The Seeded.Com - Theories

Theories

Born on: May 2007

Defense of Cagalli's Character in Destiny

So many claim that Cagalli's character was destroyed in Gundam Seed Destiny, and that she just simply wasn't the same person. Honestly, I find those statements laughable and somewhat niave. Cagalli's character did undergo some development just like each of the other characters. This was do to the war, the death of Lord Uzumi, Shinn's words, and so many other factors. For Cagalli not to change would make her character childish and useless.

Cagalli was devastated by the death of her adopted father, Lord Uzumi of Orb. Lord Uzumi was given no choice but to keep Orb from the clutches of Blue Cosmos and implemented an ancient technique. Lord Uzumi along with his closest advisors felt that Orb was better destroyed than used for the evil of Blue Cosmos. However, the intregrity and honor of the high officials of Orb seemed to die that day as evidenced by the push-over officials in Destiny. Cagalli was resolute at the end of the first war that she did not want anyone else she cared about to die, which meant stopping Blue Cosmos and Chairman Zala at all costs. With the freedom gained from the defeat of these two groups by the Three Ship Alliance, Cagalli's beliefs shifted slightly. The result of this shift is seen throughout Destiny. Cagalli doesn't want anyone to die, friend or foe, natural or coordinator, over a misunderstanding gone way wrong. It not only broke what Cagalli and her friends fought so hard to establish during the first war, but also brought her father's death to shame.

To Cagalli, everything seemed to be out of her hands, as it was, and it frustrated her, just like it frustrated Athrun, Kira, Lacus, Murrue Ramius, Andrew Waltfeld, and so many others. Each of them made their own mistakes, either acting too quickly to stop the problem, or not acting soon enough because they didn't understand the problem.

In Cagalli's case, Orb was trapped in a corner, not only by outside forces, but from forces within. The man Cagalli was betrothed to since she was little, along with the man's father were part of the overly radical subgroup within the old rements of Blue Cosmos. Worse than that, they have sufficient influence with the other Orb officials to gain their trust and support. Cagalli had no support and no one to back up her story of the Minerva protecting the Earth from the falling Junius Seven. Not only that, but the officials struck a nerve with Cagalli, telling her that Orb should never burn again and that they should adopt new policies to protect their people. However, this nerve had been struck before, but not by the Orb officials. Shinn attacked Cagalli and Lord Uzumi for the lives of all those who died in the previous war. Simply put, Lord Uzumi's death was in vain because many attacked his sacrifice. This, I deeply believe, frustrated Cagalli even more. Everything was playing tug-a-war with her mind, and she was the rope that was being strangled from both ends. For anyone, much less an eighteen year old, this was entirely too overwhelming. She wanted to live up to her father and his ideals, but she was attacked for it. The officials as well as Shinn tore at her. Cagalli went numb and followed the advice of the officials. Remember, however, that no one was backing her up. Athrun wasn't there and Kira and Lacus couldn't help. She was absolutely alone, and anyone would've broken eventually after all that. I honestly think that Cagalli maintained her character in the fact that she was able to fight them off for so long.

Another argument that is often out there is that Cagalli turns into a whimp and seems to have lost all her fighting ability. Well, this simply isn't true. How are you supposed to fight when you don't even have a strong grasp on your enemy. As stated above, Cagalli didn't want anyone to die over this horrible misunderstanding. Cagalli's heart simply couldn't fight. In the first war, everything was very clear for her, even after her views shifted near the end of the first war.

Kira and Lacus with the rest of the crew of the ArchAngel couldn't identify their enemy either, which is why they caused so much chaos on the battlefield when they tried to intercept. The real problem was that their simply weren't enough facts. The ArchAngel didn't support the Earth Alliance or Orb's alliance with them, nor did they trust Chairman Durandal and his intentions. The second war was brought upon by a number of conspiracies that were difficult to find solutions for.

Cagalli, in my mind, had to rediscover her resolve with the ideals of Orb and her father, and once that resolve was found, she was resolute.

Meer Campbell:

Meer is a very romantically tragic character. She is one of Lacus Clyne's biggest fans, to the point where she truly believes she could be Lacus. Her character is very complicated. She wants so much to be Lacus, to look like Lacus, and to have Lacus' life, but since she knows so little of Lacus, her own personality changes Lacus's public appearance. This is part of the reason Athrun becomes so appealing to her, because he knows Lacus personally, which leads to the most controversial topics of whether there was a romantic relationship between her and Athrun Zala, Lacus' formal fiancee. Honestly, on Athrun's part, no, on Meer's, possibly. Chairman Durandal wanted to create the perfect plan, his Destiny Plan, which revolved around Le Creseut's own desires as well as Chairman Zala. In this plan, Lacus needed to be the way she was before she met Kira Yamato. The only way to guarantee the exact result Durandal wanted, he created a look-a-like that would do everything he wanted Lacus to be. Thus, the creation of Meer Campbell's disguise as Lacus Clyne. Durandal also wanted Athrun Zala and Lacus Clyne to be a symbol for the people of the plants, just as they were meant to be under Chairman Zala's ideals. This, I believe, is what led to Meer's desire for Athrun. All she wanted was to be exactly like Lacus and have Lacus' life. It didn't matter what Athrun was actually like. After all, it is very curious that Athrun and Lacus' disengagement was kept secret, which allowed Durandal to attempt to convince Athrun to rekindle that tie with his Lacus Clyne, so that he could use that beacon to appeal to the Plant citizens. His entire plan was to use them like puppets, which he was able to for a time. Meer knew of his plans with her, at least to a good extent, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten so upset when the real Lacus stole her spaceship. She knew the real Lacus would jeopardize everything. She was however, manipulated into thinking she was doing the right thing. After all, the real Lacus wasn't around to help Durandal help the Plants. The real mystery was whether or not she had known that Chairman Durandal was trying to assassinate the real Lacus Clyne.

Meyrin Hawke:

So, so many people believe Athrun is now with Meyrin, but I really, really don't think so. The evidence just isn't there. Meyrin of course cares for Athrun, despite the fact that it was an artificial infatuation with his reputation than the real Athrun Zala in the beginning. on Athrun's part, Meyrin saved his life, so he couldn't really ignore that. It is completely against his character. He owes her his life and he owes her his protection since he dragged her unintentionally into his escape from ZAFT. Much like Kira ended up caring for Fllay only as someone he had to protect because he had caused her so much grief, Athrun felt he had to protect Meyrin for much the same reason. Not to mention, the last couple of scenes in Gundam Seed Destiny Final Plus, Meyrin walks a couple strides behind Athrun, whereas Kira and Lacus are cuddling and Shinn and Lunamaria are side by side at least. It just isn't relationship evidence when she is behind Athrun, completely out of his sight. He doesn't even look at her, much less look at her like they were together. The mood between them in that scene was entirely wrong. Also, the scene where Kira, now a white coat, and Lacus, now an important politician for Zaft, run to each other, leaving everyone shocked, well, that scene also disproves Athrun x Meyrin. First off, Athrun is sitting next to Kira in the elevator, no where near Meyrin. Secondly, did anybody notice, he is the only one that is representing Orb. Meyrin is still wearing a Zaft uniform, the one she always wears, even on the archangel. I think by that point, if she was representing Orb with Athrun, her uniform would have to be changed, but no, it isn't. Athrun followed Cagalli back to Orb, there's just no other explanation for it. He could've gone back to Zaft with Shinn, Lunamaria, Meyrin, Kira, Lacus, Yzak, and Dearka, where everybody he knows are. But no, he stayed with Orb. The only person he really knows in Orb is Cagalli. That, in my mind, means Athrun is still hung up on Cagalli.

KiraxLacus:

Ok, I really don't get why people don't think that they are together. I really, really don't get it. Okay, we never see them kiss, so what! They have lived with each other for two years, in between Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny. They act like they're married more than any other couple throughout Gundam Seed/Destiny. You can tell in the way they look at each other; it's the look couples give each other when they have been together for so long. Kira and Lacus seem like they have a very mature relationship where all the newness of new couples is gone, but it hasn't changed the way they look at each other, or how they hold each other. Not to mention, the one opening with the two of them naked surrounded by ribbons... yeah, yeah, they're not together. That just implies that they are definitely in love and not a new couple. Athrun said himself that Lacus is extremely modest and doesn't sneak into the bed of the boy she cares deeply about. Kira, to me, is that way himself. People just didn't get that picture when Fllay was throwing herself all over him, which by the way, was directly cheating on her fiancee, but that's another topic.

The Seeded.Com Version 2.0, created and maintained by Whitney Erin 'WolfCry'and Brittany Nicole 'AsuCaga11', is purely fan based. The characters, plot, and anything else applicable to the original series Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny rightfully belong to their respective creators: Bandai & Sunrise, and Yoshiyuki Tomino & Hajime Yatate.