Black Tri-Stars

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Emblem for Black Tri-Stars

The "Black Tri-Stars" (黒い三連星) were a three-man ace pilot team in the classic anime TV series Mobile Suit Gundam.

(NOTE: The Black Tri-Stars are sometimes alternately referred to as the "Black Trinary," or less often, the "Black Trinity.")

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The ace pilot trio known as the Black Tri-Stars consisted of Zeon ace pilots Lieutenant Gaia, Lieutenant Junior Grade Ortega, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Mash. The three men first met in May of Universal Century 0076 when the Zeon space forces began secretly practicing combat maneuvers in preparation for the upcoming war. The three were all assigned to the Mobile Training Battalion D Company, 2nd Platoon, and the three became good friends quickly.

Gaia

Ortega

Mash

During the Battle of Loum on January 16th, Universal Century 0079, the three men first earned their notorious reputation when they captured General Revil. The three customized MS-05 Zaku I that they piloted, painted in a black and purple colour scheme, earned the trio the nickname "Black Tri-Stars".

It was using the high speed and maneuverability of the Zakus that the Black Tri-Stars came up with their own unique tactical maneuver. The Black Tri-Stars developed their trademark attack, the "Jet Stream Attack". Moving in at high speed, the trio lines up one behind the other, forming a lethal simultaneous triple assault in which two of the members attack with ranged weapons and the last one attacks with a melee weapon.

The three members of the Black Tri-Stars were said to be more skilled than an entire squad of normal soldiers, and they proved it constantly with their ruthless attacks on the Earth Federation's space forces. In July, 0079, the Black Tri-Stars alone in their new High Mobility Zaku IIs destroyed an entire Earth Federation Reconnaissance in Force fleet near the Zeon asteroid fortress of A Baoa Qu.

In October, 0079 the Black Tri-Stars are each given a new Dom and transferred to Earth by Kycilia Zabi where they join the 7th Terrestrial Mobile Division, 1st Mobile Suit Battalion. On November 6th the Black Tri-Stars arrive at Odessa, Ukraine to shore up the defences of the mining facilities against the Earth Federation's upcoming Operation Odessa. The trio immediately sets out to ambush the White Base. During the attack on the White Base the Black Tri-Stars manage to kill Ensign Matilda Ajan, but Gundam pilot Amuro Ray is able to avoid the deadly Jet Stream Attack and kills Lieutenant Junior Grade Mash, forcing the two remaining Black Tri-Stars to retreat in shock.

Gaia and Ortega return to Odessa where they honour the death of their fallen comrade, Mash. They decide the best way to both honour and avenge Mash's death would be to destroy the Gundam and the White Base. On November 9th, the remaining Black Tri-Stars attack the White Base during Operation Odessa. However Gaia and Ortega are killed by Amuro Ray, putting an end to the legacy of the Black Tri-Stars.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

As a nod to the Black Tri-Stars, a Notorious Monster in Square Enix's MMORPG Final Fantasy XI consisting of a trio of small bats is named the Black Triple Stars. In addition, the Black Triple Stars and all the mobs in its family are known for using a special attack called Jet Stream.

In the anime Mohoromatic, a group of 3 villagers perform the Jet stream attack on Mahoro while she performs the role of the Gundam.

In Great Teacher Onizuka manga, one of Onizuka's students, Urumi Kanzaki, makes a string of pranks and vandalisms on Holy Forest Academy and its faculty and students. During this, she is confronted by a trio of female upper classman who are collectively known as the "Black Stars". They are named Gaia, Masha and Ortega respectively, have notably dark skin and wear loose socks that are wide around the bottoms, in the style of Dom feet.

In the 29th episode of the anime series Yakitate!! Japan!, the rivalling bakery calls for the aid of three expert bakers from their Kyushu branch, who bear an amazing resemblance to the Black Tri-stars. Even more intriguing is the fact they often wear jumpsuits similar to the pilot suits of the original characters, and often rode around on roller blades (as a contrast to the Dom mobile suits which hovered). When they later try the main character's special bread, they hallucinate, and find themselves in Doms fighting against their former employer (in G Gundam's GF13-050NSW Nobel Gundam, for some reason).

In the strategy game series Gihren's Greed, it is possible to save the Black Tristars from their demise at the hands of the Gundam. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, such as providing Ramba Ral with the support he needs to capture the White Base or simply not sending them to earth. If the player keeps them alive, they can get their own customised Gelgoog or YMS-15 Gyans.

In the RPG Shadow Hearts 2: Covenant, there are a trio of wolves that is an optional quest. Coincidentaly their names are Gaia, mash, and Ortega.

In Full Metal Panic!, one episode had an Arm Slave (AS) match between two teams. One had the main character, Sousuke Sagara, helping his friend whose father owned said team (and lost every year). The opposing team, with a cocky leader, beats the team each year with his infamous 'Red Stream Attack'.

In G Gundam, Sai Saichi saves Neo-Denmark's Hans Holger's younger sister Cecile from a gang of thugs. Those thugs later try to attack Sai Saichi before he can get to his match with Hans. Domon decides to take care of them, and his God Gundam more than easily defeats their mobile workers. These guys perform a move they call the 'Jet Stream Attack' on the God Gundam, but instead of charging straight on, these thugs circle around the opponent (to which Domon sticks his foot out and trips them).

As probably an homage to the original series, the end of Gundam SEED DESTINY has three pilots (one with an eye-patch) who pilot 3 ZGMF-XX09T DOM Trooper mobile suits. They perform the same Jet Stream Attack that the original Black Tri-Stars do.

In Front Mission: Gun Hazard, there is a trio of enemies piloting hovering robots painted in purple and red. They use an attack called the "Meteor Storm".