Mecha Character Bios: Char Aznable

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Casval Rem Deikun
Alias: Edward Mass
Char Aznable
The Red Comet
Quattro Bajeena [MSG-Z]
Age: 20 [MSG]
27 [MSG-Z]
34 [MSG-CC]
Nationality: Principality of Zeon
Allegiance: Principality of Zeon/
Axis [MSG]
Anti Earth Union Group [MSG-Z]
Neo Zeon [MSG-CC]
Rank: Lt Commander/Captain [MSG]
Lieutenant [MSG-Z]
Captain (Neo Zeon) [MSG-CC]
Family: Zeon Zum Deikun (father, deceased) Sayla Mass (sister)
Height: 175 cm [MSG]
180 cm [MSG-Z]
Weight: 74 kg
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Blue
Mobile Suit: MS-06C Zaku II [MSG]
MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type [MSG]
MSM-07S Z'Gok Commander Type [MSG]
MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type [MSG]
RX-78/C.A. Gundam Char Aznable Custom [Gihren's Greed game]
MSN-02 Zeong [MSG]
RMS-099 Rick Dias [MSG-Z]
MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki [MSG.Z]
MSN-04 Sazabi [MSG-CC]
History
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Born Casval Rem Deikun, Char Aznable is also known as Edward Mass and the alias Quattro Bajeena. He is also known as the "Red Comet", due to the speed at which he destroyed five of the Earth Federation's Magellan class battleships at the Battle of Loum during the One Year War (which has earned him a promotion of two ranks to Lieutenant Commander). He is the elder brother of Sayla Mass (Artesia Som Deikun), and the son of late Zeon Zum Deikun, the former leader of the space colonies of Side 3, later the Republic of Zeon.


The Origin
According to the Manga Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, young Casval and his sister Artesia escaped to earth shortly after their father's death with the help of family friend Jimba Ral (father of Ramba Ral). They spent several years living a luxurious life under the guardianship of the aristocratic Don Teabolo Mass, who named them Edward and Sayla, and treated them like his own children. During this time, Jimba Ral constantly reminded Casval of the Zabi Family's betrayal of his father. After narrowly escaping an attempt on their lives (in which Jimba Ral died), they fled to the Texas Colony.

They lived for a time in a house set up by Texas Colony's chief manager Roger Aznable, still under Teabolo Mass's care. Soon they met Roger's son Char and discovered that he and Casval were nearly identical, except Casval had blue eyes while Char had reddish brown. Eventually Char is taken in by Gihren Zabi's propaganda, and against his father's wishes sets off for officer training school. Casaval decides to accompany him under the guise of looking out for his friend. Kycilia Zabi finds out that Casval is headed back to Side 3, and without consulting Gihren, orders Casaval's death. Both near identical boys are booked to leave on the same flight, but an antique pistol and fake explosives are found in Char's bag (almost certainly planted by Casval). Not wanting to miss the entrance exam, Char readily accepts Casvals suggestion to swap clothes in the restroom. Char boards the ship under the name Edward Mass, while Casval, under the name Char Aznable is detained overnight. Shortly after departure, the ship explodes and kills everyone aboard (no doubt the work of Kycilia's henchmen). Edward Mass is listed among the dead and Casaval takes on the name Char, enters the Zeon Military Academy and begins wearing sunglasses to hide his eye color (as it wouldn't match any of the real Char's IDs).

Mobile Suit Gundam

Casval (20) under the alias Char Aznable in U.C. 0079During the One Year War, Char showed a great capacity not only as mobile suit pilot, but also as tactician and commanding officer. Late in the One Year War, Char began a bitter rivalry with Federation pilot Amuro Ray, and he developed a rather peculiar relationship with the Newtype Lalah Sune, a girl he saved from an Indian brothel. Char himself also developed into a Newtype, and formed distinct psychic bonds with Amuro and Lalah. Char's abilities and his natural charisma allow him to inspire and manipulate others to follow his will fanatically.

In the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Char and Amuro's rivalry peaked to the level that they engaged in gunfight and then swordfight after both lost their mobile suits. In the duel, Char thrusted Amuro in the arm, while being stabbed in the head, which left a permanent scar on his forehead. He survived only because he was wearing a helmet in memory of Lalah, who told him not to take risk. At this moment, Sayla ran into the room and urge both men to stop. Char then started to realize that his true enemy is not Amuro, but the Zabi family. An ensuing explosion knocked them apart, and Char rushed to save his sister. After being told by a dying Zeon soldier that Kycilia Zabi, the last surviving Zabi, was escaping, Char told Sayla to "be a nice woman" and go back to Amuro, and took off with a bazooka. He found Kycilia's departing ship, salute them ("Garma, I'm sending your sister to join you") before firing into the cockpit, blowing off Kycilia's head in the process. He then disappeared out of the battlefield.

At the end of the One Year War, Char went to Axis and his experience there was partly depicted in the manga Char's Deleted Affair.

Zeta Gundam
Char reappears 7 years later in Zeta Gundam, no longer with mask and instead merely wearing sunglasses. Some time between UC 0079-0087, Char returns to the Earth Sphere on a mission to gather intelligence for Axis Zeon, and infiltrates the Earth Federation Forces ranking with the alias "Quattro Bajeena". However, things are turned upside down with the rising of Titans as an oppressive side. Char then join the renegade group of Earth Federation Force's soldier and in the end he became a leading member of the Anti-Earth Union Group.

This time, rather than serving as the rival of the new protagonist, Kamille Bidan, Char serves as Kamille's mentor in the war against the Earth Federation's oppressive Titans organization. In Zeta Gundam, Char becomes an ally of his former adversaries in Mobile Suit Gundam: Amuro Ray, Hayato Kobayashi and Bright Noa. He serves under Bright Noa as leader of AEUG mobile suit forces.

Zeta Gundam puts ahead Char's image as a hero who is always willing to stand up and fight for the freedom of spacenoids. His political speech in front of Federation Assembly in Dakar, which was broadcast throughout Earth and Space, is one of the most important events in the UC Gundam timeline. It seals Char's total commitment toward space colonization and migration of humanity to space.

Despite AEUG's victory in the Gryps War against Titans, Char is defeated in the final battle by Haman Khan, leader of the Axis (later Neo Zeon) faction and assumed dead. However, as the final credits roll, Char's totally damaged Hyaku Shiki floats by with its cockpit hatch open. In ZZ Gundam, Bright Noa remarks to Sayla Mass that he has a gut feeling that Char is simply watching from the sidelines and waiting for the right opportunity to return.

Char does not appear in the sequel to Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam. Yoshiyuki Tomino has stated officially that he had originally intended to feature Char, but the plan was cancelled when he was granted to go-ahead with the theatrical movie Char's Counterattack.

Char's Counterattack

Char (34) in U.C. 0093Another 5 years passed before Char returns in the movie Char's Counterattack, as the leader of a new Neo Zeon faction. He intends create a nuclear winter by dropping the massive asteroid base Axis on the Earth, hence forcing a complete migration into space, which he believes will make all of humanity to evolve into Newtypes. Only one thing stands in his way: the Federation's Londo Bell task force, and their top ace pilot, his old archrival Amuro Ray.

In the Second Neo-Zeon War, both Char and Amuro piloted mobile suits equipped with an advanced psycommu system known as psycoframe. Char himself was responsible for authorizing Anaheim Electronics to pass the psycoframe technology to the development team responsible for Amuro's RX-93 Nu Gundam, thereby effectively planning a fair showdown between them in advance. After his MSN-04 Sazabi was destroyed by Amuro in the final duel, Amuro captured Char's escape pod, and against Char's taunting, attempted to push the asteroid Axis away from Earth. The intense willpower of Amuro's and all the pilots assisting him caused Nu Gundam's psycoframes to resonate and overload, resulting in a spectacular aurola with Axis pushed out of Earth's orbit. Both Amuro and Char disappeared without a trace in the incident. Since then there has been no news of the two, and it is assumed that they both were killed in the massive explosion. (In the novelization of Char's Counterattack, both characters are confirmed to be KIA.)

Spoilers end here.

Characteristics
Char has several recognizable characteristics:

Has blonde hair.
Often wears red clothing.
Usually wears a mask or sunglasses to hide his true identity.
Usually pilots red (or, arguably pink-ish) mobile suits. Exception to this is the MSN-0100 Hyaku Shiki, which is painted in bright gold yellow, and the MSN-02 Zeong, which was painted in a greyish colour (this is due to the fact that the Zeong wasn't finished- they didn't have time to give it legs much less paint it).
Sports a small, diagonal scar between his eyes (incurred during a sword fight with Garma Zabi during their academy days, which was used as an excuse for the head gear Char first wore to hide his identity. Argued that it was caused by Amuro Ray during a sword duel but in fact the strike was blocked by Char's helmet.)
He is never shown driving a car throughout his appearances (though he is seen driving one in CDA).
Often suspected of Ephebophilia, as supposedly exemplified by his relationship with Lalah Sune (whose age is 14, and, according to Tomino's novel Secret Rendezvous: Amuro and Lalah, was discovered by Char working as a prostitute), and Haman Karn, who was 14 at the beginning of their relationship (Char himself was no more than 19), as detailed in the manga Portrait of a Young Comet - Char's Deleted Affair. Char also swayed the disillusioned Quess Paraya (13 years old according to Gundam Official Guide) during the events of the movie Char's Counterattack, where Quess latched onto Char after being rebuffed by Amuro Ray in hopes of learning from famous Newtypes. Also, according to the Playstation game for Zeta Gundam, in his scenario two escorts was shown guiding Mineva Zabi to a private cabin in a resort colony. Though many fans suspect Char of being an ephebophile, Tomino has categorically denied this.
By the time of Zeta Gundam, he has had four different names, his birthname Casval Rem Deikun, Edward Mass, the name given to him when he whisked away to avoid being targeted by the Zabi family, Char Aznable, the name he'd bear for much of his life, and finally Quattro Bajeena, which was come up with because this was his fourth alias. (Quattro is Italian for 4)
The name Char Aznable was said to be inspired by French singer and songwriter Charles Aznavour (シャルル・アズナブール) and character named Charkin in an earlier robot anime Raiden (ライディーン)[1]


Mobile Suits

Char Aznable with his Hyaku Shiki (right)Apart from being an excellent commander, Char Aznable backs up his intellect and charisma through his experience as a mobile suit pilot. He pilots a mobile suit, commonly in his red and black color scheme with ruthless efficiency, at first doing it without a pilot suit on; though, after Lalah orders him to, he begins wearing a pilot suit throughout the Gryps and Neo Zeon conflicts. Some of the mobile suits that he piloted throughout the series are:

MS-06C Zaku II- mobile suit that he started out with at the beginning of the war, and won his ace status in at the battle of Loum.
MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type - high-performance mobile suit issued to ace pilots and team commanders such as him.
MSM-07S Z'Gok Commander Type - amphibious mobile suit, used by Char on the Jaburo Drop Operation.
MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type - the latest Zeon mobile suit incorporated in the last months of the war; special prototype given to ace pilots, damaged by Amuro Ray and the RX-78-2 Gundam at Side 5.
MS-09R Rick Dom - A Customized space use heavy mobile suit, shown in the original novelization.
MSN-02 Zeong - a powerful Newtype mobile suit piloted during the battle of A Baoa Qu, the last one of the war. The unit Char receives is under construction and is only considered to be 80% completed.
RMS-099 Rick Dias - AEUG mass produced, heavy attack mobile suit, piloted by Char during the early part of Gryps War.
RX-178 Gundam Mk-II - Titans prototype, general-purpose mobile suit, piloted by Char at least once, only having just stolen all three units.
MSN-0100 Hyaku Shiki - AEUG prototype, personalized high-performance attack mobile suit, piloted by Char during the latter part of Gryps War. Protected by a newly developed Anti-Beam Coating, this mobile suit shows a bright gold tone in place of his favored red scheme.
MSN-04 Sazabi - Char's personal mobile suit during the Second Neo Zeon War, designed to make full use of his Newtype powers.
Replaced by MSN-04II Nightingale in the novelization.
RX-78-2 Gundam - An Alternate timeline in the video game series "Ghiren's Greed" places Char in the cockpit of a customized RX-78-2 Gundam
It is noteworthy to mention that so far, Char is the only character in the Gundam universe (UC or non-UC timelines) to have fought in three final battles of a movie or series. In Mobile Suit Gundam, Char fights against Amuro Ray at A Baoa Qu. In the finale of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Char and Kamille Bidan fight together against Haman Karn (of Axis Zeon) and Paptimus Scirocco (of Titans) in a three-way battle (AEUG vs Titans vs Axis). Finally, Char's last battle is at the end of Char's Counterattack when he fights his archrival Amuro Ray again.


Char Clones

Afranshia Char, a clone of Char Aznable in U.C. 0203Char Aznable is also responsible for spawning a series of "Char Clones", characters based off similar characteristics to Char, in Gundam. That character usually serves the same purpose as Char in the story, as the primary rival of either the main protagonist or a significant supporting character, sometimes also having blonde hair and is usually shrouded in mystery and wears a mask or sunglasses, pilots red mobile suits and sometimes has an extremist plan in mind (For example some of these "Char Clones" tried to force the people on Earth to migrate into space just like Char had tried to do). It is also a common theme for the "Char Clone" to be related to the female lead in some way. Sometimes the "clone" is the father, brother, former lover, etc. of the female lead.

The term Char Clone is often used disparagingly, as if suggesting that the creative staff of the series lacked the creativity to come up with an original character and simply resorted to copying Char.

'Iron Mask' aka Carozzo Ronah from Gundam F91
Chronicle Asher from Victory Gundam
Schwarz Brüder, Master Asia aka 'Undefeated of the East' or 'Invincible East', and Ulube Ishikawa from G Gundam
Lancerow Dawell, Jamil Neate from Gundam X
Zechs Merquise, the 'Lightning Count' from Gundam Wing whose mobile suit Tallgeese is once described as "three times faster than an Aries". He life and role in the course of the series is essentially meant to be a retelling of Char's life (including a desire to retaliate for the death of his father) and probably is considered the most popular Char 'clone', yet he is different enough to be a character in his own right. Pilots the red Gundam Epyon towards the series' end, a trait of Char and his clones.
Harry Ord from ∀ Gundam
Rau Le Creuset from Gundam SEED, a more nefarious Char clone who tries to destroy earth and all humanity.
Athrun Zala as 'Alex Dino', who played the role that is quite similar to Char's Quattro Bajeena persona in Zeta, and in addition he pilots mostly red Gundams, a noticeable trait of Char and some of his clones.
Neo Roanoke from Gundam SEED Destiny
Chief Haro, Deathscythe and Professor Gerbera from Superior Defender Gundam Force
Neyarl (Hal Vizardt / Vladi Zarth in the English version) from Gundam: True Odyssey (MS Saga)
An actual DNA clone from Char Aznable appeared in the story Gaia Gear (original novel by Yoshiyuki Tomino). Named Afranshia Char, a clone made by final Zeon remnants to lead them in an attempt to overthrow the Federation one last time, using the mighty Gaia-Gear man-machine suit.

In addition, the character Full Frontal, from Gundam Unicorn, set in UC 0096, three years after Char's death, is described as "The Second Coming of Char" and has blonde hair and wears a mask like Char's.