Gundam SEED
It’s the 71st year of the Cosmic Era. Across the solar system the genetically enhanced humans, known as Coordinators, of ZAFT and their allies are engaged in a brutal war against the “Naturals” of the Earth Alliance. When ZAFT soldiers attack the neutral colony Heliopolis to hijack a shipment of Alliance prototype mobile suits, a young Coordinator from the colony named Kira Yamato winds up the pilot of the versatile Strike Gundam in order to keep it out ZAFT’s hands. Now, to protect his friends Kira must fight for a military that despises his very existence.
Gundam SEED, the latest Gundam series to air on Toonami, made its debut on April 17, 2004 at 10:30 pm. However due to low ratings only half the series actually aired on Toonami. Beginning October 23, 2004 the series was moved to 1:00 am Fridays where the remainder of Gundam SEED aired to its conclusion. To date Toonami has made no announcements regarding airing the direct sequel series, Gundam SEED Destiny.
Athrun Zala - A member of the elite Le Creuset team which attacks Heliopolis, Athrun subsequently becomes the pilot of the captured Aegis Gundam. As a child, Athrun attended a preparatory school on the moon, where he became good friends with Kira Yamato. Now, with his father leading the most warlike faction of the PLANT Supreme Council and his mother among the casualties of the "Bloody Valentine" tragedy, Athrun is determined to defeat the treacherous Earth Alliance - and shocked to discover that Kira is fighting on the side of the enemy. Athrun has a talent for mechanical tinkering, and has created numerous robot pets for his friends and acquaintances.
Flay Allster - Flay is the pretty, popular, and somewhat spoiled daughter of an Atlantic Federation minister. A student at the Heliopolis technical college attended by Kira and his friends, she escapes the destruction of the space colony in a lifeboat and is retrieved by the Alliance warship Archangel. Once aboard the ship, Flay's dislike for Coordinators soon becomes apparent, and her hatred is further deepened by her experiences aboard the Archangel.
Lacus Clyne - The daughter of PLANT Supreme Council chairman Siegel Clyne, whose career as a pop star has made her the idol of the Coordinators. Dispatched to join a memorial service on the anniversary of the "Bloody Valentine" tragedy, Lacus is left drifting in space when her ship is attacked by Earth Alliance forces, and her lifepod is subsequently retrieved by the Alliance warship Archangel. Lacus treats friend and foe alike with kindness and respect, and even her fiancé Athrun Zala is sometimes perplexed by her apparent naïveté.
Cagalli Yula Athha - This tomboy princess is the daughter of Lord Uzumi, one of the leaders of the neutral Orb Union. Despite her aristocratic upbringing, Cagalli is tough and headstrong, and her impulsive nature often leads her to take bold risks. Learning that her nation is secretly aiding the Earth Alliance, she travels to the resource satellite Heliopolis to see the evidence for herself, and after escaping the satellite's collapse she makes her way to Earth to join the Desert Dawn resistance group in northern Africa. By the time she returns to Orb aboard the warship Archangel, Cagalli has formed strong bonds with both Strike Gundam pilot Kira Yamato and his estranged friend Athrun Zala.
Rau Le Creuset - The ruthless and enigmatic commander of the elite ZAFT team that attacks Heliopolis and then relentlessly pursues the Archangel. Le Creuset is a formidable warrior in his own right, a cunning tactician and skilled mobile suit pilot whose abilities are highly valued by the ZAFT leadership. He never appears in public without his distinctive face mask, and his actual appearance - like the nature of his apparent rapport with Earth Alliance ace Mu La Flaga - thus far remains a secret.
Mu La Flaga - A famous ace pilot of the Earth Alliance, who brings his Moebius Zero mobile armor aboard the Archangel after his original mothership is destroyed. Mu earned the nickname "Hawk of Endymion" by singlehandedly shooting down five ZAFT mobile suits in one of the war's early battles. Aside from his piloting skills, tactical abilities, and extensive combat experience, Mu's greatest contribution to the Archangel is probably the morale boost provided by his relaxed and lighthearted personality.
Murrue Ramius - The acting captain of the Earth Alliance warship Archangel, who takes charge of the ship after her superiors are wiped out in the attack on Heliopolis. Although she's tough and competent, Murrue has a kind-hearted nature, and is prepared to overlook military protocol when it conflicts with her humanistic impulses. This philosophy often puts her at odds with her deputy Natarle Badgiruel.
Gundam SEED, the latest Gundam series to air on Toonami, made its debut on April 17, 2004 at 10:30 pm. However due to low ratings only half the series actually aired on Toonami. Beginning October 23, 2004 the series was moved to 1:00 am Fridays where the remainder of Gundam SEED aired to its conclusion. To date Toonami has made no announcements regarding airing the direct sequel series, Gundam SEED Destiny.
.:Episode Guide
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Season 1 1: False Peace 2: Its Name: Gundam 3: Collapsing Land 4: Silent Run 5: Phase Shift Down 6: The Vanishing Gundam 7: The Scar of Space 8: The Songstress of the Enemy Forces 9: The Fading Light 10: Crossroads 11: The Awakening Sword 12: Flay's Decision 13: Stars Falling in Space 14: Within Endless Time 15: The Respective Solitudes 16: Burning Clouds of Sand 17: Cagalli Returns 18: Payback 19: Fangs of the Enemy 20: On a Calm Day 21: Beyond the Clouds of Sand 22: The Sea Dyed Red 23: Fateful Encounter 24: War for Two 25: The Land of Peace |
Season 2 26: Moment 27: Endless Rondo 28: Kira 29: The Turning Point 30: Flashing Blades 31: Grieving Skies 32: In the Promised Land 33: The Gathering Darkness 34: Seen and Unseen 35: The Descending Sword 36: In the Name of Justice 37: Divine Thunder 38: Decisive Fire 39: Athrun 40: Into the Dawn Skies 41: Trembling World 42: Lacus Strikes 43: What Stands in the Way 44: Spiral of Encounters 45: The Opening Door 46: A Place for the Soul 47: The Nightmare Reborn 48: Day of Wrath 49: The Final Light 50: To An Endless Future |
.: Characters
Kira Yamato - The young civilian who becomes the pilot of the prototype Strike Gundam. Kira is a first-generation Coordinator whose parents are Naturals, and his family has taken refuge in the neutral territory of the resource satellite Heliopolis to avoid the war. However, Kira finds himself drawn into the conflict when Heliopolis is attacked by ZAFT forces, and he remains aboard the Earth Alliance warship Archangel in order to protect his friends and loved ones. As a Coordinator, Kira has remarkable mental and physical abilities, and his computer programming talents enable him to rewrite the Strike Gundam's operating system in mid-battle to adapt to new combat conditions.Athrun Zala - A member of the elite Le Creuset team which attacks Heliopolis, Athrun subsequently becomes the pilot of the captured Aegis Gundam. As a child, Athrun attended a preparatory school on the moon, where he became good friends with Kira Yamato. Now, with his father leading the most warlike faction of the PLANT Supreme Council and his mother among the casualties of the "Bloody Valentine" tragedy, Athrun is determined to defeat the treacherous Earth Alliance - and shocked to discover that Kira is fighting on the side of the enemy. Athrun has a talent for mechanical tinkering, and has created numerous robot pets for his friends and acquaintances.
Flay Allster - Flay is the pretty, popular, and somewhat spoiled daughter of an Atlantic Federation minister. A student at the Heliopolis technical college attended by Kira and his friends, she escapes the destruction of the space colony in a lifeboat and is retrieved by the Alliance warship Archangel. Once aboard the ship, Flay's dislike for Coordinators soon becomes apparent, and her hatred is further deepened by her experiences aboard the Archangel.
Lacus Clyne - The daughter of PLANT Supreme Council chairman Siegel Clyne, whose career as a pop star has made her the idol of the Coordinators. Dispatched to join a memorial service on the anniversary of the "Bloody Valentine" tragedy, Lacus is left drifting in space when her ship is attacked by Earth Alliance forces, and her lifepod is subsequently retrieved by the Alliance warship Archangel. Lacus treats friend and foe alike with kindness and respect, and even her fiancé Athrun Zala is sometimes perplexed by her apparent naïveté.
Cagalli Yula Athha - This tomboy princess is the daughter of Lord Uzumi, one of the leaders of the neutral Orb Union. Despite her aristocratic upbringing, Cagalli is tough and headstrong, and her impulsive nature often leads her to take bold risks. Learning that her nation is secretly aiding the Earth Alliance, she travels to the resource satellite Heliopolis to see the evidence for herself, and after escaping the satellite's collapse she makes her way to Earth to join the Desert Dawn resistance group in northern Africa. By the time she returns to Orb aboard the warship Archangel, Cagalli has formed strong bonds with both Strike Gundam pilot Kira Yamato and his estranged friend Athrun Zala.
Rau Le Creuset - The ruthless and enigmatic commander of the elite ZAFT team that attacks Heliopolis and then relentlessly pursues the Archangel. Le Creuset is a formidable warrior in his own right, a cunning tactician and skilled mobile suit pilot whose abilities are highly valued by the ZAFT leadership. He never appears in public without his distinctive face mask, and his actual appearance - like the nature of his apparent rapport with Earth Alliance ace Mu La Flaga - thus far remains a secret.
Mu La Flaga - A famous ace pilot of the Earth Alliance, who brings his Moebius Zero mobile armor aboard the Archangel after his original mothership is destroyed. Mu earned the nickname "Hawk of Endymion" by singlehandedly shooting down five ZAFT mobile suits in one of the war's early battles. Aside from his piloting skills, tactical abilities, and extensive combat experience, Mu's greatest contribution to the Archangel is probably the morale boost provided by his relaxed and lighthearted personality.
Murrue Ramius - The acting captain of the Earth Alliance warship Archangel, who takes charge of the ship after her superiors are wiped out in the attack on Heliopolis. Although she's tough and competent, Murrue has a kind-hearted nature, and is prepared to overlook military protocol when it conflicts with her humanistic impulses. This philosophy often puts her at odds with her deputy Natarle Badgiruel.
.:Misc.
- Despite the general lack of success in North America, Gundam SEED has been very popular in Japan resulting in two direct sequels, a full length television series (Gundam SEED Destiny) and an OVA series (Gundam SEED C.E. 73 Stargazer). As well as a spin-off manga series (Gundam SEED Astray).
- Gundam SEED Astray has been published in North America courtesy of Tokyopop
- In Gundam SEED, the name Gundam comes from the operating system used on the mobile suits. When started up the words "General Unilateral Neuro-link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver system" are displayed in the mobile suit’s cockpit. The nickname for the mobile suits was coined by the main character, Kira Yamato, the first time he encountered this.
- ZAFT stands for "Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty."
- Gundam SEED faced some controversy when Japanese parents complained about the sexual relationship between the protagonist Kira Yamato and Flay Allster, two underage characters.
- The somewhat feminine sound of Kira Yamato’s given name in English has been known to result in some confusion regarding the character’s gender on message boards.
