Aiguille Delaz – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

Aiguille Delaz was a former Principality of Zeon colonel and commander of the Delaz Fleet who masterminded Operation Stardust in UC 0083. His name means “needle” in French, reflecting his sharp and determined character.

Biography

Early military career

During the One Year War, Delaz held the rank of Colonel and served in the Solomon Defense Force, part of the Space Attack Force led by Dozle Zabi. He commanded the Gwazine-class battleship Gwaden as its captain. Despite serving under Dozle’s command structure, Delaz was a fervent loyalist of Gihren Zabi and shared his supreme commander’s vision for Zeon supremacy and the ideology of Spacenoid liberation.

Battle of A Baoa Qu and withdrawal

During the final Battle of A Baoa Qu, Delaz was reassigned to command Gihren Zabi’s personal fleet as part of the space fortress’s defence. When word reached him that Gihren had been killed by his sister Kycilia Zabi, Delaz was overwhelmed with anger and grief. Viewing Kycilia’s actions as a treacherous coup against his beloved commander, Delaz chose to withdraw from the hopeless final battle rather than serve under her command.

Delaz ordered all mobile suits under his command to return to their ships and commanded his entire fleet to change heading and leave A Baoa Qu. This withdrawal occurred as the Earth Federation Forces were gaining the upper hand, and the retiring ships of what would become the Delaz Fleet departed before the space fortress collapsed. Among those who joined Delaz in his retreat was ace pilot Anavel Gato, who had landed on the Gwaden after losing his Gelgoog’s right arm in battle.

Formation of the Delaz Fleet

After withdrawing from A Baoa Qu, Delaz established his headquarters in the debris-strewn shoal zone created from the destruction of Side 5 during the Battle of Loum. This makeshift base was dubbed the “Garden of Thorns” (茨の園, Ibara no En). Promoting himself to Lieutenant General, Delaz spent the next three years gathering his forces through raids and piracy operations throughout the Earth Sphere.

The Delaz Fleet became the largest and most organized Zeon remnant force outside of Axis. Under Delaz’s leadership, the fleet completed its reorganisation by 15 August UC 0081 and began conducting guerrilla warfare operations against the Federation. Delaz firmly imparted his fanaticism toward Gihren Zabi’s ideals upon his subordinates, particularly Anavel Gato, and crafted a “Lost Cause” narrative that portrayed Zeon as the defender of Spacenoid freedom despite the Principality’s genocidal operations during the war.

Operation Stardust

In UC 0083, Delaz received intelligence about the Gundam Development Project and formulated his master plan, which he named Operation Stardust. The operation combined asymmetrical tactical complexity with collusion from Zeon-friendly contacts within civilian and commercial hierarchies. Delaz entrusted Anaheim Electronics agent Nick Orville to infiltrate the Torrington Base and assist Gato in stealing the nuclear-armed RX-78GP02A Gundam “Physalis”.

When Gato successfully returned to space with the stolen Gundam in October UC 0083, Delaz announced the launch of Operation Stardust to the entire Earth Sphere. This declaration served both as a propaganda broadcast and a signal to remaining Zeon remnant forces to join his operation. The broadcast denounced the Granada Treaty and declared war upon the Earth Federation.

To augment his forces, Delaz formed an alliance with the rogue Cima Fleet led by Cima Garahau, despite her infamous combat record. This decision would prove to be his fatal mistake, as the Cima Fleet was secretly planning to betray him to the Federation.

Final operations and death

Delaz’s strategy involved a two-pronged approach. First, he ordered Gato to attack the Federation’s Naval Review at Konpei Island (formerly Solomon) with a nuclear strike using the GP02A’s atomic bazooka. This devastating attack destroyed two-thirds of the Federation fleet and killed Fleet Inspector General Green Wyatt. However, this was merely a spoiling attack designed to throw the Federation into chaos whilst Delaz pursued his real objective—hijacking an empty colony being transported for repairs.

Through covert support gained by threatening the Lunar cities, Delaz’s forces powered the hijacked colony and set it on a collision course with Earth. As the Delaz Fleet positioned itself for what seemed to be their greatest triumph, Cima Garahau made her move. Her marines boarded and took control of the Gwaden’s bridge, murdering most of Delaz’s command crew and taking him prisoner with the intention of turning him over to the Federation.

When Anavel Gato approached the ship to confront Cima, Delaz commanded him to see Operation Stardust through to completion and destroy the bridge rather than attempt a rescue. Enraged by Delaz’s unwavering dedication to the mission even in the face of death, Cima shot and killed him. Despite his death, Operation Stardust proceeded as planned, with the colony successfully impacting North America and devastating the Federation’s agricultural heartland.

Personality and traits

Aiguille Delaz was characterised by his unwavering loyalty to Gihren Zabi and the ideals of Zeon supremacy. He possessed exceptional strategic genius and was able to consistently outwit Federation commanders throughout Operation Stardust. His charismatic leadership inspired fierce devotion among his subordinates, who saw him as a visionary fighting for the liberation of all Spacenoids.

However, Delaz’s idealism also blinded him to the possibility of betrayal from within his own ranks. His absolute faith in the righteousness of his cause made him unable to recognise Cima Garahau’s true intentions until it was too late. Despite this fatal flaw, Delaz remained committed to his mission above all else, even ordering his own death to ensure Operation Stardust’s success.

Delaz was known for his stirring oratory skills, delivering passionate speeches that rallied Zeon remnant forces to his cause. His broadcasts during Operation Stardust demonstrated his gift for propaganda and his ability to frame Zeon’s actions as a noble struggle against an oppressive Earth Federation regime.

Relationships

Gihren Zabi

Delaz’s most defining relationship was his loyalty to Gihren Zabi, whom he considered both a friend and the true leader of Zeon. This devotion ran so deep that Delaz refused to serve under Kycilia Zabi after she killed Gihren, viewing her actions as an unforgivable betrayal. Delaz spent the three years between the wars crafting a mythology around Gihren’s ideals and working to fulfil what he saw as his fallen commander’s vision for Spacenoid liberation.

Anavel Gato

Delaz served as a mentor and father figure to ace pilot Anavel Gato, whom he recruited during the final stages of the One Year War. Over the intervening three years, Delaz firmly imparted his fanaticism toward Gihren Zabi’s ideals upon Gato, transforming the skilled pilot into a devoted follower of Zeon’s cause. Their relationship was built on mutual respect and shared dedication to avenging Zeon’s defeat, with Gato serving as the cornerstone of Operation Stardust.

Cima Garahau

Delaz’s alliance with Cima Garahau represented both a strategic necessity and his greatest miscalculation. Whilst he recognised her combat effectiveness and the value her fleet brought to Operation Stardust, he failed to account for her bitter resentment toward Zeon’s leadership for forcing her to commit war crimes during the One Year War. This oversight ultimately led to his downfall when Cima betrayed him at the crucial moment.

Mecha

Gwaden

Delaz commanded the Gwazine-class battleship Gwaden throughout both the One Year War and Operation Stardust. The vessel served as his personal flagship and the mobile headquarters of the Delaz Fleet. The Gwaden was one of only two Gwazine-class ships to survive the Battle of A Baoa Qu, and it remained active until UC 0083 when it was destroyed during the final stages of Operation Stardust.

Behind the scenes

Aiguille Delaz was designed as the primary antagonist of Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, though his second-in-command Anavel Gato serves as the more active threat throughout the series. His character was conceived to bridge the gap between the original Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, explaining how the events of the One Year War led to the formation of the oppressive Titans organisation.

The character was voiced by Kiyoshi Kobayashi in the original Japanese version and Richard Barnes in the English dub. Kobayashi also voiced several other characters in the Gundam franchise, whilst Barnes was known for his work on various anime series in the 1990s.

Delaz’s name, meaning “needle” in French, was chosen to reflect his sharp, penetrating character and his ability to strike at the heart of Federation defences. His character design emphasised his role as a distinguished military commander, with his uniform and bearing reflecting his status as a former Zeon officer who had maintained his dignity despite his faction’s defeat.

The character appeared in several video games beyond the original OVA, including Mobile Suit Gundam: Battlefield Record UC 0081, where he provided support to other Zeon remnant forces, and various entries in the Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: The Afterglow of Zeon
Mobile Suit Gundam: Battlefield Record UC 0081
Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam

External links

Aiguille Delaz on the Gundam Wiki
Aiguille Delaz on the Villains Wiki