Gundam 00 Season 1 Ep. 19: Bonds

Nena asks Setsuna why he’s attacking allies, and he declares that their suits aren’t Gundams. Johann orders Michael to fight back and fires the Throne Eins‘ GN launcher, which destroys the Gundam Exia‘s shield. Michael deploys six of the Throne Zwei‘s GN fangs, but Setsuna destroys them with his beam sabers and daggers. Michael then fires out two more, but they’re destroyed by a blast from the Gundam Virtue‘s GN bazooka. On the Ptolemaios, Feldt reports to Sumeragi that both Setsuna and Tieria are fighting against the Thrones. Ian thinks that Gundams fighting themselves will only lead to mutual destruction, but Lasse and Lichtendahl think it’s ok because they don’t like the Trinitys’ methods. Allelujah wonders if the Trinitys’ actions are part of the plan, which causes Sumeragi to wonder if this event is also part of the plan. A message from Lockon comes in requesting orders, and Sumeragi replies that he should try to stop the battle and use his best judgment. Christina asks Allelujah if he’s going too, and he answers that though he’d like to, he’s going to stay behind to protect the ship. As Lockon prepares to launch, he complains that Setsuna is a troublemaker, but Haro points out that Lockon didn’t stop him. Hong Long asks Wang if it’s ok for Gundams to fight each other, but she says she doesn’t care as long as the world changes. Alejandro comments to Ribbons that the Gundam infighting occurred faster than he expected. He thinks to himself that there’s no turning back now that events have entered the third stage. Tieria deploys his GN field and takes the shots from the Thrones, while Setsuna jumps out and attacks with his GN sword. Tieria comments that he never expected to be fighting in formation with Setsuna, to which Setsuna agrees. Johann and Nena attempt to dock and use the GN mega launcher, but Tieria attacks with his beam saber and forces them to separate. Johann comments that Tieria can’t fight with that kind of maneuverability, so Tieria ejects the Virtue parts and reveals the Gundam Nadleeh. Tieria then activates the Trial system, which causes the Throne Eins and Throne Drei to lose power and crash on a nearby island. Johann doesn’t understand what’s going on, and Tieria explains that the Gundam Nadleeh’s true power is the Trial system, which allows him to control any mobile suit linked to Veda. Tieria declares that they aren’t fit to be Gundam Meisters and deserve to die. He rushes in with his beam saber, but the Trial system is suddenly overridden, allowing them to evade. Johann and Nena attempt to move in on Tieria, but the Gundam Dynames arrives and opens fire on them. Johann orders a retreat and is called a coward by Lockon. Johann addresses Lockon as Neil Dylandy and tells him he should be fighting someone next to him who was part of the KPSA guerilla group that killed his parents and sister. That person is Soran Ebrahim – aka Setsuna. During the confusion, the Trinitys escape.

The leaders of the superpowers weigh their options, and they’re all secretly contacted by a member of Celestial Being. In Spain, Saji fills a vase with water and brings flowers to Louise. Louise tells Saji to return to Japan because he can’t keep skipping school. She reminds him that his dream is to work in space and that he can’t waste it by being with her. She wants him to fulfill her dream, which is for him to succeed at what he wants to do. Saji leaves the hospital and recalls the first time he met Louise at school, when she told him not to sleep in the cafeteria. After Saji is gone, Louise cries by herself. Kinue meets with her assistant, who reports that Lagna Harvey, a train magnate, has the money to build and transport mobile suits. He thinks they should stop the investigation because Lagna is JNN’s biggest shareholder, but Kinue refuses and decides to keep investigating in secret. On the deserted island, Lockon asks Setsuna if he was in the KPSA, and Setsuna answers that he was. Lockon explains that his parents and sister were killed in a KPSA suicide bombing that resulted from the conversion to solar energy, which ruined the economies of the Middle Eastern nations. Lockon says those people began a pointless holy war that lasted for 20 years. Tieria asks Lockon if that’s the reason he became a Gundam Meister, and Lockon answers that he knows what he’s doing is a contradiction and no different from terrorism. However, he feels that he has to fight to change the world and prevent those tragedies from repeating themselves. Lockon pulls a gun on Setsuna and says he wants to shoot him to avenge his family and put his hatred to rest. He fires a shot that grazes Setsuna’s hair, but Setsuna has no reaction. Setsuna says he was forced to believe in God, and when Lockon asks if that’s supposed to divert the blame, Setsuna answers that there is no God. He says he was forced to believe in God by the KPSA’s leader, Ali. He explains that Ali was working for the PMC in Moralia, and Tieria realizes that’s the reason why Setsuna exited his cockpit during the battle. Setsuna says he wanted to confirm that it was Ali and see where his God was. Lockon asks Setsuna what he plans to do with the Gundam Exia, and Setsuna answers that he’ll eradicate war. Lockon counters that Setsuna can’t do that if he shoots him, but Setsuna answers that he doesn’t care, as long as Lockon carries on the task. He declares that he’ll fight as long as he lives, not as Soran Ebrahim, but as Setsuna F. Seiei. Setsuna says that he’s a Gundam, and when Lockon says he’s a Gundam maniac, Setsuna takes that as praise. Lockon puts down the gun and laughs, and Tieria says to himself that this is what it must be like to be human. In Africa, Johann tells his siblings that they may fight the Gundams again. In Antarctica, representatives from the three militaries ride an elevator down into a chamber filled with 30 GN Tau drives.