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Tem Ray

Chief engineer of the Earth Federation's Project V and father of Amuro Ray.
Jenxi Seow Published 13 Jun 2025 Updated 13 Jun 2025
Tem Ray

Tem Ray was the chief engineer of the Earth Federation’s Project V and the father of mobile suit pilot Amuro Ray. A brilliant engineer and former student of Torenov Y. Minovsky, he was instrumental in developing the Federation’s first prototype mobile suits, most notably the RX-78-2 Gundam.

Biography

Early life and career

Tem Ray was born on Earth, where he lived with his wife Kamaria and their son Amuro. He was a student and disciple of the renowned physicist Dr. Torenov Y. Minovsky, the discoverer of Minovsky particles. Through this mentorship, Tem gained deep knowledge of Minovsky physics and its potential applications in mobile weapon development.

Before the outbreak of the One Year War, Tem worked for Anaheim Electronics as an engineer. When Dr. Minovsky attempted to defect from the Principality of Zeon and was killed by Zeon forces on the lunar surface, Tem witnessed the event. This traumatic experience motivated him to work earnestly against the Zeon forces, viewing his subsequent work as a form of atonement for his mentor’s death.

Project V development

Sometime before the One Year War, Tem was recruited by the Earth Federation to conduct weapons research under the guise of colony construction. Admiral Gopp selected him as chief engineer for a new mobile weapon development project based on his expertise in Minovsky physics and his connection to Dr. Minovsky’s work.

Initially planning to move his entire family to Side 7, Tem was disappointed when Kamaria declined to accompany them, choosing to remain on Earth. Consequently, only Tem and Amuro relocated to the space colony, where Tem would oversee the development of the Federation’s first mobile suits.

Working secretly at a facility in Side 7, Tem’s official role was that of an engineer working on the colony’s construction rather than a military employee. Even his son Amuro was unaware of his father’s true work developing weapons. Tem was convinced that his new mobile weapons would have performance rivaling or even surpassing the mobile suits developed by Zeon.

As chief engineer of Project V, Tem oversaw the design, construction, and testing of the Federation’s first prototype mobile suits: the RX-75-4 Guntank, RX-77-2 Guncannon, and most importantly, the RX-78-2 Gundam. His work incorporated revolutionary technologies including beam weaponry and a learning computer system that could adapt to the pilot’s abilities.

The Side 7 incident

On 18 September UC 0079, Zeon forces discovered the secret mobile suit development at Side 7 and launched an attack to destroy the prototypes before they could be deployed. During the ensuing battle, when Amuro piloted the Gundam to defend the colony, an explosion caused by the destruction of a Zaku’s reactor blew a massive hole in the colony’s hull.

Tem, unequipped for extended exposure to space, was sucked out into the vacuum during the chaos. The explosion and subsequent decompression appeared to claim his life, leaving Amuro to believe his father had perished in the attack.

Survival and deterioration

Contrary to initial appearances, Tem survived the accident and was taken to the neutral colony of Side 6, where he took up residence in a junkyard. However, the extended period of oxygen deprivation he suffered during his time in space resulted in severe brain damage, leaving him mentally unstable and prone to mood swings and delusions.

When Amuro discovered his father alive on Side 6, Tem’s condition had deteriorated significantly. Though he recognised his son and congratulated him on his achievements as the Gundam’s pilot, Tem’s mental state was clearly compromised. He presented Amuro with a piece of circuitry that he claimed would drastically improve the Gundam’s performance. However, Amuro recognised it as nothing more than useless junk, a painful realisation of how far his father’s brilliant mind had fallen.

Personality and traits

Before his accident, Tem was a brilliant and dedicated engineer driven by scientific curiosity and a desire to protect humanity from Zeon’s aggression. He possessed exceptional technical knowledge, particularly in the application of Minovsky physics to mobile weapon development. His commitment to his work was so intense that it sometimes came at the expense of his family relationships, as evidenced by his frequent absences and his wife’s decision not to accompany him to Side 7.

Following his brain damage, Tem became delusional and unable to distinguish between functional technology and worthless scrap. Despite his deteriorated mental state, he retained his love for his son and pride in the Gundam’s achievements, though he was unaware that his supposed “improvements” were actually detrimental.

Skills and abilities

Tem was a brilliant engineer with deep knowledge of Minovsky physics and mobile suit technology. His expertise in compact fusion reactors, beam weaponry, and mobile suit design made him invaluable to the Federation’s mobile weapon development programme. He possessed the rare ability to translate theoretical physics into practical military applications, as demonstrated by his successful implementation of Dr. Minovsky’s theories in the development of the Gundam.

His technical innovations included the development of the first portable beam rifle, the learning computer system that allowed mobile suits to adapt to their pilots, and the overall design philosophy that would influence Federation mobile suit development for years to come.

Relationships

Family

Tem’s relationship with his family was complicated by his dedication to his work. His marriage to Kamaria Ray suffered from his frequent absences and his decision to relocate to Side 7 for his research. The separation ultimately became permanent when Kamaria chose to remain on Earth rather than join her husband and son in space.

His relationship with his son Amuro was similarly affected by his work commitments. Though he clearly loved Amuro and kept his photograph with him, Tem’s focus on Project V often left little time for his son. Their final meeting on Side 6 was particularly tragic, as Amuro was forced to confront the reality of his father’s mental deterioration.

Professional relationships

As a student of Dr. Minovsky, Tem was deeply influenced by his mentor’s work and felt a profound responsibility to continue his research after the doctor’s death. His collaboration with Admiral Gopp and the Federation military leadership placed him at the centre of the Federation’s mobile weapon development efforts.

Working with Anaheim Electronics, Tem had access to the resources and facilities necessary to realise his ambitious mobile suit designs. His position as chief engineer of Project V gave him authority over a team of engineers and technicians working to create the Federation’s first mobile suits.

Legacy

Tem Ray’s work on Project V revolutionised mobile warfare and provided the Earth Federation with the technological foundation needed to compete with Zeon’s mobile suits. The RX-78-2 Gundam he designed became legendary, piloted by his own son to numerous victories throughout the One Year War.

The technologies he developed, including beam weaponry and learning computer systems, became standard features in subsequent Federation mobile suits. The data collected by the Gundam’s learning computer was later incorporated into the RGM-79 GM, the Federation’s first mass-production mobile suit.

Despite his tragic fate, Tem’s innovations continued to influence mobile suit development well beyond the One Year War, establishing design principles and technologies that would remain relevant for decades in the Universal Century.

Behind the scenes

Tem Ray was designed by Okawara Kunio for the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. According to production notes, both his appearance and storyline bear similarities to Kentaro Goh, the father of the main character in Voltes V, as director Tomino Yoshiyuki had worked on that series as producer before creating Mobile Suit Gundam.

The character served multiple narrative functions: establishing the scientific background for the Gundam’s advanced technology, providing emotional stakes for Amuro’s involvement in the war, and illustrating the human cost of conflict through his tragic fate.

Voice actors

Tem Ray has been voiced by several actors across different Gundam media:

Japanese:

  • Motomu Kiyokawa – Mobile Suit Gundam (TV series and films)
  • Koichi Sakaguchi – Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island
  • Kosuke Echigoya – Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX

English:

  • Steve Kramer – Mobile Suit Gundam compilation films
  • Trevor Devall and Michael Kopsa – Mobile Suit Gundam TV series
  • Joe Ochman – Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
  • Scott Williams – Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX

Video game appearances

Tem Ray has appeared in numerous Gundam video games, often in humorous contexts that reference his deteriorated mental state. In the Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series, he appears as a scientist who can provide upgrades to the player’s mobile suit, though his improvements only provide minimal stat increases compared to other characters.

In many strategy games like Super Robot Wars Alpha, the “Tem Ray’s Circuit” appears as an item that typically has negative effects on mobile suit performance, referencing the useless device he gave to Amuro on Side 6. However, in Super Robot Wars 30, the item was redesigned to provide actual benefits, with Amuro noting the irony of his father’s work eventually proving useful.

Appearances

See also