Summary
Mobile Suit Gundamis a franchise that stays strong after 40 years. With the recent success of a brand-new series,The Witch From Mercury,Gundamhas more popularity and worldwide appeal than ever.
While recent series have caught people’s attention, some new fans have taken a look at some of the older entries, and one of the most watched isGundam 00. Gundam 00 is one of the most popular entries from theAlternate Universeseries. Andthe series borrows from real life in a much closer way than mostotherGundamshows. Unlike all other Gundam continuities, Gundam 00 takes place in theAnno Dominitimeline, the same as the real world. As such, its closeness to the conflict and war we see in real life is much more apparent.
Setsuna F Seiei and the Holy War
Born and Indoctrinated as Soran Ibrahim
The series starts with the protagonist,Soran Ibrahim. A young boy fighting in the Middle East as an indoctrinated child in the Holy War. Because of this experience, he renounces the idea of God as a being that protects and loves humans. Soran is then saved by aheavenly-looking humanoid machine, flying over the battlefield, aGundam. Soran grows up to becomeSetsuna F Seiei, a member ofCelestial Being, a secret organization with possession of four powerful Gundams with the mission to end all violent conflict on Earth.
We are Celestial Beings…we will eradicate conflict
Setsuna was indoctrinated as a child and convinced to kill his own parents and fight in the name of God. This is a direct parallel to the unending conflict in the Middle East. Setsuna sees Gundam as the symbol of salvation. As the Gundam saved his life from the hell of war, he seeks to do the same with hisGundam Exia. Setsuna is repeatedly shown to be deeply traumatized from his experiences, and he battlesAli Al Saachez, the man who originally sent him into that hell.
Lockon Stratos and The Irish Conflict
Terrorism and Lost Family
The older member of the Celestial Being pilots isLockon Stratos. Lockon acts like an older brother to his three teammates, but he still carries immense trauma just like them. Lockon is originallyNeil Dylandyfrom Ireland. He and his family were victims of a terrorist attack. His parents and sister were killed by a terrorist attack during a family outing. Only Neil and his twin brother Lyle survived. They grew separate from each other but with a deep hatred of terrorism, motivating Neil’s enrollment into Celestial Being.
Lockon’s origins are reminiscent of the conflict seen in Northern Ireland as well as the ongoing battle with terrorism. Lockom joins Celestial Being to seek revenge against terrorists similar to the real-life military. At a crucial moment, he threatens Setsuna when he finds out that the terrorists responsible for his loss were the ones who indoctrinated Setsuna. This shows the cycle of hatred and revenge that plagues the world. All the Celestial Being membersare connected through their grief.
Allelujah and Child Cruelty
Experiments and Abuse in War Times
Allelujah Haptismis the second youngest and the most troubled member of the team. Allelujah was achild experiment in a secret military lab inwhat would be Russia. He was kept there for years along with hundreds of more children to be turned into a super soldier. He miraculously escaped from the lab, but not without suffering severe psychological trauma due to this experience. He developed dissociative identity disorder, creating the violent personality,Hallelujah.
The children at the lab suffered from extreme cruelty and most of them were killed. Allelujah’s past reflects both real-life human experimentation seen throughout human history and the abuse of children. Allelujah’s mental troubles are accurate to real-world mental health cases.
The members of Celestial Being are all victims of war.As Gundam pilots, they fight to save othersfrom the same suffering. However, their methods are simply fighting violence with violence. This is a flaw in their actions that is often called out in the story. Just like the concept of a"war to end all wars"is impossible by itself. Just as the Gundam pilots realize there is no clear-cut answer to finding peace, it is true for real life.
