History FanFic / GundamSeedDestinyAltered

* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler:Lacus is shot dead by a sniper early into the story. Kojiro Murdoch, the chief mechanic onboard the ''Archangel'', is also killed in the ship's destruction. Averted with Kira; while he does not recover from Shinn destroying the Freedom, he survives, yet is crippled for life.]] Finally, [[spoiler:Shams Couza suffers [[CruelAndUnusualDeath a horrifying death]] at the hands of a pack of Kerberos [=BuCUEs=] that maul him to death inside his mobile suit. That death was originally suffered by his teammate Mudie Holcroft in Stargazer. This encounter also takes place much earlier in the story's continuity than it did in their original series.]]

** [[spoiler:Heine Westenfluss is badly injured in his GOUF Ignited's destruction, but survives]].
** [[spoiler:Colonel Todaka and his ship both survive the encounter with the ''Minerva'' off the coast of Crete, which saw the ''Takemikazuchi'' destroyed and Todaka killed in the series. He goes on to play a part in the final battle]]
** [[spoiler:None of the events that led to Meer's death in the series take place in this version, so she survives, and in fact plays a significant part in the events that lead to Durendal's defeat]]
** [[spoiler:Mudie Holcroft is spared the horrifying death she suffered in Stargazer. As mentioned above, Shams suffers this fate instead.]]
** [[spoiler:Stella Loussier is near-fatally injured in the Destroy's destruction, but is immediately rescued by Shinn and, after three months of constant medical treatment, makes a full recovery - unlike in the series, in which she died in Shinn's arms.]]

** Meyrin Hawke, Lunamaria's sister, also makes no appearance, except for an extremely brief cameo in the background during the final scene of the prologue chapter. WordOfGod states she is stationed at the PLANT homeland, so she plays no part outside of this one cameo. Abigail Windsor, who replaced Meyrin following the latter's desertion in the series, is instead onboard the ''Minerva from the beginning.

** Lukas simultaneously replaces Sting Oakley, who likewise does not appear, as pilot of the Chaos.

* BattleCouple: Shinn and [[spoiler:Stella after her HighHeelFaceTurn]]. Also [[spoiler: Athrun and Cagalli, during the FinalBattle]].

** Sven Cal Bayan and Mudie Holcroft, even more notable for doing so in [[{{Mooks}} mook]] [[CannonFodder suits]] for much of the story. Mudie is especially notable, as she lives past the encounter where, in canon, [[spoiler:she suffered [[CruelAndUnusualDeath a horrifying death]] at the hands of a pack of Kerberos [=BuCUEs=] that mauled her to death inside her Blu Duel Gundam. That death is instead suffered by Shams Couza]].

* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler:Lacus is shot dead by a sniper early into the story. Kojiro Murdoch, the chief mechanic onboard the ''Archangel'', is also killed in the ship's destruction. Averted with Kira; while he does not recover from Shinn destroying the Freedom, he survives, yet is crippled for life.]]

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Several examples. Excluding the prologue, notable ones are [[spoiler:Heine Westenfluss, Colonel Todaka, Meer Campbell, and Stella Loussier]].

** Talia Gladys is completely absent from the story, being excluded in favor of Yzak Joule being the captain of the ''Minerva''.
** Meyrin Hawke, Lunamaria's sister, also makes no appearance, except for an extremely brief cameo in the background during the final scene of the prologue chapter. WordOfGod states she is stationed at the PLANT homeland, so she plays no part outside of this one cameo.
** Sting Oakley is not with Auel Neider and Stella Loussier, being replaced as pilot of the Chaos Gundam by Lukas O'Donnell.
** Lukas O'Donnell also replaces Neo Roanoke, the brainwashed personality of Mu La Flaga, since Mu was KilledOffForReal.

* CaptainErsatz: Of a sort. Lukas O'Donnell replaces the character of Neo Roanoke from the series, and largely fills the same role for the most part. As a result, the entire plot of [[spoiler:Neo being a brainwashed Mu La Flaga is cut, and Mu is still dead]]. He also replaces Sting Oakley as pilot of the Chaos Gundam.
** Abigail Windsor also counts in the same way. Rather than a replacement for Meyrin after the latter deserts, Abigail is onboard the ''Minerva'' from the beginning, and Meyrin does not appear at all except for a very brief cameo in a single scene of the first chapter.
** Similarly, Yzak replaces Captain Talia Gladys and takes on her role in the story as commanding officer of the ''Minerva''. This erases her plotline and her connection to Gilbert Durendal.

** Meyrin Hawke, Lunamaria's sister, also makes no appearance, except for an extremely brief cameo in the background during the final scene of the prologue chapter. It can be assumed that [[DroppedABridgeOnHim something either happened to her]] or [[PutOnABus she was simply elsewhere during the story]].

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: This seems to very much be Shinn's thing. For instance, [[spoiler: he kills Auel Neider this, giving him a beam javelin to the gut, just like in the series. Also, the Freedom, by the Storm Impulse]]. Also used occasionally against enemy mooks too. In the final battle, he defeats and kills [[spoiler:Rey in this manner by impaling the Legend's torso]].

* BerserkButton: It is highly recommended not to appear like you are even remotely contemplating the thought of harming anyone Shinn Asuka happens to be particularly close to. Very bad things will happen to you if you do.

* CannonFodder: Any mass-produced mobile suit not piloted by a named character is this, for the most part.

* BigDamnKiss: Shinn and [[spoiler:Stella get theirs when they are reunited shortly prior to the attack on Heaven's Base.]]

*** The semi-original Knight Saviour, which as an upgraded Saviour Gundam, combines this with elements of the Infinite Justice (which it replaces).

** Shinn also finds himself once on the receiving end courtesy of Yzak, following a particularly insubordinate comment after [[spoiler: Shinn returns Stella to the Alliance, and tells Yzak - his ''commanding officer'' - that as far as he's concerned, he's no better than the Alliance]]

** Impulse vs. Freedom during Operation Angel Down, as in the series; especially notable because [[spoiler:the Impulse is inferior in almost every respect to the Freedom, yet the latter is on the receiving end.]]

* DemotedToExtra: Rey Za Burrel. While he initially remains present as part of the supporting cast and is still someone Shinn is very close to, his role is severely reduced compared to his canon counterpart by way of [[spoiler: [[PutOnABus putting him on a bus]], though [[TheBusCameBack he returns]] just in time to be KilledOffForReal in the final battle]].

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Unato Ema Seiran is crushed by a falling mobile suit - which was Yuna's fate in the series]].
* DyingDeclarationofLove: Seems to be played heart-wrenchingly straight [[spoiler: with Stella, when she confesses her love to Shinn as she goes out following the Destroy's defeat]]. The next chapter actually subverts it, since [[spoiler:she is immediately revealed to be NotQuiteDead, and ultimately survives.]]

** A more subtle one occurs much earlier when Shinn is able to identify a vulnerability in the enemy mobile armor's Positron Reflector, which he exploits to disable it. Athrun later replicates the same move.

* EvilIsHammy: Jibril, Yuna Roma Seiran.

* {{Expy}}: The entire New Millennium mobile suit line is both this and a ShoutOut to [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam the Zeon mobile suits of the original Gundam]], right down to using the same names.

* HighHeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Stella, the only female Phantom Pain pilot, who defects to ZAFT to be with Shinn. Doubles as DefectingForLove]]

* HurtingHero: Shinn occasionally shows shades of this. He is haunted by having witnessed the particularly gruesome death of his family as a result of a shot from the Freedom Gundam during the evacuation of Orb. [[spoiler:Then there's the apparent death of Rey, and he suffers severe injuries from first Heine, then Athrun. And Stella's near-death at Hamburg]] only serve to make things worse. Later on, he is shown on one occasion to be suffering from violent nightmares brought on by the things he has seen and done over the course of the war.
* ILetGwenStacyDie: All over the place. Kira [[spoiler:(who fails to save Lacus getting shot by a sniper, and is still likely hurting over the death of Flay Allster)]] and Shinn [[spoiler:(who ''almost'' loses Stella this way)]] are the main examples, and this is in fact one of the things that drive the actions of both throughout the story.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: This seems to very much be Shinn's thing. For instance, [[spoiler: he kills Auel Neider, who takes a beam javelin to the gut, just like in the series. Also, the Freedom, by the Storm Impulse]]. Also used occasionally against enemy mooks too. In the final battle, he defeats and kills [[spoiler:Rey in this manner by impaling the Legend's torso]].

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Lacus Clyne, who is killed in her second appearance with a [[{{NoKillLikeOverkill}} 12.7x99mm rifle round]] ]]. Also [[spoiler: Rey]], and most of the villains.

** Used to absolutely ''devastating'' effect by Yzak very early in Operation Angel Down: [[spoiler: He predicts that the ''Archangel'' will evade his attack by rolling to the side, and when it does, he unleashes every single one of the ''Minerva's'' port-side missile launchers as well as most of its top-mounted cannons. The ''Minerva'' succeeds in hammering at the same spot on the relatively vulnerable underside of the ''Archangel'''s hull over and over as it passes, dealing it a crippling blow.]]
* MassOhCrap: Pretty much the whole cast's reaction when the Destroy Gundam first appears. And again when [[spoiler:Requiem is fired (both times). And again when Meer publicly reveals that she is an impostor on a ''worldwide'' broadcast]].

** The Akatsuki, to the [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Hyaku Shiki]].

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Kira, as pointed out by [[spoiler: both Cagalli and Athrun; his abduction of Cagalli is what allowed the Seirans to extend their influence and send the Orb Fleet to aid the Atlantic Federation]].

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Stella, who is critically injured but survives the Destroy's destruction]]. Later revealed to have been the case for [[spoiler: both Rey and Kira as mentioned above. Lukas O'Donnell also does this, only to be KilledOffForReal in his next combat sortie a couple of chapters later]].

* OmniscientMoralityLicense: Kira and the ''Archangel'', like canon believe this... [[spoiler: before Cagalli rips them a new one when she's abducted. Athrun later calls Kira out on their actions as well]].

* TheReveal: A couple of minor ones [[spoiler: concerning first Athrun, then Meer learning about Lacus's assassination]]. More major ones occur [[spoiler: when Durendal is revealed to be the BigBad, and almost immediately afterwards when he is deposed in a bloodless coup and exposed as a ManipulativeBastard to the entire world.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Shinn during Operation Angel Down, which results in [[spoiler: the destruction of the Freedom and apparent death of its pilot]].

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Several examples. Excluding the prologue, notable ones are [[spoiler: Heine Westenfluss, Colonel Todaka, Meer Campbell, and Stella Loussier]].
* StarCrossedLovers: [[spoiler:Shinn and Stella, who are on opposite sides of the war... at least initially. After she nearly dies, they do get their happy ending though.]]

* SuperMode: SEED mode, the ill-explained ability of certain characters to suddenly turn their abilities up to eleven, which usually (but not always) immediately precedes a severe beatdown. There appears to be two methods this ability activates:

** TranquilFury: Kira and Athrun. In the last third or so of the story, Shinn as well - best exemplified by his reaction to [[spoiler: the destruction of Stella's Storm Impulse (she escapes unharmed in the Core Splendor)]]. Instead of flying into a rage, he instead delivers a perfectly calm PreAssKickingOneLiner before proceeding to brutally and completely curb-stomp the one responsible.

** The Blast Impulse's Kerberos beam cannons (and the Destiny's related Megálos Kerberos) and the Gunner ZAKU's Orthros are named after the Greek mytholical three-headed hellhound and its two-headed sibling.

* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: Mentioned in Phase 23 as Shinn ponders how he feels after [[spoiler: defeating the Freedom]].

* AlasPoorVillain: Played with in the case [[spoiler:Stella Loussier -- see DyingDeclarationOfLove, below]].

* AnyoneCanDie: Quite brutally invoked: unlike the original series, [[spoiler:Lacus Clyne is actually killed by a sniper]]. It also appears to be the case with [[spoiler:Kira and Stella, but both subvert it; Kira survives the destruction of the Freedom, but is left permanently crippled. Stella survives the Destroy's destruction despite near-fatal injuries, and makes a full recovery]]. And then there's [[spoiler: Rey Za Burrel, who initially is also a subversion in that while this appears to be the case when he is supposedly killed by the Freedom, he survives despite near-fatal injuries.]]. The final battle plays it straight, as [[spoiler: he is killed by Shinn.]]

** Lunamaria Hawke, when she finally gets the chance to pilot Mobile Suits alongside her idol Athrun.
** Meer Campbell, a NaiveEverygirl and self-confessed Lacus fangirl, actually gets to [[{{BodyDouble}} be her idol.]]

** Durendal, as in the series, constantly wears a particularly snazzy white-and-black one.

** Sven Cal Bayan and Mudie Holcroft, even more notable for doing so in [[{{Mooks}} mook]] [[CannonFodder suits]] for much of the story. Mudie is especially notable, as she lives past the encounter where, in canon, [[spoiler:she suffered a horrifying death at the hands of a pack of Kerberos [=BuCUEs=] that mauled her to death inside her Blu Duel Gundam. That death is instead suffered by Shams Couza]].
* BattleCouple: Shinn and [[spoiler:Stella after her HighHeelFaceTurn]]. Also [[spoiler: Athrun and Cagalli, during the final battle]].
* BecomingTheMask: Deliberately, completely averted with [[spoiler: Meer. Not only is she perfectly candid in her first private conversation with Athrun about the duplicity of her act, but at no point does she ever claim to ''be'' Lacus Clyne. On the contrary, near the end of the story she ''very'' publicly reveals that she is in fact ''not,'' as well as the fact that the true Lacus Clyne is long since dead]].

* BigDamnKiss: Shinn and [[spoiler: Stella get theirs when they are reunited shortly prior to the attack on Heaven's Base.]]
* BladeOnAStick: Three examples - the Abyss has a beam lance, which has both a physical and a beam blade; the Falx long-handled dual beam axe used by Yzak while piloting the ZAKU Warrior and DOM Trooper: and the Blast Impulse’s beam javelins
* BodyDouble: Meer Campbell, for Lacus Clyne.

* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:Unlike in the series, Yuna Roma Seiran is killed this way when a furious Cagalli puts a bullet in his head at point-blank range - an impulsive act which she immediately regrets. The sniper who kills Lacus is also killed in this fashion shortly afterwards]].

** Similarly, Yzak replaces Captain Gladys and takes on her role in the story as commanding officer of the ''Minerva''. This erases her plotline and her connection to Gilbert Durendal.

*** ''Altered'''s version of [[spoiler:[[https://gsdestinyaltered.fandom.com/wiki/ZGMF-X66R_Legend_Gundam Legend Gundam]]]] is essentially a mix between its canon counterpart ([[spoiler:itself a refined version of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Providence Gundam]]]]) and Strike Freedom, and the canon Shiranui Akatsuki (the latter two are entirely absent from this version).

* CoolShip: Several. To whit, the ''Archangel''[[spoiler:, until its destruction]]; The ''Minerva''; The Izumo-class, of which there are a total of four; and the Niranjan-class, which can ''[[InvisibilityCloak turn invisible]]''. There are two of these, one of which is commanded by [[spoiler: Natarle Badgiruel]]. The ''Eternal'' doesn't appear much, but it also counts.

** Impulse vs. Freedom during Operation Angel Down, as in the series; especially notable because [[spoiler: the Impulse is inferior in almost every respect to the Freedom, yet the latter is on the receiving end.]]

* MassOhCrap: Pretty much the whole cast's reaction when the Destroy Gundam first appears. And again when [[spoiler:Requiem is fired(both times). And again when Meer publicly reveals that she is an impostor on a ''worldwide'' broadcast]].

** Heine Westenfluss, to [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Ramba Ral]]; Heine pilots a Gouf, and even reuses Ramba Ral's classic line about his machine being "NO ZAKU!" Ironically, Yzak's GOUF Ignited is the one that is in the original's blue colors, while Heine's is bright, two-tone orange. The mass-produced model, meanwhile, is in dull-brown colors inspired by the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam Gouf Flight Type]].

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Unlike in the series, [[spoiler:Natarle Badgiruel and Juri Wu Nien]] both survive.
* VillainousBreakdown: Muruta Azrael, just as in the series, [[spoiler:except he doesn't live long enough to FaceDeathWithDespair when the Archangel blasts the Dominion]].

* AlasPoorVillain: Played with in the case [[spoiler:Stella Loussier - see DyingDeclarationOfLove, below]].

* ArrangedMarriage: Yuna Roma Seiran and Cagalli Yula Athha -- discussed in the story, but does not ever actually take place.

** Sven Cal Bayan and Mudie Holcroft, even more notable for doing so in [[{{Mooks}} mook]] [[CannonFodder suits]] for much of the story.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: Unato Ema Seiran is crushed by a falling mobile suit - which was Yuna's fate in the series]].

* ILetGwenStacyDie: All over the place. Kira [[spoiler:(who fails to save Lacus getting shot by a sniper)]] and Shinn [[spoiler:(who ''almost'' loses Stella this way)]] are the main examples, and this is in fact one of the things that drive the actions of both throughout the story.

* MythologyGag: Numerous

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: The BigBad, [[spoiler:Gilbert Durendal, for getting Kira to come out of retirement by assassinating his girlfriend... except... [[SubvertedTrope not really]], as Shinn takes Kira out in the Impulse vs. Freedom fight, destroying the Freedom and rendering him out of action for life.]]

* SayMyName: A few examples, including: Athrun, when [[spoiler: Kira is apparently killed by Shinn]]. Also, [[spoiler: Kira, when Lacus is assassinated]].

* StarCrossedLovers: [[spoiler:Shinn and Stella, who are on opposite sides of the war...at least initially. After she nearly dies, they do get their happy ending though.]]

* SuperMode: SEED mode, the ill-explained ability of certain characters to suddenly turn their abilities up to eleven, which usually(but not always) immediately precedes a severe beatdown. There appears to be two methods this ability activates:

** Meyrin Hawke, Lunamaria's sister, also makes no appearance except for an extremely brief cameo in the background during the final scene of the prologue chapter.

* CaptainErsatz: Of a sort. Lukas O'Donnell, who replaces the character of Neo Roanoke from the series, and largely fills the same role for the most part. As a result, the entire plot of [[spoiler:Neo being a brainwashed Mu La Flaga is cut, and Mu is still dead.]]

** Similarly, Yzak replaces Captain Gladys and takes on her role in the story as commanding officer of the ''Minerva''.

* LandSeaSky: The aerial-combat Chaos, amphibious Abyss, and ground-combat Gaia, in the first part of the story. One is part Mobile Armor, the other two are transformable Mobile Suits each with appropriate MeaningfulName.

* HurtingHero: Shinn occasionally shows shades of this. He is haunted by having witnessed the particularly gruesome death of his family as a result of a shot from the Freedom during the evacuation of Orb. [[spoiler:Then there's the apparent death of Rey, and he suffers severe injuries from first Heine, then Athrun. And Stella's near-death at Hamburg]] only serve to make things worse. Later on, he is shown on one occasion to be suffering from violent nightmares brought on by the things he has seen and done over the course of the war.

* HurtingHero: Shinn occasionally shows shades of this. He is haunted by having witnessed the particularly gruesome death of his family as a result of a shot from the Freedom and Calamity Gundams during the evacuation of Orb. [[spoiler:Then there's the apparent death of Rey, and he suffers severe injuries from first Heine, then Athrun. And Stella's near-death at Hamburg]] only serve to make things worse. Later on, he is shown on one occasion to be suffering from violent nightmares brought on by the things he has seen and done over the course of the war.

*** ''Altered'''s version of [[spoiler:[[https://gsdestinyaltered.fandom.com/wiki/ZGMF-X66R_Legend_Gundam Legend Gundam]]]] is essentially a mix between its canon counterpart ([[spoiler:itself a refined version of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Providence Gundam]]]]) and Strike Freedom, and the canon Shiranui Akatsuki(the latter two are entirely absent from this version).

* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler:Lacus is shot dead by a sniper early into the story. Kojiro Murdoch, the chief mechanic onboard the ''Archangel'', is also killed in the ship's destruction.]]

* DefusingTheTykeBomb: Shinn tries this with Stella on a couple of occasions, the first occurring after he inadvertently used her Block Word shortly after saving her life. The last is during the battle against the Destroy, and he would have succeeded if not for the Freedom. Stella is later [[spoiler:permanently defused by Dr. Kinney, who judging from her treatment of Stella throughout the story, saw the Extendeds more as the children they were rather than the weapons they were meant to be. DefectingForLove / HighHeelFaceTurn ensues soon afterwards]].
* DemotedToExtra: Rey. While he initially remains present as part of the supporting cast and is still someone Shinn is very close to, his role is severely reduced compared to his canon counterpart by way of [[spoiler: [[PutOnABus putting him on a bus]], though [[TheBusCameBack he returns]] just in time to be KilledOffForReal in the final battle]].

* DyingDeclarationofLove: Seems to be played heart-wrenchingly straight [[spoiler: with Stella, when she confesses her love to Shinn as she goes out following the Destroy's defeat.]]. The next chapter actually subverts it, since [[spoiler:she is immediately revealed to be NotQuiteDead, and ultimately survives.]]

* EurekaMoment: Yzak, when [[spoiler: he discovers close-range beam weapons e.g. Beam Sabers, Beam Axes can cut through a Positron Reflector Shield.]]

* FantasticRacism: The Atlantic Federation, of course, and BigBad Jibril and his cohorts. Mudie(of the Eurasian Federation) also counts initially.

* HurtingHero: Shinn occasionally shows shades of this. He is haunted by having witnessed the particularly gruesome death of his family as a result of a shot from the Freedom during the evacuation of Orb, and [[spoiler: the apparent death of Rey, severe injuries suffered by first Heine, then Athrun, and Stella's near-death at Hamburg]] only serve to make things worse. Later on, he is shown on one occasion to be suffering from violent nightmares brought on by the things he has seen and done over the course of the war.
* ILetGwenStacyDie: All over the place. Kira and Shinn are the main examples, and this is in fact one of the things that drive the actions of both throughout the story.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: This seems to very much be Shinn's thing. For instance, [[spoiler: he kills Auel Neider, who takes a beam javelin to the gut, just like in the series. Also, the Freedom, by the Storm Impulse.]] Also used occasionally against enemy mooks too. In the final battle, he defeats and kills [[spoiler: Rey in this manner by impaling the Legend's torso]].

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Lacus Clyne, who is killed in her second appearance with a [[{{NoKillLikeOverkill}} 12.7x99mm rifle round]] ]]. Also [[spoiler: Rey]], and most of the villains.

** Averted with [[spoiler: Stella. Though Kira attempts to kill her to stop the Destroy's rampage]], he is prevented from delivering the finishing blow by [[spoiler: Shinn. Despite extremely severe injuries, Stella ultimately survives]].
* LandSeaSky: The aerial-combat Chaos, amphibious Abyss, and ground-combat Gaia, in the first part of the story. One is a mobile armor, the other two are transformable mobile suits each with appropriate MeaningfulName.

** Used to absolutely ''devastating'' effect by Yzak very early in Operation Angel Down: [[spoiler: He predicts that the ''Archangel'' will evade his attack by rolling to the side, and when it does unleashes every single one of the ''Minerva's'' port-side missile launchers as well as most of its top-mounted cannons, hammering at the same spot on the relatively vulnerable underside of the ''Archangel'''s hull over and over as it passes and dealing it a crippling blow.]]

** Heine Westenfluss, to [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Ramba Ral]]; Heine pilots a Gouf, and even reuses Ramba Ral's classic line about his machine being NO ZAKU! Ironically, Yzak's GOUF Ignited is the one that is in the original's blue colors, while Heine's is bright, two-tone orange. The mass-produced model, meanwhile, is in dull-brown colors inspired by the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam Gouf Flight Type]].

** A case could probably be made for Shinn, as well; [[spoiler: his decision to return Stella to the Alliance immediately led to her being made the Destroy's pilot and sent on a rampage that cost millions of lives]].
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: The Big Bad, [[spoiler:Gilbert Durendal, for getting Kira to come out of retirement by assassinating his girlfriend.]] Nice Job.

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Stella, who is critically injured but survives the Destroy's destruction]]. Later revealed to have been the case for [[spoiler: both Rey and Kira as mentioned above. Lukas O'Donnell also does this, only to be Killed Off for Real in his next combat sortie a couple of chapters later]].

* OmniscientMoralityLicense: Kira and the ''Archangel'', like canon believe this, [[spoiler: before Cagalli rips them a new one when she's abducted. Athrun later calls Kira out on their actions as well.]]

* StarCrossedLovers: [[spoiler: Shinn and Stella, who are on opposite sides of the war...at least initially. After she nearly dies, they do get their happy ending though.]]

** A thematically similar non-sword example: The Blu Duel's "Gáe Bulg" linear bazooka is named after the spear of Gaelic mythological hero Cú Chulainn

* TransformingMecha: Several: the Saviour Gundams, the Gaia, Abyss, and Murasame.

** Meyrin Hawke, Lunamaria's sister, also makes no appearance.

* OneManArmy: Anyone piloting a Destroy - mostly. Also, Kira in the Freedom; Athrun and Shinn, especially after their MidSeasonUpgrade. [[spoiler: Rey, in the couple of times he sorties in the Legend, counts as well]]

* AdaptedOut: Talia Gladys is completely absent from the story, being excluded in favor of Yzak Joule being the captain of the ''Minerva''.

* CaptainErsatz: of a sort - Lukas O'Donnell, who replaces the character of Neo Roanoke from the series, and largely fills the same role for the most part. As a result, the entire plot of [[spoiler: Neo being a brainwashed Mwu La Flaga is cut, and Mwu is still dead.]]

* AlasPoorVillain: Played with in the case [[spoiler:Stella Loussier - see DyingDeclarationofLove, below]].

* ''Gundam Seed: Destiny Altered'', the story itself, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: It essentially takes the basic plot line of the work it is based on and alters it, shifting the time line approximately a year and a half forward, and then going on to make a series of changes intended to address what the author perceived as flaws in ''Gundam Seed Destiny''.

* HeroicSacrifice: Played straight with [[spoiler:Mwu La Flaga, as in the series.]] Averted with [[spoiler:Natarle.]]
* KilledOffForReal: As in the series: [[spoiler:Muruta Azrael, Asagi Caldwell and Mayura Labatt, as well as Mwu La Flaga.]]

* VillainousBreakdown: Muruta Azrael, just as in the series.

* TheAce / AcePilot: Most of the main cast, but Shinn Asuka and Athrun Zala are the most notable. Yzak manages to simultaneously be both this and TheCaptain.
%%* AffablyEvil: Gilbert Durendal
* AlasPoorVillain: Played with in the case [[spoiler:Stella Loussier - see DyingDeclarationofLove, below]]

* AnyoneCanDie: Quite brutally invoked: unlike the original series, [[spoiler: Lacus is actually killed by a sniper]]. It also appears to be the case with [[spoiler:Kira and Stella, but both subvert it; Kira survives the destruction of the Freedom, but is left permanently crippled. Stella survives the Destroy's destruction despite near-fatal injuries, and makes a full recovery.]]And then there's [[spoiler: Rey, who initially is also a subversion in that while this appears to be the case when he is supposedly killed by the Freedom, he survives despite near-fatal injuries.]]. The final battle plays it straight, as [[spoiler: he is killed by Shinn.]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Yuna and Cagalli - discussed in the story, but does not ever actually take place.

** Lukas O'Donnell, a Natural who is capable of holding his own against Coordinators
** Sven Cal Bayan and Mudie Holcroft, even more notable for doing so in [[{{CannonFodder}} mook suits]] for much of the story.

* BecomingTheMask: Deliberately, completely averted with [[spoiler: Meer. Not only is she perfectly candid in her first private conversation with Athrun about the duplicity of her act, but at no point does she ever claim to BE Lacus Clyne. On the contrary, near the end of the story she VERY publicly reveals that she is in fact NOT, as well as the fact that the true Lacus Clyne is long since dead]].

** Heine Westenfluss; off the battlefield, he's just about the nicest, most mellow guy you could ever want to run into. In combat…well, let's just say he's a member of FAITH for a reason.

* {{BFG}}: Several examples, including the Gunner ZAKU, as well as nearly every unit listed under Beam Spam directly above.
* {{BFS}}: Mudie's Sabre Dagger, from her introductory chapter. The Sword Impulse has two which can be combined at the pommel. The Storm Impulse and Strike Noir also each have two slightly smaller ones. The Destiny has a pair as well that are improved versions of the Sword Impulse's, and retain the ability to combine.
* BigBadEnsemble: Durendal and Jibril are on opposite sides of the war, utterly hate each other, and both need to die in order for the story to end well. Which of the two is worse is arguable.

%%* BrokenBird: Stella Loussier, SO much. Shinn is a male example.

* TheCaptain: Several characters throughout the story. Most worthy of mention are Yzak, Natarle, Colonel Todaka, and OriginalCharacter Bernard Mc Caffrey.

*** The semi-original Knight Saviour, which as an upgraded Saviour Gundam, combines this with elements of the Infinite Justice(which it replaces).

* CoolShip: Several. To whit, The ''Archangel''[[spoiler:, until its destruction]]; The ''Minerva''; The Izumo-class, of which there are a total of four; and the Niranjan-class, which can ''[[InvisibilityCloak turn invisible]]''. There are two of these, one of which is commanded by [[spoiler: Natarle Badgiruel]]. The ''Eternal'' doesn't appear much, but it also counts.

** The second and final battle between the Freedom and Saviour ends up this, with the Saviour being badly beaten in seconds. It is later implied(and eventually confirmed) that [[spoiler:the Saviour had been sabotaged, which contributed to this.]]
** Impulse v. Freedom during Operation Angel Down, as in the series; especially notable because [[spoiler: the Impulse is inferior in almost every respect to the Freedom, yet the latter is on the receiving end.]]

* CustomUniformOfSexy: Lunamaria, who wears a really short pink miniskirt with her uniform. Nobody seems to comment.

* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler: Lacus. Kojiro Murdoch, the chief mechanic onboard the ''Archangel'', is also killed in the ship's destruction.]]

* DefusingTheTykeBomb: Shinn tries this with Stella on a couple of occasions, the first occurring after he inadvertently used her Block Word shortly after saving her life. The last is during the battle against the Destroy, and he would have succeeded if not for the Freedom. Stella is later [[spoiler: permanently defused by Dr. Kinney, who judging from her treatment of Stella throughout the story, saw the Extendeds more as the children they were rather than the weapons they were meant to be. DefectingForLove / HighHeelFaceTurn ensues soon afterwards]].

* FunWithAcronyms: The story, like the series it's based on, is filled with it: GUNDAM, ZAKU(Bonus points for nested acronyms, as the Z stands for "ZAFT"), GOUF, DOM, as well as DRAGOON, and the mobile weapon designation codes used by all factions(ZGMF, MBF, GAT, TSX, etc...). Also OMNI, PLANT, ZAFT, FAITH, and SEED, of course.
* GreyAndGrayMorality: Throughout; the only truly, unarguably evil character is still Jibril.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Lacus Clyne, who is killed in her second appearance with a [[{{NoKillLikeOverkill}} 12.7x99mm rifle round]] ]] Also [[spoiler: Rey]], and most of the villains.
* KillTheCutie: Averted with [[spoiler: Stella. Though Kira attempts to kill her to stop the Destroy's rampage]], he is prevented from delivering the finishing blow by [[spoiler: Shinn. Despite extremely severe injuries, Stella ultimately survives]]. However [[spoiler:Lacus]] definitely counts.

* MassOhCrap: Pretty much the whole cast's reaction when the Destroy first appears. And again when [[spoiler:Requiem is fired(both times). And again when Meer publicly reveals that she is an impostor on a WORLDWIDE broadcast]].

*** The Destiny also features a single smaller beam blade mounted to its shield called "Beagalltach", or "Little Fury"

** The Impulse, to both the original [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Gundam]] and [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Gundam MkII]].
** The Destiny Gundam, to the [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]], the [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam V2 Gundam]], the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91 Gundam F91]], and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Tallgeese II]]
** The Akatsuki, to the [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Hyaku Shiki]]
** The Destroy, to both the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Big Zam]] and, in the case of the first one, the [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Psyco Gundam]], due to its color scheme and pilot.
** Heine Westenfluss, to [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Ramba Ral]]; Heine pilots a Gouf, and even reuses Ramba Ral's classic line about his machine being NO ZAKU! Ironically, Yzak's GOUF Ignited is the one that is in the original's blue colors, while Heine's is bright, two-tone orange. The mass-produced model, meanwhile, is in dull-brown colors inspired by the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam Gouf Flight Type]]
** Though the two characters are completely different in nearly every aspect, Miriallia Haww's cameo as a freelance photojournalist still references Kai Shiden's similar cameo in [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: The Big Bad, [[spoiler: Durendal, for getting Kira to come out of retirement by assassinating his girlfriend.]] Nice Job.

* OlderAndWiser: The returning Seed cast, and especially Athrun, who acts as a BigBrotherMentor to Shinn, with significant impact on the latter's growth over the course of the story.
* OmniscientMoralityLicense: Kira and the ''Archangel'', like canon believe this, [[spoiler: before Cagalli rips them a new one when she's abducted. Athrun later calls Kira out on their actions as well]]

* OriginalCharacter: Several, a couple of which are also [[{{ShoutOut}} shout-outs]]. Most notable original characters play only a supporting role: Captain Bernard Mac Caffrey, the scientists Martin Rice and Megan Kinney, and President Baum and Vice-President Marshall of the Eurasian Federation are the main ones.

%%* RedEyesTakeWarning: Shinn Asuka.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Several examples. Excluding the prologue, notable ones are [[spoiler: Heine Westenfluss, Colonel Todaka, Meer Campbell, and Stella Loussier]]

* {{Stripperiffic}}: Most of Meer's various outfits and all three entries under Custom Uniform of Sexy, above(especially Mudie's).

** TranquilFury: Kira and Athrun. In the last third or so of the story, Shinn as well - best exemplified by his reaction to [[spoiler: the destruction of Stella's Storm Impulse(she escapes unharmed in the Core Splendor)]]. Instead of flying into a rage, he instead delivers a perfectly calm PreAssKickingOneLiner before proceeding to brutally and completely curb-stomp the one responsible.

* TechnicalPacifist: Kira, who almost exclusively aims for the head and limbs of any mobile suit he attacks. This comes back to bite him in the ass ''hard'' during Operation Angel Down, when Shinn exploits this tendency to his own advantage and soundly defeats the Freedom while piloting the significantly inferior Impulse, destroying it and [[spoiler: leaving Kira permanently crippled]].

*** The Impulse's Excalibur and Caliburn(wielded by the Sword and Storm Impulse respectively), and the GOUF Ignited's Carnwennan are named after weapons wielded by King Arthur - the first two being swords, while Carnwennan was a dagger.
*** The Destiny's Moralltach(Great Fury) and Beagalltach(Little Fury) are named after the swords of Gaelic mythological hero Diarmuid Ua Dhuibne.

** The Blast Impulse's Kerberos beam cannons(and the Destiny's related Megálos Kerberos) and the Gunner ZAKU's Orthros are named after the Greek mytholical three-headed hellhound and its two-headed sibling.

* TykeBomb: The Extendeds, or "Biological CPU": they are put through TrainingFromHell practically from birth in order to create human weapons, and are generally regarded as little more than expendable parts used to control mobile suits. Dr. Kinney and Captain [=McCaffrey=] are exceedingly rare exceptions to the norm, as they actually see them as the children they are rather than as living weapons.
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: Mentioned in Phase 23 as Shinn ponders how he feels after [[spoiler: defeating the Freedom]]
* VillainsNeverLie: [[spoiler:Gilbert Durendal]], with his speeches in the early part of the story

* WeaponsOfMassDestruction: The [[NukeEm nukes]], Requiem, Nibelung, and the Destroy
* WelcomeBackTraitor: Dearka and Athrun. However, both are stripped of their élite status and required to re-enlist (which was the case only for Dearka in the series)

** Kira is called out by Athrun on the fact that his interfering in battles actually makes things worse, resulting in MORE casualties rather than stopping the fighting.

** Abigail Windsor also counts in the same way. Rather than a replacement for Meyrin after the latter deserts, Abigail is onboard the ''Minerva'' from the beginning, and Meyrin does not appear at all.

** Vice-President Brennan Marshall is one to Lieutenant Commander Brian Marshall of ''Characters/GundamSeedDestinyProjectR'', in which the author participated.

* MidSeasonUpgrade: ''Every'' named pilot that's not dead by the middle of the story. Shinn and Yzak each get two.

* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:Unlike in the series, Yuna Roma Seiran is killed this way when a furious Cagalli puts a bullet in his head at point-blank range - an impulsive act which she immediately regrets]].

* AnAxeToGrind: The beam tomahawks used by [=ZAKUs=], as befits their {{Expy}} nature to the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam original]] Zaku and their heat hawks. Also, the long-handled beam axe used by certain pilots.

** Most Original Characters are this, such as [[Comicbook/InnocenceLost Drs. Martin Rice and Megan Kinney]], the two scientists in charge of "maintaining" the Extendeds.

* AffablyEvil: Gilbert Durendal

* BadassArmy: The ZAFT [[spoiler: and Alliance forces when they are fighting at Heaven's Base.]]
* BadassNormal:
** Lukas O'Donnell, a Natural who is capable of holding his own against Coordinators
** Sven Cal Bayan and Mudie Holcroft, even more notable for doing so in [[{{CannonFodder}} mook suits]] for much of the story.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Heine Westenfluss; off the battlefield, he's just about the nicest, most mellow guy you could ever want to run into. In combat…well, let's just say he's a member of FAITH for a reason.
** Stella Loussier also counts. Normally, she's a pretty sweet, naive, slightly ditzy teenage girl. In combat, however, is a different story.

* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler: Unlike in the series, Yuna Roma Seiran is killed this way when a furious Cagalli puts a bullet in his head at point-blank range - an impulsive act which she immediately regrets]].
* BridgeBunnies: Abigail Windsor, most prominently.
* BrokenBird: Stella Loussier, SO much. Shinn is a male example.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: Unato Ema Seiran is crushed by a falling mobile suit - which was Yuna's fate in the series]].

* FourStarBadass: Yzak, hands down.

* KarmaHoudini: During her rampage across Eurasia in the Destroy, Stella levels three cities and kills several million people. This is never brought up following her HeelFaceTurn. Possibly justified because A. she was manipulated into doing so by Lukas, and B. Very few people actually know that she was the pilot.

* PraetorianGuard: FAITH (Fast Acting Integrated Tactical Headquarters), a ZAFT élite Special Forces unit that only answers to Durendal and the Supreme Council - in practice, mostly Durendal.
** The Eurasian Federation has the analogous Blackbird Squadron/501st Autonomous Mobile Corps.

* RedEyesTakeWarning: Shinn Asuka.

* TransformationIsAFreeAction: Subverted occasionally with the Impulse's [[{{MechaExpansionPack}} Silhouette Packs]]. In at least two instances, enemy units attempt to attack the Silhouette Pack while it is en route towards the Impulse, but are prevented from doing so by someone else intervening.