Setsuna F. Seiei — Complete Guide | From Child Soldier to Innovator

"I am Gundam" — some people laugh at this line, others feel shivers run down their spine. Most viewers encountering it for the first time were surely baffled. Why would a boy identify himself as a mobile suit? The meaning remains elusive as the story accelerates forward.

Yet upon completing all 50 episodes and the theatrical film of Mobile Suit Gundam 00, the realization dawns: that line was never adolescent delusion. For Setsuna F. Seiei, "becoming Gundam" was a declaration — "I will become the very will to eradicate war." And over the course of 50 years, that declaration was fulfilled in the most literal way imaginable.

Nearly two decades since the series premiered in 2007, Setsuna remains one of the most beloved protagonists in the entire Gundam franchise. In NHK BS Premium's "All Gundam Grand Vote 40th" (2018), he ranked among the top contenders in the character division, and "I am Gundam" has become a meme that transcends the series itself.

This article explores why he has captivated fans for so long — from his harrowing past as a child soldier, to his battles as a Gundam Meister, his awakening as an Innovator, and his return after a 50-year voyage.

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Table of Contents

1. Profile
2. Personality & Character — What Lies Behind the Silence
3. Iconic Quotes — When the Quiet One Speaks
4. Appearances & Timeline — A Journey from Age 16 to 73
5. Mobile Suit Roster — From Exia to Qan[T]
6. Relationships — Bonds and Rivalries Forged in Battle
7. Voice Actor — Mamoru Miyano, a Destined Casting
8. Cultural Impact — The Legacy of "I Am Gundam"
9. Related Articles
10. Sources & References

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1. Profile {#profile}

Age & Physical Changes

The code name "Setsuna F. Seiei" was coined by screenwriter Yousuke Kuroda. "Setsuna" is a Buddhist term meaning "a span of time shorter than an instant, carved from an eternity longer than forever." This name, bestowed upon him as a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being, proved prophetic — a man who would spend every fleeting moment fighting for an everlasting peace.

At 16 years old in Season 1, Setsuna is among the youngest Gundam protagonists in franchise history. His slight frame of 162 cm and 49 kg speaks to the harsh conditions he endured as a child soldier. By Season 2, five years later, he has grown to 175 cm — a physical transformation that mirrors his equally dramatic inner growth.

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2. Personality & Character — What Lies Behind the Silence {#personality}

A Boy Who Knew Nothing But Destruction

To understand Setsuna, one must look back to his days as Soran Ibrahim.

Born in the Republic of Krugis, a small Middle Eastern nation, Soran was abducted as a child by the terrorist organization KPSA (Krugis People's Liberation Army). Brainwashed by the mercenary Ali al-Saachez under the banner of "holy war," he was forced to murder his own parents with his own hands — an origin story unmatched in its brutality among Gundam protagonists. He is the only main character in the franchise's history to have killed his own parents.

During his time as a child soldier crawling across battlefields, Soran lost all faith in God. His fellow child soldiers fell one after another, and just as death closed in on him, a single mobile suit descended from the sky and saved his life. It was the 0 Gundam — the first unit Celestial Being ever deployed in combat.

This encounter rewrote the foundations of Soran's worldview. "God is dead. But Gundam was there." From that moment on, Gundam ceased to be a mere weapon and became "the embodiment of the will to eradicate war."

Season 1 — An Unskilled Warrior

Recruited by Celestial Being and given the code name "Setsuna F. Seiei," the 16-year-old became the Meister (pilot) of Gundam Exia.

In Season 1, Setsuna is extremely taciturn, seemingly rejecting all human connection. In reality, however, this is not entirely accurate. While living undercover as "Kamal Majirif," he interacted normally with his neighbor Saji Crossroad, demonstrating a basic level of social ability. His emotional distance was not an inability to connect but rather a consequence of his self-perception — "I am someone who can only destroy."

He clashed violently with fellow Meister Tieria Erde, the two pointing guns at each other more than once. Yet as the story progressed, he smiled when Lockon Stratos (Neil Dylandy) called him a "Gundam fool," felt righteous fury at the Trinity siblings' atrocities, and began risking his life for his comrades.

Season 2 — A Man Who Chose to Live

Returning after a four-year gap, the 21-year-old Setsuna is taller, and his expression has softened. The greatest change is his shift away from the role of "destroyer" toward finding meaning in the act of living itself.

In the latter half of Season 2, continuous exposure to high-density GN particles from the 00 Gundam's Twin Drive System triggers Setsuna's evolution into humanity's first true Innovator. Innovators are an evolved form of humanity capable of sensing others' thoughts and enabling genuine mutual understanding.

Yet immediately after his awakening, Setsuna withdrew again — isolated by the loneliness of being the only person who had changed into "something no longer human." Even so, his comrades refused to abandon him, and Setsuna gradually awakened to a new mission: "connecting people through dialogue."

The Film — "My Life Had Meaning"

The theatrical film A wakening of the Trailblazer (2010) depicts humanity's encounter with the ELS (Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shape-shifters). Dialogue with an alien intelligence — one with no shared language, culture, or biology — became Setsuna's ultimate test.

Piloting the 00 Qan[T], Setsuna activated the Quantum System and departed alone for the ELS homeworld. Fifty years later, he returned to Earth in a form fused with the ELS. Reuniting with an elderly Marina Ismail, he whispered: "It took so long... but what we sought was the same. You were right."

The boy who once believed he could only destroy had accomplished the most extraordinary act of "dialogue" in human history.

The Unifying Theme — From "Eradication" to "Understanding"

Setsuna's goal is consistently "a world without war," but the means by which he pursues it evolves dramatically throughout the story:

• Season 1: Armed intervention to eradicate warfare (change through destruction)
• Season 2: Awakening through bonds with comrades (the significance of knowing others)
• Film: Dialogue with an alien intelligence (the ultimate mutual understanding)

This step-by-step growth is the single greatest reason why Setsuna F. Seiei has captivated fans for nearly two decades.

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3. Iconic Quotes — When the Quiet One Speaks {#quotes}

Setsuna is a man of few words, which makes each utterance all the more impactful. Below are his most significant lines, presented with context and episode references.

"I am Gundam." (Season 1, Episode 6 and throughout)

Original Japanese: 「俺がガンダムだ」

The definitive Setsuna quote. First uttered during combat with enemy pilot Graham Aker in Episode 6 of Season 1, the line sounds nonsensical on the surface. But for Setsuna, Gundam is "the embodiment of the will to eradicate war," and "I am Gundam" is a declaration: "I will become that will itself."

As this phrase recurs at key junctures throughout the series, its meaning deepens. The moment when the same words carry a different weight is the moment viewers most keenly sense Setsuna's growth.

"There is no God in this world...!" (Season 1)

Original Japanese: 「この世界に神なんていない……！」

A single line that crystallizes the despair of Soran's childhood. Having murdered his parents in the name of God, lost his comrades, and faced death himself, this cry marked the instant the boy abandoned faith entirely. It is Setsuna's origin point and succinctly explains why he sought in Gundam what he could no longer find in God.

"Wrong! You are not Gundam!" (Season 1, Episode 18)

Original Japanese: 「違う！貴様はガンダムではない！」

Directed at the Gundam Throne Trinity siblings after they indiscriminately attacked civilians. By Setsuna's definition — "Gundam equals the will to eradicate war" — those who slaughter the innocent have no right to bear the name. This scene marks the first time Setsuna defies Veda (Celestial Being's supercomputer) and acts on his own will.

"Thank you... that's the greatest compliment." (Season 1, Episode 24)

Original Japanese: 「ありがとう……最高の褒め言葉だ」

Said in response to Lockon Stratos (Neil) calling him a "Gundam fool." It is virtually the only smile Setsuna shows throughout Season 1, and the quintessential scene symbolizing the emotional bond between the two Meisters. An entire relationship of trust is compressed into this brief exchange.

"I don't mind. Not if you'll carry on in my place." (Season 1, Episode 24)

Original Japanese: 「構わない。お前が代わりにやってくれるのなら」

Spoken calmly when Neil pointed a gun at him. "If someone else will eradicate war, my death doesn't matter." Self-sacrificial, yet revealing the absolute purity of his purpose.

"I will live... I'll live and seize tomorrow. That is my battle." (Season 2, Episode 24)

Original Japanese: 「俺は、生きる……生きて明日を掴む。それが、俺の戦いだ」

Uttered after his decisive battle with Graham Aker (Mr. Bushido). For the first time, the boy who never feared death declared "living" to be his fight — the defining turning point of Season 2.

"Yes... to create the future, we must... CHANGE!" (Season 2, Episode 24)

Original Japanese: 「そうだ……未来を創るために、俺達は……変わるんだぁぁぁぁぁっ！！」

A shout during the activation of Trans-Am Burst. As Setsuna awakens as an Innovator, the 00 Raiser's GN particles spread across the entire battlefield, linking the consciousness of friend and foe alike. The moment a man embodied "change" in his own body.

"My life... had meaning." (Film)

Original Japanese: 「俺には……生きている意味があった」

The moment Setsuna — burdened for years by self-contradiction and guilt — finally affirmed his own existence. Having transcended a past in which he could only live as a child soldier, he found a new way of life as "one who brings dialogue."

"It took so long... but what we sought was the same. You were right." (Film Epilogue)

Original Japanese: 「こんなにも長く、時間が掛かってしまった……だが、求めていたものは同じだ……きみが正しかった……」

The final words Setsuna speaks to an aged Marina after returning from his 50-year journey. Two people who once stood in opposition — one wielding arms, the other seeking dialogue — finally arrive at the same horizon. A quiet, profound line that brings the entire series to a close.

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4. Appearances & Timeline — A Journey from Age 16 to 73 {#timeline}

Setsuna F. Seiei appears as the protagonist across all installments of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. Below is a chronological overview of his life as it unfolds across the series.

Prehistory — The Soran Ibrahim Era (c. A.D. 2291–2301)

Born in the Republic of Krugis, Soran Ibrahim was abducted at a young age by the terrorist organization KPSA. Brainwashed by the mercenary Ali al-Saachez, he murdered his own parents in the name of "holy war." Later, on the verge of death on the battlefield, he witnessed the 0 Gundam's armed intervention and was saved. The pilot of the 0 Gundam was Ribbons Almark, who would go on to recommend Soran as a Gundam Meister candidate — a plot thread that reverberates throughout the entire series.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 1 (A.D. 2307–2308)

• Broadcast: October 2007 – March 2008 (25 episodes)
• Setsuna's Age: 16

As one of Celestial Being's four Gundam Meisters, Setsuna pilots the Gundam Exia and carries out armed interventions in conflicts around the world. In the latter half, the United Nations forces launch a massive counterattack, dealing devastating blows to Celestial Being. In the finale, Setsuna engages Graham Aker's GN Flag in a desperate duel, and both pilots go missing along with their wrecked machines.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2 (A.D. 2312–2313)

• Broadcast: October 2008 – March 2009 (25 episodes)
• Setsuna's Age: 21

After a four-year gap, Setsuna reappears with the heavily damaged Gundam Exia Repair. To combat the oppression of the Earth Federation's autonomous peacekeeping force "A-Laws," he rejoins Celestial Being and takes the helm of the new 00 Gundam. Through the combination with the 0 Raiser (forming 00 Raiser), he awakens as humanity's first true Innovator. In the final battle, he defeats the mastermind Ribbons Almark using the Gundam Exia Repair II.

Theatrical Film: A wakening of the Trailblazer (A.D. 2314)

• Released: September 2010
• Setsuna's Age: 23 (Epilogue: 73)

When the Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shape-shifters (ELS) invade Earth, Setsuna boards the new 00 Qan[T]. He activates the Quantum System to attempt dialogue with the ELS and departs alone for their homeworld. The epilogue jumps to A.D. 2364: Setsuna returns to Earth after 50 years, piloting the "ELS Qan[T]" — a Gundam fused with the ELS. His reunion with an elderly Marina Ismail closes the curtain on the story.

Other Related Works

• Gundam 00P / 00F / 00I / 00N (novels & manga): Side stories featuring related episodes
• Super Robot Wars series: Featured in numerous titles, making him widely known among gaming audiences
• Gundam Build series: While Setsuna himself does not appear, Gunpla based on Exia and Qan[T] frequently play prominent roles

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5. Mobile Suit Roster — From Exia to Qan[T] {#mobile-suits}

Setsuna F. Seiei's story is inseparable from the Gundams he pilots. Below is a comprehensive list of his main mobile suits, presented alongside the narrative significance of each.

Gundam Exia — Setsuna's "Origin"

Gundam Exia was the first Gundam Setsuna piloted, and the machine that defined his fighting style. Equipped with seven GN Swords/GN Blades, it specializes in melee combat — a perfect match for Setsuna himself, who possesses uncanny accuracy with thrown weapons but struggles with ranged shooting.

For Setsuna, Exia is an extension of that fateful day when he encountered the 0 Gundam. When he declares "I am Gundam," it is the image of Exia that first comes to mind. In the Season 1 finale, Exia's battered frame clashing blade-to-blade with Graham's GN Flag mirrors Setsuna's own indomitable will.

00 Gundam / 00 Raiser — The Catalyst of Innovation

The 00 Gundam that Setsuna pilots in Season 2 features the revolutionary "Twin Drive System," which operates two GN Drives simultaneously. The high-density GN particles generated by this system are what triggered Setsuna's awakening as an Innovator.

In its combined form with the 0 Raiser — the "00 Raiser" — the Trans-Am Burst function (dispersing GN particles across a wide area to link the consciousness of surrounding humans) becomes available. This is the Season 2 theme of "solving problems through dialogue rather than force" made manifest in mechanical form.

The image of Setsuna and civilian Saji Crossroad sharing the cockpit symbolizes the coexistence of soldier and civilian, arms and dialogue.

Gundam Exia Repair II — Reunion with the "First Machine"

In the Season 2 finale, the machine Setsuna pilots against Ribbons Almark is not the latest model but a repaired version of Exia. Both combatants' machines are destroyed in succession, and what remains at the end are the "machines of origin" — Setsuna's Exia and the 0 Gundam that Ribbons has commandeered.

Ribbons, who once piloted the 0 Gundam, versus Setsuna, who was saved by it. Two men bound by fate cross their final blades in machines bound by the same fate. This staging beautifully resolves the narrative thread that Setsuna's story began with "an encounter with the 0 Gundam."

00 Qan[T] — A Machine Built for Dialogue

The 00 Qan[T], the film's lead unit, was developed with a fundamentally different concept from all previous Gundams. Its defining feature is the "Quantum System" — a system that links with Setsuna's Innovator abilities to enable dialogue with alien intelligence.

While it retains formidable armaments including the GN Sword V, the machine's true purpose is not "to fight" but "to understand." It is, quite literally, the final Gundam — built to realize the "coming dialogues" that Aeolia Schenberg's 200-year plan ultimately pointed toward.

The "ELS Qan[T]" that appears in the epilogue, fused with the ELS, represents the ultimate union of Setsuna and Gundam. The moment when "I am Gundam" ceased to be metaphor and became reality.

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6. Relationships — Bonds and Rivalries Forged in Battle {#relationships}

Lockon Stratos (Neil Dylandy) — The Big Brother Who First Understood Him

Among Celestial Being's Gundam Meisters, no one left a deeper mark on Setsuna than Neil Dylandy, the original Lockon Stratos. A man who had lost his family to terrorism, Neil saw through Setsuna's awkwardness to the purity underneath, calling him a "Gundam fool" while quietly acknowledging him.

When Neil fell in battle in Episode 24 of Season 1, Setsuna shed tears and screamed for the first time in the series. For the silent Setsuna, Neil's death became a crucible that reaffirmed why he fought.

Lockon Stratos (Lyle Dylandy) — The Man Setsuna Recruited Himself

Neil's twin brother Lyle was personally scouted by Setsuna for Season 2. While there may have been echoes of his brother in the choice, Setsuna was not seeking "a replacement for Neil" — he recognized Lyle's own qualities. By the time of the film, the two stand side by side as trusted comrades.

Tieria Erde — A Friendship Born at Gunpoint

In Season 1, these two were so antagonistic they literally held guns to each other's heads. The plan-obsessed Tieria and the rogue Setsuna were oil and water. But after the Trinity incident, Tieria began to respect Setsuna's resolve to "change the world by his own will."

By Season 2, they had become each other's most trusted allies. In the film, Tieria — existing as a data entity within Veda — rushes to Setsuna's aid and rides alongside him in the Qan[T]'s cockpit. Their relationship stands as the deepest bond between men in the entire 00 series.

Allelujah Haptism — A Quiet Comrade

Of the four Meisters, Allelujah's relationship with Setsuna is the calmest. Both men are reserved, and there are no dramatic confrontations — just a steady, reliable trust forged in battle. Allelujah's struggle to coexist with his alternate personality Hallelujah represents a different form of "human transformation" from Setsuna's Innovator awakening, making them kindred spirits walking parallel paths.

Marina Ismail — A Mirror Image

The First Princess of Azadistan, Marina is the most significant person in Setsuna's life and simultaneously the one he kept missing. Both share the goal of "a peaceful world," yet Setsuna pursues it through arms while Marina insists on dialogue.

Setsuna is said to have seen the image of his mother in Marina — not romantic love, but a longing for "what he had lost" and "what he could never become." Marina, for her part, saw in Setsuna both the sorrow of the war that destroyed her neighboring country and the strength to keep fighting despite it.

Their reunion in the epilogue, 50 years later, finally standing on the same ground, is the completed form of the 00 series' overarching theme: "dialogue and understanding."

Saji Crossroad — From Next-Door Neighbor to Copilot

In Season 1, Saji was merely Setsuna's next-door neighbor during his undercover life. In Season 2, he became the copilot of the 00 Raiser's 0 Raiser component. The contrast between Saji — embodying a civilian's perspective on the horrors of war — and Setsuna — a soldier on the front lines — created the most emotionally accessible dynamic for viewers.

Graham Aker — A Rival Bound by Love and Obsession

Federation ace pilot Graham Aker is Setsuna's greatest nemesis and, ultimately, his deepest ally.

From his first encounter with Gundam Exia in Season 1, Graham's fixation on Gundam evolved from "love" to "hatred" to "destiny." In Season 2, he donned a mask as "Mr. Bushido" and pursued Setsuna alone.

In the film, having overcome his past obsession, Graham sacrificed his life for Setsuna by detonating his own machine as it was being consumed by the ELS. His final words — "The rest is up to you, boy" — crystallize the 00 series' belief that "enemies can become allies."

Ali al-Saachez — The Destined Nemesis

The mercenary who forged Setsuna into a KPSA child soldier. The man directly responsible for making Setsuna murder his parents and the one who shattered his faith. A man who loves war and cannot survive without it. He stands as Setsuna's polar opposite, and their conflict — "the one who wants to eradicate war" versus "the one who needs war to exist" — embodies the fundamental thesis of Gundam 00.

Ribbons Almark — The Self-Proclaimed "God"

The pilot of the 0 Gundam who defined Setsuna's life, and the one who recommended him as a Gundam Meister candidate. Yet Ribbons, as an Innovade, came to see himself as a "God" who should manage humanity, refusing to acknowledge Setsuna's Innovator awakening.

The climactic battle of Season 2 — Ribbons in the 0 Gundam versus Setsuna in the Exia Repair II — was the ultimate answer to the question: "Who has the right to lead the world?"

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7. Voice Actor — Mamoru Miyano, a Destined Casting {#voice-actor}

Mamoru Miyano Profile

The Audition and Selection

The role of Setsuna F. Seiei was decided through an open audition. Director Seiji Mizushima said of Miyano: "Among the voice actors who auditioned, he was the one who least carried that 'typical Gundam protagonist' aura. He naturally captured the sense of solitude we wanted for Setsuna."

Audio director Masafumi Mima also explained the casting rationale: "When he previously played the lead in Fafner: Right of Left, I noticed an awkwardness in emotional expression and a delicate quality that made his performance waver. That was a perfect fit for Setsuna."

The Resonance Between Setsuna and Miyano

Mamoru Miyano's career took off with the role of Setsuna, expanding his work into singing and acting beyond voice performance. When Gundam 00 premiered in 2007, Miyano was 24 years old. To portray a taciturn 16-year-old, he deliberately lowered his vocal register and committed to a restrained, emotionally suppressed performance.

Yet as the story progressed through Season 2 and the film, Miyano's portrayal evolved in tandem with Setsuna's growth. His delivery of "You were right" in the film's epilogue — compressing 50 years of weight into a handful of words — is widely praised as a masterful piece of voice acting.

At the 10th anniversary event "Gundam 00 Festival 10 'Re:vision'" in 2017, Miyano reunited with the principal cast and spoke at length about his attachment to Setsuna. The equation "Mamoru Miyano = Setsuna" has become unshakable among fans.

A character song single — Mamoru Miyano come across Setsuna F. Seiei — was also released, symbolizing the profound unity between voice actor and character.

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8. Cultural Impact — The Legacy of "I Am Gundam" {#cultural-impact}

Becoming a Meme

"I am Gundam" exploded across the internet the moment it aired in 2007. Countless parody videos (known as "MAD" videos) flooded Nico Nico Douga, and the phrase became a staple joke on 2channel (now 5channel) Gundam boards.

What made this line so potent as a meme was its ambiguity. For those unfamiliar with the show, it sounds "absurd and funny." For those who have watched it, it carries "deep meaning." This dual function — simultaneously comedic and poignant — fueled the line's consumption on both levels and significantly boosted Gundam 00's visibility in the process.

A New Kind of Gundam Protagonist

Traditional Gundam protagonists were either reluctant conscripts (Amuro, Kamille) or career soldiers (Shiro, Kou). Setsuna broke the mold as a protagonist who fights from the outset with a clear objective: ending war. His background as a child soldier added a weight unprecedented in the franchise.

The premise of a Middle Eastern child soldier as the lead character reflected the real-world context of 2007 — the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan were ongoing — and confronted viewers with the message that "Gundam is depicting the wars of our time."

The Evolution of Fan Reception

At the time of broadcast, Setsuna divided opinion: "Too silent," "Impossible to read." But as his growth unfolded through Season 2 and the film brought his arc to a close, appreciation surged. In NHK's "All Gundam Grand Vote 40th" (2018), he ranked highly among Gundam protagonists and became widely recognized as "the Gundam protagonist who grew the most."

In the age of social media, both the memetic popularity of "I am Gundam" and the character's genuine depth have driven continued reassessment, making his name known even to audiences who have never watched Gundam 00.

Gunpla and Merchandise

Setsuna's mobile suits — Exia and 00 in particular — are among the most popular entries in the Gunpla (Gundam plastic model) lineup. Exia has been produced in virtually every grade: MG (Master Grade), PG (Perfect Grade), and RG (Real Grade), placing its popularity on par with the original RX-78-2 Gundam and the Strike Gundam.

In 2018, the "PROJECT BM!" figure brand released a Setsuna F. Seiei action figure, and character-focused merchandise has continued to expand — evidence of the character's marketability independent of his mobile suits.

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9. Related Articles {#related}

• Gundam Exia (GN-001) Complete Guide — The Seven-Sword Melee Specialist
• Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Series Complete Guide — War, Peace, and Dialogue in the Anno Domini Timeline
• 00 Gundam (GN-0000) Complete Guide — Twin Drive System and the Wings of Innovation
• 00 Qan[T] (GNT-0000) Complete Guide — The Final Gundam Built for Dialogue

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10. Sources & References {#sources}

• Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Official Website — Character: Setsuna F. Seiei
• Theatrical Film Gundam 00 Official Website — Character Introduction
• Gundam Wiki — Setsuna F. Seiei
• The Gundam Wiki (Fandom) — Setsuna F. Seiei
• Pixiv Encyclopedia — Setsuna F. Seiei
• Super Robot Wars Wiki — Setsuna F. Seiei
• Animate Times — Voice Actor Mamoru Miyano Reflects on Gundam 00
• Wikipedia — List of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Characters