Personality: Ali al-Saachez is a despicable man. Self-proclaimed warmonger, mercenary and former leader of the terrorist organization KPSA, he is a skilled fighter with very little moral value to back it up. For the sake of war, he is not above killing, enacting terrorism, harnessing the use of brainwashed child soldiers, exploiting others' religious beliefs, or changing his name, appearance and behavior. A recurring theme in season 1 are Setsuna F. Seiei's allusions to Ali's Divine Crusade, referring to propaganda that he instilled in the Republic of Krugis for the sake of the battle with Azadistan. He claimed they fought in the name of God as leverage, when in reality, the only god inside of him was a love for battle. War is his core motivation and interest, and all stems from there and revolves around it. Thus, it's where I'll begin.
In 2307 AD, humanity began a twenty year-long war over the sale of quickly diminishing fossil fuels. Dubbed the Solar War, Ali al-Saachez participated in this war, detailed briefly in one of the prequel graphic novels, Gundam 00P. Thereafter, he is with a group of radicals, a third party among the supporters and conservatives who oppose the use of solar power in Azadistan. Said group is responsible for kidnapping Azadistan's religious leader Massoud Rachmadi. A character in another part of the series of prequels, Gundam 00F, speculates that "somebody wants to start a civil war, so he's pitting the two factions against each other." This is just the first taste of what Ali as a person is like. He's hellbent on provoking feuding nations into battle to get a bit of action for himself and will go to any length it takes to get just that. His interest in the Gundams is great as is his skill with them, and many of his assignments consist of capturing enemy Gundams because of this. You could easily say that operating weaponry, strategizing on war, and how to battle are abilities imbued in Ali from birth.
Prior to his time in Azadistan and Moralia, Ali situated his terrorist group in the Republic of Krugis. By 2301, Krugis was decimated by war. Ali's anti-government guerrilla forces fought Azadistan, but the catch is that the majority of his organization was made up of child soldiers. Just 24 at the time, Ali presented himself as a messenger of God and gained the trust of children in Krugis, convincing many of them to kill their parents to prove their devotion to him, KPSA, and God. This behavior is indicative enough of his personal morals, but additionally, his skill in deception and his intelligence are made clear cut. Not only did Ali know exactly how to take advantage of war torn Krugis, he successfully strategized battles involving, more often than not, only himself and children. Granted, his methods surely consisted of using the children to his own benefit, as either diversions or even shields. It also shows a certain inability to interact with and manipulate his own peers, which he improves upon in later exploits. He also later disguises himself as Gary Biaggi under orders as a mercenary, successfully deceiving the AEU.
The obstacles were too large, which Ali likely knew from the start, for Krugis to regain power from Azadistan. With the country's defeat, Ali took up mercenary work working for the private military companies in an unstated South African country, and then in Moralia. This takes place during the first season of the anime series, the following conflict in Azadistan serving as one of the two major points of conflict in the story. His activity during this time continues to display the same ruthless, war-hungry behavior. There isn't a single moment that he displays concern for anyone but himself. His statements about the economy in Moralia about what "happens to us on the bottom," for example, show recognition for the poor condition of the country but ultimately serve no one but himself and maybe his mercenary group if you squint.
On the other hand, while he's offered the money to live comfortably for the rest of his life if he captures a Gundam in Moralia, Ali's appreciation for the financial bonus appears mainly to be a flimsy cover for what he really cares about—and that's battle. That isn't to say he doesn't care about money at all. On the contrary, it's certain that he would be pleased with the more valuable benefits of his work. But "living comfortably" is the last thing that Ali wants.
He says "money only matters if you're alive" after telling the rest of his forces to hide during his battle with Gundam Exia, which may point to compassion, but is more likely only fulfillment of his job as their captain and the desire to battle with Exia one-on-one. Though Ali shaped main character Setsuna F. Seiei's young life, his recognition for this is naught. The same can be said for the Gundam 00F character, Fon Spaak and the rest of the children he trained in Krugis. When he meets Setsuna again, he doesn't even remember his name. His recognition is for his way of fighting. The meeting does, however, stay with him, but only for the sake of taking him on again in battle. As with Setsuna, Ali neglects to form any meaningful relationships, be those positive or negative in nature. He has no respect for human life and takes his own as a series of opportunities.
Neil and Lyle Dylandy have dubbed him a "monster," the rest of their family killed by him in a suicide bombing (and later Neil, more directly). Ali himself rebuts that with claims of their hypocrisy, saying that Celestial Being are terrorists that are no different from him but use the face of eradicating war to justify themselves. Given this, he has a full understanding of how despicable he is but does not attempt to justify it. His methods are exceedingly straightforward, aimed solely at a singular goal that he never looks away from. In episode 20 of the first season, he says to Kinue Crossroad whom he later kills, "I'm a warmonger. I can't help it. I love everything about war. I live and die for humanity's most primitive impulse. I'm the lowest and worst kind of person." It speaks for itself.
Still, I think it's important to remember that even a guy like him had to have origins. That's not to say that he has any features that could possibly redeem him, but for the sake of understanding where a "monster" like him came from, it's worth looking into. It's even hinted that Ali al-Saachez is not his real name. For the sake of avoiding delving too deep into headcanon territory, I'll just say this—the factors that shaped him likely involve exposure to an extreme and violent subculture from a young age just like the children in Krugis whom he manipulates into fighting for him. As a result, it should be recognized that some part of him has familiarity with being "on the bottom" and that, even though his life revolves around chasing war and he's now freely able to use that familiarity for exploitation, a lesser part of him carries that as a long cold remnant of his past. That being said, the recognition of this goes hand and hand with the understanding that he holds no sentimentalities. If he ever felt the need to fight personal injustice, he no longer does.
Also notable is his focus towards the same goal, without diverting to other acts of violence needlessly. Ali values war and battle but he's not ignorant enough nor is he interested in going on a killing spree. What he cares about is quality battle, and he will spare lives that don't come into conflict with this goal. War is impersonal for him, as is everything else. While those who die and are affected by his terrible actions have little to no bearing on him, he does not seek to affect them just for the sake of it. They're only casualties of what is necessary. For example, during his stint as Gary Biaggi, a request he makes to Laguna Harvey to be a GN-X pilot is denied and while this undoubtedly makes him angry, the string of killings he commits thereafter would have been avoided if he had been granted his request. It's by no means a justifiable excuse but it's the way Ali works and he never strays from this twisted logic. On the opposite end of this logic, he expresses hollow sympathy for the Trinities before he kills two of them, because they are simply cogs in the machine.
Ali is not outwardly hostile unless provoked but is brutish and unyielding with regard to his motivations. He will unashamedly speak his opinions and will aggressively dominate a conversation to seize whatever it is he wants out of it. Because of his brash way of behaving, he has conflicts with most that he meets. Insulting people at will is nothing to him and an argument can easily lead to a physical altercation. Men and women receive similar treatment, but occasional lecherous commentary is reserved for the women. He shows insight into the situation around him, be it economical strife or widespread prejudice, but generally appears to have little opinion of his own other than a tendency to berate weaker forces and will halfheartedly throw out insensitive remarks to provoke others. All in all, Ali is aggressive in all forms of interaction, and quick to start a fight. There is little he is personally invested in besides himself.
Though he tends to act wildly, Ali is not incapable of keeping himself in check, but he does so when it suits his needs because it appears to be irritating and tiring for him to keep up a "nice" act. In the case that he needs to front, he's capable of posing as friendly, kind, and even competent but it is not an act that can withstand much pressure. As with his Gary Biaggi cover, for example, he successfully deceives the AEU members he interacts with for the sake of retaining equipment and participating in battle. However, the act can, at times, appear rather mocking and behind others' backs, he displays anger that eventually culminates into acting against orders. With this, it's clear that Ali cannot and will not keep up an act long before he's back to his old ways. And as for those ways, he remains extremely self-centered and a tad more reasonably egotistical. Other people have little value to him. Of interest to him are only those he uses to get paid, those that can serve as entertainment, and those that he can consider rivals worthy of fighting. For the most part, he's a loner who works best on his own because he's so hard to deal with, and throughout the series and presumably his entire life, he establishes no real emotional bonds.
To sum it up, Ali al-Saachez is exactly what he claims to be: a warmonger. He lives and, eventually, dies seeking out war as the source of his livelihood. For the terrible crimes he has committed without remorse he offers no justification, fully embracing his reprehensible desires and the image that comes with it.
Abilities/Powers: No supernatural abilities. As he has a long history with work as a mercenary, guerrilla fighter and mobile suit pilot, Ali is highly versed in many different types of combat. While he is considered most lethal in close quarters or hand-to-hand combat, he is also capable in long range combat, weaponry, and so on. The actual origin of his various forms of combat mastery is not spoken of in canon, so it's hard to say what sort of style one could attribute his fighting to, but it's logical to assume that he's experienced in many types because of his background, so they likely blend together. He is more than decently competent with the weapon-related technology of his era (23rd century), but this does not follow on a strictly mechanical basis or in many fields beyond weaponry.
Items/Weapons: A handgun (similar to a Desert Eagle in model, but slightly more advanced in terms of accuracy/recoil à la 23rd century technology), spare ammo and a half-full flask of araq.
Sample Entry:Here! Sample Entry Two: It doesn't hurt anymore, where his burn scars have healed, gnarly patterns of disfigured flesh in their wake. Ali peels off the bandages bit by bit, looking at something more normal for the first time since Dynames had shot him down. He doesn't know why this change in scenery has restored his body to this state. The hospital staff he'd been treated by at the grace of the UN had assured him that a full recovery would take many months, and though he'd relented that he would take half that time, even the dull buzz of the liquor he snuck in wasn't enough to make such quick progress overnight.
He stretches and flexes the muscles of his arms from the bottom bunk of the apartment he'd arrived in, the discarded bandages forming a pile at his feet. This place is ugly, dirty, worn like the base camps he'd hidden out in during the war in Krugis. But there are things here—there are personal items, clothing, things like that, all scattered about. The cellphone he'd discovered also had a list of faces without names. In short, there were other people here and the ones that lived here would definitely show up soon, which means that he doesn't need to glean an explanation from a stranger in desperation right off the bat. Something will come of the lived-in look of this apartment, and in the meantime, he'll figure out what he can on his own.
The healed injuries are a bonus, a means for him to go exploring what's outside. With a gun that he'd procured in Moralia provided for him here, he doesn't sense that he'll struggle to get by, but that's only a feeling. With battle experience heavy on his back, he's instilled with confidence that persists against the dreary living space and what he discovers to be a city in disrepair. Keeping his weapon handy, he smiles without inhibition into the dark of a crumbling stairwell. Slight noises keep him on the alert.
"Hello? Anybody there?" His voice is disarmingly cheerful. As he makes his way up the stairs, he's eager to discover what might be waiting for him on the floor above.
no subject
In 2307 AD, humanity began a twenty year-long war over the sale of quickly diminishing fossil fuels. Dubbed the Solar War, Ali al-Saachez participated in this war, detailed briefly in one of the prequel graphic novels, Gundam 00P. Thereafter, he is with a group of radicals, a third party among the supporters and conservatives who oppose the use of solar power in Azadistan. Said group is responsible for kidnapping Azadistan's religious leader Massoud Rachmadi. A character in another part of the series of prequels, Gundam 00F, speculates that "somebody wants to start a civil war, so he's pitting the two factions against each other." This is just the first taste of what Ali as a person is like. He's hellbent on provoking feuding nations into battle to get a bit of action for himself and will go to any length it takes to get just that. His interest in the Gundams is great as is his skill with them, and many of his assignments consist of capturing enemy Gundams because of this. You could easily say that operating weaponry, strategizing on war, and how to battle are abilities imbued in Ali from birth.
Prior to his time in Azadistan and Moralia, Ali situated his terrorist group in the Republic of Krugis. By 2301, Krugis was decimated by war. Ali's anti-government guerrilla forces fought Azadistan, but the catch is that the majority of his organization was made up of child soldiers. Just 24 at the time, Ali presented himself as a messenger of God and gained the trust of children in Krugis, convincing many of them to kill their parents to prove their devotion to him, KPSA, and God. This behavior is indicative enough of his personal morals, but additionally, his skill in deception and his intelligence are made clear cut. Not only did Ali know exactly how to take advantage of war torn Krugis, he successfully strategized battles involving, more often than not, only himself and children. Granted, his methods surely consisted of using the children to his own benefit, as either diversions or even shields. It also shows a certain inability to interact with and manipulate his own peers, which he improves upon in later exploits. He also later disguises himself as Gary Biaggi under orders as a mercenary, successfully deceiving the AEU.
The obstacles were too large, which Ali likely knew from the start, for Krugis to regain power from Azadistan. With the country's defeat, Ali took up mercenary work working for the private military companies in an unstated South African country, and then in Moralia. This takes place during the first season of the anime series, the following conflict in Azadistan serving as one of the two major points of conflict in the story. His activity during this time continues to display the same ruthless, war-hungry behavior. There isn't a single moment that he displays concern for anyone but himself. His statements about the economy in Moralia about what "happens to us on the bottom," for example, show recognition for the poor condition of the country but ultimately serve no one but himself and maybe his mercenary group if you squint.
On the other hand, while he's offered the money to live comfortably for the rest of his life if he captures a Gundam in Moralia, Ali's appreciation for the financial bonus appears mainly to be a flimsy cover for what he really cares about—and that's battle. That isn't to say he doesn't care about money at all. On the contrary, it's certain that he would be pleased with the more valuable benefits of his work. But "living comfortably" is the last thing that Ali wants.
He says "money only matters if you're alive" after telling the rest of his forces to hide during his battle with Gundam Exia, which may point to compassion, but is more likely only fulfillment of his job as their captain and the desire to battle with Exia one-on-one. Though Ali shaped main character Setsuna F. Seiei's young life, his recognition for this is naught. The same can be said for the Gundam 00F character, Fon Spaak and the rest of the children he trained in Krugis. When he meets Setsuna again, he doesn't even remember his name. His recognition is for his way of fighting. The meeting does, however, stay with him, but only for the sake of taking him on again in battle. As with Setsuna, Ali neglects to form any meaningful relationships, be those positive or negative in nature. He has no respect for human life and takes his own as a series of opportunities.
Neil and Lyle Dylandy have dubbed him a "monster," the rest of their family killed by him in a suicide bombing (and later Neil, more directly). Ali himself rebuts that with claims of their hypocrisy, saying that Celestial Being are terrorists that are no different from him but use the face of eradicating war to justify themselves. Given this, he has a full understanding of how despicable he is but does not attempt to justify it. His methods are exceedingly straightforward, aimed solely at a singular goal that he never looks away from. In episode 20 of the first season, he says to Kinue Crossroad whom he later kills, "I'm a warmonger. I can't help it. I love everything about war. I live and die for humanity's most primitive impulse. I'm the lowest and worst kind of person." It speaks for itself.
Still, I think it's important to remember that even a guy like him had to have origins. That's not to say that he has any features that could possibly redeem him, but for the sake of understanding where a "monster" like him came from, it's worth looking into. It's even hinted that Ali al-Saachez is not his real name. For the sake of avoiding delving too deep into headcanon territory, I'll just say this—the factors that shaped him likely involve exposure to an extreme and violent subculture from a young age just like the children in Krugis whom he manipulates into fighting for him. As a result, it should be recognized that some part of him has familiarity with being "on the bottom" and that, even though his life revolves around chasing war and he's now freely able to use that familiarity for exploitation, a lesser part of him carries that as a long cold remnant of his past. That being said, the recognition of this goes hand and hand with the understanding that he holds no sentimentalities. If he ever felt the need to fight personal injustice, he no longer does.
Also notable is his focus towards the same goal, without diverting to other acts of violence needlessly. Ali values war and battle but he's not ignorant enough nor is he interested in going on a killing spree. What he cares about is quality battle, and he will spare lives that don't come into conflict with this goal. War is impersonal for him, as is everything else. While those who die and are affected by his terrible actions have little to no bearing on him, he does not seek to affect them just for the sake of it. They're only casualties of what is necessary. For example, during his stint as Gary Biaggi, a request he makes to Laguna Harvey to be a GN-X pilot is denied and while this undoubtedly makes him angry, the string of killings he commits thereafter would have been avoided if he had been granted his request. It's by no means a justifiable excuse but it's the way Ali works and he never strays from this twisted logic. On the opposite end of this logic, he expresses hollow sympathy for the Trinities before he kills two of them, because they are simply cogs in the machine.
Ali is not outwardly hostile unless provoked but is brutish and unyielding with regard to his motivations. He will unashamedly speak his opinions and will aggressively dominate a conversation to seize whatever it is he wants out of it. Because of his brash way of behaving, he has conflicts with most that he meets. Insulting people at will is nothing to him and an argument can easily lead to a physical altercation. Men and women receive similar treatment, but occasional lecherous commentary is reserved for the women. He shows insight into the situation around him, be it economical strife or widespread prejudice, but generally appears to have little opinion of his own other than a tendency to berate weaker forces and will halfheartedly throw out insensitive remarks to provoke others. All in all, Ali is aggressive in all forms of interaction, and quick to start a fight. There is little he is personally invested in besides himself.
Though he tends to act wildly, Ali is not incapable of keeping himself in check, but he does so when it suits his needs because it appears to be irritating and tiring for him to keep up a "nice" act. In the case that he needs to front, he's capable of posing as friendly, kind, and even competent but it is not an act that can withstand much pressure. As with his Gary Biaggi cover, for example, he successfully deceives the AEU members he interacts with for the sake of retaining equipment and participating in battle. However, the act can, at times, appear rather mocking and behind others' backs, he displays anger that eventually culminates into acting against orders. With this, it's clear that Ali cannot and will not keep up an act long before he's back to his old ways. And as for those ways, he remains extremely self-centered and a tad more reasonably egotistical. Other people have little value to him. Of interest to him are only those he uses to get paid, those that can serve as entertainment, and those that he can consider rivals worthy of fighting. For the most part, he's a loner who works best on his own because he's so hard to deal with, and throughout the series and presumably his entire life, he establishes no real emotional bonds.
To sum it up, Ali al-Saachez is exactly what he claims to be: a warmonger. He lives and, eventually, dies seeking out war as the source of his livelihood. For the terrible crimes he has committed without remorse he offers no justification, fully embracing his reprehensible desires and the image that comes with it.
Abilities/Powers: No supernatural abilities. As he has a long history with work as a mercenary, guerrilla fighter and mobile suit pilot, Ali is highly versed in many different types of combat. While he is considered most lethal in close quarters or hand-to-hand combat, he is also capable in long range combat, weaponry, and so on. The actual origin of his various forms of combat mastery is not spoken of in canon, so it's hard to say what sort of style one could attribute his fighting to, but it's logical to assume that he's experienced in many types because of his background, so they likely blend together. He is more than decently competent with the weapon-related technology of his era (23rd century), but this does not follow on a strictly mechanical basis or in many fields beyond weaponry.
Items/Weapons: A handgun (similar to a Desert Eagle in model, but slightly more advanced in terms of accuracy/recoil à la 23rd century technology), spare ammo and a half-full flask of araq.
Sample Entry: Here!
Sample Entry Two: It doesn't hurt anymore, where his burn scars have healed, gnarly patterns of disfigured flesh in their wake. Ali peels off the bandages bit by bit, looking at something more normal for the first time since Dynames had shot him down. He doesn't know why this change in scenery has restored his body to this state. The hospital staff he'd been treated by at the grace of the UN had assured him that a full recovery would take many months, and though he'd relented that he would take half that time, even the dull buzz of the liquor he snuck in wasn't enough to make such quick progress overnight.
He stretches and flexes the muscles of his arms from the bottom bunk of the apartment he'd arrived in, the discarded bandages forming a pile at his feet. This place is ugly, dirty, worn like the base camps he'd hidden out in during the war in Krugis. But there are things here—there are personal items, clothing, things like that, all scattered about. The cellphone he'd discovered also had a list of faces without names. In short, there were other people here and the ones that lived here would definitely show up soon, which means that he doesn't need to glean an explanation from a stranger in desperation right off the bat. Something will come of the lived-in look of this apartment, and in the meantime, he'll figure out what he can on his own.
The healed injuries are a bonus, a means for him to go exploring what's outside. With a gun that he'd procured in Moralia provided for him here, he doesn't sense that he'll struggle to get by, but that's only a feeling. With battle experience heavy on his back, he's instilled with confidence that persists against the dreary living space and what he discovers to be a city in disrepair. Keeping his weapon handy, he smiles without inhibition into the dark of a crumbling stairwell. Slight noises keep him on the alert.
"Hello? Anybody there?" His voice is disarmingly cheerful. As he makes his way up the stairs, he's eager to discover what might be waiting for him on the floor above.