OVA
Description
Aries Turner is a supporting character in Macross Zero, serving as a cultural anthropologist and researcher for the United Nations. At twenty-six years old, she is a government-affiliated scientist recognized for her genius-level intelligence, particularly in the fields of biological and extraterrestrial evolution. Her work takes her aboard the CVN-99 Asuka II aircraft carrier, where she is tasked with studying a mysterious alien relic codenamed AFOS, often referred to as the Bird Human, and observing its effects on the native population of the nearby Mayan Island.
Aries is defined by her passionate, nearly zealous dedication to proving a controversial academic theory proposed by her former mentor, Dr. Hasford. This hypothesis, the Human Protoculture Intervention theory, suggests that humanity's accelerated evolution was influenced by an alien race known as the Protoculture. Her commitment to this belief has drawn criticism from her peers, but she remains undeterred, willing to entertain even outlandish ideas like the Virus Evolution Theory as stepping stones toward validating her own work. As a cultural anthropologist, she approaches her studies with a clinical, sometimes insensitive curiosity. This is exemplified when she attempts to collect blood samples from the indigenous Mayan people by offering them an energy drink in exchange, a transactional approach to fieldwork that earns her the immediate ire of the local priestess, Sara Nome.
Before the events of the story, Aries shared a significant personal history with Roy Focker, the celebrated Skull Squadron leader. She was his senior in college, and the two were romantically involved before he left to fight in the Unification Wars. Their reunion aboard the Asuka II is tinged with the familiarity of a past relationship, and their paths become tragically intertwined as the conflict escalates.
Throughout the narrative, Aries's role evolves from that of a detached observer to a central figure caught between warring factions. Initially focused solely on her research, she is captured by the Anti-U.N. Forces alongside the pilot Shin Kudo and Sara Nome. This captivity forces her into a confrontation with her mentor, Dr. Hasford, who has joined the enemy to seize the Bird Human for himself. In this crucible, Aries uses her expertise to decipher ancient ruins, learning the legend of the Bird Human and its choice to refrain from singing a Song of Destruction in the past. This discovery forces a profound shift in her worldview, leading her to question the futility of her academic pursuits in the face of impending catastrophe and to conclude that love might be the only force capable of saving the world.
Aries's relationships are the primary drivers of her development. Her bond with her mentor, Dr. Hasford, is one of deep intellectual loyalty, which ultimately shatters upon learning of his betrayal and destructive goals. Her connection to Roy Focker is equally poignant, rekindling a lost love amidst the chaos of war. In the final act, as Sara Nome activates the resurrected Bird Human, Aries is critically wounded by falling debris while holding the dying Dr. Hasford. In her final moments, she is carried to the beach by Roy Focker, where she dies in the arms of her former lover, bringing her personal and professional journeys to a tragic close.
Aries is defined by her passionate, nearly zealous dedication to proving a controversial academic theory proposed by her former mentor, Dr. Hasford. This hypothesis, the Human Protoculture Intervention theory, suggests that humanity's accelerated evolution was influenced by an alien race known as the Protoculture. Her commitment to this belief has drawn criticism from her peers, but she remains undeterred, willing to entertain even outlandish ideas like the Virus Evolution Theory as stepping stones toward validating her own work. As a cultural anthropologist, she approaches her studies with a clinical, sometimes insensitive curiosity. This is exemplified when she attempts to collect blood samples from the indigenous Mayan people by offering them an energy drink in exchange, a transactional approach to fieldwork that earns her the immediate ire of the local priestess, Sara Nome.
Before the events of the story, Aries shared a significant personal history with Roy Focker, the celebrated Skull Squadron leader. She was his senior in college, and the two were romantically involved before he left to fight in the Unification Wars. Their reunion aboard the Asuka II is tinged with the familiarity of a past relationship, and their paths become tragically intertwined as the conflict escalates.
Throughout the narrative, Aries's role evolves from that of a detached observer to a central figure caught between warring factions. Initially focused solely on her research, she is captured by the Anti-U.N. Forces alongside the pilot Shin Kudo and Sara Nome. This captivity forces her into a confrontation with her mentor, Dr. Hasford, who has joined the enemy to seize the Bird Human for himself. In this crucible, Aries uses her expertise to decipher ancient ruins, learning the legend of the Bird Human and its choice to refrain from singing a Song of Destruction in the past. This discovery forces a profound shift in her worldview, leading her to question the futility of her academic pursuits in the face of impending catastrophe and to conclude that love might be the only force capable of saving the world.
Aries's relationships are the primary drivers of her development. Her bond with her mentor, Dr. Hasford, is one of deep intellectual loyalty, which ultimately shatters upon learning of his betrayal and destructive goals. Her connection to Roy Focker is equally poignant, rekindling a lost love amidst the chaos of war. In the final act, as Sara Nome activates the resurrected Bird Human, Aries is critically wounded by falling debris while holding the dying Dr. Hasford. In her final moments, she is carried to the beach by Roy Focker, where she dies in the arms of her former lover, bringing her personal and professional journeys to a tragic close.