Kneeland LeSean

Kneeland LeSean
Kneeland LeSean (ニーランド・ルショーン, Nīrando Rushōn)
Profile
Aliases	Red Wolf Charlie
Species	Human
Classification	Oldtype
Gender	Male
Nationality	Principality of Zeon
Affiliation	The 7th Mobile Suit Battalion Red Wolf Squadron Principality of Zeon
Occupation	Mobile Suit Pilot
Rank	First Lieutenant
Status	Killed in Action (0079)
Mecha & Vehicles
Pilot MS-06F Zaku II F Type MS-06Rb-b Zaku II Unidentified Type (LeSean) MS-06V Zaku Tank (RFV) Jeep Passenger Gaw
Real World
Japanese Voices	Shoya Ishige
English Voices	Lavance
Debut	Haunted Forest

Kneeland LeSean (ニーランド・ルショーン, Nīrando Rushōn^?) is a protagonist of the ONA Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance.

Background Information

LeSean was a member of Red Wolf Squadron, a Zeon mobile suit unit under the command of Cpt. Iria Solari and together they achieved great success in the early stage of the One Year War, in which they destroyed three E.F.S.F. fleets in the Battle of Loum. This and other achievements led to his swift promotion to First Lieutenant. As Zeon's Earth Invasion went into stalemate, LeSean and his Red Wolf squad mates were re-assigned to the 1st MS Company, 7th Battalion of the Mixed Mobile Brigade in Romania, 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.

Personality & Character

The youthful LeShan is cocky, sarcastic and short-tempered, partly due to his military achievement attained in a short period of time, but he means well and is highly trusted by his squad mates.

Out of the three Red Wolf members, LeSean was the one whom Solari cared the most. As the Captain puts it, she "started babysitting LeSean" ever since she traded in her violin for serving in Zeon Armed Forces. Compares to Chubs' lightheartedness and Kale's icy coolness, LeSean's high octane bold and brashness was a double-edged sword to his development as a mobile suit pilot. On the up side, he fought bravely and stuck up with his leader Solari in dangerous situation without hesitation. In contrast to Solari's levelheadedness, however, LeSean was emotional and fights with adrenaline and, when not managed properly, could land him into serious trouble, as evidenced in the tense standoff when the enraged LeSean pointed his pistol towards Maj. Rolph Ronet who attempted to arrest the Red Wolf duo. Were it not for the timely intervention by Maj. Gen. Yuri Kellerne, it would have ended disastrously. Moreover, when things went badly, his anxiety turned into fear and he did not know how to manage it. Witnessing the loss of his squad mates Chubs and Kale in quick succession, the fear had traumatized LeSean to an extent that he could not make better on-field judgement during critical situation and he had to be restrained by Solari's orders.

Skills & Abilities

LeSean processes solid MS piloting skill and was perhaps the best pilot among the Red Wolves bar Solari. For instance, he was able to fight toe-to-toe against Federation's GM with his patched-up Zaku II despite being at a technological disadvantage. He was also able to pilot a badly-damaged Zaku Tank and saved Hailey Arhun's infantry convoy from oblivion.

History

One Year War

European Front

On November 6, U.C. 0079, LeSean and his 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, The Red Wolves 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, but it ended abruptly in the early morning of November 7, UC 0079, when the EFF staged a surprise raid spearheaded by Gundam EX. LeSean was shocked to witness the sudden losses of his squad mates 1st Lt. Reid Ghelfi (Chubs) and 2nd Lt. Kale Zavaleta to Gundam EX's devastating firepower, with his and Solari's Zakus were also no match to Federation's new mobile suit and were quickly destroyed.

Under Solari's leadership, LeSean and other survivors including Ander Heaton, Hailey Arhun and Dr Ony Kasuga of UMRC were able to evacuate and to find refuge at the Romanian Mixed Mobile Brigade Headquarter where the Red Wolves were based. Much to their shock, they also found the HQ suffered the same fate from the EFF and Gundam EX's devastation and lie in ruins. On Heaton's suggestion, the group headed to the nearby recycling center set up by Brigade Support Command, where LeSean and co. were coldly received by its manager Maj. Rolph Ronet but was heartened by the reunion with Red Wolves' 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 mobile weapons. Despite Ronet's objection, the Red Wolves were able to dispel EFF raid led by Gundam EX and LeSean destroyed the accompanying GM in the process.

Solari & LeSean's action 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. Enraged, LeSean pointed the gun at the Major but the tension was defused by the visiting 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, with LeSean and his Zaku being the safety back-up in case things went wrong. The plan ended in failure as the gang was unaware of the presence of Gundam EX and its pilot. As fierce fighting broke out between Gundam EX and Solari's stolen GM, LeSean was called up by Heaton as Solari was in grave danger after her GM was destroyed by the Gundam. LeSean rushed to the rescue and was able to buy enough time for Solari to escape but as two mobile suits faced off in a split second, LeSean's Zaku managed to damage Gundam's left eye while the latter's beam rifle shot at Zaku's cockpit, killing LeSean instantly and his Zaku destroyed.

Gallery

Character Designs

In pilot suit - front and rear

In flight jacket - front and rear

Anime

Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance

In pilot suit. (Episode 1: Haunted Forest)

In flight jacket. (Episode 1)

LeSean and Solari shoot back at the E.F.F. soldiers (Episode 2: Broken)

Piloting a badly-damaged Zaku Tank (Episode 2)

Listening to Solari's rallying call to the mechanics corp (Episode 3: Junkyard)

Pointing the gun at Maj. Ronet (Episode 4: Night Caller)

Illustrations & Artwork

Official portrait for Japanese broadcast promotion (2024)

Notes & Trivia

• Kneeland LeSean's Japanese voice actor, Shoya Ishige, also voiced Murphy in the same series.

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