TV-Series
Description
Greg Gates is a Danish mercenary pilot stationed at the remote desert airbase known as Area 88, located in the fictional Middle Eastern kingdom of Aslan (or Asran). Before his arrival at the mercenary base, Greg served as a pilot in the Danish Air Force and was also a former NATO instructor. He was dishonorably discharged from the Danish Air Force alongside a comrade named Bugsy Malone. Following his military discharge, Greg operated a covert air taxi service, smuggling defectors from the Eastern Bloc across the Baltic Sea. This operation came to a violent end when he was forced to kill a Soviet agent during a failed extraction, an act that made him a fugitive from Soviet retaliation and ultimately forced his flight to Aslan and enlistment with the mercenary forces of Area 88.
In terms of personality, Greg is defined by an exceptional physical toughness and a seemingly apathetic or oblivious attitude toward danger. This particular trait earned him the reputation among his fellow mercenaries as the only person who could not die. It is a characteristic that frequently serves as a source of comic relief, as his actions often inadvertently escalate conflicts or create complications for both his comrades and commanding officers. Despite his role as a comedic figure, Greg is recognized as a highly skilled and capable pilot. His flying style emphasizes resilience and adaptability, and he particularly excels in ground-attack missions. His motivation for remaining at Area 88 is largely tied to his fugitive status, as the base provides a form of sanctuary from the Soviet authorities seeking him. One of the key events that forced his flight involved a mission where, after a failed extraction of a famous violinist and her daughter from the Soviet Union, he encountered a KGB agent who had undergone plastic surgery. Greg managed to kill the agent and escape with Bugsy, but was left without the confidence to avoid the KGB for the rest of his life, solidifying his need for the protection that Aslan and Area 88 offered.
Throughout his service at Area 88, Greg primarily pilots ground-attack aircraft, with his assigned plane varying across different adaptations. In the original video animation adaptation, he flies the heavily armored A-10 Thunderbolt II, known for its powerful cannon, while in the 2004 television series, he pilots an A-4 Skyhawk. He consistently ranks among the top pilots at the base, typically regarded as the third ace after the protagonist Shin Kazama and another top pilot, Mickey Simon. His aircraft often bear distinctive personal markings, such as a skull emblem on the vertical tail.
Greg maintains close friendships with several fellow pilots, including the aforementioned Bugsy Malone, whom he has known since their military days, as well as Hoover Kippenburg, Iron Hand Campbell, and Carlyle Benditz, with whom he initially joined the forces at Area 88. His role in the story extends beyond combat; he is a consistent presence across all versions of the narrative, from the original manga to the animated adaptations. He participates in key plot events, including intervening to protect Shin Kazama from killers sent to eliminate escapees. In one notable incident that highlights his durability, after being shot down during a mission, he treated his own severe injuries with rudimentary methods, disinfecting wounds with alcohol and bandaging them before immediately returning to combat. Another significant event involved him discovering and destroying sensitive documents at a crash site. While his action was portrayed as comedic carelessness, as he used the papers for a campfire and to blow his nose, the documents were later revealed to be potentially decisive intelligence that could have ended the civil war.
Greg's narrative role effectively balances comic relief with demonstrated combat proficiency. Despite his easygoing demeanor and tendency to cause unintended chaos, his backstory as a fugitive from Soviet vengeance adds depth to his mercenary motives, and his physical toughness remains a defining characteristic. In a critical moment before the final battle to recapture the capital of Aslan, Greg delivered a speech to regular soldiers, reminding them that they had a homeland and a future worth returning to, while the mercenaries did not. This act of selflessness had a lasting impact, influencing Aslanese pilots who would later salute him as a revolutionary figure. In a final, ironic end to a career that saw him survive countless aerial battles, Greg was accidentally shot in the abdomen by a frightened civilian girl during a ground evacuation. He died with a smile, calming the child and stopping his fellow soldiers from harming her, a fate that underscores the futile and arbitrary nature of death in a war zone. Through all his appearances, his persona as a durable, tough, and unexpectedly influential pilot remains consistent, even as his assigned aircraft changes between adaptations.
In terms of personality, Greg is defined by an exceptional physical toughness and a seemingly apathetic or oblivious attitude toward danger. This particular trait earned him the reputation among his fellow mercenaries as the only person who could not die. It is a characteristic that frequently serves as a source of comic relief, as his actions often inadvertently escalate conflicts or create complications for both his comrades and commanding officers. Despite his role as a comedic figure, Greg is recognized as a highly skilled and capable pilot. His flying style emphasizes resilience and adaptability, and he particularly excels in ground-attack missions. His motivation for remaining at Area 88 is largely tied to his fugitive status, as the base provides a form of sanctuary from the Soviet authorities seeking him. One of the key events that forced his flight involved a mission where, after a failed extraction of a famous violinist and her daughter from the Soviet Union, he encountered a KGB agent who had undergone plastic surgery. Greg managed to kill the agent and escape with Bugsy, but was left without the confidence to avoid the KGB for the rest of his life, solidifying his need for the protection that Aslan and Area 88 offered.
Throughout his service at Area 88, Greg primarily pilots ground-attack aircraft, with his assigned plane varying across different adaptations. In the original video animation adaptation, he flies the heavily armored A-10 Thunderbolt II, known for its powerful cannon, while in the 2004 television series, he pilots an A-4 Skyhawk. He consistently ranks among the top pilots at the base, typically regarded as the third ace after the protagonist Shin Kazama and another top pilot, Mickey Simon. His aircraft often bear distinctive personal markings, such as a skull emblem on the vertical tail.
Greg maintains close friendships with several fellow pilots, including the aforementioned Bugsy Malone, whom he has known since their military days, as well as Hoover Kippenburg, Iron Hand Campbell, and Carlyle Benditz, with whom he initially joined the forces at Area 88. His role in the story extends beyond combat; he is a consistent presence across all versions of the narrative, from the original manga to the animated adaptations. He participates in key plot events, including intervening to protect Shin Kazama from killers sent to eliminate escapees. In one notable incident that highlights his durability, after being shot down during a mission, he treated his own severe injuries with rudimentary methods, disinfecting wounds with alcohol and bandaging them before immediately returning to combat. Another significant event involved him discovering and destroying sensitive documents at a crash site. While his action was portrayed as comedic carelessness, as he used the papers for a campfire and to blow his nose, the documents were later revealed to be potentially decisive intelligence that could have ended the civil war.
Greg's narrative role effectively balances comic relief with demonstrated combat proficiency. Despite his easygoing demeanor and tendency to cause unintended chaos, his backstory as a fugitive from Soviet vengeance adds depth to his mercenary motives, and his physical toughness remains a defining characteristic. In a critical moment before the final battle to recapture the capital of Aslan, Greg delivered a speech to regular soldiers, reminding them that they had a homeland and a future worth returning to, while the mercenaries did not. This act of selflessness had a lasting impact, influencing Aslanese pilots who would later salute him as a revolutionary figure. In a final, ironic end to a career that saw him survive countless aerial battles, Greg was accidentally shot in the abdomen by a frightened civilian girl during a ground evacuation. He died with a smile, calming the child and stopping his fellow soldiers from harming her, a fate that underscores the futile and arbitrary nature of death in a war zone. Through all his appearances, his persona as a durable, tough, and unexpectedly influential pilot remains consistent, even as his assigned aircraft changes between adaptations.