Kira Yamato

Kira Yamato (キラ・ヤマト?) is one of the main characters and the main protagonist of Gundam SEED and the tritagonist of Gundam SEED Destiny. Kira is the adopted son of Caridad Yamato and Cagalli Yula Athha's twin brother.

Personality & Character
In Destiny, Kira's overall personality is calmer, mature, and philosophical. He has gained respect from soldiers in Orb's military due to his piloting skills and being the brother of Orb's ruler. Kira often acts in a fashion which would best be described as being that of the reluctant hero; this maybe due to Kira not viewing himself as a leader type, being a Mobile Suit pilot, often leaving leadership decisions to Lacus or Cagalli.

Skills & Capabilities
While lacking any true form of military training, Kira's fighting ability developed quickly and greatly as his time in combat increases, along with his mastery of SEED mode. In contrast to his piloting capabilities, Kira is shown to be inexperienced with handguns, preferring not to use them. He has to be reminded by Mu to remove the safety on his gun in episode 44 while in pursuit of Rau on Mendel station. By the time of the events of Gundam SEED Destiny, however, his handgun skills have improved significantly seen in the second assassination attempt on Lacus Clyne at Copernicus City on the Moon.

SEED Destiny
Kira has been living on a secluded island (one of the Marshall Islands) in Orb territory since the end of the war. He and Lacus have spent the last two years after the war assisting Reverend Malchio and Kira's adoptive mother with his orphanage. The Junius Seven Colony Drop Incident, which triggers the Second Bloody Valentine War forces the group to move in with Murrue Ramius and Andrew Waltfeld at their shared mansion in Orb.

The mansion is destroyed by an unknown force of Coordinators trying to assassinate Lacus. The attempt on Lacus's life forces Kira to once again pilot the Freedom and participate in combat in order to protect his loved one, despite her reluctance in his taking up arms again. He still abides by his policy to limit casualties, by disabling the opposing mobile suits in SEED mode, though the pilots then self-destruct their machines briefly shocking him.

Orb joins the Earth Alliance, forcing Kira and Lacus return to the Archangel and take up secretive residence in the Kingdom of Scandinavia. Before leaving Orb, Kira kidnaps Cagalli from her arranged marriage to Yuna Roma Seiran, despite Cagalli's initial objections. He also helps Cagalli realize her mistake in letting Orb side with the Earth Alliance and helps her come to terms with her errors in judgement, despite her good intentions.

Return to the battlefieldEdit
After a period of being part of the Archangel crew, Lacus decides to go into space to investigate what is going on, although Kira initially objects as he would not be able to watch over her, she assures him she will be careful and holds him to reassure him. Lacus, Andrew, and the shuttle they have stolen are nearly shot down, but Kira protects them.

Kira continues to fight in the rebuilt ZGMF-X10A Freedom. His first sortie with the Archangel is in the Dardanelles, trying to stop the OMNI/Orb offensive against the ZAFT battleship Minerva. He destroys the Minervas main "Tannhäuser" cannon, causing severe damage to the ship, Kira then disarms several mobile suits on both sides of the skirmish.

Kira is blamed for causing the death of ZGMF-X2000 GOUF Ignited pilot Heine Westenfluss by the hands of ZGMF-X88S Gaia pilot Stella Loussier (both were trying to attack Kira and Heine got in Stella's way).

Kira, accompanied by Cagalli and Miriallia Haw, secretly meet with Athrun in Crete, where they are spied on by Lunamaria Hawke. Athrun says they will not end the war by their methods and Cagalli must return to Orb if she wants Orb to leave the Earth Alliance. Kira tells Athrun that he distrusts ZAFT's leader, Gilbert Durandal, since Lacus was targeted by a special ops team of Coordinators using newly designed ZAFT Mobile Suits. Though Athrun returns to ZAFT, both sides are affected by the other's words.

Kira intervenes again in the Earth Forces/Orb battle with the Minerva in Crete, where he saves the Minerva from a possible finishing blow. Kira confronts by Athrun in the ZGMF-X23S Saviour. Due to the situation around them, primarily his distraught twin sister, Kira declares that if Athrun thinks that the Archangel's presence in trying to stop the battle is pointless and that Cagalli is to blame for Orb's path, then that makes Athrun his enemy. Kira easily defeats Athrun this time, and dismantles the Saviour, taking care not to injure Athrun.

Freedom's Final BattleEdit
Kira and the Archangel soon go to Berlin to fight against the monstrous GFAS-X1 Destroy, and are eventually joined by the Minerva, along with Shinn Asuka's Impulse. Kira hits Destroy's cockpit, dealing it a finishing blow that results in the death of its pilot, Stella Loussier.

Soon after, PLANT Chairman Gilbert Durandal orders the destruction of the Archangel and the Freedom during the mission code-named "Operation: Angel Down". The Freedom is attacked by Shinn and his ZGMF-X56S Impulse, who has prepared for this battle with the help of Rey Za Burrel in creating counter measures about Kira's own weakness in battle. Taking advantage of Kira's unwillingness to fight with him, Kira's confusion about the situation and Impulse's ability to replace damaged parts on-the-fly, Shinn defeats Kira. Kira shuts down Freedom's nuclear reactor before losing consciousness and is retrieved from the ocean by Cagalli in the MBF-02 Strike Rouge.

Protecting Eternal and Acquiring ZGMF-X20A Strike FreedomEdit
Soon after, Athrun Zala and Meyrin Hawke defect from ZAFT after being framed by Rey Za Burrel and Gilbert Durandal. While they recover from being shot down., Lacus and her ship Eternal come under attack by newer ZAFT's Zaku and Gouf squadrons after investigating the remnants of the space colony Mendel for clues about Chairman Durandal's plans. Kira rushes into space in Cagalli's Strike Rouge mounted on booster rockets, but the Strike Rouge is seriously damaged from numerous attacks.

Andrew Waltfeld provides cover in a ZGMF-X88S Gaia and tells Kira to go into the Eternal to pick up his new unit. On the Eternal, Kira and Lacus are reunited and she presents Kira with the newly constructed ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom albeit with some hesitation. He uses his new mobile suit to disable the attacking forces.

Kira then returns to Earth with the Strike Freedom to help Cagalli defend Orb, which is under ZAFT attack because Yuna Roma Seiran and his father Unato had provided refuge for the Logos leader Lord Djibril. Lacus Clyne flies down in the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice Gundam to deliver it to Athrun Zala.

Second Battle of OrbEdit
Shinn in the Destiny tries to defeat Cagalli's ORB-01 Akatsuki, when Kira arrives to defend her. While Cagalli withdraws to deal with the political situation, Kira and Shinn battle. After Shinn has to withdraw back to the Minerva, Kira then disables many of the ZAFT mobile suits invading Orb. Shinn relaunches accompanied by Rey in the Legend. They double-team Kira until Athrun arrives in Infinite Justice, after which Kira faces off against Rey's Legend, while Athrun engages Shinn in melee combat.

After the ZAFT forces withdraw, Athrun loses consciousness. Kira, in Strike Freedom, catches the Infinite Justice in mid-air, preventing him from crashing. Back aboard the Archangel, Kira removes Athrun's helmet and flight suit, revealing that Athrun's wounds have re-opened and are bleeding profusely. Kira then orders a stretcher to bring Athrun to the Archangel's sick bay, where he recovers, tended to by Meyrin.

Return to spaceEdit
Lord Djibril escapes into space during the battle. ZAFT forces withdraw from Orb and the Minerva is sent to reinforce the ZAFT Lunar Team's attempt to destroy the Earth Alliance's Lunar-Based Laser Cannon, Requiem which has fired and destroyed some of the PLANTs.

During that time, Kira is promoted to Admiral and appointed as the Commander of the Orb Space Fleet. The Archangel is also officially commissioned into the Orb Military Fleet and assigned as Kira's flagship. Archangel is ordered to the lunar city of Copernicus to gather intelligence on Durandal's operations. Cagalli stays in Orb to coordinate the recovery and lead the country.

The Archangel returns to space and docks at Copernicus City. Kira, Lacus, Athrun, and Meyrin attempt to gather intelligence under the guise of a shopping trip. There, they receive Meer Campbell's red Haro containing a message from Meer saying she is afraid of being killed. Athrun and Meyrin suspect it is a trap, but Lacus insists on meeting Meer.

It is a trap. Sarah, Meer's bodyguard, has organized a team of assassins to kill Lacus. Athrun, Kira, and Meyrin fight them off, protecting Lacus and Meer. Athrun requests backup from the Archangel which sends Mu La Flaga (Neo Roanoke) to aid them in the ORB-01 Akatsuki. After his arrival, the badly injured Sarah, makes a final attempt to kill Lacus, but Meer is mortally wounded instead.

Shortly after Meer's funeral, Durandal announces his "Destiny Plan" to the world and his vow to eliminate anybody who does not follow him. Orb, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Atlantic Federation all denounce Durandal's plan. Orb orders their space fleet to stop Durandal from accomplishing the "Destiny Plan" and prevent the destruction of Orb.

Battle of Messiah: Assault on REQUIEMEdit
In the final battle, Kira orders Athrun and the Archangel to disable the Requiem directly, while the Strike Freedom confronts Rey's ZGMF-X666S Legend. Kira tries to persuade Rey to stop fighting and supporting Durandal before disabling the Legend. After that, the Strike Freedom attacks the space fortress, Messiah, leading to its eventual destruction.

Kira then exits the Strike Freedom and searches for Gilbert Durandal in the command center of Messiah. While they are talking and pointing guns at each other Talia Gladys, the captain of the Minerva as well as Durandal's lover, and Rey Za Burrel, who has been Gilbert's most dedicated follower, also arrive and draw pistols. Rey shoots Durandal, he had been enlightened by Kira's words and dreams of a future, which would have been suppressed by Durandal's Destiny Plan. Before Kira leaves the Messiah, Talia Gladys asks Kira to tell Murrue Ramius, her Archangel counterpart, that she has a son and she wishes Murrue to meet him someday. Kira agrees and leaves the Messiah in Strike Freedom before it falls onto the moon surface and explodes. Talia and Rey stay with Durandal.

AftermathEdit
Afterwards, at the ravished Orb memorial previously visited by Shinn and Kira in episode 8, Athrun introduces Kira to Shinn as the pilot of Freedom. Shinn is stunned by the identity of the pilot whom he tried to defeat numerous times, and previously met before without that knowledge. Kira asks Shinn to make peace with him and asks Shinn to join him and Athrun in the fight for humanity's peace. A crying Shinn agrees.

In the ending credits of Gundam SEED Destiny: Special Edition, Kira is wearing a white ZAFT uniform reserved for important military officials. When Kira and Lacus saw each other in the PLANTs they immediately rushed towards one another and hugged each other, surprising most of the people present.