Nina Purpleton

Nina Purpleton (ニナ・パープルトン, Nina Pāpuruton) was the chief engineer of the GP (Gundam Project) series mobile suits developed by Anaheim Electronics for the Earth Federation in Universal Century 0083. Her technical expertise proved crucial during Operation Stardust, though her past romantic relationship with Anavel Gato created profound personal and professional conflicts when she worked with pilot Kou Uraki against her former lover.

Biography

Early Career and GP Series Development

Nina graduated with advanced degrees in mechanical engineering and joined Anaheim Electronics, the Universal Century’s dominant mobile suit manufacturer. Her exceptional technical abilities led to her assignment as chief engineer for the GP series – four prototype Gundams designed to test advanced technologies:

RX-78GP01 “Zephyranthes” – Multi-environment combat
RX-78GP02A “Physalis” – Nuclear strike capability
RX-78GP03 “Dendrobium” – Mobile armour system
RX-78GP04 “Gerbera” – High-mobility type

Her role involved not just design but field testing, pilot training, and real-time technical support – Nina understood her machines’ capabilities better than anyone.

Relationship with Anavel Gato

Before the One Year War, Nina had been romantically involved with Anavel Gato when both worked in mobile suit development. Their relationship was genuine, but the war separated them when Gato joined Zeon’s military.

Following the war’s conclusion, Nina believed Gato dead or permanently out of her life. She focused on her career, eventually leading the GP series project. The past relationship appeared to be just that – past.

October UC 0083: Operation Stardust

When Gato infiltrated Torrington Base and stole the GP02A Physalis on 13 October UC 0083, Nina was devastated on multiple levels:

Professional: Her creation was stolen for use against the Federation
Personal: The thief was her former lover, whom she had believed lost
Ethical: Gato intended to use the GP02A’s nuclear weapon against Federation forces

The theft launched Nina into Operation Stardust’s chaos, aboard the carrier Albion supporting Kou Uraki as he piloted the GP01 in pursuit.

Working with Kou Uraki

Nina’s relationship with Kou began professionally – engineer supporting test pilot – but evolved into genuine romantic feelings. Working together under combat pressure, Nina appreciated Kou’s determination and growth from inexperienced pilot to capable warrior.

However, their developing relationship was complicated by:

Nina’s unresolved feelings about Gato
Kou’s increasing knowledge of Nina’s past
The moral impossibility of Nina’s position (caring for men on opposite sides)
Professional requirements to support Kou whilst emotionally conflicted

Nina provided Kou with technical support that gradually closed the skill gap with Gato. Her engineering expertise, combined with Kou’s improving piloting, transformed the GP01 into increasingly effective combat machine.

Torn Loyalties

Nina’s central tragedy was being torn between incompatible loyalties:

Professional Duty: Support Federation against theft of her creation
Current Romance: Kou represented new relationship and future
Past Love: Gato had been genuinely important to her before war divided them
Moral Opposition: She opposed nuclear weapons and colony drops regardless of who deployed them

This conflict reached crisis during critical moments when Nina had to choose between supporting Kou’s military objectives and preventing Gato’s death. Her hesitation and divided loyalties frustrated both men and nearly compromised Federation operations.

Controversial Intervention

In one of 0083’s most controversial moments, Nina physically interfered to prevent Kou from shooting Gato during a crucial engagement. This action:

Saved Gato’s life temporarily
Endangered Federation forces
Betrayed Kou’s trust
Demonstrated Nina couldn’t choose between past and present

The intervention damaged her relationship with Kou and raised questions about her loyalty to the Federation. Nina’s defenders argue she couldn’t watch two men she cared for kill each other; critics note she prioritized personal feelings over military necessity during wartime.

Operation’s Conclusion

By Operation Stardust’s conclusion, Nina had lost both men – Gato died achieving his mission, whilst her relationship with Kou was irreparably damaged by her divided loyalties. The GP series was classified and erased from official records, meaning her engineering achievements became forgotten footnotes.

Nina’s fate after the operation remains unclear, though she likely continued working for Anaheim Electronics on classified projects.

Personality

Nina was characterized by:

Technical Brilliance: Exceptional engineer with comprehensive understanding of complex systems
Emotional Complexity: Capable of genuine love for two men with conflicting ideologies
Professional Dedication: Took pride in her work regardless of personal complications
Moral Uncertainty: Struggled with ethical implications of military technology
Tragic Indecisiveness: Inability to fully commit to either past or present

Her inability to choose between Gato and Kou reflected broader impossibility of reconciling personal feelings with wartime realities.

Significance

Nina Purpleton’s character explored themes uncommon in Gundam narratives:

Romantic Triangle: Unlike typical love triangles, all three parties (Nina, Kou, Gato) were sympathetic characters with valid perspectives
Engineer Perspective: Showed technical creators dealing with consequences of their work’s military use
Divided Loyalties: Explored how personal relationships transcend political/military divisions
Moral Ambiguity: No clear “right” choice between love and duty

Her controversial intervention remains debated among Gundam fans – was it realistic portrayal of someone unable to watch people she loved kill each other, or betrayal of professional responsibility during military crisis?

Criticism and Defense

Nina’s character generates strong reactions:

Critics argue:

Her intervention endangered Federation forces
She betrayed Kou’s trust at crucial moment
Personal feelings shouldn’t override military necessity
Her indecision was frustrating to watch

Defenders argue:

She was civilian engineer, not soldier bound by military discipline
Watching two loved ones kill each other is impossible choice
Her emotional complexity was realistic, not weak
The criticism reflects discomfort with women having agency over military male narratives

Behind the Scenes

Nina Purpleton was created for Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory as more complex female character than typical Gundam heroines. Character designer Kawamori Shōji designed Nina to appear as professional engineer rather than combat participant or damsel in distress.

Her controversial intervention was deliberately written to create moral ambiguity – the creative team wanted audiences to debate whether Nina made right choice, reflecting real-world complications of love during wartime.

The decision to give Nina teal/green hair made her visually distinctive whilst suggesting her “between” status – neither fully aligned with Federation (blue) nor Zeon (red/pink) in colour symbolism.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

External links

Nina Purpleton on the Gundam Wiki