“ | Orb will not attack another nation, will not allow another nation to attack them, and will not intervene in the conflicts of other nations. | ” |
—Motto of Orb |
The Orb Union (aka Orb) is a South Pacific island nation introduced in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
Overview[]
Orb Union is a nation whose territory encompasses several islands to the east of New Guinea.[1] The official name of the mainland is Yalafath, where the Orb capital, Olofat, is located [1]. In addition, there are four cities aside from the capital[1]. It was originally an oil-producing country, but after the depletion of oil, it used its capital to transform itself into an industrial nation [1]. Geothermal power generation, which took advantage of the characteristics of the volcanic islands, has made it possible for the country to become self-sufficient in energy, the Achilles' heel of modern nations, to a considerable extent. Geothermal power generation became the foundation for supporting industries, and acts as the driving force behind Orb's economic development.[2]
In addition to processing and exporting imported resources, Orb succeeded in attracting a spaceport by taking advantage of its equatorial location, and achieved further development as a trading hub between space and Earth.[1][3] Furthermore, the nation's policy of accepting Coordinators was also based on the idea of survival as a technological nation[1]. The official language is Japanese.[4] The Island nation also has its own Mass Driver, called "Kaguya", a space colony Heliopolis, which serves as a resource satellite, and a military space station Ame-no-Mihashira. Because of Orb's relative political and economic stability and stance as a neutral nation, it is also known as the "Land of Peace."
Government[]
Orb's government consists of both an elected legislature, comprising the Senate and a House of Representatives, and an aristocracy of five noble clans who once ruled the island nation.[5] The leading member of the Orb government is the Chief Representative (who also serves as the Supreme Commander of the Orb Military) elected from among the five noble clans.[6] The five noble clans have enormous influential power, with the heads of the clans and other important individuals serving as the core of the nation. However, the five clans do not always agree on political matters, which caused some of them to violate the decisions of the chief representative.
As of C.E. 73, the five noble clans consisted of the Kiou family, the Mashima family, the Tokino family, the Seiran family, and the Athha family.[7] The Sahaku family was originally one of the five noble clans, but had since distanced itself from Orb.
Military[]
Orb's national military was the Orb National Defense Force (オーブ国防軍).[8] Known branches include the Space Force, the Homeland Defense Ground Force, and the Navy.[8][9] Orb gets most of its weaponry from the indigenous Morgenroete, Inc., which is one of the world's top producers of advanced weaponry. The Morgenröte Headquarters and arsenal, as well as the Orb National Defense Headquarters, are located at Onogoro Island, a small island to the south which is under the control of the Orb military.
Territories[]
Located near New Guinea, the Orb Union is made up of the mainland Yalafath as well as surrounding islands. Some of the smaller surrounding islands supported the Kaguya Mass Driver.
- Yalafath Island - Orb's main island, includes the capital city of Olofat
- Onogoro Island - Orb's military and national defense headquarters
- Kaguya Island - Orb's spaceport and the starting point of the "Kaguya" Mass Driver
- Akatsuki Island
- Sadeyori Island
- Heliopolis - Orb's space colony (Destroyed in C.E. 71)
- Ame No Mihashira - Military space station
History[]
The Orb Union was created at the end of the Reconstruction War (World War III), which took place at the end of the Anno Domini era[1]. Originally, it was an island nation inhabited by people who had settled in Orb from other countries, but in the past, many Japanese immigrants settled there with their technology and developed the country.[10] It is a confederation of chiefdoms that developed from a small country of five tribes, and as such, the people who ruled the islands before the founding of Orb later reigned as "clans" in the state, and the political form is a council system with a parliament[5]. In C.E. 58, Uzumi Nara Athha became chief representative of Orb and it was also in this year that construction began on the space station Ame-no-Mihashira.
First Alliance-PLANT War[]
When the first war between the Earth Alliance and PLANT broke out, representative Uzumi declared the nation neutral in the conflict in February 8, C.E. 0070. Nevertheless, the Sahaku family used Morgenroete's resources on the Heliopolis colony to assist the Atlantic Federation in constructing five mobile suits that could be piloted by Naturals, and a massive ship called the Archangel. However, the data used in constructing the Mobile Suits were also secretly used in the construction of Orb's own prototype Mobile Suits, the Astray Gold Frame, Astray Red Frame, Astray Blue Frame, and parts for two others. Unfortunately, ZAFT caught wind of EA's construction and attacked the colony. Only four of the units were captured though; the last one, the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam, remained under Alliance control. After the battle, the entire colony imploded, though its population was evacuated. The Gold Frame would fall into the hands of Rondo Gina Sahaku, the Red Frame would end up in Junk Guild possession, the Blue Frame in Serpent Tail and the parts for the two other mobile suits went missing. These missing parts would later be assembled into the Green Frame and Mirage Frame.
En route to Alliance headquarters JOSH-A, the Archangel was under heavy attack by ZAFT forces. Their fight moved closer to Orb's borders, prompting its navy to ward them off. However, Representative Uzumi Nara Athha decided to allow the Archangel to be hidden in Morgenroete after hearing that they had his adoptive daughter, Cagalli Yula Athha on board. He later negotiated with the Archangel's commanding officers, requesting that they give copies of the Strike's combat data to be adapted to their M1 Astrays. With Kira Yamato's help, they were able to give their M1s the ability to be piloted by Naturals. The Orb navy then secretly escorted the Archangel so it could make a safe trip to JOSH-A.
However, a few weeks later, the Alliance's Mass Driver at Panama was destroyed, so they were in desperate need of one to help resupply their bases in space. Director Muruta Azrael of the Defense Committee suggested that they take Orb's Kaguya Mass Driver, under the pretense that as a nation of Earth, it should be standing with them against "mankind's enemy." Because taking either side would make enemies for Orb, the government announced that they will oppose the Alliance's ultimatum. As the civilian population is evacuated elsewhere, the Orb military is assisted by the defecting Archangel, who had survived the destruction of JOSH-A, in opposing the Alliance. However, after two battles, it was obvious Orb couldn't win, so Representative Athha helped Orb's remaining forces, including the Izumo-class battleship Kusanagi and the Archangel, escape to space. He and many other high ranking politicians stayed behind to destroy the Mass Driver, ultimately sacrificing themselves. However, the Alliance later was able to recapture its Mass Driver at Victoria. Orb eventually became a protectorate of the Atlantic Federation.
In space, the Kusanagi and the Archangel joined forces with the stolen ZAFT warship Eternal to form the Three Ships Alliance, which played a critical role during the end of the war. When the war came to an end, the members of the Three Ships Alliance moved to Orb under assumed aliases and Cagalli became Orb's Chief Representative. When the Junius Treaty was signed, the national boundaries of Orb were restored to their pre-war state.
Second Alliance-PLANT War[]
By the time of the Second Alliance-PLANT War, the Seiran family managed to usurp the Parliament and violate Orb's neutrality with predictions of a repeat of the Atlantic Federation's attack on the Union.[11] As a result, Orb entered the Earth Alliance.[12] However, the Seiran family was unable to gain the full support of the military, which remained loyal to the Athha family, including Captain Todaka of the 2nd Defense Fleet and the military became weakened as a result of its low opinion of the Seirans, resulting low morale and motivation to fight. Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha was abducted soon afterward by her brother, Kira Yamato, and the crew of the Archangel during her wedding to Yuna Roma Seiran, the son of Prime Minister Unato Ema Seiran.[13] Despite his personal sentiment, Todaka was promoted to Captain and chosen to lead the Orb expeditionary fleet in the nation's first active support of the Alliance. This effort ended in a disaster at Crete, when the flagship Takemikazuchi and most of the other ships present were sunk by Shinn Asuka in his ZGMF-X56S/β Sword Impulse Gundam. Captain Todaka ordered the Takemikazuchi abandoned and remained behind to go down with his ship. After the Battle of Crete, many of the surviving members of the Orb expeditionary fleet joined the crew of the Archangel, including Todaka's second in command Amagi, who became the Archangel's new executive officer.
After Gilbert Durandal's speech about Logos and the attack on Heaven's Base, Lord Djibril fled to Orb where he met with the Seirans. Durandal ordered ZAFT to attack the country in hope of taking Orb down in the process of eliminating Logos. However, due to the Archangel's intervention, Djibril escaped and ZAFT forces withdrew, as there was no longer any reason to continue their assault. During the battle, the Seirans and many Orb politicians were killed, giving Cagalli the chance to regain her position as the leader of the Orb Union. Afterwards Orb, together with the Kingdom of Scandinavia and the Atlantic Federation, opposed Durandal's Destiny Plan and thus the now ZAFT-controlled Requiem. Orb later became the target for ZAFT since it was the last nation that presented a major threat to the Destiny Plan as the Earth Alliance lost most of its military power. Orb sent its three Izumo-class vessels to assist the Archangel and any dissident fleets against the Destiny Plan. After Requiem was destroyed and Durandal killed, Orb made peace with PLANT.[14]
Notable Citizens[]
Nobility[]
Athha family[]
Sahaku family[]
- Koto Sahaku
- Rondo Gina Sahaku
- Rondo Mina Sahaku
Seiran family[]
Kiou family[]
Commoners[]
- Sai Argyle
- Miriallia Haw
- Murrue Ramius
- Ledonir Kisaka
- Asagi Caldwell
- Juri Wu Nien
- Mayura Labatt
- Todaka
- Erica Simmons
Gallery[]
Lineart[]
Anime[]
Games[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The US release of Gundam SEED Destiny uses Naval Ranks when it comes to military in space ships.
- Orb Union is reminiscent of the Sanc Kingdom from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing due to both their pacifistic ideals and the resultant invasion from the Earth Alliance / Blue Cosmos and the United Earth Sphere Alliance / Organization of the Zodiac, respectively.
- The Orb Union is referred to as the Orb Emirates in the NYAV English dubs of Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny.
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
- PHASE-05, Phase Shift Down
- PHASE-01, False Peace
- First Appearance
- PHASE-02, Its Name: Gundam
- PHASE-03, Collapsing Land
- PHASE-04, Silent Run
- PHASE-06, The Vanishing Gundam
- PHASE-07, The Scar of Space
- PHASE-08, The Songstress of The Enemy Forces
- PHASE-09, The Fading Light
- PHASE-11, The Awakening Sword
- PHASE-12, Flay's Decision
- PHASE-13, Stars Falling in Space
- PHASE-24, War for Two
- In Flashback(s)
- PHASE-32, In the Promised Land
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-41, Trembling World
- In Flashback(s)
- PHASE-42, Lacus Strikes
- In Image(s); Appears in a video recording
- PHASE-15, The Respective Solitudes
- PHASE-17, Cagalli Returns
- In Flashback(s)
- PHASE-19, Fangs of the Enemy
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-20, On a Calm Day
- Mentioned only
- PHASE-23, Fateful Encounter
- In Image(s)
- PHASE-25, The Land of Peace
- PHASE-27, Endless Rondo
- PHASE-28, Kira
- PHASE-29, The Turning Point
- PHASE-30, Flashing Blades
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-31, Grieving Skies
- PHASE-33, Gathering Darkness
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-35, The Descending Sword
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-36, In the Name of Justice
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-37, Divine Thunder
- PHASE-38, Decisive Fire
- PHASE-39, Athrun
- PHASE-40, Into the Dawn Skies
- PHASE-43, What Stands in the Way
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-45, The Opening Door
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-46, A Place for the Soul
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-47, The Nightmare Reborn
- Flashback(s) Only
- PHASE-50, To a Future that Never Ends
- Flashback(s) Only
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- PHASE-01, Angry Eyes
- PHASE-02, Those Who Call For War
- PHASE-07, Land of Confusion
- PHASE-08, Junction
- PHASE-10, A Father's Spell
- PHASE-11, The Chosen Path
- PHASE-12, Blood in the Water
- PHASE-22, Sword of the Blue Skies
- PHASE-45, Prelude to Revolution
- PHASE-48, To a New World
- PHASE-13, Resurrected Wings
- PHASE-14, Flight to Tomorrow
- PHASE-15, Return to the Battlefield
- PHASE-20, Past
- PHASE-23, The Shadows of War
- PHASE-24, Differing Views
- PHASE-25, The Place of Sin
- PHASE-26, The Promise
- PHASE-27, Unfulfilled Feelings
- PHASE-28, Survivors and Sacrifices
- PHASE-29, Fates
- PHASE-30, A Fleeting Dream
- PHASE-38, A New Flag
- PHASE-39, Kira of the Skies
- PHASE-40, Legacy of Gold
- PHASE-42, Freedom and Justice
- PHASE-43, A Call for Counterattack
- PHASE-44, Lacus Times Two
- PHASE-49, Rey
- PHASE-50, The Final Power
- OVAs and ONAs
- Manga
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray
- Chapter 1, Parts 1: RED & BLUE
- Chapter 11.5, Option Parts 3: Magic Bullet of Dusk
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED X Astray
- Chapter 0.5, Chapter X Prologue
- Mentioned only
- Chapter 0.5, Chapter X Prologue
- Games
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Cosmic Era Mechanic & World" Futabasha, November 2012
- ↑ Ryu Goto, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED 3 Heiwa no Kuni, Kadokawa Shoten, September 1, 2003
- ↑ Ryu Goto, "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY 1 Ikakeru Hitomi," Kadokawa Shoten, February 2005
- ↑ "SEED DESTINY MSV Senki" Character & Field Map, Shigeru Morita, (included in Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny Models Vol. 2, Hobby Japan MOOK)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Great Mechanic 9" Futabasha, June 2003,
- ↑ The Official Gundam Perfect File, Issue 84, pg. 24
- ↑ Perfect Archive Series Gundam SEED Destiny, p.21
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY Model VOL.2 DESTINY MSV Edition" Hobby Japan, March 31, 2006
- ↑ "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Official File Character Edition Vol.2" Kodansha, May 2003
- ↑ "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED RGB ILLUSTRATIONS DESTINY" Kadokawa Shoten, August 2006
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-08, Junction
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-12, Blood in the Water
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-14, Flight to Tomorrow
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny PHASE-50, The Final Power