Paptimus Scirocco – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

Paptimus Scirocco was a powerful Newtype and technical officer who served in the Earth Federation’s Jupiter Energy Fleet before joining the Titans. Known as “The Man from Jupiter”, Scirocco was an intelligent and charismatic manipulator who used his abilities to gain control of the Titans during the Gryps Conflict and pursue his goal of world domination through a matriarchal government.

Biography

Jupiter Energy Fleet

Scirocco’s service with the Earth Federation began when he joined the Jupiter Energy Fleet, where he worked on collecting helium fuel from the outer planets. During his time stationed around Jupiter, he designed and built his first mobile suit, the PMX-000 Messala, a transforming mobile suit with powerful thrusters specifically designed to operate effectively in Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull. He commanded the fleet’s flagship, the Jupitris, and his exceptional piloting and leadership skills during this period earned him recognition by the Titans.

Gryps Conflict

Scirocco first appeared during the Gryps Conflict whilst pursuing Bright Noa and several civilians in his Messala. Although he withdrew when Kamille Bidan and Char Aznable intervened, he demonstrated piloting skills virtually on par with Char’s abilities. He later attempted to destroy the AEUG’s main force as they prepared to attack Jaburo, destroying one of their ships with a single blow from his mobile suit before withdrawing to avoid being pulled into Earth’s gravity.

Jamitov Hymen later revealed that Scirocco had signed a contract pledging his loyalty to the Titans with his own blood. His rapid ascension through the ranks earned him the resentment of several other Titan officers, including Bask Om, Jerid Messa, and Jamaican Daninghan. Despite Jamitov’s reservations about Scirocco’s true loyalty, he continued to employ him as an officer. However, whilst clashing with the Titans leadership, Scirocco earned the devotion of others, including Sarah Zabiarov, Yazan Gable, and AEUG defector Reccoa Londe.

Throughout the war, Scirocco executed various underhanded plots to help him assume control over the Titans and eventually the Earth Sphere. When Jamaican attempted to drop a colony on the lunar city Granada, Scirocco sent Sarah to the Argama to alert the AEUG, allowing them to thwart Jamaican’s plan. He allowed Reccoa to leave the Jupitris after sensing she was a spy, an act that continued to trouble Reccoa until she finally defected from the AEUG and joined him. He also forged a brief alliance with Axis Zeon, though Haman Karn later disabled Gryps II and sent Axis flying into the Titans’ stronghold at the Gate of Zedan.

Rise to Power

Scirocco eventually executed a coup d’état during negotiations aboard the Axis Zeon flagship Gwadan involving Char, Haman, and Jamitov. Sarah Zabiarov, piloting another of Scirocco’s designed mobile suits, the PMX-002 Bolinoak Sammahn, provided support by firing into the ship where they were meeting. With the others distracted, Scirocco assassinated Jamitov and blamed Haman for the killing.

During a subsequent battle with Haman alongside Reccoa and Sarah, Katz Kobayashi attempted to kill Scirocco in the hope of freeing Sarah from his influence. However, Sarah intercepted the attack meant for Scirocco and died protecting him. Although Scirocco primarily viewed Sarah as a means to an end, he abandoned his psychic battle with Haman to target Katz in revenge for Sarah’s death.

Scirocco later sent Reccoa on a mission to destroy the Dogosse Giar, which by this time was commanded by Bask Om. By eliminating Bask, Scirocco finally assumed complete control over the Titans, bringing him significantly closer to his goal of world domination.

Battle of Gryps

In his final appearance during the Battle of Gryps, Scirocco fought a four-way battle with Kamille, Char, and Haman over control of Gryps II. The conflict ultimately focused on his confrontation with Kamille whilst the laser remained under AEUG control. With the loss of Gryps II and the Titans fleet, Scirocco attempted to escape the battle with the Jupitris but was intercepted by Kamille.

Towards the end of their fight, Kamille called upon the spirits of several fallen comrades, both AEUG and Titan alike, to lend him strength in defeating Scirocco. The power exhibited by Kamille’s MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam caused Scirocco’s PMX-003 The-O to stall. Kamille transformed the Zeta into its Waverider form and rammed it into The-O, impaling Scirocco.

In the television version, Scirocco used his last ounce of strength to deliver a crippling psychic blow that left Kamille’s mind shattered. However, in the movie version, this sequence was removed and Scirocco died without his final revenge.

Personality and traits

Paptimus Scirocco was an intelligent and charismatic individual capable of gathering followers through persuasion and manipulation. He possessed an arrogant personality, believing himself superior to others as someone destined to bring about great change in human history through rule by a select few. His vision involved establishing a matriarchal government where humanity would be ruled by women, though this ideology appeared to be largely a smokescreen for his personal ambitions.

Scirocco could be utterly ruthless when necessary, as demonstrated when he killed Jamitov to usurp leadership of the Titans. He showed particular skill at manipulating women, often using his charisma and Newtype abilities to influence them emotionally and psychologically. His followers, especially Sarah Zabiarov and Reccoa Londe, were drawn to his ideology and personal magnetism, though he typically viewed them as tools to achieve his goals rather than as genuine companions.

Despite his manipulative nature, Scirocco did show moments of genuine emotion, particularly when Sarah died protecting him. He temporarily abandoned his strategic thinking to pursue revenge against her killer, suggesting that even he was not entirely immune to forming attachments to his followers.

Skills and abilities

Newtype Abilities

Scirocco was an exceptionally powerful Newtype with abilities strong enough to rival other formidable Newtypes such as Kamille Bidan and Haman Karn. Unlike typical Newtypes who used their empathic connections to understand and bond with others, Scirocco perverted these abilities to better manipulate people, showing no sign of seeing those he connected with as anything more than useful tools.

His Newtype powers were so strong that even non-Newtypes could often sense his malevolent presence. His psychic abilities allowed him to influence others emotionally, particularly women, and he used these powers throughout his manipulation of both Sarah Zabiarov and Reccoa Londe.

Mobile Suit Design

Scirocco was a gifted mobile suit designer who created several advanced units during his career. His designs were influenced by his experience operating near Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull, resulting in mobile suits with powerful thrusters and robust construction. His creations included:

PMX-000 Messala - His first mobile suit, designed for Jupiter operations
PMX-001 Palace Athene - Designed for Reccoa Londe
PMX-002 Bolinoak Sammahn - Created for Sarah Zabiarov
PMX-003 The-O - His personal mobile suit with four beam sabers
PMX-004 Titania - An unfinished design intended for his chosen female ruler

He also assisted in the development of other mobile suits including the RX-110 Gabthley and RX-139 Hambrabi.

Strategic Genius

Both a skilled pilot and strategist, Scirocco was considered a sinister genius by both the AEUG and the Titans. He demonstrated exceptional skill in political manipulation, engineering complex plots to eliminate rivals and consolidate power within the Titans hierarchy. His ability to maintain multiple alliances whilst pursuing his own agenda showed remarkable strategic thinking and long-term planning.

Relationships

Sarah Zabiarov

Sarah Zabiarov was a former cadet at the Titans’ private Newtype laboratory whose talents caught Scirocco’s attention. He recruited her to serve in combat against the AEUG, and she became one of his most devoted followers. Despite retaining a good heart and conscience that caused her to empathise with the AEUG, her devotion to Scirocco turned to obsession.

Sarah saw herself as Scirocco’s primary follower and became jealous when Reccoa Londe joined his circle, viewing her as a competitor for Scirocco’s affections. Ultimately, Sarah’s loyalty proved absolute when she sacrificed herself to protect Scirocco from Katz Kobayashi’s attack, dying in the process.

Reccoa Londe

Reccoa Londe was initially an AEUG intelligence operative who served aboard the Argama. Feeling neglected by Quattro Bajeena and struggling with her identity as both a woman and a soldier, she became susceptible to Scirocco’s manipulation. He exploited her insecurities and convinced her to defect from the AEUG to the Titans.

Under Scirocco’s influence, Reccoa abandoned her morals and participated in atrocities including gassing an entire colony. Despite committing such acts, she retained some care for her former comrades, showing shock at the deaths of Apolly Bay, Katz Kobayashi, and Henken Bekkener. Eventually, Reccoa became bitter and angry, believing that all men only used women to fulfil their own ambitions.

Other Relationships

Scirocco maintained a complex relationship with Yazan Gable, who became one of his supporters within the Titans. He was antagonistic towards Kamille Bidan, whom he saw as his primary rival, and maintained a competitive relationship with Haman Karn during their brief alliance with Axis Zeon.

Mecha

PMX-000 Messala

The PMX-000 Messala was Scirocco’s first mobile suit design, created whilst he served with the Jupiter Energy Fleet. This transformable mobile armor featured powerful thrusters designed to operate effectively in Jupiter’s strong gravitational environment, making it exceptionally fast and agile when used under Earth’s atmosphere. Scirocco piloted this unit during his early appearances in the Gryps Conflict before transitioning to his later designs.

PMX-003 The-O

The PMX-003 The-O was Scirocco’s personal mobile suit and his final creation. This heavily-armoured unit featured four arms, each equipped with a beam saber, allowing for devastating close-combat capabilities. The-O’s thick armour could withstand direct beam attacks that would destroy most other mobile suits, including shots from the AMX-004 Qubeley’s funnels. Scirocco piloted The-O during the final phases of the Gryps Conflict until his death at the hands of Kamille Bidan.

Behind the scenes

Paptimus Scirocco was voiced by Shimada Bin in the Japanese version and Jonathan Love in the English dub. Shimada Bin, born on 20 November 1954 in Niigata, is known for several notable voice roles including Yuda in Fist of the North Star and Broly in Dragon Ball Z films.

The name “Scirocco” is an alternate spelling of sirocco, a Mediterranean wind that originates from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe. Scirocco was not the first character to be called “The Man from Jupiter” - he was preceded by Principality of Zeon’s Captain Challia Bull, who also commanded the Jupiter Energy Fleet in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series.

Scirocco holds several unique distinctions within the Gundam franchise: he was the first villain to not wear a normal suit in his final battle, and he is the only Newtype antagonist to not use any form of wired or wireless weaponry in his mobile suit.

Legacy

Despite his death, Scirocco’s influence continued through fanatical followers within the Jupiter Fleet who called themselves “the Clan”. These followers wished to revive Scirocco through various means, including cloning. This resulted in the creation of the Mashiro Oaks series of vessels meant to house Scirocco’s consciousness through a system known as the Grimoire System.

Scirocco’s character archetype has inspired numerous future Gundam antagonists, including Tassilo Vago, Treize Khushrenada, Gilbert Durandal, and Ribbons Almark.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam - Episodes 10-50
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation trilogy
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series
Super Robot Wars series
SD Gundam G Generation series
Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs series

External links

Paptimus Scirocco on the Gundam Wiki
Paptimus Scirocco on Wikipedia