This article or section should be merged with Cosmic Era glossary

In the Cosmic Era timeline of the fictional anime Gundam Seed, Coordinators are genetically-enhanced humans who inhabit space colonies called PLANTs. Coordinators can have a number of enhanced traits including faster learning, and stronger and faster bodies that are virtually immune to diseases.

A person who is not genetically-enhanced is referred to as a Natural.

Background

The process to create a Coordinator was revealed to the public in CE 15 by the first known Coordinator himself, George Glenn. The genetic modifications that create a Coordinator is performed in the earliest stages of embryonic development. The Coordinator embryo is then reinserted back into its mother for gestation. However, these genetic enhancements are then passed on to the Coordinator's children without the need for more enhancements. When Natural parents have their children turned into Coordinators, the children are described as first-generation Coordinators, whose own children will then be second-generation Coordinators, and so forth.

A crude slang term among Naturals for Coordinators is "Patchworker" (ref. Gundam Seed PHASE-37), a reference to their "patchwork" DNA.

Sterility

As of CE 71, Coordinators become sterile in the third generation with no genetic input from Naturals. There is no known cure for this as of the present date, though ZAFT scientists are busy working on a solution.

Mother's womb

Another flaw to Coordinators is that there is a discrepancy between how a Coordinator fetus is intended to develop with how it really turns out. In many cases unwanted traits would appear in the baby that is different from what the baby's genes were altered to. In the anime, this was explained as being due to the conditions of the mother's womb, which was not stable enough an environment for a fetus to develop following the genetic coding perfectly.

Ultimate Coordinator

In the early 50's, there was a program to offset the problem with the natural womb. A renowned scientist, Professor Ulen Hibiki, proposed the usage of the artificial womb, which would allow a Coordinator fetus to develop outside of the mother. Many failed prototypes using this apparatus would be created (including Canard Pars, the only failed prototype to survive) before the last and successful "Ultimate Coordinator", Hibiki's son Kira Yamato (Kira's twin sister, Cagalli, is a Natural), was born CE May 18, 55. Kira would grow up completely unaware of his origins until the Bloody Valentine War of CE 70-71.

Anti-Coordinator violence

Many Naturals have always been opposed to the Coordinators out of jealousy for their abilities and the fact that they were created unnaturally. In fact for many years after George Glenn's revelation, Coordinators remained illegal. Only in the 30's was this ban repealed and a Coordinator boom occur that lasted until the 50's. However a group called Blue Cosmos began stirring up even more distrust and dislike for Coordinators. By the mid-50's, relations had deteriorated to the point that Blue Cosmos-linked persons were in positions of power across the Atlantic Federation, and Coordinators had largely retreated to either neutral nations like the Orb Union or into space, where they were welcomed in PLANT.

True purpose

According to the "GG Unit", an artificial intelligence said to be derived from the memory engrams of George Glenn's brain, Coordinators have strayed from their intended purpose: to, as the name indicates, "coordinate" the next step of humanity's evolution. He never intended for Coordinators to view themselves as a superior race. In Glenn's eyes, anyone who works for the betterment of mankind is a true Coordinator, regardless of whether their genes have been enhanced. Unfortunately, this enlightened view is not shared by many on either side of the Earth/PLANT conflict.

Notable Coordinators

• George Glenn - First (known) Coordinator; athlete, physicist and astronaut
  • Etymology: George Glenn's given name is derived from the first American president, George Washington; his surname is derived from astronaut and United States Senator John Glenn.
• Kira Yamato - Ultimate Coordinator; political and military leader
• Athrun Zala - Military leader, bodyguard of Orb Chief Representative
• Lacus Clyne - Political leader and popular singer
• Yzak Joule - Political and military leader, member of PLANT Council as of CE 72
• Sigel Clyne - Political leader, president of PLANT as of CE 70, assassinated in CE 71
• Patrick Zala - Military leader, president of PLANT as of late CE 71, killed in CE 71
• Gilbert Dullindal - Political leader; president of PLANT as of CE 73