Lila Milla Rira

Lila Milla Rira was a lieutenant commander and veteran mobile suit pilot of the Earth Federation Forces. She served as mobile suit squadron leader aboard the Salamis Kai-class cruiser Bosnia during the Gryps Conflict and was considered one of the most skilled pilots in the regular Federation Forces.

Biography

Lila was born on 29 April UC 0062 and became a mobile suit pilot for the Earth Federation Forces. She was a survivor of the One Year War, which provided her with extensive experience in space combat and made her a capable mobile suit commander. By UC 0087, she held the rank of lieutenant commander and was stationed at the Luna II asteroid base.

Gryps Conflict

At the beginning of the Gryps Conflict, Lila was ordered to stop the AEUG from leaving Side 7 space. When she encountered the AEUG flagship Argama, she attempted to sink it but failed and was forced to withdraw. Subsequently, she was part of a joint operation with the Titans to pursue the Argama.

During these operations, she worked closely with Titans pilot Jerid Messa, despite initially being unimpressed with his arrogance and lack of practical combat experience. Although Jerid outranked her as a member of the Titans, Lila recognised his inexperience and took it upon herself to mentor him in space combat tactics. She was critical of Jamaican Daninghan’s decision to assign Jerid as mission commander, given that she was more skilled and experienced.

Mont Blanc engagement

During the pursuit of the AEUG, Lila and Jerid attacked the AEUG ship Mont Blanc, dealing heavy damage. Lila managed to invade the damaged command centre for intelligence gathering but discovered that the ship’s captain had set it to self-destruct. Her mission was interrupted by the arrival of Kamille Bidan, who had stolen one of the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II units. Despite having the opportunity to kill Kamille, Lila chose not to, having distaste for harming children, and escaped whilst ordering Jerid to withdraw.

Colony 30 incident

Lila later followed Kamille and his companions into the 30 Bunch Colony on Side 1, suspecting that there might be an AEUG base there. She took Kamille hostage, but when she heard Quattro Bajeena reveal that the Titans had used poison gas to massacre the colony’s inhabitants, she became upset and let Kamille escape before leaving. This incident marked a turning point in her attitude towards the Titans’ methods.

Final battle

Shortly after the Colony 30 incident, Lila engaged the Gundam Mk-II piloted by Kamille. Like Emma Sheen, she was angered by the atrocities committed by the Titans and was likely to defect, leading Kamille to try to persuade her to join the AEUG. However, she refused his overtures.

During the battle, Lila experienced an indescribable connection with Kamille, who contacted her telepathically asking why she had not killed him earlier. Refusing to answer and declaring the AEUG as fugitives, she continued fighting whilst ordering Jerid to attack the Argama’s engines. However, she found herself unable to bring herself to fire on the Argama’s bridge. Kamille managed to shoot off her Galbaldy β’s arm, and whilst she was distracted and wondering about the relationship between an Oldtype and a Newtype, Kamille fired a second shot that tore through her mobile suit’s torso, killing her.

In her final moments, Lila realised that she was an Oldtype facing Kamille, a true Newtype, and that she had unconsciously harboured prejudice against Newtypes. Before her death, she sent an unread message to Jerid, apologising for breaking their promise to have drinks together after the battle and warning him not to repeat her mistakes.

Legacy

Lila’s death devastated Jerid Messa, who had grown to respect and care for her. Her death further fuelled his determination to defeat Kamille. Having shot down Lila, Kamille was praised as “the second coming of Amuro Ray”. In the final battle of the Gryps Conflict, Lila’s spirit appeared momentarily to guide Kamille as he confronted Paptimus Scirocco.

Personality and traits

Lila was known for her tough and aggressive personality, though she was also described as having a belligerent nature that even concerned Captain Chang Ya of the Bosnia, who worried about her tendency to engage in unnecessary combat. Despite this, she was highly professional and took her duties seriously.

She demonstrated strong leadership qualities and was willing to mentor younger pilots like Jerid Messa, despite initially mocking his failures. She showed a protective instinct towards children, refusing to kill Kamille Bidan when she had the opportunity. Lila also possessed a strong moral compass, becoming disturbed when she learned of the Titans’ use of poison gas against civilians.

As a One Year War veteran, she harboured unconscious prejudices against Newtypes, which she only recognised in her final moments. Despite working closely with the Titans, she maintained her loyalty to the regular Earth Federation Forces and never officially joined the Titans organisation.

Skills and abilities

Lila was recognised as an ace pilot of the regular Earth Federation Forces and was considered one of the most skilled mobile suit pilots of her era. Her experience as a survivor of the One Year War made her particularly effective in space combat situations.

As a mobile suit squadron leader, she demonstrated excellent tactical knowledge and leadership skills. She was capable of quickly assessing combat situations and providing effective guidance to less experienced pilots. Her mentorship of Jerid Messa proved crucial in improving his combat effectiveness.

Mobile suits

RMS-117 Galbaldy β

Lila’s primary mobile suit was the RMS-117 Galbaldy β, which she piloted from the Bosnia. This mobile suit was well-suited to her aggressive combat style and proved effective in her engagements against AEUG forces. She used the Galbaldy β’s beam sabers and beam rifle with considerable skill, though she was ultimately outmatched by Kamille Bidan’s Newtype abilities whilst piloting the Gundam Mk-II.

RGM-79SP GM Sniper II

Lila also had experience piloting the RGM-79SP GM Sniper II, a high-performance mobile suit designed for long-range engagements. This assignment reflected her skill level and the trust placed in her by Federation command.

Relationships

Jerid Messa

Initially, Lila was dismissive of Jerid Messa, calling him a “joke” and being unimpressed with his attitude towards Spacenoids despite his defeat at their hands. However, she recognised his potential and took him under her wing, teaching him essential space combat skills and helping him adapt to fighting in zero gravity.

Their relationship evolved from mutual antagonism to respect and friendship. Lila defended Jerid when Jamaican Daninghan blamed him for mission failures, and they reconciled, even promising to share drinks together after their battles. Jerid’s feelings for Lila appeared to go beyond professional respect, and her death had a profound impact on him.

Kamille Bidan

Lila’s relationship with Kamille Bidan was complex. Despite having opportunities to kill him, she chose not to, citing her distaste for harming children. During their final battle, she experienced a telepathic connection with Kamille that confused and disturbed her. Kamille attempted to persuade her to join the AEUG, recognising that she was troubled by the Titans’ atrocities, but she refused to abandon her duty to the Federation.

Behind the scenes

Lila Milla Rira was designed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko for Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Her character served as a representation of the regular Earth Federation Forces personnel who were caught between their duty to the Federation and their moral objections to the Titans’ methods.

An interesting production note is that whilst Lila is consistently addressed as “lieutenant” in the series, she wears the insignia of a lieutenant commander. This discrepancy is believed to be due to an error in script translation or by the illustration team, as the rank of lieutenant commander would be more appropriate for a senior veteran pilot and mobile suit squadron commander.

Writer Gen Urobuchi has stated that despite being a relatively minor character compared to other deaths in Zeta Gundam, Lila’s death significantly influenced his nihilistic writing style. He was particularly affected by what he saw as the casual manner in which Yoshiyuki Tomino allowed such a compelling character to die.

Voice actors

• Japanese: Kimie Sawaki (TV series), Mayumi Asano (compilation films)
• English: Mariette Sluyter

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
• Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Deleted Affair – Portrait of Young Comet
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam
• Super Robot Wars Z
• Mobile Suit Gundam UC Engage
• SD Gundam G Generation series