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What is the original intended function of Haro (both in-universe and in real
life)? What did it end up becoming?

![What.. does it do?](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2haP4.jpg)


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2013-04-27T05:35:24.470
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question
gundam
What is the intended purpose of Haro?


# Out-of-universe

Haro was included in _Mobile Suit Gundam_ for the purpose of showing Amuro's
talent for building machines. However, it fulfills another purpose; that of
being a mascot.

[Kunio Okawara](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunio_Okawara) initially designed
Haro for [_Invincible Steel Man Daitarn
3_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invincible_Steel_Man_Daitarn_3), and named
him after HAL (the computer from [_2001: A Space
Odyssey_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_\(film\)))[2](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6Bqg5.jpg).
It was (likely) intended to be a mascot of the series, before the concept was
discarded. However, Okawara was later approached prior to [_Mobile Suit
Gundam_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam) and persuaded to
include it, allowing it to somewhat serve as a mascot of the series. Since
then:

> Haro has since become a mascot for the Sunrise studio as a whole, often
> appearing in their recent idents.
>
> — [Haro, Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haro_\(character\))

Because it its popularity and its rank as mascot of the series, Haro has also
received a substantial following and quite a collection of merchandise.

![Haro merchandise](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6Bqg5.jpg)

# In-universe

The in-universe explanation is actually far simpler. Haro was created by
Amuro, the main character, as part of his hobby building machines. Amuro
generally had few social interactions with others, so he created Haro as a
companion to himself, with its speech function and brain-wave analysis
functions making it quite a good substitute for a close friend.

### References

  1. [Haro (character) at Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haro_\(character\))
  2. [Haro at the Japanese Wikipedia](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8F%E3%83%AD_\(%E3%82%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%80%E3%83%A0%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA\)#.E6.A6.82.E8.A6.81)
  3. [Series Mascot at TVTropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeriesMascot)


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