Iria Solari (イリヤ・ソラリ Iriya Sorari?) is the protagonist of the ONA Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance.[2]
Background Information[]
A classical violinist by trade,[6] Solari was recalled by the Zeon Armed Forces during the mobilization in October U.C. 0078 as the Principality was preparing for full-scale conflict against the Earth Federation in early January U.C. 0079. Her mobile suit piloting skills and leadership led her to be appointed as the commander of the newly-formed Red Wolf Squadron, and their brilliant achievement of destroying three EFSF fleets during the Battle of Loum has become stuff of legend among Zeon military.[2] As Zeon's Earth Invasion went into stalemate, Solari and her Red Wolf squad mates were re-assigned to the 1st MS Company, 7th Battalion of the Mixed Mobile Brigade in Romania,[4] where they land their support as one of partnered units to the Stein Battalion in the recapture operation of Cluj-Napoca military base from the Federal Ground Force on November 6, UC 0079.[2]
Personality & Character[]
As MS squadron leader, Solari leads by example and she never shy away from leading the attack or protecting her teammates. In addition, she shows no hesitation to sacrifice herself for the good of the group, as she volunteers to stay behind Odessa to repel EFF's attack so Maj. Rolph Ronet's convoy can have a chance to return to Space safely.[5] Her selflessness and leadership earns her instant respect by her squad mates and peers. Battle hardened and mentally strong, the loss of her husband Daltum only strengthens her resolves to keep on living and fighting for the sake of their young son, who becomes Solari's anchor and she wants nothing more than reuniting with him once the war is over.
Solari has a pragmatic outlook of life, as she is patriotic but not being blinded by Zeon's ultranationalist propaganda preached by the ruling Zabi Family. For her, being in the military and fight for Zeon is a duty, not something sacred or worth boasting about. Solari takes the responsibility of protecting her squadron seriously, and she is devastated for not being able to do so.[5]
On the battlefield, Solari is levelheaded and read the situation quickly but carefully to make better decisions, and seldom let her emotion get the best of her. Solari is also noted for her quick thinking and ingenuity, evidenced by putting up a strong defense from from E.F.F.'s attacks by persuading his friend Alfee Zydos to mobilize the mechanic teams at the Recycling Centre to assemble two functional mobile suits using salvaged Zaku parts in the shortest time possible.[4] Solari's ingenuity is held in high regards by Maj. Gen. Yuri Kellerne of Zeon's European Army, her likeminded superior.[7]
Skills & Abilities[]
Solari manifests her musical talent as an accomplished violinist before the One Year War.[6] As a soldier, she processes excellent MS piloting skills, able to dodge E.F.F. Assault Guntank's cannon fire as well as halving the incoming shell with Zaku's Heat Hawk.[5]
Solari's leadership shines through in time of crisis. When the First Armored Infantry Company was in dire need of direction after its commanding officer was critically injured from EFF's attack, Solari led by example by showing what Hailey Arhun and her subordinates should do to prepare for evacuation, and quickly devised an audacious plan with Kneeland LeSean and Ander Heaton to distract the intruding Gundam EX to allow Arhun and co. to escape.[6] Another example is her ability to persuade her friend Alfee Zydos (Gearhead) and his mechanics corps at Brigade Support Command's recycling centre to build two functional Zakus from salvaged parts so she and LeSean can ward off imminent EFF's attack spearheaded by Gundam EX and RGM-79 GM to give everyone at the centre a fighting chance to survive.[4]
As a budding Newtype, Solari processes strong traits of spatial awareness in the forms of premonition and superb reflexes when piloting mobile suit, much to the amazement of her peers but she downplays it by saying her ability is due long periods of military training as well as the result of natural human evolution and learning advocated by Zeon Zum Deikun, founder of the Republic of Zeon.[8]
History[]
One Year War[]
European Front[]
On November 6, U.C. 0079, Solari and her Red Wolf squad mates received distress call from Maj. Joshua Stein for immediate combat support to his beleaguered Battalion when it was ambushed by the EFF during the Cluj-Napoca base recapture operation. Together with the Salamanders Squadron, Solari and co. promptly dispatched from the Gaw carriers and landed on Cluj-Napoca to quell the EFF attack, result in the base's return to Zeon control which ended abruptly in the early morning of November 7, UC 0079, when the EFF staged a surprise raid spearheaded by Gundam EX. Solari was shell-shocked by the sudden losses of her subordinates 1st Lt. Reid Ghelfi (Chubs) and 2nd Lt. Kale Zavaleta to Gundam EX's devastating firepower, with she and LeSean's Zakus were also no match to Federation's new mobile suit and were quickly destroyed.[2]
Undeterred, Solari gathered LeSean and other survivors including Ander Heaton, Hailey Arhun and Dr Ony Kasuga of UMRC to evacuate and to find refuge at the Romanian Mixed Mobile Brigade Headquarter where the Red Wolves were based. Much to their shock, the also found the HQ suffered the same fate from the EFF and Gundam EX's devastation and lie in ruins.[4] On Heaton's suggestion, the group headed to the nearby recycling center set up by Brigade Support Command, where Solari was coldly received by its manager Maj. Rolph Ronet but was heartened by the reunion with her good friend, Tech. Cpt. Alfee Zydos, who volunteered to work as the head of resident mechanics corps which specialized in salvaging useful parts from damaged mobile weapons to maintain the stretched supply line for the Zeon Army. Sensing the recycling centre will be the next target for EFF's raid after the destruction of the nearby Mediaș military base, Solari convinced Zydos and the mechanics corps to quickly assemble two functional mobile suits for her and LeSean to defend the center with salvaged parts from damaged Zakus and Magella Attack tanks. Despite Ronet's objection, Solari and LeSean were able to dispel EFF raid led by Gundam EX and destroyed the accompanying GM in the process.[7]
Solari's action has saved many lives but much of the recycling centre was destroyed, resulting in Maj. Ronet's attempt to arrest the Red Wolves duo as they stepped over the latter's authority. The tension was defused by the timely appearance of Maj. Gen. Yuri Kellerne, who delegated Solari with the task of stealing Federal Force's GMs for technical examination hoping to turn the tide of war in Zeon's favor. Together with Zydos, Heaton and Arhun, Solari and co. infiltrated EFF's military base near The Olt in a daring operation to hijack two GMs, unaware of the presence of Gundam EX and its pilot there.[8] The plan ended in failure after a fierce duel between Gundam EX and Solari's stolen GM in which Solari was seriously wounded. LeSean was able to save Solari at the cost of his own life, with the latter managed to escape but was found by her allies at a nearby stream unconscious.[5]
Through the skill and effort of Dr Kasuga, Solari was resuscitated and found herself on the convoy arranged by Maj. Ronet heading towards Odessa space port to catch the last HLVs to return to Space. Realizing the threat of EFF's bombardment to her allies, Solari volunteered to stay behind and join the Midnighters Squadron to repel EFF's attack from Assault Guntanks and GMs. The combined effort of Solari and the Midnighters stopped the EFF's bombardment but not before the Gundam EX appears and Solari faced off her toughest opponent one last time. Knowing the Gundam pilot's true identity as a young boy whom she met at the the EFF's Olt military base, Solari tried to reason with her foe not to fight anymore as the Federation has won the war and she plead to let the Zeon retreat back to Space. The Gundam Pilot seemed to be moved by her words as he blocked the falling debris from the destroyed HLV to save Solari, but he was killed soon after by Midnighters' leader Loft who avenged the death of his squad mate at the hands of Gundam EX.
Shaken by the boy's death, Solari decided to stay on Earth and joined the Zeon Remnants in Africa after the conclusion of One Year War, as she determines to fight against the injustice and cruelty which leads to the existence of child soldiers in battlefields.[5]
Gallery[]
Character Designs[]
Anime[]
Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance[]
Illustrations & Artwork[]
Manga[]
Games[]
Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. ENGAGE[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- Similar to 1st. Lt. Loft of the Midnighters Squadron, Solari's pilot suit features a gold-embossed Greek alphabet α (alpha) on her left collar to signify her status as the Red Wolf's squadron leader.
- Solari's Japanese voice actor, Nanako Mori, also voiced Emilia in Gundam Build Divers as well as Cagalli Yula Athha in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom.
Appearances[]
- OVAs and ONAs
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance
- Episode 1, Haunted Forest
- Episode 2, Broken
- Episode 3, Junkyard
- Episode 4, Night Caller
- Episode 5, The River
- Episode 6, Convoy to Oblivion
References[]
- ↑ Gundam: Requiem for Vegeance Official Website (2024-10-17). “MECHA”
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance Episode 1, Haunted Forest
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Gundam: Requiem for Vegeance Official Website (2024-10-17). “CHARACTER”
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance Episode 3, Junkyard
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance Episode 6, Convoy to Oblivion
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance Episode 2, Broken
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance Episode 4, Night Caller
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance Episode 5, The River