Challia Bull

Challia Bull was a lieutenant in the Principality of Zeon who served as commander of the Jupiter Energy Fleet before returning to the Earth Sphere during the later stages of the One Year War. Recognised as a Newtype by Zeon leadership, he was assigned to pilot the experimental MAN-03 Braw Bro mobile armour under Kycilia Zabi’s command.

Challia Bull earned the nickname “Man from Jupiter” due to his long service commanding the Jupiter Energy Fleet in the outer Solar System, collecting helium-3 for the war effort. His psychic abilities first manifested during medical examinations upon his return to the Earth Sphere, leading to his recruitment by the Flanagan Institute for Newtype weapons development.

Biography

Early life and Jupiter assignment

Little is known about Challia Bull’s early life or origins. By the time of the One Year War, he had achieved the rank of lieutenant and was assigned command of the Jupiter Energy Fleet, a crucial logistical operation that collected helium-3 from Jupiter’s atmosphere to fuel Zeon’s mobile suits and spacecraft.

The Jupiter Energy Fleet operated under the neutrality provisions of the Antarctic Treaty, which guaranteed non-aggression towards helium collection operations. Challia Bull’s command of this distant fleet kept him far from the main theatres of the war for most of UC 0079, making his eventual return to the Earth Sphere all the more significant.

Return to the Earth Sphere

In late December UC 0079, as the war entered its final stages, Challia Bull returned from Jupiter to the Earth Sphere. Upon arrival, he underwent routine medical examinations that revealed strong Newtype capabilities. These psychic abilities had likely developed during his long isolation in the Jupiter sphere, where the extreme distance from Earth and prolonged exposure to space conditions may have enhanced his latent potential.

Supreme Commander Gihren Zabi summoned Challia Bull personally, believing that his Newtype abilities could provide a crucial advantage for Zeon in the war’s final phase. During their first meeting, Challia Bull demonstrated his psychic powers by sensing that he would be placed under Major General Kycilia Zabi’s command without Gihren needing to speak the assignment aloud.

Assignment to the Flanagan Institute

Following Gihren’s evaluation, Challia Bull departed on a Dolos-class carrier for Zeon’s lunar base Granada. There, Kycilia Zabi assigned him to work with the Flanagan Institute, Zeon’s premier Newtype research facility. The Institute had been developing experimental mobile weapons specifically designed to harness Newtype abilities.

Kycilia assigned Challia Bull to pilot the MAN-03 Braw Bro, a massive experimental mobile armour equipped with the revolutionary psycommu system. He was paired with First Lieutenant Simus Al Bakharov as his assistant pilot. Kycilia informed him that if he demonstrated greater Newtype potential than Lalah Sune, he might be given command of the even more advanced MAN-08 Elmeth mobile armour.

Meeting with Char Aznable

The Braw Bro was deployed to support Colonel Char Aznable’s Zanzibar-class cruiser. When Challia Bull met Char and Lalah Sune aboard the Zanzibar, he immediately sensed Lalah’s powerful psychic emanations, remarking on the “strong pulse” she was emitting. This demonstrated his ability to detect and evaluate other Newtypes’ capabilities.

During his conversation with Char, Challia Bull advised the Red Comet to be more broad-minded. Char informed him of his belief that the pilot of the RX-78-2 Gundam was also a Newtype, marking the first time Zeon leadership became aware of Amuro Ray’s developing abilities.

Final battle and death

On 28 December UC 0079, Challia Bull launched in the Braw Bro for what he claimed was merely a test flight. In reality, this sortie would prove to be his final mission. He encountered the RX-78-2 Gundam piloted by Amuro Ray in the Corregidor Shoal Zone.

Despite the Braw Bro’s massive firepower and advanced psycommu system, Challia Bull found himself outclassed by Amuro’s superior Newtype abilities and the Gundam’s advanced technology. The battle lasted less than ten minutes before the Braw Bro was destroyed by the Gundam’s beam rifle, killing both Challia Bull and Simus Al Bakharov instantly.

Personality and traits

Challia Bull possessed the enhanced intuition and perception characteristic of Newtypes, demonstrated by his ability to sense Gihren’s intentions and detect Lalah Sune’s psychic emanations. His long service in the Jupiter sphere had given him a unique perspective, earning him the moniker “Man from Jupiter” and setting him apart from other Zeon officers.

He displayed confidence in his abilities, insisting on taking the Braw Bro out for what he described as a test flight despite the obvious dangers. His brief interaction with Char Aznable suggested a thoughtful personality, as he counselled Char to adopt a more open-minded approach to their situation.

Skills and abilities

Newtype capabilities

Challia Bull possessed genuine Newtype abilities that manifested as enhanced perception and psychic sensitivity. His powers allowed him to:

• Sense the thoughts and intentions of others, as demonstrated when he intuited Gihren’s assignment plans
• Detect the psychic emanations of other Newtypes, as shown by his immediate recognition of Lalah Sune’s abilities
• Interface with psycommu-equipped mobile weapons, enabling him to control the Braw Bro’s wire-guided weapons systems

Military command

As commander of the Jupiter Energy Fleet, Challia Bull demonstrated competence in logistics and fleet management. The successful operation of helium-3 collection missions in the challenging environment around Jupiter required considerable skill in coordinating multiple vessels and managing extended-duration operations far from Earth.

Mobile armour piloting

Though his combat experience in the Braw Bro was limited, Challia Bull showed proficiency in operating the massive mobile armour’s complex systems. His Newtype abilities allowed him to interface effectively with the psycommu system, controlling multiple wire-guided weapons simultaneously.

Mecha

MAN-03 Braw Bro

Challia Bull’s assignment to the MAN-03 Braw Bro marked his transition from fleet command to frontline combat operations. The massive mobile armour was the first mobile weapon designed specifically for Newtype use, equipped with a revolutionary psycommu system that allowed thought-controlled operation of its wire-guided mega particle guns.

Working with Simus Al Bakharov as his assistant pilot, Challia Bull demonstrated proficiency with the Braw Bro’s complex systems during training exercises. However, his first and only combat deployment against the Gundam proved fatal, as the mobile armour was destroyed despite its overwhelming firepower advantage.

Relationships

Simus Al Bakharov

Simus Al Bakharov served as Challia Bull’s assistant pilot and co-operator of the MAN-03 Braw Bro. Their professional relationship was brief but crucial, as the massive mobile armour required multiple operators to function effectively. Both perished together when the Braw Bro was destroyed by the Gundam.

Char Aznable

Challia Bull developed a brief but respectful relationship with Char Aznable during their meeting aboard the Zanzibar. Their interaction suggested mutual understanding between two experienced officers, with Challia Bull offering Char advice about maintaining an open mind. This meeting also provided Char with crucial intelligence about the Gundam pilot’s Newtype abilities.

Kycilia Zabi

Major General Kycilia Zabi served as Challia Bull’s immediate superior after his assignment to the mobile assault force. She recognised his potential and assigned him to the prestigious Braw Bro project, while also dangling the possibility of advancement to the even more advanced Elmeth mobile armour based on his performance.

Behind the scenes

Challia Bull was designed as part of the original Mobile Suit Gundam series’ exploration of Newtype themes. His character served to demonstrate that Newtypes could emerge from various backgrounds and circumstances, not just from the main protagonists’ circle. The nickname “Man from Jupiter” created a parallel with Paptimus Scirocco from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, who also commanded a Jupiter Energy Fleet and was similarly referred to by this title.

Voice actor Shojiro Kihara provided Challia Bull’s voice in the original Japanese version, while Don Brown voiced the character in the English dub. The character’s distinctive helmet design, enlarged to accommodate psycho receptors, became a visual indicator of Newtype-use equipment in the series.

Challia Bull appears as part of the Newtype Corps in various video games, particularly the SD Gundam G Generation and Mobile Suit Gundam: Gihren’s Greed series, where he is often depicted alongside Lalah Sune, Char Aznable, Kuzco Al, and Marion Whelch as one of Zeon’s elite Newtype pilots.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam episode 39: “The Newtype: Challia Bull” marked his only appearance in the original anime series, though he has been featured in numerous video games and side materials expanding on the Universal Century timeline.

External links

• Challia Bull on the Gundam Wiki
• Challia Bull on MAHQ