Gilbert Durandal

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Gilbert Durandal
Gilbert Durandal in Gundam SEED Destiny
Genetic type:	Coordinator
DOB:	November 19, CE 41
Age:	32 [GSD]
Nationality:	PLANT [GSD]
Allegiance:	ZAFT [GSD]
Rank:	Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council [GSD]
Family:	Rey Za Burrel (adopted son)[citation needed]
Height:	183 cm [GSD]
Weight:	69 kg [GSD]
Blood type:	AB
Hair Color:	Black
Eye Color:	Yellow

Gilbert Durandal (ギルバート・デュランダル, Girubāto Dyurandaru^?) is a fictional character in the anime series Gundam SEED Destiny. He is voiced by Shuuichi Ikeda in the original Japanese version and by Ted Cole in the English dub. Gilbert is the chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council. Durandal seems to be a pacifist, and a man of science rather than being a politician, with the agenda of ending all conflicts between humans, especially the chasm between the Naturals and the Coordinators, i.e. the Earth and PLANT.

[edit] Past

Although there isn't much information about Durandal’s past it is revealed that before he was Chairman Durandal, he was Doctor Durandal, a brilliant young physician specializing in genetics and advanced biomedical techniques.

He also was a friend of Rau Le Creuset, who was also his patient, as it appears that it was he who prescribed Le Creuset the pills to stop the pain from his genetic malfunctions. However, despite Gilbert's best efforts to ameliorate his friend's suffering, he could do nothing to "save" Rau from the genetic death sentence to which he was inevitably doomed. In the past he also had a relationship with later Minerva captain Talia Gladys but it seems that she left him because she wanted a child. Nevertheless it appears that in CE 73 they are still sleeping together (which is once shown when they were sharing quarters on the Minerva). In the new Gundam SEED Destiny Astray manga, he is shown with Kira's father Ulen Hibiki. This suggests that he not only knew of Dr. Hibiki's Ultimate Coordinator project, but may have also participated in it. This connection between Durandal and Hibiki was never clarified in the actual show, but may be expaned upon in future volumes (it is presumed that Durandal was one of Hibiki's students). Years prior to the events of the Bloody Valentine War, as depicted in Gundam SEED X Astray, a mysterious black-haired man wearing sunglasses met the then-escaped young Canard Pars and instigated him against Kira Yamato. In CE 73 this man is revealed to be Durandal; However, his reasons for doing so are still unknown. Allegedly Destiny Astray has also recently revealed that Gilbert was at some point a member of Logos. Also, at least one staff interview has suggested that during the time of the first SEED series Gilbert was involved in PLANT-funded experiments to deal with the reproduction problems appearing in later generation Coordinators, while he was still practicing as a doctor.

[edit] Gundam SEED Destiny

In October CE 73 Durandal meets with Orb’s representative Cagalli Yula Athha to discuss about the rearmament of ZAFT but this meeting is interrupted when three prototype mobile suits of ZAFT are stolen by three Extended pilots of the Earth Alliance. Durandal later stays on the Minerva while the ships is chasing the Girty Lue of the EA. When the Minerva tries to prevent the pieces of Junius Seven fall on Earth he returns to PLANT and after the colony drop quickly helps the Naturals by bringing medical goods and food on Earth. Nevertheless PLANT is blamed for the colony drop and although Durandal tries to negotiate PLANT is attacked by nuclear missiles and so the Second Bloody Valentine War starts.

To calm the people Durandal calls for help from Lacus Clyne look-alike Meer Campbell to act as the true Lacus and so calm down the anger of the people of the PLANTS. Also during a meeting with Athrun Zala, who expressed his desire to do something to repair the damage created by his father ideals, he is able to make him come back to ZAFT and also makes him a member of FAITH. He also follows the path of the Minerva while he is on PLANT. He saves Shinn Asuka from being punished after he violated military orders, since his skills are needed in order to fight the disastrous attacks of the GFAS-X1 Destroy (from which he holds plans although it is unknown how he got them). He makes a speech to the entire world where he reveals the existence of Logos and that this organization is behind the whole war. Any footage of Archangel and the Freedom Gundam fighting against the Destroy were omitted from his speech, propaganda to further spread the image that the ZAFT military alone was responsible for the victory.

Doubt of Durandal's true motivations by Gundam fans may be based on the fact that his seiyuu is Shuichi Ikeda, who is the voice of Amuro Ray's archrival Char Aznable. Casting further doubt on his intentions is his attempt to eliminate Athrun Zala shortly after Zala's refusal to pilot the new ZGMF-X666S Legend, who has trouble trying to accept the death of his friend Kira Yamato (although Kira actually survived). It is also speculated that the Armory One Theft, the Junius 7 drop and the failed assassination attempt on the real Lacus Clyne are all his works or authorized by him. Adding to this controversy is the fact that he was full aware of the existence of the GFAS-X1 Destroy giant mobile suit as well as the Moon-based Requiem energy cannon but no direct evidence links Chairman Durandal to the aforementioned events, although interviews with a Destiny scenarist tend to confirm that assumption. What is clear is that he has little or no regret at all for eliminating people that he believes has lost their usefulness to him or are obstacles to his agenda. Instances of this include the attempts on the life of Lacus Clyne, which are supposedly linked to him; the attempt the eliminate Athrun, Operation Angel Down and the use of the Requiem superweapon to kill the president of the Atlantic Federation as well as attempt to eliminate Cagalli in Orb.

At a point in the series (Destiny, phase 39), the profile of the terrorist behind the 'Break the World' incident (the Junius 7 drop on Earth) is shown right after Durandal's. Although it is easy to assume that there is a causal link between the two pictures (the terrorist's profile was mysteriously erased, bringing other questions about the matter), the scene nevertheless spouted a series of theories according to which Durandal actually compelled the EAF to steal the three Millennium-series Gundams and ordered a loyal faction of Coordinators (former Patrick Zala followers and members of Le Creuset Team) to throw J7 off its normal orbit onto Earth so that he could create a climate of terror and war on Earth, paving the way to ZAFT's return on Earth and its portraying the good side. The ultimate goal of this maneuver, according to those theories, is to enable Durandal to implement the Destiny Plan on the entire human population with minimal opposition, by gaining its trust first - thanks to the climate of insecurity caused by the return of hostilities and the damaged caused by the J7 asteroids. However, all of this is still unconfirmed and is the result of mass/wild speculation.

Gilbert Durandal sits at his throne onboard the Messiah

A research notebook recovered by DaCosta on the abandoned Mendel space colony revealed that Durandal has something in his mind called the "Destiny Plan", and it is related to his passionate speech to the entire world about defeating the warmongering Logos, and creating a new world where war no longer exists. The Archangel's crew think his plan would be to implement a new world order where every human is given the role for which they are best genetically suited at birth, and this would fulfill Durandal's ideal of perfect genetic determinism, as this should be the ultimate goal of all Coordinators. Under this theory humans will no longer fight against others for things that they wish, since each person's destiny are predetermined at birth. In this New World, genes would be the King, and Durandal would be the High Priest (in terms of chess). Gilbert's philosophy for a perfect, ordered, society is not unlike the dystopian picture painted in such novels as Brave New World. Throughout the series, Gilbert is usually portrayed as a brilliant master strategist who is usually a step ahead of his adversaries and is often shown with his signature chess board close at hand, and appeared to be playing a metaphysical game of chess against an imaginary opponent: the spirit of Rau Le Creuset, his since-deceased former friend, and the one person Gilbert could not "save." This represents their two warring philosophies as to the continued existence of human life - Gilbert believed he was the only one who can "save" humanity (under his terms), whereas Rau believed that human life is worthless, and would inevitably destroy itself even if he did not "speed" the process along with the events of the original series. Thus, as Rau was an allegory to the Devil, Gilbert has a paternalistic God complex, believing himself to be the only doctor who has the "cure" for what is ailing humanity.

Gilbert would die at the last day of Second Bloody Valentine War, shot by his "son" Rey Za Burrel, formerly his most faithful follower. His lover, Minerva's captain Talia Gladys, stayed behind in the crumbling fortress to accompany him right till the end. The three of them are later killed by the falling debris.

In the manga Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge, Durandal appeared to be aware of the fact that Meer's disguise was not 100% foolproof. When Athrun saw her on TV, Durandal told Athrun to laugh if he felt like it. He said of his plan to use a Lacus look-alike as "using simple trickery". Also, Durandal claimed that he wished to find the real Lacus and hoped that Athrun would help him locate her. These words would return to haunt Athrun, when Kira revealed to Athrun the attempt to assassinate Lacus in Orb.

In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73 Δ Astray, Durandal meets briefly with the protagonist Agnes Brahe, a Coordinator from Mars. He is very interested in the fact that at least one Martian colony operates under a society similar to what Durandal himself will later attempt to achieve in the Earth Sphere with his Destiny Plan. Durandal does not, however, explain to Agnes the reason for his interest.

[edit] Trivia

• The official English spelling of Gilbert's surname stems from that of the sword Durandal, as has been confirmed by noted Gundam source Mark Simmons. However, various merchandise from Japan instead uses the spelling "Dullindal."

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