Tem Ray is a character from the fictional Gundam science fiction anime universe, and is the father of Amuro Ray. He is considered to be the scientific mind behind the Federation’s Mobile Suit (V Project) series, and the creator of the original RX-78-2 Gundam.

Tem Ray’s birthplace is unknown, but like Amuro it is thought to be somewhere between Japan and the East Coast of the United States. As for Tem’s personal life, he married Amuro’s mother, Kamaria and led a normal life when he was not serving in the EFSF. Sometime before the One Year War, Tem was called up to research and develop weapons for the EFSF at Side 7 and took his son with him, much to Kamaria’s dismay.

Once at Side 7 he began research and had to leave his son in the care of the neighbor girl Frau Bow while he went away on government business. Sometime before and during the OYW, Tem began construction of MS with the blessings of the EFSF and headed the “V Project”.

When the project was in its final stages Tem was sent to report to Jaburo to receive the Pegasus-class assault carrier White Base and bring it to Side 7, where he was to collect its MS compliment. On the way to Side 7, the ship was followed by a Zeon Musai-class cruiser commanded by Char Aznable, who stumbled upon the White Base while returning from a mission of his own.

Once docked at Side 7, Tem immediately set off to transfer the mobile suits. However, one of the Zeon Zakus that infiltrated the colony went against order and decided to launch attack on the dock. In the ensuing chaos, Tem’s son, Amuro ran out of the refugee shelter and called out to him.

Despite being very happy to see his son, Tem coldly ordered Amuro to evacuate to White Base, then went off with another officer to find a tractor in order to complete the transfer of the remaining MS component. Being desperate, Amuro jumped into Gundam Unit 2, managed to start it up and began awkwardly engaging the Zakus.

He slashed a Zaku in half with Gundam’s beam saber, causing the Zaku’s reactor to explode, blowing a huge hole in the colony’s hull. Tem and his assistant were sucked out into outer space. Sometime after, he was rescued by a shuttle and sent to one of the neighboring sides where he received medical treatment, but he never recovered from the brain damage caused by the long period of oxygen deprivation.

During the last encounter with his son, Amuro found Tem residing in a junkyard in Side 6. Tem congratulated him for doing a good job and gave him a piece of machinery, saying it would enhance Gundam’s power.

In an ambigious scene in the movie trilogy, Tem fell down a stairwell while celebrating Amuro’s victory (which was broadcasted on Side 6’s television media). It is possible that he died from head trauma in this scene, but the viewer is never explicitly told whether he died or simply passed out.

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