| Rau Le Creuset | |
|---|---|
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED character | |
 Rau Le Creuset in Gundam SEED |
|
| First appearance | Gundam SEED episode 1 |
| Last appearance | Gundam SEED Destiny episode 29 |
| Voiced by | Toshihiko Seki (Japanese) Mark Oliver (English) |
| Profile | |
| Age | 28 [GS][1][2] |
| Date of birth | CE 46[3] |
| Nationality | PLANT [GS] |
| Known relatives | Al Da Flaga, (DNA progenitor) Mu La Flaga (son, by genetics) Rey Za Burrel (brother, by genetics) |
| Genetic type | Clone |
| Information | |
| Allegiance | ZAFT [GS] |
| Rank | White uniform [GS] Commander [GS] |
| Mobile weapons | ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type [GS] ZGMF-515 CGUE [GS] AMF-101 DINN [GS] ZGMF-600 GuAIZ [GS] ZGMF-X13A Providence [GS] |
Rau Le Creuset (ラウ・ル・クルーゼ Rau Ru Kurūze?)[1] is a fictional character from the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED anime series. Le Creuset falls into the position of the principal antagonist to the main characters in the series. Rau Le Creuset is a unit commander in ZAFT. Ruthless, enigmatic, and mysterious, Rau is an adept commander in his field and a skilled mobile suit pilot.[4] He becomes famous early in the war during the Battle of Yggdrasil as a red uniform, in which he used his ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type mobile suit to destroy thirty-seven Earth Alliance mobile armors and six warships. This feat earned him the Order of the Nebula, a decoration awarded to ZAFT's most outstanding soldiers. After the Battle of Endymion Crater on the Moon, Le Creuset becomes the commander of the newly constructed Nazca-class destroyer, Vesalius.
Contents |
Gundam SEED
Heliopolis raid and Archangel pursuit
Under his command, the ZAFT vessels Vesalius and Gamow attacked the neutral colony Heliopolis, where the military contractor Morgenroete was constructing prototype mobile suits for the Atlantic Federation. The raid ended with four of the prototype G-weapons being captured by ZAFT and the destruction of Heliopolis itself. The colony's destruction was due to the utilization of heavy weaponry on both sides of the conflict, as ZAFT tried to capture or destroy the GAT-X105 Strike as well as the mobile suit carrier, Archangel. Apart from attempts to take down the "Legged Ship" (ZAFT's codename for the Archangel), he shares a strange connection with Earth Alliance mobile armor pilot Mu La Flaga and the two are shown to have a rivalry of sorts throughout the war.
True intentions
Despite his allegiance with ZAFT, Rau bears no loyalty to it, or anyone, for that matter. Rau's true aim is to put an end to humanity and what he sees as a 'world of endless desires'. He believed he could accomplish this through the nuclear arsenal of the Earth Forces and GENESIS, ZAFT's super weapon. Furthermore, he believes he is the person best suited to carry out the judgment and execution of humanity. Rau seemingly does not value human life in the slightest -- even his own. His intentions almost come to fruition at the Battle of Jachin Due, but they are ultimately thwarted by the efforts of Kira Yamato and the crew of the Archangel. His reputation is high enough that the ZAFT National Defense Committee Chairman, Patrick Zala, revealed to him the real plans for Operation Spitbreak. He then betrayed Zala by handing over highly confidential information regarding the nuclear technology behind the two Gundams, Freedom and Justice, to the Atlantic Federation. This information was coincidentally handed over to Muruta Azrael, who is the head of the Azrael Conglomerate, a military supplier to the Atlantic Federation, and the leader of the Blue Cosmos, rulers of the Earth Alliance. Ironically, neither Zala, members of the Supreme Council, or ZAFT never once suspected Le Creuset of treason. Although Rau supposedly only answered to Patrick Zala, it becomes quite clear that Patrick was manipulated by Rau to the point that in reality, Patrick turned out to be Rau's unwitting minion.
Origins
A chance encounter with Mu La Flaga and Kira Yamato in the abandoned colony of Mendel revealed his true identity and motives. In a shocking revelation, he exclaims that he is neither Natural nor Coordinator, but rather, something far more disturbing and sinister. His real name is Rau La Flaga,[3] the direct clone of Mu La Flaga's father, Al Da Flaga. Considering his own son Mu as "nothing" because he was "diluted" by the inferior DNA of a mother, Al Da Flaga, a powerful and wealthy Earth Alliance politician, conspired with Professor Ulen Hibiki to create several direct clones of himself, of which Rau would be the first, and the one to be considered his "perfect son" and heir, superior in every way to his brother, Mu, who was to be disinherited. Despite the fact that Coordinators had existed for quite some time, direct human cloning was illegal, but Al believed his wealth and influence put him above the law, and thus, Dr. Hibiki agreed to this transaction in exchange for the funds he would use to finance his Ultimate Coordinator project. By virtue of the Flaga bloodline, Rau was a person who possesses high spacial awareness ability, a trait he apparently inherited from his "father" and shares with his "brother" Mu. Thus, he possesses superhuman extra-sensory and mental abilities that far exceed that of ordinary Naturals and Coordinators. However, the cloning would not end with Rau; there was one other clone that was accounted for: Rey Za Burrel, who would be seen with Rau in a flashback in Gundam SEED Destiny. Any other clones that were created were presumably destroyed when Mendel was abandoned. It is implied that these clones, containing Al Da Flaga's DNA, were the prototypes for the Ultimate Coordinator project in which Kira Yamato was the final product. However, Rau was an imperfect clone due to short telomeres within his DNA that caused him several rapid aging problems; at first, this was done intentionally, so that Rau could catch up to Mu in age and replace him. Once Rau reached Mu's physical age, they attempted to stop the accelerated aging process but found that they were not able to do so permanently. At this point, Rau understood that he was an abomination and loathed his own existence and his "father" even more so for creating him. He was forced to take a special drug that stabilized his aging; if he goes too long without taking the medication, he suffers intense pain. Because of the pain of his imperfection, Rau becomes mentally unstable, deciding that Naturals and Coordinators are both unfit for living, and sees to it that the imminent destruction of both parties, and all mankind, is accomplished.
He would assume the name "Rau Le Creuset" – "le creuset" being French for "The Crucible," a reference to Arthur Miller's famous play about the Puritan Witch Hunts, which is symbolic of his twisted mission to "pass judgment on all of humanity by penalty of death" – and join the ZAFT military, where his piloting skills, keen intellect, and uncanny powers of persuasion ensured his rise to the highest ranks of command. His superhuman abilities allowed him to pass for a Coordinator. He dons his trademark mask not to hide his identity but out of shame and hatred that he looks exactly like the one person he hated most: his father. Rau believed that every human's sole purpose for living is to be "better" than everyone else, and that all people are miserable, selfish, and shameless creatures who will do anything to "get ahead." He justifies this point of view by virtue of his very existence: he is the direct result of the worst act of human hubris ever perpetrated - cloning. While he believes that humanity will eventually wipe itself out in time, he is not satisfied in merely waiting for that to happen on its own. As he is imminently doomed himself due to his unstable genetic makeup, he believes all life in the universe deserves to perish along with him and becomes hellbent towards making that end a reality. To facilitate this plan, he leaks to the Earth Alliance the N-jammer canceller technology used to create the ZGMF-X10A Freedom and ZGMF-X09A Justice through a disc he entrusts to Flay Allster, who he captured during the Battle of JOSH-A. This eventually leads to the use of nuclear missiles again by the Earth Alliance, and the eventual destruction of the ZAFT military asteroid Boaz. With nuclear missiles on the Earth Alliance's side, and the GENESIS superweapon on ZAFT's side, it seemed as though all life will end and his goal fulfilled. It was only by the actions of the Three Ships Alliance at the Second Battle of Jachin Due that that plan was narrowly thwarted and mankind lived to see another day.
Judgment day: Second battle of Jachin Due
In the final battle of the war, Rau piloted the ZGMF-X13A Providence, the final ZAFT Gundam. Because of the Providence's sheer power, Rau managed to easily cripple the Strike and the Buster and shortly after destroyed an escape shuttle that launched from the Dominion that contained Flay Allster, after which he has a final battle with Kira Yamato in the ZGMF-X10A Freedom. During his fight with Kira, Rau manages to cripple the Freedom using the powerful DRAGOON System installed in the Providence and yelled out his beliefs of humanity and their need to be like Kira. However, Kira makes a comeback and in one final desperate attack, mortally wounds Rau by impaling his cockpit with a double-sided beam saber, and the Providence is then vaporized during a misfire of GENESIS, along with Rau, who dies with a smile on his face. In the ending credits, Rau's mask is seen floating in space.
Gundam SEED Destiny
Although Rau dies at the end of Gundam SEED at the hands of Kira, Rau still makes a few appearances as a "character" of sorts in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. Kira is still haunted by his memory of Rau, and he has devoted himself to ensure that no one like Rau ever threatens mankind's future to live in freedom ever again. Most importantly, in episode 29, Gilbert Durandal, Rau's former friend and doctor, imagines[5] conversing and playing a metaphysical game of chess with Rau. This game of chess is a recurring metaphor throughout the series for their conflicting beliefs about humanity's future in the universe. Rau asks Gilbert why he feels humanity is worth saving, and pities him for believing that anything other than disappointment and shame will result from his efforts, mockingly reminding Gilbert of his own miserable failure to "save" him. Gilbert swears to Rau that he will do anything to ensure the continued survival of humanity, no matter what the end "cost" of that survival might be. At the end of the episode, the scene is shown where Durandal's king chess piece falls down implying that he lost this metaphysical game of chess against Rau. However, he is shown having a smile on his face at the same.
Fighting skills
Apart from being an excellent commander, Rau Le Creuset backs up his intellect through his experience as a mobile suit pilot. Throughout the series, he takes part in various operations, but mostly stays behind on the Vesalius. Like Char Aznable, he pilots a custom-colored mobile suit with ruthless efficiency, all the while doing it without a pilot suit on (with the exception of the Providence).
In games
In the SD Gundam G Generation series, Super Robot Wars J and the Gundam Wars card game, due to a more user friendly setting, he is listed as a Newtype instead of a different ability of spacial awareness. However, the term Newtype was never officially used in Gundam SEED or Gundam SEED Destiny. In J Rau expressly corrects himself as a Newtype and not a Coordinator as he would initially inform his enemies.
References
- ^ a b ZAFT character introduction (Japanese). Sunrise. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
- ^ Rau Le Creuset trading card. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
- ^ a b Cosmic Era timeline (C.E. 46). GundamOfficial. Retrieved on 2007-04-14.
- ^ Rau Le Creuset profile. GundamOfficial. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
- ^ http://www.gundamofficial.com/worlds/ce/destiny/story/page3.html
