Anavel Gato

Anavel Gato (アナベル・ガトー, Anaberu Gatō), feared across the One Year War as the Nightmare of Solomon, was a veteran Principality of Zeon ace who later led Operation Stardust by stealing the nuclear-armed RX-78GP02A Gundam “Physalis”. His actions in UC 0083 reignited tensions between the Earth Federation and Zeon remnants and paved the way for the Titans’ rise.

Biography

Anavel Gato carved his legend from the defence of Solomon to the colony drop of Operation Stardust, binding his fate to the Delaz Fleet.

One Year War

Anavel Gato fought with Zeon’s space attack forces throughout the One Year War. Stationed at Solomon, he flew repeated sorties against the Earth Federation fleet and became notorious for crippling warships with precise beam fire. His ferocity during the defence earned him the “Nightmare of Solomon” moniker, a name Federation crews invoked whenever his customised MS-14A Gelgoog appeared on sensors.

Gato survived the subsequent retreat to A Baoa Qu and continued to fly rearguard actions until Zeon’s surrender. Rather than capitulate, he escaped with loyalists who later formed the Delaz Fleet.

Planning Operation Stardust

Between UC 0080 and 0083, Gato remained hidden alongside Aiguille Delaz. The Delaz Fleet planned Operation Stardust to punish the Federation and revive support for Zeon independence. As Delaz’s most celebrated ace, Gato accepted the task of piloting a nuclear delivery mobile suit even though the mission offered little chance of survival.

Theft of the GP02A

On 13 October UC 0083, Gato infiltrated Torrington Base under disguise, overpowered the security detail, and seized the RX-78GP02A Gundam Physalis. He launched from the base with its tactical nuclear warhead intact, evading pursuit from the fortress’ defenders. The theft stunned the Federation and forced them to scramble the assault carrier Albion to recover the weapon.

Running battles with the Albion

Gato remained ahead of Albion’s pursuit force across Australia and into Earth orbit. He sparred repeatedly with rookie pilot Kou Uraki, whose inexperience highlighted the gap between Federation test pilots and hardened Zeon veterans. Despite regarding Kou as an upstart, Gato acknowledged the younger pilot’s determination to reclaim the GP02A.

Naval Review strike

The Delaz Fleet’s opening blow struck at the Naval Review held at Konpei Island. Gato penetrated the reviewing formation and detonated the Physalis’ nuclear weapon, annihilating much of the Federation fleet and throwing command into chaos. He escaped aboard a captured Musai and rendezvoused with Delaz at Axis, where the remnants prepared the operation’s second phase.

Final battle and death

When the Delaz Fleet initiated the colony drop, Gato returned to the front lines in a MS-21C Dra-C and later the converted Neue Ziel mobile armour. He fought Kou Uraki, now piloting the RX-78GP03 Dendrobium, in an extended duel that raged around the descending colony. Gato was ultimately fatally wounded while covering the colony’s approach. Refusing capture, he rammed a Federation Salamis-class cruiser and perished in the resulting explosion, ensuring the colony remained on course.

Physical appearance

Anavel Gato was a tall, broad-shouldered officer with blond hair slicked back from a scarred brow. He typically wore Zeon’s dark green flight suit beneath a white overcoat styled with gold trim, projecting the image of a disciplined, old-guard soldier.

Personality & traits

Anavel Gato embodied the ideals of a professional Zeon warrior. He was unwaveringly loyal to his commanders, maintained strict battlefield discipline, and measured opponents by their resolve rather than allegiance. His stoicism masked a fervent belief that spacenoids deserved self-determination, and he accepted death as an honourable outcome if it advanced Zeon’s cause.

Skills & abilities

Anavel Gato was an elite mobile suit pilot with exceptional marksmanship and close-quarters combat skills. He mastered high-speed manoeuvring in both the Gelgoog and Physalis, exploiting their thrust and heavy armaments to overwhelm foes. His tactical awareness allowed him to cut through formations and break encirclements, a talent that made him indispensable to the Delaz Fleet.

Relationships

Anavel Gato defined himself through uncompromising loyalty to his commanders and the few comrades who matched his convictions.

Aiguille Delaz

Aiguille Delaz served as Gato’s commanding officer during the One Year War and mentor in the post-war resistance. Gato’s respect for Delaz’s vision was absolute, and he volunteered to steal the GP02A to prove the admiral’s strategy viable.

Kou Uraki

Kou Uraki began as an inexperienced Federation pilot thrust into combat against the Nightmare of Solomon. Gato dismissed him early on yet came to recognise Kou’s tenacity as the Albion campaign intensified. Their rivalry culminated in the duel over the descending colony, where both men fought with full respect for the other’s resolve.

Nina Purpleton

Nina Purpleton was Gato’s former lover from before the war. Their unexpected reunion at Torrington briefly rekindled past feelings, but Gato buried his emotions to focus on Operation Stardust. Her later intervention on Kou’s behalf wounded him, yet he still shielded her from harm during their final confrontation.

Military career

Anavel Gato rose through Zeon’s naval forces as a front-line mobile suit pilot. He fought in the Solomon and A Baoa Qu campaigns, refused surrender in UC 0080, and later became the Delaz Fleet’s spearhead. His record as a disciplined ace made him both a propaganda symbol and an operational linchpin for Zeon remnants.

Mecha

Anavel Gato cycled through elite mobile suits that amplified his aggressive tactics, from customised Gelgoogs to experimental prototypes.

RX-78GP02A Gundam Physalis

The RX-78GP02A Gundam “Physalis” became synonymous with Gato after he stole it from Torrington Base. He wielded its atomic bazooka to destroy the Naval Review and used its I-field shield to withstand counter-fire during his escape.

MS-14A Gelgoog

During the One Year War, Gato piloted a customised MS-14A Gelgoog at Solomon, where he carved through Federation formations with precision beam saber strikes and ranged support from a beam rifle tuned to his specifications.

Other mobile suits

Gato later flew the MS-21C Dra-C and the AMA-X2 Neue Ziel during Operation Stardust’s final phase, leveraging their high mobility and heavy weaponry to delay Federation interception forces.

Legacy

Operation Stardust fulfilled Gato’s strategic goals: the Federation suffered catastrophic losses, political panic birthed the Titans, and Zeon loyalists gained a martyr whose final broadcast called for continued resistance. His name remained a rallying cry for remnant movements well into the UC 0090s.

Behind the scenes

Anavel Gato was introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory to personify Zeon’s lingering threat. Mechanical designer Kawamori Shōji and the animation team crafted his appearance to evoke a seasoned officer from the older Zeon Guard, pairing formal uniforms with a stern demeanour to contrast the younger Federation cast.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory – episodes 1–13

External links

Anavel Gato on the Gundam Wiki