Michel Ninorinch is a soldier assigned to the 08th MS Team during the One Year War of the Universal Century. He originally hails from Side 2 and enlisted in the Earth Federation Forces, meeting Shiro Amada aboard a transport heading to Earth. Despite his hope of becoming a mobile suit pilot, he is assigned as the co-pilot and gunner of the team's Type 74 Hover Truck, working primarily as an assistant to the radar and communications operator Eledore Massis. Michel is a young rookie who often complains and offers pessimistic observations, a habit that leads others to dismiss him, though he considers himself a realist. He is frequently anxious and hesitant, with his mind often wandering to thoughts of home and his long-distance girlfriend, whom he calls BB, to whom he regularly writes letters. This preoccupation makes him unfocused and undisciplined in combat, and his one attempt at piloting a mobile suit ends in disaster, reinforcing his unsuitability for direct mobile suit combat. He performs more effectively in the support role of the Hover Truck. Michel's relationship with BB deteriorates during the war due to her fear of his death, and after surviving the conflict, he receives a letter from her stating that she has married and had a child, leaving him heartbroken and turning to alcohol. He later forms a friendship with Kiki Rosita and travels with her at the war's end to find Shiro. Despite his constant fear and insecurity, Michel demonstrates loyalty to his comrades and a good-hearted nature. He nearly dies when he is caught in the blast of the Apsalus mobile armor's mega-particle cannon, but survives the war. His development throughout the story involves confronting his own fears and learning to function as part of a team, though he never overcomes his inherent pessimism. His notable abilities include piloting the Hover Truck and operating its weapons, as well as performing reconnaissance and support tasks under Eledore's guidance.