Gawain

The Gawain (ガウェイン, Gau~ein), named after Sir Gawain of the Knights of the Round Table, is a prototype Knightmare Frame privately developed by Prince Schneizel el Britannia. It is unusual in that it is approximately 50% taller and more than twice as heavy as most other Knightmares, and features a double-seater cockpit, although it can be piloted by just one person. It also doesn't seem to feature Factspheres or an identifiable ejection system. However, with the creation of the Gawain, it allowed Britannia to develop Knightmares based off of it such as the Gareth and the Galahad.

Design and Specifications
The Gawain is equipped with a prototype integrated Float System, making it capable of sustained flight. Its fingers are miniature Slash Harkens, and it features a pair of shoulder-mounted Hadron Cannons, which can emit continuous streams of destructive energy over prodigious ranges. The Knightmare is initially incomplete, and its Hadron Cannons fire erratically due to its blooming effect. The unit is perfected by the Black Knights' scientific mastermind, Rakshata Chawla, who uses her Gefjun Disturber technology to gain control of the Hadron cannons' erratic firepower. As a side benefit, the Disturber's natural disruption properties also render the Gawain invisible to radar. Its experimental Druid System (ドルイドシステム, Doruido Shisutemu), originally intended to investigate the structure and function of the Thought Elevators, allows the Gawain to plot the probable movements of enemy units, and mark it as a powerful commander unit. Despite its strengths, the Gawain is a fairly slow unit, and as such is easily outmaneuvered by smaller, faster Knightmares, which can be clearly seen when the Gawain and Cornelia's Gloucester fought in battle at the Black Rebellion.

Operational History
The Gawain was transported aboard the first Britannian airship, the Avalon, in order to ambush the Black Knights (who in turn set an ambush for the Lancelot) with a prototype Hadron Cannon. Shortly after, they moved the Gawain to Kamine Island to study the Thought Elevator. However, before the Gawain could be used for this project, Zero (Lelouch Lamperouge) and Kallen Kōzuki stole the Gawain in order to escape from Kaminejima Island. Despite the amount of new technology consequently lost, Schneizel dismisses the Gawain’s theft, considering it to be a mere "test model". After its technology was perfected by Rakshata Chawla, it becomes Lelouch's and C.C.'s personal Knightmare; C.C. handles the piloting while Zero operates the weapons and issues orders.

The Gawain later proves instrumental in Zero’s plans during the invasion of the Tokyo Settlement, single-handedly wiping out the totality of Britannia’s air support in the area. The Gawain is lost during a duel with the Siegfried, a powerful Knight Giga Fortress, when C.C. uses its Slash Harkens to entangle the Siegfried and drag them both into the crushing depths of the ocean.

Though the frame is damaged beyond repair, its Druid System and Hadron Cannons are salvaged. Both technologies are incorporated into the Black Knights' flagship, the Ikaruga. It was also adapted by Rakshata to control the Absolute Defense Territory system of Zero’s personal Knightmare, the Shinkirō.

Nightmare of Nunnally
The Gawain is also shown as Zero’s personal Knightmare Frame in the Nightmare of Nunnally manga. In this series, Zero expands his armor to materialize the Gawain, and then controls it from within. This version looks visually identical to its anime counterpart.

Gallery
Gawain