Martin DaCosta (マーチン・ダコスタ) is a supporting character that appears in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. DaCosta also makes an appearance in the Gundam SEED Astray R manga and then again in Gundam SEED X Astray.
Personality & Character
Martin is an effective and dedicated soldier, and a loyal ally to Andrew Waltfeld, acting as his right-hand-man. Following his encounter with Lowe Guele and the Junk Guild, Martin's view towards naturals became more positive, prompting him to join the Clyne Faction and later the Three Ships Alliance to help end the war of genocide between Naturals and Coordinators.
History
First Alliance-PLANT War
Desert Dawn Campaign
Martin DaCosta served as Andrew Waltfeld's second-in-command on board the Lesseps. Martin commanded the Petrie-class land cruiser Petrie during the Battle of Talbadiya, but was ordered to retreat when their forces were heavily damaged by the combined firepower of the Archangel and the Desert Dawn, while Waltfeld was defeated by Kira Yamato's Aile Strike Gundam.[1]
Encountering the Junk Guild
After the Battle of Talbadiya, the Junk Guild team arrived in Africa looking for a ship to use on land after their original spaceship had been damaged and crashed to Earth. They discovered the damaged Lesseps and decided to claim it. However, Martin encountered the group and refused to let Lowe and the Junk Guild take it (it is suggested that he was guarding a medical pod containing the injured Waltfeld). Lowe Guele then asked Martin for his permission to help him fix the Lesseps, to which DaCosta agreed. However, Blue Cosmos was also in the area, and knowing that there was a coordinator aboard the Lesseps, decided to attack. ZAFT soldiers also attempted to destroy the Lesseps, having been misinformed that Blue Cosmos was using it now. However, Lowe Guele in the Astray Red Frame was able to defeat all the enemies and ultimately caused the Blue Cosmos forces to retreat. DaCosta was shocked that Lowe Guele, who was a Natural, helped a Coordinator and fought off Blue Cosmos, who were Naturals like Lowe. Afterwards, Martin parted ways with the Junk Guild, acknowledging Lowe as a friend.[2]
Three Ships Alliance
Later, Martin DaCosta joined the Clyne Faction and helped move Lacus Clyne underground after the Theft of the ZGMF-X10A Freedom.[3] DaCosta then helped rescue Athrun Zala, who had been held prisoner by his father, Patrick Zala, at the request of Lacus. He was successful in rescuing Athrun and the two escape to the Eternal, a new ZAFT support ship stolen by the Clyne Faction, which had his former superior Andrew as a captain. Afterwards, the Eternal made its was to the Mendel Colony, where it became part of the Three Ships Alliance. Martin continued to serve aboard the Eternal for the rest of the war.[4]
Second Alliance-PLANT War
During the Second Alliance-PLANT War, DaCosta was board the Eternal when Lacus and Andrew returned to the ship, which had been hidden in an asteroid facility known as, the Factory, since the previous war's end.[5] Later in the war, he went on an intelligence gathering mission for Lacus to find anything about Gilbert Durandal, the chairman of PLANT. He managed to find out more about Durandal's "Destiny Plan" while investigating the Mendel Colony, where Durandal once worked as a scientist. His discovery turned out to be exactly what Lacus was seeking. Unfortunately, he was spotted by a Reconnaissance Type GINN during his escape and ended up leading ZAFT right to the Eternal and Terminal's secret mobile suit manufacturing plant. Fortunately, after the Eternal led the ZAFT forces away from the factory, Kira Yamato soon arrived in the Strike Rouge, and after receiving the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam, disabled all of the ZAFT forces.[6]
Gallery
Anime
.png "Martin 01 (SEED HD Ep41).png (2.67 MB)")
.png "Martin and Lacus 01 (SEED HD Ep41).png (3.24 MB)")
.png "Martin Smiling 01 (SEED Destiny HD Ep27).png (3.38 MB)")
Games
Notes & Trivia
- As with the other ship captains, Martin is not a playable character despite having a cut-in and voiced lines in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny. He only appears the the EAF story mission "The Burning Sandstorm" and the Another Arc mission "Dog Run". In both instances, he serves as the captain for the Lesseps-class battleship.
Appearances
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- Episode 15 (HD Remastered Episode 14), The Respective Solitudes - (First Appearance)
- Episode 16 (HD Remastered Episode 15), Burning Sandstorm
- Episode 17 (HD Remastered Episode 16), Cagalli Returns
- Episode 18 (HD Remastered Episode 17), Payback
- Episode 19 (HD Remastered Episode 18), Fangs of the Enemy
- Episode 21 (HD Remastered Episode 20), The End of the Sandstorm
- Episode 41 (HD Remastered Episode 39), Trembling World
- Episode 42 (HD Remastered Episode 40), Lacus Strikes
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- Episode 27 (HD Remastered Episode 27), Unfulfilled Feelings
- Episode 39 (HD Remastered Episode 39), Kira of the Skies
- Manga
- Games
- Books
References
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-21, Beyond the Clouds of Sand
- ↑ '
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-41, Trembling World
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED PHASE-42, Lacus Strikes
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-27, Unfulfilled Feelings
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-39, Kira of the Skies
