Coordinator

A Coordinator (コーディネーター, Kōdinētā) was a genetically enhanced human in the Cosmic Era timeline who possessed superior physical and intellectual abilities compared to unmodified Naturals. The development of Coordinator technology and the resulting division between Coordinators and Naturals became the central conflict of the Cosmic Era, leading to the devastating Bloody Valentine Wars that defined the timeline.

Overview

Coordinators represented the pinnacle of genetic enhancement technology in the Cosmic Era, possessing abilities that far exceeded those of unmodified humans. The technology’s development and the resulting social division between Coordinators and Naturals created conflicts that shaped the entire era, with the PLANTs becoming a haven for Coordinators whilst Earth remained primarily populated by Naturals.

The first Coordinator, George Glenn, publicly revealed his enhanced nature in Cosmic Era 15, marking the beginning of the Coordinator era. His revelation sparked both hope and fear, as humanity grappled with the implications of genetic enhancement and the potential for creating a superior subspecies.

Principles

Coordinator technology operated through genetic engineering that enhanced human DNA before birth, improving physical and intellectual capabilities. The enhancement process involved modifying genes to optimise various traits, including strength, intelligence, reflexes, and disease resistance. These modifications were performed during the embryonic stage, ensuring that Coordinators were born with enhanced capabilities.

The technology’s effectiveness came from its ability to optimise human genetics, creating individuals with capabilities that exceeded natural human limits. Coordinators typically possessed superior physical strength, faster reflexes, enhanced intelligence, and improved resistance to disease, making them highly effective in various fields including combat, science, and technology.

Development

Coordinator technology was developed in the early Cosmic Era, with the first successful Coordinator, George Glenn, born in CE 15. Glenn’s public revelation of his enhanced nature demonstrated the technology’s potential and sparked widespread interest in genetic enhancement. However, it also created fear and resentment among Naturals, who viewed Coordinators as a threat to “natural” humanity.

The technology’s development led to the creation of a growing population of Coordinators, many of whom faced discrimination and persecution from Naturals. This persecution eventually led to a mass exodus of Coordinators to the PLANTs, space colonies that became havens for the genetically enhanced.

Applications

Military applications

Coordinators’ enhanced abilities made them highly effective as mobile suit pilots and soldiers. Their superior reflexes, spatial awareness, and processing speed gave them significant advantages in combat, making Coordinator pilots among the most effective in the Cosmic Era. ZAFT, the military organisation of the PLANTs, was composed primarily of Coordinators, and their enhanced abilities contributed to the organisation’s military effectiveness.

Coordinator pilots like Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, and others demonstrated the effectiveness of enhanced abilities in combat, often achieving feats that were impossible for Natural pilots. This effectiveness made Coordinators valuable assets in military operations, though it also contributed to tensions between Coordinators and Naturals.

Social implications

Coordinator technology’s development and the resulting division between Coordinators and Naturals had profound social implications. The enhanced abilities of Coordinators created resentment and fear among Naturals, who viewed the genetically enhanced as a threat to “natural” humanity. This division contributed to conflicts that defined the Cosmic Era, including the Bloody Valentine Wars.

The persecution of Coordinators by Naturals, often driven by organisations like Blue Cosmos, created a cycle of hatred and violence that proved difficult to break. The conflicts between Coordinators and Naturals served as a central theme of the Cosmic Era, exploring issues of discrimination, prejudice, and the ethics of genetic enhancement.

Impact

Coordinator technology fundamentally changed human society in the Cosmic Era, creating a division between enhanced and unmodified humans that shaped the entire era. The technology’s development and the resulting conflicts between Coordinators and Naturals became the defining feature of the Cosmic Era, influencing politics, military strategy, and social relations.

The technology’s impact extended beyond the conflicts it created, as Coordinators’ enhanced abilities contributed to significant advances in science, technology, and military capabilities. However, these advances came at the cost of social division and conflict, demonstrating the complex consequences of genetic enhancement.

Variants

Ultimate Coordinator

The “Ultimate Coordinator” represented an advanced form of Coordinator technology that created individuals with even greater capabilities. Kira Yamato was the only successful Ultimate Coordinator, possessing abilities that exceeded even those of regular Coordinators. The Ultimate Coordinator programme represented the pinnacle of genetic enhancement technology, though its success was limited.

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (movie)

External links

• Coordinator on the Gundam Wiki
• Coordinator on Wikipedia