The heart of the story is the tragic fallout between two childhood best friends forced onto opposite sides of the war:
The narrative centers on a brutal war between two subspecies of humanity: Gundam Seed
: Standard humans living on Earth, many of whom harbor deep resentment or bigotry toward their genetically modified counterparts. The heart of the story is the tragic
: Genetically enhanced individuals who live in space colonies called PLANTs . They possess superior physical and mental capabilities, which has led to a coordinator-supremacist movement within their military force, ZAFT . Key Characters and Rivalry Key Characters and Rivalry : An elite ZAFT
: An elite ZAFT pilot and the son of a high-ranking official. He is tasked with recovering or destroying the stolen Gundams, putting him on a direct collision course with Kira. Why It Remains Popular (and Polarizing)
: A civilian student and a Coordinator living in a neutral colony. He is forced to pilot the Strike Gundam to protect his Natural friends, leading to a deep internal struggle over killing his own kind for a military he doesn't fully support.