Characters / Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Union And Free Nations

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Character Index
Celestial Being
Gundam Meisters | Crew Of The Ptolemios | Team Trinity | Celestial Being MiscPower Blocks
Advanced European Union | Human Reform League | The Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations Antagonists
A-Laws | Innovades Other Characters

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Graham Aker

Top: Graham in Season 1, Middle: Mr. Bushido in Season 2, Bottom, Graham in the movie

^SPOILERSGraham as a Gundam Meister

Main mecha: SVMS-01 Union Flag, SVMS-01E Union Flag Graham Aker Custom, "GN Flag" (SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II), GNX-704T/AC Ahead Sakigake, GNX-U 02 X Masurao, GNX-Y 901 TW Susanowo, GNX-903VW Brave (Commander Test Type), GN-001REIV Gundam Exia Repair IV=]

Ace Pilot of the Union, and something of a Fanboy when it comes to Japanese things. Graham tends to relate things with Japanese, following some sort of Bushido code, yelling about surpassing Ashura in battle, etc. Despite that, he is one of the best pilots in the world, being the first to deal any substantial damage to a Gundam without a scratch. He also has a bizarre attraction to the Gundams (or more specifically, Exia), often talking about them in romantic terms even as he fights them.

In the second season, he returns wearing a mask, now calling himself Mr. Bushido.

Voiced by Yūichi Nakamura (Japanese) and Paul Dobson (English)

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• The Ace: He excels in every single form of Mobile Suit combat including pulling off maneuvers to claim a quick victory, can read and respond to situations efficiently, and succeeds in giving the Gundam Meisters a run for their money despite his mobile suits being heavily outclassed by their Gundams.
• Ace Custom: The Overflag, GN Flag, and the Ahead Sakigake.
• Ace Pilot: There are plenty as per a Gundam series, but Graham particularly stands out as one of the absolute best in this show.
• Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: As Mr. Bushido in the Second Season, he refuses to fight enemies that he feels won't put up an interesting fight.
• Ascended Fanboy: He's a Fanboy of Japanese culture, particularly the Samurai warriors, which he fully embraces in Season 2. And his affection towards the Gundams, particularly Exia and its pilot. In the Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Festival 10 "Re:vision", he joins Celestial Being and replaces Setsuna as Exia's Gundam Meister.
• Asexual: He turned down marrying his commander's daughter because he didn't think himself worthy, and has no love interests/shown no romantic interest in anyone. The closest he's come to being attracted to anything is the Gundams, particularly Exia, which he ends up the dedicated pilot of as a Gundam Meister, considering it destiny.
• The Atoner: Much like the rest of the surviving A-Laws members, he wishes to make up for everything he has done.
• Badass Normal: One of the few pilots without any medical enhancements or special properties who can go toe-to-toe with a Gundam.
• Back from the Dead: Survives being seemingly exploded at the end of season 1 to show up again in season 2 as " Mr. Bushido". Similarly gets Retconed to have survived Trailblazer in the 00 10th anniversary stories thanks to the ELS saving various humans after Setsuna was able to make contact with them.
• Better to Die than Be Killed: When the ELS begin assimliating Graham's Brave, he activates his self-destruct and sacrifices himself to clear a path for Setsuna. Good thing he survived though.
• Blood from the Mouth: He has this when he hits some high-speed maneuvers in some of his suits, most notably his showdown with Throne Eins in his Overflag, and during his face-off with the 00 Raiser in the Masurao.
• Blood Knight: He becomes a low-key version of this specifically against Celestial Being in season 2, adopting some sort of Bushido/warrior's code for the sake of 'power' to defeat the Gundams but not truly understanding why they fight each other until his final clash with OO Gundam.
• Boisterous Bruiser: He had his moments.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He's a Japanophile all right, and has lots of honor issues. But still one of the best pilots that Union or A-Laws can offer, to the point where the A-Laws give him special dispensation to do whatever he wants during battles.
• Celibate Rival: Supplementary materials revealed that he was asked by his commanding officer to marry his daughter, but Graham declined.
• Character Development: He goes from being extremely arrogant and bold to being a lot more humble following his defeat by Setsuna.
• Clear My Name: According to side-stories, Graham accidentally caused the death of his superior officer during a training exercise earning him a VERY bad reputation. That's why when Joshua mocked him, he stated that he'll do everything to do just that in the battlefield.
• Close-Range Combatant: Enforced along with Katanas Are Just Better in Season 2 — all of Graham's- eh, Mr. Bushido's machines throughout the season are heavily-tuned towards sword-fighting and any ranged weapons they might have are either only for suppressive fire, sparsely used, or straight-up never used (like the Beam Chakram that can be formed and launched from the large antennas on the Masurao and Susanowo). After he joins Celestial Being following the ELS conflict, he becomes the new Meister of Gundam Exia.
• Cool Mask: During his stint as Mr. Bushido to cover his scars.
• Covered with Scars: From season two onwards due to the wounds he suffered against Setsuna/Exia in the season one finale.
• Custom Uniform: His Celestial Being pilot suit is white with blue shoulders, and the helmet's visor is yellow.
• Demoted to Extra: Despite all his scenery chewing, rivalry with Setsuna, and popularity among fans, his subplot in the second season was largely irrelevant. Not to the point of being Trapped by Mountain Lions, but after he got An Aesop delivered to him, he was pretty much sidelined for the rest of the season. He gets a bigger role in The Movie.
• Determinator: If he has a goal, nothing will stop him until it’s done.
• Double Weapon: The Susanowo's katanas can combine into one.
• Dual Wielding: The Katanas from Masurao and Susanowo. He also briefly does this in Season One with his Overflag in his fight against the Throne Eins.
• Eagleland: A loudmouthed American who wholeheartedly believes in the mission of the Union military.
• Everyone Has Standards: Even he’s upset about A-Laws’ attack on Katharon.
• Everything's Better with Samurai: Dresses up as a samurai and pilots samurai-themed mobile suits in Season Two.
• Expy: He shares similarities with Yzak Joule. Both are Hot-Blooded young men that end up desiring revenge on the protagonist after they scar them. While Graham doesn't get his scars removed, he, like Yzak calms down at the end.
• A Father to His Men: He looks after his subordinates and shows focus on avenging them.
• Fragile Speedster: All his mechs (except his custom Ahead), but especially the GN Flag.
• Glass Cannon: The Masurao and Susanowo can deal out massive melee punishment and the Susanowo and Brave are equipped with a Converging-Stream Weapon. However, all three are still about as durable (fragile) as most other machines he's piloted.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: His face is covered with scars after Setsuna nearly kills him at the end of the first season. He wears a mask in the second season, but drops it after his defeat by Setsuna.
• Half-Human Hybrid: He becomes partially assimilated by the ELS during his Heroic Sarifice, so he becomes half-ELS.
• He's Back!: Graham was a pretty versatile pilot with his Flag in Season 1 with a challenge-seeking, zealous streak. In Season 2, he limits himself only to high-speed, sword-based combat and while still occassionally delving back into his hammy self, he is much more jaded. Graham returns to his old mannerisms in A Wakening Of The Trailblazer and opens himself back to a wider range of combat, perhaps best emanated when he performs his signature hi-speed, hi-G transformation to destroy an entire volley of ElSes; a move he hadn't done since Season 1.
• Heroic Sacrifice: After the ELS begin to assimilate Graham's Brave, he uses his self-destruct to clear a path for Setsuna. However, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Festival 10 "Re:vision" reveals that he survived, although he is now half-ELS.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Billy.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: While he is a soldier and quite stern, underneath it all, he does care for his friends and allies.
• Honor Before Reason: "Sounds reasonable, too bad I am an unreasonable man!"
• Hot-Blooded: "HOOOWAAARRRDDD MAAASOOONNN!" and of course, "GUNDAM, THIS FEELING MUST BE LOVE!"
• I Gave My Word: He promised himself in front of Howard Mason's grave that he'll defeat a Gundam using a Flag and keeps it even during the second season.
• In Love with Your Carnage: Became interested upon seeing Exia's Curb-Stomp Battle of the AEU Enact.
• Katanas Are Just Better: Enforced with his Season 2 mobile suits as befit with his samurai obsession. He later becomes Exia's new Gundam Meister, whose primary weapon is changed to a GN Tachi.
• Large Ham: Or as fans like to say: Large Graham. Even amongst a particularly hammy cast, Graham is easily one of the largest in the show and only becomes more grandstanding in S2. Despite this, people tolerate him because of his status as the Union's best pilot.
• Leeroy Jenkins: Actually says at one point "And I shall overcome reasoning with my recklessness". (or in English, "Sounds reasonable, too bad I'm an unreasonable man!") This also sums up his battle strategy when fighting Gundams, albeit with slightly more success than Patrick.
• Leitmotif: "Union" and it many variations.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: "Time for a Lover's embrace, Gundam!"
• Lightning Bruiser: His Gundam, Exia hits hard as it hits fast.
• Masking the Deformity: In Season 2, he wears his Kabuki-style mask due to having burn scars all over his face, a result of having been exposed to GN Tau Drive particles from his last battle with Setsuna F. Seiei in Season 1. He stops wearing the mask by the time of the movie, as part of his Heel–Face Turn and subsequent Good Costume Switch.
• Occidental Otaku: Minus the obvious obsessiveness, as he learned and respected much of Japanese culture from his best friend and his superior at A-Laws (his best friend's uncle).
• Older and Wiser: By the movie, he’s outgrown some of his old behaviour.
• One-Man Army: He spells this trope word by word. A-LAWS pretty much lets him do whatever he wants by himself.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: He wants to be the one to bring down Setsuna.
• Paper-Thin Disguise: Technically, Mister Bushido's true identity isn't officially revealed until very late in Season 2, but Graham makes no effort beyond the mask to disguise his identity.
• Pet the Dog: He’s very crass, but he still shows appreciation for his allies.
• Pick on Someone Your Own Size: He likes picking on Gundams.
• Rags to Riches: According to side stories, he was orphaned and eventually became a pilot.
• Red String of Fate: Claims that he and Setsuna are connected connected by this. He then says that that fate is to face each other in battle.
• Redemption Equals Death: He sacrifices himself in the movie after joining forces with Celestial Being. Subverted when Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Festival 10 "Re:vision" reveals that he survived and became a Gundam Meister.
• Redemption Promotion: He's much more effective fighting alongside Celestial Being than he was opposing them.
• Scars Are Forever: He gains a few burn scars and they never go away.
• Screaming Warrior: His hammiest moments are in battle.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The manly man to Billy's sensitive guy, although Graham does show his sensitive side from time to time.
• Signature Move: The Graham Special, a high-speed, high-G, sudden mid-air brake to dodge enemy fire. He first debuts it in the Flag, then a much faster, much deadlier version with his Brave in space in the movie.
• Sixth Ranger: He joins forces with Celestial Being about two-thirds through the movie and later becomes a Gundam Meister.
• Spanner in the Works: His intervention prevents Setsuna from getting Louise off the deep end.
• Super Prototype:
  • The Samurai-themed Masurao and Susanowo. The latter possibly doubles as an Ace Custom as it was stated in supplemental info that they used an Overflag - the one used by one of his wingmen - in its construction.
  • The Brave Commander Test Type, which also counts as an Ace Custom due to its specs based specifically around the previous Masurao/Susanowo.
• Took a Level in Kindness: By the end of the second season, he mostly mellowed out. While back to his old hammy self, he's far less arrogant.
• Transforming Mecha: His Flags in Season 1 (Minus the GN Flag), and his Brave Commander Test Type in the Movie.
• Unknown Rival: Subverted with Setsuna in Season 2. Setsuna is fully aware that Graham has a score to settle with him since their last bout in Season 1, but he's got other more important priorities and for the most part tells Graham to stop wasting his time whenever they get into an engagement. Funnily enough, Setsuna is literally an Unknown Rival to Graham himself; he never seemed to have actually learned Setsuna's name, always addressing him as "young man".
• Unusual Weapon Mounting: The Susanowo's side binders can swivel forward, letting him grab his enemies with its built-in claws.
• Villainous Underdog: Graham's machines are never a match for the Gundams in terms of overall stats, as they usually have extreme offensive power, but the defense value of rice paper. The Flag he pilots, while a custom, is a mook suit and only slightly better than average, the GN-Flag (being the most extreme) an almost ludicrously underarmoured mecha whose only advantage is it's speed and a weapon (a beam saber from one of the thrones) that can actually damage the Exia; The Ahead Sakigake may be his most well balanced suit (It's his only suit that can survive being shot, and boast considerable close combat ability), but he trades it in once he realizes it's not enough. Hell, the Masurao/Susanowo he trades it in for are MS that, while incredible in performance, were built for nothing else than sheer power and speed, and while they have built in defenses, Graham never uses them, and it gets taken out by little more than beam sabers thru the shoulders. Despite this, thanks to his sheer ability and the know-how to use his suit's strenghts to the fullest, Graham manages to give Setsuna a hell of a fight in every single skirmish they have with every single one of these suits, and comes closer to killing him than anybody not named Ribbons Almark.
• Villainous Valor: Graham is almost insanely brave, repeatedly fighting the better armed, better armored Gundams with his inferior machinery.
• Western Samurai: He's an American samurai mobile suit pilot in Season 2.
• Worthy Opponent: As Mister Bushido, he refuses to fight everyone except for Setsuna, because he believes that Setsuna is the only one who can provide him with an interesting fight.

Billy Katagiri

A mobile suit developer and friend of Union Ace Pilot Graham Aker. After the appearance of Celestial Being, Billy, Graham, and Professor Ralph Eifman, who had taught Billy in college, are transferred to the Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force, later named "Overflags". Billy is a former classmate of Sumeragi Li Noriega (aka Leesa Kujo) and inadvertently leaks information about "Project G" to her and Celestial Being. After the death of Professor Eifman and Howard Mason during an attack by Team Trinity, Billy uses one of the recently acquired GN Drives to upgrade Graham's Flag unit to the GN-Flag in order to fight the Gundams.

By the second season, Billy is taking care of a despondent Kujo, still unaware that she was a member of Celestial Being until Setsuna appears to retrieve her. Shocked by this revelation, Billy joins the A-Laws and becomes the head of mobile suit development. Once again teaming up with Graham Aker, now using the alias Mr. Bushido, Billy develops the Masurao and later the upgraded Susanowo.

Voiced by Yuji Ueda (Japanese) and Kirby Morrow (English)

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• Action Survivor: Gets caught in a blast from the Throne Eins's main cannon, but aside from a few injuries, he ends up fine. He becomes more involved in the field during the second season and still manages to live to the very end.
• Affably Evil: Despite unknowingly being against Sumeragi, he still treats her with courtesy and tries to help her out. By the end of the second season, they're both on better terms.
• All Love Is Unrequited: He is in-love with Sumeragi, but she seems to be still in-love with her dead boyfriend Emilio. They seem to be together at the start of season 2, although it's unclear whether the two of them are dating of it they're just Friends with Benefits.
• Amicable Exes: While they never truly dated, he’s on much better terms with Sumeragi at the end of the second season.
• Anguished Declaration of Love: To Sumeragi while sobbing during her Cooldown Hug.
• But Not Too Foreign: Like Saji, he is Japanese-American.
• Cannot Spit It Out: To Sumeragi, even though they lived together for four years between the finale of season 1 up to episode 2 of season 2. Guess they're just Friends with Benefits after all.
• Demoted to Extra: Doesn't get much screentime during the last part of the second season.
• Determinator: Even with injuries after the Throne Eins blows him away, he still tries to do his job.
• Dogged Nice Guy: He has feeling to Sumeragi, and makes those feelings known, but when she ignores his flirts, he continues to pursue her, to the point where he eventually tries to kill her for only returning his feelings to pump him for information. They ultimately decide to remain friends and Billy ultimately winds up with Mina Carmine.
• Endearingly Dorky: Downplayed. Really only when it comes to trying to court Sumeragi/Leesa. He stops being this for a while in Season 2 after he learned that she was a member of Celestial Being. He's goes back in the movie and has a much more traditional "shy anime guy" portrayal because of his unashamedly-affectionate new flame, Mina.
• The Engineer: Develops mobile suits from Graham, the Overflags, and the A-Laws.
• Evil Genius: When he finds out that Sumeragi's a part of Celestial Being, he joins the A-Laws so he can kill her and helps develop their mobile suits.
• Foreshadowing: His relationship with Mina in the movie is more or less an allegory for the First Contact between Setsuna and the ELS. In Billy's case, the problem isn't that he needs something like the QAN[T], but he does need to muster the same kind of courage Setsuna does to meet the near-alien-to-Billy Mina's advances head on while assuring it's not a one-sided relationship, and wouldn't you know, it actually works and makes Mina more considerable of him.
  Billy: P-Please be gentle...
  Mina: [leaning in to kiss him] Fufu, roger~
• Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Averted. He's a kind man. Actually zigzagged: when he learns that Sumeragi was a member of Celestial Being, he sacrifices his morals and joins the A-Laws so he can kill her, although Sumeragi convinces him of the error of his ways before he does anything irredemable.
• Go Mad from the Revelation: The rude awakening he got via Setsuna got him little more than angered.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: Is practically inseperable with Graham.
• Living with the Villain: With Sumeragi in season 2 although she's retired at that point until Setsuna recruits her again.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Doesn't know Sumeragi works for Celestial Being until Setsuna arrives to bring her back.
• Love Makes You Crazy: Joins the A-Laws to kill Sumeragi after he concludes that she was using his feelings to spy on the Union.
• Mad Scientist: In season 2. Put more emphasis on the mad part. He gets better in the finale.
• Military Brat: Implied, considering his Uncle is the A-Laws’ commander.
• Mr Fix It: Essentially what he does. He is a scientist and mechanic after all.
• Nice Guy: He's a kind man that is looking after his kouhai and tries to help Sumeragi out despite unknowingly being one of her foes. He briefly Took a Level in Jerkass after learning the truth, but after making amends with Sumeragi, he reverts to his kind self.
• Non-Action Guy: Mechanic, not a soldier.
• Official Couple: He gets together with Mina during the movie.
• Second Love: With Mina in the movie, who is a Fangirl of his scientific prowess and also thinks he's really cute. Billy can't keep his eyes off her, though not for her lack of trying.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Him and Graham respectively.
• The Smart Guy: He’s very intelligent and is able to make plans of his own.
• Too Dumb to Live: Keeps spewing information about what’s happening in the Union to Sumeragi throughout the first season, not even thinking of the consequences.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Is much more reasonable in the movie, now that he has resolved his issues with Sumeragi.
• Unwitting Pawn: He keeps passing Sumeragi confidential information so he can ask for her input as an excuse to hang out with her. In his defense, he doesn't know at the time that Sumeragi is The Strategist of Celestial Being. But one could argue about keeping classified information should come first if one's a member of the military.
• Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: When he realizes Setsuna is telling the absolute truth about Sumeragi.
• Yandere: In season 2 after he learns of Sumeragi's true identity, he resolves to kill her in revenge. Fortunately, he gets better.

Ralph Eifman

He is a famous Union engineer, technical chief, and scientist of several fields. He's also the co-developer of Union's OverFlag.

Voiced by Takaya Hashi (Japanese) and Ron Halder (English)

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• Ambiguous Situation: His death is very much clear, it's just who sent him the message seconds away from it. It's not clear whether Ribbons or VEDA sent it.
• Cool Old Guy: A friendly old man who takes an interest in his subordinates' wellbeing. Despite never knowing what Sumeragi was up to, he desired to see her again.
• Drugs Are Bad: He carries a very deep hatred for illegal narcotics. In fact when Celestial Being were about to burn a drug farm he stated that he would rather help the Gundams rather than stop them in that regard.
• The Engineer: He’s well known for this.
• Gadgeteer Genius: Well, he has to be if Billy and Sumeragi are as good as they are.
• He Knows Too Much: While investigating Celestial Being, Eifman realizes the correlation between the Jupiter incident 120 years ago and Celestial Being triggering an epiphany over Aeolia Schenberg's true philosophical intentions. Unfortunately, as soon as he realizes this a message appears on his computer monitor saying, "You have witnessed too much." Shortly after, the Thrones attacked his research base and Eins fired its GN Mega Launcher directly at Eifman's location, vaporizing him before he could reveal the truth to anyone.
• Killed Off for Real: The Trinities’ first onscreen kill.
• Mentor Archetype: Was Billy and Sumeragi’s teacher.
• Mentor Occupational Hazard: He serves as a mentor to Billy and Sumeragi in the past, only to be killed by the Trinity siblings for uncovering too much. Graham, Billy, and Sumeragi are devastated by the news.
• Mr Fix It: He is an engineer after all.
• Non-Action Guy: He never fights; he's a scientist after all.
• The Professor: Was amongst Sumeragi and Billy’s teachers in college.
• The Smart Guy: He has to be one if he taught science at a college.
• Stern Teacher: He can be a strict man at times.

Graham's Wingmen

Main mecha: SVMS-01O Over Flag

Howard Mason is a Union NCO with the rank of Warrant Officer. One of the first Flag Fighters assigned to the Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force "Overflags" under Graham Aker. He seemed to have a friendship with Graham due to their belief in the qualities of the Flag.

Voiced by Kenji Takahashi (Japanese) and Trevor Devall (English)

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Main mecha: SVMS-01O Over Flag, GNX-603T GN-X

Daryl Dodge is a Union soldier with the rank of Master Sergeant. Another first Flag Fighters assigned to the Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force "Overflags" under Graham Aker. Unlike Graham and Howard, he doesn't share their faith that a Flag can beat the Gundams.

Voiced by Rintarou Nishi (Japanese) and Scott McNeil (English)

In season 2, Graham named his Masurao's two swords "Howard" and "Daryl" in their memory.

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• Alliterative Name: Daryl Dodge.
• Anti Villains: Neither of them are evil: they just want to protect the Union from the Gundams
• Cool Shades: Howard is pretty much always seen wearing tinted glasses.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: Daryl. He’s very stern.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: How Michael kills Howard.
• Killed Off for Real: Howard by Michael and Daryl by Neil.
• Mauve Shirt: Both of them.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Daryl and Howard respectively.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Daryl's kamikaze charge of Dynames reveals to Ali that Lockon's right side is a blindspot. Had Daryl not interfered, Lockon may have survived and even killed Ali right then and there.
• Taking You with Me: Daryl dies in a suicide attack against Dynames. While Daryl fails to kill Lockon, his sacrifice does cause Ali to realize that Lockon is blind in his right eye, which allows Ali to finish him off.
• Those Two Guys: Are usually seen together and don't get that much characterization beyond being Graham's wingmen.

Joshua Edwards

A coworker of Graham’s.

Voiced by: Jun Konno (Japanese) and Lee Tockar (English)

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• Asshole Victim: He’s portrayed as nothing but rude towards Graham, so no one will mourn him when Neil kills him.
• Dropped a Bridge on Him: Neil kills him with no fanfare.
• Small Name, Big Ego: He thinks he’s a great pilot and that Graham should do nothing with the Union.
• Smug Snake: Genuinely believes he is better than Graham. Fellow Badass Normal Neil proves him wrong.

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