Highlights
- Char Aznable, the ace pilot of the Principality of Zeon, earned the nickname "Red Comet" through his skill and fear-inducing presence on the battlefield.
- Char customized his Zaku Mobile Suit with a bright red color and a matching crimson uniform, distinguishing himself from others and making him easily identifiable.
- Char's extreme speed and maneuverability, combined with his surprise attacks, led to the christening of the name "Red Comet" as a symbol of awe and terror on the battlefield.
Char Aznable is known throughout the universe as the ace pilot of the Principality of Zeon. He led the charge on every major battle since the foundation of the Principality and is one of the most deadly pilots the Zeon has ever produced.
The mere sight of his red Zaku flying through the battlefields is enough to spread fear through every enemy’s soldiers. After all, everybody knows that the Red Comet can disrupt the balance of the war all by himself. But where does the nickname “Red Comet” come from? How did Char earn the moniker that is both revered and feared at the same time?
The Red Mobile Suit
The legend of the Red Comet began right after Char Aznable graduated from the military academy. At the time, the Principality of Zeon had just completed the most advanced piece of weaponry in the universe, the Mobile Suit known as the MS-06 Zaku II. It was the first proper Mobile Suit ever made and it absolutely destroyed everything that the Earth Federation threw at it.
Thanks to Char’s stellar performance in the academy, particularly that time he helped Garma Zabi (the youngest son of Degwin Zabi, the leader of the Principality of Zeon) take down a local Earth Federation Garrison, Char was allowed to be part of a handful of elite pilot who could use the newly made Zaku in an actual military mission.
Another perk that was granted to him by the higher-ups was the freedom to customize the looks of his Zaku. At the time, Zakus came either in dark green or in deep gray colorways. Since Char has always wanted to stand out from the crowd, he decided to paint his Zaku bright red and wear a matching crimson uniform to complete his iconic looks. This way, both allies and enemies alike would be able to immediately distinguish his presence in the middle of a chaotic battlefield.
Needless to say, this brazen decision raised some concern and protest from his peers, especially the members of the Black Tri-Stars group. To their complaints, Char simply replied, “If the Mobile Suit I’m piloting is destroyed, I’ll be just as dead regardless of what I’m wearing.”
Flying Even Faster
Other than its power, the biggest strength of a Zaku is its extreme maneuverability. Its movement was unlike anything that had ever been made at that point. It has human-like agility while on the ground and can fly anywhere at any speed while in the sky. The only thing that limits this incredible machine is the skills and physical strength of its pilot.
Those who are part of an elite group of pilots, such as Char and the Black Tri-Stars group, can customize the armor and weaponry of their Zakus to a certain extent. This is done to match the Mobile Suit to the combat style of its pilots, thus enhancing their performance even more in a battle. Some pilots want thicker and heavier armor so that they can slam onto the Federation’s Mobile Suits, some want more raw powers so that they can use heavier weapons such as bazookas or long-range rifles, just to name a few.
As for Char, all he cares about is speed. He wants to fly faster than anything on the battlefield. So he requested his engineer to increase his Red Zaku’s thrust power as high as possible. At first, the engineers increased it to about 80% of its full capability. Any higher and it will be dangerous for the pilot. But Char immediately brushed their concerns and told them to unlock the full thrust anyway. As a result, the Red Zaku has three times the speed of a regular Zaku, effectively making it faster than any aircraft from both the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation at the time.
The Advent of the Red Comet
In the battle of Loum, Char Aznable elite group of pilots chosen to launch a surprise attack on Earth Federation’s main fleet. As a matter of fact, he is the tip of the spear for that crucial operation. When the time comes to execute the mission, Char pushes his Zaku’s thrust to full blast and takes off at a breakneck speed. There’s more than enough pressure in the cockpit to knock ordinary pilots out, but not Char. He keeps pushing until he arrives behind the enemy’s line.
At this point, nobody on the Earth Federation’s side realizes that an enemy’s mobile suit has penetrated deep within their rank. The dispersed Minovsky particles have clouded their radar and Char’s extreme speed means the enemy simply sees a flash of red line appear on the horizon for a brief moment. A red comet.
Knowing that nobody is prepared for his arrival, Char begins to launch his first barrage of attacks on one of the enemy’s flagships. And then the second one. The third one. By the time the enemy finally realizes what actually happens, Zeon’s main fleet, under the leadership of Vice Admiral Dozle Zabi, appears from the dark and immediately launches all-out attacks on the unsuspecting enemy’s fleet.
Char undoubtedly displays his finest performance in this battle. In a matter of seconds, he moves from one side of the battlefield to the far edge of the war, destroying everything in between. To both allies and enemies alike, a single red line appears to dance frantically all over the battlefield, leaving trails of explosions behind. This is the moment they christened the name Red Comet to Char Aznable as a symbol of awe and terror on the battlefield.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
