TV-Series
Description
Kikka Kitamoto is a civilian character who first appears as a young war orphan during the One Year War. She is one of three children, alongside Katz Hawin and Letz Cofan, who are taken aboard the Earth Federation battleship White Base after the destruction of their home colony, Side 7. At the time, she is approximately three to four years old and is a small, blonde-haired girl with blue eyes. She is notably the youngest of the trio but possesses a vibrant and motivated personality, often displaying more initiative and energy than her two friends. Despite her occasional mischief, such as being involved in a barricade incident, she is easily swayed by simple pleasures like ice cream and is fundamentally a helpful presence to the ship's crew.
Kikka's background is defined by the loss of her family in the opening conflicts of the war, leaving her without a home. On the White Base, she and the other orphans become a combination of mascots and troublemakers. While their presence provides moments of levity, they also witness several key battles, including the final attack by the Zeon ace Ramba Ral. Their most significant contribution occurs during Char Aznable's infiltration of the Federation headquarters at Jaburo, where the children help discover and dispose of bombs planted by the enemy. This act of courage convinces the ship's captain, Bright Noa, to allow them to remain on board for the remainder of its dangerous missions, including the major offensives at Solomon and A Baoa Qu. Her primary caretaker on the ship is the young crew member Fraw Bow, who looks after the children's daily needs.
As the war concludes with the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Kikka and the other two children demonstrate a latent and notable ability. They exhibit signs of being Newtypes, individuals with heightened spatial awareness and empathy, as they psychically reach out to help the pilot Amuro Ray locate a lifeboat carrying the surviving White Base crew. This moment represents the peak of their wartime involvement and hints at a potential that, in Kikka's case, does not strongly manifest in her later life.
In the aftermath of the war, Kikka's story shifts from survival to rebuilding. She is formally adopted by the former White Base crew members Hayato Kobayashi and Fraw Bow, along with Katz and Letz. Her name becomes Kikka Kobayashi as she starts a new life with her adoptive family on Earth. They visit Amuro Ray's home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, before eventually settling in Japan. During her childhood and into early adolescence, she remains close to her adoptive mother, helping care for Fraw's unborn biological child. As she grows older, she is characterized by a mature and caring nature, acting as a supportive presence for her family rather than the rambunctious child she once was.
Kikka's primary motivation in her later life becomes a professional and personal mission. She pursues higher education in space, aiming to become a writer. During the Second Neo Zeon War, she achieves recognition by winning the prestigious Mt. Fuji New Writer's Award. A year after Amuro Ray is officially declared deceased, she becomes driven to write a new kind of biography about him. Dissatisfied with the deified, heroic legends that have formed around the famous pilot, her goal is to humanize him, presenting his story as a person rather than an icon. She receives encouragement from a publisher who agrees to print her unedited account if she can complete it before her graduation.
To achieve this goal, she takes a leave from her university studies and embarks on an extensive research project across Earth and space. Her role evolves from a war orphan into a determined investigative journalist. She returns to her family home in Shizuoka to seek the support and memories of her adoptive mother, Fraw Bow, who provides personal accounts and a letter from the late Hayato. Kikka systematically tracks down and interviews a wide network of people who knew Amuro, including former crewmates like Job John and Kai Shiden, who becomes a key mentor figure and source of contacts. She also locates Amuro's estranged mother, Kamaria Ray, and his former comrades such as Sayla Mass and Beltorchika Irma. Throughout these interviews, she demonstrates empathy and persistence, coaxing reluctant witnesses to share their personal and sometimes painful memories.
Kikka does not possess any notable combat abilities or piloting skills. Her primary strengths are her determination, her personal connection to the key events of the One Year War, and her latent Newtype sensitivity, which, while not a dominant force in her adult life, occasionally surfaces as a strong intuition or psychic sensation. Her most significant ability is as a researcher and writer; she uses her historical knowledge and personal relationships to uncover the human truth behind a legendary figure, culminating in her project to write a book that presents Amuro Ray as a flawed and relatable person.
Kikka's background is defined by the loss of her family in the opening conflicts of the war, leaving her without a home. On the White Base, she and the other orphans become a combination of mascots and troublemakers. While their presence provides moments of levity, they also witness several key battles, including the final attack by the Zeon ace Ramba Ral. Their most significant contribution occurs during Char Aznable's infiltration of the Federation headquarters at Jaburo, where the children help discover and dispose of bombs planted by the enemy. This act of courage convinces the ship's captain, Bright Noa, to allow them to remain on board for the remainder of its dangerous missions, including the major offensives at Solomon and A Baoa Qu. Her primary caretaker on the ship is the young crew member Fraw Bow, who looks after the children's daily needs.
As the war concludes with the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Kikka and the other two children demonstrate a latent and notable ability. They exhibit signs of being Newtypes, individuals with heightened spatial awareness and empathy, as they psychically reach out to help the pilot Amuro Ray locate a lifeboat carrying the surviving White Base crew. This moment represents the peak of their wartime involvement and hints at a potential that, in Kikka's case, does not strongly manifest in her later life.
In the aftermath of the war, Kikka's story shifts from survival to rebuilding. She is formally adopted by the former White Base crew members Hayato Kobayashi and Fraw Bow, along with Katz and Letz. Her name becomes Kikka Kobayashi as she starts a new life with her adoptive family on Earth. They visit Amuro Ray's home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, before eventually settling in Japan. During her childhood and into early adolescence, she remains close to her adoptive mother, helping care for Fraw's unborn biological child. As she grows older, she is characterized by a mature and caring nature, acting as a supportive presence for her family rather than the rambunctious child she once was.
Kikka's primary motivation in her later life becomes a professional and personal mission. She pursues higher education in space, aiming to become a writer. During the Second Neo Zeon War, she achieves recognition by winning the prestigious Mt. Fuji New Writer's Award. A year after Amuro Ray is officially declared deceased, she becomes driven to write a new kind of biography about him. Dissatisfied with the deified, heroic legends that have formed around the famous pilot, her goal is to humanize him, presenting his story as a person rather than an icon. She receives encouragement from a publisher who agrees to print her unedited account if she can complete it before her graduation.
To achieve this goal, she takes a leave from her university studies and embarks on an extensive research project across Earth and space. Her role evolves from a war orphan into a determined investigative journalist. She returns to her family home in Shizuoka to seek the support and memories of her adoptive mother, Fraw Bow, who provides personal accounts and a letter from the late Hayato. Kikka systematically tracks down and interviews a wide network of people who knew Amuro, including former crewmates like Job John and Kai Shiden, who becomes a key mentor figure and source of contacts. She also locates Amuro's estranged mother, Kamaria Ray, and his former comrades such as Sayla Mass and Beltorchika Irma. Throughout these interviews, she demonstrates empathy and persistence, coaxing reluctant witnesses to share their personal and sometimes painful memories.
Kikka does not possess any notable combat abilities or piloting skills. Her primary strengths are her determination, her personal connection to the key events of the One Year War, and her latent Newtype sensitivity, which, while not a dominant force in her adult life, occasionally surfaces as a strong intuition or psychic sensation. Her most significant ability is as a researcher and writer; she uses her historical knowledge and personal relationships to uncover the human truth behind a legendary figure, culminating in her project to write a book that presents Amuro Ray as a flawed and relatable person.