Char Aznable (シャア・アズナブル Shaa Azunaburu?), born Casval Rem Deikun (キャスバル・レム・ダイクン Kyasubaru Remu Daikun?), is one of the main characters from the Universal Century. He was introduced as one of the antagonists of Mobile Suit Gundam and later becomes one of the protagonists of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam before finally returning as the main antagonist of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.
Throughout his life, he was also known by the aliases Édouard Mass (エドワゥ・マス Edowa~u Masu?) and Quattro Bajeena (クワトロ・バジーナ Kuwatoro Bajīna?). In addition, he is given the nom de guerre of "The Red Comet (赤い彗星 Akai Suisei?)", for his performance at the Battle of Loum during the One Year War.
Personality & Character[]
He is a charismatic young man who is highly respected, and his subordinates, both younger and older, follow him faithfully. On the other hand, he also has a cold-hearted side that is willing to kill even his friends in order to achieve his goals. Despite his outstanding abilities as a leader and a soldier, he is mentally fragile. As the son of Zeon Zum Deikun, a great saint who was revered by the world, he is a complex character who is burdened with the pain of being expected to succeed his father, and the lonely anguish of not being able to receive sufficient affection as a boy because of the political struggle that the Zabi family had waged against him since he was a child.
Skills & Abilities[]
He is as an extremely competent soldier, and his days at the Zeon Space Defense Military Academy helped him hone his combat skills as a foot soldier, such as using firearms, detonating explosives, and fencing. His bold leadership which he is well known for also developed at the military academy. As a mobile suit pilot, he is also excellent and highly skilled, and in MS battles, he is good at high-speed maneuvering. Albeit being an excellent pilot, Char's abilities are far less than those of Lalah Sune and Amuro Ray, and only developed as a result of long-term training. Char is also a cunning strategist and tactician, managing to outsmart many of his enemies, even when he is not piloting a mobile suit. Char, like his father, seems to be a natural-born orator, as his passionate speech denouncing the Titans in Dakar pulled the Earth Federation's support towards the AEUG.
History[]
Background[]
Born on November 17, U.C. 0059[citation needed], as Casval Rem Deikun, son of Tor Deikun and Zeon Zum Deikun, founder of the Republic of Zeon. Sayla Mass (real name: Artesia Som Deikun) is his biological sister. After the death of Zeon Zum Deikun in 0069, he fled to Earth due to persecution by the Zabi family. At this time, under the patronage of Jimba Ral, who was a good friend of his father Zeon, he was adopted by the Mass family in southern Europe and took the name "Édouard Mass." Although his father Zeon is shown to have died of illness on record, he sees it as an assassination by Degwin Sodo Zabi and others (Jimba Ral) believe that his father's attempt to name Degwin as an assassin was disguised as naming his successor and he vows revenge on the Zabi family.
Side 3 Infiltration Period[]
Admission to Zeon Military Academy[]
In the year 0074, he infiltrated under the name "Char Aznable" and entered Zeon Military Academy. During his time at the academy, he met and befriended Garma Zabi. He received excellent grades and was on track to graduate at the top of his class, but he disobeyed his superiors during an exercise just before graduation and lost his evaluation, giving Garma the top spot and graduating second in his class. In 0078, upon graduation, he enlisted in the Teaching Mobile Battalion under Kycilia Zabi.
Joining the Space Assault Force[]
Later, when the Zeon Defense Forces was divided into two units, the Space Assault Force under the banner of Dozle Zabi and the Assault Mobile Force under the banner of Kycilia Zabi, he joined the Space Assault Force. In the Principality of Zeon, he always wears a mask to hide his true identity. He explains that he has burn scars on his face and does not want to expose them to the public.
One Year War[]
The Red Comet[]
In January, U.C. 0079, the "One Year War" with the Earth Federation Government broke out. He is active as the commander of the 4th Platoon of the 6th Mobile Battalion of the Space Strike Force. He painted his beloved Zaku II (Type C or Type S) red, his personal color, and single-handedly sank five battleships during the Battle of Loum, earning him the nickname "Red Comet," and his name became known and feared by even the most junior members of the Federation Forces.
Encounter in Side 7[]
In September of the same year, on his way back from a mission to clear out guerrilla forces of the Federation Forces, he discovers a new type of ship (the White Base). By tracking it, he obtains information that the Federation Forces are secretly developing mobile suits in Side 7 (Operation V is underway). When his subordinates sent out on a reconnaissance mission are destroyed by the RX-78-2 Gundam, including their Zaku (the first ever battle between armed mobile suits), he sneaks into the colony himself and is reunited with his sister, Artesia (Sayla), who had evacuated to the White Base to serve in the army, and then has his first confrontation with his lifelong rival, Amuro Ray.[2] Although Char overwhelms Amuro, who is unfamiliar with combat, from start to finish, he is unable to overcome the Gundam's strong armor that can bounce back the fire of a 120mm machine gun and its beam rifle.
Later, he is ordered to capture or destroy the White Base and the Gundam, and pursues the White Base as it escapes from Side 7. He launches numerous attacks, including infiltrating the Federation Forces' space fortress Luna II, where the White Base has escaped, and sabotaging it, but he fails. He loses many of his men and Zaku units. However, during a surprise attack aimed at the White Base's entry into the atmosphere, he succeeds in bringing it down under Zeon controlled territory despite the destruction of his squad mates.
Descent to Earth[]
After descending to Earth, he joins up with Garma Zabi, his classmate at the military academy and commander of the Earth Attack Forces. At first, he cooperates with Garma and fights together to destroy the White Base, but when he finds the White Base hiding and waiting for Garma's Gaw to pass by, and considering that Garma is anxious to have his marriage to Icelina Eschonbach approved, he thinks this is a unique opportunity for revenge and conspires to kill Garma, the first step toward revenge against the Zabi family. Garma's death incurred the anger of Dozle, who loved him dearly, and he was dismissed from the Space Strike Force and reassigned because of his responsibility for failing to protect Garma. At this time, an envoy from Kycilia had already contacted him. During this time, Char develops a relationship with the Newtype Lalah Sune, a girl he saved from an Indian brothel. Char loved Lalah because of the maternal feelings he found in her, and he tried to sharpen his own senses by having her, a superior Newtype, by his side (it is unclear to what extent Char loved Lalah, since he told her that he loved her only for her abilities, and Lalah knew this).
Battle of Jaburo[]
In November of the same year, he was recruited by Kycilia Zabi and incorporated into the Assault Cavalry. Just prior to Operation Odessa, he was a lieutenant colonel. Later, with his promotion to colonel, he assumed command of the Mad Angler Corps. After battles with White Base units in Belfast and over the Atlantic Ocean (Char himself did not directly participate in the attacks), he tracked them down and discovered the entrance to Jaburo, where the Federation Forces headquarters were located. Based on this information, the Zeon forces launch a general attack on Jaburo, but it ends in failure due to counterattacks by the Federation Forces and White Base units. Char himself infiltrates Jaburo with several MSM-04 Acguy units carrying infiltration units (Char himself boards his red personal color Z'Gok). He meets Sayla for the second time by chance during a subversive operation, and tells her to get off the White Base before parting ways with her. After this, he engages the federal garrison and overpowers them, but his arm is destroyed in a battle with Amuro's Gundam, and he retreats when his balancer malfunctions. He leaves Jaburo, amazed at the growth of the Gundam's pilot.
Return to Space[]
Continuing his hunt for the White Base, Char boarded a Zanzibar-class mobile cruiser and tracked the White Base into orbit. He attempted to intercept the White Base with the Camel Fleet led by his former subordinate Dren, but the Camel Fleet was wiped out before Char arrived on the scene. He eventually followed the ship into the neutral territory of Side 6. Inside the colony, he by chance encounters Amuro Ray in person for the first time. Amuro's car had become stuck in a ditch on the side of the road, and Char and Lalah offered to help him out. Although Char and Amuro were both aware of each other's identities, neither spoke openly about it. While Amuro was frightened by the encounter, Char did not attempt to harm Amuro in any way and allowed him to return to the White Base.
After the Battle of Solomon Char ventured from Side 6 to Side 5's Texas colony, where Colonel M'Quve had set a trap for the Gundam. Once inside Texas, Char was given a MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type, which would finally allow him to fight on even grounds with the Gundam. However, when the battle came, Char found himself outclassed by Amuro, whose skills and Newtype abilities had now come to surpass his own. After the death of M'Quve and taking severe damage himself, Char was forced to flee the battle with his life.
While leaving Texas Colony, Char notices Sayla driving a jeep while looking for Amuro. He then jumps into the jeep as it passes by and forces her to stop at gunpoint. Finally having a chance to talk, he tells her his reasoning for joining the Zeon military: that he has done so in order to infiltrate the Zabi family and seek revenge for the death of his father. Char then tells Sayla that she needs to leave the White Base because he does not want her to get hurt, and that war "doesn't suit her." As Char leaves the colony, he gives her a case filled with gold and tells her to live a peaceful life on Earth. Late in the war, as the Earth Federation fleets begin their advance on the Zeon homeland of Side 3, Char assists Lalah on numerous sorties against the Federation. During one battle, Lalah engages the Gundam with her MAN-08 Elmeth mobile armor. As the battle progresses, Char gets sent in to back her up. He then proceeds to fight the Gundam and nearly destroys Amuro's wingman piloting a G-Fighter (Core Booster in the compilation). However, as he goes to strike down the fighter, he was halted by Lalah and gazes into the cockpit and notices that Sayla is the pilot. Realizing he is about to kill his own sister; he quickly maneuvers out of the way only to have his mobile suit disarmed (in more ways than one) by the Gundam as a result.
As Amuro pulls out his Beam Saber, he flies towards Char in order to deal the final blow. However, not wanting to see him killed, Lalah rams into Char with her Elmeth, knocking him out of the way. Although this saves him, the beam saber hits Lalah's mobile armor instead of Char, killing her instantly. Returning to the Zeon fleet, Char yells and cries over the death of his lover. Now having a deep hatred for Amuro, he vows to get revenge in the next battle.
Decisive Battle with Amuro[]
Before the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Char would receive the prototype MSN-02 Zeong. Char and Amuro's bitter rivalry comes its peak in the final phase of the war. They engage in an inconclusive mobile suit battle and then a sword duel after both lose their machines. In the duel, Char manages to stab Amuro in the arm, while Amuro attempts to stab Char. Char's helmet protects him from the blow, leaving him with a facial scar. Sayla runs into the room and urges both men to stop. Char realizes he's been distracted by his rivalry with Amuro and refocuses on his true enemy - his vendetta on the Zabi family - and actually asks Amuro to join him.
An ensuing explosion knocks them apart, but Char does rush off to save his sister. After being told by a dying Zeon soldier that Kycilia Zabi, the last surviving Zabi, is escaping, Char tells Sayla to "be a nice woman" and go back to Amuro and takes off with a bazooka in his hands. He finds Kycilia's departing ship and salutes them ("Garma, I'm sending your sister to join you. Consider this my farewell gift.") before firing. This one final act of revenge results in the annihilation of the ship's bridge that gruesomely decapitates Kycilia in the process. He then disappears amidst the explosion.
Aftermath[]
At the end of the One Year War, Char went into Axis on board a Gwazine-class battleship after Zeon lost the war, his goal of revenge achieved by a combination of his own actions, those of his rival Amuro, and infighting among the Zabis themselves. In Axis, Char is asked to lead the remaining Zeon soldiers, not knowing of what he did to the Zabis. Instead, he defers the leadership to Haman Karn, making her Regent of Mineva Lao Zabi in the process.
In his time there, Char heroically protects Axis in two major battles against the Earth Federation. He stays there until the end of U.C. 0082, when he gets back to Side 3 for a special mission to protect Haman Karn's inspection journey of Side 3. When they arrive at Zum City in U.C. 0083, he gets an invitation by Giorgio Miguel to join a paramilitary spacenoid organization within the Earth Federation Forces.
However, upon hearing of Maharaja Karn's fatal illness in late May, U.C. 0083, Char and Haman both decide to return to Axis. Once they do, they're intercepted by the pro-war Axis faction that wishes to restart the conflict with the Earth Federation, led by one Colonel Enzo Bernini. A civil war breaks out, with Char and Haman eventually overcoming Enzo's forces. Unfortunately, Maharaja dies just shortly before the battle ends, and Haman now finds herself in charge of both Axis and Mineva. Shortly after the battle, the unexpected murder of Haman's formal tutor, Natalie Bianchi, (A murder which Haman Karn did not cause, but inadvertently allowed upon learning that Natalie was pregnant) who also engaged in a affair with Char, causes Char to sink into a deep depression. After mourning over the loss of Natalie and his unborn child for roughly 2 months, he finally loses the motivation to remain on Axis. Tension between Char and Haman over Axis' role and the Zeon remnant's future lead Char to finally leave the asteroid permanently with over 600 other soldiers on October 29, U.C. 0083.
Having left Axis, Char returns to the Earth Sphere in September, U.C. 0084 and infiltrates the Earth Federation Forces ranking with the alias "Quattro Bajeena." Almost immediately, he finds himself involved in conflicts against the Earth Federation's newly formed Titan Task Force, fighting and shooting down 2 enemy battleships within hours of acquiring his new identity. After meeting the Federation politician Blex Forer, Char joins a group of former Earth Federation Force's soldiers and eventually became a founding member of the Anti-Earth Union Group.
Gryps War[]
Encounter with Kamille[]
In March, U.C. 0087, he leads Apolly Bay and Roberto to infiltrate Side 7 Green Noa 1 and attempts to seize the Titans' new mobile suit RX-178 Gundam Mk-II. With the cooperation of Kamille Bidan, a civilian from Green Noa 1, he succeeds in capturing it. This incident triggers a full-scale armed conflict between the AEUG and the Titans. Later, at Side 1, Banchi 30, he lectures Emma Sheen, who surrendered to the AEUG in the Argama because she was suspicious of the Titans' methods, about the Titans' brutality. In the lunar city of Amman, he is informed by one of his subordinates that Axis is heading toward the Earth's sphere.
Reunion with Amuro[]
In May of the same year, Char was reunited with his old rival, Amuro Ray, on Earth for the first time in seven years. However, although Char had the impression that Amuro was lucky, he did not have the impression that he was outstanding. And then, Char learned the weight of the meaning of "ordinary."
Operation Failures[]
In May of the same year, the AEUG descended to Earth to participate in an attack on the Federation headquarters at Jaburo, but the mission failed because the Federation headquarters had already moved, and the objective could not be achieved. After the operation, they joined forces with a support organization, Karaba, and attempted to leave the Earth. In August of the same year, he moves to stop the Titans' Operation Apollo, but the operation fails. After that, he attends a congress with Blex Forer, the AEUG's leader, but is disappointed to see the corruption in the government. Furthermore, Blex was assassinated by the Titans, and Blex, on his deathbed, entrusted Ego to him as "Char Aznable."
Contact with Axis[]
In October of the same year, he went to the Gwadan as a member of a delegation to form an alliance with Axis Zeon after their return to the Earth sphere, but Haman's distorted education and Mineva's transformation into a puppet monarch infuriated him, and the negotiations broke down as a feud surfaced. In November of the same year, he was scheduled to support Karaba's attack on Kilimanjaro Base from satellite orbit, but was ambushed by Hambrabi forces led by Yazan Gable, and was forced to descend to Earth. After the descent, he joined up with the Karaba attack force led by the Audhumla, and took command of the invasion. After conquering Kilimanjaro, he occupied the Congress of the Federation in Dakar with the cooperation of Karaba and the Luio & Co. to win over public opinion, and delivered a televised speech to the entire world. At this time, Char revealed that he had joined the AEUG as Captain Quattro, and by giving the speech as the heir to Zeon's legacy, he gave tremendous persuasiveness to his own statements and actions, denounced the atrocities of the Titans, and appealed for the legitimacy of the AEUG.
Battle of Gryps[]
In February of U.C. 0088, a three-way battle between the AEUG, the Titans, and Axis Zeon. In the final phase, within Gryps 2 (colony laser), Haman's Qubeley and Paptimus Scirocco's The=O engage in a fierce battle, defending Gryps 2 and destroying the Titans' fleet. However, during a subsequent battle with Haman, his machine, the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki, was badly damaged and caught in an explosion of a battleship, and he was lost. After this, "Zeta Gundam" ends with a shot of the Hyaku Shiki floating with its cockpit hatch open. In the game Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the situation immediately after the three-way battle is visualized, and he senses Kamille's mental breakdown by getting out of the wrecked Hyaku Shiki.
First Neo Zeon War[]
In U.C. 0089, when Axis Zeon began to fight again against the AEUG and the Earth Federation, Char went into hiding in the underground. Although he did not take any overt action, he was working with the real Mineva, whom he protected from Axis Zeon, and entrusted Suberoa Zinnerman, who was also working with him, with Mineva's protection. In Dakar during the Neo Zeon occupation, he protected Judau Ashta's sister, Leina Ashta, and later sent her to Bright via Sayla, and often acted in the shadows. After Haman's defeat, he began building up his forces in Sweetwater to rebuild Neo Zeon, annexing the remaining forces of the former Neo Zeon and exterminating those who opposed him.
Second Neo Zeon War[]
Earth Purge[]
In December, U.C. 0092, he reappears as Char Aznable (also known as Char Deikun in the novels), the leader of the Newborn Neo Zeon, and decides to purge the people of Earth, who have experienced many wars but continue to oppress the spacenoids in the same old manner. Taking advantage of his fame as the "Red Comet," the ace of the old Zeon Dynasty and the orphaned son of Zeon Zum Deikun, he enlists the remnants of the old Neo Zeon army, Nanai Miguel, Gyunei Guss, and other talented officers, and maintains a small but elite force. He then declares the occupation of Sweetwater in the Earth Sphere with his own naval vessels against the Federation government, which has been out of the war for some time. At the end of February, in the end of U.C. 0093, he effectively declares war on the Federation government in a television interview.
Axis Drop[]
In March of the same year, he left Sweetwater with his fleet. Although he encountered resistance from Londo Bell, an emerging unit of the Federation Forces to which Amuro Ray and Bright Noa belonged, he himself launched a sortie in the mobile suit Sotheby's and succeeded in dropping the Fifth Luna asteroid on Lhasa, Tibet, the location of the Federation Forces' headquarters.
After that, he negotiates a fake peace deal with Adenauer Paraya, a high-ranking officer of the Federation Forces, at Londenion on Side 1, whereby he receives the Axis asteroid on condition that he is disarmed, and immediately raids Luna II and captures the nuclear weapons that had been deployed there. He then decides to drop Axis on Earth in order to bring a nuclear winter to the planet. In order to protect Axis, he engages in a desperate battle with Londo Bell, even forcing Quess Paraya, who adores him, to fight.
Final Battle with Amuro[]
On March 12, U.C. 0093, he fights Amuro, who is piloting the RX-93 ν Gundam, in the Sazabi to settle the score for the last time, but is defeated. At that time, he is caught in an escape pod and disappears into the light of the Psycho-Frame, along with Amuro, who holds Axis from falling. Axis then changes course, and the mission ends in failure. The whereabouts of the two men after that are said to be completely unknown.
Aftermath[]
Note: The reading event, "Portrait in Red: Char and to Frontal," which included footage from "Mobile Suit Gundam," "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam," and "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack," looked back on Char's life up to the present and depicted Char's disappearance during "Axis Shock" and the process of his thoughts coming to haunt Full Frontal.
Together with Amuro, Char was surrounded by the light of the Psycho-Frame that pushed Axis out of the way, and he felt that this light was so warm and gentle that he remembered the warmth of Lalah and the other women. In the light, Char became angry and cried like a child, and understood that the light of the Psycho-Frame was the consensus of all people emanating from the Earth, which was activated through the medium of the Psycho-Frame. He understood that even his own anger and despair were part of this light, and he reflected to himself that he had been too busy with miscellaneous things, that he too had been a fool. As Amuro's voice fades away and he hears the voice of a baby somewhere in the distance, Char says goodbye to his sister Sayla and leaves for a world where he can see the time. Becoming a part of the whole, Char found himself in the abyss of space. It was dark, cold, and bottomless, and the Earth was so far away that it was impossible to distinguish it from the light of the stars. Even the rainbow-colored light of the Psycho-Frame that had enveloped him earlier could not reach him here, and even if it had, he understood that it was meaningless because there was no life that could recognize the light as light. The imaginable area was closed off by darkness, and no civilization, or even a life form standing at its doorway, could be recognized. Char determined that, on the scale of the universe, it takes only a moment for a civilization to be born and then collapse, and therefore, humanity is a meaningless existence that marks a momentary glow in this universe and returns to nothingness. He thought that if he became a Newtype, he would be able to control even time with that warm light, but that was a dream, and even if he saw that rainbow that enveloped the Earth, mankind has not changed and will not change. Humanity is so far from the truth that it has not even acquired the means to transcend light, and it grows and perishes in the space within its reach.
Laplace Incident[]
In U.C. 0096, Char himself and Amuro Ray are still missing since Char's rebellion three years earlier, but Monaghan Bakharov, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Zeon, who plans to prevent the dissolution of the Republic of Zeon and build a "Side Co-prosperity Sphere," prepares Full Frontal, a human enhanced in Char's likeness, to play the role of the second coming of the "Red Comet." He then brings together the remnants of Zeon, which had ceased to be active on a large scale after Char's disappearance, and creates the so-called "Sleeves."
Relationships[]
Earth Federation/Anti-Earth Union Group[]
Amuro Ray[]
Char's archrival since their fateful encounter during the One Year War. Char and Amuro had their first encounter during the latter's escape from Side 7 with the crew of the White Base, though they did not see each other's face as they were piloting their mobile suits at the time. From that battle onward, Char would repeatedly challenge Amuro whenever they encountered one another on the battlefield, as Char wanted to defeat the Gundam in battle. He would meet Amuro face to face for the first time at Side 6, and while it is implied Char knew who Amuro was, he let him go, wanting only to best the young man in the battlefield. Thus, their rivalry was one of pride: both wanting to outdo the other. However, that would change after Amuro mistakenly kills Lalah, the object of both men's affection. From there, Char held a deep loathing of Amuro, and fought to kill him in the final battle at A Baoa Qu, though he stopped as he still had another matter to attend to.
During the Gryps War, Char and Amuro reunite after seven years, this time both on the same side. Char seemingly has let go of his hatred for Amuro, as he no longer displays any ill-will towards Amuro. The two were even able to hold a conversation and Char did not even react badly to Amuro's joke of the Zeon Family being made to be sacrifices, laughing instead. Both of them also compare how similar Kamille Bidan's relationship with Four Murasame was with their past relationship with Lalah, and they express their common desire that Kamille should not go through the same trauma they had. Though Kamille's rival Jerid Messa ended up killing Four, both of them get their wish since Kamille doesn't believe in holding grudges.
In the Second Neo Zeon War, Char reveals his true intentions towards Amuro: while he no longer hated him, Char still never forgave Amuro for what he did to Lalah. Char however wanted their final battle to be on even grounds and as such had the psycho-frame technology leaked to Londo Bell/Amuro, in order to have a fair fight. In all, Char's relationship to Amuro is one of eternal rivals, while capable of working together, they will always be against one another.
Sayla Mass[]
Sayla Mass, or more accurately Artesia Som Deikun, is the sister of Char Aznable. Unlike her brother who went adrift and changed his alias several times, Sayla retained hers, and became a member of the Earth Federation. Char was shocked when he learned of this, as she was to learn that he was the Red Comet. Char cares deeply about Sayla as a sister and tries at several points throughout the One Year War to convince Sayla to leave the Earth Federation military, to no success. Late in the conflict he even goes so far as to give her a case of gold bars telling her to use it to secure her future in civilian life, however despite even this dramatic display of concern she does not acquiesce, instead she chooses to inform Bright Noa of their relationship as siblings.
As Sayla is not placed directly in latter conflicts, Char did not have the same interactions with his sister. During the Gryps Wars, Sayla is shown to have been listening to his speech in Dakar as he gave it live, thus implying that she still showed a concern and strong enough interest in the actions of her brother and that she likely knew of his plan to seize the assembly in advance.
Kamille Bidan[]
When Char first senses Kamille's presence, he thought that it may have been Amuro or Lalah. This is likely because of his underexposure to other Newtypes, something which had changed by the end of the Gryps War. Char acts as a mentor to the young Kamille Bidan and Kamille does not doubt for a second that Quattro is Char Aznable once he gets a clear enough indication.
Char placed much faith in the young Kamille, he helped him mature and evolve, offering sage advice that Kamille often ignored, but eventually began to consider. Likewise, Char evolved by some invective and disapproving remarks made about him and his past. The two grew to strongly respect each other as comrades and pilots, though Char became aware that Kamille had evolved well beyond him as a Newtype.
Lalah Sune[]
Lalah Sune was a Newtype from the Flanagan Institute that Char took an interest in and chose to train on the battlefield. He takes some effort to stay together with her and have her watch over his battles from a distance until eventually he deploys to support her when she is in her Elmeth. As time passes the two develop feelings for one another, despite the fact that Lalah and Amuro have a stronger connection as Newtypes than she and Char, this being likely both because of the nature of their Newtype resonance and the fact that Amuro is in fact a stronger Newtype than Char.
When Lalah dies protecting Char from Amuro's beam saber, he is filled with grief and his obsession to defeat the Gundam also becomes a quest for revenge, despite that it was her and not Amuro's action that resulted in her death. Following her death, both Amuro and Char remain focused on her memory and the remnants of her consciousness that still remain in space. Whereas Amuro is afraid to go into space for many years for fear of encountering her ghost, Char chooses to remain there. While he can sense her presence up until he encountered Kamille he always believed that any Newtype presence he felt in space to be either hers or Amuro's. In the end, he was not haunted by her ghost, nor was he able to sense more than a glimmer of her presence in his time in space.
Principality of Zeon[]
Zeon Zum Deikun[]
Zeon Zum Deikun was the father of Casval Rem Deikun. He had a deep respect for his father, and it is clear that he could never forgive the Zabi family for his loss. Char is also shown to strongly believe in the philosophies of his father.
The Zabi Family[]
Char's feelings towards the Zabi Family is one of deep hatred. As he holds them responsible for the death of his beloved father, and also tried to kill both him and his sister, Char had always sought vengeance against them. He aligned himself with Zabi's and gained their trust for that sole purpose, and did not have any qualms about killing them. In Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Char even goes as far as calling the Zabi's a great evil, with selfish ambitions; however, there are two accounts were Char has shown some kindness or even liking towards the Zabi's. The first was with his longtime friend Garma Zabi; even though Char led him to his death, Char did apologize to Garma in his final moments, noting that Garma had been a good friend and commenting on the misfortune of Garma's birth, implying Char would not have killed him had Garma not been a Zabi. Also, when Char killed Kycilia Zabi, he said it would be a last present to Garma, reuniting him with his sister.
The other, more significant case is Char's relationship with Mineva Lao Zabi, the only daughter of Dozle Zabi and last member of the Zabi family. Despite her being the last Zabi as well as the daughter of Dozle, thereby embodying the pain the Zabi's caused Char, he has little to absolutely no ill-will towards her, even playing with the young child. In fact, it is believed that Char was the one who freed Mineva from Haman Karn's grip at the end of the Gryps War, which demonstrates he cares for her well-being.
Haman Karn[]
When Haman was young, and first discovering her new type powers in the midst of war, she latched on to Char for support and comfort. She looked up to him, and admired him, which is why she may have fallen in love with him so easily. Char did not make any attempt to push her away, even when she showed up in his room one night, crying and clothed in little more than bath robes. However, it should be made clear that he never developed the same level of feelings for her. The relationship was always a one-sided one, nor did they ever actually date. Char respected Haman and felt her future was important for the remnants of Zeon and Axis, and that he should be her guardian, even risking his life for her, but he felt little more than that.
Eventually Char grew to distrust Haman, after seeing how her growing power began to change her, and after experiencing a personal tragedy on Axis, but Haman never forgot the feelings for him buried deep in her heart. In Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and Double Zeta, this shows when she tried repeatedly to bring him back to Zeon, and to her. But by this time, her feeling for him have been twisted by rage, and he continues to harbor little more than distrust for her.
Natalie Bianchi[]
Char met Natalie on Axis in U.C. 0081 on the Axis base. Natalie was a lieutenant and a top computer technician on Axis. At first, Char did not seem to have much affection nor showed it towards Natalie. Natalie had always liked Char, but she also reserved most of her feelings for him. But as their relationship progressed, Char began getting closer to her and developing feelings for her and Natalie also began developing deep feelings for Char and expressing more outwardly her love for Char, partly because Enzo Bernini assigned her a mission to seduce Char to try and persuade him to fight against the Federation. Although Char later on saw right through the mission Enzo had assigned her, he did not feel any anger and rather felt even more in love with Natalie. Char really cared for Natalie and said to Natalie, she gave him peace of mind and that he needed her by his side. She became pregnant with Char's child.
Natalie dies before she could give birth, however, allowed to be killed by Haman Karn. Natalie's death was the main reason why Char left Axis for the AEUG.
Nanai Miguel[]
Char originally met Nanai on an expedition to the Republic of Zeon for Axis in U.C. 0083. She was an assistant at the Newtype labs where Lalah Sune had undergone many tests and performed some of those same tests on a young Haman Karn to test her potential. Nanai was only 16 at the time and clearly showed a great respect for Char and his veteran status.
Eventually, a decade later, Char and Nanai again met sometime during or after the first Neo Zeon conflict. The exact details of how and why they came to date is not known, but Char accepted Nanai as his formal love interest, despite still being unable to move on from his former love of Lalah Sune. Nanai passionately loved and admired Char with all her heart, while Char would only partially return this affection. He cared for her on at least some level, but he was more focused on his objective of avenging Lalah and hurting Amuro than anything else at this time in his life.
Char's Archetype (Char Clones)[]
Char Aznable is also responsible for becoming a specific defined archetype for the Gundam series. Beyond simply a role, those that followed the Char Archetype oftentimes wore a mask and often shared similar goals, hence spawning a series of what are commonly referred to as "Char Clones." This phrase is made ambiguous however by the fact that at least two literal clones of Char existed: Full Frontal and Afranche Char. "Char Clones" characters based off similar characteristics to Char, in Gundam. That character usually serves the same purpose as Char in the story, as the primary rival of either the main protagonist or a significant supporting character, sometimes also having blond hair and blue eyes, usually shrouded in mystery and wears a mask or sunglasses, pilots red mobile suits and sometimes has an extremist plan in mind (For example some of these "Char Clones" tried to force the people on Earth to migrate into space just like Char had tried to do). It is also a common theme for the "Char Clone" to be related to the female lead in some way. Sometimes the "clone" is the father, brother, former lover, etc. of the female lead. A Char Clone is often an ace pilot.
The term Char Clone is often used disparagingly, as if suggesting that the creative staff of the series lacked the creativity to come up with an original character and simply resorted to copying Char. It should be noted however that such characters usually end up moving away from their original base over the course of the respective series, developing into their own unique persona and roles, such that they can be easily separated and distinguished from Char and his fellow clones.
Glemy Toto[]
Glemy Toto from Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. Glemy bears a strong physical resemblance to Char, including the same hair and eye color. A great deal of Glemy's actions in ZZ also mirrors Char's actions throughout the series: he pilots a red mobile suit (the Bawoo), he forms and leads his own Neo Zeon, and he also uses a young newtype girl for his own gain (Glemy used Elpeo Ple and Ple Two while Char used Quess Paraya). Glemy even had a self-proclaimed rivalry with protagonist Judau Ashta over both of their romantic interest in Roux Louka, though it was very short-lived and comical.
Afranche Char[]
An actual DNA clone from Char Aznable appeared in the story Gaia Gear (an original novel by Yoshiyuki Tomino), named Afranche Char.
Carozzo Ronah[]
Carozzo Ronah, the main antagonist from Gundam F91. Besides holding similarities to Char, Carozzo also has noticeably several traits based on Darth Vader of Star Wars fame, (who also inspired Char to a certain degree) such as (and not limited to) cybernetic enhancements which includes mechanically reinforced strength, a full mask that covers the entirety of his head along with a deep, mechanical voice, excessive height and build, and holding a subservient role to the resident "Emperor" of the Cosmo Babylonia, Meitzer Ronah. And similar to Vader being the father of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Carozzo is also known to have had two children (also a son and a daughter), Dorel and Berah.
[]
Anavel Gato from Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. Gato earns his ace pilot status after being dubbed the "Nightmare of Solomon" for single-handedly holding off an entire Federation Fleet during the Battle of Solomon, similar to how Char became the "Red Comet" at the Battle of Loum. He also acts as the main rival to Kou Uraki, and they both share the same love interest, Nina Purpleton, similar to Char's and Amuro's interest to Lalah Sune. Gato also participated in Operation Stardust, feeling that the ideals of Zeon needed to be revived in order to remove the corruption of the Earth Federation, similar to how Char felt Earth-born humans were being corrupted in Char's Counterattack.
Chronicle Asher[]
Chronicle Asher, lead antagonist of Victory Gundam. Though he definitely functions as the resident Char of the series, Chronicle noticeably has variations of the usual traits: he has red hair instead of blond, his mask is made of fabric instead of metal (similar to Kycilia Zabi's veil). He also pilots red mobile suits off and on, but does not seem to prefer red as his personal color, and like Char he has a familial connection to the main antagonist government, in this case being the younger brother of the Zanscare Empire's Queen Maria Pia Armonia (and uncle to her daughter Shakti Kareen).
Schwarz Bruder and Ulube Ishikawa[]
Schwarz Bruder and Ulube Ishikawa from G Gundam. Schwarz was a staple masked character whose identity was hidden from the protagonist through most of the series. Schwarz also acted as a mentor to the protagonist, which could be a homage to Char's mentoring as Quattro Bajeena. In the case of Ulube, he could be considered the ultimate villain of the show and also donned a faceplate to hide a scar.
Master Asia[]
Master Asia from G Gundam, may be considered a Char clone, since he shared the same view as Char (from Char's Counterattack) that humans were polluting the Earth, and also took extreme measures to solve the problem. He was also a mentor and somewhat of a rival to the main protagonist, like Char was in Zeta and Mobile Suit Gundam respectively. Like Char, Master Asia also had four known aliases: Master Asia (his given name), The Undefeated of the East (epithet), The King of Hearts (before passing the title to Domon), and Shuji Kurosu (his alias from G Gundam: The 7th Fight).
Zechs Merquise[]
Zechs Merquise, the 'Lightning Count' from Gundam Wing whose mobile suit Tallgeese is once described as "three times faster than an Aries." His life and role in the course of the series is essentially meant to be a retelling of Char's life, including a desire to retaliate for the death of his father and having a sister as the series' female lead, Relena Peacecraft. Zechs also mimicked Char's actions in attempting to create a nuclear winter via a colony drop in the name of fighting for the spacenoids. However, these extreme actions were not truly for the spacenoids, but like Char were still motivated by a philosophy: 'Total Pacifism', in an attempt to show how truly pointless fighting was in order for humanity to better accept the ideal. Over the course of the series, Zechs places more emphasis on being a pure warrior than a mere soldier, displaying more 'knightly' qualities such as challenging the protagonist to a duel and even allowing their escape when they were unable to fight back.
Silver Crown[]
Silver Crown from New Mobile Report Gundam Wing Dual Story: G-Unit. A mysterious pilot of OZ Prize whose real identity is related to the protagonist - Odin. He is since been assisting Odin through out his actions despite his position, akin to Schwarz Bruder.
Lancerow Dawell and Jamil Neate[]
Lancerow Dawell and Jamil Neate from After War Gundam X. Prior to the series' events, Lancerow piloted the MAN-002 Febral, a mobile armor very similar in design to the Zeong, and he could be considered the "Char" to Jamil's "Amuro." Jamil's connection to Char would be his sunglasses, mysterious past, and mentor status to the series protagonist, much like Char in Zeta Gundam.
Harry Ord[]
Harry Ord from ∀ Gundam. Harry sported sunglasses which, although quite eccentric, may be a reference to Char's Quattro Bajeena alias in Zeta Gundam. This is further accentuated by his custom gold-colored MRC-F20 SUMO. His personality is also a lot like Char's, only with no secretive agendas beyond serving as a Royal Guard of Queen Diana.
Rau Le Creuset[]
Rau Le Creuset, the main villain from Gundam SEED as well as the first "direct" Char clone in a Gundam series since Zechs Merquise. While clearly borrowing many of Char's character traits, including blond hair, mask, piloting mobile suits without a normal suit (initially) and "Newtype" senses, Rau is arguably a far more nefarious character than Char ever was. Whereas Char sought the preservation of humanity in outer space (before the events of CCA), Rau only lived to destroy the human race in its entirety as revenge for his creation. On that, Rau also has a different background from usual Char-esque characters, in that he is a flawed and fanatical clone of a background character instead of being a direct representative of a philosophically influential family or government.
Athrun Zala[]
Athrun Zala in Gundam SEED was the de facto rival of protagonist Kira Yamato, and like Char’s rivalry with Amuro, Athrun and Kira’s rivalry intensified after Kira killed someone close to Athrun (i.e. Nicol Amalfi). However, the two managed to reconcile their initial friendship whereas Char and Amuro remained enemies for the rest of their lives. In Gundam SEED Destiny Athrun temporarily takes on the alias “Alex Dino”, and adds a pair of large sunglasses to his disguise, this being a reference to Char’s Quattro Bajeena phase. Also, in Destiny Athrun becomes a mentor to protagonist Shinn Asuka, mirroring how in Zeta Char became Kamille’s mentor. Throughout both SEED and SEED Destiny Athrun mostly pilots red mobile suits, a signature trait of Char and some of his clones. His mobile suits would also have an offensive weapon located in their legs, which would enable him to use kick attacks as an allusion to Char's signature move. In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, Athrun pilots the ZGMF-MM07 Z'Gok, which is an homage to Char Aznable' custom Z'Gok.
Neo Roanoke[]
Neo Roanoke, an initial antagonist in Gundam SEED Destiny, replaced Rau as the masked character shrouded in mystery. He acted in a similar manner to Char: being an excellent leader while also manipulating others, and having exceptional piloting skills. After being "redeemed" Neo acts as a supporter to Kira and Athrun, like Char was to Kamille and Amuro as Quattro Bajeena, the upper part of Neo's scar also slightly resembles Char's. Like Char, Neo also piloted a gold colored mobile suit, the ORB-01 Akatsuki.
Rey Za Burrel[]
Rey Za Burrel from Gundam SEED Destiny. Rey acted as a mentor and friend to protagonist Shinn Asuka, who shared similarities with Kamille Bidan, thus mirroring the Quattro-Kamille relationship Char portrayed in Zeta Gundam. Rey's relationship with Shinn also mirrors Char's relationship with Garma Zabi: both befriended the other at a military academy, and would go to manipulate their friends. Rey was also an extremist like Char; Rey's wanting to take away people's future for the sake of ending conflict mirrors Char's forcing humans into space to save the Earth in Char's Counterattack. Rey also had a deep loathing of Kira Yamato, who is similar to Amuro Ray, thus also mirroring the Char/Amuro rivalry. Like Rau, Rey is a genetic clone of Al Da Flaga and both share the same voice actor, Toshihiko Seki. Coincidentally, Toshihiko Seki would later voice the real Char Aznable from whom Édouard Mass would take the identity of in the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin OVA.
Gilbert Durandal[]
Gilbert Durandal shares a similar version of Char's philosophy concerning the important role of genetics with his Destiny Plan just as Char attempted to drop Axis to force humanity to space to evolve to Newtypes, though it could be said Gilbert was legitimately dedicated to his goal whereas Char used the Axis drop merely as a cover for his true goal of settling things with Amuro. It is no surprise as they both share the same Japanese voice actor.
Hal Vizardt and Vladi Zarth[]
Hal Vizardt and Vladi Zarth from MS Saga: A New Dawn. Hal represents Char's "Quattro Bajeena" role, as Hal acts as a mentor/leader to the heroes on their missions and occasionally joins them. He wears a mask and pilots the Gelgoog Commander Type and the Sazabi, both of which are Char's personal mobile suits. Vladi represents Char's role in Char's Counterattack, as Vladi takes command of the the "Neo-Zarth Army" (a play on Neo Zeon) after the other villains defeat and tries to settle a problem caused by corrupted individuals. Vladi is also possibly the older brother of one of the heroes, Tremmie Zarth, mirroring Char's relationship with Sayla. Like Char (in the beginning) his identity is also hidden.
Ali Al-Saachez[]
Ali Al-Saachez from Gundam 00. Ali acted as Setsuna F. Seiei's "mentor" by falsely making him believe that his guerilla actions meant utter devotion to God along with teaching him various guerilla tactics as a young child. Ali was also Setsuna's second rival after Graham Aker, and piloted red mobile suits similar to Char such as the AEU-09Y812 al-Saachez's AEU Enact Custom (which was eventually painted red), GNW-002 Gundam Throne Zwei and GNW-20000 Arche Gundam. In some of his battles against the protagonists, Al-Saachez would mimic Char's signature kick against his opponent.
Graham Aker[]
Graham Aker is a rival to the main protagonist of Gundam 00, Setsuna F. Seiei, and in the second season dons a mask as the top ace of the A-Laws faction called "Mr. Bushido." This is played as something of a parody of the Char Clone phenomenon, as the other A-Laws members are well aware of his true identity, and "Mr. Bushido" is a nickname (which Graham himself dislikes) rather than an alias. Graham's obsession with defeating Setsuna is also very similar to Char's antagonism towards Amuro. Also, for the first season, Graham vowed to defeat the Gundams with a Flag like how Char fought Amuro using out-gunned mobile suits such as the Zaku. Most notably, both men were driven to fight their rivals on equal footing; in Graham's case, he spared Setsuna on at least one occasion due to the 00 malfunctioning. Char similarly had purposely leaked information on the Psycho-frame so that Amuro would not be at a disadvantage when the two eventually fought later in the finale of Char's Counterattack.
Full Frontal[]
Full Frontal from Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. A devout Char fanatic who leads Neo Zeon after Char's disappearance. He is called the "second coming of Char" and paints his personal Mobile Suit red. Full Frontal is noted to have the same voice as Char Aznable and has similar facial features. It is later revealed that he is in fact a cyber-newtype, genetically altered to look like Char, with Char's memories implanted in him via the Psycho-frame, and as a result is the first canonical Char clone.
Zeheart Galette[]
Zeheart Galette from Gundam AGE also fits the criteria as a Char clone; he pilots red mobile suit (xvm-zgc Zeydra) which possesses the same specs as Char's mobile suits, except for his first mobile xvv-xcr Zedas R, which is mixed painted, he also wears a mask, to suppress his abundant X-Rounder ability to prevent the same damage he caused to his Zedas R in a testing performance and being appointed as a field commander for his brilliant view and plan. Zeheart's friendship with Asemu Asuno mirrors Char's and Garma's relationship, when he would use Asemu to achieve his mission but still thinks of him as a good friend. He also shows the traits of being a Char when he meets the Gundam; being wanting to fight it, though he spares Asemu several times like Graham sparing Setsuna in Gundam 00.
Tatsuya Yuuki[]
Tatsuya Yuuki from Gundam Build Fighters is a rival of both main protagonists Reiji and Sei Iori. His battling style and mobile suit (MS-06R-AB Zaku Amazing) are similar to Char's own. Tatsuya taking the alias (Meijin Kawaguchi) and using a pair of large sunglasses as a disguise mirrors Char's Quattro Bajeena.
Captain Mask[]
Captain Mask from Gundam Reconguista in G is a friend of protagonist Bellri Zenam, but they end up on opposing sides of the conflict between the Pirate Corp and the Capital Army. He becomes obsessed with fighting the G-Self, in which Bellri is the pilot. He also dons a mask which serves as an augmented reality device designed to improve his piloting ability.
Lady Kawaguchi[]
Lady Kawaguchi from Gundam Build Fighters Try is the successor to Tatsuya Yuuki's Kawaguchi alias, though her true identity is never revealed. She is also the first female Char clone to appear in a Gundam series. She acts as a mentor to Fumina Hoshino much like how Char did with Kamille Bidan or Jamil Neate did with Garrod Ran.
McGillis Fareed[]
McGillis Fareed from Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS is an audit officer/inspector in the peacekeeping organization Gjallarhorn, though he grows increasingly dissatisfied with the corruption in the organization, so he joined forces with Tekkadan under the name "Montag" to reform the group. He develops a silent rivalry with Mikazuki Augus, pilot of the Gundam Barbatos, but nonetheless willing to work with Tekkadan in order to further his goal, and later dons a gold mask with a long white wig to make it easier to fight on Tekkadan's side. His friendship with Gaelio Bauduin also mirrors Char's and Garma's relationship, where he would manipulate Gaelio to achieve his goal before sending them to their death, even though he still thinks of him as a good friend. He also pilots a red mobile suit built for speed and mobility, similar to those piloted by Char. Lastly, he was involved in a relationship with Almiria Bauduin, similar to Char's relationships with women who are younger than him.
Gaelio Bauduin[]
Gaelio Bauduin from Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS is a direct subordinate of Rustal Elion in the peacekeeping organization Gjallarhorn. He dons a mask and the alias Vidar after having a duel with McGillis Fareed and is sworn to have revenge against him, similar to Char's motivations to have revenge on the Zabi family after the Zabis ruined his family.
Kyoya Kujo[]
Kyoya Kujo from Gundam Build Divers is the captain of force Avalon and Champion of the Gunpla Battle Nexus Online game. While investigating the rule breaking Mass-Divers intruding into the Serial Battle missions for low rankers, he dons a mask and wears a knight armor with a cape to conceal his identity. His mask together with his blonde hair gave him a vaguely similar look to that of Rau Le Creuset.
Masaki Shido[]
Masaki Shido from Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, aka The Masked Man (仮面の男 amen no Otoko?), is a masked diver aligned with the One-Eyes against Eldora, he pilots MSF-007SS Gundam Seltsam and is a challenge to such skilled pilots as Hiroto Kuga. It is later revealed that he fell into a coma in real life. Prior to becoming their enemy, he was an ally of Eldora, similar to the case of Neo Roanoke.
Prospera Mercury[]
Prospera Mercury from Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury is the mother of protagonist Suletta Mercury and the President of the Shin Sei Development Corporation on Mercury. She claims her mask hides non-existent facial scars caused by the harsh environment of Mercury. She is a survivor of the Vanadis Incident and was originally known as Elnora Samaya. In a scheme for revenge, she ingratiates herself into the Benerit Group and hijacks the Quiet Zero project, allowing her daughter Ericht Samaya to seize control of any technology based on Permet.
Mask Lady[]
Mask Lady from Gundam Build Metaverse is a Gunpla Battle mentor to protagonist Rio Hojo within the Metaverse. Her skills are first-rate and she never goes easy in practice battles.
Cultural Significance[]
Japanese pop culture holds Char Aznable in very much the same way Western pop culture views science fiction icons Darth Vader and Mr. Spock. Even many people who do not watch anime at least know the name. Char Aznable has routinely placed in the top 10 lists of popular characters in both Gundam-specific and general-oriented fan magazines in Japan, such as Gundam Ace and Animage, typically ranking higher than the main character and his rival, Amuro Ray. In Gundam Ace, Char is consistently in the top 3 of the list and held the number 1 spot for long periods of time, even though Gundam Ace tallies votes for Char's alter-ego Quattro Bajeena separately. In fact, Quattro also consistently ranks in the top 10. Taken together, that puts Char as the most popular of the whole franchise. He was also the first character of the Gundam franchise to be chosen as the more popular character of the Animage's Grand Prix, an annual reader's poll by the Animage magazine in the 1980s.
On the popular Japanese bulletin board 2channel, the Gundam forums are named Char custom (シャア専用), and the anonymous placeholder for the name is changed to "3 times more anonymous" (通常の名無しさんの3倍), a reference to the "3 times faster than a normal Zaku" line from the original series. "Char-custom" itself refers to Char's tendency to highly customize standard Mobile Suits to his exact specifications and generally making the said units far more potent than normal. This usually involves him coloring his suits red, which led some people to go as far as to label anything red "Char-custom", and to make vague references to the "3 times more potent" line in the original Gundam series (e.g. a red pencil might write 3 times faster or is 3 times more likely to break).
Bandai has capitalized on Char's popularity by licensing out his name to various products. There has been a Char-custom laptop, Char-custom Nintendo Gamecube, and a Char-custom motorbike helmet. All these products have a red satin finish and have the goldleaf Zeon insignia or the emblem of Char's Neo Zeon emblazoned on them. A Char-custom Game Boy Advance SP was also created in Japan. The release of SD Gundam G Generation for the Nintendo 3DS had a special Char-custom 3DS bundle that included a special red 3DS emblazoned with the Zeon insignia, the shadows of Char's three incarnations, and the quote "In war, to keep the upper hand, you have to think two or three moves ahead of the enemy."
The character is also popular with many American Gundam fans. It is American fans of the character who have promoted and mocked the "cloning" of the popular character in later Gundam shows. In particular is the notion of calling characters that are similar to Char as "a Char." This is derived from the poorly-written English text in the letter Hayato Kobayashi receives from Kai Shiden in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, which includes the statement "Captain Quattro, he is a CHAR_"
In a planned spaceflight for 2006, Soyuz TMA-9, a Japanese internet investor named Daisuke Enomoto had asked to dress up as Char Aznable. However, medical restrictions prevented him from participating in the flight.
On July 25, 2006, GE Consumer Finance released a Char Custom credit card, which receives three times as many bonus points per 1000 yen spent compared to their other Gundam-related credit cards.[3] Toyota also formed a branch called Zeonic Toyota planning to issue a series of special cars, the first one being Char Aznable special Auris.[4]
Char has been parodied and referenced in many other works of anime and manga:
- The second season opening of the anime Genshiken is also a parody of Gundam, featuring the character Harunobu Madarame dressed in Char's uniform and helmet.
- In the manga Air Gear, many storm rider helmets are derived from mobile suit designs, and on one occasion showing Char's helmet.
- In Zoids: New Century Zero, Naomi Fluegel also uses the alias "Red Comet."
- An episode of School Rumble features an extended Gundam parody, most notably introducing a character named Harry McKenzie. Harry is modelled after Char, including his appearance (highly similar to Char's Quattro persona), sunglasses, penchant for wearing red, and ownership of a red motorcycle with the kanji "Hyaku" (from the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki). Harry is friends with Tougou Masakazu, who resembles a younger Anavel Gato and shares Gato's penchant for rousing speeches.
- In a sequence in episode 46 of Gintama, Umibouzu is seen talking to Char and then seen leading a Zeon rally alongside Char.
- In Gintama Live Action, a middle-aged Char has been taking his red Zaku to be repaired at Gengai's shop. The protagonist Gintoki and Char then exchanged multiple Gundam references as Gintoki begged to borrow his Zaku to defeat his enemies.
- In the live-action adaptation of Hana-Kimi, a character named Sekime Kyōgo is apparently dressed up as Char to help woo the girl who is the target of his affections. The cosplay ploy is a success, as the girl is a Gundam fan and considers Char to be a really cool character.
- In an episode of the anime Urusei Yatsura, the character Perm is dressed as Char in a costume party; there is also a character wearing a blue Zaku mask.
- In the xxxholic manga series by CLAMP, a visual reference to the Red Comet title is made, with the character of Mokona depicted with an ornamental head piece similar to Sazabi, stating that he can drink "3 times as much."
- In Code Geass, Lelouch's alter ego was designed with a mask, because Ichirō Ōkouchi felt that a mask was necessary for it to be a Sunrise series.[5]
- Detective Conan character, Akai Shuichi, was named by combining Char's alias "Red Comet" (赤い・彗星 Akai Suisei?) with actor Ikeda Shuichi</nowiki>'s name who voiced both character. Akai's alias Moroboshi Dai also comes from Char's birth name Casval Rem Deikun (which sounds like Dai-kun) and Moroboshi can also mean falling star, another reference to Red Comet. Akai's other persona, Okiya Subaru, was named after japanese reading of Casval (kyasubaru). In addition, Akai's rival Rei Furuya</nowiki>'s names and alter egos were named after Amuro Ray, Char's rival.
- In the 1996 video game Not Treasure Hunter, James Arclight the protagonist of game has a facial structure similar to Char in UC.0093 and voiced by Shuichi Ikeda. The voice actor of Char.
Gallery[]
Character Designs[]
Anime[]
Mobile Suit Gundam/MSG Movie Trilogy[]
Zeta Gundam[]
A New Translation[]
Char's Counterattack/Unicorn Gundam[]
Mobile Suit Gundam Twilight Axis - Red Blur[]
Others[]
Manga[]
Illustrations & Artwork[]
Games[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- Char bares similarities with on Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the "Red Baron." Aside from the nickname, both were ace pilots known for their customized red vehicles.
- The name "Char Aznable" was inspired by the French-Armenian singer and songwriter Charles Aznavour (whose name is rendered in Japanese as シャルル・アズナブール). Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino publicly confirmed this at Anime Expo New York 2002.
- The alias "Bajeena" bares similarities to the middle portion of Aznavour's birth name Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian (Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան).
- During the One Year War, Char actively avoided wearing pilot suits when piloting a mobile suit, regardless of whether or not he was in space. His given reason for doing so was to properly motivate himself to go into battle with the full intention of returning, thus viewing the possibility of exposure to the vacuum of space as unlikely. Only after urging from Lalah Sune did Char wear a pilot suit into battle, albeit a customized red version of the standard Zeon pilot suit. Char dropped this attitude after the One Year War, adopting full pilot suits during his time as Quattro Bajeena and as the leader of Neo Zeon.
- Char has at times shown a preference for casual clothing rather than dress uniforms. During his time as the leader of Neo Zeon, he was openly uncomfortable wearing his full military uniform, claiming he felt like a clown wearing it.
- During the One Year War, Char carried a laser gun on his belt, similar to the one used by Kycilia Zabi to kill Gihren, though he was never seen firing it.
- Char usually piloted red-painted (or, arguably pink-ish) mobile suits. An exception to this is the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki, which is painted in bright gold-yellow colors; Gundam MK-II, which is painted white and black; and the MSN-02 Zeong, which was painted in a lavender-gray color scheme. All these instances are due to the color of the mobile suit being outside of his control; however, the Hyaku Shiki's color was due to its beam-resistant coating, and the Gundam MK-II and Zeong did not have the opportunity to be repainted.
- Initially, Char's personal RMS-099 was painted red, while the standard model was painted black. After Char abandoned his Rick Dias in favor of the Hyaku Shiki, the Rick Dias' standard color was changed to red.
- Char is known for using kicks, both in person and during mobile suit combat. His first instance of this in mobile suit combat, kicking the Gundam using his MS-06S Zaku II, is an iconic moment of the Mobile Suit Gundam anime. He continued to use such attacks while piloting his MS-14S Gelgoog and MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki as well.
- Ironically, Char's final mobile suit during the One Year War, the MSN-02 Zeong, was incomplete during the battle of A Baoa Qu, and as a result lacked legs to kick with.
- Char was never shown driving a car throughout his appearances within the Mobile Suit Gundam, Z Gundam or Char's Counterattack anime. In any instances of transportation, he is either riding as a passenger, or taking an alternate means of transportation such as riding a horse. This has led to a joke within the fandom that despite being an ace mobile suit pilot, Char is unable to drive an ordinary car.
- In 2015, Origin version of Char appeared in a Japanese commercial for the "ZeonicToyota" Toyota Auris, driving the aforementioned vehicle with the skill of a professional driver.
- By the time of Zeta Gundam, Char has had four different names: his birth name Casval Rem Deikun, Édouard Mass - the name given to him when he whisked away to avoid being targeted by the Zabi family, Char Aznable - the name he'd bear for much of his life, and finally, Quattro Bajeena which is ostensibly his fourth alias (quattro is Italian for "4").
- In Mobile Suit Gundam 00 there is a feature used by the Gundams known as the Trans-Am System. When activated the Mobile Suits using it begin to glow red and are able to move three times faster than normal. The shift in color while in Trans-Am, as well as the tripled statistics, are a homage to Char Aznable and his Commander Zaku.
- At the same time, Char's English voice actor, Michael Kopsa also voiced Aeolia Schenberg in Gundam 00; Michael's role as Aeolia marks his first role in a Gundam series after the originals, Aeolia's speech as heard in the first episode of Gundam 00, bears a resemblance to Char's speeches as heard in Char's Counterattack.
- In episode 2 of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, there's a sign on a building that reads "Red Comet."
- Char's tendency of being around younger women (Lalah, Haman during Char's deleted affair, Quess) has caused some fans to joke about him having a fetish despite his last love interest being of similar age.
- Many US fans even today wonder the full reasons for Char's change of heart from Zeta Gundam to Char's Counterattack, with some assuming that the ending events of Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam as the cause. (such as how Federation politicians were quick to go along with Haman).
- This factor has been referenced in some SRW games, stating as long as Quattro has hope for humanity, he will never go down the path he did in CCA. A strong example is SRW Z3 where Char continue faith in humanity led him to sabotage Full Frontal from starting Axis Drop. While Full Frontal himself is the embodiment of Char who had no faith in humanity.
- Char's uniform closely resembles the one worn by the Marshal of Atrios in the Doctor Who serial The Armageddon Factor. Like Mobile Suit Gundam, it also featured a faction called Zeons and first aired in 1979.
- Dilandau Albatou from the Vision of Escaflowne franchise, also made by Sunrise, is yet another Char clone. He has light-colored hair, pilots a red mecha and is the primary antagonist of most of the movie and TV series.
- Char appears as a supporting character in Around Thirty Office Worker Haman-sama, where he works in the Neo Zeon corporation but in a different department from ex-girlfriend Haman. While they were dating, Char was known to be a skilled cook and cleaner much to the point that Haman became too dependent on him for her household tasks in the past.
In Other Media[]
- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, on a certain mission, there is what is believed to be an in-joke. When Char (based on his personality in Char's Counterattack) battles Athrun (in the Infinite Justice Gundam), Char will say to Athrun: "You must be an ace. I want you to fight with honor." Athrun will then reply: "Why would you think that I'm an ace?" to which Char will answer: "Only an ace would pilot a Mobile Suit of that color." This is probably due to the fact that both Char and Athrun seem to have a preference for red Mobile Suits. They also seem to prefer powerful melee-based Mobile Suits (as seen from Char's Zaku, Char's Gelgoog, Hyaku Shiki for Char and Justice/Infinite Justice for Athrun).
- During Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn, there is a mission where Char will humorously find himself caught in a fight between Reccoa Londe and Haman Karn for his affection, all while in the presence of Nanai Miguel, and requests for rescue. Playing further into this, if the player is using Amuro, he remarks that Char had reaped what he sowed. If the player is using Kamille, Char will sheepishly thank Kamille for "always being a great help", leaving him in awkward silence.
- In Gihren's Greed: The Menace of Axis V, Char is the commander of two scenarios. The first Char's Neo Zeon, which follows the event in Char's Counterattack. The second is Casval's Neo Zeon, which is a what if case set during the One Year War. Both factions have the primary focus on Newtype pilots and weapons. In Casval's Neo Zeon, you have access to Newtype pilots along with soldiers that have worked alongside him during the events of the Mobile Suit Gundam anime.
- In the Super Robot Wars game series, Char is usually depicted in his Quattro Bajeena persona when he's on the player's side and has rarely ever been depicted as Char Aznable with the heroes. In these games, he'll start out with the Hyaku Shiki and will move on to the Sazabi (which he has proclaimed in some games to be his favorite unit). At least two games that have used the original Gundam storyline have Sayla Mass leaving the hero's side and staying out of the fight once Char joins as Quattro, knowing who he is and that she's unwilling to fight alongside him.
- This varies somewhat in the Alpha series of this franchise, with Char initially starting out as Quattro, but eventually becomes his CCA persona by Alpha 2. His reason for doing so, however, is different, motivated by seeing the records of humanity's destruction in the interquel game Alpha Gaiden courtesy of D.O.M.E., which disillusions him with humanity to the point he even foreshadows his future villain role in the final battles, mentioning he wants to settle his fights with the villains of the same before moving on to his own goals when prompted via some battle encounters with the final bosses. In the second Alpha game, he proceeds to follow CCA canon, with the only possible changes to his plans being his attempt to use Orphan from the Brain Powerd series as a substitute for Axis if the player manages to broker a cease fire with Haman Karn, thus denying him use of Axis for his plans, and he is canonically dead by the third and final game in the Alpha canon.
- The Z series, whose first game is based on the A New Translation Zeta movie compilation, greatly alters this possibility, and this time when he sees the records of what humanity's possible future is via D.O.M.E., he instead vows to not become his CCA-era self. The second Z game further reinforces his desire to avert this fate, and while he goes through most of the motions of the CCA plot in the third Z game, his changed perspective remains intact, where it's revealed his more optimistic view of humanity has held and thus seeks to secretly foil the attempted dropping of Axis. This also results in a change to the backstory of Full Frontal, who is essentially an alternative universe version of Char who instead followed the original series canon, indicated by his referencing the Dakar speech to Char, which did not happen in the first Z game.
- It is unwise to train and level up Quattro as he will switch roles to be an enemy as Char in the later scenarios in Super Robot Wars 64.
- Super Robot Wars D has a rare case of CCA-era Char as a playable character and during the events of the game, he finds new hope and redemption.
- Super Robot Wars GC/XO has Char become his Zeta-era persona on the side of the Federation to help them repel the multitude of alien invaders who have besieged the Earth following the temporary disappearance of the original series cast to another dimension for some time, which causes a temporal displacement that results in Amuro still being the same age as he was in the original series while Char is his Zeta age. Lalah Sune also survives due to this change, so Char and Amuro never have a reason to enact the events of CCA, though they can still acquire the CCA-era units as potential upgrades.
- Other minor changes in the SRW games in general include the following: The events of CCA do not occur in full (i.e. - the dropping of Axis) in many games, though CCA era units and people will be around in some capacity. This also results in Char (as Quattro) openly fighting Zeon forces, who are often shocked to see Char on the enemy side. In his Zeta era persona, he will also occasionally point out the foolishness of characters who followed canon, such as his calling out of Reccoa's reasons for betrayal in SRW3.
- Super Robot Wars Advance has Char appear as his OYW persona before changing to Quattro but he does not participate in the Gryps War as it had already ended by the time the main story started. Char stays as his Quattro persona throughout the game, never changing to his CCA persona but can obtain the Sazabi through requirements.
- Super Robot Wars 30 would have the first time ever have Char switch back to his Quattro persona after CCA in SRW history. It would have Char pilot FA-100S Full Armor Hyaku Shiki Kai as his default unit. While the Sazabi is usually depicted as a secret unit depending on the title, 30 would not have the Sazabi as a playable unit. Due too Char having abandoning his Char identity in favor of Quattro.
- In the video game Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam, the game's U.C. Mode has a number of alternate stories devoted to Char, including one where both Lalah and Sayla perish during the One Year war, resulting in Char performing the events of Char's Counterattack during the ZZ era. Another one has Lalah surviving the events that would lead to her death, allowing Amuro and Char to work together in full during the events of Zeta. Another scenario involves various OYW Zeon figures surviving and fleeing to Axis, with Char remaining with Zeon. This scenario has the strengthened Axis Zeon taking on the Titans, which has Kamille and Amuro in their ranks as there's no signs of the AEUG.
- In the same game, the Hyaku Shiki when played on the Zeon/Titans side is red.
- Char is featured in the Extreme Vs. series piloting the most units of the game with 8; His custom Zaku II Commander Type and Z'Gok Commander Type, custom Gelgoog Commander Type, Zeong, Hyaku Shiki as Quattro Bajeena, Sazabi, Nightingale, and the Perfect Zeong as one of the unplayable arcade bosses. With the exception of the bulky Nightingale and the legless Zeong, all of Char's incarnations have his trademark kick. Characters in the other Gundam timelines will occasionally comment on Char's similarity with their timeline's Char Clone, and some clones also have a variation of his kick.
- In Gundam Breaker Mobile;
- The "Commander-in-Chief" variant of the Char Aznable (CCA) AI Pilot is released as one of the event blueprint AIs during a limited time when it is available as a build project. This is resource-intensive process, as each part requires a combination of twelve total Material which can only be obtained by rolling the current gacha capsules on specific weeks to get the number of necessary material for the part. it would take at least twelve rolls over four weeks to craft the AI.
- The Char Aznable (Millitary Uniform) AI can be obtained at the Arena Coin exchange shop, where it was released along with the MSM-07S Z'Gok Commander Type Gunpla.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 岡崎昭行 (2010-04-22). データガンダム キャラクター列伝, Kadokawa Comics A 宇宙世紀編 I MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM CHARACTERS UNIVERSAL CENTURY I. 角川書店 [Kadokawa Shoten], p. 70. ISBN 9784047154452.
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam Episode 1, Gundam Rising
- ↑ GEカード | シャア専用カード (archived)
- ↑ トヨタ、シャア専用オーリスを発売へ…ジオンと新会社設立 | レスポンス(Response.jp)
- ↑ Interview with Gorō Taniguchi Ageha Ōkawa, head writer of Clamp (Newtype, May 2007 issue)
External links[]
- Char Aznable on the official Gundam.net
- Char Aznable (Quattro Bajeena) on the official Z-Gundam.net
- Char Aznable on the official Gundam-CCA.net
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Char's Counterattack characters
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Earth Federation / Londo Bell | Amuro Ray | Bright Noa | Chan Agi | Astonaige Medoz | Kayra Su | Meran | Anna Hanna | Tooth | Adenauer Paraya | Cameron Bloom | John Bauer | |
Newborn Neo Zeon | Char Aznable | Quess Paraya | Gyunei Guss | Nanai Miguel | Rezin Schnyder | Kaises M. Buyer | Horst Harness | Lyle | |
Civilians | Hathaway Noa | Mirai Noa | Cheimin Noa | October Saran | Katherine | Christina | Haro |