Athrun Zala

Athrun Zala (アスラン・ザラ Asuran Zara) serves as the deuteragonist of both Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, but is the protagonist in the special edition of the latter series and the Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge manga.

Personality
As seen and even mentioned by Lacus Clyne herself, Athrun is described as a quiet, reserved, and often a benevolent individual. Athrun is shown to have a firm belief that if soldiers follow their orders then eventually the war will end with success. While good at following orders, Athrun has trouble acting as a team leader due to his compassionate outlook in life. In Destiny, Athrun's personality and ideals does not change much, but he does mature in some respects, especially when he rejoins ZAFT at the personal behest of Gilbert Durandal to command and become part of the ZAFT forces as a field commander aboard the Minerva. Due to his status as a hero to the PLANT colonies and ZAFT ace pilot, he somehow instinctively portrays a very professional aura and doesn't hesitate when giving orders that can come off as being harsh or demanding. Despite the former's particular distaste of being ordered around, Athrun still manages to act as a mentor to his young subordinates, such as Shinn the Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke.

Skills & Abilities
Before becoming a full-fledged pilot, Athrun had underwent training at the ZAFT military academy. It was there that he showed natural talent as a soldier, ranking 1st in mobile suit piloting, hand-to-hand combat, and knife-fighting, even going as far as to beat the renowned knife-fighting instructor "Fred of the Knife". With his natural experience as a pilot and high scores at the academy, it's very surprising that Kira Yamato was able to match him with skill alone. His fighting style is not visibly limited in style, his mobile suits, GAT-X303 Aegis, the ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam and later the ZGMF-X19A ∞ Justice Gundam, are all well-rounded ranged and close-combat type mobile suits that are always equiped with sufficient firepower and a minimum of two beam sabers. Although his style is typically well-rounded, he can also pilot mobile suits with more basic ability, and therefore less strategic uses, such as the ZGMF-1000/M Blaze ZAKU Warrior. It is likely that Athrun's technical skills as a pilot are thanks to his long-practiced hobby of creating robotic toys, such as Kira Yamato's Birdy and Lacus Clyne's Haros. Athrun's resolve in battle is often profound. He debates "truth", "war" and even the real difference between "right" and "wrong" on the battlefield. These thoughts never cloud his mind in the sense that they hinder his abilities. However, his anger or desire for revenge often make him act in a way that he later regrets. His only weakness as a pilot is his good nature, which leaves him troubled when faced with having to kill Kira, his best friend. Ultimately, his "perfect solider" mentality and his father's expectations blind him to what he truly wants.

Background
Athrun was born in December City of the PLANTs on October 29, CE 55. In CE 61, Patrick Zala sends Athrun to attend a preparatory school in Copernicus City, located on the Moon. Here, he meets Kira Yamato and they become good friends. In CE 68, Patrick calls Athrun back from Copernicus City. Just before he leaves, Athrun builds a robotic pet bird, Birdy (Torii(which means bird) in the Japanese version), which he gives to Kira. After returning to the PLANTs, Athrun finds that his father has arranged an engagement for him to PLANT pop idol Lacus Clyne. (According to the novelization of Gundam SEED, she is the first girl Athrun ever kissed. It is shown in episode 20 of Gundam SEED.) Athrun builds Haro, a pink ball-shaped robotic pet-companion for her, which she likes very much – his response is to build her a large number of them, which she names based on their colors.

Beginning of the Great War
The Great War Begins when Paul Gekko, Juvia and Ancient Fairy Tail managed to save the Children from the Eggman Robots and Doctor Eggman aboard the Egg Fleet. Paul Gekko kills Lord Djibril and the Girty Lue, the ship Djibril was escaping on. Paul Gekko destroyed the Uhlenbeck Battleship to prevent Operation Angel Down from happening. (Sonic X)

Desperate Mission
During this period of time the Ninja King presents a speech around the entire world about the organization Logos and claims that by destroying them the war will end, and Shinn easily agrees, later when the White Angel is ordered to save other People from the Army of Orochis in the mission code-named "Operation Angel's Rescue", Paul Gekko gets his opportunity to stop the Archangel and the Freedom from invading the Village first. Paul Gekko was chased by the GUN Military Truck who is driven by Stella the Louise of Kuro Akastuki after passing the last Point Marker in City of Lacroa. From there, the Stella will chase Paul Gekko down through a section of the City where the city angle has been turned 180 degrees. During the chase, will also use three saw-blades attached on its cab to attack from afar, which Paul Gekko can avoid by moving to the side. Near the end of the chasing section, it will use its rocket boosters to chase after Paul Gekko on a vertical wall. until they reach the end of the chase where the GUN Military Truck will crash into a brick overpass knocking Stella unconcious. Shinn is shocked when he learns that Stella is the Truck's driver and one of the Kuro Akatsuki's Extendeds. After receiving the message that Archangel won't surrender, Shinn takes off on the Impulse and starts to fight Kira. Paul Gekko uses the Chaos Emeralds to use the Ultimate Battle Form to stop the Army of the Eight Headed Dragons but the Eight Headed Dragons responded to Fortress Gundam about the respected homes of hylians and humans. After the Eight Headed Dragons returned to the Forest at their homes, Kira however activates Seed Mode and cripples the Impulse. However, all backed up and ready, Paul Gekko was able to save Shinn in time and the Chaos Emeralds have shutted down and teleported the Archangel to the Space Colony Yuki's Hanger and to the Ocean which made Kira falter. Paul Gekko in his Battle Mode charged in and aimed straight at the Freedom's cockpit, disabling the Freedom for good. Unknown to Shinn, Kira survives the ordeal. While tied to a bed due to her violent behavior, Stella the Louise cries out for Lyon, and Shinn the Asuka 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.

Battle in Space
Paul Gekko went to PLANT's capital, Aprilius One to eat at the Pizza Restaurant with his Friends who are 900,000 Coordinators. Paul Gekko senses that the Egg Fleet has invaded Januarius 1 to 4 and December 7 and 8. Paul Gekko was able to warn the Coordinators in Aprilius One that the Doctor Eggman has the Army of Robot-like Naturals invading the City. Paul Gekko was able to save 900,000 Coordinators from capture by hiding them inside a Giant Cargo crates thus transferring them to the Space Colony Yuk but got caught himself as a result by the ZAFT Officers, Rey Za Burrel and Shinn Asuka in Mobile Suits. Chairman Durandal orders the ZAFT Moon Fleet to capture the Space Colony Yuki in return for that rescue from Djibril's Remaining Forces. Almost immediately after the assassination attempt in Copernicus City, PLANT chairman Gilbert Durandal appears in a global broadcast, taken aboard the ZAFT space mobile fortress Messiah. From the Messiah, he address the Requiem attack on PLANT, and assures the world that LOGOS has been defeated. However, he announces that there is one more enemy that humanity has to face, an enemy he addresses as "ignorance and ambition". He accuses Naturals of being too self-centered and conceited, essentially causing the suffering of others. Thus, he then announces that he has the solution to this problem, and reveals the "Destiny Plan" - every human and Coordinator will be assigned the role that they are the most genetically suited to. The Atlantic Federation is the first to decide not to follow the plan, and the Arzachel Lunar Base mobilizes its remaining forces in defense while the president of the Atlantic Federation (who is at Arzachel Base) attempts to contact chairman Durandal. Without even responding to the request for contact, Durandal uses the captured and repaired Requiem superweapon to destroy the Arzachel Lunar Base, destroying the base, part of the Alliance fleet and killing the president as well.

Battle of Messiah
Subsequently, the Orb Union and the Kingdom of Scandinavia are the only other nations left to reject the Destiny Plan, and soon Orb and Terminal (the organization that the Three Ships Alliance grew into between the wars), understanding the message sent by Chairman Durandal through the destruction of Arzachel Base with the Requiem, mobilize their military forces to destroy Requiem. The Orb Union launches its space fleet from the lunar free city of Copernicus, consisting of the White Angel and White Fox, the Izumo class battleship Kusanagi and two other Izumo class battleships). Lacus Clyne's flagship, the Eternal, leads a number of Earth Alliance and ZAFT battleships loyal to Terminal: and Earth Alliance ships that survived the Requiem attack on Arzachel. Their Earth Alliance forces consisted of at least two Agamemnon-classs, at least two Nelson class battleships and four or more Drake class escort ships, and their ZAFT forces consisted of two or more Nazca class destroyers and two Laurasia class frigates. The Hylian Federation Fleet is engaging the ZAFT forces defending the Messiah space fortress and the Requiem. However, with Requiem's second station moving closer into firing position to destroy Orb, Paul Gekko, in his RT-55-09 Orochi Gundam, told the White Angel and Team Kyoji, pilots of ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice, to leave the Eternal and break through the Requiem's defenses and destroy it while he and the Eternal attack the Messiah. The defensive hole this left at the Eternal was filled in by Yzak Joule in his ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited and Dearka Elsman in his ZGMF-1001 Blaze Zaku Phantom. Paul Gekko was engaged by the ZGMF-X666S Legend, piloted by Rey Za Burrel, who blamed Kira for his flawed existence. However, Rey was shaken up by Kira's reasoning as to his own life, and the Legend was nearly destroyed when Paul Gekko fired all the Orochi Gundams's weapons at the Legend, with almost every shot connecting. In the meantime, Paul Gekko was attacked by Lunamaria Hawke piloting the ZGMF-X56S Impulse, Riku easily disabled the Impulse, but was attacked by the ZGMF-X42S Destiny, piloted by Shinn Asuka. Paul Gekko summons the Chaos Emeralds, Spirit of Stella Louiseer and his Entity within him. Shinn Asuka's feelings stop him from attacking Paul Gekko. Paul Gekko transforms to Super Paul Gekko to destroy the Messiah's Neo GENESIS superweapon with a mass missile attack at about the same time the Requiem was destroyed. The Great War came to an abrupt end after Paul Gekko destroyed the organization Logos. He spared the life of the boy and the other young kids, who are the Younglings of the Jedi to be raised by Paul Gekko. Paul Gekko in Battle Armor Mode charges at the hundreds of the ZAFT soldiers inside their Mobile Suits, Lunamaria interposes herself between the two, begging them to stop fighting which Paul Gekko accepts. The ZAFT surrendered, and the Great War came to an end. (Sonic the Hedgehog Song)

Aftermath
Paul Gekko wanders in thought for a moment about Chili dogs, but Team Okaina still successfully Destroyed the Cannon on the Moon thus destroying the main energy core. Back at Izumogakure, everyone celebrates after Paul Gekko and Bianca announce the defeat of Logos, followed by a passionate kiss between the two freedom fighters and for Athrun’s defeat into Victory. New political leaders are elected across various nations affected by Durandal's LOGOS campaign. Lacus Clyne becomes the new chair of the PLANT Supreme Council making her chairwoman and negotiated a peace treaty with the Earth Alliance and Orb Union to secure true peace between the three nations.

Meeting King Rufus
Shinn the Asuka, Paul Gekko, Auel the Neider headed up the Ministry of War in the King Rufus' regime, and was instrumental in winning the Great War for the monarchy and the Shinobi King's return. Furious by Paul's rejoicing at the apparent time of Peace over Kira's death, a distraught Athrun punches Paul Gekko in the face. Athrun adds that Paul killed Kira during the War 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. Paul Gekko and his Family participate at the Banquet after dismantle of the military — from his perspective, this was because the War's end no longer necessitated it. Paul Gekko was sized by Hinata's Fighting Style in the Hyuga Clan with a Rinne Sharingan Eyes. Hiashi sensed Paul Gekko's warning about the killing intent with the Biolizard and activated the curse seal on Hizashi, his younger brother, causing him intense pain. He told Hizashi to leave as he would no longer tolerate incidents like this, telling him to never forget his duties.

Hyuga Clan Crisis
During a visit to Konoha by a Head Ninja of Kumogakure, who had come to the village to sign a peace treaty, a young Hinata was kidnapped. Hiashi however saved her, quickly killing her would-be kidnapper, only to discover that it was the Kumogakure ambassador. Kumogakure demanded Hiashi's head in return for the life he had taken, or risk resuming open warfare between the two villages. Konoha, wishing to avoid another conflict, was compelled to comply, but was not willing to fulfil Kumogakure's desire of getting to study the Byakugan. Their father suggested that Hizashi be used as a body double, since his cursed seal would seal off his Byakugan upon his death. Although Hiashi tried to find an alternative to this, Hizashi insisted, saying that he would finally get to choose his own fate (to make up for his wrongdoings against Hiashi), and save his brother's life. Before going to his death, he asked Hiashi to someday tell Neji about why he had made his decision. Originally, Hiashi had trained Hinata to become the successor of the Hyūga clan. However, Hinata's lack of confidence ultimately led him to decide she was not worthy. He instead turned his attention to his younger daughter, Hanabi Hyūga.

Return of the Tailed Beasts
Paul Gekko and Bianca has a Younger son named, Note at some Point. Paul Gekko senses Asuka and a Man Fighting in the Martial Arts Style. Paul Gekko is able to break up the fight with his Rinne Sharingan combined with his Partial Mode. Hiashi sensed Paul Gekko's reborn Eyes with the Spirit of the Sage of the Six Paths within Paul Gekko and used Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm technique to deflect the Orochi's beast's tail, which was headed straight for them only to see Paul Gekko looking at Naruto and Hinata. Afraid that neither Neji nor Hinata would not be able to deflect it in time, Hiashi watched in horror as the Shintotropolis being built in the center of Izumogakure. As Hiashi watched on at the Tenchi Bridge, he was bowing to Paul Gekko for forgiveness showed him that it was true that Paul Gekko is the True Shinobi King. Paul Gekko forgives Hiashi and sees the Fully Grown Naruto and Hinata. When it looked as if Paul Gekko is the King of Shinobi patting Hinata, reminding her of his Adopted Granddaughter, Naruto entered his six-tailed form. Even though Naruto's necklace reacted to the Chaos Emeralds that Paul Gekko sensed, Paul Gekko says to Naruto in his words: "My motto is Ultimate defence… That is what I, Paul the Hedgehog must Fly on!". Sakura Haruno recalls on who Naruto used to be, his happy personality, and his promise to her, then feeling guilt for the monster he had become and his suffering, she starts to cry and call for him to stop. Shukaku started to recognise Paul Gekko. Gaara asks Shukaku for its aid in using a collossal version of Desert Layered Imperial Funeral to help the Shinobi King control the Eight Tailed Biometal. The beast initially refuses, stating that it is no longer bound to Gaara and has complete free will. After Gaara states that he can easily ask another tailed beast for aid instead, and using this as an opportunity to surpass Kurama, Shukaku agrees to help the Kazekage. Son Gokū and the other tailed beasts also join Gaara and Shukaku in aiding Naruto. Utakata moved to save Paul Gekko. When Sakura approached him and Paul Gekko to try and bring them to his senses,but is attacked by Paul Gekko's Orochi Tail Jump. Gaara and Shukaku collaborate effectively, using the Wind Release: Sand Scattering Bullets to injure Paul Gekko, who praises on the techniques formation. Gaara answers however, by showing that the true purpose of the attack was to allow his sand to enter Madara's bloodstream, which allows Gaara to manipulate him from within. Binding Paul Gekko's movements fully, the tailed beasts uses this opening to attack. Yamato erects chakra-suppressing wooden pillars using his Wood Release to bind both Naruto and Paul Gekko before they do any more harm. Yamato forcibly returns Naruto to his normal state. Sakura tries to heal Naruto, but her medical ninjutsu has little effect on his wounds. In the end Utakata manage to save Paul Gekko averting him into his Normal State.