The Battle of Berlin is a conflict of the Second Alliance-PLANT War, featured in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.
Prelude[]
While war between both PLANT and the Earth Alliance restarted following the Junius Seven colony drop, it was noted that, unlike the previous war, the Atlantic Federation, under the secret control of the anti-Coordinator group, Logos, had mostly strong-armed its allies into aiding the war effort.[1] In particular, the Eurasian Federation, long-time rivals of influence with the Atlantic Federation in the Alliance, was far more moderate and would later allow some ZAFT forces to garrison within their territory.
In an attempt to punish their rivals for not joining their anti-Coordinator crusade, the Atlantic Federation began making preparations for the GFAS-X1 Destroy Gundam, which was to be piloted by Extended pilot, Stella Loussier.[2] On the way, however, the convoy was attacked by several ZAFT ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warriors, TMF/A-802 BuCUEs and three TMF/A-802W2 Kerberos BuCUE Hounds. The attack was intercepted by Phantom Pain's Hannibal-class, Bonaparte and the GAT-X1022 Blu Duel Gundam, GAT-X103AP Verde Buster Gundam, and GAT-X105E Strike Noir Gundam, which successfully fended off the attack at the cost of the Blu Duel and its pilot, Mudie Holcroft.[3]
In astonishing fashion, Stella finally awoke from her coma and sortied with the Destroy Gundam, the largest mobile suit to have ever been created in the Cosmic Era. With Neo Raonoke's GAT-04+AQM/E-A4E1 Jet Windam, and Sting Oakley's ZGMF-X24S Chaos Gundam as her support, Stella would leave a trail of destruction throughout east Eurasia, massacring civilians and the ZAFT forces attempting to evacuate and protect them.[2]
The Battle[]
Ultimately, the Destroy Gundam's journey came to a halt at Berlin, where the rogue ship, the Archangel and the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam attempted to stop the massacre. When the Freedom was simultaneously attacked by both Neo and Sting, the Archangel sent out three MVF-M11C Murasames to battle the Chaos while Cagalli Yula Athha's MBF-02 Strike Rouge was sent to protect civilians on the ground.[4] (In the original, Cagalli used the MBF-02+AQM/E-X01 Aile Strike Rouge, but the HD Remaster changed this to the MBF-02+EW454F Strike Rouge Ootori.)
Additionally, the LHM-BB01 Minerva, which had been repaired following the Battle of Crete, was ordered to stop the Destroy Gundam although its only remaining mobile suit after its recent battles was the ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam. By the time they arrived, all hell had broken loose, and the ship sent out the Impulse, and maintained an uneasy truce with the Archangel, which had previously attacked them at Crete. Though Shinn Asuka was sent out with the Impulse, who quickly slashed an opening to the Destroy's cockpit. Neo intercepted Shinn immediately and revealed that the pilot was none other than Stella, whom Shinn had returned to the Alliance to prevent her from dying. Over time, Kira was able to disable Neo's Jet Windam, shooting off its wings and forcing him to eject; Neo was subsequently taken prisoner by the Archangel. Additionally, Sting, having seen Neo's defeat, attempted to withdraw, but his Chaos Gundam was caught by the Murasame team and was forced to eject from his unit after the Chaos was cut in half by a Murasame's beam saber.[4]
The loss of both Neo and Sting caused Stella to suffer from mental breakdown, and she began firing more rapidly. Upon seeing Kira intensify the attack on the Destroy's exposed cockpit, Shinn immediately lashed out and chased the Freedom back before opening communications to try and calm Stella. Initially this worked as Stella finally began to calm down and was releasing control over her unit, but an explosion in her cockpit quickly snapped her out of her trance, and, after seeing the Freedom looming behind Shinn, she panicked and began charging up Destroy's head and chest cannons; ignoring Shinn's pleas to stand down.[4]
In a final attempt to stop the massive mobile suit, Kira intervened and thrusts both of the Freedom's beam sabers into the Destroy's "Super Scylla" 1580mm Multi-phase Energy Cannons", causing them to overheat and finally down the unit. Shinn instinctively reacted to this by dropping from his unit to retrieve Stella, but after pulling her out of the Destroy's cockpit, she passed away from her wounds.[4]
Aftermath[]
Following the battle, PLANT Supreme Council Chairman, Gilbert Durandal formally announced the existence of Logos, which had been responsible behind the scenes. Although he stealthily omitted scenes in Berlin that included the Archangel and its mobile suits to portray a purely ZAFT effort to stop the crisis, he nonetheless drew public support as civilian mobs, and even Earth Alliance members, joined his battle against the extremists.[5]
In the meantime, however, ZAFT deemed the Archangel and its crew as dangerous targets due to their constant meddling in recent affairs, especially after the Freedom was able to finish the Destroy Gundam. Despite the Archangel having never specifically targeted or come into conflict with ZAFT, the higher-ups felt that the ship may interfere with the upcoming plan to mop up Logos. A new operation, codenamed "Angel Down", was formed and carried out in the hopes of eliminating this possible threat before engaging Logos.[6]
The destruction of Berlin would also be a crippling blow to the Eurasian Federation since Operation Spitbreak, as they are unable to recover from the damage inflicted upon them. Additionally, the violence inflicted on the Coordinator population led to a rise of secession movements in Eurasia, with the Kingdom of Foundation being the most notable example.[7]
Gallery[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The battle is featured in Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn as the third stage of the Gundam SEED Destiny storyline. Initially, the player is given control of Shinn, who must fight his way to reach Kira, Neo and Stella at the city square. Additionally, he must also defeat Sting, who is leading reinforcements towards Stella. Unlike the anime, Shinn is the one who defeats Neo and Sting, but the player is given control of Kira once Neo is defeated and must be the one to defeat Stella.
- There is also an alternative battle from Stella's side but with Auel Neider and the ZGMF-X31S Abyss Gundam still present. Stella must first clear out the nearby forces, including Kira and Shinn, to open the way for her Sting and Auel's reinforcements, but Shinn will reappear afterwards and will defeat Neo, and the objective changes to defeating both Kira and Shinn for the second time instead.
- The battle appears in SD Gundam Battle Alliance, where the distortion in the universe ends up bringing in characters from the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn and Stella battling against Banagher Links instead. In the restored version, the player instead accompanies Kira as he makes his way to Berlin to stop the Destroy Gundam. Unlike the anime, Kira shows more attention towards Shinn and his skills as a pilot.
- The battle is featured in Super Robot Wars DD. When it seems that Kira and Shinn are able to calm down Stella and Kira tries to save her, Gauron of Full Metal Panic! secretly detonates an explosive within the Destroy, killing Stella and framing Kira for it.
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- PHASE-32, Stella
- FIrst Appearance; Conclusion
- PHASE-32, Stella
References[]
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-08, Junction
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-31, The Endless Night
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: STARGAZER Episode 2, STAGE 2
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-32, Stella
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-33, The World Revealed
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-34, Nightmare
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom
Cosmic Era Conflicts and Events | |
Pre C.E. - C.E. 9 | |
---|---|
Reconstruction War | |
C.E. 15 | |
Coordinator Revelation | Jupiter Exploration Mission | |
C.E. 30’s - C.E. 50 | |
Coordinator Boom | |
C.E. 50’s - C.E. 60’s | |
Assassination of George Glenn | Flaga Estate Burning | Blue Cosmos Attack on Mendel | |
C.E. 60’s - C.E. 69 | |
Mandelbrot Incident | Attack on the Junius Colonies | Mendel Accident | |
C.E. 70 | |
First Alliance-PLANT War Tragedy of Copernicus | Bloody Valentine Incident | Invasion of South America | Battle of Yggdrasil | First Battle of Victoria | Operation Uroboros | Battle of Carpentaria | Battle of Coral Sea | First Battle of Jachin Due | Grimaldi Front (Battle of Endymion Crater) | First Battle of Casablanca | Battle of El Alamein | Battle of Nova | First Nova Recapture Operation | October Talks | |
Unrelated Conflicts First Attack on the Graveyard | |
C.E. 71 | |
First Alliance-PLANT War Battle of Kaohsiung | Battle of Heliopolis | Skirmish near Artemis | Battle of Artemis | Second Nova Recapture Operation | Clash at Junius Seven | Skirmish in the Debris Belt | Battle near Junius Seven | Skirmish in the North African Desert | Skirmish towards Earth | Battle of Orbit | Second Battle of Victoria | Blue Cosmos Attack on PLANT | Desert Dawn Campaign (Attack on the Archangel | Attack on Tassil | Retaliation of the Desert Dawn | Blue Cosmos Attack in Banadiya | Battle of Talbadiya) | First Equatorial Skirmish | Second Equatorial Skirmish | Skirmish on an Uninhabited Island | Strait of Malacca Breakthrough | First Battle near Orb | Orb Infiltration Mission | Second Battle near Orb | Battle of the Marshall Islands | Theft of the Freedom Gundam | Operation Spitbreak | Shoot Out at White Symphony | Mission to Recapture the Freedom Gundam | Battle of Porta Panama | Battle of Orb | Assassination of Siegel Clyne | Third Battle of Victoria | Attack on a ZAFT Fleet | Theft of the Eternal | Battle of Mendel | Second Battle of Casablanca | Operation 8.8 (Ayers Rock Landing Operation) | Operation Elvis (Battle of Boaz | Second Battle of Jachin Due) | |
South American War for Independence Attack on South American Forces Base 12 | Duel at the South American Shore | Battle in the USSA Neutral Zone | Ambush in Low Orbit | |
Unrelated Conflicts Campaign on the ZAFT Supply Route (Attack on a ZAFT Supply Station | Battle at ZAFT Supply Station 4) | Skirmish at Heliopolis | Pirate Attack on the H.O.M.E. | Recapture of Artemis | Skirmish at Artemis | Second Attack on the Graveyard | Actaeon Hostage Incident | Skirmish at Liteiria | Barnacle Incident | First Attack by the Gundam Astray Gold Frame | First Attack on the Lesseps | Second Attack on the Lesseps | Confrontation in the Deep Sea | Infiltration of the Lesseps | First Battle of the Giga-Float | Second Battle of the Giga-Float | Battle of Ame-No-Mihashira | Battle of the Gundam Astrays | Third Attack on the Graveyard | Find Kira Yamato Operation | Skirmish at Mendel | Raid on the Dreadnaught Gundam’s Transport | Attack on the Serpent Tail Transport | First Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | Attack on Supply Station 15B | Escape from Artemis | Assault on Ptolemaeus Port Seven | Attack on the Ortygia | Attack on Ame-No-Mihashira | Battle at the Abandon Colony Zone | Battle at the Mobile Suit Auction | Clash at Mendel | Second Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | Assault on the Sahaku Force | Erudou Breakthrough | Third Attack on the Re.H.O.M.E. | First Battle of GENESIS Alpha | First Attack on GENESIS Alpha | |
C.E. 72 | |
First Alliance-PLANT War Nairobi Peace Conference (Attack on the Junius Treaty Ceremony) | |
South American War for Independence Battle for South America | |
Unrelated Conflicts Battle of the Blue Cosmos Asteroid Factory | |
C.E. 73 | |
Second Alliance-PLANT War Attack on Armory One | Battle of the Debris Belt | "Break The World" Incident | Battle of Aprilius One | Operation Spear of Twilight | Ambush of the Minerva | Assassination Attempt of Lacus Clyne | Kidnapping of Orb's Chief Representative | Battle of the Indian Ocean | Attack on Lohengrin Gate | Battle of Gulnahan | Battle in Lunar Orbit | Battle of Dardanelles | Skirmish at Lodonia Lab | Lacus Clyne Shuttle Hijacking | Battle of Crete | |
Unrelated Conflicts Second Attack on GENESIS Alpha | Third Attack on GENESIS Alpha | Second Battle of Genesis Alpha | Attack on Ed the Ripper’s Shuttle |Attack in Fortaleza | Attack on Kirgitz | Declaration of the Sky | Attack on The Clan Space Station | Assault on the Coordinator Refugee Camp | |
C.E. 74 | |
Second Alliance-PLANT War Minerva Breakout | Attack on the Bonaparte | Destroy Crisis (First Attack on Eurasia | Second Attack on Eurasia | Third Attack on Eurasia | Battle of Berlin) | Campaign Against Logos | Operation Angel Down | Desertion of Athrun Zala and Meyrin Hawke | Operation Ragnarök | Eternal Chase | Operation Fury | Battle of Requiem Station Gounod | Battle of Daedalus | Assassination Attempt in Copernicus City | Proclamation of the Destiny Plan | Attack on Requiem Station One | Battle of Messiah | |
Unrelated Conflicts Attack on Toroya Station | Foundation Shock | Freedom Hijacking Incident | |
C.E. 75 | |
Blue Cosmos Campaign Battle of Aldrin City | |
Foundation Conflict Eldore Incident | Moscow Tragedy | PLANT Coup d'état | Millennium Hijacking | Lacus Clyne Rescue Operation | Battle of Requiem |