Suit Gundam SEED Destiny was first announced in July 2004 in Japanese magazines. Earlier, voice actor Tomokazu Seki had stated he was working on a popular show with fans hinting it was related to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Next month, the first trailer from the series was hosted online in its official website. Before the series' premiere, staff member Kabashima Yousuke gave hints about Shinn's character, telling that the Gundam SEED Destinys protagonist would be a character not seen in the prequel, and he would have a thin appearance. The main staff from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED remained in Gundam SEED Destiny including director Mitsuo Fukuda. When the series was premiering in Japan, Fukuda stated that unlike Gundam SEED, the sequel would not focus on Kira's and Athrun's relationship, but on Shinn's involvement in the war. He addressed that such conflict would happen in the series, but refrained from giving its reasons. In order to add more entertainment to the series, the staff also worked on the fight scenes between mobile suits. Shinn's character was meant to contrast Kira's in regards to their involvement across the series, but as Kira did, he would also go through a major development. Kira's inclusion in Destiny was made in order to tell a story from three people's point of views: Kira's, Athrun's and Shinn. The director lamented that from the three protagonists, Kira was the least explored character during the making of the series alongside two other characters with major importance: Durandal and Lacus. Fukuda described Kira in SEED Destiny as a person who runs away from fights often despite his feelings for Orb. His characterization was made to change briefly across the story as Kira faced Gilbert Durandal's ideals and became a person more compromised with war in contrast to his original pacifist persona after this incarnation was challenged by multiple other characters in regards to his actions on the battlefield. Media Anime Gundam SEED Destiny had its premiere broadcast in Japan on October 9, 2004, at 6:00 p.m. on the Japan News Network television stations Tokyo Broadcasting System and Mainichi Broadcasting System replacing the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime series and ended on October 1, 2005. In December 2005, a special episode called "The Chosen Future" aired in Japan. The episode is mainly a remake of episode 50, extending the series' ending. The series was collected in a total of thirteen DVD