ZGMF-X23S Saviour Gundam

The ZGMF-X23S Saviour Gundam is a Mobile Suit in the series Gundam SEED Destiny. It is piloted by Athrun Zala.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The ZGMF-X23S Saviour is a Second Stage Series mobile suit. The Saviour is one of the five Second Stage Series units designed to operate at peak performance in a specific environment, while also possessing a mobile armor mode to further complement its abilities in that environment. The Saviour was designed specifically for aerial combat. For this purpose the Saviour has a highly aerodynamic form in both mobile suit and mobile armor mode which reduces stress on the engines to obtain speed and maintain loft. Of the three Second Stage Series units the possess the ability of flight the Saviour has been seen demonstrating the greatest speed and agility.

Weapons wise, the Saviour is armed with a large beam rifle, a pair of beam sabers and CIWS guns, as well as a pair of back-mounted pods containing beam and plasma beam cannons. These pods can fold under the Saviour's arms to fire in mobile suit mode, and also constitute its primary armament when it transforms into a high-speed airplane-like flight mode. For defense, the suit features a single MMI-RD11 aerodynamic shield.

Armaments

 * MMI-GAU25A 20mm CIWS
 * The MMI-GAU25A 20mm CIWS are a standard shell firing "close in weapons system" mounted in the mobile suits head and is designed to shoot down small fast moving targets such a missiles or fighter jets.


 * MMI-RD11 Aerodynamic Shield
 * The MMi-RD11 shield is a defensive armament that can block multiple attacks, specifically beam attacks that the VPS armor cannot block. The shield possesses an aerodynamic form so as to not hinder the mobile suit in flight. In mobile armor mode the shield is attached to the unit's torso.


 * M106 "Amfortas" Plasma Beam Cannon
 * The pair of "Amfortas" plasma beam cannons are the Saviour's most powerful weapons. The cannons are attached to the Saviour's backpack and can adjust position. When in mobile suit mode the cannons come up under the arms to be fired, while in mobile armor mode the cannons always face forward.


 * MMI-GAU2 "Picus" 76mm Machine Gun
 * The "Picus" machine guns are the shell firing weapons of the Saviour's mobile armor mode and serve the same purpose as the CIWS. The "Picus" machine guns most likely position is on a backpack cowl that covers the Saviour's head in mobile armor mode.


 * MA-7B "Super Fortis" Beam Cannon
 * The Ma-7B "Super Fortis" beam cannons are beam rifle-caliber beam cannons mounted on the Saviour's body. Their most likely position is the cannons mounted on the back of the "Amfortas" plasma beam cannons. In mobile armor mode they would serve the same purpose as the beam rifle.


 * MA-M941 "Vajra" Beam Saber
 * The only close combat armament of the Saviour are two MA-M941 "Vajra" beam sabers, which, when not in use, are stored in the shoulders of the suit.


 * MA-BAR70 High-Energy Beam Rifle
 * The beam rifle is an optional hand armament that is used for ranged combat. Though not as powerful as the "Amfortas" cannons the beam rifle is more then enough to destroy standard mobile suits and it draws on less energy.

System Features
As with the other Second Stage Gundams produced by ZAFT, the Saviour uses the new Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System, which allows a properly equipped battleship to remotely recharge a mobile suit's battery. The suit also feature a new version of Phase Shift armor called “Variable Phase Shift Armor”, which is less power intensive than the original version.

The Saviour uses the operating system Generation Unrestricted Network Drive Assault Module.

History
In late CE 73, ZAFT created a new series of Gundam-type mobile suits to succeed their previous generation of Gundams, which were all lost in the first Bloody Valentine War. Since the Treaty of Junius banned the military use of the Neutron Jammer Cancellers, these new Gundams used conventional battery power instead. However, with the technological improvements over the last two years battery efficiency was improved.

One of these new suits was the Saviour, a transformable unit specializing in aerial combat. As with the ZGMF-X24S Chaos, the Saviour is based upon a similar prototype unit, which, in the Saviour’s case, is the ZGMF-YX21R Proto-Saviour.

The Saviour was produced separately from the other four new Gundams, and after the fall of Junius Seven it was assigned by Chairman Gilbert Durandal to Athrun Zala, newly reinstated to ZAFT and appointed by Durandal to the elite FAITH detachment. Athrun then flew the Saviour back to Earth and, after a small skirmish with Orb forces, joined the crew of the battleship Minerva. Although Athrun was able to disable the mobile armor YMAG-X7F Gells-Ghe in the Gulnahan Ravine near Suez he accomplished little in combat. He managed to tie up Chaos pilot Sting Oakley in most engagements by providing a difficult to hit target, but took very little offensive action against the EA forces. Saviour is later damaged beyond repair by Kira Yamato's ZGMF-X10A Freedom in a naval battle off the coast of Crete.

Variants

 * ZGMF-YX21R Proto-Saviour
 * LV-ZGMF-X23S Vent Saviour

Trivia

 * Saviour's head crest displays the text "X-23S TRE", which means "Three" in Italian and is a reference to the Saviour's series number.
 * In it's serial number, "ZGMF" is the short form of "Zero Gravity Maneuver Fighter", "X" means it is a prototype unit, "2" means it is designed for aerial combats, "3" is it's series number, and "S" represents "Second Stage".
 * The name Saviour may be a poke at G-Saviour
 * The way the Saviour was destroyed has been referred to among fans as being "Savioured".
 * In the third volume of the English-translated Gundam SEED Destiny manga, the Savior is erronously referred to as the "Saber". This is an error explained due to the katakana given for this unit (セーバー Seeba, "Saber") and its pronounciation is at odds with the official English name "Saviour". If that was rendered into katakana, it would be ("セービアー” Seebiaa, "Saviour")