Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is a TV anime with well-written characters, who come from different countries all around the world. Whether you’ve seen Gundam 00 or not, it’s always intriguing to see what country anime characters are from, as it gives us insight into who they are. Thus, I put together this piece to inform people of the nationality of every Gundam 00 character, with a known and confirmed origin. So it’s essentially a list about what countries the Gundam 00 characters are actually from! I hope you enjoy.
PS. Please remember that I’m only including characters with a confirmed nationality. So I won’t include characters that are just from the Human Reform League or the Union as these factions include numerous countries. In turn, it’s all about confirmed nationalities within these factions.
The Gundam Meisters
#1. Setsuna F. Seiei
Setsuna F. Seiei, born Soran Ibrahim, is from the Republic of Krugis, that is within the plateau of Kurdistan. It’s an area (region) located in the Middle East.
Our beloved lead character’s nationality is of great importance in Gundam 00. It’s not only used to explain Setsuna’s past, behavior and personality, but also ties into the political points made throughout the show. So, it’s actually interesting to find out that the Republic of Krugis is based on Kurdistan.
While I’m from Estonia, I moved to Sweden and grew up with various cultures all around me, and guess which nationality I came across quite a lot? You guessed it! People of Kurdistan. It was something that felt rather special, considering the history of the people, and how their culture has been kept alive over all these years. While I’m not gonna give a history lesson, I’m quite impressed by this creative decision to give Setsuna the nationality of Kurdistan. I’m a fan of this decision, to say the least.
#2. Allelujah Haptism
Allelujah Haptism is from Kazakhstan, a country in central asia.
There’s no mention of Allelujah’s origin in the anime, but it’s confirmed that he’s in-fact from the Republic of Kazakhstan. Whether that’s surprising or not, it’s definitely a country that we don’t often see utilized or mentioned in anime. Thus, it’s different and a bit special.
When you consider Allelujah’s twisted past of being brutally trained into a Super Soldier, it’s logical that he wouldn’t even know or remember his country. Maybe that’s the reason it was never discussed on the show? Nevertheless, I’m sure some fans from Kazakhstan love that one of the more beloved characters in Gundam 00 is from their country.
#3. Lockon Stratos (Neil)
The OG Lockon Stratos, Neil Dylandy, is from Ireland, a European country.
Neil Dylandy being Irish is a well-known fact, as his nationality and background play a big role in why he became a Gundam Meister for Celestial Being. But just to clarify for those that don’t remember, Neil’s mother, father and little sister were killed in a terrorist attack in Ireland. This attack was executed by the KPSA, the terrorist organization led by Ali Al-Saachez. This group is also the “home” of Soran Ibrahim (Setsuna) and other child soldiers, forced to fight for “GOD”.
Everything from Neil’s behavior to his physical appearance is an attempt to make him feel very European. In-fact, I could’ve guessed that he was Irish without that being mentioned. Why? Because it seems like Neil is a very good caricature of Irish people; he’s light-hearted, fun, easy-going and doesn’t take everything too seriously. But at the same time, there’s an underlying vibe of seriousness that makes him feisty and unafraid to say or do what he wants. Maybe it’s just me, but that kind of fits Irish people rather well, and I’m saying this as a compliment.
#4. Lockon Stratos (Lyle)
The 2nd Lockon Stratos is Lyle Dylandy, who’s Neil’s big brother, so he’s also from Ireland.
Whether you like him or hate him, Lyle’s nationality plays an important part in the story in Season 2 of Gundam 00. Much like his younger brother, Lyle is struggling with the past in his own way, with resentment towards Neil and hatred towards the way the world looks. In turn, he became a member of Katharon before becoming a Gundam Meister, and joining Celestial Being.
#5. Tieria Erde
Tieria Erde is an Innovade, meaning that he is a genetically engineered bio-terminal created by Celestial Being and Veda.
While I didn’t include other Innovades and Innovators, I wanted to mention Tieria Erde because he is our beloved Gundam Meister. So I took this opportunity to explain who and what Tieria Erde is, as it can be difficult to understand.
Tieria Erde’s journey is an exciting one, as he’s a stoic character who’s constantly struggling to fit in and who essentially doesn’t understand human beings. But it’s not long before he starts to see what people are made of and how people think, making our beloved Innovade trust in humanity. In turn, he essentially goes against the reason for his own existence, but does it as a result of the good people around him, one of them being Neil Dylandy, who affected him the most.
The Ace Pilots
#6. Graham Aker
Graham Aker is from the United States of America, a country in North America.
Whether you know him as Graham Aker or Mr. Bushido, this man is OBVIOUSLY from the USA. But it’s not just about his appearance, but his mannerisms, his sentence structure and overall behavior! Simply put, he encompasses the light-hearted but fiery personality of the American people in the best way imaginable. While we’re obviously talking about a written character, I feel like this is the best representation of an American in the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise.
#7. Ali Al-Saachez
Ali Al-Saachez is from Morocco, a country in North Africa.
The self-proclaimed “worst type of person in the world” is Moroccan, and that’s actually a bit surprising, isn’t it? Considering that he was the leader of the KPSA, it can be shocking to find out that he’s from Morocco, and not from Azadistan or Krugis. In the end, does it matter? Yes. Of course. But whatever his nationality is, it doesn’t change what he is and what he has done.
#8. Sergei Smirnov
Sergei Smirnov is known as the “Wild Bear of Russia” for a reason, alright? As the name says, he’s from Russia.
I know Russian people well, and I think that they’ve created a pretty respectable Russian character in Sergei Smirnov. Whether it’s his facial structure, his commanding personality or his strong set of beliefs, he’s a well-written Russian character. While he’s definitely a character filled with tropes and what “most” people think that Russians are, he’s still nuanced and well-designed all together.
#9. Andrei Smirnov
While the nationality of his mother is unknown, his father is indeed from Russia, and following my research, so is Andrei Smirnov.
Andrei’s behavior is rather similar to Sergei, but he’s far more strict and stoic, showing that he was definitely raised in the same household. While Andrei has resentment towards his father, blaming him for the death of his mother, they are still very similar to one another. From their belief in their duty and responsibilities, they both hold other people accountable and are also willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. In-fact, the way they wrote Andrei shows that the writers understand how a child should resemble their parent. It’s really done in a great way.
#10. Patrick Colasour
Patrick Colasour is from France, the country known for the motto: liberty, equality, fraternity.
Colasour the Indestructible is a good-looking flamboyant character who’s a loveable loud-mouthed jerk! But does any of that have anything to do with France? Maybe a little? Who knows? Nevertheless, he’s our comedic relief in Gundam 00, and his character’s nationality is French!
The Others
#11. Sumeragi Lee Noriega (Leesa Kujo)
Sumeragi Lee Noriega was born as Leesa Kujo, and she’s originally from Spain.
Now that you know she’s from Spain, she does look somewhat Spanish, doesn’t she? But if no one told you, would you actually have guessed it? Nevertheless, it’s a fitting country for Leesa Kujo, and now that I know this, I look at her in a different light. But in a more positive way as more things about her make sense… to me at least. From her look to her way of behaving, it’s great to see her represents a country like Spain.
#12. Saji Crossroad
Saji Crossroad is from Japan.
While his nationality isn’t actually brought up a lot, it’s obvious that Saji plays a very reserved, stoic and proper person. Whether it makes you think of Japanese people or not is a personal opinion thing, but in my case, I feel like he’s supposed to represent the “innocent” character. You know, the one who turns into a fighter, because he has to? Kind of like all of the Gundam Meisters. In turn, Saji Crossroad’s behavior is something we see in anime all the time, so in that way, he’s definitely representing Japan.
#13. Kinue Crossroad
Kinue is Saji’s older sister, and she’s also from Japan.
While she doesn’t necessarily come across Japanese, as she’s far more American in my opinion, but maybe that’s just because of her job as a journalist and her overall behavior. However, it doesn’t really matter as our opinions are shaped by what we know, and the fact that she’s from Japan can actually be easily forgotten. Why? Because everybody in Gundam 00 comes from a different place, so it’s difficult to keep track of everybody, especially minor characters.
#14. Louise Halevy
Louise Halevy comes from a rich family in Spain.
While the Halevy family is seen, shown and mentioned on numerous occasions, there’s not much discussion about Spain itself. But she did go to Spain for her cousin’s wedding. It was at this celebratory event that Louise Halevy’s entire family was brutally killed by Nena Trinity. It was also the moment that louise’s entire life changed. So with that being said, Louise being from Spain is actually included in the story pretty well overall. And while she may not look Spanish, with a very American name, she’s in-fact from the beautiful country of Spain.
#15. Marina Ismail
Marina Ismail is from Iran, a country in the Middle East. But more correctly, she’s from the short-lived state of Azadistan, also known as “The Land of Freedom”.
Are you up for a quick history lesson? Azadistan was established in the month of April, 1920. It was then disestablished on September 13, 1920. Thus, the “kingdom” of Azadistan does exist, or has existed, in real life. However, I’m not sure if this is a coincidence or if the creators of the anime actually used this short-lived state as a base for Azadistan? That’s something we don’t know.
Azadistan is a major part of Gundam 00, as it shows what happens to a country when it’s not being lead and properly included in the world. It’s about constantly fighting against the odds and just surviving, without any hope for a better tomorrow. But it’s essentially about fighting for freedom and understanding what it means to be “free” and live “peacefully”. These are concept that Setsuna tries to understand, and thus, his journey is closely tied to that of the Kingdom of Azadistan. In turn, Marina Ismail is a big part of the story, and so is his nation of Azadistan.
#16. Shirin Bakhtiar
Just like Marina Ismail, Shirin Bakhtiar is from Iran. But she’s also from Azadistan, the short-lived state from 1920.
Shirin Bakhtiar’s country of origin is as important as Marina Ismail’s, as we’re talking about the Kingdom of Azadistan, a country with big importance in Gundam 00. Therefore, her story is constantly tied to the fate of the nation, and is also a reason she joined Katharon.
#17. Wang Liu Mei
Wang Liu Mei is confirmed to be from China, the most populated country in the world.
Considering Wang Liu Mei’s minor role in Gundam 00, it’s easy to forget that she’s from China. In-fact, she’s the head of the Wang estate, meaning that she’s extremely wealthy and very powerful, with the resources to aid Celestial Being, and anyone that she wishes for that matter!
#18. Hong Long
Hong Long is Wang Liu Mei’s brother, so he’s also from China.
There’s not much to say about Hong Long, as he plays a very small role in Gundam 00. But he is in-fact from China, and that’s an interesting thing to know about our oddly super-human Hong Long.
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