Franklin Bidan (フランクリン・ビダン Furankurin Bidan?) is a fictional character from the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam anime series.
Background[]
Franklin Bidan is the principle designer of the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II developed for use by the Titans. Often absorbed into his work he neglects his own family, instead finding comfort in a mistress named Margarita. Taken aboard the Titans flagship Alexandria by Bask Om, he and his wife were used as hostages in negotiations for the return of the Gundam Mk. II's captured by the AEUG.
Escaping with the aide of Lieutenant Emma Sheen, he pilots a Gundam Mk. II back to the AEUG ship Argama. While a refugee on the Argama he steals a Rick Dias and attempts to return to the Titans with the captured machine. Pursued by Argama's mobile suits he engages in combat against them, firing on his own son Kamille Bidan in the process. When the Rick Dias is damaged in the battle, Franklin attempts to escape only to be blown out further into space when the mobile suit explodes.
In Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Define, he is instead inside the capsule with his wife during the Titans' attempt to retrieve the MK-IIs, and the pair are killed together when Jerid Messa destroys the capsule. His role in stealing the Rick Dias is instead given to Kacricon Cacooler.