In the anime series Gundam Seed Destiny, ZAFT creates a new series of advanced mobile suits to succeed their previous generation of Gundams, which were all lost in the previous war. Since the Treaty of Junius bans the military use of the Neutron Jammer Canceller, these new Gundams use conventional battery power instead. However, technological improvements over the last two years mean that battery efficiency is improved, and Phase Shift armor is less power intensive than it had once been. To further improve endurance, ZAFT also introduces the new Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System, which allows a properly equipped battleship to remotely recharge a mobile suit's battery.

One of these new suits is the ZGMF-X23S Saviour Gundam, a transformable unit specializing in aerial combat. The Saviour Gundam is armed with a large beam rifle, a pair of beam sabers stored in its shoulder, and CIWS guns, as well as a pair of back-mounted pods containing beam and plasma beam cannons. These pods can fold under the Saviour Gundam's arms to fire, and also constitute its primary armament when it transforms into a high-speed airplane-like flight mode.

The Saviour Gundam is produced separately from the other 4 new Gundams, and after the fall of Junius Seven it is assigned by Chairman Gilbert Dullindal to Athrun Zala, newly reinstated to ZAFT and appointed by Dullindal to the elite FAITH detachment. Athrun then flies the Saivour Gundam back to Earth and joins the crew of the battleship Minerva.

Specifications

ZGMF-X23S Saviour Gundam

Manufacturer: Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty
User: Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty
Unit type: prototype attack use transformable mobile suit
Overall height: 18.61 m
Weight: Max gross 77.13 t
Special equipment: Phase Shift armor, Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery
Armament: MMI-GAU25A 20mm multi-barrel CIWS x2, M106 "Amfortas" plasma beam cannon x2, MA-7B "Super Fortis" beam cannon x2, MMI-GAU2 "Picus" 76mm machinegun x2, MA-M941 "Vajra" beam saber x2, MA-BAR70 high-energy beam rifle x1, MMI-RD11 aerodynamic shield x1
Pilot: Athrun Zala