Lockon Stratos (Neil Dylandy)

Lockon Stratos (ロックオン・ストラトス), born Neil Dylandy (ニール・ディランディ), is a Gundam Meister and one of the main characters in Mobile Suit Gundam 00. As a Gundam Meister for Celestial Being, Lockon piloted the GN-002 Gundam Dynames in Season 1 of Gundam 00. After Lockon's demise, his younger twin brother Lyle continues his legacy as the next Lockon Stratos.

Personality & Character
As the unofficial leader of the Gundam Meisters, Lockon is the most easy going of all. He's kind and considerate to people around him, but there is a dark side. There's a lot of internal anger against terrorists due to KPSA's involvement in killing his family. Because of the violent death of his family, he desired the power to change world and believed Celestial Being can help him change it; a life struggle with vengeance against terrorism. While usually cool-minded and rarely angry, dealing in missions and/or people related to terrorism (especially KPSA) affects his judgment as he's blinded by his anger. His thoughts are usually about his mother, father, little sister Amy. He's survived by his identical twin brother, Lyle, who for personal reasons didn't keep in contact with him.

Skills & Abilities
As a trained Gundam Meister, Neil possesses technical skills pertaining to mobile suit maintenance, alongside being proficient with a wide array of firearms. He is also a proficient pilot, and possesses superb sharpshooting skills. As a trained sniper, Neil knows about stealth tactics and also possesses an understanding of physics (relative to being a sniper). Data pertaining to his twin brother Lyle suggests that the younger Dylandy is a talented Meister; the fact that Neil was known to be the higher achiever suggests he had even higher aptitude scores than Lyle.

Early Days
Lockon Stratos, born Neil Dylandy, was born with his brother, Lyle, on 3rd of March 2283 AD to Owen and Lyndsay Dylandy. Beside having a twin brother, Neil also had a younger sister named Amy. The young Neil spent his childhood days in Ireland and grew up there surrounded by his loving family and friends.

Neil's peaceful days continued up to his early teens; until that fateful day in 2297 AD. Young Neil was with his parents and sister Amy for a family outing when the KPSA launched an attack on the recreational area where the Dylandys were at. The blast instantly killed Neil's parents and younger sister. Neil survived the explosion, as he was separated from his family at the time of the blast, but the incident left an emotional scar on Neil and the lost of his loved ones planted seeds of hatred within him against KPSA and terrorists in general.

Nothing is known about Neil after the tragic incident. His only surviving family member was his twin brother Lyle, who hadn't seen much from Neil after moving in to the dormitories and after their parents' and sister's funeral. Lyle only knew of his brother through the support that Neil sent to him from time to time.

In 2302 AD, Veda caught an eye on Neil's eligibility to become one of Celestial Being's Gundam Meisters and had Grave Violento scout on the young man. Grave noted about Neil's excellent marksmanship, friendly attitude and his distinct hate for terrorists. Neil was later invited into Celestial Being and accepted the role of a Gundam Meister. He was given the codename, Lockon Stratos, and the GN-002 Gundam Dynames to pilot. By 2305 AD, Lockon met up with the rest of the Gundam Meisters and began with the preparations for the armed operations that they would launch 2 years later.

World Armed Intervention Campaign
The year is 2307 AD, Celestial Being started their armed intervention against all conflicts. Lockon, in Dynames, and Setsuna F. Seiei, in GN-001 Gundam Exia, went to Africa to intrude into AEU Africa Military Base and destroy the prototype AEU-09 AEU Enact in demonstration. AEU's retaliation against Exia's action of destroying the Enact revealed, in the process, the AEU having more military strength than what the International Treaty had been allowing them to have. As the numerous AEU Hellions surrounded Exia at the AEU Orbital Elevator, La Tour, Lockon provided cover for Setsuna from the ground.

After finishing their mission objectives, the two retreated from the scene to a safe zone, where the two watched and listened to Celestial Being founder, Aeolia Schenberg, declaring the organization's intentions to the world:

"Aeolia Schenberg, A.D. 2307"

- I would like to address this statement to every single human being born and raised on Earth. We call ourselves simply Celestial Being. We are a private armed organization in possession of the mobile weapon, Gundam. The main objective of Celestial Being's activities is to completely eliminate acts of war from this world.

After watching the news, Lockon commented to himself about the unstoppable events that were about to happen. He then turned to Setsuna and asked if Setsuna understood the meaning of the fight they had started with the entire world. Setsuna replied that he does, as they are Celestial Being's Gundam Meister.

Early Interventions
After their debut, the Gundam Meisters were sent to Ceylon (island of former Sri Lanka) to intervene in an on-going ethnic conflict. The fight between the Sinhalese and Tamils had been going on for centuries and HRL's support for the Tamils since 10 years ago only plunged the region into a state of anarchy. While Lockon was briefing the team as they headed to the place of conflict, Setsuna charged in ahead of them, eager to stop the current fighting. Lockon was left in-charge to look out for him; even though reluctant, he was also worried that the young boy might be getting too emotional for his first major battle. Fortunately, all of them successfully finished their mission. The operation didn't produced immediate result, but it showed Celestial Being's dedication to fight conflict despite how long it had been happening.

Lockon participated in more of Celestial Being's operations. Lockon later intervened in the civil war in South Africa, where he forced both sides to surrender fighting for the country's mineral deposits. He also participated in Celestial Being's attack on Taribia, as the country tried to succeed from the Union and use the threat of the Gundams to pursue conflict with the Power Bloc. In addition, he helped out in the rescue operation at the HRL Orbital Elevator, Tenchu, when some of its gravity block, with civilians inside, separated from the orbital station and drifted towards Earth.

Lockon also made an armed intervention at the grounds of Tenchu, where he fend off terrorists from underwater using the GN-002/DG014 Gundam Dynames Torpedo. He also provided support for Allelujah Haptism's GN-003/af-G02 Gundam Kyrios Gust and Setsuna's GN-001/hs-A01D Gundam Avalanche Exia` during the Meteor Nacht.

Moralia Military Exercise
The private military force of Moralia, PMC Trust, and AEU teamed up in order to challenge Celestial Being. All of the Gundam Meisters were asked to intervene. Before the operation, Lockon and Setsuna had a visit from Ian Vashti, equipping the Dynames with the Full Shield Armour and the Exia with its GN Blades. As Ian showed the new weapons, he complained about Setsuna not showing appreciation for his hard wok, but Lockon explained that it's the opposite, as Exia is Setsuna's whole world.

On the day of the exercise, the Gundams attacked Moralia's military base at different locations. In First Phase, Lockon was assigned to attack one group of Hellion Ground Forces at a PMC military facility. As Lockon switched to the next phase of the plan, Lockon noticed Setsuna having a hard time against an enemy Enact. He was more surprised when Setsuna got out of the cockpit to confront the enemy pilot face-to-face. As the confrontation turned to gunpoint, Lockon fired a warning shot to scare the enemy pilot. He tried to shoot down the enemy Enact while it was retreating, but it managed to dodge all of his shots. After Setsuna got back into Exia, Lockon called out to him for an explanation, but their tactician, Sumeragi Lee Noriega, interrupted them and asked to save the excuse for next time.

After the incident, the team skipped the whole mission plan to its last phase. The Gundams headed to Moralian Command through a tight narrow canyon. Once they reached the base, they annihilated all of the active Mobile Units in the area. In less than 5 minutes, the battle was over. As the team waited for a response, Lockon wondered if the enemy would still put up a fight. Just then, a white flare was fired to signify surrender. Lockon had Haro report the news to Sumeragi to confirm the enemy surrender and the mission completion.

Back in their hide-out in the Pacific, Lockon punched Setsuna in front of the other Gundam Meisters for the boy's inexplicable stunt back in Moralia. Lockon reminded him that their identities are in S-Level secrecy restrictions in Celestial Being, along with the solar reactors; he demanded an explanation for Setsuna's actions. Setsuna looked away in silence, but Lockon wasn't satisfied with just that. Tensions arose when Tieria Erde pointed his gun at Setsuna. Lockon tried to stop Tieria, but the latter reasoned that Setsuna is now a liability to the team. Setsuna pulled out his gun as well. Lockon demanded Setsuna to put his gun down. Just then, Allelujah interjected and reminded all of them that they were all chosen by Veda for a reason. Both Setsuna and Tieria withdrew their sidearms, with Tieria asking Setsuna why he deserved to be Gundam Meister. Setsuna then responded that his own existence alone is enough to explain why he's a Meister, a response which baffled both Lockon and Tieria.

Eliminating La Edenra
Shortly after the confrontation with Setsuna, Ian ran to the Gundam Meisters to inform them there had been simultaneous terrorist bombings across the globe. Wang Liu Mei informed Lockon and the Meisters that an unknown terror network was blackmailing Celestial Being to cease their actions or the bombings would continue to hurt innocent civilians. After Liu Mei's report, Tieria scoffed at the terrorists' efforts, which surprised the team. Lockon was offended by Tieria's lack of concern to the victims and grabbed him by the collar. Tieria wondered if Lockon hates terrorist that much and went on to remind him that they were, technically, terrorists themselves. Lockon then angrily asked if he himself was wrong to hate terrorists. Setsuna suggested that they intervene, as the culprits were using a form of warfare known as terrorism. As the team waited for further information, Lockon was reminded of his past and promised to himself to shoot down all of the terrorists responsible for recent attacks.

Later, after the Ptolemaios Crew on the surface gathered at the Pacific base, Lockon and the rest of the Meisters were sent out all over the world for stand-by. After some investigation, it was discovered that the group responsible for the bombings was La Edenra. In addition, the AEU leaked the whereabouts of La Edenra's several terrorist cells. Lockon headed to South America, where one of the terrorist's major cells existed. He destroyed the mountain side base there with Dynames' GN Pistols. As Haro alerted him about enemy reinforcements, Lockon then went on to destroy the 3 incoming enemy Hellions with the GN Sniper Rifle. After he completed the mission, Lockon muttered, "Sorry, but today... there's no mercy!"

HRL Gundam Capture Operation
After four months since the start of Celestial Being's armed intervention, Dynames and Exia returned to their carrier ship CBS-70 Ptolemaios in space to have their maintenance done. The checks and repairs were expected to take several days, thus the Ptolemy had to enter the geostationary orbit to avoid detection. Lockon and Setsuna stayed in the Ptolemy while they waited for the maintenance on their Gundams to finish.

As Lockon wandered around the ship, he found Feldt Grace in an observation room crying by herself. Lockon approached Feldt and asked what's the problem. Feldt talked about her parents and their involvement with Celestial Being; they were Second Generation Gundam Meisters. Lockon expressed his gratitude for the work they had done for the Gundams and continued to ask if Feldt was feeling homesick being away from them. Feldt told him that they had died long time ago and that day was the anniversary of their deaths. With Feldt following her parent's legacy, Lockon remarked that she's a strong girl. He then proceed to tell her his real name and his place of origin. He also told her his past and the death of his parents at the hands of terrorists. Feldt asked why he was telling her all of these, and Lockon replied that it would be unfair if she was the only one who shares her life story. She remarked that he's kind, which he then responded that he's only like that to the ladies. At that moment, Allelujah suddenly entered the room to meet Lockon, but after seeing the two together, he promptly apologized for disturbing them. Lockon exclaimed that Allelujah was getting the wrong idea.

Later, the HRL detected Celestial Being's whereabouts through several two-way communications spread throughout HRL's geostationary orbit. Christina Sierra discovered these communications in the area too late and immediately alerted everyone. Lockon couldn't properly sortie because Dynames was still in the middle of a major system overhaul. Dynames, with its right leg replaced by a steel frame, was positioned in an open container to act as Ptolemy's beam gun. While in battle, Lockon was thinking of Feldt as he tried his best not to make this day worst for her. The crew later found out that the HRL's true objective was to capture the Gundams. The HRL Tierens, which Lockon and the Ptolemy Crew were facing, were just buying time as HRL Chobu Forces focused on capturing the separated GN-003 Gundam Kyrios and GN-005 Gundam Virtue. After a long and difficult stand-off, Chobu Commander Sergei Smirnov made the decision to retreat as he lost most of his team while facing the two Gundams.

After the incident, Tieria went to the Ptolemy bridge to blame Sumeragi for the events that had taken place. Lockon was also there along with the bridge crew during the confrontation. Tieria claimed that Sumeragi had failed to lay out a proper plan to respond against the HRL attack, which then lead to the near capture of Kyrios and the forced appearance of GN-004 Gundam Nadleeh from Virtue. As Tieria tried to press the potential compromise to the Plan on Sumeragi's failure, Lockon intervened that Tieria also contributed to the mess for activating Nadleeh. He told Tieria that it's not right to push the faults of oneself onto others and that Tieria should just be glad that he survived the ordeal.

Lockon and Setsuna were later sent to South Africa to intervene in a conflict zone there, while the Ptolemy headed to Lagrange 4 to attack an HRL Institute situated in Quanqiu space colony.

Civil War in Azadistan
While the Ptolemaios was finishing its mission in Lagrange 4, the political tension in Azadistan reached its breaking point with the abduction of the Conservative leader, Massoud Rachmadi. Lockon and Setsuna, who were left on Earth during the time, were put on stand-by by Wang Liu Mei as the agents investigate the case. Their plan was to find Rachmadi's abductors and rescue the Rachmadi to avert civil war in Azadistan. Setsuna volunteered to perform a parallel investigation; Lockon advised him to keep his emotions in check while investigating his homeland.

Late at night, Lockon kept watch over the unfinished Azadistan's Solar Power Receiver Antenna Facility. During that time, conservatives in the Mobile Suit Forces, who were guarding the facility, began attacking those in their ranks who are reformists. Lockon started sniping down both sides to stop the conflict. While he was focused on the on-going battle, however, missiles suddenly appeared on the sky coming from an unknown source on the ground. Lockon was unable to stop them all and they came raining down to destroy the facility.

As the facility was covered in flames, a custom Flag from the Union appeared before Dynames. This affirmed Lockon's suspicion that one of the Union's agenda on helping Azadistan is also to capture the Gundams. Lockon sniped at the incoming Flag, but the target transformed mid-air to dodge it. He tried to shoot it down again, but, to his surprise, his shots kept on missing. The Flag managed to get close and kicked the Dynames. It proceeded to attack using its Sonic Blade, but Lockon blocked it using Dynames' beam saber. Lockon discarded the GN Rifle to shoot the Flag up-close using the GN Pistols, but the Flag blocked it using its defense rod. Lockon was overwhelmed by the pilot's skill and tenacity. He immediately asked Haro to focus all Dynames' particles onto its weaponry; he prepared both GN Pistols to fight the Flag head on.

As the two were about to clash, they received news about Mobile Suits, from a coup d'état faction, heading to the Azadistan's capital. With orders to head there, the opponent Flag withdrew from the fight. Lockon later received orders from Wang Liu Mei to intercept incoming Mobile Suit Force heading into the Kahi region. When he got to the place of battle, Exia had already destroyed all of the mobile suits in the area.

With the likelihood of mobile suits being behind the attack on the Azadistan Solar Power Receiver Antenna Facility, Lockon suggested to Celestial Being Agents the possibility of a third party provoking the civil unrest. He sent Setsuna to investigate the site where the missile attacks originated. After Setsuna had reported about a suspicious location, Lockon and Hong Long headed out in Dynames to the place in question. They later confirmed that the location was the hideout of Massoud Rachmadi's captors. With the culprits running away with the captive leader, Dynames intercepted the fleeing convoy. Lockon and Hong Long eliminated the group, while Setsuna in Exia took Massoud in custody.

Celestial Being later sent a message to Azadistan authorities about the Rasa's safety. The next day, the unarmed Exia returned the Azadistan leader at the Azadistan Royal Ground. After the mission, Lockon was relieved that Setsuna and Exia left the Royal Grounds safely. Azadistan's civil war was put into end with the Massoud Rachmadi's return, but the civil unrest in the country continues.

Trap in Taklamakan Desert
With the Ptolemy in repairs back in Lagrange 1, the Ptolemy Crew decided to go into a short vacation. While most of the crew were in Wang estate, Lockon spent his time visiting his homeland in Ireland. A memorial has already been built at the site of Ireland Bombing and he was awed how things has changed since ten years ago. During that time, the three power blocs has announced their intention of doing a joint military exercise in the near future; the world has started to unite to suppress the Gundams. At the same time, a terrorist has threatened to attack a nuclear facility in HRL Taklamakan Desert, where the military exercise was to take place. Lockon was called out to get ready for further orders. Despite the dangers that it was a trap set up by the three blocs to capture the Gundams, Celestial Being decided to intervene to stop the terror attack.

During the operation, Lockon and Allelujah, in Dynames and Kyrios, were to fly over the location and take out the terrorists attempting to attack the nuclear facility. However, after their mission had been completed, they were greeted by heavy assaults in forms of missile attacks and self-detonating Realdos. Virtue provided a deep trench for the two Gundams' escape, but the three blocs responded by focusing their attack on the trench's pathways. Lockon was separated from Allelujah as the HRL Chobu Team focused their sights on Kyrios. Dynames was left alone defending against the ongoing missile barrage. In the 15 hour mark, the Union OverFlag put their sights on capturing Dynames. While Lockon was able to take out one of the Flags, he was unable to snipe properly as he was feeling the exhaustion from defending against the on-going attacks. The Overflag's leader, Graham Aker, was able to knock Lockon out just by tackling Dynames using his own Mobile Suit.

As the Union was about to take Dynames, a strange beam suddenly attacked the Overflag squadron, forcing them to flee the area. A strange mobile suit appeared on Lockon's monitor. The pilot, named Johann Trinity, introduced himself as a Gundam Meister and told Lockon that his siblings were also there to rescue the other Meisters. As the GNW-003 Gundam Throne Drei spread its GN Stealth Field on the area, Lockon expressed his shock that there are other mobile suits possessing GN Technology. The 4 Gundams safely returned to their base in the Pacific and with them are the many questions about the new Gundams.

Trinity Armed Intervention Campaign
Before the newly-arrived Meisters separated with the 4 Gundam Meisters, they left a designated coordinates to meet with the Ptolemy Crew in space. The crew immediately went to the location after boarding back to Ptolemy, as they wanted their questions answered about the new Gundams. When Team Trinity boarded the Ptolemy, they offered little information about themselves and only told the Ptolemy Crew that they will operate on their own. The meeting did not produce results and only created a rift between the two teams. Doubts further increased as the Ptolemy Crew learned about the mechanisms behind the Throne Gundams and the ruinous nature Trinity's operation.

Meisters Vs Meisters
The Ptolemy Gundam Meisters remained on standby to observe as Team Trinity went on with their own missions. The usual targets of Team Trinity's missions are facilities in connection with government military and the end results are always total annihilation. Lockon and the Meisters did not approve of the other team's tactics, but Sumeragi wanted to avoid the Gundams fighting amongst themselves. However, it finally reached its breaking point after the attack on the Iris Corporation Factory in Illinois USA. After hearing about the horrific civilian deaths, Setsuna sortied in his Gundam Exia to intercept the Throne Gundams. Tieria also went to support him.

Lockon reported Setsuna and Tieria's action to Sumeragi and went on to sortie after getting her permission to watch over the battle. Haro noted how Lockon did not stop them, which Lockon shamefully admits; he also wanted to fight against the Thrones. When he reached the battle scene, he provided cover fire for Nadleeh as it was surrounded by two of the Thrones. Team Trinity immediately regrouped at the sight of Dynames and prepared to withdraw from the battle. Lockon coolly mocked the Trinity for running away, but Johann retorted that it was not them that "Neil Dylandy" should be fighting against. Johann revealed that Setsuna, also known as "Soran Ibrahim", was once part of KPSA, the same group that Lockon abhors for killing his parents and sister. As the Thrones left, Lockon can only look at Exia in his monitor with shock and confusion.

Back in their secret base in the Pacific, Lockon asked Setsuna about the latter's involvement with the KPSA, which Setsuna admitted. Setsuna then asked if what Johann had said about Lockon's parents and sister's fate was true, and Lockon confirmed it. He explained that it all began when the world had started to turn away from relying on Fossil Fuels and started using the Solar Energy Generating System. The economy of the Middle East had been hit badly and the people turned to faith as their stronghold. Wicked men took advantage of this, which led to the Solar Wars that lasted for over twenty years. In all of the twistedness that had happened, he lost his family and was sucked into that horrible reality. It was the reason why he became a Gundam Meister, as he said,

"... I was dragged into that twisted world and I lost my family!... I realized I was a walking contradiction. Now I am doing the same things a terrorist does. Instead of cutting the chains of violence, I made the choice to fight back. Because I believe that in order to to prevent such tragedies from happening again the world needs to change from its very foundations... I'll accept my punishment for not stopping the killing... after I've changed the world."

Just then, Lockon drew out his side arm and pointed it at Setsuna. Tieria tried to dissuade him from what he was about to do, but Lockon went on and told to Setsuna to let him avenge his family.

Lockon fired his gun, but intentionally missed hitting Setsuna by an inch of a hair. Setsuna then began explaining that he had joined KPSA under the impression of following God's teachings. However, he learned that He did not exist, and it was all because of one man; the leader of KPSA, Ali Al-Saachez. He explained that Ali is now working for the PMC, which surprised Lockon on how much of a war junkie the person is. Setsuna continued that he saw him again in Moralia, which explained why he got out of the cockpit that time. He wanted to make sure it was him and ask Ali where his preached God went. Lockon asked what he intends to do with Exia, which Setsuna replied that he intends to use it to eradicate war. Lockon then told him that it cannot happen if he shoots him, but Setsuna responded he knew Lockon will do it in his place. He insisted, however, that he will continue fighting as long as he lives; as Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei of Celestial Being. He added that he is a Gundam. At that moment, Lockon withdrew his sidearm, noting how he lost his will to fire due to Setsuna being a Gundam nut. Setsuna appreciated Lockon's statement, which he thought as a compliment, making Lockon laugh on how weird Setsuna is. Tieria, who was watching, smiled and asked himself if this is what being human is, which Lockon heard and confirmed in response.

Operation Fallen Angels
Several days after the Team Trinity had started its operation, the three blocs announced an alliance in front of the UN assembly to fight against the Gundams. Despite the world beginning to truly unite, Lockon could not help but feel unsettled by the fact that it was the Team Trinity's actions that spurred this development. In addition, Tieria expressed his concerns on what was behind the recent alliance, and worry about the fact that there was someone accessing and altering data inside Veda. Not long, Sumeragi sent an order for the three Meisters on earth to return to Ptolemy along with their Gundams.

Back in space, Lockon and the rest reported to Sumeragi. Tieria asked to be punished for his previous insubordinate actions, but Lockon and Sumeragi brushed it off and told him it was all fine. Lockon asked for an update and not long, it was reported that the Thrones were spotted heading to the HRL Guangzhou military base. In an unexpected turn of events, the Thrones were swept off by newly arrived group of machines equipped with pseudo solar reactors. The HRL had 10 mobile suits in their possession. It was the beginning of an all out war between the "Gundams".

UN Forces Counteroffensive
By the time Lockon and the other Meisters returned to Ptolemy, the three blocs had been given 30 pseudo GN Drives. In the Ptolemy, Lockon noticed since that time on Earth that Tieria was much in unease about what was happening. As Tieria watched the footage of the fight on HRL Guangzhou base by himself, Lockon went to see him to give some encouragement. Lockon told Tieria that despite not having Veda, they still have the real Gundams and Sumeragi on their side. Tieria reminded Lockon that Sumeragi was not the person who they think she is, but Lockon brushed it off and explained that everybody makes mistakes. Sumeragi fights to atone for her sins and drinks to quench her sorrow; she chose to move forward because she is still human. With the topic of "humans" being brought up again, Tieria was surprised that Lockon seemed to know about him. However, their conversation was interrupted by Alellujah, telling them that they were ordered to go on stand-by. Before they separated, Lockon gave his last piece of advice that it is now more crucial that the four Gundam Meisters cooperate with each other. Tieria corrected him it was an advice more appropriate for Setsuna, which Lockon agreed with a shrug.

While on standby, the UN Forces managed to get close to the Ptolemy with their 19 GNX-603T GN-Xs. The Gundams were launched immediately to intercept them. Lockon told the team to not let their guard down. During the battle, the enemy GN-Xs were proving to be quite formidable opponents. Dynames' shots were barely scratching the enemy units. The Gundams were forced to focus on defending against the enemy's overwhelming numbers. It got worse when the Gundams suddenly stopped moving because of the sudden intervention from Veda; Celestial Being traitor Alejandro Corner had cut off the support on the Gundams. Lockon could not believe what was happening.

Fortunately, the Ptolemy Crew had prepared for such event. It was not long until the Gundams received a Stand-Alone OS to operate again. However, amidst the continuing battle, Lockon noticed that Virtue was still not moving. Lockon and Allelujah covered for Virtue while the Ptolemy Crew sorted out the problem. Dynames lost its GN Sniper Rifle while holding off incoming enemy forces and resorted to using GN Pistols. Despite the defense, an enemy unit still managed to slipped past Dynames and Kyrios, towards Virtue. Lockon could not shoot down the lone enemy and was forced to take the beam saber stab from it to defend Tieria. The attack destroyed Dynames' cockpit and seriously injured Lockon inside. The battle shortly ended with the appearance of Celestial Being's GNR-001 GN Arms. After the enemy had retreated, Lockon was rushed into the medical room for his injuries to be treated immediately.

Aeolia's Message
After Lockon was taken out of the Dynames, he was attended into the medical room by Celestial Being Doctor, J.B. Moreno. Lockon sustained a serious injury on his right "sniping" eye, and Sumeragi decided to put him in a 21 day therapy inside a medical capsule to recuperate his wounds. However, Lockon refused treatment, considering the threat of the enemy hunting for them, and the burden of him being bed-ridden would be on one of the Meisters.

Now donning a black eye-patch to cover his injured right eye, Lockon went to see Tieria, who was sulking on one of the ship's observation decks. He greeted the fellow Meister, asking Tieria to go back to his high-and-mighty self. Tieria resigned to the thought that he had lost his quality to be a Gundam Meister after he had lost access to Veda. Lockon told him that it shouldn't be a problem; the rest of the Gundam Meisters also couldn't link to Veda. Tieria expressed doubts whether the Plan could still work despite not having Veda, but Lockon firmly insisted that they can still carry it out because they have the Gundams. He told Tieria that they should be without doubts and just do it; Lockon pointed out Setsuna who continues to fight for what he believes in. After saying what he wanted to say, Lockon tapped Tieria's shoulder in assurance and told him to get some rest. Before he left, Tieria apologized for what he had done earlier, but Lockon just responded that it is "human" to make mistakes.

The Ptolemy Crew later observed the UN Forces pursuing Team Trinity on Earth. As they watched the news about the pursuit in the Middle East, the group wearily contemplated the possibility that their defeat was also part of Aeolia Schenberg's Plan. However, among them, Setsuna questioned the Gundam's true purpose if that was simply the case. As he sensed Setsuna's desperate desire to get answers, Lockon suggested that the battle between UN Forces and Team Trinity is clearly a conflict in need of their armed intervention. Most of the crew were surprised with the proposition and opposed against it, but the two were clearly set on fighting. As Lockon prepared to go with Setsuna, Lasse Aeon stopped him and volunteered in his place instead. Sumeragi approved Setsuna's mission and gave him a set of plans to use. Setsuna and Lasse headed to Earth in the Assault Container containing the GN-Arms and Gundam Exia. Lockon told Tieria the latter can go to Earth too, but Tieria showed his annoyance on Lockon's suggestion.

In the midst of doubts and uncertainty, a video feed of Aeolia Schenberg suddenly appeared in front of everybody:

"To those who use GN Drives: I don't know whether you will carry my will, however I entrust you my final hope to you, full utilization of your GN Drives. I hope that you will use them and fight your hardest for the sake of ending war and bringing about a new peace. Not for the sake of Celestial Being, but for the sake of your own wills, as those who have Gundams."

While doing their maintenance and repair in one of their asteroid bases in Lagrange 1, the Ptolemy Crew discovered that a hidden system in the GN Drives, Trans-Am System, had became accessible for them to use. Lockon marveled on Aeolia's last parting gift to Celestial Being.

Stop the World
While Sumeragi and the rest of the Gundam Meisters were briefing about the Trans-Am System, Setsuna sent a voice report about the UN's current activity. He warned about the UN Forces focusing their forces in space and the addition of one of the Thrones, which was piloted by Ali Al-Saachez, in the enemy force. Lockon was infuriated to know that the mercenary was among those taking part in fighting against Celestial Being. Not long, 3 enemy Virginia-class containers appeared to approach Ptolemy's current location. Lockon was ordered to stand-by and was locked in his room. He was further annoyed when he heard that the stolen Gundam Throne Zwei was with the enemy GN-Xs.

Kyrios and Virtue, with additional equipments, were sortied to hold back the incoming UN Forces. However, they were easily overwhelmed by the enemy. Sumeragi was about to order the Gundams to fall back when Ian called an emergency in the Ptolemy bridge. Lockon had managed to escaped from his room and was about to sortie in Gundam Dynames. Sumeragi was worried about his injuries, but Lockon assured her that he will take the GNR-001D GN Arms Type-D with him. As he prematurely cut off his communications with the bridge, he apologized to Haro for dragging it along with him.

Entering the combat zone, Lockon assisted the Gundams in clearing out the enemy GN-Xs. After that, he then announced to proceed on wiping out their ships. Tieria expressed his worry for Lockon, but Lockon insisted he was going to fight. At the sight of the enemy ships, Lockon was able to take down two out of three, but was unable to shoot down the last one due to the interference of Gundam Throne Zwei. The Throne rained shots at the GN Arms and Lockon was forced to abandon the unit due to the damages it sustained. At the sight of Throne, Lockon focused Dynames on gunning down Ali Al-Saachez.

Lockon was unable to snipe down the enemy Throne due to him being unable to use his dominant eye. The Throne maneuvered to fight back using its GN Buster Sword, which Lockon responded by using Dynames' GN Beam Saber. Lockon asked to confirm if the pilot was Ali Al-Saachez, which the mercenary responded asking if the Krugis brat, referring to Setsuna, had told about him. Lockon angrily asked why the KPSA carried out the Ireland Bombing ten years ago. Al-Saachez replied that it was his job and stated that it was a usual reaction from the Middle East to the construction of the AEU Orbital Elevator. Lockon reacted that innocent civilians were involved in that suicide bombing, which Al-Saachez retorted it was not different from the terrorist acts the Gundams did for the sake of eradication of war. Lockon acknowledged the error of his ways, but also noted that he would only take responsibility after he had killed the mercenary. While locked in close combat, Lockon suddenly launched Dynames' skirt missiles to damage the Throne, but the enemy managed to dodge the attack. The pursuit between the 2 Gundams continued.

Despite being unable to aim properly, Lockon performed well responding to Gundam Throne's close quarter attacks. Lockon declared he wouldn't forgive Al-Saachez, saying it was because of people like him that wars continue to exist. Al-Saachez retorted that both of them are of the same breed, but Lockon talked back that he's different. Cutting off Zwei's right arm, Lockon declared that he will change the world. Suddenly, Haro reported that another enemy was approaching Dynames.

A lone GN-X appeared in the space area. Lockon launched Dynames' knee GN Missiles to wave off the newly-arrived intruder, but the damaged GN-X was not phased one bit. The enemy maneuvered to Lockon's blind spot, preventing Lockon to shoot it down. The Gundam Meister tried to slash it down as it approached, using the GN Beam Saber on Dynames' right arm, but he was too late and the arm was taken out during the GN-X's suicidal crash attempt. As the GN-X finally exploded into dust, Ali Al-Saachez, who was waiting for his opportunity, eventually learned about Lockon's handicap. Al-Saachez launched Throne Zwei's GN Fangs to attack Dynames from all sides. Lockon tried to shoot them all down, but the GN Fangs was able to make its way to damage Dynames. As a result, Dynames was unable to continue fighting and Lockon received internal injuries.

After getting Dynames' remains to safety, Lockon dislodged the cockpit sniping module and opened the cockpit. Lockon knew that Al-Saachez would not pass on finishing him off, so he bet it all in this gamble to finish the warmonger. As he headed out, he instructed Haro to return Dynames to the Ptolemy. Haro called out to Lockon, but Lockon assured he would come back alive. As Dynames moved farther into the darkness, he quietly apologized for lying and said farewell to his trusted partner. He then went to the remains of one of GN Arms Type-D's GN Cannon and set it up for firing.

As he aimed at Throne Zwei, Lockon contemplated why he even bother doing what he was doing. Though, he told himself that unless he avenges his family, he could not see how he could move forward or even face the world. With the Throne Zwei hovering towards him, Lockon fired the GN Cannon. The attack took Throne Zwei's lower body, but it responded by shooting a beam through the cannon Lockon was on. The resulting explosion hurled Lockon away, and the debris punctured through the lower half of his abdomen.

When he came to his senses, he learned about his injuries and solemnly accepted his fate. As the GN Particles from the damaged cannon spread and dazzled through space, it reminded him of snow back in Northern Ireland. There was one occasion, he remembered, when they were all together around the table, enjoying the warmth and the smiles of each other. His father, mother and sister, with no traces of sadness on their faces. He knew he could not change what had happened in the past. However, he still wanted to create a future where no war or tragedies could ever happen again; all for the sake of his younger brother. Just then, Lockon noticed a streak of blue light from the corner of his eye. Even though he could not see it, he knew it was Setsuna's Gundam Exia. He wondered if Setsuna finally found an answer. Even so, Lockon mused,

" Setsuna, do you understand? You're trying to change from who you were. You're trying to change with the Gundam. From the past, to the future... I'm a failure. Back then, time stopped for me. No matter how much I changed the world, I never tried to change myself. I was imprisoned by the past... So you change. Change, Setsuna... 'Cause I couldn't."

Looking beyond the vast space, he saw Earth and marveled about its life and beauty. It was so far away, he could fit its image inside the palm of his hand. Watching the world for as long as he remember; having seen his comrades fight against it, he asked, "Hey, you people down there. Are you satisfied with the way the world is?" Reaching out his hand and shaping it like a gun, he aimed; "As for me... I hate it." The second he moved his hand up, the damaged cannon exploded, with the explosion engulfing him in the process.

Mourning & Legacy
When Dynames was en route to Ptolemy, the crew at first thought he returned safely. Haro's repeated call of Lockon over the com revealed his demise and the crew sadly mourned his passing. It was never revealed whether or not Lockon's body was recovered from the battle by Celestial Being for a proper burial; a year later, Tieria went to the Dylandy family grave to mourn Lockon and possibly help Lockon/Neil give flowers to his family on the anniversary of their deaths (the PS2 game shows Lyle Dylandy hiding behind a tree nearby).

Even after death, the memory of Lockon Stratos still lived in the hearts of everyone he knew. While not completely explained, his spirit is still very much part of Celestial Being. He first appeared in A.D. 2312, as a spirit while Tieria was confused over helping Innovators. He reminded Tieria of Aeolia's trust in the Gundam Meisters. His second appearance was in a dream when Setsuna was recovering from a bullet wound. He appeared before Setsuna in a dream, telling him to face his past and told him to change because he couldn't. Even in death, Lockon is still a friend to those that were close to him.

Appearing to Setsuna's Dream
Even after two years when the Innovators were defeated, Lockon's memory still stayed to everyone especially to Setsuna. When Setsuna was in a comatose due to the ELS, he appeared along with Christina Sierra and Lichtendahl Tsery in his dream, reminding him that the world still has to change and he also has to change, since Lockon never had a chance to do so. When they are about to disappear, the flower that Setsuna got from Feldt appeared before him and said that Setsuna is still alive.

Advanced European Union
Ireland, which is part of the AEU, is his homeland and when not busy, he would return to visit his family's grave and circle around places of significant memory.


 * Owen and Lindsay Dylandy
 * Lockon's mother and father were among the accounted dead when KPSA bombed and killed his parents at a public building.


 * Amy Dylandy
 * Lockon's beloved little sister who died along with his parents during a terrorist bombing.


 * Lyle Dylandy
 * Lockon's younger brother who also survived the terrorist incident in Ireland. During Season 2, Lyle takes his brothers codename of Lockon Stratos and joins Celestial Being. Before losing their family, Lyle envied Neil as the latter was the favored son for reasons unknown. The brothers rarely kept in contact with each other and became separated once Neil joined CB. After his death, Lyle shows little emotion over his brother's death, but still occasionally thinks about him.

Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations

 * Graham Aker
 * Lockon and Aker would come into combat with each other on a couple of occasions. First during the civil tensions in Azadistan. Here Graham was surprised and exited to actually confront another Gundam. It ended in a stand off where in Aker had a choice to face Lockon/Dynames or help repel the coup taking place. Their last known encounter was during the operation to capture the gundams. Graham took the offensive on Dynames yet again after the combined forces of the three power blocs exhausted the meisters.

Celestial Being
Lockon Statos joined Celestial Being because he despised conflict and above all he hated terrorism. Lockon had lost his parents and his sister in a terrorist attack. It was this what gave him the determination of a Gundam Meister. Later on his young brother would inherit not only his code name, but his determination too.


 * Veda
 * It was Veda that made the final approval that allowed Lockon to become a Gundam Meister.


 * Gundam Meisters


 * Setsuna F. Seiei
 * Lockon was the first Gundam Meister to acknowledge Setsuna. Lockon said that Setsuna's young age did not care because they (other Meisters) had joined Celestial Being for the same purpose as Setsuna: the eradication of conflicts. he also wanted to end war.Lockon is often paired off with Setsuna on missions. Of all the meisters, he gets along with him the best. Lockon often show concern for him like a little brother and often trails Setsuna to make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble upon the battlefield. He was conflicted when he found out that Setsuna was once part of the same terrorist group that killed his family, but after an explanation behind his past, he forgave him. Setsuna grieved for Lockon's death when he couldn't make it in time to save him.


 * Tieria Erde
 * They had an unfriendly relationship, at first, as fellow Gundam meisters. Eventually they learn to like each other and get along with their mutual dislike for the Gundam Throne meisters. When Lockon risked his life to save Tieria's, he lost his edge and was filled with guilt for what Lockon did for him. Tieria wanted to protect him from harm by locking him to prevent him to sortie with Dynames. Lockon manage to unlock the door and sortie to save the crew of the Ptolemy and the rest of the meisters in trouble. After Lockon died from combating Ali Al Saachez, he blamed Setsuna for not getting their soon enough to save Lockon.


 * Allelujah Haptism
 * He has bonded with Allelujah the least as they worked very few missions together and often not on Earth. They seem to have mutual respect for each other and he mourned for Lockon's death in episode 23.


 * Crew of Ptolemaios
 * The relationship boundaries were less defined with the crew of the Ptolemaios. The following are defined relationships based on observation through their interactions.


 * Sumeragi Lee Noriega
 * She maintains and friendly/professional relationship with Lockon as commander to subordinate. As the tactical analyst and commander of operations, she often relay tactical information to Lockon in field operations.


 * Feldt Grace
 * Lockon was the few that ever took time to listen to Felt's feelings and eventually she developed romantic feelings for him. Even though she likes Lockon, she tends to keep herself at a distance and even eavesdrop on him.


 * Lasse Aeon
 * Lasse is the pilot to the Ptolemy and GN Arms. Though never teamed up together in the series, he's a GN Arms pilot and likely would've teamed up with him when they needed to combat together as GN Armor.


 * Lichtendahl Tsery
 * Like Lasse, he's a ship pilot within Celestial Being. It's unclear the depth of their relationship, but Lichty is open and friendly with Lockon. It's likely another friendly/professional relationship with the majority of the crew members.


 * Ian Vashti
 * He's Celestial Being's engineer and supplied Lockon with brand new shielding armor for his Dynames. They maintain a friendly/professional relationship, but not close.


 * Joyce Moreno
 * As Celestial Being's doctor, he patched up Lockon after his bodily injuries. He wanted Lockon to rest and heal for several weeks, but he opted to sortie with the group during Operation Fallen Angels. Lyle never knew him personally.


 * Throne Meisters/Team Trinity


 * Johann Trinity
 * Johann saved him in the Takalamakan Desert when he was captured by Union forces. Later when the Throne meisters and meisters fell apart, it was Johann that intentionally told Lockon that Setsuna's past is related to his family's death.


 * Michael Trinity
 * Upon their first encounter, Micheal threatened to cut Lockon after he defended Setsuna for shoving his sister aside.


 * Nena Trinity
 * He only knows Nena through their first and last meeting to be acquainted on board Ptolemy.

PMC Trust

 * Ali Al-Saachez
 * The leader of KPSA terrorist group and killer of his beloved family. Lockon held an immediate hatred for Ali. In a climatic showdown with Ali, stating that he will never forgive him. Lockon lost his life for avenging his family.

Notes & Trivia

 * Lockon's real name, Neil, means champion in Irish.
 * Lockon's seiyū, Shin-ichiro Miki, also voiced Kurz Weber (from Full Metal Panic!) who is another anime character that is known for his superb sniping skills. He is also known for his portrayal of laid back but fairly bishonen-looking characters like Yoji Kudo of Weiß Kreuz, Nanami Kōtarō of Tantei Gakuen Q and Kisuke Urahara of Bleach.
 * In the second opening of Gundam 00 season one, Lockon appears in a Lancia 037 Stradale.
 * Lockon's pilot suit was made green due to it being Ireland's national color.

Quote
In the novelization of Gundam 00, Lockon's complete last words to Setsuna was shown: "Setsuna, do you understand? You're trying to change from who you were. You're trying to change with the Gundam. From the past, to the future... I'm a failure. Back then, time stopped for me. No matter how much I changed the world, I never tried to change myself. I was imprisoned by the past... So you change. Change, Setsuna... 'Cause I couldn't."

These last words of Lockon would be shown to be an inspiration to Setsuna, as shown in Season 2 and the Movie.