Athrun Zala

Athrun Zala is one of the main characters from the anime series Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, set in the Cosmic Era timeline of the Gundam universe.

Athrun Zala is a Coordinator, and a was member of the elite Rau Le Creuset ZAFT special forces team, which consisted mostly of young elite pilots, known as 'Reds'. They wore the special red uniform that meant that they had graduated at the top of their military cadet class. Athrun joined the ZAFT militia mainly for vengeance for his mother's death in the Bloody Valentine Incident, which was caused by the Earth Alliance.

He was engaged to ZAFT pop idol Lacus Clyne through parental arrangements, and did have an honest friendly affection for her.

As Earth Alliance developed five secret mobile suits to counter against ZAFT's superior military technology, ZAFT planned and executed a raid to steal these five new units, located in a secret military base on the neutral colony, Heliopolis. The mission failed to steal all five units, but Athrun successfully took the GAT-X303 Aegis prototype unit. During the raid he met with his childhood friend, Kira Yamato, a Heliopolis civilian. Kira was forced to pilot the GAT-X105 Strike to protect his friends and other civilians. Having piloted the new secret unit, Kira and his friends were forced to embark on the Earth Alliance Archangel ship and enlist in their military, thus engaging Athrun in battle several times thereafter.

Athrun was often seen to be in turmoil over the fact that he must fought Kira. He attempted (and failed) to convince Kira to join ZAFT, being Kira also a Coordinator. In his final clash with Kira, Athrun, madden with grief over the death of his comrade Nicol Amalfi at the hands of Kira, seized the Strike with his Aegis and self-destructed the Aegis, destroying the Strike with it. Both Kira and Athrun survived the explosion, and Athrun who was only slightly injured was taken in by Orb princess Cagalli Yula Athha for medical treatment.

After being released back to ZAFT, Athrun was then chosen to be under the direct command of the ZAFT Supreme Council and assigned to pilot the newly developed ZGMF-X09A Justice. He was ordered to track and retrieve the ZGMF-X10A Freedom unit, which had been stolen by a fully recovered Kira Yamato.

After witnessing the fanatism of his own father, Athrun defected from ZAFT and joined the newly formed Clyne Faction against the Earth Alliance's.

As the war progressed, Athrun and Cagalli drew closer to each other.

Along with Kira and the Archangel crew, Athrun was instrumental in ending the Bloody Valentine War. He personally destroyed the GENESIS superweapon, by detonating the nuclear-powered Justice inside it.

After the war, Athrun left ZAFT and moved to Orb. There acted as Cagalli's bodyguard, under the pseudonym "Alex Dino".

During the Armory One Incident he was present in PLANT as Cagalli's bodyguard, and got involved in the fighting to retake the stolen units. He later joined the battleship Minerva and helped fighting against the terrorists in the Junius-7 Colony Drop. He and Cagalli then desembarked Minerva at Orb.

In the turmoil preceding the declaration of the Second Bloody Valentine War he returned back to ZAFT to understand the motivations of ZAFT. Here he met with Chairman Dullindal, who enlisted him back into ZAFT forces, and appointed him with the highest elite-force assignment, FAITH. Athrun had also assigned the new unit ZGMF-X23S Saviour, and given total freedom of action.

With Saviour he returned to Earth and joined Minerva in the battle against the Earth Alliance, now allied with Orb.

Athrun has a talent for mechanical tinkering, and has created numerous robot pets for his friends and acquaintances. The multitude of multicolored Haros that fill the Clyne residence are Athrun's creations, as is Kira's mechanical pet, Tori.

Personal Data

Genetic type: Coordinator
Age: 15 later 16 (18 at the start of Seed Destiny)
DOB: Cosmic Era October 29 55
Blood type: O
Height: 170 cm
Mobile Suits: GAT-X303 Aegis, ZGMF-X09A Justice, ZGMF-1000/M Blaze Zaku Warrior, ZGMF-X23S Saviour