Anavel Gato

Anavel Gato (アナベル・ガトー, Anaberu Gatō), known as the “Nightmare of Solomon” (ソロモンの悪夢, Soromon no Akumu), was a legendary Principality of Zeon ace pilot who became one of the most feared mobile suit combatants during the One Year War. In UC 0083, Gato led Operation Stardust by infiltrating the Federation’s Torrington Base and stealing the nuclear-armed RX-78GP02A Gundam “Physalis”, triggering a crisis that would reshape the Universal Century’s political landscape.

Biography

One Year War Service

Gato served as a mobile suit pilot in the Principality of Zeon forces during the One Year War. He earned his fearsome reputation at the Battle of Solomon, where his exceptional combat skills and tactical prowess made him a terror to Federation forces. His nom de guerre “Nightmare of Solomon” reflected the psychological impact he had on opponents – encountering Gato in battle often meant death.

Unlike many Zeon aces who relied on advanced mobile suits or Newtype abilities, Gato succeeded through:

Exceptional piloting skill honed through experience
Tactical intelligence and battlefield awareness
Absolute dedication to Zeon’s cause
Professional military discipline
Willingness to accept any mission, regardless of danger

He survived the war’s conclusion and went underground with other Zeon remnants rather than surrender to the Federation.

Post-War Years

Following Zeon’s defeat in UC 0080, Gato joined the Delaz Fleet, Zeon remnants led by Aiguille Delaz who refused to accept the war’s outcome. The Delaz Fleet spent three years planning Operation Stardust, an attack intended to:

Strike at Federation military capability
Demonstrate Zeon remnants’ continued strength
Inspire spacenoids to resist Federation rule
Avenge Zeon’s defeat

Gato became the operation’s key military asset – a legendary ace willing to pilot the nuclear-armed GP02A in what was essentially a suicide mission.

October UC 0083: Operation Stardust Begins

On 13 October UC 0083, Gato infiltrated the Federation’s Torrington Base in Australia and stole the GP02A Gundam. The audacious theft shocked the Federation – a single Zeon ace had penetrated their security and stolen a prototype carrying a tactical nuclear weapon.

Gato’s professionalism was evident throughout. Despite encountering Nina Purpleton, his former romantic partner from before the war, he remained focused on the mission. Personal feelings could not interfere with duty to Zeon’s cause.

Pursuit and Combat

The Federation dispatched the carrier Albion with Kou Uraki piloting the GP01 Zephyranthes in pursuit. Gato’s encounters with the inexperienced Kou demonstrated the vast gulf between One Year War veteran and post-war pilot – Gato easily outfought Kou repeatedly, treating him as barely worth serious attention.

However, Gato recognized that Kou possessed determination and was improving rapidly. He came to respect the younger pilot’s refusal to surrender despite being consistently outmatched.

Naval Review Attack

Operation Stardust’s first phase culminated at the Federation’s Naval Review, where Gato deployed the GP02A’s nuclear weapon against the assembled fleet. The attack:

Destroyed significant Federation naval assets
Demonstrated Zeon remnants’ capability to strike Federation core
Created political crisis within Federation leadership
Provided cover for operation’s second phase

Gato survived despite the mission’s near-suicidal nature, escaping to the Delaz Fleet’s base at the asteroid Axis.

Colony Drop Operation

Operation Stardust’s second phase involved dropping a colony on Earth’s breadbasket region, repeating the One Year War’s Operation British. Gato piloted mobile suits supporting the colony’s trajectory whilst Federation and Titans forces attempted interdiction.

The final battle saw Gato confront Kou Uraki once more, now in the massive RX-78GP03 Dendrobium mobile armour. Kou had evolved from inexperienced test pilot to capable combat veteran, making their final duel far more even than their first encounters.

Death

Gato died during the operation’s conclusion, killed in combat whilst ensuring the colony drop succeeded. His death came not from defeat but from achieving his objective – even as he died, the colony continued toward Earth, unstoppable.

For Gato, this represented acceptable sacrifice. Operation Stardust succeeded in its goals: Federation suffered massive casualties, political crisis led to Titans formation, and spacenoids witnessed that Zeon’s spirit lived on. His death served Zeon’s cause, which was all he had sought.

Personality and Philosophy

Gato exemplified the professional soldier archetype:

Absolute Loyalty: Zeon’s cause took precedence over personal life
Military Discipline: Emotions never interfered with missions
Professional Honour: Respected worthy opponents whilst fighting them
Tactical Pragmatism: Willing to use any method to achieve objectives
Fatalistic Acceptance: Ready to die for Zeon without hesitation

His relationship with Nina Purpleton illustrated his philosophy – he genuinely cared for her before the war, but when duty called, personal feelings became irrelevant. Seeing her again during Operation Stardust clearly affected him, but he never allowed that to compromise the mission.

Legacy

Anavel Gato’s impact on the Universal Century was profound:

Military: Demonstrated single ace pilot could still threaten Federation despite technological advantage
Political: Operation Stardust provided justification for Titans formation, leading directly to Gryps Conflict
Ideological: Proved Zeon ideology persisted four years after defeat
Psychological: “Nightmare of Solomon” reputation influenced Federation tactics for years

Within Zeon remnant movements, Gato became legendary figure – the ace who struck back at Federation when all seemed lost. His name inspired later resistance efforts, making him martyr to spacenoid independence cause.

Comparison with Other Aces

Gato represented specific type of ace pilot:

Characteristic	Gato	Amuro Ray	Char Aznable
Ability Source	Skill/Experience	Newtype + Skill	Skill + Some Newtype
Motivation	Zeon Loyalty	Survival → Justice	Revenge → Ideology
Style	Professional Soldier	Intuitive Fighter	Tactical Commander
Legacy	Martyr	Living Legend	Revolutionary

Unlike Newtypes like Amuro or ideologues like Char, Gato was simply exceptional professional soldier who happened to serve Zeon.

Behind the Scenes

Anavel Gato was created for Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory as antagonist who would be genuinely admirable despite opposing the Federation protagonist. Director Takayama Fumihiko (not to be confused with 0080’s director) wanted Gato to embody professional military honour whilst still being villain from Federation perspective.

Character designer Kawamori Shōji designed Gato to appear as veteran soldier – older than typical Gundam protagonists, battle-scarred, and physically imposing. His blonde hair and facial scar made him visually distinctive.

The “Nightmare of Solomon” epithet was created to establish Gato’s reputation before his actions demonstrated it, making him immediately threatening to audiences familiar with Solomon’s importance during the One Year War.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

External links

Anavel Gato on the Gundam Wiki