-scale Master Grade kits yet manufactured, trumped only by the enormous Perfect Zeong kit, released in 2004. Expensive, high-quality resin kits have been manufactured by B-Club. The Sazabi has even loaned its likeness to Gundam-themed Zippo
lighters. A white-colored Sazabi also appears in Gunpla Builders Beginning G as Kenta Sakazaki's personal steed, which was also released as a limited-edition 1/144 HGUC kit. The Sazabi also debuted as part of Bandai's "Formania" line of extensively detailed machine replicas in September 2010.
Yutaka Izubuchi
is a Japanese anime designer and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical...
for the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
movie Char's Counterattack; it has also appeared in titles including, but not limited to, the Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
series of strategy games, the Gundam: Battle Assault series of fighting games, the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
titles Climax U.C., MS Saga and A.C.E.
Another Century's Episode
, abbreviated as A.C.E., is a mecha action video game produced by Banpresto and developed by From Software. It was released for the PlayStation 2 on January 27, 2005....
. It is utilized by movie and timeline antagonist 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,...
.
In Char's Counterattack
Following the establishment of the second Neo Zeon movement, Char Aznable commissioned Anaheim ElectronicsAnaheim 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 produce a custom-designed mobile suit specifically for his personal use. Painted in a darker and brighter red color with respect to his previously used Zaku II, which presented a tonality tending to a dark pink somewhere, Char utilized the Sazabi as a front-line combat unit to personally lead Neo Zeon mobile suit forces against the Earth Federation Space Force and its Londo Bell subsidiary.
Despite its large size by mobile suit standards, the Sazabi maintains a high level of maneuverability due to a proportionally-high number of maneuvering verniers and lightweight armor materials. It is also heavily armed, including a powerful mega particle cannon in its torso, a variable-output beam shot rifle (a pump-action activates a shotgun-like burst, otherwise functions as a normal beam rifle with semiautomatic fire), and a battery of melee weapons. Its large shield includes space to store a beam tomahawk, as well as three missiles. It is also armed with half a dozen of the same funnel remote weapons as the Jagd Doga
MSN-03 Jagd Doga
The Jagd Doga is a fictional mobile suit designed by Yutaka Izubuchi for the anime movie Char's Counterattack; it has also appeared in the Super Robot Wars franchise and the PlayStation 2 title Climax U.C..- In Char's Counterattack :...
. However, the Sazabi's most notable tool is its Psychoframe, a device created by the Neo Zeon movement to both amplify and better harness 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....
pilot's combat capability. In addition to functioning as a standard psycommu system for control of the funnels, it also boosts a Newtype pilot's ability to control the mobile suit it is mounted in: this translates to a greatly improved reaction time in combat situations, cutting down or eliminating entirely the delay associated with manual controls. Furthermore, the Psychoframe is also capable of more "unforeseen capabilities" that even its pilots do not fully comprehend. Gundam Unicorn confirms that Sazabi's psychoframe contains Char's memories, allowing Neo Zeon to use the data and implant Char's memories into Full Frontal's mind. Unusually enough for a mobile suit, the cockpit is located inside the head of the unit as opposed to within the torso.
After protagonist 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...
is equipped with his own custom-designed Nu Gundam, provided with a psychoframe of its own (at Char's behest, no less), Amuro and Char engage in combat above the asteroid Axis, where Char is eventually defeated in hand-to-hand combat
Hand to hand combat
Hand-to-hand combat is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons...
(each combatant having disarmed the other of their mobile suits' weaponry). Fortuitously for Char, the Sazabi was also designed with an escape pod which is automatically fired if the mobile suit sustains critical damage , although this does not save him as Amuro manages to catch the escape pod.
Elsewhere and Miscellany
As with other mobile suits from the movie, the Sazabi received a 1/144th-scale model kit in 1988, and a Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA) figure in 2002. Additionally, there has been a re-vamped, "extended" MSiA in 2006, and a 1/100th-scale Master Grade model kit in 2000. Prior to release, the Sazabi was given a makeover by veteran mechanical designer Hajime KatokiHajime Katoki
is a popular Japanese mecha designer. A member of the studio Sunrise, he is highly noted for his work on the Gundam series as well as his work on video games, such as the Virtual On series and Policenauts.-Biography:...
, resulting in a slightly blockier appearance more suitable for modeling. Due to the substantial size and heft, it is one of the most expensive 1/100th-scale Master Grade kits yet manufactured, trumped only by the enormous Perfect Zeong kit, released in 2004. Expensive, high-quality resin kits have been manufactured by B-Club. The Sazabi has even loaned its likeness to Gundam-themed Zippo
Zippo
A Zippo lighter is a refillable, metal lighter manufactured by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, U.S. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the seven decades since their introduction including military ones for specific regiments.-Establishment:George G...
lighters. A white-colored Sazabi also appears in Gunpla Builders Beginning G as Kenta Sakazaki's personal steed, which was also released as a limited-edition 1/144 HGUC kit. The Sazabi also debuted as part of Bandai's "Formania" line of extensively detailed machine replicas in September 2010.
External links
- Sazabi at GundamOfficial.com
- Sazabi at MAHQ
- Char's Counterattack review at MAHQ
- Char's Counterattack plot synopsis at GundamOfficial.com
- Char's Counterattack at the Gundam Project (archive courtesy of the Wayback Machine).
- 2000 Master Grade Sazabi at Hobby Search (English)
- (2002-5-6) Gundam: The Official Guide. Mark Simmons. ISBN 1-56931-739-9
- (2002-7-9) Gundam Technical Manual 4: Char's Counterattack. Hajime Yadate. ISBN 1-59182-050-2