This article or section should be merged with Cosmic Era list of characters

Athrun Zala is one of the main characters from the anime series Gundam Seed. He was 16 years old at the start of the series. He is also a main character in Gundam Seed Destiny, two years later in the timeline of the Cosmic Era universe.

Gundam Seed

In the early episodes of Gundam Seed, Athrun is a member of the elite Rau Le Creuset ZAFT special forces team. During a raid on the Morgenroete, Inc. mecha factory on Heliopolis, Athrun steals the mobile suit that he will pilot during the first half of Gundam Seed, the GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam. To Athrun's complete surprise, he finds that the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam he meets in combat is piloted by his childhood friend Kira Yamato. While he does fight Kira on many occasions (as is his duty as a soldier), he is not happy to have to be fighting against him, and attempted to convince Kira to join ZAFT. However, the opposite happens from this - Kira's reasons for fighting to defend the Archangel plant the seeds of doubt in Athrun's mind. In his final clash with Kira, Athrun seizes the Strike with his Aegis in mobile armor mode, then self-destructs the Aegis after its powerplant fails as he triggers the Scylla hyper-impulse beam cannon, destroying it and severely damaging the Strike.

Initially, Athrun fights for ZAFT for vengeance of his mother's death in the Bloody Valentine Incident. However, her death, while saddening and enraging him, has not driven him to insanity as it had done with his father, ZAFT Councilman Patrick Zala. Ultimately, it is the combination of his father's insanity and Kira's words that result in his realization that ZAFT had passed the line of legitimate anger and into genocide, and results in his defection to the Clyne Faction. Taking command of the ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam and its accompanying METEOR unit, Athrun fights alongside Kira and his fellow ZAFT Gundam pilots (who had also defected) in the final battles of the Bloody Valentine War.

He is engaged to pop idol Lacus Clyne through parental arrangements at the start of the series, and does have honest friendly affection for her. However, his confrontation with Orb's errant princess, Cagalli Yula Athha, on a deserted island in the Pacific leaves him with an emotional connection with the strongwilled Cagalli, which grows throughout the series. At the end of the series, Athrun defects from ZAFT to follow Cagalli as her guard, a position he holds at the start of Gundam Seed Destiny.

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, Birdy.

Mobile suits: GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam, ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam

Gundam Seed Destiny

Athrun Zala re-appears in Gundam Seed Destiny, as Cagalli's bodyguard, "Alex Dino." However, Alex's true identiy is quickly found out by ZAFT chairman Gilbert Dullindal, and in the fifth episode of the series his name is out in the open, so he ceases the identity.

Mobile suits: ZGMF-1000/M Blaze Zaku Warrior, ZGMF-X23S Saviour Gundam

Personal Data

Genetic type: Coordinator
Age: 16 (18 at the start of Seed Destiny)
DOB: Cosmic Era October 29 55
Blood type: O
Height: 170 cm (174 at the start of Seed Destiny)
Mobile Suits: GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam, ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam (Seed)
ZGMF-1000/M Blaze Zaku Warrior, ZGMF-X23S Saviour Gundam (Seed Destiny)

ja:アスラン・ザラ