TV-Series
Description
Andrei Smirnov is a fictional character introduced in the second season of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00. He is the only son of Sergei Smirnov, a highly decorated officer originally from the People's Revolutionary Army. Born on May 5, 2288, Andrei stands 184 centimeters tall and weighs 66 kilograms, with A type blood. At the start of the second season, he is 24 years old and serves as a Second Lieutenant in the A-Laws, an independent security force of the Earth Sphere Federation.
Andrei is defined by a deep-seated bitterness and a driving need to prove himself a superior soldier to his estranged father. Both of his parents were career soldiers, and he grew up absorbing their ideals about protecting civilians. However, this respect did not extend to his father, whom he held responsible for the death of his mother, Holly Smirnov. In a past conflict, Sergei made a tactical decision to prioritize the safety of civilians and a defensive line, which resulted in Holly, who was stationed elsewhere, being killed in action. At her funeral, Andrei misinterpreted his father's stoic, tearless demeanor as cold-hearted indifference, leading to a lifelong grudge. This misunderstanding caused the relationship between father and son to become completely frozen.
Despite resenting his father, Andrei followed in his footsteps by joining the military, determined to succeed on his own merits without any special treatment from Sergei's reputation. His primary motivation is to be everything he believes his father was not: decisive, unwavering, and willing to make any sacrifice for the absolute peace that the A-Laws claim to be building. He initially views the A-Laws as a necessary force to eliminate conflict, accepting its harsh methods and propaganda without question.
His role in the story brings him into direct conflict with both Celestial Being and his own family. He is initially assigned to escort and work alongside Soma Peries, a young super-soldier his father cares for deeply. While Andrei treats her professionally and without personal malice, he is aware that Sergei intends to adopt her, a fact that further alienates him from his father. Andrei also becomes infatuated with Louise Halevy, a fellow A-Laws pilot. He sees her as a tragic figure, an innocent girl who is unsuited for the battlefield, and he develops a strong desire to protect her, a feeling that eventually turns into romantic affection.
The pivotal moment in Andrei's life occurs during the Break Pillar incident. Following a catastrophe at a orbital elevator, he witnesses his father alongside Pang Hercule, a former family acquaintance leading a coup against the Federation. Convinced that Sergei is a traitor who has joined the very rebels Andrei believes are responsible for the massacre of civilians, he attacks in a blind rage. Crying out that Sergei is his mother's enemy, Andrei personally kills his own father in battle, refusing to listen to any explanation and driving his beam saber through Sergei's cockpit. For this act, he is deceived into believing he killed a rebel leader and is promoted to First Lieutenant.
Andrei shows little initial remorse, hiding the truth from Louise and justifying his actions by stating that one must strike down even their own family for the sake of peace. However, his development culminates in the final battle when the Gundam 00 Raiser releases a massive wave of GN particles that links the consciousness of everyone on the battlefield. Through this link, Andrei finally hears his father's true feelings and conversations with Marie Parfacy, the former Soma Peries. He realizes that his father loved him and that his mother's death was a tragic consequence of duty, not neglect. Overwhelmed by the understanding that he has committed an irreversible act based on a tragic misunderstanding, he breaks down in bitter screams of regret, lamenting that his father never told him the truth.
Following the defeat of the A-Laws, Andrei is incorporated into the regular Earth Sphere Federation Army and dedicates himself to becoming the true soldier his parents had aspired to be, focusing on protecting citizens rather than pursuing power. He is seen working in disaster relief, having finally cleared the misunderstandings about his father and come to respect his memory.
In the theatrical conclusion, A Wakening of the Trailblazer, Andrei has been promoted to Captain and continues to live by his parents' ideals. When an alien life form known as the ELS threatens Earth, he pilots a GN-XIV into battle. In the final confrontation, his unit is partially assimilated by the enemy. To stop a massive ELS carrier from reaching the planet, Andrei activates his mobile suit's Trans-Am system, forcing it into overload and causing a suicidal explosion that destroys the enemy vessel alongside himself and his comrades. His final act is a heroic sacrifice to protect the citizens of Earth, fulfilling the role of a soldier he had finally come to understand.
As a pilot, Andrei is considered above average, a reflection of his lineage as Sergei Smirnov's son. He primarily pilots mass-produced mobile suits of the A-Laws and later the Federation, including the GN-XIII, the Ahead, and finally the GN-XIV, demonstrating competence in combat, though he is often outmatched by the superior technology of the Gundams.
Andrei is defined by a deep-seated bitterness and a driving need to prove himself a superior soldier to his estranged father. Both of his parents were career soldiers, and he grew up absorbing their ideals about protecting civilians. However, this respect did not extend to his father, whom he held responsible for the death of his mother, Holly Smirnov. In a past conflict, Sergei made a tactical decision to prioritize the safety of civilians and a defensive line, which resulted in Holly, who was stationed elsewhere, being killed in action. At her funeral, Andrei misinterpreted his father's stoic, tearless demeanor as cold-hearted indifference, leading to a lifelong grudge. This misunderstanding caused the relationship between father and son to become completely frozen.
Despite resenting his father, Andrei followed in his footsteps by joining the military, determined to succeed on his own merits without any special treatment from Sergei's reputation. His primary motivation is to be everything he believes his father was not: decisive, unwavering, and willing to make any sacrifice for the absolute peace that the A-Laws claim to be building. He initially views the A-Laws as a necessary force to eliminate conflict, accepting its harsh methods and propaganda without question.
His role in the story brings him into direct conflict with both Celestial Being and his own family. He is initially assigned to escort and work alongside Soma Peries, a young super-soldier his father cares for deeply. While Andrei treats her professionally and without personal malice, he is aware that Sergei intends to adopt her, a fact that further alienates him from his father. Andrei also becomes infatuated with Louise Halevy, a fellow A-Laws pilot. He sees her as a tragic figure, an innocent girl who is unsuited for the battlefield, and he develops a strong desire to protect her, a feeling that eventually turns into romantic affection.
The pivotal moment in Andrei's life occurs during the Break Pillar incident. Following a catastrophe at a orbital elevator, he witnesses his father alongside Pang Hercule, a former family acquaintance leading a coup against the Federation. Convinced that Sergei is a traitor who has joined the very rebels Andrei believes are responsible for the massacre of civilians, he attacks in a blind rage. Crying out that Sergei is his mother's enemy, Andrei personally kills his own father in battle, refusing to listen to any explanation and driving his beam saber through Sergei's cockpit. For this act, he is deceived into believing he killed a rebel leader and is promoted to First Lieutenant.
Andrei shows little initial remorse, hiding the truth from Louise and justifying his actions by stating that one must strike down even their own family for the sake of peace. However, his development culminates in the final battle when the Gundam 00 Raiser releases a massive wave of GN particles that links the consciousness of everyone on the battlefield. Through this link, Andrei finally hears his father's true feelings and conversations with Marie Parfacy, the former Soma Peries. He realizes that his father loved him and that his mother's death was a tragic consequence of duty, not neglect. Overwhelmed by the understanding that he has committed an irreversible act based on a tragic misunderstanding, he breaks down in bitter screams of regret, lamenting that his father never told him the truth.
Following the defeat of the A-Laws, Andrei is incorporated into the regular Earth Sphere Federation Army and dedicates himself to becoming the true soldier his parents had aspired to be, focusing on protecting citizens rather than pursuing power. He is seen working in disaster relief, having finally cleared the misunderstandings about his father and come to respect his memory.
In the theatrical conclusion, A Wakening of the Trailblazer, Andrei has been promoted to Captain and continues to live by his parents' ideals. When an alien life form known as the ELS threatens Earth, he pilots a GN-XIV into battle. In the final confrontation, his unit is partially assimilated by the enemy. To stop a massive ELS carrier from reaching the planet, Andrei activates his mobile suit's Trans-Am system, forcing it into overload and causing a suicidal explosion that destroys the enemy vessel alongside himself and his comrades. His final act is a heroic sacrifice to protect the citizens of Earth, fulfilling the role of a soldier he had finally come to understand.
As a pilot, Andrei is considered above average, a reflection of his lineage as Sergei Smirnov's son. He primarily pilots mass-produced mobile suits of the A-Laws and later the Federation, including the GN-XIII, the Ahead, and finally the GN-XIV, demonstrating competence in combat, though he is often outmatched by the superior technology of the Gundams.