TV-Series
Description
Greg Gates is a Danish mercenary pilot serving at the remote desert airbase known as Area 88, located in the fictional Middle Eastern kingdom of Aslan. His background includes prior service as a pilot in the Danish Air Force and time spent as a NATO instructor. After being dishonorably discharged alongside his friend Bugsy Malone, Gates ran a clandestine air taxi service smuggling defectors from the Eastern Bloc across the Baltic Sea. This operation came to a violent end when he killed a Soviet agent during a failed extraction, forcing him to flee to Aslan and enlist as a mercenary at Area 88 to escape Soviet retaliation.
Gates is defined by an exceptional physical durability and a demeanor that often appears apathetic or oblivious to danger. This combination earned him the reputation among his fellow mercenaries as the only person who could not die, a trait that frequently serves as a source of comedic relief. His actions, while not malicious, often inadvertently escalate conflicts or create complications for his comrades and commanders. Despite this role as a comic figure, Gates is recognized as a highly skilled pilot, particularly excelling in ground-attack missions where his flying style emphasizes resilience and adaptability, often utilizing older or less conventional aircraft. His personality is consistently portrayed as easygoing, straightforward, and one who dislikes cumbersome procedures, preferring heavy armaments and direct action.
Gates motivations for remaining at Area 88 are rooted in a need for survival. Having made himself a target of Soviet vengeance, the remote and lawless environment of the mercenary base provides a sanctuary. Over time, his role evolves beyond mere survival; he demonstrates a sense of professionalism and camaraderie, treating the war as a job to be done with his colleagues. His underlying sense of honor is revealed in significant moments, such as when he intervenes to protect protagonist Shin Kazama from assassins. Furthermore, his speeches and actions, such as when he told regular Aslan soldiers to leave a dangerous battle to the mercenaries because they had a homeland and a future to return to, had a profound and lasting impact. This sentiment later influenced Aslan's own pilots during the final battle to recapture the capital, where they remembered his words and switched sides, a gesture that led them to salute his memory as a revolutionary father.
Within the story, Gates is a consistent and reliable supporting presence. He is typically ranked as the third top ace at the base, following Shin Kazama and Mickey Simon, and is noted as one of the few pilots whose skills can be absolutely trusted. He maintains close friendships with fellow pilots Bugsy Malone, Mickey Simon, and others, often acting as part of a veteran core within the mercenary force. His aircraft of choice varies by adaptation; he pilots an A-10 Thunderbolt II in the original OVA and an A-4 Skyhawk in the 2004 television series, with his plane often bearing distinctive personal markings like a skull emblem.
Gates development throughout the narrative is marked by a tragic and ironic end, particularly in the original manga. Despite surviving countless intense aerial dogfights and dangerous missions due to his toughness and skill, his death comes not in glorious combat but from an accidental gunshot wound. While comforting a young local girl who had lost her mother, the frightened child accidentally fired a handgun, striking him in the abdomen. Dying, he stopped his comrades from harming the child and reassured her with a smile before passing away. This futile end, a stark contrast to his invincible reputation, mirrors the death of his comrade Carlyle Benditz and underscores the random cruelty of the war zone he inhabited.
In terms of notable abilities, Greg Gates is a master of ground-attack warfare. His success rate against land targets is the highest at Area 88, and his combined air-to-air and air-to-ground performance is on par with the base's top aces. His physical toughness is legendary; he has performed field surgery on himself, including cauterizing a wound with gunpowder, and has been seen disinfecting a bleeding head wound with alcohol, bandaging it, and immediately returning to combat. This resilience made him a formidable survivor in the harsh desert environment.
Gates is defined by an exceptional physical durability and a demeanor that often appears apathetic or oblivious to danger. This combination earned him the reputation among his fellow mercenaries as the only person who could not die, a trait that frequently serves as a source of comedic relief. His actions, while not malicious, often inadvertently escalate conflicts or create complications for his comrades and commanders. Despite this role as a comic figure, Gates is recognized as a highly skilled pilot, particularly excelling in ground-attack missions where his flying style emphasizes resilience and adaptability, often utilizing older or less conventional aircraft. His personality is consistently portrayed as easygoing, straightforward, and one who dislikes cumbersome procedures, preferring heavy armaments and direct action.
Gates motivations for remaining at Area 88 are rooted in a need for survival. Having made himself a target of Soviet vengeance, the remote and lawless environment of the mercenary base provides a sanctuary. Over time, his role evolves beyond mere survival; he demonstrates a sense of professionalism and camaraderie, treating the war as a job to be done with his colleagues. His underlying sense of honor is revealed in significant moments, such as when he intervenes to protect protagonist Shin Kazama from assassins. Furthermore, his speeches and actions, such as when he told regular Aslan soldiers to leave a dangerous battle to the mercenaries because they had a homeland and a future to return to, had a profound and lasting impact. This sentiment later influenced Aslan's own pilots during the final battle to recapture the capital, where they remembered his words and switched sides, a gesture that led them to salute his memory as a revolutionary father.
Within the story, Gates is a consistent and reliable supporting presence. He is typically ranked as the third top ace at the base, following Shin Kazama and Mickey Simon, and is noted as one of the few pilots whose skills can be absolutely trusted. He maintains close friendships with fellow pilots Bugsy Malone, Mickey Simon, and others, often acting as part of a veteran core within the mercenary force. His aircraft of choice varies by adaptation; he pilots an A-10 Thunderbolt II in the original OVA and an A-4 Skyhawk in the 2004 television series, with his plane often bearing distinctive personal markings like a skull emblem.
Gates development throughout the narrative is marked by a tragic and ironic end, particularly in the original manga. Despite surviving countless intense aerial dogfights and dangerous missions due to his toughness and skill, his death comes not in glorious combat but from an accidental gunshot wound. While comforting a young local girl who had lost her mother, the frightened child accidentally fired a handgun, striking him in the abdomen. Dying, he stopped his comrades from harming the child and reassured her with a smile before passing away. This futile end, a stark contrast to his invincible reputation, mirrors the death of his comrade Carlyle Benditz and underscores the random cruelty of the war zone he inhabited.
In terms of notable abilities, Greg Gates is a master of ground-attack warfare. His success rate against land targets is the highest at Area 88, and his combined air-to-air and air-to-ground performance is on par with the base's top aces. His physical toughness is legendary; he has performed field surgery on himself, including cauterizing a wound with gunpowder, and has been seen disinfecting a bleeding head wound with alcohol, bandaging it, and immediately returning to combat. This resilience made him a formidable survivor in the harsh desert environment.