Jerid Messa

Jerid Messa was a lieutenant of the Titans who served as the archrival of Kamille Bidan during the Gryps Conflict. Born into a family of soldiers in UC 0063, he joined the elite Earth Federation Forces unit the Titans and became one of the test pilots for the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II prototypes.

Jerid embodied the typical traits of a Titans member: ruthless, egotistical, overconfident, and possessing an absolute disregard for the lives of civilians. His rivalry with Kamille began over a trivial insult about Kamille’s feminine-sounding name, but escalated into a bitter feud that would define both of their fates during the war.

Biography

Early life and military service

Jerid Messa was born into a family of trained soldiers in UC 0063. His family had a long military tradition, with generations of members serving as proficient soldiers sent to the front lines. After achieving high results on a military aptitude test, Jerid qualified to join the elite Federation unit, the Titans, at the age of 23.

He was sent to train at Green Noa I, where he first encountered Kamille Bidan. The initial meeting was inauspicious—when Jerid made fun of Kamille’s feminine name, the civilian boy responded by punching him. This seemingly minor incident would prove to be the spark that ignited a rivalry that would consume both their lives.

Gryps Conflict

Green Noa I incident

During his training on one of the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II prototypes, Jerid was responsible for crashing into a government building and causing significant damage. He abandoned his mobile suit, which was later moved to a building where the AEUG was able to steal it during the ensuing battle inside the colony.

After Quattro Bajeena and Kamille Bidan escaped Green Noa I with two Gundam Mk-II prototypes, Jerid was assigned to wait in an RMS-106 Hizack with orders to destroy a capsule if the AEUG attempted to retrieve it. When Kamille launched to rescue his mother Hilda Bidan, revealed to be inside the capsule, Jerid fired on what he believed was a bomb that would destroy Kamille. Instead, his shots destroyed the capsule, killing Hilda and cementing the hatred between the two pilots.

Quest for vengeance

Aboard the Alexandria, Jerid met Lila Milla Rira, an Earth Federation pilot who became both his mentor and love interest. She taught him how to survive in space combat and defended him from Jamaican Daninghan’s criticism. However, during the battle at Space Colony 30, Lila was killed by Kamille, further intensifying Jerid’s desire for revenge.

Following Lila’s death, Jerid attempted to avenge her during atmospheric re-entry over Jaburo, but failed and lost his best friend Kacricon Cacooler when his ballute was destroyed by Kamille. The battle continued at the Jaburo base itself, where Jerid attacked Kamille despite a nuclear weapon being set to detonate. His RMS-108 Marasai was severely damaged, and he only escaped thanks to the intervention of another Titans pilot, Mouar Pharaoh.

Service under Scirocco

Jerid was subsequently assigned to serve under Paptimus Scirocco, where he was given the advanced RX-110 Gabthley. During this period, he and Mouar became lovers, launching attacks against the AEUG flagship Argama. Tragically, Mouar was killed whilst trying to protect Jerid from an attack by Kamille’s MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam. Her death sent Jerid into a rage, and he received a Newtype vision from Mouar’s spirit telling him that he was the only one who could lead people down the right path.

After being defeated and sent to the Kilimanjaro base for medical treatment, Jerid encountered Kamille once again during the latter’s infiltration of the facility. When Kamille attempted to convince Four Murasame to leave her MRX-009 Psycho Gundam, Jerid seized the incomplete RX-160 Byarlant and charged them with his beam saber drawn. His attack inadvertently killed Four when she blocked the strike to protect Kamille.

Final battle

During the Battle of Gryps, Jerid exhibited his most skilled piloting yet. When Axis was slammed into the Gate of Zedan, he launched in the Byarlant to protect fleeing Titans forces. In the ensuing battle, he shot down Lieutenant Apolly Bay, who was protecting Fa Yuiry. Notably, during his charge towards the Gwadan, Haman Karn sensed a psychic pressure from Jerid, suggesting he had begun to unlock his Newtype potential.

For his final sortie, Jerid piloted the NRX-055 Baund Doc, a transformable mobile armor designed specifically for Newtypes. He challenged Kamille to a final duel, hoping to prevent the AEUG pilot from rescuing Emma Sheen. However, Kamille arrived seconds too late to save Emma, who was rescued by the sacrificial destruction of the AEUG battleship Radish at the hands of Yazan Gable.

In their final confrontation, Kamille dispatched Jerid after a short battle, sending him flying into the exploding remains of the Radish. With his last breath, Jerid cursed Kamille’s existence as a barrier to his ascension in the ranks of the Titans.

Personality and character

Jerid possessed the archetypal characteristics of a Titans member: ruthlessness, egotism, overconfidence, and complete disregard for civilian lives. He harboured ambitions to become the Titans’ leader but wished to achieve this through his own efforts without assistance from others. Despite his pride as an Earthnoid, he was willing to ask for help from Lila to improve as a soldier, showing that his ego could be tempered by genuine respect.

His extreme arrogance led him to believe that the Titans had the authority to determine right and wrong, despite their actions only serving to spark hatred and mistrust among the general population. As the war progressed and his comrades died one by one, his rivalry with Kamille transformed into bitter hatred, with Jerid blaming Kamille’s very existence for his losses.

Ultimately, Jerid’s arrogance and obsessive hatred proved to be his downfall. His inability to let go of his vendetta against Kamille prevented him from growing as both a pilot and a person, leading to his eventual death at the hands of his rival.

Skills and abilities

Although Jerid survived many battles throughout the Gryps Conflict, his piloting skills were considered average at best for most of the conflict. He often proved more of a nuisance than a genuine threat in battle, with any real danger coming from the power of his mobile suits or support from more talented pilots.

However, Jerid’s abilities did improve significantly towards the end of the war, allowing him to competently pilot experimental mobile suits such as the RX-160 Byarlant and NRX-055 Baund Doc. His final battles demonstrated a marked improvement in his combat effectiveness, though he never reached the skill level exhibited by pilots such as Kamille or Paptimus Scirocco.

Evidence suggests that Jerid was developing Newtype abilities during the final stages of the war. Haman Karn detected a psychic pressure emanating from him during the Battle of Gryps, and his ability to pilot the Baund Doc—a mobile suit designed specifically for Newtypes—further supports this theory. However, he was killed before his potential could be fully realised.

Relationships

Kamille Bidan

Jerid’s relationship with Kamille Bidan began as a trivial rivalry over an insult about Kamille’s feminine name but escalated into a bitter, all-consuming hatred. Their feud became deeply personal as each pilot was responsible for killing people dear to the other. Jerid killed Kamille’s mother Hilda Bidan and later caused the death of Four Murasame, whilst Kamille was responsible for the deaths of Jerid’s closest friend Kacricon Cacooler, his mentor and lover Lila Milla Rira, and his partner Mouar Pharaoh.

Kacricon Cacooler

Kacricon Cacooler was Jerid’s best friend and fellow test pilot for the Gundam Mk-II prototypes. They trained together and served as partners during their early missions with the Titans. Kacricon’s death during atmospheric re-entry—when his ballute was destroyed by Kamille—devastated Jerid and further fuelled his desire for revenge.

Lila Milla Rira

Lila Milla Rira served as both a mentor and romantic interest for Jerid. An experienced Earth Federation pilot, she taught him the nuances of space combat and defended him when his performance was questioned by superior officers. Her death at Space Colony 30 marked a turning point for Jerid, intensifying his hatred for Kamille and the AEUG.

Mouar Pharaoh

Mouar Pharaoh became Jerid’s lover during his service under Paptimus Scirocco. She saved his life during the escape from Jaburo and fought alongside him in their RX-110 Gabthley mobile suits. Her death whilst protecting him from Kamille’s attack was the final personal loss that drove Jerid to the brink of madness.

Mobile suits

RX-178 Gundam Mk-II

Jerid was one of the initial test pilots for the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II prototypes alongside Emma Sheen and Kacricon Cacooler. During training, he crashed his unit into a government building, causing significant damage. This incident indirectly led to the AEUG’s successful theft of the prototypes, as the damaged unit had to be moved to a less secure location.

RMS-106 Hizack

Following the loss of the Gundam Mk-II prototypes, Jerid piloted the standard RMS-106 Hizack during the early stages of the Gryps Conflict. He used this mobile suit during the incident that resulted in Hilda Bidan’s death, firing on what he believed was a bomb but was actually a capsule containing Kamille’s mother.

RMS-108 Marasai

Jerid upgraded to the more advanced RMS-108 Marasai during the Second Battle of Jaburo. This mobile suit represented a significant improvement over the Hizack, featuring better armour, weaponry, and manoeuvrability. However, even with this superior machine, he was unable to defeat Kamille and barely escaped the nuclear destruction of the Jaburo base.

RX-110 Gabthley

Under Paptimus Scirocco’s command, Jerid was assigned the experimental RX-110 Gabthley, a transformable mobile suit that could switch between mobile suit and mobile armour modes. He piloted this unit alongside Mouar Pharaoh during Operation Apollo. The Gabthley’s high performance and unique capabilities made it one of the most effective mobile suits Jerid had piloted up to that point.

RX-160 Byarlant

During his stay at the Kilimanjaro base for medical treatment, Jerid seized the incomplete RX-160 Byarlant prototype. This high-mobility mobile suit was designed for atmospheric flight and featured powerful thermonuclear jet thrusters. Jerid used it in his attempt to kill Kamille during the Four Murasame incident and later during his attack on Dakar to disrupt Char Aznable’s speech.

NRX-055 Baund Doc

For his final battle, Jerid piloted the NRX-055 Baund Doc, a transformable mobile armour equipped with a Psycommu system designed specifically for Newtype use. Despite not being a confirmed Newtype, Jerid was able to operate this advanced machine, suggesting he had begun to develop Newtype abilities. The Baund Doc was destroyed along with Jerid in his final duel with Kamille.

Behind the scenes

Jerid Messa was voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue in Japanese and Ethan Cole in English. Inoue is well known for his roles as Kakashi Hatake in Naruto and Joe Shimamura in Cyborg 009, amongst many others.

The character’s rank insignia was notably inconsistent throughout Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, often switching between lieutenant junior grade and full lieutenant. This was likely due to miscommunication within the animation team, where different artists depicted him with different ranks.

Jerid is often viewed as a somewhat comedic figure within the Gundam fandom due to his repeated failures against Kamille and his role in inadvertently contributing to the Titans’ downfall. His inability to rise to the level of a true rival, being overshadowed by more competent antagonists like Yazan Gable and Paptimus Scirocco, has made him the subject of various jokes and memes.

In Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, Jerid was given his own story mode where he commanded Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke as subordinates. The storyline explored his character development and eventual desertion from the Titans to pursue his personal vendetta against Kamille.

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (episodes 1-49)
• Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation II - Lovers
• Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation III - Love Is the Pulse of the Stars
• Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Define (manga)
• Side Story of Gundam Zeta (manga)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam (game)
• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (game)
• Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 (game)
• Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 (game)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space (game)