, born and also gone by the name , is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
from the ''
Gundam
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile ...
'' franchise. He is originally one of the main
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
s in ''
Mobile Suit Gundam
, also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcastin ...
'' working for the Principality of Zeon, named after his late father Zeon Zum Deikun, with the honorary title of during Gundam's
One Year War
, also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting ...
. Despite having opposed Earth Federation soldier
Amuro Ray several times, in the sequel ''
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a 1985 Japanese television anime series, the second installment in the ''Gundam'' franchise, and a sequel to the original ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu ...
'' he becomes , an Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG) pilot fighting alongside the series' main characters against the elitist Titans. In his final appearance in ''
Char's Counterattack
is a 1988 Japanese animated science fiction film set in the Universal Century timeline of the ''Gundam'' franchise.
Making its theatrical debut on March 12, 1988, ''Char's Counterattack'' is the culmination of the original saga begun in ' ...
'', he assumes leadership of the
Neo Zeon
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile S ...
movement, and becomes the titular antagonist of the film.
Char became one of Gundam's most iconic characters, often overshadowing Amuro's popularity. He also appeared as the most popular male anime character in ''
Animage''s Anime Grand Prix poll as well as in several other polls highlighting his popularity in the Gundam franchise. His role in the original has often been praised alongside his rivalry with Amuro.
Creation
Char Aznable was based on historic fighter-pilot
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...
who shared a similar nickname, "Red Baron". As a result, many of Char's actions were similar to Richtofen's during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
since
Tomino wanted to illustrate the chaos produced by wars in ''Gundam''. Amuro was introduced as an ordinary man in contrast to his rival the "Red Comet". This made Amuro hard to write as he was meant to oppose Char whom Tomino found more interesting. Furuya had fun in his work as during recordings of the series, he befriended Char's voice Actor,
Shuichi Ikeda. However, he was not close to Tomino. Originally, Tomino did not want to include Amuro in ''Zeta Gundam'' and when trying to kill him, he failed to do it. As a result, he decided to put Amuro on a friendly relationship with Char. Furuya said that while Amuro also had popularity, he could not surpass his rival, Char, a common trait he sometimes find common in anime where there are rivalries.
Appearances
''Mobile Suit Gundam''
Born Casval Rem Deikun, he is the elder brother of
Artesia Som Deikun and son of Zeon Zum Deikun, a dignitary who spoke out for peace between spacenoids and earthlings and founded the Zeon Republic. As revealed in ''
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin'', Casval and his sister were sent to Earth following their father's supposed heart attack when Deikun's deputy Degwin Sodo Zabi orchestrates his own family's rise to power. Casval spent his remaining childhood years raised by Don Teabolo Mass under the alias of Édouard Mass before he and his sister flee to the Texas Colony after an attempt on their lives that killed their provider Jimba Ral, who revealed the Zabi family assassinated Deikun. It was there that Casval becomes Char Aznable after switching identities with a youth whose near-identical appearance to him resulted in his death by Kycilia Zabi's men.
Taking advantage of his falsified death, Char enrolls in the Zeon Military Academy where he befriends Garma Zabi while wearing sunglasses to hide his eye color. Following the Zeon Republic's transition to the Principality of Zeon and its relations to the Federation deteriorating, paranoia begins to set when Federation increases their troop strength in Side 3 with fear it may be an occupation force. Char uses this to incites Garma to lead the other Academy students to storm the Federation base and subdue the stationed troops, resulting his expulsion from the Academy. Char travels to Earth and works at the construction site of Federation headquarters in Jaburo until returning to Side 3 when hostility breaks out between Zeon and the Federation, joining the Zeon mobile suit assault forces under the command of Admiral Dozle Zabi where he gradually made a name for himself as not only as a mobile suit pilot, but also as a tactician and a commanding officer.
But despite his high position and esteem, Char is secretly plotting revenge against the Zabi family and first makes his move by luring Garma's fleet within the firing range of the Federation's ''White Base''. Prior to Garma's death at the hands of the ''White Base'', Char says to him, "Garma, blame this on the misfortune of your birth." Later in the war, Char begins a bitter rivalry with Federation pilot
Amuro Ray, and he develops a relationship with
Lalah Sune
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
, a Newtype girl he saved from a brothel. Char also develops into a Newtype himself, and forms psychic bonds with both Amuro and Lalah. Char's abilities and natural charisma allow him to inspire and manipulate. Lalah is killed in battle, taking a blow meant for Char; this results in a bitter hatred between Char and Amuro.
During the war, Char draws on Zeon's philosophy to form his identity. The Zeon Principality is largely an authoritarian state that values independence from the Earth and later the destruction of Earth's inhabitants. With his devotion to free all of those who are "trapped by gravity's pull" he is able to face the most deadly outcomes with dignity and leadership.
In the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Char and Amuro's bitter rivalry reaches the level that they engage in a gunfight and then a sword fight after both lose their mobile suits. In the duel, Char realizes he has been distracted by his rivalry with Amuro, and refocuses on his true enemy - the Zabi family. An ensuing explosion knocks them apart, and Char rushes to save his sister. After being told by a dying Zeon soldier that Kycilia Zabi, the last surviving Zabi, is about to leave, he finds Kycilia's departing ship and kills her. He then disappears amidst the explosion and is logically presumed dead.
''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam''
Still presumed dead, Char reappears 8 years later in ''
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a 1985 Japanese television anime series, the second installment in the ''Gundam'' franchise, and a sequel to the original ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu ...
''. Having left Axis Zeon, Char returns to the Earth Sphere in September 0084 and infiltrates the Earth Federation Forces ranking with the alias "Quattro Bajeena". Almost immediately, he finds himself involved in conflicts against the Earth Federation's newly formed Titan Task Force, fighting and shooting down two enemy warships within hours of acquiring his new identity. After meeting the Federation politician
Commodore Blex Forer, Char joins a group of former Earth Federation Forces soldiers and eventually becomes a leading member of the Anti-Earth Union Group.
This time, rather than serving as the rival of the new protagonist,
Kamille Bidan
'' Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and s ...
, Char serves as Kamille's mentor in the war against the Earth Federation's oppressive
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
organization. In Zeta Gundam, Char becomes an ally of his former adversaries in Mobile Suit Gundam:
Amuro Ray,
Hayato Kobayashi
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
and
Bright Noa. He serves under Bright Noa as leader of AEUG mobile suit forces.
During this period, Char loses faith in himself as a decision maker. It seems to be his greatest fear, as he normally displays none in regard to war. When assuming the identity of Quattro he willingly places himself under the command of his former enemies. He has discovered that there can be compromise in the future of Earth's population and the colonies. In the course of ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' even
Bright Noa, who lost crew to Char's attacks on the
White Base
The SCV-70 ''White Base'' (ホワイトベース ''Howaito Bēsu''), also nicknamed Trojan Horse (木馬 ''Mokuba''), is a fictional spaceship from the Japanese science fiction anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. It serves as the mothership of ...
, urges him to drop the Quattro facade and become a leader to the Spacenoids, or those raised in space colonies. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' portrays 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 is broadcast throughout Earth and Space, is one of the most important events in the U.C. Gundam timeline. It seals Char's total commitment toward space colonization and migration of humanity to space.
Despite AEUG's victory in the Gryps Conflict against the Titans, Char is defeated in the final battle by
Haman Karn
''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' is a Japanese science fiction anime television series that originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network between March 2, 1985, and February 22, 1986. ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' featured many new characters and se ...
, leader of the Axis Zeon (later
Neo Zeon
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile S ...
) faction and assumed dead. However, as the final credits roll, Char's damaged mobile suit floats by with its cockpit hatch open.
''Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack''
Char returns in the movie ''
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack'', set five years later, as the leader of a new
Neo Zeon
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile S ...
faction. He intends to create a
nuclear winter
Nuclear winter is a severe and prolonged global climatic cooling effect that is hypothesized to occur after widespread firestorms following a large-scale nuclear war. The hypothesis is based on the fact that such fires can inject soot into t ...
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 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 movement, both Char and Amuro pilot mobile suits equipped with an advanced psycommu system known as psycoframe. Char authorized Anaheim Electronics to pass the psycoframe technology to the development team responsible for Amuro's Nu Gundam, effectively planning a fair showdown between them in advance. After Char's mobile suit is destroyed by Amuro in the duel, Amuro captures Char's escape pod, and against Char's taunting, attempts to push the asteroid Axis away from Earth. The intense willpower of Amuro and all the pilots assisting him causes Nu Gundam's psycoframes to resonate and overload, resulting in a spectacular aurora with Axis pushed out of Earth's orbit. Both Amuro and Char disappear without a trace in the incident. There is no concrete evidence about them being deceased in the movie although Nanai Miguel did claim that Char's life force was fading away, as Amuro intercepted Axis and cries for Char when Axis is finally pushed back. The fates of either character were never revealed in the film, though the novelization of ''Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack'' confirms both as
KIA
Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...
. The follow-up ''
Gundam Unicorn
is a novel by popular Japanese author Harutoshi Fukui (''Shūsen no Lorelei'', ''Bōkoku no Aegis'', ''Samurai Commando: Mission 1549''). The novel takes place in Gundam's Universal Century timeline. Character and mechanical designs are ...
'' also supports this idea. However, in the official Universal Century timeline for the animated series, it lists Amuro Ray and Char Aznable as
MIA
Mia, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to:
Music Artists
* M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer
* M.I.A. (band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California
* MIA., a German rock/pop band formed in 1997
* Mia (singer) (born 1983) ...
.
''Gundam The Origin''
According to the manga ''
Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin'', young Casval and his sister Artesia escape to Earth shortly after their father's death with the help of family friend Jimba Ral (father of
Ramba Ral
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
). They spend several years living a luxurious life under the guardianship of the aristocratic Don Teabolo Mass, who names them Edward and Sayla, and treats them like his own children. During this time, Jimba Ral constantly reminds Casval of the Zabi Family's betrayal of his father. After narrowly escaping an attempt on their lives (in which Jimba Ral dies), they flee to the Texas Colony.
They live for a time in a house set up by Texas Colony's chief manager Roger Aznable, still under Teabolo Mass's care. They meet Roger's son Char and discover that he and Casval are nearly identical, except Casval's eyes are blue while Char's are brown. Eventually Char is taken in by
Gihren Zabi
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
's propaganda, and against his father's wishes sets off for officer training school. Casval 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 Casval'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. Not wanting to miss the entrance exam, Char accepts Casval's 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 Casval 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).
After entering the Academy, Char excels in his training and befriends
Garma Zabi
This is a list of fictional characters from the 1979 Japanese science fiction anime television series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''.
Earth Federation
Amuro Ray
is the son of Tem Ray, the project leader for the Earth Federation's Project V, whi ...
. As relations between the Zeon Republic (which has been renamed the Principality of Zeon) and the Federation deteriorate, the Federation increases their troop strength in Side 3. There is widespread fear that this troop increase is in fact an invasion and occupation force. On the eve of troop increase, Casval incites Garma to lead other students in the Academy to storm the Federation base and subdue the stationed troops. For this action Casval is stripped of his rank and expelled from the Academy. He travels to Earth and works at the construction site of Federation headquarters in Jaburo. After hostility breaks out between Zeon and the Federation, he returns to Side 3 and joins the Zeon mobile suit assault forces under the command of
Admiral Dozle Zabi. He displays superior fighting abilities during the
Battle of Loum
, also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting ...
, single-handedly destroying five Federation ''Magellan''-class battleships by pushing his red-painted Zaku to fly at a breakneck speed, which earned him the nickname "Red Comet". He was promoted an exceptional two ranks to Lieutenant Commander.
''Mobile Suit Gundam - Char's Deleted Affair - A Portrait of a Young Comet''
At the end of the One Year War, Char goes to Axis and his experience there is partly depicted in the manga ''Char's Deleted Affair'', where he heroically protects Axis in two major battles against the Earth Federation. He stays there until the end of U.C. 0082, when he gets back to Side 3 for a special mission to protect Haman Karn's inspection journey of Side 3. When they arrive at Zum City in U.C. 0083, he gets an invitation by George Miguel (Brother of Nanai) to join a paramilitary spacenoid organization within the Earth Federation Force.
However, upon hearing of Maharaja Karn's fatal illness in late May 0083, Char and Haman both decide to return to Axis. Once they do, they're intercepted by the pro-war Axis faction that wishes to restart the conflict with the Earth Federation, led by one Colonel Enzo. A civil war breaks out, with Char and Haman eventually overcoming Enzo's forces. Unfortunately, Mahajara Karn - Haman's father and the true political leader of Axis' - dies just shortly before the battle ends, and Haman now finds herself in charge of both Axis and Mineva. Tension between Char and Haman over the future of Axis and Zeon lead Char to finally leave the asteroid permanently with over 600 other soldiers on October 29, 0083.
''Gintama''
In this 2017 live-action adaptation of the same-named manga and anime, Char makes a
cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...
, arriving at Gengai's lab and repair shop to pick up his
Zaku
The is a fictional line of manned robots (mecha) from ''Mobile Suit Gundam'', part of the Universal Century fictional universe, where they are the Principality of Zeon's most commonly fielded Mobile Suits. The most widely known model is the M ...
(2 Commander type), much to the astonishment of manga-obsessed swordsman
Gintoki
is a fictional character in the manga and anime franchise ''Gin Tama'' created by Hideaki Sorachi. Gintoki is the protagonist of the series and his name serves as part of the basis of the series' title. He is introduced as a former rebel samur ...
. In this movie, which is packed to the gills with
pop culture
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* Pop (Gas al ...
references, Char is played by actor and singer
Seiji Rokkaku
is a Japanese actor from Hyōgo Prefecture.
He was born in Himeji and raised in Takasago. Rokkaku is the vocalist of Rokkaku Seiji Band. He dropped out of Gakushuin University.
Rokkaku became famous in Japan for his role as Mamoru Yonezawa in ...
.
Fictional characteristics and attributes
Char favors speed-orientated offensive battle tactics and hates to get hit, even when piloting an I-Field generator equipped unit and beam attacks have minimal to no effect. He favors red mobile suits, including his red MS-06S Zaku II, Z'Gok, RMS-009 Rick Dias, and MSN-04 Sazabi (in the Char's Counterattack novel - MSN-04-2 Nightingale).
The name ''Char Aznable'' was inspired by Armenian-French singer and songwriter
and a character named Charkin in an earlier robot anime ''
Reideen
''Reideen'' (stylized as ''REIDEEN'') is a Japanese animated television series remake of the 1975 Super Robot anime ''Brave Raideen''. It was produced by Production I.G and directed by Mitsuru Hongo. Which was originally broadcast on the sat ...
'' (ライディーン)
Reception
Char Aznable is not only a character, but has become a brand name.
[Otona no Gundam-All about Gundam-Perfect, Adult's Gundam, Char Aznable & Ramba Ral, 1 January 2008, Nikkei Business Publication ] Char, along with five other notable mecha and pilots from the various Gundam series, were recognized in the second set of "Anime Heroes and Heroines" stamps, released in Japan in 2005. Char Aznable has routinely placed in the top 10 lists of popular characters in both Gundam-specific and general-oriented fan magazines in Japan, such as ''
Gundam Ace'' and ''
Animage'', typically ranking higher than the main character and his rival,
Amuro Ray. In ''Gundam Ace'', Char is consistently in the top 3 of the list, and held the number 1 spot for long periods of time, despite the fact that ''Gundam Ace'' tallies votes for Char's alter-ego Quattro Bajeena separately. In fact, Quattro also consistently ranks in the top 10. In both
Gunpla
Gundam models, or , are model kits depicting the vehicles and characters of the fictional '' Gundam'' multiverse by Bandai.
These kits became popular among mecha anime fans and model enthusiasts in Japan and nearby Asian countries beginning i ...
and Figure magazines it is almost guaranteed to see Char's custom red mobile suit.
He has also been voted as the second most popular male character from the 1980s by ''
Newtype
is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime (and to a lesser extent, tokusatsu, manga, Japanese science fiction, seiyuu, and video games). It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985, with i ...
'' readers.
During January from 2007,
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
made a poll in which they asked Japanese fans from manga and anime which characters from any series they would most like to see in spinoff series. He won the men's poll while ranked second in the overall. In a NHK poll from 2018 he was voted as the best ''Gundam'' character. In an Anime!Anime! poll, Amuro and Quattro were voted as one of the best anime rivals turned into allies. The term Char Clone is used to describe characters in the Gundam franchise that have many similar traits to Char, (red, yellow, and black color scheme, a mask concealing their identity, a rivalry with the main character) such as Zechs Merquise from Gundam Wing or Mr. Bushido from Gundam 00. More blatantly, Full Frontal, the main antagonist of ''Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn,'' is an artificial human created with the remnants of Char's soul after the events of ''Char's Counterattack.''
On the Japanese bulletin board
2channel, the Gundam forums are named ''Char custom'' (シャア専用), and the anonymous placeholder for the name is changed to "3 times more than the usual anonymous" (通常の名無しさんの3倍), a reference to the "3 times faster than the usual Zaku" line from the original series. ''Char Custom'' refers to Char's tendency to highly customized standard Mobile Suits to his exact specifications and generally making the said units far more potent than normal. This usually involves the character coloring his suits red, which led some people to go as far as to label anything red "Char-custom", and to make vague references to the "3 times more potent" line in the original Gundam series (e.g. A red pencil might write 3 times faster, or is 3 times more likely to break). This pinkish-red colour is actually not the idea of the director, but only because the excess pinkish red colour ink the animation company has at the time. It is, however, stated in the game ''Gireh's Greed'' that the colour is actually only the colour of an unpainted Zaku due to the grudge from him being the top graduate from military school.
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
has capitalized on the character's popularity by licensing out the name to various products. There has been a Char-custom laptop, Char-custom
Nintendo GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
, and a Char-custom
motorbike
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...
helmet. All these products have a red satin finish, and have the goldleaf Zeon insignia or the emblem of Char's Neo Zeon emblazoned on them. A Char-custom
Game Boy Advance SP
The Game Boy Advance SP (GBA SP), released in Japan on February 14, 2003, is a sixth-generation handheld game console developed, released, and marketed by Nintendo that served as an upgraded version of the original Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in ...
was also created in Japan (with many sources claiming its battery will last 3 times as long as the normal GBA, or even that it will crash 3 times as much). On July 25, 2006,
GE Consumer Finance
GE Capital is the financial services division of General Electric.
The company currently only runs one division, GE Energy Financial Services. It had provided additional services in the past; however, those units were sold between 2013 and 201 ...
released a Char Custom
credit card
A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt (i.e., promise to the card issuer to pay them for the amounts plus the o ...
, which receives three times as many bonus points per 1000 yen spent compared to their other Gundam-related credit card
Japanese cell phone company
Soft Bank released a special Char Custom cell phone in late 2007, with a very large red Zaku head which serves as the charger base. Char related apparel and accessories span a wide range, from the ubiquitous Quattro sunglasses to Char lighters, neckties, wristbands, caps, wallets and a wide range of T-shirts. The creator of Char Aznable,
Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, animator, director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the ''Gundam'' anime franchise. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art ...
, does not like the idea of making money this way. He feels that by sticking the term "Char's Custom" to the products culturally suggests the quality of the product is superior to other brands. However, most of them are only coloured red and are basically the same as the products on which they are based; ironically, some of these "Char Custom" products are even of lower quality than the baseline products. Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino believes that "having satisfaction in such products just because they are popular and can earn money is a sin, since it cannot teach a correct social sense to the newer generation".
In a planned spaceflight for 2006,
Soyuz TMA-9
Soyuz TMA-9 was a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle. It was a human spaceflight mission transporting personnel to and from the ISS. It launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 18 Septembe ...
, a Japanese internet investor named
Daisuke Enomoto
is a Japanese businessman and former livedoor executive who hoped to become the fourth space tourist. He had trained at Star City, Moscow in Russia to fly with two members of Expedition 14 on board Soyuz TMA-9, which was launched on September 18, ...
had asked to
dress up as Char Aznable. However, medical restrictions prevented him from participating in the flight.
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
also formed a new branch called Zeonic Toyota planning to issue a series of special cars, the first one being Char Aznable special Auris.
Although his duel with Amuro in the film was considered the highlight of the film, Allen Divers from
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
criticized how unfulfilled was their rivalry. THEM Anime Reviews' Carlo Ross saw Char in the film as the "true star" believing him to overshadow Amuro. On the other hand, J. Doyle Wallis criticized their rivalry in the film considering it a "rehash" of the events of the television series.
See also
*
The Red Baron in popular culture
Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the "Red Baron", was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I and one of the most famous aviators in history, as well as the subject of many books, films and other media. The following i ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aznable, Char
Adoptee characters in anime and manga
Fictional aviators
Fictional military captains
Television characters introduced in 1979
Fictional commanders
Fictional dictators
Fictional lieutenant commanders
Fictional lieutenants
Fictional mass murderers
Male supervillains
Fictional private military members
Male characters in anime and manga
Orphan characters in anime and manga
Gundam characters