is Gundam SEED Destinys counterpart to Gundam SEED: Special Edition. It is a four-part compilation movie.

Overview

Like the three specials of Gundam SEED, these specials feature new or changed scenes of the TV series. However unlike the TV series, which was told in the points of view of main characters Shinn Asuka

Shinn Asuka

is a fictional character in the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny by Sunrise, part of the Gundam franchise. Appearing as the series' lead character, Shinn is a member from the military organization ZAFT composed of genetically advanced humans known as...

 and Kira Yamato

Kira Yamato

is a fictional character first introduced as the protagonist from the 2002 Japanese anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED by Sunrise, part of the Gundam franchise. In the series, Kira is a first-generation Coordinator, a genetically enhanced human being born of normal humans...

, the Special Edition was told through the eyes of Athrun Zala

Athrun Zala

is a fictional character from the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and its sequel Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, part of the Gundam franchise. In the former, Athrun Zala is introduced as a member from the military organization ZAFT, composed of...

, giving the movies a much more neutral point of view.
The DVD quartet, as opposed to the series, seems to put much more emphasis on Shinn's romantic relationship with Lunamaria Hawke and much less emphasis on Lunamaria's prior crush on Athrun so that fans could see a much easier transition to Shinn being romantically involved with Stella Loussier to Lunamaria, rather than in the series, which just had it as a sudden occurrence.

Broadcast on Japanese TV

• First special, "The Shattered World" (covers episodes 1 to 13 of the series), aired in two parts on May 2 and May 3, 2006.
• Second special, "Their Respective Swords" (covers episodes 14 to 28 of the series), aired in two parts on July 27 and July 28, 2006.
• Third special, "Flames of Destiny" (covers episodes 29 to 42 of the series), aired on October 8, 2006.
• Fourth special, "The Cost of Freedom" (covers episodes 43 to 50 of the series and the "Final Plus" episode, "The Chosen Future"), aired on February 23, 2007.

Changes

The transition from the TV broadcast to movies allowed changes to the storyline of the show to be made for the movie versions. Note: Some of the changes below were made to the DVD version of the TV series before being edited into the Special Editions.

Special Edition I - The Shattered World

• The opening sequence shows several new scenes at Orb and PLANT: Kira and Lacus walking on the beach, scenes with Athrun and Cagalli preparing to launch with the shuttle to PLANT until the actual launch, Shinn and Rey training with their suits at Armory One, the terrorists which will drop Junius Seven on Earth before the start of their mission…
• A scene when Rey looks to Gilbert who talks with Cagalli in front of a mobile suit hangar.
• Several new scenes of Athrun fighting in the ZAKU against the three stolen Gundams.
• The scene where Durandal reveals that Alex is Athrun is completely redrawn.
• Several new battle scenes at Junius Seven.
• When Athrun drives with Kira in his car he tells him that he will go to PLANT (in the series he only told it to Cagalli).
• Shinn talking with Lunamaria about why he doesn't leave the ship at Orb.
• The scene when Athrun says goodbye to Cagalli before leaving for PLANT is completely redrawn.
• The scene when Shinn visits the memorial at Orb and meeting Kira has been completely reanimated.
• Heine Westenfluss is shown in two scenes during the battle at Aprilius One.
• The scene when Kira saves Lacus from the sniper is redrawn.
• When Kira asks Lacus for the keys to open the gate to the Freedom is different.
• When the ASSH pilots commit suicide Kira displays shock rather than staring blankly out of his cockpit.

Special Edition II - Their Respective Swords

• Instead of joining the Archangel crew later, Miriallia is already on the ship when it leaves Orb.
• While sitting in his office, Durandal is informed that the Minerva has reached Carpentaria. Afterwards he thinks about whether Shinn's SEED factor has awakened (this shows that he knows about it). He also asks himself whether he can defeat Kira Yamato.
• The battle at Gulnahan is shown in short clips during Meer's concert.
• During the meeting between Durandal and the crew members of the Minerva, Rey has a short talk about war.
• While Durandal talks with Athrun about the Archangel, a short scene of the ship is shown, as well as a scene in which Kira repairs Haro while Lacus watches.
• When Shinn and Stella are rescued from the cave, it isn't Athrun who rescues them but Lunamaria.
• During the Battle of Dardanelles, Waltfeld isn't seen launching from the Archangel, and any scene of him fighting thereafter is also cut.
• A short new scene when Lacus enters the bath of the Archangel, which shows her nude from behind.
• When Kira and Cagalli meet Athrun, there is a short new scene of the Freedom as it emerges from the water.
• When Shinn stops Stella's rampage in the infirmary of the Minerva, Lunamaria is also present and her shocked face is shown when the captain and Athrun enter.
• When Lacus tells Kira that she will go to the PLANTs, they both hug in the end instead of simply looking at each other.
• When Savior was destroyed by Freedom, it immediately loses power, causing it to phase shift down instead of still being powered in the original series.

Special Edition III - Flames Of Destiny

• When Kira fights the Destroy, the scenes when Kira fights Sting and Neo are cut.
• When Shinn approaches Stella in the Destroy, his beam saber is turned off.
• The fight between Kira and Shinn during Operation Angel Down had added fast effects.
• The scene where Impulse tosses its shield at Freedom and ricochets a beam rifle shot off it is redrawn so the shield is in its "extended" mode.
• When Athrun wakes at the Archangel, Cagalli is beside Kira.
• Destiny's front faced beam rifle shooting animation is redrawn to show more of its surroundings.
• During the battle at Heaven's Base a new scene is added in which the Legend destroys several mobile suits among them a GAT-333 Raider Full Spec.
• In Kira's first battle with the Strike Freedom, the scene where the two GOUF Ignited pilots realize that Freedom can use DRAGOON units is re-drawn, as is Kira's reaction shot when said GOUFs entangle Freedom's arm and leg in their heat rods just prior to the DRAGOONs being launched.
• When Strike Freedom launches its DRAGOONs, its wings always display the mock "Wings of Light" effect in all scenes afterwards.
• When Durandal is informed that Djibril is in Orb, he is seen smiling.
• The Akatsuki is recolored with a more golden shine. Note that this is probably the same golden shine used in the Akatsuki when Neo started using it in space and therefore, it is probably changed to keep consistency.
• The part where Kira attacks Shinn after re-entry with his Strike Freedom is different. The sword slashing part gets redrawn.
• The scene where Shinn's Destiny runs low on power is cut. Rey simply calls back Shinn to the Minerva to resupply his MS's lost melee weapons.
• A short scene displaying Rey and Lunamaria's shocked expression when Strike Freedom caught Destiny's anti-ship sword and fired the railguns at point blank range.

Special Edition IV - Prices of Freedom

• Fast effects are added to Strike Freedom when it fires its chest cannon at Legend Gundam. For some reason, this doesn't apply when it fires it at Destiny during the last battle, but does so again when it fires it at Legend at a later point.
• When Athrun uses the Infinite Justice to ram Destiny, there is an emphasis when both mobile suits make contact.
• Several of Infinite Justice's footage gets renewed, including using its shield to block Destiny's beam boomerang (beam blade configuration) as well as when it uses its double saber to fling off Destiny after the beam boomerang makes contact with the shield. In the final battle, the footage of I. Justice blocking Impulse's beam rifle shots are also changed.
• Shinn gets a shocked flashback moments before crossing blades with Athrun in the Infinite Justice during their battle at Orb.
• While chasing after Djibril in the Orb Shuttle, Impulse's shooting poses are changed in order to emphasize more on how air resistance affected Luna's aiming capabilities.
• Rey has a brief dialogue before finishing off Djibril during the battle at Requiem.
• A brief clip of Cagalli taking her ring off is shown during her speech before Archangel launches. Similarly, her farewell to the ship and its crew is lengthened: there is an additional clip of her personally saying goodbye to Murrue, Mu, Lacus, Kira, and Athrun.
• The note Meer sends Lacus on the moon now has proper English grammar.
• The fight between Kira and Rey has been reanimated. Also, Rey was seen (sensed by Kira) as Rau.
• Athrun is added to the scene on the Messiah.
• The end credit sequence has Kira returning to the PLANTs in a white ZAFT command suit. There he is reunited with Lacus and happily embrace each other. Everyone present are smiling at the display of affection but few members of ZAFT are surprised by it. The end credits also feature a scene on Earth, showing Andy making coffee and Murrue and Mu watching the sunset together. What's more, it also shows Athrun wearing an Orb' admiral's suit, which may indicate that he has reunited with Cagalli.
• As of yet, the final fate of the Destiny, Impulse and Legend Gundams is still unknown. However, it is assumed that the Legend Gundam has been destroyed along with Messiah, whereas Destiny and Impulse Gundams remain on the lunar surface still damaged.

Ending and insert songs

Ending songs (in order):

• "Result" by Nami Tamaki
  Nami Tamaki
  is a Japanese pop singer. She has various commercial tie-ins with the anime and games industry, and has also performed in a stage musical and a movie. Her musical influences include American singers such as Britney Spears, Madonna, and Janet Jackson....
  
  
• "Tears" by lisa
• "Enrai (Tooku ni Aru Akari)" by HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR
  High and Mighty Color
  High and Mighty Color was a Japanese metal band active from 2003 to 2010. They notably had two vocalists; a male and a female.- Formation and Anti-Nobunaga :...
  
   by See-Saw
  See-Saw
  See-Saw is a Japanese pop duo originally from Tokyo, Japan. Its members include Chiaki Ishikawa and Yuki Kajiura; former member left the group in April 1994 to pursue a writing career...
  
  

Insert songs:

• "Fields of hope" by Rie Tanaka
  Rie Tanaka
  is a singer and voice actress . Notable among her numerous roles are Lacus Clyne in Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, Chii and Freya in Chobits, Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke in Strike Witches and Suigintou in the anime adaptation of Rozen Maiden.-Personal life:As a child, Tanaka took singing classes...
  
   (Special Edition I, IV) (partial) by Rie Tanaka
  Rie Tanaka
  is a singer and voice actress . Notable among her numerous roles are Lacus Clyne in Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, Chii and Freya in Chobits, Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke in Strike Witches and Suigintou in the anime adaptation of Rozen Maiden.-Personal life:As a child, Tanaka took singing classes...
  
   (Special Edition I)
• "Zips (UNDER:COVER version)" by T.M.Revolution (Special Edition I)
• "EMOTION" by Rie Tanaka
  Rie Tanaka
  is a singer and voice actress . Notable among her numerous roles are Lacus Clyne in Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, Chii and Freya in Chobits, Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke in Strike Witches and Suigintou in the anime adaptation of Rozen Maiden.-Personal life:As a child, Tanaka took singing classes...
  
   (Special Edition II) by T.M.Revolution (Special Edition II) by Houko Kuwashima
  Houko Kuwashima
  is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is capable of playing a variety of roles, ranging from young boys to feminine women. Kuwashima is currently affiliated with Aoni Production. Her given name, , is sometimes misread as Noriko, even in Japan...
  
   (Special Edition III) by T.M.Revolution (Special Edition III-IV)