Zechs Merquise
The masked man known as Zechs is an ace mobile suit pilot of the Alliance's elite Specials force, which is in reality a front for the secret society called OZ. Having earned the highest marks in the history of the Specials' Lake Victoria military academy, received the first two-rank promotion in the organization's history, and acquired the nickname "Lightning Baron" for his exploits, he is a hero to the Specials' members and the trusted friend of their leader Treize. But for all his fame, Zechs is shrewd and cautious, wary of taking unnecessary risks or underestimating his enemies.
Zechs's mask hides a dark secret. He is actually the son of King Peacecraft, heir to the Sanc Kingdom and Relena's long-lost brother. Though OZ eventually gives him the opportunity to avenge the death of his father and the destruction of his homeland, Zechs is uncertain how to proceed from there. Trained as a warrior, his hands stained with the blood of battle, the man born Milliardo Peacecraft feels himself unworthy to follow his father's pacifist path. Ultimately, he joins the White Fang resistance group and leads them into a final grand battle, hoping to stage a war to end all wars...
As Endless Waltz begins, Zechs has been missing and presumed dead since the "Eve Wars" of AC 195. When the Mariemaia Army mobilizes against the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, he comes out of hiding and joins the staff of the Preventer intelligence agency, giving himself the elemental codename "Wind." Though this represents something of a departure for a man who was last seen trying to destroy the Earth, Zechs seems sincere in his desire to protect the hard-won peace against this new disruption. While battling the Mariemaia Army's legions, he even takes pains to avoid killing the enemy's misguided pilots.