Karla Mitchum

Karla Mitchum
Karla Mitchum
Profile
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Family	Unnamed Father
Love Interests	Daryl Lorenz
Affiliation	Principality of Zeon /Living Dead Division /Zeon Science Academy
Status	KIA
Real World
Japanese Voices	Sayaka Ohara
English Voices	Tara Sands
Appearances
Movie	Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: Bandit Flower
OVA	Gundam-TB
Manga	Thunderbolt

Karla Mitchum (カーラ・ミッチャム, Kaara Miichamu^?) is a fictional character in Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt.

Personality & Character

She cares heavily about the soldiers in the Division and develops a romantic relationship with two of them during her service. While highly praised for work in her field, including the Zeon Science Medal, she doesn't seem to display any desire for accolades or accomplishment like J.J. Sexton does. Her motivation stems from her desire to help those she cares about, be it her father, Daryl Lorenz, or the soldiers of the Living Dead Division. This deeply felt connection later plays a pivotal role in the psychological trauma she suffers from the Thunderbolt Sector.

Skills & Abilities

A scientist who specializes in prosthetics and biological interfaces she eventual joined the "Reuse P. Device" (RPD) project during the One Year War. Karla's work is to supplies the Living Dead Division's pilots with their prosthetics and work on perfecting the "Reuse P. Device" system.

History

Karla's father was a historian who was sent to prison after being marked by Zeon as a political dissident, and she is serving the Zeon military in hopes of her father's release. She is one of the top scientists working on the "Reuse P. Device" (RPD) project that will allow a greater amount of syncing between pilot and mobile suit in combat. When Daryl Lorenz returns from the mission to wipe out attacking Federation mobile suits, he brings with him a dead Ensign Hoover. Karla is greatly distressed and heart broken by his death, revealing to the soldiers that they were in a romantic relationship. After finding out that Hoover was shot dead by Io, Karla asks Daryl to avenge him and kill Io.

Later at a medal ceremony at A Baoa Qu Karla is awarded the Zeon Science Medal. During a conversation with Daryl, Karla voices her disdain with the award as it reminds her that her work is contributing to the conflict that only brings more death. After Daryl loses his arm to Io Fleming in the FA-78 Full Armor Gundam (Thunderbolt Ver.), she amputates his remaining arm after J.J. Sexton tells her it is the only way to save the Living Dead Division from the advancing Federation forces.

During the battle in the Thunderbolt Sector she mans a gun turret and tries to fend of the Federation's mobile suits. After the Dried Fish is crippled she and the project team prepare charges to scuttle the ship. Cornelius KaKa tries to prevent further blood shed by pleading with them to not do it. While these pleas stall the team from detonating the explosives, the Federation soldiers prepare to kill them before they can change their minds. Using a camera to pin point their Zeon scientists location in the ship, Karla notices it and tries to jump out to stop them. However right after she moves, a beam saber is used to vaporize the team. She is sent into a catatonic state after witnessing her comrades vaporized by a GM Cannon's beam saber while attempting to self-destruct the Dried Fish. She wakes up after the One Year War, but the mental trauma causes her mind to regress to an adolescent state. She is currently in the care of a Zeon medical team on a Zeon Remnants Dolos-class ship that is submerged in the ocean.

Relationships

Hoover

Ensign Hoover was the Living Dead Division's Mobile Suit Teams initial commander, having lost an arm at some point during the war. Though viewed as a braggart by his men for his supposed ladies man persona, it is reveal after his death by Io Fleming that he and Karla were romantically involved. When his body is brought back to the Living Dead's flagship Karla becomes distraught and cradles his body while sobbing.

Daryl Lorenz

Karla's and Daryl's relationship is a slowly developing force throughout the series. At first as the prime test subject for the "Reuse P. Device" (RPD), his prime relationship to Karla is their mutual desire to see the project through. However as Daryl's conflict with Io becomes more intense Karla is forced to further cripple Daryl so that his compatibility with the system increases. Through this and their own interactions, furthers the romantic feelings that develop between them. The two share a kiss before Daryl final sortie against the Moore Brotherhood and the Gundam, which during the battle Daryl reveals his reason for living is to be with Karla. When Karla suffers a mental breakdown, she comes to recognize Daryl as her "papa". Despite this, Daryl continues to visit and try and help Karla recover from her mental injuries, showing he still cares for her.