Bright Noa first appears as a 19-year-old Earth Federation Forces ensign aboard the SCV-70 White Base. During the Zeon attack on Side 7, incapacitated senior officers force him to assume command. Despite inexperience, he organizes surviving civilian refugees into a crew, assigning Mirai Yashima as helmsman and reluctantly permitting teenager Amuro Ray to pilot the prototype RX-78-2 Gundam due to lack of alternatives. Under constant pursuit, he guides the White Base to Luna II and later through atmospheric re-entry into Zeon territory. This leadership earns him promotion to lieutenant junior grade and command of the 13th Autonomous Corps, with the ship gaining the Zeon nickname "Trojan Horse". He participates in major One Year War battles including Operation Odessa, the defense of Jaburo, Solomon, and A Baoa Qu, where the White Base is destroyed. Following the war, Bright marries Mirai Yashima and they have two children, Cheimin and Hathaway. By U.C. 0087, holding the rank of commander, he is marginalized within the Earth Federation Space Forces, relegated to commanding a transport shuttle. After being assaulted by Titans officers for objecting to unethical orders, he defects to the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG). The AEUG commissions him as captain and places him in command of their flagship assault carrier, the Argama. During the Gryps Conflict, he forms a strategic partnership with Char Aznable and assumes command of the entire AEUG fleet following Commodore Blex's assassination. He leads critical operations including the attacks on Jaburo and Kilimanjaro, Operation Maelstrom, and the decisive battle at Gryps Two. Immediately after the Gryps Conflict, Bright docks the damaged Argama at Shangri-La colony for repairs. Facing Neo Zeon with limited resources, he recruits Judau Ashta and his companions as pilots despite their civilian backgrounds. When Neo Zeon threatens the colony, he departs to protect civilians and allows Judau's group to join the Argama crew. After witnessing the Federation's indifference during the Dublin colony drop, he coordinates relief efforts with Hayato Kobayashi and Karaba. The AEUG later assigns him to command the newly constructed Nahel Argama, though he objects to plans replacing Judau's team with military personnel. During an emergency attack, Judau's group assumes control of the Nahel Argama, effectively ending Bright's command of the vessel. By U.C. 0093, Bright returns to the Earth Federation and is given command of the special task force Londo Bell, holding the rank of captain. As captain of the Ra Cailum during Char's rebellion, he coordinates operations to prevent the asteroid Fifth Luna from impacting Earth and later attempts to stop the asteroid Axis. His plan to deploy nuclear missiles fails due to Char's intervention, leading to a backup operation where mobile suits destroy Axis' thrusters. Though the operation splits Axis, one fragment continues toward Earth. Unable to prevent casualties, including Amuro Ray's disappearance during the fragment's deflection, he remains in command of Londo Bell. During the Laplace Incident (U.C. 0096), Bright commands the Ra Cailum under orders to capture or destroy the Unicorn Gundam. Discovering Federation and Vist Foundation plans to destroy evidence of Laplace's Box, he negotiates with the Garencieres crew to rescue Mineva Zabi and allows Banagher Links to escape with the Unicorn Gundam. He later stations the Ra Cailum to assist the Nahel Argama against the Federation flagship General Revil. When Gryps II targets Industrial 7, he leads a raid on the colony laser's control base in Cheyenne, threatening to defect if the Federation proceeds. Following the Second Neo Zeon War, Bright submits his resignation from the military, intending to enter civilian life and potentially politics. His resignation is not immediately accepted, requiring completion of one final operation. He contemplates managing a restaurant while processing the emotional toll of his combat experiences and the deaths of subordinates. During this period, he learns his son Hathaway was executed as the anti-Federation insurgent "Mufti Naburu Erin" after being captured. Federation officials leak falsified information claiming Bright carried out the execution himself, though he only learns the truth afterward. Throughout his career, Bright enforces strict military discipline, physically disciplining insubordinate crew members including slapping Amuro Ray for refusing to pilot the Gundam and punching Kai Shiden for disruptive behavior. His approach softens over time; during the Laplace Incident, he encourages Banagher Links and allows him to follow his own path as a Gundam pilot. He possesses a strong moral compass, repeatedly defying orders or changing allegiances to oppose corruption. Though not a Newtype, he demonstrates sensitivity to Newtype phenomena, receiving telepathic messages and recognizing Newtype potential in individuals like Kamille Bidan and Banagher Links. Regarded as one of the most experienced field commanders in mobile suit warfare, he relies on proven tactics and commands elite pilots including Amuro Ray, Char Aznable, and Kamille Bidan across multiple conflicts.