Katz Kobayashi

Katz Kobayashi was a war orphan from Side 7 who served aboard the White Base during the One Year War and later joined the Anti Earth Union Group as a mobile suit pilot during the Gryps Conflict. Born Katz Howan, he was the eldest of three orphaned children who became mascots of the White Base crew before being adopted by Hayato Kobayashi and Fraw Bow.

Biography

Early life and the One Year War

Katz was born in UC 0071 and lived on the space colony Side 7 with his parents. When Principality of Zeon forces attacked the colony on 18 September UC 0079, his parents were killed in the assault. At age eight, Katz found himself orphaned alongside six-year-old Letz Cofan and four-year-old Kikka Kitamoto. The three children managed to board the Federation assault carrier White Base as it evacuated refugees from the doomed colony.

Aboard the White Base, Katz quickly adjusted to his new life and joined his fellow orphans in assisting the crew however possible, even when adults tried to dissuade them from helping. The trio became beloved mascots and occasional troublemakers for the ship, with Fraw Bow serving as their primary caretaker. They were involved in several major incidents, including Ramba Ral’s boarding attack on the ship and Char Aznable’s infiltration of Jaburo, where they helped dispose of hidden bombs planted by Char.

Their assistance during the Jaburo incident proved so valuable that they were allowed to remain aboard the White Base even when it left Earth to return to space for the final offensives at Solomon and A Baoa Qu. After the Battle of A Baoa Qu, the three children demonstrated their Newtype abilities when they reached out psychically to help Amuro Ray locate the lifeboat carrying the White Base crew after the ship’s destruction.

Post-war adoption

Following the One Year War, Katz, Letz, and Kikka were adopted by Hayato Kobayashi and Fraw Bow, who had married to provide the children with a stable family home. The newly formed Kobayashi family settled in Shizuoka, where Hayato operated a mobile suit museum featuring Zeon mobile suits from the One Year War.

During this period, Katz learned to pilot mobile suits while helping at his adoptive father’s museum. His childhood experiences aboard the White Base had left him deeply inspired by the heroic actions of Amuro Ray and the White Base crew. Unlike his adoptive siblings, who seemed content with civilian life, Katz actively wished to join military service, much to the concern of his adoptive mother Fraw.

The Gryps Conflict

By UC 0087, the now 16-year-old Katz had grown increasingly headstrong, reckless, and overconfident. His idolisation of Amuro’s accomplishments from the One Year War drove him to seek military action. When Earth Federation forces began surveillance of Amuro, who was living under house arrest, Katz helped his childhood hero escape and joined the Karaba resistance movement.

Katz participated in several Karaba operations, including a mission where he and Amuro rescued Hayato’s forces by crashing a fighter plane into Buran Blutarch’s NRX-044 Asshimar. Katz managed to bail out before the plane’s impact, demonstrating both his piloting skills and his characteristic recklessness.

During a subsequent battle, Katz disobeyed orders and infiltrated the cockpit of the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II, but his inexperience led to him crashing the unit into water and becoming isolated. He was eventually rescued by Kamille Bidan, who was piloting a RMS-099 Rick Dias, and Quattro Bajeena in his MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki. Despite damaging Rosamia Badam’s ORX-005 Gaplant during the engagement, Hayato promptly disciplined Katz for his reckless actions.

Service with the AEUG

Despite his father’s disapproval, Katz was allowed to go to space to fight alongside the Anti Earth Union Group, an ally of Karaba. He learned to pilot the MSA-003 Nemo and was assigned to the Argama under Bright Noa’s command. His fellow crew members included Kamille Bidan, Emma Sheen, and other experienced pilots.

Katz’s military service was marked by both competence and insubordination. When Titans officer Sarah Zabiarov surrendered to the Argama, claiming the Titans planned to drop colonies at Granada, Katz found himself attracted to her despite several crew members questioning her motives. His infatuation with Sarah would cloud his judgement and contribute to his ultimate downfall.

Later transferred to the Radish, Katz was held in reserve during a battle but once again disobeyed orders to stay behind. He piloted the FXA-05D G-Defenser for the first time and assisted Emma Sheen against Yazan Gable’s forces. His arrival allowed Emma to utilise the RX-178+FXA-05D Super Gundam configuration.

Final battle and death

During the intense fighting of the Gryps Conflict, Katz continued to demonstrate both skill and recklessness. In one engagement, he saved Kamille Bidan by distracting Yazan Gable with a damaged MS-14 Gelgoog during a close-quarters battle inside an abandoned Zeon Gwazine-class cruiser.

Katz’s final mission came on 21 February UC 0088. While piloting the G-Defenser, he encountered Yazan Gable, one of the Titans’ most dangerous pilots. Despite his growing experience, Katz was no match for Yazan’s superior skill and ruthless tactics. Yazan shot down the G-Defenser, killing Katz instantly.

His death devastated his adoptive family and former crewmates. Hayato Kobayashi blamed himself for not protecting Katz better and worked overtime during subsequent battles, ultimately leading to his own death during the Dublin Colony Drop. Katz’s grave was placed at the Kobayashi family home in Shizuoka, near his father’s final resting place.

Personality and traits

Katz possessed a complex personality shaped by his traumatic childhood experiences and hero worship of Amuro Ray. As a child aboard the White Base, he displayed a quiet, meek personality that matched his appearance, though he was willing to help the crew despite his young age. His experiences during the One Year War instilled in him a deep admiration for the heroic actions of the White Base crew.

By the time of the Gryps Conflict, Katz had developed into a headstrong, reckless, and overconfident young man. His idolisation of Amuro’s wartime accomplishments drove him to seek glory in battle, often charging against superior enemies like Paptimus Scirocco, Haman Karn, and Yazan Gable. This dangerous combination of inexperience and overconfidence frequently put both himself and his comrades at risk.

Like his adoptive father Hayato, Katz was impulsive and dangerously naïve. His romantic feelings for Sarah Zabiarov demonstrated his emotional immaturity and poor judgement, as he failed to recognise the danger she posed to his comrades. Despite these flaws, Katz showed genuine courage and loyalty to his friends, often placing himself in harm’s way to protect others.

Skills and abilities

Despite his youth and relative inexperience, Katz demonstrated considerable aptitude as a mobile suit pilot. He learned to operate Zeon mobile suits while working at his father’s museum and quickly adapted to piloting Federation mobile suits during the Gryps Conflict. His natural Newtype abilities, first manifested during the Battle of A Baoa Qu, likely contributed to his piloting skills.

Katz showed particular competence in support roles, successfully operating the G-Defenser to assist other pilots and demonstrating good tactical awareness in several engagements. However, his tendency towards reckless behaviour and his desire to prove himself often undermined his effectiveness as a pilot.

Relationships

Family

Katz’s relationship with his adoptive family was complex and sometimes strained. He deeply respected Hayato Kobayashi as a father figure and fellow White Base veteran, though their shared impulsive nature sometimes led to conflict. His desire to follow in the footsteps of his wartime heroes often worried Fraw Kobayashi, who feared for his safety.

His bonds with his adoptive siblings Letz and Kikka remained strong throughout their childhood, though his military ambitions eventually separated him from his more peaceful family members.

Sarah Zabiarov

Katz’s infatuation with Titans officer Sarah Zabiarov represented one of his greatest character flaws. Despite her initial deception and questionable loyalties, Katz remained attracted to her and hoped to free her from Paptimus Scirocco’s influence. This emotional attachment clouded his judgement and contributed to his eventual death.

Amuro Ray

Amuro Ray served as Katz’s primary role model and hero. Their reunion during the Gryps Conflict initially disappointed Katz, who perceived Amuro as cowardly for accepting house arrest. However, he later joined Amuro in Karaba operations and continued to seek his approval and recognition.

Behind the scenes

Katz Kobayashi was designed by character designer Yasuhiko Yoshikazu for the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. His character arc from innocent child to reckless pilot served as a commentary on the lasting psychological effects of war on young people.

In the Japanese version, Katz was voiced by Fuyumi Shiraishi in the original Mobile Suit Gundam and by Keiichi Nanba in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. In the English dub, he was voiced by Crystal Roberts in the original series and Sean Broadhurst in Zeta Gundam. For the Zeta Gundam compilation films, Daisuke Namikawa took over the Japanese voice role.

The character’s death in Zeta Gundam was part of series director Tomino Yoshiyuki’s efforts to show the harsh realities of war and the consequences of reckless behaviour in combat situations.

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Gundam
• Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
• Mobile Suit Gundam I
• Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow
• Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space
• Zeta Gundam: A New Translation I - Heirs to the Stars
• Zeta Gundam: A New Translation II - Lovers

External links

• Katz Kobayashi on the Gundam Wiki
• Katz Howan on Behind the Voice Actors