TV-Series
Description
Gates is the primary antagonist in Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid, serving as an agent of the secret organization Amalgam and the head of its Execution Squads. He is also known internally within Amalgam as "Mr. Kalium". His background is largely shrouded in mystery, though it is implied he may be a recipient or user of the experimental drug TI-971, a substance once used by the terrorist group A-21 to develop the brain functions that allow a pilot to control the Lambda Driver; this drug’s side effects include violent outbursts and memory loss, aspects which align with his erratic behavior.
Gates possesses a flamboyant and ferociously brutal personality. He is depicted as a "madman" whose behavior is both erratic and cruel. He is known to kill or punish his subordinates for the slightest reasons, such as backtalk or failure, using methods that include shooting them or physically abusing them, like kicking a subordinate from a helicopter or nearly drowning another in a pool. Despite this brutality, he is also shown to be intelligent and perceptive, able to accurately deduce military tactics used by the special response team of the anti-terrorist organization Mithril. His personality includes several deeply disturbing aspects; he is portrayed as a sexual deviant who makes lewd and abusive comments toward the underage Xia Yu twins, Lan and Fan, and his behavior suggests a penchant for bestiality involving small mammals. He is also portrayed as concerned about his appearance, specifically his baldness and long sideburns. His speech and actions are often theatrical and rambling, shifting rapidly between joking commentary on violence and fits of rage.
Gates's primary motivation is to carry out Amalgam's operations, which include eliminating targets that compromise the organization and acquiring advanced technology. He is particularly fixated on capturing the ARX-7 Arbalest, Mithril's Lambda Driver-equipped Arm Slave, viewing it as a gleaming jewel. He also takes personal pleasure in the chaos of battle and tormenting others, showing a complete disregard for human life. His role in the story is as the commander of a mission to recover a stolen Amalgam Arm Slave in Hong Kong, which brings him into direct conflict with the protagonist, Sousuke Sagara. He serves as a direct and immediate threat, embodying the dark and chaotic nature of Amalgam.
Key relationships for Gates include his subordinates, whom he treats with extreme abuse and cruelty, often killing them without hesitation. He has a notable rivalry with another Amalgam operative, Gauron (Mr. Iron); while Gates holds a high rank as commander, it is noted that Gauron may have been a more capable fighter, but Gates was chosen for his post because he was considered more reliable to the organization, even though Gauron is implied to have set events in motion that lead to Gates's death. He is also shown to despise and rival Leonard Testarossa, another high-ranking member of Amalgam. His relationship with the Xia Yu twins is one of an abuser and captor, as he holds them hostage and subjects them to psychological and sexual torment.
Gates does not undergo positive development; instead, his character remains consistently villainous, with his instability and overconfidence serving as his defining traits. His end comes when his overconfidence leads him into a trap. He is ultimately killed in Hong Kong during a final battle with Sousuke Sagara. Sousuke uses the Arbalest's Lambda Driver at full power to completely overwhelm and destroy Gates's own Lambda Driver-equipped Codarl-i Arm Slave. In his final moments, rather than showing fear, Gates is depicted as being almost accepting of his fate, idly playing with a strand of his hair and commenting on its length as his machine is torn apart.
As an operative, Gates is a highly formidable foe. He is a pilot of the Plan-1058 Codarl-i, a powerful Arm Slave equipped with the Lambda Driver, which allows him to manifest psychic shields and offensive force. He is shown to be an expert in piloting this machine and has enough experience with the Lambda Driver to overcome the Arbalest's output in their first encounter. His notable abilities include exceptional predictive analytical skills on the battlefield, allowing him to quickly assess enemy strategies, and a superhuman level of marksmanship, capable of hitting distant targets with little to no aiming time.
Gates possesses a flamboyant and ferociously brutal personality. He is depicted as a "madman" whose behavior is both erratic and cruel. He is known to kill or punish his subordinates for the slightest reasons, such as backtalk or failure, using methods that include shooting them or physically abusing them, like kicking a subordinate from a helicopter or nearly drowning another in a pool. Despite this brutality, he is also shown to be intelligent and perceptive, able to accurately deduce military tactics used by the special response team of the anti-terrorist organization Mithril. His personality includes several deeply disturbing aspects; he is portrayed as a sexual deviant who makes lewd and abusive comments toward the underage Xia Yu twins, Lan and Fan, and his behavior suggests a penchant for bestiality involving small mammals. He is also portrayed as concerned about his appearance, specifically his baldness and long sideburns. His speech and actions are often theatrical and rambling, shifting rapidly between joking commentary on violence and fits of rage.
Gates's primary motivation is to carry out Amalgam's operations, which include eliminating targets that compromise the organization and acquiring advanced technology. He is particularly fixated on capturing the ARX-7 Arbalest, Mithril's Lambda Driver-equipped Arm Slave, viewing it as a gleaming jewel. He also takes personal pleasure in the chaos of battle and tormenting others, showing a complete disregard for human life. His role in the story is as the commander of a mission to recover a stolen Amalgam Arm Slave in Hong Kong, which brings him into direct conflict with the protagonist, Sousuke Sagara. He serves as a direct and immediate threat, embodying the dark and chaotic nature of Amalgam.
Key relationships for Gates include his subordinates, whom he treats with extreme abuse and cruelty, often killing them without hesitation. He has a notable rivalry with another Amalgam operative, Gauron (Mr. Iron); while Gates holds a high rank as commander, it is noted that Gauron may have been a more capable fighter, but Gates was chosen for his post because he was considered more reliable to the organization, even though Gauron is implied to have set events in motion that lead to Gates's death. He is also shown to despise and rival Leonard Testarossa, another high-ranking member of Amalgam. His relationship with the Xia Yu twins is one of an abuser and captor, as he holds them hostage and subjects them to psychological and sexual torment.
Gates does not undergo positive development; instead, his character remains consistently villainous, with his instability and overconfidence serving as his defining traits. His end comes when his overconfidence leads him into a trap. He is ultimately killed in Hong Kong during a final battle with Sousuke Sagara. Sousuke uses the Arbalest's Lambda Driver at full power to completely overwhelm and destroy Gates's own Lambda Driver-equipped Codarl-i Arm Slave. In his final moments, rather than showing fear, Gates is depicted as being almost accepting of his fate, idly playing with a strand of his hair and commenting on its length as his machine is torn apart.
As an operative, Gates is a highly formidable foe. He is a pilot of the Plan-1058 Codarl-i, a powerful Arm Slave equipped with the Lambda Driver, which allows him to manifest psychic shields and offensive force. He is shown to be an expert in piloting this machine and has enough experience with the Lambda Driver to overcome the Arbalest's output in their first encounter. His notable abilities include exceptional predictive analytical skills on the battlefield, allowing him to quickly assess enemy strategies, and a superhuman level of marksmanship, capable of hitting distant targets with little to no aiming time.