Marina Ismail

Marina Ismail (マリナ・イスマイール, Marina Isumairu) is the princess of Azadistan in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and a prominent pacifist political leader. Her pacifist ideals and advocacy for peaceful solutions to conflicts contrast with Celestial Being’s methods of armed intervention, making her an important voice in the series’ exploration of the ethics of using violence to achieve peace. Marina’s relationship with Setsuna F. Seiei challenges his worldview and contributes to his character development.

Biography

Early life and leadership

Marina Ismail was born in AD 2286 as a member of the Azadistan royal family. She became the princess of Azadistan, a Middle Eastern nation that faces numerous challenges including poverty, political instability, and conflicts with other nations. Despite her privileged position, Marina developed strong pacifist convictions, believing that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and understanding rather than violence.

As princess of Azadistan, Marina worked to improve the lives of her people and advocate for peace, both within her nation and internationally. Her pacifist ideals often put her at odds with more militant factions within Azadistan and with the world’s major power blocs, who preferred military solutions to conflicts.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00

During the first season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Marina encounters Celestial Being’s armed intervention operations, witnessing the destruction and suffering caused by the organisation’s methods. She becomes critical of Celestial Being’s approach, arguing that violence cannot eliminate violence and that true peace must come through understanding and dialogue.

Marina’s relationship with Setsuna F. Seiei begins when they meet during one of Celestial Being’s interventions in Azadistan. Their interactions challenge Setsuna’s worldview, as Marina’s pacifist ideals contrast sharply with Celestial Being’s methods of armed intervention. Marina questions Setsuna about the ethics of using violence to achieve peace, forcing him to confront the contradictions in Celestial Being’s mission.

Despite her criticism of Celestial Being’s methods, Marina recognises the organisation’s goal of eliminating warfare, even if she disagrees with its approach. Her perspective provides an important counterpoint to Celestial Being’s philosophy, contributing to the series’ exploration of the ethics of armed intervention.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season

In the second season, set four years after the events of the first season, Marina continues to serve as princess of Azadistan and advocate for peace. Her relationship with Setsuna deepens as they continue to interact, and she continues to influence his understanding of peace and conflict resolution.

Marina’s pacifist ideals remain central to her character, and she continues to work towards peaceful solutions to conflicts even as the world faces new threats and challenges. Her leadership and advocacy play important roles in addressing the crises that emerge in the second season.

Personality & traits

Marina is characterised by her strong pacifist convictions and her commitment to peaceful solutions to conflicts. She is compassionate and empathetic, deeply concerned about the suffering caused by warfare and dedicated to finding alternatives to violence. Her leadership is guided by her belief that understanding and dialogue can overcome hatred and conflict.

Marina’s pacifist ideals often put her in difficult positions, as she must navigate the tensions between her beliefs and the practical realities of political leadership. However, she remains steadfast in her convictions, continuing to advocate for peace even when faced with opposition or criticism.

Relationships

Setsuna F. Seiei

Marina’s relationship with Setsuna is central to both characters’ development. Marina’s pacifist ideals challenge Setsuna’s worldview and force him to question the ethics of Celestial Being’s methods. Their interactions create a dialogue about the nature of peace and the means by which it can be achieved, with Marina representing a pacifist perspective that contrasts with Celestial Being’s armed intervention approach.

Marina’s influence on Setsuna helps him to develop a more nuanced understanding of peace and conflict, contributing to his character growth throughout the series. Their relationship demonstrates the possibility of finding common ground between different approaches to achieving peace.

Philosophy

Marina’s philosophy is based on pacifist principles, believing that violence cannot eliminate violence and that true peace must come through understanding, dialogue, and mutual respect. She advocates for peaceful solutions to conflicts, even when faced with situations that seem to require military intervention.

Marina’s perspective provides an important counterpoint to Celestial Being’s philosophy, contributing to the series’ exploration of the ethics of using violence to achieve peace. Her character demonstrates the complexity of addressing conflicts and the challenges of maintaining pacifist ideals in a world filled with violence and warfare.

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Gundam 00
• Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season
• Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer

External links

• Marina Ismail on the Gundam Wiki
• Marina Ismail on Wikipedia