Top Five Plot holes about Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny

We all love Gundam SEED. We know how much you love Gundam SEED as well, but any movie or show will always have its share of plot holes. Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny are no exception when it comes to plot holes but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth watching.

For this list, we’ll leave out the famous Jesus Yamato since that has been talked about so many times already. If you want to read about that, we also have an article about that.

However, if you want to learn more about what these plot holes are, keep reading to find out.

1. ZAFT’S INTELLIGENCE RECONNAISSANCE

Either ZAFT’s intelligence reconnaissance is superb, or the information regarding the enemy for some reason just comes to them.

During the early episodes of Gundam SEED, ZAFT referred to the five GAT series Mobile Suits as “G-Weapons”. After acquiring four out the five, they start referring to them as Duel, Buster, Blitz, Aegis, and Strike.

It would be understandable if the name and information of a GAT Mobile Suit could be found in its software, that could explain how they suddenly know the names, or they could have gathered information regarding the GAT series Mobile Suits by spying on the Earth Alliance Forces as the Mobile Suits were still being developed.

However, there was no scene that shows how they came to know the names or identities of the Mobile Suits. They just suddenly came to know them. Especially the Strike, since they did not manage to capture it, if there was no intelligence gathered about the details of the Strike, other than it is an advanced Mobile Suit being developed at Orb’s space colony, Heliopolis and given the code name G-Weapon, then it is weird how they suddenly know the name of the Strike.

In the Show, it was Rau Le Creuset who is the ZAFT soldier who says the name of the Strike first. However, when Rau Le Creuset mentions the name of the Strike to other soldiers of ZAFT, such as Athrun or the other members of the Le Creuset team, they are not confused. For some reason unexplained the other characters of the show also suddenly know the name of a uncaptured Mobile Suit that was highly classified.

2. THE POSITRON CONTAMINATION

In one of the episodes of Gundam SEED, the Archangel is forced to retreat to Earth in order to evade the pursuit of the persistent Le Creuset team. However, even though they make it to Earth, they are met with a team of Mobile Armors known as buCUEs. A team put together by Andrew Waltfeld, also known as the Desert Tigger, in order to test and see the capabilities of the Archangel and Strike inside Earth’s environment.

During the fight, the Archangel was in serious danger as it was a Spacecraft and was still immobilized and the only Mobile Suit they had was the Strike which was a space type Mobile Suit. It did not take long for the buCUEs to dominate the fight thanks to their superior mobility in the desert terrain.

In the heat of battle, Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel requests permission from Captain Murrue Ramius to use their Positron Cannons, known as Lohengrins, to shake off or destroy the enemy Mobile Armors. Captain Murrue Ramuis denies her request however as she says that the pollution from the Positron Cannons towards the atmosphere of the Earth would be too great.

What Captain Murrue Ramius said during the fight made sense but during the end of the Battle of Orb in Gundam SEED, Orb’s engineers’ advised the Archangel to fire both Lohengrins simultaneously with the firing of their engines in order to escape Earth’s atmosphere and ascend into space.

Captain Murrue Ramuis took their advise and agreed to fire both Positron Cannons inside Earth’s atmosphere. Quite the change in heart for Captain Murrue Ramuis when it comes to caring for Earth’s environment.

3. MURATA AZRAEL’S INTELLIGENCE ON GENESIS

During the ending episodes of Gundam SEED Murata Azrael, the leader of the terrorist group Blue Cosmos, acquired information regarding the Mobile Suit Freedom and Mobile Suit Justice as well as information regarding the Neutron Jammer Canceller or N-Jammer Canceller given to him by Rau Le Creuset.

In the scene where it is shown that he actually sees the information, it is never shown if information regarding Genesis is also included. During the scene where Genesis is first shown and fired, Murata Azrael himself is shocked at the sight of Genesis and what it can do.

Before he saw Genesis, we can see that he seems calm and collected as he believes that now he has nuclear capabilities, he has won the war. However the sight of Genesis frightens him so much that he orders his forces to immediately focus on destroying the giant weapon that is Genesis.

Based on Murata Azrael’s reaction and loss of composure, we believe it is safe to say that the Rau Le Creuset did not give him any information regarding Genesis at all. However, after Genesis is fired, Murata Azrael opens a console at his chair’s arm rest and information regarding Genesis is there as well as the fact that Genesis can hit the Earth from where it was situated. Oddly enough, the people around him, such as Captain Natarle Badgiruel are not surprised one bit as to where he suddenly got the information about Genesis.

4. KIRA YAMATO DEFYING DEATH

During Gundam SEED, we are introduced to the Freedom and we learn that it is different from other Mobile Suits as it is powered by a Nuclear Reactor. In Gundam SEED Destiny, the Freedom is still being used by Kira Yamato and it is still Nuclear Powered.

The odd thing is that during operation Angel down, Shinn Asuka, piloting the Impulse, manages to destroy the Freedom by stabbing its torso, just below the chest area, with an anti-ship beam sword. In the scene, we can see that the sword pierces through the Freedom and is visible behind the Freedom.

After this, the Impulse then removes the huge sword and we can see the Freedom explode. Take note, this explosion is huge. Compared to the explosions of average or standard Mobile Suits, this explosion is massive.

Here are some images of average or standard Mobile Suits exploding.

Here is the Freedom’s explosion.

The sheer difference of their explosions just tells us that it must be due to the fact that the massive explosion of the Freedom is caused by its nuclear reactor. The power of the massive explosion of the Freedom destroys the entire Mobile Suit, leaving only scraps floating on the sea.

However for some reason, Kira Yamato was able to survive this. There is a scene in the following episode that shows us how Kira Yamato was able to survive the situation. In that scene, he is shown disabling the nuclear reactor of the Freedom just before Shinn Asuka stabs the Freedom, and his cockpit made it into the sea somehow intact while the rest of the Freedom exploded.

Many fans do not accept that reasoning though as it does not explain where the massive explosion came from and that the fact that there was nothing left of the Freedom after the explosion. The shockwave alone from the explosion of the Freedom was strong enough to significantly move the Minerva.

Even if that explosion was not caused by a nuclear reaction, that amount of energy should have been more than enough to destroy both the Freedom and the Impulse. Oddly enough, after the explosion, we can see an extremely damaged Impulse. The Impulse received the energy from that explosion at point blank, however it still managed to stay in one piece.

We can also see that the power of the explosion was enough to melt through the variance phase armor of the limbs of the Impulse but not its cockpit. Many fans find that as another mistake or plot hole. Both the Freedom and Impulse should have been destroyed after that blast, and both Kira and Shinn should have died after that explosion. However, we also know how to accept the show as it is and we are glad that both live as they are great Mobile Suit pilots as well as great characters.

5. THE NUCLEAR POWERED BATTERY

In Gundam SEED Destiny, after Shinn Asuka defeats the Freedom, he is awarded a medal and is made a member of FAITH. He is also given a new and better Mobile Suit that is specifically designed with his fighting style in mind. The Destiny, Shinn Asuka’s new Mobile Suit, is just like the Freedom in the sense that it is also a nuclear powered Mobile Suit.

As such, we can expect that the power of this Mobile Suit is immense. It should take a very long time for this Mobile Suit to require maintenance. However, during the battle of Orb in Gundam SEED Destiny, when Shinn Asuka fights the Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice for the first time, we see a familiar scene.

A power reserve or power inducator scene that is all too familiar comes to mind as we kept seeing them back in Gundam SEED when Kira would be close to running out of power. But as we all know by now, the Destiny is not the same as the GAT series Mobile Suits. The Destiny is a nuclear powered Mobile Suit and as such it is supposed to have a much longer operational time when in battle.

What adds to the confusion even more is that the enemy Mobile Suits of the Destiny, the Strike Freedom and the Infinite Justice, are also nuclear powered. It does not make sense that the Destiny would run out of power so quickly when the other nuclear powered Mobile Suits seem to be doing ok.

However, it’s not all bad when it comes to Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny. Both series’ also have great things about them.

Here are a few good things about Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny that balance things out in the end.

1. GREAT MOBILE SUIT DESIGNS

Sunrise ^TM really did a great job when it comes to Mobile Suit Design for Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny. Compared to Mecha anime that came before Gundam SEED, the designs of Gundam SEED have the perfect balance of exaggeration and realism, making the Mobile Suit act and look like what we would expect it to look and act.

The Design aspect of the Mobile Suits are also very iconic, especially the Freedom with its full-burst mode which is such a sight to behold, and the Strike Freedom with its wings of light.  Although the weaponry and defenses of the Mobile Suits are similar to Mecha anime that came before Gundam SEED, because of how the Mobile Suits look like in Gundam SEED, there is an added factor that makes it more believable that that is what an actual Mobile Suit would behave in real life.

Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny aslo brought amazing designs such as the Providence with its beam saber that is almost three times the size of the normal beam saber. Gundam SEED also introduced the first weaponry system to use mobile weapon pods.

Although other Mecha anime have weapon control systems that allow them to control unmanned Mobile Suits, Gundam SEED introduced the DRAGOON weapon system which uses small flying mobile pods that can shoot beams and can be mounted with beam blades.

2. PLOT TWISTS

Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny also features an intellectual quality in its storyline. The different plot twists make the show compelling. In the Gundam SEED universe, there is no black and white in the war.

Characters may be seen as good or bad at one time and then be the exact opposite at another. Countries can also be seen as enemies fighting each ruthlessly and then in another time become allies to fight another enemy altogether.

Take for example Athrun Zala, considered by the fans as serial traitor number 1.

In this image Athrun Zala is in alliance with the Orb Union.

However after a few episodes of being her bodyguard, he decides to rejoin ZAFT. This is much to Cagalli’s disapproval.

In the end, Athrun decides to betray ZAFT and leave it once again. To be fair, he was framed by ZAFT as well.

Romance and drama is also another added bonus in the entire story of Gundam SEED universe. Relationships are being made as quickly as they are destroyed, hearts are being lifted as fast as they are being broken. Virtues of the characters are being tested as they continue to grow within the terrible and war-torn timeline that they live in.

3. THE MUSIC

A great show only demands great music to accompany it. Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny are no different. Both shows feature excellent music that capture the mood and atmosphere of the scene and elevate it to heights that would not have been possible without the music.

It cannot be emphasized enough that Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny both have probably the greatest if not some of the greatest music in all of mecha anime. During fight scenes we get hyped even more with fast, loud, adrenaline rushing music and for dramatic scenes, we usually hear a slow an sad violin or piano that may be enough to tug a string in the hearts of its viewers.

4. THE ANIMATION

During the animation of Gundam SEED, mecha anime was still considered a young genre and animators had not yet perfected the technique on how to properly animate mecha. However Surnrise ^TM managed to deliver Gundam SEED with Mobile Suits that do not move in a way that a Human Being would move, but instead movement in a way that we would expect a Mobile Suit to move.

The animation also features great effects. It also takes into account the physics of the environment the characters are in. By simply watching the anime, we can see that Inertia and other forces from Physics were all taken into consideration during the animation Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny.

5. THE CHARACTERS

Any show can have a great hero or a really good looking protagonist, or a really friendly main character, but what really sells is when the antagonist is smarter than the protagonist themselves. In Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny, such characters can easily be seen.

In Gundam SEED, Rau Le Creuset is by far the most interesting antagonist. With his charisma and his psychotic personality, he manipulates other people to get what he desires, even if it means seeing the world burn.

In Gundam SEED Destiny, we have PLANT Supreme Chairman Gilbert Durandal. This man is just as charismatic as Rau Le Creuset and he often uses this charisma to get things to go his way. We can see usually with a calm and cool demeanor even when a gun is being pointed at him, but occasionally we can see him loose his cool and get angry.

As for his personality, he is far more ambitious than Rau Le Creuset and equally as psychotic or sociopathic. He truly believes that his way of ending the war is the only right way and he rejects all other options.

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