Teletha Tessa Testarossa
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
and the tritagonist in the light novel
, manga
, and anime
series Full Metal Panic!
. She is portrayed by Yukana Nogami
in the original anime, and by Hilary Haag
in the English
dub
by ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment
. Her name is sometimes spelled Teresa Testarossa.
. It was created for use in underwater and aquatic warfare against terrorists, smugglers, and military units. She is American
by birth but has lived on submarines and military bases for the majority of her life. She was born on December 24, 1984 and is a child prodigy who rose to Captain rank at the age of only sixteen. She has platinum/silver hair and gray eyes. Later revealed as being a Whispered
, her high level of mathematical and scientific adeptness is dwarfed only by her brother's, which seems to have given her a sense of inferiority. Though not very athletically inclined, she has shown to be a very good swimmer (as shown in episode 8 of Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu!). Like Sousuke, she dislikes alcohol, unwittingly citing the same reason as Sousuke for avoiding it. She has an interest in Sousuke that extends beyond a professional one, generating a love triangle she shares with Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori. Even though Chidori and Tessa seem to compete against each other for Sousuke, they are good friends in reality, as during several episodes they talk about Sousuke and his unique military charm. Teletha is also one of the chief designers of the TDD-1 Tuatha de Danaan offensive submarine, and the creator of Dana, the submarine's Artificial Intelligence.
In the novel, A Dancing Very Merry Christmas, which took place chronologically after the events of The Second Raid, she expressed her affections for Sousuke, only to be devastated when the latter admitted that he was more in love with Kaname Chidori.
Sometimes however, as stated by Kurz Weber
, "Whenever Tessa was told by someone she couldn't do something, she made it a point to prove them wrong." (This leads to an Arm Slaves match involving paintball
bullets between Tessa and Melissa Mao
over the argument as whether Tessa can pilot an Arm Slave or not). Tessa seems to have some trouble tolerating her job at times due to the position she has. Some scenes have shown her irritated by what she does while other scenes show her slightly depressed by it. She mourns any death greatly and strives to reduce casualties in any mission. Nevertheless, she seems to have a large amount of stamina, and is able to cope with the stress of her tasks.
She treats everyone in the TDD-1 like her own family and cares about them to the point that she refuses any order for her to step down as TDD-1's commanding officer, such as the time when Admiral Borda suggests that Tessa returns back to R&D instead.
by birth, as she was born in the USA's northeast (it is intimated that her cultural background is akin to Boston Brahmin
), to a family of Swiss and Austrian descent, as revealed in the short story . It can be inferred that she is of Italian descent judging by her last name Testarossa. She traveled the world extensively as a child; however, she has spent a great part of her life living on submarines and military bases.
When she was younger, she lived in Okinawa for a while, while her father suggested she attend a Japanese school there, but as she did not mix very well with the other Japanese students, she was transferred to another school, this time on her father's military base.
Tessa is a Whispered
, and thus is gifted in the fields of mathematics and science. When she was six years old, she had derived the answer to one of Albert Einstein
's non-linear differential equations. On a side note, her twin brother, Leonard Testarossa, did this at age four, giving her an inferiority complex, as she states in Episode 10.
She worked her way up very quickly in Mithril, and became Captain of the Tuatha de Danaan after being commissioned by MITHRIL. It is also speculated the knowledge found within her may have led to the construction of TDD-1, due to the fact that Gauron refers to the existence of a Whispered knowledgeable in the field of submarine construction. She also mentions having had a hand in the construction of its AI, Dana.
When she participated in the "hijacking" of the Pacific Chrysalis in "Dancing Very Merry Christmas", she used the alias Teletha Mantissa.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the tritagonist in the light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Full Metal Panic!
Full Metal Panic!
is an ongoing series of light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji. The series follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of the covert anti-terrorist private military organization known as Mithril, tasked with protecting Kaname Chidori, a spirited Japanese high school girl.Individual...
. She is portrayed by Yukana Nogami
Yukana Nogami
is a female voice actress . She is currently affiliated with Sigma Seven.- Profile :* Her full name, which she had earlier also used as her stage name, is...
in the original anime, and by Hilary Haag
Hilary Haag
Hilary Haag Scarborough is an American voice actress who worked for ADV Films and Seraphim Digital and currently lives in Houston, Texas. Attended Lamar Consolidated High School and went on to study English Rhetoric at Texas A&M University...
in the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
dub
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
by ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
. Her name is sometimes spelled Teresa Testarossa.
Background
Teletha "Tessa" Testarossa is the charmingly clumsy Captain of the revered TDD-1 Tuatha De Danaan submarine of the anti-terrorist organization MithrilMithril (Full Metal Panic!)
Mithril is a fictional anti-terrorist private military company in the light novel, manga and anime series Full Metal Panic!. Many of the main characters within the series are members of this organization, among them include Sousuke Sagara, Melissa Mao, Kurz Weber and Teletha Tessa...
. It was created for use in underwater and aquatic warfare against terrorists, smugglers, and military units. She is American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by birth but has lived on submarines and military bases for the majority of her life. She was born on December 24, 1984 and is a child prodigy who rose to Captain rank at the age of only sixteen. She has platinum/silver hair and gray eyes. Later revealed as being a Whispered
Whispered
The Whispered are unique individuals in the Full Metal Panic! universe who possess access to Black Technology, technology that outstrips the level of technology that should exist in the world.- Abilities :...
, her high level of mathematical and scientific adeptness is dwarfed only by her brother's, which seems to have given her a sense of inferiority. Though not very athletically inclined, she has shown to be a very good swimmer (as shown in episode 8 of Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu!). Like Sousuke, she dislikes alcohol, unwittingly citing the same reason as Sousuke for avoiding it. She has an interest in Sousuke that extends beyond a professional one, generating a love triangle she shares with Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori. Even though Chidori and Tessa seem to compete against each other for Sousuke, they are good friends in reality, as during several episodes they talk about Sousuke and his unique military charm. Teletha is also one of the chief designers of the TDD-1 Tuatha de Danaan offensive submarine, and the creator of Dana, the submarine's Artificial Intelligence.
Links to Sousuke
Tessa is very open in her feelings to Sousuke, something causing arguments between her and Kaname. This is seen several times during the anime, such as in Episode 13, where Sousuke helps her to train and get ready for a duel with Melissa Mao, Tessa accidentally falls off the boarding ladder of the M9 she attempts to pilot and lands on Sousuke. When she realizes that she is on top of him, she apologizes, but also says that she feels lucky. When Sousuke tries to slip out from under her hold, she refuses to let go and holds on tightly. She also accidentally sent Kaname into a jealous rage when she pretended to be Sagara's girlfriend after Sousuke and Kaname came to his apartment as Tessa was stepping out of the shower. Tessa shows her affection for Sousuke in Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu! when she attempts to sneak into Sousuke's bed during her vacation, but Mao handcuffed her to herself. Unfortunately she is just a little too open in her affections which causes Sousuke some mental stress (shown in Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu!), when Sousuke faints as he is worried that he will be alone with Tessa (as she came to visit his school during that time on vacation) and that something may happen between them (mainly because Commander Mardukas threatened him if anything were to happen between Sousuke and Tessa while she stayed at Sousuke's residence; threats include launching Sousuke out of the TDD-1's torpedo tube with a 300 kg. explosive warhead). She was elated at the end of Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid when he finally called her Tessa.In the novel, A Dancing Very Merry Christmas, which took place chronologically after the events of The Second Raid, she expressed her affections for Sousuke, only to be devastated when the latter admitted that he was more in love with Kaname Chidori.
Characteristics
Tessa has some interesting qualities also. Being Captain of the Tuatha De Danaan, she is very smart when it comes to battlefield tactics and conflicts. She displays some very impressive military prowess and strategy at several points, such as the first two episodes of Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid, where she helps Sergeant Sagara escape death and also help their team get out of a tight situation in an underground operation. Also, during the last two episodes of Full Metal Panic! (first season), she helps prevent the Tuatha de Danaan from sinking, and performs some very skillful actions to save them from destruction, not once, but twice from torpedo attacks. She also seems to have a habit of playing with her ponytail.Sometimes however, as stated by Kurz Weber
Kurz Weber
is a character from the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. He was voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in the original and by Vic Mignogna in the English dub.-Overview:...
, "Whenever Tessa was told by someone she couldn't do something, she made it a point to prove them wrong." (This leads to an Arm Slaves match involving paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
bullets between Tessa and Melissa Mao
Melissa Mao
is a fictional character from the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic! Her voice was provided by Michiko Neya in the original anime and by Allison Keith in the English dub.- Overview :...
over the argument as whether Tessa can pilot an Arm Slave or not). Tessa seems to have some trouble tolerating her job at times due to the position she has. Some scenes have shown her irritated by what she does while other scenes show her slightly depressed by it. She mourns any death greatly and strives to reduce casualties in any mission. Nevertheless, she seems to have a large amount of stamina, and is able to cope with the stress of her tasks.
She treats everyone in the TDD-1 like her own family and cares about them to the point that she refuses any order for her to step down as TDD-1's commanding officer, such as the time when Admiral Borda suggests that Tessa returns back to R&D instead.
Character history
Teletha Testarossa is an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by birth, as she was born in the USA's northeast (it is intimated that her cultural background is akin to Boston Brahmin
Boston Brahmin
Boston Brahmins are wealthy Yankee families characterized by a highly discreet and inconspicuous life style. Based in and around Boston, they form an integral part of the historic core of the East Coast establishment...
), to a family of Swiss and Austrian descent, as revealed in the short story . It can be inferred that she is of Italian descent judging by her last name Testarossa. She traveled the world extensively as a child; however, she has spent a great part of her life living on submarines and military bases.
When she was younger, she lived in Okinawa for a while, while her father suggested she attend a Japanese school there, but as she did not mix very well with the other Japanese students, she was transferred to another school, this time on her father's military base.
Tessa is a Whispered
Whispered
The Whispered are unique individuals in the Full Metal Panic! universe who possess access to Black Technology, technology that outstrips the level of technology that should exist in the world.- Abilities :...
, and thus is gifted in the fields of mathematics and science. When she was six years old, she had derived the answer to one of Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's non-linear differential equations. On a side note, her twin brother, Leonard Testarossa, did this at age four, giving her an inferiority complex, as she states in Episode 10.
She worked her way up very quickly in Mithril, and became Captain of the Tuatha de Danaan after being commissioned by MITHRIL. It is also speculated the knowledge found within her may have led to the construction of TDD-1, due to the fact that Gauron refers to the existence of a Whispered knowledgeable in the field of submarine construction. She also mentions having had a hand in the construction of its AI, Dana.
When she participated in the "hijacking" of the Pacific Chrysalis in "Dancing Very Merry Christmas", she used the alias Teletha Mantissa.