Athrun Zala

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Athrun Zala
Athrun Zala in Gundam SEED Destiny
Genetic type:	Coordinator
DOB:	October 29, CE 55
Age:	16 [GS] 18 [GSD]
Nationality:	PLANT [GS/GSD] United Emirates of Orb [GSD]
Allegiance:	ZAFT [GS/GSD] Three Ship Alliance [GS] United Emirates of Orb [GSD] Terminal [GSD]
Rank:	Red Coat (ZAFT) [GS/GSD] FAITH (ZAFT) [GSD] Commander (ZAFT) [GSD] Chief Petty Officer (Orb) [GSD] Captain (Orb) [GSD] Admiral (Orb) [GSDSE]
Family:	Patrick Zala (father, deceased) Lenore Zala (mother, deceased)
Height:	170 cm (5' 8") [GS] 175 cm (5' 10") [GSD]
Weight:	64 kg (140.8 lbs) [GS][citation needed] 70 kg (154 lbs) [GSD]
Blood type:	O
Hair Color:	Navy blue (becomes dark violet in certain light])
Eye Color:	Green
Mobile Suit:	GAT-X303 Aegis [GS] ZGMF-X09A Justice [GS] ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior [GSD] ZGMF-1000/M Blaze Zaku Warrior [GSD] ZGMF-X23S Saviour [GSD] ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited [GSD] ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice [GSD]

Athrun Zala (アスラン・ザラ Asuran Zara) is a fictional character from the anime series Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny, set in the Cosmic Era timeline of the Gundam universe.^[1] He is played by Akira Ishida in the original Japanese version and Samuel Vincent in the English dub.

Athrun Zala is a Coordinator, and a member of the Rau Le Creuset ZAFT special forces team for most of Gundam Seed. The team consisted of young elite pilots, known as "Reds", who wore a special red uniform that meant that they had graduated at the top of their military cadet class. He is the son of Patrick Zala, who later becomes Chairman of ZAFT.

In the manga series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge, the events of Gundam SEED Destiny are told from Athrun's point of view. Kuori Chimaki's artwork depicts him as a more mature, yet somewhat effeminate figure ^[2]. Athrun is the narrative figure in the Gundam SEED Destiny: Special Edition compilations.

In SEED and SEED Destiny, his friendship with Kira Yamato forms one of the main themes of the story.

Contents 1 Pre Gundam SEED 2 Bloody Valentine War 2.1 Theft at Heliopolis: GAT-X303 Aegis 2.2 Pursuit of the Archangel 2.3 Acquiring the ZGMF-X09A Justice 2.4 Defection from ZAFT 2.5 Rise of Three Ships Alliance 3 Second Bloody Valentine War 3.1 Return to ZAFT: ZGMF-X23S Saviour 3.2 Defection from ZAFT 3.3 Battle of Orb: ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice 3.4 Battle of Messiah: Assault on REQUIEM 3.5 Aftermath 4 In games 5 References

[edit] Pre Gundam SEED

In CE 61, Patrick Zala sends Athrun to attend a preparatory school at the lunar city, Copernicus. Here, he meets Kira Yamato and they become good friends. In CE 68, Patrick calls Athrun back from Copernicus. Just before he leaves, Athrun builds a robo-pet bird, Torii (Birdy in the English dub), which he gives to Kira.

After returning to PLANT, Athrun finds that his father has arranged an engagement for him to PLANT pop idol Lacus Clyne. (According to the novelization of Gundam SEED, she is the first girl Athrun ever kissed.) It is shown in Episode 20 of Gundam SEED. Athrun creates a large number of Haros, a ball-shaped robotic pet for her, which she names based on their colors.

Athrun joins the ZAFT military because of his mother's death in the Bloody Valentine incident, which was caused by the Earth Alliance. Among the Le Creuset team members, he's the only pilot whose views on Naturals differ from his parent's (and with the most dramatic consequences) and he becomes friends with Nicol Amalfi and Rusty Mackenzie. Athrun is portrayed as a good hand to hand combatant and an expert with pistols. He consistently hits the vital areas of targets at the shooting range, shoots weapons out of the hands of people he does not want to harm (though not always on the first attempt), and successfully takes down groups of trained soldiers and assassins even though they are Coordinators. He is one of the better mobile suit pilots and undefeated when in Seed Mode.

[edit] Bloody Valentine War

[edit] Theft at Heliopolis: GAT-X303 Aegis

Morgenroete, Inc secretly develops five mobile suits for the Earth Alliance in a concealed base on the neutral colony, Heliopolis. The suits are intended to counter ZAFT's superior military technology. ZAFT raids the base, but only manages to steal four because ZAFT pilot Rusty Mackenzie is killed during the raid. Athrun steals the GAT-X303 Aegis prototype unit. During the raid he meets Kira Yamato, now a Heliopolis civilian, again. Kira becomes the pilot of the GAT-X105 Strike, the last of the five mobile suits, to protect his friends as well as other civilians. In the ensuing conflict, Heliopolis was destroyed.

[edit] Pursuit of the Archangel

Since he had piloted a top-secret unit, Kira and his friends are forced to embark on the Earth Alliance ship Archangel and later choose to enlist in their military. Kira engages Athrun in battle several times. Athrun is in turmoil over having to fight his friend and attempts to convince Kira to join ZAFT, since Kira is a Coordinator, and explains why he joined ZAFT when Kira is forced to battle the four stolen units alone. His words affect Kira, but he refuses to join ZAFT and escapes when Mu La Flaga intervenes.

Later, Athrun learns that his fiancée Lacus Clyne is on board the Archangel and is outraged when Natarle Badgiruel uses her as a hostage to protect the Archangel. Before withdrawing, Athrun asks Kira his idea of justice and vows to rescue Lacus. Kira later smuggles Lacus off the Archangel and back to Athrun. Upon retrieving his fiancée, Athrun asks Kira again to defect to ZAFT, but Kira firmly refuses. Neither Kira nor Athrun want to fight each other and they often think of one another and their unfortunate circumstances. Despite this, both declare to one another that they will shoot the next time they meet.

Athrun is later appointed head of the Le Creuset Team, and clashes with some of his fellow pilots on several issues. When the team is sent to Earth, the transport Athrun is in is shot down by Cagalli Yula Athha, who has been aboard the Archangel, and who is shot down in return.

Athrun successfully lands his mobile suit on an island. There, he encounters Cagalli, who is also marooned there. After an armed clash, Athrun takes Cagalli prisoner, discovering she is a girl in the process. While waiting for retrieval, the two talk. Their viewpoints about the war clash, but they listen to each other. They eventually call a mutual truce and are later rescued by their respective sides. Neither tells anyone about what happened on the island. Athrun later discovers that Cagalli is really the Princess of the neutral Earth nation of Orb.

Believing the Archangel is hiding in Orb, Athrun leads the rest of the Le Creuset Team on a covert mission. There, he encounters Kira Yamato again and the two speak briefly. With his suspicions confirmed, Athrun and the rest of the team wait for the Archangel to leave Orb territorial waters. The intended ambush goes poorly with the GAT-X103 Buster and its pilot, Dearka Elsman being captured by the Archangel, and Athrun's friend Nicol Amalfi being killed at Kira's hands.

Athrun and Kira meet in combat again. Angered by Nicol's death, Athrun throws the Aegis's shield at a FX-550 Skygrasper, killing Kira's friend Tolle Koenig. Kira and Athrun activate their SEED modes, Athrun for the first time, and they battle fiercely. Athrun and Kira appears to be even in battle until the Aegis runs out of power and loses its Phase Shift armor abilities. In an attempt to kill Kira, Athrun self-destructs the Aegis.

Kira is believed to have been killed in the explosion, but is brought to the Clyne family by Reverend Malchio and received medical treatment. The Astray manga shows Astray Red Frame pilot Lowe Guele bringing Kira to Reverend Malchio's. In the Gundam Seed manga, Kira staggers there and collapses outside. In the anime, Kira is found unconscious outside, with no explanation of how he got there.

Athrun is found injured on a beach after the battle by Cagalli. When Athrun regains consciousness, Cagalli points a gun at him, demanding to know what happened to Kira. Athrun, obviously distraught, says that he has killed his best friend. Cagalli angrily asks why and Athrun snaps back that Kira has killed several ZAFT comrades and his anger had finally reached a head with Nicol's death. Cagalli explains some of the teachings her father, that killing for vengeance will never bring peace but simply more conflict. Before returning him to ZAFT, Cagalli gives Athrun her red amulet as a good luck charm, hoping that it will protect him, and says that she does not want anyone else to die.

[edit] Acquiring the ZGMF-X09A Justice

After returning to ZAFT, Athrun is chosen to be under the direct command of the ZAFT Supreme Council and assigned the newly developed ZGMF-X09A Justice. He is ordered to track and retrieve the ZGMF-X10A Freedom unit, which has been stolen by Kira Yamato, with the aid of Lacus Clyne. Lacus is accused of selling ZAFT out to the Earth Alliance, but Athrun has trouble accepting that Lacus could be a traitor. He eventually finds Lacus and saves her from assassination.

[edit] Defection from ZAFT

Lacus tells Athrun that Kira is alive and the Freedom's new pilot. She tells him to think about what he should really be fighting for. Instead of following his father's orders or feeling bound to his military duty, he should determine what he believes to be right. Lacus then tells Athrun that he should go to Earth and speak with Kira.

Athrun launches in the Justice and arrives on Earth. Before attempting to locate Kira, he visits the wreckage of the Aegis and the Strike. There, he encountered Reverend Malchio, who gives him an update on the war.

Athrun eventually finds Kira in Orb, engaged in combat with the GAT-X131 Calamity, GAT-X252 Forbidden and GAT-X370 Raider. Athrun watches, wrestling with his loyalties, until Kira is overpowered by the enemy. Athrun then makes his choice and steps in to save his friend. As the enemy units retreat, the two friends try to work out their differences. Neither wanted to be the other's enemy and both wanted to end the Bloody Valentine War. But in order to do this, both friends would have to abandon their nation's militaries. Uncertain at first, Athrun makes no promises, but he eventually aids Kira during the Fall of Orb, instead of battling him and retrieving the Freedom like he has been ordered to. Athrun then follows the survivors of the battle into space.

Before deciding to join the Resistance Group with Lacus, Kira and the others, Athrun decides to talk to his father, Chairman Patrick Zala, to find out his father's true intentions. Athrun returns to the PLANTs without the Justice and talks to his father about the war. During a heated argument between father and son, Athrun's father reveals that he intends to drag the war on until all the Naturals are exterminated as revenge for the death of his wife, Lenore. Athrun is shocked and angered by his father's revelation and is shot in the arm by his father then arrested for refusing to reveal the location of the Justice and the Freedom. Athrun is later freed by Martin DaCosta (under Lacus's command) and they escape to the Eternal where Lacus was waiting. With Athrun and DaCosta on board, the Eternal then breaks away from its dock and escapes.

[edit] Rise of Three Ships Alliance

After Athrun defects from ZAFT, he joins the newly formed resistance group called the Three Ships Alliance. Kira, Cagalli, and Dearka were part of this Alliance consisting of the Earth Alliance's "Archangel", Orb's "Kusanagi", and ZAFT's "Eternal".

During the final stages of the war, he and Cagalli develop a romantic relationship. This is first evident in PHASE-43, when Athrun hugs Cagalli, and apologizes to her. Cagalli swears that she will protect Athrun as well as Kira, her brother. In PHASE-48, they kiss after Cagalli tells him she is going to join them on the battlefield.

Along with the Three Ships Alliance, Athrun is instrumental in ending the Bloody Valentine War, between ZAFT and the Earth Forces. During the Second Battle of Jachine Due, Athrun destroys several ships and mobile suits, including the GAT-X131 Calamity Gundam. While Kira fights with Rau Le Creuset in the ZGMF-X13A Providence, Athrun and Cagalli fight their way into Jachin Due just in time to see his father be shot by ZAFT commander Ray Yuki. As Patrick Zala lies dying, he urges his son to fire the GENESIS superweapon at the Earth. Instead, Athrun destroys GENESIS by detonating the nuclear-powered Justice inside it. Because Cagalli reminds him that he needs to stop running and have the courage to live, Athrun boards Cagalli's MBF-02 Strike Rouge and they escape the explosion. Afterwards they rescue an injured Kira and his badly-damaged Freedom from the depths of space, both of them crying tears of joy at the sight of him.

[edit] Second Bloody Valentine War

After the war, Athrun and the other surviving members of the Le Creuset team, Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman are tried for their actions. They were ably defended by Gilbert Durandal.

Athrun leaves ZAFT and moves to Orb, living under the pseudonym "Alex Dino". During the Armory One Incident, he is present in PLANT as Cagalli's bodyguard, and is involved in the fighting to retake the stolen units. He later joins the battleship Minerva and fights against the terrorists in the Junius-7 Colony Drop alongside Shinn Asuka and former team mates Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman. Aboard the Minerva, he is unmasked by Gilbert Durandal, the Chairman of PLANT who had joined the Minerva in its pursuit of the Mobile Suit thieves. Athrun nearly dies during this battle, but is recued by Shinn.

Athrun and Cagalli then desembark Minerva at Orb, where Cagalli's political duties keep them separated much of the time. Seeing the deteriorating political situation, Arthun decides to return to PLANT. Before leaving, Athrun silently slides a ring onto Cagalli's finger, which leads to an awkward moment before they regain their composure and share an emotional farewell. (According to the manga series "The Edge", Cagalli jokes that no one uses his method to give away an engagement ring.).

[edit] Return to ZAFT: ZGMF-X23S Saviour

In the turmoil preceding the declaration of the Second Bloody Valentine War, he returns to ZAFT, hoping to avert the war, but it is too late. Athrun meets with Chairman Durandal, who convinces him to use his power to keep the world on the right path. Athrun re-enlists in the ZAFT forces, and Durandal appoints him a member of the elite-force FAITH. Athrun is assigned the new unit ZGMF-X23S Saviour, and given total freedom of action.

With Saviour, he returns to Earth and joins Minerva in the battle against the Earth Alliance, now allied with Orb. Athrun becomes leader of the Minervas mobile suit pilots Shinn Asuka, Rey Za Burrel, and Lunamaria Hawke. Athrun is somewhat of a mentor to Shinn, though the two do not always get along well.

His romantic life becomes more complicated. Lunamaria develops an interest in him. She informs him that his fiancée, Cagalli, has almost gone through with an arranged marriage to Yuna Roma Seiran, but was kidnapped before the ceremony was completed. Athrun finds out he is still considered engaged to Lacus Clyne, whose role is being taken by Meer Campbell a singer who is impersonating Lacus for political reasons, and Meer pursues him rather aggressively. Lunamaria's younger sister Meyrin Hawke is interested in Athrun, but her shyness makes this less apparent.

Athrun is involved in the Battle of Gulnahan and Dardanelles, where he loses a new, but dear, friend, Heine Westenfluss. After Dardanelles, he bumps into Miriallia Haw, who arranges a secret meeting for him with Kira and Cagalli. Lunamaria Hawke spies on this meeting under orders from Captain Talia Gladys.

Athrun and the others disagree strongly on many points. He tells Cagalli that if she wants Orb to stop fighting against ZAFT, she needs to return to Orb and get them to end their ties to the Earth Alliance. (Cagalli eventually chooses to do this.) In return, Athrun is told that Coordinators have attempted to assassinate the real Lacus Clyne, which means Kira and the others do not trust Chairman Durandal. Much is still unresolved.

[edit] Defection from ZAFT

Athrun's mobile suit, the Saviour, is later destroyed by Kira in the Freedom during the battle at Crete, because Kira is angry over what he thinks is Athrun's indifference to Cagalli's emotional distress. Not long after watching the epic battle between Shinn and Kira during Operation Angel Down, resulting in the destruction of the ZGMF-X10A Freedom and the supposed sinking of the Archangel by the Minerva, the distraught and disillusioned Athrun is tipped off by Lacus look-alike Meer Campbell, who had overheard Chairman Durandal and Rey Za Burrel. Since they have failed to fully convince him of their cause, they were preparing to frame him as a traitor using photographs of his meeting with Kira and Cagalli. (Athrun's situation probably was not helped by his defection in the first war.)

Rather than be arrested, Athrun flees. Meer refuses his offer to escape with him, though she does not aid those pursuing him, either. Soon after, Athrun take refuge in the room of Minerva CIC officer and gifted hacker Meyrin Hawke. With her help, Athrun escapes from ZAFT's Gibraltar base in a stolen blue ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited mobile suit.

Claiming that Athrun and Meyrin are working for Logos and have stolen ZAFT's top military secrets, including its plan to attack Logos headquarters at Heaven's Base, Chairman Durandal orders Rey Za Burrel and Shinn Asuka to pursue Athrun with their respective new mobile suits. Athrun informs Shinn that he was being deceived. Although Shinn is shocked and reluctant to shoot at first due to his anger, he eventually goes into SEED mode and destroys the GOUF Ignited unit, apparently killing both Athrun and Meyrin. The pair was actually injured and unconscious and are rescued by a defected Earth Alliance ship led by Ledonir Kisaka, the former Kusanagi co-captain in the First Bloody Valentine War, who had infiltrated, now pretending to be an Earth Alliance officer. Athrun recuperates from his ordeal on the Archangel, watched over by his old friends, Kira and Cagalli, and later by Meyrin.

[edit] Battle of Orb: ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice

Lacus Clyne's words get through to Athrun during ZAFT's invasion of Orb and he regains his confidence and decides to launch with the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice, wearing an Orb pilot suit to join the battle. Arthrun tries to persuade Meyrin to stay in a place of safety, but she chooses to accompany the Archangel.

Even though Athrun is not fully recovered from his wounds, he helps Kira who has been fighting the Legend and the Destiny all by himself. Shinn, pilot of the Destiny, is shocked and angry that Athrun has survived their last encounter. Athrun demands that Shinn stop attacking Orb and questions if what he is doing is right. Urged by Rey and convinced that Athrun is a traitor, Shinn attacks Athrun but the two are fairly evenly matched. Eventually, Shinn goes into SEED mode and charges at Athrun but Athrun goes into SEED mode (for the first time during the Second Bloody Valentine War) and sliced off Destiny's right arm.

After the ZAFT forces retreat, Athrun loses consciousness and the pilotless suit begins a freefall. Kira in the Freedom catchs the Infinite Justice and prevents a crash. When Kira removes Athrun's helmet and flight suit back on the Archangel, Athrun's wounds have re-opened and he is bleeding profusely. Kira orders a stretcher to bring Athrun to the sick bay and Athrun recovers from his injuries under the care of Meyrin Hawke. After a full recovery, Athrun is commissioned into the Orb military and assigned as one of the Archangel's mobile suit squadron commanders.

[edit] Battle of Messiah: Assault on REQUIEM

Following Lord Djibril's attack on the PLANTs using the Requiem weapon, Minerva returns to space on Chairman Durandal's orders and there is another conflict between ZAFT and Lord Djibril in space, which leads to Djibril's death and ZAFT's capture of the Requiem.

Athrun and the crew of the Archangel, which now includes Neo Roanoke, go into space aboard Archangel and vow to stop Chairman Durandal from implementing his "Destiny Plan," a radical method of using genetics to eliminate wars and conflicts among the human race.

Before they leave, Cagalli Yula Athha addresses the troops. Athrun is surprised to see she is no longer wearing the ring he had given her, and she leaves without speaking to him. His friends Kira and Lacus attempt to speak with him, but Athrun assures them everything will be all right.

Meanwhile, Cagalli tells Meyrin to take care of Athrun and leaves, crying. Cagalli returns to her homeland, using her political position to sort out the issues that have plagued Orb while she has been away.

The Archangel docks at the free city of Copernicus on the moon, where Athrun, Kira, Lacus, and Meyrin go on an information gathering trip to the city. They receive a note addressed to Lacus, in which Meer claims she is about to be killed. Athrun and Meyrin both suspect it is a trap, but Lacus wants to see Meer.

At the meeting, Meer's ZAFT bodyguards attempt to assassinate Lacus. Athrun guns down most of the opposition, though Kira and Meyrin prove competent in defending the group as well. Meer however, is shot and killed by a bullet intended for Lacus. Distraught, Athrun carries Meer's body back to the Archangel, where she is given a funeral.

When the Atlantic Federation, Orb Union, and Kingdom of Scandinavia refuse to participate in the Destiny Plan; Chairman Durandal uses the captured and repaired Requiem superweapon to destroy the Arzachel Lunar Base and part of the Alliance fleet.

The remainder of the Alliance fleet and a few members of ZAFT then join the forces of Terminal in an attempt to stop Durandal before he can use the Requiem again to fire upon and thus annihilate Orb.

During the final battle Athrun comes upon Lunamaria in her Impulse. He does not want to fight her, but she forces Athrun to disable her mobile suit in a short battle. Seeing this, Shinn Asuka, who is in love with Lunamaria, attacks Athrun.

As the battle progresses it appears that Athrun will emerge victorious, despite Shinn being in SEED mode while he was not. In a burst of rage, Shinn charges Athrun. Lunamaria moves between them in an attempt to stop the battle, but Shinn does not stop. Athrun goes into SEED mode and saves Lunamaria, crippling the Destiny and propelling it downwards onto the moon’s surface.

With the badly damaged Destiny and Impulse no longer a threat, Athrun then disables the Minerva's sublight engines, and it crashes on the moon.

Athrun, along with Mu in the Akatsuki, make their way past ZAFT's last defensive front and penetrate the Requiem's positron deflector. Just as the weapon is about to fire, they destroy the core of the Requiem and save Orb.

In Gundam SEED Destiny "Final Plus", Athrun then boards the MESSIAH, following Kira. He arrives just in time to see Rey Za Burrel shoot Durandal. He and Kira escape the MESSIAH safely afterwards. When retreat flares are fired from all surviving ships, Athrun rescues Shinn and Lunamaria in the Infinite Justice. In Gundam Seed Destiny, Athrun never boards the MESSIAH.

[edit] Aftermath

Afterwards, at the ravished Orb memorial previously visited by Shinn and Kira in episode 8, Athrun and Shinn (accompanied by Meyrin & Lunamaria) are paying their respects when Kira and Lacus join them. Athrun introduces Kira to Shinn and Lunamaria as the pilot of Freedom. Shinn is stunned by the identity of the pilot whom he tried to defeat numerous times, and previously met before without that knowledge.

Kira asks Shinn to make peace with him. Kira states that he is prepared to restore peace and to ensure that humans, Coordinators and Naturals alike, never again go down the path of mutual destruction and asks Shinn to join him in the fight for the world he truly wished for. A crying Shinn agrees.

The three pairs then go their separate ways with Meyrin accompanying Athrun.

Gundam Seed Destiny: Special Edition IV, in the End Credits, shows Athrun wearing an Admiral's uniform in the Orb military.

[edit] In games

Athrun appears along with many other Gundam SEED characters in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3: To the end of the galaxy. While an above average pilot (whose stats are boosted once he goes into SEED mode) and his Justice Gundam is one of the most powerful Real Robot units available to the player, his shooting and dodging stats are inferior to those of Newtype aces like Amuro Ray or Kamille Bidan.

If Athrun fights Amuro Ray, Amuro will occasionally exclaim, "A red Mobile Suit?! Can it be...?!" Amuro's rival Char Aznable, who was known for piloting red Mobile Suits. By this point in the Alpha series, Char has been killed during his attempt to drop Axis on Earth (as per Char's Counterattack), thus explaining Amuro's shock at facing a red MS. Amuro jokingly threatens Athrun with legal action over the latter's creation of various Haros, since in the Alpha universe, Amuro holds the trademark to Haro.

Players have the option of letting Athrun join Kira's fight against Rau Le Creuset (the Providence being a boss unit). New dialogue was recorded for this non-canonical encounter.

In the Gameboy Advance Game, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Tomo to Kimi to Senjou de, you walk around with Athrun asking people what a good gift would be. Eventually, Athrun creates a small robotic hamster, which his gives to Cagalli to cheer her up.

[edit] References

1. ^ www.gundamofficial.com/worlds//ce/destiny/characters/chara_athrun.html. Retrieved on February 6, 2007.
2. ^ Chimaki Kuori, the author, noted that this series had a shoujo ("young girl") flavour in his remarks at the end of volume 1.