Paptimus Scirocco (パプテマス・シロッコ Paputemasu Shirokko?) is the main antagonist of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.
Personality & Character[]
Originally a member of the Federation’s Jupiter Energy Fleet, Scirocco is often known as “The Man from Jupiter.” An intelligent and charismatic man, Scirocco is capable of gathering individuals, typically women, to his side by either persuasion or manipulation. Scirocco also has an arrogant personality, believing himself to be above all others as a man bringing about a great change for human history where humanity would be ruled by a select few. He could also be utterly ruthless, such as when he killed Jamitov to usurp him as leader of the Titans.
Skills & Abilities[]
Both a skilled pilot and strategist, Scirocco is considered a sinister genius by both the AEUG and the Titans. A gifted mobile suit designer, Scirocco built both the PMX-000 Messala and his own personal unit the PMX-003 The-O, as well as assisted in the development of several other mobile suits. He is also an exceptional Newtype, possessing abilities strong enough to rival other powerful Newtypes such as Kamille Bidan and Haman Karn.
History[]
Jupiter Energy Fleet[]
Scirocco's service with the Earth Federation began when he joined the Jupiter Energy Fleet, and this is when he designed and built his first mobile suit, the PMX-000 Messala; a transforming mobile suit with powerful thrusters that can fly more easily in the strong gravitational pull of the gas giant. He would also take command of the fleet's flagship, the Jupitris. His piloting and leadership skills in this role would earn him recognition by the Titans.
Gryps War[]
Scirocco first appeared while pursuing Bright Noa and several civilians in his Messala. He withdraws after Kamille Bidan and Char Aznable intervene, but he exhibits great piloting skills that are virtually on par with Char's. Later he attempts to destroy the AEUG's main force as they prepare to attack Jaburo and destroys one of their ships with a single blow from his mobile suit. He withdraws again to avoid being pulled into Earth's gravity after Emma Sheen engages him in battle followed by Kamille and Char.[1]
It is later revealed by Jamitov Hymen that Scirocco signed a contract pledging his loyalty to the Titans with his own blood. His quick ascension up the ranks earned him the wrath of several other Titan officers, such as Bask Om, Jerid Messa, and Jamaican Daninghan. Even Jamitov has grave reservations about where Scirocco's loyalty lies, but he still keeps him on as an officer. But while he clashed with the Titans leadership, he earned the loyalty of others, including Sarah Zabiarov, and later Yazan Gable and the AEUG defector, Reccoa Londe.[2][3]
Throughout the course of the war, Scirocco along with his minions executed all kinds of underhanded plots to help him assume control over the Titans, and eventually the Earth Sphere. When Jamaican attempts to drop a colony on the lunar city Granada, he sends Sarah to the Argama and alerts the AEUG so that they can successfully thwart Jamaican's plan. He allows Reccoa to leave the Jupitris after sensing that she was a spy, an act that continues to dog Reccoa until she finally defects from the AEUG and joins him shortly after the AEUG's attack on Kilimanjaro. He also successfully forges a brief alliance with Axis Zeon, but Haman Karn later disables Gryps II and sends Axis flying into the Titans' stronghold at the Gate of Zedan.
Eventually, Scirocco pulls off a coup d'état during negotiations aboard the Axis Zeon flagship Gwadan involving Char, Haman, and Jamitov. Sarah Zabiarov in another of Scirocco's designed mobile suits, the PMX-002 Bolinoak Sammahn, provided support by shooting into the ship where they were meeting, missing all occupants and leaving Scirocco and Jamitov alone. He condescendingly taunted his superior by assassinating Jamitov, and blaming Haman for it. Afterward, while engaged in a battle with Haman alongside Reccoa and Sarah, Katz Kobayashi tries to kill him out of hope that it would free Sarah from his influence, but she takes the shot that is meant for him and dies. Although Scirocco mostly saw Sarah as a means to an end, he forgets all about Haman and targets Katz, but Reccoa gets in his way, puzzling him. However, Kamille, Char, and Fa Yuiry intervene, forcing him and Reccoa to retreat.[4]
He later sends Reccoa out on a mission to destroy the Dogosse Giar, which by this time was commanded by Bask. By removing Bask, Scirocco finally assumed complete control over the Titans, which brought him one huge step closer towards realizing his goal of world domination.[5] In A New Translation, Paptimus sends Yazan to kill Bask instead.
Battle of Gryps[]
In his final appearance, Scirocco fights a four-way battle with Kamille, Char, and Haman over control of Gryps 2, that ultimately breaks off with him fighting Kamille and the laser in the AEUG's control. With the loss of Gryps 2 and the Titans fleet, Scirocco sought to escape the battle with the Jupitris, but was intercepted by Kamille. Towards the end of this fight, Kamille calls upon the spirits of several other characters, AEUG and Titan alike, to lend him their strength in order to defeat Scirocco. The power exhibited by Kamille's Zeta Gundam causes Scirocco's The-O to stall. Kamille quickly transforms the Zeta into its Waverider form and rams The-O into the Jupitris, impaling Scirocco on the top.
However, there are two versions of the events that occur in the next few moments. In the TV version, Scirocco vows he won't die alone and uses his last ounce of strength to mentally cripple Kamille. However, the movie version scraps this entire sequence.
In Other Media[]
Scirocco has shown up in many other games, including the Super Robot Wars franchise, the SD Gundam G Generation franchise, and Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2. Many of his game appearances go about the same way it's happened in the original series, with Scirocco attempting to take down Kamille's mind before he dies. However, ever since Super Robot Wars 3, players have always been given the option to prevent that from happening by having Four Murasame kept alive, thus allowing Kamille to stay grounded as Scirocco dies.
Scirroco also was part of one of the few recurring storylines in the Classic SRW games, having been a part of the Divine Crusaders in SRW 2 and eventually expelled after he attempted to seize control of their organization, and this was retained and referenced in SRW 3, where he seeks to strike back at them and obtain the Valsion Custom, an original series unit he would be able to pilot, being one of the few non-original, licensed characters to do so, even serving as the final boss in some routes.
The Alpha series was also altered due to his being aligned with the Jupiter Empire in that series instead of taking over the Titans, whom he simply leaves (having served there to spy on them) later on in the game, which allows the Titans to exist into Alpha Gaiden past his death.
In Gihren's Ambition: The Menace of Axis V during the Titans' scenario if the player fulfilled the conditions and alignment remains Lawful. Scirocco will continue to support Jamitov until the end of game and will not betray him.
In Gihren's Ambition: The Menace of Axis V if the player, playing as General Revil, is with the Federation they can recruit Scirocco if the player stays within a certain moral limit, Scirocco will remain loyal to the Federation and never defect to the Titans should they form against the Federation in Act 2. Scirocco will also gift the player with blueprints of his PMX series mobile suits, including the Messala, Palace Athene, Bolinoak Sammahn, and, if the player cleared another campaign in the past, The-O.
Scirocco appears in the Gundam Vs. series as the pilot for both his Messala, which can summon Jerid and Mouar's Gabthley, and his The O, which can summon Reccoa's Palace Athene and Sarah's Bolinoak Sammahn. With both units, Scirocco can also unleash a psychic attack that creates an unblockable stun field.
Due to his voice actor, Mikhail Kaminsky will mistake him for Gabriel Ramirez Garcia. Like with Reccoa, Paptimus will make several attempts to entice female pilots outside his series, but his manipulative use of women around him is greatly referenced by other characters with several like Uso Ewin and Patrick Colasour hating him particularly. His self-proclaimed genius also turns him into a rival with Klimton Nicchini, and several characters from Gundam Reconguista in G will comment on their similar boastings.
Because he is from Jupiter, characters outside his series will also ask him about the planet, with characters from Iron-Blooded Orphans asking about the Teiwaz, and Setsuna F. Seiei regarding the ELS. Scirocco is conversely interested in his home outside his time and is particularly curious of Crux Dogatie's Jupiter Empire and the development of Setsuna's GNT-0000 00 Qan[T].
Paptimus appears as a supporting character in Around Thirty Office Worker Haman-sama as the previous head of the Titans Co. before it merged with the Neo Zeon Co.. Though he is lecherous, both Sarah and Reccoa, remain smitten. As a running gag, Scirocco often stubs his pinky toe, causing him to mimic the scene where he is fatally stabbed by the Zeta Gundam.
Gallery[]
Character Designs[]
Anime[]
Illustrations & Artwork[]
Manga[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- "Scirocco" is an alternate spelling of sirocco, a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe.
- Scirocco is the first villain to not wear a normal suit in his final battle.
- Scirocco is also the only Newtype antagonist to not use any form of wired or wireless weaponry in his mobile suit, and one of the very few in the entire franchise to not do so.
- Even though Commander Ted Ayachi technically outranks Scirocco, he is shown behaving as a subordinate to him.
Appearances[]
- Television Series
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
- Episode 10, Reunion
- First Appearance
- Episode 11, Entering the Atmosphere
- Episode 29, Crisis at Side 2
- Flashback(s) Only
- Episode 45, Coming From the Heavens
- Episode 50, Riders in the Skies
- Deceased
- Episode 10, Reunion
- Movies
References[]
- ↑ Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Episode 10, Reunion
- ↑ Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Episode 32, Unidentified Mobile Suits
- ↑ Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Episode 34, The Call of Darkness
- ↑ Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Episode 46, Scirocco Rises
- ↑ Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Episode 48, The Mirror of Rosamia