Andrew Waltfeld
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Andrew Waltfeld | |
|---|---|
| Image:Andrew Waltfeld 004.jpg Andrew Waltfeld in Gundam SEED Destiny | |
| Genetic type: | Coordinator |
| Alias: | Desert Tiger |
| DOB: | July 20, CE 41 |
| Age: | 30 [GS] 32 [GSD] |
| Nationality: | PLANT [GS] United Emirates of Orb [GSD] |
| Allegiance: |  ZAFT [GS]Three Ship Alliance [GS] United Emirates of Orb [GSD] Terminal [GSD] |
| Rank/Position: | Commander (ZAFT) [GS] Captain (Orb) [GSD] Captain of the Eternal [GS/GSD] |
| Love Interests: | Aisha (deceased) |
| Height: | 188cm (6'3)[GS] 181 cm (6'0) [GSD][citation needed] |
| Weight: | 92kg(202.4lbs) 74 kg(163lbs) [GSD][citation needed] |
| Blood type: | B |
| Ethnic Origin: | Israeli [citation needed] |
| Mobile Suit: | TMF/A-802 BuCUE [GS] TMF/A-803 LaGOWE [GS] MVF-M11C Murasame [GSD] ZGMF-X88S Gaia [GSD] |
Andrew "Andy" Waltfeld (transliterated as Andoryuu Barutoferudo [アンドリュー・バルトフェルド] in the original Japanese version) is one of ZAFT's best commanders and pilots. He's voiced by Ryotaro Okiayu in the original Japanese version and Brian Drummond in the English dub). Nicknamed "Desert Tiger" (砂漠の虎 Sabaku no Tora), (a clear homage to Erwin Rommel, the "Desert Fox"[citation needed]) Waltfeld is commander of the ZAFT forces in the PLANT-pledged African Community, headquartered at Banadiya, and is assisted by his executive officer Martin DaCosta. Andy earned his nickname for his skill at desert combat, as demonstrated on May 30, CE 70, when he defeated a huge Eurasian Federation tank corps at El Alamein, using the new TMF/A-802 BuCUE and older TFA-2 ZuOOT mobile suits.
His passions are archeology (especially Egyptology), paleontology, and coffee. Andy seems to have an obsession with coffee and experiments with different blends and flavors often times making odd combinations for himself such as adding kona to one of his blends.
He lives with his lover Aisha, who also assists him in his military operations and eventually serves as the co-pilot of his TMF/A-803 LaGOWE. Not much is known about Aisha, and her last name is never mentioned, but Andy clearly cares for Aisha very much; in both series he keeps a picture of her close by. His flagship is the land battleship Lesseps, which is escorted by the land cruisers Petrie and Henry Carter.
Unlike other ZAFT and Earth Alliance officers, he is surprisingly human and well aware of the repercussions of war. In his initial appearances in Gundam Seed, he has his troops warn the city acting as a homebase for resistance group Desert Dawn of an impending attack so that they can evacuate before their city destroyed. His actions are easily misinterperted and he is a scapegoat; the people believe that he was cruel to let them live while struggling to survive on very few supplies while Waltfeld had the intention that if they lived, at least they would have a chance of surviving rather than suffering death and loss of loved ones. He is suspicious of ZAFT High Commander Rau Le Creuset and hints at those feelings to Dearka Elsman and Yzak Joule, who were members of the infamous Le Creuset Team, when he first meets them.
[edit] Gundam Seed
While the Archangel is traveling through the desert, Andy leads his forces to attack the ship. He quickly discerns that the pilot of the Strike Gundam is a Coordinator, and a highly skilled one considering the pilot was able to adapt to the gravity of earth as well as the conditions of the environment quickly.
He later meets Kira Yamato, the pilot of the Strike, and Cagalli Yula Athha when they are sent to gather supplies by the Archangel and Desert Dawn. Even though they are fighting on opposite sides, Kira and Andy actually grow fond of each other, which makes it very difficult for them to fight each other. In their next and decisive battle. Kira asks Andy to stop because the battle is over, but Andy is determined to keep fighting until one of them is destroyed. He moves in for a final attack as the Strike Phase Shifts down due to lack of power. Kira goes into SEED mode and destroys the LaGOWE that Andy is piloting. Andy and Aisha embrace before the LaGOWE explodes, and Kira cries because he didn't want to kill Andy.
The Desert Tiger reappears later in the PLANTs, having lost his left eye, a leg and left arm, and of course Aisha. Andy claims loyalty to Chairman Patrick Zala and is assigned as captain of the support ship Eternal; however, along with Martin DaCosta and other Clyne Faction loyalists, he helps Lacus Clyne steal the ship and joins up with the Archangel and Orb's Kusanagi in their desperate fight against Rau Le Creuset, who had essentially taken over ZAFT, and his plans to bring the end of the world with GENESIS.
Kira is shocked upon seeing Andy, who he thought was dead, again. He tells Andy that he has every right to want revenge, but Andy shakes his head and says he will do no such thing.
Towards the end of the series, Andy helps the Three Ships Alliance bring an end to the war before the Earth Alliance and ZAFT destroy each other and all of humanity.
[edit] Gundam Seed Destiny
After the Bloody Valentine War, Andy enlists in the Orb military and is given a commission. He lives in the Orb Union with Murrue Ramius, who also lost a lover in the war. As an additive protection measure, his new (apparently fully-functional) cybernetic prosthetic arm conceals a shotgun. When Reverend Malchio's orphanage is destroyed by the fall of Junius 7, Andy and Murrue open their home to Malchio and his orphans.
In C.E. 73, after an assassination attempt on Lacus, he leaves Orb aboard the Archangel joining Kira, Lacus, Murrue and many of the original Archangel crew. Murrue offers him command of the ship but he declines and instead serves as the ship's tactical and navigational officer as well as a mobile suit pilot with his custom MVF-M11C Murasame. When Lacus decides to return to space, Andy goes with her, and the two operate from Terminal's asteroid base until early C.E. 74. When ZAFT forces discover the location of the Eternal, Waltfeld pilots a custom colored ZGMF-X88S Gaia in an attempt to hold off the enemy forces. After regrouping with Kira Yamato and the Archangel, Waltfeld returns to the Eternal and once again assumes command as her captain.
[edit] Trivia
- Originally, Andrew was supposed to have died along with Aisha in Gundam SEED when Kira destroyed their TMF/A-803 LaGOWE. However, he was such a popular character amongst fans that Mitsuo Fukuda brought him back, saying in an interview that there weren't many "cool adults" left in the cast. [citation needed] He continued on to play an important role in Gundam SEED Destiny as well.
- Prior to his return as a leader of the Clyne Faction, Andy's role was very similar to that of Ramba Ral in Mobile Suit Gundam.
