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Hayato Kobayashi (ハヤト・コバヤシ?) is a character that appears in Mobile Suit Gundam.
Personality & Character[]
Hayato was a serious boy with a strong sense of responsibility and cooperative spirit. On the other hand, he had a stubborn streak, and at one time he even left the White Base in opposition to Bright and others who favored Amuro. He also showed an aggressive side in the fight against the Principality of Zeon. When Char Aznable infiltrated into Side 7 and came close to the White Base, he took command and intercepted him. He is said to have been a brave character. However, he would often measure himself against the accomplishments of others, which led to him having insecurities.
Skills & Abilities[]
As a pilot, Hayato was not as good as Amuro, but he gained experience in actual combat and grew into a full-fledged warrior. It was also during this period that he developed a tactical sense that would later be utilized in his command of Karaba, and he would sometimes give advice to Bright. He had been an avid practitioner of judo since he was a civilian, and once knocked down Amuro, who was so enraged by Ryu's death that he attacked him.
History[]
One Year War[]
He was a Japanese-American living in Side 7, but his family is said to have all been killed during the attack on Side 7 by the Principality of Zeon's military forces. He escapes with his friends on board the SCV-70 White Base (WB) and his home colony is destroyed, when Char infiltrated the hangar on the WB, Hayato assisted in trying to shoot him down. He was later assigned as a soldier on the ship by Bright Noa. In episode 3, he and Kai Shiden boarded a RX-75 Guntank as gunners, and sank a Papua-class supply ship for the first time.
From episode 6, when the WB landed on the ground, he has continued to be the main gunner of the Guntank. The Guntank was initially a two-seater, with Ryu Jose as pilot, but after Ryu's death in episode 21, the Guntank was converted to a single-seater, and he continues to operate the machine as both gunner and pilot. In episode 23, he urgently boarded the G-Fighter brought by the supply unit led by Lt. Matilda Ajan. With a good combination with the RX-78-2 Gundam piloted by Amuro, the G-Fighter repulses the enemy forces. In the battle of Odessa in episode 25, he pilots the G-Sky Easy and again carries the Gundam to provide good assistance in defeating Ortega's Dom. In episode 27, when Kai temporarily leaves the White Base, he unusually goes out with a RX-77-2 Guncannon, but he is unable to bring out its performance as expected and has a hard time against Callahan's MSM-07 Z'Gok.
At Jaburo in episode 30, he is appointed to the rank of corporal. After the WB goes into space, he continues to ride a Guntank as one of his unit's forces. However, in the movie version of "Encounters in Space," it is replaced by a Guncannon with "C-109" on its left chest and right leg. During the Battle of Solomon in episode 35, he was hit near the cockpit of his Guntank and injured. It is analyzed that the WB's strength was reduced by 11% due to his and his machine's departure from the front line. At that time, he expressed to Fraw, who was nursing him, his jealousy of Amuro's skill as a pilot as his Newtype ability blossomed and became more than human, and his disgust at his inability to beat him since he had been aboard the WB. From then on, he quickly became close to Fraw who also felt a distance from Amuro. In episode 42, he is seen chatting with Fraw in the operator's seat before the sortie.
In episode 43, the battle for the space fortress A Baoa Qu unfolds, and while his machine is destroyed, he and Kai engage the enemy soldiers in a firefight and eventually escape with his crew after hearing Amuro's guiding voice.
In the novelization of "Mobile Suit Gundam", his rank is Ensign, and he awakened as a Newtype along with Amuro and Kai, while also playing an active role as the pilot of Guncannon C-109. However, he was shot down and killed by the beam bazooka from Char's Rick Dom during an engagement with the Newtype Corps at the Battle of A Baoa Qu.
Gryps War[]
After the One Year War, he marries Fraw and at the same time takes in Katz, Letz, and Kikka, war orphans aboard the White Base, as adopted children. In addition, Fraw is pregnant with his own child. Because he showed Newtype-like abilities during the One Year War, he was not allowed to go up to space by the Federation Forces and was sent to a quiet position as the director of a war museum, but because of this, he feels depressed and joins Karaba. When AEUG invades Jaburo, he is a key figure in the Earth-side supporters, arranging shuttles to return AEUG pilots who had left the War Museum and landed on the ground back to space.
First Neo Zeon War[]
During the conflict, he lent a hand to Judau Ashta and others in their pursuit of the Neo Zeon who had descended to Earth. He also helped in the evacuation of civilians when the colony was dropped on Dublin.
He had already heard the news of Katz's death during the Gryps War, but had not yet told Fraw and the others. He had a mental breakdown, and he saw an image of Katz in Kamille Bidan, who had become a personnel failure. Haman Karn praised his skill in controlling the "Audhumla", and Judau and others respected him for the care he showed for Kamille, saying, "As expected of a White Base man".
In episode 35, he defended Judau while aboard a Dodai Kai from an attack from a Zaku III piloted by Rakan Dahkaran, who was trying to prevent Judau's MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam from merging, and was hit by Rakan's counterattack. After sacrificing himself to protect Judau, he said, "I hear you...Katz..." and died when the Dodai Kai exploded on October 30, 0088.
In the novel version, in order to protect the shuttle in which Judau and his crew were riding, he was killed when he was hit by the Psycho Gundam Mk-II, which was being piloted by Ple Two. Amuro was present at the scene and was devastated by the death of his comrade-in-arms who had fought with him since the One Year War. Bright was also unaware of the fact that Hayato was killed in action.
Hayato's grave would be placed near Katz's at the Kobayashi's home in Shizuoka.
Legacy[]
After his death in the First Neo Zeon War, the name Hayato has been utilized by his former comrades in their actions while concealing their identities. During the Second Neo Zeon War, when Amuro contacts a group of activists who are sympathizers of the new Neo Zeon, he uses the name "Hayato Kobayashi".
When Kikka attempts to write a work regarding Amuro in U.C. 0094, Fraw passes a letter that Hayato had written prior to his death, where he details his personal life and recounts how Kikka and the others found the bombs in Jaburo as well as how it was only thanks to Amuro's quick thinking that they escaped death that day. Hayato's letter would also contain Kai's business card in the case that Kikka would need more information.
Gallery[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- Hayato Kobayashi was originally voiced by Kiyonobu Suzuki for Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam and Gundam ZZ animated series. In Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation, however, he was voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama, who has voiced characters in several other Gundam series, including Shiro Amada in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Muruta Azrael in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, and Papa Sydney Lewis in Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front.
- Unlike some of the other mobile suit pilots in Gundam, he is not a Newtype. This is symbolized by his name, which comes from that of a Japanese infantry hero of the Second World War. Some characters in first Gundam who do become Newtypes have names taken from Japanese fighter aircraft of that war.
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam
- Episode 1, Gundam Rising
- First Appearance
- Episode 34, A Fateful Encounter
- Episode 35, The Glory of Solomon
- Episode 1, Gundam Rising
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
- Episode 12, The Winds of Jaburo
- Episode 13, Shuttle Launch
- Movies
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation - Heirs to the Stars
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation II - Lovers
- Games