Amuro Ray

Amuro Ray is a character from Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English dub of the original TV series and Char's Counterattack), Dylan Tully (English dub of Movies I-III) and Matthew Erickson (English dub of Zeta Gundam). He is widely considered to be the greatest pilot in Gundam history and the benchmark of all Gundam pilots that came after him.

Amuro's habits indicate him being a 'nerd' in some ways. One being his fondness for machines than people, and his frustration to to what he can in order to impress his superiors (Brite Noa.) There is also some fan speculation, due to his behavior, that he may suffer from Asperger's Syndrome.

Compared to Gundam Seed's Kira Yamato, Amuro is the exact opposite in many ways.

Side7
Amuro first comes to prominence late in the One Year War. Son of Doctor Tem Ray, one of the Federation's V Project scientists, he finds himself caught up in the midst of the Zeon reconnaissance mission to Side 7, when he takes refuge in the cockpit of the RX-78-2 Gundam. Quickly skimming through the Gundam's Flight Manual, Amuro fully activates the Mobile Suit, and uses it to destroy one of the two MS-06 Zaku II that were attacking the colony. Unfortunetly the explosion was so enourmous it made a hull breach in the colony that engulfed his father. The last Zaku in the colony was destroyed by a more percise kill by destroying the cockpit. Shortly afterwards, he is commanded by (then) Ensign Bright Noa. Since Captain Paolo Cassius was injuried during the battle with the two Zakus. Amuro was the only pilot available to provide cover for the escape of the White Base from the colony. The Musai attempted to fire several missiles at the White Base, however Amuro managed to shoot them all down. This lead to his first encounter with Char Aznable, piloting his MS-06S. Char proved more than a match for Amuro. As Char was a seasoned veteran. Amuro was still adjusting to the Gundam. Amuro managed to score his third kill by killing Char's wingman who was in a regular Zaku but, could not shoot down Char as he was too fast for Amuro. It was then that Ryu Jose came in to support Amuro in a core fighter. Char retreated back to his Musai to figure out his next move. Amuro and Ryo returned to the White Base. Amuro becomes a member of the crew, and given the rank of Ensign. Bright also assigns him as the full time pilot for the Gundam.

Luna II
As the White Base made it's way from Side 7 to Luna II. They are soon arrested by Commandant Wakkein. Since they had unauthorized use of the White Base and the Gundam, but of which at this point are still considered a top secret project. The crew is arrested and put in the Luna II brig. Amuro attempts to protest his treatment, but falls on deaf ears. During this time Char and his men sneak inside Luna II to either destroy or capture both the Gundam and the White Base which has been dubbed the following names by them, "White Mobile Suit" and "Trojan Horse". As Char and his men put mines around various areas around Luna II including the hangar. They are soon set off and the artifical gravity and in general the power goes offline. The crew make there escape. During this time a Magellan Battleship commanded by Wakkein himself dismbarks, however the ship soon hit's the mines and the battleship blocks the enterence. Amuro, Kai, Hayato and Ryu attempt to break the seals on the Gundam that Wakkein's men had put previously. Wakkaein evacuates the Magellan battleship only to see Amuro and the rest of his crewmates taking off the seals. He then points his pistol at Amuro telling him to stop. However Bright tells him that the enemy is the Zeon, not them. Though Wakkein is still skeptical of this as he has his orders to fulfill. Mirai Yashima then patches in a call from the infirmary so Cassius can talk to Wakkein and tell's him that the White Base crew and the Gundam pilot himself have considerable experience fighting Char even though it was one battle. Wakkein agree's alebeit reluctantly. Amuro and Ryo fight into space immedietly. Amuro very soon after duels with Char once more. His main weapon, a hyper bazooka is destroyed and resorts to his beam saber. Char and Amuro duel once more. As the battle becomes more one-sided as the White Base entering into the battlefield by destroying the Magellan with there main cannon's, Char retreats back to his Musai. Unfortunetly during the battle Cassius passes away. Though Luna II has been saved. Cassius is given a military funeral with his body put in a tube and sent into space. Amuro begins to wonder if his father is still alive. After the battle Wakkein recieves orders that the White Base is to proceed to Earth with only a single Salamis cruiser as escort. Char is not far behind.

Earth Orbit
He particularly distinguishes himself in a dogfight with Char during the entry to Earth's atmosphere, becoming the first mobile suit pilot to actually survive atmospheric reentry.

Earth
As the Gundam and the White Base make planet fall, they landed not in South America where the Earth Federation capital Jaburo is located, but in North America which was at this point during the war primarily Zeon territory.

North America
Both the White Base and the Gundam were severly outnumbered. Amuro by this time was exhausted to the point of collapse. As he exited out of the Gundam to rest. Zeon forces led by Captain Garma Zabi son of Degwin Sodo Zabi who at this point is leader of the Principality of Zeon. Garma attacked the Whitebase with a numerical superiority of HT-01B Magella Attack Tanks, Dopps, and several Zakus He personally went into the battle with his own personal customized Dopp. Amuro was soon called back to duty. At this point Amuro refused to fight believing that he earned a break with what happened from the time of Side 7 to the current battle. Suffice to say Bright Noa was not taking this lightly or well. Bright attempted to persuade Amuro to launch in the Gundam immediately, but his words fell on deaf ears. When words ran out Bright was resorted to slapping Amuro for his cowardice. Cowardice he had admitted to Bright which made him more infuriated. As the battle was becomming more intensified and Bright growing more frustrated he gave up on persuading Amuro but left with saying this to Amruo "I would have thought you would want to settle your score with Char but, I underestimated you." During this time Frau Bow was witnessing Amuro's cowardice and told Amuro to give her the flight manual. When this happened Amuro came back to his senses and went back into the fight. The Gundam was launched in a rapid response to the battle. During the battle Amuro managed to destroy numerous Magella Attack Tanks as well as Dopps. It was also during this battle that Amuro was the first mobile suit pilot to preform aerial combat in a mobile suit since previous mobile suits such as the MS-06F Zaku were unable to preform aerial combat. During the battle Captain Garma Zabi and Lt.Commander Char Aznable were monitoring the situation to see when the "White Mobile Suit" otherwise the Gundam would enter the battle. When it did Garma first engaged the Gundam only to abort as Amuro sliced a wing off his personal Dopp. Char launched from a Komusai capsule from the Musai he was previously on and engaged Amuro in ariel combat in his Zaku which was again another stalemate. After which Garma called for an immediate retreat to reasses their situation. The Whitebase was able to avert destruction and for the moment was safe.

Medea Supply Corps
Sometime after the battle a convoy of medea supply transports arrived to resupply the Whitebase and take on as many passengers that were refugees from Side 7. Lieutenent Matilda Ajan the commanding officer spoke of the times Jaburo was having at the moment and the need for good officers were needed if they were to win the war. It was also at this point that Amuro became enamored with Lt.Matilda. After the resupply she advised Bright to head west, but for reasons unknown head for New York City.

New York City
The Whitebase crew knew that if they could break through the city they would be able to escape Zeon territory, but it would be their most difficult battle yet. As they were enroute to New York. Meanwhile Char attends a party which Garma organized as he was engaged to Icelina Eschonbach the daughter of the former mayor of New York City. An engagement her father disliked since he believed the Zeon were there enemies. It was during the party that Char and Garma were alerted of the White Base's position and responded on a moments notice. As the Whitebase was entering the city. Amuro believes the situation to be too dangerous and ask's permission from Bright to have the Gundam be used as a decoy to draw off Zeon forces as the Whitebase makes there escape, however Bright dissaproves with this idea feeling it's too risky. Bright then has his conn officers search for an area where they could hide the White Base. They find a sports dome they are able to hide in. Though so not to alarm the enemy they do not launch there mobile suits. Garma and Char preform a carpet bombing on their Gaw Assault Carrier to draw out the Whitebase, but to no avail. Char then volunteers to personally search for the Whitebase along with two other pilots. As the Zaku's launch, the Whitebase launches the Gundam, Guntank and Guncannon. It is also during this time that Amuro uses a rocket launcher instead of his traditional beam rifle. It is also Amuro's first experience in mobile suit urban warefare. He quickly finds a Zaku and destroys it. Soon afterwards Char finds the Gundam, but noting that the pilot is getting better, as he was trying to lead Char away from the White Base, but to no avail. Amuro looses Char for the moment, but attempts to find other Zaku's. For reasons unknown however, instead of relying the information that the Whitebase is in back of Garma's assault force, Char tells Garma that they are in front of his forces. Garma's Gaw Assault Carrier then are in a position to be attacked directly behind the White Base forces.Garma's forces are destroyed being taken by surprise. During his last moments Char admits his betrayal only saying that he was unfortunate to be born a Zabi. Garma then attempts to ram the White Base, but is unsuccessful. The White Base escapes from Zeon territory.

Family Reunion
The White Base lands on a beach, during this time the crew takes on a brief shore leave, while repairing various damages on the ship. Amuro takes a Core Fighter to find his mother who was on Earth while him and his father migrated to Side 7 years ago. As he enters his old home, he only finds drunk federation soldiers lying in the living room. The soldiers tell him the house had been empty for some time. The only thing left is a doll that Amuro once had. Then he remembred the day his mother was not going with him and his father to Side 7. As he was walking along a path he saw federation soldiers harassing an old lady. As Amuro attempts to stop the soldier from harassing her, Amuro in turn is attacked, but the old lady realizing she was an old friend of her deceased daughter told them to stop which they did. Amuro and the old lady talked of how her family was killed during a Zeon attack. Amuro told her how he found the house empty, though the old lady tell's him that his mother had been working as an assistant in a field medical hospital which was not far from where they were at. Amuro heads their quickly on his core fighter. As he lands the civilians tell him why he is here since his fighter and his uniform are of Federation markings and saying that there is a Zeon base on top of a mountain which one of the civilians point at. His mother arrived to see what the commotion was about and saw his son for the first time in years. Both were relieved to find each other alive. Amuro and his mother shared stories as well as Amuro telling of how his father was missing in action after the incident in Side 7. As Amuro was about to say something two Zeon soldiers bursted in the room. Amuro hid under a blanket so he would not get caught.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam


Amuro was placed under house arrest shortly after the war due to the government's mistrust of Newtypes. While he lived in a luxurious mansion (possibly paid for by either royalties from patenting his Haro design as popular toys, or abundant war pensions for his military service) and was officially free to come and go as he pleased, Amuro's house servants were actually government agents assigned to keep track of his movements. Amuro worked as a trainer/adviser in the Cheyenne Mobile Suit Academy up until the time of the Gryps Conflict. He suffered from chronic combat fatigue, as commented by Emma Sheen and Beltorchika Irma, likely from his traumatic experience during the One Year War and the sense of guilt over killing Lalah Sune.

During the Gryps Conflict, a pregnant Fraw Bow, with her three adopted children, came to visit Amuro. They managed to re-ignite Amuro's fighting spirit and helped him escape from his government handlers. After joining the Karaba (AEUG's earth-bound ally), Amuro became a key figure within the group, leading several crucial missions, including the attack on the Titan's base in Mount Kilimanjaro and the seizing of Federation's Congress Building in Dakar. He later went to space to fight the Neo-Zeon (which was mentioned by Hayato Kobayashi, but not depicted, in Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam). After the First Neo-Zeon War, Amuro joins the Earth Federation's Londo Bell group led by Bright Noa, and served as the combat squad commander.

Char's Counterattack
During the Second Neo-Zeon War, Amuro is assigned to the battleship Ra Cailum, Londo Bell's flagship, as the leader of the ship's mobile suit squads. Amuro initially pilots the transformable RGZ-91 Re-GZ, but Anaheim Electronics soon delivers to him the RX-93 Nu Gundam, a highly advanced mobile suit largely designed by Amuro himself. It is widely believed that his relatively low status in the Earth Federation is a sign of the government's continued mistrust in Newtypes.

At the end of the Second Neo-Zeon War, after defeating Char's MSN-04 Sazabi in the duel and capturing Char's escape pod, Amuro attempted to singlehandedly stop the asteroid Axis from colliding with the Earth by pushing the asteroid with his Nu Gundam. His action inspired other mobile suit pilots to join in, even Neo-Zeon soldiers. Although he eventually succeeded, the act overloaded Nu Gundam's psychoframe construct. Both he and Char disappeared in a magnificent aurora, thus ending his long-time legacy of combat since the One Year War and concluding the most famous Mobile Suit Gundam rivalry at last.