Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Difference between revisions

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The story premise matches the standard ''Gundam'' fare by featuring a conflict between Earth and Space, but introduces an original twist in the form of widespread use of [[Genetic Engineering]]. Genetic modification of humans is illegal on Earth, but the space colonies are populated almost exclusively by an artificially enhanced breed of humanity known as Coordinators. Most of Earth falls under the authority of the Earth Alliance, which funded the construction of the PLANTs (huge, hourglass-shaped space colonies meant for use as orbital manufacturing and R&D centers); however, the Coordinators now living on the PLANTs seek independence from the Earth Alliance via the formation of a milita group called ZAFT. This basic conflict of interest, combined with the [[Fantastic Racism]] between the genetically engineered [[Born Winner|Coordinators]] and the unenhanced [[Puny Earthling|Naturals]], eventually sparks a war between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT. Meanwhile, the nations on Earth not falling under the umbrella of the Earth Alliance are forced to take sides or else risk the ire of both opposing factions.

 

 

 

Gundam SEED and the CE timeline have become mainstays in [[Super Robot Wars]] after ''Alpha 3'', and are the main ''Gundam'' representative on handhelds when all Universal Century Gundams where excluded from the handheld games after ''[[Super Robot Wars Judgment|Judgment]]''. Gundam SEED also appears in the ''[[Gundam vs. Series]]'', particularly in ''Alliance vs. ZAFT''.

 

* [[The Ace]]: Mu La Flaga

* [[Ace Pilot]]: Lots of 'em, as is normal for a Gundam series.

* [[All There in the Manual]]: ''[[Gundam SEED Astray]]'' fills in many gaps in the story.

* [[Alternate Universe]]: Cosmic Era is the fifth "alternate calendar" other than the original Universal Century, and the first besides UC to feature a full-length television sequel.

* [[Ambiguously Brown]]: Dearka Elsman. Getting deeper into it you can learn his ancestry is Egyptian.

* [[Animation Bump]]: The series was known for this at times, especially with the Special Editions. The HD remaster goes even further with several reanimated scenes from not only the Special Editions, but also entirely new ones. Compare Episode 3 of the standard edition to the remaster on youtube and you'll notice them immediately, most notably the part where Kira slices Miguel's GINN in half at the end.

* [[Anyone Can Die]]: It ''is'' a Gundam series, after all.

* [[Attack Drone]]: The Earth Alliance's gunbarrels are wired versions, while ZAFT's DRAGOONs are wireless.

* [[Badass]]: Where to begin? Half the cast qualifies at one point or another.

* [[Big Brother Mentor]]: Mu, to the Heliopolis crew in general but Kira especially.

* [[Big Damn Hero]]: Kira, repeated. Also subverted with Nicole and Tolle in episodes 29 and 30, respectively. Both of them try to pull this off and {{spoiler|get killed for their trouble}}.

* [[Birds of a Feather]]: Kira and Athrun's friendship could qualify as this with their views on war and want of peace. Kira and Lacus' relationship as well for the same reason.

* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: Though they did manage to avert ''complete'' disaster, the body count was high on all sides, and there was no decisive end to the conflict -- despite all its death and destruction, the war ultimately changed little.

* [[Char Clone]]: A different approach in this series then the rest. There are three main Char clones, each one representing a different incarnation of the original Char Aznable: Athrun as [[The Rival]], Mu La Flaga as the [[Big Brother Mentor]], and Rau Le Crueset as the [[Dark Messiah]]

* [[Chastity Couple]]: Kira and Lacus

* [[Compilation Movie]] ''The Empty Battlefield'', ''The Far-Away Dawn'', and ''The Rumbling Sky''

* [[Custom Uniform]]: Andy's tiger-striped flightsuit and mecha.

* [[Dark Messiah]]: Rau Le Creuset

* [[Dead Star Walking]]: T.M. Revolution, who performs the first two OPs, also voices Miguel Aiman who is killed early in the story. Averted with Shiho Hahnenfuss. She was set to be voiced by [[Nami Tamaki]], but she turned down the role... to the great relief of Yzak/Shiho shippers everywhere.

* [[Designer Babies]]: Coordinators are genetically enhanced early in their development; {{spoiler|Kira Yamato}} is a true designer baby in the "grown in a test tube" sense.

* [[Diving Save]]: Brutally subverted ''twice'', both scenes involving Kira. The second time is particularly harsh, providing a [[Hope Spot]] where he actually successfully blocks the shot, only for the villain to simply blow up the target with one of his [[Attack Drone|Attack Drones]] instead.

* [[Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto Us]]: The warring sides use this trope as justification for their deeds; both leaders aim for nothing less than the complete annihilation of the other side down to the last man, woman and child. Therefore, backing down and depending on [[Mutually Assured Destruction]] is equivalent to surrender.

* [[Drop Pod]]: At the start of the ZAFT invasion.

* [[Dual Wield]]: Several of the suits come equipped with two swords.

* [[During the War]]: Referred to as the Bloody Valentine War, since it begins with the death of roughly 250,000 ZAFT civilians when a PLANT is destroyed on Feburary 14th, Valentine's Day, CE 70.

* [[Energy Weapons]]

** [[Fallen Princess|Not always]]: {{spoiler|Flay Allster}}

* [[Evil Counterpart]]: ''Dominion'', the ''Archangel'''s sister ship.

* [[Evil Redheads]]: Flay, though not so purely ''evil'' as much as ''horribly screwed up.''

* [[Evil Versus Evil]]: By the end of the series, neither the Earth Alliance nor ZAFT are particularly sympathetic. Probably why {{spoiler|the protagonists decide to [[Take a Third Option]] and form the Three Ships Alliance}}.

* [[Falling Into the Cockpit]]: Kira and the Strike.

* [[Fantastic Racism]]: Naturals vs. Coordinators

* [[Faux Affably Evil]]: Muruta Azrael, at least until he starts suffering from [[Villainous Breakdown]].

* [[Fauxlosophic Narration]]: Lacus at some times.

* [[Final Solution]]: Advocated by both Patrick Zala (who believes Coordinators are a [[Superior Species]] and that the Naturals all need to die) and Muruta Azrael (who believes Coordinators are an abomination and thusly, all of them need to die). {{spoiler|[[Omnicidal Maniac|Rau Le Creuset]] agrees with both of them}}.

** [[The Big Bad]]: Rau Le Creuset, the team leader.

** [[The Dragon]]: Athrun Zala, who acts as "first among equals" for the rest of the team.

** [[The Evil Genius]]: Dearka Elsman, the team's [[Deadpan Snarker]].

** [[The Dark Chick]]: Nicol Amalfi, the most emotional member of the team

** [[The Hero]]: Kira Yamato, the main character

** [[The Lancer]]: {{spoiler|Athrun Zala}}, his best friend and the only one as skilled in combat

** [[The Big Guy]]: {{spoiler|Dearka Elsman}}, with his [[Mighty Glacier]] mobile suit

** [[The Chick]]: Cagalli Yula Athha, the [[Token Girl]] and [[The Heart]]

* [[Forgotten Childhood Friend]]: Athrun and Kira towards each other.

* [[Gainaxing]]: Murrue every time the ''Archangel'' takes a nasty hit, eventually joined by Natarle and Flay in the last few episodes.

* [[Generican Empire]]: '''P'''eople '''L'''iberation '''A'''cting '''N'''ation of '''T'''echnology

* [[Gundamjack]]: Four out of the five ZAFT pilots kick off the series by performing this trope.

** Kira and Lacus return the favor, {{spoiler|when they jack the Freedom from a ZAFT base.}}

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: Multiple, occasionally happening in ''chains'': {{spoiler|Tolle's and Nichol's, for example, as well as Mu's and Natarle's}}.

* [[Humongous Mecha]]: Does it even need to be mentioned?

** [[Real Robot]]

* [[I Let Gwen Stacy Die]]: Kira, about {{spoiler|Flay}}

* [[It Gets Easier]]: Andy Waltfield, an experienced soldier and commander, tells the young and still-somewhat-naive Kira this point blank.

* [[It Meant Something to Me]]: [[Double Subversion|Double Subverted]] with {{spoiler|Kira and Flay}}. At first she's just using him and his feelings are sincere; when he gets over her ''she'' realizes that she actually ''does'' have feelings for him, but before she can act on it, {{spoiler|she's killed off, ''specifically'' to mess with Kira}}.

* [[Kick the Dog]]: The way that Flay reveals to Sai that she's been cheating on him with Kira. That was just cold...

* [[Kill Sat]]: GENESIS

* [[Kinetic Weapons Are Just Better]]: Inverted with phase shift armor, which is impervious to most kinetic weaponry.

* [[The Kingdom]]: Orb... sort of. Their government is complicated. It involves actual royalty sharing power with both noble houses and elected officials. Thankfully, for the most part, it's relegated to [[All There in the Manual]].

* [[Large Ham]]: Rau, by the end of the series. Not so much at first.

* [[Latex Space Suit]]: The pilot suits.

* [[Lonely Rich Kid]]: Mu and Flay as children.

* [[Love Hurts]]: {{spoiler|Flay}}

* [[Mask Power]]: Le Creuset

* [[Melee a Trois]]: ZAFT vs. Earth Alliance vs. {{spoiler|Three Ships Alliance}}

* [[The Messiah]]: Kira, and to a lesser extent, Lacus.

* [[Mildly Military]]: [[Justified Trope|Justified]], since some of the ''Archangel'' crew are civilians, but Murrue and Mu are not big believers in clinging to regulations to begin with.

* [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]: {{spoiler|Rau Le Creuset}}

* [[No One Gets Left Behind]]: Kira pull's one with Athrun when returning to space. It involves a [[Take My Hand]] between ''Gundams''. [[Narm Charm|Awww]]...

* [[Not So Different]]: ZAFT and Earth Alliance military.

* [[Not Using the Zed Word]]: The word "Gundam" is coined by Kira as an acronym for the operating system of certain [[Bigger Stick]] mobile suits, and is only used a handful of times. None of the [[Humongous Mecha]] officially have Gundam in their names. However, the term Gundam starts it's spreading through the universe in the second half of the show, and is used much much more in the Cosmic Era's expanded universe installments.

* [[Oddly Small Organization]]: The rebels in the desert. Despite their much smaller size, and weaker equipment, they get by.... quite well.

* [[Omake]]: Gundam Seed Supernova. Featuring chibi-Kira and monster Tori.

** What is SEED mode? [[Unstoppable Rage]]? [[Berserk Button]]? [[Heroic Resolve]]? [[Tranquil Fury]]? Just plain [[Green Rocks]]? Join Yzak as he tries to find out, to finally steal a march on Athrun.

* [[Omnicidal Maniac]]: {{spoiler|Rau le Creuset}} wants to escalate the war until both sides annihilate each other.

* [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]]: Rau Le Creuset believes he and he alone can {{spoiler|kill off all of humanity}}, especially Kira.

* [[Playing Both Sides]]: The [[Big Bad]]

* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]: Murrue Ramius, Uzumi Nara Attha and Siegel Clyne.

* [[Rebellious Princess]]: {{spoiler|Cagalli}}

* [[Recap Episode]]: ''In spades,'' but most obvious in episodes 14 and 26.

* [[Reluctant Warrior]]: Kira Yamato in the first half of the show.

* [[The Reveal]]: Several.

** Cagalli is not only {{spoiler|the princess of Orb}}, and also {{spoiler|Kira Yamato's twin sister}}

* [[Rich Bitch]]: Flay, though being rich is hardly the [[Fantastic Racism|biggest source]] [[Manipulative Bastard|of her bitchiness.]]

* [[The Rival]]: Mu vs. Rau, Kira vs. Athrun, later Kira vs. Rau

* [[Sacrificial Lamb]]: Rusty Mackenzie, Miguel Aiman and {{spoiler|George Allster}} all die shortly after being introduced. Their deaths are mainly events for characterization other characters.

* [[Sacrificial Lion]]: The series isn't sunshine and rainbows to start with, but it's after the deaths of {{spoiler|Tolle and Nicol}} that the series gets progressively darker.

* [[Sergeant Rock]]: Natarle

* [[Signature Move]]: The Freedom's [[Beam Spam|Full Burst Mode]]

* [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]: Somewhere in the middle of the scale, with Idealism winning out in the end.

* [[Spoiler Opening]]: {{spoiler|Nichol}} is notably absent in the third opening, despite appearing in the first two. This is a war story, so it's not hard to guess what that means. Sure enough, two episodes after the third opening's debut, he's killed off.

* [[Standing Between the Enemies]]: {{spoiler|The Three Ships Alliance}} does this to the Earth and ZAFT armies, but it soon devolves into a [[Melee a Trois]].

* [[Stock Footage]]: Used throughout the series, but it's most noticeable with Murrue's [[Gainaxing]] and the Freedom's [[Beam Spam]].

* [[Team Mom]]: Murrue, later Natarle.

* [[Techno Babble]]: Lots of it.

** The title of the series itself is an aversion, though. The lack of a "Seed Gundam" makes the show the only Gundam series to not be named after a specific mecha.

* [[Thirteen Is Unlucky]]: ZGMF-X'''13'''A Providence

* [[To Be Lawful or Good]]: {{spoiler|Athrun}} near the end.

* [[Transforming Mecha]]: Athrun's Aegis and Clotho's Raider

* [[Tsundere]]: Cagalli is simply ''adorable'' when blushing in embarrassment

* [[Villainous Breakdown]]: Many of the villains feature rather nasty ones.

* [[What Measure Is a Non Super]]: Azrael to his mom in the movie compilation.

* [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]: The "[[Fan Nickname|Druggies]]", whose use of performance-enhancing drugs that make them able to fight on even terms with [[Born Winner|Coordinators]] has also made them... unstable.

* [[A World Half Full]]: The combination of [[Fantastic Racism]] and good old fashioned human greed makes the world of Gundam SEED a less-than-pleasant place to live, but that doesn't stop the protagonists from improving things -- if only a little -- through properly applied violence.

* [[You Are in Command Now]]: Murrue in the beginning of the series.

* [[Zettai Ryouiki]]: Flay and Miri use [[Magic Skirt|really short skirts]] and really long socks.

 

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[[Category:The Epic]]

[[Category:FAI International]]

[[Category:Anime]]

[[Category:Nakamura Productions]]

[[Category:Toonami]]