TV-Series
Description
Patrick Colasour is a recurring character in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00. He begins the story as a pilot for the Advanced European Union, or AEU, one of the three major power blocs of the era. A French national, he enters the series as a second lieutenant with an impressive record that includes more than two thousand emergency sorties and a perfect score in simulated battles. That record earns him the role of test pilot for the AEU's newest mobile suit, the AEU Enact. Although he is genuinely skilled enough to be entrusted with such a machine, his habit of loudly referring to himself as an ace leads many of his colleagues to doubt his true abilities.
Patrick's first major appearance comes during a public demonstration of the Enact, when the Gundam Exia, acting under the organization Celestial Being, interrupts the event as part of its first armed intervention. Patrick is swiftly and decisively defeated, making him the first pilot to be brought down by a Gundam. The humiliation of this public loss becomes a turning point, and he spends much of the first season consumed by a desire to defeat the Gundams and restore his reputation. He repeatedly sorties against them, piloting an Enact Commander Type and later a GN-X for the United Nations forces, and although he is shot down in almost every encounter, he does achieve some genuine successes. He becomes the first pilot to seriously damage a Gundam, badly injuring the pilot Lockon Stratos and causing temporary blindness in his right eye, and he fights Tieria Erde's Gundam Nadleeh to a near-mutual destruction in the final battle of the season. His mobile suit is blown apart in that engagement, and he is reported missing in action, only to reappear unharmed.
In personality, Patrick is egotistical, overconfident, brash, and fond of grand entrances, thinking highly of himself even when his real-world combat record does not quite support it. He is easily distracted, occasionally tactless, and something of a womanizer early on, yet he is also optimistic, resilient, and quick to move past failure. Underneath the boasting, he is a capable pilot with sharp instincts and a practical mind. He is aware that he is not an intellectual and openly admits that he has little interest in larger world affairs; instead, he deliberately chooses to trust the judgment of people he considers more capable than himself and focuses on carrying out his role as a soldier.
The central relationship in Patrick's life is with Kati Mannequin. He first meets her when she becomes his commanding officer during a joint military operation, and after she punches him for arriving late to a briefing, he declares that he has fallen in love with her at first sight. From that point, his earlier playboy tendencies fade and his attentions are focused entirely on her. He courts her persistently, bringing her roses and asking her to dinner, and his desire to impress her drives him to fight harder in battle. Their bond deepens over time. In the second season, Patrick joins the organization A-Laws specifically so that he can remain close to her, even though she had ordered him to stay away from it, and he becomes an emotional support for her as she repeatedly clashes with her superiors over their brutal methods. When Kati defects to the rebel forces, he follows her without hesitation. During the final battle, he appears to sacrifice himself to protect her command ship from a suicide attack, but he survives once again. The two eventually marry, and Patrick takes his wife's surname, becoming Patrick Mannequin, because she refuses to change hers.
Because he is shot down in nearly every battle yet always returns alive, Patrick earns the nickname "Immortal Colasour," a title he takes as a compliment. This near-supernatural ability to survive is his most famous trait; he is consistently depicted escaping from situations that should have destroyed him, usually with his cockpit intact and his body unharmed. The nickname later becomes "Lucky Colasour" after his marriage. His survival is not purely a matter of luck, however. He has genuine piloting talent, strong reflexes, and an ability to read and react to sudden changes in combat, and he is often the first of his squadron to respond during an attack. He also shows a degree of leadership by drawing enemy attention to himself so that his allies can complete their objectives.
Across the course of the story, Patrick develops from a vain and boastful soldier chasing glory into a loyal and devoted man whose primary purpose becomes protecting the person he loves. He grows into a dependable emotional anchor for Kati and repeatedly proves willing to risk his life for her and for his comrades. In the theatrical film set years later, he remains married to Kati and has even been demoted in rank because his happy home life made him neglect his duties, yet he still chooses to fight alongside the Earth Federation forces in the final conflict and survives yet another near-certain death. His role in the series is that of a durable supporting figure whose persistent optimism and improbable survival stand in contrast to the grim tone of the larger conflict.
Patrick's first major appearance comes during a public demonstration of the Enact, when the Gundam Exia, acting under the organization Celestial Being, interrupts the event as part of its first armed intervention. Patrick is swiftly and decisively defeated, making him the first pilot to be brought down by a Gundam. The humiliation of this public loss becomes a turning point, and he spends much of the first season consumed by a desire to defeat the Gundams and restore his reputation. He repeatedly sorties against them, piloting an Enact Commander Type and later a GN-X for the United Nations forces, and although he is shot down in almost every encounter, he does achieve some genuine successes. He becomes the first pilot to seriously damage a Gundam, badly injuring the pilot Lockon Stratos and causing temporary blindness in his right eye, and he fights Tieria Erde's Gundam Nadleeh to a near-mutual destruction in the final battle of the season. His mobile suit is blown apart in that engagement, and he is reported missing in action, only to reappear unharmed.
In personality, Patrick is egotistical, overconfident, brash, and fond of grand entrances, thinking highly of himself even when his real-world combat record does not quite support it. He is easily distracted, occasionally tactless, and something of a womanizer early on, yet he is also optimistic, resilient, and quick to move past failure. Underneath the boasting, he is a capable pilot with sharp instincts and a practical mind. He is aware that he is not an intellectual and openly admits that he has little interest in larger world affairs; instead, he deliberately chooses to trust the judgment of people he considers more capable than himself and focuses on carrying out his role as a soldier.
The central relationship in Patrick's life is with Kati Mannequin. He first meets her when she becomes his commanding officer during a joint military operation, and after she punches him for arriving late to a briefing, he declares that he has fallen in love with her at first sight. From that point, his earlier playboy tendencies fade and his attentions are focused entirely on her. He courts her persistently, bringing her roses and asking her to dinner, and his desire to impress her drives him to fight harder in battle. Their bond deepens over time. In the second season, Patrick joins the organization A-Laws specifically so that he can remain close to her, even though she had ordered him to stay away from it, and he becomes an emotional support for her as she repeatedly clashes with her superiors over their brutal methods. When Kati defects to the rebel forces, he follows her without hesitation. During the final battle, he appears to sacrifice himself to protect her command ship from a suicide attack, but he survives once again. The two eventually marry, and Patrick takes his wife's surname, becoming Patrick Mannequin, because she refuses to change hers.
Because he is shot down in nearly every battle yet always returns alive, Patrick earns the nickname "Immortal Colasour," a title he takes as a compliment. This near-supernatural ability to survive is his most famous trait; he is consistently depicted escaping from situations that should have destroyed him, usually with his cockpit intact and his body unharmed. The nickname later becomes "Lucky Colasour" after his marriage. His survival is not purely a matter of luck, however. He has genuine piloting talent, strong reflexes, and an ability to read and react to sudden changes in combat, and he is often the first of his squadron to respond during an attack. He also shows a degree of leadership by drawing enemy attention to himself so that his allies can complete their objectives.
Across the course of the story, Patrick develops from a vain and boastful soldier chasing glory into a loyal and devoted man whose primary purpose becomes protecting the person he loves. He grows into a dependable emotional anchor for Kati and repeatedly proves willing to risk his life for her and for his comrades. In the theatrical film set years later, he remains married to Kati and has even been demoted in rank because his happy home life made him neglect his duties, yet he still chooses to fight alongside the Earth Federation forces in the final conflict and survives yet another near-certain death. His role in the series is that of a durable supporting figure whose persistent optimism and improbable survival stand in contrast to the grim tone of the larger conflict.