Before he became Setsuna F. Seiei, he was Soran Ibrahim. He was a child soldier, who killed countless people, civilians and soldiers alike. Worst of all, he took the lives of his father and mother, shooting whem point blank as they begged for their lives. He did all of it for “God”. That’s exactly what Ali Al-Saachez wanted when he brainwashed Soran Ibrahim, and other children his age. It was a war waged by adults, through children. In fact, the kids where just pawns in a much bigger game, one that they didn’t understand. Maybe these 5 child soldier quotes will help you better understand Setsuna from Gundam 00.
How can you keep living after doing what Soran did? What’s the path forward? Can you even feel anything anymore or do you just become numb to everything? Well, Soran was saved by Gundam 0, and through selection, was chosen to be a Gundam Meister. But for him, the word “Gundam” means much more than it does to anyone else, even Aeolia Schenberg. Therefore, he pushed forward, one step at a time, changing the world at its core. Together with his loved Gundam, he made the world a better place.
Now it’s time to dive deep into the psychology, mentality and mind-set of Setsuna F. Seiei. Or should I said, Soran Ibrahim? I have searched all around the web to find the most fitting child soldier quotes, just so that we can better understand Setsuna F. Seiei. Why did he do what he did? How does it reflect back on him? These questions, and more, will be answered today. I’m happy to present to you with this list that I’ve worked many weeks on. Here are 5 child soldier quotes to to better understand Setsuna from Gundam 00!
5. “Compelled to become instruments of war, to kill and be killed, child soldiers are forced to give violent expression to the hatreds of adults.” – Olara Otunnu
Olara Otunnu explains the twistedness of how child soldiers are used, as they are in-fact only fighting because adults are forcing them to. Instead of a personal reason, these children are brainwashed into fighting for things that they don’t understand. All in hopes of doing what’s right by the “leader”, and in fear of a higher power – a god. What Olara is saying is that these adults that wage war use “violent expression” for their hatred, as they can’t handle conflict with words. It’s an well-written way to say that adults manipulate children into doing their bidding, because of selfish reasons.
How Does It Help You Understand Setsuna? Soran Ibrahim was lured into the KPSA by Ali Al-Saachez. He brainwashed children into believing that they’re fighting and killing for “God”. It didn’t matter what they had to do, it was all for “God”. This was the manipulation of an adult who used children as instruments of war, to give expression to his own hatred and egotistical desires. Sadly, nothing that the children did was for “God”. The deity was only a tool used to manipulate young minds into believing something twisted, sick and appalling. Just like our Setsuna said… those lands for “god-forsaken”. There was no “God” anywhere close to any of them, considering the monstrosities achieved by the KPSA.
4. “Whoever the commander said, ‘This guy is the enemy,’ there were no questions asked. There was no second guessing because when you ask a question and you say ‘Why,’ they’ll shoot you right away.” – Ishmael Beah
Ishmael Beah’s quote perfectly summarizes why you can’t ask questions as a soldier at a time of war. It’s met with disdain, and in the case of child soldiers, it’s met with a bullet. It gives us a great explanation to how child soldiers are kept in check. If they question anything, they are no longer useful and are expendable. These kids get treated like animals that can’t function properly. But in the case of child soldiers, the adults are the ones that brainwashed them and removed their ability to function as intended. To live as children.
How Does It Help You Understand Setsuna? Soran Ibrahim killed countless people using firearms; both soldiers and innocent civilians. He even shot, and killed, both of his parents when they were begging for their lives. He did all of this without any questions, following the “commander”, Ali Al-Saachez. His word was the word of God, or so Soran believed. So when he told Soran to kill, he did it without question. First because of faith. Then in fear of dying.
Soran Ibrahim’s struggle was always an inner one, as he rarely ever explained himself to the other Gundam Meisters. He always did what was right by him, his views and beliefs. While it wasn’t the best idea, he was once again fearful of another “commander” telling him who to kill. But this time, things were different; under the banner of Celestial Being, he could kill people that “deserved” to die, according to Soran Ibrahim. Simply put, he found a home with Celestial Being, a place where he agreed with their intentions. But in the end, Setsuna could not be controlled by a “commander”. That concept was lost to him once Al-Saachez proved that devils exist, and that leaders need to be questioned.
3. “The notion of there being something greater than humanity can strike fear in the bravest of soldiers and cradle courage in the palm of a child’s hand.” – Katlyn Charlesworth
Katlyn Charlesworth describes how belief in something greater than humanity can give a child courage; giving them something to care and nurture, then to fight for and protect.
The logic behind the quote is simple; even a well-trained brave soldier will fear that which they are not prepared to deal with, but a child will find courage in that unknown as it gives them hope. But hope is a luxury for a soldier, as they are trained to fight. But a child should not fight, and therefore they do not fear that “something greater”. Therefore, Katlyn’s quote is equally as much about fighting as it’s about resolution.
The word selection by Katlyn is sublime, as she says to “cradle courage”. We cradle children, so what does it all mean? To cradle something is to hold, keep and nurture. In turn, it’s a way to say that courage born from a higher belief can grow into something powerul and great. Just like a child growing up and being cradled, so must you do with courage that is obtained through belief and faith. It doesn’t have to be a traditional god, but something that is greater than you and other humans. Something that you believe in.
How Does It Help You Understand Setsuna? Soran found hope when Gundam 0 saved his life and stopped an armed conflict. That hope was all he needed to keep on living, to keep on fighting. But why? Soran Ibrahim viewed Gundams as something greater than humanity; a tool to change people and the world for the better, even if it meant a great sacrifice. It’s also the reason Setsuna became courageous, as his belief in a greater good outweighed his fear of something twisted. That greater good wasn’t a God, but it was himself.
2. “Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.” – Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill’s quote explains exactly how achieving great things means giving up something in return. Hence why “great achievement” is “born of great sacrifice”. What makes these lines so impactful is the word selection “born”, meaning that something hurtful and hard can birth something great and beautiful. What makes this quote even better is Napoleon Hill’s adamant perspective that “great achievement” can “never” come from “selfishness”. By this, he means that while people on the outside might think you’re egotistical, you’re actually giving up a lot in order to do something that some may think is unachievable.
How Does It Help You Understand Setsuna? Napoleon Hill’s quote rings like a church bell in my heart, as it perfectly describes Setsuna’s unprecedented adventure of eradicating war and saving the world through great sacrifice. Which is something he knows better than anyone, as he literally gave up his own life in A Wakening of the Trailblazer to save other people. The best part of it all? He did it without a single doubt or question in his heart or mind. He knew what had to be sacrificed in order to achieve something greater than himself. It would take his life. Something he had already given up before. So doing it to save others was a no brainer.
The worst and saddest part of Soran Ibrahim’s sacrifice? His humanity. He gave that up a long time ago, when he took the lives of people as a child soldier. He even killed his parents when they begged for their lives. Then, as a Gundam Meister, he killed some more, all in hopes of achieveing his goals. In turn, Setsuna blazed his trail in blood, not just particle elements.
1. “Any child soldier has to go through a lot of love, care and understanding to become normal.” – Emmanuel Jal
Emmanuel Jal’s quote is simple at face value, but rather complex when you think about it. He is saying that a child soldier has to go through love, care and understanding as a process to be able to become “normal”. But that process can be hurtful and difficult. That’s why Emmanuel Jal says that a child soldier “has to go through” these things.
What makes this quote special is the last word; “normal”. Emmanuel Jal is saying that for an individual to become a part of the “norm”, he has to go through a lot of positive feelings. But what that “norm” is can be difficult to define, as it’s based on the country and region, isn’t it? Therefore, he’s saying that for a child soldier to become like the majority of people in said country or region, the child soldier needs to process love, care and understanding. As these are things that the child has most likely never felt.
How Does It Help You Understand Setsuna? Soran Ibrahim was a child soldier, and if there’s someone who needs love, care and understanding, it’s definitely him. But ironically enough, he constantly pushed away the positivity of others, as it was difficult for him to become a part of the “norm”. He didn’t understand it. He didn’t understand a world without someone taking someone elses life. In turn, Soran’s story is a sad one, as he never accepted the process, and never went “through” love, care and understanding. By god, we know he damn-well tried, but in the end, he sacrificed himelf for a greater good, never becoming “normal”.
Final Words
I wholeheartedly hope that you learned something from these phenomenal quotes. I wanted to highlight the people behind the words, while shining a spotlight on Soran’s heartbreaking existence. It’s something I couldn’t have done without the quotes I found, and I suggest that you look up these individuals on your spare time to learn more about them and their ideals. But now my task is done.I truly hope that these 5 child soldier quotes helped you to better understand Setsuna from Mobile Suit Gundam 00!
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