Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny/Characters

A summary page for the various characters in Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny. Many are also characters from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Note that all spoilers concerning the previous show are left unmarked here.

NOTE: This series is particularly prone to Alternative Character Interpretation; please be conscious of such and remember that your take on a given character is not the only possible way to look at them. Do not remove tropes highlighting "opposing" intepretations unless they are flat-out factually incorrect.

Voice Actors: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese), Matthew Erickson (English)
""Do you people want another war?""

The show's (initial) protagonist. His family was killed attempting to flee when the Earth Alliance invaded Orb during the First Bloody Valentine War; he became a refugee and ended up in the PLANTs. He blames Orb (and the Athha family in particular) for their deaths, and carries a lot of hatred for both. He joined ZAFT and became a Redcoat alongside Rey Za Burrel and Lunamaria Hawke as the pilot of the Impulse, Minerva's flagship Gundam.

Shinn has a problem with authority figures in general; he tends to lash out at his immediate superiors and resents being given orders. Despite this, he relies heavily on his peers for support; Rey acts as his moral compass, while Lunamaria provides him with much-needed emotional support.

Pilots the ZGMF-X56S Impulse, a Combining Mecha with three Silhouette Packs which specialize in one combat aspect, and then the ZGMF-X42S Destiny, an all-around Gundam.


 * Anti Hero: Type III at first, gradually shifting to Type IV. He's not a bad kid, he just has a lot of issues.
 * Anti Villain: One of the best examples in the Gundam franchise. No one does all the wrong things for all the right reasons like he does. Starts as a Type IV then moves up to Type III.
 * Badass
 * Heartbroken Badass
 * Bash Brothers: With Rey, after acquiring the Destiny and the Legend, respectively; Shinn fights head-on, while Rey provides long-range support.
 * The Berserker: Shinn's anger is his driving motivation. Throw in a love of close-combat, a huge ego, and little consideration for his own safety, plus access to SEED Mode and you have a recipe for some serious face-wrecking.
 * BFS: Shinn is fond of them, on both the Impulse and the Destiny.
 * Bigger Stick: The Destiny is superior to any mech the Earth Forces have, and allows Shinn to run rampant for a while. It thus comes as a rather nasty shock to him when the equally powerful Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice arrive on the battlefield.
 * Black and White Morality: Shinn's biggest problem is his inability to see anything in shades of grey. He and his friends are right, everyone else is wrong, and away we go.
 * Black and White Insanity: He's not insane per se, but his obsessive belief in Black and White Morality is certainly unhealthy, and is portrayed that way.
 * Break the Haughty: Compare his attitude after disobeying orders to to that after . And there's his reactions once Kira and Athrun make their comeback.
 * The Brute: Shinn really wouldn't know what "subtle" means even if it slapped him in the face. He's far from stupid, but favors brute force over anything else, and only resorts to tactics when he absolutely has to, making him this to the Chairman, post-perspective flip.
 * Byronic Hero
 * Character Development: Gets the most of any character in the series, all of it negative. He starts out as a relatively sympathetic Jerk With a Heart of Gold with anger and depression issues. But as the series progresses his personality conflict with Athrun, war-trauma, stress from his relationship with Stella, and inability to see beyond moral absolutes slowly eat away at his sanity. He becomes increasingly convinced of his own self-righteousness, even as he grows more unstable by the minute, and has to rely on Rey to justify his actions and Lunamaria to keep him from being completely consumed by rage. finally break him, leaving him more susceptible to Rey and Durandal's manipulations than ever. When he loses his Sympathetic POV, he is eventually shown the way the Archangel crew sees him: an Anti Villain with lots of issues.
 * Combining Mecha: His Impulse is composed of three parts -- Core Splendor, Chest Flyer and Leg Flyer, as well as the Silhouette Packs that change its combat capability.
 * Corporal Punishment: Shinn gets punched by Athrun twice -- after disobeying orders, and after . Bragging about to their face is neither intelligent nor kind, Shinn.
 * Dead Little Sister: Most of his character can be traced back to his family's -- and in particular his little sister Mayu's -- death.
 * Decoy Protagonist: We follow Shinn for the first half of the series, learning to sympathise with him and his point of view. Than Durandal is outed as the villain, the POV shifts, and Kira and Athrun become the protagonists.
 * Emo Teen: He's often accused of this by the fanbase and he certainly is very angsty. Then again, he has reasons for it and no one around him is helping him get over it.
 * Expy: Shinn owes a lot to Kamille Bidan of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and more or less shows what the latter might have become without proper guidance.
 * Foil: Shinn is what Athrun would've become had he chosen loyalty over conscience. There's also some parallels to how Kira could have become if he'd chosen emotion over reason or allowed himself to obsess over the past.
 * Genius Bruiser
 * Good Looking Privates: In a Troubled but Cute sort of way.
 * Heel Face Turn: Whatever one thinks of his motivations or whether he was right or not,.
 * Heroic Wannabe: He's a good kid and he means well, but he's far too screwed up to ever be The Hero.
 * Hero With an F In Good: God knows he tries, but he just can't seem to get anything right. He seems to realize this, as well, which only adds to his frustration.
 * Hot Blooded
 * Hypocrite: He's outraged by what the Earth Forces have done to Stella, and is enraged when Kira--who had no other options available--cuts her down in the middle of a fight, going so far as to try and get revenge on him for it. He himself does the exact same thing to Auel and Sting (who he is fully aware are Extended) without batting an eye.
 * He also got his start with his family dying in a war. What does he do? Fight in wars. Especially bad once his side invades the country that his family died in essentially making a cycle of pain.
 * I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Mayu was already this; then bites the dust as well.
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold: Approaches being a full-fledged Jerkass as the series progresses, especially after.
 * Lightning Bruiser: The Destiny -- it has a BFS and a BFG, as well as "Voiture Lumiere" system, which allows it to grow wings of light and create disorienting aftereffects with its high-speed movement.
 * Mecha Expansion Pack: The Impulse's Silhouette Packs -- Force (flight), Sword (melee) and Blast (long-range).
 * Mid Season Upgrade: The Destiny.
 * Military Maverick: Displays no respect for the chain of command, and frequently disobeys orders, yet is allowed to get away with it due to his skill.
 * Mood Swinger: Like you would not believe. He shifts from almost catatonically depressed to berserker rage to cheerful and back at a frightening rate. Gets worse as he suffers his Sanity Slippage.
 * Moral Myopia: Shinn has a lot of trouble understanding or sympathising with the actions of anyone outside his small group of friends. When a ZAFT pilot is killed, it's the actions of an EA monster. When an EA pilot is killed, even if it's just some poor bastard doing his job, it's heroism. This is especially obvious with regards to the Extended--it isn't okay for Kira to kill Stella, who Shinn was in love with, but his own take downs of Auel and Sting (whom he very clearly recognises) were entirely necessary.
 * Multiform Balance: The Impulse's Silhouette Packs. Force has good mobility but its offense isn't particularly impressive, Sword has little long-range firepower but carries a BFS that dominates in melee, and Blast trades speed for power.
 * One Man Army: Once he gets the Destiny.
 * Parental Abandonment: His mom, dad, and sister were all killed in the previous war.
 * Power Trio: One of the only consistent group dynamics in the series; Shinn is the Id, Luna the Ego, and Rey the Superego.
 * Reality Is Unrealistic: Shinn keeps Mayu's cell phone, occasionally listening to her "leave a message after the beep" recording. It's really not that uncommon for survivors of tragedies to hold onto keepsakes, but try telling that to some of the fandom.
 * Red Eyes Take Warning
 * Replacement Goldfish: Some see his relationship with Stella as romantic. Others believe that she's a substitute for his deceased sister, Mayu.
 * Rescue Romance: If you interpret his relationship with Stella as a romantic one. He not only saves her from drowning during their first meeting, he later prevents her from dying on the Minerva by returning her to Neo.
 * Revenge: He makes it very clear when he goes after the Freedom that he sees it as a way of paying Kira back for Stella. One could argue that revenge on the EA was what motivated him to sign on with ZAFT in the first place.
 * Revenge Before Reason
 * Rummage Sale Reject: Off duty, Shinn more or less dresses like a homeless guy, mixing and matching scarves, sleeveless shirts, and you name it. Likely justified by his standoffish personality and living as an orphan on a military salary.
 * Sanity Slippage: His mental health takes a dramatic turn for the worse over the course of the series. It's not until the epilogue that he even starts to recover.
 * Screaming Warrior: Usually while hacking things to bits with his BFS.
 * Second Love:, after they each lose their respective first choices.
 * Skilled but Naive: It would be hard to find anyone in this show who's more Badass than Shinn. It would also be hard to find anyone who's more gullible or easy to manipulate.
 * Star Crossed Lovers: A possible interpretation of his relationship with Stella. It certainly ends tragically enough.
 * Super Mode: Like Kira, Athrun, and Cagali, Shinn has access to SEED mode, entering it in almost every battle he participates in. Unlike Athrun and Kira's, which seems to be activated at will, his is is entirely rage driven.
 * Survivor Guilt: Shinn's clearly suffering from a bad case of this in regards to his family; the situation with only makes it worse.
 * Sympathetic POV: Though he starts the series as the viewpoint character, he eventually loses it -- first to Athrun, and then to Kira.
 * Sympathy for The Devil: One of the few people to express any sympathy for the Extended.
 * There Are No Therapists: Kira and Athrun's lives would have been a lot easier had someone taken the terminally depressed kid who just watched his entire family die to see a shrink. Or at least anger-management. Then again, Durandal needs him to be that screwed up for his plans to work.
 * Tragic Keepsake: Mayu's cellphone.
 * Unstoppable Rage: His best weapon in a fight. He increasingly slips into bouts of this as his experiences in the war slowly gnaw into his sanity.
 * Unwitting Pawn: Shinn has no idea of the extent with which Rey and Durandal are pulling his strings and encouraging his madness, and he trusts the two of them to the very end.
 * Used to Be A Sweet Kid: The enraged berserker and the kid we see playing with his sister in the flashbacks don't really have a lot in common.
 * With Us or Against Us: Starts expressing this kind of attitude as the war progresses.
 * Would Hit a Girl: Shinn makes a pretty determined effort to kill.

Voice Actors: Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese), Maryke Hendrikse (English)
One of the Minerva trio of ZAFT Redcoats. Relatively little is known about her backstory, compared to Shinn and Rey. She's cheerful and outgoing, which balances out Shinn's frequently-wrathful disposition and Rey's nigh-disturbing calmness. Her sister, Meyrin, is one of the Minerva's Bridge Bunnies. After Athrun joins the Minerva, she develops a slight crush on him, but it goes away after.

She is the pilot of a red ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior and later inherits the Impulse after her ZAKU gets trashed and Shinn upgrades to the Destiny.


 * Ace Custom: Her ZAKU Warrior is a standard Mook unit, except painted red.
 * Action Girl: While not as over-the-top badass as the other main characters, Luna holds her own against Extendeds and Gundams, despite piloting a ZAKU for most of the series.
 * Faux Action Girl: On the other hand, some consider her this because, while competent, she never really does anything particularly impressive, like conclusively defeating another main character. See also the Never Live It Down entry, on the YMMV subpage.
 * BFG: On her ZAKU Gunner.
 * BFS: On the Impulse. She actually seems better with it than she was with her ZAKU's BFG.
 * Celeb Crush: On Athrun. She seems a tad dissapointed when she meets the real him.
 * The Chick: To Shinn's The Hero/The Big Guy and Rey's The Lancer/The Smart Guy.
 * The Dark Chick: If Durandal is the Anti-Villainous Big Bad, Rey is The Dragon and Shinn is The Brute, then Luna is this post-perspective flip.
 * Custom Uniform of Sexy: Her uniform consists of a standard ZAFT redcoat on top...
 * Zettai Ryouiki: ...and a pink miniskirt with thigh-high socks on bottom.
 * Genki Girl: At first, she's cheerful and energetic, and fawns shamelessly over Athrun. Later on... less so.
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Idiot Hair
 * Lady in Red
 * Mid Season Upgrade: The Impulse may be an older Gundam, but it's a huge cut above her Zaku.
 * Overshadowed By Awesome: Luna's a perfectly competent pilot, capable of holding her own with Stella's Gaia using only a ZAKU Warrior. Unfortunately for her, she's on the same team as Shinn and Rey, has yet to register a major kill, and ends up going up against Neo and then Athrun in the finale.
 * Plot Induced Stupidity: Given her spying mission on Athrun, she's within a hairsbreadth of realizing the truth of their situation. She proceeds to do nothing with this information for the rest of the series (though it seems to color her attitude somewhat).
 * Power Trio: One of the only consistent group dynamics in the series; Shinn is the Id, Luna the Ego, and Rey the Superego. She seems to have trouble mediating between the other two though.
 * Second Love:, after they each lose their respective first choices.
 * Shorttank: While undoubtedly attractive, Luna isn't nearly as feminine as other female cast members.
 * Token Good Teammate: Post-perspective flip. It's not like any of her teammates are truly evil, but Luna's the only one who manages to keep her sense of perspective and avoid going totally over the line.
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: The tomboy to Meyrin's girly girl.

Voice Actors: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), Kirby Morrow (English)
""I am !""

The third of the Minerva's pilot trio. He is calm, stoic, and loyal to Durandal -- his adoptive father -- as well as a mentor to Shinn, providing some much-needed stability to offset Shinn's volatile emotions. When the others are confused, questioning, or doubtful, it's Rey who brings them back to focus on their mission. Eventually revealed to be. At the finale, he.

He pilots a white ZGMF-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom, performing the same function as Lunamaria (standing atop the Minerva and providing fire support). Eventually he gets his own Gundam -- the ZGMF-X666S Legend -- and begins to demonstrate exactly what he is capable of; he and Shinn provide most of the muscle for ZAFT in the later battles.


 * Ace Custom: His Blaze Zaku Phantom, a Mecha Mook pained white.
 * Anti Villain
 * Arch Enemy: Would like to be Kira's, as revealed near the end.
 * Attack Drone: The Legend is the Providence's Spiritual Successor, hence DRAGOONs are to be expected among his repetoire. Eight of them deploy lasers; the other two are outfitted with beam swords. Unlike the Providence's DRAGOONs, they can be fired while attached to the Legend, as well as after deployment.
 * Avenging the Villain: We're never really told how much this plays into his motivations, but given his obsession with killing it seems likely that this is a driving factor in Rey's life.
 * Badass Long Hair
 * Beam Spam: With the Legend.
 * Bishonen: Probably the prettiest member of the male cast.
 * Long Haired Pretty Boy
 * Blond Guys Are Evil: Though he never does anything just to emphasize his evil, he's definitely willing to do anything for Durandal's vision to come true.
 * Blue Eyes: Of the cool and unflinching type.
 * Cloning Blues: Unsurprisingly (given his blond hair, blue eyes, and oddly constructed last name), Rey is a clone of the La Flaga line (though it's unclear exactly who he's a clone of). He considers himself the, an idea encouraged by Durandal.
 * Clones Are People Too:.
 * The Dragon: Tries desperately to be Durandal's.
 * Foil: To . See Nietzsche Wannabe for how.
 * Freak Out: He has one at the Extended factory, foreshadowing both his clone status and his eventual Villainous Breakdown.
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Kick the Son of A Bitch: Vaporizes by firing through the bridge of his battleship while the latter is trying to escape from yet another losing battle.
 * The Last Dance/Living On Borrowed Time: Only drugs keep him going, yet he'll still die within a few months. This clearly factors into his desire to see the Destiny Plan implemented soon.
 * Light Is Not Good: White suit, blonde hair, blue eyes... you know the drill by now.
 * Manipulative Bastard: He has Shinn wrapped around his little finger for the entire series, is more or less running the Minerva by the end, and nearly drove Kira into a Heroic BSOD during the final battle by.
 * Mid Season Upgrade: The Legend
 * More Dakka: The specialty of his Legend.
 * Nietzsche Wannabe: Subverted. Rey consciously rejects Rau-style Omnicidal Mania, believing instead that Utopia Justifies the Means.
 * Number of the Beast: ZGMF-X666S Legend.
 * The Quiet One: During Athrun's time on the Minerva.
 * The Political Officer: Very quietly plays this role on the Minerva, subverting Gladys' role as captain, and ensuring that Luna, Shinn, and the rest of the crew stay loyal to the Chairman.
 * Power Trio: One of the only consistent group dynamics in the series; Shinn is the Id, Luna the Ego, and Rey the Superego.
 * The Reveal: A rather subdued one, when Shinn (and the viewers) saw him taking some of Rau's trademark little pills, and he casually remarks that he suffers from short telomeres, which confirms his status as a clone.
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic: During his Freak Out at the Extended Factory, and his Villainous Breakdown at the end.
 * Sympathy for The Devil: He expresses some sympathy for Stella. Whether this is genuine or part of a plan to bring Shinn even closer to him is left unanswered by the show. He also has some sympathy for.
 * Used to Be A Sweet Kid: If Durandal's flashbacks are any indicator.
 * Utopia Justifies the Means: Why Rey is loyal to Durandal; he honestly believes that Durandal's world will be a better one.
 * Villainous Breakdown: An utterly epic one, during the final battle. Kira convinces him that . Rey takes this rather hard. By the end, he's crying for his mother.
 * Well Intentioned Extremist: In the same vein as Durandal. Having seen what his "brother" tried to do, Rey is convinced that something has to change.
 * With Us or Against Us
 * With Us or Against Us

Voice Actors: Akira Ishida (Japanese), Samuel Vincent (English)
""The enemy? And who are they?""

A veteran of the first Bloody Valentine War, and an old friend (and enemy) of Kira Yamato's. He rejoins ZAFT when war breaks out once again and is assigned to the Minerva. His accomplishments and fame earn him the adoration of much of the crew, apart from the surly Shinn. He initially opposes his old friends on the Archangel, citing their actions as doing nothing but make the conflict worse, but he ultimately.

He pilots the ZGMF-X23S Saviour while onboard the Minerva, a Transforming Mecha just like his Aegis from two years ago, and eventually obtains the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice, a melee-oriented Gundam and the Justice's Spiritual Successor.


 * The Ace: The Minerva's crew treat him like this...
 * Broken Ace: ...but he doesn't live up to his own standards, and is very conflicted about what's right.
 * Aesop Amnesia: After Lacus confronts him with a To Be Lawful or Good decision two years ago, he chose to listen to his conscience, rejected a "My Country Right or Wrong" mentality, and tried to bring about genuine peace. By the beginning of Destiny, he seems to have forgotten all that, signs up with ZAFT again, and has to undergo the whole process a second time. Admittedly, round two was a lot quicker and much less angsty.
 * Badass: Piloting a Gundam while dealing with a gaping chest wound gets you serious Badass points.
 * Big Brother Mentor: He tries to be this for Shinn, but Shinn's not really interested, and Athrun doesn't have the people skills to pull it off.
 * Chick Magnet: Despite (or because of) being somewhat stilted and awkward, women throw themselves at Athrun.
 * Corporal Punishment: Administers it to Shinn a few times. It doesn't take.
 * Determinator: Though he tends to waver when he's uncertain of himself, once he makes up his mind he's bloody unstoppable. See Freedom vs. Saviour for the former and for the latter.
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait: Oh my, yes.
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Green Eyes
 * Heroic Self Deprecation: Athrun's opinion of himself and ZAFT's hero-worship of him do not exactly match up.
 * Knight in Sour Armour: Some things never change.
 * The Lancer: To.
 * Law of Chromatic Superiority: What is it with Athrun and red Gundams?
 * Lightning Bruiser: In the Infinite Justice. The Saviour is more of a Fragile Speedster or Jack of All Stats.
 * Multi Melee Master: Athrun takes this to new levels of insanity in his by having two beam sabers, a beam blade in its shield, beam blades on its wings, legs, and it sports a rocket anchor that he never actually uses. To top it off he uses its beam shield as a makeshift melee weapon.
 * Mythology Gag: His "Alex Dino" disguise wearing Cool Shades is an obvious reference to Char Aznable's Quattro Bajeena persona in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. And the one who revealed his identity? Gilbert Durandal, who shares the same voice as Quattro/Char himself!
 * Older and Wiser: Though in a subversion, his experience and advice doesn't really make much of a difference. If anything, they create a bigger gap between himself and the more idealistic Shinn.
 * Reluctant Warrior: Athrun still doesn't want to fight, but unlike Kira he doesn't go out of his way to avoid killing when he does fight.
 * Secret Keeper: For Meer. She confides on him about her role as Lacus's Body Double, and he doesn't spill the beans about it.
 * Shell Shocked Veteran: Not a full on example, but he's definitely got some aspects of this trope. May or may not explain his Aesop Amnesia.
 * Silly Rabbit Idealism Is for Kids: The contrast between cynical, war-weary Athrun and the idealistic, patriotic (and badly misguided) Shinn couldn't be much stronger.
 * Spell My Name With an S: An odd example: The Saviour, its official (Anglophone) name, is frequently rendered as Saber in Japanese sources, as the official name and the katakana used for it are at odds with each other. Specifically, it's not possible to get "Saviour" out of the katakana as the katakana lacks an "i" syllable. There's also the usual thing with "Savior" vs "Saviour"
 * Supporting Protagonist: For both Shinn and Kira.
 * Transforming Mecha: The Saviour, which converts into a jet-like mobile armour.
 * Mid Season Upgrade: The Infinite Justice
 * Would Hit a Girl: As Lunamaria can attest.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair
 * Zen Survivor
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese), Nicole Bouma (English)
A Bridge Bunny on board the Minerva, and Lunamaria's little sister. Like her sister, she crushes on Athrun. She doesn't have much of a significant role in the story until she gets pulled into.


 * Adrenaline Makeover: She wore Girlish Pigtails until, after which she let her hair loose.
 * Bridge Bunny
 * Celeb Crush: On Athrun Zala.
 * Distracted By the Sexy: Deliberately Invoked via Modesty Towel in order to delay some soldiers. She wasn't even naked underneath the towel!
 * Hero Worshipper: Has a serious hero-crush on Athrun.
 * Nice Girl
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: The girly girl To Luna's tomboy.
 * The Unfavorite: Seems to consider herself this. She shows occasional bouts of jealousy over Luna's popularity (for example, trying on Luna's pink miniskirt while Luna was in the shower -- and becoming annoyed when it doesn't fit).

Voice Actors: Mami Koyama (Japanese), Venus Terzo (English)
Captain of the Minerva and Shinn's commanding officer. Tries very hard to be a fair commander, despite her authority being constantly ignored by Shinn and occasionally subverted by Durandal and Rey. Her second in command doesn't help any. Later revealed to be an old flame of Durandal's, she remains loyal to him and to ZAFT despite her doubts.


 * Actor Allusion: She's shown to have feelings for Durandal. Her voice actor did Kycilia Zabi. His did Char Aznable.
 * Authority in Name Only: By the end of the war, her authority has been completely subverted by Rey.
 * Broken Bird: Her history with Durandal left her one of the more jaded and resigned of the cast, especially where he's concerned.
 * The Captain
 * The Good Captain: She really, really tries.
 * Commissar Cap
 * Cool Ship: The Minerva. It's named after the Roman goddess of war, which only serves to make an already cool ship more awesome still.
 * Foil: She is what Murrue Ramius would've become had she chosen to be loyal instead of listening to her conscience.
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Modesty Bedsheet: She uses it during one time with Durandal.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Tries hard to be one. It's a tough job though, considering the kind of crew she has to deal with.
 * The Rival: She and the Minerva are very much the Morally Ambiguous Counterparts to Murrue and the Archangel.
 * Team Mom: She tries, but she isn't really emotionally equipped for it, Rey's presence means her authority is being constantly subverted, and her crew's problems are just too much for her to handle.
 * To Be Lawful or Good: Chose lawful.
 * Woman in White
 * To Be Lawful or Good: Chose lawful.
 * Woman in White

Voice Actors: Hiroki Takahashi(Japanese), Jonathan Holmes (English)
Talia's second-in-command, Arthur is a likeable and competent, if remarkably panicky officer. Totally loyal to Captain Gladys, he has a good rapport with Shinn and the other pilots.


 * British Accents
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Arthur's goofy and inexperienced but is never shown to be less than competent at his job.
 * Commissar Cap
 * Cowardly Lion: Arthur is nervy, jumpy, and prone to freaking out, yet he's a perfectly capable officer, sticks by Gladys' side to the end, and adapts remarkably well to the Minerva's increasingly crazy plans.
 * Ensign Newbie: Unlike Gladys, Arthur is not a veteran. Fortunately, he's the Number Two, not The Captain, and acquits himself fairly well.
 * Good Looking Privates: Though that's pretty much par for the course for SEED and Destiny.
 * Nice Guy: Arthur is a rarity in this show--hell, in this franchise--an unamiguously affable guy.
 * Non Action Guy
 * Number Two: To Talia
 * Subordinate Excuse: May have a bit of a crush on Talia.
 * You Gotta Have Green Hair

Voice Actors: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese), Lalainia Lindbjerg (English)
""Shinn... protect Stella...""

One of the Extended (a group of drug-enhanced Naturals who can fight on par with Coordinators), Stella is first seen participating in the Armoury One raid. While in battle she behaves like a berserker, off-duty she is childlike and innocent, curious over even the most mundane of things. She also sees Neo as a father-figure. She has a huge fear of death -- she fights so aggressively because she's afraid of her enemies, and so lashes out at them. She develops a relationship with Shinn, and is briefly held captive by ZAFT before Shinn returns her to the Earth Forces. Soon afterwards she is.

She is at first the pilot of the ZGMF-X88S Gaia Gundam (re-coded as RGX-03), a Transforming Mecha that can turn into a fox-like mobile armor suited for ground combat, and later is placed in the cockpit of the first GFAS-X1 Destroy Gundam, which is a humongous Gundam of mass destruction.


 * Ax Crazy: Beneath her Cloudcuckoolander exterior she's just as violently insane as (if far more pitiable than) Auel.
 * Bigger Stick: The Destroy is a 400-tonne stick.
 * Blondes Are Evil: Or at least enormously destructive.
 * Brainwashed and Crazy
 * Broken Bird: The process that made her an Extended did not leave her mind in good shape.
 * Character Development: As with Shinn, it's all negative. Neo's mindwipes, combined with increased exposure to drugs, and the general stress of both war and her relationship with Shinn cause Stella regress further and further into childhood as a means of mental defense. By the end, she's not much more than a frightened little girl.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: A dark version, underscoring her mental problems.
 * Custom Uniform of Sexy: Though not quite as blatant as Luna's, if only because all three Extended have modified their uniforms to some extent.
 * Zettai Ryouiki
 * Dark Action Girl
 * The Dark Chick: Compare her Cloudcuckoolander behavior to that of her teammates, Ax Crazy Auel and cold-blooded Sting, let alone Neo Roanoke's. She's definitely the odd one out, and it only gets worse as trauma causes her to regress further and further into her childhood.
 * Drugs Are Bad
 * Evil Is Bigger: The Destroy
 * Expy: Anyone who has watched Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam will notice that she's a mix of Four Murasame and Rosamia Badam, following the former's character arc, but possessing the latter's personality.
 * Innocent Fanservice Girl: She warmly smiles at a blushing Shinn when they had to sit naked together next to a campfire as their clothes dry...
 * The Gwen Stacy: For Shinn.
 * Idiot Savant: She barely functions above the level of a three or four year old, but give her a weapon or get her behind the controls of a Gundam, and she becomes every bit as dangerous (if not more dangerous than) as Auel and Sting.
 * The Juggernaut: When she's turned loose in the Destroy she slaughters half of Eurasia, forcing her way through cities and entire armies before finally being stopped in downtown Berlin.
 * Lack of Empathy: Given that she's barely aware that other people exist this shouldn't surprise anyone. If your name isn't Shinn or Neo, you aren't real to Stella. You're just one of the "scary things!"
 * Magic Skirt: Both her civilian and military outfits miraculously prevent Panty Shots.
 * Meet Cute: With Shinn.
 * Mid Season Upgrade: The Destroy
 * Mighty Glacier: The Destroy, though she's more mobile than most, bludgeoning her way through much of Eurasia and into the heart of Berlin.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: The GFAS-X1 Destroy.
 * One Man Army: Not at first--although she's very good--but once she gets into the Destroy, she's essentially unstoppable.
 * Power Trio: The Id, to Auel's Ego, and Sting's Superego.
 * Psychopathic Womanchild: She's mentally very, very young. Unusually for this trope it just makes her more sympathetic and not less.
 * Psycho Serum: As part of the process that makes her an Extended.
 * Purple Eyes
 * The Rival: At times, can be seen as Lunamaria's.
 * Sanity Slippage: She was already unstable, and the stress of the war sends her overboard into Ax Crazy, although she remains sympathetic.
 * Screaming Woman
 * Slave Mook
 * Small Girl Big Gun: More accurately a childlike girl with the Destroy.
 * Sociopathic Soldier: Though not to the same degree as Sting and Auel. She's insane, not evil.
 * Spell My Name With an S: Japanese sources list her name as "Stellar". North American sources, as well as the R1 DVDs, use "Stella".
 * Star Crossed Lovers/Like Brother and Sister: Her relationship with Shinn.
 * Stellar Name
 * Strange Girl: How Shinn sees her.
 * Super Soldier: Though you'd never know it to look at her.
 * Third Person Person
 * Tragic Monster/Tragic Villain: Stella didn't ask to be turned into an Extended or to be turned loose on Shinn, whom she genuinely seems to have cared about. By the time we meet her though, it's far too late to change any of that.
 * Transforming Mecha: The Gaia can transform between bipedal and quadreped forms; later, she gets the Destroy, which has a mobile armor and a mobile suit mode.
 * Trigger Phrase: Mention the possibility of her death in her hearing and she flips out. Most notably used on her by Auel during the Armory One raid, but Shinn also manages to hit it entirely by accident.
 * Tyke Bomb: Bred and trained for Phantom Pain.
 * Vapor Wear: She's not wearing a bra in her civilian outfit, at least.
 * Weapon of Mass Destruction: The Destroy series is built with mass destruction in mind.
 * With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Seems to be the case with all the Extended, but it's most obvious with her.
 * With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Seems to be the case with all the Extended, but it's most obvious with her.

Voice Actors: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese), Trevor Devall (English)
""Sometimes I wonder when I crossed the line and became a wicked man.""

Lord Djibril's mysterious, masked right-hand man and Phantom Pain's field leader. Neo and his team are the major antagonists for the first half of the series. Though a skilled pilot himself, he mostly acts as commanding officer. Quite the Manipulative Bastard, he generally uses his abilities in that field to keep his subordinates as stable and sane as possible. He's eventually shot down and captured by the Archangel, where it's revealed that.


 * Ace Custom: His purple-coloured Exus mobile armor and Windam mobile suit.
 * Amnesiac Dissonance: Meeting Murrue touches off a bad case of it.
 * Attack Drone: His TS-MA4F Exus mobile armour features four of them..
 * Badass
 * Badass Normal: He's not a Coordinator or Extended and doesn't have SEED mode or a Gundam, but regularly fights on the same level as pilots who are/do.
 * Big Brother Mentor: Still projects this aura. This is a bad thing for people who might like to be objective about things like, oh, trusting him.
 * Bling Bling Bang: The . The characters actually have to avert their eyes!
 * Blond Guys Are Evil: And sneaky. And manipulative. And a whole lot of other things.
 * Blue Eyes
 * Broken Ace: In.
 * The Captain: For Phantom Pain and the Girty Lue.
 * The Good Captain: In a word, no.
 * Char Clone: Blonde, masked enigmatic Ace Pilot who is also The Dragon and The Rival? Ayep, he's a Char.
 * Cool Plane/Space Fighter: The TS-MA4F Exus. An upgraded version of the Mobius Zero from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, it's armed with wire-guided gunpods, missile launchers, and a heavy-machinegun. He's able to successfully outmanouvere Shinn and Rey (at the same time!) with it, making it a very Cool Plane indeed. He later pilots a Skygrasper.
 * Cool Ship: Commands the first-of-its-kind Girty Lue assault carrier, which is essentially an Archangel-class with the Lohengrin removed in favor of a Mirage Colloid system, a stealth propulsion engine, and a hanger room for an entire strike force of mobile suits.
 * Covered With Scars
 * Criminal Amnesiac:, courtesy of Djibril.
 * Death From Above: Delivered in his Windam. Generally, he and Sting provided the Earth Forces with air support.
 * The Dragon: To Djibril, leading both the Navy and Phantom Pain for him. Overlaps with Hypercompetent Sidekick as he, and not his boss, is the reason for most of the Earth Forces' military successes.
 * Evil Mentor: To the Extended.
 * Fragile Speedster/Glass Cannon: The GAT-04 Windam, which blows up with alarming frequency, but is fast, and has a beam rifle, which lets it one hit KO anything that isn't a Gundam. Neo, being Neo, simply expects to not get hit.
 * Good Scars Evil Scars: He proves to have extensive scarring all over his body, including his face. Despite being covered up with a mask, however, it's non-disfiguring.
 * He's Back:.
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick: To Djibril. Not a case of Dragon in Chief though, as Djibril is very much in charge (and is by far the more evil of the two of them).
 * Ignored Epiphany: Neo is fully aware that he's an incredibly bad person. He also thinks he's gone too far to turn back now..
 * Invisibility Cloak: The Girty Lue carries both the Mirage Colloid system, which allows it to achieve radar and line-of-sight invisibility, and a stealth propulsion system that uses pressurised jets of gas to avoid detection by thermal sensors.
 * I've Come Too Far: Neo crossed his personal Moral Event Horizon when he first started working with the Extended. He doesn't feel like there is any going back now.
 * Karma Houdini: Avoids responsibility for the variety of crap he pulled while leading Phantom Pain. May be because at the time. Also,  don't know about most of the things Neo did.
 * Know When to Fold Em: Unlike Djibril, Neo knows when to cut his losses. He retreats from any battle or personal engagement once he becomes aware that it's untenable, and he has nothing to gain.
 * Lightning Bruiser: . See Cagali's entry for more on that.
 * Manipulative Bastard: He controls the Extended by playing off of their worst fears, and promises Shinn he'll keep Stella away from the battlefield, . Worst part is that this may actually have been best for everyone involved.
 * Mask Power
 * Mid Season Upgrade:
 * Official Couple: With.
 * Overshadowed By Awesome: Neo is an absoultely lethal pilot, but his use of first a mobile armour and then a Windam can cause this to be overlooked.
 * Parental Substitute/Team Dad: Sinister version. Stella sees him as a father figure, and he certainly plays the role to all three Extended, but it's equal parts sympathy and just keeping them under control.
 * Pet the Dog: He's the only person other than Shinn to express any concern for the Extended, or even treat them like human beings. Whether this is genuine, or an attempt to manipulate them (or both) is really left open.
 * Pragmatic Villainy: Neo has no interest in pointless destruction. It's not efficent.
 * Real Men Wear Pink: Well they wear black, actually, but they fly modified bright pink Windams. His Exus mobile armour was pink as well.
 * The Rival: To Rey, mainly at the beginning.
 * Zen Survivor
 * The Rival: To Rey, mainly at the beginning.
 * Zen Survivor
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Tadahisa Saizen (Japanese), Lee Tockar (English)
Neo's second-in-command, Ian usually runs the ship while Neo takes care of strategy. A capable officer, he seems to get along well with his boss, despite the latter's eccentricities.


 * The Captain: Oddly, yes. He's the actual captain of the Girty Lue, although he's outranked by Neo.
 * Commissar Cap
 * Blond Guys Are Evil: Punch Clock Villains anyway.
 * Non Action Guy
 * Number Two: To Neo
 * Punch Clock Villain

Voice Actors: Masakazu Morita (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English)
Another Extended member of Phantom Pain. Auel is usually easygoing and cheerful, which translates into mocking arrogance (and at times outright sadism) in battle. His blockword is "mother", apparently because one female scientist was kind to him during his days as a test subject.

He pilots the ZGMF-X31S Abyss (re-coded as RGX-02), a Transforming Mecha which can turn into a stingray-like mobile armor that enhances its performance in amphibious combat.


 * Ax Crazy: Probably the worst of the three, at least initially.
 * Blood Knight: Though whether it's the fighting or the killing that he likes more is open to debate.
 * Brainwashed and Crazy
 * The Brute: To Neo's Dragon, and Stella's Dark Chick.
 * Cute Little Fangs
 * Drugs Are Bad
 * Evil Laugh: Way too often.
 * Expy: He's pretty much a stabler version of Shani, from the pre-Extended trio. They were even supposed to share the same voice actor in English, before Richard Ian Cox got caught up with other commitments.
 * Guns Akimbo: In the first episode, with submachine guns.
 * Hot Sub On Sub Action: Sinks a ZAFT command sub while in submarine mode.
 * Kick the Dog: Probably the nastiest of the three, as evidenced by his use of Stella's Trigger Phrase as well as his sneering disregard for other people's lives.
 * Knight Templar Big Brother: Towards Stella. When a soldier attempts to move her out of the way by grabbing her, Auel's reaction is to almost stab the guy to death.
 * Lack of Empathy: He's a sneering, arrogant bully who treats everyone--excepting Sting and maybe Stella--as though they deserve to die.
 * Mommy Issues
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: The Abyss Gundam. I don't even want to pilot that, let alone fight it.
 * Pet the Dog: See Knight Templar Big Brother It doesn't make up for his sadism or cruelty, but it's nice to see the drugs left something human behind.
 * Power Trio: The Ego (tending towards Id), to Sting's Superego, and Stella's Id.
 * Psycho Serum: As part of the process that makes him an Extended.
 * Put the Laughter In Slaughter
 * The Rival: To Shinn in the first half of the series.
 * Sinister Scythe: The Abyss is armed with one.
 * Slasher Smile
 * Slave Mook
 * Sociopathic Soldier: Whoo boy. Auel is having far too much fun whenever he gets behind the Abyss's controls.
 * Super Soldier
 * Transforming Mecha: The Abyss can transform into a mobile armor suited for underwater operations.
 * Trigger Phrase: His is "mother". Take from that what you will.
 * Tyke Bomb
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Type II with Sting.
 * With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: The Psycho Serum seems to have had the worst effect on Auel, as he's (initally at least) the least stable of the trio.
 * You Gotta Have Periwinkle Hair

Voice Actors: Junichi Suwabe (Japanese), Brent Miller (English)
The oldest and most stable member of Phantom Pain. Lacking Auel's bloodlust and Stella's childishness, he comes off as the most well-adjusted of the group, which is probably why he acts as the trio's unofficial leader. Following, he starts exhibiting Ax Crazy tendencies, and.

He's the pilot of the ZGMF-X24S Chaos (re-coded as RGX-01), a Transforming Mecha capable of transforming into a bird-like mobile armor, giving it an edge in aerial combat, and later another Destroy.


 * Ax Crazy: Late in the series he starts to exhibit these tendencies while piloting the Destroy.
 * Bare Your Midriff: In his civillian outfit.
 * Big Brother Mentor: Is a bit of one to Auel, albeit of the "hellishly dysfunctional family" variety.
 * Bigger Stick: The Destroy, 400-tonnes of murder.
 * Brainwashed and Crazy
 * Death From Above: He and Neo provide the air support.
 * Drugs Are Bad
 * Evil Genius: While not a genius by any stretch of the imagination, he fills The Smart Guy role in the Five Bad Band, largely by being the most rational of the three Extended.
 * Evil Is Bigger: The Destroy.
 * Evil Laugh: Sometimes; starts happening a lot more post-Sanity Slippage.
 * Expy: He's Clotho Bauer to Auel's Shani Andras. He also bears some similarities to Gates Capa of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the Only Sane Man among the Cyber-Newtypes.
 * Eyes of Gold
 * Genius Bruiser
 * Know When to Fold Em: He's the only member of the Phantom Pain trio with any concept of tactics, including when to retreat.
 * Lack of Empathy: He's got a better understanding of other people's emotions than Auel and Stella do, but at the end of the day, Sting's cold-blooded enough to utterly disregard them.
 * The Leader: Of the Extended (as Neo is normally busy running the war effort as a whole) and the Heaven's Base Destroys. He's a Type II, graduating to Type III at Heaven's Base (where he leads by example rather than instruction).
 * Mid Season Upgrade: From the Chaos to the Destroy, much to the dismay of ZAFT's Heaven's Base assault force.
 * Mighty Glacier: Sting pretty much uses the Destroy as a mobile pillbox, taking advantage of its massive firepower and heavy armour to survive attacks.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Both the Chaos and the Destroy. Arguably his real name as well (unless you're a big fan of The Police).
 * Only Sane Man: At least compared to Auel and Stella. He's certainly the only one with any common sense.
 * Power Trio: The Superego, to Auel's Ego and Stella's Id.
 * Psycho Serum: As part of the process that makes him an Extended.
 * Psychotic Smirk: Frequently. Becomes a full on Slasher Smile once he gets the Destroy.
 * Put the Laughter In Slaughter: Once he gets the Destroy.
 * The Rival: To an extent, with Athrun.
 * Sanity Slippage: Following and upon getting his hands on the Destroy.
 * Slave Mook
 * Sociopathic Soldier: For a guy who's normally cold-blooded and unemotional, Sting enjoys shooting enemy soldiers just a little too much. He might actually be the best example of the three, as he lacks Stella's handicaps and Auel's obvious craziness, yet still gets a real kick out of violence.
 * Super Soldier
 * Transforming Mecha: The Chaos can transform into a Space Fighter. And like Stella, he pilots the Destroy later in the series.
 * Tyke Bomb: Like all the other Extended.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Type II with Auel.
 * Weapon of Mass Destruction: Following he's given command of a Destroy, and leads a squadron of them at the Battle of Heaven's Base.
 * With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Like his fellow Extended, Sting is already a bit of a loose cannon, thanks to years of abuse and drug addiction (although compared to the "Druggies" he's a pillar of stability), but he truly flips when -- after already -- he gets his hands on the Destroy.
 * You Gotta Have Green Hair

Voice Actors: Hideyuki Hori (Japanese), Alistair Abell (English)
""And now, Gilbert Durandal, I will play a Requiem for you and all your kind!""

Azrael's successor as the leader of Blue Cosmos, and a major antagonist throughout the show, Lord Djibril is best described as a total bastard. Vicious, cruel, arrogant, and not especially bright, he wants to slaughter all Coordinators while simultaneously establishing his own control over the world. Responsible for the creation of the Extended,, and much of the misery in-series, he is.


 * Bad Boss: He uses drugs to control the Extended and brainwashing on Neo. He regularly leaves his men behind to die while he escapes, fully believes in We Have Reserves, and treats his subordinates like imbeciles. Pretty much the worst boss ever.
 * Big Bad: Of the Earth Forces, Blue Cosmos, and Phantom Pain's Five Bad Band. While he's not the only contender for the title of series' Big Bad, he's the only one that everyone--in-series and out--agrees is an irredeemable psycho with no good qualities.
 * Card Carrying Villain: Seriously, this guy makes Skeletor look complex...
 * Diabolical Mastermind: He's got the secret lair, hordes of minions, Ominous Multiple Screens, an Evil Plan, and a Right Hand Cat that this trope seems to demand. While intellectually he's no Lex Luthor, he still has the resources, influence, technology, and total disregard for human life to be a serious threat.
 * Dirty Coward: Granted he's a politician and not a soldier, but every time things go south, he's quick to bail and leave his troops in a lurch.
 * Evil Is Hammy: Of all the characters in show, he's easily the one who chews the most scenery. Somehow it just makes him all the more disgusting.
 * Eviler Than Thou: With Durandal. He's certainly the more evil of the two, but not the more competent.
 * Fantastic Racism: Against Coordinators. Like his predecessor Azrael, he wants to see them all exterminated, no matter what it takes.
 * Final Solution: Djibril has a vision for the future, and it doesn't include Coordinators.
 * General Failure: While he generally leaves the tactical decisions to Neo, Djibril's involvement in overall strategy frequently screws his own side over. See the business with the Destroy for a good example.
 * A Glass of Chianti
 * Green Eyes
 * Hair Trigger Temper: There's a lot of rage inside Djibril, and it's not particularly difficult to bring it out.
 * Lack of Empathy: The only person who matters to Djibril is Djibril.
 * The Man Behind the Man: To the Atlantic Federation and this particular incarnation of the Earth Sphere Alliance.
 * Meaningful Name: "Djibril" is the Arabic of "Gabriel", one of God's angels. It fits in nicely with his status as successor to Azrael, who was named for the Angel of Death.
 * Muggle Power
 * No Indoor Voice
 * Non Action Guy
 * Non Action Big Bad: Of the Earth Forces. Unlike Azrael, Djibril prefers to stay behind the lines, where it's safe.
 * Nuke Em: Tries to nuke the colonies right at the start of the war. The use of the Destroy could be seen as another example of this.
 * Obviously Evil: We first see him in a secret underground lair, surrounded by televisions, having A Glass of Chianti and stroking his Right Hand Cat.
 * Ominous Multiple Screens: Surrounds himself with TVs, through which he views the world and communicates with his subordinates.
 * Politically Incorrect Villain: He seems to lack Azrael's misogyny, but makes up for it in terms of how intense his Fantastic Racism is.
 * Psychotic Smirk: His usual expression.
 * Right Hand Cat
 * Sissy Villain: Subverted. He has the look certainly, but none of the attitude.
 * Smug Snake: He's sneeringly arrogant, none-too bright, void of redeeming qualities, and completely unlikeable.
 * The Sociopath: With his explosive temper, impulsiveness, and total Lack of Empathy, Djibril's a very good example of a low-functioning sociopath.
 * Stupid Evil: Djibril is very bad at keeping his violent tendencies in check, typically responding to any percieved threat or betrayal with overwhelming destructive force. This generally hurts his cause far more than it helps.
 * There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Between the nukes, the Destroy, and the Requiem, it's clear that he, like Azrael, is a firm believer in this trope.
 * Unwitting Pawn: Possibly of Durandal's, though it's never made clear whether the Chairman is using Djibril, or he is actively seeking his destruction.
 * War for Fun And Profit: If Durandal is to be believed, Djibril's real objective is to make as much money off of the conflict as he can. Given that Djibril was willing to nuke the colonies (which would presumably cost him half his clientele), it's worth questioning the veracity of this statement.
 * Weapons of Mass Destruction: Loves these as evidenced by the nuclear weapons, the colossal, city-killing Destroy, and the Requiem Wave Motion Gun.
 * We Have Reserves: Lives don't mean much to Djibril. He'll gladly throw away his troops if he thinks it'll let him win.
 * Younger Than They Look: He's only thirty-one. That makes him a year younger than Durandal and only three years older than Ramius.
 * Younger Than They Look: He's only thirty-one. That makes him a year younger than Durandal and only three years older than Ramius.

Voice Actors: Shuichi Ikeda (Japanese), Ted Cole (English)
""Power is necessary because there will always be conflict.""

Durandal, the new ZAFT Supreme Council Chairman, is a moderate who believes Naturals and Coordinators can live in peace. He is a mentor figure towards the crew of the Minerva, and often talks about his plans for a better tomorrow. He also seems to be a bit of a fatalist, is somewhat mysterious, rarely explaining things directly, and his motives are unclear for most of the series. Turns out. He's also an old friend of. .


 * Affably Evil
 * Anti Villain
 * Big Bad: Of the Minerva's Five Bad Band, ZAFT, and the entire show. He's certainly The Man Behind the Man to a lot of the worst events in-show, and is the last of the contenders for the title left standing following Djibril's demise.
 * Broken Ace: He's a successful doctor and lawyer turned politician, a Manipulative Bastard seen as The Messiah by much of the world, a Well Intentioned Extremist whose plans just might work, and a Villain With Good Publicity poised to gain everything. Whatever angle one looks at him from, Durandal has got it all. And he is deeply, deeply depressed, frustrated over his rocky relationship with Talia, unable to see any good in the world, and coping very badly with his inability to.
 * Broken Pedestal:
 * The Chessmaster: Durandal is really good at getting people to do things that benefit him.
 * Char Clone: Channelling Char Aznable's extremism to a more plausible (but no less sinister) level than his friend, as well as serving as a relatively-benevolent mentor for his army. And come on, THAT VOICE.
 * Chess Motifs: The guy loves 'em.
 * Smart People Play Chess
 * Dark Messiah: Although he certainly doesn't think of himself that way.
 * Dead Person Conversation: With
 * Didn't See That Coming: Lacus interrupting Meer's interruption of Cagalli's first worldwide broadcast since being "kidnapped" by Kira. Of course, he's quick to work around on this, but his shocked expression (if just for a moment) clearly showed that Lacus caught him off-guard.
 * Evil Genius: Absolutely.
 * Eviler Than Thou: With Djibril, his rival for the title of Big Bad. Djibril is more evil, Durandal more competent.
 * The Evils of Free Will: While not addressed as such directly, would certainly get rid of it.
 * Fantastic Racism: Of the unintentional sort, as he himself is not racist, but in his attempts to try and solve the problem he came up with a plan that could lead to Coordinators becoming the dominate in this "utopia" he wishes to create.
 * The Fatalist: With all his talk about destiny and how things that happened were "meant to be" he definitely gives off this vibe.
 * Good Eyes Evil Eyes: Has narrow, serpentine eyes.
 * : A rare exception to the standard fare of screaming and raving antagonists in the Cosmic Era.
 * Hazel Eyes
 * Humans Are Bastards: Shares Le Creuset's belief that people are inherently selfish, uncaring beings. The difference is that.
 * I Let Gwen Stacy Die: A rare, villainous example. A major part of Durandal's motivation stems from his guilt over his inability to save, as evidenced by his "chess match" with the creep, whose ghost is still haunting him.
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: In the backstory. It actually helped to screw him up even more than he already was.
 * Long Haired Pretty Boy
 * The Man Behind the Man: Durandal is certainly the driving force behind many events in the series. Exactly how much he's responsible for is still debated by fans. Contested events range from the Armoury One raid, the Break the World incident, and the assassination attempt on Lacus to the formation of Logos itself.
 * Manipulative Bastard: He does a number on Rey, Shinn, Meer, Athrun in the first half, and most of the planet via Meer.
 * Nietzsche Wannabe: Tries very hard to avoid becoming one, with limited success. It's fairly obvious in flashbacks that the reason he was because he had already accepted  belief that people are inherently evil and the universe is a cold, unfeeling place. Despite this, he doesn't believe in giving up on them, and thus is out to inject some meaning into the world whatever the methods and cost.
 * Non Action Guy
 * Non Action Big Bad: Of ZAFT, and the show as a whole.
 * Parental Substitute: To Rey.
 * The Philosopher: Like Le Creuset and Lacus, Durandal spends a lot of time contemplating the life, the universe, and everything.
 * President Evil
 * Putting On the Reich: It's not immediately apparrent, but dye his trenchcoat and jackboots black, and voila!
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Subverted. Shinn believes the Chairman is one--he always listens to him, wants to make the world a better place, etc., etc., but it's all an act, designed to get Shinn on his side.
 * The Reveal: Happens slowly, but here goes -- he's playing on Shinn's emotional fragility through his adopted son Rey, is conning the world with both his charm and the support of Lacus... er, Meer, . God help you if you get in his way.
 * Social Darwinist: A different type than normal for the trope; he believes that people are genetically suited to certain roles, and therefore.
 * Sympathy for The Devil: Or at least the Omnicidal Maniac. Along with Mu La Flaga and Rey, he's the only person in-series to express any sympathy for.
 * Tall Dark and Handsome
 * Ubermensch: Seeks to completely change the world and impose his own vision of morality upon it.
 * Utopia Justifies the Means: Believes that by creating a society where he will end all conflict and usher in a perfect world.
 * Villainous Friendship:
 * Well Intentioned Extremist: His ultimate goal is, in a nutshell, to make people's lives better. His plan for accomplishing that, though...
 * With Us or Against Us: People who don't support the Chairman's utopian goals are not long for this world.
 * Xanatos Speed Chess/Gambit Roulette: The series remains vague on which one definitely applies to him. Whether or not he is responsible for the Armory One raid, "Break the World", and the attempt on Lacus's life, or is simply letting fate take its course and then work around them to further his goal, is left to viewer debate.
 * World Domination: He's got more complicated reasons than most megalomaniacs, but his plan still requires this in order to work.

Voice Actors: Rie Tanaka (Japanese), Chantal Strand (English dialogue), Jillian Michaels (English singing)
""I am Lacus Clyne. I'm Lacus! I'd rather be her!""

A Girl Next Door and Lacus Clyne Fan Girl, and strongly implied to be a war orphan. She is chosen to get plastic surgery and replace Lacus after she goes into hiatus, as she shares her idol's abilities and voice. While she appears naive and somewhat less than brilliant, it's uncertain how much of this is real, how much is part of her impersonation of Lacus's Incorruptible Pure Pureness, and how much is self-serving Obfuscating Stupidity designed to deny responsibility for her actions. As the series progresses, she becomes less and less sure of herself and her role.

""Miss Lacus is so beautiful, so kind, so adored! [...] But me? I'm not needed by anyone.""
 * Anti Villain: She tells Athrun that she knows what she's doing is wrong, but still does it because she wants to continue being Lacus instead of a nobody like Meer Campbell.


 * Ascended Fangirl: She gets the chance to become her idol! It... doesn't turn out well.
 * Becoming the Mask: Zig-Zagged; Meer seems to have initially thought that she'll be Lacus's proxy until she comes out of "retirement" (because Lacus will obviously support the Chairman), then realizes she'll have to "be" Lacus permanently but understands she's not really Lacus (especially once she -- and the rest of the world -- found out that ), then she starts to convince herself that she's literally become Lacus, but.
 * Celeb Crush: On Athrun Zala, whom she still believes is Lacus' boyfriend. Boy is she misinformed.
 * Idol Singer
 * Glamorous Wartime Singer
 * Gainaxing: She's rather stacked compared to Lacus, which is particularly noticeable when she's jumping around during performances. Her fans do take notice, but either dismiss it or consider it an improvement.
 * Hotter and Sexier: What she did to Lacus' "sweet and pure" image. Also, compare her Girl Next Door past self to her current one.
 * Meaningful Name: Her name has two meanings: first, it means "lake" in Dutch, which symbolizes her as Lacus's (whose name also means "lake", this time in Latin) doppelganger. Second, her name is a phonetic spelling of the English word, "mirror", to symbolize her as Lacus's Body Double.
 * Ms. Fanservice
 * Non Singing Voice: As with Lacus, Jillian Michaels is Meer's singing voice in the English dub.
 * Propaganda Machine: Durandal's.
 * Sanity Slippage: She eventually seems to believe -- or at least tries really hard to convince herself -- that she really is Lacus.
 * Stepford Smiler: Type A. She's all smiles on the outside, but the reality is, she's a deeply disturbed young woman who hated herself enough to try and become someone else.
 * Stripperiffic: Her outfits!
 * Talking To Herself: She and Lacus share the same voice actresses. Also in-universe when she speaks to Lacus.
 * Tall Dark and Bishoujo: Her real hair color was black.
 * Villainous Breakdown: In the last couple of episodes, for a certain definition of "villain".
 * "Well Done, Fangirl" Gal: Her self esteem is so low that she deeply wants to be noticed and loved, especially by her beloved/hated "Lady Lacus".
 * What the Hell Hero: Tries to pull this on Lacus upon their encounter, saying she has been helping people while Lacus was staying out of sight, ignoring the world's problems (unaware that she's busy ).
 * Zettai Ryouiki: Wear a nice Grade A (long socks plus frilled pleated miniskirt)
 * Villainous Breakdown: In the last couple of episodes, for a certain definition of "villain".
 * "Well Done, Fangirl" Gal: Her self esteem is so low that she deeply wants to be noticed and loved, especially by her beloved/hated "Lady Lacus".
 * What the Hell Hero: Tries to pull this on Lacus upon their encounter, saying she has been helping people while Lacus was staying out of sight, ignoring the world's problems (unaware that she's busy ).
 * Zettai Ryouiki: Wear a nice Grade A (long socks plus frilled pleated miniskirt)

Voice Actors: Tomokazu Seki (Japanese), Michael Adamtwaite (English)
""Dearka and me? We probably should have died a long time ago.""

A member of the Le Cresuet Team along with Athrun and Dearka in the first Bloody Valentine war, he was the only member of the team to remain loyal to ZAFT throughout the conflict. Now commanding his own forces as a Whitecoat, he does his best to defend the PLANTs without repeating the mistakes of his past. A relatively minor character in most of Destiny, he spends most of the series Out of Focus.


 * Ace Custom: He pilots a custom-colored blue Slash ZAKU Phantom.
 * The Atoner: Not a full-fledged example, but he's definitely trying to make up for his mistakes from two years ago. Just see his quote, above.
 * Badass: Going after the Extended in normal suits? Epic. Given the size of the fleet he's running, may also be Four Star Badass (ZAFT ranks are a little shaky).
 * Big Damn Heroes: He and Dearka do this a couple of times, the most notable being.
 * Blade On a Stick: On his ZAKU
 * Blue Eyes
 * Character Development: Compare the suicidally hot-blooded Yzak of SEED to the much more mature Yzak of Destiny.
 * Demoted to Extra: Recieves much less screentime in Destiny than he did in SEED.
 * Kicked Upstairs: He went from Redcoat (elite pilot) in SEED to Whitecoat (captain/commander) in Destiny. In the end, he gets kicked all the way to.
 * Good Is Not Nice: insulting while coming to their rescue. Dearka had to stop him speaking, because they were mistaking him for an enemy.
 * Heterosexual Life Partners/Ho Yay: With Dearka
 * Hot Blooded: At least this time he does think things through more than he used to.
 * Man in White: His new uniform.
 * Military Brat
 * Older and Wiser: One of the best examples between SEED and Destiny.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Redemption Promotion
 * Those Two Guys: Him and Dearka to Athrun.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: His Character Development turned him this with Athrun, although the Foe Yay is still there. "Athrun, you bastard, what are you doing here?!" seems to have become his standard greeting.
 * White Haired Pretty Boy
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Akira Sasanuma (Japanese), Brad Swaile (English)
Another veteran of the Le Creuset Team, he defected to the Three Ships Alliance near the end of the first Bloody Valentine war. Though accepted back into ZAFT, he was stripped of his red coat, and now acts as Yzak's Number Two. Like Yzak, he's only a minor character in Destiny, remaining mostly Out of Focus.


 * Ace Custom
 * Badass
 * BFG: He uses the Gunner model for his ZAKU, which matches his experience with the BFG-wielding Buster in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
 * Big Damn Heroes: His and Yzak's.
 * The Consigliere: Dearka's common sense does a lot to tone down Yzak's Hot Bloodedness. Yzak needs it.
 * Demoted to Extra: Receives much less screentime in Destiny than he did in SEED.
 * Dark Skinned Blond
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Heterosexual Life Partners/Ho Yay: With Yzak.
 * The Lancer: He is officially Yzak's Number Two now.
 * Military Brat
 * Older and Wiser
 * Redemption Demotion/Welcome Back Traitor: Due to his defection in the previous war, he was demoted from a Redcoat to a mere Greencoat. Mitigated by his status as Yzak's Number Two.
 * Ship Sinking: Miriallia dumped him before GSD began.
 * Tall Dark and Snarky
 * Those Two Guys: Him and Yzak to Athrun.
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Takanori Nishikawa (Japanese), Brian Dobson (English)
A ZAFT Redcoat and member of FAITH, he's assigned to the Minerva partway through the war. A survivor of the First Bloody Valentine conflict, he maintains a more optimistic attitude than Athrun, and tries his best to balance his fellow veteran's cynicism, while making friends with Shinn, Rey and the rest of the crew. He's eventually. He pilots a Blaze ZAKU Phantom, and then a ZGMF-X200 GOUF Ignited.


 * The Ace: Treated as such by the Minerva's crew; unlike Athrun he seems to enjoy his status.
 * Ace Custom: His bright orange GOUF, which matches his pilot suit and his hair.
 * Ace Pilot
 * Foil: Serves as one to the more conflicted Athrun, being totally loyal to ZAFT and the Chairman and convinced of the righteousness of the war. Needless to say, Shinn wishes Athrun was more like him.
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Green Eyes
 * It Gets Easier: He thinks so.
 * My Country Right or Wrong
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: His character is based on T.M Revolution, who provided his voice in the Japanese version.
 * : He's brought in, seems to be a Badass, is established as a Foil to Athrun, makes friends with Shinn.
 * Shout Out: He gives Ramba Ral's "No ZAKU" line while piloting a GOUF.
 * Whip It Good: One of the GOUF's main weapons is a heat whip.
 * Whip It Good: One of the GOUF's main weapons is a heat whip.
 * Whip It Good: One of the GOUF's main weapons is a heat whip.

Voice Actors: Naomi Shindo (Japanese), Vanessa Morley (English)
Kira's twin sister, Athrun's on-again off-again love interest, and leader of Orb. She seems to be struggling with her position when the show begins, and is eventually forced to abandon the country. Given that she's more of a Distressed Damsel now compared to her Rebellious Princess Action Girl status two years ago, she pretty much suffered from a case of Chickification. She plays a background role for much of the rest of the plot, before.


 * Action Girl: Returns to this role after, and proceeds to massacre the ZAFT forces attacking her country. She even.
 * Attack Drone: With
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Once Cagalli starts fighting she's Orb's most effective soldier barring only Kira & Athrun. Having access to  probably helps her here.
 * Badass Normal: She's a Natural, but fights against Coordinators on pretty even footing. Her ride probably helped.
 * Four Star Badass: She's Orb's Commander-in-Chief, as well as its First Representative, complete with gold-braided uniform.
 * Bigger Stick:.
 * Bling Bling Bang:
 * Chickification: The Hot Blooded Rebellious Princess... getting pushed around politically and generally acting like a Distressed Damsel. It's not pretty... at least until.
 * Curtains Match the Window: Has Hair of Gold and Eyes of Gold.
 * Distressed Damsel: For the early half of the show.
 * Lightning Bruiser:.
 * Love Hurts: Whatever the status of thier relationship is by the end there's no arguing that most of her interactions with Athrun after his are pretty painful to watch.
 * She's Back: Regains some of her Action Girl status after.
 * Took a Level In Badass: When she gets her hands on, Cagalli, who until then remained a Distressed Damsel, returns to her old form from two years prior.
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Kenji Nojima (Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)
A high-ranking Orb politician, he's a former friend of Cagalli's and a total jerk to boot. In her absence he leads Orb from one disaster to another, most notably the alliance with Neo and Djibril, both of whom he is terrified. Ultimately,.


 * Aristocrats Are Evil
 * Armchair Military: Yuna thinks he's a great commander because of his talent for strategy games, and as such, takes command of Orbs forces, believing that he will lead them to victory. About that...
 * Big Bad Wannabe: Yuna actually thinks he's a player in this game, but he's way out of his league with Durandal, Djibril, and even Neo.
 * Butt Monkey
 * Dirty Coward: Even more so than Djibril.
 * General Failure: He manages to make Djibril (who has his ruthlessness going for him, if nothing else) look like a great commander in comparison.
 * Humiliation Conga: Ending with him.
 * Jerkass: Kind of goes without saying once you look at the rest of the tropes associated with him.
 * Manipulative Bastard: He thinks he's one, but he's way out of league compared to the likes of Neo or even Djibril, let alone Durandal. His greatest skill seems to be using Cagalli's insecurities and father complex against her.
 * Non Action Guy
 * Playing Against Type: Brian Drummond is usually cast as strong warrior-type characters.
 * Replacement Scrappy: In-universe -- he isn't well-liked by Orb officers for his incompetence and reliance on his blood ties with a powerful family vying for Orb leadership now that Cagalli is the only surviving member of the Athha family.
 * Romantic False Lead
 * Smug Snake
 * The White Prince
 * The White Prince

Voice Actors: Soichiro Hoshi (Japanese), Matt Hill (English)
The protagonist for the previous series, Kira returns to action following a botched assassination attempt upon Lacus. His general dissillusionment and inability to trust both sides of the conflict put him at odds with Athrun, Shinn and the rest of the new cast. He eventually regains his position as the main character, and leads an independent faction (a collection of Orb soldiers loyal to Cagalli and various defectors from both OMNI and ZAFT) against Durandal. Compared to the angsty teen prone to emotional fits two years ago, this time he's much more emotionally stable.

Pilots the ZGMF-X10A Freedom, a long-range specialist Gundam, repaired by Murrue after being badly damaged in his fight against Rau and his Providence at the end of the First Bloody War, and later, the ZFMG-X20A Strike Freedom, the Freedom's more buffed-up Spiritual Successor, after the former was.


 * Arch Enemy: Shinn and later Rey see him as this. Initially, Kira doesn't notice these a lot; he eventually clues in, culminating in his final battle and inverse Hannibal Lecture against Rey.
 * Asskicking Equals Authority: He's an Orb Admiral by the end of the series. Given that he's also willing to turn on anyone who disturbs the world's peace, this makes sense: if he's going to act on his own, why not make it legal for him?
 * Attack Drone: The Strike Freedom has a few.
 * Badass: Now sans the angst.
 * Four Star Badass: Holds the rank of Admiral in the Orb military, and.
 * Retired Badass: For two years, living with Lacus, Murrue, Andrew, Caridad Yamato (his adoptive mother), Father Malchio and his orphans in the Solomon Islands. He was forced to come back to service after an attempt on Lacus's life.
 * Beam Spam: With the Freedom, and especially the Strike Freedom, which now uses the very same DRAGOONs that gave him so much trouble two years ago against Le Creuset and his Providence.
 * Bigger Stick: The Freedom and the Strike Freedom, the latter being totally superior to any Gundam save perhaps the Infinite Justice, the Legend, and the Destiny.
 * Born Winner: Being a Coordinator and having access to SEED mode is a good place to be.
 * Good Looking Privates
 * The Hero: Quickly resumes this spot post-perspective flip.
 * Hero Antagonist: Before the perspective flip, when his need to end the conflict quickly puts him in direct confrontation with Athrun and Shinn.
 * He's Back: His return left Shinn in utter shock, more so once he watches Kira wreck twenty-five ZAFT mobile suits and battleships in a couple of minutes.
 * Honour Before Reason: Right up until Shinn used it against him to . In subsequent fights he's more active in getting rid of Shinn, frequently aiming for his cockpit. Even then, he refuses to pursue Shinn whenever the latter backs down, and passes up a few killshots.
 * Lady and Knight: The Knight to Lacus Clyne's Lady.
 * Lightning Bruiser: The Freedom and especially the Strike-Freedom.
 * Martial Pacifist
 * Messiah Creep
 * Mid Season Upgrade: The Strike Freedom.
 * Official Couple: With Lacus.
 * Older and Wiser: And just a little burnt out.
 * Purple Eyes
 * Real Men Wear Pink: Averted when he pilots the Strike Rogue. He changed its specs so its PSA would display the Strike Gundam's original white/blue/red colours. His pilot suit, however, does have pink stripes on its shoulder boards.
 * Rogue Protagonist: He knows Durandal's got an agenda. Shinn and Athrun don't. This causes problems.
 * Shell Shocked Veteran: If the Thousand Yard Stare, constant flashbacks, and stoic personality are any indicator.
 * The Stoic: He's certainly more serene compared to two years ago,.
 * Take a Third Option: He again refuses to pick a side, targeting both ZAFT and the Earth Forces.
 * Technical Pacifist: His new fighting style involves severing the enemies' limbs...
 * Shoot the Dog: ...unless a Destroy wrecking Berlin was involved,.
 * Thousand Yard Stare: He's developed a pretty significant one since SEED. In his early appearances, he's usually on the beach or at the window, staring off into space.
 * Ubermensch: He and Lacus are a messianic pair of them, rejecting the cynical, violent, racially motivated politics of the Cosmic Era in favour of their own inclusive, technically pacifistic idealism.
 * The Unfettered: Which really sucks for political leaders with unethical agendas. He's more than willing to turn his Gundam on anyone who disturbs the peace, and he's got the allies, intel, technology and skills to make them think twice before messing with him.
 * Would Hit a Girl: Just ask Stella about that...
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Rie Tanaka (Japanese), Chantal Strand (English dialogue), Jillian Michaels (English singing)
Kira's girlfriend and an important political figure, Lacus essentially dropped off the radar following the end of the First Bloody Valentine War. Forced back into the political spotlight by an assassination attempt against her, she assumes leadership of the Three Ships Alliance, pitting them against ZAFT and the Earth Forces alike. .


 * Big Good: To the Three Ships Alliance/Terminal
 * Blue Eyes
 * The Chessmaster: Not to the same degree as Durandal, but the existence of Terminal and the mobile suit factories in the asteroids show that Lacus was ready to move in the event of renewed hostilities.
 * Do Not Adjust Your Set: Double subverted! She interrupts Meer's interruption of Cagalli's broadcast. And then makes it clear to the whole world that, while also delivering a verbal bitchslap to Djibril.
 * Friend to All Children
 * Guile Heroine
 * The High Queen: Even more so than in SEED.
 * Honour Before Reason: Not as much as in SEED, but still present.
 * Lady and Knight: The Lady to Kira Yamato's Knight.
 * The Leader: She's a Type IV to Terminal and the rest of the anti-ZAFT forces.
 * Idol Singer: Although she's apparently been out of sight for a couple of years.
 * Magic Skirt: And how!
 * The Messiah: Making her conflict with Durandal that much more interesting.
 * Messiah Creep: Since SEED.
 * Music for Courage: She sings "Fields of Hope" to calm the children during the Break the World incident.
 * Soundtrack Dissonance: ...which provides the music while we watch the effects it has on the planet.
 * Non Singing Voice: In the English version, but not the Japanese.
 * Official Couple: With Kira.
 * Princesses Prefer Pink
 * Rose Haired Girl
 * Silk Hiding Steel: Just ask Durandal about that. The girl has an iron spine.
 * Technical Pacifist: Doesn't want to kill anyone, but if she has to, she will sic Kira on them. And it will hurt both their enemies and herself.
 * Tender Tears: Meer's, and subsequently reading an account of her life and how her extreme makeover took a heavy toll on her sanity, sent her crying into Kira's arms.
 * Ubermensch: She and Kira are messianic versions of this.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Kotono Mitsuishi (Japanese), Lisa Ann Beley (English)
The captain of the Archangel, and Kira's commanding officer from two years ago. Initially working as an engineer (which was, after all, her original job) in Orb, she answers Kira's call to action and reprises her role as the Archangel's captain once they enter the conflict.


 * The Captain
 * The Good Captain: Bet your ass.
 * Cool Ship: The Archangel is still pretty damn cool.
 * Expy: The paralells between her and Bright Noa are as strong or stronger in this show.
 * Gainaxing
 * Good Looking Privates
 * Official Couple: With.
 * Platonic Life Partners: With Andy, on account of both of them having lost their loved ones.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure
 * Supporting Leader
 * Tall Dark and Bishoujo
 * Team Mom
 * Wrench Wench: She's been responsible for keeping the Freedom in good repair after it was badly damaged during the climactic Battle of Jachin Due.
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Ryotaro Okiayu (Japanese), Brian Drummond (English)
A former ZAFT ace, who defected near the end of the previous war. Still has the scars from his battle with Kira.


 * Artificial Limbs
 * Arm Cannon: Hides a really nasty gun within his prosthetic arm.
 * Badass: And he still hasn't lost his touch two years after the end of the war.
 * Handicapped Badass: He can hold his own despite having lost an eye and an arm (now replaced with a prosthetic arm which also conceals a gun just in case).
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Determined Widower
 * Good Scars Evil Scars
 * Platonic Life Partners: With Murrue
 * Team Dad
 * Transforming Mecha: Starts off with an Ace Custom variant of Orb's Murasame variable-fighter [nicknamed "Torasame" ("Tiger Shark") by Japanese fans], then switches to a recaptured.
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Anna Cummer (English)
An old friend of Kira's, and an Archangel crew member in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. She's a photojournalist covering the war when we first see her in Destiny, but she ends up back on the Archangel after running into her old crewmates again.


 * Bridge Bunnies
 * Demoted to Extra: Although she was with Kira and Cagalli during their secret meeting with Athrun.
 * Green Eyes
 * Hot Scoop: She apparently became a freelance photojournalist after the end of the First Bloody Valentine War.
 * Mythology Gag: Her post-war profession and the nature of her reintroduction is rather reminicent of Kai Shiden in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.
 * Ship Sinking: When she returns to the Archangel, chief mechanic Murdoch asks what happened to Dearka; she responds "I dumped him". Unlike countless instances of this trope, however, fans were happy to a degree since it confirms that they were an Official Couple, even if that's no longer the case.
 * Zen Survivor

Voice Actors: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), Mark Oliver (English)
""Everything is born into this world, and eventually, dies. That's the pure and simple truth of it.""

The (late) Big Bad of the previous war, Rau makes several appearances in Kira's, flashbacks, many of which expand upon his life and philosophy, helping to further explain his actions in SEED, while also showing his legacy two years later.

""People like you walk your path believing something you desire is waiting for you. I walk it to confirm that there is nothing there.""
 * Aloof Big Brother & Big Brother Mentor: To, for a certain definition of "brother".
 * Big Bad Friend: To, before the show began.
 * Blond Guys Are Evil
 * Cool Mask
 * The Corrupter: More or less responsible for slide into villainy (for want of a better description). The flashbacks show that he was attempting to make them as nihilistic as he himself was.
 * Dead Person Conversation: Has an episode length one with.
 * The Gwen Stacy:.
 * Man in White: Arguably fits this even better now than he did during Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, as he is now a ghost, a memory, and a corrupting force.
 * Manipulative Bastard: Pretty much talked into becoming the Nietzsche Wannabe Social Darwinist he is today.
 * Nietzsche Wannabe: Anyone who has watched SEED already know that Rau is a nihilistic psycho, but his narration in Episode 29, and flashbacks cement his status. He seems to have been making an effort to infect both  with his philosophy as well.


 * Omnicidal Maniac: And the world is more or less living in his shadow now.
 * Pet the Dog: His interactions with, and to a lesser degree , are retroactive examples of this, and help to humanize him, if just a bit.
 * The Philosopher: An especially deranged one. He spends his few appearances contemplating life, the world, and why people are scum.
 * Posthumous Character: But for a dead guy, his influence on the plot is pretty significant.
 * Predecessor Villain: Take Le Creuset out of the equation and you remove reasons for being what they are. Everything they want to do is ultimately rooted in their experiences with him and his Nietzsche Wannabe Omnicidal Maniac philosophy.
 * The Reveal: His face is finally revealed during one of flashbacks.
 * Smart People Play Chess: Definitely one of the smartest people in the series, and as his flashbacks demonstrate, he was capable of checkmating, both literally and philisophically.
 * Villainous Friendship: It helps to humanise him somewhat.
 * Villainous Friendship: It helps to humanise him somewhat.

Voice Actors: Daisuke Ono

 * Badass Normal: The best on-screen (true) Natural (no Newtype abilities or SEED factor) pilot of the Cosmic era.
 * Building Swing: Within a Space Station.
 * Evil Counterpart: His mobile suit, the Strike Noir to Shinn's Impulse and Kira's Strike from the original series.
 * Gray Eyes
 * Guns Akimbo
 * : After and being.
 * Parental Abandonment
 * Punch Clock Villain
 * Rescue Romance: Kind of,
 * The Mario
 * The Musketeer
 * The Stoic
 * Tyke Bomb
 * White Haired Pretty Boy
 * Villain Protagonist: Unlike Destiny itself, Stargazer makes it pretty clear by the second episode he doesn't care what he does as long as he just follows orders.
 * Villain Protagonist: Unlike Destiny itself, Stargazer makes it pretty clear by the second episode he doesn't care what he does as long as he just follows orders.

Voice Actors: Hiroshi Kamiya (first two episodes broadcast), Mamoru Miyano (all other appearances, including redubbed DVD release)

 * Be Careful What You Say: In the second episode, when the team is being attacked, Myudi casually remarks that the enemy is being very persistent, to which he replies that they probably want to have fun with her. It doesn't end well.
 * BFG
 * Bifurcated Weapon: His rifles can be combined into a Wave Motion Gun, similar to Wing Zero's twin buster rifle.
 * The Brute
 * Goggles Do Nothing: He wears glasses, but they're just for show
 * Guns Akimbo
 * Scary Black Man
 * The Other Darrin: Hiroshi Kamiya voiced him in the first two episodes, but was injured in a car accident before recording for the third. Mamoru Miyano stepped in and took over the role even beyond the final episode, redubbing the first two for the DVD release and playing Shams in his voiced video game appearances.
 * Relationship Voice Actor: Kamiya and Miyano would later work together as Tieria Erde and Setsuna F. Seiei.
 * Relationship Voice Actor: Kamiya and Miyano would later work together as Tieria Erde and Setsuna F. Seiei.

Voice Actors: Rina Sato

 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Catch Phrase: "The only good Coordinator is a dead Coordinator."
 * Dark Chick
 * Dark Action Girl
 * Flechette Storm
 * Guns Akimbo
 * Ms. Fanservice
 * Stripperific: Her uniform top is only held together by one button at the front.
 * Tsurime Eyes
 * Tsurime Eyes

Voice Actors: Sayaka Ohara

 * Action Girl
 * Hot Scientist
 * Identical Stranger: She looks like Sven's mom, only with green hair.
 * Slipknot Ponytail: In zero gravity, much to Sven's amazement.
 * You Gotta Have Green Hair
 * You Gotta Have Green Hair

Voice Actors: Jun Fukuyama

 * Parental Abandonment

Voice Actors: Joji Nakata

 * Parental Substitute: to Sol.
 * Tank Goodness: Averted. Edmond's tank is anything but cool in the Cosmic Era. It's plain ordinary and useless against Humongous Mecha. Despite all this, he manage to damage and disable a Mecha Mook.
 * Parental Substitute: to Sol.
 * Tank Goodness: Averted. Edmond's tank is anything but cool in the Cosmic Era. It's plain ordinary and useless against Humongous Mecha. Despite all this, he manage to damage and disable a Mecha Mook.