The ORB-01 Akatsuki Gundam, popularly known as the Akatsuki, is a mobile suit that appears in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. Cagalli Yula Athha piloted it at first with the "Oowashi" Sky Pack, but Mu La Flaga later took over with the "Shiranui" Space Pack.
The Akatsuki Gundam was created by Orb engineers who combined their knowledge gained from analyzing the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam and its Striker Pack system with advanced Orb prototype technology. Its standard weapons include twin beam sabers, a head-mounted CIWS, an arm-mounted shield, and a beam rifle. The Gundam's main distinguishing characteristic is its gold-colored Yata-no-Kagami armor. This reflective armor can deflect and reflect beam strikes, making the suit almost resistant to beam fire. Despite this, the Akatsuki is still weak to melee and physical weapons, necessitating the use of a shield.
The Akatsuki has two extra backpacks that can be used to improve its combat skills. On Earth, it employs the "Oowashi" Sky Pack, which provides atmospheric flight and is outfitted with two beam cannons. This pack may separate and morph into a support aircraft, much as the ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam Fatum-00. With this pack, the suit is dubbed the Oowashi Akatsuki Gundam. In space, the "Shiranui" Space Pack improves the suit's mobility and incorporates seven remote-controlled beam turrets with offensive and defensive capabilities. With this pack, the suit is known as the Shiranui Akatsuki Gundam.
The Akatsuki Gundam, like the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam, may mount Striker Packs.
"Oowashi" Sky Pack
The Oowashi Sky Pack is an extra backpack device for atmospheric flight that attaches to the back of the Akatsuki. It has four jet engines and two rocket boosters to enable subsonic flight. The Oowashi may detach and morph into an unmanned aircraft to assist the Akatsuki, either operating autonomously with its AI system or being controlled remotely by the pilot.
"Shiranui" Space Pack
The Shiranui Space Pack, designed for space combat, increases the suit's mobility with more thrusters and incorporates the DRAGOON system, which features seven M531R guided mobile beam turret weapons. These remote weapons offer improved firepower and defensive capabilities.
Operating System
Kira Yamato created a customized version of the General Unilateral Neuro-link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver Operating System for the "GAT-X" series, which the Akatsuki utilizes. This technique allows Natural pilots to effectively operate mobile suits, making them competitive with Coordinator pilots.
"Yata-no-Kagami" is an anti-beam defensive reflection system
The Akatsuki's gold armor, composed of nano-scale beam-diffracting lattice layers and ultra-fine plasma suppression layers, deflects beam fire and can redirect it back at adversaries via the suit's sensors. It can deflect Positron Blaster Cannon blasts and pass through specialized beam shields or reflectors. However, it provides little protection against melee strikes and is very expensive to manufacture and maintain.
Zeus Silhouette
Originally built for the ZGMF/A-42S2 Destiny Gundam Spec II, this heavy equipment set contains a massive linear cannon system, a backpack sensor assembly with missile launchers, increased chest armor, and large leg booster units. When not equipped, the Zeus Silhouette's components can combine to create an autonomous support flyer.
GunPla availability
Since its debut in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, the Akatsuki Gundam has seen several GunPla releases. The lineup includes the HG 1/144 Akatsuki Gundam (Oowashi Pack), produced in 2006, and the HG 1/144 Akatsuki Gundam (Shiranui Pack). For 1/100 scale collectors, a non-grade 1/100 Akatsuki Gundam (Oowashi/Shiranui pack set) was also released.
To commemorate its appearance in the hit film Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, Bandai Spirits has added the Akatsuki Gundam to the Real Grade GunPla lineup.
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