Natarle Badgiruel

Natarle Badgiruel (ナタル・バジルール, Nataru Bajirūru?) is a fictional character in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. She is voiced by Houko Kuwashima in the Japanese version and Sarah Johns in the English dub.

The child of a military family, Natarle is a promising young Earth Alliance officer. Stationed on Orb's Heliopolis colony as part of a secret project to produce weapons capable of fighting ZAFT's mobile suits, Natarle is one of the few survivors when ZAFT's Le Creuset team raid the colony to seize the new weapons. She then becomes the executive officer of the Archangel, and supervises the ship's Combat Information Center. She holds reservations about allowing Kira Yamato, a Coordinator, to remain on board the ship as a Gundam pilot but Captain Murrue Ramius disagrees. Natarle is stern and operates by the book, though some incidents show she is willing to do almost anything to reach a certain end, even when it conflicts with Captain Ramius.

The 1st incident occurs when Natarle threatens Lacus Clyne to stave off ZAFT forces after they destroy an Atlantic Federation fleet. The 2nd incident occurs after the Archangel rendezvous with Admiral Lewis Halberton and his Eighth Fleet. Natarle says that they can't afford to let Kira leave and suggests taking his parents hostage. Admiral Halberton rebukes her and both actions produce friction between her and Captain Ramius.

Nevertheless, Natarle is a superb tactical analyst with keen judgement and a knack for swift decision-making, which made her a valuable asset to the Archangel. In their last encounter face-to-face, Captain Ramius thanks Natarle and says she will make a fine captain someday.

Shortly before the defection of the Archangel she is transferred to a shore assignment. She was eventually promoted to Lt. Commander and was again ressigned to command as the new Captain of the Dominion, the Archangel's sister ship. Tragically, she is forced to battle her former crew at the Battle of Mendel and the Second Battle of Jachin Due. She is shot by Muruta Azrael when she opposes his extremist actions and killed when the Dominion is destroyed by the Archangel.

Throughout most of the series, Natarle comes across as a rather cold individual blinded by her loyalty to the Earth Alliance, although she is shocked upon hearing that her superiors were planning to sacrifice her former crewmates along with the Eurasian forces at the Battle of JOSH-A. But only after the Earth Alliance destroys Boaz with nuclear missiles does Natarle begin to question whether or not she is doing the right thing, and only when Azrael orders the Dominion to kill Captain Ramius and the rest of her former crewmates on board the Archangel does she defy his orders.

Trivia A series of one shot mangas to promote the Gundam SEED: Tomo to Kimi to Senjou de Game Boy Advance game imply that Natarle may have been jealous of Murrue's relationship with Mu. During the Archangel's stay in Orb, a damaged shirt of Mu's is missing from the ship's laundry room. Kira and his friends try to solve the mystery, ultimately realising Natarle repaired the shirt for him, after requesting sewing lessons from Miriallia Haw. In the above mentioned game itself, there is an option to get an "alternate ending" to the TV series. While in Orb, the Heliopolis kids can help Arnold Neumann with his unrequited crush on Natarle. If successful, this side-event will culminate in Neumann working up the nerve to confess to Natarle, with the latter returning his affections. This alternate outcome affects the final scenarios of the game, where Natarle also abandons ship after ordering the Dominion's crew to do so and warns Murrue of Azrael's intentions so the Archangel fires first, negating Mu La Flaga's sacrifice (Flay Allster still dies as per the canon).