Professor Ralph Eifman (レイフ・エイフマン Reifu Eifuman?) is a fictional character in Mobile Suit Gundam 00. He is a famous Union engineer, technical chief, and scientist of several fields. He's also involved in the SVMS-01 Union Flag development project[1] as well as its variant, the SVMS-01O Over Flag.
Personality & Character[]
Ralph Eifman is a scientist and tends to view the world with a very calm and rational outlook. This helps him to understand motivations behind actions, such as when he figured out the Gundams were attacking causes of war. He is not without emotion, however. Though he is loyal to the Union and his assignment of capturing a Gundam, during one of Celestial Being's armed interventions in Taribia, Eifman refused to take presented chance because, as he stated, he has a deep loathing for narcotics and would be more inclined to help the Gundams in such instances.
Skills & Abilities[]
As the primary mobile suit researcher of MSWΛD Ralph Eifman is well versed in mobile suit mechanics and technical theory. He is also very skilled at reading and understanding situations, such as when Celestial Being commenced armed interventions in Africa and South America where there was no active fighting Eifman realized that the Gundams were targeting the sources of war, such as a plantation growing narcotics and a mine whose ownership is in dispute. He also has excellent analysis and deduction skills, figuring out that GN Particles are utilized in the Gundams' weaponry, that the particles are produce within the Gundams' engine, the GN Drive, and that the GN Drive utilizes topological defects. He also realized that the GN Drive's usage of topological defects is the reason behind the Gundams' long development time and that the engine could only be produced in the Jovian environment. He then made the connection between the Gundams' development with the expedition to Jupiter 120 years ago, and from there, he noticed the true goal behind Aeolia Schenberg's plan. After his death, the notes he left behind, which contained his theories on the GN Drive, allowed Billy Katagiri and his team to create a Trans-Am System usable by the GN Drive Tau.
History[]
Early Days[]
Not much is known about the professor during his early days. He spent the latter of his life in advance robotics and physics to develop and produce brand new weapons for Union. At one point of his life, became a teacher at a university and continued to teach and work with his student, Billy Katagiri. He also somehow met Leesa Kujo (Sumeragi Lee Noriega) and have either collaborated or spent time with her and Billy as a trio (since he's mentioned spending time together).
Anti-Gundam Investigative Squad[]
Eifman was involved in the development of the SVMS-01 Union Flag at some point in time.[1] In A.D. 2307, Professor Eifman joined the Union's Anti-Gundam Investigative Taskforce as their technical chief and adviser to aid in capturing the Gundams. With Billy at his side, they customized Graham Aker's Flag into the SVMS-01E Graham's Union Flag Custom. Eventually the modifications expanded to an entire squadron of Over Flags to combat the Gundams. When Graham asks him whether the Gundams' action may bring the world to an end, Eifman does not deny the fact.
Death & Aftermath[]
"You have witnessed too much..."
As he was theorizing the GN Drives' utilization of topological defects to generate energy, he realized the correlation between the expedition to Jupiter 120 years ago and Celestial Being's development of the Gundams, resulting in him having an epiphany over Aeolia Schenberg's true intentions. However, his revelations were too late. His own computer monitor revealed a message,"You have witnessed too much." Shortly after, the Thrones attacked and GNW-001 Gundam Throne Eins fired its GN Mega Launcher, vaporizing him before he could reveal the truth to anyone.
After his death, Billy became the head of mobile suit development. He then confirmed the theories in some handwritten notes on GN Drives that were found in the late professor's home, and implemented the results in Graham's (now called Mr. Bushido) new mobile suit, the GNX-U02X Masurao. This resulted in the GN Drive Tau-powered Masurao having Trans-Am System.
Relationships[]
Union[]
Main article: Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations A scientist with the Union armed forces.
- Billy Katagiri
- Professor Eifman was Billy Katagiri's teacher in graduate school, and is reunited with his former student when he is assigned to the Union's anti-Gundam investigative taskforce. Billy and Eifmanthe co-developed the Over Flags and are the leading authority on mobile suit engineering. They once worked with Sumeragi, but after a past incident she left and Eifan asks Billy of her from time-to-time. It's unclear whether or not Billy had received education by Eifman or was merely his assistant.
- Graham Aker
- Though they are not close, Professor Eifman personally tuned Graham's Flag into the SVMS-01E Graham's Union Flag Custom to better fight the Gundams. Eifman's custom tuning then spread to a group of Flags, resulting in the SVMS-01O Over Flags.
Celestial Being[]
Main article: Celestial Being He was part of the anti-Gundam investigative taskforce, who fought against Celestial Being.
- Sumeragi Lee Noriega
- Professor Eifman and Billy worked with Sumeragi in her early career as a tactical analyst/forecaster, but it was never clear was title "professor" a polite way of addressing Eifman or a real teacher to her. After the infamous incident that scarred Sumeragi, she became estranged to the professor, not once contacting him.
Picture Gallery[]
Notes[]
References[]