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Shinn Asuka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shinn Asuka | |
|---|---|
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny character | |
 Shinn Asuka in Gundam SEED Destiny |
|
| First appearance | Gundam SEED Destiny episode 1 |
| Last appearance | Gundam SEED Destiny "Final Plus" episode |
| Voiced by | Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese) Matthew Erickson (English) |
| Profile | |
| Age | 16 [GSD][1] |
| Date of birth | September 1,[1] CE 57 |
| Nationality | Formerly Orb Union Currently PLANT [GSD] |
| Known relatives | father and mother (both unnamed) Mayu Asuka (sister) |
| Genetic type | Coordinator[1] |
| Information | |
| Allegiance | ZAFT [GSD] |
| Rank | Red uniform [GSD] FAITH [GSD] |
| Mobile weapons | ZGMF-X56S Impulse [GSD] ZGMF-X42S Destiny [GSD] |
Shinn Asuka (シン・アスカ Shin Asuka?) is a fictional character in the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny anime series. Shinn is the first protagonist introduced, but later conflict pits him against the established protagonists of the original Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Thus, he has the distinction of serving in both the "hero" and "villain" roles at different points of the story.
Shinn lives peacefully with his parents and his younger sister in the neutral country of Orb, but the Earth Alliance attacks Orb on June 15. Only Shinn survives when his family is caught in a crossfire between the GAT-X131 Calamity and the ZGMF-X10A Freedom mobile suits. Shinn blames Orb’s rulers, the Athhas, for his family’s deaths, believing that they should have surrendered to the attacking Earth Alliance Forces rather than putting civilians at risk in a battle that could not be won. Orb soldier Captain Todaka then takes care of Shinn and later sends him to the PLANTs, where he joins ZAFT and graduates as one of the top students in his class as a "ZAFT Red".
After graduation, Shinn is assigned to pilot ZAFT's ZGMF-X56S Impulse, and is stationed aboard the battleship Minerva under the command of Talia Gladys along with former military academy classmates Rey Za Burrel, Vino Dupre, Lunamaria Hawke, Meyrin Hawke, and Yolant Kent.
Three Extended pilots of the Earth Alliance's special forces team, Phantom Pain - Sting Oakley, Stella Loussier, and Auel Neider - infiltrate Armory One and steal three ZAFT prototype mobile suits, the ZGMF-X24S Chaos, ZGMF-X88S Gaia, and ZGMF-X31S Abyss.
At first, Shinn fights them single-handedly with his ZGMF-X56S Impulse, but the three Extendeds overpower him until Athrun Zala intervenes with a ZGMF-1000 ZAKU Warrior, saving Shinn. Athrun then withdraws because Cagalli Yula Athha, who he is protecting, incurs a head injury during the fight. Shinn tries to recover the stolen mobile suits, but the Extendeds retreat outside the colony and back to the Mirage Colloid-cloaked Earth Alliance battleship Girty Lue. Neo Roanoke provides them cover by fighting against Shinn with his TS-MA4F Exus.
Eventually, Shinn and Rey are ordered to fall back to the Minerva. On board, Shinn is shocked to learn that Athrun had saved him from the Extendeds. He also is irritated to learn that Cagalli is on board as well, for he blames his family's deaths on her father, Uzumi Nara Athha, and he shows this readily in Cagalli's presence.
The Minerva is ordered to aid the Joule Team with the demolition of Junius Seven, which is on a collision course with Earth. This is caused by a rogue ZAFT force that supports the late Patrick Zala. The Minerva pilots, the Joule team, and Athrun kill the terrorists and drive off the Extendeds, but only partly succeed in their demolition efforts. During re-entry, Shinn saves Athrun, whose heavily damaged mobile suit was in danger of crashing into the ocean.
After returning Cagalli and Athrun to Orb, the Minerva leaves quickly because Orb is about to join the Earth Alliance. Yuna Roma Seiran and his father plan to offer them up to the Earth Alliance fleet waiting outside Orb territory, and Yuna deploys the Orb fleet to prevent the Minerva from reentering Orb. This angers Shinn, and he activates his SEED mode for the first time and he destroys much of the Earth Alliance fleet, including the massive mobile armor YMAF-X6BD Zamza-Zah.
En route to the Black Sea, the Minerva is joined by Athrun Zala in his ZGMF-X23S Saviour. Athrun has reenlisted into ZAFT as a member of FAITH, which irritates Shinn. As they fly over the Indian Ocean, they are attacked by Phantom Pain again. While fighting the Gaia, Shinn discovers that the Earth Alliance is forcing civilians to work on their secret military base. Earth Alliance soldiers fire on civilians who are trying to escape, causing Shinn to go into a rampage, killing Earth Alliance soldiers and freeing the civilians instead of following orders. Afterwards, Athrun reprimands him with a slap in the face for disobeying.
Later, Athrun assigns the key part in breaking through an Earth Alliance fortification at the Battle of Gulnahan to Shinn.
While stationed in Diocuia, Shinn saves Stella from drowning after she falls from a cliff and panics due to her inability to swim. Stella becomes frantic when Shinn yells at her for being careless, asking her "Did you want to die?!" To calm her, Shinn swears to protect her. They are stuck at the bottom of the cliff, until a ZAFT boat arrives to rescue them. They become closer, but when Stella returns to Phantom Pain, her memories of Shinn are erased.
Following the addition of Heine Westenfluss and his ZGMF-X2000 GOUF Ignited, the Minerva is attacked by Phantom Pain and the Orb fleet commanded by Yuna Roma Seiran. The ZGMF-X10A Freedom, piloted by Kira Yamato, and the Archangel intervenes. Kira quickly damages the Impulse, the GOUF, and other mobile suits. Heine and his crippled GOUF are sliced in half by the Gaia when he unknowingly moves between it and the Freedom. Heine's death angers Shinn.
While the Minerva is sent to investigate the Extendeds facility in Lodonia, the place where the Extendeds are created and trained, Shinn becomes even more angry with the Earth Alliance's Blue Cosmos leaders, asking how can they say tampering with genes is wrong when they do things like this.
Then Stella attacks by herself, but she is defeated by Shinn and Athrun and becomes a prisoner on the Minerva. Shinn is shocked when he learns that Stella is the Gaia's pilot and one of the Earth Alliance's Extendeds. While tied to a bed due to her aggressive behavior towards the people on board, she cries out for Neo, and Shinn again attempts to calm her, though she does not recall who he is. When waking up again, tired and less aggressive, she sees Shinn and recognizes him this time, indicating the erasing of her memory was not completely successful.
The Minerva heads for Gibraltar, but they are once again intercepted by Phantom Pain and the Orb fleet commanded by Yuna Roma Seiran and Captain Todaka.
Shinn destroys the Abyss, killing its pilot, Auel, and decimates the Orb mobile suit force. Shinn then directly engages the Orb fleet, sinking several ships. Captain Todaka, who helped Shinn, goes down with one of the ships Shinn attacks, the Orb carrier Takemikazuchi.
Afterward, Shinn overhears his commander's discussion which concludes that the Extended prisoner Stella will die without the right medical treatment, and her body will be transported to a ZAFT science facility for dissection and testing to study the Extended program. Horrified, Shinn decides to return Stella to the Earth Alliance, and does so with Rey's help. Both are confined as punishment and could have been executed, but are released on Gilbert Durandal's orders.
Stella is designated as the pilot of the transformable mobile armour GFAS-X1 Destroy, and goes on a rampage leveling several cities in Western Eurasia - former Eurasian Federation territories that have sided with ZAFT - as an object lesson. She is intercepted by ZAFT over the city of Berlin, but Berlin is heavily damaged and ZAFT forces there are obliterated. Soon after, the Archangel and its mobile suits arrive and battle the Destroy, much to the surprise of the Minerva, which arrives shortly afterwards.
Kira in the Freedom engages the Destroy and is joined by Shinn in the Impulse. When Shinn cuts open the Destroy's cockpit, Neo communicates that Stella is the pilot. Shinn's feelings stop him from finishing the Destroy, and Stella's feelings for Shinn cause her to stop fighting, too. But when the Freedom approaches, Stella panics and prepares to fire the Destroy's chest beam cannons. Kira stabs his beam saber through the Destroy's cannons, causing a chain reaction that destroys the giant mobile armour and mortally wounds Stella. Stella tells Shinn that she loves him and dies in his arms, and Shinn cries out in anguish.
After Shinn lays Stella's corpse to rest in a lake, he becomes intent on destroying the Freedom to avenge Stella. Shinn admits to Rey that the Freedom is perhaps the strongest mobile suit in existence and its pilot is exceptional and practices computerized battle simulations between his Impulse and the Freedom.
When the Minerva is ordered to subdue the Archangel in the mission code-named "Operation Angel Down", Shinn gets his opportunity for revenge. Using a strategy devised by himself and Rey after analyzing battle footage, Shinn takes advantage of Kira's habit of disabling enemy mobile suits and uses his Impulse's ability to replace damaged parts to defeat the Freedom. Afterwards, Shinn is shown with tears in his eyes for being able to avenge Stella's death. Unknown to Shinn, Kira survives the ordeal.
When Shinn returns to the Minerva after destroying the Freedom, his comrades cheer him. Shinn tells Athrun that he defeated Freedom and killed its pilot, avenging Stella’s death and Athrun’s defeat. Furious by Shinn’s rejoicing at the supposed death of Kira, Athrun punches Shinn in the face. Athrun adds that Shinn killed Kira but Kira never wanted to kill him. Rey counters that destroying Freedom and the Archangel was a direct order from ZAFT's headquarters, that all of them including Athrun were obligated to obey.
PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Gilbert Durandal, confers with Rey and concludes Athrun will no longer work with them after the apparent death of Kira, and decides to frame Athrun. He sends soldiers to detain Athrun, but Meer Campbell warns him beforehand. Athrun subdues the soldiers and flees ZAFT's Gibraltar military base with the help of Meyrin Hawke in a stolen ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited mobile suit.
Durandal sends Rey in the ZGMF-X666S Legend and Shinn in the ZGMF-X42S Destiny to hunt down Athrun. Rey tells Shinn that Athrun is a defector working for Logos and that Meyrin is an accomplice, not a hostage. When Rey and Shinn catch up with Athrun, Rey starts to fight Athrun, Shinn initially tries to persuade Athrun to return to ZAFT. After Athrun refuses, Shinn accuses him of betraying their trust and stabs Athrun's GOUF Ignited with his anti-ship sword, causing it to crash into the ocean and explode.
Unknown to Shinn and Rey, Ledonir Kisaka (Cagalli's former bodyguard) rescues Athrun and Meyrin. Shinn is shown to feel great sadness and self-confliction, believing he killed Athrun and Meyrin. He apologizes to Lunamaria and cries with her, though he feels his action was necessary to prevent any harm to ZAFT and to achieve the Chairman's goal of peace.
After some comforting by Chairman Durandal, Shinn prepares for the assault against Logos' Heaven's Base Headquarters in Iceland. In the Minerva mobile suit hangar just prior to "Operation Ragnarok", he encourages Lunamaria about her first sortie with the Impulse, and they console each other about Athrun and Meyrin's deaths. Both blame Logos for the apparent betrayal by Athrun and Meyrin. Shinn kisses Lunamaria and promises to protect her.
Shinn enters the battle and goes into SEED mode. Between the Destroy and the Destiny's capabilities, Logos' five Destroy units are no match for Shinn.
Heaven's Base surrenders and both Talia (Minerva's captain) and Arthur Trine (Minerva's executive officer) are impressed by Shinn's battle skills. Chairman Durandal is obviously pleased by Shinn's victory.
ZAFT forces occupy Heaven's Base, arresting many Logos members. However, when Shinn learns that Lord Djibril escaped, and is rumored to be hiding in Orb, he becomes furious and vows to hunt Djibril down no matter what.
Shinn has nightmares about Stella's suffering, his fights against the Freedom, the killing of Athrun and Meyrin, and the battles against Logos. Rey tells Shinn that he did the right thing because they were all ZAFT's enemies. PLANT Supreme Council awards a second Nebula Medal to Shinn for his performance in Operation Ragnarok and Supreme Council Chairman Durandal appoints both Shinn and Rey to FAITH. After confirmation that the Seirans (the rulers of Orb at the time) are providing sanctuary to Lord Djibril, ZAFT initiates "Operation Fury", a full-scale assault on Orb in order to capture Lord Djibril.
Exercising his FAITH powers, Shinn launches alone from Minerva in his Destiny and faces off against Cagalli in the ORB-01 Akatsuki. Shinn damages the Akatsuki, but Kira arrives in the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom and saves Cagalli. Shocked and enraged that Kira has survived, Shinn attacks the Strike Freedom. The two engage in extended battle until Rey orders Shinn to return to the Minerva to resupply and recharge. After this, Shinn and Rey launch to face the Strike Freedom together.
Athrun arrives in the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice. Shinn is surprised that Athrun survived their last encounter. Athrun demands that Shinn stop attacking Orb and questions his motives for war. Believing that Athrun is a traitor, Shinn goes into SEED mode and the two fight. Minerva Captain Gladys orders the retreat of all ZAFT forces, including Shinn and Rey.
Cagalli's broadcast from Orb is interrupted by Meer (speaking as Lacus Clyne). But then Meer is interrupted by the real Lacus, leaving the crew of the Minerva confused. Shinn asks Rey for his opinion. Rey replies the enemy is using another "Lacus Clyne" as a psychological weapon.
The Minerva is ordered to attack the Requiem and the Daedalus base. Shinn in the Destiny manage to cripple the defenses of the lunar stronghold.
With the last remnants of Blue Cosmos/Logos eliminated, Chairman Durandal unveils his ultimate solution to war - "the Destiny Plan". Chairman Durandal as an expert geneticist will act as the overseer and assign roles to individuals according to their genetic makeup. Everyone will then be governed by their genetic "destiny" and not by their individuality. According to Chairman Durandal, the ultimate goal is to make wars obsolete.
For the Destiny Plan to become a reality, Chairman Durandal has to defeat any nation with the capability and the resolve to challenge him. Before the battle, Durandal calls Shinn and Rey to meet in person at his mobile fortress Messiah. When they meet, Durandal tells Shinn about his goals. Shinn hesitates about putting his full support behind the Destiny Plan. After some convincing arguments from Rey, Shinn pledges his loyalty to Chairman Durandal. After all the pain Shinn has endured, the Destiny Plan is the only answer to humanity's problems that makes sense to him.
A battle starts near the location of the Requiem cannon on the Moon. Lunamaria in the Impulse tries unsuccessfully to stop Athrun in his Infinite Justice. Seeing Athrun fighting Lunamaria, an enraged Shinn attacks Athrun, then goes into SEED mode. Lunamaria interposes herself between the two, trying to stop the fight. Athrun goes into SEED mode as well, saves Lunamaria from Shinn, and cripples the Destiny, which crashes onto the Moon's surface.
Shinn is last seen in Lunamaria's arms, crying, and watching Messiah crash into the Moon, with Chairman Durandal and best friend Rey on board.
During the brief time that he is unconscious after his defeat, Shinn has a vision of Stella. Her words, though disjointed and cryptic, seem to imply that because of Shinn, she had truly lived for the first and only time in her short life. This seems to put Shinn at ease.
At the end of Gundam SEED Destiny "Final Plus", Athrun rescues Shinn and Lunamaria with his Infinite Justice. Later, Shinn is seen paying tribute to his deceased family at the memorial in Orb. Also present are Athrun, Meyrin and Lunamaria. There he expresses his conflicted emotions for his homeland Orb, and confesses that he had wanted to visit Orb before. He encounters Kira, who is accompanied by Lacus. Athrun introduces Kira to Shinn as the pilot of Freedom. Shinn is stunned by the identity of the pilot whom he tried to defeat numerous times; he had previously encountered Kira at the memorial several months earlier. Kira makes an overture to Shinn to make peace with him, indicating he does not have any grudges against him. Kira asks Shinn to join him and Athrun to fight for humanity's peace, if there were to be another war. After a brief contemplation, a crying Shinn accepts Kira's offer.
In Gundam SEED Destiny: Special Edition, Shinn is seen along with Kira, Athrun, Lunamaria, Meyrin, and the three ZGMF-XX09T DOM Trooper pilots going to meet with Lacus - who is accompanied by Yzak Joule, Dearka Elsman, Shiho Hahnenfuss, and Arthur Trine - before she enters the PLANT Supreme Council chambers. Shinn is not wearing the FAITH pin insignia in this scene.
In Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge, Shinn's relationship with Athrun is expanded. Although it is still a love-hate relationship, he is more respectful to Athrun at times. During the Junius Seven colony drop, when Cagalli unintentionally hurt Athrun's feelings, Shinn reminds her that one of the terrorists had invoked the ideals of Patrick Zala as their reason for carrying out the drop. He then says that Athrun is too pitiful if Cagalli comforts him with mere empty words.
Athrun also has a somewhat greater role acting as his mentor, reminding him before the Battle of Gulnahan that he is ZAFT's trump card. Athrun also scolds him when he throws tantrums at the briefing. On another occasion, Athrun grabs Shinn by the collar when Shinn once noted that the FAITH pilot has gotten to where he is by killing many people. He then reminds Shinn that nothing can be solved by using guns.
Lunamaria also mentions to Athrun that during their days at the academy, Shinn had repeatedly rebuked their officers and instructors. Athrun replies that Shinn's nature is not bad; he is just "more crude" in many areas.
After Shinn's first time in SEED mode (defending the Minerva during the Earth Alliance ambush at Orb), he replies to Lunamaria's queries that he is not sure how he did it. When he saw the Orb vessels firing, he got enraged at the thought of dying here; "suddenly, my mind just turned blank." When Lunamaria suggests that his rage had gotten to him, he does not think that was exactly the case.
