Angelo Sauper (アンジェロ・ザウパー Anjiero Zaupā?) is a character introduced in the OVA Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. A young member of the Sleeves who serves as the devoted commander of Full Frontal’s royal guard, he held the rank of Lieutenant.[1]
Personality & Character[]
Angelo was prepared to carry out any dastardly maneuver if Frontal ordered him to do so. For him, the principle of action was "whether it was for Frontal's benefit or not," and he had no interest in their merits. The only thing that motivated Angelo was his debt to Frontal, who had rescued him from a hellish situation. His desire for revenge against Banagher was also quite strong, but it did not shake his loyalty to Frontal.
In order to realize the "Side Co-prosperity Sphere" concept that Frontal had launched, Angelo did not object to a joint struggle with the hostile Nahel Argama. Although there was some rejection of working with them, he did not want to go against the policies of his trusted commander.
Skills & Abilities[]
As Frontal's confidant, Angelo assisted him in negotiations related to the "Laplace's Box". Angelo was also trusted by Frontal in terms of combat and served as his bodyguard, always keeping a close eye on him to eliminate any danger that might threaten his safety. He was an excellent MS pilot, always accompanying Frontal's Sinanju into battle, and sometimes launching coordinated attacks as well.
With his custom Geara Zulu, Angelo typically used large firearms such as the Lange-Bruno Gun and Beam Shot Rifle to shoot at enemies from a distance. Angelo later switched to the Rozen Zulu, which was equipped with a pair of quasi-psycommu weapons called "Incoms" on its arms. Using these wired, remotely operated weapons, which were developed for normal pilots, but still require a high level of spatial awareness, Angelo was able to launch all-range attacks against multiple enemy units.
History[]
Background[]
During his childhood he lived in the city of Globe in Side 3 like the Zinnerman family. His father was murdered by rioting Federation soldiers and Angelo himself barely managed to survive along with his mother, who was broken in spirit. Although his mother remarried, Angelo suffered nightly abuse at the hands of his mother's new partner. Angelo endured while waiting for the recuperation of his mother; however, she committed suicide soon after. He absconded from a foster home some time before meeting Full Frontal, whom he now follows with blind faith.[2]
Capturing the Unicorn Gundam[]
After the Garencieres failed to retrieve Laplace's Box or Princess Mineva Lao Zabi, Angelo scolded Captain Suberoa Zinnerman for his failure. Angelo then stepped aside as Frontal stepped in and commented that he wished to test his skills against the new Gundam that bested Marida Cruz in battle.
When Full Frontal launches from the Rewloola, Angelo Sauper and two members of the royal guard launch to escort him. Though they are escorting him, Angelo keeps himself and his men off the battlefield, fully confident that Full Frontal did not need support. When one of his men was destroyed by the blast from the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam's beam magnum, Angelo responds by firing his long beam rifle at the Gundam, missing completely. Angelo then realized that "desecrated" Frontal's battlefield and vowed to make the Gundam pilot pay for making him do it. He and his wingmate then started firing on the Gundam, but the Unicorn evaded all their shots, focused only on Frontal. However, they were able to capture the Unicorn thanks to Marida's NZ-666 Kshatriya.
The Unicorn was brought back to the Sleeves' stronghold at Palau and they were able to extract the Gundam's pilot, a civilian named Banagher Links. Frontal brought the young man so they would speak. Angelo maintained a hostile face during the conversation. He took offense when Banagher asked if Frontal would take off his mask, but the Zeon leader was willing to oblige him. When asked if he was related to the Vist family, Banagher refused, prompting Angelo to walk up and grab him by the collar, warning to show respect, before releasing him at Frontal's command. As Frontal attempted to sway Banagher to Neo Zeon's ideals, the boy stated that they should not resort to terrorism to free the spacenoids, especially killing people. At that point, Angelo lost his temper and threw Banagher against the wall, calling him a hypocrite, revealing that he killed one of his wingmates previously, causing the boy to react with shock. Frontal told Angelo that Banagher was unaware of his first kill and that his reaction was just on instinct. He then summoned Zinnerman and Marida to escort Banagher. However, Banagher demanded one last question: is Frontal really Char Aznable or not? Frontal stated that he sees himself as a vessel for the hopes of the spacenoids yearning to be free.
As evening began setting in, Frontal voiced his worry that Federation may have discovered their location. Angelo asked him if he was expecting an attack. Frontal didn't answered and inquired about the research progress on the Unicorn.
Battle of Palau[]
Sure enough, the Federation assaulted Palau, initially catching the sleeves off guard. Angelo joined Frontal in MS as they dispatched a pair of Lotos before returning to the Rewloola to observe the fight between the Unicorn and Kshatriya. The plan was for Marida, being a Cyber Newtype, to force the Unicorn into Destroy Mode, enabling them to tear down a seal of the La+ Program preventing them receiving any box data. Angelo listened on as Frontal explained to Zinnerman the purpose of the Gundam's NT-D (Newtype Destroyer).
Battle at Laplace[]
With a layer of the La+ Program unsealed, the Sleeves, using a psycho monitor installed into the Unicorn, determined coordinates leading to the ruins of the Laplace station. While the Garencieres focused on rescuing Marida from the Nahel Argama, Angelo and his wingmate Cuaron assisted Frontal to attack the Unicorn and force the NT-D to activate. Frontal tells them to fight like they mean to take it out or it wouldn't activate, which Angelo complied. When the Unicorn retaliated with missiles, Angelo presumed Banagher to be toying with them and demanded that he transform into a Gundam. When the Unicorn ran out of missiles, it retreated back into Laplace, with Frontal following him. Angelo and Cuaron waited outside, before beam magnum shots started blasting through the colony's structure and they spot Frontal/Sinanju being chased by Banagher/Unicorn. Excited to see the Gundam, Angelo and Cuaron attack it, stating that they just need the cockpit. However, Cuaron got in too close, at which the Unicorn impales his MS in the cockpit. Ignoring Frontal's orders to retreat, claiming that the Unicorn is no ordinary opponent, Angelo attempted to shoot but the Unicorn outflanked him before severing his MS's limbs. As he watched the Unicorn pursue Frontal into the atmosphere, he pleaded his leader to withdraw. After the Unicorn started falling into the atmosphere, Frontal retrieved Angelo.
Two Worlds, Two Tomorrows[]
Eventually, Angelo pilots the YAMS-132 Rozen Zulu, intercepting the mobile suits deployed by the Dogosse Giar-class, General Revil, decimating them with his new prototype mobile suit; Angelo remarked that this would be the only time he would spare Federation lives. Angelo then bowed to allow Frontal/Sinanju to single-handedly send the General Revil into retreat.
Afterwards, the Nahel Argama was forced into an alliance of convenience with the Sleeves due to General Staff HQ desiring their destruction. The crew of the Garencieres evacuated their ship and used it as a decoy to draw off pursuit. However, many of the Nahel Argama's crew grew agitated with the Neo Zeons and the tensions hit a breaking point when they attempted to occupy the engine room.
Angelo then approached the mob, asking what they intend to do if his people refuse their demands. A civilian, Micott Bartsch, shouted that they will do with force if necessary, reminding Angelo that he shot down those Federation MS under the pretext of defending them. Angelo corrected that the Zeons care only about defending the Unicorn. Before things could escalate, Mineva, accompanied by Banagher and Takuya Irei, arrived and warned Angelo against doing anything rash. She then urged the mob to continue working with the Neo-Zeons for the time being. Micott then called on Mineva for failing to prevent the conflict from escalating. The tension is then broken as Captain Otto Midas address the crew, stating that the alliance of convenience with the Neo-Zeons is only temporary and that they had not surrendered their ship.
Angelo then proceeded to the bridge, where Midas and Frontal were discussing the final coordinates to Laplace's Box. They only had the general location, as Banagher had locked the Unicorn's systems, preventing them from finding the precise location. Though Frontal stated that opening the Box would ensure that the Nahel Argama is spared, Midas demanded to know his intentions for the Box, suspecting they may not revolve around reviving the Principality of Zeon. Mineva, now dressed in Zeon robes, arrives on the bridge and pressures Frontal for his answer. The Captain first responded by taking off his mask and handed it to Angelo. Mineva then opened the comm for all on the ship to hear.
Frontal stated that the Federation would never grant the Spacenoids their freedoms, being too dependent on them for energy and food production and economic stability. Thus, he planned on uniting the Sides and the Moon into a Side Co-Prosperity Sphere that would exclude the Earth, forcing a mass migration and collapse the Federation government. The only entity capable of acting as mediator for this would be the Republic of Zeon, which currently has a measure of autonomy, despite being a Federation puppet. But the Federation plans on revoking the Republic's autonomy within four years, thereby putting a fly in the ointment and rendering Frontal's plan impossible. Mineva continued that's when the Vist Foundation came forth and offered Laplace's Box to Zeon. Frontal claimed that Cardeas Vist had no knowledge of their plans, but he didn't want to see the Federation become further entrenched, and that the Federation's intention was to eradicate Zeon when the Republic ceased to exist. This is exemplified by the Unicorn itself, which Frontal sees as being the eliminator of the Newtypes.
Mineva realizes that Frontal wants to use the Box to gain time to form the Side Co-prosperity Sphere and instead of asking for the Federation to change, he is choosing to use the box to marginalize them. She argues that this course of action is far from the ideals of not only Zeon Zum Deikun, but also Char Aznable, who attempted to move man into space to speed up their evolution into Newtypes. Mineva further explains that in Frontal's future, there would be children on Earth wishing to rebel against his world, essentially maintaining the status quo of a continuous cycle of conflicts between Earth and space like the One Year War. Frontal explains that it is not about right or wrong, but about the will of the collective. Angelo then returned his superior's mask to him.
Banagher speaks up and points out that Frontal speaks indifferently about his plan even though it involves the future of his own people, and that he sounds detached from it all. He muses about the green light from the Unicorn during Mineva's rescue, and explains that its warmth was the collected feelings of those he knew. Frontal reveals that he also saw that same light before and that is was likely due to the collected consciousness of man being manifested through the psycho-frame, and that a large psycho-field from the RX-93 ν Gundam deflected the asteroid Axis from hitting the Earth three years ago. Frontal tells him that even after then, mankind did not change and that they would rather sweep possibility under the rug to keep the status quo, and that possibility itself was the trigger for many wars. Mineva laments that the Char Aznable she knew was truly dead and then tells everyone that Laplace's Box is hidden at Industrial 7, specifically the colony builder Magallanica. With Banagher's anger confirming the box's location, Frontal departs for the Rewloola and leaves Angelo on board the Nahel Argama.
Angelo later caught Engineer Sydow Omoki, Micott, Takuya and few others having sent a distress signal, which is picked up by a Federation patrol ship. The patrol ship started hailing the Nahel Argama before detecting the Neo-Zeon ships using Federation IFFs and pressed for an explanation. Angelo arrived on the bridge and ordered Midas to fire on the patrol ship before it calls for reinforcements. He attempts to pressure Midas into doing so, revealing his men holding the hostages, before drawing his gun on the Captain. Midas then took a deep breath before shouting at Angelo, daring him to harm the hostages, threatening to rip off his head if he tried. Midas then formally declared an end to their alliance. At the same time, an ECOAS team hiding in the vents got the signal and rescued the hostages. Another team entered the bridge, forcing Angelo to escape.
As the crew started fighting to retake their ship, Angelo made his way down to the mobile suit deck. As he got into his Rozen Zulu, he spotted on his HUD Frontal holding Banagher captive. As he made his way towards Frontal, he was intercepted by the Kshatriya, piloted by Marida and Mineva, which pins his MS to the floor with its leg. Mineva then openly rejects Frontal's vision. Angelo attempts to launch his incom claw in retaliation, but it bounces off the Kshatriya's wing and lodges in the ceiling. Marida/Kshatriya gives him a hard kick. Mineva then continued, telling all the Neo-Zeons that Frontal's future is not the only path humanity must follow.
Zinnerman interrupts her speech, ordering Marida to open her cockpit, given Angelo an opening to target it with his other free claw. However, Mineva convinces Zinnerman to let go of his past and let Marida fight, at which she punches away Angelo's claw. He then fires it at Zinnerman, declaring everyone around him to be weak. As the Kshatriya grapples with him, Angelo shouts that humanity needs a strong leader and that Frontal has transcended humanity. Suddenly, Banagher/Unicorn transforms into Destroy Mode and the boy refutes his beliefs. He states that while humans are weak and flawed, they must work together for their future. The Unicorn then grabs the cables attaching the Rozen Zulu to its right claw, as a red light flows along them, causing the Rozen Zulu and Kshatriya's psycommu to resonate. Frontal then gets inside the Rozen Zulu. Angelo then retracts his left claw and using it to sever the other, before escaping the Nahel Argama.
As the race for Laplace's Box began, Angelo looked up his repaired MS and angrily clutched a rose in his fist.
Over the Rainbow[]
With repairs complete, Angelo deploys in his Rozen Zulu to lead the attack on the Nahel Argama and the newly defected Sleeves while Full Frontal heads to Industrial 7. Upon spotting the ship, he destroys the Mega Bazooka Launcher positioned on the catapult. While he continued fighting, the Unicorn eventually returns to assist the Argama. However, Angelo had grown tired of his own allies to point of contempt, instead killing them all himself. When Banagher asks why he did this, Angelo responded that they despite claiming to be devoted to their cause, he states that their war-mongering ways have ruined the world with their deficiency, adding that they were a disease to society. He then launches the bits to activate his Psycho Jammer. Though the Unicorn manages to shoot a few of them down with its vulcans, it runs out of ammo as the remaining five manage to form a psycho barrier, forcefully deactivating the NT-D Mode. He reveals that from the very first moment the two met, he had already despised him and moves in to kill him. He is then interrupted when he detects an excessive amount of psychowaves coming from the recently destroyed Kshatriya and its fallen pilot, Marida. The resonating psychowaves causes Banagher's Newtype powers to fully awaken, reactivating the NT-D Mode with a green psycho-frame glow and transforming its shields into funnel-like weapons that destroy the bits forming the Psycho Jammer. Angelo's mobile suit is soon caught in the Unicorn's psychowaves. Enranged at how powerful Banagher had become, Angelo opens fire again but the shields block his attack. He manages to grab one of the shields, but the Unicorn has already quickly closed in on him and his only weapon is useless against the Unicorn's shields. Panicking for his life, as the Unicorn approaches him, he receives a vision of his captain with his back turned, as if facing the Unicorn. He asks why Frontal wants Banagher, someone trying to stop him, is more interested in him than his own most devoted and trusted subordinate and begs Banagher not to look at the state he was in. He calls out to Frontal and seemingly hears his plea as he turns to him and inviting him. Embracing the vision of Frontal answering his plea and comforting him, the Rozen Zulu, still responding to Angelo's thoughts - turns its wired claws to its own torso - tearing the psycho-frame apart and ravaging the mobile suit, just missing Angelo by a few inches. Banagher, upon witnessing this, turns his attention away from him and leaves.
Angelo's mobile suit drifted in space, having seemingly cried himself to sleep. His machine eventually floats next to the now destroyed remains of the Sinanju, the cockpit fully exposed. He forcefully opens the hatch to see his captain still inside. Though initially relieved to see him one last time, he then discovers his stillness, confirming his death. Although saddened, he seems to look up, breathing a sigh of relief.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UNICORN | ANGELO SAUPER. Retrieved on 2021-08-08.
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn light novels, Vol.9,Ch.2
Unicorn characters
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Civilians | Banagher Links | Audrey Burne | Takuya Irei | Micott Bartsch | Tikva Sant | Kora Sant | Tucci Sant | Kai Shiden | Beltorchika Irma | Anna Links | Marie Zinnerman | Fee Zinnerman | Tom | Marco | Denis | Douglas Doillon | Ester | |
Vist Foundation | Cardeas Vist | Gael Chan | Syam Vist | |
Anaheim Electronics | Martha Vist Carbine | Alberto Vist | Aaron Terzieff | Bancroft | |
Neo Zeon | Full Frontal | Suberoa Zinnerman | Marida Cruz | Angelo Sauper | Flaste Schole | Alec | Besson | Gilboa Sant | Hill Dawson | Tomura | Savoir | Sergi | Loni Garvey | Yonem Kirks | Russet | |
Earth Federation | Riddhe Marcenas | Otto Mitas | Liam Borrinea | Daguza Mackle | Mihiro Oiwakken | Hasan | Conroy Haagensen | Bright Noa | Meran | Daryl McGuinness | Watts Stepney | Norm Basilicock | Sercel Mitukale | Jonah Gibney | Sydow Omoki | Utalde Husher | Bollard | Galom Gorga | Helm Converse | Homare | Nashiri Lazar | Ronan Marcenas | Ricardo Marcenas |