Synopsis
Continues the story of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
In the year 0071 of the Cosmic Era, the space colony Heliopolis maintains a neutral stance amid the ongoing conflict between Coordinators, humans who have been genetically enhanced, and Naturals, their unaltered counterparts residing on Earth. This hostility has prompted Coordinators to establish themselves in space colonies, seeking distance from the planet. Kira Yamato, a Coordinator and a student at a university on Heliopolis, experiences a sudden upheaval when ZAFT, the military arm of the rebel Coordinators, strikes the colony with the aim of seizing five advanced mobile suits designated as Gundams. Although ZAFT successfully captures four of these mobile suits, Kira manages to take command of the remaining one, the Strike. In the aftermath of the assault, he joins his fellow students from college on the Earth Alliance vessel Archangel, where they are confronted with the harsh realities of warfare and its deep-seated grief.
In this installment
During the Cosmic Era 0071, a fight between two mobile suits in a war destroys a neutral country, killing Shinn Asuka's entire family. Furious at the Earth Naturals, Shinn vows revenge and advances through ZAFT's military, eventually piloting the advanced Impulse mobile suit. At the same time, Athrun Zala—a veteran of the previous war now helping diplomat Cagalli Yula Athha—gets caught up in a new struggle between Naturals and Coordinators, the latter being genetically enhanced humans scorned for their superior abilities. As tensions rise and more conflict threatens, Athrun acts as a mentor to the resentful Shinn, trying to steer the young pilot away from his vengeful path toward a more compassionate mindset before his thirst for retribution overwhelms him.
Background
The series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award during 2004 and 2005. The HD Remaster of Gundam SEED DESTINY omits episode 41 of the original, but includes Final Plus (split between episodes 49 and 50), therefore still having a total of 50 episodes.
