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Bright Noa (ブライト・ノア, Buraito Noa^?) is a fictional character from the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam and the related films. In the anime, he is only mentioned as Earth-born. In the beginning of Mobile Suit Gundam, Bright Noa is just an officer candidate without a commission from the Earth Federation Space Forces, but he takes command as the surviving highest rank of military personnel. Bright's commands include the White Base, the shuttle Temptation, AEUG's Argama and Nahel Argama, and Londo Bell's Ra Cailum.

Gundam Universe[link]

Mobile Suit Gundam[link]

During the One Year War, Bright Noa serves on the White Base as the commanding officer. When Char Aznable attacks the colony, Side 7, all the officers on the White Base are incapacitated, leaving Bright, who is then an ensign, with the highest seniority on the ship, and he assumes command from the wounded Captain Paolo Cassius.

The Federation's major perceived value for the White Base turns out to be the Zeon's obsessive attraction to it. The ship becomes a major decoy in Federation operations. Bright remains captain of the White Base throughout these events in Mobile Suit Gundam, participating in the major operations in The One Year War, including the last stand of Zeon at asteroid A Baoa Qu, where the White Base is destroyed.

Mobile Suit Z Gundam[link]

After the One Year War, Bright, like most of his comrades aboard White Base, was alienated by the High Command of the Earth Federal Space Forces. He was assigned to captain the shuttle spacecraft Temptation, whose primary missions were to escort Federation high-ranking officials, and was even beaten up by Bask Om himself when he objected to a set of orders coming from him.

Bright defected to the Anti Earth Union Group (AEUG) to aid their struggle against the Titans. Considering his veteran experience in mobile-suit warfare as the captain of White Base during the One Year War, AEUG commissioned Bright as captain of the flagship of AEUG space fleet, the assault space carrier Argama.

Bright Noa worked together with his former adversary, Char Aznable, and later they form the core military leadership of AEUG. Several highlights of Bright's tour of duty above Argama are the attack on Federation Headquarters at Jaburo and Kilimanjaro, Operation Maelstrom, and the final three-way battle between the fleet of AEUG, the Titans, and Axis Zeon near the Gryps Two space colony. After the climatic battle at Gryps Two, the AEUG fleet was left crippled, and Bright was the sole experienced military commander within the ranks of AEUG leaders.

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ[link]

He continued to command the Argama during Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. After the Axis Zeon was defeated, AEUG forces were integrated back with the Earth Federation, and Bright was re-instated as an officer of the Earth Federation with the rank of Captain.

Char's Counterattack[link]

He was later made the commanding officer of Londo Bell Task Force, as seen in the movie Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. He was rejoined by his former subordinate Amuro Ray. They played critical roles during the events in Char's Counterattack when they encountered and fought Char Aznable's Neo Zeon rising faction for the last time.

Gundam Unicorn[link]

Bright Noa was mentioned in Gundam Unicorn, and he is still the commanding officer of the Londo Bell corps and is stationed somewhere in a base in Ronan, South America. The OVA mentions him as the commander of the unit stationed at Londenion. Bright made an appearance in the Gundam Unicorn novels, along with his ship the Ra Cailum. Kosugi Naohiro revealed in a Newtype magazine interview that Bright will make an appearance in episode 4 of the OVA. Bright will be voiced by Ken Narita, succeeding the late Hirotaka Suzuoki who died of lung cancer in 2006.

Hathaway's Flash[link]

In the novel Hathaway's Flash which tells the events after Char's Counterattack, Bright Noa ends up in a position that no father should ever be forced into: As an officer of the Earth Federation military, he condemns Hathaway to death after Hathaway's capture as leader of the anti-Federation terrorist group Mafty. Apparently, Bright didn't know who the Mafty leader really was until the time of his execution, when he was completely unable to do anything to stop it; whether this was an unfortunate coincidence or the doing of his fellow commanders, it's not currently known.

This incident triggers Bright's definitive retirement from the military. After witnessing the execution and spending a long time in a heavy depression, Bright finally regains his spirits enough to open a small restaurant with his remaining family, Mirai and Cheimin.

Character[link]

Bright is a loyal and dedicated soldier both in war and peace. He enforces strict military discipline and regulations, yet he never hesitates to make the morally right decision for the better of all, even if he has to disobey orders from his superiors. As the most experienced officer on board the White Base, whose crew consisted mostly of teenagers no older than 17, during the majority of Mobile Suit Gundam, he was often placed in the role of father figure toward the crew. A prime example of ability to maintain discipline and make tough decisions for one's own good is throwing the protagonist Amuro Ray into the brig for insubordination and for going AWOL. He showed his character in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, when he defected to AEUG after he lost hope in the corrupt Earth Federation, and again when he decided to act pre-emptively during the Londo Bell-Neo Zeon encounter in Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. He is considered to be the most experienced field commander in mobile suit warfare, relying on standard and reliably proven tactics rather than acts of bravado. He is often granted top-notch military personnel and equipment under his command, such as Amuro Ray, Char Aznable, and Kamille Bidan, but he has proven himself in that he can serve in unfavorable situations such as in the early part of Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ.

While Bright Noa is not a Newtype, he has had some experiences with the occurrences of "hearing" a request from Amuro Ray at the end of the One Year War, as well as feeling kinship and Amuro-like qualities/feelings within Kamille Bidan, in Zeta Gundam. Bright is one of the most successful field commanders in the U.C. Gundam timeline, as he has led his ships and fleets victorious in the One Year War, the Gryps Conflict, and the first and second Neo Zeon movements.

Bright Noa marries his advisor and best friend, Mirai Yashima, in U.C. 0080, an eventual crew of White Base, and they have two children, Cheimin and Hathaway Noa.

References[link]