*Gundam Essay Time*

Subject: Char Aznable’s reason for causing the apocalypse in CCA.

A Thread:

Char can be a both a suave, dashing charismatic soldier.

And a also messy, sociopathic bitch with some serious trauma.

We’re gonna stick with Original Gundam, Zeta and CCA for the source of this thesis.

While Char’s motive for dropping rocks like a hot hand in a dice game is attributed to unresolved anger over the death of Lalah Sune (which is very much his fault), I offer a additional theory:

Char feels Amuro betrayed him, so he wants to defeat him one last time.

First, we gotta go to the very end of MSG, at A Boa a Qu.

The rivalry between Amuro and Char got VERY personal toward the end, with them having a literal sword fight.

And yet, despite having legitimate beef with each other, both agreed that the REAL enemy were the Zabi’s.

After Char takes out Kycillia in epic fashion (the film version of that is AWESOME), The One Year War ends.

Amuro goes back to earth, where he becomes a celebrity of sorts, while Char hitches a ride with other Zeeks to the asteroid Axis and also becomes a celebrity. And how.

Char’s exploits in the OYW: Killing Garma Zabi (in ridiculously petty fashion) and then Kycillia, become an inspiration to many in the Earth Sphere, particularly among Spacenoids as the Earth Federation’s Titans faction gains power and begins to enforce their campaign of (cont’d)

(Incompetent) Fascist subjugation in the name peace.

Even Amuro Ray, hero of the OYW is minimized by the Titans, as he’s kept as a near literal prisoner, being spied on by housekeeping staff (he got rich selling his Haro toy).

He’s also a prisoner in his mind, thanks to PTSD.

On Axis, whatever life Char could eek out is turned upside down as baby heiress to the Zabi regime Mineva Zabi, is being micromanaged by Char’s not-girlfriend and advisor to Mineva, Haman Karn.

Haman is low key gassing up Axis into her personal army and Char wants no parts.

After learning about the civil unrest among Spacenoids thanks to the Titans, Char takes the opportunity to “spy on the Earth Sphere” and peace’d the fuck out from Space!Argentina at the first chance.

Sometime before the start of Zeta Gundam, Char meets Commodore Blex Florer, who compels Char enough to ally with him to form the AEUG.

It’s around this time he adopts “Quattro Bageena” as his identity.

his arc in Zeta is interesting when discussing the context of whether his actions in CCA were in character, the debate being, “was Char a good guy in Zeta? Or was he simply on the side of the heroes?”

We’re the AEUG heroes? Yes... but anyone is a hero when fighting the Titans.

Char, as Quattro, projects the image of himself as a soldier-mentor fighting the noble fight while occasionally giving advice to Kamille, whom he envisions as “the next Amuro Ray”.

It’s implied through Char’s recruitment of Kamille, Bright Noah, Fa Yuiri and even adopting orphans like Shinta and Qum, Char (as Quattro) is trying to create a facsimile of the White Base for the AEUG, hoping that he capture that magic that won so many victories in the OYW.

... which in itself is fascinating: everyone (including those aware of Quattro’s true identity) want “Char the war hero”, While Char wants his own version of Amuro and the White Base.

And then, Char kinda helps gets Amuro motivated into fighting again too!

As mentioned earlier, Amuro’s been a prisoner both figurative and semi-literally. Between PTSD and being spied on, Amuro wants to fight against the Titans but feels in over his head to actually get motivated to do, until he helps Fraw and the kids get to safety, which (cont’d)

starts his journey back to the battlefield, and his reunion with Char.

Their reunion also starts their unique friendship.

Both are willing to work together to once again, fight the true enemy, and to accept that the tragedy that Lalah wasn’t malicious. And yet...

Neither Amuro and Char can truly let go of the pain, made more complicated by them being Newtypes, and their ability to communicate with Lalah “beyond the time”.

At least until “Day of Dakar”.

Zeta Gundam, episode 37, “Day of Dakar” is milestone moment in both Char and Amuro’s character arcs, and for Zeta overall.

To recap: the AEUG has taken a critical hit to its leadership with Commodore Blex being assassinated, leaving Char in charge.

Taking the opportunity to denounce the actions of the Federal civilian leadership in Dakar, Char and the AEUG crash the party to make a speech: and it is a BANGER:

Char: in the span of five minutes:

- Denounces the Titans
- Denounces the Feddies
- Denounces the Zabi’s
- Goes public with the identity of Char Aznable, publicly establishes his lineage as the son of Zeon Daikun, the father of the Spacenoid activist movement.

Its that last point that is the most powerful: Char has leveraged all of his identities to attain the political capital to bring awareness to the plight of Spacenoids against the Titans and the Earth Federation itself.

Char Aznable the politician is born...

At the expense of whatever personal freedom Quattro Bageena awarded him.

Amuro: But we’re trying to take the people who have remained on Earth into Space.

Such an enormous task can’t be done...

...without one or two human sacrifices.

Char: So “I’m” a human sacrifice?

Amuro: Maybe human sacrifices run in your family.

Char and the AEUG would eventually defeat the Titans, but not without some major ramifications and sacrifices to the cause.

- Kamille Bidan is mentally crippled and rendered unable to fight against Haman Karn’s Neo Zeon forces from Axis.

- The majority of the AEUG is decimated save for Bright Noa and a rag tag group of children are forced to fight Haman’s army alone.

Karaba, AEUG’s comrades in arms are equally decimated in a colony drop on Dublin, by Haman’s Neo Zeon.

But the real kicker is both Amuro and Char are out of action and/or focus.

So, about that:

We’re entering “lost era” territory. But the short version is, Char survived his battle against Haman in Zeta Gundam’s last episode, but either through injury or just general inaction chose not to fight against Haman, choosing to wait her out.

Amuro eventually rejoined the Earth Federal Forces after receiving some type of amnesty for his actions against the Titans conflict. He would eventually join Londo Bell, the EFF task force commissioned to hunt Spacenoid Terrorists.

(Picture from CCA: Hi-Streamer)

Now, if you’re Char, and you spent most of your life opposing Earthnoids supremacy and your rival-turned-frienemy encouraged you to give up whatever secret identity freedom you had to better fight Earthnoids only for your frienemy to fight for the Earthnoids again, well...

I won’t say Amuro didn’t sacrifice anything, but he didn’t take the opportunity to raise a family like Fraw and Hayato, or Bright and Mirai, or become a healer like Sayla, or a seeker of truth like Kai. He chose to remain a soldier defending a government who (cont’d)

Takes advantage of his NT abilities on the battlefield, while denying the agency of fellow NT’s. FWIW, the various Neo Zeon factions (and Char’s in particular do the same), but in Char’s mind, it’s for the greater good, while (cont’d)

Amuro is “allowing others to abuse his powers”.

Others being “not Char”.

So, let’s talk about Char’s plan:

For starters, it’s fucking insane.
For a bonus, “its extremely wicked”.

(Repost for lols and context)

“I’m going to force humanity into space to by dropping enough rocks to create nuclear winter. And earth ‘will heal’ after a few thousand years, and scores of innocent people will die because I’m not providing transportation but that’s okay, because fuck them, they’re Earthnoids”.

“Oh, and anyone who’s left, if you have the potential, I’ll cyber boost you into being a NT, and if you don’t, just be grateful I don’t sic my army on you. I am the son of Zeon Daikun, put some respek on my name”

Besides the sheer insanity of his plan, scientists working for Char’s Neo Zeon create the Psycoframe, a fearsome piece of new technology that when installed in a Mobile Suit, can amplify an NT’s abilities to absurd levels.

So of course Char has the data leaked to the Feddies...

Because at the end of the day, it’s about goading Amuro into one final showdown.

Sidebar:

In the Christopher Reeve Superman films directed by Richard Donner, General Zod’s motivation is revenge against Jor-El, who cast him in the Phantom Zone. When denied to seek revenge against Jor-El, due to Krypton blowing up (cont’d)

He transfers that hatred to Clark/Superman/Karl-El, with the bonus that taking over earth and establishing his domain over the inferior humans is the ultimate middle finger to both Jor-El and his son.

“You care for these precious humans? Die for them.”

CCA Char is arguably not that different from Zod, or other empowered villains*, who use humans as a casino chips in a gamble to force the hero/protagonist to fight against them.

*Magneto from X-Men would also attempt to drop Asteroid M like a hot hand of dice in the 90’s.

Okay, I lost focus, so to recap:

TL; DR: there’s more going with Char’s reason for dropping rocks than “U killed mah waifu by accident

The general consensus is Char’s backslide into villainy and his contempt for Amuro in CCA comes out of left field. It doesn’t, particularly if you’ve watch Zeta Gundam episode 37, “Day of Dakar”,

It adds a lot of context when analyzing Char’s character arc.

Char had the opportunity to rule Axis, but chose to abdicate the opportunity to Haman, and then run away altogether and create a new life as Quattro Bageena. As Quattro, he can quietly live up to his father’s ideals without the legacy of Char Aznable hanging over his head.

In the post war, Char has become a legend to the Earth Sphere, as the man who fought against the Zabi Family (LOL), a legend that the AEUG feels will give them a boost of legitimacy to its cause, much to his chagrin.

Thanks to the urging Amuro, Kamille and and assassination of Blex, these actions urge Char to embrace his legacy and use it for good, at the expense the new life he built fighting on his own terms under Quattro Bageena.

Fandom may joke about Char and multiple aliases, it shouldn’t be understated how profound it was for him to publicly disclose himself in front of the largest political stage in the Earth Sphere, and what peace it may cost him to give up that anonymity.

With the anxiety he has leading up to the speech and the relative sadness afterward the shares with Amuro, Quattro was a escape from his past, and now that’s gone. But, if this is going to help humanity evolve, sacrifices have to be made, something he knows well. That’s the joke.

Amuro didn’t have to sacrifice anything as personal what Char did. And for Amuro to remain fighting for the Feddies government who allowed Haman to drop a colony knowing full well how destructive Colony Drops are, that can be considered beyond reproach.

If Amuro chooses to fight for a corrupt government (and the Oldtypes which he looks down on) rather than help Char achieve his Neo Zeon Newtype Nirvana, then he can die for them.

... we’ll after he gives him a fair fight.

Char’s a messy bitch.

^ “My victory is meaningless if you had a 2nd rate Mobile Suit”.

LMAOOOO

Char thought he was being charitable by giving away psycoframe tech. The irony is Amuro never fought fair. The Nu Gundam was already tailored to Amuro’s skills and the Psycoframe added to that power.

Okay, End Thread.

Tune in next time, when I discuss why Hideaki Anno’s “End of Evangelion” was a big middle finger to his toxic fandom!

この ν ガンダムは、ショーのためだけではない!

ADDENDUM:

You gotta give it to Amuro. For all the shit talking about how the ReGz was a “wannabe Gundam”, he held his own in it while 1v2’ing Char and Gyunei, and almost ended Gyunei’s shit 7 minutes into the film. https://www.sakugabooru.com/post/show/137206