Daigo Park

Daigo "the Slasher" Sano is a character in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam franchise.

Abilities
Having started out as a test pilot for the Earth Federation's early mobile suits, Daigo is skilled in a mobile suit cockpit, particularly with beam and heavy weapons, though he is also skilled with melee attacks, which can possibly be attributed to his martial arts training. Though he can use most types of mobile suits with ease, he is most comfortable in the cockpit of a Federation GM, as he has piloted those since the beginning of his career.

History
The Sano family were one of many who were forced to move out into space colonies. In their case, Side 1.

Daigo grew up living a happy life like any other kid. He mostly had it easy until the Principality of Zeon gassed his colony. He was barely able to survive, but was unable to save his parents and friends. Until this moment, he had ignored the war and lived a mostly care-free life. However, this event was what drove him to join the Earth Federation military and fight the Zeon threat.

Seeing the Zakus made Daigo interested in mobile suits, and right away, he joined the Earth Federation's test pilot corps, testing out early models of the RGM-79 GM, and even a prototype Gundam unit. However, it was his dream to pilot a Gundam in battle one day.

In the mid-to-late period of the One Year War, Daigo's team went on an operation in Southeast Asia, where they captured a small Zeon camp. It contained a Zaku, and to celebrate their victory, they spray-painted it a strange color scheme consisting of beige, black, and white. Due to his prior experience as a test pilot, Daigo was its main user.

When White Base landed at Jaburo, Daigo was stationed there to pilot the new RGM-79 GM. There, he destroyed just enough Zeon suits to be considered an ace, thanks to his prior experience as a test pilot. Due to his prowess with a beam saber, he became known as "Daigo the Slasher". Over time, he gained a strange sort of respect, almost admiration, for the enemy pilot Char Aznable.

Towards the end of the One Year War, Daigo was assigned to protect Side 6, and was given a limited-production GM Command Space Type, which was painted sand beige like his Zaku, thus making it his first ace custom suit. This was his favorite suit in the One Year War.

Daigo fought in A Baoa Qu with his GM Command Space Type. However, it was nearly destroyed towards the end of the battle. He was able to continue by having it repaired while he fought the last hours of the battle in an RB-79 Ball on standby. After the battle, this ball was painted in his custom beige color in his honor.

After the end of the One Year War, Daigo continued to serve as a pilot, participating in operations to hunt down Zeon remnants.

His desire to fight for a serious cause re-ignited when the corruption of the Titans became apparent. He joined the AEUG in UC 0087 and once again fought bravely in the Gryps Conflict as an ace mobile suit pilot. He had great respect for Quattro Bajeena, whose ace pilot status and preference for red mobile suits reminded him of his old "respected" enemy, Char. Little did he know, they were one and the same.

After Gryps, he would settle down for some time and start a family, fathering two sons and a daughter. However, around the rise of Char Aznable's Neo Zeon movement, he would join Londo Bell, fighting Char, and three years later, Full Frontal. Once again, Daigo the Slasher returned.

Mobile Suits
Having started out as a test pilot, Daigo has hands-on experience with many Federation mobile suits.

RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam - Daigo test piloted an RX-78-1 unit once. It was this mobile suit, combined with reports and stories of Amuro Ray's battles in the RX-78-2, that made him want to pilot a Gundam in battle one day.

In a what-if scenario, he keeps a Gundam unit. Its color scheme placement is the same as that of the RX-78-2, but the yellow parts are changed to a copper color, the red parts are changed to his signature sand beige, and the parts that would be black on the prototype unit remain black.

RGM-79(E) GM Early Type - One of the first mobile suits that Daigo ever used. He was a tester of this suit, and even brought it into battle. It was destroyed early in its run.

MS-06F Zaku II "Team Zaku"  - A Zeon suit captured by Daigo's unit in the mid-to-late period of the One Year War. Dueing an operationt hat involved capturing a Zeon camp, they managed to get a Zaku, which they custom painted beige, with white pipes, and the torso and top of the head painted black. Due to Daigo's history as a test pilot, he used it most often, though it was shared by the team. He favors using it with a missile pod on each leg, and will often rush into battle with both the machine gun and bazooka. Even after Daigo's team became a mobile suit unit where they each got their own GMs, they kept the Zaku anyway as a symbol of their teamwork. Just before the battle of A Baoa Qu, it was modified with improved thrusters. But in that particular battle, it was not used by Daigo, but someone else on his team.

RGM-79 GM - One of the first of its kind, Daigo used this suit in the Battle of Jaburo, where he gained just enough kills to become an ace.

RGM-79GS GM Command Space Type - Daigo's favorite suit during the One Year War. The parts which are normally red are painted sand beige in honor of his Team Zaku, making this his first "ace custom" suit. However, its performance is no different from that of the standard. He used this to protect Side 6 during the War in the Pocket . Was used for most of A Baoa Qu, but was heavily damaged towards the end. After the Federation victory, it was repaired with greatly improved thrusters, and he continued to use it until roughly the time of Operation Stardust, though it still survives.

RB-79 Ball - Due to the damage that his GM Command took, Daigo used a Ball on standby in the final minutes of the battle of A Baoa Qu. Purely based on luck, he actually managed to heavily damage a Zeon officer's Gelgoog with it. After the battle, his team kept the Ball in storage and painted it beige like his GM. It was never used after this.

RGM-79N GM Custom - Daigo used this from Operation Stardust throughout most of the Gryps Conflict. The feet, torso, and forehead are painted the same beige color as his other suits.

MSA-003 Nemo - In the later days of the Gryps Conflict, Daigo used a Nemo. The parts that were normally blue were painted sand beige, as usual with his suits. However, in honor of Char/Quattro, the rest of the green parts were painted red. He continued to use this well into the 0090s, constantly improving it so that it could match up to more "modern" suits such as the Jegan.